The Jianzhi

The Jianzhi Cult

Living in the shadows, unknown to most of Cyrys, the Jianzhi cult are a group of like-minded Cyrans who believe in a religion not dissimilar from the region-wide Jing, but that also has very notable differences. The cult itself is shockingly old, although nobody can say for sure just how old it is, and during these many years, the cult's hierarchy and tradition has never changed. The religion that the Jianzhi follow, much like Jing, has a strict honour code that must be kept to at all times for all practitioners of the religion, promotes purity of spirit, and has a heavy emphasis on the power of names and true names. Akuma are still believed to be born from negative energy and are generally perceived as bad, but rather than shun the Akuma altogether, the Jianzhi cult embraces the idea of its founders and leaders overpowering an Akuma to show their pureness of spirit. Those within the cult who break the honour code are very often mercilessly punished; death is considered a merciful escape for a dishonoured member of the Jianzhi and it is not uncommon for a dishonoured man or woman to be put into specialist dungeons, where they live the rest of their days in torture and pain. Perhaps the biggest difference between the Jianzhi cult's religion and the Cyrys-wide religion of Jing is that the Jianzhi believe in an actual named goddess, rather than a nameless entity.

It is from this goddess the Jianzhi believe everybody is born, and all members of the cult know this goddess simply as the "Red Moon". A fully inducted member of the cult will be named a Son or Daughter of the Red Moon, in recognition of their official acceptance.

The Red Moon Goddess

The Red Moon is the goddess that the Jianzhi believe all things are born from. She generously grants newborns a portion of her soul so that they may live, and when they die, she retakes this portion of her soul once again. The only creatures in existence that do not come from the Red Moon are the Akuma, for the Jianzhi believe the Akuma are born of the negative energy that only a human being can create.

The Red Moon does actually have a true name, but there is only one member of the entire Jianzhi who will ever know the name in their lifetime. This one member is a female Cyran, who is often inducted to the Jianzhi at as early an age as possible, and who is then tasked with being the host of a powerful Akuma to show her pureness of spirit. This young girl is then locked away within a special shrine, in which she will live the rest of her life in seclusion from the Jianzhi, and she acts as a medium for the Red Moon and the cult. It is believed that this woman speaks the words of the goddess herself and, as such, this woman is the only woman to know the goddess' true name.

The Akuma in Jianzhi

According to the Red Moon, Akuma are creatures who a born from the negative energy of souls. Although the Red Moon strictly decrees that all stray Akuma be destroyed, there is also a decree that the Akuma can be used by the founding family of the cult (and thus the leaders) to prove their pureness of spirit.

Founders of the cult undergo a dangerous and potentially fatal ritual in which they must allow an Akuma to enter their body - and must then beat the Akuma in a battle of wills. Red Moon's law states that a pure spirit will beat the Akuma, leaving the Cyran still in control of their mind and their body, but now playing host to a demon within. Cult leaders also undergo this ritual.

The Jianzhi employ a specialist Akuma kill team for the instances in which these rituals go wrong. If the Akuma wins and possesses the Cyran, it is instantly destroyed before it can take full control and wreck havoc. These men and women are often powerful and skilled warriors, and they are seen with the highest respect amongst the Jianzhi for their skills and their dedication to the Red Moon.

Because wild and stray Akuma are considered rogue and unsafe, even for their rituals, the Jianzhi employ a torture system whereby they can manifest their own Akuma for rituals. This system often involves the horrific torture of the dishonoured, creating immense negative energy with which an Akuma can form. These dungeons are known about by all in the Jianzhi, for it is the place they are told they will be sent if they break the strict code of honour of the cult, but there are not many who can stomach working in such environments. These dungeons are truly terrible places, and it is often said that if you become dishonoured and are killed, you were given a merciful escape.

The Honour Code

Much like regular practitioners of Jing, the Sons and Daughters of the Red Moon follow a strict honour code throughout their lives. The moment that they are officially inducted into the cult, they are expected to follow these rules and standards, and failure is not an option. Mistakes are hardly tolerated, and excuses even less so.

