World Introduction

Places

The Mainland

The Central Plains

Once the most plentiful region in the Mainland after being ravaged by incessant War for years and years many areas are no different from a wasteland compared to the rich , bountiful areas they once were.

The only areas that are still unaffected are those lying under the Suzerainty of Powerful Sects , the Declining Empire and the more powerful of the Rising Vassal Kingdoms.

The Southern Border

A mystical land to the South of the Mainland covered with perennial forests which are the abode of Terrifying Beasts and Fearsome Spirits who legends say walk aboard the Human Lands clothed in Human Flesh when Night Falls and the Moon Shines.

Apart from these beings there are also certain Humans who live in this region leading a relatively primitive lifestyle compared to their kin in the Central Plains which has caused the latter to look down on the former and dub them as 'savages' .

The Humans Of the Southern Border bear no fondness for their kin in the Central Plains and have adopted to a distinct lifestyle of their own , living in a symbiotic relationship with Primordial Nature Spirits whom they term as 'Gu'.

The Abandoned Land Of the Gods

A phantasmagorical land to the West of the Central Plains . Long ago , in a different aeon it was a bustling region known as the 'Western Paradise' where legends say that even the High Gods would walk among mortals as equals. After a cataclysm that affected all the lands , this land lost its vigour and withered away , being sealed away from the world beyond by an all-encompassing mist that perennially encompasses the entire length and breadth of the region.

Many legends have arisen since , of this place and its fathoms have become a haven for all sorts of people who are trying their best to uncover the secrets that lie within.

The Northern Desolation

A desolate region to the far north which is covered by freezing ice and snow with only the lower reaches experiencing something remotely similar to a summer during a couple of months.

The denizens of this land are Fierce Barbaric Tribes and Terrible Snow Beasts that periodically invade the Central Plains to the south at the onset of autumn in order to plunder material that will be useful for the inevitable arrival of the harsh winter that decimates everything in its path.

The Endless Eastern Sea

A vast body of water that seemingly stretches on forever , it has been the subject of many a myth . Untamed by man , its wild reaches are a forbidden region for mortals because of the presence of fearsome beings that are the stuff of legends . Rumours say that a Dragon King rules over this chaotic region but the presence of this being has never been confirmed.

The World Of Wulin

Major Powers

Orthodox Factions

Wudang Sect

A Sect which is based on the Wudang Mountains and is renowned for their martial skills which revolve around the concept of Taiji , which involves the attainment of Harmony both inwards and outwards .

They are recognized as a major power in Wulin and consequently in the Mainland as well , they typically do not involve themselves in power struggles among the various factions but their abstinence seemingly has changed with the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect accepting the Title of Imperial Preceptor from the current Emperor who is doing his best to retain his dwindling power.

Kunlun Sect

Although they belong to an orthodox sect , the members of this sect are willing to use unorthodox methods as well if it serves them in their grand goal of being the 'Guardians Of the World' .

Due to its close proximity to the Abandoned Land of the Gods , a lot of secret manuals from the ancient era have made its way into this sect boosting its power tremendously.

Members are secretive and rarely venture out into the world but if they do they are bound to stir the oceans and collapse lands in order to fulfill their mission .

Therefore it is believed that when the doors of the Kunlun Sect open , the world is heading for a turbulent period.

Shaolin Monastery

The leading Buddhist Monastery where the monks are as skilled in the Martial Way as they are skilled in the teachings of the Dharma . It is the faction most involved in the Secular World since the monks take an active interest in wandering around and helping any troubled people who they come across.

Even though Shaolin is quite aware of the happenings that are taking place outside , they do their best to not interfere since they believe that any active intervention is contrary to the tenets they follow thus are extremely reluctant to do anything unless their hands are forced when their might explodes like an erupting volcano.

All Truth Sect

An orthodox Taoist Sect whose members are obsessed with longevity and Eternal Life .

The various members are Martial Maniacs in the truest sense of the word , though what they are obsessed with is not fighting per se but the Enlightenment achieved during the process.

It is a long standing belief among the various members that with steady advancement in their prowess it is possible to shatter the chains of mortality and eventually become an 'Immortal'.

This Sect is also famous for its mystical 'Inner Alchemy ' which is a form of alchemy where the body of the Alchemist itself , becomes the Pill furnace.

Mount Hua Sect

The Number One Sword Sect in the Mainland , the members of this sect are proficient in Sword Techniques and it is considered a heinous sin to be otherwise .

