Question Sects and Guilds...

Discussion in 'Novel General' started by UndyingSLIME10295, May 1, 2021.

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  1. UndyingSLIME10295

    UndyingSLIME10295 [•Figment of your Imagination•]

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    So, I was just reading a novel, and in it, the author introduced both sects and guilds as superpowers. But after reading about them, I feel like both sects and guilds are the same thing. The only difference is that sects are eastern and and guilds are western. But later on, in the novel, the author differs between sects and guilds so now I'm confused. Are these two really the same thing or are they different. If they are different, then under what conditions ???
     
  2. Lissi

    Lissi 『Queen of Lissidom』『Holy Chibi』『Western Birdy』『⚓』

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    Sect makes me think more cultivation while guild makes me think more adventure... they are kinda different? :hmm:

    I feel like you can only be in one sect and it's kind of like your home.

    You can be in different guilds (?) and it's more like a membership,hands-off thing. You don't get a teacher :blobReach:

    I've never really seen both terms used in the same novel before, though.
     
  3. aShinyVaporeon

    aShinyVaporeon Well-Known Member

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    Umm it depends on the setting and novel.

    If we go by strictly definition, sects are supposed to be religious, philosophical, or political, and they are based on common philosophies and beliefs. In the sect, they spread these beliefs. But in xianxia, 'cuz everyone's daoist or buddhist, nearly all supernatural organizations are described as sects, since most of those organizations have their own teachings and techniques.

    On the other hand, guilds are associations of people with similar skills/interests, made to aid each other. The staple adventurers' guild is made to make it easier to classify and hire an adventurer for clients, while adventurers get easy access to jobs. The merchants' guild would be an association of merchants, etc. This term is mostly used in RPG because it also refers to the real life medieval guilds.

    So yes, in real life they have distinctions. I'm not sure about how it is in your novel though, since often the definitions are different in different novels.
     
  4. UndyingSLIME10295

    UndyingSLIME10295 [•Figment of your Imagination•]

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    Wow, I never really thought about the settings. I just thought that it was a general term. Anyways, thanks for the explanation. Stay awesome:blobsalute:
     
  5. Bright_Lucky_Star

    Bright_Lucky_Star [Previously Known as OrdinaryUser] The Blessed One

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    Remind of Venetian glass making and medieval bakery. Venetian glass is importance in city's economy that make local glassmakers's guild made rules to help preserve glassmaking secrets. It was forbidden to divulge trade secrets outside of Venice. If a glassworker left the city without permission, he would be ordered to return. If he failed to return, his family would be imprisoned. If he still did not return, an assassin would be sent to kill him.
    Baking in medieval era was a serious business in these times where bakers make powerful guild that protect family recipes of master bakers, assuming that nobody else would open bakeries using a stolen recipe from guild protected baker.
    Those guilds fiercely protect their trading secret because they make living from their trade secrets that's until methods and recipes spread widely and industrialization. :blobspearpeek:
     
  6. powwder

    powwder Well-Known Member

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    A sect is more formal kind of like a gang where you join for benefits but have to do things for them as well. The sect is more important than the individual and counts as an identity. For example if you are a part of the blue river sect or something that’s your marker and identification.

    guilds are more people gathering together for shared benefit and protection. If you join a merchant guild for example you have a network of other merchants to trade with for your own benefit.
     
  7. Reaper.ChaosKamifumetsu

    Reaper.ChaosKamifumetsu ‖True Chaos‖Twisted Prodigy‖True Energy‖Gamer God‖

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    although i am not someone related but now i am starting to doubt what clans are if we go by the above definitions
    please reply to me by quoting this message
     
  8. Nightow1

    Nightow1 Well-Known Member

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    Clans are family or genetically related individuals, so they are more closed off than sects or guilds.
     
  9. kurokitsune8

    kurokitsune8 Active Member

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    With my knowledge of wuxia and martial arts novel, i can say that;
    SECTS are related to historical, wuxia and it's like a huge family with similar customs but the people in it may not be related by blood at all.
    While, GUILD generally commonly seen in gaming related novels (could be present elswhere also). It mainly consists of person having a similar aim or goal, not like family.
    That's the most easy way I can explain.

    As @Nightow1 replied above, indeed clans are generally blood related and are more closely-kit than sects.
     
  10. Reaper.ChaosKamifumetsu

    Reaper.ChaosKamifumetsu ‖True Chaos‖Twisted Prodigy‖True Energy‖Gamer God‖

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    thanks for it
     
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  11. Kefie

    Kefie 《Lazy Pirate》《⚓️》《Step Red Sibling》

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    i think they're general meaning is the same, like a group of ppl, but they carry connotations
    for me, sect gives me daoist vibes while guild gives me mercenary vibes
    and then we see cult, faction, clan, faith, party– :sweating_profusely:
     
  12. ToastedRossi

    ToastedRossi Well-Known Member

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    A Brief Primer to Common Wuxia Organizations

    派 - Sect: this is effectively a school; primarily one of philosophy. The leaders are the teachers and the students act as a surrogate family so they refer to each other as brother and sister.

    帮 - Guild: this is much like the guilds of Medieval Europe and they tend to be based around business interests. They tend to be a bit more centralized and it's common for forms of these to act more like sects. Members aren't grouped by philosophy so guilds don't have the surrogate family vibe and members don't refer to each other as brother and sister.

    门 - Clan: this refers to large and powerful families and can conceivably include their retainers and subordinate groups. Note that clans don't have to have anything to do with martial arts and regular extended families can be called this.

    会 - Alliance/League/Society: this is similar to guilds in that its members are brought together by similar interests. In this case though, it's not so much about business and more about politics or some other type of strategic interest. (Real life) Revolutionary groups are often in this category.

    教 - Cult/ some form of religion: novels usually use this for unusual cults but it's used to refer to religions like Buddhism, Catholicism, and Islam as well.

    While this is mostly for wuxia groups (and real life), most Chinese writers are familiar with these terms so they'll use them in other genres as needed. Also note that the definitions are a bit loosey-goosey so there will be variations from author to author and book to book. It's also not too uncommon for organizations to adopt names that don't suit what they are. For example, bandit groups can call themselves guilds.
     
  13. Nepagear

    Nepagear Well-Known Member

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    I guess it would be guilds are more like you have much more freedom than sect does, and sects do ranking for it's sect members while guilds well it's entirely upto you if you wanna get famous or whatnot
     
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