Post by Tulf on Feb 6, 2016 9:40:32 GMT
HUMANS
BASIC INFORMATION
Name: Huang Hua
Aliases: ‘Qiáng de xióngmāo’, Xun Hua
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Class: Ki Artist
Faction: The Martial Forest Coalition
Style: Stumbling Horse Style
Rank: Student
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Image:
Casualwear:
Work Uniform:
Appearance:
Standing at a reasonable 5’4” (162cm) and around 132lb (60kg), Hua is a touch on the soft side despite her fitness and her physique – no doubt thank to her endless snacking. While she actually has brown hair, she bleaches her hair blonde regularly to upkeep her radiant hair colour; which fitting frames her bright blue eyes. Although she has a very fair complexion, she takes great care of her skin and often fusses over her looks despite her laid-back demeanour. Almost always smiling, Hua always looks eager and energetic… even when the attitude isn’t so welcome. Especially when the attitude isn’t so welcome.
Although her wardrobe often changes on a whim, Hua’s most common outfit is a cream sweater over a short-sleeved white blouse alongside a grey and red tartan skirt; with a pink butterfly bow on her collar and a pair of black knee-high socks and dress shoes. On formal occasions, Hua will wear a white sleeveless qipao with a floral design embroidered across it. And, naturally, while at work Hua wears a ruffled black-and-white maid outfit; with a waist-high black skirt and sleeve-cuffed white blouse alongside more fanciful knee-high socks and heels. But regardless of her outfit, Hua always wears a pair of star-clipped pink and white-striped hair ribbons that reach down to her waist; one on either side of her head.
Personality:
Forever smiling, Hua is a joy to be around – thoughtful, gentle but with a pinch of energy, she is always good company regardless of someone’s mood. Happy people will be met with pleasant conversation and a friendly listener; while unhappy souls will be given a considerate ear and a gentle touch. Homely and kind, Hua treats everyone with respect and dignity regardless of how goofy or troublesome they might be; though she will still put her foot down if she feels threatened or unduly mistreated. She treats every stranger as a friend, and even most of her enemies… if she’d even call anyone that. Admittedly, she often seems clumsy or clueless; but usually it really just causes trouble for her rather than anyone else… perhaps even the opposite, as she can be a bit of a comical sight.
Perhaps most noticeable is the maternal charm Hua always treats others with – despite her comparatively meagre height, she always seems to be the helping hand and kind ear to others; even those older than her. Cool-headed, and humble, she makes for a perfect partner to cry on the shoulder of; and is always content to listen to people’s troubles, though she isn’t always able to give answers to everyone’s problems. But, they can always expect a nice cup of hot chocolate and a bed for a night if they need it.
This being said, Hua is not entirely as kind as she seems – while she’d never go out of her way to cause trouble for a friend, she can be quite manipulative. Despite seeming a bit clueless, she is quite aware of her friends’ quirks and natures and is far from against exploiting them if it’ll work in her favour. In turn, she can be a bit of a tease and isn’t above poking fun at her company on occasion; always seemingly by accident – but in truth it is occasionally intentional, hidden by her harmless appearance. Suffice to say, she is a strange enemy to make. Due to finding the supernatural especially unsettling, Mystic Kind are most likely to earn this sort of treatment; though more out of fear than spite.
When martial arts come to the fore, Hua is a strange case; as her harmless appearance is shoved aside in preference for her pride. She is still friendly and kind when it comes to bouts, but if things get serious she becomes a rather bizarre soul; getting caught up in her own sense of melodrama. Suddenly a gruff fighter that seems utterly at odds to her usual demeanour, she seems to take pleasure in a rough fight regardless of the struggles involved… perhaps some sense of pride regarding her learnings, or maybe some strange attempt at a joke. Or maybe she’s just been waiting a long time for a chance to hit someone…
Although very disciplined and hard-working, Hua can be rather eccentric and odd when left to her own devices – despite loving sweets and bright colours and the like as anyone might expect from her usual demeanour, she also has some more bizarre interests. Perhaps most notable is her pet; a Antilles pinktoe tarantula named ‘Colette’ (alternatively, ‘Commissar Cuddles’) that is easily as big as her hands; which she happily lets crawl all over her during work or merely at home.
