Some 200 years ago in Zheradan's southern frontier a thriving community of oriental values came under successful siege and permanent invasion by the expeditory militial forces of late Zheradan City.
The reigning noble houses were overthrown by the despotic militial rule of the northwestern culture. The noble courts' ladies - highly educated women committed to educating the young of the noble family and conversing , representing and serving the lords and ladies of the houses - known as Geishas were enslaved to become nothing but mere whores.
In order to maintain their integrity in culture and their existence, they formed a guild of sorts and developed their own self-defence style based on their former knowledge of anatomy, healing, weapon skills and unarmed combat. The militial officers soon had to learn that mutual respect and paying these ladies saves them a lot of effort, leaves them physically satisfied and their testicles intact.
(In several cases have politicans and officials tried to abuse a Lotus Geisha and ended up being beaten severely by the would-be whore, or even mutilated that way. Executing the woman usually yielded in castrations that law enforcement was clueless about: most of the people involved with the execution woke up in the middle of the night to severe pain hours after the "operation" thanks to surgically punctual injection of strong natural sedatives from the assassins.)
The forming government consisting of local nobles mostly appointed by the new reign has recognized the capabilities and opportunities of such an assassin order and issued top secret commissions offering amnesty for former crimes and other privileges to the Ladies. Easiest to murder an opposing politician or warlord when they are having sex, especially when it's the whore doing it - and indeed it was successful business.
But not for long. The shifting sands of political grounds have made the next generation of officials fear one another's wrath and the possibility of any whore being an assassin so they mislead several local monk orders using spoofed evidence, into thinking that the Ladies are actually malevolent and murderous, killing innocents and children as well.
The effect was devastating, all of the Lotus were wiped out standing no chance in real combat against true monks. All but one: Little Mary Tran was little more than a child when she managed to escape the monks' onslaught.
She fled to the eastern city of Brosna overseas and joined a common "redlight inn" making a successful career soon becoming the leading lady under supervision of the owner, later gaining trust and respect, becoming a partner in the business.
With her daughter born and nearing eighty years of age, the half-elven woman has decided to educate Miani in the ways of the lotus. Twisted in her head from years of humiliation and the loss of her former order, Mary has taken it into her head that the female gender must rule supreme and males must be used for nothing else but reproduction and slaves. The drowlike idea came indeed from the reigning matron of the Rabian drow colony below the city's sewer system and below the upper caverns.
Mary Tran confronted drow legions and the matron was impressed. Their nightly conversations in a nearby cave in the forest have further twisted Mary's mind and she began training Mianiel both physically and mentally.
Then came Anni: a young girl , frightened by the slavers, forced to "work". Mary took her under her wing immediately, hoping to gain another weapon in her twisted conquest.
After freed by Shandalan Glaurd'Har Anni left the "inn", accidentally taking the book with herself that Mary held so dear: the book that contained everything about the Lotus Fist.
Anni only noticed this later, finding the book in her luggage. She decided to form her own Lotus order using the book, but the purpose of the order is now to help and educate strays and runaways, and to aid those in need.
Mary was convinced however, that Anni is a traitor and stole the secrets, thus sending Mianiel to assassinate her. Miani met more than adequate resistance however, while seeing the newly reformed Lotus order thrive and bloom successfully.
After a long fight and conversation with Anni, Cassie and Ally, she escaped in doubt of what she was taught and what she has become. Mary herself showed up a few times trying to tempt the more talented members into her own assassination guild with no avail and thus she further conditioned the broken Miani into her thinking that all Anni wants is to take her position as the rightful heir as grand master. Miani has nearly gone insane from the pressure: what her heart told her opposed what her logics told her and respect and allegiance to her mother created another conflict between the slow realization that her mother is all but sane - she embarked on an honorable mission now not to kill Anni but to face her and settle this conflict once and for all.
They fought and surprisingly to her the weak little girl has turned into something way out of her league at the hands of the Ghazakiin. She collapsed to cry and meanwhile took in Anni's comforting words for a moment before fleeing again.
Mary showed up again later, single handedly murdering all of the disciples and almost finishing Ally , Cassie and Lindy off when Anni showed up with the reassured Miani by her side. They tried to reason with her but she attacked - with the knowledge of a grand master she nearly won when Miani - with a face soaked in tears - stabbed her in the lungs from behind. The dying elderly woman whispered "My girls.. my pride.." and disappeared - in a shaft of scarlet light, indicating that she had divine - or infernal - forces behind her.
She hasn't been seen eversince. Anni and Miani see eye to eye in the need to form a firm order and Miani yields to Anni's superior knowledge, skills and purity of heart for now, but she made an open promise to face Anni in a final showdown when the time comes to try and take over the role of leading grand master.
_________________ "There is no Sparta. THIS. IS. SPOON!!"
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