Sacred Flower

Overview
Affiliation: Black Clan (has covert disciples entrenched everywhere)

Clan Headquarters: Cavernous Lair in the mountainous of Shanxi Province

Current Leader: Enchanting Soul, Matriarch of Sacred Flower

Lost Dragon: The Mistress of Chaos

Weapon: The Mistress of Chaos uses an assassin's knife.

Kung Fu Style: The female disciples of Sacred Flower overcome their male opponents' raw physical power by using illusion, poisons, venoms and long-distance attacks whenever possible. Flying wheels and daggers are preferred weapons over swords, poles and sabers. Summoning Arts and Soul Siphoning arts are two of the more arcane martial arts of Sacred Flower.

Location: Rumor has it that somewhere in the mountains of Shanxi Province, there is a secret cave entrance covered in purple mist. Hunters whisper that this is the lair of Sacred Flower, a clan of beautiful, deadly, female masters.

Clan Overview The Sacred Flower Clan was founded by a legendary female warrior, The Mistress of Chaos, when she was denied entrance to the male-dominated Shaolin Temple. It is said that, “From every action comes an opposite reaction,” and from that act of discrimination rose a clan of beautiful, deadly, female masters. Their motto: “If men rule the world, women must rule men!” These women know they are not equally matched with men as far as brute strength is concerned, and so Sacred Flower’s Kung Fu techniques are based on seduction, speed and illusion, reinforced with all manner of poisons and venoms. Their weapons of choice are daggers and flying wheels. Disciples of Sacred Flower train night and day to restore the holy balance of Yin and Yang. If the task requires bloodshed, so be it!

“Do not utter the name of the Holy Mistress in the presence of men. Her name holds power which must not be tarnished by their foul thoughts.” The disciples of Sacred Flower despise the male-dominated beliefs of Shaolin, and believe Wu-Tang clan has desecrated the Yin and Yang symbol, to suggest that women (symbolized by Yin) encompass all the darker, negative aspects of the universe. Sacred Flower thereby opposes these White Clans as they strive to raise women’s current status in society with their fervent cult-like beliefs. The disciples' revealing clothing is justified as a means to entreat, allure, and conquer men by enchantment. So what is perceived as feminine weakness becomes part of their strength.

“Wipe that smile off your face. I am a commander of Sacred Flower. To leer at me is to invite the wrath of hidden women everywhere. They are where you work, where you drink, in your household. The Mistress has no mercy for those who cross her daughters.” Disciples of Sacred Flower are mindful in all things of the spirit and will of The Mistress of Chaos. While they invite you to become entranced by their beauty, bear in mind that this attraction will be used to either dominate, humiliate, or kill you. Since common women in this male-dominated land are given no voice, Sacred Flower disciples act as their champions. Because illusion was a revered practice of The Mistress, many disciples have made grave personal sacrifices over the past ten years to insert themselves into society, as wives, mothers, concubines, going even so far as donning the robes of other clans.

The role of these hidden disciples is to control men from behind closed doors and between silken sheets, and disseminate important information back to the clan. In short, it is Sacred Flower’s mission to control the men who control The Land.

Style: Although these disciples may speak with a soft tongue to those whom they would seduce and destroy, they do not mince words among themselves. They will not allow admission to a woman who is perceived to be of weak mind or soft will. Failure is not tolerated and mere question of the will of The Mistress is grounds for expulsion. These women protect helpless females, but show no mercy toward helplessness within their clan. When the disciples aren’t spying or fighting, they’re either training or meditating on the occult teachings that were transcribed to them by The Mistress of Cloud herself, who was said to be channeling knowledge from a plethora of arcane spirits.

Clan Slogans: “If men rule the world, women must rule men!” “Let daggers fly in the moonlit sky.”

Common Farewell: “Will of The Mistress be done.”

Membership Requirement: One may attempt to join the clan at Cheng 4 of Losing Self. A prospective initiate must consume one of two Pills Of The Mistress, one blue and one red, to test one’s “purity of soul.” If you (or your soul guide) choose the correct pill, you will survive and be accepted to the clan. If you choose the wrong one, you will die and have to begin the initiation quest again.

Specialty Classes:
Upon founding Sacred Flower, The Mistress of Chaos imbued her occult knowledge upon four chosen disciples, and granted them each a new title: Mistress of War, to wield her aggressive double wheels; Mistress of Heaven, to assist her with incantations and defend her with daggers; Mistress of Spirit, to wield enchantments confounding their opponents, and Mistress of Cloud, who would know all of these arts, lest The Mistress herself should fall. All Sacred Flower disciples must choose the path of one of these four leaders.

Mistress of War Mistresses of War are imbued with the aggressive nature of the Holy Mistress, and will step forward in battle as bravely as any man. They train with the deadly Flying Wheel and Butterfly Wheel combat techniques, and may also become proficient with charms of Enchanting Spirits to confound their opponents. 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.

Mistress of Heaven The wisest among the first four disciples was the Mistress of Heaven, who was taught all that The Holy Mistress knew of the true nature of The Land. Disciples on her path learn quick Dagger Techniques and Blessing Arts of the Mistress. They also learn Summoning Spirits to protect others and Heavenly Spirits to fortify themselves. Essence and Wisdom are key for this role. Constitution is harder to develop for them.

