The Sheep Minister

Meng Lo, The Loyal Sword of Iron
The Ram  Sheep Minister

City State: Anxi

Shy and moody, Meng Lo is a weak-willed complainer whose loyalties to the Emperor are accepted merely because all that he lacks in social graces and convictions, he makes up in skill and sensitivity.  His ability to read people’s emotions is second only to his ability to wield a bladed edge.   

Meng Lo tends to be less ruthless than Mong Duk, but has no qualms about doing whatever is necessary for what is presented to him as the greater good.  He has been known to slaughter a band of farmers after being convinced by Mong Duk that they were servants of an underground terrorist cell on the same day he rescues a trapped kitten from the top of a tree.

The Rat Minister

Yingzi Shu, The Scavenger of Betrayal

The Rat Minister

City State: None

Meticulous in his shrewdness and charmingly eloquent in his manipulations, the Rat Minister holds no City State under his control.  Instead, the Emperor has given him a simple task, to remain vigilant and hunt down and signs of betrayal or insurrection.  Yingzi Shu is the Emperor’s Scavenger of Betrayal and his spymaster.  The Minister is aware of every City State’s back alleys and hidden tunnels.  It is believed that he has connections in every black market and criminal network that exists.

No one knows for certain what Yingzi Shu looks like.  Some say he is but a title that many people embody when the duty calls for it.  Others say he is a Ghost that possesses bodies as appropriate.  Others believe he is merely a grand master in disguise and secret martial arts.  The truth remains uncertain, save for that Yingzi Shu is real, dangerous, and always listening.

The Ox Minister

Mong Duk, Righteous Blade of Jade

The Ox Minister

City State: Daozhou

Stubbornly rigid and demanding, Mong Duk approaches battle with the same dangerous calm a scientist approaches an experiment.  His means of killing are methodical and are rich with the patience born from a man who knows his actions will always lead to someone’s death if he so willed it. 

Mong Duk’s loyalty to the Emperor is resolute, if not in many ways narrow-minded.  He understands the role of the Emperor and realizes there will always be a period when the Emperor’s judgment shall be questioned.  Such are expected of any great leader.  He more than embraces the thought that the ends justify the means.  To Mong Duk, the way history will be written justifies every means necessary.

The Horse Minister

Yi Xia, the Exalted

The Horse Minister

City State: Xigang, The City of Sports.

With his booming voice, carefree spirit and sense of fair play, Yi Xia does not rule the City of Sports so much as he referees it. Yi Xia’s face and skin are painted gold, giving him the appearance of a living statue.

 Interested in the various athletic and martial skills, he built the City with the intent of creating a training ground for the future champions of the Empire. He believes a sound mind should be housed in a sound body, and doesn't make it a secret that he thinks those laggards who do not know at least a modicum of a martial arts should be put to the gymkhana immediately.

The City itself could be likened to an Olympic village. Facilities for all sports known to the Empire are housed there, including practice courts for more combative (and deadly) physical skills. It is famed for its Champion's Gauntlet, a yearly event where martial athletes compete against each other in a combination of mixed styles; he who has proven to have mastered the most styles is declared winner. The Horse Ministers considers this day his favorite, as nothing pleases him more than a show of strength. As long as he gets to keep his City and the events and competitions it hosts, he is content with his Emperor.

Unfortunately, Yi Xia is something of a chauvinist; while he respects athletic women, there's no denying the fact that the greatest feats of strength are performed by men. This reflects in his choice of partners: strong well shaped men are far more likely to be invited into his bedchamber than comely women.

Yi Xia sees the coming of Shadow as a new challenge created specifically to test the glory of his City of Sports. This arrogance has alarmed some of his advisors, as they sense Yi Xia would tear himself from his responsibilities to give himself a shot at defeating the creatures of Shadow. To date, the Horse Minister has not indulged in his desire to test and pit himself against what he thinks will be his greatest challenge.

