The Manes

Category:Organizations
The Manes were a select group of skilled warriors from each of the Clans based out of Lion Clan. It is believed that each Mane was the strongest member of their respective Clan, and would ultimately serve as the clan's representative in global affairs while also serving as the country's primary protectors. They are, presumably, the most powerful figureheads in Xi'Shu, having reached a point where they have become functionally immortal by making pacts with each clan's respective Demon.
== Current Manes ==
This is a list of the currently active Manes as of 26 PF. The Shark and Wolf Clans do not have an active Mane, and as such, are not listed. 
Clan 	Mane 	Class 	Demon
Crane 	Hiro Mishido 	Warlock (Hexblade) 	Greed
Dragon 	Kishor Dharvim 	Monk (Way of the Ascendant Dragon)	Pride
Fox 	Asukai Makiri 	Bard (College of Spirits) 	Serenity
Scorpion	Sharishya Al-Noorani	Unknown 	Disgust
Turtle 	Vikas Zidane* 	Druid (Circle of the Shepherd) 	Joy
Unicorn 	Cheng Lin'Xi 	Cleric (Twilight Domain) 	Slumber
*Phylactery destroyed but remains alive
== Former Manes ==
Ordered chronologically by when the Mane died/left.
Noctis Zidane (Turtle Clan) ✝: Unknown.
Ryfon Sarren (Fox Clan): Betrayed the Manes before he could make a pact with his demon.
Kaneko Yoku (Shark Clan) ✝: Killed by Ryfon Sarren, phylactery destroyed by Astryd Ansirah during the events of Campaign 2.
Unknown (Shark Clan) ✝: Mid-20s triton elementalist, killed by Mānea during the events of Campaign 3.
Tudogeni (Wolf Clan) ✝: Killed by an unknown assailant, phylactery destroyed by Astryd Ansirah during the events of Campaign 3.
Jing Zhonghou (Lion Clan) ✝: Phylactery destroyed and permanently killed by Ego-Callum during the events of Campaign 3.
== Story ==
During the events of Campaign 2, they are major antagonists. Hiro, in particular, spends the majority of the campaign trying to hunt down ex-Mane Ryfon Sarren, who managed to permanently kill former Mane Kaneko Yoku and threatens to expose their corruption (and mortality) to the rest of the world. 
After The Great Fluxx, the Manes have fractured and no longer hold the same universally-adored reputation that preceded them, but most are still active members of society and some - like Kishor Dharvim - remain public heroes. 
In Campaign 3, they have primarily taken on more of a supporting role due to the presence of Callum Zidane, whose father is a Mane. However, some remain antagonists, namely Zhonghou and Hiro, the former being the main overarching antagonist of the campaign.
While the fate of the Manes as an organization remains unknown after the events of Campaign 3, Ryfon openly granted each of the Manes a choice to be spared by the high elf under the condition they let their phylactery be destroyed by Astryd. Barring Vikas, who initially proposed the idea to the two and willingly severed his immortality, it is unclear which Manes have accepted or declined this offer. It is additionally unclear if Vikas is still considered a Mane despite severing his pact. 
== Organizational Structure ==
=== Leadership ===
The Lion Mane is considered in charge of the other Manes. However, outside of following a very loose hierarchy, the Manes largely consider themselves equals to one another. As noted by Kishor, the Manes are largely independent from one another in a post-Fluxx world, although the Manes remain in reasonably close contact, and notably collaborated to varying extents at the Bastion in order to understand the power of Ego.
=== Membership ===
Based on Ryfon's background, it's assumed that prospective Manes are hand-picked by current Manes and judged based on their contributions to the Lion Clan and the skillset they provide. After the Fluxx, it is unclear how the selection process works, or if there even is a selection process anymore.
Manes do not immediately make pacts with Demons. Ryfon noted that he was a Mane for a "fair bit of time" before he ever came into contact with his Demon. It is believed, though not confirmed, that Manes must give up their souls in order to gain their power.
=== Succession ===
Due to their immortal status, it's assumed that finding and selecting a successor is often a reactive measure. It also isn't clear how common it is for Manes to have biological children, nor is it clear what effects can get carried down from parent to child. Some Manes have more of a monarchial-esque system; Callum notes that Vikas inherited the Turtle Mane position from his own father, Noctis.
=== Privacy ===
While the Manes are public figures, they typically work with extreme secrecy and will hold crucial information to their chest at the expense of those around them. For example, the existence of the Bastion is known only to the Manes, outside of the residing Zidane family as well as any guards or researchers employed there. And even with the authority granted to Manes within the Bastion, a number of them are only granted partially-unclassified information by Zhonghou. Another example is Kishor, who goes to great lengths to hide the Temple of the Chroma Claw from the public eye. 
The secret of their immortality is presumably publicized, as Ryfon killed Hiro while in the public eye during Campaign 2. However, it is unclear what occurs if a Mane permanently dies. While Noctis Zidane was scrubbed from historical documents, Vikas has implied that it may have been the result of Zhonghou's meddling, as a large statue of Kaneko Yoku was seen in Unicorn Clan territory.