As the youngest son of the head of the Bai clan, your unlikely to ever head the family but you've been given a lifetime appointment to run an important and lucrative fief. This grants you a great deal of freedom in what you will do with your life, with the exception of marriage which is both a requirement for you to retain your position as well as the woman in question must be approved by the Clan Head. Children are the seeds that grow into cultivators that defend the Clan against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Children are as much a currency of power as cultivation itself.

Despite your freedom, you will need to take into account the political landscape you find yourself in and determine whom you will back in the Imperial Court and ultimately in the civil war that comes whenever an Emperor dies. The Emperor's children are few but powerful cultivators, albeit not Immortals. Each has a faction at the Imperial Court and political allies that back them as the heir to the throne. Your clan has staked out a neutral position with no benefit from Imperial largess in return for a relatively safe position when it comes to the coming civil war. However, the benefits from being on the winning side are many and as a fief holder you are in position to benefit greatly from backing the right side.

As a noble in a feudal magocracy, you were schooled in cultivation and therefore the magic of the setting. You were also schooled in personal combat, both with your fists and a variety of weapons. Personal power was important in a feudal society and personal weakness is the sort of thing that can get you killed. It is important you do not cripple yourself in combat and only take fights you can clearly win, frequently softening a target by wars of intrigue and raids until they find it impossible to achieve victory in battle against you.

As a wealthy fief holder you are entitled to one wife and as many concubines as you can afford. Since such women are always powerful cultivators in their own right, this can get quite expensive quite quickly as mechanically you are purchasing a valuable military asset as well as a woman to bear your children. It is even possible for a concubine or a wife to grow more powerful than their husband. Such a possibility should be avoided simply to avoid potential disputes over who is really in charge in your particular family. After all, someone who can force you to do things is effectively in charge.

So what will you do? Become a warlord or a merchant? Will you develop your magical powers or focus on building a prosperous fief? Develop a reputation as a isolationist or embroil yourself in the political landscape of the Imperial Court?

The choice is yours but choose carefully because your protagonist has no plot armor.

You are Bai Shen, a twenty year old scion of the respected Bai Clan. Like many of the Qing Empire's noble clans your family is both numerous and long-lived, for the path to Immortality has many steps all of which extend one's lifespan. In the normal course of events a young man like yourself would expect to spend several decades at some modest post, such as overseeing a spirit grain farm. You spent your teenage years training as a mage-knight to prepare you for such duties, and also to serve as a soldier in the Bai clan's military forces.

Then the city of Guilin, along with the center of your clan's power, was destroyed in a magical cataclysm.

The story you were told is that the Archmage Xiu Ling, one of the few Immortals of the Empire, was attacked by a murderous band of foreign assassins who had summoned a Great Dragon to aid them. There is likely more to the story but to a minor clan like yours, the details do not really matter. The Archmage survived the battle and the future of the Empire is secure. The problem is your clan head, his immediate family, and most of the clan elders died in the destruction of the city leaving the Bai clan desperately short handed.

The lack of an heir led to a brief power struggle among the various branch families of the clan to determine who would take over as the clan head. Your father managed to secure the position after dealing with three other contenders and a dozen or so of their supporters. But now its imperative for your branch of the family to take direct control of all the clan's most valuable assets. This is why you have been tapped to take over a fief at the tender age of twenty. The immediate family is the only ones who can be trusted to hold onto the rebels' fiefs. You trust your allies in the clan but you trust the balance of power being in your favor more.

You have four older brothers so it will not be the most critical of posts but it is still decades ahead of where you would be otherwise. But there is a reason you are trusted with this position and it goes beyond the fact you are part of the clan head's immediate family. You possess talents, talents that put you years ahead of the rest of your generation in terms of cultivation and power.

What are these talents?