The Pig Minister

Zhang Lu, the Wise

The Pig Minister
City State: Pingxiang Country within Xingtai Prefecture

Ruling the Pingxiang County within the Xingtai Prefecture, Minister Zhang Lu remains a stalwart Taoist follower given its promise of mystic powers and abilities. He largely relies on his subordinates to see to the day-to-day activities of the local government and devotes more of his time to the study of Taoist texts in search of the key to unlocking such "magical" powers and older lost martial arts.

Lu is more feared than loved within his domain and he capitalizes on this in keeping the peace. Many have heard the stories of his dabbling in the dark arts and fear the consequences of crossing him. Still, Pingxiang remains loyal to the Jade Emperor even though it is rare that Lu makes the trek to the Forbidden City to pay homage to the Jade Emperor. He has no aspirations to the throne and largely wants to be left alone to further his studies and secure his place in other worlds he believes to exist beyond this one.

Pingxiang County has suffered under Zhang Lu's rule given the abuses of power executed by those under him. Corruption is rampant and there are strong undercurrents of civil unrest. Given this, Lu spends very little time outside of the grounds of his residence, which is fiercely guarded by his personal army. All soldiers in his employ have sworn to follow the Taoist precepts that Lu holds dear, something that inspires strong loyalty amongst his forces.

The Rooster Minister

Yanluo, the Anointed One

The Rooster Minister
City state: Daiking, City of Endless Silence

Meticulous to every detail and zealous in his duties, Yanluo the rooster minister, watches over the City of Endless Silence.  His City State is a vast necropolis home to both the living and the dead. This is the final resting place of all the citizens of the Jade Kingdom from the poor buried in apartment graves placed on top of each other, to the great mausoleums of the rich and nobility.  Ghosts and hungry dead also wander the quiet streets of the city for it also houses the largest recorded Shadow known in the kingdom.

 Yanluo is always dress in his ceremonial garb and he often travels the kingdom to cleanse smaller Shadows, and banish or exorcise ghosts. The Minister is loyal to the Jade Emperor, but recently he is growing concerned with the increasing numbers of ghosts and hungry dead across the kingdom.  Many of the ghosts whisper of the injustice done unto them by those who have been tainted by corruption and power.

The Tiger Minister

Feng Kwan Lin, The Auspicious Tiger

The Tiger Minister
City state:  Guiyang, City of Luck

While courtiers are birds of various plumages, the Tiger Minister prefers to be the feline in the grass waiting to pounce and scatter her squawking cohorts by her mere appearance. She is an odd mix of courtier and courtesan, and woe betide the fool who thinks her soft and cannot unsheathe her claws.

Before becoming a courtier, Kwan Lin was something of a social anomaly---the bastard whelp of a noble and his servant. This mixed parentage did not serve her well early in life. Because the servant was useful, she was not dismissed, but neither was her daughter given any favor either. As a result, Kwan Lin was in a class all her own---far too common for any privilege afforded a noble, but clearly bred from the elite and expected to be above the common rabble. It left her with no friends and few acquaintances.

Her loneliness behooved her to decide---if no one wanted to be her friend, then she had to make herself wanted. She learned the intricate social graces, the steps with which to navigate both noble and common circles and as she grew older, her cause was bolstered by her considerable beauty and an outpouring of generosity on her part to the lower classes---as she's said more than once before, "I am but one parent removed from your condition." (A statement that angers her noble father, whose feelings she has since learned not to care about and in fact likes to tweak in moments of quick-tempered pettiness.)

She has since used her political maneuvering to make herself a diplomat between the Empire's social classes, and her City of Luck shows this. A haven for gambling, entertainment, music and theater, it is a City perforce egalitarian---there are no classes here, only artists and their audiences.

The Monkey Minister

Pang Liang, The Chosen of Hanuman

The Monkey Minister
City State: Xiangyang District

The unpredictable scholar Minister Pang Liang is known for his shrewdness and and his gift for protracted conversation. Liang was put in charge of the Xiangyang District at his request given he wanted to be able to see his home city grow into something far greater than it is now. In truth, Xiangyang is the only place where Liang feels truly safe given the many enemies he feels he has out there.

