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Basic Information
Name: Qin Li Sheng (Disowned)
--Nickname: Qin, Shadow, Snips
---Special Title: n/a
Gender: Male
Visual Age: 17
Actual Age: 16
Personality:
Personality-wise, Qin has become a mixed grab-bag of psyche types. On the surface he can sometimes come across a joker or a buffoon, messing around with others in an attempt to either make them laugh or keep them off balance during combat. This trait is one he picked up from his friend and unofficial mentor Eiji, and is one of the few holdovers to stick with him from his old life before he was betrayed by his clan. Said betrayal however has affected him deeply, emotionally scarring what used to be a deeply caring and complex individual, making him somewhat jaded and turning him into one who is somewhat insecure. Unsure whether he will ever be capable of opening himself up to trust anyone else ever again. He cares very much for those few remaining people who he considers friends and loved ones, holding them in the deepest regard and and will go to great lengths to help them out whenever possible. Like his mentor though, this same trait does not hold true in reverse however due to a constant fear of showing weakness or being stabbed in the back for it. This tendency tends hinder any attempts by others to truly get close to him personally, as he is routinely trying to build an emotional wall between himself and any hurt they might inflict on him should the new bond fail.
As one would expect from someone of the flame affinity, he is passionate and reckless. Prone to acting on pure instinct and emotion, instead of rationality or sometimes even common sense. His heart burns with a self-perceived drive for righteousness, and a need to prove something... though what that is or to whom it must be proven, he has no idea. Qin's personality has come to be a reflection of his conflicted inner self, his surface persona being that of an impatient and sarcastic teenager with little use for titles and formalities, while underneath he is constantly struggling with the weight of the unfair burdens that have been placed upon him and his family. He is constantly second guessing himself because of the more proactive role he has chosen to take, which is in semi-constant conflict with the code he has devoted himself to. Despite this however, he will not hesitate to carry out what he perceives his duty to be, acting for what he feels is the greater good even if it requires him to do something one who is bound to the Avatar (albeit loosely due to his affiliations) probably shouldn't.
He also possesses a bit of a competitive streak, using others as a comparative benchmark for which to gauge his skills and then setting his goals to surpass them. This trait has allowed him to advance his skills considerably, usually at intense risk to his own physical well being. But it can also be exploited as a serious weakness, and has been known on occasion to cause him to push himself into some really dangerous situations. This is further compounded by the fact that he is a bit of a hothead at times, as mentioned above. He's doing his best to work on it, but in spite of that his temper is something of a legend around the Academy... as is the vindictive streak that goes with it. A few have even gone as far as to compare his wrath to that of the fallen Fire Princess Azula, though it should be noted that his fuse isn't on anywhere near as much of a hair trigger. Still, there are a few things that are guaranteed to set him off no matter how much control he thinks he has. Chief among these are those who are intolerant, or enjoy abusing their power for personal gain. He also has a strong dislike of traitors, or anyone who threatens those close to him. These are the moments that scare him the most, as he starts to see red and that's when mistakes are made.
In battle however his newer and much more hardened persona takes hold, bringing with it a blinding passion and determination which makes him unwilling to show mercy to any foe who has been foolish enough to set themselves in his path. Once he has set his mind on a target only death will prevent him from reaching his goal, and that has become a lot harder to accomplish of late. It also causes his usual humor to take on a caustic edge, shifting from purely jovial banter to a more sardonic flare. This new mindset scares him though when he is lucid enough to realize what he has become, as he sees it as the beginning of a very slippery slope. One that might eventually lead him down the same dark path which had so thoroughly corrupted his former clan, and before that his homeland. Hoping to at least slow his fall into darkness, he has trained himself to fight without drawing his weapon, instead using his still sheathed blade as a bokken in order to defend himself against most of the mindless or incompetent threats he'll come across while saving his blade for only truly evil opponents. Those who would either prove too powerful to handle while holding back or who could only be stopped by a blade through the heart.
Like his pseudo mentor: Eiji, Qin has come to hold to the belief that to truly know what is in someone's heart, you must fight them in one-on-one combat at some point. He has learned to see the underlying form of self-expression which is hidden at the base of any given fighting style. He also is able to use this as a way to help him read the feelings and emotions of others, using combat as a way of bringing out their true self and learn whether it is possible to save them from themselves or not. In his mind, combat between two skilled opponents is capable of saying more than several hours worth of talking. A truly useful ability indeed for one who has to make life and death decisions on the fly. The trick of course is maintaining a clear enough head to process what he's reading on a conscious level.