Personal Talents ( Pick 4 )

[ ] Yin (+2 Mind, +20 Power, gain skills related to cultivation)
--- [ ] Pick one non-physical element to focus on. (i.e. Life, Death, Light, Darkness, Mind, Illusion) If taken multiple times, you may double down on a element or pick a new element to excel at.
[ ] Yang (+2 Soul, +20 Power, gain skills related to cultivation)
--- [ ] Pick one physical element to focus on. (i.e. air, earth, fire, ice, lightning, metal, wood) If taken multiple times you may double down on an element or pick new element to excel at.
[ ] Mage-Knight (+2 Brawn, +20 Power, gain skills related to battle tactics and war strategy)
--- [ ] Choose a weapon, you excel with that weapon. (i.e. Sword, bow, spear, axe) If taken multiple times you may double down a weapon or pick a new weapon to excel at.
[ ] Ranger (+2 Constitution, +20 Power, gain skills related to the wilderness and hunting spirit beasts)
--- [ ] Choose a type of terrain to favor (i.e. Mountains, Forest, Plains, Desert, Water), you have mastery over that terrain and its qi. If taken multiple times you may double down on a terrain or pick a new terrain to have mastery over. Note: This mastery is magical, and manifests in ways such as blending into a terrain to be virtually invisible, using elemental magic keyed to that terrain (i.e. Ice/Water for Water, Earth for Mountains, Fire for Desert), finding people/beasts in your chosen terrain.
[ ] Demon Blooded (+40 Power, +2 Corruption, creates availability of certain secret techniques, penalty to some social interactions)
--- [ ] Pick one element to focus on. You are stronger even that a Yin or Yang with that element.
--- [ ] Pick one element to be your weakness. You defend at half your power against someone strong in that Element.

[ ] Academic (+2 Mind, +2 Soul, gain skills for deciphering obscure scrolls and researching fresh techniques)
[ ] Alchemist (+2 Mind, +2 Soul, gain alchemy, poison, and herbalism skills)
[ ] Archaeologist (+2 Finesse, +2 Mind, gain skills useful for finding and looting ancient sites full of lost treasures)
[ ] Leader (+4 Charm, gain skills useful for leading your followers)
[ ] Merchant (+4 Mind, gain bartering, merchandising, and trading skills)
[ ] Politician (+4 Charm, gain diplomacy skills)
[ ] Steward (+2 Mind, +2 Charm, gain management and administrative skills)

[ ] Array Crafting (You are unusually skilled at crafting Arrays)
[ ] Mage-Smith (You are a talented mage-smith capable of forging spirit treasures, such as weapons or tools)
[ ] Pill Forging (You are unusually talented at the creation of pills.)
[ ] Talisman Crafting (You are unusually talented at the creation of talismans.)

[ ] Prodigious Cultivation Talent ( You 10% cultivate faster than normal.)
[ ] Indomitable Will ( You are immune to mental assault up to your current cultivation. )
[ ] Divine Luck ( You have incredible luck. Truly the mark of a protagonist but it will draw antagonists. +10 to all rolls. )
[ ] Beauty (Charm +4, You are incredibly attractive to both sexes. )

Note: You may pick the same thing multiple times, each time it is taken it increases your aptitude in that area linearly. While you may choose to develop other areas of expertise, your personal talents will be the areas that you genuinely excel and will require the least amount of cultivation to improve. It is also highly recommended you take Yin, Yang, Ranger, Demon-Blooded, or Mage-Knight at least once since personal combat power is critical for this quest.

As the member of a fairly wealthy clan, you have managed to obtain a number of rare or expensive resources to bolster your capabilities. After all, you are the son of a clan head.

Personal Resources ( Pick 4 )

[ ] Cultivation Aids - You have a steady supply of potions and pills that aid your cultivation. For a price. +40 Power, +2 Corruption.
[ ] Spy Network - You have a network of informants throughout the family holdings as well as the lands of your traditional allies and enemies. You can expect to hear important news from these areas before it becomes general knowledge and will have a chance to learn secret knowledge (including cultivation techniques, spirit treasures, and other useful things). Of course, if your spies are caught....well...that would be a problem for you politically speaking.
[ ] War Band - You are not satisfied with the regular family troops and have systemically gathered a loyal war band of skilled warriors who are personally loyal to you. While they number a mere twenty, their elite skills and equipment make them a match for a company of regular troops. This unlocks elite troop options now since you have solid core to build upon.

