Clan Feature: The League of Beggars

Clan Feature: The League of Beggars

Editor's Note: This is the third of six exclusive articles on the six starting clans of 9Dragons. You can read about the Shaolin here and the Brotherhood of Thieves here.

The clan is an organization of actual beggars, sometimes referred to as “The Endless Clan,” because as a clansman once stated, “You could sit beggars one by one in line across the land and never see the end!” It is by far the easiest clan to join. All you have to do is perform a few simple tasks, beg a bit, and swear an oath. Then you may take faith in their great numbers and be numbered among the faithful!

Through accepting charity, helping those who face hardship, and giving noble purpose to those who find themselves lost or empty… the disciples of The League, although poor and often pitied, display all the noble characteristics of true heroes. They are the clan with the closest relationship to the common people.

It is difficult to distinguish the disciples of The League from true beggars as they both wear the same rags. This is also one of their greatest strengths, as it not only serves to keep them humble, it also provides them the ability to remain camouflaged amongst the general population.

The League is currently aligned with Shaolin and Wu-Tang Clan, and serve as the eyes and ears of The Land. Their large numbers makes it ideal for them to assimilate and dispatch information throughout China.

The founder of the clan was a wandering hermit called Yi Metal Staff and he was a follower of Confucius who earned his money on the streets by singing, banging two ox bones together and sprouting forth advice to those in need from the words of Confucius. Even now, disciples beg for money or food by banging together chopsticks, staffs or other implements. He inspired other beggars to join together for unity, protection, and to grant assistance to those in far worse need than themselves. With simple rules for admission, and the streets filled with beggars… you can imagine the number of perspective disciples.

Over time the clan grew and a system of Kung Fu called ‘Drunken Monkey style’ evolved. That’s right, you guessed it… many of their Kung Fu moves require the consumption of alcohol. Beggars love their drink. Staff skills were soon introduced and the staff became their weapon of choice. This was due to the fact that staffs were used for dog catching, a common source of income for beggars.

Each member of the clan holds a secret rank, denoted by the number of knots on a disciple’s rope belt. The clan’s leader has nine knots and is sometimes referred to as The King or Queen of Beggars, who is even welcome in the homes of magistrates and noblemen throughout The Land. Mind you, this title has its downsides as well. For instance, when one becomes the leader they shall be spit upon by every member of the clan. Since a beggar on the streets endures being spit upon by many, it has become a tradition that the King or Queen of Beggars should be spit upon by all beggars.

The clan is perhaps the least strict, though it does have several rules, the most important being: “Praise righteousness when it is observed and always be observed in either a modest or righteous state.”

Other unwritten rules (since most beggars are illiterate) are:

• Never buy food to eat
• Never wear new clothes
• Never display greed for the wealth of others
• Offer up all your wealth upon joining the clan
• Share the food you earn through begging
• Never beg from a person who has less than you

While becoming a beggar may not seem very romantic at first, know that these rough, pious disciples blossom into tremendous warriors (especially when they’ve had a few). Joining this clan is simple and allows you to move unobtrusively around The Land, swapping information as you go. But remember their motto, “Always relish justice over drink and choose the noble path above the gutter.”

In the next article we return to the Black Clans and take a look at the women only Sacred Flower Clan.

If you would like to register for beta testing or to find out more information on 9Dragons please go to 9dragonsgame.com for North American players and www.9dragonsonline.com for European players.

-By Ken Johnston and Steven-Elliot Altman
(based on The Lore created by Steven-Elliot Altman)

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