Appearance:
Physically Qin Li is almost identical to his twin sister, having a slight and feminine build of average height, which hides the lean muscles developed during his years of training. This combined with his semi-girlish facial features which have earned him the classification as a Bishōnen, a trait which has led to a fluke of nature concerning the youngest of the Sheng siblings: seemingly identical fraternal twins. The only truly obvious difference between the two of them being the fact that their eyes don't match, his being a reddish brown while her's are the traditional amber of a Fire bender. They initially used this coincidence to great effect confusing their guardians as children, in more recent times however it has been used as an added security measure for concealing the clan leader's current location between two separate entities. Now that he has been officially disowned by his family though, not to mention having matured enough to know better and developed a distinctly masculine sense of style, Qin has come to slightly resent and be embarrassed by the occasional need to dress up as a girl which this little ploy usual entails.
He has long dark brown hair, reaching down to just below his rear end, which he wears in a variety of styles depending on situation and mood. His preferred style though is to wear it loose, letting it flow freely in the wind and sometimes hide his facial expressions. In terms of manner of dress, he has taken a cue from Eiji and decided to try blending new and old styles. His personal take on this trend is to wear a wide sleeved top of varying colors, usually Fire Nation red, cut in a style similar to the changshan although the hem stops just below his waistline unlike the traditional changshan top. This shirt is cinched at the waist with a heavy sword belt, and is tucked into a simple pair of slim fitting pants of darker hues. The look is accessorized by a pair of steel toed knee-high boots, and a utility pouch tied to his thigh for carrying his personal effects. He prefers this over the standard White Lotus uniform, finding the Order's garb to be heavy and restrictive... not to mention a bit goofy looking.
Character Information
Bender: Yes
--Element: Air
Affinity: Fire
Class: Rich (Officially disowned, but still has access to funds “off the record”)
Career: W. L. Swordsman
Birth: Late Summer
Loyalty: Has no loyalties to a specific place, but is loyal to the Avatar and the Order
Place of Birth: Fire Nation Capital
Residence: Republic City
Statistics
Strength: Below Average
Speed: Above Average
Stamina: Average
Chi: Below Average
Intelligence: Above Average
Weapon Type: Katana (Heavy) <---- Will transfer funds from primary account to cover this
Weapon Appearance:
The Towa Kitai (Eternal Hope) is a 14 fold blade forged around 200 years ago from a hunk of metal found in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, on what would later come to be known as Roku's Island. On its own the blade is 73cm (28.5 in) long, and has been polished to a mirror like sheen by its various owners over the years. The hilt adds another 25.4cm (10 in) to this, and like the saya is carved from a hardened form of polished ivory taken from the tusks of an elephant-bear, which over the years has taken on an almost marbled appearance. A length of red silk cord has been run through the center of the hilt and tied into an intricate pattern as it dangles from the end of the weapon, with a matching cord tied to the saya as well for decoration. The only oddity about the weapon is the guard, which has been replaced by Qin Li with one which is capable of spinning.
Weapon Abilities:
Aside from being of exceptional quality, the Towa Kitai has very few unusual features to make it stand out from the traditional katana. The only exception is a wheel-like device its owner has attached to it in place of a handguard. This innovative contraption has been designed to serve as a focus for Qin's low level bending abilities, creating just enough air currents when spun to in theory allow him to create an effect similar to a Wind Sword around his weapon for a short period. So far however his skills have not become powerful enough to create such a weapon in even the traditional sense, so he has no idea whether his design will work under real world conditions or not.
Character Background
History:
Qin Li and Eriha were both born into the Sheng clan, a mid-level noble family of the Fire Nation whose task as vassals was to provide additional protection of the royal family and their allies. The two of them are a bit on an anomaly in that not they were both born Benders, but of differing elements. Qin Li having the power over the Air, and Eriha the power over Fire like most of their family. This was due to a scandalous event which had taken place at the beginning of the Hundred Years War, and was subsequently buried by the family historians in an effort to hide the family's shame until Qin's birth changed everything.
At the dawn of the war, the royal army was dispatched to massacre the Air Nomads in order to prevent the birth of the next Avatar. One of the commanders though, a man by the name of Shou Sheng, had been frequently visiting the Western Air Temple in secret. This was due to the fact that he was carrying on a clandestine love affair with one of the adepts living there at the time. When the time came for the attack to commence, he was unable to prevent the massacre without giving away his sympathies and risking execution, but he was able to slip inside the temple under the cover of darkness and retrieve his lady love and her unborn child before they met their untimely demise. From there he used his family's considerable resources to quietly forge a new identity for the girl, taking her into his home under the assumed identity of a girl from the colonies who was to become his bride. From their home in the capitol, the two of them tried to carry on their lives and duties as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Yet they lived their lives in constant fear of discovery, passing their secret shame down through the generations for more then 150 years. Until the birth of their great great grand child forced the truth to come to light, and put what some saw as a blemish on a highly respected family's record.