[ ] Secret Technique (Cross-Cultivation) - You have learned the secret techniques of the cross-cultivator clans, specifically how they can cultivate Brawn, Finesse, and Constitution. You can improve these baseline attributes while you cultivate raw power. This does not double your cultivation, however, it merely improves it to 120% of the normal rate. (i.e. 60% Brawn/Finesse/Constitution, 60% Power in comparison to normal)
[ ] Secret Technique (Beast Taming) - Spirit beasts are a powerful addition to any clan's arsenal and you just happen to know how to raise and tame these beasts. It allows you to punch above your weight to a degree given you can tame beasts at an equal cultivation level to your own. That said, it is not without risk and it is quite expensive to maintain spirit beasts so one should be careful about collecting too many as they require care and attention.
[ ] Secret Technique (Death Cultivation) - Technically forbidden but difficult to prove. When you personally kill someone, you can take some of their power for your own. In open battle, the yield is small but with a properly prepared ritual chamber such ritual sacrifices can yield amazing gains. That said, this technique deals Corruption damage equal to the victim's Soul so you will need to be careful in how you use it. Requires Demon Blooded.
[ ] Secret Technique (Horticulture) - You have a set of techniques for farming plants that have been mutated by spirit energy. This allows you to generate more bountiful and valuable crops than other men.
[ ] Secret Technique (Slave Brand) - You have mastered a form of life magic that the Empire's slave trade heavily relies upon. Allows you to create, modify, and remove slave brands. Each brand represents a compulsion that is difficult, if not impossible, to resist. That said, cultivators are highly resistant to these and you would need to be several Realms above the target to apply one.

[ ] Enchanted Weapon - You have inherited a mid-grade enchanted weapon.
--- [ ] Pick the type of weapon. +40 Power and +4 to rolls that involve that weapon.
[ ] Wizard's Staff - You have inherited a mid-grade enchanted staff that is keyed to an element
--- [ ] Pick an Element, you have +40 Power and +4 to rolls when using that element.

[ ] Healing Talisman - You have a talisman that can heal most injuries at a speed mere mortals can only dream of.
[ ] Shroud Talisman - You have a talisman that hides you from mortals and other cultivators, it is powerful but not unlimited.
[ ] Elemental Talisman - You have a talisman that can deliver attacks at a rating of 350 Power. It is good for about one fight/scene before it needs to be recharged, requiring 1 full day of meditation.
--- [ ] Choose an element.

Note: You may pick the same thing multiple times, each time it provides a linear increase.

Fief Special Features (Pick 4)

[ ] Alchemy Hall - Drawn by the spirit herbs and monster parts available in the nearby wilderness, a guild of alchemists has established a base in your town. Gain increased revenue as well as a local source of cultivation aids and various pills.
[ ] Beast Ranch - A ranch that breeds and trains minor spirit beasts for use as mounts, familiars, and weapons of war. While these beasts are of the first rank (i.e. Power 10-99), that is still more dangerous than your average soldier. Gain increased revenue as well as a steady supply of spirit beasts you can employ.
[ ] Blacksmith Hall - A guild of minor magicians who serve as blacksmiths and churn out high quality arms and armor produced by them and their apprentices. You might even commission the occasional spirit treasure. This represents a decent sourve of revenue.
[ ] Conventional Mines - Local mines that produce iron ore and coal. gain increased revenue as well as raw materials used for forging arms and armor. Gain increased revenue.
[ ] Cultivation Resort - Your ancestors found a site of powerful Qi in the nearby wilderness, where mages from the Bai clan or allied clans can go to cultivate. Gain increased revenue and a Spirit Density 6 cultivation site, but you'll always have visiting cultivators poking around and causing trouble.
[ ] Slave Training Hall - A facility owned by one of the Empire's smaller slaver clans, it specializes in highly trained slaves for the demanding nobleman. Gain a source of exotic slaves, increased income, and general information about the status of the slave trade. That said, you will attract those who frown upon slavery and those disruptions will not be minor.
[ ] Spirit Stone Mine - A singular spirit stone mine that yields a sizable quantity of Rank 1 through Rank 5 spirit stones. Useful tools for any cultivator and a decent source of revenue. Of course, your rivals envy this particular asset and would seek to take it from you. Gain +10 to Cultivation attempts until Rank 6 (500 Power).
[ ] Spirit Grain Farm - Your ancestors managed to pacify a stretch of land saturated with magical energy (Spirit Density 2) and turn into a farm for spirit grain. A regular diet of spirit grain speeds cultivation, making it quite the valuable commodity. Gain +10 to Cultivation attempts as well as a decent source of revenue. Of course, your rivals envy this particular asset and would seek to take it from you.
[ ] Spirit Herb Garden - Your ancestors managed to wall of a valuable plot of land with a Spirit Density of 3 and turn it into a garden for growing alchemical ingredients. This represents both a source of income and a source of alchemical of ingredients. It has good synergy with the Alchemy Hall but that combination would be coveted by your rivals.

