Sun Zan was born the son of a regional Warlord in Distor. His family had ruled their lands since the 10 year civil war, having backed Zhu Yu. However by the time of Zan’s birth the dynasty was a shadow of its former self. He grew up watching his father weak rule allow power, wealth and respect to slip away. By the time he came of age, his family could barely afford a celebration. The laughs of the invited nobles at the poor hospitably proved to be the last straw. He vowed that day to end his father’s weak rule and restore his family to power. Over the next few years he purged corrupt officials and bandits from lands his family owned, imprisoning the latter and publicly executing the former in cruel ways. Seizing their ill-gotten wealth he slowly began to rebuild his family’s wealth. When one governor local defied him and refused him entry he put the whole city to the torch, massacring the inhabitants. His actions earned him the ire of his father to tried to scold him in front of the court his anger was too much to contain. He struck his father, his armoured gauntlet breaking the old man’s jaw. The family’s retainers stood by and did nothing. Quietly he left the hall, the soldier’s following him out, years of command had earned Zan their loyalty.
Zan’s next effort to rebuild his family was to call in old debt’s from their vassal’s, long since forgotten. Only one paid the money at once, most dithered and stalled, hoping it would be forgotten, while two refused to pay. They had grown rich as their overlords had grown weak, believing themselves stronger than their masters. They were right. Upon hearing of their defiance Zan knew this was the moment that would decide the future of his house. He knew the vassals were richer and could raise a larger army, but he had one thing on his side, speed. He gathered every retainer, soldier and household guard he could, even freeing the bandits he had captured over the years in exchange for service. Within a day he was marching on the closest commandery, without bothering to declare war, inform his father or gather supplies, the peasants along the way would feed them. The first vassal, Hue Gon, learned of the approaching army half a day before it reached him. He panicked, sending word to the second Wan Do and hastily preparing for a siege, hoping the other would arrive in time to break the siege. Zan didn’t give him a chance. He sent out his cavalry to the surrounding towns to round up all the peasants they could find, ordering them to construct as many ladders as they could carry. Then he made them charge the walls from all sides telling them any who got a ladder up would be given land and wealth. The defenders fired on them as soon as they came into range, many of the peasants broke and tried to retreat, a few battlefield executions were needed to remained them who to fear more. Hundreds died in the approach but within minutes there were ladders on the walls. Zan ordered his forces forwards. By this time the sun had mostly set, the darkness and the confusion caused by the peasants provided some protection, even so the defenders picked off many of his troops before they scaled the walls. After some brief fighting the defenders fell back to the castle allowing Zan’s forces to quickly take the town, burning, raping and pillaging their way through it. Fearing his wroth, some of the inhabitants approached him and told him of a servants entrance into the castle that would be hard to defend. He ordered his infantry to form a shield wall and feign an attack on the front while he personally lead a small group of his best soldiers though the rear passage. The defenders fired on the attacking soldiers but were quickly running out of ammo, realising this they decided to turn their feint attack into a real one charging the main doors but without siege equipment they could do little but hack at them with axes. They had made little progress when the gates were unlocked and swung open, the castle had fallen. Zan quickly looted the gold before throwing Gon’s family from the highest point, starting with the children, leaving him for last. He named the servant who had told him of the entrance the new governor and left for the second vassal.
The messenger sent to Wan Do arrived with enough time for him to raise an army and he marched out to meet the approaching forces. His confidence was boosted when he saw that he outnumbered Zan’s army and saw how tired they were, having barely stopped to rest. Zan too was confident. Years of peaceful and prosperous rule meant few of Do’s soldiers had any battle experience and a large portion were peasant levies, while Zan’s forces were hardened bandits and seasoned veterans. Convinced of his own greatness he ordered the attack, victory was inevitable. Do rushed his skirmishers forwards to delay the attack while he retreated to a hill, the bandits, spurred on by the recent victory and eager to prove themselves charged the skirmishers, quickly cutting through them. Seeing the bandits' success most of Zan’s soldiers broke formation and rushed after them. By the time Do’s forces had organised on the hill Zan’s had reached the foot. The first volley of arrows was largely ineffective, bouncing off shields and armour. Zan’s forces pushed on reaching the infantry line before a second volley could be fired. As they crashed into Do’s troops, every soldier in Zan’s army realised the same thing, they were exhausted. Even peasants can defeat exhausted veterans. Fearing defeat might be possible, Zan personally lead his cavalry round the hill and charged the side of Do’s formation. Zan kept pushing, loudly challenging Do to a duel, all he got in response was a shower of crossbow bolts. His horse fell from under him, as he fell a sword slashed at his face, taking an eye. As he tried to stand his left leg gave way, leaving him collapsed on the ground. As he tried to rise again a running horse crushed his hand. Screaming with both rage and pain, he finally stood, sword in hand, just in time to see the last of his cavalry cut down. Too tired to even flee, his remaining infantry surrendered while Do’s cavalry dealt with the stragglers. As soldiers approached him, Zan tried to fight them off, but collapsed to the ground again. Before he could rise, Do’s soldiers had grabbed him and dragged him towards Do. Zan struggled desperately, the soldiers, in no mood for this, knocked him unconscious.
Zan awoke in a carriage being nursed back to health, confused and relieved to be alive. His joy was short lived, Wan Do didn’t want him to die yet. Zan was forced to watch as his family was executed in front of him and his family home burned to the ground. Do then cut out his other eye, making that the last thing he ever saw. Blind, crippled and stripped naked Do sent Sun Zan out into the world to wonder forever with his name branded into his chest, so all would know what became of the last Sun. For years he was forced to beg gold, food, shelter, even to know where he was. Finding himself in a port town, he decided to leave Distor for good. Disguising himself as a blind monk he joined the first merchant who would take him. Landing in the port city of Sutica.
