Manjushage



MANJUSHAGE (曼珠沙華, Red Spider Lily) is the leader and headmistress of the Kinudorei branch of Jorōgumo and is the founder of the Silk Forest of Submission, otherwise known as the Silk Servant's Forest. As a Jorōgumo, Manjushage is a half-human/half-spider female who has the ability to shapeshift into a young, extremely beautiful, human, woman. She's the master and forbearer of the second branch's notorious Spider Senjutsu: The Silk Forest of Submission Spider Sage Art. With over 300 years to her name, Manjushage has had centuries to indulge in the arts of medicine and poison, possessing both great healing and toxicant abilities.

She is rumored to be exceptionally beautiful, enchanting even, but to all who know her name, be warned:

To become enthralled or enslaved by Manjushage, the seductive matron of the Kinudorei Jorōgumo, is a harrowing fate far worse than death.

Personality
Manjushage is a vile and twisted creature of wicked personification; her soul: the apotheosis of a corrupted joie de vivre, the carefree enjoyment of living. She cares not for the trivial concerns of others and seeks only to indulge in the stimulating and sensual gratifications of life; a slave to her own fantasies of eternal aphrodisiac and carnal desire. Yet, it would seem that in her many years, she's had to entertain the needs of her clan, the Kinudorei, so they might never grow discontent, overthrow her from her lofty seat of power, and subjugate her to an eternity of humiliation and molestation. Perhaps in secret, Manjushage lives in fear.

Manjushage admires herself to be a parasite of the world, a leech that feeds on the existence of lesser beings in order to afford her own eternity of ecstasy. Everything exists to establish her dominance and to fuel her lust for pleasure. Of all creatures, she sees humans as the weakest of prey, yet also the most thrilling to toy with. In her eyes, humanity is pitiful and pathetic; they whine and complain about the things they can't have and the things they haven't earned. She believes humans are selfish, cowardly, and almost worthless; they drag each other down in order to elevate themselves to equivalent, or superior, status. However, Manjushage herself knows right from wrong; what is good and what is evil: The thing that truly separates her from humans is that she simply doesn't care about the morality or ethicality of her actions. While a human might lie to herself and seek selfish gain under the false pretense of justice, Manjushage does not entertain such delusions, and walks the path of malevolence in order to achieve her heart's desires. She and the Jorōgumo, even her good-for-nothing older sister, are all superior to other creatures and she herself is the proprietor of sin.

There are times for battle and there are times for words, but to Manjushage, a matron who is gifted in the dark arts of speech carries with her the power to both unify war-torn lands and conquer the strongest of the militant nations. To turn allies against one another can be a far more powerful action than to brandish one's sword in open confrontation. Even more influential when in her human form, she uses her feminine assets to further her own goals and to get what she wants without exception. Her voice: Soothing and soft; a poison to the ears of the intellectual fool. Her body: Pale, tight, and smooth; a stimulant to the perverse thoughts of those easily bewitched by the pleasures of a woman's gentle caress. Her scent: So faint, yet sweet; a plague to the nose which spells hypnosis. Whether it be through language, extortion, or more fleshly practices, Manjushage maintains order from behind the scenes. She breaks the convictions of the headstrong and perverts the innocence of the chaste. It's said that one night alone with Manjushage, and even a woman of the strongest fortitude will kneel in lust-driven submission to the will of her matron.

Though she speaks softly and gracefully, there is a great deal of power and authority behind Manjushage's eloquent words. She has certain expectations of those who serve her and to fail to meet such expectations is truly a great disappointment. One would do well to never cross their mistress, for a single look into her bloodcurdling eyes is enough to convey a Killing Intent (殺気, Sakki) powerful enough to paralyze them with fear as they witness a vision of their own gruesome death.

A lady of regal disposition, Manjushage walks and sits with elegance and refinement. Her gentle step is soundless and discreet, whether she's wearing sandals or not. She sits with perfect posture and has an astounding knowledge of the many ways to sit cross-legged, making sure to alternate legs and positions in intervals of exactly 5 minutes and 3 quarters. She has trained herself to endure hours of seiza position without any signs of fatigue or indications of discomfort. She minds her manners and her speech, always making sure to include formalities with sincerity. Even for one as powerful as herself, to simply disregard proper behavior would only bring shame to her own self. Out of personal preference, Manjushage typically maintains her human form, as she finds it much more comfortable and appealing to the senses.

Though she tends to keep a cool composure, Manjushage is still a Jorōgumo who feels a wide variety of emotions. Her rage is typically passive, a threat to the one whom she is displeased with. Her joy is shown through her small, seductive, smile. Her grief and sorrow she keeps to herself and she cries alone in the presence of no other; such would be a display of weakness amongst the Kinudorei. With regards to the consequences of such weakness, Manjushage fears the loss of her power. She grows uncomfortable when challenged, for should she fail, she fears she wouldn't be killed or banished, but rather, she'd be enslaved for her remaining centuries and used as an object of sexual gratification and example.

To those who fail or disobey Manjushage, there's no telling what fate awaits them. Men are killed on site; they're not worth her time. Aside from that, she's known to be cruel and sinister, often breaking someone's mentality into pieces as a form of punishment. She may feel lenient in their punishment and personally torment them for only a few hours, or, if she's deeply displeased with her underlings, she may sentence them to an eternity of servitude in the farm, alongside the human cattle. Under the leadership of Manjushage, a cruel "cattle" system was implemented in order to sustain the Kinudorei population and to punish the enslaved Jorōgumo and humans. Under this wretched system of abuse, the imprisoned are, for the remainder of their lives, pumped full of hormones in order to produce milk for harvest. An idea proposed by Manjushage herself, it's become an integral part of Kinudorei culture, yet ironicly, she too fears this punishment.

Manjushage has been hinted to have Sexual Sadism Disorder, as she finds the suffering and humiliation of others to be erotic and sexually arousing. To stimulate both mental or physical pain, or unwilling pleasure on her victim is truly wonderful in her eyes. To publicly embarrass her victim, to deprive them of all dignity, such is a desire of Manjushage. The feeling of gripping someone's throat, as her victim chokes and struggles to breathe is... exhilarating. The sharp "crack" of a whip as it encounters tender flesh is enough to put her in heat. The excited moans of her victims sustain her animalistic frenzies as she relentlessly punishes them for insubordination or failure. It's one of the reasons why she is feared by all who know her.

Along with the other Kinudorei Jorōgumo, Manjushage is incredibly sexist towards men. She believes that both the female sex and the female gender are completely superior to the likes of males and masculinity. Men are fools, inconsequential fools; the world could do without them. Even in the Silk Servant's Forest, the Jorōgumo can reproduce asexually by using nature energy chakra to fertilize a lady's egg: The only use the male sex ever had, and it's simply redundant. Females are more quick-witted, smarter, emotionally tougher from Manjushage's perspective. For instance, outside of her forest, look at all of the needless shinobi wars. Wrought by men, fought by men, villages burned and women raped by men. The cowardly Daimyō, all men; and what has it brought? Only suffering. Any male that so much as sets foot in the Silk Servant's Forest will be executed or eaten immediately.

