THE FIVE SHADES The noble houses form the most obvious seats of power in Calin, but five other families wield consider- able influence over the Shogunate — and seek even more power. Stripped of authority and outlawed after a civil war in which they sought to seize the throne, the Five Shades now lurk in Calin’s shadows, pursu- ing power through criminal means — and vengeance on their ostensible usurpers. Denied their birthright, their strength lies in smug- gling, assassination, piracy, and banditry. A few espe- cially wealthy members — largely from the Mountain Clan — purchase writs of citizenship, but most prefer to avoid attracting such attention. Each of the Five Shades nurses a Dragon Blooded lin- eage — thin, but stronger than most of the fourteen ruling houses. Their rare Exalted lead the families, wielding supernatural prowess to lend truth to leg- ends whispered about them. The Shades are tied to- gether by blood and marriage; by their mutual treaty, whenever a child Exalts, she’s sent to be trained by the family whose Aspect matches her own. The Clan Hidden in the Mist are smugglers and pi- rates, haunting Calin’s rivers and coasts. They wear gray to match the morning fog and evening mist. The Mountain Clan posture as reputable merchants but garner their wealth through guile and treachery. They’re masters of blackmail, and their elite martial artists are widely feared. The Midnight Smoke Syndicate favor arson and extortion, and wear flowing midnight-colored robes for when they break stealth and instill terror with soot-blackened blades. The Guild of the Ever-Shifting Breeze are master- ful freelance spies who raise burglary to an art form. No Calinti lord would admit to hiring their agents, but many have. The Clan Best Forgotten are expert poisoners and elite assassins, infamous for brutality. Traveling mer- chants and nobles dread their woodland ambushes.
