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Location: Eastern mainland, mountain area
Race: Human (Chinese)
Specialty: Stealth
Magic: Seals
Family Occupation: Assassins/bodyguards

About:
The Lau Clan of the mountain region tend to keep to themselves except during the clan gatherings or called upon. Known to be mainly a serious clan that cannot take a joke, their survivial has depended on keeping to the shadows and keeping their ears out for trouble. They are the most politically minded of the set of clans they interact with regularly, constantly aware of the shifting ties between other clans. However the rising of a new clan has caught them off guard.

They are moderate magic users, while majority of the clan can use magic, it is not nesscery for their job.Those that can use magic are encouraged to learn how to create seals and at times shields depending on possible occupation. While considered a traditional family (like most clans to an extent they deal with), they are not above using silencers or sniper rifles.

In an odd side note about the clan, an unusual by product had been created as the result of the clan's development as a mainly assassin clan. The need to know about the body beyond just their own reason for reasons of killing or exacting information, as well as their own medicial needs, the Lau clan has been known to turn out the best multi-race doctors among the clans.

For clans like Lau that take up assassination as one of the clan’s main mode of business there is always the problem that a clan can become ruthless to the point of being deadly to other clans. While it cannot be argued that the clan is ruthless and deadly, an interesting development in morals and duality occurred within the clan. The duality comes from the fact this is a clan of both assassins and bodyguards, the latter being an outlet for members who are clearly gifted in stealth and fighting, but cannot wrap their minds around the balancing act of morals they have.

The moral balancing act is one where under certain circumstances (such as in their job), there are many conventional scruples that they must discard temporarily in order to fulfill their role. The morals they take on then, they guard viciously. This is mainly the values put on sexuality, family and children, which to an extent is quite traditionalist. It meant though for people outside the clan that kidnapping of children, selling of people, and rape is a taboo. Torture is a wild card, the rules for that vary upon member.

The honour bound society of the clan is what keeps these values on these three aspects are what keeps it together. Within the terms of what is valued in the clan determines what ‘honour’ is to them, which is a very unsteady concept for people outside of the clan. Trying to ask why it is honourable, or dishonourable will not gain answers. For reasons of the clan’s survival the family unit is the most important part of the clan. A great deal of the family pressures was put on the male. Pre-martial sex is not unknown, but should be kept behind closed doors for reasons that it is frowned upon. Generally this is avoided due to the honour culture, since the only way to restore honour in a case of pre-martial sex is marriage following immediately.

While the male/father/husband tends to have a great deal of pressure put on him to support his family, teach his children, and protect it, does not mean the wife takes on a submissive role. Her part in teaching children is just as important, but so is the protection of the household. Protection, which includes taking up a weapon if need be.