Strategy : The Brotherhood of Thieves Clan

The Brotherhood of Thieves

The Brotherhood of Thieves is a Black clan created by Ji Longfeng. The Followers of the Brotherhood use Longfeng's Divine Spear techniques.It is located in Tai Shan Mountain, in the Zhongyang Province.

Among the six clans, The Brotherhood has the biggest damage range in their weapons of choice: spears and axes. However the damage is not consistent. The thieves are trained in thick forests to increase their speed and accuracy.

Roles

The classes in the Thieves clan are as follows:

Warrior Bandits (Warrior type) (Specialize in: Spears)

Armored Bandits (Caster type) (Specialize in: Bracers)

Strategist Bandits (Healer type) (Specialize in: Axe)

Taishan Bandits (Hybrid type) (Specialize in: Axe).

Overview

Affiliation: Black Clan (unaffiliated as far as any know at this time)

Clan Headquarters: Tai Shan Mountain, Zhongyuan Province.

Current Leader: Black Panther, Overlord of The Brotherhood

Lost Dragon: Ji Longfeng, “The Divine Spear”

Weapon: Ji Longfeng used a spear.

Common shorthand: BoT

Location: Tai Shan is the Eastern Mountain among the Five Great Mountains of Zhongyuan. With its rugged terrain, the mountain provides a natural stronghold for the heroic bandits of The Brotherhood of Thieves.

Clan Overview The clan is an organization of thieves, robbers and brigands unified by a noble purpose: To overthrow corrupt officials and redistribute their wealth to the defenseless poor. Noble indeed, but their methodology has resulted in them being labeled a Black Clan in the eyes of Shaolin and Wu-Tang, and as outlaws wanted dead or alive by the government.

As with any organization comprised of and run by criminals, there are many undercurrents of corruption and violence boiling just beneath the surface. The clan leaders use coercion to ensure loyalty, and punishments levied out against disciples who break the clan’s rules are swift and severe.

The Brotherhood consists of Eighteen Fortresses, as well as hundreds of small dens. Their widespread network rivals that of The League of Beggars. Every three years, a competition is held among all the dens and fortresses, which serves to expel the weak and promote the strong into their eighteen council members.

“The Brotherhood is the hope born of poor people everywhere.” In the wake of the new dynasty, The Imperial Emperor instituted many new taxes and levies across The Land. Many commoners were drained beyond their means by greedy local officials who abused their power and demanded unjust amounts of money. Peasants who had scraped all their lives to provide for their families suddenly had their lands and meager savings taken from them. As a result, many merchants were forced into bankruptcy, and honest men and women had to become bandits, merely to survive. For a time it seemed there were more criminals than honest men in Zhongyuan Province. But, with the formation of The Brotherhood, a flicker of hope was born. The criminal elements were brought together under one banner and their efforts were directed against the tax collectors, not the common man. Now, at last, the peasants could walk the streets, no longer the targets of thieves, and receive riches back from The Brotherhood…riches that were wrongfully taken from them in the first place.

Style: When the philosopher Gu Long once said, “The most fearsome enemies are your closest friends,” he may very well have been referring to disciples of The Brotherhood. All the members of this clan are thieves, and they think as criminals think, despite the noble ends of their thievery. Though they are loyal to their clan, that loyalty stems from fear, coercion, and the knowledge that a friend today might become your assassin tomorrow, if you were to offend the wrong clansman. Since most peasants and criminals have little, if any, formal education, their speech is typically of the lowest caste. Indeed, a brutish manner and mentality is almost considered cultivated behavior among them. Since they are used to living in harsh, mountain terrain they are quite skilled at turning nature to their advantage. It has been said that The Brotherhood is invincible on its own ground. When disciples are not training their martial arts or marauding in packs, you may find them engaged in rough but friendly competition, or playing games of chance.

Clan Slogans: A noble thief steals not for his own relief.

Common Farewell: “Take what you will, share what you can!”

