Post by echobender on Sept 22, 2007 18:27:33 GMT -5
Warning: Long, I am afraid I got wordy.
Name:[/u] Daiyu Hao
Age:[/u] 23
Gender:[/u]Female?
Nation:[/u]Earth Kingdom, From Ba Sing Se
Bender?:[/u]Yes, Very skilled for her age owing to her passion for her talent. However she is at a roadblock for lack of a proper teacher. She is skilled, but not a master, and will not be for some time.
Appearance:[/u]Upon first glance the character in question appears for all the world to be a young male. She stands a shorter height than many of her fellow soldiers. Stocky built with slightly thick limbs and a lean, but strong torso. Her skin is deeply tanned from hours spent outdoors and also showing her lower class status, with a long line like scar along the right side of her face. She has little in the way of womanly attributes, which is all the better in her opinion. Small of breast that is usually kept bound anyhow, her one most feminine attribute is her slightly rounded hips. But these are usually hidden beneath her armour or tunics.
Her face is round with thin lips usually turned in an absently stoic look, a short, small, flattish nose and larger, rounded eyes in a shade of very light greenish-grey. Her hair is one of the few vanities she allows herself. Long and nearly black in colour, hanging down to about the small of her back, she normally keeps it braided away from her face with a stone weight at the end to keep it beneath her clothing.
As an Earth kingdom soldier she is usually seen in toughened Ostrich-horse leather and cloth armour dyed in varying shades of Greens and browns. Her feet are bare with her shins wrapped in a off white plain cloth. Her forearms are covered in tough bracers and she usually wears the large rounded hat, hood and cloak tied over the shoulders as is common for lower ranking foot or mounted soldiers.
If not in her assigned armours she is seen in threadbare green and brown tunic with long loose brown pants, cuffed a the knee by the leg wrappings. Aside from her bending she carries only a small dagger and a slightly scorched pack containing all her earthly belongings.
Personality:[/u] Daiyu is a fairly quiet soul. Seeming to radiate a sense of peace and calm, she rarely sees the need to raise her voice. Seeming at times wise beyond her years she has a tendency to put others at ease with her.
Daiyu tends to be a bit of a people person though, preferring the company of others to solitude, though she rarely says much. Compassionate about the plight of those worse off than her she will stolidly defend those who cannot defend themselves. She refuses to let others be bullied or hurt, which is part of what lead her to join up with the army, though she had no idea a war was going on save for whispers at the edges of conversations.
She is very open minded on the whole affair though. Not blaming the Fire nation’s people so much as those in charge.
She has a particular affinity for children or those younger than her, though she never had younger siblings she seems to have a very “older sibling” way about her at time when dealing with those younger or less experienced than her.
Due likely to her slightly idealistic nature though, Daiyu can be a bit over trusting, and reckless when it comes to her own life. And slightly overprotective of those she cares about. She has a bad tendency to get herself into troubles she can not as easily get herself back out of.
History:[/u] Daiyu was born on a fairly inauspicious day in the middle of the autumn months in lower ring Ba Sing Se. The last of five children, and the only female, her fortunes were changed drastically when her mother passed away not long after her birth of an infection.
Daiyu’s father did the best that he could for his little Jade flower, as he called her. But in all honestly and seriousness his only experience in parenting were to boys, and he was not entirely sure what to do with this small girl child he suddenly had. So for the better part Daiyu was raised as a boy amongst rowdy, loud, and tough older brothers. Spending young days playing ball or wrestling with her brothers, or consequently helping her brothers and father in the small shop her father owned.
Guangli owned and ran a small instrument shop in the lower ring. Well known for his expert hand in crafting of drums and other small hand held instruments. His business was lucrative but never seemingly enough to support his young family. He doted though on his youngest and only daughter, indulging her from time to time as her brothers would as well. Though this often was more of a new ball to play with other children than a doll or dress. When Daiyu began to show signs of a talent in Earth bending at age 6, Guangli jumped at the opportunity. Enrolling her in lessons that took much of the family’s little saved money. Being raised in relative poverty, and understanding the risk her father took, young Daiyu took to her lessons with a tenacity and will to make the older students blush in embarrassment. She drilled with the dogged determination that only a child can have, dreaming of becoming the world’s best earth bender and making her family proud.
When Daiyu reached an age at which she began to gain a more woman-like appearence, her father began to consider her prospects for marriage down the road. It was what young women did. To his credit he was simply trying to build a better life for his daughter than he had himself, but Daiyu resented him for it. Hadn’t she wilfully applied herself to her studies in learning and in earth bending? What did she need a stupid husband for anyhow? She believed herself perfectly capable of surviving on her own.
