Good tidings to you, fellow traveler! My name is Wu Zhongsan, and I am a Storyteller by trade. I understand that you wish to master the ways of Kung Fu. Well, learning to fight is one thing, but in truth, only knowledge offers real power. What good is a weapon if the hand wielding it knows not where to strike? I tell you that those unaware of the history of The Land are doomed from the start. Fortunately for you, I see you carry a bottle of spirits and, as it happens, I am quite thirsty. If you share your bottle with me, I shall tell you the tale of The War of Nine Dragons, and both our problems will be resolved, eh?

Prior to the time men call The Era of Nine Dragons, The Land was merely a collection of disconnected provinces and townships, some peaceful, others unstable, as one might expect. From the more turbulent places there slowly emerged clans that practiced Martial Arts Tyranny, and hence the need to combat also arose. Thus was Martial Arts Chivalry born, and with it the establishment of schools that taught their disciples Kung Fu and weapons mastery that had once been reserved only for The Imperial Emperor and his followers.

Then, with the establishment of ordered trade routes, and the opening of its gates to other lands, the very nature of The Land began to change. Emperors came and went, each satisfied to merely grind their taxes from the commoners, each taking little notice of the clans and their simple quarrels.

However, this changed when the current Imperial Emperor took the throne, and decreed that no other force in The Land could be superior to his Imperial Army. At the time, there were eight major clans in The Land which might possibly boast similar strength. And so, The Emperor and his Imperial Court summoned emissaries from each clan and demanded they offer him their allegiance. Four clans aligned themselves with The Emperor: Shaolin, Wu-Tang, The Union of Noble Families and The League of Beggars. These became known as the White Clans. And four clans refused: Heavenly Demon, Sacred Flower, The Disciples of Iron Fist and The Brotherhood of Thieves. These were branded as the Black Clans.