Jade

A Jade woman

The people of the Jade caste live in a commune in the very center of the city, raising their children collectively instead of the traditional family units of the rest of the city. They are known to be spiritual people and healers. They are priests, apothecaries, and astrologers. They interpret the gods, nature, and the stars, making them accessible to the people. When the average citizens of Haven are in crisis or need guidance, they are much more likely to look to those in the Jade caste before their political leaders in Amethyst. Of course, there are those in this caste that would seek to take advantage of this situation...

## Basics

### **Physical Description**

The people of Jade typically have green eyes, ranging from sea-foam to emerald. Their skin is tan, occasionally with freckles. Their hair is fine in texture and is often straight. It is almost exclusively black or dark brown, though there is some tendency in this caste to dye one’s hair to extreme colors. They are typically of a thin build and their heights are usually between 4’10” and 5’6” with men and women being about equal in size.

### **Trait**

Through their position as spiritual leaders the people of the Jade caste have an innate understanding of what makes the people around them tick. When you must make a Society  or Lore  skill check, you may substitute the Intelligence stat for your Wisdom.

## Common Careers

Jade caste citizens are typically very spiritual in nature and have jobs that reflect this. They are the masters of the Five Ways . They are astrologists and religious advisers. They interpret the gods and the stars, often seeking to help others understand the world around them through this lense.

In addition to this, many in Jade have careers in healing. Some are apothecaries, midwives, and acupuncturists. They are known to put on workshops to teach anything from first aid to aromatherapy and it is unclear to most other castes which of these the Jade citizens believe to be most effective.

 Even those who have fallen away from the Five Ways typically find careers within healing and spiritualism due to the reputation their caste garners and the innate trust that is given to them by the other castes. Takamora Suzuki was known to be such an influential spiritual adviser to King Sienno that he was able to have his youngest daughter, Leena Suzuki , married to his youngest son, a man who would go on to become king despite being the second in line. Suzuki’s granddaughter currently sits on the throne of Haven and is said by some to be the result of his most elaborate scheme.

## Names

### **Surnames**

Like all of the castes of Haven, there are twelve surnames in Jade, each of them stemming from one of the original founding families of the city. These surnames are: Chen, Huang, Ito, Li, Lu-ren, Nakamura, Nguyen, Pak, Sato, Suzuki, Tanaka, and Zhao.

### **Male Names**

**Examples:** Akeno, Bingwen, Daisuke, Feng, Hideo, Kiyoshi, Munni, Raiden, Ryuu, Shiro, Takeshi, Tuyen, Xiu, Young-Soo, Zhen

### **Female Names**

**Examples:** Aki, Bo, Chun, Hachi, Hikari, Jinghua, Lin, Mayako, Qi, Ren, Ruolan, Serika, Song, Tomoko, Yuki

## History

### **Pre-Fall**

The people of the Jade caste once hailed from the wilds of Amtekiis. Their homes and work spaces were woven into nature, often carved into the very trees surrounding them. This multi-leveled city was comprised of bridges that were grown from vines and branches that connected one location to the next. They made every effort to impact the world around them in the smallest ways possible, all while keeping themselves off of the ground below.

## Religion

### **The Way of Life**

All of the Five Ways are closely followed by those in the Jade caste, though priests and other temple workers will, of course, rely more heavily on the tenets of their particular god.

### **The Way of Elements**

All of the Five Ways are closely followed by those in the Jade caste, though priests and other temple workers will, of course, rely more heavily on the tenets of their particular god.

### **The Way of the Physical**

All of the Five Ways are closely followed by those in the Jade caste, though priests and other temple workers will, of course, rely more heavily on the tenets of their particular god.

### **The Way of Philosophy**

All of the Five Ways are closely followed by those in the Jade caste, though priests and other temple workers will, of course, rely more heavily on the tenets of their particular god.

### **The Way of Information**

All of the Five Ways are closely followed by those in the Jade caste, though priests and other temple workers will, of course, rely more heavily on the tenets of their particular god.

## Society

### **General**

People of the Jade caste do not organize themselves into groups or family units. Instead they live communally, typically having very fluid romantic relationships and only loose familial relationships. Although children are aware of who their biological parents are (or at least their mother), they are usually raised by the entire community. The concept of orphans does not exist since all children belong to the entire district.

### **Male Roles**

Males typically take on the less flashy roles in Jade society. They are advisers, apothecaries, and healers. They teach the children discipline and keep everything running smoothly in the temples and places of business. Though there are male priests and astrologists, they are seen as more feminine.

### **Female Roles**

Females typically take on the more showy roles in Jade society. They are fortune tellers, priestesses, and workshop speakers. They teach the children about the gods, stars, and nature. They are largely involved in evangelizing among the other castes. Though there are female healers and apothecaries, they are seen as more masculine.

### **Children**

Children in the Jade caste do not attend formal schooling. They learn everything that they need to know from shadowing the adults around them. They spend most of their time in the major temples of the Five Ways , learning the tenets of all of these religious philosophies. They will usually learn to read and write from the priestesses who teach them about their gods, and they learn arithmetic from practical use. History and science are learned through stories told by the elder members of the community. Babies and toddlers typically live with their biological mother, but it is not uncommon for a child of five or so to move on to another home by their own choice. It is seen as normal for a child to have lived in six or more homes by the time they are sixteen and seen as an adult who can have their own home.

### **Animals**

All domestic and some wild animals are present in the Jade district. The Way of Elements teaches respect for nature, and so all Jade citizens tend to have at least one animal and plant living in their home.

## Attitudes

### **Family**

The concept of family does not exist in the hearts of those in the Jade caste. They believe that the entire district is their family and they treat everyone as such. Only rarely do members actively group up in this manner, and it is usually only when an outside district member has had some sort of influence.