Membership Requirement: Since there can be grave distinctions between common and noble thieves, one can only join the clan through reference and recommendation. This helps to protect the clan’s secrets and also makes those who give their recommendations liable for those who are inducted. If a clan member offers his recommendation of a disciple, and that disciple turns traitor, both will be subject to the same punishment, which could be either banishment or death. Since the clan has recruited many disciples who are ex-government officials, they have access to plenty of information about newly joined members. One may join the clan on achieving Cheng 6 of Losing Self.

Specialty Class: Warrior Bandit, Strategist Bandit, Taishan Bandit, Armored Bandit

Roles

Following the devastating War of Nine Dragons, The Brotherhood was forced to rebuild their Clan, form a stronger command regime and establish distinct Roles for their disciples, categorized by specialties and abilities. These Roles are Warrior Bandits who fight toe-to-toe, Strategist Bandits who outwit their enemies, Armored Bandits who master their inner force through Chi Kung training, and Taishan Bandits who train in all aspects of The Six Harmonies.

Warrior Bandits train Ji Longfeng's Divine Spear techniques, then take their rightful place as soldiers on the frontline. Warriors learn how to focus their energy and driving force, and to become of single mind with their weapons, like living spears. * Because Life is of paramount importance, Constitution is their most important concern. Essence is harder to develop for them, and Wisdom is not as important as other attributes.

Strategist Bandit A Strategist Bandit is the only Role in The Brotherhood which calls for cunning and wits. These disciples are trained for mass combat, and learn various techniques such as healing, destruction, protection and bolstering, so that they may oversee the clan's Formation techniques. * Essence and Strength are key for this role. Constitution is harder to develop for them.

Taishan Bandit Taishan Bandits firmly believe that solo missions are the best. Many hands diminish stealth. So they learn all of The Brotherhoods’ offensive and defensive techniques. It is said that a Taishan alone in the woods should be an army unto himself. * Emphasis realy implies to if u wish to make a chi kung or melee user hybrid,and wisdom is harder for them to develope

Armored Bandit Armored Bandits specialize in the use of Chi Kung, mastering protective Armored Body Arts and the devastating long-range attacks of The Emperor’s Arts. While utilizing Armored Body to withstand an attack, these tenacious disciples wait patiently for the right moment of weakness in an opponent, then attack without mercy. * They place emphasis on Essence and Wisdom. Strength is harder for them to develop, and they are ill-suited to melee combat.

Clan History

"Divine Spear Answers The Cry Of His Brothers" The Brotherhood, so legend has it, was originally a dream shared over a campfire by two men, Ji Longfeng and Ma Taichun, aided by a stolen bottle of wine…

Ji Longfeng grew up in an orphanage in a small village at the base of Mount Tai Shan. It was said that his caretakers were dishonest and were often abusive. So, Ji Longfeng would pay any wandering warrior he could find to teach him Kung Fu with money he had stolen from the collection box. By the time he reached young adulthood he had mastered several styles of Kung Fu, and so he attempted to enter Shaolin. He was offered discipleship, but turned it down once he truly considered what would be required of him. He felt wine, women and meat were gifts given by God, and was he also a believer in Confucianism, not a follower of The Buddha.

Later, while on one of his many adventures, he discovered a secret manual written by a man named General Yue Fei during the Song Dynasty. Ji Longfeng recognized the truth of the principles transcribed within the manual and The Six Harmonies were revealed to him. Combining Six Harmonies technique with his spear skills, Ji Longfeng became a great master, and earned the title “Divine Spear”.

Claiming allegiance to no clan, and disgusted with the ways of The Imperial Emperor, who was reportedly taxing his Province to death, Ji Longfeng set up his camp on rural Mount Tai Shan, where no tax collector dared to venture.

One night he heard a commotion near his campsite, and saw a man being pursued by a dozen mercenaries. Thinking the odds unfair, Ji Longfeng interceded, and quickly sent the mercenaries fleeing. The man he rescued was Ma Taichun, a man who had lost his farmland to the tax collectors and had become a thief with a price on his head. Over the course of several weeks, the two became friends. Ma Taichun told Ji Longfeng that the tax collectors had grown so greedy that there were now more wanted men than honest men left in his village. This troubled Ji Longfeng considerably, and so one night, sitting by the fire, they drank a bottle of wine that Ma Taichun had stolen, and created The Brotherhood.

