Full Name: Mei Jen
Nickname: Pipit
Gender: Female
Age: 18
Element: Fire
Birthplace: Fire Nation Capitol
Position: Fire Bender
Personality: Earnest and optimistic, she came from a solid family that taught her strong morals and a self of self. She tries hard to improve herself and be useful. Playful and friendly, she enjoys life. Not precisely shy, she does still become quite awkward around new people, especially when she's trying to make a good impression, on them, much to her chagrin. She likes to play pranks on people, and tease her friends.
Generally willing to help, and loyal, she does her best but is susceptible to manipulation, expecting the best of anyone she thinks is a decent person. Her inquisitive nature leads most of her choices.
Abilities: She is a naturally gifted Fire bender and uses her bending in sync with her war fans (tessen.) Although the fans are not required for her to bend they do work as amplifiers.
Appearance: About 5'7", fit and toned, with a generally graceful posture. She has long silvery-blue hair, dark skin, and hazel eyes that shift between green and amber depending on her clothing or the light. She has no noticeable scars, and moves quickly and with purpose. Bright eyes and a friendly countenance look out onto the world. She favors simple silk shifts, and has them in every color, mostly in densely woven silk. She carries a small blue silk purse, and her fans clip closed to the backside of it. She usually wears her hair pulled back, its length falling down her back, but at times wears it loose.
Weaponry and Other GearName: The Graces, Jinghong
Type: Tessen- metal battle fans (2)
Material: steel
Description: Mei carries two fans, usually clipped to the backside of the blue silk brocade purse she carries. They look non-descript, no special engraving. They do have red tassles that hang from their handles, and when opened measure about 16" across. Closed, they are one inch wide with a length of ten inches. ((see Creator)) Obviously not top-end weapons, they are still functional and excellently crafted.
Abilities: She uses them to deflect blows, elemental and physical. Their surface area is small, so the defense is limited. The edges are sharp, and with proper force work like scimitars in a fast strike. She can bend fire to lash out from them, slicing thin waves of fire through the air as she flicks them open, or she uses a direct blow, concentrating a stream of fire from their closed tips.
Creator: Unknown. At thirteen, she was collecting fragrant herbs to infuse into candles for her family's business when she came across a woman in the brush about thirty minutes outside of the capital. She sat and watched her lip fire from the ends of her fans, shadowdancing with the air. The woman finished her meditation and sat next to Mei, and they talked. When she rose to leave, the woman gave Mei the fans, laughing as she flew off. "Practice with these." Mei Jen never got her to tell her name.
History: Born the third child, and first daughter, to a family of candle-makers, she was raised in the Fire Nation Capital. When she reached school age, she was recognized as a possible fire bender, and was trained in this, and martial arts, as she grew. The fire bending master assigned to her school saw her natural ability and helped her develop it as she grew from the age of 7.
At the age of 13 her school was putting on a demonstration for the current and seemingly rapidly aging Firelord and his wife. Jen was given the nerve wracking task as the most talented fire bender in her class to do a solo performance and exhibition to demonstrate the school's excellent education. She performed beyon anyone's expectations, able to complete moves some 30 year old fire benders could not. The Firelord himself gave her a standing ovation.
The reigning Firelord had no children of his own as he was incapable of having children. This tour of the schools was actually to find a suitable replacement for himself. Mei Jen had just taken the cake by managing to set fire to her feet and hover at the mere age of 13. Two weeks later an emissary from the royal court showed up at the humble candlemaking shop to deliver a message. Mei would no longer be going to her normal school and her normal fire bending instructor. She would report to the palace every day but Thursday from now on for her schooling and mentoring.
The next day she arrived at the palace gates in her best clothes. She was surprised to have an immediate meeting with the Firelord himself as he told her what her new schedule would be. He and several of the top advisers and fire benders in the world were going to be teaching her from now on; what he left out was why. For years her training was challenging but each time she rose to the occasion. After 5 years of this day-in day-out training, she had learned all there was to know about fire bending, even how to cast lightning.
It was six months after she turned 18 that the Firelord became deathly ill and she was called to his side. Throughout her training he had instructed her how to rule but had not told her why. This was because he had named her as his sole heir to the throne. She was to serve the nation as he had, she was to listen to the advisers he had left for her unless she thought better. To lead the country into a new golden age from its former disgraced state that he and his forefathers had worked so hard to erase.
She dutifully agreed to this, this man had been like a second father to her. She knew what she had to do, she knew she had the obvious strength to do it. She was a fire bending master with superior intelligence. The only thing left was the coronation which took place three days later. It has been some two months since, and she has adequately lead so far.