### **Work**

The work done by those in this caste is typically spiritual or healing in nature. Because of this, they do not culturally consider it to be a career or job. Instead, it is merely the task that their talent set is most compatible with, and they gladly perform it for the good of the whole.

### **City**

The people of the Jade caste understand the dangers of leaving the city of Haven , but they have no true love or loyalty for the place. Their loyalties lie with the gods, nature, and the stars.

### **Nature**

Nature is at the core of the Jade belief system. “*All things from nature, and into nature we return*,” is written across the entryway leading from the Amber District into the Jade District. They believe that a person who is not in tune with nature cannot live a full life and will not find the greatest rewards in the next life.

## Relations

### **Garnet**

**How they view Garnet:** Jade caste members tend to view those in the Garnet  caste as honest and hardworking. They see them as respectful and appreciate their strict adherence to the Way of Elements . Garnet caste members are often hired by those in Jade to gather herbs or other things that they need from the forest, and these transactions are almost always peaceful and pleasant.

 **How Garnet views them:** Garnet caste members tend to view those in the Jade cast as the most trustworthy people in the entire city. Compared to other districts, they believe that the spiritual Jade citizens are the least likely to purposefully do harm to others, and they truly appreciate all of the work that the Jade caste does to improve the city’s understanding of the gods, nature, and the stars. Garnet caste members tend to donate more to Jade temples than any other caste and happily host members of Jade in their homes when they stay too late outside of the city walls. A “*jabber jade*” is a Garnet idiom for someone who frequently quotes the Five Ways , usually from frequently spending time with Jade priestesses and spiritual advisers.

### **Topaz**

**How they view Topaz:** Jade caste members tend to view those in the Topaz caste as intimidating and aggressive. Though they tend to have respect for many of the same spiritual causes that Jade citizens value, the people in the Topaz caste do not like to be told how to worship the gods or follow the Ways .

 **How Topaz views them:** Topaz caste members tend to view those in the Jade caste as condescending and righteous. They do not enjoy being preached to or advised by those of another caste. They prefer to worship in their own ways and do not like that those in Jade seem to want to control the way that everyone else interprets the gods, stars, and nature.

### **Amber**

**How they view Amber:** Jade caste members tend to view those in the Amber caste as fascinating but wrong. The materialistic values of those in Amber clash severely with the majority of the core beliefs held by those in the Jade caste. However, they frequently have to work together in the marketplace and for hospitality. Because of this, the two groups can usually manage to get along, despite opposing philosophies.

 **How Amber views them:** Amber caste members tend to view those in the Jade caste as easily led and idealistic. They can appreciate the fact that those in Jade try to hold themselves to high standards, but they cannot understand the way that most in the Jade caste tend to shy away from turning more than a minor profit.

### **Sapphire**

**How they view Sapphire:** Jade caste members tend to view those in the Sapphire caste as egotistical but well-meaning. They are not prone to saying negative things about anyone, and so assume the best of their Sapphire neighbors, despite the haughty attitudes that they are sometimes treated with.

 **How Sapphire views them:** Sapphire caste members tend to view those in the Jade caste less favorably than those in other castes view them. They are the least likely to fully buy into spiritualism, usually citing that they have more important things to do than to appease the gods. Because life in Jade tends to revolve centrally around the gods and the Five Ways , there is little that these two castes have in common. Jade caste members are seen as listless, aimless individuals who would rather talk about the gods than do actual research about the world around them.

### **Amethyst**

**How they view Amethyst:** Jade caste members tend to view those in the Amethyst caste as too quick to move and too strict with their rules. Jade spiritual advisers can be found in all districts, but Amethyst is the only one that makes them file paperwork before entering.

 **How Amethyst views them:** Amethyst caste members tend to view those in Jade as wise but easily distracted. Oftentimes when called in to testify at court, those of Jade will give lofty, unclear messages about how the gods feel about particular topics. This has led to the idiom “*Give me the Jade report*,” which is used in the Amethyst District to mean “Give me the long version” when a person wants more details.

## Norms

### **Laws**

In addition to the laws that apply to the entire city, citizens residing in the Jade District must also abide by the following laws:

* Animals, even career animals, must be kept in the least restrictive environment possible, while still accounting for the safety of the animal and those around it.
* At no time is any person permitted to take items from any temple for their personal use.
* Any person wishing to sleep or take up residence outdoors for more than ten consecutive days must have their mail forwarded to the nearest temple.
* All apothecarial creations must be tested and approved by the Council of Green before being sold to anyone outside of the Jade District. (This law was created after research showed that those outside of Jade do not have as high of tolerance to certain substances.)

### **Manners**

There are no strict rules about manners in the Jade caste, but there are definite norms as to how people should treat others. To remain in the good graces of most members of this caste, one must treat everyone kindly, even those who do not deserve it, and be respectful of all life.

### **Customs**

Though there are many customs that are universal for the entirety of the city of Haven , there are some that are exclusive to each of the different districts. When two members of different districts meet, it is usual that they will use the custom of the district that they are standing in. Some of those that are unique to the Jade District are:

* The customary greeting is a full body hug.
* Meal customs are as follows - a small breakfast at sunrise, a small midday meal around noon, a small mid-afternoon meal around four, and a large meal just after nightfall. At the start of each meal, praise is given individually to each of the ten gods.
* At sunrise each day, those in the Jade caste recite an oath, rededicating themselves to following the Five Ways.

### **Other Holidays**

Although there are many holidays, festivals, and other events that are celebrated throughout the entire city of Haven, there are some that are unique to only the Jade District:

* New Year’s Preparation
* Mourning Day
* The Feast of Balance