Just as she views the female sex to be the superior sex, Manjushage also finds other races and species to be inferior to her own: The Jorōgumo. In fact, one of the reasons she and the Kinudorei left the Bewitching Silk Forest and made the Silk Servant's Forest their new home was because of the increasing number of outsiders that they felt plagued their old woodland. Manjushage and the Kinudorei despise all that is not of their kin and they hold an especially strong distaste for humans in particular. Perhaps it's because the Jorōgumo themselves are half-human and they see themselves as absolutely superior to the mere humans in every way, especially considering they can shapeshift into humans at will.

With regards to her sexuality and her romantic and sexual preferences, Manjushage is a lesbian, only finding attraction to her fellow females, particularly those who are Jorōgumo. She, like many of her kin, discovered her love for females at a relatively young age and has since lived out her years engaging in monogamous, polyamorous, and polygamic relationships. While she does find romantic attraction in her partners, her main focus is the sexual aspect of the relationship and thus, she's never been married and has asexually reproduced only one daughter named Shibara.

Concerning sex, Manjushage often engages in instances involving either one or more females, or solely just herself. To her, solitary sex and self-stimulation is nothing to ashamed of and should be explored frequently up to at least several times a day. She finds sexual arousal in the company of someone who shares her passions, but she also enjoys seducing the defiant and unwilling, particularly her female prisoners. As a sadist, she derives pleasure from inflicting pain or humiliating others; the element of control gives her a special high that she has yet to experience elsewhere. Additionally, she also has a more submissive, masochistic side and enjoys the occasional absence of control; she wants to be punished. To shamefully be at the mercy of her tormenter; to be outrageously subservient and embarrassed, tied down, promiscuous and lewd. The attainment of such hedonistic hysteria is the sole purpose of her existence. She's a slave to the release of the body's tensions and forever seeks higher stimulations. If an impossible world of enduring heatedness, inexhaustible love-making, ceaseless erotic agony, boundless pleasures, and relentless climaxes existed, Manjushage would gladly spend an eternity in such a passionate and perverted purgatory.

Appearance
Unlike many of her fellow Jorōgumo, Manjushage prefers her human appearance over her half-spider form, because she finds it much more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing to the senses. As an added bonus, it also consumes less energy to maintain due to the smaller size of the body in comparison to the added weight, height, and limbs of the half-spider form, not to mention the fact that the assets of a young and tender lady are much more exploitable than those of a menacing spider. It also serves to convey a simple message to her fellow Kinudorei: Manjushage, the Silk Thread Empress, does not require the superior body of the Jorōgumo in order to crush the treasonable.

In her human form, Manjushage is an absolutely stunning woman to behold, especially since her age of appearance is forever reflective of her prime years. Jorōgumo, such as her, never appear older than their most beautiful in life, similar to vampires. Standing at a respective height of 5'4" and weighing around 105 pounds, she maintains the size of a young and alluring woman. Renown for her physical beauty, Manushage possesses balanced proportions concerning her torso and legs; she has little hands and dainty feet smaller than that of the average woman, accentuating her femininity. Her legs and arms are thin and well-toned, but aren't unhealthy or boney. While her hips are womanly, they are proportionate to her body size and help to define her figure's natural curves. She has a tight, flat, stomach and a slender waist which contrasts heavily to the perverse size of her voluptuous bust: Manjushage is said to have large, perky, and firm, yet tender breasts that rival even the legendary kunoichi Tsunade. They are incredibly sensitive erogenous zones for her, so nurturing her daughter, Shibara, was often quite the unintentionally erotic—and sometimes—breathtaking or climatic experience.

Manjushage's smooth, soft, skin is very pale, yet beautiful and almost porcelain-white in color. If one were to caress her shoulder, kiss the crest of her dainty breast, glide their fingers over her navel and down her stomach, or slither down even further to her womanhood, they'd find her skin to be of silky and delicate texture. In the moonlight, it seems to glow and glimmer with radiance, appearing as a mesmerizing source of tranquil light not unlike the moon itself. Her skin is cool to the touch, because spiders are cold-blooded creatures, but a comforting warmth can be found near her heart. There's not a single blemish or mark on her body; no scars, birthmarks, moles, or even freckles: This can possibly be attributed to the strong presence of her nature energy and enormous vitality.

Often worn in a bun with lengthy strands that frame her face, Manjushage's thick-fine hair is voluminous, yet silky-smooth in texture. Black like a raven's beak, her hair shines in the starlight and smells faintly of lavender with a touch of honey. Her fine and feminine eyebrows are also black in color, and while they can appear thin at times, it's nothing a little makeup can't fix. Matching her hair and eyebrows, her long and delicate eyelashes are a bold black color that brings out the definition in her eyes and accentuates its natural colors.

Under normal circumstances, Manjushage's relaxed-looking eyes appear a bluish-purple color with a silver web pattern in her irises: That web pattern is probably the closest thing she has to a real "birthmark." They are typically calm and serene, and seem almost disinterested in the trivial affairs of others. However, when Manjushage is angered, sexually aroused, or uses her sage chakra to perform ninjutsu or senjutsu, her seductive eyes turn a piercing crimson-blood color and glow a vibrant rose-red in the dark.

Infamously known for her Kiss of Vampiric Restoration, Manjushage's lips are lush and tender. She wears dark-red lipstick that contrasts with her pale skin and dark hair, and her small, pretty, lips usually rest in a faint, yet apparent, smile. She has a little nose with a slight turned-up shape and tiny ears which sometimes bear earrings. On her hands and feet, she typically doesn't wear any nail polish, but occasionally she may paint them black or dark-red, depending on the situation. Her nails aren't that long, and she keeps them at short length and in good condition.

With regards to apparel, Manjushage only wears the finest of garments and accessories. Made almost entirely of dry and unsticky spider silk, her long and sleeveless dress is most often black in color, although sometimes it appears blackish-green instead. It is unnaturally soft and almost cool to the touch and is incredibly comfortable to wear. It barely contains her tremendous cleavage, yet provides the best support she's ever felt; a spiderweb net pattern attached to her black choker holds up the dress for even more comfort and support. The dress hugs her body tightly, especially around her waist and bosom, and trails down to the floor where it usually hides her feet. While she's sometimes barefooted—especially when indoors—she usually wears a pair of black, heeled, sandals. They tend to make a thin click-clacking noise, but Manjushage herself walks very softly and ladylike. Finally, she wears a black, formal, glove on each arm, that which extends up past her elbows. The glove itself is more akin to a sleeve, as her entire hand is exposed, but Manjushage prefers the ability to feel what she's touching.

