The Shen Family

Bloodline of the White Lion

Overview

The Shen family of the Lin Province are among the most formidable noble houses of the Lelien Empire. Commanders, tacticians, and predators, the Shen have guided Imperial armies since the Empire’s founding. Though outwardly honorable and disciplined, the family’s pursuit of perfection drives them to extremes, shaping both their greatness and their cruelty.

Origins

The Shen trace their bloodline to a great white lion who awakened into human form. For a time, he lived among mortals, teaching strength, cunning, and the way of command. When his life ended, he left his descendants not only a bloodline, but also relics of his own body—artifacts meant to preserve his power.

From this origin came the family’s sacred law: only Shen blood may bind Shen remnants. Outsiders who attempt to keep or use one invite unrelenting retribution.

Traditions and Practices

Predator’s Philosophy: Lions do not always roar before the strike. The Shen embrace assassinations, ambushes, and shadow tactics as extensions of the natural order. Honor, to them, is found in effectiveness.

Relentless Pursuit of Perfection: Success is expected, never celebrated. Failure—or even success that falls short of perfection—is met with quiet but relentless disappointment. A Shen is not punished with violence or shame, but with the unbearable weight of expectation.

Separation of Kin: In some of the more dogmatic branches, siblings are separated in childhood, raised apart until adulthood. This breeds self-reliance and ensures that loyalty flows upward—to elders and the family name—rather than sideways to brothers or sisters.

Remnant Recovery: The Shen stop at nothing to reclaim family remnants. A standing reward of 25,000 gold is offered for their return. Those who attempt to keep, sell, or hide one are pursued with terrifying persistence. Tales abound of entire bloodlines erased for daring to bind a Shen remnant.

Regalia of the First White Lion

The Shen founder left behind not just his hide, but other relics tied to his body and essence.

Reputation and Influence

Feared Nobility: To most, the Shen embody discipline, honor, and loyalty to the Empire. But among those who know them well, the family’s perfectionism carries a darker reputation.

Imperial Generals: A Shen has commanded the Empire’s armies for as long as the nation has existed. Today, that mantle rests with Shen Dai, an unyielding strategist known for flawless campaigns.

Predators Among Men: Even in diplomacy and politics, the Shen act as lions—observing, circling, and striking only when their prey reveals weakness.

Symbols

Crest: A white lion’s head with bared fangs, flanked by crossed blades.

Colors: White and silver, evoking both the snow and the purity of their ancestral hide.

The Return of the White Lion

Recovered fragments, scribe unknown. Sections missing.

“…the Lion does not sleep—
it waits.”

Scholars dispute the phrase. Some call it metaphor, others—prophecy. The records are… incomplete.

Shattered Account

The Tomb Below
“…beneath the capital… not quake of earth, but turning of the beast… ribs like towers… breath like winter across steel…”

The Emperor’s Secret Oath
“…first emperor… demanded Shen swear… none may bear more than one relic… crown to silence the roar… lest the Lion walk again…

Relics of Shen
“…bone, claw, horn, crown, step… not heirlooms… pieces carved from the White itself… five to restore… five to…” the parchment breaks here

The Yiwang Child
“…born beneath the season’s single sun… eyes as the lion’s… tongue none may silence… to rule, or to ruin…”

The Broken Seal
“…chains of the Lion… chains of the Keeper… one loosens, the other…” illegible

Closing Fragment

“…elders deny… silence is louder… the Lion does not sleep… it waits… it waits…”