Qin was born as the sixth and youngest child of the Sheng Chief, lord Miyoga Sheng, and also had the distinction of being his only surviving male heir. This served to put a lot of pressure on him at a young age, as his father felt that it was best to begin his grooming early, despite the protests of his elder sisters. At first he did not fully understand what it was that he was being trained for, but as the years progressed and he began to gain a deeper knowledge of how the nobility ran things it all became clear to him, he wasn't just being trained as a protector as his father and his allies would have led the child to believe. He and several other younger members of the aristocracy were being trained in how to cheat, how to deceive, and how to bend others to their will. The system in which he was being schooled was slowly becoming corrupted by those who were meant to serve it, despite how much effort the Fire Lord and her allies were putting into preventing that from happening. Even the Clan elders had become tainted by this corruption, lusting for times gone by and secretly seeking ways to further their own power base so that they might better manipulate the system for their own gain. This didn't sit well with the boy, but the was very little he could do about it seeing as he was just a child. He vowed to one day change things however. Once he had the necessary influence, he would make sure to stop this rot before it consumed the clan as a whole.
Then, upon turning eight years old, the decision was made to send Qin Li away to study with the Order of the White Lotus, as was the standing tradition for the eldest sons of the Clan. It was during this period that his talents as an Air Bender were discovered, manifesting early on in his training during a sparring match with an older student. This put his instructors in a serious predicament, as the only known master of the air element was currently residing in Republic City and unable to come to their aide. Nor was Qin willing to abandon his Lotus training in order to go and stay at the new Air Temple. A compromise was reached when Master Tenzin sent documents containing his family's notes on the basics of Air Nomad instruction, providing the resident bending masters with enough insight to at least start their student on the path when combined with their own talents. This was done under the condition that he would come study at the temple when his time at the academy was completed. As a result he was forced to pull double duty, spending his days learning both the sword and the basic principles of bending. The double load proved even more difficult then he ever could have dreamed possible, the mixed and improvised training methods of his teachers being both brutal and taxing for both mind and body. In spite of this however, he showed a natural gift for their art, his personal talents combined with his latent abilities yielding impressive results as he quickly rose through the ranks of students.
It was during this time that he met a man by the name of Eiji, a senior student at the academy who had been tasked with helping manage the blade classes. The two of them hit it off almost immediately, having like tastes and motivations as well as a talent for the martial arts. Qin eventually came to be known as the other man's shadow, and under his tutelage Qin began developing his very own style of fighting. Incorporating Eiji's preference for acrobatic combat techniques with his own limited bending talents in order to create a unique style of multi-range warfare. He would come to call this style Shénfēi-kyo Ryuu (God's Soaring Cry sword style), and while it is still very much a work in progress, he is quite proud of what he can accomplish while using it.
Following Eiji's departure from the Order, Qin Li was recalled to the homeland in order to stand vigil at his father's bedside during his final moments. All was not as it seemed however, as upon his arrival his father revealed that he had been poisoned in order to advance the line of succession. Qin's eldest sister had been working behind the scenes to turn the clan elders against her younger brother, hoping to claim his status as heir apparent for herself under the precedent of female leadership set by the current Fire Lord. Outraged that his beloved sibling would sink so low as to resort to the assassination of her own father for personal gain, Qin allowed his emotions to get the better of him and challenged his wayward sister to an Agni Kai. This was obviously a mistake given the fact that his opponent was a skilled fire bender, and he was a piss pour excuse for an air bender who only had half her years of experience. A special exception was made by the clan elders however, seeing as normally only fire benders could participate in Agni Kais. This was done because it allowed them the perfect opportunity to remove their primary opposition from the playing field, in what was most likely a permanent manner. The duel went about as well as could be expected, and provided the corrupt elders of the clan the perfect excuse to transfer leadership to their favored choice. They didn't stop there however, as they also saw fit to publicly disown the former heir and strip him of his family name and title. The reasons for this were not made clear to the general populace, but if its one thing people in the royal court like to do it gossip, and it wasn't long before dozens of rumors were circulating about what had happened.
Now obviously no longer able to redeem himself in the eyes of his clan, not that he really wished to of course, the youngest Sheng decided that he now had no place in the Fire Nation and began preparing to return to the Order in his disgrace. Not all of the members of his family were against him however, as his twin sister felt intense sorrow over what had happened and hoped to make at least some amends while thumbing her nose at the rest of the clan. To that end she set up a secret account from which Qin could tap into at least some of the family resources, and gifted him with the Towa Kitai (Eternal Hope). The ancestral blade which had once been used by their great grandfather Shou during his time as a warrior.
Pleased that he wasn't truly alone after all, Qin Li took these presents and returned to finish his training at the hands of the Order. Suffering through the constant rumors and odd stares, he completed his time at the academy and then set to the wanderer's path in an effort to mend the pain he was feeling after the betrayal by his loved ones. Fate eventually brought him to Republic City, where he was reunited with one of his closest friends and ideally positioned to finally receive formal training in the use of airbending (as opposed to the trial and error methods he'd been using all this time). That's assuming of course, he can ever muster the courage necessary to present himself to the man who would become his master. With the current situation in the bustling metropolis, and all of the exciting distractions which they provide however, the odds of that are growing slimmer by the day .
