Marquis Milim Tsunemori
Marquis Milim Tsunemori (a.k.a. The Fox of the Eastern Winds)
Background & Rise to Power
Milim Tsunemori did not inherit wealth, nor was she born into privilege. She was born in the gutters of Inari, a city where the scent of cherry blossoms masked the stench of desperation. She never knew her parents, only the hunger and struggle of a child left to the streets.
Her earliest memories were of watching merchants count their gold while she scoured for scraps, learning from a young age that gold, not steel, ruled the world.
The Meeting with Hiro Mashima (439 AEL, Age 10)
At 10 years old, starving and desperate, Milim attempted to steal from one of Hiro Mashima’s shipments—a crate of dried fish and rice.
Rather than punish her or have her maimed, Hiro saw something in the young Vulpin—a survivor, a sharp mind, and someone willing to take risks to live.
He took her in, not as a servant, but as a student, teaching her how to read, write, and navigate the complexities of trade.
Milim proved to be a prodigy, understanding supply chains, market manipulation, and negotiation tactics with an instinctive brilliance.
Hiro to Milim:
"You have a thief’s hands and a merchant’s mind. Let’s teach you to steal without ever touching a thing."
Her Rise as Hiro’s Apprentice (444-449 AEL, Ages 15-20)
At 15, she was handling trade negotiations on Hiro’s behalf, dealing with merchants in Kozuka, the Dominion of Kafka, and the Sultanate.
At 17, she outmaneuvered a noble-backed trade syndicate, securing a lucrative spice contract and crippling her rivals without ever drawing a blade.
At 18, she led her first major sea expedition, successfully evading pirates and securing a major silk shipment from Kozuka to the Sultanate.
At 20 (449 AEL), Hiro Mashima passed away at the age of 87, naming her his successor, shocking the entire Union.
Hiro’s Last Words to Milim:
"The sea carries many traders, but only one will set the course. Take the winds, Milim, and never look back."
Many doubted her ability to lead, believing she was too young, too untested. But within a decade, she proved them all wrong, reshaping SWTU into an economic titan while securing noble recognition in the Sultanate.
Accomplishments & How She Cemented Her Power
1. The Merchant Power Balance Treaty (452 AEL, Age 23)
Negotiated the first trade agreement between BTC, RMC, and SWTU, ensuring each faction had distinct markets without direct conflict.
Forced Ellenore Basara and Altair Rahani to agree to non-compete terms on certain goods, ensuring SWTU remained indispensable.
2. The Elevation to Marquis (458 AEL, Age 29)
Gained the favor of Sultan Grada Vorr’Khal, who granted her the title of Marquis and control over Milas.
This move secured SWTU’s permanent foothold within the Sultanate, making them a governing entity rather than just a trade union.
3. The Strengthening of The Grey Fleet (460-470 AEL, Ages 31-41)
Expanded SWTU’s naval forces, adding new fast-moving Corsairs and heavily armed Frigates, ensuring they could compete with BTC’s maritime power.
Established elite privateers and mercenaries, ensuring SWTU had both legal and illegal enforcement capabilities.
4. The Kozukan-Sultanate Silk Pact (471 AEL, Age 42)
Used her ties to Kozuka to establish a silk and rare goods monopoly, ensuring no Kozukan textiles entered the Sultanate without SWTU’s involvement.
This move dealt a major blow to independent noble merchants, forcing many to accept SWTU’s dominance.
Motivations & Current Conflicts
Motivations & Goals
To secure SWTU’s dominance in foreign trade markets, ensuring it is the only viable bridge between Kozuka and the Sultanate.
To keep the balance of power between BTC, RMC, and SWTU, ensuring that neither merchant empire can overpower the others.
To establish a foothold in the Sultan’s court, increasing SWTU’s influence beyond trade into direct governance.
Current Conflicts & Challenges
The Basara Trading Company (BTC): While SWTU and BTC have a non-compete agreement, Ellenore Basara is always testing the limits, looking for loopholes to expand BTC’s reach.
The Sultanate Nobles: Some resent that a Kozukan-led trade union holds noble power, seeing Milim’s rise as a foreign intrusion.
Kozuka’s Isolationists: While SWTU profits from Kozukan trade, some factions in Kozuka see them as betrayers of traditional values, creating political instability in their homeland.
Pirates & Smugglers: While SWTU deals with the black market, rogue pirate factions threaten their shipping lanes, forcing Milim to rely more heavily on her privateer contacts.
Personality & Leadership Style
Personality Traits
Cunning & Adaptive – Thinks three steps ahead, always adjusting her plans based on new opportunities.
Pragmatic & Ruthless – Willing to make sacrifices if they lead to long-term gains.
Loyal to Her People – Despite her ruthlessness in business, she genuinely protects her merchants, ensuring SWTU remains a haven for free traders.
Leadership Style
Prefers negotiation over war but is not afraid to use force when necessary.
Values flexibility, allowing her captains and trade lords to operate with autonomy.
Uses information and espionage to her advantage, ensuring she always has leverage in negotiations.
Final Thoughts
Milim Tsunemori was born in the gutters but rose to command an empire.
Through ruthless cunning, unwavering adaptability, and a fierce understanding of power, she shattered the chains of poverty and became one of the most influential merchant-lords in history.
Her enemies whisper of her rise in fear, but she remembers every hunger pain, every sleepless night, and every insult thrown at the street rat she once was.
Because of that, she will never be satisfied.
Current Location
Species
Age
45
Date of Birth
7th of Thallen, 429 AEL
Birthplace
Inari - "The City of Falling Petals"
Children
Current Residence
Milas
Pronouns
She/Her
Sex
Female
Gender
Woman
Presentation
Feminine
Eyes
Sharp Golden Eyes
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Sleek Auburn Fur with White Accents
Height
5' 9"
Quotes & Catchphrases
On Trade & Business:
"A wise merchant never takes the first offer, nor the last. The real wealth lies in the space between."
On Strength:
"Gold builds armies. Armies keep gold. Power is knowing how to balance the two."
On Cunning & Strategy:
"A good trader makes a profit. A great trader makes a kingdom."
On Betrayal:
"There are only two kinds of people in trade—the ones who owe you, and the ones who fear you. If someone is neither, they are a problem to be solved."
On Legacy:
"A name written in gold is easily erased. A name written in blood and fortune is remembered forever."
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
