Dīng Fèng 丁奉

Translated description:
"The Essential Minister that Purged the King’s Court 清侧重臣 (qīng cè zhòng chén)"

Who is he:
Where Wei had Deng Ai 邓艾, Shu had Jiang Wei 姜维, Wu had Ding Feng! A general that ascended from very bottom, he first made his career as a captain under Gan Ning 甘宁. He was usually assigned to unimportant missions along with Xu Sheng 徐盛, such as chasing Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 at the Battle of Red Cliffs. However, in the late years of Wu Kingdom, Ding Feng climbed up the ranks incredibly fast. At his peak, he went from being a soldier to a minister of Wu Kingdom. He achieved two important accomplishments. One of them was the Battle of Dongxing 东兴, in which Ding Feng resisted the invasion of Wei Kingdom, lead by Sima Zhao司马昭. The second one was purging Sun Chen 孙綝, a vile regent that created pandemonium in the Wu Kingdom. Alas, arrogance got the better of him and he was eventually exiled for his military failures in his later years.

Character ability 1: " Close Combat 短兵 (duǎn bīng) "
Whenever you use an ATTACK 杀, you can pick one additional player within your physical distance of 1 as the target of the ATTACK.

Character ability 2: " Swift and Deadly 奋迅 (fèn xùn) "
During your action phase, you can discard a card and select a player. The physical distance between you and that player is viewed as 1 till the end of your turn. Limited to once per phase.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
He is a brand new character specially created for Kingdom Wars.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Both “Close Combat” and “Swift and Deadly” came from the Battle of Dongxing. Learning the death of Sun Quan 孙权, Sima Zhao, the second son of Sima Yi 司马懿 and the de facto leader of Wei Kingdom, led a vast army to invade Wu Kingdom. In order to surprise raid the camp of the Wei force, Ding Feng ordered his subordinates to withdraw their heavy armour, rushing in the snow to defeat the Wei force using only short sabers. In the game, Ding Feng can withdraw his heavy arms (discard a card) to approach his enemies, devastating his enemies with “Close-quarter Combat”.

Lù Xùn 陆逊

Translated description:
"The Pillar of Heaven 擎天之柱 (qíng tiān zhī zhù) "

Who is he:
The ultimate Decepticon. An idiom that describes him best would be "don't judge a book by it's cover". For the readers unfamiliar with the story, this geeky, nerdy scholar that looks like he cannot survive a papercut is the person who is responsible for the death of Liu Bei 刘备. He used his scholarly persona to trick his enemies into putting their guard down. This was used to great effect in Sun Wu 孙吴's capture of Jing Zhou 荆州, which resulted in the death of Guan Yu 关羽. Two of the biggest names in the Kingdom of Shu Han 蜀汉 owe their demise to this kid. Geeks rule!

Character ability 1: "Humility 谦逊 (qiān xùn)" [Enforced ability]
When you become the target of STEAL 顺手牵羊 or ACEDIA 乐不思蜀, these cards are nullified.

Character ability 2: "Scrutinize 度勢 (duó shì) "
During your action phase, you can use a red on-hand card as AMASS 以逸待勞.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
The ability description for "Humility" has been changed from “cannot become the target of... ” to “... cards are nullified”. “One after another”, his signature ability, has been replaced by “Scrutinize”, which turns Lu Xun from a highly independent character to a support character.

Ability's Relation to Story:
"Humility" describes Lu Xun's careful management of his troops and his unwavering focus on defeating Shu Han. I suppose that the reason he cannot be targeted for STEAL is to imply the opposite of a careless, arrogant leader. As for ACEDIA, it made sense that he cannot be targeted since Lu Xun's patience and focus on defeating Shu Han clearly destroys the meaning of that tool.

“度勢” literally means “scrutinize the situation”, and refers to Lu Xun’s prudent action at the Battle of Yiling. When Liu Bei invaded the Wu Kingdom to seek avenge for his sworn brothers, Lu Xun was assigned the Commander-in-chief. Seeing the weakness of Shu troops, he ordered the Wu troops to defend and prepare themselves for counter-attck. As Liu Bei’s forces were tired, they moved into the forest and Lu Xun just barbecued them. In Kingdom Wars, Lu Xun can activate “Scrutinize” and order his allies to “wait at leisure while the enemy labors (以逸待勞)”, optimizing their cards to bolster their defense, as well as preparing a counter-attack.