Code of Approval: The rules must be followed or else I give permission to the Equalists to Equalize me
RP Sample (Normal):
RP Sample (Combat):
Source: n/a (This is Eiji, and I'm posting this as my Alt)
-------------------------------
FACE-CLAIM
[Inuyasha, Inuyasha (Human Form), Qin Li]
Name: Qin Li Sheng (Disowned)
--Nickname: Qin, Shadow, Snips
---Special Title: n/a
Gender: Male
Visual Age: 17
Actual Age: 16
Personality:
Personality-wise, Qin has become a mixed grab-bag of psyche types. On the surface he can sometimes come across a joker or a buffoon, messing around with others in an attempt to either make them laugh or keep them off balance during combat. This trait is one he picked up from his friend and unofficial mentor Eiji, and is one of the few holdovers to stick with him from his old life before he was betrayed by his clan. Said betrayal however has affected him deeply, emotionally scarring what used to be a deeply caring and complex individual, making him somewhat jaded and turning him into one who is somewhat insecure. Unsure whether he will ever be capable of opening himself up to trust anyone else ever again. He cares very much for those few remaining people who he considers friends and loved ones, holding them in the deepest regard and and will go to great lengths to help them out whenever possible. Like his mentor though, this same trait does not hold true in reverse however due to a constant fear of showing weakness or being stabbed in the back for it. This tendency tends hinder any attempts by others to truly get close to him personally, as he is routinely trying to build an emotional wall between himself and any hurt they might inflict on him should the new bond fail.
As one would expect from someone of the flame affinity, he is passionate and reckless. Prone to acting on pure instinct and emotion, instead of rationality or sometimes even common sense. His heart burns with a self-perceived drive for righteousness, and a need to prove something... though what that is or to whom it must be proven, he has no idea. Qin's personality has come to be a reflection of his conflicted inner self, his surface persona being that of an impatient and sarcastic teenager with little use for titles and formalities, while underneath he is constantly struggling with the weight of the unfair burdens that have been placed upon him and his family. He is constantly second guessing himself because of the more proactive role he has chosen to take, which is in semi-constant conflict with the code he has devoted himself to. Despite this however, he will not hesitate to carry out what he perceives his duty to be, acting for what he feels is the greater good even if it requires him to do something one who is bound to the Avatar (albeit loosely due to his affiliations) probably shouldn't.
He also possesses a bit of a competitive streak, using others as a comparative benchmark for which to gauge his skills and then setting his goals to surpass them. This trait has allowed him to advance his skills considerably, usually at intense risk to his own physical well being. But it can also be exploited as a serious weakness, and has been known on occasion to cause him to push himself into some really dangerous situations. This is further compounded by the fact that he is a bit of a hothead at times, as mentioned above. He's doing his best to work on it, but in spite of that his temper is something of a legend around the Academy... as is the vindictive streak that goes with it. A few have even gone as far as to compare his wrath to that of the fallen Fire Princess Azula, though it should be noted that his fuse isn't on anywhere near as much of a hair trigger. Still, there are a few things that are guaranteed to set him off no matter how much control he thinks he has. Chief among these are those who are intolerant, or enjoy abusing their power for personal gain. He also has a strong dislike of traitors, or anyone who threatens those close to him. These are the moments that scare him the most, as he starts to see red and that's when mistakes are made.
In battle however his newer and much more hardened persona takes hold, bringing with it a blinding passion and determination which makes him unwilling to show mercy to any foe who has been foolish enough to set themselves in his path. Once he has set his mind on a target only death will prevent him from reaching his goal, and that has become a lot harder to accomplish of late. It also causes his usual humor to take on a caustic edge, shifting from purely jovial banter to a more sardonic flare. This new mindset scares him though when he is lucid enough to realize what he has become, as he sees it as the beginning of a very slippery slope. One that might eventually lead him down the same dark path which had so thoroughly corrupted his former clan, and before that his homeland. Hoping to at least slow his fall into darkness, he has trained himself to fight without drawing his weapon, instead using his still sheathed blade as a bokken in order to defend himself against most of the mindless or incompetent threats he'll come across while saving his blade for only truly evil opponents. Those who would either prove too powerful to handle while holding back or who could only be stopped by a blade through the heart.
Like his pseudo mentor: Eiji, Qin has come to hold to the belief that to truly know what is in someone's heart, you must fight them in one-on-one combat at some point. He has learned to see the underlying form of self-expression which is hidden at the base of any given fighting style. He also is able to use this as a way to help him read the feelings and emotions of others, using combat as a way of bringing out their true self and learn whether it is possible to save them from themselves or not. In his mind, combat between two skilled opponents is capable of saying more than several hours worth of talking. A truly useful ability indeed for one who has to make life and death decisions on the fly. The trick of course is maintaining a clear enough head to process what he's reading on a conscious level.
