Day 1 - Shaolin
Greetings young adventurer, and welcome to 9Dragons Week. Here, day by day, you will learn the secrets of the clans that train, quest and war in the exciting new martial arts MMO from Acclaim and Persistent Worlds. Each day, I will introduce you to one or more of them.
As a Shaolin clan member, you have to maintain a modest persona... You will also be revered throughout the land, and will be seen as a purveyor of justice, on the side of the common man.
As the master would say, "Let us begin at the beginning". So, we should start with one of the oldest and most respected of clans, the Shaolin.
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The Shaolin are a white clan, on the side of good versus evil. As you will see, the game starts with a choice of three white (or good) clans and three black (or evil) ones. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and its own fighting style. Whether you prefer the role of good or evil is up to you.
The core of the Shaolin philosophy is the Buddhist tenet that one should not take life. It may be permissible if you have no other choice, but one should not take glory in the death of another. There are no trophies or prizes for combat with the Shaolin. Any death is an occasion for sadness, no matter how the recipient may have lived their life.
In the game, by joining the Shaolin clan, you are turning away from all selfishness, and you vow to give up vanity and worldly possessions. So what does that mean to you? Well, as a mark of joining the clan you have a ceremonial shaving of your head. Upon initiation, you must also exchange your worldly clothes for a simple monk's robes. This shows the lengths that the game designers have gone to in order to ensure that the experience feels authentic.
Let's talk a little about the most interesting aspect of the game, the actual kung fu. To reinforce my earlier point about the game's authenticity, I can tell you that in making it, thousands of fighting moves were motion captured, and dozens of martial arts masters were consulted. Each clan has over 400 moves at its disposal. All have been modeled on the actual movements of the actual fighting style.
Shaolin kung fu is famous for its unarmed fighting styles, particularly the Praying Mantis form. This fits exceedingly well with the clan's philosophy, as it is less likely to cause needless death, focusing instead on disabling the enemy. Even in the violent world of ancient China, the Shaolin are noble and merciful in combat.
The Praying Mantis style originated in the Shantung province of China, and legend has it that it was created by a monk called Wang Lang. He observed a battle between a praying mantis and a much larger cicada. Obviously, he expected the larger insect to emerge victorious. However, because of its style, the praying mantis overcame its larger opponent. Wang Lang was amazed. From then on, he carefully studied the insect's moves and developed his kung fu style. Due to his ability to overcome much larger and stronger opponents, Wang Lang and his style became famous. It was adopted by the temple as a part of its teaching because it was in perfect harmony with its philosophy. This style has evolved through the years, with variations such as Plum Blossom, Seven Stars and Dragging Hand. All of these can be used in the game.
As a Shaolin clan member, you have to maintain a modest persona. You will swear an allegiance to the Imperial Emperor who will bestow great power on you in return. You will also be revered throughout the land, and will be seen as a purveyor of justice, on the side of the common man.