Pang Liang is a cunning strategist known for his unconventional tactics in terms of managing Xiangyang and even on the battlefield. His keen intelligence and thirst for knowledge is reflected in his priorities for the city and has turned Xiangyang into a haven for scholars and learned men. Xiangyang is a culturally rich city with many writers, artists and even technologists trying to make a name for themselves and attract the ever-shifting interest of the Minister. Liang believes that the raw creativity of his citizens is bound to lead to something of potential usefulness to the Jade Emperor; it's just a matter of finding it. Thus he regularly spends a day in every week entertaining presentations and demonstrations from his citizens, who are eager to please the mercurial appetites of Pang Liang.

The Minister is also known for his forays to City of Endless Splendors when time permits given his sometimes indulgent nature. Such ventures are somewhat "open secrets" in the community, although no one has take direct action against Liang for such excesses given the relative prosperity he has managed for Xiangyang. Still, his reckless may be his undoing should he commit a fatal mistake in the future.

The Dog Minister

Cao Pi, The Hound of the Emperor

City State: Wohan, the City of a Thousand Shields.

Unwaveringly loyal to the Emperor and straightforward to his actions, Cao Pi the Dog Minister watches over the City of a Thousand Shields, a city made of fortresses and garrisons connected by walls that guard the borders of the kingdom. The city is also training ground for the soldiers and militia assigned to the other cities. Cao Pi personally trains those who are assigned in the imperial palace and oversees all mock battles performed in the city.   Cao Pi is always dress formally and carries around a weapon. 

The Minister is fiercely loyal to the emperor and will immediately obey any orders given to him. He is also extremely stubborn and will not hear anything about the corruption consuming the land.

The Dragon Minister

The Dragon Minister
Cao Zhao
played by Rocky
After falling out of the Jade Emperor's favor, Minister Cao Zhao "retired" to his home city of Fancheng tand has remained a prominent public figure in the community. While no longer officially a public servant, Zhao had established strong loyalties in many leaders of the Fancheng community to keep him relatively safe and secure despite his stance against the Emperor. This level of influence is such that he still retains an informal "vote" of sorts when it comes to major decisions affecting the city's future and many merchant leaders seek him out for his blessing in terms of business ventures.

Zhao remains a proud man who refuses to see his fall from grace as a failing on his part. Naturally his current position is only a temporary setback and in his mind the Jade Emperor is bound to come to his senses and call for him soon. If that does not happen, Zhao remains assured that he will outlive such a foolish Emperor and shall return to power soon enough.

The city of Fancheng has seen some progress since Zhao returned to direct the community with his wisdom. Utilizing the natural power of the nearby Han River, the city has begun to experiment with modest experiments with more complex applications of steam engines including small boat engines and lifting machines. Zhao remains interested in such technologies as a way to drive the city forward and to further his power base should the need arise.

The Snake Minister

The Snake Minister
Jing Tiāntán 
played by Mahar
As Dean of the City of Sages, Jing Tiāntán is responsible for keeping much of the Empire’s sciences intact. A healer by profession, her main focus is to develop innovative medical techniques for the betterment of the Empire’s health. Her own passionate interest however does not preclude her from supporting other arts and sciences; she respects the martial arts though she shows little aptitude for them. Still, she is happiest in her surgery and laboratories as she develops cures for the use of the Empire.

Increasingly she has been pressed to look for cures to victims of the Shadow. In her opinion the Shadow is a blight upon the earth itself. To this end she has started looking more and more into cases of survivors who have stumbled out of shadowlands. She does not like what little she has seen.

To this end she’s been trying to get support from the Emperor to look into the phenomenon of Shadow. Unfortunately for Tiāntán, she herself does not have much influence in Court. Her studies have kept her away from its daily workings, and her icy demeanor has alienated those few people who had bothered to know her. She doesn’t understand courtiers for their seemingly facile passions, and she dislikes that the Emperor would rather listen to his affirming set of popinjays than to her.

Ironically, she would be a good courtier had she the inclination to be one. She carries herself with grace, and beneath the cold exterior lays the mind of a creative sensualist. These are traits seldom seen---her impatience with fools has shown on more than one occasion, and this has left her an unpopular, albeit respected, figure.

