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[h2]The World[hr][/h2]
[hider=Age of War]Before the age of war, the major factions within the Jianghu had fought each other to a stalemate. For generations, a cautious peace was upheld. No faction wished to risk alter the balance, lest be crushed under the weight of the others. Whatever peace may have been prevalent, the time certainly wasn't prosperous. Stagnation, indifference, and petty matters were all circumstances. However, a malicious plan ruminated beneath the earth.

The peace was broken by an attack of the recusant clans. The alliance answered in kind: bloodshed led to bloodshed. Soon, the entire jianghu fell into disarray. It was war.

But it was not a war by the intention of the recusant or alliance. No, it was a plan generations in the making. The devil clans acted in silence. They infiltrated both sides. Perhaps if the alliance had been less complacent or corrupted, they could have noticed. If the recusant had a true leader, perhaps they would have been able to figure it out. But neither side had figured anything out. The devil clans had wormed into both sides and were responsible for the pretenses of war.

Though, perhaps the devil clans played their cards too early. Before a faction had yielded, they had assassinated the leader of the alliance. They announced themselves to the world and threatened both the remains of the alliance and the recusant.

Knowing that both of them were threatened and that the pretense for war had been false, the remaining leadership of both sides formed a pact. The iron concord would last until the devil clans were slaughtered. Under the promise of returning sacred land to the Heavenly Demon Cult, all three factions joined blades to fight strike back against the devil clans.

The final campaigns were brutal. The devil clans had access to power that no faction could singlehandedly match. Despite this, the concord fought tooth and nail for their survival. Countless lives were lost. Heroes of each generation had been wounded beyond recognition. Hundreds of battles were fought. Finally, it ended.

It ended. The Heavenly Demonic Master had sacrificed his flesh for the Devil God's bones. The war that had shattered the jianghu had finally come to an end.

Peace did not come. No, as each side cared for their wounds, the remains of the devil clans once again receded into the shadows. The scars generated from the war ran deep. In this uncertain time, people wonder when it will end. Though, the devil clans seem to not go quietly into the night.[/hider]
[hider=The Jianghu]The Jianghu can be thought of as the entire martial world. Though, it's more of a descriptive term than an actual name. Interchangeable terms include Wulin, Gangho, and Murim. Within the Jianghu, there are four major factions. These factions had once divided the country into a stalemate with any large action resulting in a massive shift of power. Since the age of war ended, the factions are once again moving to reclaim their power.

[b]The Martial Alliance[/b]
An alliance between the orthodox sects. The Martial Alliance and those associated with it have a generally honourable code of conduct: respect one's elders, do not involve those outside the Jianghu, fight with honor, be held to one's word, etc. However, the rigidity of the orthodox path and the generations of stagnation have resulted in corruption and self-serving. While heroes still held up the foundation of the alliance, the poisoned fruit continued to grow. Since the war, the alliance has entered a dangerous situation. The heroic roots had been wounded or slain by the war while the corrupt sects had been mostly spared. As such, the righteous stand against two enemies: those outside and those within.

[b]The Recusant[/b]
A loose association of fallen sects, associations, and secret societies, the recusant are bound by a simple philosophy: the strong defeat the weak. Unlike the Martial Alliance, the recusant gave up their honour long ago. While the orthodox sects call the recusant evil, it's difficult to define them as such. There are murderers, but there are also flawed heroes within their ranks. If there is a criminal enterprise, it's usually part of the recusant. While they were at an adversarial stalemate with the martial alliance before the war, they have since found themselves fighting alongside the alliance. Since the war ended, the wounded recusant entered a state of internal strife. The recusant are at the risk of an ideological fracture: those who wish to continue the iron concord and those who wish for vengeance for the beginning of the war.

[b]The Devil Clans[/b]
A broad group, the devil clans tap into forbidden methods of cultivation. Blood sacrifice, cursed weapons, and arts that corrupt the body and mind. While the recusant tend towards criminals trying to make money, the devil clans tend toward the criminals that commit unspeakable acts. The devil clans were the prime instigator of the war. The devil clans were able to break the stalement thanks to their heinous methods and strategies. A war generations in the making, they were able to inflict unparalleled damage before the rest of the Jianghu banded against them. With the primary instigators of the devil clans captured, crippled, or dead, the devil clans once again are hiding as they rebuild their strength.

