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◆ Clan Structure

The four sects are direct competitors, vying for the gold throne and the right to lead the colony. Each sect's and even each individual's ambitions are their own. Some seek riches, some power; some seek to protect their family, and some seek to take over other sects' secrets.

Each sect has their own specialty and trade secrets. Training and education are kept under lock and key within each sect. There is some, but not much, overlap between their specialties. Those of the Black Snake, who specialize in stealth and espionage, make excellent assassins and gather intelligence. They may use poisons and martial skill, but will never surpass trained individuals in the Azure Dragon sect in terms of medicine or herbalism, and will never surpass trained individuals of the Vermillion Phoenix in terms of physical skill, technique, and training. However, they are unsurpassed in stealth, speed, and disguise.

Ma'ome generally stay within the sect they were born into, or the sect they joined. To change sects is betrayal. However, sects are just large enough that not all individuals will know one other. Members of the sect who have been hidden and new recruits are most likely to go unnoticed. On the other hand, almost every individual who sets foot into clan lands will be able to identify the sect leaders.

Each sect has one or two current leaders, who may be individuals, a couple, or family members such as two siblings or parent and child. Each sect also has one or two revered Elders who serve as advisors to the leaders. Many of them were once leaders in their own right who have now stepped down due to health or other concerns. Some Elders remember the golden era when the clan was whole and prosperous, and desperately wish to see the clan regain its former greatness. Other Elders remember the betrayal during the great tragedy, and the slaughter. They are driven by distrust, fear, or even hate, and are loyal only to their sect and family as a result.

Not every ma'ome belongs to a sect. The valley at the base of the mountain is made up of minor clan members and distant descendants who have left the center. They are generally loyal to the clan as a whole, but not always. The many restrictions that apply to those of the mountain often don't apply to those of the valley, but the clanmembers of the valley, having no sect, are not qualified to fight for the throne. Nevertheless, the valley dwellers are invaluable to the clan. They are fishers, farmers, gatherers, builders, and merchants, providing food and raw resources to those higher on the mountain.

Most (but not all) new arrivals find themselves in the valley. Outsiders can get to the valley more easily as the upper mountains are nearly cordoned off from the rest of the world by their natural structures.

Everyone earns their keep. The sects are not cruel, but their culture is strict and disciplined. Structure has lapsed after the death of the previous emperor, but components of their militant culture remain.


◆ Families and Bloodlines

Ma'ome typically choose partners within their sect. The sects are rivals, and cavorting with those of another sect may result in anything from minor disapproval to disdain and disownment, depending on the company one keeps. This does not stop genuine romances from blossoming, and lovers may rendezvous secretly under the cover of darkness and moonlight, hiding from prying eyes.

Occasionally, ma'ome may choose partners outside of the colony. In the current day, outside partners are distrusted until they prove themselves -- the clans have been burned before. They are treated with courtesy and aloof politeness, but visitors to the clan lands will notice something off. They will eventually notice they are being quietly ostracized by the center, until they are able to gain trust. They have no say in politics or government... unless they have something valuable, or a skill, they can leverage. Ma'ome are encouraged to choose partners on the basis of mutual benefit.

Weddings are a time of celebration, usually. But they are also a prime stage for betrayal -- either between the couple, the parents who use their children as leverage, or by the guests who are in disguise. Gold and red are traditional colors for wedding accessories, but after the clan fractured, sects began to favor their own colors in their ceremony: silver-black, teal-azure, orange-vermillion, and blue-white.

Children are always welcomed with open arms, even if they are outsiders. Orphans will be adopted and cared for. After all, children are blank slates -- malleable and impressionable. They can be molded by their sect. Children may be kept secret within their sect and the colony until they reach adolescence, hidden away from the outside world and prying eyes. After all, there is advantage in numbers, and unsavoury individuals could find plenty of ways to whisk a child away from their parents and use them as a bargaining chip in conflict.

Those who have passed on are revered and respected, but not worshipped. White is the color of mourning, although the White Tiger clan prefers black. Those who have passed on are memorialized in stone grave markers in the caves beneath the mountain. Ma'ome travel there to light candles and burn incense. Flowers and food are often left in memory of loved ones.


◆ Leaving the Clan

Traveling out of the clan lands without express permission from the gold emperor or his proxy is taboo. Trade is primarily the purview of the valley dwellers who are able to move more freely than members of the sects. However, it is not uncommon for certain sect members to leave the territory for a few days to a few weeks on missions.

Some may try to temporarily leave their clan in secret to expand their knowledge to learn what is not freely available to them. Medicine is very closely guarded in the Azure sect, and is not taught to the other sects. With the exception of the members of the center, the Gold Qilins, other sects are at the mercy of the Azure sect for healing. If bad blood exists, a member of the White Tiger sect may not receive life-saving treatment. But a member of the white tiger sect may try to sneak out to the outside world to learn medicine, adding onto their own existing specialty of knowledge, music, arts, and rituals, and upset the delicate balance between the sects.

For those who leave without permission, how one is treated within their sect when they return is dependent upon their status and role. Some may be treated like the prodigal son returning home. Others would be treated like traitors and punished.

◆ Ranks

◆ The Center [Gold Qilin Sect]

◇ Emperor of the Gold Throne [closed]
The last Emperor passed, and the seat lies empty. Ma'ome are locked in a struggle to gain control over his throne and the remnants of their colony.

◇ Empress of the Gold Throne [closed]
The Empress survived, but now lives in seclusion after losing her children. She has grown old and rarely takes audience. She remains a figurehead and memory of the old golden age. When the new Emperor is selected, she will step down, further into the shadows.

◇ The Gold Qilin Council [open: 2 // 8 total]
The Gold Qilin Council is made up of eight equal members who had been brought into this position by merit without regard to family background.

◇ The Qilin Guards [open: 2 // 8 total]
The Gold Qilin Council is made up of eight equal members who had been brought into this position by merit without regard to family background.

◆ The Black Snake Sect

◇ Elder [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ Lord [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ North Family [open: 4 // 6 max]
◇ Guardian // Attendant [open]
◇ Teacher [open]
◇ Adept [open]
◇ Trainee [open]
◇ Consort [open]

◆ The Azure Dragon Sect

◇ Elder [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ Lord [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ East Family [open: 4 // 8 max]
◇ Guardian // Attendant [open]
◇ Teacher [open]
◇ Adept [open]
◇ Trainee [open]
◇ Consort [open]

◆ The Vermillion Phoenix Sect

◇ Elder [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ Lord [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ South Family [open: 4 // 8 max]
◇ Guardian // Attendant [open]
◇ Teacher [open]
◇ Adept [open]
◇ Trainee [open]
◇ Consort [open]

◆ The White Tiger Sect

◇ Elder [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ Lord [open: 1 // 2 max]
◇ West Family [open: 4 // 8 max]
◇ Guardian // Attendant [open]
◇ Teacher [open]
◇ Adept [open]
◇ Trainee [open]
◇ Consort [open]

◆ The Valley & The Free

◇ Hunter // Fisher [open]
◇ Farmer // Rancher [open]
◇ Gatherer // Guide [open]
◇ Architect // Constructor [open]
◇ Artisan // Crafter [open]
◇ Merchant [open]

◇ Child [open]

◇ Traveler // Outsider [open]

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