When she chooses to enter her spider form, Manjushage undergoes a physical transformation similar to that of her fellow Jorōgumo. While her older sister, Emica was born with the ability to manifest 8 spider legs (4 on each side) and to change her normal legs into pedipalp, Manjushage's body isn't as large or as strong as her sister's. She can still change her normal legs into pedipalp, but can only form 6 additional spider legs (3 on each side). Each leg is made of a hardened exoskeleton and is quite durable, with various accounts of steel blades being broken on them. If in the event one is injured or cut off, Manjushage can use the Kiss of Vampiric Restoration technique to regenerate herself. Additionally, out of her pelvis, she grows a black widow's abdomen marked with a red insignia on her hump. Her upper body stays mostly the same, but in order to preserve her clothes, she either wears something more akin to a crop top, or forgoes clothing entirely. When transforming, her usual dress dissipates and her new apparel forms in it's place, though it's still made of the same material and matter.

After stealing it from the monks from the Land of Tao, Manjushage came into possession of the Treasured Tessen of Onmyōdō: a black and grey folding fan of tremendous power. She uses it to cool herself and partially conceal her face, but it also serves a much more combat-oriented purpose. In addition to her fan, she keeps vials of various Poisons and Antidotes strapped to her leg under her dress should she need to use them.

Youth
Within the oldest and most revered tree in the Bewitching Silk Forest was a large egg sac that contained hundreds of baby spiders. Each spider was the daughter of the ancient Jorōgumo Sage at the time, who was nearing the end of her life after a millennium and a half. It was the everlasting hope of this Sage mother that through her offspring, a new leader would emerge to continue the noble lineage of the Jorōgumo.

In the final months before the spider hatchlings were released from their egg, the long awaited ritual commenced: The sisters began to eat one another. They fed on and consumed their sisters to survive, with only the strongest remaining and growing in size and intelligence. From the egg sac emerged only 2 fully developed Jorōgumo infants. Out of the 2, the older sister was named Emica and the younger sister was named Manjushage. It's said that Manjushage only received her infamous name after she was noted to have been attracted to a pretty, yet ominous, cluster of red spider lily plants.

In her adolescent years, Manjushage was a rather timid and shy girl; she had difficulty speaking to those older than her and she was afraid of her mother. She loved her older sister, Emica, but had difficulty enjoying the same things she did. If Emica wanted to play, Manju was afraid of getting hurt; if Emica wanted to prank the elders, Manju was afraid of getting in trouble; if Emica wanted to go exploring, Manju was afraid of getting lost. She preferred to stay at home and practice her web spinning instead.

Despite their differences, the two sisters got along well enough to the point that their teamwork was heavily influenced. They were able to master their silk thread jutsu quickly together, refining their skills to the point where they were dubbed the "Strongest Tag-Team" (最強タッグ, Saikyō Taggu). Though they had just barely turned 11, they demonstrated the skills of a 100 year old Jorōgumo Sage and thus, were considered to be the most powerful younglings in Jorōgumo history. To Manjushage, the power and glory felt good, really good, and she could feel her self-confidence grow stronger.

As Manjushage got older, so did her awareness with regards to her sexuality. She always found her fellow women to be more attractive than any male creature she'd ever seen. There was something about it, the female sex; it felt so... safe. It was kind and gentle, yet deceivingly strong and courageous. She found that when she laid eyes on a pretty girl, her heart skipped a beat and she felt a warm fuzziness spread throughout her body; a tingling sensation of sorts. Though she found shame in doing so, she couldn't resist the urge to explore her body and upon by coincidence, discovered the pleasurable ecstasies of womanhood. Only later would she truly come to terms with her sexuality and the fact that she was a lesbian.

At the age of 21, Manjushage's physical appearance stopped evolving. Like all Jorōgumo, when one reaches her most beautiful in life, that is how she forever looks until the day she dies. It just so happened that Manjushage's most beautiful occurred at 21 years of age, probably due to the fact that her breasts had finally stopped growing at that point in time. Her older sister seemed happy for her, but Manjushage could detect a slight hint of jealousy, something she found amusing.

Conquest
With time, Manjushage's relationship with her sister continued to ascend to greater heights: She felt great love towards her older sister and looked up to her strength and leadership; never had she ever seen a woman of such courage and charisma. Eventually, when Emica wanted to explore the world outside of their home, Manjushage followed her sister to the Land of Blood where the siblings wrecked havoc for several decades, laying waste to many villages, communities, and clans.

During this period of time, Manjushage became well-acquainted with the workings of the world. She had always envisioned it to be spectacular and full of wonderful, truly amazing things, but all she ever found was enough suffering to last her a lifetime... a Jorōgumo lifetime. Often travelling in her human form, she passed through many towns and villages, all the same. Sick children orphaned by human wars left starving on the streets begging for money and stealing to survive as drunken and intoxicated men beat them for their crimes. Exhausted young women and adolescent girls forced to sell themselves around the clock just to feed the children they birthed as a consequence of working the streets to originally feed themselves. Young men who should've studied to become scholars or trained to become honorable warriors instead joined gangs and organizations that fed on the weak and leeched off of the honest worker's coin.

Humans—men and women alike—and their Daimyo leaders, cared not for the sufferings of their kin, nor did they care for the preservation of life at the cost of leisure. It was for this reason, that Manjushage aided her sister in her conquest. Not for prestige or distinction, or even the exhilaration brought on by battle, but simply to destroy the abusive and to unshackle the abused... through the liberation from suffering by means of execution. Those who were set free would find peace in the afterlife away from hurt and pain. She was sure that, had the abused been given the chance to abuse, they too would succumb to the weakness of humanity; they too would betray their kin: They all deserved eradication.

When Manjushage made her victims suffer, she felt a sense of arousal and adrenaline she'd never felt before. The more and more she tormented her foes, the greater the high she received. The occasional one night stand with a needy, human, woman brought her great pleasure and erotic fulfillment. Then, the feeling of suffocating that ungrateful whore to death was all she needed in order to feel that she had saved the street urchins from the asphyxiated woman who'd use her body to tool others for personal gain at their expense, because their disgusting fathers were too busy squandering away their money on women instead of feeding them. Surely, such was simple murder? Surely, such was forbidden? All the more exciting. A corrupt female noblewoman starving her townsfolk to the brink of famine? To break such a character and enslave the "poor wench" was all Manjushage needed to please her raging hormones. To desecrate and break the once-immoral, young, noblewoman and then to sell her to the slave-traders off the coast of the Land of Fruit where the wench would serve her masters until she unhappily bore children. Such was what those detestable humans deserved.

When Manjushage and Emica eventually returned to the Bewitching Silk Forest on their 46th birthday (which is young for a Jorōgumo), they were shrouded in glory and honor, gaining the respect of the village elders and the support of the whole forest and most of the Jorōgumo populace. However, though she was happy to finally be home, things just didn't seem the same for Manjushage. The world felt a lot darker; a lot crueler; much colder. She had the blood of the innocents on her hands. She kept trying to justify her actions as being "expected of her," "honorable," and "merciful to the unfortunate," but there was one thing that she had difficulty admitting:

Trampling on the weak and the suffering-innocent was... fun. It really was exhilarating.