[b]The Heavenly Demonic Cult[/b]
Effectively, the unpredictable out of the factions. True to their name, they are a cult devoted to the heavenly demonic master. It's a harsh and brutal place. Brutal injury, if not death, is commonplace for disciples. While the rarest faction, members of the Demonic Cult are generally considered to be the strongest out of all of the factions. While they had joined the age of war late, they had a pivotal role in ending the war. However, they had done so at a great cost: the death of the heavenly demonic master. Now, the cult lacks leadership. They remain at risk of losing their arts as they scatter across the provinces.[/hider]
[hider=Clans]This section is incomplete. It will be filled out as characters are completed. Feel free to make your own clan (or introduce classical sects like Mount Hua, Wudang, etc), their [i]lore[/i] and any other bits.

[b]The Luo Clan[/b]
Taoist philosophers yet not ascetics, the Luo Clan marks western Henan as their home. Believing in harmony, it is no surprise that they reside in a province in which martial warriors from both sides live in relative peace. The Luo clan enforces the peace of their territory with prudence. Those who wish to disturb the peace of the Luo's land will find themselves in danger. Though, since the war, the Luo Clan has struggled with the aftereffects.

Additional information: See [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5376493/]Kidd's Luo Yifang[/url]

[b]Disciples of the Wilted Lotus[/b]
Isolated deep within the northern wilds of Goryeo, the grudge-bearing warriors of the cult calls the Jugeul Forests their home. As with many other sects within the Heavenly Demon Cult, they possess martial arts that border on the demonic. The only thing stopping them from embracing the devils is their devotion towards the Heavenly Demonic Master. The Disciples of the Wilted Lotus see themselves as the antithesis of the devil clans. As such, they are hunters, assassins, and warriors living in secret within the Jianghu.

Additional information: See [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5376535]Cu's Bin Myung-Suk[/url]

[b]Yuán Clan[/b]
Guardians of the Severed Peak's spring, the Yuán Clan were once a renowned family within the martial alliance. With their spiritual ability, perhaps they could have rivalled the Five Great Families had they involved themselves within the politics of the Jianghu. However, their legacy had been sullied by the age of war. They had been revealed as and fallen. Was it a betrayal for power? Perhaps they had never been on the alliance's side. No matter what the case is, those who remember the Yuán Clan do not remember them as warriors of the alliance. No, they are remembered as dogs of the devil clans. 


Additional information: See [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5376142]Feyblue's Yuan Xiaying[/url]

[b]Broken Mountain Sect[/b]
Located in Hunan, the deep forests and eroded, pillar-like mountains of Dayong served as a impenetrable haven to those with nowhere left to go. Known for their great strength, members of this sect primarily involve themselves within borders of their province. It is said that if there is business within Hunan, the Broken Mountain Sect is involved in some way. While many businessmen within Hunan say that it's plain racketeering, business in Hunan goes unimpeded. However, memories of the war still scar the mountains. While they had not been a participant in the early parts of the war, the alliance's offensives had been against the sect nonetheless.

Additional information: See [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5376142]Restalaan's Xiao Shan[/url]

[b]Iron Fist Sect[/b]
A recusant clan located in the heart of Hefei, Anhui's capital. The Iron Fist sect rules the streets of the city. (I should actually fill in more here, but that comes if we go to Anhui. Just know that they're kinda assholes.)

[b]The Immortal Tools[/b]
The founding philosophy of the Immortal Tools is that the body is the tool of the immortal soul. And to shape a tool, it must be hammered into shape, honed, and maintained regularly. The Immortal Tools practice mental dissociation, allowing themselves to subject their bodies to cruel training that can strengthen them much faster than a healthier, less extreme regime would. But through this, they become masters over their bodies, and are often undeterred by pain. The Immortal Tools are an intellectual sect, often pursuing and discovering new ways to train themselves, and do not have a fixed style. The founder of the Immortal Tools believed that as long as the sect members focused on their techniques, they did not need to engage in the politics of the jianghu until they were powerful and ready, so for much of the sect's history, they have been isolationist and defensive, only occasionally drawing the ire of sects of the Martial Alliance. But their willingness to try out their techniques on living people, blatant disregard for tradition, extreme practices, and lack of a moral philosophy puts them squarely among the Recusant Clans.

