Post by sparkingac195 on Mar 3, 2009 10:00:48 GMT -5
Name: Shō Hasshi
AKA: Shō Tanzhang
Age 24
Gender: Male
Right-Handed
Weapon of Choice: Cho ko Nu (Chinese Repeating Crossbow)
Secondary Weapon: Wo Dao (a Chinese Katana)
Character Type: Bureaucrat/Tactician (Think Ishida Mitsunari)
Weight: Average
Height: 185 CM
Build: Ectomorphic
Physical description: Hasshi is tall and somewhat lanky, with short, unshaven black hair with three short bangs on the right side of his face. His eyes are a piercing blue and despite his not very muscular build, they carry the impression of someone of composure and absolute confidence in his abilities. Hasshi is clean-shaven and has little to no body hair, his eyebrows are thin and his face is unscarred. His Prussian Blue Kimono with a Black, Three Clawed Dragon embroided on the back portrays his origin as an Oji, or Ryukyuan Prince.
In addition to wearing a Wo Dao and a wakizashi on his waist (which are for Show more than anything else) he also usually carries a white paper fan with the Traditional Chinese characters 復仇 (Vengeance) written on it. His Signature weapon, the Cho no Ku, is rarely worn outside of battle.
Likes:
Debating and Arguments
Chinese Philosophy, In particular the works of Lao Tzu and Mengzi
Calligraphy- Trad. Chinese Characters
Tea and Tea Drinking
Martial Arts (he practises a style similar to contemporary Wing Chun, which is suitable for his build)
Money
Languages, and is Fluent in Four (Ryukyuan Shuri Dialect, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese)
Dislikes:
Shinto, the Animistic Beliefs of his Homeland and Pure Land Buddhism
People who practise Shinto, the Animistic Beliefs of his Homeland and Pure Land Buddhism
His family, especially his First Brother, Shō Tai
Alcohol and Alcoholics
Ignorance, and people who are Ignorant
People who are Dismissive rather than Argumentive
Character strengths:
Adept at Logistics, Organisation and Bureaucracy (ie. He is adept at Organising both a state and an army)
Skilled in Philosophy, the Arts and Linguistics: (which may help in terms of army morale and diplomacy, but his Intolerance may cancel this out sometimes)
Consummate Debater and Politician: can carry himself very well in arguments and the field of politics.
Pragmatic and a bit of a risk taker: A history of betrayals has led him to trust nobody, and he’s just the kind of man willing to gamble the lives of a few thousand men to get what he wants.
Good Marksman and Instructor: Not only is he a Good Shot with a bow, he’s also pretty good at making others good shots too, he’s actually a pretty adept Instructor when it comes to the Finer things in life as well.
Character weaknesses:
Asthmatic: He is an Asthmatic, and while the condition is usually under control, he can have a severe attack in times of great stress.
Somewhat Cowardly: his reliance on ranged combat has led him to try to keep a distance between him and his opponents at all times, leading some of his soldiers to believe he’s scared to enter the fray (and truth be told, he kinda is)
Obsessive Sobriety: Hates Alcohol with a passion, and won’t even tolerate the smell or sight of it in his presence without throwing a fit of rage.
Occasional Fits of rage: At times, he can explode in a fit of Rage when things don’t go his way, which often leads to an Asthma attack. Like his Asthma though, this is USUALLY under control.
Religious Intolerance: he finds the Religious Beliefs of others (Shinto, PLB and Ryukyuan Animism in particular) Stupid and laughable, and he isn’t afraid to show this to them at every possible opportunity.
Stubbornness: He is very stubborn, and constantly believes that his way is the right way, with few exceptions.
Avarice: He Likes money, he likes accumulating money, he likes accumulating lots and lots of money and keeping that money for himself. While his Confucian beliefs tell him to be generous, and he isn’t a complete miser, he doesn’t shy to removing a few coins from the treasury every now and then. (usually with now being today and then being tomorrow)
Consumed by Vengeance: to the point of him spending many of his waking hours thinking up elaborate and painful ways exacting revenge on those who have wronged him.
