Day 5 - The Brotherhood of Thieves and the Wu-Tang
Welcome, welcome... I see you have returned to learn about the last two clans, my young friend. Sit, let me have a drink to wet my throat, and I shall tell you a tale.
Spears, axes and maces were their chosen weapons. From a martial arts perspective, the aim was to kill as quickly and with as few blows as possible, unless, of course, you had been ordered to do otherwise.
It seems hard to believe, but here we are at the end of the week already. So far, I have told you about four clans - Shaolin, Heavenly Demon, Sacred Flower and The League of Beggars. I hope I have also passed on to you that we are trying to make this game as authentic as possible. Today, I will complete your knowledge by telling you of The Brotherhood of Thieves and my personal favorite, the Wu-Tang clan.
Lets start with The Brotherhood of Thieves, a heady mix of thieves, robbers and brigands with a lot of warriors thrown in... a sort of charitable organization of ancient China, where the rich are persuaded to redistribute their wealth to the poor. A noble cause, you might imagine. Surely a white clan, you would think. Unfortunately, while their goals might be noble, their methods are both corrupt and violent, not so much Robin Hood as robbing everyone.
The origins of The Brotherhood can be traced back to two thieves, Ji Longfeng and Ma Taichun. Ji had left the Shaolin clan, as he was unable to keep to its strict moral code. Ma was on the run from a band of mercenaries out to collect a debt. Together, they joined in a lifetime quest to seek out and kill tax collectors and corrupt officials. Along the way, they recruited a whole set of fellow thieves, and The Brotherhood was set up. All across China, more and more recruits came, and the clan started to have problems with discipline - in that there was none!
The policy that The Brotherhood chose to use was the criminal code. Non-adherence to the clan's rules was not something you did if you wanted to live; think of the Mafia and you get a good understanding of how The Brotherhood operated. Entrance was by invitation only, and then only through personal reference. And for life! No one ever left of their own choice. And all that violence made them experts at one thing - combat.
Their fighting style was as uncomplicated as their lives. Spears, axes and maces were their chosen weapons. From a martial arts perspective, the aim was to kill as quickly and with as few blows as possible, unless, of course, you had been ordered to do otherwise. Unlike the Shaolin, who never intended to kill, the Brotherhood believed that it was the easiest way to end a fight.
Certainly, you will make many friends as a member of this clan, but watch your back. You might just find a dagger in it one day.
Now, allow me to give you a final choice by introducing you to the last of our clans, The Wu-Tang Clan.
Ah, the noble and serene Wu-Tang... experts in Tai-Chi, and known as the Clan of the Divine Sword. The members seek to be at one with their swords, and never stop trying to improve their mastery of the weapon. As a consequence, joining this clan means signing up to a long-term commitment. Be prepared to train, train and train again until you think you can get no better. Then think again. This goes back to my point yesterday about the beggars' clan. If you remember, I said that it was easy to join. The Wu-Tang is at the opposite end of the scale. If you cannot demonstrate great skill with the sword, then it's going to be very hard to convince them to let you join.
It all goes back to the authenticity I have been talking about. This is what it was like. The clans were different, so this game is not a question of six versions of the same thing. All of them in the game have different styles, different fighting moves, different joining criteria and different training. Your choice of clan dictates your path through the game.
The entire fighting style is based upon the principle of harmony. For every yin, there is a yang. Offensive skills should not be greater than defensive ones. The hand should not be stronger than the foot.
But back to the Wu-Tang. Legend has it that a Shaolin Monk called Zhang Sanfeng started it. For some unknown reason, he moved away from a straight Buddhist way of life to one that added other beliefs. This fusion of values caused him to create a very different style of kung fu. It became known as White Crane, and blended unarmed combat with a complete mastery of the double-edged sword. This made the Wu-Tang unique in their fighting style, and arguably some of the greatest warriors in ancient China.
The entire fighting style is based upon the principle of harmony. For every yin, there is a yang. Offensive skills should not be greater than defensive ones. The hand should not be stronger than the foot. Unarmed skills should not be better than sword skills. Perfect balance is the key concept. Balance rules not only the way the Wu-Tang clan fights, but also how they live their lives.
So, my young student, now you have knowledge of all that lies before you. What choices will you make? Will you serve black or white? Will you master fist or weapon? Or both?
I shall keep an eye on you, young one. I have a feeling that you will be worth watching!"