The Rabbit Minister

The Rabbit Minister
Ling Lun
played by Urim
Known for his gracefulness and elegance, Ling Lun, is called The Patron Of All Forms and watches over the City of Endless Splendor, a city where one can hear songs and see shining towers from miles away. One can find all forms of entertainment in the city, from concerts, plays, galleries, to gladiatorial combats, geisha houses and opium dens. The city is well-known for its endless festivities and parties; it is also known decadence and depravity. This has been caused by the concubines of the minister who has been given control over the city.  The Minister has become blind to everything else to engage in his artistic pursuits.

Dressed in the finest silk and always accompanied by his wife, the two perform at the Jade Emperor’s most important events and have always provided entertainment for all of the emperor’s parties. The Rabbit Minister remains loyal to the emperor, for he firmly believes that the emperor is still the same person he has supported years ago.

[occ] General Setting Ideas

The Kingdom is to be greatly based on the lands of China, with touches of Studio Ghilbi and a mix of various other influences.   Various cities tend to have key "products" or wares in them.   The City of Endless Splendors, for example, focuses on the vices and drugs that people might seek.  The City of Unbridled Wisdom, on the other hand is a massive city-sized library with literally hundreds of thousands of books and scrolls.  Each Zodiac Minister commands a particular main City, although some do so less directly than others.  A few actually command more than one, a clear sign of the favor they have gained from the Jade Emperor.

There are levels of technological advancement in the Kingdom.    At the most basic, we have the rural early China feel where people farm and raise herds, with rice paddies and wagons commonly seen.  In some more modern places, steam and mechanical technology proves to be more present.  In such cities, gears and levers are used to open the city's massive gates.  Steam powered vehicles are used for both commerce and military needs.  In further flung areas, electricity is at its beginnings, with only the wealthiest of citizens having access to basic lighting and artificially reproduced music.  And finally, if rumor or myth is to be believed, the Jade Emperor himself and his most favored Minister own cities where magic and prayer fuels the very industry and technology.

The basic currency used is based on Jade.

For simplicity, a large majority of the population speak a single language with some levels of dialectual difference.  Typically, only foreigners to the Kingdom speak other tongues.  Some believe however even the animals and shadow demon have their own language.

Travelling between cities takes at least a few days by foot.  Some cities, such as the Jade Emperor's Forbidden City, may take years to reach by foot.  

There was a time when the Zodiac Ministers were first gathered by the man who was to become the Jade Emperor and the thirteen fought valiantly to unite all into one Kingdom under heaven.  Their acts of heroism and sacrifice united the various warring lands and clans into a single kingdom under the banner of the Jade Emperor.  But in the years that have passed, corruption and selfishness has set in.   Some Ministers refuse to see that, believing they still do what is best for the people.  Others realize the Jade Emperor has become the very threat he once gathered them to defeat, and secretly ponder on when action must be taken to bring the now ruling dictator down.

[occ] Choose your top three Ministers and give sample write-ups

Each Zodiac Minister reflects certain qualities and traits.  This list is taken from the wikipedia entry on the Chinese Zodiac and will be used to help inspire concepts for character creation.  Each player will play the role of one of the twelve original Zodiac Ministers.

