WANDERING HEROES OF OGRE GATE: WARRING SECTS AND HYPOCRISY

I am working with one of our artists today on the Purple Cavern Sect headquarters and I am quite excited about the end result. We are not going to have too many maps like this due to budget constraints but the ones we've selected to illustrate really show how the setting works. 

Sects are a very important aspect of the game and we worked hard to give our sects flavor and history that would feel true to the wuxia genre but also provide opportunities for adventure (I am discovering those two things are usually not in conflict). One theme I wanted to preserve, because it features in many of my favorite films and series, is the battle between good and evil sects, and the hypocrisy that sometimes exists below the surface. 

In the martial world of Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate there are many sects characters can belong to (and they do not have to be part of a sect if they don't wish). There are presently thirteen major sects including the heroic Nature-Loving Monk Sect, the prestigious Golden Dragon Sect, the perplexing Temple of the Nine Suns Sect and the greatly feared Zhaoze Sect. These are all grouped under Orthodox or Unorthodox, and this reflects their reputation in the martial world. Orthodox sects are generally regarded as righteous and good, while Unorthodox sects are usually viewed as wicked and evil. Sometimes the reality matches the impression, other times it does not. An Orthodox sect may simply be riding a reputation it earned long ago but no longer lives up to. An Unorthodox sect may have a questionable history, perhaps even dishonored itself in some way, but ultimately be on the side of righteousness. 

When I was working on the different sects for the game, I was thinking a lot about movies like Killer Clans and Dragon Swamp or television series like Swordsman or Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber. So I tried to inject some of the conflict and backstory into the sect histories. I also focused  a lot on the personalities behind the sects, which I think is important. Love, justice, duty, and righteousness often clash in interesting ways. 

I think this provides for a richer gaming experience because conflict between sects can feature prominently in a Wandering Heroes of Ogre Gate campaign.