History: Yasuri was born in a fairly large city to somewhat well of parents. They lived comfortably but not in wealth. They were lucky. The city was not... The most well-run. To put it more bluntly was it was essentially run by a dictator. It was inevitable at some point that a rebellion of some kind would start. With access to only crude weapons they held underground training sessions. Yasuri was perhaps not the most logical candidate given he didn't go through the same suffering many in the city did. However he saw the corruption at a level higher than most and could also see the suffering it caused. Combined with his natural sense of empathy Yasuri found himself joining the cause. Unsurprisingly they were found out and ambushed at one such session. Yasuri was knocked out during the fighting. When he came to he found himself under the care of Master Kenta. He was informed his family, along with the families of all the other rebels had been killed. Upon attempting to exit the room and get revenge he found himself stopped by Master Kenta. Despite 24 hours of attempting to escape the room Yasuri found himself utterly outmatched. Exhausted Yasuri asked Kenta to tutor him. A smile appeared on the man's face and thus began Yasuri's journey with Kenta, abandoning his last name. After a few years Kenta told Yasuri he was leaving on a pilgrimage to the City Of Jade. Yasuri had learned long ago that questioning Kenta never did much good and simply followed. And waited. And waited. Now he is done waiting. Even the extraordinary patience taught to him by Master Kenta wearing thin over two years.
Master Kenta: Master Kenta is a wiry man of an indeterminate age. It's quite confusing as his frame matches that of some of an average male around 30-50 but his face is that of someone around 20. Attempts to get him to reveal or even hint at his age had been met with no success, though the amount of people that know him and their age seems to indicate he's been around for quite a bit longer than the visual would indicaite. Kenta always speak in the same cheerful tone of voice. He's very friendly, always ready with a story or a joke to liven things up. He also likes to hand out life lessons and generally helpful tips to just about anybody he runs across. All in all he seems to be a middle-aged friendly uncle Iroh sort of guy. Kenta does however seem to have more strength in 1 finger than most people have in their whole body and his skin seems to be made of some sort of adamantium like replacement.
Chi: 2
Luck: 5
Techniques Iron Flesh: The ability to completely absorb all damage from a single blow.
Born in the northern Yangzhou prefecture, one of the three prefectures of the Feng Kingdom (a relatively middle sized kingdom in the Waidi continent), Meng Wu was the eldest child of a fallen nobleman named Meng Lao. The cause of his father's fall from grace was a mystery to Meng Wu for the better part of his early years. For all he had known, their family had always been somewhere in the middle between 'poor' and 'barely hanging by', and his as well as his three younger siblings' presences didn't exactly make the situation any better.
However, their family had always been close-knit, bearing through all the adversities that they stumbled upon through cooperation and sheer will. Unfortunately, sometimes old ghosts are not willing to stay in the grave.
One autumn day, as Meng Wu was helping his mother with the daily chores in the house, he heard two loud knocks coming from their front door. Since he had been busy at the time, his younger brother Cao answered. As the little boy opened the door, his neck met the sharp edge of a steel sword, beheading and killing him on the spot. Even before the boy's lifeless body fell down, an armored man walked inside the house. Behind him, ten other people rushed inside, all wearing armors and carrying long single-bladed sabers.
Meng Wu's mother heard the commotion coming from the room next door (she was in the kitchen) and went over to see what had happened, only to find eleven men glaring menacingly at her. Fear immediately overwhelmed her and her eyes darted around the room, trying to find her son, only to catch a glimpse of his decapitated head on the floor, behind one of the men. As you may imagine, she didn't take the news well. Her screams were heard by all the remaining people in the house, one of them being Meng Wu's father.
Meng Lao had been taking his routine midday nap at the time. Abruptly awakened by his wife's loud wailing coming from the other room, he quickly got out of his futon whilst grabbing his sword, a family heirloom, unsheathing it and rushing to his wife's aid.
Now, Meng Wu had been barely 15 at the time, something that nevertheless didn't deter him from training in the sword just like his father. Thus, he already had some relative skill as a swordsman, but no one would call him a true swordsman. So, it is understandable that he froze when he saw those men ganging up on his father; he was a 15-year-old kid at the end. It was his father's words that awakened him from his fear-induced paralysis.