[ ] Hidden Village - A small clan of these deadly mage-assassins have served your clan for generations and their home base is located within your domain. Gives you improved espionage resources but will also draw increased attention from enemy agents. They may not know where the hidden village is but they certainly have narrowed it down to your corner of the world.
[ ] Adventurer's Guild - The reckless adventurers who hunt rare monster parts and herbs in the surrounding wilderness and sometimes raid the ancient tombs that dot the landscape, have established a base in your territory. Gain a source of adventurers willing to defend the fief from monsters and maybe even take quests on your behalf. But they'll also hang around partying and causing trouble between missions.
[ ] Cultivator Sect (Minor) - You have a minor sect of cultivators within your domain. They are mostly Rank 1 (10-99 Power) with a few Rank 2 (100-199 Power) and a single Rank 3 (200-299 Power) who serves as the sect's head.
[ ] Great Spirit Maze - Your borders are protected by a great maze that requires cultivator guides to guide people safely through the maze and into your territory proper. An excellent defense against raids and conventional armies. However, powerful cultivators (Rank 3+) will be able to find their way through it quite easily.

Note: You may pick the same thing multiple times, each time it provides a linear increase.
Difficulty Level
[ ] Normal - You get the normal number of picks. Adventures will come your way every few years and your fief will have the usual minor troubles But pressing emergencies not of your own making will be rare and as long as you can avoid making enemies you should be able to pursue your own ambitions to your heart's content. The Civil War will happen on time unless you take action to postpone and/or stop it such as assassinating various rivals for the throne. However, you stand a good chance of being able to avoid the whole mess by staying neutral if you wish.
[ ] Hard - You get four extra picks from any combination of the above lists but you will need them. You live in troubled times and your projects are frequently interrupted by emergencies created through no fault of your own. Every couple of years there will be a bad harvest, a famine, a high ranking monster, some neighboring lord will start a feud with you, etc. The Civil War will happen on time regardless of your actions, however, you can probably remain neutral for a good chunk of it if you play your cards right. After all, everyone needs an arms dealer.
[ ] Nightmare - You get eight extra picks from any combination of the above lists but you will most definitely need them. The Civil War will be unavoidable, you will be drawn into it, and a period of open strife and warfare will take place far faster than you'd like. That said, troubled times also come with unique opportunities that would not otherwise be available to you and if you happen to pick Death Cultivation you might very well come out on top. Of course you might get blown away by an immortal who is out of your league before you can get there. High risk, high reward but I would strongly suggest the most broken pick combination you can come up with.

Bai Shen Starting Stats

Attributes
Brawn: +10
Finesse: +10
Constitution: +10
Mind: +10
Soul: +10
Charm: +10
Power: 200 (+20); Rank 3

Skills
Swordsmanship (Brawn): +20

Stewardship (Mind): +20

Cultivate (Soul): +20

Please vote by plan. If you have suggestions to add to the "picks list" feel free to volunteer them.