Background:
The Early Years:
Born in Shuri, the Capital of the Kingdom of Ryukyu as the Third son of the King, Shō Ei, it became obvious from birth from his heavy breathing that Hasshi was not the kind of Warrior son that his father wanted. His eldest Brother, Shō Tai was tall and Muscular like his father, and a prodigy in the ways of Ryukyuan Karate and Kobudo, the traditional Martial Arts of the Ryukyuan peoples and the most favoured of the sons, while his second brother Shō Kan, had been born in a breech birth and still had a withered right arm which was as good as useless. Feeling Guilty for her son’s injury, his mother was quite overbearing, leaving Hasshi as something of a neglected child for the first few years of his life.
The young Hasshi found his solace in books, and was able to read in both the Native script and in the script of the Ming Overlords by age five, developing a special relationship with the court librarian, who kept him well versed in calligraphy, the classics and histories, and especially the works of Lao Tzu and Mengzi, which led to Hasshi’s long association with Confucianism and Taoism.
At age eight, Hasshi stunned a Ming diplomatic expedition with his quick wit and knowledge of Taoist and Confucian classics, so much so that the expedition offered to take him back to china with them to study in Guangzhou. His Father accepted, and Hasshi would not see his homeland for another 14 years.
Time in the Great Ming:
Adopting the name Shō Tanzhang, Hasshi’s background in Confucianism, Taoism and the Histories and Classics served him well in Guangzhou, and he quickly rose to the top of his class during the imperial examinations, but rather than get a job in the civil service, Hasshi yearned for excitement and joined the military, where he served in the Great Plains as a quartermaster.
It was during this time that Hasshi first picked up a bow, during a hunting expedition. As you might expect, his archery skill was quite poor, and caused him much embarrassment. Determined to redeem himself, Hasshi dedicated himself to the mastery of the bow, soon switching his practise to the Chinese Crossbow to compensate for his limited arm strength, and within a few years, his accuracy with the Cho ko Nu and many other bows was renowned throughout the Great Plains, earning him the nickname Jebe, or master archer.
His time in the Plains however, worsened his childhood asthma and he was soon transferred to the city of Hangzhou, where he got a job with the civil service to fund his recovery, where his treatment involved Tea Drinking and a special form of martial arts which regulated his breathing. Hasshi would stay in Hangzhou until he was 22 years old, upon which he returned to his homeland in Ryukyu.
Revolution and Exile:
Upon returning to Shuri, Hasshi found his father’s kingdom in turmoil and his second Brother Kan a living wreck. The pressures of an overbearing mother, a withered right arm and the abuse his arm won him from his Father and Older Brother had taken their toll, and Kai turned to heavy drinking. The sight of his brother in this state greatly distressed Hasshi, and he tried his best to treat him using similar techniques he used in Hangzhou, but the lure of the drink was too strong and Kan committed suicide only two weeks after Hasshi’s return.
This experience not only gave Hasshi his hatred of alcohol and his Father, it also taught him something, it taught him that helping people was useless, and that it would be much more efficient if he just learned to help himself. Hasshi’s father and brother showed no remorse for Kan, and both sought to isolate Hasshi, who they saw as a rival to the Ryukyuan throne. Hasshi was forced into prison, where he spent two miserable years in extreme poverty. This experience changed him, and his Compassion was soon replaced by the thirst for Vengeance against his family.
Gathering up popular support in and out of prison amongst the Pro-Ming classes, Hasshi staged a daring breakout, and made a rush for the Shuri Imperial Palace with around 1000-2000 supporters, with the promise of a further 20’000 troops from the Ming Government. Tai however, used his family’s wealth to bribe the Ming government into joining their side, and Hasshi’s army was forced to retreat.
Rather than do the obvious thing and retreat to Ming, Hasshi outmanoeuvred his brothers and fled to Japan with around 500 of his surviving followers with the intention of establishing a Rival Ryukyuan Kingdom in Kyushu.
Wether or not he will succeed in his ultimate goal (Vengeance) is a story waiting to be told, how it will unfold is a mystery that nobody knows.
