[quote=@Moon Man]
Old man incoming. Do tell if there's things I still need to change or adjust. 

[hider=Gu Xuefeng]
[center][img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d2/ff/39/d2ff391214084264e12183180c4e046b.jpg[/img]
[color=7bcdc8][sub][i]”Listen child, the pursuit of strength will blind even the most powerful of individuals. So much so that you will not even be able to see those closest to you. Hm? Speaking from experience? No, it’s just the ramblings of an old man. Now shoo, go and play with your friends."[/i][/sub]
[/color]

Name: 
Gu Xuefeng 
‘Old Gu’

Titles: 
Previously Empyrean Penguin

Age: 
62

Rank:
Formerly a Peak Master but due to damaged meridians he is now just a First Class Warrior.

Allegiance:
Previously the Frozen Sky Peak Sect 
Currently none

[hider=Appearance]
Old Gu is a rather skinny old man. Not to the point where he looks malnourished but one could tell at first glance that he definitely comes from poverty. No matter how much he eats, Old Gu is not able to gain any weight or muscle which is quite strange considering the old man consumes a lot of food. His right leg is twisted at a rather odd angle which gives him a limp while walking though it certainly does not impede his movement as the old man can move with surprising quickness. He stands at 6 feet 2 inches but because of his hunch and injury, he appears to be at around 5 feet 9 inches.  His wrinkly face almost always sports a smile that involves a few missing teeth.
[/hider]

[hider=Personality]
Kindness begets kindness. This is something that Old Gu has learned during his latter years of life. Perhaps as a way to atone for his past or simply because he enjoys his new way of living, the old martial artist never accepts payment for his services. Anything he catches he gives to the villagers while also keeping enough to sustain himself. A very patient and caring old man, a lot of village kids enjoy listening to his stories. Whether fact or fictions, it is something that still stumps them. However should anyone try to bring harm to the small fishing village he now calls home, Old Gu is not afraid to step up and return to his old ways in order to defend it.
[/hider]

[hider=Background and History]
In the far north of the continent stood three majestic mountain peaks. Each one piercing the heavens above which brought about the ire of the gods who punished these mountains with terrible gale force winds and a frozen tundra that could sustain no life.  However, such conditions would give birth to an unexpected being. The Heaven Freezing Snow Flower. An 8th grade herb full of the purest yin energy. Martial artists from all over the land journeyed to this harsh environment in hopes of becoming the ones to conquer it and claim the flower for themselves. One by one they fell, their bones and ambitions buried underneath the thick snow.

All who ventured to this deadly environment faced either death or disappointment. All except one. One man was able to conquer the frozen wastes and lay claim to the Heaven Freezing Snow Flower as well as it’s methods of cultivation and growth. To protect this secret and to ensure the prosperity of his people, the great Ji Xianwao founded the Frozen Sky Peak sect. Situated on the face of the highest mountain, this tiny clan grew to form one of the most formidable sects in all of the northern regions. The influence of the herb accompanied by the strict training regiment to survive in this type of weather has allowed them to produce some of the most powerful cultivators in the face of the Jianghu. They have three exceptionally powerful martial artists, each occupying a mountain. The Fleeting Arctic Fox, lady of the smallest peak. The Empyrean Penguin, lord of the middle peak. And finally the Frozen Mammoth King, lord of the highest peak. Monikers passed down from generation to generation to signify a new ruler of the mountain.

Gu Xuefeng was someone who showed amazing potential since the day he stepped into the training area. Being from the middle peak, his greatest ambition as a child was to be the Empyrean Penguin. A warrior able to brave the freezing waters of the north and move with unbridled agility. To train himself, the young boy would spend hours submerged in ice cold water without so much as a squeak. When he was 15 he had surpassed all his peers, being able to hold his breath for 15 minutes at a time and swim from one end of the lake to the other in record time.

By the age of 30, it was time for Gu Xuefeng to face in the Tournament of Heirs. The best young martial artists from all three peaks will be pitted against each other in an effort to show off their skills and solidify their place in the hierarchy. As per usual, the finals were between the Fox, Penguin, and Mammoth. The fox took third place but the real surprise was when penguin almost defeated Mammoth. In the end Gu could not win against the sheer strength of his adversary and was defeated. However this performance more than solidified his position as the next Empyrean Penguin.

Just like everyone in the Frozen Sky Peaks Sect, Gu Xuefeng was ruthless. It was a dog eat dog world in the mountains. But that frozen heart began to show signs of cracking when he met his wife. A gentle servant woman that would always tend to his wounds whenever he was injured. She had been treating him since they were both young and once the tournament ended, he proposed. Naturally this brought the ire of a lot elders since she had no power for herself. However no one was willing to oppose the next great Penguin. 

