Five Shades Association
The Five Shades Association isn't a single organization. Rather, it is a loose coalition of different criminal gangs, all gathered into one of five clans. The heads of these clans - many of whom include Dragon-Blooded - work together on a very informal basis, generally just sufficient to stay out of one anothers' way and aid one another against threats to the Five Shades as a whole.
The Five Shades Associations are also unified by their tradition of Terrestrial martial arts. Though the Dragon-Blooded clan members are the distinct masters of these arts, the Association maintains alliances with a variety of small gods and elementals, many of whom are willing to use divine arts to enlighten the Essence of those the clan decides are worthy of the honor.
Contents
Honor
Though they have a well-deserved reputation as bloodthirsty brutes, they do possess their own distinct sense of honor. Some of the traits of this sense of honor include:
- Those who are protected by Five Shades protection rackets are genuinely protected; any criminals attempting to rob or further extort such clients will face violent retribution from the Five Shades.
- No Five Shades thug will harm or kill a priest or monk while he is in his temple or cloister.
- Once the Five Shades have failed to kill someone three times, that person is considered immune from any further attempts.
Clans
The individual clans that make up the Five Shades are each distinctive. A gang that belongs to the Five Shades Association has sworn fealty to one of these five clans. Each clan focuses on particular undertakings, and while it is expected that local gangs affiliated with different clans will scuffle amongst themselves some, they must avoid damaging business for the Association as a whole, and absolutely must join forces with all other Five Shades gangs against non-Association gangs or law enforcement. These clans are as follows.
The Clan Hidden in Mist
The Clan Hidden in Mist stalk foggy streets in silence and strike from surprise. They sometimes use sewers and storm drains to aid in their stealth, and are extremely skilled with urban guerilla tactics and setting ambushes in civilized areas.
- Associated Element: Water
- Preferred Operations: Muggings, Assassination (Poisoning and Accidental Deaths)
- Preferred Weapons: Dagger
- Tattoo Designs: The Mist-Hidden gangsters invariably have extensive tattooing featuring blue and grey water scenes, with impressive iconography such as tsunamis, whirlpools and the like. Somewhere among the imagery will be a stylistic grey eel, the sign by which Mist-Hidden know one another.
The Mountain Clan
The Mountain Clan works most often from behind a facade of legitimate businesses and landholdings, but they ensure profitability through less than savory methods. Their leg-breakers are almost legendary in their effectiveness.
- Associated Element: Earth
- Preferred Operations: Bribery, Blackmail, Extortion Rackets
- Preferred Weapons: Baton or Cudgel
- Tattoo Designs: The Mountain-Clan gangsters have tattooing of mountain ranges amid thunderstorms and volcanic eruptions. Somewhere in the imagery will be a stylistic black serpent, the sign by which Mountain-Clan know one another.
The Midnight Smoke Syndicate
X
- Associated Element: Fire
- Preferred Operations: Arson, Sabotage
- Preferred Weapons: Short Sword (occasionally firedust weapons)
- Tattoo Designs: X
The Guild of the Ever-Shifting Breeze
X
- Associated Element: X
- Preferred Operations: X
- Preferred Weapons: X
- Tattoo Designs: X
The Clan Best Forgotten
X
- Associated Element: X
- Preferred Operations: X
- Preferred Weapons: X
- Tattoo Designs: X