AKA: Shō Tanzhang
Age 24
Gender: Male
Right-Handed
Weapon of Choice: Cho ko Nu (Chinese Repeating Crossbow)
Secondary Weapon: Wo Dao (a Chinese Katana)
Character Type: Bureaucrat/Tactician (Think Ishida Mitsunari)
Weight: Average
Height: 185 CM
Build: Ectomorphic
Physical description: Hasshi is tall and somewhat lanky, with short, unshaven black hair with three short bangs on the right side of his face. His eyes are a piercing blue and despite his not very muscular build, they carry the impression of someone of composure and absolute confidence in his abilities. Hasshi is clean-shaven and has little to no body hair, his eyebrows are thin and his face is unscarred. His Prussian Blue Kimono with a Black, Three Clawed Dragon embroided on the back portrays his origin as an Oji, or Ryukyuan Prince.
In addition to wearing a Wo Dao and a wakizashi on his waist (which are for Show more than anything else) he also usually carries a white paper fan with the Traditional Chinese characters 復仇 (Vengeance) written on it. His Signature weapon, the Cho no Ku, is rarely worn outside of battle.
Likes:
Debating and Arguments
Chinese Philosophy, In particular the works of Lao Tzu and Mengzi
Calligraphy- Trad. Chinese Characters
Tea and Tea Drinking
Martial Arts (he practises a style similar to contemporary Wing Chun, which is suitable for his build)
Money
Languages, and is Fluent in Four (Ryukyuan Shuri Dialect, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese)
Dislikes:
Shinto, the Animistic Beliefs of his Homeland and Pure Land Buddhism
People who practise Shinto, the Animistic Beliefs of his Homeland and Pure Land Buddhism
His family, especially his First Brother, Shō Tai
Alcohol and Alcoholics
Ignorance, and people who are Ignorant
People who are Dismissive rather than Argumentive
Character strengths:
Adept at Logistics, Organisation and Bureaucracy (ie. He is adept at Organising both a state and an army)
Skilled in Philosophy, the Arts and Linguistics: (which may help in terms of army morale and diplomacy, but his Intolerance may cancel this out sometimes)
Consummate Debater and Politician: can carry himself very well in arguments and the field of politics.
Pragmatic and a bit of a risk taker: A history of betrayals has led him to trust nobody, and he’s just the kind of man willing to gamble the lives of a few thousand men to get what he wants.
Good Marksman and Instructor: Not only is he a Good Shot with a bow, he’s also pretty good at making others good shots too, he’s actually a pretty adept Instructor when it comes to the Finer things in life as well.
Character weaknesses:
Asthmatic: He is an Asthmatic, and while the condition is usually under control, he can have a severe attack in times of great stress.
Somewhat Cowardly: his reliance on ranged combat has led him to try to keep a distance between him and his opponents at all times, leading some of his soldiers to believe he’s scared to enter the fray (and truth be told, he kinda is)
Obsessive Sobriety: Hates Alcohol with a passion, and won’t even tolerate the smell or sight of it in his presence without throwing a fit of rage.
Occasional Fits of rage: At times, he can explode in a fit of Rage when things don’t go his way, which often leads to an Asthma attack. Like his Asthma though, this is USUALLY under control.
Religious Intolerance: he finds the Religious Beliefs of others (Shinto, PLB and Ryukyuan Animism in particular) Stupid and laughable, and he isn’t afraid to show this to them at every possible opportunity.
Stubbornness: He is very stubborn, and constantly believes that his way is the right way, with few exceptions.
Avarice: He Likes money, he likes accumulating money, he likes accumulating lots and lots of money and keeping that money for himself. While his Confucian beliefs tell him to be generous, and he isn’t a complete miser, he doesn’t shy to removing a few coins from the treasury every now and then. (usually with now being today and then being tomorrow)
Consumed by Vengeance: to the point of him spending many of his waking hours thinking up elaborate and painful ways exacting revenge on those who have wronged him.