"WU'ER, RUN!! TAKE YOUNG FAN AND LITTLE YUI AND RUN AWAY FROM HERE!!"
With tears in his eyes, Meng Wu turned around, ran into the room where the four siblings slept, grabbed his two remaining siblings and ran through the back door and into the forest clearing where their house was located.
After running for a dozen or so seconds, he had just reached the edge of the clearing when he heard his mother screaming once again, but this time her scream was cut short. Immediately after that, a deafening roar penetrated his ears, an inhuman roar filled with grief. The clashing of swords reverberated through the clearing before Meng Wu heard his father's voice, that time addressing someone else.
"CURSE YOU MA FENGHUA, CURSE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY! COME AND SEE TO YOUR DEATH!"
Then more sword clashing, and more, and more...
Not even Meng Wu knew how long he heard the sound of metal striking metal as he stood there silent, his bloodshot eyes glued on the building he and his siblings grew up in. He was no fool, nor was he an innocent child, regardless of his age. He might've been frozen stiff from the fear earlier, but even he recognized that even his father would not be able to hold off the men forever. Every second he passed standing still, was a second of his father's last moments trying to protect them wasted.
And so, with tears in his eyes, he ran, and ran, and ran, without looking back. At some point, Meng Wu snapped out of his self-induced trance and noticed that his two siblings were struggling to free themselves from his hold. He stopped and put them down, and was heartbroken when they immediately ran into his embrace and started sobbing. Surprisingly, however, he didn't cry like his siblings. Something inside of him told him that he should be crying, but he suppressed the feeling.
He looked at his two siblings, his second brother, and little sister, and realized that from that moment, he would have to be the one to provide for them, to protect and care for them, just like their parents did.
So he didn't cry. He couldn't cry, not in front of them.
After his siblings had somewhat calmed down, he grabbed their hands and pulled them along deeper inside the forest. Meng Wu knew that they would have to find a place to rest, as nightfall was quickly approaching. Soon after, they found a relatively secluded cave on the foot of a small hill, the top of which was hidden in thick fog.
Meng Wu and his siblings worked together to gather sticks and pieces of wood and after some time, Meng Wu managed to light a fire using the survival methods his father had taught him.
The trio bundled together by the fire and soon, everyone fell asleep. Due to his mental and physical fatigue, Meng Wu failed to detect the mist that had slowly crept inside the cave. The mist gathered, condensed and materialized a white-haired young man.
The man stood in front of the three children, looking at their slumbering forms with a gaze that seemed as deep as the color of the night sky. His gaze shifted towards Meng Wu, and something caused the man to frown before he widened his eyes in surprise. His mouth broke into a smile, and he waved his long sleeve over the trio. Mist started pouring from inside the sleeve, whirling around and covering Meng Wu and his siblings before an unseen force gently picked them up. The man then blew towards the campfire, putting it out instantly, and then slowly turned into mist once again before exiting the cave along with the three behind him.
When the time came for young Meng Wu to wake up, he found himself lying on an unfamiliar bed, inside an unfamiliar room. On each side of his bed, there were his siblings, each one holding one of his hands, their heads on the bed, sleeping peacefully. Tears started welling up in his eyes, but then Meng Wu heard steps coming their way.
A white haired young man emerged from beyond the door. The man, dressed in black and white robes, seemed to possess an unfathomable aura surrounding him, and even though Meng Wu could not even detect said aura, he could still understand that the man in front of him was no simple man at all.
The man looked at Meng Wu's siblings for a mere few seconds before turning his attention to Meng Wu himself, but to Meng Wu himself, it seemed like an eternity. They stood there for a few minutes, each staring at the other. Finally, Meng Wu could not take it anymore and speak up.
"Senior, this junior is surnamed Meng," Meng Wu said and gently freed his hands from his siblings' holds and brought them forwards, clasping them together.
Seeing the man not responding, Meng Wu gained courage and asked one more question. "Senior, this junior would like to know if senior was the one who saved us three siblings. If yes, then we - I am eternally grateful."
