Mei Chai

Chai Meilin (later styled Mei Chai to conform to western conventions) is a Yi Tish sellsword and a lieutenant of the Stormbringers. Born into a wealthy family in Asabahd, her lineage claims descent from the Yellow Emperors who ruled Yi Ti a thousand years ago. Chai Gong raised his sons for leadership and his daughters for marriage, but Mei quickly proved more talented than her indolent twin. She was frequently charged with assisting him in his studies, and in the process learned much of swordsmanship and battlefield tactics.

By the year 410, Meilin’s father had amassed a sizable powerbase in western Yi Ti, with which he attempted to usurp the imperial throne. After many initial successes, Chai Gong’s fortunes were rapidly reversed, forcing him to flee to the west. Desperate to gain a new foothold, the Yellow rebels foolishly marched toward Qarth, where mercenaries commanded by Selwyn Storm brought his aspirations to a bloody end.

After slaying her father, Selwyn found Meilin defending herself against several of his sellswords. Impressed by her skill, he offered her a place in his company – and with no the other recourse, she accepted. Effectively exiled from her home land, Mei distinguished herself among her brothers in arms, putting her unique education into practice. She eventually became a lieutenant of the Stormbringers, whose flank she commanded in the service of numerous contractors.

Appearance and Character
Meilin’s Yi Tish features easily distinguish her among Westerosi and Essosi; she has almond eyes, dark hair, pale skin and a round, flat face with full cheeks. While not particularly imposing in her form, she has an above average height and a subtly toned physique, a figure well-suited for fighting. Typically sporting a fitted black tunic of boiled leather, Mei opts for chainmail before battle and simple gowns for formal occasions, rare as they may be in her life. At her hips, she usually carries a castle-forged longsword and a parrying dagger, with another knife concealed within her boot.

Even in her rugged attire, Meilin maintains a groomed appearance, always ready to leverage the charm of her exotic beauty. Where she lacks a poetic grasp of the common tongue, she instead utilizes a graceful demeanor to inspire her allies and disarm potential foes. With her subordinate sellswords, however, Mei can be unrelentingly stern, often keeping the men in line with a heavy hand.

After several years as a sellsword, Mei’s lifelong fascination with foreign (if increasingly familiar) lands and cultures lingers. She is always eager to hear the stories and opinions of others, though her open mind and curiosity seldom stand in the way of her selfish ambitions. Already molded into a callous mercenary, Mei ruthlessly seeks the renown that once seemed well beyond her reach.

History
More than a thousand years after the downfall of the last Yellow Emperor, a Chai claimant emerged in the strange city of Carcosa. Better known as the "Sorcerer Lord", Chai Choq's ambitions never came to fruition. After his assassination, his sole surviving son, Han, returned to Yi Ti and amassed a great fortune in his own right. Though he and his son were content with their station, his grandson developed an obsession with his legendary ancestry. Even as a child, Chai Gong plotted his bid for imperial power.

After marrying into the wealthiest family of Tiqui, Gong relocated to the port of Asabhad, just outside of Yi Ti's western border. He sired a set of twins, Meilin and Jianjie, raising the son to become a crown prince while expecting the daughter to someday secure a marriage alliance. As the two began their formal studies, however, Meilin revealed herself to be a diligent learner where her brother was lazy and dull. She was reluctantly allowed to share in Jianjie's "princely" education, if only to serve as his secondary tutor.

Though Meilin's assistance only aggravated her twin, she retained everything she was taught. She learned the

Family

 * Chai Choq, "Sorcerer Lord" of Carcosa b. 267 AC d. 312 AC
 * Chai Han b. 303 AC. d. 374 AC
 * Chai Yuan b. 332 AC d. 401 AC
 * Chai Gong b. 366 AC d. 412 AC
 * m. Chai Huidai b. 372 d. 412 AC
 * Chai Meilin b. 391 AC
 * Chai Jianjie b. 391 AC d. 411 AC
 * Chai Qian b. 393 AC d. ???
 * Chai Daiyu b. 396 d. ???