[hider=#1: Tian Jin][center][img]http://i61.tinypic.com/bhnkgm.jpg[/img][/center]
[center][i]credit to http://www.deviantart.com/art/sketch-425119777[/i][/center]

[b]Character Name[/b]: Tian Jin
[b]Character Theme[/b]: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhrxGCMzRL0]Shaping of the World[/url]
[b]Age[/b]: 25
[b]Height[/b]: 6’2”
[b]Gender[/b]: Male
[b]Sexuality[/b]: Heterosexual
[b]Rank/Title[/b]: Captain
[b]Persona[/b]: Tian Jin lives for the thrill of the hunt. All aspects of it, the planning, the trap, and the execution… each is a part of a careful game that he loves. Because of his upbringing, he knows little else; caught at a young age and trained almost exclusively in archery and tactics, no one bothered or dared to divest him of what he came to believe was the underlying purpose of his life. It would be a mistake to characterize Tian as purely single-minded, but he can be predatory and focused almost to a fault when he has found a target.

His success has caused him to become relatively hot-headed and arrogant when it comes to taking on challenges, though he mocks and disdains the brash demeanor of so many of his countrymen. For him, the true beauty of warfare lies in the silence before the bow is fired, where the only sound is the bowstring stretching to its breaking point. Tian is seen as somewhat odd and standoffish by his fellow soldiers, but then again few truly understand his almost religious devotion to perfecting his one particular aspect of warfare. Tian’s self-worth comes from his ability to excel at archery – his entire life was spent learning it, warping his body and mind to fit the role he assigned himself, and as of right now he has nothing else obvious to strive towards.

As of right now, Tian lives to kill for his Empress. After all, what else could there be?

[b]Equipment[/b]:
[list][*]Heavy Recurve Longbow: Most likely one of the stranger contraptions ever developed by the Thaos Academy of Archery, Tian’s bow is the product of one of many questionable attempts to emulate the technological styles of the Donians. It is around two metres long and possesses two separate interlocked parts connected by a complex pulley system. As such, the tension in the bow is so strong that even the strongest of normal men would have an immensely difficult time drawing and firing it once, let alone for an entire battle. In order to fire the full bow, Tian relies upon his specialized ki techniques, developed specifically for this purpose. Adjustable range markers are also attached, much like those found on the primitive Thaos artillery. When using the full potential of his bow, Tian can volley arrows up to a maximum of 450 metres away, and accurately shoot targets up to 200 metres away. It is an unwieldy and somewhat fragile weapon, especially since it was not designed specifically for Tian, but it is nonetheless dangerously effective.[/*]
[*]Plate and Chain-mail: Though far less mobile than leather or simple mail, Tian’s awareness of the firepower available to the Donians and the hellish magics of the Kaien ‘witches’ drives him to wear a somewhat more protective armour on the battlefield. His armour is therefore a mixture of a few solid plate pieces over light mail and padded leather. However, his joints are relatively unprotected compared to the rest of his body due to the need to be mobile enough to draw and fire a bow at speed[/*]
[*]Jian: 28in sword, kept in a red leather sheathe slung across Tian’s back to prevent it from interrupting his archery. Double-edged and used in a single hand, though it is possible to wield it two handed for additional force.[/*]
[*]Archery Gloves: These long, expensive, and nimble gloves stretch up to Tian’s elbows, and are designed to stop the skin on his forearms from being ripped off by the force of the bow being fired. However, the runes and characters embroidered into the back of the hand also serve as very useful conduits for the release of Tian’s ki, and assist him in the exercise of firing his bow. He is not incapable of using his ki energies without them, they just greatly speed up the process.[/*][/list]