Background:
The Early Years:
Born in Shuri, the Capital of the Kingdom of Ryukyu as the Third son of the King, Shō Ei, it became obvious from birth from his heavy breathing that Hasshi was not the kind of Warrior son that his father wanted. His eldest Brother, Shō Tai was tall and Muscular like his father, and a prodigy in the ways of Ryukyuan Karate and Kobudo, the traditional Martial Arts of the Ryukyuan peoples and the most favoured of the sons, while his second brother Shō Kan, had been born in a breech birth and still had a withered right arm which was as good as useless. Feeling Guilty for her son’s injury, his mother was quite overbearing, leaving Hasshi as something of a neglected child for the first few years of his life.
The young Hasshi found his solace in books, and was able to read in both the Native script and in the script of the Ming Overlords by age five, developing a special relationship with the court librarian, who kept him well versed in calligraphy, the classics and histories, and especially the works of Lao Tzu and Mengzi, which led to Hasshi’s long association with Confucianism and Taoism.
At age eight, Hasshi stunned a Ming diplomatic expedition with his quick wit and knowledge of Taoist and Confucian classics, so much so that the expedition offered to take him back to china with them to study in Guangzhou. His Father accepted, and Hasshi would not see his homeland for another 14 years.
Time in the Great Ming:
Adopting the name Shō Tanzhang, Hasshi’s background in Confucianism, Taoism and the Histories and Classics served him well in Guangzhou, and he quickly rose to the top of his class during the imperial examinations, but rather than get a job in the civil service, Hasshi yearned for excitement and joined the military, where he served in the Great Plains as a quartermaster.
It was during this time that Hasshi first picked up a bow, during a hunting expedition. As you might expect, his archery skill was quite poor, and caused him much embarrassment. Determined to redeem himself, Hasshi dedicated himself to the mastery of the bow, soon switching his practise to the Chinese Crossbow to compensate for his limited arm strength, and within a few years, his accuracy with the Cho ko Nu and many other bows was renowned throughout the Great Plains, earning him the nickname Jebe, or master archer.
His time in the Plains however, worsened his childhood asthma and he was soon transferred to the city of Hangzhou, where he got a job with the civil service to fund his recovery, where his treatment involved Tea Drinking and a special form of martial arts which regulated his breathing. Hasshi would stay in Hangzhou until he was 22 years old, upon which he returned to his homeland in Ryukyu.
Revolution and Exile:
Upon returning to Shuri, Hasshi found his father’s kingdom in turmoil and his second Brother Kan a living wreck. The pressures of an overbearing mother, a withered right arm and the abuse his arm won him from his Father and Older Brother had taken their toll, and Kai turned to heavy drinking. The sight of his brother in this state greatly distressed Hasshi, and he tried his best to treat him using similar techniques he used in Hangzhou, but the lure of the drink was too strong and Kan committed suicide only two weeks after Hasshi’s return.
This experience not only gave Hasshi his hatred of alcohol and his Father, it also taught him something, it taught him that helping people was useless, and that it would be much more efficient if he just learned to help himself. Hasshi’s father and brother showed no remorse for Kan, and both sought to isolate Hasshi, who they saw as a rival to the Ryukyuan throne. Hasshi was forced into prison, where he spent two miserable years in extreme poverty. This experience changed him, and his Compassion was soon replaced by the thirst for Vengeance against his family.
Gathering up popular support in and out of prison amongst the Pro-Ming classes, Hasshi staged a daring breakout, and made a rush for the Shuri Imperial Palace with around 1000-2000 supporters, with the promise of a further 20’000 troops from the Ming Government. Tai however, used his family’s wealth to bribe the Ming government into joining their side, and Hasshi’s army was forced to retreat.
Rather than do the obvious thing and retreat to Ming, Hasshi outmanoeuvred his brothers and fled to Japan with around 500 of his surviving followers with the intention of establishing a Rival Ryukyuan Kingdom in Kyushu.
Wether or not he will succeed in his ultimate goal (Vengeance) is a story waiting to be told, how it will unfold is a mystery that nobody knows.