Before a week had passed, they had over a hundred men camped atop Mount Tai Shan. Soonafter, Ji Longfeng led the first attack against the corrupt officials and their tax collectors, defeating their highly trained mercenaries. Though the Imperial Emperor quickly sent reinforcements, forcing Ji Longfeng and his men to retreat back to the mountain, their attack gave hope to the common people whose lives had otherwise become hopeless.

From this point, The Brotherhood of Thieves grew steadily to encompass eighteen different fortresses throughout the region.

The House

Black Panther Rank: Overlord of The Brotherhood Role: Chief Strategist, keeper of the clan’s greatest secrets and conveyor of main quests. Description: He is the Overlord of The Brotherhood and also reigns supreme over Tai Shan. He was second in command under Ji Longfeng prior to his disappearance following The War of Nine Dragons. He is an open-minded leader who perhaps over-indulges in women and drink, but he keeps loyalty alive to Ji Longfeng and his ideals, even to the point of murdering a disciple who displays disloyalty.

Deadly Tongue Rank: Chief Council to Black Panther Role: Strategist and conveyor of quests Description: He is a fallen government official who was captured by Ji Longfeng and held for ransom by The Brotherhood. At first, he treated his captors as ignorant, but, during his forced stay was impressed to the point where he pledged his loyalty to Ji Longfeng as well. He was named “Deadly Tongue” for his oratory skills, as well as his ability to talk a man into killing himself.

Steel Nerve Rank: Little Lord of The Brotherhood Role: Keeper of the clan’s Kung Fu, merchant of clan goods and conveyor of quests. Description: He is Black Panther’s brother and a master at arms with the axe. He is somewhat different from his brother in that that he is clean-cut and cold-hearted. He has systematically organized The Brotherhood’s Kung Fu and is charged with educating new disciples. His name was derived from his icy nature and multiple acts of bravery.

Deft Hands Rank: Captain of The Guard Role: Keeper of the clan’s Kung Fu and conveyor of starter quests. Description: A woman of great stature in The Brotherhood. Caught pick-pocketing on the streets of Tianjin by Steel Nerve, she was invited to join The Brotherhood at the age of twelve. She has spent twenty years as a favored disciple; she has as much strength and ambition as any male member of The Brotherhood. Her name was derived from her swift spear skills.

Fierce Wolf Rank: Black Wind Guard Role: A Gateman of The Brotherhood Description: He is one of the chosen “Black Wind” disciples, an elite warrior sect, who are low in rank but display tremendous loyalty and Kung Fu ability. He and his five blood-brothers are in charge of securing the boundaries of The Brotherhood.

Little Wind Rank: Daughter of Deadly Tongue Role: A reliable source for gathering clandestine information and a conveyor of beginning quests. Description: She is the daughter of Deadly Tongue, and was born and raised within The Brotherhood. Cute and spirited, she is loved and protected by all the disciples, whether male or female. She has a natural gift for Kung Fu and is a direct student of Black Panther. However, she is still a child and reportedly loves candy.

The Territory

Clan Stronghold The Brotherhood of Thieves main stronghold is located in the valley of a mountain range of Tai Shan. There are many kennels and training grounds within The Brotherhood’s main territory. There is a small village to the South where the families, and followers, of The Brotherhood live.

Entrance / Exit to Hefei A passage that leads to Hefei, the grand marketplace and home to The Duel Master Clan.

Gubei Village This is where the families of The Brotherhood live. There are many shops located here where disciples can purchase various weapons, food, and other worldly items.

Den of The Brotherhood of Thieves A den built into a basin. Many masters, including The Overlord, reside in this area. It also houses the clan’s well-guarded council chamber.

Training Ground This is where new brothers begin their training. All the necessities for training, such as the clan’s armory and training dummies, are stored and prepared here.

