The Province of Wei

To you, I'm a criminal. To my mother, I'm a son. To the triads… I'm a hero.
- Last words of Nine-Toes Feng

The Province of Wei is the most populated in the Empire, a seemingly endless urban sprawl that stretches the length and breadth of the Province. Through Wei flows the vast wealth of the Empire, its countless markets, harbours and canals choked with goods. Wei is a melting pot. Riches and poverty, charity and crime, high culture and the basest of mortal behaviours live side by side here.

The people of Wei are the most diverse in the Empire. In Wei live the Empire's richest and poorest. Nowhere else can beggars dressed in mouldy rags share the streets with the richest merchants draped in the finest silks and perfumes.

In Wei, the vast majority of people wear the colours of their employers, whether it be the Imperial Census takers, the Mercantile Guild, or any of the Triads. These same colours adorn the streets, warning people of who rules where.

Xiang Geung is the largest port in the Empire, and the capital of Wei. Its harbor sees a never-ending stream of ships from and bound for the four corners of the world. Here, the urbanisation that has consumed Wei has spilled over into the sea: the city of Xiang Geung stretches for several miles out to sea on junks, ships and rafts lashed together.

In the markets that line the harbour, all manner of goods from throughout the Empire can be purchased, as well as all manner of exotic goods from faraway shores.

Xiang Geung is the seat of power in Wei for more than the official government. The Triads were born here, and while their reach has grown beyond Xiang Geung's borders, it is still here that many have their tightest hold. And fight their bloodiest battles.

The district of Wong Chuk could be considered the dark mirror of the Imperial Capital. Where the capital is grand and open, Wong Chuk is composed of thousands of tiny alleys dominated by ramshackle building. Wong Chuk is dark and oppressive, filled with millions of the Empire's poorest and most desperate citizens. The peacekeeping forces have practically written off Wong Chuk as exclusively the territory of the Triads, and it is not uncommon to witness outbreaks of violence when walking its filthy, grimy streets.

Damao Shan dominates the surrounding city like nothing else. As the largest temple in the Empire, it looms over Wei like a gold and scarlet mountain. An army of priests burns a fortune in incense every day, and its colossal bells are heard for miles in every direction. Damao Shan is said to have been built on the slopes of the very hill where Song Gi, founder of the Empire of Chi'in, was visited by the August Personage of Jade and tasked with uniting the world. Over the centuries, what was once a roadside shrine has grown to its present gargauntuan proportions.

It is rumored that deep within its halls, past the vaults of gold and artifacts and guarded by great and terrifying beasts lies a gate to the realm of Heaven itself.

As beautiful as she is ruthless, Cao Lu rules Wei with an iron fist. Her great wealth allows her to surround herself with the best-of-the-best, including a personal elite military unit dedicated to her protection, though it is rumored she is well skilled in the fighting arts. It is known that you do not cross the Duchess without very good reason and those caught working against her are swiftly dealt with. Conversely she treats those she considers allies with great generosity, willing to share her resources if there is benefit to herself.

The heads of the three triad syndicates. Their real identities are hidden and most refer to them as the Green Dragon, White Dragon and Red Dragon. The three syndicates' territories are distinguished by the display of these colours. Receiving a piece of paper marked by the symbol of one of the Dragons means you've been taken notice of by the syndicate, spelling either death or opportunity.

Magistrate Chan Wing-yan wages a personal war on the triads, dispensing his own brand of justice in the grimy back alleys of Wong Chuk. His ruthlessness in the face of injustice has made him a thorn in the side of the Triads. The bounty on his head is astronomical, but his mastery of Lashou Shentan Style has so far made it impossible to collect.