Full Name: Gao. Just Gao, as his family has gone without a name for generations.
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Element: Earthbender
Birthplace: Shiqiang Island
Position: Novice Earthbender, Aspiring Emperor
Training: Very mild Earthbending, to the point he’s still pretty much a beginner. Has experience with polearms and staffs though, if not astoundingly so – for his age, he seems rather the Expert.
Personality: (336)
If you were the descendant of what could have been the man who in his own life time would have conquered a nation, how might you feel? Ashamed? Embarrassed? Perhaps... Vengeful?
Good, because then you might just have some idea of what goes on through Gao’s head. Moreso than any of his ancestors before him, he feels an immense pride as the last living descendant of the legendary Chin the Conqueror, and a sense of scorn at what the Avatar and the Earth King ‘stole’ from him. What could have been the birth right to rule an entire nation... it’s the kind of power that most men only dream of, and it could have been his! He’s deeply ashamed at how his ancestor died at the hands of the Avatar, not even being given a decent death by combat – the dude fell to his death from falling off a crumbling cliff!
But, the shame of it all serves as Gao’s greatest motivator, and has humbled him in ways that his ancestor would have been unwilling to commit to. If Gao truly and honestly needs something of another, he will go to begging if need be to get what he requires – stealing is only to be a last resort when some stubborn idiot refuses any reasonable bargain. He understands the need for loyal servants who would support and aid him as required, but would not hold him back from his calling. However, though he has the ambition and drive, he is largely inexperienced with the world, at times leaving him quite confused on the next course of action. And for all his talk of being some great ruler, he is still only a young adult, filled with uncertainty and doubt, but also retains some of the innocence of his childhood, both in understandable – he has yet to actually take a life – and comedic – he has
never talked to women outside his own family – ways. He may wish to be a dictator, but he's yet to become ruthless.
Abilities: (301)
Like Chin the Conqueror before him, and indeed like many members of his family, Gao possesses the power to make the very Earth beneath his feet bend to his will. Unfortunately, as impressive as this might sound, he can only bend it in the most simplistic and underpowered of ways, perhaps moving a few small rocks at any given time. For whatever potential the young man might possess – and unbeknownst to him and many others, he indeed has quite a bit – he is absolutely
useless at learning unless he is taught, and taught very well. This is because like a rock, Gao’s understanding of bending tends to remain somewhat fixed and rigid, built on knowing just what he can and can’t do – but not expanding into unknown territories by himself. Even if the rock was made of marble, it would need an expert craftsman to chisel it into something worthwhile.
By contrast though, he seems to something of an utter
natural when it comes to handling the staff – and any weapons affixed to one. This is because that, whilst he could never find himself a teacher for his earthbending, Shiqiang Island was home to a longstanding dojo. Therein lays the truth then that Gao really isn’t so much of a ‘natural’ with his weapon – he merely makes it look that way. Because it was beaten into him over 14 years of practice, practice, and
more practice. As a result of this hard work though, he can link multiple strikes of his weapon with fluidity and efficiency, and with the proper strength for a hard and brutal assault. However, there remain those who are better out there – and like his rigid mindset in earthbending, his familiarity with handling a shaft of wood does not make him any better at wielding a blade.
Appearance:
Height: 5 feet 2 inches
Weight: 120 lbs (roughly)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Skin: White
- A Tall Pic:
(315)
Gao does not... look like much of a man who would conquer a nation, but they do say that looks can be deceiving. At first glance, he appears to be a none too tall young man with unmarred skin, and a relatively thin frame - even accounting for the baggage of his clothes. His eyes and hair share a relatively similar shade of colour, though his hair is quite prone to spread out all over the place. Indeed, if not for the bandanna that he tends to keep wrapped around his head, witnesses would have to contend with an utter
mop of shaggy hair to try and locate his face. Physically speaking, whilst he is far from musclebound, he hides more of what you'd consider an athlete's frame beneath his clothes, agile and flexible as opposed to powerful. For the boy's age, its a relatively well honed form, and well suited to his current method of fighting - and his common trait to clamber over things.
His state of attire, whilst being a bit colourful, is actually a means of identifying him as a pupil - and technically speaking, master - of the Great Ape Dojo. The earthern brown trousers and top are the basic uniform, loose fitting and comfortable. The red robe that lays on top, held down by his belt, is actually a sign of his status, namely that of one who possesses the title of master under the school's skill system. To those familiar with it - of which in the modern world, there are admittedly few - it is a symbol to both fear and awe... though its value does not necessarily measure up to others of even greater training. His gloves serve a simple but effective purpose of protecting his hands, whilst enable greater grip. The bandanna? The boy just likes it really, and keeps his hair under wraps (ha).