Entrance / Exit to Shi Zhang A passage that leads to Shi Zhang, a Province that lies beneath the shadow of Death Valley.

Waterfall A waterfall with clean drinking water is located at the terminus of a river that runs through to Jinan. The scenery is said to be quite beautiful.

Organization and Clan Rank

All members of The Brotherhood of Thieves belong to either a den or Fortress. Because the clan held a total of seventy-two dens when it was first organized, the clan is also called “Seventy-two dens of The Brotherhood,” regardless of any increase or decrease in numbers. There are also eighteen major Fortresses, basically larger mountain dens, which are called “Eighteen Fortresses of The Brotherhood”. Seventeen of these Fortresses (excluding the Fortress of The Overlord) have to pay a certain amount of money and goods they collect as payoff to The Overlord.

When one first joins the clan, he or she is ranked as a “No Hood”. A hood is granted only after a new disciple has made some achievement. One becomes a Boss of a Den after surpassing ranks of Windsman, Fishbait and Field Leader. From Boss of a Den, one strives to become Boss of a Fortress.

Rank of Dens, and Fortresses, in relation to one another, are determined by combined strength. If one den can put down another den of higher rank during a competition, then that den can take over the higher rank. The clan develops its strength through these challenges and continually redefines the territories that they control.

Territory of the Clan The Brotherhood of Thieves’ territory has grown so wide that its information gathering network is second only to that of The League of Beggars. While The League has more information than The Brotherhood of Thieves, The Brotherhood filters more accurate information regarding money and property than the League.

The Brotherhood’s territory is divided into two parts: mobile and fixed.

► Mobile Territory It is common that the location of a den such as The Mounted Bandits may change over time. This is due to the lack of income of a specific territory being gravely reduced when rumors of the clan have spread too far within a district. When this occurs, the clan may be forced to move the den to another place, and any place with a guaranteed income usually has another den already located nearby. Therefore, there are often feuds between dens, ending with the loser being expelled from the district. Sometimes, a wandering disciple wielding great martial arts might fight to take over the position of Boss of a Den or Boss of a Fortress. When this occurs, the previous leader may be killed in competition, or in rare cases may be demoted to become an Elder, second in command of the den.

► Fixed Territory There are some dens that occupy fixed territories. These are larger dens that hold a strategic point of traffic or trade. These dens receive monthly payments for protection by merchants of the districts through a tacit understanding. There are eighteen of these larger strongholds, which are called The Eighteen Fortresses of The Brotherhood. The downside of controlling such a large den is that it's often exposed to attack by officials and other clans. Because these dens have fixed incomes, it is more difficult to protect them than mobile dens.

Ranks of the Clan

► The Overlord (Clan Leader) Overlord of The Brotherhood; Boss of the Fortress of The Overlord. Typically the strongest and most cunning Head of a Fortress; always a wise strategist. Often one who has organized a very brave, successful, and profitable raid against a high-priority target.

► Elder (Special Rank) Elder of the clan; often a previous Overlord of the clan who was demoted through a challenge. A rank created to give respect to seniors of the clan who are still of value; however, this rank does not hold as much power as it might in other clans. Nevertheless, whoever holds this ranks demands great respect; so even the current Overlord dares not treat him harshly.

► Little Boss (Special Rank) The person in charge of the clan’s internal probes; manages business affairs of the clan. Also, he uses the authority of the Overlord in order to mediate and manage assets between dens. This rank is usually taken by a Fortress Sub-boss of the den where the Overlord first served.

► White Fan (Sub-Boss of The Fortress of The Overlord) The person in charge of all clan documents. Since most of the clan members are illiterate, a person who can read and write is often required. This office is usually taken by a failed scholar, ruined noble, or fallen government official who has escaped to The Brotherhood. This officer holds all of the clan’s vital information under lock and key.

► Clan Accountant (Sub-Boss of The Fortress of The Overlord) The person in charge of all clan possessions. Not many within the clan are good with large numbers and difficult calculations, and so this rank was created to manage all wealth of the clan. The main income of the clan’s main den is typically not derived from marauding, but by regular payments and gifts from other dens. This position is usually granted to someone who has the Overlord’s absolute trust.