Additional information: See [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5377941]Stern's Sheng Qingling[/url]
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[hider=Locations]Henan - It's split down the middle, baby.[/hider]
[h2]Martial Knowledge[hr][/h2]
[hider=Cultivation, Qi, and Martial Arts]In its most basic form, martial arts comprises of three actions: the conversion of energy to qi, the movement of qi through the meridians, and the application of qi through martial techniques. Thus, there are effectively three different types of techniques a martial warrior needs to know: cultivation techniques, qi techniques, and martial arts.

Cultivation techniques are fairly simple. Simply put, all cultivation techniques focus on the creation of qi from energy. This energy comes in many forms. Yin and yang, the five elements, and bagua are all common frameworks to cultivate energy. However, the esoteric nature of this energy makes it difficult to prove what are correct as all of them allow for cultivation. While simple, cultivation techniques are the most important for a martial artist; every other technique relies on the process of turning energy to qi in the dantian.

Qi techniques revolve around the movement of internal energy through the meridians. Thus, they are normally more passive than martial techniques. Things such as body strengthening, regeneration, and more would be here. The primary difference between a qi and martial technique is that a qi technique does not need a target.

Martial techniques involve battle. They include things such as weapon arts, sound arts, assassination arts, etc. Martial techniques are extraordinarily broad and cover a great extent.

Internal arts and external arts are also classifications, but they're more broad. Internal arts focus on strengthening qi, the mind, and the spirit. External arts focus on strengthening the body.

Generally, a single person has a narrow set of techniques. The more broad techniques they possess, the worse off someone usually is as conflicting energies, conflicting movements, and more issues develop.

On the more supernatural powers:
It's a bit complicated and case-by-case. Generally, stuff like shooting fire and doping belong more to the devil clans/heavenly demon cult. Generally, manifesting any sort of qi effect in the real world belongs to masters and higher (though gifted first-rates can also do so).

Sword (or weapon) qi is pretty common among martial arts. It's basically making your weapon glow and bew reinforced. Generally, only masters can do this. However, if a weapon and non-master are perfectly suited to one another, manifesting sword qi without being a master is possible.[/hider]
[hider=Ranks]Martial warriors are generally divided into 7 ranks based on their strength. Of note, these represent the most common walls a martial artist faces on their journey. Generally, each rank. However, they are not truly indicative of strength. While a transcendent master will almost always be stronger than a peak master as they are further along in their journey, there has been times where someone of lower rank has defeated one of higher rank. 

There is an invisible rank for those who belong in the jianghu but have yet to begin to fight. The majority of this group are young disciples of sects who have yet to become warriors.

Note that these terms aren't exact. A first class disciple is the same strength as a first class warrior. The difference is a disciple is implied to be under the tutelage of a sect. In addition, someone who is a Peak Master is in the peak realm. Similarly, an unrestrained master is in the unrestrained realm. It smooths out a lot of sentences.

Third Class Warrior - The wall of cultivation.
The first level of those who belong to the martial world. While they are the lowest rank of martial artist, there are still basic requirements to being a third class warrior. Primarily, the ability to cultivate and sense qi or, at the bare minimum, be equivalent in strength to someone that can.

Second Class Warrior - The wall of willpower.
Stronger than third class, a second class warrior is seen as strong enough to lead a small group of third class warriors. They are experienced and strong, but nothing in particular stands out. As a result, the first wall is generally one of willpower to reach this point.

First Class Warrior - The wall of talent.
They are stronger than second class and usually have defining characteristics. However, they are still weaker than someone that has mastered their martial art. 

Peak Master - The wall of mastery.
The strength that comes with complete mastery over a martial art, peak masters are strong enough to cause waves within the Jianghu. Qi usually begins to materialize at this level, giving rise to sword qi and other similar effects. At this point, a warrior is strong enough to teach disciples within a sect without incurring the ire of others.

Transcendent Master - The wall of realization.
Transcendent masters have not only mastered their martial arts, but also gone beyond and improved the martial art they have once mastered.

Unrestrained Master - The wall of enlightenment.
The unrestrained stage is usually defined by some kind of qi enlightenment. This enlightenment is unique to each martial artist. This enlightened qi allows for martial abilities beyond understanding. Qi solidification usually happens here.

