
World
=====

Frey - fierce border people from the western step

Pell - main ethnicity of the empire

People
======

Mal Dy-in - Imperial guardsman. Handsome. Psychic tracker. His ring
            fingers have been alchemally transformed and then dimensionally dislocated
            like all the elite imperial guards. Pell. 25.

Cin We-Chul (nee Tamrin) - The empire's greatest general. Originally from the borderlands
                            but became nobility when his father was defeated by imperial
                            armies, and quickly rose through the ranks of the imperial
                            millitary. He rose further than usual because of the external
                            threat to the empire. Frey. Shapeshifter (can turn into a bear).

Cin Lei-Wey (nee Urs) - We-Chul's daughter. Frey. Shapeshifter (facedancer). Is guarded
                        by Dy-in, and resents that fact, or at least seems to, though she
                        teases him quite a bit. Considered a great prize since facedancer
                        women are reputed be quite good in bed. Resents imperial life and
                        wishes to return to the step. Excellent archer and rider. The war has
                        meant her father has not devoted much attention to her marriage, so
                        she is 20 and yet unmarried. Escapes all the time and has to be
                        tracked down by Dy-in who is uniquely suited for the task. 20.

Premise
=======

The empire is falling and Dy-in and Lei-Wey escape together on a boat. Along the way, Lei-Wey
reveals that she's had a crush on Dy-in for a while and they shack up together. Lei-Wey uses
her shapeshifting to show Dy-in a very good time.