1. Rat - 鼠 (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element Water): Forthright, tenacious, intense, meticulous, charismatic, sensitive, hardworking, industrious, charming, eloquent, sociable, artistic, shrewd. Can be manipulative, vindictive, self-destructive, mendacious, venal, obstinate, critical, over-ambitious, ruthless, intolerant, scheming.
2. Ox - 牛 (Water buffalo in Vietnam) (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Water): Dependable, ambitious, calm, methodical, born leader, patient, hardworking, conventional, steady, modest, logical, resolute, tenacious. Can be stubborn, narrow-minded, materialistic, rigid, demanding.
3. Tiger - 虎 (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Wood): Unpredictable, rebellious, colorful, powerful, passionate, daring, impulsive, vigorous, stimulating, sincere, affectionate, humanitarian, generous. Can be restless, reckless, impatient, quick-tempered, obstinate, selfish, aggressive, moody.
4. Rabbit - 兔 (Cat in Vietnam) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Wood): Gracious, good friend, kind, sensitive, soft-spoken, amiable, elegant, reserved, cautious, artistic, thorough, tender, self-assured, shy, astute, compassionate, flexible. Can be moody, detached, superficial, self-indulgent, opportunistic, stubborn.
5. Dragon - 龍 (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element Wood): Magnanimous, stately, vigorous, strong, self-assured, proud, noble, direct, dignified, jealous, eccentric, intellectual, fiery, passionate, decisive, pioneering, artistic, generous, loyal. Can be tactless, arrogant, imperious, tyrannical, demanding, intolerant, dogmatic, violent, impetuous, brash.
6. Snake - 蛇 (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Fire): Deep thinker, wise, mystic, graceful, soft-spoken, sensual, creative, prudent, shrewd, elegant, cautious, responsible, calm, strong, constant, purposeful. Can be loner, bad communicator, possessive, hedonistic, self-doubting, distrustful, mendacious, suffocating, cold.
7. Horse - 馬 (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Fire): Cheerful, popular, quick-witted, changeable, earthy, perceptive, talkative, agile - mentally and physically, magnetic, intelligent, astute, flexible, open-minded. Can be fickle, arrogant, childish, anxious, rude, gullible, stubborn.
8. Sheep or Ram - 羊 (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Fire): Righteous, sincere, sympathetic, mild-mannered, shy, artistic, creative, gentle, compassionate, understanding, mothering, determined, peaceful, generous, seeks security. Can be moody, indecisive, over-passive, worrier, pessimistic, over-sensitive, complainer, weak-willed.
9. Monkey - 猴 (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element Metal): Inventor, motivator, improviser, quick-witted, inquisitive, flexible, innovative, problem solver, self-assured, sociable, artistic, polite, dignified, competitive, objective, factual, intellectual. Can be egotistical, vain, selfish, reckless, snobbish, deceptive, manipulative, cunning, jealous, suspicious.
10. Rooster - 雞 (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Metal): Acute, neat, meticulous, organized, self-assured, decisive, conservative, critical, perfectionist, alert, zealous, practical, scientific, responsible. Can be over zealous and critical, puritanical, egotistical, abrasive, opinionated, given to empty bravado.
11. Dog - 狗 (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Metal): Honest, intelligent, straightforward, loyal, sense of justice and fair play, attractive, amicable, unpretentious, sociable, open-minded, idealistic, moralistic, practical, affectionate, sensitive, easy going. Can be cynical, lazy, cold, judgmental, pessimistic, worrier, stubborn, quarrelsome.
12. Pig - 猪 (Wild boar in Japan and Elephant in Northern Thailand) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Water): Honest, gallant, sturdy, sociable, peace-loving, patient, loyal, hard-working, trusting, sincere, calm, understanding, thoughtful, scrupulous, passionate, intelligent. Can be naïve, over-reliant, self-indulgent, gullible, fatalistic, materialistic.

Players are to comment below (or email me) their top three choices, and a short write-up for each choice.  
An example write-up can be found below:

The Rat Minister  
Raigô Ajari

子

Meticulous in his shrewdness and charmingly eloquent in his manipulations, the Rat Minister watches over the City of Hidden Splendors, a city based near the water front where illegal goods, blackmarket wares and similar shipments are received.  Though the city's corruption is publicly known, the city maintains a facade of order and peace - one enforced by the Rat Minister who travels the streets as both judge, jury and executioner in his domain.

Dressed in the brown silk that has been embroidered without any markings denoting his position as a Minister, the Rat Minister has always showed loyalty to the Jade Emperor.  Some whisper, though never to his face, that the Rat Minister has seduced the Jade Emperor with access to narcotics and other illegal vices.  While he will never be equally bribe the Emperor with the sheer wealth the Pig Minister's City of Fortune gambling hostels can, his ability to find the rarest and scarcest things makes him an invaluable ally in the Emperor's eye.