[b]Abilities/Magic/Technology[/b]:
[list]
[*]Ki Techniques: Unlike a number of generalist Thao warriors, Tian was trained to be a specialist as soon as his uncanny accuracy was detected by his teachers. This means that though he can direct his body’s natural energy to wherever he wishes, the vast majority of it is tuned towards the act of firing a bow to the detriment of other abilities. In order to be accurate over long ranges, he must sometimes spend many excruciating seconds calming the trembling in his arms and finding his mark. However, his ki abilities also allow him send a tiny bit of his energy with every arrow that he fires, adding to the kinetic force of the arrow and allowing it to more easily punch through armour, magical shields, and flesh alike.[/*]
[*][i]<Ki Technique: Steady>[/i] Can provide unnatural strength and endurance to the specific muscles used in drawing and firing a bow for short periods of time.[/*]
[*][i]<Ki Technique: Pierce>[/i] Tian’s arrows glimmer slightly, and a blue shadow of the arrow seems to fly slightly before the actual arrow, allowing for Tian’s energy to be used up before the force of the arrow is diminished. Essentially, this enhances the penetrating power of Tian’s shots.[/*]
[/list]

[b]Physical Techniques[/b]:
[list][*]Archery: Tian is an exceptional marksman. He is not the best by far, but his skill and reputation continue to rise as he continues to add improbable achievements to his record.
o	[i]Long-range[/i]: This is Tian’s speciality. In particular, he was trained to shoot down targets in the air, such as the damned Doniaeth dragons. Thus, he typically regards himself and his role on the battlefield as oversight rather than an assassin. He is slightly less capable at sniping, anyway: his bow is not the most perfectly accurate weapon at extreme distances unless shooting down the larger targets that he prefers to aim at. Nonetheless, if someone were to stay standing in a location for long enough, there’s no doubt that Tian would eventually hit them; he certainly does not lack persistence.
o	[i]Short-range[/i]: Though Tian does not regularly carry a short-bow on him, he is an entirely competent archer at close ranges. Obviously, his heavy longbow does not possess the mobility to be effective at close ranges, but should he be pressed Tian can and has quickly felled approaching enemies. When freed of the burden of his longbow, Tian can also be a surprisingly mobile skirmisher, though as mentioned above he rarely adopts this role out of scorn for its perceived lack of refinement.[/*]
[*]Swordplay: Like all Thaos youth, Tian was trained in a variety of weapons. He is by all standards at a veteran level in the use of his sword, but suffers from lack of specific muscle training and related ki techniques. Therefore, Tian’s defensive sword-fighting far outmatches his offensive skills.[/*]
[*]Mathematics: Though perhaps out of place in a Thaos soldier, Tian’s intuitive grasp of trigonometry and rudimentary calculus made him a prodigy in Thaos even if he would have just been an average student in Doniaeth. Tian has spent a great amount of time applying his knowledge to his archery craft, and is therefore extremely adept with his scopes and the range markers on his longbow. Understanding more of the physics behind his craft has also allowed Tian to become better at comprehending flight paths of arrows and calculating the angles needed to hit fast moving targets.[/*][/list]

[b]Strengths[/b]:
[list][*]Analytical and Confident: Rarely backs down from a challenge, and plans his attacks with some degree of care and forethought. Able to overcome minor setbacks without losing focus.[/*]
[*]Heavy Weaponry: Able to provide accurate, long-range, and absolutely devastating fire support.[/*]
[*]Specialization: Years of training in one particular aspect has allowed Tian to become faster and more efficient in his trade than his contemporaries, especially regarding his ki usage.[/*][/list]

[b]Weaknesses[/b]:
[list][*]Lack of Mobility: Tian is far less effective without a team to provide him with support. He can be swarmed and taken down fairly easily if caught out.[/*]
[*]Arrogance: The flip-side of his confidence, Tian is always driven in a hot-headed fashion to take down the newest challenge, even if it is clearly beyond his reach.[/*]
[*]Less adaptable: Tian’s bow requires time to string and set up, as well as extensive care. It also does not fire fantastically quickly. As such, if caught in an ambush situation or forced to adapt to a new environment, Tian will be at a disadvantage in the early stages.[/*][/list][/hider]