Sūn Shàngxiāng 孙尚香

Translated description:
"The Lady with Bow and Arrows 弓腰姬 (gōng yāo jī)"

Who is she:
Best remembered as the martial-arts loving wife of Liu Bei 刘备, Sun Shangxiang is the younger sister of Sun Quan 孙权. Since young she loved martial arts and even has all her maids carry swords wherever they go. She was offered to Liu Bei as his third wife by Sun Quan and on the surface it appeared to be a strengthening of the Sun Wu 孙吴 and Shu Han 蜀汉 alliance. The reality, however, was the marriage offer was a trap plotted out by Zhou Yu 周瑜 to lure Liu Bei into the Kingdom of Sun Wu and hold him ransom in return for Jing Zhou 荆州. Yet in one of the most lauded schemes of Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮, Liu Bei not only successfully marries Sun Shangxiang but also escapes back to Shu Han with her. In his rage, Zhou Yu orders his troops to kill Liu Bei even if it means having to kill Sun Shangxiang, but the chase met with an ambush from Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu ends up losing both Sun Shang Xiang and thousands of troops.

Thus the famous saying: "To lose a lady in addition to losing numerous troops 赔了夫人又折兵"

Character ability 1: "Marriage 结姻 (jié yīn)"
During your action phase, you can discard two on-hand cards and choose another player (with combined characters as a male) that is not at full-health. That player and you regain 1 unit of health each. Limited to once per phase.

Character ability 2: "Warrior Lady 枭姬 (xiāo jī)"
Every instance you lose equipment cards in your equipped item area, you can draw two cards.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
The description of "Marriage" has been changed. You cannot marry yourself even if you have a male character card as your major character card. “Warrior Lady” has been weakened. The ability description has been changed from “Whenever you lose an equipment card” to “Every instance you lose equipment cards”. That means Sun Shangxiang can only draw two cards when multiple equipped equipments are discarded, e.g. discarding two equipped equipments to activate the ability of ROCK CLEAVING AXE 贯石斧.

Ability's Relation to Story:
"Marriage" is, of course, referring to her marriage with Liu Bei. The inside joke is this ability is commonly scandalized into "Intercourse" and since it can be used with ANY male character, she has become a slut of sorts. It does not help that her character art gave her a pair of huge jugs spilling out of her top. "Warrior lady" refers to her love for martial arts, but little connection is made with the mechanics of the ability with the storyline.

It was said that Sun Shangxiang committed suicide when she heard the news of Liu Bei’s death, and the local people built the枭姬祠 (lit. The Temple of the Warrior Lady) in memory of her, thus coming the name of “枭姬”. Also, she was the lady of Liu Bei, the ambitious hero (枭雄). The mechanism refers to her love of weapons. At her marriage, the bridal chamber was lined with weapons and armed maids, scaring Liu Bei. The removal of weapons (the equipment) allowed the completion of marriage (draw two cards for the cost of “Marriage”).

Zhōu Tài 周泰

Translated description:
"Body Scarred like a Battle Record 历战之躯 (lì zhàn zhī qū)"

Who is he:
If there was a commando spirit in any of the Three Kingdoms characters, it would be Zhou Tai. If I had my way, I would rewrite his description as "Never say die". He began his military career as a pirate-convert under Sun Ce 孙策, but Sun Quan 孙权 quickly took a liking and requested Zhou Tai be transfered over to his command. It was from then on that Zhou Tai would save Sun Quan's ass many times from certain death. In one significant scenario in the story, Sun Quan asked Zhou Tai to remove his clothing during a banquet and show his battle scars for all those present. Zhou Tai remembers the battle behind every scar, most of which he earned valiantly serving the cause of the Sun Quan's Wu Kingdom. It is thus that Sun Quan treats Zhou Tai as one of his most trusted and capable generals, as kin as a brother to him.

Character ability: "Refuting Death 不屈 (bù qū)"
Whenever your health is reduced by 1 unit while your current unit of health is 0, you can reveal a card from the top of the deck and place it onto your character card. As long as none of these cards have the same number (Ace thru King) displayed, you do not die. If a card is revealed with the same point as another existing card, you enter the Brink of Death.

Synergistic Partners:
Sun Quan (Lord)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
His ability "Refuting Death" is a wonderful match from the story! Many times Zhou Tai risked life and limb to save Sun Quan, each time getting injured and cut up but he survives! This ability is a tribute to the Zhou Tai that "never says die".