And just like that, for the first time, the white-haired man smiled once again.
"I can feel it in you, you know," the man suddenly said. His voice was smooth and clear, pleasing to the ear.
"I can feel, no, I can see the rage boiling inside of you. You make a good effort to conceal it, but who other than a cold-blooded murderer would be capable of not feeling a thing after witnessing the dead body of his younger brother, as well as having to run away while leaving behind his parents to be killed."
The smooth way such frightening words rolled off the man's tongue made Meng Wu's hair stand on end. He was about to answer back when the man spoke again. What he said shocked Meng Wu to the core.
"I know who is responsible for the murder of your family."
Meng Wu's eyes instantly turned bloodshot and he started hyperventilating. He threw all caution to the wind as he looked at the man with the most menacing glare he could muster as if demanding to know the name. Suddenly, his savior let out a hearty laugh before immediately turning serious once more. "Calm down," he simply said, but the way he said it was anything but simple.
Meng Wu's eyes widened and he suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood. Meng Wu stared at the crimson liquid dying his bedsheets and shuddered at the surge of power he just felt coming from the man in front of him. However, he knew that he had offended the man, and thus did not object the punishment. In the end, the man had saved him and his siblings, and he had done nothing but offend him. Meng Wu deserved what he got.
The man looked at Meng Wu's lowered head and smiled once more.
"I told you that I know the man you seek of, but you are not qualified to meet him..." The man told Meng Wu, and whose face immediately turned sour. "Yet." The man added, his smile changing into as grin.
Meng Wu was dumbfounded. "U-um, I don't hope to understand senior's cryptic meanings. This junior asks senior to explain, if possible."
"Heh, you still want to make this old man say the words himself?" The man said and laughed once more.
"Become my apprentice. Stay here and learn from me, so that you can one day be able to face that man and not die after just one slash. You don't have to formally accept me right now, your injuries are more pressing. You might not have noticed, but most of the muscles in your legs and arms are torn because of all the non-stop running you did while carrying your two siblings. If I hadn't treated you on time, you would be in a whole other world of pain right now..."
The man took a deep breath in as he finished saying what he had to say. Truly, that had been the most he had talked in years.
Meng Wu was stunned. So stunned in fact that he mumbled words incoherently without stop for about 10 seconds. Then, the man's words brought him back to reality.
"So? What do you say?"
Meng Wu shut his mouth, looked at his two siblings, took a deep breath and with a determined look in his eyes, clasped his two hands in front of him and bowed his head. When he raised his head once again, he was no longer just Meng Wu. He had become Meng Wu, Direct Disciple of Mount Cloudspire's Second Pavillion Master, Siu Ren.
P R O F E S S I O N
Cultivator
C U L T I V A T I O N - [ C H I ]
2nd Stage of Qi Condensation
M A S T E R
Siu Ren
??? | Male | 6'2" | 180 lbs
H I S T O R Y
Siu Ren's history before his coming to Mount Cloudspire is as enigmatic as he himself is. The only thing people know - that in and of itself is a rumor but whatever - is that the Sect Master, at one point, found Siu Ren in an abandoned temple, left behind by his supposed parents as an offering to the Gods. The Sect Master saw the immense potential inside the baby, then, Siu Ren, and decided to adopt him.
What happened after his arrival to the Cloudspire Sect and his subsequent monumental growth, something which eventualy enabled him to ascend to the position of Second Pavillion's Master, is something of a legend amongst sect disciples.
Akio doesn’t remember much about his family. He doesn’t like to think about them, and the clearest memory he has is of the whip they used to punish him. The scars still cover his back, and though the pain has long since faded, his dreams are plagued with the harshness of those that were supposed to love him. The cruelty was too much for him to bare as a child, and he soon found himself fleeing from his home, letting his overwhelming sense of misery drive him further and further from the land of his birth.
