My intention is, at the outset, to keep things as vague and undefined as possible so as to give everyone free reign to work things in to backstories and the like as they see fit.

So to start just a list of general overviews of the setting:

- It's broadly Chinese and influenced by Confucian principles.

- The time period is 'ancient'. I suppose I would aim for Qin Dynasty (3rd Century BC ish) if pushed but historical accuracy is not going to be a major plank of this game so its more for general flavour.

- The supernatural (whether it be 'magic', 'monsters' or warrior poets flying through the sky with their swords) is an accepted part of the world. It isn't hugely common and a civilian living in a relatively urban area might never see anything supernatural their whole lives but everybody understands it exists and has its place in the scheme of things. Those capable of supernatural feats may be respected, may even be feared but they are not automatically reviled.

- The country is ruled by the Emperor who exercises power through a vast Imperial bureaucracy of convoluted and complex arrangement. The center of that power is based far away from the location of the game and the Imperial might is always at a remove. By which I mean the characters have no direct dealings with the Emperor though there are plenty of governors, magistrates, generals and the like who could have crossed paths with them in the past.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:07, Thu 14 Mar.

As they come into the game (initially through character creation and then just through play) I'll add the key factions and NPCs here as a quick reference guide.

Places

Qinxing - A large market town bordering the thundering Tanhae river. Far from the capital and several days' travel from the closest governor in Yueliang it seems to all a quiet backwater unremarkable from hundreds of similar towns which dot the countryside. Picturesque in many ways the town has sweeping forests to one side and sits in the shadows of mountains. For all intents and purposes Qinxing seems a quiet and peaceful place. Though things are rarely what they seem...

Factions

The Shining Path - Rumours are spreading in the town of Qinxing. Rumours of a movement stirring among the peasantry who live in the surrounding lands. It is said that there are those moving between the villages spreading a message of rebellion. Spreading the heresy of revolt against the divine order; against their rulers and betters. Suffice to say those involved with this movement keep a low profile but there are too many such whispers to dismiss it's existence too easily

NPCs

Magistrate Liao Guo - The local magistrate and, for all intents and purposes, the ruler of the local area. Magistrate Liao ostensibly answers to the governor in Yueliang but given the distance and general lack of political importance of Qinxing the governor shows little interest and Liao answers to nobody as long as the taxes keep flowing upwards. The word is that the good magistrate is corrupt but certainly not more so than is proper for a man of his station.

Zhuan Xiang - High in the mountains above the town sits Red Crow Monastery run by the mysterious sage Zhuan Xiang. Rarely seen outside the monastery itself it is said that Zhuan has mastered the mystic arts and students flock to the monastery from miles around to learn at the feet of this master.

Gong Yin - Qinxing's wealthiest resident, excepting perhaps the magistrate, is Gong Yin. A rice broker initially Gong Yin's financial empire has expanded so that there are few business ventures in Qinxing he doesn't have a hand in. There are those who say that Gong's business interests don't end at legitimate endeavors and he also has his hands in much shadier ventures but those people don't tend to say it for very long before they meet an unfortunate end...

Fan Tao - Proprietor of The Inn of the Five Silver Fish. A rotund, jocular man in his 40s he runs far from the only hostelry in town but certainly one of the most popular. If you want to know the word around town then the Five Silver Fish is the first place to start asking.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:15, Tue 26 Mar.

This looks very promising. I would suppose that Chung and any NPC fellow outlaws would be living in the "sweeping forests" and hoping to intercept tax payments from the magistrate or assorted goods shipped to or from Gong Yi, unless GY has paid them off, or perhaps paid them in help him with eliminating rivals or smuggling. Since Chung sees himself as a "good" outlaw, he would probably prefer to be robbing GY rather than cooperating with him, but other NPC outlaws might disagree, setting up a possible conflict with or betrayal by the other outlaws. Dai Chiao might be in disguise in Qinxing as a wandering swordsman, or at the Red Crow Monastery, supposedly as one of Zhuan's many pupils. Chung may visit him from time to time. He may also visit a local tavern just to relax, or to pick up news of the Shining Path, to which, at least to begin with, he is sympathetic, since his family have had rebel inclinations for generations.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:37, Wed 27 Mar.

My intention was that all the characters would be outsiders to the town or very recent arrivals but I had similar thoughts that the Brothers of the Greenwood might be interested in the Shining Path given their bold take on social policy and have sent Chung to find out more which would bring him to town. No reason the Brothers also couldn't be involved to some level with Gong Yi though I don't think they would be overly morally compatible.

Dai Chiao could slot in anywhere then (because tropes dictate he must be somewhere in town). Could either plan out his involvement to start with or he could just turn up at an opportune moment connected to someone.

In reply to The GM (msg # 4):

I agree that Chung could be in town looking to learn more about Shining Path on behalf of his fellow outlaws. It is my observation that in traditional China (and other traditional societies) successful outlaws tend to become rebels and unsuccessful rebels tend to become outlaws.

In reply to The GM (msg # 4):

I have outlined my general ideas about where Dai Chio might be, but we can arrange the specifics of his appearance as the story develops.