Lǚ Méng 吕蒙

Translated description:
"Crossing the River in White Robes 白衣渡江 (bái yī dù jiāng)"

Who is he:
One of the most prominent generals from the Kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴, Lu Meng started out as a military general with scant knowledge of tactics and strategy. Following his rising appointments in the Wu Kingdom, Sun Quan 孙权 himself advised Lu Meng to read in his spare time. Lu Meng wisely did so and his wisdom and knowledge made great leaps in a very short time. So impressive was his improvement, in fact, that Sun Quan's able advisor Lu Su 鲁肃 commented the famous phrase:

"When the clueless Lu Meng is under Wu Kingdom's nurturing, one must re-evaluate him in a different light. 吴下阿蒙, 刮目相看"

Character ability: "Self-Mastery 克己 (kè jǐ)"
If you have not used or played ATTACK 杀 in your action phase, you can skip your discard phase for this turn.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
There appears to be two possible links for "Self-Mastery" to the story. This first is philosophical, where Lu Meng's diligence in his studies is a result of being able to master his time management and overcome his procrastination. He once complained to Sun Quan that he did not have time to read, but Sun Quan aptly replied that himself is busier than Lu Meng yet he can find the time to read.

The second is directly related to the game ability. As displayed in the translated description, Lu Meng crossed a river in white robes for the purpose of deceiving Guan Yu 关羽's troops. Lu Meng's troops hid their weapons and pretended to be merchants (who were dressed in white in those days). Only at the last moment did they break their cover and surprise the enemy. This is indeed very similar to Lu Meng's game character! Always undercover and nondescript, but when he explodes he can be extremely lethal.

Huáng Gài 黄盖

Translated description:
"Sacrificing Flesh for his Kingdom 轻身为国 (qīng shēn wèi guó)"

Who is he:
The veteran of Wu Kingdom 吴国, Huang Gai served 3 members of the Sun family beginning from Sun Jian 孙坚, then his eldest son Sun Ce 孙策, and finally Sun Quan 孙权. Fiercely loyal, he is best remembered for his sacrificial role in the battle of Red Cliffs 赤壁之战. So prominent was his role, in fact, that his name has become synonymous with the "Trojan Flesh ploy 苦肉计" in the story. More about that the sections below.

Character ability: "Trojan Flesh 苦肉 (kǔ ròu)"
During your action phase, you can lose 1 unit of health, and then draw two cards.

Synergistic Partners:
Zhou Yu 周瑜 ("Trojan Flesh" ploy partner)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
A marvelous fit! Huang Gai suffered terrible pain and physical abuse, all for the sake of gaining a strategic advantage (ie: deceiving Cao Cao 曹操). In this card game, this effect is reproduced well whereby the additional cards can make a big difference.

Gān Níng 甘宁

Translated description:
"The Pirate with Silk Sails 锦帆游侠 (jǐn fān yóu xiá)"

Who is he:
There is something about Gan Ning I personally admire, and that is the "I don't give a shit about rules and convention" attitude. As a youngster, he was a pirate, looting and murdering and wreaking havoc. It was because of this background that he was rejected from joining Liu Biao 刘表's service. However in his later days, Gan Ning proved himself to be a fearless leader with unconventional tactics. His most glorious moment came in his night raid on Cao Wei 曹魏's camps as a distractionary tactic.

Character ability: "Surprise Raid 奇袭 (qí xí)"
During your action phase, you can use a black-suited card as DISMANTLE过河拆桥.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
There does not seem to be much link between his storyline character and his ability to use DISMANTLE. However the name of the ability is with reference to his famous night raid on Cao Wei's camps. Yet that raid did not cripple any of Cao Wei's supplies or operations, so even there the link is weak. This ability is likely one for the game mechanics rather than fidelity to the story.

Dà Qiáo 大乔

Translated description:
"The Preserved Blossom 矜持之花 (jīn chí zhī huā)"

Who is she:
The wife of "The Little Conqueror" Sun Ce 孙策. Da Qiao is a very minor character in the story that has virtually zero air-time. The elder of the "Two Qiao sisters", she is supposedly incredibly beautiful, but a person of few words. She can play the Qin (an ancient stringe instrument) and sing as well as her younger sister, but she seldom openly performs. It is said that she only performs for her love, Sun Ce. In the story, she became part of Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮's trick to ruse Zhou Yu 周瑜 to war with Cao Cao 曹操, though her effect on him was not as pronounced as that of Xiao Qiao 小乔.

