About RefengCharacter Background:
Appearance Refeng is a typical Hong, with ruddy skin and jet black hair. Her irises are unusually red, a rare trait among her people that is considered auspicious. She dresses in the loose-fitting robes of her people, adapted for life among the harsh desert steppes. On her back is a blade in an ornate onyx scabbard and a bag containing her few possessions. Personality
The most potent weapon is the blade not drawn. For while a blade may wound a man's body, a blade withheld may cut to the very center of his being. To repay an injustice with an injustice merely compounds the debt Hóngshān rén ("Red Mountain People") The Hóngshān rén, or Hong for short, are a semi-nomadic people living at the borders between the great desert and the mountains along their northern border. Due to the harsh conditions of the region they live in, they tend to live in relative poverty compared to the residents of the Empire proper. They tend to have ruddy/reddish skin and jet-black hair, and speak a dialect that differs from the primary language of the Empire. The combination of poverty, difference in language and apperance resulted in them being looked down upon and mistrusted. This has been compounded by the fact that many of the Hóng take up banditry as a means to enrich themselves, preying upon caravans which traverse the borders of the desert or seek to use the few mountain passes. The Early Years and the Rise of the Demons of the Desert It was in one of the small Hong villages that Lin Rèfēng was born. Rèfēng's childhood, initially a happy if difficult one, was strongly affected by the arrival of Imperial Soldiers coming to declare their village as part of the empire and declaring that they should provide offerings fit for the emperor as recompense for the honor. The town was plundered by the soldiers, who then departed, leaving the village destitute. This event and subsequent "inspections" by the Imperial soldiers hardened Refeng and many of her friends. Seeing their families struggle only to have what little they had stolen taught her that there was no justice. When the elders of the village refused to allow them to fight the soldiers, Refeng and her friends instead decided to take back from those who had too much. Initially they started small, thieving from lone travellers or poorly guarded caravans when they camped for the night. Each success made them bolder, and the weapons they got ahold of were eventually used to ambush larger and larger caravans. Because the town benefitted directly from the plunder, most kept their mouths shut and avoided asking questions. After all, these were their children or the children of their friends who were bringing back supplies and gold which helped them survive. Their successes intoxicated them, and Refeng especially. After a life of being abused and looked down upon, they were taking what was rightfully theirs. This hubris led to them beginning to use dishonorable tactics to attack even well guarded caravans. Poisoned weapons, posing as fellow travelers or wounded, there was no means that was not justified in their minds. In one of their raids on a caravan during this period, Refeng posed as a wounded traveller. When the caravan came upon her, she was helped up by a young Buddhist monk bearing a Dao in an ornate scabbard on his back. The man introduced himself as Lion-Eating Poet and guided her to the center of the caravan. His attitude confused Refeng, as he talked to her as an equal as he helped her along, despite the fact she made no effort to hide her Hong ancestry. When the ambush was finally sprung, Lion-Eating Poet put himself between the other bandits and Refeng. Despite his unusual treatment of her, she didn't hesitate at all, drawing a poisoned dagger and stabbing him with it when he was distracted by two opponents. The poison they used was chosen to incapacitate quickly, and he fell to the ground, undone by Refeng's treachery. As the rest of the group finished off the members of the Caravan, Refeng crouched before the dying monk, their eyes locked. Inbetween strained breaths, he spoke to her. "I know not why you have done this, but I see the pain of life within those eyes... Though you may not want it, you have my forgiveness. Please, if there is any honor in you, see my amulet returned to my master in the <TEMPLE> that I may rest peacefully." The monk pulled out an amulet of jade he wore about his neck and reached out towards Refeng. His hand fell to the ground and the amulet slipped from it as he passed away. Again Refeng was unsure what to make of the Monk's gesture. If anything it made her angry that he should think his forgiveness meant anything to her, or to even suggest that honor existed in such a world. Still, for some reason she pocketed the amulet, keeping it for herself along with the monk's blade. In a fit of pique, she also had the raiders aid her in burying the bodies of the caravan members, after which she marked the monk's grave with a small cairn. In the years that followed, Refeng's group became infamous, terrorizing the mountain passes and desert. Rumors spread of the "Demons of the Desert", a group of monsterous red-skinned men led by a female with a blade as black as her hair, and eyes as red as her skin. Tales were told of their bloodlust and ruthlessness, and the fact that they took no prisoners. The Long Path to Redemption Their raids continued for over a decade, and although they kept much of the loot for themselves, the village had prospered. Furthermore, due to "Demons of the Desert", the Imperial Soldiers had ceased to visit the local villages, having been ambushed themselves several times during their attempts to collect taxes from them. A year after they ceased trying, however, the caravan traffic to the nearest two passes almost vanished completely. Refeng and her companions were forced to go farther and farther afield to find caravans to prey upon, sometimes journeying for weeks before they could return to the Hong village. Eventually they encountered an unusually large caravan returning from one of the passes. Preparing an ambush, they set upon the caravan from the west just as the sun was reaching the horizon. Initially they had some success, offing several of the guards and causing many of the travellers to panic. Refeng advanced forth boldly, but was stopped Crunch:
Rèfēng Female Ifrit Swashbuckler 5/Wudang 5
Init +13; Senses low-light vision, darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +15 Defense
Offense
Melee Two-Stroke Blade (Divine Gate Thirteen Swords) [+19/+19/+14 hit (10 BAB + 4 dex + 1 enh + 1 style + 3 wp. train.), 1d6+9 dam (4 dex + 3 weapon train + 1 enh + 5 precision), 15-20/x2]
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 10):
Statistics
Feats (class, bonus, level) Weapon Finesse, Improved Critical, Improved Unarmed Strike, Weapon Focus, Dervish Dance, Crane Style, Crane Wing, Crane Riposte, Dodge, Combat Reflexes
Combat Gear Two-Stroke Blade (+1 Adamantine Dao of Speed), Cloak of Resistance +3, Gloves of Dueling
Special Abilities
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