Akio had no other family that he knew of, he had no friends. He wouldn’t return home though, not for all of the riches of the world. He didn’t care if his parents had a reason for the pain they caused him. He didn’t even care if they would now recognize the error of their ways. To return home at this point would probably mean an even greater punishment than he had ever received. Instead, he resorted to thievery, stealing as he traveled from town to town. His skill grew, and he was actually able to live somewhat comfortably, or at least as comfortably as a homeless thief could. Still, it was only a matter of time until his luck would run out. This happened when he picked the wrong man to rob.
He looked like an easy target. The man was a foreigner to those parts, like Akio. He had a strange accent and the look of a man who was lost and confused, like a wounded animal. Akio followed him closely, until he found his chance to strike, grabbing the man’s money purse as subtly as he could. Instantly, the seemingly drunk foreigner snapped into action, grabbing for the young boy’s wrist. Akio wrestled free, and ran as fast as his legs had ever carried him. He was quick and athletic, but the foreigner somehow proved to be faster. At first, Akio feared the worst, that he would be turned into the guards, or that the man would gut him on the spot. Instead, the foreigner did something that would change the boy’s path forever. He handed him back the coin purse, and smiled. No, not smiled. laughed.
The boy had spirit, that was for sure. Better still, he wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty. He told Akio as much, and that a boy like him was something he needed. He then said that the boy could run off with the money he had, or he could choose another walk of life, one that would supply him with a hundred times the amount in the purse, as well as a newfound purpose. The promise seemed too good to be true, but Akio couldn’t pass it up. The man told Akio to call him Noble, and led the boy to an encampment full of men that were armed to the teeth. Noble told the boy that his group was a bit unconventional. They were a band of mercenaries, of warriors for hire, most were just barbarians, farmers seeking a better life, even a few ronins. Noble took the boy in as his own, and began the arduous process of teaching him everything he knew. Despite his gruff appearance, Noble was a skilled martial artist, combining several techniques he had “picked up” over the years and teaching him to use his enemy's weaknesses against them. Soon, Akio found brotherhood among the men. They were thieves, killers willing to sell their services for the right amount of money, but to Akio, they were good people.
Eventually, Akio grew up, matured from boy to man, and though Noble taught him more skills every day, he was now a trusted member of the group, a respected member. Not all good things last though, and one day, Noble took a job that he told Akio very little about. Noble decided to enter a place known as the City of Jade, alone. He never said why, or who had given him the job, and despite the trust he put in Akio, he refused to tell him anything. Akio was in charge of the group until he returned. Without Noble’s guidance, the mercenaries would be missing their moral compass, their sense of direction. They would look to Akio for guidance and leadership. He was to keep them together and to await Noble’s return. Noble never did return though, and as days dragged on to months, he decided to follow after him. He said a few quick goodbyes to his many friends, and set off to bring Noble home, or at the very least, lay him to rest. He would not lose the family he had worked so hard to find...
Master: Noble Admittedly, Akio doesn’t know much about his master’s history. What he does know though is that Noble is a skilled warrior, and an inspiring leader. He likes to joke a lot, and sometimes it is difficult to tell when he is being serious. Oftentimes, he seems to make light of very serious matters, as a way to ease tension and sadness, and it usually works. While many know of Noble and hate him, there are also several villages and cities that are very grateful towards him as he has been a great help. True, Noble’s moral compass seems to easily tilt towards whoever has the deepest pockets, but he ultimately has a good heart, and has sometimes served those most in need, even if they didn’t have a penny (or a yen, or a gold coin, or whatever currency is in this rp) to their name. He would tell his troops that it was simply a long term investment, a way to get their name around and in turn get more people willing to hire them, but Akio knew better. Overall, Noble’s a scoundrel, but a loveable one.
