Lotus Monks

Lotus Fist is an order of female monks who follow the oath of protecting those who cannot protect themselves. Widely known and feared as "men's bane" for their tendency to attack testicles and distract men with their clothing and fine looks where needed, these female monks are all dazzling girls wearing a signature uniform of miniskirt, short top, specially enhanced armoured boots and punching gloves, both capped in metal. They oppose the masculine superiority thesis showing exceptional skill and prowess. They are lead by Anni Redriner who is often seen on the cover of magazines or calendars as fiction art, being one of the realm's rare female heroes.

History
Two hundred years ago the eastern culture was overrun by western invaders. The geishas - women of lore, culture, entertainers and teachers among the noble houses - were enslaved and turned into mere whores. Against the common violence of the new reign they have developed their own subtle ways of self-defence, soon gaining undisputed but also unspoken respect. So much that they were soon given great amounts of money in turn for doing away with political rivals of the current reign - what easier way there is to slay a man than while in bed. They took money from all sides, which has soon lead to paranoia among the officials. The governor has sacrificed many children, among them his own daughter, to save himself from the impending demise at the hands of an otherwise so-required bedmate. Taking the generated evidence to the local monastic order, the governor asked them to rid the country of the menace of these vipers. The monks, outraged by the women murdering mere children, attacked the geisha house and wiped out most of the ladies. Except for one who fled west, by the name of Mary. Anni entered the picture by the time Mary was old and her daughter, Mianiel, an adolescent half-elven woman. Anni was talented, gladly taught by Mary, to Mianiel's great dismay. When Anni was forced to leave due to unforeseen circumstances, she decided to reform the order her mentor has told her so much about - turning the once feared order of assassins into a group of faithful young stealthy crime fighters for justice. Mianiel was later bent on destroying the "Untrue" disciples, but after a battle with a notorious assassin known only as The Black Lotus, her and Anni were reunited as sisters.

Goals
The Lotus are bound by their oath to protect those who cannot protect themselves. For this purpose they fight crime and supernatural powers which threaten the lives of the common folk. They go by the ancient female-shinobi ways with some modifications for the culture of present day. The original concept said Distract, Disable, Destroy, Disappear (see background). Anni strictly forbids murder so the rules have been changed:

- Distract: They're essentially saying that as a woman, you should use what you've got, and that there's no shame in it.

- Defend: A Lotus Girl is trained in various ways of defending themselves, health and healing, anatomy and other ways that she must use for the benefit of fulfilling the above oath.

- Disable: They use various unfriendly methods to deal with a target. Among them the most remarkable is the ancient teaching that what an opponent believes to be a strength must be used against them as a weakness from another way around, while they themselves work hard on seeing both their strengths and weaknesses from every possible direction. Men would do best not to anger a Lotus.

- Disappear: Stealth is still a part of their training, and they are taught to evade,set and disable security measures..

Major Figures and Leadership
Anni Redriner - This twenty year old young girl is well known as a champion of light against the undead hordes, one to put her life on the line for innocents more times than anybody would care to remember. Known for not taking sides in conflicts between kingdoms unless innocents are involved, she was seen standing up for those souls caught inbetween and halting the wars to rescue them as best as she can. Many girls all across the realm want to be just like her. (Paid Advertisement: Discord and Tracy's tailory sells Anni-like outfits on discount price!)

Ally Redriner - A gorgeous but cold beauty of darker nature, Ally is rumoured to be a shadowdancer. Her reputation as Twilight Monk and protector of innocents precedes her and even though she's often depicted on calendars with her sister, she seems to avoid publicity as much as she can. (Paid Advertisement: Xilo's Parlor presents the Ally Redriner haircut! Be just like the enigmatic heroine today!)

Mianiel Hanodel - She has a vorpal katana. She's sweet as a honeydew melon. She's got all the men wrapped around her fingers. According to Lord Pelgrin she's a ruthless killer, though she herself gave us an interview (and countless opportunities for our Spellpictors to capture her alluring image on Flashboards) and said that she still loves Pelgrin and doesn't understand why he would leave her heartbroken - but struggling with tears she would not wish to comment any further. Sylvia Zyrustana - Also known as The Elmensfaar Nightingale, this flawless beauty has been teaching martial arts to the youth of the elven kingdom for the past years, successfully.

Cassandra Manesfeld - That's right! Even Senator Manesfeld's daughter is a Lotus Girl! (Paid Advertisement: The Cassie Manesfeld Fitness Program starting in a dojo near you - coming soon!)

Other Information
Lotus Ranks Lotus Candidate(Rank1): Girls who fit the recruitment criteria and just joined.

Lotus Disciple (Rank2): Taught in the basics of the Lotus Fist.

Lotus Adept (Rank3): Specialized in one aspect.

Lotus Flower (Rank4): Masters of the Lotus Fist.

Grand Master (Rank5): Order leader, usually one, currently there are two.

The Four Disciplines: The Lotus Fist consists of four prime disciplines. These represent the basics of the style's core - every girl learns about them and then they will specialize.

Blue Lotus: The doctrine teaches discipline and endurance. Blue Adepts are the front line combatants of the order. Their strength is in military discipline and physical capabilities exceeding that of an average man. Their weakness is in the lack of ability and knowledge to heal. (Core class is Monk.)

Red Lotus: The core doctrine teaches mentality, behavior, concentration and inner focus. Red Adepts are all natural spellcasters, who excel in communication, code behavior, mind-games and lore. Their strength is in dealing with people. Their weakness is in physical combat that they make up for with spells. (Core class is Sorceror or Cleric.)

White Lotus: The core doctrine teaches health and healing. White Adepts are medics who excel in all form of health care while their weakness is in infiltration and stealth. (Core class is Cleric or Druid.)

Black Lotus: The core doctrine teaches stealth and reconaissance, avoiding traps and dealing with elusive opponents, tracking people. Only problem children belong under this group. Their strength is in ruthlessness and stealth. Their weak spot is social interaction. (Prestige class SD or ASN.)