History:
Born into one of the partially-foreign branches of the Xun family in the small city of Ganzhou in the southeast of China; Hua was brought up to follow in the footsteps of her two brothers – to continue the family’s line of martial arts, and maintain the family’s honour amidst China’s martial arts community. Despite the proliferation of the Martial Forest Coalition and the relationships with present martial arts styles that have grown from the Ki arts’ spread, the Xun family was among a number of Chinese families of martial artists who shunned the Ki arts as corruptions of the art form. Hence even a female heir to their style was someone worth training, as the MFC’s local school began to gain a following within the new generation.
Hua’s upbringing was strict and disciplined; which the young girl often struggled with. Despite faring well at home and doing her utmost to match her parents’ expectations, she frequently got into trouble at school – whether it was her way of rebelling or the family’s pride rubbing off on her, she clashed with the school’s authorities. Forced into focussing on her physical training alone, Hua grew frustrated with her education as her family held her back from getting involved in any other activities outside it – friends, clubs, and even hobbies were beyond her grasp. Her role in the family was simply to match her older brothers’ legacies and then pass on her skills to whomever she could teach while maintaining the family’s traditions and grounds – anything else was merely a distraction. She could worry about such things after she’d matched the family’s expectations.
But, during her final year of high school, something finally snapped for Hua. Left defeated by both her brothers once again after the evening’s sparring, the girl simply left the residence in her frustration – she hated her family, she hated her art, and she hated herself. Knowing returning home after her embarrassing display would only draw even more punishment for her failure, Hua simply milled around the streets of the city; wallowing in her misery long into the night. The heir of the stone-hearted family sitting out on in the dark stood out like a sore thumb – and eventually, someone interrupted her misery.
Her visitor was the father of the Huang family, known for their pitiable place in the slums despite being involved in the martial arts community of the city – albeit perhaps in name only. While Hua could only scoff at the man’s background, in this case she couldn’t argue too much with a warm bed and a touch of dinner; no matter the source. Upon entering the family’s supposedly meagre home, however; she found it was anything but – it was just as grand a place as her own family’s; complete with a well-maintained Wu Kwan. And that’s when she saw what would be her future style for the first time: the stumbling and comical but beautifully complicated Stumbling Horse Style. It was love at first sight for Hua – it was everything her family’s disciplined Bak Mei wasn’t. Noticing the spark in her eyes, Huang Qiang offered to teach her; eager for such a worthy student – Hua could only nod in the midst of her excitement.
From there, Hua’s life changed. Every afternoon she trained with Huang Qiang under the lie that she was coaching others in her family’s art after school. Hua learnt the importance of humility, consideration, and gentleness from the Ki artists; and changed entirely – the troublesome girl became the sweet-hearted and maternal soul she is now. After two years, however; she decided it was time to make her training known. Following her family’s standard drilling practice in their usual style, Hua acted as always; until their family sparring session. Every single night, Hua had been defeated by her two older brothers – as if she could do anything else given their gap in experience. But this time, things changed.
Lost in her stumbling movements, the family’s middle brother Xun Da was unable to keep up with Hua’s sudden change in style. Every one of his strikes seemed to just whiff as every hole in Hua’s defence simply vanished as she staggered aside – her movements were making false openings, and exploiting his predictable attempts to use them. The battle wore on for what seemed like hours, with Hua simply acting on the defensive; until a shocking counter blew her brother off his feet – as if all his blows were turned against him in a single strike. The Xun family were shocked and disgusted. Within the hour, Hua was considered disowned and a disgrace to the style and her parents. It was the best day of her life.