Appearance:
Physically Qin Li is almost identical to his twin sister, having a slight and feminine build of average height, which hides the lean muscles developed during his years of training. This combined with his semi-girlish facial features which have earned him the classification as a Bishōnen, a trait which has led to a fluke of nature concerning the youngest of the Sheng siblings: seemingly identical fraternal twins. The only truly obvious difference between the two of them being the fact that their eyes don't match, his being a reddish brown while her's are the traditional amber of a Fire bender. They initially used this coincidence to great effect confusing their guardians as children, in more recent times however it has been used as an added security measure for concealing the clan leader's current location between two separate entities. Now that he has been officially disowned by his family though, not to mention having matured enough to know better and developed a distinctly masculine sense of style, Qin has come to slightly resent and be embarrassed by the occasional need to dress up as a girl which this little ploy usual entails.
He has long dark brown hair, reaching down to just below his rear end, which he wears in a variety of styles depending on situation and mood. His preferred style though is to wear it loose, letting it flow freely in the wind and sometimes hide his facial expressions. In terms of manner of dress, he has taken a cue from Eiji and decided to try blending new and old styles. His personal take on this trend is to wear a wide sleeved top of varying colors, usually Fire Nation red, cut in a style similar to the changshan although the hem stops just below his waistline unlike the traditional changshan top. This shirt is cinched at the waist with a heavy sword belt, and is tucked into a simple pair of slim fitting pants of darker hues. The look is accessorized by a pair of steel toed knee-high boots, and a utility pouch tied to his thigh for carrying his personal effects. He prefers this over the standard White Lotus uniform, finding the Order's garb to be heavy and restrictive... not to mention a bit goofy looking.
- Spoiler:
Bender: Yes
--Element: Air
Affinity: Fire
Class: Rich (Officially disowned, but still has access to funds “off the record”)
Career: W. L. Swordsman
Birth: Late Summer
Loyalty: Has no loyalties to a specific place, but is loyal to the Avatar and the Order
Place of Birth: Fire Nation Capital
Residence: Republic City
Statistics
Strength: Below Average
Speed: Above Average
Stamina: Average
Chi: Below Average
Intelligence: Above Average
Weapon Type: Katana (Heavy) <---- Will transfer funds from primary account to cover this
Weapon Appearance:
The Towa Kitai (Eternal Hope) is a 14 fold blade forged around 200 years ago from a hunk of metal found in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption, on what would later come to be known as Roku's Island. On its own the blade is 73cm (28.5 in) long, and has been polished to a mirror like sheen by its various owners over the years. The hilt adds another 25.4cm (10 in) to this, and like the saya is carved from a hardened form of polished ivory taken from the tusks of an elephant-bear, which over the years has taken on an almost marbled appearance. A length of red silk cord has been run through the center of the hilt and tied into an intricate pattern as it dangles from the end of the weapon, with a matching cord tied to the saya as well for decoration. The only oddity about the weapon is the guard, which has been replaced by Qin Li with one which is capable of spinning.
- Spoiler:
Weapon Abilities:
Aside from being of exceptional quality, the Towa Kitai has very few unusual features to make it stand out from the traditional katana. The only exception is a wheel-like device its owner has attached to it in place of a handguard. This innovative contraption has been designed to serve as a focus for Qin's low level bending abilities, creating just enough air currents when spun to in theory allow him to create an effect similar to a Wind Sword around his weapon for a short period. So far however his skills have not become powerful enough to create such a weapon in even the traditional sense, so he has no idea whether his design will work under real world conditions or not.
Character Background
History:
Qin Li and Eriha were both born into the Sheng clan, a mid-level noble family of the Fire Nation whose task as vassals was to provide additional protection of the royal family and their allies. The two of them are a bit on an anomaly in that not they were both born Benders, but of differing elements. Qin Li having the power over the Air, and Eriha the power over Fire like most of their family. This was due to a scandalous event which had taken place at the beginning of the Hundred Years War, and was subsequently buried by the family historians in an effort to hide the family's shame until Qin's birth changed everything.
At the dawn of the war, the royal army was dispatched to massacre the Air Nomads in order to prevent the birth of the next Avatar. One of the commanders though, a man by the name of Shou Sheng, had been frequently visiting the Western Air Temple in secret. This was due to the fact that he was carrying on a clandestine love affair with one of the adepts living there at the time. When the time came for the attack to commence, he was unable to prevent the massacre without giving away his sympathies and risking execution, but he was able to slip inside the temple under the cover of darkness and retrieve his lady love and her unborn child before they met their untimely demise. From there he used his family's considerable resources to quietly forge a new identity for the girl, taking her into his home under the assumed identity of a girl from the colonies who was to become his bride. From their home in the capitol, the two of them tried to carry on their lives and duties as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Yet they lived their lives in constant fear of discovery, passing their secret shame down through the generations for more then 150 years. Until the birth of their great great grand child forced the truth to come to light, and put what some saw as a blemish on a highly respected family's record.