Character ability 1: " National Beauty 国色 (guó sè)"
During your action phase, you can use a card with the suit of diamonds as ACEDIA 乐不思蜀.

Character ability 2: "Displacement 流离 (liú lí)"
When you become the target of an ATTACK, you can discard an on-hand card to transfer this ATTACK to another player within your attacking range. The receiving player cannot be the same player that used the ATTACK.

Synergistic Partners:
Xiao Qiao (Sister)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
There is almost no reliable link bridging these abilities to the story line. All we know is Da Qiao is beautiful, so beautiful perhaps that her beauty can mesmerize the enemies into forgetting about the battle? Pure conjecture, of course, and I have not found any direct link. The same with "Displacement". The actual translation for 流离 means to live like a wandering refugee, but there is no mention of her after Sun Ce's death that suggests anything like this.

Both “国色” and “流离” come from one of the few sentences that involve the Diao sisters in the Records of Three Kingdoms. They were praised as the “beauties of the nation”, and their complexion was clear as “琉璃(veluriyam, a kind of glasses)”. The mechanisms had no direct links, though.

Tàishǐ Cí 太史慈

Translated description:
"Ardent and Loyal Warrior 笃烈之士 (dǔ liè zhī shì)"

Who is he:
One of the early generals before the Three Kingdoms were formed, Taishi Ci was one of Sun Ce 孙策's most capable generals. A man with a criminal past, Taishi Ci was denied higher positions and responsibilities by his previous leader Liu Yao 刘繇. In one instance, Taishi Ci battled Sun Ce and were equally matched. This gave Sun Ce respect for Taishi Ci. When Sun Ce eventually defeated Liu Yao, Sun Ce promised Taishi Ci acknowledgement of his capabilities with important positions. Taishi Ci accepted and thus became a loyal and capable general under the Kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴 till his death.

Character ability: "Justice of Heaven 天义 (tiān yì)"
During your action phase, you can conduct a Points Duel with another player. If you win, you acquire all of the following until the end of your turn.

1. Your ATTACKS 杀 are not limited by range,
2. You can use one additional ATTACK,
3. You can target one additional player when you use ATTACK.

If you lose, you cannot use ATTACK till the end of the turn. Limited to once per phase.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
There does not seem to be much relation to the story, though there is some history to how this ability came about. Before the Fire Expansion Pack 火包 was released by Yoka Games, people have already created their own Tai Shi Ci character which allowed him to equip two weapons simultaneously. I guess Yoka Games took note of that and modified it into the ability we see today.

Sūn Jiān 孙坚

Translated description:
"The Vigorous Militant Emperor 武烈帝 (wǔ liè dì)"

Who is he:
Best known as the father of Sun Ce 孙策, Sun Quan 孙权 and Sun Shangxiang 孙尚香, Sun Jian was one of the warlords who took part in the early coalition against Dong Zhuo 董卓. In fact, Dong Zhuo and Sun Jian were bitter enemies even before Dong Zhuo took control of the imperial family. One significant event in the life of Sun Jian was finding the imperial seal in a well in the palace ruins at Luo Yang 洛阳. Sun Jian wanted to keep the seal for himself and, thus, control huge power within his grasps. Unfortunately for him, he was betrayed and Yuan Shao 袁绍, then the leader of the coalition, confronted Sun Jian. Sun Jian vehemently denied having the seal, but Yuan Shao was convinced he was lying. Yuan Shao sent Liu Biao 刘表 to intercept Sun Jian, and it was under Liu Biao that Sun Jian's life met an abrupt end.

Character ability: "Heroic Spirit 英魂 (yīng hún)"
At your beginning phase, if you are not at full health, you can choose between 1 of 2 options:
1. Pick another player to draw X cards, and then discard 1 card.
2. Pick another player to draw 1 card, and then discard X cards.
(X being the units of health you have lost thus far).

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
The name "Heroic Spirit" should not be taken literally, but instead metaphorically describes Sun Jian's contribution to destroying Dong Zhuo. Being the first in the coalition of 18 warlords to attack Dong Zhuo, Sun Jian almost lost his life to Hua Xiong 华雄, but his initial strike was enough to cower Dong Zhuo and dampen his army's morale. Even after Sun Jian's death, the lessons learnt in his early attacks against Dong Zhuo served Dong Zhuo's enemies well. Thus there is a link to the ability with Sun Jian suffering damage first, yet able to leverage on that to assist his team mates or disconcert his opponents.