Mistress of Cloud Self-sufficiency was perhaps the greatest gift The Holy Mistress wished to offer the women of The Land. In supplication, Cloud disciples learn a degree of each of the clan's combined martial arts. They practice Dagger Techniques, Arts of the Mistress, Fortifying Chi Kung of Heavenly Spirits, and learn to cast devastating ranged blasts of Yin Energy Freezing Spirit. They emphasize Constitution and Essence, and use Kung Fu for offense and Chi Kung for defensive with equal skill. Wisdom is harder for them to develop.

Mistress of Spirit

Mistresses of Spirit are said to be capable of casting enchantments upon an opponent's very soul, using The Art of Enchanting Spirits. This is a powerful system of Chi Kung that combines Sonic Arts with The Holy Mistresses' Divine Sorcery. Spirits also learn offensive Kung Fu Palm Techniques of Freezing Spirits and protective Chi Kung of Summoning Spirits. They place emphasis on Essence and Wisdom. Strength is harder for them to develop, and they are ill-suited to melee combat.

Clan History
“The Girl With A Deadly Charm” Legend has it that Sura Mahu, The Mistress of Chaos, was immaculately conceived by an elderly woman, in her late seventies, who worked as a maid for a noble family in a small village outside of Guangzhou Province. The women of the house were frightened by the seemingly impossible pregnancy, and soon became convinced that the child, although quite beautiful, was possessed by demons. Though the maid pleaded for them to spare her daughter’s life, it was decided by the male head of the household that the child must be drowned. A small golden bathtub was filled with freezing water in preparation. Sura Mahu was torn from her mother’s breast by the master and quickly held beneath the icy water. Miraculously, to the astonishment of all present, the child did not drown. The master called for the local apothecary and demanded he bring his most potent poisons. He ordered the child force-fed all manner of fatal herbs and venoms, but the child again suffered no injury.

Frustrated, but greedy, the master decided he would exploit the child’s immunity and charge admission for other noblemen to try their hand at murdering her. This was his own fatal flaw, for word quickly spread North from mouth to ear through disciples of The Heavenly Demon Clan to The Emperor Heavenly Demon himself.

Heavenly Demon arrived in the village and his men surrounded the nobleman’s home. Cowering in fear, the master was forced to again attempt to drown Sura Mahu, and when the child smiled up through the water at Heavenly Demon she instantly won his heart. The order was given, all members of the household were murdered, and the house was burned down.

Heavenly Demon took the child Sura Mahu with him back to his fortress at Mount Yanmo. There she grew to adulthood, believing herself to be merely a rescued orphan, and mastering many of Heavenly Demon Clan’s sinister Kung Fu and Chi Kung techniques. On the day set to be her marriage day to The Emperor, she was visited by a wandering hermit, who told her the true story of her birth. Realizing that The Emperor had needlessly slain her mother, Sura Mahu confronted him and was given two options: Marry him or die. Sura Mahu fled Mount Yanmo with a battalion of disciples in pursuit. With no place else to go, she made for Song Shan Mountain, and knocked at the Temple Gates of Shaolin.

She was greeted there by Fachang, Shaolin’s elder, and she knelt before him, begging entrance. Fachang listened to her story, observed her great skills, and offered her a blessing and an apology, for he could not grant entrance through their gates to any woman, not even one as talented as she. “But the Emperor will kill me!" she said. "Where is your great Shaolin mercy?” To which he replied, “My mercy, child, is not so great as this karma which grips you.” With that he bowed and closed the temple door.

Caught between an evil man who wanted to marry or kill her, and a supposedly kind man who denied her safe haven, despite her ability, Sura Mahu vowed that she would survive and change the world. She murdered the first monk she came across and stole his robes, then shaved her head and walked back down the mountain, disguised. She passed right by Heavenly Demon’s patrols unnoticed. Once safely away, Sura Maru proceeded to found her own clan, the order of The Sacred Flower.

Her disciples do not believe she could have fallen to a man’s hand at the final confrontation of The Nine Dragons, and that she is alive out there somewhere, merely allowing the world to falsely perceive her as dead.

Clan info
Common shorthand: SF

Clan relics:
 * Wooden Hairpin: Dexterity +3, Critical +1%, Maximum Vital Energy 100, Maximim Damage +1%, Critical Damage +1%.

Clan epithets:
 * Flower Apprentice: Life recovery rate increased by 3, Vital Energy recovery rate increased by 1, Maximum Life increased by 30.
 * Flower Student: Life recovery rate increased by 6, Vital Energy recovery rate increased by 2, Maximum Life increased by 50, Maximum Vital Energy increased by 10.
 * Flower Lady: Maximum Life increased by 100, Maximum Vital Energy increased by 50, Critical Dodge rate increased by 500/10000, Damage increased by 30, Chi Kung Damage increased by 20
 * Flower Wise Lady: Maximum Life increased by 150, Maximum Vital Energy increased by 70, Critical Dodge rate increased by 600/10000, Damage increased by 40, ChI Kung Damage increased by 30

Joining the clan: Sacred Flower is the easiest black clan to join, as it has a required minimum level of Losing Self 4.