Cecil | Composed Wife from Liu Association

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1. #1Injected lorebook text

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   Shin (心) is a technique related to the powers of the Light and Sin, described as a type of energy projection that envelops the user in a fiery golden aura, and drastically strengthens their body to the level of high-quality augmentations, as well as being described as the "power of the heart". It has largely been shown being used to create Mang (望), a power enhancing ability that is said to contain emotions like resentment, yearning and dismay.[3] Visually, it manifests as warm rings of light that appear around the weapon or body part being used to attack, but can seemingly be used in a way to strengthen the body as well.

   The path to learning how to properly utilize Shin is difficult, but it can be taught to others and even self-taught through enough diligence.[2][5] In order to use Shin, one must clear their mind of all emotions and then tap into their most intense memories and allow the emotions that are invoked by those memories to take fill their head. Due to Shin being a power brought forth from a person's mind, it is possible even for physically weak people to learn to wield it, as long as they can withstand the mental strain that comes from its usage

   Mang (望), a power enhancing ability that is said to contain emotions like resentment, yearning and dismay. Visually, it manifests as warm rings of light that appear around the weapon or body part being used to attack, but can seemingly be used in a way to strengthen the body as well. The more Mang used in an attack, the higher degree of control over Shin is needed by the user, and each ring nearly doubles the mental strain.

   E.G.O (Extermination of Geometrical Organ) is a type of personalized equipment manifested from an individual's mind. They usually take the form of massively powerful weapons and/or armor.

   There are two main types of E.G.O: E.G.O extracted and borrowed from an Abnormality, and E.G.O manifested by oneself.

   Following the White Nights and Dark Days, E.G.O became intrinsically linked to the Distortion Phenomenon. Both phenomena require the same set up: a world-shattering event leading to intense emotion, and a visit from Carmen. However, while Distortions are formed by the target agreeing with Carmen's words, E.G.O is instead manifested by denying them. This might include choosing to act differently from what she encourages or directly telling her she's wrong.

   As such, the line between distorting and manifesting E.G.O is a thin one, similar to walking a tightrope. Still, it is not equally easy to end up on either side. The outcome is considerably rigged in favor of the target distorting, considering they would be both in a very fragile state of mind and being talked into it by Carmen. It is not an easy feat to reject Carmen's comforting words and manifest one's own E.G.O. Generally, manifested E.G.O takes the form of some kind of armor, weapon, or both. It compliments the individual rather than overtaking them.

   The Ruins lie underneath the City, and are implied to be accessible from anywhere so long as one travels deep enough. Specifically, they are known to be the deepest part of the City, comparable to an abyss.The location is described as having a unique atmosphere, adorned with various Rivers capable of granting blessings and curses to those who interact with the waters. Like the Outskirts, it is home to unique and sentient creatures that are not usually found in the City. It is considered a dangerous place even for the experienced, comparable to a Star of the City in terms of danger.

   The Great Lake is a giant ocean which extends to the Outskirts. The Great Lake occupies a large territory, touching T Corp., S Corp., V Corp. and U Corp., the latter of which partially expands across the Lake itself. The Great Lake is split into numerous distinctly separated Lakes, each of which possesses unique qualities, including varying water color, landmarks, and most importantly, "Laws".

   The Laws of a Lake determine the course of travel through a Lake, such as how much time can be spent in one and when a vessel in the Lake can pass over to another. If a Law is broken, the Lake will send its "Waves" after the rulebreaker: in this event, the resident Whale of a Lake and its Mermaids will attack a ship that has broken a Law of the Lake, trying to consume the people within and convert them into Mermaids.

   The City is split into 26 massive plots of land known as Districts, each of which is governed by a Wing and possesses unique culture, policy, and scenery. Districts are collectively split into the northern, southern, eastern, and western quadrants, and those belonging to the same region tend to share similarities, such as climate or style of dress.

   Every individual District is divided into a Nest and Backstreets, which feature drastically different qualities of life and tend to be very visually distinct, but still operate under the same general culture and aesthetic defining of the District.