Weaponry & Other Gear:
Item Name Over the Shoulder Bag
Materials: Animal Skins, String, etc... its a freaking bag
Description: Its a bag that carries stuff, pretty simple really. In terms of contents, nothing too spectacular, like a sleeping mat, coin bag, provisions, etc. It might seem like it holds more than it should, but thats just good packing technique.
Item Name Staff
Materials: Wood
Description: Crafted of hardened oak, and treated to withstand greater wear and tear upon its form, this is Gao's primary means of defence. Standing at a relatively standard 1.8 metres tall, and only a couple inches wide, its not too heavy a weapon, but still not something to lightly. Thing'll hurt, especially as each end is cast with golden medal to form an intricate design.
Item Name Ostrich Horse
Materials: Some flesh, feathers, pretty sure there's other stuff here too...
Description: An adult Ostrich Horse, complete with hardened beak, two strong legs, the works. An indispensible creature for anyone who might own it, with a properly adjusted saddle, it can carry its rider just about anywhere - even up a vertical climb. One must mind this one's temper though - if it doesn't get an apple a day, it can be somewhat unruly, even if still capable of being ridden.
History: (1266)
Gao's tale begins centuries ago, before even the days of Avatar Kyoshi came to end - back when the Earth King's power was absolute and without measure. In times of war, desperation, or simply with the luck of a benevolent figure, such power can greatly benefit a people. But in times of peace, and left in the lingering hands of a selfish tyrant, it can become far too great to be properly controlled. Such was the case in the time of the 46th Earth King, who did not seem to have either the sense or wisdom to properly rule. Seeing this weakness, a great man decided to act, make the Earth Kingdom his own, and restore what was becoming a decaying waste of a nation, and make it once more the pinnacle of civilisation.
That man's name... was Chin, and as his armies seized territory after territory within the Earth Kingdom, save for Ba Sing Se itself and one small peninsula, there was but one appelation to give such a man.
The Conqueror.
But before Ba Sing Se, Chin turned his eyes south, seeking to take perhaps a target even more vital in asserting his total control over the land. The very home of the Avatar herself.
But to those familiar with Chin's legend, or to anyone who knows what it is like to trifle with the master of all four elements, it came as no surprise that the great Conqueror fell before the might of Kyoshi's raw power. Dying a humiliating defeat, Chin's armies were left demoralised and without a leader, leaving them easy pickings for the Earth King's own forces. The empire that could have been was defeated so close to its hour of triumph, and Chin left to the annals of history as little more than a bumbling fool killed by his own pride. However, a fact so often overlooked, is that he was not without bride...
That bride, effectively exiled on Chin's home island out of fear for being found by forces that wished to wipe them from the face of the Earth, gave birth to child. That child grew, and in turn, bore another child. This cycle continued on for centuries, with each generation of Chin's descendants being left to choose on whether or not they follow in their ancestor's footsteps. Some found it too great a challenge, others did not desire to conquer at all, and the few brave enough to take up the effort found themselves without the means to do so. After well over four centuries without success, and with Chin's legacy reduced to but one young heir, it would seem that his dynasty would never come to rule.
Not however, if this one has anything to say about it.
Born a little over eighteen years ago, Gao is the last of Chin's family, as both his parents were killed by marauders who attacked the island not long after he was born. He has no siblings or uncles or aunts, with all he has of his family being the legacy they have left behind. Growing up, the young Gao indulged himself in his bloodline's history, being taught of Chin's treachery in school, whilst learning of his ambition under candlelight at home. The notion that, in another time and place, he could have been ruler of all the land enticed Gao, even though he knew he lacked any real power or means to make it a reality. He was but one boy without power or influence, and neither cunning or wit. He was too weak and pitiful to be a king...
But then, so had been Chin, once.
Driven by this thought - that it
could happen, that it
could be reality, with enough work - Gao grew with each passing year, under his foster father. The man was the owner and Grand Master of the Great Ape Dojo, an illustrious school that trained its students in a variety of weapons. Whilst he was not eligible to formally join his father's school until the age of 10, his actual training began when he was but four years old, at Gao's own insistence. To start so young was an odd experience, at times with amusal and laughter as the young man struggled to hold a full staff - if only as how his father proved that he was not ready for one - but also with great pain as each strike of a wooden shaft inflicted a bruise upon his body. Some sessions, where his father had been badly riled by other events, excitement had seized the two of them, or sometimes through simple bad luck, left Gao's bones broken and needing time to heal.