Upon being granted the title of Son or Daughter of the Red Moon, a Cyran is expected to treat every member of the cult like they are family. Arguments do happen from time to time, but voices are not often raised, and physical fighting between the Jianzhi is strictly forbidden unless an official and formal challenge has been issued. Declining a formal challenge is considered shameful among the Jianzhi, but is one of the few shameful and less honourable acts that can be committed without fear of official punishment. "All Sons and Daughters of the Red Moon are your family. To take arms against your family is perhaps the most dishonourable of all acts. Speak not to them in anger, and employ patience with them as the Red Moon does with you. We are all Her children, and to fight one another would be to fight Her."

Running from a fight with an enemy is considered cowardice, a form of dishonour that is punishable. Jianzhi members are taught not to fear death, for death is the embrace of the Red Moon and should be welcomed if it is inevitable. Therefore, fleeing from a fight that you cannot win is considered by the Jianzhi to be a rejection of the Red Moon's will. In a somewhat similar vein, hesitating to strike your enemy down is often punishable, also classed as a rejection of the Red Moon's will.

The only time an enemy is to be allowed to live in a fight is if they succumb to the will of the Red Moon and agree to plea allegiance to her and the entirety of the Jianzhi, or if it is an official challenge and your opponent submits. Interestingly, an enemy does not necessarily have to become an official Son or Daughter of the Red Moon in order to agree to serve the goddess, and the Jianzhi often use this tactic to employ double agents that live on the surface and keep the cult informed of what is happening. "Your enemy is the enemy of the Red Moon, and She decrees that you stop only when Her enemies are eradicated from the world that She made. Their impure souls will be judged by Her upon their death, and Her alone. For this reason you will not hesitate to strike your enemy down, for it is only the Red Moon who may decide who lives and who does not. Failure to abide by Her simple demand shows a taint of spirit unacceptable for a Son or Daughter of the Red Moon."

There are many other dishonourable actions that a Jianzhi cult member can commit, although some of these are far more obscure than others. For example, although the Jianzhi see no problem with a man or a woman having several partners, it is considered dishonourable to lie with more than one of them at the same time, as the Red Moon decrees that the joining of two souls in any way is to be a shared experience between two souls alone. It is also considered shameful for a father to not teach his son or a mother to not teach her daughter, and beyond that, a father is not allowed to teach any daughter he may have any of his skills and vice versa. (The Jianzhi recognises that single parents cannot help but initially break this rule, but these children are quickly assigned a surrogate parent in this event.)

Lying is also considered highly dishonourable - but only if you lie to fellow Sons and Daughters of the Red Moon.

The Leaders

The leaders of the Jianzhi are split into two categories: Founders and then Generals.

Founders lead the Jianzhi as is their birthright, and they are direct descendants from the first ever Jianzhi followers. They are often put through the ritual of overcoming an Akuma to prove their pureness of spirit at a very young age - often before puberty - and they receive specialist teaching. Although it cannot be proven or disproved, the Jianzhi often believe that a founder will host a more powerful Akuma than a General.

Generals lead the Jianzhi by proving their worth, their honour and their purity over several years of service and through showing extreme skill. While it is not their birthright to lead the Jianzhi (and their children receive no specialist treatment whatsoever, and do not inherit the title of General) they share the same amount of power that a Founder would do. Founders often pick out Generals to be made leaders, and at this point, the General-to-be will be put through the same ritual as a Founder, where they must overcome an Akuma.

Founders are not allowed to tell the Jianzhi their true name and use an alias for all their lives except with their family, and when a General is appointed and passes the ritual successfully, they too must take on an alias for the rest of their lives. Both kinds of leader are allowed to hand pick personal servants - two at most - to do their bidding until the day they die. These servants are considered bound to their leader in every way, and as such, the servants are the only people allowed to know the true name of their leader.

Both types of leader are equal in terms of political power within the Jianzhi, meaning that in almost all cases, neither one outranks the other. Spiritually however, it is believed a Founder is more pure and, for that reason, more powerful.