The Brotherhood of the Purple Gourd

The legendary founder of the Brotherhood of the Purple Gourd by most accounts was Tzon Tzenⁱ, an deserter of the armies of the Merchant Kings (also referred to in some texts as the River Kings)ⁱⁱ. According to legend he left the army during the establishing of the Merchant King's first dynasty during their era of initial expansion. Crossing an expanse of the Nelgian Forest he ended up in the city of Azdayon.

Azdayon at that time was an outpost of the fallen Barian Empire.ⁱⁱⁱ It served as the repository of the empire's learning. The great university was in Azdayon as well as the great library. When the empire fell after the nights of red rain Azadayon became cut off from the various other portions of the empire. Once a center of learning it turned inward. The university doors closed and the books in the library grew dusty. The people of Azdayon had volumes of knowledge at their fingertips yet without the direction of the empire they fell prey to cult of the hour, secret societies and zealous religions. This was the city that Tzon Tzen found his way into.

At this point the records become murky. Some declare that Tzon Tzen mined the libraries, generating a grand unification of dissimilar philosophies.^iv Some say that he joined several secret societies at the same time, rising in their ranks, playing them against one another and merging the survivors into a new society.^v Still others say that his mind burned with ecstasy after tantric sexual acupressure with the tantric mistress Jaylen and he stumbled into the town square declaring his new doctrine.^vi What is known is that 22 men gathered around Tzon Tzen and formed thee Brotherhood of the Purple Gourd.^vii It is known that the Brotherhood persisted in Azdayon at least until the fall of Azdayon under the 3^rd dynasty of the Merchant Kings. At this point the records become sketchy again. Some accounts state that the Brotherhood became an underground invisible society in the Azdayon under the occupation by the Merchant King vassals. Other records state that the Brotherhood set up an 'invisible town' in the caves of Sz'min. Most accounts declare that the Brotherhood set up centers of learning in the outpost coastal cities of the fallen Barian Empire near the rim of the Inner Sea. What is known is that after the age of Reconstruction the Brotherhood of the Purple Gourd became a prominent footnote in history in terms of being involved in the politics of the day.^viii

Doctrine of the Brotherhood of the Purple Gourd

While the specific curriculum of the Brotherhood is closed to non-initiates it is known that they promote the doctrine of Al-Insan Al-Kamil or the perfect man. Each brother is to be an embodiment of the perfection of Man himself. To this end the brothers dedicate themselves to a doctrine designed to produce the most from human potential that involves a special diet, physical exercises (yoga, martial arts, sun gazing), meditation, mind expansion exercises (memory, computation, information processing, etc), communication (calligraphy, poetry, peacemaking/diplomacy, oratorical training), healing and other disciplines.^ix

iA minority of scholars assert that Tzon Tzen is a fictional founder created by the Brotherhood to embody their principals. It would seem that this theory is countered by the presence of Tzon Tzen's name in non Brotherhood literature of the time yet the theory still has its adherents.

iiFor a more thorough account of the six Merchant King Dynasties refer to Elion Ta's “From River to Rulership: The Six Dynasties of the Merchant Kings”.

iiiFor an account of the Barian Empire refer to Chel Makht's “The Complete Barian Empire” volumes I-IV

ivThe scientifical and technological advancements of the Barian Empire are well confirmed in Cnt Scheln's “The Light of an Empire: Progress and Progression in the Barian Empire). Though Azdayon was the center storehouse of this knowledge they were not the main implementors. This theory is put forth as to why it declined in the years after the fall of the Barian Empire. Ironically many of the texts thought to have been preserved in Azdayon were destroyed with the advent of the Merchant Kings. Historians have thus taken to examining various philosophies extant in the greater historical Barian Empire to see what philosophies may have been preserved in Azdayon during the time of Tzon Tzen.

vIn this theory the secret societies usually cited are the Children of the Shattered Wind, Conclave of the Burning Heart, The Crimson Root, Infinite Regression, and the 9^th Octave.

viThis is one of the most disputed theories. Though it has been recorded that the Daughter's of Red Tide traveled throughout that region during the time of the Merchant King's 1^st dynasty. The Daughter's of the Red Tide presented themselves as a troupe of dancing women yet in reality they were a tantric society that specialized in esoteric tantric practices such as chakra reprogramming, manipulating the chi for ecstasy, glyph asanas, and other practices.

viiThe first 22 initiates are known as the Essential Lights of Purpose.

viiiFor an in depth look at the history of the Brotherhood in the context of world events refer to Vlkshen's “The Purple Gourd: From seed to idea to bounty”

ixFor an outsider's view of philosophy of the Brother refer to Nishan al Shen's “What's Inside the Gourd”.