Attributes
Brawn: +20
Finesse: +20
Constitution: +20
Mind: +12
Soul: +14
Charm: +10
Power: 587 (+59); Rank 6
Corruption: 39

Skills
Swordsmanship (Brawn): +20

Alchemy (Mind): +20
--- Pills (Mind): +40
Poisons (Mind): +20
Herbalism (Mind): +20
Horticulture (Mind): +40
Martial (Mind): +3
Stewardship (Mind): +20

Wood (Soul): +20
Cultivate (Soul): +40
Purification (Soul): +20

Traits
Divine Luck: +10 to all Rolls; You will attract antagonists as you are Chosen by Heaven and Heaven has enemies.

Pill Forger: +20 to rolls to create Pills. Due to your exceptional talent, you can forge pills up to 1 Rank above your own. However, you will still need to discover/invent such pills normally.

Wooden Limbs: Your Limb Meridians are dominated by the Element of Wood, amplifying your abilities with this element as well as speeding cultivation related to Wood techniques.

Protector: You are the protector of your civilian population, risking the lives of your men and your own to keep them safe. (+3 Martial)

Devouring Path - You have worked out how to devour spirit cores and have a craving for more. +0 vote towards consuming spirit cores. Vote penalty increases based on consumption and corruption.

Techniques
Ironwood Blade (Wood) -Conjure a wooden blade capable of standing against most weapons. However, it can be broken by bladed spirit treasures.

Ironwood Fortress (Wood) - Fortify your flesh with a thick layer of bark, this defense can stop most attacks but is vulnerable to fire. It also grants inhuman strength.

Heaven's Grace (Heaven) - A technique to boost your speed and reflexes. (Can match Air, Heaven, or Fire users of the same rank. Burns qi to sustain)

Secret Techniques
Cross-Cultivation - You have learned the secret techniques of the cross-cultivator clans, specifically how they can cultivate Brawn, Finesse, and Constitution. You can improve these baseline attributes while you cultivate raw power. This does not double your cultivation, however, it merely improves it to 120% of the normal rate. (i.e. 60% Brawn/Finesse/Constitution, 60% Power in comparison to normal)

Horticulture - You have a set of techniques for farming plants that have been mutated by spirit energy. This allows you to generate more bountiful and valuable crops than other men. Effectively a +20 to Horticulture rolls.

Spirit Core Recipe Book - You have a manual that allows you to "spice up" spirit cores. Your not exactly sure what it does yet.

Spirit Treasures

Han Talisman of Protection (Rank 3 / 400 Silver Bars) - This grants your body powerful regenerative properties, enabling you to survive injury and poisonings that might kill other men. You receive a +5 to rolls that might kill you.

Nae Clan Athame (Rank 3 / 400 Silver Bars) - A powerful athame that can carve arrays into stone and wood with equal effectiveness. Conveys a +5 to checks when attempting to carve such an array.

Ka Ornate Storage Box ( Rank 1 )

Spirit Stones
6 Rank 2 Spirit Stones, 22 Rank 3 Spirit Stones

Rank 3 Spirit Stones = 100 Silver Bars

Misc
Phoenix Egg (400 Silver Bars)

Personal Assets
The Bloody Hand (20) - You are not satisfied with the regular family troops and have systemically gathered a loyal war band of skilled warriors who are personally loyal to you. While they number a mere twenty, their elite skills and equipment make them a match for a company of regular troops. This unlocks elite troop options now since you have solid core to build upon.

Spy Network - You have a network of informants throughout the family holdings as well as the lands of your traditional allies and enemies. You can expect to hear important news from these areas before it becomes general knowledge and will have a chance to learn secret knowledge (including cultivation techniques, spirit treasures, and other useful things). Of course, if your spies are caught....well...that would be a problem for you politically speaking.