Free of her family’s burdens, Hua became an honorary member of the Huang family – learning with the Huang’s single son she fit in just right after all her training with Huang Qiang. But, those happy days had to come to an end; she had to repay her debt to the Huangs. Admiring her decision, she was chosen to represent the style and the family within the Martial Forest Coalition; moving to Lakecrest City to act on the organisation’s behalf and act as a representative of the oft-overlooked style. Her kindness, diligence, and humility would act as a perfect example of the style’s core values; and so Hua left with a smile.
It took some time for Hua to settle into the city, but she found her place in an unexpected field; becoming an employee of the Noblesse Oblige maid café. Cheering people up was now her job, and she has since become quite well-loved among the staff and customers for her chipper mood yet her humility and discipline when it came to dealing with the company’s strict owner. For now, she lies in wait for when the MFC calls upon her while she continues to study and extend her art. But, someday, she believes will return and defeat the elder Xun heir, and throw aside her history with her original family for good.
STYLE INFORMATION
Style Name: Stumbling Horse
Specialties:
Based upon the Taoist approach to zui quan, this style uses unstable and impractical movements in order to give unexpected power to movements in a manner completely different to any other style; appearing almost comical as the user deliberately falls and stumbles in an intoxicated manner in order to build momentum before lashing out from seemingly impossible angles for any standard style. Although very difficult to learn and requiring extreme discipline, the style is very unpredictable and ideal for exploiting unprepared opponents; particularly whom use more practical styles that are unequipped to react to the bizarre movements.
As per its unconvential style, standard punches and kicks are extremely rare amongst the moves of the school – instead, tackling grabs, double kicks, joint-locking and breaking, and complicated counter and dodging strategies are focussed on. While the original style does include weapon forms, the Stumbling Horse school instead focuses on the unarmed approach due to the complications of involving Ki-channelled weapon forms amongst the complex manoeuvres involved in the style.
History:
While originating with many of the oldest styles in China such as the Endless Deluge and Gentle Hurricane, the Stumbling Horse School is one of the lesser-known of the Ki arts schools – unsurprisingly, given its complicated and extremely niche style. With only a small group of dedicated practitioners, the style has mostly lived on from the families whom are associated with it and the occasional surprise student; with many slumdog-to-master stories among its senior members.
However, due to this laid-back approach to both internal ranks and its open acceptance of students, the school is typically looked down on by the more typical styles for its ignorance of the traditions and priorities that usually surround the Martial Forest Coalition and its sects. Despite this friction with the other governing schools, though, the Stumbling Horse School maintains a good relationship with the Global Homeless Association; most likely due to the unassuming nature and open approach of both schools.
STATISTICS
Ki: E (20 units) – Despite the complicated nature of her family’s martial art, Hua has shown enviable potential in the comprehension of her Ki centre and meridians.
Strength: E – Hua’s petite frame harbours far more force than it belies; with her style conferring more power to her art than it has any right to.
Endurance: E – Perhaps owing more to her somewhat clumsy nature than her martial art, Hua is fairly tough and quick to be back on her feet after suffering all kinds of punishment.
Agility: F – Although vital part of the unwieldly Stumbling Horse Style, Hua’s lack of physical dexterity is rather blatant with her bouts of clumsiness.
LOADOUT
Equipment:
Name: Fenghuang Elixir
Rank: E
Description: Held in an ornate gold-embroidered hip flask; the Fenghuang elixir is a specialty of Stumbling Horse Style users – a potent mix of alchemical product flavoured with alcohol that reinvigorates and intensifies the consumer’s Ki over a short period of time. Described as tasting like ‘having chair set ablaze with vodka shoved down your throat’, the formula is a secret known only to the families within the sect; although many argue that the secret is more to do with how they could possibly stomach such a substance. Upon consumption, the elixir restores 5 Ki and gives a temporary ( + ) modifier to agility that lasts only two posts. While Hua does have a small supply of the drink, she only keeps any more than the hip flask’s worth at home… though frankly, one would have to be insane to want more than that at once.