Profound Master - The wall of understanding.
The profound stage revolves around the understanding of the self and the world. It is usually at this point when one can form a sect that can rival the great sects.

Heavenly Master - The wall of the world.
The final stage is defined by one thing: the ability to upheave the balance of the world.[/hider]
[hider=Misc.]Currency is comprised of coins and precious metal. 1000 Wen (a single copper coin) = 1 Tael of silver (a weight of ingot). There's also sycee (boats and ornaments made of gold/silver), but they're local and just worth their weight.

Weapons have ranks. Normal > Named > Famed > Divine/Demonic/Bewitching.

While the story has people with supernatural capabilities and events, it should generally always focus on the people within and affected by the Jianghu. Intelligent spirits, malevolent demons, and other celestial beings are very unlikely to appear.

It's been a year and a bit since the war ended. Enough time for funerals and some rebuilding, but the world is still very post-war. The war probably would have lasted around a decade with some periods being much more violent than others.[/hider]

[hr][hr][h2][url=https://discord.gg/mFCdFVSkUj]A Discord!?[/url][/h2]
While not required, the fastest way to reach me and my goblin brain is always going to be @ing me on Discord.
[hr][hr]
[hider=CS Guide]
[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/g6gk33z/1548360060996.gif[/img]
[i]A character image. Perhaps a fun quip underneath.[/i][/center]
[b]Name:[/b]
[indent]Probably a name fitting to Ancient China or its surrounding areas.[/indent]
[b]Titles:[/b]
[indent]Would be fairly rare for most characters. A title would mean that you are of note to the entire Jianghu.[/indent]
[b]Age:[/b]
[indent]Within reason.[/indent]
[b]Rank:[/b]
[indent]Third-class to first-class. Peak at the most, if you have reason for it.[/indent]
[b]Allegiance:[/b]
[indent]Essentially who you outwardly seem to support. It could be the sect that trains you, it could be your criminal gang, it could be yourself if you're a self-trained wildebeest. Include a bit of lore/structure if it's an organization.[/indent]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[indent]Anything not covered by your image.[/indent]
[b]Personality:[/b]
[indent]A short thing about how they act towards others/what drives them/etc.[/indent]
[b]History:[/b]
[indent]How they got to where they are. Any noteworthy events that shaped them. Past events I can hook into the overarching plot.[/indent]
[b]Other:[/b]
[indent]Trivia, things that aren't included in other sections.[/indent]
[b]Body Enhancements:[/b]
[indent]One and done things like bone metamorphosis, immunities, etc. These would actually be pretty rare for non-masters.[/indent]
[b]Equipment:[/b]
[indent]What your character uses. Feel free to skip the basics that everyone would probably have access to.[/indent]
[b]Cultivation Base:[/b]
[indent]Basically, the theory behind how your character gains and develops their qi. It could be through meditation and the balance of yin and yang energies, it could be through breathing energy and exhaling it. Basically, what is the foundation of your growth. It should generally align to your other techniques.[/indent]
[b]Techniques:[/b]
[indent]What your character can do with their qi, essentially. Some examples:

7 Vermilion Star Sword Art - A technique passed down within the Au Yeung family, this art comprises of 7 movements relating to seven mansions of the vermilion bird. It is said that masters of this technique have a radiant sword aura of white flame and each slash resembles a falling star. However, the art remains incomplete. Designed to be used within a formation alongside four other techniques, its sister arts have since been lost to time and its true power remains with its lost sisters.

Earthly Palm Art - An art designed to protect. Rather than counter or clash with an opponent's blows, practitioners of this style use their meridians to conduct, shift, and return their opponent's qi to the earth. It is said that so long as one's feet are on the ground, even a dragon can be stopped. However, the art contains numerous weaknesses. First, it remains incompatible with any killing techniques or weaponry. Second, it requires an extraordinary level of focus to shift qi. The slightest misstep could result in the destruction of one's internals.[/indent][/hider]
Style this CS how you want.
[pre][center][img]Image[/img][/center]
Name:
Titles:
Age:
Rank:
Allegiance:
Appearance:
Personality:
History:
Other:

Body Enhancements:
Equipment:
Cultivation Base:
Techniques:[/pre]