It was during one of these conversations on her marital future, that Daiyu announced her intentions to join the army. There was an unspoken rule amongst the ranks that women were not allowed. And Daiyu knew that. But she also knew that a son from each family was supposed to go, and she was far more skilled and able than any of her brothers, who had become farmers or artisans like their father. Most had already married young women and were starting their own families. Daiyu told her father she refused to be nothing more than a housewife, and she didn’t posses the skills to be an artisan of any sort. She argued her point untill her father reluctantly gave in. She looked boyish enough, with a little practice she could pass for a rather pretty boy, but a boy none the less. Still, Guangli feared for his youngest, but Daiyu had made her mind up. And if there was one thing universally that Daiyu was, it was that she was stubborn.
Her first few weeks in the ranks could be classified as disastrous; however she soon got the hang of being a boy and hiding her secret from others. She kept to herself at first, watching others and trying to remain out of sight and out of mind for the better part.Bathing when she could away from others, or basically sponge bathing within the confines of her own tent. Durring drills on hot days she was almost always the only soldier to leave nearly all his armor and clothing on, citing that he needed to gain more stregnth given his small stature, to keep up with the garrison as a whole. It took a bit of time, and an inordinate amount of work and luck, but after a nasty fist fight Her garrison began to treat her as one of the guys. She was fair minded, and popular for asking questions of by lower recruits once she was out of her first assignment. Taking up the name Dai as her given was too girlish to pass.
Unfortunately good things were not meant to last. While escorting some refugees through the woods along a mountain pass near Omashu her group was ambushed by fire nation soldiers. Though she stood to fight with the others, her commanding officer In an act of desperation ordered her and two others to get the refugees to safety. She ran with the women and children, beating off the last few fire benders with help from her fellow soldiers as they followed. But the silence that fell once they stopped was far too definite. The only sounds being the sobbing of children and the shushing of mothers trying to calm their offspring. She backtracked with one other, a younger soldier named Lin, when no one caught up with the refugee group to find what was left of the entire platoon dead, or dieing. The few missing likely captured. In a feat of strength, fuelled by grief, she bent the earth away from under the bodies, and then willed it back into place. Creating a mass grave to brave souls, as it was the best she could do, and then went on with the refugees, and remaining soldiers dropping them off at the bay that would ferry them to Ba Sing Se. She slid away from her soldier companions after saying a brief goodbye and dissapeared into the milling crowds and crowded camps of refugees. Tanking to ground an unable to return to the ranks yet.
Since that day she has been MIA, presumed dead by most of the rest of the army and wandering for the better part across the nations, trying to figure out what to do now.
Name:[/u] Daiyu Hao
Age:[/u] 23
Gender:[/u]Female?
Nation:[/u]Earth Kingdom, From Ba Sing Se
Bender?:[/u]Yes, Very skilled for her age owing to her passion for her talent. However she is at a roadblock for lack of a proper teacher. She is skilled, but not a master, and will not be for some time.
Appearance:[/u]Upon first glance the character in question appears for all the world to be a young male. She stands a shorter height than many of her fellow soldiers. Stocky built with slightly thick limbs and a lean, but strong torso. Her skin is deeply tanned from hours spent outdoors and also showing her lower class status, with a long line like scar along the right side of her face. She has little in the way of womanly attributes, which is all the better in her opinion. Small of breast that is usually kept bound anyhow, her one most feminine attribute is her slightly rounded hips. But these are usually hidden beneath her armour or tunics.
Her face is round with thin lips usually turned in an absently stoic look, a short, small, flattish nose and larger, rounded eyes in a shade of very light greenish-grey. Her hair is one of the few vanities she allows herself. Long and nearly black in colour, hanging down to about the small of her back, she normally keeps it braided away from her face with a stone weight at the end to keep it beneath her clothing.
As an Earth kingdom soldier she is usually seen in toughened Ostrich-horse leather and cloth armour dyed in varying shades of Greens and browns. Her feet are bare with her shins wrapped in a off white plain cloth. Her forearms are covered in tough bracers and she usually wears the large rounded hat, hood and cloak tied over the shoulders as is common for lower ranking foot or mounted soldiers.
If not in her assigned armours she is seen in threadbare green and brown tunic with long loose brown pants, cuffed a the knee by the leg wrappings. Aside from her bending she carries only a small dagger and a slightly scorched pack containing all her earthly belongings.
Personality:[/u] Daiyu is a fairly quiet soul. Seeming to radiate a sense of peace and calm, she rarely sees the need to raise her voice. Seeming at times wise beyond her years she has a tendency to put others at ease with her.
Daiyu tends to be a bit of a people person though, preferring the company of others to solitude, though she rarely says much. Compassionate about the plight of those worse off than her she will stolidly defend those who cannot defend themselves. She refuses to let others be bullied or hurt, which is part of what lead her to join up with the army, though she had no idea a war was going on save for whispers at the edges of conversations.