► Boss of a Fortress Master of one of the eighteen Fortresses, excluding The Fortress of The Overlord.

► Boss of a Den Master of a Den. The Overlord is ever aware that Den Bosses are always struggling to become masters of their own Fortresses, for superior income, stability and status.

► Field Leader The literal meaning of this title is, ‘One who breaks down a door and robs those inside.’ The rank denotes a disciple who leads his clansman on a mission handed down by a Boss.

► Fishbait A disciple whose chief role is to lure an unsuspecting target into position. This role is given only to those who are extremely bright and swift of foot.

► Windsman A clansman who guards, patrols and keeps watch. Also serves an information gatherer and the spreader of silent alarms.

► No Hood (Aspirant of The Brotherhood) A new disciple of The Brotherhood of Thieves, also called a “Sparrow”.

Rules and Regulations of the Clan

When a person joins The Brotherhood, one must swear allegiance in full knowledge that they may never leave the clan. Also, they must pledge The Seven Oaths and agree to submit to The Three Punishments. The only laws the disciples of The Brotherhood follow are their own.

Introduction In The Brotherhood of Thieves, there are three kinds of rules: oaths, punishments, and achievements. These rules are applied to every disciple without exception — even to The Overlord of the clan. These strict rules have played their part in unification of the clan during their long contention with the Imperial Court and the White Clan Alliance.

Seven Oaths . Never disobey the Boss of a den. . Never disclose a clan secret. . Never abandon a brother in danger. . Never fight with a sworn brother without permission. . Never betray a sworn brother without permission. . Never retreat once a fight has begun. . Never loot from the poor.

Three Punishments

-Death Penalty Whoever violates one of the seven oaths will be executed.

- Cutting Penalty Whoever is found cheating at gambling with a fellow brother gets his ear cut off. Whoever steals a fellow brother’s possessions gets his right hand cut off. Whoever abuses the den’s money or property gets his left hand cut off. Whoever runs away from the den to surrender to an enemy gets one leg cut off. Whoever disobeys the Boss of a den gets his tongue cut out. Whoever commits adultery with a fellow’s brother’s woman gets an eye cut out.

-Flogging Penalty 100 lashes to whoever gets drunk and strikes another brother. 100 lashes to whoever fails to respect and protect the wife and children of an absent brother. 50 lashes to whoever treats guests from other dens with disrespect. 50 lashes to whoever stashes beer or food.

-Five Achievements Granted to one who renders distinguished services during a fight with an enemy. Granted to one who discovers an enemy’s secrets. Granted to one who manages and governs his subordinates well. Granted to the survivors of one who goes to prison for, or dies for, his brothers. Granted to one who uncovers a traitor and kills him.

The Clan’s Strengths and Weaknesses

► Strengths: Thoroughly consistent command system and fast communications. Organization that is suitable for keeping secrets and controlling the lower branch of the clan. A strong sense of unity among members of the clan.

► Weaknesses: Discord between dens due to power struggles that arise over territories. A lack of systematic education for training newcomers and transmitting Martial Arts knowledge.

Clan Allegiance and Perspective

1. Moral Justifications

► Bright Side: In The Brotherhood of Thieves, there are two general principles: “Do not put your own interests ahead of the clan’s,” and “A noble thief steals not for his own relief.” Despite thieves' natural inclination to greed and self-survival, the clan has given these homeless outlaws shelter and training. In return, they are foresworn to uphold the general principle on which the clan was founded: The redistribution of wealth to those who were robbed by The Imperial Emperor’s tax collectors. Though forced to adhere to this principle by their superiors, the disciples are nonetheless committing criminal acts in the sake of righteousness.

► Dark Side: With a philosophy of “Take what you will, share what you can!” there is a natural divide of allegiance. Those peasants who receive ill-gotten relief are, of course, grateful; however, to those whose property is stolen, the clan appears to be no better than a group of vicious criminals. White Clans like Shaolin, Wu-Tang and The League look down upon The Brotherhood, disregarding their noble acts in the face of their methods.