Zhāng Zhāo & Zhāng Hóng 张昭&张纮

Translated description:
"Talents to administrate Heaven and Earth 经天纬地 (jīng tiān wěi dì)"

Who are they:
Scrawny and wind-worn with age. This is the constant stereotypical image of Chinese military advisers, and these two aging old men fit that stereotype perfectly... well, sort of. Though the images and portraits show Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong as old geezers, the pair were already advisers to the Wu kingdom since they were much much younger. Collectively known as "Er Zhang 二张" or "The Two Zhang's", Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong were first recruited by the the warlord, Sun Jian 孙坚, who was Sun Quan 孙权's father. The two Zhang's were approximately the same age as Sun Jian and will stay loyal to the Wu Kingdom for decades till their death. Tragically, the two Zhang's went through the deaths of both Sun Jian, and his elder son, Sun Ce 孙策. It was on Sun Ce's deathbed that he famously said to his little brother Sun Quan, "Should [you] have doubts upon internal affairs, [you] must turn to Zhang Zhao; for outer matters [you] must consult Zhou Yu 周瑜." Sun Quan wisely employed the two Zhang's for the entire duration of his reign, and saw the Wu Kingdom rise to become one of the three crucial kingdoms of the era.

Character ability 1: "Blunt advice 直谏 (zhí jiàn)"
During your action phase, you can place an on-hand equipment card into the equipped item area of another player, and then you draw a card.

Character ability 2: "Stabilization 固政 (gù zhèng)"
At the end of other players’ discard phase, you can return a card that was discarded in this phase from the discard pile to that player. If you do so, you can acquire all other cards discarded in this player's discard phase from the discard pile.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
"Blunt advice" refers to Zhang Zhao’s various advices to Sun Quan. As an official of Wu Kingdom, Zhang Zhao aided the young Sun Quan to administrate internal affairs while Zhou Yu managed external affairs. Wise but stubborn, Zhang Zhao criticized Sun Quan whenever he found the Sun Quan's decision incorrect. Although Zhang Zhao was often correct, his blunt attitude angered Sun Quan to the extent that Sun Quan once thought of killing him. Thankfully Sun Quan was able to cool down and took his advice, which always benefited the Wu Kingdom.

The ability mechanics seem to be play on the words "Blunt", and can be interpreted as being "in your face". That's how the ability works, by forcefully shoving weapons/armour/horses unto allies (or enemies when it is helpful). Not so much related to the story itself.

"Stabilization" refers to Zhang Hong’s contribution to Wu Kingdom. Firstly, Zhang Hong made a plan for Sun Ce, advising him to defeat the warlords Yuan Shu 袁术 and Liu Biao 刘表 to obtain land for Wu Kingdom's survival. Secondly, after the death of Sun Ce, Cao Cao 曹操 intended to eliminate the Wu kingdom. It was Zhang Hong who utilized his diplomatic skills to stop Cao Cao, buying time for Sun Quan to cope with the internal issues of the state. Thirdly, Zhang Hong aided Sun Quan to consolidate his control in politics and in the military, even personally stopping Sun Quan’s reckless actions on the battlefield. Fourthly, he advised Sun Quan to set the capital of Wu Kingdom at Mo Ling 秣陵 (present day Nan Jing 南京), a strategic location which is most suitable to be held tightly. How does all this relate to picking up discarded cards and benefiting from it? I have no idea. Perhaps they simply needed any random name to affix unto this very cool ability?

Lǔ Sù 鲁肃

Translated Description:
"The Maverick Diplomat 独断的外交家 (dú duàn dè wài jiāo jiā)"

Who is he:
The initiator of the Shu Han 蜀汉 Sun Wu 孙吴 alliance, Lu Su was the man who sought a merger with Liu Bei 刘备 to resist the marauding army of Cao Cao 曹操. Lu Su knew that the alliance was the only chance that both forces had of survival, and thankfully, so did Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮. Lu Su initiated contact with Zhu Ge Liang and brought him back to Sun Wu to convince Sun Quan 孙权 to fight Cao Cao. However Zhuge Liang's cunning was beyond Lu Su's ability to manage, and Zhuge Liang insulted all of Sun Quan's advisors, Zhou Yu 周瑜 and even Sun Quan himself, while still succeeding to form the alliance. The minor ruckus caused Lu Su significant stress, but he was relieved nonetheless that his objective was met. An able and loyal talent, Lu Su took over Zhou Yu's post after the latters death, but Lu Su made a mess of things when he vouched for Shu Han returning Jing Zhou 荆州 to Sun Wu. Liu Bei repeatedly procrastinated returning the strategically important Jing Zhou and the this quickly built tensions between the two kingdoms. The struggle for Jing Zhou eventually led to the fall-out of the allegiance and open war between the these two superpowers.