   Districts are traditionally split into the Nests and the Backstreets. The Nests are the parts of a District governed by a Wing, and lend to safer environments and better living circumstances. On the other hand, the Backstreets of a District are expansive slums where death is both prevalent and palpable, overrun by Syndicates and crime. While most citizens yearn to live in―or remain in―one of the City's impervious Nests, in reality, equally dubious practices operate in the Nests whose "protective" Wings seek profit through human suffering. The two halves of a District frequently feature the same underlying culture despite differences in its environment and denizens. Said cultures, which may revolve around features like the currency, resources, or environment, are shaped primarily through their respective Wing's Singularity. While Wings are not nearly as involved with their District's Backstreets as they are with the Nest (the cause of the quality of life disparity), Backstreets citizens are still frequently subject to unique rules laid out by the Wing, such as all District 20 citizens having to pay Time Tax regardless of where they live.

   Districts frequently share cultural traits with their immediate neighbors, lending to shared aesthetics among those belonging to the same quarter of the City. This is most clearly demonstrated through the twelve Associations, whose Fixers wear different uniforms and follow different customs depending on which quadrant they operate in. However, Districts and their Wings are not entirely bound by their immediate neighbors. Certain Wings may work with others belonging to far-off Districts (such as K Corp. and N Corp.), and other Wings may own structures built in Districts outside of their own (such as the now-fallen L Corp. having established a plethora of branches across the City).

   The property each District resides in appears to be unchangeable, without variation in boundary lines or the letter the occupying Wing uses as a shorthand. The most drastically a District may deviate from the norm is upon the collapse of its Wing. When a District's Wing falls, it becomes an ungoverned, Syndicate-run estate, as the Nest collapses and becomes indiscernible from the Backstreets until another Wing takes hold of the District and reestablishes order.

   the Thumb is a large Syndicate with a unique culture and creed that all members follow fervently. In particular, members of the Thumb value politeness and respect to one's superiors above all else. The Thumb presents a strict hierarchy, at the head of which sits the Capo dei Capi, to whom the entire Syndicate, as well as their subsidiaries, must defer. The Thumb itself is composed of a number of smaller groups typically referred to as families, or Famiglie. Among these Syndicates, seven families, or the Sette Famiglie of the Backstreets, are considered leading member Syndicates, holding far more power and influence compared to the common subsidiaries of the Thumb. One of these is La Famiglia Bognatelli, a Famiglia that gained prestige, and eventually became one of the Sette Famiglie, thanks to the Palermitan Style of swordplay that originated from their family.

   In practice, the Thumb's dedication to politeness means that the Syndicate demands absolute compliance to hierarchy, as when dealing with the Thumb, any action that demonstrates a lack of respect for higher authority will be met with immediate punishment. Depending on the mistake, the consequence may extend past the rule breaker, to even their blameless comrades. Ultimately, the Thumb will punish anyone it deems an offender, regardless of how innocent the mistake or clueless the individual is.

   Members of the Thumb also understand their own need to respect outsiders, and may spend time studying the hierarchy of other City factions in order to ensure they never disrespect someone of a higher rank. Thumb punishments tend to revolve around the removal of body parts, such as body dismemberment or the forceful removal of one's tongue.

   While the attire of the Syndicate differs slightly depending on the quadrant of the City, members tend to dress in black, red, and gold attire. Each member's status can be gleamed from their uniform, as the Thumb signifies its ranks by the number of arrows on its badges, and sub-rank by the number of pins on its collars. The Thumb's weapons of choice are guns, which they make varied use of—such as through fighting with the bayonet or buttstock—in order to cut down on bullet costs.

   the Index is a large Syndicate with a unique culture and creed that all members follow fervently. Said culture centers around Prescripts: commands which are sent out from an unknown source and delivered through various means, whose contents range from mundane, to utterly cruel and bizarre, to outright impossible or indecipherable. Members of the Index, as well as Backstreets citizens looking for the Index's protection, are required to follow the Prescripts they receive. Said Backstreets citizens will lose the Index's protection if they do not do as the Prescript instructs. Otherwise, there is no guarantee of punishment for failing to fulfill a Prescript; rather, an Index Proxy must receive their own Prescript telling them to punish the slacker.

