Royalty, Houses, Sects, Clans, and Schools

Akura Clan Is a royal family led by monarch Akura Malice. Her lands and vassals cover slightly more than half of Ashwind continent — the western half, including the Blackflame Empire and the Seishen Kingdom. Akura Malice rules with her strongest sacred artists at her back, her son Akura Fury, a Herald, and Fury’s daughter Akura Charity, a Sage. The family emblem is One large star and two small stars, all over three mountains. The stars and the mountains glow purple. Akura Paths, to current knowledge, are of the shadow aspect. However, they can have others as well. The Akura bloodline ability is a unique genetic legacy composed of madra that enables expanding purple crystal armor, with amethyst crystallized eyes , which is related to eye color trait — all of Malice's blood descendants have purple eyes.

House Arelius is a monarch faction who once ruled half of the Rosegold Continent before the assassination of their Monarch, Tiberian Arelius. After his death, House Arelius lost most of their territory and were reduced to a shadow of their former selves. Aside from the main branch on Rosegold, there exists a lesser branch on the Ashwind Continent in the Blackflame Empire who provide janitorial service. Contact between the two branches is possible due to a gateway portal that opens between the two continents every ten years or so. Arelius descendants inherit the famous Arelius Senses, a bloodline ability which was originally developed by the House Founder and First Patriarch, Ozmanthus Arelius. This inheritance provides an invisible web of detection madra that surrounds the sacred artist for a distance, gathering information of all sorts. The stronger the artist, the further the distance. Miles and miles even. Those in the Arelius family follow a number of paths. One thing that many have in common is flowing golden hair.

Naru Clan is the imperial ruling clan in the Blackflame Empire. This empire is located on the Northwestern edge of the Ashwind Continent. Fifty years ago, the Royal House of Naru emerged when the previous ruling clan, the Imperial Blackflame Family died out, mostly from insanity. House Naru had been servants to the Blackflame Family for generations. The Path of Grasping Sky is the Imperial Path. It is illegal for anyone except the Naru clan to practice it. It uses aspects of wind madra. The goldsign is emerald green wings. After years of practice on the Path, Copper sight is tuned to the wind, improving battle senses and perception. Furthermore, this Path enables skillful artists to hold an opponent in place with wind.

Jai Clan lives in the Blackflame Empire on the Ashwind continent. There is a small town and palace on Shiryu Mountain in Serpent’s Grave. The Jai clan also has territory out in the Desolate Wilds, a large desert on the western border of the empire. The Jai clan began as one of many barbaric factions in the stretch of blighted wilderness known as the Desolate Wilds. The light-aspected combat techniques on their Path of the Stellar Spear made them the most formidable family of sacred artists in the area, and they unified the region more than once over the centuries. Each time, their rule proved violent and brief. Recently it was a prominent reputable clan until their Underlord Patriarch broke an Akura law and shortly after died. Most of the clan has been exiled to the Desolate Wilds. The Path of the Stellar Spear is a light and sword path and has a goldsign of metal hair.

Sandviper Sect lives in the Desolate Wilds, a rotting area of blackened trees and arid desert in the Western region of the Blackflame Empire. The sect takes its name from a local snake, the sandviper. They are brutish and considered by some to be a bit barbaric. They are historic ancestral feudal enemies of the Fisher Sect in the Wilds. Sandvipers follow the Path of the Sandviper. It uses aspects of venom madra. The Goldsign is a green sandviper on the arm. The Sandviper Iron body helps this sect survive in the rotting desert, where Dreadbeasts and corruption abound. It relies on taking in the venom of a sandviper, and drinking its blood. Rinse and repeat. This painful procedure enables the body to quickly heal itself from poisons, viruses, etc.

Fisher Sect live in the Desolate Wilds, in the forlorn western region of the Blackflame Empire. The Fishers carry a big gold hook, and often a net. They keep boats on the Purelake. They have webbed fingers, as a Goldsign. Fisher Ragahn is the leader of the sect, he is called The First Fisher. He is old, raggedy, gray-haired, barefoot. He looks like a beggar. But he’s one of the strongest sacred artists in the Wilds, and seems reasonable enough. The Fisher Sect follows the Path of the Fisherman, which utilizes force madra. This attracting type of madra works well for Soulsmithing because it helps bind constructs together. As such, the Fisher Sect gives birth to some talented soulsmiths. The Fisher Sect also utilizes The Hidden Spring Iron body. So called because they can go a long time without drinking water, so the idea is that they have a "hidden spring" inside their bodies and they never have to drink at all. This isn't true, it's just a myth they cultivate. Their bodies process water more efficiently so that they can survive longer in the wilderness of the Desolate Wilds where finding fresh water can be all but impossible.

Kotai Clan live along the Endless sea. Their Patriarch and underlord is Kotai Shou is a well respected and grizzled old sea captain. It is said that the Kotai Clan spend as much time on the sea as they do on the water. They follow a path of water that involves contracting with a fish spirit. Clan artists have grey skin.

Redflower Clan are life artists that follow paths of both healing and farming. In fact the majority of the food eaten by those in the Blackflame empire is grown by the Redflower clan. They are generally a peaceful people. Among the Redflower clan is a school of healing arts known as the Jade Eye School. The Healing Path is known as the Path of Red Blossom and has a goldsign of a red flower somewhere in their hair. The other family path is the Path of the Seed. Focused on growing and harvesting food, the goldsign is green vines that wrap up one of the practitioners arms.

Brightcrown Clan Is a clan that is spread out across the Blackflame empire. They are often found in areas of forests, jungles and other naturally green environments and are known to harvest sacred trees. Some of the best refiners come from this family. The Brightcrown Clan are life artists and follow the Path of the Brightcrown. Their goldsign is a floating golden crown over their head.

Wei Clan was co-founded long ago by Elder Whisper, an ancient snowfox, and the progenitor of a line of Sacred Beasts. The primary Wei clan territory is located in the north-east section of Sacred Valley, near the foot of Yoma Mountain and Mount Samara. However, there is a small branch of the Wei clan living near the southern jungle. The Wei clan believes in “Honor by Any Means”. The first patriarch stated that even deception can be used to serve honor. They practice the Path of the White Fox which utilizes the madra of Light and Dreams that deceived the senses, that created illusions, that twisted light and sound. their Goldsign is a foxtail that causes burns when touched.

Temple of Rising Earth is a vassle of the Acura family. They are a sect and school of individuals who live in the mountains. Their primary path is the Rolling Eart Path of earth and force. They are a secluded group who mostly keep to themselves.

Cloud Hammer School Ran by Chon Ma, the number 1 ranked underlord in the Blackflame empire, is a school for those who choose to study the Path of the Cloud Hammer. It is a force and cloud path that is said to be focused on self-discipline. Its practitioners use hammers with extreme force and accuracy. The goldsign of this path is a floating cloud above the head.

School of Silver Grace Is a school for the sword arts. They focus on graceful and dexterous movements and are known for their speed. They follow the Path of Silver Grace, a sword path. Their goldsign is a silver metal bracer.

Frozen Blades School Is one of the Akura Vassles. It is one of the largest factions of all of the Akura vassels. They are led by Min Shuei, the Winter Sage. Members of the School follow the Path of the Frozen Blade, wielding ice and sword madra. They typically wear pale blue sacred artist's robes, often adorned with white.[2] The School rules over a large region, primarily responsible for defending it from outsiders and maintaining peace. The School's headquarters consist of a hut complex at the foot of a mountain range within their territory, a place full of sharp formations of ice and ever-present freezing wind. Only sacred artists of Truegold or higher can visit the headquarters proper, as anyone lower would fall victim to the elements.