"Live or die the will of the Emperor be done!".
-Jia
Grand Inquisitor Jia is second-in-command of the Lotus Assassins, wielding absolute power in the absense of Death's Hand.
Personal History
Little is known of Grand Inquisitor Jia. Her history before the sacking of Dirge is enigmatic. It is known that Jia was once a member of the ecclesiastic Order Of the Lotus meaning that her duties revolved around the spiritual development of the Emperor. What is known is that in the chaos that followed Sun Hai's usurpation of the Water Dragon's Power, Jia not only proved her loyalty to the new order but rose to prominence as second in command of the new Lotus Assassin Order under Death's Hand.
In this position Jia acted to brutally and ruthlessly enforce the will of Death's Hand. In the minds of many Lotus Acolytes, Jia and Death's Hand became almost a single entity. Lotus Acolytes were taught to fear and respect both in equal measure. Jia even went so far as to adopt a similar style of dress including full face mask. So fearsome was her reputation and demeanor that Jia's name is used with the same fearful reverence given to Death's Hand and she is described by some Lotus Assassins as being violent and sadistic. The Last Spirit Monk is repeatedly warned by various people about her dangerously capricious nature and lack of tolerance for even the slightest hint of disrespect. It is reasonable to assume that Jia is the head of the Inquisitor branch of the Assassins, Indeed they seem to reflect her determined and ruthless methodology. Working subtly and silently behind the scenes to enforce the Emperor's brutality while insuring that all attention and fear was focused directly upon Death's Hand.
Jia follows the Way of the Closed Fist.
The Grand Inquisitor Appears
Jia is first glimpsed in flashback. Jing Woo, a fellow Two Rivers student, describes the woman who directed the Lotus Assassins in their vicious attack on Two Rivers and the School. Later she is seen remonstrating Inquisitor Lim about his delay in returning with the Dragon Amulet fragment found in Old Tien's Landing. She informs her subordinate that she is already aware of the Spirit Monk's activities in the area. Jia coldly speculates about Lim's ability to deal with the situation. She remains a shadowy presence throughout the rest of the Spirit Monk's journey until the it arrives by stealth and guile in the bowels of the Lotus Assassin Fortress.
Jia's Folly
Her tendency to favor some acolytes over others based on their cunning would be her undoing. Upon arriving at the Lotus Assassin Fortress, The Spirit Monk was drawn into the power games of Masters Gang and Shin. By taking advantage of the environment of animosity, the Spirit Monk was able to engineer the death and humiliation of both men allowing the Spirit Monk to not only disrupt and cripple almost the entire Golem army headquartered in the underground complex but to gain evidence directly linking Sun Hai to the activities of the Lotus Assassins.
Fate
Jia would meet her end at the hands of the Spirit Monk who killed her as she defended the last Dragon Amulet fragment, She would however, have her revenge even in death. Death's Hand, summoned to the Fortress by Jia in the minutes before her death, initiates a ruthless and brutal attack from which the Spirit Monk is rescued only by Sagacious Zu sacrificing his life.