Laoshi Shi-Weiba, the Venerated (Lao-she, She-Way-Bah)

Summary

Of all the ancient folklore of jiuweihu clan-families, none are as consistent as that of Laoshi Shi-Weiba. She is a beloved and respected figure, representing the pinnacle of what it means to be a 'teacher'. Those who come under her tutelage receive an education unlike all others, obtaining worldly awareness, comprehension, and understanding without compare. Many are those who have sought her out; many are those who have claimed to receive this prestigious education. Few are those who can rightfully prove they have.   It can be hard to separate fact from fiction; truth from tall-tale. For as much of an impossibly grand teacher she may be, Shi-Weiba has a number of other popular additions. Chief among them being her womanizing nature, it's often spoken that she's chasing one skirt after another. Indeed, she's found her way into the beds of goddesses and other heavenly beings, with lovers and enemies alike chasing her across the night sky. It tends to be a divisive topic when folklore about her is concerned--those who prefer the wizened teacher find her 'exploits' a bit too detailed.   For better or worse, her renowned intellect and insight have made her an icon of education for many jiuweihu. She is most popularly paid tribute in the lands of Nerzin, with common rituals wishing for blessed learning and protected virtue. The latter part largely being to showcase one's unwillingness to sleep with her, as Shi-Weiba specifically does not bother with such people. There are, of course, many who pay tribute and want her to sleep with them. To some extent, foreign goddesses and folklores speaking of a 'foxy woman' are often suspected to be referencing her.   A more concrete accounting of her life does exist, principally in the oldest libraries.   Long ago, under another name in another lifetime, Shi-Weiba was a diligent and studious pupil. Inheriting her mistress' school, she sought to bring knowledge to all the surrounding lands. The secrets of construction, smithing, foraging, plowing of fields; once-jealously guarded secrets, all to be given away. In her hopes, it would give everyone what they needed to survive in such a harsh and unforgiving world.   For many years, she did so, and the many civilizations that arose revered and venerated her.   Long afterward, in what must've been centuries, Shi-Weiba took on a pupil of her own. In him, she saw the promise of a new generation, one that could reach greater heights than she imagined. Although the records are scarce, she gave unto him the greatest of training possible, even techniques and secrets no other had been taught. Tall was her expectation, but he lived up to it and more.   However, he would fail her all the same.   It isn't clear how or why, but her prized pupil became slovenly and hedonistic. Worse, power hungry and crazed; he swayed entire queendoms into thralldom, and pursued profane and forbidden arts. Try as she might over so many years, Shi-Weiba could not avert him from his path. Soon, she no longer had the luxury of trying; he became a problem so great, he had to be dealt with.   There is no accounting of their battle or confrontation, but the aftershocks of it were plain to see. Entire cities vanished, and whole lands upturned into ruinous wastelands. Battered and worn down, Shi-Weiba retreated, and her pupil was nowhere to be found ever again. So it came to be, many believed she perished in isolation, a penance for failing so spectacularly in raising her would-be inheritor.   Over time, the mysterious sightings of a jiuweihu with ten-tails became increasingly common. Whispers of the venerated teacher's return followed, and the long-lived peoples of the world rejoiced in their own way. Now, ever wary of those she teaches, she does not entrust to them anything more than they can handle. Everyone across the world are her students, and so she teaches everyone a different lesson. It is up to them to come together and realize what it was she meant for them to have.   So it would come to be the legends of Laoshi Shi-Weiba were revitalized, and ever remain popular.