9Dragons Online

The Clan of Golden Coins

Wang Dai-Ye was the only son born to common beggars in a dirt-poor village that would one day blossom to become the grand Hefei Marketplace. Dressed in rags at the age of nineteen, Wang Dai-Ye attempted to join Shaolin and become a monk. The Elders reportedly denied his request due to their awareness of the boy’s unrepressed envy of wealth, which was quite understandable. At age twenty-one he barely survived the time called The Dark Famine which raged across The Land, subduing many through starvation. His parents and sister were not so lucky.

A few short weeks after the death of his family, Wang Dai-Ye was contemplating suicide when he was forced into a duel with a foreigner whose name has been long since forgotten. That duel would not only change his life, but alter the basic economy of The Land… For as Wang Dai-Ye bled, and his blood touched the earth, it was instantly transformed to gold! The spectators marveled and Wang Dai-Ye fled the village on foot as fast as he could.

Ironic indeed that the boy discovered his unique ability so soon after it was too late for it to save his poor family.

From that day forward, the young man became known as Golden Touch, The Alchemist. He soon discovered that had the power to transform not only his own blood to gold, but also the blood of his opponents as well.

With an unlimited supply of gold he bought servants, and weapons, and land, and then warriors to protect him and his interests. Out of gold he built his own clan, and with gold he purchased every secret elixir, artifact, enhanced weapon and tome he could get his hands on. Before long those elixirs, artifacts and tomes granted him great martial arts ability. And when he was satisfied with his own new level of abilities, he purchased still more abilities to enhance the powers and skills of all of his clan members.

Today, the Clan of Golden Coins can use their wealth to buy any mercenaries they wish, or to dispose of any one that might get in their way. Unfortunately for Golden Touch himself, the lessons of his youth were corrupted. For instead of being greatful and compassionate with his gift, he has become unabashedly greedy and dispassionate. It is said that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and so has all trace of the boy called Wang Dai-Ye been erased from the man now called Golden Touch.

It is said that Golden Touch could have easily bought The Imperial Emperor’s throne out from beneath him, and in fact he was well on his way to doing so just as war broke out between his clan and the foreign invaders of The Beast Clan. For the past seven years, Golden Touch has spent all of his time and effort, as well as his gold, holding The Beast Clan at bay.

As the Major Clans have once more unsealed their gates, Golden Touch, now believed to have lost his mind with greed, has since declared war upon each in turn. Many a disciple now seeks to undermine the will of Golden Touch, and find their way down through his hidden dungeon beneath The Mansion of Golden Coins, to abscond with his treasures.

However, be forewarned that Golden Coins Clan has many loyal disciples, those who value wealth above all else… those who will not hesitate to spill your blood in turn for gold.

The Clan has many sub-divisions known as Golden Coin, Silver Coin, Bronze Coin and Iron Coin that are paid handsomely to secure all areas that Golden Touch designates. Little is known regarding each class save for the weapons each seems to prefer. Golden Coin disciples usually wield spears. Silver Coin disciples prefer to employ poison needles and Chi Kung skills. Bronze Coin disciples use bows for long-range attacks and Iron Coin disciples are physically enhanced for deadly close-range combat. In short, they’re the best army that gold can buy.

Golden Touch has several palaces, many of them secret, scattered throughout The Land. Though his seat of power is known to be seated in Hangzhou, in a fortress called The Mansion of Golden Coins.

Recent reconnaissance from The Brotherhood of Thieves tells that Golden Coins now has created a second base of operations, deep within Nanchang, which is Beast Clan territory, and that fortress is called The Mansion of Silver Coins. The Brotherhood further reports that a dungeon therein, called The Vault of Death, contains wealth beyond imagination.

But Golden Touch is no fool, he pays good money to know what others know regarding his wealth, and so he has two loyal Generals guarding his treasures within The Vault of Death at all times.

Laughing Face was once a Human being, but he grew to love gold so much that he allowed himself to become possessed by a gold-devouring demon. Don’t be fooled by his smiling face, or the image of The Buddha he prefers to reflect, for he is a demonic killer who will use all means at hand to destroy you. He is even known to use gold coins as weapons to crush players to death.

Golden Shell is the second General one may encounter within The Vault of Death. He too loves gold. So much so that he had his entire body plated with gold, wears only cloth made of golden thread, and always dons a golden facemask. A former master of masters from Black Dragon Clan, his Kung Fu Skills are considered to be nearly unbreakable.

Defeat them and you may very well reap the rewards of The Mansion of Silver Coins.

However, you shall not know the true riches of The Clan of Golden Coins until you have entered The Mansion of Golden Coins in Hangzhou to discover The Vault of Double Dragons hidden therein. There, The Brotherhood’s reconnaissance ends but it is know that therein typically resides Lady Wang, who is reportedly the wife of Golden Touch, though nothing whatsoever is known of her abilities.

And take care, noble warrior, should you at last encounter the master of this house…

Golden Touch, The Alchemist, Master of The Clan of Golden Coins. No one can predict his current level of Kung Fu ability at any given time, since it is unnaturally granted through the reading of tomes, the consumption of elixirs and the possession of certain enhanced items. Perhaps he is just a man once more, no longer able to turn blood to gold. Or true friend from purchased friend. Maybe he has gained some enlightenment that shines out greater than his hordes of gold. Or maybe you will find him absent, and in his stead a sad young orphan boy named Wang Dai-Ye, who sits within his dungeon bleeding still, a visage of wonder smeared in blood across his face.

So ends the list of those Monsters & Deviant Clans within The Land that I may reveal to you at this time. There are more of them out there, but they are not as of yet your concern… and after all, it is highly doubtful that a fool who would enter a dungeon would survive even thus far!

Fare thee well, disciple, and may the seeds of The Dragon within you forever thrive!

I am now and forever but a humble servant of The Land.

The Hermit