Golden Lotus Provinces

The​ ​​Unbound​ ​​of​ ​the​ ​Golden​ ​Lotus​ ​Provinces​ ​are​ ​both​ ​blessed​ ​and​ ​cursed​ ​with​ ​liberty.​ ​Once 
protected​ ​by​ ​a​ ​preordained​ ​Destiny,​ ​these​ ​wandering​ ​martial​ ​artists​ ​have​ ​become​ ​​Severed​ ​​from 
Fate.​ ​The​ ​circumstances​ ​of​ ​this​ ​divergence​ ​are​ ​always​ ​unique​ ​–​ ​some​ ​enter​ ​the​ ​state​ ​through 
intense​ ​meditation​ ​on​ ​the​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​Fate;​ ​others​ ​defy​ ​their​ ​own​ ​deaths​ ​through​ ​fighting​ ​spirit​ ​or 
calm​ ​excellence;​ ​still​ ​others​ ​are​ ​brought​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​path​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Unbound​ ​by​ ​no​ ​action​ ​of​ ​their​ ​own. 
In​ ​every​ ​case,​ ​though,​ ​these​ ​people​ ​find​ ​themselves​ ​as​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​​World​ ​of​ ​Rivers​ ​and​ ​Lakes. 
Now​ ​embroiled​ ​in​ ​the​ ​ceaseless​ ​strife​ ​of​ ​the​ ​River-Lakes,​ ​they​ ​can​ ​never​ ​again​ ​live​ ​calm​ ​lives 
among​ ​the​ ​people​ ​of​ ​the​ ​​World​ ​of​ ​Forests​ ​and​ ​Mountains​,​ ​despite​ ​walking​ ​upon​ ​the​ ​same​ ​soil 
and​ ​looking​ ​to​ ​the​ ​same​ ​stars​ ​as​ ​their​ ​still-Bound​ ​kin. 
 
Honor,​ ​ambition,​ ​righteousness,​ ​vengeance,​ ​and​ ​loyalty​ ​make​ ​up​ ​the​ ​fabric​ ​of​ ​the​ ​River-Lakes. 
Connections​ ​between​ ​one​ ​another​ ​are​ ​the​ ​most​ ​valuable​ ​and​ ​precious​ ​thing​ ​and,​ ​truthfully,​ ​the 
only​ ​thing​ ​that​ ​binds​ ​together​ ​the​ ​Unbound.​ ​Most​ ​Unbound​ ​choose​ ​to​ ​swear​ ​loyalty​ ​to​ ​a​ ​​School​: 
the​ ​​Sword-Heart​ ​Eccentrics​,​ ​wandering​ ​heroes​ ​who​ ​cut​ ​their​ ​own​ ​path​ ​through​ ​the​ ​world;​ ​the 
Jade​ ​Water​ ​Immortals​,​ ​spiritual​ ​nomads​ ​seeking​ ​to​ ​be-without-being​ ​and​ ​to 
know-without-knowing;​ ​the​ ​​Empty​ ​Bowl​ ​Fraternity​,​ ​humble​ ​beggars​ ​and​ ​honest​ ​workers​ ​always 
ready​ ​to​ ​defend​ ​the​ ​weak;​ ​and​ ​the​ ​​Rotting​ ​Corpse​ ​Valley​,​ ​relentless​ ​agents​ ​of​ ​liberty​ ​and 
vengeance​ ​who​ ​swear​ ​to​ ​right​ ​the​ ​wrongs​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world​ ​at​ ​any​ ​cost.​ ​Others​ ​join​ ​minor​ ​schools​ ​or 
swear​ ​themselves​ ​to​ ​less​ ​esoteric​ ​causes.​ ​Still​ ​others​ ​choose​ ​the​ ​path​ ​of​ ​the​ ​​Vagrant​,​ ​embracing 
absolutely​ ​freedom​ ​at​ ​the​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​isolation​ ​and​ ​distrust.  
 
Following​ ​the​ ​​Golden​ ​Manifest​​ ​passed​ ​down​ ​by​ ​the​ ​​Golden​ ​Sovereign​ ​​who 
once​ ​ruled​ ​all​ ​the​ ​land,​ ​the​ ​Unbound​ ​come​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​the​ ​World​ ​of​ ​Rivers​ ​and​ ​Lakes​ ​in​ ​their 
own​ ​ways.​ ​No​ ​matter​ ​their​ ​path,​ ​all​ ​Unbound​ ​understand​ ​one​ ​thing:​ ​it​ ​is​ ​their​ ​way​ ​to​ ​pursue 
excellence.​ ​The​ ​​Martial​ ​Arts​ ​​are​ ​more​ ​than​ ​mere​ ​killing​ ​techniques;​ ​rather,​ ​all​ ​human​ ​endeavors 
can​ ​be​ ​cultivated​ ​in​ ​such​ ​a​ ​manner​ ​as​ ​to​ ​achieve​ ​this​ ​status.​ ​Masterful​ ​doctors,​ ​skilled​ ​musicians, 
brilliant​ ​scholars,​ ​tireless​ ​smiths,​ ​and​ ​all​ ​manner​ ​of​ ​persons​ ​can​ ​be​ ​said​ ​to​ ​practice​ ​the​ ​Martial​ ​Arts 
in​ ​an​ ​Unbound’s​ ​eyes.​ ​Alongside​ ​the​ ​Martial​ ​Arts,​ ​some​ ​Unbound​ ​learn​ ​of​ ​the​ ​​Five-Element 
Weaving​ ​Scripture​,​ ​a​ ​Cosmic​ ​Power​ ​that​ ​utilizes​ ​the​ ​principles​ ​of​ ​​Elemental​ ​Promotion​ ​​to 
create​ ​various​ ​effects​ ​both​ ​within​ ​the​ ​self​ ​and​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world​ ​around. 
 
The​ ​​Golden​ ​Lotus​ ​Provinces​ ​​are​ ​strongly​ ​based​ ​in​ ​the​ ​​wuxia​ ​​genre​ ​of​ ​fiction​ ​and​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Ming 
Dynasty​ ​period​ ​of​ ​China.​ ​All​ ​Player​ ​Characters​ ​from​ ​this​ ​world​ ​are​ ​Unbound,​ ​but​ ​were​ ​once 
Bound​ ​to​ ​a​ ​predetermined​ ​Destiny​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​their​ ​influence.​ ​Any​ ​​wuxia​ ​​trope​ ​is​ ​appropriate​ ​here: 
wandering​ ​swordfighters,​ ​forlorn​ ​lovers,​ ​vengeance-seeking​ ​obsessives,​ ​unassuming​ ​doctors,​ ​and 
more.​ ​The​ ​Golden​ ​Lotus​ ​Provinces​ ​is​ ​generally​ ​a​ ​heroic​ ​setting,​ ​though​ ​dark​ ​heroes​ ​are​ ​welcome; 
wuxia​ ​​is​ ​a​ ​tragic​ ​genre​ ​at​ ​its​ ​core.
 
Read the full Golden Lotus Provinces Setting Packet here. 
This world currently has a medium population of player characters.