I decided to switch it up and not go with a Diwatas. I hope this will be okay. I'll try and add a sample post by sunday night. ---- [img]http://www.bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Kaare-2-600x861.jpeg[/img] [b]Player Name[/b]: Whiskey Business [b]Character You Wish To Play[/b]: Shang Chi as the 67th Immortal Iron Fist [b]Moral Alignment[/b]: Hero [b]Affiliation:[/b] None [b]Character Origin & Backstory:[/b] Shang Chi was bred to serve his father, Fu Manchu, a crime lord to one of the most dangerous criminal cartels of the world. He learned from various masters of combat and underwent an excruciating training regiment led by the Si-Fan, elite assassins under his father's employ. Each session left the young boy battered and bruised. Nights rarely offered him a chance to rest, for lectures and philosophy awaited him in the moonlight. These after hour teachings often involved watching his father torture those who had wronged him and his organization. It was meant to strengthen his son's resolve. Fu Manchu hoped to instill the proper foundation for his son to one day rule in his place. Shang Chi, however, had no such desires. Despite Fu Manchu's best efforts, his son's heart was simply incorruptible. In fact, baring witness to such cruelty only invigorated Shang Chi to bring justice for all of his father's wrongdoings. It thus became his motivation in life to thwart any and all of his operations, covertly sabotaging every element of his father's empire. Eventual word of his son's betrayal summoned a merciless demon within Fu Manchu. From that day forward, Shang Chi never stopped looking over his shoulder. The crime lord sent wave after wave of assassins, but none were successful against the prodigal master of combat. To this day, Fu Manchu and his Si-Fan relentlessly pursue the betrayer, stopping at nothing until vengeance is claimed and honor is restored. Shang Chi went on to travel the world, eventually settling down in America where he befriended a few superheroes and martial artists. One of particular note was Danny Rand, the 66th Iron Fist to ever wield the power of Shou Lao the Undying. The two were great friends and formidable allies in the war against crime and villainy. However, overtime it became apparent that the dragon force Rand wielded had corrupted his chi - so much so that Shou Lao possessed the Iron Fist without much resistance, taking full control of his powers in the process. The results were catastrophic. Shou Lao's possession of Danny Rand nearly decimated the entire Eastern seaboard. Shang Chi had no choice but to stop his friend. He hoped to release Danny from the dragon's control without killing him. The feat itself would prove to be impossible. The duel eventually ascended into other-wordly combat, as Shang Chi and the possessed Iron Fist fought on an ethereal battlefield. What passed as minutes went by in years within the trans dimensional pocket of reality where Shou Lao's essence reigned supreme. Shang managed to strike at a vital spot that weakened the dragon's grip over Rand. In this moment, Shou Lao sensed its demise and used a great sum of his power to force the battle back onto earth. With the dragon seemingly vulnerable, Danny Rand was able to temporarily regain control of his body. With much regret, Shang Chi was forced to land the final blow - ending the battle and Danny Rand's life, severing his link between Shou Lao in the process. Such a feat activated the rite of transfer, and contrary to Shang Chi's aversion, became the 67th Iron Fist to wield the dragon force of Shou Lao the Undying. Those affiliated with Shang and Danny are somewhat conflicted with what happened. Some fear that the Shou Lao will try to possess him like it did Rand. Others hold a grudge against Shang, believing there was another way, a better way, to save their friend. The general consensus is that Shang Chi saved the world at a great cost, but there is an underlying sentiment among a select few (namely Luke Cage) that claim he wanted the power of the dragon force for himself. Whether or not that's true remains to be seen... Shang Chi is currently investigating the whereabouts of K'un-Lun. It is one of the capital cities of heaven, the one true haven for all Iron Fists. For reasons unknown, Shang Chi cannot communicate with any of the former Iron Fists, thus making his search even more difficult. His only clue to its location is a myth that says the mystical city appears on earth only once every ten years. He hopes to enter K'un-Lun and somehow bring Danny back from the dead and be rid of the dragon force once and for all. [b]Powers and