Political Presence
Not long after Manjushage and Emica returned from their conquest, their mother, who was already nearing the end of her long life, fell deathly ill. After much discussion pertaining to the right of succession, it was unanimously decided that Emica was to be the next successor: The next "Spider Heiress" (クモ相続人, Kumo sōzokujin). Though she was upset at her mother's passing, Manjushage was happy for her sister, who she believed truly deserved the honorary title of Spider Heiress, as well as the power and responsibility accompanied by it.

The cannabalistic ritual involving her sister's succession left Manjushage as the temporary, stand-in leader: The regent who would run the Bewitching Silk Forest in her sister's absence. There was so much responsibility that she wasn't prepared for and her rule wasn't the paragon of success, but despite her inexperience, through diligence and the support of her fellow Jorōgumo, Manjushage was able to maintain balance within the forest until the moment her sister was able to return to her duties. Upon Emica's return, Manjushage took on the role of advisor, and continued to assist her elder sister in the forest's political affairs.

During her long tenure as her sister's most trusted and valuable advisor, Manjushage saw to the maintenance of stability and peace within the Bewitching Silk Forest. She was ruthless and proactive, yet seemingly passive with her actions. She had no qualms about reverting to extortion or blackmail, and willingly used her body and its physical assets to further her own goals. If sleeping with a high-ranking member of the aristocracy pledged their much-needed vote in legislation, then such scandalous practices were never beneath her, not to mention the fact that she enjoyed her instances of coital lechery. With her various political powers and delicate skills, she helped organize better and more efficient methods of taxation, so the forest could sustain itself through programs that benefitted every Jorōgumo citizen. She was the sole founder of the forest's contemporary legal and political system, implementing a legislative organization that comprised of a council of nobles, as well as a judiciary whose magistrates were directly appointed by Emica herself to maintain law and order. Jorōgumo citizens couldn't elect officials or participate in legal affairs, but were given the right to petition and protest. This was the most political voice they'd ever been allocated and thus, Manjushage was seen as a hero and a symbol of progress and change: A revolutionary. She gained considerable support, both from the common folk and the noble clans, increasing her and her sister's already vast influence and perpetual supply of connections. Of course, Emica still held absolute power as the Spider Heiress and her word was law; she could overrule and override any proclamation or designation on a whim if she so chose too. Manjushage, however, did advise her sister out of necessity, not to abuse her power, or else her subjects would grow discontent and violent. Once again, the sisters proved to be the "Strongest Tag-Team" (最強タッグ, Saikyō Taggu), though this time, it was in regards to their leadership capabilities and political effectiveness.

Due to the success of her policies and the prosperity she brought to her sister's growing empire, Manjushage considered territorial expansion necessary in order to sustain the increasing Jorōgumo population. She presented 3 plausible options to her elder sister:

The first option: Do not expand their territory and risk overpopulation.

The second option: Conquer land and expand their territory, committing genocide and completely wiping out the inhabitants of the new land. This would require more bloodshed and possible loss of Jorōgumo life, but also firmly secure the new land for the Bewitching Silk Forest and maintain Jorōgumo homogeneity.

The third and final option: Conquer land and expand their territory, but subjugate the inhabitants of the new land and force them to become part of Jorōgumo society. Not only would this result in less overall bloodshed, but the conquered inhabitants would serve the Jorōgumo as serfs and pay taxes which would benefit the economy and prosperity of the society. Vile creatures could be harnessed as tools and weapons of war to fight in the stead of Jorōgumo, while humans could be enslaved and used as free labor to cut labor costs.

Through Manjushage preferred the second option, her sister chose the third; it's arguable as to who's decision would be considered the more "merciful." Manjushage believed that to kill the conquered peoples immediately would save them and their future generations from greater suffering later on down the road, but her sister believed in mercy through sparing their lives on the condition that the outsiders serve the forest. Trusting in the wisdom of her older sister, Manjushage supported Emica's decision to conquer and expand while also integrating the new peoples into Jorōgumo society.

Territorial Expansion
Under the leadership of Emica and the careful advisement of Manjushage, the Jorōgumo expanded their territory, conquering the smaller, neighboring lands. Each town, community, and village they came across provided little resistance against the might of the Jorōgumo. Every force of opposition, defiance, or armed militia was decimated and utterly defeated, especially considering the fact that both Manjushage and Emica participated on the battlefield and led their forces, personally seeing to the command of the Jorōgumo.

The assaults led directly by Manjushage were tactical and swift, decisive victories. The aftermath of every skirmish: Blood spattered on the ground and spider silk threads floating gently in the breeze. Every small village became a ghost town; every shop appeared rundown and abandoned; the plazas where communities would gather were completely deserted; irrigation systems went unused; moss-infected infrastructure crumbled and algae-plagued waters turned green.

As per orders from her elder sister, Manjushage was to spare anyone who surrendered and enslave those who ran away; those who fought back were to be executed and made an example to the rest of the herd. As Manjushage swept across the eastern front, she acquired many valuable goods and resources: The spoils of war from ransacking the neighboring countries. With such fortunes, the Bewitching Silk Forest prospered like never before.

Northeastern Empire Assimilation
Over on the northeastern front, Manjushage organized her prisoners of war into a strict caste system. Humans were seen as the weakest, most pitiful of creatures, and thus were placed at the lowest, most inferior level of the caste. They became a slave race who had no rights under Jorōgumo law and were expected to obey their master or mistress's every command. They could never gain their freedom and it was declared illegal to free a slave or treat them with equal status. Human male slaves, though Manjushage would've preferred to execute them, were sentenced mostly to hard, manual labor. They were given the tasks of building infrastructure, raising domesticated animals, and harvesting crops such as wheat, rice, and sugar. Human female slaves, whom Manjushage saw as the superior human sex, were given more refined, yet sometimes more gruesome, duties. They worked as household servants, taking care of the cooking, cleaning, sewing, and sometimes even childcare. If a woman was well-educated, or even better, came from a house of human nobility, she was often employed as a servant to Jorōgumo aristocrats and upper-echelon folk. These women were usually harder to subjugate, as they were used to their spoiled lifestyles, but in time, they came to know their place. They served as pages, secretaries, concubines, courtesans, teachers, and, depending on the business of their master or mistress, were employed in brothels and houses of ill repute. No slave was ever to be paid a cent.

The next level of Manjushage's caste, dangerous beasts, and power creatures were often regarded as immensely powerful tools of warfare. They held higher status than the humans, because of the great amount of respect that they earned for their battle prowess, however, because they were so strong, they were given even less freedoms than the humans and were often treated like caged animals. This enraged many of them, but that only fueled their anger and bloodlust which was harnessed and used by the Jorōgumo against their foes.