Qin was born as the sixth and youngest child of the Sheng Chief, lord Miyoga Sheng, and also had the distinction of being his only surviving male heir. This served to put a lot of pressure on him at a young age, as his father felt that it was best to begin his grooming early, despite the protests of his elder sisters. At first he did not fully understand what it was that he was being trained for, but as the years progressed and he began to gain a deeper knowledge of how the nobility ran things it all became clear to him, he wasn't just being trained as a protector as his father and his allies would have led the child to believe. He and several other younger members of the aristocracy were being trained in how to cheat, how to deceive, and how to bend others to their will. The system in which he was being schooled was slowly becoming corrupted by those who were meant to serve it, despite how much effort the Fire Lord and her allies were putting into preventing that from happening. Even the Clan elders had become tainted by this corruption, lusting for times gone by and secretly seeking ways to further their own power base so that they might better manipulate the system for their own gain. This didn't sit well with the boy, but the was very little he could do about it seeing as he was just a child. He vowed to one day change things however. Once he had the necessary influence, he would make sure to stop this rot before it consumed the clan as a whole.
Then, upon turning eight years old, the decision was made to send Qin Li away to study with the Order of the White Lotus, as was the standing tradition for the eldest sons of the Clan. It was during this period that his talents as an Air Bender were discovered, manifesting early on in his training during a sparring match with an older student. This put his instructors in a serious predicament, as the only known master of the air element was currently residing in Republic City and unable to come to their aide. Nor was Qin willing to abandon his Lotus training in order to go and stay at the new Air Temple. A compromise was reached when Master Tenzin sent documents containing his family's notes on the basics of Air Nomad instruction, providing the resident bending masters with enough insight to at least start their student on the path when combined with their own talents. This was done under the condition that he would come study at the temple when his time at the academy was completed. As a result he was forced to pull double duty, spending his days learning both the sword and the basic principles of bending. The double load proved even more difficult then he ever could have dreamed possible, the mixed and improvised training methods of his teachers being both brutal and taxing for both mind and body. In spite of this however, he showed a natural gift for their art, his personal talents combined with his latent abilities yielding impressive results as he quickly rose through the ranks of students.
It was during this time that he met a man by the name of Eiji, a senior student at the academy who had been tasked with helping manage the blade classes. The two of them hit it off almost immediately, having like tastes and motivations as well as a talent for the martial arts. Qin eventually came to be known as the other man's shadow, and under his tutelage Qin began developing his very own style of fighting. Incorporating Eiji's preference for acrobatic combat techniques with his own limited bending talents in order to create a unique style of multi-range warfare. He would come to call this style Shénfēi-kyo Ryuu (God's Soaring Cry sword style), and while it is still very much a work in progress, he is quite proud of what he can accomplish while using it.
Following Eiji's departure from the Order, Qin Li was recalled to the homeland in order to stand vigil at his father's bedside during his final moments. All was not as it seemed however, as upon his arrival his father revealed that he had been poisoned in order to advance the line of succession. Qin's eldest sister had been working behind the scenes to turn the clan elders against her younger brother, hoping to claim his status as heir apparent for herself under the precedent of female leadership set by the current Fire Lord. Outraged that his beloved sibling would sink so low as to resort to the assassination of her own father for personal gain, Qin allowed his emotions to get the better of him and challenged his wayward sister to an Agni Kai. This was obviously a mistake given the fact that his opponent was a skilled fire bender, and he was a piss pour excuse for an air bender who only had half her years of experience. A special exception was made by the clan elders however, seeing as normally only fire benders could participate in Agni Kais. This was done because it allowed them the perfect opportunity to remove their primary opposition from the playing field, in what was most likely a permanent manner. The duel went about as well as could be expected, and provided the corrupt elders of the clan the perfect excuse to transfer leadership to their favored choice. They didn't stop there however, as they also saw fit to publicly disown the former heir and strip him of his family name and title. The reasons for this were not made clear to the general populace, but if its one thing people in the royal court like to do it gossip, and it wasn't long before dozens of rumors were circulating about what had happened.
Now obviously no longer able to redeem himself in the eyes of his clan, not that he really wished to of course, the youngest Sheng decided that he now had no place in the Fire Nation and began preparing to return to the Order in his disgrace. Not all of the members of his family were against him however, as his twin sister felt intense sorrow over what had happened and hoped to make at least some amends while thumbing her nose at the rest of the clan. To that end she set up a secret account from which Qin could tap into at least some of the family resources, and gifted him with the Towa Kitai (Eternal Hope). The ancestral blade which had once been used by their great grandfather Shou during his time as a warrior.
Pleased that he wasn't truly alone after all, Qin Li took these presents and returned to finish his training at the hands of the Order. Suffering through the constant rumors and odd stares, he completed his time at the academy and then set to the wanderer's path in an effort to mend the pain he was feeling after the betrayal by his loved ones. Fate eventually brought him to Republic City, where he was reunited with one of his closest friends and ideally positioned to finally receive formal training in the use of airbending (as opposed to the trial and error methods he'd been using all this time). That's assuming of course, he can ever muster the courage necessary to present himself to the man who would become his master. With the current situation in the bustling metropolis, and all of the exciting distractions which they provide however, the odds of that are growing slimmer by the day .
