ll things pass away,Only the soul lives forever,passing from one vessel to the next in an endless Whell of Dhrama.Who can say where the next life will lead?The Akashic Brothers find the root of their Arts in such observations;unlike Christians,these exotic magi belive that each life is one of many-and spend those lives perfecting the soul for its return to the Wheel.
ot that they dont belive in Hell;in the Pits of Harmony,one's sins are stripped away through exquisite agonies.To avoid such torments,the Brothers practice an equally exquistite Art-one created in an ancient villaged named Meru.Through mastery of body,mind and soul,these magi ascend from crippled mortals to splendid immortals-inheritors of the Do("Way")that man has lost.
he Brotherhood's path began in Meru,the "first village" built high in the mountains of the East.There the grand spirits Dragon,Tiger and Phoenix instructed the people in the Way of Harmonious Living.Perils were many;to protect themselves,the Meru'ai shaped Do into mighty war-arts.When Meru passed away,as all things do,it's decendants wandered off into the world or built strongholds high above it,and continued to refine Do.Though these "Brothers of Meru" separated,their minds returned to a single pool,a shared remnant of thei bygone home.
hat Pool of Meru deepened as ages passed.Brothers who had never met in person still knew eachother,and those who died left remembrances in the spiritual waters.Like carp,the brothers swam in this Pool before,during and after each life.There they washed away the terrors of Hell.As the Children of Meru spread across the eastern lands,the Waters of Meru formed a mystic connection between them.
everal of these magi-now called Akashi for their reverance for Akasha,the primal living revelation-wandered south,teaching and learning as they went.As their wisdom grew,their arrogance did likewise.In time,they earned the name "Warring Fists".Those who disagreed with their teachings fell before their Arts.Soon a terrible war with Thanatoic sects stained the Pool.Brothers died,remembered their deaths and avenged them in the next life.The Way of Harmony became the Way of Destruction.By the time the Akashi withdrew,hundreds of years and thousands of lives had passed.Determined to avoid suck things in the future,most Brothers entered seclusion and set their minds toward finding peace.
eace has proven hard to find.Rival sects have risen,and they fall upon brothers like angry dragons whenever possible.As the Ascension War stirs the waters of the Pool,the Akashic Brothers contemplate and answer.
The way flows through moderation.Preserve health,transcend selfishness and reach beyond limits.Do wells up from the balance of elements;when you do not expect it;the Way will come.Until that time,prepare yourself.Water will not remain in a cracked vessel.
Style:The Do practioner's fearsome strength,uncanny awareness and unshakeable courage are fruits from the tree of spiritual perfection.Ideally,his harmony with Drahma's Wheel allows him to flow beyond Self and Other,entering the shared waters of the "All mind/no-mind" where each being dwells.By doing so,a Brother senses emotions,reads minds,sends thoughts to distant places,or leaves his body behind.
That body is a cup;the soul is water.The Stronger the cup,the more it holds.Thus,a Brother excercises his body contstantly.His empathy for others translates into compassion for all beings,even his enemies.A well trained Brother seeks to reform his opponents.Violence is a last resort.
Daemon(Avatar):Dragon,Phoenix and Tiger guid most Brothers,but some find direction from astral masters,or elemental spirits.
Affinities:Mind and Water
Followers:Oriental travelers,Akashic acolytes.
Concept:Diplomat,weapons-master,sage.student of foreign arts,translator,young apprentice,vengeance-minded warrior.