Uniforms:
Name: Huang T’ai Chi Ch’uan
Description: A white southern-style (short-sleeved) t’ai chi ch’uan with a simple black sun pattern embroidered across the back. The uniform is simply as light and flexible as any other example of the outfit; and all things considered doesn’t confer Hua much in the way of advantages for her awkward style beyond a bit more modesty. Due to this, she rarely wears the proper regalia for her style outside of training.
CAPABILITIES
Skills:
Name: Unarmed Melee (Stumbling Horse Style)
Description: A Ki art style based on zui quan, the Stumbling Horse Style uses stumbling and falling movements in order to generate the momentum needed for attacks and evasion while appearing extremely unpredictable and bizarre to opponents; as well as allowing for unexpected approaches for retaliation. Despite appearing crude or comical, the style requires an incredible amount of discipline and focus and is notorious for being difficult to counter with other Ki arts styles due to being so different to conventional schools. However, the incredibly flowing movements it involves can be interrupted should a single dodge or counter fail; and those who do recognise the style can exploit the approach’s own attempts at prediction. The complicated art is made up of eight forms inspired by the Eight Immortals from mythology, with each form involving its own approach to the art.
While only a student of the complicated style, Hua has shown utmost dedication to her art and is quite skilled at the basics despite her unassuming appearance – or, perhaps that is exactly why it comes naturally to her. In particular, Hua focuses on the dodging and counter-attacking wrist-focussed form of Han Xiangzi, as well as the unsteady base movements and internal strength of Lü Dongbin.
Rank: E
Name: Martial Arts Literacy
Description: The understanding of martial techniques and tactics from drawing upon prior experience in combat and training that has been ingrained in the body. It allows a martial artist to analyze and comprehend the mechanics of other martial arts. This does not mean they can effectively counter the technique/tactic right away. At most it should be seen as a means to better deal against them. Ki Artists would be able to understand how Ki techniques work. While only a relatively new practitioner of Ki arts, Hua’s experience with the Xun family’s Bak Mei as well as her own style gives her enough experience to analyse the basics of other martial arts.
Rank: E
Name: Medical Knowledge
Description: The general knowledge of the body and the tools needed to ensure its health and longevity. The field of applied science focusing on diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. At E-rank, this skill covers field first aid and above-average medical knowledge.
Rank: E
Name: Meridian Masseur
Description: While lacking any professional knowledge of massaging techniques, Hua was taught the basics by her teacher; particularly in the application of the art to help Ki Artists focus their core and meridians. For Ki Artists, this will is especially beneficial for training and preparation for Ki arts; while unenlightened people will simply find it an exceptionally easing massage that can aid Hua’s medical skills.
Rank: E
Abilities:
Name: Ki Manipulation
Description: The ability to manipulate Ki. This is made possible through training and meditation to unlock a person's Ki Center. By doing so allows the practitioner to reach superhuman levels of fitness through the manipulation of Ki. Or even allowing a Ki Artist to infuse a weapon with Ki in order to enhance it to perform techniques. Although but a mere student, Hua has shown great potential in Ki usage due to her spiritual well-being – yet, for the time-being, it goes mostly untapped.
Rank: E
Name: Ki Sense
Description: From being able to control the body's Ki, the user is now sensitive to Ki signatures around them. Through such sensitivity, the Artists can now sense people's presences by this and be able differentiate one signature against each person. The term "killing intent" comes from this as usually one's Ki rises with the intent to cause harm. Extremely high levels of this ability may even lead to a blind man being able to fight better than he could actually see if he had working eyes. Hua is capable of using this ability proficiently outside of combat as well as within it, subconsciously reading people’s emotional auras as well as giving her limited foresight within fights; a vital aid to her evasion-based style.
Rank: E
Name: Bravery
Description: The resolve to function towards an intended goal despite the numerous mental interferences. This can range from fear, pressure, confusion, and so forth. Despite her humble and cutesy demeanour, Hua is anything but a slave to her emotions – her endless happiness and laid-back approach seem untouchable; although dire situations can still manage crack her shell.