Code of Approval: The rules must be followed or else I give permission to the Equalists to Equalize me
RP Sample (Normal):
- Spoiler:
- The light of the full moon reflected off of the choppy waves as the steamship made its way into Yue Bay, a chilling night wind blowing in from the sea and cutting to the bone for anyone unfortunate enough to be on deck at the moment. One of these poor souls was a young man in his late teens, his long dark hair drifting about loosely in the wind as he pulled traveling cloak tighter around himself in a vain attempt to keep warm. Even the weather was mocking him. Having followed him all the way from the capitol of his homeland, serving as a bitter reminder of just how different he was and how much of an outsider that made him. He was a bender from the Fire Nation, which should mean that keeping warm on a night like this shouldn't be hard at all. But he wasn't your typical Fire Nation bender, no... he was one of the few air benders to have come into the world since the end of the war. Worse yet, he was only a partially trained one, making him feel like a waste of space in two camps now instead of just one.
Hopefully though, his cards would change now that he'd finally made it here to Republic City. He'd heard that this was supposed to be the land of opportunity, a place to make a fresh start after cutting his ties with home and devoting himself to the cause full time. Well, maybe it was more appropriate to say that home had cut ties with him... but either way there was nothing left for him there anymore. He was a man without a clan, without a past, fumbling at straws in the vain hope of building a future for himself by mastering his gifts and honoring a legacy that didn't want anything to do with him anymore. All so that he could one day stand tall and watch the house of cards those who'd betrayed him had so carefully crafted come falling down about their ears, the flames of retribution consuming their blackened hearts as he looked on in appreciation of karma's handiwork. It wasn't that he was bitter, no he'd accepted his fate, he was just a firm believer in the principle of equivalent exchange and the principle that no good deed goes unpunished.
Glancing to his side as a figure materialized in his peripheral vision, he half heartedly returned the young woman's smile as she leaned on the railing and glanced out at the bay. “Beautiful, isn't it?”
Most guys would probably have taken this opportunity to strike up a real conversation with the girl, as she was a most stunning sight to behold. Qin’s mind just wasn’t in the right place for that sort of thing at the moment though. Despite what a possible one-night stand could do for his self-esteem right now, he knew that he wasn’t going to make very good company at the moment. So he could only nod as the beauty of the city's lights and the girl next to him were lost on him, only one thought was on his mind at the moment, “Its home...”
Turning to look at him, the girl raised an eyebrow at him, "You from around here then? I can't quite place the accent..."
Realizing that she wasn't going to leave him alone with just one line, he feigned a warm smile and gave her a dismissive wave before joining her on the railing. "Nah, I'm from the Fire Nation originally, but there's something here I need to find so I'm gonna be staying awhile."
She was intrigued now it seemed, scooting herself in a little closer so that she could better hear him over the waves. "And just what might that be?"
He responded with a smirk and a playful wink, "Fame, fortune, and someone who can help me reshape the skies... You know, the usual stuff."
RP Sample (Combat):
- Spoiler:
- The setting sun peeked over the horizon as the two bare chested combatants bowed and entered the ring, its light casting an eerie red glow over the spectators and the surrounding area as the building tension built towards its peak. Everyone in attendance knew what the stakes of this duel were, which was why the whole clan was in attendance as they waited to see the fate of their generation decided by these two determined souls. To the south was the underdog and heir apparent: Qin Li, sole male child of the late headman and student of the White Lotus school. His opponent stood opposite him to the north: his eldest sister Yuuki. Murderer of their father and the primary opposition to his taking up leadership of their family. Unlike him, she had taken well to the old school and underhanded political tactics they had been forced to learn as children. This had made her a favorite among the elders who yearned for the days of Ozai, and with their support she had assassinated the former head. All so that she could further her own standing in the royal court by provoking a challenge from the current heir: him.
Even now he couldn't believe that she'd been willing to go as far as she had, or that he'd been stupid enough to allow himself to be manipulated into this. He'd been so blinded by rage at his father's murder, that it hadn't even occurred to him what the political repercussions of his lashing out might be. All he'd wanted was for justice to be done. A task which he'd been forced to take up himself due to the corruption permeating the overseers of the clan's affairs. But in searching for that vengeance he'd allowed himself to become emotionally compromised, something Eiji and Fei were both always warning him about, and now he stood to lose so much more then he already had. In all honesty he hadn't even thought the formal challenge would be accepted, seeing as he wasn't a fire bender and all. He'd just wanted to get his accusations out into the light of day where they could be considered fully. But the duel had been deemed admisable despite the unusual circumstances, serving to prove that this whole thing had just been a setup to get him where he was now. If he lived through this he was definetely going to have to get a better reign on that temper of his so stuff like this stopped happening.
