Order of the White Lotus (Dragon Mist) – Magical Bond - This bonding ritual must be done in a Circle of Magical Protection – It is created with a powdered lodestone mixed with sulfur (flash) powder. It is then spread out in an elaborate circle and surrounded with purple candles and Red Rose-petal incense in circular silver holders.)
Note: Takes 10 minutes to cast. Afterwards the Clan members can use this as a base to create a class totem. Otherwise it only lasts 72 hours, or until dispelled. It cannot be moved.
Purpose: This ritual is performed by a clan member who owes their life to another whom they trust completely. That member or members if their are more than one are presented in the ceremony to the clan who watch from afar. They must be brought into the circle by the clan member for permission to cooperate with the clan. It requires a vow of secrecy and if refused cannot be appealed. If refused by clan law the clan member must leave the persons who they offered for permission and never return to them or forfeit their class powers. If permission is received the request almost always comes with a mission that the members must perform to complete the bond.
Background: The Order of the White Lotus is both sacred to the lovers of goodness and greatly feared by the forces of dark destruction. Thieves and Assassins would scare their children with tales of them. Specifically that if they didn’t obey their fathers and be careful not to get caught the Order would get them and they would disappear. Demons, evil spirits, evil knights or warriors, evil clerics, evil mages and corrupt government officials also fear them as word travels in the underworld about these powerful figures, which lay waste to the minions of evil. The White Dragon Mist Clan is a combination of three orders of ancient and honorable family lines that join together to in secret to keep order and peace in the lands in which they live. They do this within the law when possible, but when faced with corruption or injustice they act together to ease the suffering of their fellow man and themselves.
The Three Orders are the Knights of the White Circle, the Order of Tien-lung (Imperial Dragon Mages) and the Clan of the Mist.
They are divided into different Orders or Clans (Oriental) and each has a different area of specialty. The most coveted position within the Clan is the Order of the Sacred Shadow. They perform specialized tasks and are the ones who perform the most and dangerous difficult tasks.
The Knights of White Circle – Monks of the Holy Order of God – Protectors of the town – This Clan trains in secret and live unconnected and seemingly ordinary lives as merchants and business owners. These members are the merchant / fundraising and information gathering part of the clan and are not technically members of the order, at least not officially. In secret they are combat trained fighters, and holy men. This Clan is greatly feared by evil but especially by evil creatures such as assassins, evil clerics and demons.
The Order of Tien-lung (Imperial Dragon Mages) – This Clan trains in secret and live unconnected and seemingly ordinary lives in many different professions as a cover but typically they are connected with magic or magic items. They are warriors against evil and work with the other three families to keep order and promote goodness. These clan members are magical experts and secret passage builders. They are greatly feared by evil but especially by evil creatures like thieves, evil dragons and evil mages.
The Clan of the Silver Mist - This Clan trains in secret and live unconnected and seemingly ordinary lives in many different professions as a cover but typically they are animal trainers or in a business related to preserving and protecting animals. They are warriors against evil and work with the other three families to keep order and promote goodness. This Clan is greatly feared by evil but especially by evil supernatural creatures of evil spirits, evil knights or warriors and corrupt government officials.
The Bonding Ceremony - The ceremony of the white lotus bonds the group and its members together in honor, and brotherhood with each other, their families and their chosen familiars. Begins on the Full Moon. There can be no outside contact during the Bonding Rituals once they have begun. The characters must be alone for those 72 hours to forge the appropriate bond with each other. This ritual binds you together in magic boosting your powers and creating an honor bond that is irreversible and powerful that allows you to share the secrecy of the clan with an adventuring party.
Order of Tien-lung (Imperial Dragon Mages) – This Clan is greatly feared by evil but especially by evil creatures like thieves, assassins and evil mages. Oriental Dragons are referred to as Lung. There are four main kinds of Lung: Tien-lung , The Celestial Dragon: who protect the places of the Gods, Shen-Lung, The Spiritual Dragon: who control the wind and the rain, Eastern dragons are portrayed as good, kind, and intelligent. Oriental Dragons have the most recorded history in the world, going back thousands of years. In history they have a very close link to the weather. It is said that some of the worst flooding in the Orient’s History were caused when a mortal has upset a dragon. The 5-toed dragon is the symbol of power, and is considered to be one of the Imperial Dragons. Long ago, it became law that only the Emperor could have a five-clawed dragon displayed on his robes or illustrated on anything the Emperor owned. It was usually a Yellow dragon, thought to be the most superior of all the colored dragons. If someone other than the Emperor was caught wearing the symbol of the 5-toed dragon, he was put to death. Eastern dragons are still shown in parades around the world celebrating the Oriental New Year with the Dragon Dance.