A level above the weapons of war, creatures or humanoid animals such as the Nekozoku—who were a cat-like people from the Land of Fruit—held a relatively stable role in Jorōgumo society: They were treated as indentured servants and serfs. If they were indentured servants, they were treated like slaves, but could slowly pay their way out of servitude until they were free. They wouldn't possess equal status to the Jorōgumo, but were otherwise considered "citizens." Serfs on the other hand, possessed the same fundamental freedoms of a freed indentured servant, but could never pay their out of servitude to their master. Serfs paid taxes to their lord in a feudal-like system, but could never truly leave the system, whereas indentured servants eventually could, but were essentially slaves until that point where serfs were not. Sometimes, these humanoids were given the choice between these two options. Other times, they were simply assigned one. Families wishing to stick together often chose serfdom, as did folk who preferred the more homogenous lifestyle.

Possessing full and superior status, the average Jorōgumo citizen reigned above all of the lesser beings. If they had the funds required, they could also own slaves, serfs, or servants, though they were prohibited from owning creatures of warfare, as those were only under the direct control of Emica and the military.

Consisting of the wealthiest and most powerful clans of the Jorōgumo, the noblility caste occupied a comparatively higher status to the Jorōgumo common-folk. They were often the ones owning the big businesses, brothels, and land and also owned many slaves, servants, and serfs.

A step above the nobles were the handpicked aristocrats from the noble houses. They formed the main body of the government and were in charge of making local decisions as well as participating on the legislative council or the judiciary. They held a great deal of power and responsibility and saw to the day-to-day affairs of the Bewitching Silk Forest.

The second highest honor in the forest, Manjushage held the title of the Royal Advisor to her sister Emica. This title was reserved for only the most qualified, most trusted of individuals and was regarded as the second most powerful role in the forest.

The highest, most prestigious level of the caste, the Spider Heiress was reserved for only the leader of the Bewitching Silk Forest. As Spider Heiress, Emica had absolute power and authority—even over the bureaucracy. She could override and overrule any legislation or court decision if such was her desire. She led the people of the forest and maintained balance.

Growing Discontent
Following the conclusion of Manjushage's successful invasion along the northeastern front, she and her sister Emica returned home to the Bewitching Silk Forest where they were greeted with honor, glory, and celebration. However, despite Emica's overall popularity, some groups within the ranks of the Jorōgumo disagreed with her decision to integrate the conquered peoples into Jorōgumo society. Like Manjushage, they feared that the assimilation of these outsiders would permanently influence Jorōgumo culture and threaten Jorōgumo sovereignty. Manjushage, who trusted her sister's better judgement, urged these groups to have faith in her elder sister. After all, Emica was the Spider Heiress chosen to lead the people and Manjushage was not; her sister's decree was absolute.

Within time, just as Manjushage and her follows had predicated, the lesser races began grow in number, size, and strength. More and more indentured servants began to buy out their freedom and start families of free children. These free citizens, though they held lesser status than the Jorōgumo, began to build their own wealth and power. They opened small businesses, bought plots of land, and slowly but surely, some of them were able to surpass Jorōgumo citizens in wealth and power. Though it was quite rare to see, there were instances of union or marriage between the free citizens and the Jorōgumo and the number of such instances were rising. It wasn't long before the lesser races began to unite and seek equal status and liberation.

The free citizens fought long and hard for equality within the Bewitching Silk Forest. They saw it as their home and considered themselves entitled to every privilege available to the Jorōgumo. Through peaceful protest and diplomatic discussions, they were able to gain some ground, becoming able to own human slaves, serfs, and indentured servants, but they were still not satisfied. They sought the freedom and equality of all creatures within the forest, and saw no reason for further hostility between them and the Jorōgumo. However, in order to maintain the balance of power, Manjushage and the Jorōgumo aristocrats denied any further attempts for equal status, blocking all petitions and appeals in the courts and council.

Though the vast majority of revolutionaries sought a peaceful resolution to conflict and inequality, there was an increasing number of enraged insurgents who took to violence to achieve their goals. Freed citizens, indentured servants, serfs, and human slaves alike would rally together at night and fight for change through any means necessary. They vouched for total equality across the board and found systems such as socialism and communism appealing. These radicals often resorted not only to just violence and vandalism, but they also committed theft, murder, and kidnapping, as well and torture and interrogation. The believed that any sacrifice was worth it if it meant radical change for the betterment of the people.

Upon hearing of the insurrectionist uprising, Manjushage became outraged. They, the subjugates she and her sister had conquered, who were only spared out of the goodwill and mercy of her elder sister, were wrecking havoc in the streets, bringing chaos, and building disorder. The ungrateful halfwits! Without delay, she took her frustrations and concerns to her sister and made a single point: The conquered peoples should've been butchered, ethnically cleansed, and should never have been spared or allowed into Jorōgumo society. Jorōgumo citizens—innocent women trying to make a living—were being murdered or stolen from their homes, taken from their children! Little Jorōgumo girls found hanging with a rope by the neck, raped, dead, outside of a dress shop: The product of lynching and spoliation.

It had to stop. Manjushage knew it had to stop.

The betrayal of the Jorōgumo at the hands of those they had allowed into their society, the rage brought on by the weakness of the lesser beings, and the consequences of mercy afforded by Emica; such was unjust and unacceptable. If only her older sister had listened to her, then maybe there would've been less suffering for everyone, including even the slave races. Unsure of what to do, Manjushage sought her beloved older sister's wisdom, for surely she of all people had a plan to right these wrongs. Surely she would understand.

Midnight Engagement
The night was dark and loud. Outside of the royal palace, the sky was black and layered with a legion of clouds. Rain poured from the abyss, lightning spread across of void of the night, and thunder boomed, echoing across the forest. From inside her sister’s palace, Manjushage saw light flash through the windows and felt the wind blow against the glass panes. The click-clacking of her high-heels could be heard as she calmly walked down the hallways of the palace.

Looking for Emica, Manjushage visited her elder sister’s quarters, but the Heiress was nowhere to be found. She checked the bathhouse, the cellar, and even visited the royal garden despite the weather; her favorite flowers, the Red Spider Lilies, seemed almost still-moving compared to the other flowers that danced wildly in the winds of the storm that reigned: The air wasn’t too humid and faintly smelled of rain. Droplets of water bounced off of the cold, hard, stone floor near the entrance and splashed onto Manjushage’s dress. After taking a brief moment to admire the rain and the flowers that reflected her birth name, Manjushage quietly walked away in search of her sister.

The next location where her sister could be at this hour was the dining hall, but to get there, Manjushage would have to cut through the throne room. Diligently walking on, she carried with her the resolve of the Jorōgumo and felt that for every second she wasted, another innocent life was to be sacrificed; she felt ashamed for spending too long in the garden. The frequency of her heel clicks increased as she increased her pace. Then, just as she was rounding the corner, Manjushage heard faint whispers emanating from the throne room. She halted.

Taking off her heels and carrying them in her left hand, she soundlessly slipped into the throne room, walking along the edge of the room by the walls, concealing herself within the shadows. Closer to the center of the room, Manjushage saw her older sister conversing with an unfamiliar being; a single candle was the only source of light in the entire room. Curious as to what they were talking about in such a secretive manner, Manjushage listened to what they had to say whilst also remaining undetected, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Emica’s voice was clear and distinct and Manjushage had no trouble discerning that she was indeed her sister, however, the other woman was the one that truly sparked her curiosity. There was just something off with her voice and the shape of her body; nothing about her seemed of the Jorōgumo. Manjushage listened closer to their hushed conversation. What were they talking about in such a secretive manner?