History: Haru was born and raised to be a farmer just like his father and his father, just beyond the borders of a village where they sold their crops. His life was spent mostly in isolation with only his parents to keep him company and the occasional relative that would come by. Nothing significant happened in Haru’s life until a messenger came from the nearest city to tell the family that their farm was now under the rule of a dictator who had conquered the closest village to the farm. Haru’s father was angered by this but said nothing as he didn’t want to put his family at risk. Haru, being just under the age of a teenager ( a ‘Tween’ if you will ), saw how much the new tax angered his father and decided to do something about it. Haru began looking for a way to defend his family so that, if given the opportunity, his family could stop paying the tax and he could fend off any potentially violent ambassadors sent his family’s way. Still being decently young, Haru didn’t have a good grasp on what was actually a realistic expectation of his abilities but he had high hopes and a drive which eventually led him to find Ueno Tanka, a local muscle for hire who used to serve the old ruler of the lands before being overthrown by the current dictator. Haru asked the ronin to train him in how to fight but Tanka denied him, telling him he was to old to be properly trained in his art. And so Haru left the local dive sadly and headed home. That night, Haru felt crushed by the rejection of the once-samurai but that night he vowed not to give up and so he repeated this process for weeks to come until Tanka finally agreed to train him. As Haru became an adult, he and his master joined a rebellion against the dictator of the lands in the hopes of improving their people’s way of life. Eventually after fighting a great deal, the Rebellion’s funds for weaponry and other such commodities began to dwindle so Tanka vowed to enter the Jade City and find the fortune hidden there to fun their rebellion. Now its been two years and with the rebellion finally winning only a year prior but there has been no sign pf Ueno Tanka since he left for the Jade City. Now, after two years of waiting, Haru vows to find his master or at least find out what happened to him.
Master: Ueno Tanka doesn’t have much of a reputation now but back when he was still full blown samurai he had the boisterous reputation of being unbeatable due to his unwavering will to improve himself and his unique mixture of swordplay and martial arts in his fighting style. His reputation before leaving however was one of a jolly man who normally didn’t take things to seriously. Tanka was a very blunt man and didn’t shy away from a fight if it meant proving that he could still fight like the best of them. He always had a sore spot when talking about the old ruler and while he wouldn’t say it aloud, it can be deduced that he blamed himself for the state of the lands. He was decently old ( probably his late forties ) and he had begun to show it as he began to move slower than he once did but his sheer mastery of his arts allowed him to continue to hold his own against people half his age. He often kept his hair back in a bun with small streaks of grey hair on his otherwise tar black hair. His only other defining marks was his huge stature standing at 6’2” and his small and well kept greyed moustache.
History: From the Wu-Wei clan, he spent many of his earlier years outside of the clan, as a wanderer. He would travel to places as he learned of their existence, either whispered in secret or spoken of commonly. He has learned many things in the ways of martial arts on his travels, but none so much as he has learned from his master.
Master: Fan Gang, a well-built muscular man well over the age of 120, living in the mountains much of his life, he doesn't look or act his age, but you can tell from his frail appearance, the greyness of his beard and the baldness of his head that he is old enough to be your great grandfather. He is well known for getting into mass drunken brawls with thugs and misfits a quarter his age and winning, no matter how many outnumber him. Its best to keep alcohol and opiates away from him, it is said. Much stronger, faster, and more cunning than he looks, he has a good sense of humor about him still.
History: He kinda killed all of their family and a 'little' of his neighbourhood and his friends but they got a good paycheck from it through. On the other hand though what he did know about his parents before he forgot all about them because training is more important to him, is that his mother and father was happily married but they were not allowed to have children because of their jobs, so they kept him hidden from the world and his friends were just other kids that would pretend to like him so he wouldn't be lonely.
Master: Their name was unknown and they were very mysterious, but they were a very good teacher. They taught Vex some very important skills, for example, his favourite and most loved one, "Kill or be Killed." It hasbeen really helpful in his life has an assassin. Another one that 'unknown' has taught him was a technique called Quivering Palm, but he rarely uses it even though his master teaches him it every single day because he is stubborn and mean like that. Plus unknown taught him how to craft his weapons from scratch. Even they are mysterious and has no name to Vex's knowledge, sometimes after a long month of practice and training living off of rice and water every two days 'unknown' would spare with him until they were covered in their own and each other's blood and laugh it off like it was nothing before laying on the ground and telling funny jokes and references. Most of them about people they killed and murder..... But it was funny to them known of the less! Like how 'unknown' came intonhis life he also left it. They just finished a hike to this weird mountain area and he needed to stop and rest before continuing, but has the sun began to set his master disappeared without a trail to follow or even a clue that he would do such a thing.
