For ten years I have been polishing this sword;
Its frosty edge has never been put to the test.
Now I am holding it and showing it to you, sir:
Is there anyone suffering from injustice?
Thousands of years ago in ancient China, sects and clans of heroes stood between the empire and the common folk, brokering deals, keeping the peace and administering justice. At times, they fought against each other for some rivalry or feud, but they more or less kept watch against the corrupt. This martial society was known as the "Jianghu", "Land of Lakes and Rivers", or the underworld.
But it was not to last; the Qing Emperor - fearful of these men and women who would not serve his armies or bend knee before him - sent forth his assassins and armies to purge them. Thousands died, put to the sword or burned by fire. Manors and monasteries burned, of note the venerable Shaolin and Wudang.
But the Jianghu did not die. Many ran, scattered to the far reaches of the empire. To Europe, to Mongolia, to the South-East islands. Even to the American continents did they run, to be safe from the Qing hounds. And so it was that the underworld secretly thrived in every land but its home.
It is now 2020. Every last agent of the Qing is now officially dead. The great sects adapted to the New World and are pretty much hidden in plain sight. It is time to make new legends.
----
This is a game (using homebrew rules) that pretends to explore how wuxia would look like if set in the contemporary world, with a (very, very, very small) touch of fantasy. The game and setting were influenced by authors like
Jin Yong,
Gu Long, game settings from works like
Legend of Wulin,
Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate,
Qin, The Warring States, and comics like
The Breaker. Don't be afraid to play if you don't know much about wuxia.
This message was last edited by the user at 23:31, Wed 22 Jan 2020.