2. Loyalty and Brother Love

► Bright Side: The Brotherhood once claimed stronger unity among its disciples than that of any other clan. Unity between higher ranks and lower ranks were strong, but unity between people of same rank was akin to blood-brotherhood. This was because people of the same rank spent a long time sharing each other’s fate. Also, these disciples were typically wanted men and women, with little chance of survival. The Brotherhood gave them safe haven and a family of sorts, which warranted a love of one's brothers. This love of brothers has since broken down by degrees amidst successive generations. But when it does spring up, especially among the high ranks who remember the bad times during The War of Nine Dragons, the camaraderie of The Brotherhood reveals tremendous strength and cooperation in combat.

► Dark Side: In the aftermath of The War of Nine Dragons, with the disappearance of the clan’s founders, The Brotherhood lost much of its nobility. Somehow the principle, “Do not put your own interests ahead of the clan’s,” became: “Hide your own interests while serving the clan.” And “Take what you will, share what you can!” was reduced to: “Take and hide what you can, and share what you must.” It happens now and then that a hero of the clan may transform from noble thief back to common thief when the right bounty is introduced.

Once a rare occurrence, this situation has become more and more common as those who have become bandits due to simple poverty and hunger ascend to higher ranks in the clan. They are not like the original clansman who were rightful landowners robbed by corrupt tax collectors, but instead are lower cast criminals. They still retain various levels of class consciousness and rebel once they’ve achieved power and training. In some extreme cases, they will not only raid against the wealthy, but recklessly kill those they rob for their own satisfaction. This is quite dangerous for the clan as a whole, for it could destroy trade routes, lead to an uproar or revolt, or draw fire down from the Imperial Court or The White Clans.

3. Discord between Dens

The Brotherhood is currently rife with struggle for power within the clan. Though power struggles within clans are common, those within The Brotherhood are especially serious to the clan's overall stability. The root of most problems occurs when a weaker den eyes an interest in a district that a stronger den already controls and occupies, typically one with more income. In other words, while the unity within a den is strong, the unity between dens is often volatile.

These power struggles play out even amongst the highest dens…

The Boss of the strongest fortress may eventually challenge to become The Overlord of the clan. Since there is a separate fortress reserved for The Overlord, the number one fortress moves to that place. Other fortresses and dens move location in a similar manner. Stronger dens may eventually rise to overpower and replace a den which controls a district of high income. Therefore, when the Bosses from different Fortresses meet, they outwardly speak of brotherly love while inwardly scheming to seize their brothers' assets. This is of course against clan policy, and yet it goes on simply because it is difficult to prove. For the Boss of a Den to become a Boss of a Fortress, the Boss of a Den has to challenge one of eighteen Fortresses to a competition and defeat them. As a result, the Boss of a Den who does not even belong to a Fortress, has great motive and desire, though often little chance, to defeat a Boss of a Fortress.

This competitive system has helped the clan to become quite powerful, as the weak are replaced by the powerful, but it has hurt the clan’s efforts for strategic initiatives that require dens to work together.

Aside from these issues of succession, and despite the deterrent of The Three Punishments system, the clan also faces violent outbursts between those of different ranks.

Martial Arts

Characteristics of Martial Arts The Brotherhood’s Kung Fu is based on Ji Longfeng's knowledge of The Six Harmonies combined with his Divine Spear techniques. It revolves around the correct focus of one’s Chi and one’s physical driving force, like the thrust of a spear. Disciples are taught to reach an opponent as quickly as possible, then drive through them with shocking attacks and direct footwork. Disciples adopt an aggressive "take no prisoners" attitude, with the goal of incapacitating their enemies in as few blows as possible. The reason is that a true warrior understands that, the longer he is engaged in a fight, the longer he is vulnerable to attack by a third party. And so there are no flashy or overly complicated techniques; this Kung Fu is a study in practical efficiency, which advocates simultaneous attack and defense.