Perhaps the most traditional of all of the Sects , the members of this Sect are the most fastidious regarding maintaining law and order in a chaotic world that has neither seen nor heard of either which has led them to be the most reputable among the masses.

Unorthodox Factions

The Three Stars Holy Cult

Also Known as the Demonic Cult , the members of this cult have long thought to be devils who walk in the World Of Wulin clothed in Human Skin . The members themselves never agree to this description however and rather prefer to be considered as those 'who fulfill their desires without restrain ' .

Unlike the Orthodox Factions , the members of the Three Stars Holy Cult very often meddle in the affairs of the Secular World often causing the situation to turn more chaotic as a consequence , unfortunately though because of their immense strength their actions are pretty much impeded unless several of the Orthodox Factions combine to suppress these troublemakers.

False Reality Sect

Also known as the 'Number One Gathering of Insane Heretics ', the founders of this sect belonged to a radical faction of the All Truth Sect who adopted extremely unconventional methods in order to fulfill their sect's long-standing goal of achieving Immortality.

Eventually however the acts of these members were exposed and they were expelled from their sect as a consequence . They then created their own sect with the aim of fulfilling their dream but without the 'hobbles' they felt that the All Truth Sect had imposed on them previously.

As a result , this sect has become the gathering point of all 'Radicals ' who practice strange and mystical methods that would be deemed as unacceptable by the Orthodox Factions who are overtly in charge of the Secular World.

Ancient Tomb Sect

Legends say that the founder of this sect was a Hungry Ghost that had managed to escape from the King Of Hell and had shrouded the Mainland with terror for an entire age.

While the veracity of this legend is doubtful , the extremely strange and sinister methods of the members of this Sect do offer some credibility.

The members of this sect are highly antisocial and reclusive and do not like to be bothered , if they are however then they are willing to go up to any extent in order to ensure that the trouble is eliminated.

Mount Heaven Sect

The most mystical among the Unorthodox Factions , members of this sect are harder to see than a blue moon even so among the Unorthodox Factions it is regarded as the most dangerous since the extent of its full power has never been shown.

A lot of horrific incidents and many organisations that thrive in the shadows who are responsible for bringing great calamity have thought to have been connected to this sect , unfortunately it has never been proved conclusively

As a result this sect which is shrouded in mystery is feared by many and hardly ever mentioned by martial artists who walk the Wulin.

The Secular World

The Empire and it various Vassal States

In a world where Martial Arts are indispensable in life , any Empire that attains suzerainty over the Central Plains does through a combination of sheer force , impressive tactics and the so called 'Will of the People ' .

With the last factor being extremely fickle the first two often come to the fore during turbulent times.

The Current Zhou Dynasty is no exception ; based on some intelligent strategies and massive power they were able to sway public opinion and eventually the First emperor ascended to the much desired throne.

However with the passage of time the power of the Zhou Dynasty has waned considerably and has lost its ability to maintain suzerainty over the Central Plains due to its strength draining continuously.

Among the various vassal states that are confronting each other for hegemony , the three states which have the greatest chance of replacing the Zhou dynasty are the states of Qin , Han and Chu.

Qin

The largest and most prosperous of the several vassal states . Although no major Martial Faction is located here , the Qin Army with its profound strength and rigorous discipline is strong enough to rival any major Martial Faction .

Governed by a succession of able rulers , in the cognition of many the King Of Qin is poised to be the next Emperor without doubt.

Han

While not as large or prosperous as Qin , because of the extremely efficient implementation of the state policies it has caused it to turn into a well oiled machine that manages to relentlessly churn out fanatically loyal individuals who have the capacity to affect the general situation of the entire Central Plains.

Chu

The most prosperous of all of the states in the Central Plains . It owes its prosperity to its mercantile nature which has seeped deep into the roots of the society that defines Chu .

There is a saying that with the right amount of money anything can be found in the streets of Chu , this statement is certainly not an exaggeration and the State Of Chu is in fact proud of this assertion.

Because of this commercial prosperity the State of Chu has accumulated a great deal of wealth and favours which has caused many of the states to balk from the possibility of attacking Chu in fear of the inexorable retaliation that will follow.

The Hundred Schools of Thought

These are factions that transcend the traditional spectrum of Martial Arts as they are in fact involved in all aspects of life .

Despite possessing impressive Martial Legacies the believers are content to be involved with the Secular world , influencing its events and competing with each other rather than jostling around in the World of Wulin which they feel is beneath them

The most prominent among these factions are :

The School Of Scholars (Ruism)

The Official School which has been sanctioned by the incumbent Zhou Dynasty and publicly acknowledged as the most renowned and powerful of the various schools with its philosophy having influenced many throughout the vast Central Plains .

