The Guild (Jade Empire)

The Guild is a highly influential criminal organization in the video game Jade Empire. They have different bases of operations across the Jade Empire. Some of their members cross blades with the player character.

Background
The Guild is known to be involved in many different activities across the Jade Empire, and most of them are carried out under the gaze of the authorities. One of the most prominent leaders is Gao the Greater. Shortly after he gained his high position in the Guild, he took command of a group of river pirates in the area of Tien's Landing and had them to use flyers in kidnapping people to slavery. He and the rest of the Guild are aligned with the Lotus Assassins, for whom Gao sells both flyers and slaves.

The Guild also operates in the Imperial Arena of the Imperial City. They control all the betting that is done in regards to the matches. They also rig matches for the sake of the crowd's entertainment in order to keep the bet money flowing, caring little about fair play and the Arena's traditions. The Guild is so influential in the Arena that they're by all means the highest authority there as well as an open secret with many ears. The Arena's corruption is turned a blind eye by the higher authorities partly because the Lotus Assassins often seach for recruits amidst the Arena fighters.

The Guild's operations in the Arena are directed by Kai Lan the Serpent, a retired champion. He recruited his successor, the popular Raging Ox, as a Guild enforcer before Ox achieved championship with the Serpent's assistance. When Ox was accidentally killed by his elder brother, the Black Whirlwind, Kai Lan used his sorcery to reanimate Ox's corpse. Naming his unquestioning and inhumanly relentless underling as the Ravager, the Serpent has kept the Arena in his grasp ever since the Ravager fought his way back to championship. Kai Lan and his trusted enforcer Lucky Cho intimidate Qui the Promoter to choose the fighters and otherwise run things the way the Serpent wants. Neither Kai Lan or Cho bother to be too discreet with their actions in the Arena, and this isn't much approved by the rest of the Guild.

Encounters with the last Spirit Monk
When Gao the Lesser, the son of Gao the Greater, finds out that Sun Li the Glorious Strategist, the traitorous brother of Emperor Sun Hai, is hiding as Master Li in Two Rivers, Gao's men ransack the village after the Lotus Assassins capture Sun Li. Li's protege, the last living Spirit Monk, travels to Tien's Landing where they confront and kill Gao the Greater. This creates a power vacuum in the Guild ranks which is taken interest of by Kai Lan the Serpent.

If the Spirit Monk decides to join the Imperial Arena, the auspicious new fighter gains Kai Lan's attention. After the Serpent has pitted the Spirit Monk against a Toad Demon, Lucky Cho and another Guild member, Sweet Poison Lyn, strike a deal with the Spirit Monk in order to get rid of Crimson Khana, the Bronze Division champion who openly criticizes the Serpent’s dishonorable management of the Arena. Depending on whatever or not the proposition is accepted, the poisoned Khana dies during the match or retires after she's been bested by the Spirit Monk. Later Kai Lan calls the Spirit Monk to meet him in person, intending to strike with them the same kind of partnership he previously had with Raging Ox. However, the Black Whirlwind interrupts the meeting and privately tells the Spirit Monk the full story about the Serpent and his brother. Lucky Cho attacks them and is killed. For that, Kai Lan replaces the four fighters slated for the Spirit Monk’s next match with Guild assassins armed with poison-coated blades. This act is not approved by some of the Guild’s other members. Following the match, one of the Guild’s men sends apologies to the Spirit Monk. Qui also tells that Kai Lan is on bad terms with the more discreet sections of the Guild due to his power play.

After both the Ravager and Kai Lan are killed, Sweet Poison Lyn talks with the new champion on the Guild's behalf. They bear no grudge over Kai Lan's death, for the Serpent would have taken the Guild further down Gao the Greater's path. Having reached the consesus that their alliance with the Lotus Assassins has become more trouble than it's worth, the Guild withdraws from the Imperial Arena and doesn't trouble the Spirit Monk anymore.

Depending on the player choices, Sky, one of the Spirit Monk's followers, becomes the Guild's new leader in the Open Palm ending, directing them into more "honorable" criminal activities.

Known members

 * Gao the Greater - One of the higher leaders who directs pirating and slavery in the area of Tien's Landing
 * Gao the Lesser - Gao the Greater's son under the Guild's protection
 * Kai Lan the Serpent - A retired champion of the Imperial Arena who oversees the Guild's actions in the Arena and wants to replace the deceased Gao the Greater
 * Lucky Cho - A thug and Kai Lan's enforcer in the Imperial Arena
 * Raging Ox/The Ravager - A deceased champion of the Imperial Arena and the younger brother of the Black Whirlwind who was resurrected and brainwashed by Kai Lan
 * Sky - A follower of the last Spirit Monk who can become the Guild's new leader
 * Sweet Poison Lyn - A master of the toxicant arts who operates in the Imperial Arena