Shê of the Crimson Standard

*“Are you trying to tell me that the leader of the raiders that are troubling all of our supply routes is a brothel worker?”*

*“In a past life, yes."*

*“Then what are we scared of? What has she done that we couldn't?”*

*“Eat off your hand.”*

*“What?!”*

*“Eat off your right hand and prove your point.”*

## From an Unconventional Discipline

Shê did indeed spend the early years of her life working with many other maidens of the night and their boss, Madam Caravan, travelling from discipline to discipline doing business where they were welcomed. In each place she went, clients would tell her stories of their work and how they made their money. The money that was used to purchase her for the night. With a willpower of Discipline Steel and a charisma that could influence the mountains to move, she promised herself that while she may service for the night, she would never let a man own her. When it was time for Madam Caravan to pass on after a long life, the business was set to be sold to a wealthy entrepreneur from Kuroken who already owned four brothels. Madam Caravan had a deep matronly love for the women that worked for her and provided and guarded over them. Shê was certain that this new owner would not treat them the same.

Always one for dramatic flair, Madam Caravan insisted that the exchange be done on her death bed to ‘have the business for as long as this life would allow’, only then with her final breath would she agree to the exchange. Shê has made herself knowing of the circumstances under which the exchange would take place. As such, she called a meeting with the women she called family to discuss how their new life should look without their mother figure in the picture. With all in agreeance, an invite was sent to the man asking him to visit them before the deal so that they could ‘welcome him into the family as is appropriate’.

Accepting the invitation eagerly, the man arrived and was very much as expected, a disappointing specimen. The man was portly and balding and made each of the ladies uneasy as he addressed them unctuously. The yurt he was brought into was much warmer and decorated on the inside than he was expecting. While its appearance was practical and modest on the exterior, the inside was warm in color and atmosphere. Laden with beds that had rich silk sheets soft material drapes, gifts from clients were on display in every corner. He introduced himself as Siloh Hessian as he was seated by two of Shê's 'sisters' politely but firmly lowered to a series of cushions on the floor near the center of the room. Siloh barely had time to stutter out a thank you before he was brought refreshments and intelligent conversation that dripped with chutzpah. All of the ladies one by one came over to sit around him to hear all of his ‘impressive’ exploits before he reached the climax of his tales “...and I really look forward to owning you all for my collection”. Shê’s stomach turned at the vile sentiment.

Settled in, Shê kneeled before him requesting his possessions for safe keeping. Respectfully taking his shoes, jewelry and travel bag, she bowed with her forehead to the floor. As Shê rose once more, still leaning over in reverence, a pardon was uttered so as to stow the goods away. While Siloh’s new companions took him away for further probing, Shê was as per schedule doing some probing of her own. Flicking her fingers expertly over their victim’s belongings, she made mental note of each item and appraised every detail with the expert eyes of one attuned to a ki-focus. The jewelry was of low quality and poor materials warped to look expensive. Only the reasonable sum of gold in lockbox was of some undeniable value. In a job role such as hers it was not only encouraged but trained to appraise one’s true wealth so as to take care of them with the appropriate level of service. She thought to herself on suggestions of the evidence before her indicated. "If he aspires to keep in his custody entities of low quality, he must see us of equally low value. The care he spares for the things in his possession is very poor. We have no choice. Our decision is on good grounding."

Within the suspected few minutes away from the group, Shê heard Siloh exclaim of ‘fatigue, long travel’ and other excuses for his stamina. His possessions back to him, Shê greeted him warmly and gave the token “We all hope you enjoyed your visit and wish you immense fortune in your endeavors for the near future.” Before tacking on a novel “A shame we couldn’t enjoy each other’s company longer”, both a jab at his virility and foreshadowing for his evening. Siloh thanked her for such kind words and left to the nearest village where Madam Caravan was taking medical care.

Entering the facility, Siloh found the frail lady with ease. Her hair was done up in large flair and an emerald green dress in lieu of hospital gown. He sat beside her hastily afraid of losing the woman before business could be done. He reached for his travel lockbox and brought it up to his lap proclaiming that he was ready to make the exchange. “Without formalities Siloh? I fear the women in your life have let you down by not holding your hand on the path of respect. I will take the lead. It is nice to see you too Siloh.” While the words stung and his pride would have him make use of their respective states to teach this woman what he felt was a more fitting set of manners, he would not risk the deal going sour. He swallowed, “I apologize. I am just worried about how much time you have left.” A dour expression spread over the mistress’s face at the mention of her mortality. “Young man, there is always time for appropriate discourse so as to enjoyably make congress. If you don’t, you’ll never fulfill the needs of your guest.”