“My sister will no doubt block all petitions to the council. She is their strongest asset,” Emica whispered to the mysterious character, “I’ve tried to swade her, but she’s too blind to the truth.”

The mysterious character replied, “Emica, my people need the support of Jorōgumo and, next to you, your sister is the strongest political figurehead and leader in empire. Without her, we’re missing at least a third of the Jorōgumo population’s support. They look up to her and follow her, and perhaps are more loyal to her than they are to you. Her voice is strong on the council and she commands great respect.”

“I know,” Emica interrupted, “I know that, Kumonga, but Manju has always seen the conquered people as inferior beings and she likely won’t change her opinion of them.”

“But something must be done,” Kumonga interjected, “Your sister is preventing change for her own selfish reasons, she’s preventing us! Emica, I love you, I really do, but you’re going to have to make a decision: Your sister, or me.”

Manjushage had heard enough.

Softly and without noise, Manjushage slipped her heels back on and steadily stepped out of the shadows, approaching the two conspirers: The traitor and the insurgent. The sharp, yet passive sound of her heels echoed from the shadows in the corner of the room where she walked out from. Revealing herself to the light of Emica’s candle, the first thing she saw was a look of absolute horror on her older sister’s face.

Calmly, Manjushage inquired, “Sister, why have you done nothing to stop the humans and the lesser races from killing innocent young Jorōgumo?”

No response.

“Sister, by sparing the lesser races we’ve caused more pain and suffering than any human ever could have created. Had we killed them all instead, even they would have suffered less. We should rid ourselves of them now before it is too late.”

Again, no response. Only after a long pause, did Emica finally break the silence.

“Manju,” Emica spoke, “Many civilizations have been through this exact same conflict, but it’s up to us to break away from the mold and start anew. We can liberate the enslaved from their shackles and give them the equality that they are entitled to. We can change our world for the better; we can heal this wounded empire.”

But Manjushage couldn't hear her sister’s words over the voices in her head that shouted with rage and anger. She felt betrayed. The sister who had shown her so much love and affection, had given it all away to an enemy of the empire! The one she looked up to the most was letting the children of their people die out on the streets as a product of lynching. Her body began to shake, as she could barely contain her anguish; she wanted to cry for the ones that were lost. But for their sake, she needed to remain strong in order to lead the people to the promised era of peace that she envisioned when she was a little girl. To show any weakness was to admit cowardice, and she would not be taken so lightly.

Bottling up her emotions, Manjushage maintained her calm and unassertive face; she needed to maintain a sense of superiority. Eloquently, almost in a mocking fashion she spoke, “I despise every creature not of Jorōgumo blood and I will take it upon myself to rid the forest of them with or without you help, sister.”

This remark was the last straw for Kumonga, who made to attack Manjushage before Emica intervened. Only when Emica demanded that she stand down did she give up her assault on Manjushage, who was unfazed by the show of mutual hatred.

Mockingly, Manjushage articulated, “Sister, if this wretched beast wishes to dual, I’d be happy to oblige. Just don’t expect to see me at her funeral.”

Emica stared at Manjushage with ferocious eyes and as her blood began to boil, she set aside her love for her sister and ordered her to never threaten the people they’d taken in or she'd have to deal with Emica herself. The threat was made loud and clear; both Jorōgumo women knew that Manjushage could never hope to defeat her sister in open and fair combat. Hand-in-hand, Emica and Kumonga made to leave the room. However, just as they were departing, Emica heard Manjushage whisper something under her breath: It was something that would forever haunt the Spider Heiress.

“One day, you’ll lose that which you hold most dear, my dear sister.”

With that final remark, Manjushage turned to walk away from Emica and Kumonga. The click-clacking of her heels were fast and furious and Emica believed her sister to be seething with rage. However, all Manjushage could do was leave the throne room as quickly as possible to hide the tears that had begun to trail down her cheeks: Her heart had been broken; she had lost her beloved older sister.

Radical Extremism
In response to the radical insurrectionists founded by the lesser races, several groups of Jorōgumo emerged to ensure their superiority was maintained. The largest and most powerful of these groups was a syndicate that would infamously become known as the Kinudorei. They emerged to crush their opposition and spread their ideals throughout Jorōgumo society. Like the other pro-Jorōgumo groups, the Kinudorei also held incredibly strong, radical views for how things should be, however they were quite unorthodox concerning their these ideals and reasonings. Financed by many Jorōgumo aristocrats and supported by over a third of the Jorōgumo population, these radical jingoes were anti-male, pro-female, lesbian, Jorōgumo supremacists. They saw the male sex as completely inferior to the female sex and gender; they saw Jorōgumo as the paragon, the beau idéal of natural selection; they considered love between females as the only viable show of affection and encouraged polygamic and incestuous practices; they were sensual hedonists at their core, seeking only the greatest of erotic pleasures that life had to offer. They kidnapped and enslaved free female citizens of the lower castes and forced them into illegal sexual relations and abuse, as punishment for the actions of the insurrectionists. They participated in the formulation of greater systematic racism in order to maintain their dominance and power. With pride, they followed their distinguished and celebrated, imperial leader unimpeachably.

The leader of the Kinudorei: Manjushage, the Silk Slave Mistress (絹奴隷 愛人, "Kinudorei Aijin").

It was Manjushage who indulged in the pursuit of ultimate pleasure. She, a prominent and outspoken hedonist (one devoted to pleasure and the pursuit of pleasure), found life's enjoyments to be the only reason worth living. Love, sex, money, and material gain were all core values held close to her heart. When one such as her has lived over 100 years and still has barely entered the realm of Jorōgumo adulthood, one begins to realize how unimportant most things truly are. Thus, to enjoy the time spent alive is what truly makes living worth it. Every moment should be savored and every wave of pleasure cherished, for time is the universe's most valuable commodity; every instant of every moment should be spent in happiness and pleasure.

It was for her love of pleasure, particularly the sexual variation, and the increasing demonization of it, that Manjushage organized the Kinudorei. The empire was growing unstable and the Jorōgumo were growing restless; something needed to be done. Seeking to reform the empire into a regime where all Jorōgumo could live in peace, happiness, and pleasure, the complete removal of all that would stand in her way was the one and only option available to Manjushage. She hadn't forgotten her years of conquest and her experience with men, humans, and other beings. She remembered their cowardice, their hatred, and their love of war. An empire reflects the nature of it's inhabitants. If inferior creatures were allowed to continue to roam free within Jorōgumo society, then the empire would reflect such inferiority unto the lives and well-being of the Jorōgumo. Such had already begun.

It needed to stop.

