Over the centuries mankind has developed a multitude of killing skills, but those that walk the Mushashi Flex have chosen to concentrate on the martial arts – open or closed hand, weaponed or weaponless. Inspired by the pre-spaceflight literary and cinematic genre of martial arts, knights, questing warriors, conflicting loyalties- part soap opera, part duel to the death. A strange collection of iconoclasts and rebels, who reject the comfortable safe life freely available and embrace the thrills and dangers of lethal martial arts, betrayal, and passion.
The Flex is equal parts lifestyle, discipline, following, and showmanship- it owes as much to 21st Century professional wrestling as to ancient honor and tradition.
The Flex is also theater- farce, drama, tragedy, epic and melodrama – all by their turn. The lives of the warriors are grand entertainment, and whole sense-channels are dedicated to streaming their experiences. Some warriors relish this, streaming their senses live all the time- waking or sleeping. Others maintain a veil of secrecy, and fans only get to experience them second-hand… as foes or allies of a sense-streamer. The mystery they create often leads to almost cult-like followings, rumors, and investigative journalism.
Warriors of the Flex are formally ranked, and almost every aspect of their lives is subject to betting, official and unofficial. Reputation is everything to a Warrior, and with greater reputation comes membership to a great Clan, the secrets of a master teacher, and wealth and adoration.
But always the risk, for in joining the Flex, a warrior accepts a life of violence- no member of the Martial Universe may be held to civil or criminal fault for any action taken within the context of the Flex against another member – and if they do, well, expulsion is the best that can be hoped for.
Warriors of the Mushashi Flex can be found everywhere save the Union and Rationalist civilizations.
Benefit: Warriors gain the Martial Artist special ability at rank 5. With it, it can function as a limited version of Soldier (hand to hand, thrown weapons and melee), Artist (Martial Arts) and Athlete (Martial Arts). It can be improved as a Profession, but at the cost of one point of Potential for one level.
Core Value: The Warrior Way – Warriors live by a different set of values than the rest of us, with honor, reputation and living life to the fullest the highest values they have.