Characteristics unique to the clan’s Six Harmony martial arts are the incorporation of traits based on the geography and physical aspects of the mountains which act as their strongholds. Some region-specific examples are their Lightfoot techniques, used to climb mountains with ease, Camouflage techniques, and multiple axe and spear weapon techniques which are geared for use in heavily wooded areas.

The Six Harmonies are divided into the Inner Harmonies and Outer Harmonies.

Inner Harmonies

► Spirit in Harmony with Intention. Spirit is your heart’s desire to be alive and remain alive as displayed by one’s ferocity and courage. Intention is the culmination of all one’s knowledge and skills as they are put in action. A disciple with merely a ferocious spirit is all too easily off-balanced and dispatched. Thus Spirit must be tempered with knowledge and skill to empower Intention.

► Intention in Harmony with Chi. Chi is one’s inner energy, which is developed through breathing. Once Chi is mastered, one may learn to reflexively focus it upon one’s Intention. The outer physical strength and the inner strength now flow freely together in unified action.

Strong Spirit and Intention are directly effected by one’s Health and Vital Energy, and these too are required for combat. Intention is the Inner Master of your body. If you abide it, than it shall alert you when your reserves of Health and Vital Energy fall dangerously low. And in turn, sound health and Vital Energy provide one with sound thought and clear Intention.

► Chi in Harmony with Strength. All physical attacks should be guided by the harmonious focus of Spirit, Intention and Chi upon physical Strength. One's Vital Energy levels determine how much strength one is capable of unleashing, and the greater one’s &#!@ strength, the more one may unleash without drain upon one’s Vital Energy.

Outer Harmonies

► Hips in harmony with Shoulders. One’s upper body movements must be synchronized with one's lower body movements to generate power. Vital Energy needs a clear, connected pathway from the shoulders to the hips, just as one’s entire body must form a free flowing conduit for Vital Energy to circulate. One’s strongest position therefore is one’s shoulders in perfect alignment with one’s hips to provide driving force and stability.

► Knees in harmony with Elbows. One’s elbows and knees must be synchronized in the same relationship as one’s hips and shoulders. Elbows aligned with knees in each and every stance or movement. The force of the elbow is delivered through the shoulders and the force of the knee is delivered through the hips.

► Feet in harmony with Hands. Both foot and fist approach as one. A strike should not be delivered until first a stance is struck. Always the foot must be set before the fist flies, or the fist set before the foot, lest the ungrounded stance be turned back by one’s opponent.

Body in harmony during combat demands that all Vital Energy moves from the innermost source with clear purpose. Spirit, intention and Chi forming strength. Strength released from the body as Hips and shoulders propel Knees and Elbows to propel Feet and hands that wield weapons.

Weapons The Brotherhood practices Six Harmonies as both an armed an unarmed art. Disciples often train initially with a spear, to understand the basic tenents of a quick, powerful, driving attack, then progress to other weapons like axes, maces hatchets, poleaxes and great axes. With the proper mastery of The Six Harmonies, a disciple of The Brotherhood should be able to pick up and utilize any weapon at hand.

Origin of The Brotherhood’s Martial Arts Ji Longfeng discovered a secret manual on The Six Harmonies written by General Yue Fei during the Song Dynasty. Ji Longfeng recognized the truth of the principles transcribed within the manual and The Six Harmonies were revealed and transmitted to him. Combining The Six Harmonies technique with his spear skills, Ji Longfeng became a great master, and earned the title “Divine Spear.”

Ji Longfeng handed down these techniques to his first disciples, who later incorporated many additional traits based on the geography and physical aspects of the mountains which act as their stronghold. With Lightfoot techniques to climb mountains with ease, Camouflage techniques and axe and spear techniques which are easy to use in heavily wooded areas.

Handing Down The Brotherhood’s Martial Arts The Brotherhood has a weaker system of teaching its disciples martial arts than the League of Beggars. Since power struggles within the clan are ever present, few wish their followers to gain too much power. Therefore, a newcomer has to put a lot of effort into learning Kung Fu from his superiors. The new Grand Plan for The New Brotherhood now requires Master-Hands to teach the newcomers martial arts; but in reality, it is not well practiced, because many in the clan now ascribe to the principle that nothing is free. Therefore, in order to learn Kung Fu within the clan, a disciple must often succumb to offering up services or bribes to those with skills.

