Shinrin Ten

Shinrin Ten (森林店) was the bandit who was known to have lead the clans of roving forest bandits back in the First Era. In her life, she was often called the Bandit Queen. The Shinrin Forest was named for her.

She was also known as Aka Fuuko (赤風子), derived from her title as a yokai, The Red Wind.

## Relationships

**Sho Sai**

Ten's relationship with Sai was said to be one of devotion but also danger. The two are said to have met while Sai was leading a small army through the forest. Ten and her bandits then swept in and they began to fight. After Sai's men were defeated, Ten bargained his life for ransom to his people. During the time she was held as his captive, the two came to develop a mutual respect for one another. Many years later, Sai once again crossed through the forest. When he was again beset by bandits, Ten spared him as her guest. The two were said to have become lovers shortly after, with Sai visiting her in the forest every year or so. Their relationship was ended upon Ten's discovery that Sai had long been married to Ki Ko. In her fury, Ten drew her dagger on him, giving him the iconic scar across his face. She vowed that if they were ever to meet again, it would be only as enemies.

**Kitagawa Mamoru**

Following Ten's discovery of Sai's betrayal, Ten was furious. She gathered all the bandits of the forest to her side and sought out Sai's greatest rival, Kitagawa Mamoru. He initially turned down her request to aid him out of suspecting her of acting in Sho Sai's interest. After learning that their relationship had dissolved, Mamoru agreed to work with Ten on the condition that she allow him to make use of her bandits. She obliged and the two set out to destroy Sho Sai. However, after Mamoru received the Champion's Armor, Ten parted ways with Kitagawa, her fear of O-Yama-Kami's vengeance too great. Her bandits still sworn to Kitagawa's service, she returned to the forest alone.

**Konishi Aki**

Konishi Aki met the Red Wind some time during the early Fourth Era while passing on the way from Mura Village through means of the Shinrin Forest. According to Fuuko herself, Aki was the only human who was ever able to catch her. Respecting each other's skills, they quickly became fast friends. Many years later, after the birth of her daughter, Aki made a request which Fuuko swore to uphold; protect her family from harm. After Aki disappeared in the 14th Year of the Forest, they never saw one another again.

**Konishi Akita**

She caught Akita during her first trip out of Mura Village for her coming-of-age Quest. Upon discovering Akita was the daughter of Konishi Aki, Fuuko recalled her promise from many years prior. Learning that Akita planned to leave the forest and therefore her ability to protect her, Fuuko made the risky decision to follow Akita out of the forest, despite the fact that it meant she would be unable to use her powers as a yokai. She swore fealty to the girl, promising to protect her from harm. It was during their travels together that they later crossed paths with a many-eyed, bird-like yokai called the Sen-no-Me. When the yokai attempted to attack Akita, Fuuko held it off while Akita tried to escape. The Sen-no-Me ended up victorious over Fuuko, who was still unable to use her powers, and consumed her body, causing her spirit to lose its manifested form.

**Azuma Kei**

The two were not well-acquainted. They met under the pretense that Kei was the one from the prophecy which proclaimed his blood able to see all things. Notably, she was the one who fired the arrow ending Kei's life. She also threw his corpse into the spirit fires of Chuo Village. It is suspected that both the spirit fire and her influence as a yokai is why Kei later returned as a yokai himself.

## Early Life

Not much is known about Ten's early life. It is suspected that Shinin, meaning forest, is a pseudonym she took as a bandit. Her real name, original clan, and parentage is unknown. Some suspect that Shinrin Ten was never a real person but a loose amalgam of several different people made into a single concise folktale.

## Adulthood

Most of the details of Shinrin Ten's life are a mystery. Only a few specific instances remain in folktales, the most notable being an account of her role in unifying the bandit clans, and her relationship with Sho Sai which eventually led to her death.

## Death

Alone, having recently returned from Kitagawa Mamoru's service, Ten found herself meeting Sho Sai again. While initially cautious, he lowered her defenses by proclaiming his love for her hadn't faded and he greatly missed their time together. He explained the death of Ki Ko had made him realize he wanted to take Ten as his new wife. Hesitantly, Ten agreed, perhaps letting her emotions get the better of her. She never had a chance to marry him, however. When the two laid together, Sai suddenly drew a blade on her and pierced her stomach. In her dying breaths, Ten cursed him for betraying her yet again, vowing that her anger for him wouldn't cease until the wind was red with his blood.

## Afterlife

The details of exactly how she became a yokai remain unclear, but there are many legends about the Red Wind dating all the way back to the First Era, suggesting she became a yokai almost immediately after her death. Over time, the connection between Shinrin Ten and the Red Wind was all but forgotten and her identity became Aka Fuuko.

As the Red Wind, she was known to attack and rob passing travelers through the forest. If they were unable to produce something of worth, she would take their life. Tales of her mostly subsist with the Minami and the Konishi, who inhabit the forest area.