Rank: E
Name: Clear Sky After Rain
Description: The Huang family’s signature art; a bizarre state of berserking seemingly inspired more by dramatics than by an fighting capability. Developed through the especially extensive training style used within the family which encourages long-term prowess over the bursts of energy and skill demonstrated by more conventional styles, this approach has developed the family’s members into strange fighters whom abilities seem to improve rather than depreciate as battles wear on.
If Hua uses her Ki style for longer than six posts, she gains a ( + ) modifier to her Strength and Agility stats – this effect repeats as the fight is drawn out further; albeit only up to the natural limit of three modifiers. With this ability’s effects comes a strange change of personality from Hua; seemingly inspired by childish stories of heroes or villains in similar situations rather than anything more serious akin to regular berserking. In addition, following extensive use of this ability Hua ends up in a sort of emotional shut-down period in following days where she becomes stoic and unresponsive; to recuperate the physical and mental stress of the technique.
Rank: E
Name: Aura: Most Beautiful Teachings
Description: An aura of safety and calm surrounds Hua; a manifestation of the teachings of her style – the Three Treasures of Laozi: Compassion, frugality, and the refusal to be ‘foremost of all things under heaven’. While interacting with Hua, other beings feel calmer and safer; although it is only a very gentle effect. Others with Ki Sense are able to sense this aura, although it is not an intentional ability on Hua’s part. Via the leak-over effect, this affects Hua's Ki to manifest as pink ribbons iconic of her nation and the concept of both gentleness and human connections in homage to the Taoist teachings.
Rank: E
Techniques:
Name: Lü Dongbin Form – Good Manners
Description: While evasion and counter-attacking is a standard extension of the Dongbin basic stance of stumbling movements; this technique uses Ki energy to extend the user’s Ki sense to predict the next incoming strike just as it begins and thus move into an ideal counter-attacking movement. Due to the approach of Stumbling Horse Style of moving into what would usually be impractical positions, this move makes such movements risk-free in return for their rewarding positions and momentum; allowing for a perfect counter that surpasses that of more conventional styles’ more practical retaliations. When activated, a pink ribbon manifested from Ki energy ties itself around Hua’s eyes like a blindfold. This technique cannot counter a move that is performed at an Agility rank higher than Hua’s own; but it can keep up with any number of modifiers.
Rank: E
Cost: 4 Units
Type: Movement
Name: Han Zhongli Form – Burly Hearted
Description: While it does still mimic the standard Ki use of hardening the body that is considered a basis of many Ki Arts, the Stumbling Horse Style alters this basic technique to match its focus on retaliation. Initially, Ki is used to harden the body in order to take an opponent’s strike rather than dodge it; but then the inherent Ki of the attack is leeched to retaliate in turn with equal or greater force. While active, a pair of pink ribbons manifested from Ki energy wind around Hua’s hands and forearms; leaving an end waving behind her movements.
While defending with this technique, Hua gains a ( ++ ) modifier to her Endurance – if she is hit following this activation, she will retaliate in kind with equal Strength to the offending strike. However, she cannot mimic Strength that is a rank higher than her own (mostly because she’d probably just get knocked onto her rump for trying), and an attack with less than her rank in Strength will be returned with only a single ( + ) modifier. Should ‘Clear Weather After Rain’ already be giving her modifiers and this move then gives her over three in total, it will act as a D-rank Strength attack; but it can go no higher than that.
Rank: E
Cost: 5 Units
Type: External Defensive/External Offensive
Name: He Xiangu Form – Magic Words
Description: Cycling into a twirl in the midst of her usual style, Hua lashes out with a pink ribbon formed of Ki energy that winds around her target; continuing to wind around them until it is torn away from Hua. If it is not torn away, it will continue to wind around them until they are entirely bound by it; although Hua can cancel the technique early to perform simpler bindings. While easily torn like any other ribbon, they bind very tightly and thus are difficult to remove without a hand or blade free; and in the midst of a fight can be very troublesome restraints. The bindings only last five minutes before eroding into raw energy, but Hua can refresh the effect at will for 1 unit of Ki energy.
Rank: E
Cost: 1 Unit per Post Active
Type: External Offensive