Difficulty
Normal - You get the normal number of picks. Adventures will come your way every few years and your fief will have the usual minor troubles But pressing emergencies not of your own making will be rare and as long as you can avoid making enemies you should be able to pursue your own ambitions to your heart's content. The Civil War will happen on time unless you take action to postpone and/or stop it such as assassinating various rivals for the throne. However, you stand a good chance of being able to avoid the whole mess by staying neutral if you wish.

Liu Chen - Chamberlain / Stewardship Adviser
Rank 2 Cultivator (198 Power)
+30 Stewardship, +25 Cultivation

Wong Hui - Spymaster / Intrigue Adviser
Rank 3 Cultivator (261 Power)
Intrigue +20, +25 Cultivation
Paranoid - +30 vs. Attempts on your life (or the life of an adviser)

Bai Chenshen - Captain of the Guard / Martial Adviser
Rank 3 Cultivator (201 Power)
Martial +20, +25 Cultivation
Nepotism - You gain a favor with the Bai Clan you can call in for anything reasonable.
Cousin - His loyalty is guaranteed barring blackmail, mind control, or clan civil war.

Han Kang - Diplomatic Adviser
Rank 3 Cultivator (200 Power); Air Mastery
Diplomacy +25, +25 Cultivation
Han Clan - This person as part of your retinue improves relations with the powerful Han Clan who had deep roots in the Imperial Court.

Treasury
948 Silver Bars

Revenue
17820 Silver Bars / Year or 4455 Silver Bars / Season
-1485 Silver Bars to your Knights and other expenses.
-1485 Silver Bars to the main family.
1485 Silver Bars for personal / fief use per Season.

Noble Loyalty
Bai Chenshen - 100
Wong Hui - 75
Liu Chen - 75
Knights - 75

Institutions
Tax Office - 30 Tradition, 70 Effectiveness
Alchemy Hall - 50 Tradition, 50 Effectiveness
Adventurer's Guild - 50 Tradition, 50 Effectiveness
Military - 50 Tradition, 50 Effectiveness

Military
15 Knights (1500 Power)
300 Swordsmen
300 Pikemen
300 Archers
100 Cavalry

Assets
Alchemy Hall - Drawn by the spirit herbs and monster parts available in the nearby wilderness, a guild of alchemists has established a base in your town. Gain increased revenue as well as a local source of cultivation aids and various pills. (+1000 Silver Bars Tax Revenue)
Spirit Grain Farm - Your ancestors managed to pacify a stretch of land saturated with magical energy (Spirit Density 2) and turn into a farm for spirit grain. A regular diet of spirit grain speeds cultivation, making it quite the valuable commodity. Gain +10 to Cultivation attempts as well as a decent source of revenue. Of course, your rivals envy this particular asset and would seek to take it from you. (+1000 Silver Bars Tax Revenue)
Spirit Herb Garden - Your ancestors managed to wall of a valuable plot of land with a Spirit Density of 3 and turn it into a garden for growing alchemical ingredients. This represents both a source of income and a source of alchemical ingredients. It has good synergy with the Alchemy Hall but that combination would be coveted by your rivals. (+1000 Silver Bars Tax Revenue)
Adventurer's Guild - The reckless adventurers who hunt rare monster parts and herbs in the surrounding wilderness and sometimes raid the ancient tombs that dot the landscape, have established a base in your territory. Gain a source of adventurers willing to defend the fief from monsters and maybe even take quests on your behalf. But they'll also hang around partying and causing trouble between missions.
River Mills - These would be hammer mills, saw mills, and flour mills. They generate 300 Silver Bars / Season.

Cultivation Retreat (Holy Waters Hot Spring): A site of powerful Qi in the nearby wilderness where mages from the Bai clan and their vassals may cultivate.
++ You (and your Knights/Advisers and Bai Clan members) may enter Seclusion to use the Cultivation Resort to speed up Cultivation by 2.5x, in addition to the usual effects of Seclusion. Earth and/or Water cultivators benefit 3x.
++ Increase in vassal loyalty from cultivators as they do not want to lose this privilege. Does not apply to revolts intended to remove you from power.