Double-Dealing Stratagem
In the months that followed the rise of the Kinudorei, Manjushage remained the inspiring and charismatic leader of the Kinudorei syndicate. While in public, she played the benevolent and compassionate politician, eager to boost Jorōgumo status and maintain their dominance through peaceful, but radical means. However, she also gave orders and directed her followers from the shadows, as to avoid the watchful eyes of her sister, Emica. Secretly, Manjushage orchestrated mass-kidnappings and extorted businesses that defied the Kinudorei. Crafty and shrewd, her poisonous words seeped into the ears of the powerful and her talent for blackmail was exploited to its fullest extent. She achieved her goals by any means necessary; there was no obstacle too daunting, and no task too underhanded. If she needed to frame an innocent shopkeeper to run them out of business and control the sector, she would do it. If she needed to sleep with and entertain the needs of a powerful governess, she would do it. If she needed to lie, cheat, or steal her way into greater political power, then she would do it; nothing was beyond her.

Though nobody knew for sure that it was Manjushage and her Kinudorei that were behind all the kidnappings and killings, most believed they were. However, Manjushage and her Kinudorei associates were sly and cunning, so they didn’t leave any evidence behind that proved they were the ones who had committed such heinous actions. Therefore, when Emica put Manjushage to trial, Manjushage expected Emica to find her innocent, because she had nothing to convict her with. In addition, if Manjushage was convicted, she knew her supporters would rally behind their mistress and threatened violence if their lady was not released after being so wrongly and unfairly inditted. If everything went according to plan, Manjushage knew that she could soon stage a massive coup d'état, overthrow Emica, and place herself at the seat of the throne as the new Spider Heiress. She didn’t want to kill her sister, because she still loved Emica deep down in her heart, so she resolved to imprison, or enslave her as her personal fille esclave, her own slave girl. Such would be a fitting end for the great and powerful Emica.

Despite Manjushage’s assumption that Emica would not find her guilty of her crimes without evidence, Emica was able to bring forth a very special “witness” to the actions of Manjushage. Performing the Transformation Technique, Emica transformed into one of the beautiful Jorōgumo women that Manjushage had slept with in exchange for information and power. Immediately, Manjushage recognized the Jorōgumo as one she had spent a heated night of passion and desire with, all the while fuming with both rage and embarrassment. She had slept with her own sister was tricked into revealing her true intentions. Speechless and feeling defiled, Manjushage could only listen to her sister as Emica ruled her guilty of treason and sentenced her to life in prison.

With the trial concluded and Manjushage found guilty of treason, she was placed in shackles and led away to her prison cell. Not even resisting, she complied with her captors and her sister, because she knew that if she resisted, she would be killed by Emica; her sister was far stronger than she was. Only out of mercy, did Emica spare her life and, had they not been friends and sisters at one point, Manjushage would’ve likely been given the death penalty. Her actions against the empire were unforgivable.

Maximum Security & Zero Mobility
Pushed into her prison cell, Manjushage was placed under 24/7 maximum security surveillance. She was stripped of all her titles and statuses and was to be watched over carefully at all times. Though Emica was much stronger than her, Manjushage herself was noted to also be incredibly powerful. To ensure that she had no chance of escape, her dress was disposed of and she was outfitted in a white straitjacket with black belts that bound her so she could barely move. A special fuinjutsu was placed on the jacket, sealing her movements and chakra completely. A black blindfold was also placed over her eyes to prevent her from looking around for a potential escape route. Additionally, to keep her persuasive words from potentially bribing or tricking security, a crimson-red ball-gag with a black buckle was used to impair her sinister speech. Finally, chains were looped through rings in her straitjacket and her gag which fed themselves to the wall behind her, restricting her mobility even further, all while forcing her to sit on a cold, metal, bench; her feet didn’t even touch the floor. She could only sit and squirm in place, but otherwise couldn’t move or escape.

For two weeks Manjushage sat in her maximum security cell, having seen the darkness of her blindfold and felt the cold of her freezing cell. She didn't said much of anything the entire time and was unsuccessful at escaping from any of her restraints. Only when she needed to use the restroom, did security notice her uncomfortable writhing and shuddering movements, as she struggled against her binds with her small and sad, embarrassed whimpers: Even while relieving herself, she was under constant watch and physical care and was still bound in one way or another. Her toiletries and cleanliness was always taken care of by her attendants. Food and drink were provided for her twice a day. Then, and only then, would her gag ever be removed. If she spoke even a word, she would not be fed the rest of the day.

Over the course of those two weeks, Manjushage had been growing more and more frustrated; she was unable to relieve her sexual tensions and became increasingly aware of her inability to find climatic release. She squirmed and struggled through her bindings, twisting and jiggling her spasming body, hoping find some sneaky way to stimulate herself. Eventually, she discovered how to reach her peak through Kegel exercises, but even those brief moments of pleasure failed to satisfy her hedonistic needs. Right when she was at the breaking point of crying and screaming out for someone to sensually touch her, she heard her cell door open earlier than it usually did. Her sister, Emica, had come to pay her a visit.

Emica began by outlining the harsh reality of the outside world: The Kinudorei were furiously wreaking havoc across the empire and the chaos and bloodshed from before Manjushage’s imprisonment had now proliferated and increased to the point that the empire risked collapsing entirely. Therefore, Emica had come to strike a deal with her younger sister.

At those words, Manjushage looked up in the direction of her sister’s voice, her interest piqued and her ears eager to hear what deal her sister might have to offer.

Emica spoke calm and precise, “I am willing to release you from your confinement, Manju, if, and only if, you and your Kinudorei take your leave and never bother the empire again.”

Manjushage stirred at the proposal; her freedom was on the line. However, there was more to this deal than her sister was letting on.

“Manju, I have already been forced to cut down and imprisoned your followers to a mere fraction of their original number, but before I could finish them off, they... they took Kumonga. Your Kinudorei sisters managed to kidnap her and are threating to kill her if their demands aren't met: They wish to exchange her for your freedom. We don't know for sure how they got to her, or how they even found out about her, but a sedative drug was found in her drink. She must have been drinking some wine that they poisoned and used to knock her out. She... she's everything to me, Manju. That is why I am coming to you… for help.” Emica spoke with a quivering voice: She was desperate.

“I'm going to trade you, regardless of what your opinion on the matter is. Afterword's, you and your Kinudorei will be forever free, but there is a catch: You will all be forever banished from my kingdom. You will never lay a finger on the ones I love... ever again."

With little choice but to comply with her sister's demands, Manjushage let out a small whimper from her gag and simply nodded, agreeing to Emica’s proposal. To her, this was the one and only chance she'd ever have to be free again; she had to take the deal. There as no other choice.

The Great Schism
The departure of Manjushage and her Kinudorei followers was a sudden and quiet event. Emica made a small public announcement that her younger sister and her remaining followers were to be exiled and removed from the empire. They would be stripped of all their titles, ranks, and statuses, but would be permitted to live freely so long as they inflicted no harm to the empire and it’s loyal inhabitants.