Way Of Life

Religion

Confucianism: Literally "The School of the Scholars", it is an ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of a sage named Confucius. His philosophy emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity and the idealist doctrine that human nature is fundamentally good. When asked of his worldview on the supernatural, Confucius replied, "Show respect to the spirits and deities, then keep away from them."

Morals

► Good in the clan’s perspective: The absolute good in the clan’s original perspective, would be the elimination of the gap between the poor and the wealthy. If there were no corrupt tax collectors pillaging the poor with the misspent authority of The Imperial Emperor, there would be far fewer thieves. If there were fewer thieves, there would be no need for Imperial troops and mercenaries. And if there were no Imperial Troops and mercenaries, no need for The Brotherhood of Thieves. Even with the current level of corruption within the clan, the core of the disciples still believe their redistribution of wealth from the corrupt to the poor is of noble consequence.

► Evil in the clan’s perspective: The absolute evil in the clan’s perspective is discrimination within the society based on one’s amount of education and accumulated wealth. Ironically, the clan itself does not have a fully functional system for the fair distribution of wealth.

Clan Economics Each den’s economy is very similar to that of a powerful “family” with The Boss directly overseeing who is entitled to what, when and how. However, economic activity of the clan as whole is similar to that of an association with a council of eighteen representatives from each major fortress. At the head of this council sits The Overlord, who is responsible for the health and economic safety of his clan.

All of the clan’s economic activities run under cooperative production and cooperative distribution. The Clan Accountant manages the financial accounting for the entire clan under the watchful eyes of The Overlord. For each individual den, The Bosses tend to control the inflow and outflow of wealth on their own, though they are required to make regular contributions in fixed amounts to the clan itself.

Main Sources of Income:

► Work: Raiding and looting travelers. Usually, the clan members let the travelers go after extracting a tenth of their wealth for safe passage. This practice is an extremely important dynamic for the continued existence of a den. If the clan allows people to pass too easily, people may organize a resistance. On the other hand, if they hurt or kill people, or loot too much money, people may hesitate to pass through the district of the den at all, altering their routes of trade. If a trade route is altered, the bounty received will most likely fall to another den.

► Bribes from Merchants: For dens occupying an area with an important route of traffic, they often receive payments under the guise of “protection money” from merchants through tacit consent. In this case, the dens themselves are making their deals with the merchants, not The Bosses. So, even if a Boss changes, the deals still remain.

► Kidnapping and Negotiation: This can be a huge source of income. Disciples never kidnap a person from their own den’s district. Their targets are corrupt government officials or merchants from faraway places. In this case, the disciples take away all their targets’ money and imprison select few as hostages. Sometimes, the disciples seize upon someone with a tie to a strong clan or high-ranking government officials; and in these cases, they risk drawing fire down from the Imperial Court or the other clans themselves.

► Hunting and Herbs: The Basic income of the clan. When the clan does not have any work to do, all of its disciples go out to hunt and gather herbs. When there is no market for their wares, the clan may suffer very lean times.

Private Property and Clan Property The Boss of a den claims ownership of all wealth earned through a den’s economic activities. All wealth is given to The Boss first, and redistributed later. The disciple who makes the acquisition has the second right of ownership to whatever has been earned. One can view this as acknowledgment of half of one’s own private property. As part of the distribution of wealth, a disciple with a family gets a larger slice than those who do not have families; a subtle nod to the original principles of brotherly love.

A disciple who has gathered much wealth sometimes wishes to leave the clan and live a normal life; however, this practice has been outlawed due to the dangers of leakage of information. In simple words, it is not possible to leave the clan for any reason from the moment one joins it.

To conclude, the clan does acknowledge private property; but there is little possibility, nor reason, for accumulating wealth. As a result, most disciples do not bother to accumulate wealth; instead, they often squander the money they receive in pubs and houses of ill repute.