Taking their formal wraps from their Seconds, the two combatants took their seats at opposite sides of the arena and waited for the official referee to finish outling the modified rules and traditions of the Agni Kai. Neither one of them were really paying attention though. They both knew what the new rules were by now, and were more concerned with plotting out their opening moves then formalities. Qin knew that he was at a disadvantage due to his element, and the lack of formal training he had in manipulating it. Yuuki on the other hand was a master level fire bender, having been trained by the best teachers in the Fire Nation since she was old enough to stand on her own two feet. His only hope of winning was to do something random enough to throw her off guard within the opening few seconds, then tag her with an air blade in order to draw first blood and end this distasteful fiasco. What could he hope to do though that would accomplish that?
At the conclusion of the referee's speech, the two siblings stood and turned to face each other as they shed their ceremonial shoulder garments. Taking their respective fighting stances, Qin tried to ignore the sneer of contempt that flashed across his sister's face as they waited for the gong to signal the beginning of hostilities. Time seemed to slow to a crawl at that point, or it could have just been the referee drawing out the pain of the moment by withholding the signal to spite him. But whatever the reason was, the moment of truth eventually came.
Not even waiting for the sound to finish dissipating, the two of them dashed towards each other with red in their eyes. Yuuki was the first to make a move, letting loose with a flaming jab-kick combo intended to sear the skin off of his face even as it bisected him at the waist. Qin would have nothing of it though, shifting his center of gravity so that his dash became a power slide as he skidded under the attack and came to his feet well within her inner defensive zone. Seizing the split second opening he'd created, he closed the final few steps between them with a spin of his heel in order to evade any other attacks she might potentially throw. Now well within her personal space, the avenging youth reached forward with both hands and grabbed the sides of his sister's face. Smirking at the way she narrowed her eyes as he leaned forward, planting a passionate kiss directly on her lips as her irises seemed to glow with rage. A moment later she stumbled back, wiping her lips with the back of her hand as she glared daggers at him from across the ring. This was all the time he needed though, as he scissored both of his hands in front of him in order to create a razor sharp current of air with her name on it.
His lack of training showed however, as he was unable to maintain the level of control necessary to focus the winds he'd created. Loosing consistency as the blade traveled through the air, the attack was little more then a hard gust by the time it impacted its target. The remnants of the strike did have enough force to cause a serious wardrobe malfunction with her sarashi wrappings though, but one could not win an Agni Kai via embarrassment so this didn't end the match. Although it did provoke a gasp of shock and envy from the gathered spectators, none of which had been expecting a free peep show with their bloodsport. Not that Yuuki seemed to care about her situation in the slightest, her sneer broadening as his attack failed to draw blood and provided her with an opening to finish this with a double fisted strike of her own.
Eyes widened in shock and disappointment at his failure, Qin swept his arms across his forward arc as he executed a sharp torso twist. Attempting to minimize his profile as he again tried to call upon his element, he was successfully able to deflect the first of the two fire blasts skyward. Elation filled him as he watched the bolt sail harmlessly towards the heavens, and as a result his concentration wavered, allowing the second blast through his defenses. It connected with him at a three-quarter angle, searing his right breast and ribs as he went sailing through the air with the smell of smoked flesh filling his nostrils. He hit the ground hard a moment later, his efforts to soften the impact wasted due to his lack of concentration, and a searing pain in his left arm which told him he'd probably fractured something important in the landing.
As he lay on his back staring up at the darkening skies, Qin let out a sigh of resignation and waited for the end to come. When nothing happened he propped himself up on his elbows in spite of the pain, so that he could look across the ring at his opponent as she closed the distance between them while fastening a robe she'd been provided around herself. Kneeling down next to him, she leaned in close enough that she could whisper intimately in his ear. Intimately running her fingers along the large burn on his chest as she spoke in order to cause him a bit of pain while she worked her own form of psychological warfare in response to his earlier antics. "Now you are nothing little one. Merely a lingering shadow of a time best forgotten who has failed to live up to your potential. I could kill you now and no one would bad an eye, but its so much sweeter to let you live on with your shame. Knowing full well that you failed to avenge our dear naive father, and that have beaten you by stripping you of everything you hold dear. Enjoy this gift I have given you, and watch from afar as I once again return our family to the glory it once held... before our ancestors ruined the purity of our blood with the shame that begot you."
And with that she was gone, the crowd dispersing in her wake and leaving him to accept the shame of his defeat in solitude. In the span of just a few days he'd lost everything; his father, his family, even his last name had been taken away from him. For all intents and purposes he was now a nobody, just a nameless soul taking up space on this planet as he tried to carve some semblance of an honorable life out for himself. His temper had cost him who he was, and now he was going to have to start from scratch and find himself again...
Source: n/a (This is Eiji, and I'm posting this as my Alt)
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[Inuyasha, Inuyasha (Human Form), Qin Li]
Last edited by Qin Li on Mon Aug 20, 2012 11:17 pm; edited 6 times in total
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