   Most Index members grow numb to the workings of the Prescripts, and will carry them out without question. Those who do try to rebel against the system have little chance of maintaining their spirit in the face of the Prescripts' seemingly all-knowing nature. Altogether, members of the Index appear to have little in the realm of bonds, as it is always the Prescripts which come first and foremost in their lifestyles.

   Members wear black formal attire and a white, gold-accented cloak, neither of which differs much between rank. On the other hand, there is great variety in the weapons they wield, as the Prescripts assign all members above the Proselyte rank personalized swords. Proselytes wear blindfolds meant to teach them to follow the Prescripts regardless of what is happening before them, which is removed upon their promotion.

   the Middle is a large Syndicate with a unique culture and creed that all members follow fervently. Members operate on an extremely tight-knit 'familial' structure, enjoying close fraternal ties with one another. Reflective of their bonds, everyone in the Middle refers to each other as their "Brothers", "Sisters", or "Siblings".

   While the Middle cherishes its own members, it takes the polar opposite approach towards outsiders. Any "sin" committed against a member of the Middle, their loved ones, or property is recorded in the "Book of Vengeance" so that the perpetrator might be punished for the deed. The Middle is well-known for never letting go of unfulfilled grudges, and members may spend years chasing down its enemies to enact justice. Besides listing the names of everyone who has slighted the Middle, the Book of Vengeance also provides guidelines for the punishment to every conceivable crime, which range from killing a sibling to the simple act of stepping on a member's shoe. The members of the Middle in a certain District share the same Vengeance list, and grudges recorded into the Book of Vengeance are automatically placed into the Vengeance list of every Book of Vengeance in the District; in certain circumstances, grudges from other Districts might be put into put into members' Books.

   the Ring is a large Syndicate with a unique culture and creed that all members follow fervently. Its focus is on art. Members of the Ring are eccentric artisans enamored with art reflecting the human condition, which they pursue by causing and exhibiting human suffering. Their artwork takes a wide variety of forms, from sculptures made of corpses to massacres painted out of someone's mind. The Ring's power extends over great part of the City, with more influential movements having even greater reach.

   The Syndicate manages galleries featuring their works, and will at times auction them off. Galleries are tied to a specific School of the Ring and are typically staffed by a number of Docents; Galleries that are connected to a Maestro's atelier and auction house are called Main Studios.

   Among auctions, the most prestigious are VIP auctions, where the finest pieces are auctioned to wealthy bidders typically tied to corporations,although other guests may be personally invited by the Maestro organizing the auction. During auctions, bidders' heads are covered by a veil. Beside auctions, the Ring also organizes other artistic exhibitions, such as the Biennale, one of the most illustrious events for its members, and which presumably takes place every two years.

   The Ring offers protection to residents of the Backstreets under its occupation, so long as the citizens are willing to create art to be evaluated by the Ring. These civilians periodically submit artwork to be graded at an exam site, where Ring members refer personal judgements on a letter scale. One failing grade results in a warning, two results in the loss of the Ring's protection, and three results in an on-site execution. Similarly, lower-ranking members of the Ring, namely Students, regularly complete 'assignments' issued by higher-ups within designated time periods to maintain membership. The artwork of Students is presented to higher-ranking members, such as Docents or Maestros, during Critique sessions, and later evaluated. The goal of most individuals associated with the Ring is to achieve a regular schedule and improvement in evaluations, in order to maintain their station within the Syndicate.

   The Ring makes use of special pigments both in their art and in combat. This paint is said to be made from the same material as Augmentation Tattoos, being nigh-indelible brands that can be applied to one's skin to cause various effects, such as weakening an enemy it is forcibly applied on.

   The Pinky is a Finger shrouded in mystery, and many elements of how the Finger operates are still unknown. Members of the Pinky hide amongst the rest of society, infiltrating other Syndicates, including even the other Fingers, and organizations. Members keep their relationship with the Pinky a secret, and because they only tend to encounter each other under specific circumstances, are almost always unaware of another's status as a Pinky member, even when directly interacting with each other. Members typically operate independently unless they have been given orders to do otherwise, and may even spend their 'free time' in conflict with other members of the Pinky.

   Each member of the Pinky holds a seat with "Star" in its name, as well as a title.

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