Before the events of RWBY, Cinder was recruiting members for her cause. She first recruits Emerald Sustrai, at the time a petty thief, after seeing her use her Semblance to steal a ring. She later attempted to recruit the skilled assassin Marcus Black, but as she heads to his home in the mountains, he is killed by his son, Mercury Black. Cinder instead recruits Mercury to her cause after witnessing the fight. At Mercury's suggestion, Cinder recruits Roman Torchwick, a criminal in Vale.