Most of the Kinudorei had been brutally slaughtered by Emica and her forces during their uprising. For this reason, only a handful of Kinudorei actually remained to follow Manjushage out into the world. The only reason they had been spared was for fear that they would kill Kumonga if any actions were made against them.

Forced to free their slaves and abandon their homes, Manjushage and her 50 loyal followers were escorted to the border of the empire and forced out. Walking out into the world, Manjushage didn’t know where she was headed, but she knew that she’d find her salvation in the unknowns of the world. Not looking back, she left the empire and forest where she had been born and raised. Without a final goodbye, she left her beloved sister and forced herself not to cry.

With Manjushage out of the picture, Emica had forever rid her empire of the might of the Kinudorei. Without her sister, Kinudorei ideals would crumble and fall and, in time, they would become the stuff of legend, a vague and distant memory from an age of change where sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. In her sister’s honor and as a reminder to the inhabitants of the empire, Emica ordered a large statue of her sister be built in the capital city of the empire. That way, the people would remember the beautiful and kind Manjushage that had once graced the land and brought law, order, and prosperity to their forest. That was the way Emica wanted her sister to be remembered.

Seeking Refuge
Over the course of a few months, Manjushage and her Kinudorei sisters wandered the lands in search of a new place to call home, seeking refuge in the villages foolish enough to lower their guard to a few pretty faces. After a few days of exhausting the villages' resources and slaughtering their inhabitants, Manjushage and her sisters would set out again, hoping to find a forest where they could live far away from the troubles of the world.

After crossing the border into the Land of Zen, the Kinudorei noticed the lively human population that thrived there. The people were diligent and hardworking, putting their greatest efforts into everything they did, most of them coming from simple backgrounds. Farmers tended the rice fields; their conical kasa hats shielding them from the oppressive sun. Laborers and craftsmen repaired homes and built new towns from the materials they'd lumbered. Fishermen sat out on their little boats to catch sashimi (raw fish), which they'd bring back to town to sell at the marketplace. Women tended the stalls, selling prepared meals or working as hostesses while their children played out in the hills and fields. On days of rest, the townsfolk flocked towards the buddhist temples of their communities and made humble donations of food and drink to the local monks. The Land of Zen was indeed a place of joy and happiness; though life was simple, such was all the people needed to remain happy and content with their lives.

Not wishing to draw too much attention to themselves, the Kinudorei sisters avoided these towns as often as they could due to the many shinobi and ninja monks that wandered the land. Destroying a town would be no trouble, but drawing attention to themselves in the heart of a warring nation would only bring about their own destruction. It was for this reason that Manjushage urged her sisters to quiet their sharp tongues and conceal their killing intent.

Upon reaching the border between the Land of Zen and the Land of Tao, Manjushage and her Kinudorei witnessed from afar a massive battle between the two nations. The battlefield was littered with young men and women who had given their lives for a cause the Jōrogumo found to be worthless. The shinobi of zen fought with ferocity and incredible martial prowess, mimicking the likes of wild animals in their taijutsu and imbuing their attacks with spiritual energy, aiming to break, crush, and shatter their opponents. On the contray, the shinobi of tao fought with grace and delicacy, their movements flowing like water in a stream, or wind passing through a valley like a breeze on a sea of reeds. They used their internal energies to channel and focus their chakra into subtle, yet lethal attacks, much like that of the Gentle Fist. Their taijutsu was wrought of misdirection and circular movements, aiming to halt their opponents movements, or turn their opponents' strengths against themselves.

Urging her sisters to press on, Manjushage and her Kinudorei followers entered the Land of Tao through the mountain pass above the battle that reigned down below. They could hear the shouting of men and the screaming of women echoing from battlefield; the mist and clouds of the mountains shielded their eyes from the bloodbath. They had to keep moving.

After crossing over the border through the mountain pass, the Kinudorei sisters roamed through the hills and mountains of the Land of Tao. The temperature was much cooler there and mist seemed to always be in the air; the land seemed so mysterious, yet tranquil. The people were much less roudy and playful and were a lot more well-mannered and appropriate. Compared to the rags and simple tunics of the Land of Zen, these people, even the commoners, wore very elaborate robes and dresses with ornate patterns and quality fabrics. They spoke softly and walked delicately: The women were the finest humans the Kinudorei had ever seen. Intelligent, gifted, and beautiful, these maidens and kunoichi were proud, yet humble creatures possessing great dexterity and knowledge. Along the path the Kinudorei traveled, they witnessed artisans working at their crafts in the great cities and villages of the land. Schools of thought for scholars and religious monks were scattered throughout the country; Taoist monasteries were a place of spiritual gathering and worship for these people. The Land of Tao was a place where one's passions could be explored and where one's destiny was forged. It was a land of subtly and of craft, and the people shared those traits.

After several months of traveling, the season turned to autumn and the leaves turned shades of orange, yellow, and red: Manjushage had left her sister in the Spring of that year. The Kinudorei had passed through several of the great cities within the Land of Tao, often posing as courtesans or entertainers, but they had yet to find a place to call home. However, there was one forest within the Land of Tao that was rumored to home to demons, yokai, and terrible creatures; none dared to go near it, for those who did never returned. To the Kinudorei, this forest seemed like a promiseland and a place to make their new home. There, they'd remain undisturbed and unchallenged, free to do as they pleased without the worry of outside hostilities. Following these rumors and travelling farther up north, it wasn't long until the Kinudorei discovered a massive, eerie forest.

The Silk Servant's Forest
The forest was think and dense, full of trees with gray wood, gray and red roots, and black leaves. It was as if the trees were sucking the life and blood out of the earth itself.

Next Chapter
These are just potential ideas for plot. Nothing is final.
 * Founding of silk servants forest
 * Dedication to "lust"
 * Political role
 * Policies
 * Human cattle farm, Yuna Hōtai survives juinjutsu and is granted title of Kinudorei equal
 * Time as Ruler/love practices
 * Falls in love with Yuna. Secret. Betrayed by Yuna (love and power). Mildly unfair fight
 * Hat harm 4 yehrz (many?) (40 yr)
 * Rermskewed pie E's doter Mo-m
 * Rekindles relationship with sister maybe, or not.
 * Daughter shibara/Raising Shibara
 * Shichi Shizuken Arrives and Shibara and Shichi leave together

254 - 20 daughter = 234 - 15 reformrule = 219 - 41 farm = 178 - 75 rule = 103 desertleaves

Trivia
❧ Manjushage is pronounced: (Mahn-Ju-Sha-Geh)

❧ "Manjushage" is the name given to the Japanese Red Spider Lily plant (AKA. Lycoris radiata)

❧ The main character used to portray Manjushage is Arachne Gorgon from: Soul Eater

❧ Manjushage's main theme: Wa -cycle- (環-cycle-)

❧ The will of Manjushage theme: Isabella's Lullaby

❧ The choice to include "Human Cattle" in the Silk Forest of Submission was heavily inspired by the manga/anime: The Promised Neverland

Reference

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