She is very open minded on the whole affair though. Not blaming the Fire nation’s people so much as those in charge.
She has a particular affinity for children or those younger than her, though she never had younger siblings she seems to have a very “older sibling” way about her at time when dealing with those younger or less experienced than her.
Due likely to her slightly idealistic nature though, Daiyu can be a bit over trusting, and reckless when it comes to her own life. And slightly overprotective of those she cares about. She has a bad tendency to get herself into troubles she can not as easily get herself back out of.
History:[/u] Daiyu was born on a fairly inauspicious day in the middle of the autumn months in lower ring Ba Sing Se. The last of five children, and the only female, her fortunes were changed drastically when her mother passed away not long after her birth of an infection.
Daiyu’s father did the best that he could for his little Jade flower, as he called her. But in all honestly and seriousness his only experience in parenting were to boys, and he was not entirely sure what to do with this small girl child he suddenly had. So for the better part Daiyu was raised as a boy amongst rowdy, loud, and tough older brothers. Spending young days playing ball or wrestling with her brothers, or consequently helping her brothers and father in the small shop her father owned.
Guangli owned and ran a small instrument shop in the lower ring. Well known for his expert hand in crafting of drums and other small hand held instruments. His business was lucrative but never seemingly enough to support his young family. He doted though on his youngest and only daughter, indulging her from time to time as her brothers would as well. Though this often was more of a new ball to play with other children than a doll or dress. When Daiyu began to show signs of a talent in Earth bending at age 6, Guangli jumped at the opportunity. Enrolling her in lessons that took much of the family’s little saved money. Being raised in relative poverty, and understanding the risk her father took, young Daiyu took to her lessons with a tenacity and will to make the older students blush in embarrassment. She drilled with the dogged determination that only a child can have, dreaming of becoming the world’s best earth bender and making her family proud.
When Daiyu reached an age at which she began to gain a more woman-like appearence, her father began to consider her prospects for marriage down the road. It was what young women did. To his credit he was simply trying to build a better life for his daughter than he had himself, but Daiyu resented him for it. Hadn’t she wilfully applied herself to her studies in learning and in earth bending? What did she need a stupid husband for anyhow? She believed herself perfectly capable of surviving on her own.
It was during one of these conversations on her marital future, that Daiyu announced her intentions to join the army. There was an unspoken rule amongst the ranks that women were not allowed. And Daiyu knew that. But she also knew that a son from each family was supposed to go, and she was far more skilled and able than any of her brothers, who had become farmers or artisans like their father. Most had already married young women and were starting their own families. Daiyu told her father she refused to be nothing more than a housewife, and she didn’t posses the skills to be an artisan of any sort. She argued her point untill her father reluctantly gave in. She looked boyish enough, with a little practice she could pass for a rather pretty boy, but a boy none the less. Still, Guangli feared for his youngest, but Daiyu had made her mind up. And if there was one thing universally that Daiyu was, it was that she was stubborn.
Her first few weeks in the ranks could be classified as disastrous; however she soon got the hang of being a boy and hiding her secret from others. She kept to herself at first, watching others and trying to remain out of sight and out of mind for the better part.Bathing when she could away from others, or basically sponge bathing within the confines of her own tent. Durring drills on hot days she was almost always the only soldier to leave nearly all his armor and clothing on, citing that he needed to gain more stregnth given his small stature, to keep up with the garrison as a whole. It took a bit of time, and an inordinate amount of work and luck, but after a nasty fist fight Her garrison began to treat her as one of the guys. She was fair minded, and popular for asking questions of by lower recruits once she was out of her first assignment. Taking up the name Dai as her given was too girlish to pass.
Unfortunately good things were not meant to last. While escorting some refugees through the woods along a mountain pass near Omashu her group was ambushed by fire nation soldiers. Though she stood to fight with the others, her commanding officer In an act of desperation ordered her and two others to get the refugees to safety. She ran with the women and children, beating off the last few fire benders with help from her fellow soldiers as they followed. But the silence that fell once they stopped was far too definite. The only sounds being the sobbing of children and the shushing of mothers trying to calm their offspring. She backtracked with one other, a younger soldier named Lin, when no one caught up with the refugee group to find what was left of the entire platoon dead, or dieing. The few missing likely captured. In a feat of strength, fuelled by grief, she bent the earth away from under the bodies, and then willed it back into place. Creating a mass grave to brave souls, as it was the best she could do, and then went on with the refugees, and remaining soldiers dropping them off at the bay that would ferry them to Ba Sing Se. She slid away from her soldier companions after saying a brief goodbye and dissapeared into the milling crowds and crowded camps of refugees. Tanking to ground an unable to return to the ranks yet.
Since that day she has been MIA, presumed dead by most of the rest of the army and wandering for the better part across the nations, trying to figure out what to do now.