Cao Grass: Sell the poison quietly at wholesale (+100 Silver Ingots/Year; 2/3rds of which would be lost to taxes and collection fees)

Stone Roads: Your villages are connected by a network of stone roads (+5% income)

Population Centers
12100 People / 12100 Silver Bars in tax revenue

Toril - 3850 people
Mors - 550 people
Tuvas - 550 people
Jiaju - 550 people
Baoshan - 550 people
Xidi - 550 people
Hongcun - 550 people
Wuyuan - 550 people
Xijiang - 550 people
Nanjing - 550 people
Yongding - 550 people
Chuxi - 550 people
Xiamen - 550 people
Hongkeng - 550 people
Wuhan - 550 people
Xiamen - 550 people

Core Mechanic for Actions
1d100 + Attribute + Skill + Other Modifiers (i.e. Power, Luck, Preparation, Planning, Corruption) + Adviser (if any, only relevant for strategic actions)

Attributes
Brawn - Brawn represents your raw muscle power. A cultivator who cultivates this is seeking to engage in melee combat with another cultivator and overpower them through sheer force of muscle. Swordsmen, Axemen, Spearmen, and other such weapon masters are the primary types who focus this attribute. They are generally best kept at a distance if one is to engage such combat monsters.

Finesse - Finesse represents your agility, your speed. It is valued by cultivators because it enables them to strike first and often. A high finesse score might even allow you to attack multiple times in comparison to a less capable opponent. It is valued by those cultivators who seek to battle multiple opponents and come out on top, even opponents of the same realm.

Constitution - Constitution represents your ability to take a beating and resist the effects of various cultivation aids as well as various poisons. A tough, cultivated body can take punishment that would pulverize a mortal and as such it is one of the important attributes to cultivate if you intend to do battle against other cultivators, either with elemental attacks or physical confrontation.

Mind - Mind represents both your will and your intellectual capability. A strong mind is a disciplined and intelligent one. This applies to most strategic actions as strategic thinking is primarily a mental exercise in estimating the various possible results.

Soul - Soul represents your ability to cultivate and absorb spirit energy. High soul allows you to cultivate faster and more efficiently than others. When you roll for cultivation, you add your Cultivation Skill combined with your Soul attribute to determine the DC you hit, the DC scales linearly with the amount of power you are attempting to obtain. (i.e. Power 100 is DC 50, Power 300 is DC 70, Power 1000 is DC 150.)

Charm - Charm represents your ability to make friends and influence people. High charm is the critical attribute for Diplomacy and having low Charm leaves you vulnerable to the influence of others. After all, you are only human and a charming person can convince you of a great many things (within reason of course).

Power - Power represents how much spirit energy you can channel into attack/defense/etc. The most straightforward use of Power is combat situations in which it applies a 10% bonus (so 200 Power = +20) to your rolls. As such there is a clear advantage to having more Power than your opponent. For practical purposes, you do not want to engage anything with more than 1 rank above the strength of your force. (i.e. They have a 10% mechanical edge)

Corruption - Corruption represents how much "dirty spirit energy" you have absorbed and it has an impact on your ability to cultivate. Corruption is applied as a negative modifier to all types of Cultivation. (i.e. 10 Corruption = -10 to Cultivation rolls) As such, it is best to keep your Corruption as low as possible to avoid choking off your ability to cultivate effectively as the higher your power, the higher the DC you will have to hit to advance.

Power Ranks
0-9 (Mortal)
10-99 (Rank 1 Cultivator)
100-199 (Rank 2 Cultivator)
200-299 (Rank 3 Cultivator)
etc.

Skills Format: Skill (Attribute): Bonus/Penalty
An example would be Cultivate (Soul): +20. The Cultivate skill represents your ability to cultivate Power as well as physical attributes such as Brawn, Finesse, and Constitution. It is bound to the Soul attribute which provides a bonus to all uses of the Cultivate skill. It is at +20 which represents your ability to Cultivate.