Character ability 1: "Altruism 好施 (hào shī)"
When you draw cards during your drawing phase, you can draw two additional cards. If you have more than five on-hand cards as a result, you must give half of your on-hand cards (rounded down to nearest integer) to another player with the smallest number of on-hand cards.

Character ability 2: "Alliance 缔盟 (dì méng)"
During your action phase, you can choose 2 players (other than yourself) and discard as many cards as the difference between the number of on-hand cards between these 2 players. Then exchange their entire set of on-hand cards. Limited to one use per phase.

Synergistic Partners:
Nil.

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Nil.

Ability's Relation to Story:
"Altruism" has a very interesting link. In the story, Lu Su's charitable nature led to him "lending" Jing Zhou to Liu Bei, however Lu Su's altruistic nature goes much further than the story. The historical Lu Su was extremely charitable and constantly donated his assets to the poor in the time of extreme chaos (during the initial fall-out of Han Dynasty). He won the hearts of his citizens and it became his platform to rise to a state-level official.

"Alliance" needs little mention as his venture into Shu Han was the seed that grew into the Shu Han Sun Wu alliance. However this ability seems to have an antagonistic nature rather than the cooperative nature in the true sense of the word. It sets up a win-lose scenario rather than win-win.

The mechanism of “Altruism” comes from another story. Being a wealthy merchant, Lu Su possessed two full granaries of rice. When Zhou Yu rallied armies, Lu Su gave him one granary without hesitation, thus coming the effect “giving out a half of on-hand cards (resources)”.

Xiǎo Qiáo 小乔

Translated description:
"The Unconventional Blossom 矫情之花 (jiǎo qíng zhī huā)"

Who is she:
Wife of Zhou Yu 周瑜 and younger sister of Da Qiao 大乔, Xiao Qiao is the starry-eyed girl next door famous for her musical talent. As explained in my post on Da Qiao, the two sisters were one of the major reasons for the Kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴 going to war with the Kingdom of Cao Wei 曹魏, which quickly resulted in the battle of Red Cliffs 赤壁之战. Xiao Qiao was notably more vocal and expressive than her aloof elder sister, thus it seemed like Xiao Qiao was the more musically talented of the two, but it has been argued that Da Qiao is equally skilled in music and just chooses to play only for her beau Sun Ce 孙策.

Character ability 1: "Heavenly Scent 天香 (tiān xiāng)"
Every instance you receive damage, you can discard an on-hand card with suit of hearts to transfer the damage to another player, then that player draws X cards (X being the units of health that player has lost thus far).

Character ability 2: "Rosy Cheeks 红颜 (hóng yán)" [Enforced ability]
Your cards with the suit of spades are viewed as cards with the suit of hearts.

Synergistic Partners:
Zhou Yu (Husband)
Da Qiao (Sister)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
Unfortunately, since she is Zhou Yu's wife, she also suffers hideous disfigurement of her portrait. Otherwise, she is unchanged.

Ability's Relation to Story:
Neither of her abilities have any link to the story. Despite her "Heavenly Scent" being horrifyingly powerful, there is just no mention in the story about anything related to her scent doing demonic damage.

Although the abilities were not directly linked to the story, there were some hints. “国色天香 (National Beauty, Heavenly Scent)” was a term to describe the beauty of flowers and women. Since Da Qiao gets “国色”, Xiao Qiao gets “天香”, which also suits their given titles (“The Preserved Blossom” and “The Unconventional Blossom”). The ability mechanism resembles another ability of Da Qiao, “Displacement”.

