First-run answer
Safest early choices
Shaolin is the safest defensive route. Wudang is the cleanest balanced sword route. Emei and Valley of Flowers give more recovery and support, while Swordsmith Villa gives visible equipment progression.
Lookup table
All Scroll of Taiwu Factions and Locations
Quick answer: The Scroll of Taiwu has 15 major factions. For a first run, start with Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, Swordsmith Villa, or Valley of Flowers before moving into the more technical sects.
This page is meant to be a compact lookup, not a replacement for the longer faction choice guides. Use it when you need to answer one practical question quickly: where a sect is located, what its alignment signals, which weapon families it naturally supports, and whether it is forgiving enough for a first character. The Chinese faction names stay visible so you can match this table against Taiwupedia, patch notes, and older Chinese community discussions without guessing which translation is being used.
Fast routes
How to use the faction table
Treat beginner fit as a learning-cost score, not a power ranking. A lower score does not mean the faction is weak; it means the route asks you to understand more systems at once, such as poison timing, wound pressure, relationship management, crafting dependencies, or hybrid cultivation. If you are still learning range, injuries, village recovery, and sect permission, choose a readable faction first and save the strange routes for a second run.
Location matters because early travel, recovery, and sect access shape the first several hours. Alignment matters because it changes the social texture of the campaign, not just flavor text. Weapon focus matters because a faction with a clear staff, sword, fist, blade, needle, or hidden-weapon identity makes it easier to decide which attributes, internal arts, and movement answers to prioritize.
| Faction | Location | Alignment | Weapons | Difficulty | Beginner fit | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaolin Sect少林派 | Songshan, Central Plains | righteous | Staff, Fist, Finger | 1/5 | 96 | Open |
| Wudang Sect武当派 | Wudang Mountains, Hubei | righteous | Sword, Fist, Whisk | 2/5 | 90 | Open |
| Emei Sect峨眉派 | Mount Emei, Sichuan | righteous | Sword, Needle, Fist | 2/5 | 84 | Open |
| Swordsmith Villa铸剑山庄 | Jiangnan | neutral | Sword, Blade, Long Weapon | 2/5 | 82 | Open |
| Yuanshan Sect元山派 | Northern highlands | righteous | Sword, Blade, Leg | 2/5 | 79 | Open |
| Valley of Flowers百花谷 | Qinling region | neutral | Needle, Finger, Instrument | 3/5 | 78 | Open |
| Vajra Sect金刚宗 | Tibetan plateau | righteous | Fist, Blade, Pestle | 3/5 | 73 | Open |
| Lion Face狮相门 | Northern borderlands | heretical | Fist, Blade, Spear | 3/5 | 70 | Open |
| Ranshan Sect然山派 | Western mountains | neutral | Sword, Finger, Talisman | 4/5 | 58 | Open |
| Jade-Maiden Sect璇女派 | Kunlun foothills | neutral | Fist, Finger, Instrument | 4/5 | 55 | Open |
| Fuloong Sanctuary伏龙坛 | Lingnan | heretical | Blade, Fist, Hidden Weapon | 4/5 | 53 | Open |
| Kongsang Sect空桑派 | Remote valleys | neutral | Fist, Finger, Hidden Weapon | 4/5 | 51 | Open |
| Veil Scar Sect界青门 | Southern wetlands | heretical | Hidden Weapon, Finger, Sword | 4/5 | 48 | Open |
| Five Immortals Sect五仙教 | Miao borderlands | heretical | Poison, Fist, Whip | 5/5 | 40 | Open |
| Sanguine Sect血犼教 | Western wilderness | heretical | Fist, Finger, Leg | 5/5 | 35 | Open |
Advanced warning
Save technical sects for later
Five Immortals, Sanguine Sect, Veil Scar Sect, Jade-Maiden Sect, Kongsang, and Ranshan can be excellent, but they ask for more knowledge of poison, injury pressure, spacing, relationships, or hybrid cultivation.