The Desert Ship.
Amid swirling yellow sand, a group of women in bamboo hats advanced swiftly. They were tall and graceful, and even their thick outer garments could not conceal their beauty. These were high-ranking Eastern Dancers. Their seemingly cumbersome dresses concealed all manner of little tools, including poisons, hidden weapons, daggers, and spellcasting materials. Some even had concealed fasteners beneath the backs of their skirts; with a gentle tug, they could remove the obstruction, sit on a man's lap, and discreetly writhe in the pleasures of lovemaking. They were the Eastern Diji's agents. Though ruthless and vicious, with control over many grey domains, they still did things such as taking in orphans and helping the poor.
Everything was relative.
Humans were a complicated race. Purely good or purely evil people were rare. The Eastern Dancers stood somewhere between good and evil, and under the Imperial Princess's leadership, most of their efforts went toward securing rights for women.
The desert nation had once been territory controlled by the Mulhorand Pantheon. Under its influence, women held an extremely low status, and there had even been a period when their clitorises were cut off. After this otherworldly pantheon was driven out, the Eastern Dancer class emerged amid the turmoil and swiftly took control of the desert nation's grey domains. The Eastern Diji herself was a formidable, ambitious woman, revered by many women. Her origins were unknown, though she was said to have been among those who had resisted the Desert Pantheon.
The most dazzling figure in the crowd was the Eastern Diji.
At that moment, however, she lacked her usual poise and elegance. Though still breathtakingly beautiful, traces of exhaustion and worry showed on her face.
Whatever else she might be, the Eastern Diji was still a mortal.
As a mortal, she