Tired of this woman’s lessons, his coffer was held high. “Make the deal with me old hag!” Tipped upside down, its contents fell to the bed. Bouncing once before coming to rest, a single statue of a large man with a large belly stared back up at Siloh in spite of himself. “Well he looks like a happy fellow!”The old matriarch laughing heartily as she immediately put the dots together. “My whores robbed me!” Siloh exclaimed shocked. “Those respectable women are not yours until you pay me and as fine a statue as that is, I will not take it. You know the law of the land as well as I do Siloh. Seeing as it is my workers that robbed you, I bear the penalty. I give you consent to execute me!” Her head threw back once more in the heartiest of laughs, chest rising and falling for the last few times as her eyes closed for good.

## Shê's Ascension

Shê escaped easily that night with those she called sisters. Able to pay transport to anywhere and bribe her way past any barrier, the group found a suitable base of operations in east Ahli’Jinan. Spending years making a name for herself and her band of unstoppable women, stories of Shê’s ability to escape certain death and enslavement became popular local legend. The idea of having this new princess of piracy imprisoned was like a drug to many surrounding bandit societies and raiding groups. In their attempts for her capture, each time she was able to escape easily and would end the life of their leader each time.

Towards the end of this period, she grew over confident and diced too close with death leading to her shackled in the center of an outlaw camp for all to see. Knowing that she would be abused the next day after a night in the snow, the bandit princess judged every possible solution to her predicament and settled on the best. Applying tooth to flesh, she relieved herself of dexterity and became free of the iron bonds. Returned home to the waiting embrace of her chosen family, she was patched up.

The time for running was over. It was time to begin her campaign.

On a piece of traded information, She requested that her sisters all head in the direction of a newly founded collaboration between The Mountains of One Thousand Disciplines and Formcaste that was near them and kidnap some of the workers there. Finding the first of many foldries to come, the Formcaste engineers there were taken and brought back to the ladies' bandit holdout to immediately begin work. First augmenting their new boss with her soon to be trademark new hands in the form of a bladed fan and an iron fist. It wasn’t long before all in her community had weapons of advanced technology most in this region had only heard of.

Sending out a recruitment call across the land, women and men made a pilgrimage to her camp swearing fealty to her cause. With sufficient numbers, the ultimatum was sent first to small rival camps to join her or be wiped out. As each reply came back, they would join her ranks or be cleansed from the mountains. Each group that joined submitted their leadership position to one of her prime sisters. It wasn’t long before She found herself with a large enough force to begin making serious heists all across the map. Naming all under her cause the Red Standard, she set a strict code to which her entire bandit empire would abide called the Qí.

## The Qí:

1) Anyone deviating from orders handed down from She or her sisters would be bound to have their skull caved by Shê’s iron fist on public display.

2) Any Disciplines that agreed to offer supplies or service to the Crimson Standard would not be stolen from.

3) All goods stolen would be brought to Shê and would be kept vaulted by Sister Bao. A stealer’s fee of 12.5% would be returned to the sister in above the responsible bandit raid to be distributed among her segment of the Crimson Standard.

4) Female prisoners would be released without question unless taken as a wife.

5) If a female captive was taken for a wife, all involved in the relationship must be faithful and treat each other like their greatest treasure.

6)  Having consensual sex with a prisoner would have both parties shackled, forced to observe each other until starvation took their lives.

7) Having non-consensual sex with a prisoner resulted in being brought in to taste the poison of She’s bladed fan, Maiden Veil.

## Current Activity

Shê is now responsible for the majority of organised raids on trade routes, stockpiles and reserves across Ahli’Jinan and parts of Kuroken. Having literally ascended from her place walking among commoners, Shê and her Sisters of the Crimson Standard now rule from a giant city that floats perfectly above one of the largest mountains in Ahli’Jinan. Designed and created by the Formcaste Engineers ‘liberated’ from The Prime Foldry, Zhǐ-huā is a bastion of safety for the Crimson Standard.  It spins slowly riding atop the eye of the winds that cycle upwards around the mountain like an inverted tornado. An off-white color, it appears from the ground like a giant lotus high above the mountain’s pinnacle.

When asked how she ascended to such heights from such a common place, she is said to fan herself and look at her cast iron fist in proud memory. “Single handed of course~"