Zhōu Yú 周瑜

Translated description:
"Commander-in-Chief 大都督 (dà dū dū)"

Who is he:
Nicknamed "Zhou Yu the Fair" for his good looks, Zhou Yu was the most famous of all Sun Wu 孙吴's advisors. Both a military general and a strategist, he became Sun Quan 孙权's able right-hand man and was the brains behind the battle of Red Cliffs 赤壁之战. Unfortunately for him, Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮 is just too incredibly clever. Despite coming up with schemes to rid Zhu Ge Liang, Zhou Yu simply cannot outsmart the unrealistically intelligent Zhu Ge Liang. The story seems to downplay Zhou Yu's achievements and make him seem second class and inferior to Zhuge Liang. Yet Zhou Yu's contribution to Cao Cao 曹操's defeat at Red Cliffs is incredibly significant and has guaranteed him a place both in the history books and in semi-fictional accounts of the era.

Character ability 1: "Heroic Demeanor 英姿(yīng zī)"
When you draw cards during your drawing phase, you can draw one additional card.

Character ability 2: "Sow Dissension 反间 (fǎn jiàn)"
During your action phase, you can choose another player to pick a suit. This player then acquires one of your on-hand cards and reveals it to everyone. If the suit of the acquired card is different from the suit he/she had chosen, you cause 1 unit of damage to that player. Limited to once per phase.

Synergistic Partners:
Huang Gai ("Trojan Flesh" ploy partner)
Xiao Qiao (Wife)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
“Sow Dissension” has been changed such that the victim acquires the on-hand card before receiving damage. Zhou Yu cannot get back the card if he kills another player by “Sow Dissension”.

But the really obvious difference is Zhou Yu's unbelievably hideous portrait. What in the world were they thinking?!?!

Ability's Relation to Story:
Ok although history states that Zhou Yu was a handsome young man, but I don't see why he should get to draw 3 cards for being good-looking. So I'm bullsh*tting any connection this has to the story.

"Sow Dissension" is comes from a significant event leading up to the battle at Red Cliffs, where Cao Cao is tricked by Zhou Yu into executing the only 2 generals with experience at naval combat, Cai Mao 蔡帽 and Zhang Yun 张允. Unfortunately, that too has nothing to do with how the ability is played in the card game.

In SGS, characters resourceful in terms of appearance and wealth get to draw more cards, so it is not surprising that Zhou Yu can draw more cards. The same theory applies to Diao Chan.
The mechanism of “Sow Dissension” was pretty interesting. It allows your opponent to steal your letter (an on-hand card). If it is a fake (a wrong suit is guessed), it hurts.

Sūn Quán 孙权

Translated description:
"The Young and Virtuous Ruler 年轻的贤君 (nián qīng dè xián jūn)"

Who is he:
One of "the Three", Sun Quan is the ruler who ultimately formed the Kingdom of Sun Wu 孙吴. He took over the reigns of ruler from his elder brother, Sun Ce 孙策, at the age of 18 and led the Wu Kingdom till his death at 70 years old. He is the longest serving ruler of the era. Compared to Sun Ce who was known as the "Little Conqueror 小霸王", Sun Quan was not as strong a combat fighter, but he was able to win the hearts and respect of his generals and people. He was surrounded with loyal and capable talents, which he prudently retained. The Kingdoms of Sun Wu and Shu Han 蜀汉 formed an alliance to resist Cao Cao 曹操's attacks. However, Sun Quan's short alliance with Liu Bei 刘备 became a sore point as the wits of Sun Wu were no match for the prescient Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮. Regardless, the Kingdom of Sun Wu lasted longer than both Cao Wei 曹魏 and Shu Han. It was the last to be defeated by the Sima 司马 family, which marked the end of the Three Kingdoms era and the beginning of the Jin Dynasty 晋朝.

Character ability: "Balance of Power 制衡 (zhì héng)"
During your action phase, you can discard up to X cards (X being your maximum health units), then draw the same number of cards. Limited to once per phase.

Synergistic Partners:
Zhou Tai 周泰 (Rescued by)

Difference from Normal SanGuoSha:
“Balance of Power” has been weakened. In a single action phase, he can only discard and draw X cards at most, X being his maximum health. His Ruler Ability is removed.

Ability's Relation to Story:
"Balance of Power" refers to Sun Quan's decision to ally with Liu Bei so as to counter the immense army of Cao Cao. Before the battle of Red Cliffs 赤壁之战, Cao Cao has already amassed an army far greater than either Shu Han or Sun Wu. With the alliance, both the kingdoms were able to restore the balance of power and prevent a complete runover by Cao Cao.