Goujian

**Goujian** is the founder of the Aspirants and Director of the Purge. He is also known as **The Confessor** or **the Bloody Confessor**.

A feared figure in the Empire, the **Confessor** roams the Central Plains from one Purge to the next while his network of Disciples, Aspirants, and adherents spread his influence in an endeavor to scour the Father's Taint.

## Appearance

Constantly changes his appearance to evade his pursuers.

## Personality

Goujian is a cynical, psychopathic zealot with a god-complex.

## Background

For as long as he could remember, Goujian lived the life of an ascetic. Early on, the choice had not been his, for poverty meant he had no coin or time to spare for luxuries or hedonism. Every waking moment was dedicated to finding enough food to fill his belly, and he failed more often than not. As time wore on and he grew in wealth and power, he clung to his humble lifestyle because even though he’d fallen out with the Penitent Brotherhood over a difference in beliefs, he still respected their Precepts and found wisdom in their teachings. Extravagant luxuries and decadent comforts were but one step removed from losing one’s self to base desires, and left one vulnerable to the Father’s whispered temptations.

From the day he’d first discovered his purpose in life, Goujian set about his duties with unwavering conviction. Armed only with his faith, he committed everything he had to bring death to the heretics and salvation to the innocent. The Enemy sought to sink fang and talon into the Empire and corrupt it from within, but Goujian the Confessor would not allow their foul contamination spread. With no teacher to guide him or Mentor to shield him, his rise to prominence had been tumultuous at best, but he never doubted his path for a moment, trusting in the guiding hand of the Mother to lead the way. He'd Purged countless souls with no distinction for aristocrat or peasant, for in the eyes of the Mother, they were all Her children. His path delved into matters of the soul, of cleansing and redemption, a path which left little room for other pursuits. Goujian was above such worldly concerns. His was a Divine Calling which trumped all matters such as earthly fealty or social niceties.

He took pride in his name “Goujian”, one he chose for himself which meant ‘Hooking/Weaving/Ensnaring Sword’, an allusion to both his favored weapon and his Holy Duty to find and ensnare those touched by the Father’s corruption.

After decades of service his time in this world was coming to an end. A new successor must be named or his adherents would fracture and split upon his death.

## Powers and Abilities

### Healing

His proficiency in Healing was quite high thanks to his years of experience clinically torturing thousands of people and constantly altering his own body to hide away.

### Rejuvenation

Triggered by the Monk's unaging body, he used Heavenly Energy to replace parts of his body bit by bit like pieces on a ship until nothing of the original remained.

### Scrying

His most practiced skill, capable of magnifying an area by almost twenty-five times.

### Equipment

* Hooked Sword: His weapon, which became famous due to his actions. He destroyed it after refining his body.

## Relationships

### Aspirants

A veritable army, tens of thousands of men and women dedicated to cleansing the Taint and corruption wherever they might find it.  The Aspirants were elites, their skills honed through arduous practice, an ascetic lifestyle, and ardent faith.  Most of them were orphans picked up off the streets, given new purpose in life, to seek out and excise the Father’s corruption from within the Empire.  He teaches them that they are absolved of their sins through the most important part of the ritual, the Mother's Mercy, seeking forgiveness before sending the innocents into the Arms of the Mother.

* **Gunan**: Older man, low and guttural voice.
* **Kanri**: Thin and reedy voice. Naive.
* **Jadhar**
* **MuYang**

### Disciples

Goujian preferred 'Master' over the more common ‘Mentor’, because in his eyes, a disciple’s place was to learn and obey. They were the closest thing he had to children.

* **Wen Zhong** (55): Eldest Disciple. Orphaned as a child after his family were raped, tortured, killed and eaten by Defiled. Superlative martial skills.
* **Sochun**: Second Disciple. Skilled analyst.
* **Sun-Sin**
* **Mapan**
* **Yuanyin** (30): Second-youngest Disciple. Orphan picked up off the streets.
* **Han BoLao**: Youngest Disciple. Required a forceful hand to guide her and he’d risked breaking her to do so. He’d placed all his hopes on his dearest Disciple. Sought vengeance for his dearly departed disciple.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 374
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chapter 311
3. ↑ Chapter 305
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 315
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 274
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Chapter 367
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 449
8. ↑ Chapter 187
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Chapter 313
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Chapter 186
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chapter 459