Heterodox Schools

Outside of the Imperially sanctioned Eight Orthodox Schools, there are a large number of Heterodox Schools - lineages of martial arts that carve out their own independent existence. To the followers of the sanctioned schools, they are more frequently just called Heretics.

The Heterodox schools, just like their Orthodox rivals, run the gamut in terms of ethics and reputation. Some are in fact evil - opportunistic gangs and criminal organisations that use their martial skills to trample on others. Others are defensive networks on society's fringes, using martial arts to defend their own, even if it means bloodshed. Yet others have grand agendas - to bring peace to the world, through force if necessary, and restore justice and balance wherever they are needed.

Five Great Heretics
The term 'Five Great Heretics' was first used in the early 8th century NA, after the foundation of the current dynasty, to describe five major heterodox schools in opposition to the Sanctioned Schools: In the fierce conflicts following the founding of the dynasty, all five of these organisations were destroyed. The campaigns to destroy them added five more schools to the Orthodox Schools, leading to the current list of eight.
 * East Seas Coalition
 * South Seas Coalition
 * Six Banners Union
 * Grand River Union
 * White Scarves

But the destruction has been more thorough for some schools than others, and eventually, different major heterodox schools began to re-emerge in the Empire. As of the late 9th century NA, as Wujiu is entering the world, there are again 'Five Great Heretics', namely:
 * 1) Four Symbols Group
 * 2) Azure Wave Coalition
 * 3) East Grove Gang
 * 4) Green Banner Group
 * 5) Hundred Roads Group

Four Gangs
While the Five Great Heretics tend to be martial organisations, the term "Gang" more commonly refers to organisations where martial arts are tangential to other goals.