Their philosophy mainly lays stress on virtue and ethics and their importance in the life of the people.

While most states are concurrent with the position of the Zhou Dynasty or at least are not antagonistic to this school , the state of Qin bears a particularly acrimonious relationship with this school which has caused many to fear for their future if the King Of Qin indeed becomes the Emperor in the future.

The School Of Law (Faism)

This is the Official School Of the State Of Han .

The guiding ideology of this school is that the nature of Man is incorrigibly selfish ; accordingly, the only way to preserve the social order was to impose discipline from above, and to see to a strict enforcement of laws. The Legalists exalted the state above all, seeking its prosperity and martial prowess over the welfare of the common people.

While they aren't popular amongst a large strata of society who find their strictness stifling , it is undeniable that a large portion of the Strength of the State Of Han is a consequence of Legalist policies which has resulted in many states begin to tentatively adopt Legalist policies.

The School Of Mo (Mohism)

A major rival to the School Of Scholars , Mohism advocates that instead of believing in abstract logic it was important to believe in the experiences gained through the senses.

This School is a proponent of 'communal welfare' ; that is in building tools and methods that can help the common people . These tools though have eventually translated into fantastical contraptions that have shown to be just as useful on a bloodsoaked battlefield as they are whilst ploughing rice fields .

The School Of Naturalists (Harmonism)

This School explains all phenomena in terms of the Natural Essences Of the Earth which are the Five Elements and the Concept of Yin-Yang Duality.

Their philosophy has caused them to be in effect some of the best Alchemists , Physicians and Array Masters and as a consequence their reputation is just as loud as in the Martial World (Wulin) as it is in the Secular World making them unique among the various schools .

The School Of Diplomacy

The members of this school are the most fickle and are far more malicious in nature compared to their compatriots .

While the members come from a wide range of backgrounds all of them are united by a common purpose - to stir the direction of a turbulent era towards their benefit.

Divided overtly into two factions which support the till then stronger and the weaker sides in a struggle respectively through shrewd diplomacy they are responsible for arranging alliances , planning tactics all in the hope of bringing the other side down.

To the members of this school what the play is but a simple game of Go , moving pieces on the board and delighting on their victory without caring of the disastrous consequences those victories leave in their wake.

A brief summary Of Martial Artists

Those who haven't condensed their Internal Energy are not worthy of being called Martial Artists ; among those who have there is a strict order on the basis of the Nature Of Internal Energy which changes with growth both physical and mental , though the later is far more explosive than the former.

Internal Energy is a wondrous energy which is latently present in every being and has to be coaxed out by stimulation which can be obtained by various means such as battle , ingesting precious medicine , forceful stimulation by external sources of Internal energy or by gaining Enlightenment.

Once Internal Energy is condensed one can never go back to their old life and is set on a path from which there is no return.

Gradation Of Martial Artists

Martial Artist

Beings who have just condensed their internal energy belong to this realm. With greater understanding of their new powers they can perform superhuman feats which is impossible for ordinary mortals . Having increased strength , intellect and lifespan which are far beyond that of a Mortal they have long since severed their ties with mortality . Typically they have a lifespan of around 120 years which is about 3/2 times that of a normal human at the peak of health.

Martial Master

To become a Martial Master from a Martial Artist a qualitative transformation must occur in the essence of the being itself , what this means is when a Martial Artist gains 'insight' of a certain 'Rule' of a nature and manages to successfully 'integrate' it with his parson , the nature of life itself changes reflected through a change in Internal Energy , Physical and Mental Attributes and a tremendously increased lifespan which can exceed 200 years.

Martial Grandmaster

A legendary realm ; in the entire Mainland very few have ever managed to reach this step and each has manage to create an earth shaking legend of their own . A higher degree of Enlightenment is required in order for a Martial Master to breach this realm , but since pitifully few have managed to do this , the difficulty can be imagined . Each step of these beings can cause massive earthquakes and they can shatter mountains with a single strike !

Innate

A realm long thought to be naught but a myth . It is said that when a Martial Grandmaster manages to attain Union with the Heavens , the entire world is bare in front of him and he is half-way on the stairs to Heaven . Such a rumoured state has been given the name of Innate though no one knows if it is achievable or not

As for Martial Arts there is generally no gradation unlike the Martial Artists since they are as numerous as the stars in the night sky and based on their usage can prove to be impressive in their own way ; though there is a superficial gradation based on which stage of Martial Artists practice this particular Martial Art.