But he overcame these, in time growing to focus on training his body as well as his craft. The forests of his home island, combined with the close and multi-leveled structures of the town, gave him an ideal location to train. Through this form of training, Gao became incredibly athletic and nimble, which aside of helping him to traverse many forms of terrain, also helped him improve in wielding his weapons, becoming ever more quicker and fluid. Under his parent and master's tutelage, he quickly accelerated through the ranks, often to the ire of his peers. Many of them - particularly the older students - felt that they were being cheated by this 'Daddy's Boy', who blazed through what they had trained at for much of their lives. Eventually, one outright challenged Gao over this, and after consultation with his father, Gao accepted the challenge.
It was the first realisation to the young man that he was perhaps not as great as he himself had thought he was. For the battle which he thought he would win easily was long and hard, his opponent using superior size and experience to their advantage. Gao managed to achieve a narrow knockout in the end, but only after using his Earthbending - a skill he had nowhere near refined as he had his staff usage - to throw dust up to blind his foe. Whilst the others managed not notice, Gao's father had, and absconded the boy it. Whilst certainly, in a real fight one might encourage such behaviour, it showed the weakness and overconfidence that plagued Gao. He would have to work even harder if he was to fulfill his ambitions.
And so he did, training further and sparring against his schoolmates far more than he had previously done. In time, he challenged the same student he had only narrowly defeated before, and this time, delivered a quick and resounding blow after nimbling dodging their strikes. He earned and commanded the respect of his peers for his ability, eventually earning the red robe that marked him as a master of the dojo. With nothing left to teach him - only skill and years of experience dividing the two - Gao's father believed it was finally time for him to go out into the world. He knew his son's ambitions, and whilst he cared not for politics or empires, as a father, he was willing to support his son nonetheless. Buying him supplies and the finest steed available, and gifting them their prized staff, Gao's father sent his son out into the world. Gao himself is now eager to travel, seeking places where he might further train and learn the ways of war... and perhaps gather support for his future uprising. The new Queen has yet to cement her place, as far as he is concerned for only being in power a few years now... a chance that might give rise to yet another new order.
His.
Sample RP:
| 
Gao
|
"Father... I..." Gao had trouble grasping the words in his mouth. He knew what he wanted to say. What he had to say, and yet for some reason, he could not bring anything but a few simple syllables to fall from his lips. Here he was, the man who wished to some day rule all the Earth Kingdom... failing to properly say goodbye to his papa.
"Its alright Gao, I understand. You've never left the island before... you've never been out of my sight for more than a day. Yet now you'll be... gone for a very long time." The man Gao called father stared down at the boy who had only recently become a man himself, idly stroking a beard that was beginning to show hints of grey.
"I will come back strong, I promise you. I will do you... and all my ancestors proud. You will have raised a king." Beating his chest once like a drum, Gao tried to force himself to stand straight as he looked up at his parent...
Who simply laughed like someone had told a great joke.
"W-What? D-Did I do something wrong?" Ever the child before his father, Gao looked around and upon himself to try and discern where his mitake had been, but stopped once his father laid a firm but gentle hand upon his shoulder.
"No, no... I just find it funny that you would think thats what I want from you. Become a King if you want, my son... but all I want, is for you to come home safely. We may not be of blood, but I have watched over you for eighteen long years..." Gao watched as his father began to kneel down slightly, before pulling him into a tight embrace. Standing before all the other students of the dojo, and many of the other townsfolk who had come to know him, this was rather embarrassing...
"And I would wish to at least see you at some point in the next eighteen. Further still, if it could be arranged." Tilting his head with a light smile upon his face, Gao's father let go of the blushing young lad, who scratched his cheek.
"R-Right father... I'll send you letters at least." Giving a resolute nod, Gao took ahold of the Ostrich Horse's reins, before lightly tugging as he stepped towards and onto the boat that waited at the docks. Looking back to the crowd, he gave a small wave, before a sail rose to catch the wind that blew above them. The island soon grew distant in the background, and as time passed, Gao turned to face the oncoming mainland...
His destiny awaited.
| Mood: Shaky
Condition: Healthy | |
