Cultivation and Fighting in Shu Han:

Unlike the Mentalists of Sahelia, Magicians of Lorraine or the Druids of Olmec, the fighters of Shu focus upon drawing out and controling internal energies called Ki or Aura by the Tu Ying Sect. They are frequently hand to hand combat specialists, although weapons and poison is often employed as well. Unlike the Druids of Olmec they do not see themselves as servants of nature but masters of it and attempt to mix their own personal ki with that of the world around them. It is said that true masters can not only create hard ki attacks to hit enemies from even beyond the line of sight, but can also fly and burrow through the soil. They may also draw inspiration from nature and animals to further enhance their movements, but it is said that the greatest masters teach nature itself and add to its magnificence. The stages that a typical cultivator goes through are as follows:

- Feeling and learning to control your ki.

- Unlocking the Lower Dantian

- Unlocking the Middle Dantian

- Unlocking the Upper Dantian

- High Level Applications

- ???

Monster Ranks:

Bronze Ranks:

1 – Dangerous only to children and the infirm

2 – Dangerous to untrained and unarmed adults. Can normally be fought and killed by even groups of civilians. Unlikely to group up and prefer hiding or fleeing from predators.

3 – Dangerous to low level cultivators who have not unlocked a Dantian. Can sometimes exhibit pack behavior, but generally have low intelligence and may be subservient to stronger monsters.

Examples: Blood Fang Wolf (3) –An evolution of wild wolves who have unlocked their ki. They frequently attack in groups with quick hit and run tactics from multiple sides and then wait for injured prey to bleed out. Their saliva contains anti-coagulant properties and their fangs have extremely high concentrations of virulent bacteria.

Silver Ranks:

4 – Dangerous to cultivators who have unlocked only their lower Dantian. They frequently live farther from populated zones and many exhibit extended lifespans. The oldest in this category is the Phantasmal Tortoise, and analysis of a living shell once led to the discovery of a Phantasmal Tortoise that was over a thousand years old.

5 – Dangerous to cultivators who have unlocked only their lower Dantian. Adventurers must be B or A rank to be deemed to fit to fight one of these. They sometimes exhibit family groupings but their packs are rarely large due to their large appetite and limited availability of prey. Fleeing from a rank 5 beast is generally regarded as impossible for non-cultivators even on horse-back. The only defense is to fight and win or wait for them to gorge themselves on your companions and leave.

6 – Dangerous to cultivators who have unlocked their middle Dantian. Low level drakes, sea serpents and cloud demons that cannot be handled by even militia armies or war machines are fitted into this category. They are responsible for the most deaths in the frontier zones because they are more common than Gold rank monsters, and yet stronger than the average professional warrior.

Examples: Stony Roc (4) – These are large birds that have not only developed ki abilities, but also feasted upon water or resources from near a leyline. At birth they are as vulnerable as any rank 2 monster, but as they grow up they learn to harden their body to extreme levels. While their attacks are not particularly dangerous aside from their large size, they are also ambush predators who due to their flight can easily outmaneuver prey. Fortunately, their hard defenses make their bodies heavier than normal bird-type monsters, so they have limited endurance and flight time before rest is necessary.

Gold Ranks:

7 – Dangerous to even cultivators who have reached the peak of the middle Dantian stage. In groups they have been known to kill Upper Dantian fighters. Gold rank monsters are sometimes called “City Killers,” with rank 7 monsters called a little “city killer.” Classic examples include adolescent dragons, Brass Empusa and Giant Backbreaker Crabs.

8 – Dangerous to everyone. A single one of these is said to require a team of at least 4 S-rank adventurers. The great Taoist Wong Li was defeated by one of these although he took his foe, an Cerulean Hydra down with him too.

9 – Dangerous to nations. These are rarely seen and frequently result in the mobilization of the armed forces of multiple nations through multilateral treaties. By the Rotundra Treaty any war amoung member nations is to be temporarily halted if a rank 9 monster appears in their lands or the lands of any neighboring country of the parties involved. It is believed that the ancient city of Atlantis was destroyed by one Rank 9 monster that devoured the consciousness of everyone there in a single night. Monsters of that reach this class are usually unique and therefore do not have types or classes. Instead, they are given specific designations. The last rank 9 monster to appear was the Vraldon. He did not, however, choose to attack anyone and instead chooses to prowl an island off the coast of northern Cathay. Vraldon is worshipped by the local Tu Ying martial artists and is considered a minor local deity.

Ancient Ones: Some manuscripts suggest that all present monsters today are the descendents of ancestors sealed away during the era of the 1st Global Empire. The ancestors were said to be able to shape the seas and shatter continents and according to legend there was once a continent to the east of Cathay at least as large as Cathay and Lorraine put together. This disappeared during the conflict with the Ancient Ones.

Local Culture: Eastern Shu, Western Shu and the Mountain Tribes

There are two distinct cultures in Shu Han. It is believed that Eastern Shu was one of the first lands to have developed agriculture alongside the Northeastern marshes of Lorraine. Consequently they have a society that values exploration and travelers with heavy emphasis on hospitality. Upon reaching the age of 16 young men are also expected to go upon a journey or for the adventurous, a quest, which will help them decide whether they wish to remain in their home village or settle elsewhere. Increasing population and falling farming plot size has led to increasingly popular movement towards the cities and the countryside being dominated by older communities.

Western Shu is believed to have evolved from a fishing community that had trade ties to the merpeople. Consequently, their diet usually contains more protein and they have always had more rapid technological development, especially with respect to seafaring innovations. The more protein rich diet may also have led to stronger fighters and the more rapid exploration and expansion up and down the coast. There is also a heavy emphasis upon taking care of the family and in the distant past human sacrifices were even practiced for the sake of increasing the prosperity of the rest of the clan or tribe.

Today, Western Shu is regarded as wealthier and more developed than Eastern Shu. Easterners, though, often consider the West softer with their less rigorous training habits and the fact that their stretch of frontier is smaller than the East's. Some government officials are especially concerned about the imbalance of power among the Emperor's guardian legions since the Fire, Metal and Wind Dragon Corps located in the East are considered of higher quality than the Water and Wood dragon corps that patrol in the West.

To the South of Shu Han exists the Cathay Mountain Range, which is also referred to as the Cathays. It is populated by mountain tribes, which are rumored to practice cannibalism. In truth the mountain tribes are made up of many different cultures with very strict hierarchical systems based around ritual warfare. It is difficult to say much in general terms about them because things differ so much between tribes. That said, all previous attempts to invade and claim the Cathays have failed not because of the mountain tribes but the monsters which live on these slopes. When invasion occurs the Mountain tribes frequently just move out of the way and allow the monsters and invaders to fight until they are both exhausted before coming down for the kill.

For Instructor Eyes Only: The Court in Chengdu is seeking a champion to face off against a representative that claims to have come from the wild lands beyond the frontier zone. Geniuses no older than 18 who are well read and possess large amounts of esoteric knowledge may apply. We also recommend they be capable of solving at least three step riddles. No rewards will be given out, however, except to final candidates. Some transportation costs may be reimbursed.