Abilities[/b]: Shang Chi's abilities post-Iron Fist are amplified across the grid. Peak physical conditioning, skilled marksmanship with melee weapons, weapons master, master martial artist, and complete nervous system control, have increased exponentially due to the use of chi augmentation with the dragon force. However, cannot help but use his newfound powers passively. Reluctantly obtaining the Iron Fist mantle at the cost of his friend's well-being has subconsciously dwarfed his true potential. As a result, Shang Chi has become more of a support healer type. He takes on a more defensive approach when fighting crime, under utilizing the near-limitless power of Shou Lao. The dragon force allows him to Mind Meld with others, able to break people free of mind control and can also share memories and emotions. He can also absorb massive amounts of energy, as well as detect various energy signatures. [b]Sample Story Arcs[/b]: - A "Game of Death" scenario. Shang Chi must ascend up a tower fighting master martial artists in order to discover a truth about K'un-Lun. - An arc putting Fu Manchu and the Si-Fan at the forefront of world threats. Major truths for Shang Chi are to be revealed. - Any magic-themed plot that could somehow intertwine Shang Chi's ongoing search for K'un-Lun and/or his identity as the new Iron Fist. [hider=Sample Post] [i]I am a single blade of grass amidst a sea of thorn-branched weeds. I will not waver...[/i] The soft radiance of the rising sun brought warmth to his body. Shang Chi stood perched on top of a tall oak, perfectly motionless since the night before. He assumed the form of the crane stance, maintaining his entire weight on a single leg with both arms raised above his head. If it were not for the yellow-colored sash and mask, he could've been mistaken as an extension of the branch. His emerald green garbs blended well with the forest in full bloom. [i]The moon exchanges hands with the sun, with it, comes the wild of night. The sun returns to reunite with his brother, with it, comes the wild of morning. Both ends of the spectrum must meet before reaching the peak of their truer essence. With it, brings life dependent upon each cycle... [/i] Shang Chi meditated on those words. He did not force their understanding, rather, he continued to let them roll off the tongue of his inner voice. Such was the paradigm of truths as of late. Since dawning the mantle of the Iron Fist, Shang Chi has been caught in a tumultuous flux. Merging with the powerful dragon force of Shao Lou the Undying has bloated his chi. Drunk with power, the Master of Kung Fu has tried religiously to maintain equilibrium with himself. The internal struggle is no doubt caused by the loss of his friend Danny Rand. In his passing, Danny exchanged the power of the Iron Fist to Shang Chi, with it, the pain acquired in order to obtain it. Images of their combat flashed into his mind. The glaring eyes of Shao Lou flickered within Danny's possessed gaze as they battled on. Momentary glimpses of Danny's normal self would resurface during their duel from time to time. It made the fight all the more harder for Shang Chi to overcome. It became abundantly clear that relinquishing Shao Lou's possession of Danny without fatal injury was not possible. After fighting to a standstill, there was no other way. [i]Or was there?[/i] Shang Chi frowned. [i][i]No... there was no other way. [/i][/i] [i]Oh? You truly believe so? [/i] Shang struggled to remain calm, tried taking deep breaths to control his heart rate. [i][b]Stop.[/b][/i] [i] Claim the high horse as your seat all you like, but no matter which angle you look at it, the apple did not fall far from the tree...son of Fu Man- [/i] "GRRRRGGHHH!!!!!" Without hesitation or thought, Shang Chi clenched his fist until it bled with golden energy and slammed it onto the trunk of the oak. A rippling wave of chi splashed into the shape of a spear, evaporating the top end of the tree in its bright aura. The weight of such power came as a shock, and Shang Chi no longer had control of it. The concussive force of the blast immediately broke the large oak from its foundation, then bulldozed through a cluster of other trees behind it. Shang immediately leapt off the falling oak and landed onto the branch of another. The sound of groaning wood and crashing thuds ignited the forest in a frenzy. Birds flew to the skies, cawing in fear. Shang regained his composure, calming the inner storms of his mind and spirit. Somewhere deep within himself, he could feel Shao Lou smiling. It made him sick. [i]You are not worthy of the mantle... [/i] [i][b]I know... [/b][/i][/hider]