At 37 years old, Gu Xuefeng was about to break through to the Transcendent Master. The base needed to be the Empyrean Penguin. Unfortunately the previous head died due to taking part in the war which meant that his inauguration was hastened and he took over while he was still at Peak Master. This was also when everything began going downhill. Shortly after, his wife gave birth. It should be a joyous occasion but unfortunately she had given birth to twins. Now the rule of the mountains was that they were never to exceed a certain number, and because someone else had given birth earlier in the year it meant that one of the two had to die. Gu could not accept that outcome and after numerous discussions with all other heads, they all agreed that one must die. In the midst of the discussion an elder entered the room carrying the head of one of his children because as it turned out, the Mammoth had sent out the order. This drove Gu Xuefeng into a frenzy and in that instant, he broke through to Transcendent Master

“Because you took the thing I love the most, I shall do the same to you all.” Were his words before killing around 6 elders and injuring many more before getting his meridians destroyed and broken by the leaders of the two remaining peaks. Gu Xuefeng fled the mountains a cripple but not before making sure his words rang true. Before his escape, he stole a petal of the Heaven Freezing Snow Flower. Now the previous Penguin, traitor of the sect, was nowhere to be found. The vision of him jumping off the edge of the mountain while carrying a petal, seared into their minds.
[/hider]

[hider=Body Enhancements]
Penguin’s blubber: Being a man from the cold Frozen Peaks, Gu Xuefeng is naturally resistant to cold. He used to be completely impervious to it however after his meridians have been damaged he now only has resistance.

Penguin’s grace: Being a speedy swimmer is a must if one is to be an Empyrean Penguin candidate. Not only that, frigid waters should be like a second home to them, being able to hold their breaths for up to an hour and move with unimaginable agility. Despite his current situation, Gu Xuefeng is still adept at this showing prowess that rivals most first class warriors. But swimming isn’t the only thing that makes penguins fast. They are adept at traversing ice and snow by using their bellies to move around rapidly.

A dot in the snow: Spending most of his life surrounded by raging winds and the endless expanse of snow, Gu Xuefeng had adapted to low visibility by developing keen eyesight. He is able to see and make out details even in the lowest of visibility. This is the only body enhancement of his that hasn’t been affected by damaged meridians
[/hider]

[hider=Equipment]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/74/65/6e/74656e063d6af5aafbeb51957d7d53be.jpg[/img]
Emperor Penguin’s beak: A steel claw made to imitate the sharp beak of a penguin. It is able to easily pierce flesh and with enough precision, even the smallest chink of armor can be penetrated. Gu Xuefeng has two, one for each of his index fingers. He stole this when he escaped from the sect.

[img]https://media.istockphoto.com/photos/macro-of-rose-flower-petal-on-black-background-picture-id98701572?k=20&m=98701572&s=612x612&w=0&h=7SKV-XOcoEOJRbAorDJpAm-zgobpiZy3O2bUlQ0-jnk=[/img]
Heaven Freezing Snow Flower Petal: A single petal from the 8th grade herb. Even this single piece carries the frost and pure yin energy of the Frozen Sky Peak. It is estimated that a single petal is mid 3rd grade. Gu keeps this in a sealed chest buried at the bottom of the village’s river.
[/hider]

[hider=Cultivation Base]
Glacial Emperors:
To survive in one of the harshest environment in the entire continent, one must be able to stand in the freezing wind and snow without so much as a complaint. Those who undertake this path must do all their training outdoors, exposed to the vicious weather. They will be blown away by the wind, pelted by hail and rock, and freeze due to the cold. Even children aren’t exempt from this. 

Trainees would spend close to 8 hours a day outdoors without so much as food and drink. After that they were to be submerged in freezing water for 2 more hours. Once that is done, only then would they be able to have a meal. Due tot he difficulty in agriculture, even the food was rationed. Not many would go on to complete their training to be martial artists of the Frozen Sky Peak Sect with over 95% of the recruits dropping out in just the first six months. Those who do stay would go on to become formidable fighters.

Middle Peak - Blessing of the flightless bird:
Each peak has their own secondary cultivation that is specialized. As everyone knows, penguins are unable to fly but the trade for that is unparalleled agility underwater. Those who live in the middle peak are trained to be just adept. The usually 2 hours spent in the water is bumped up to 4 hours and to make things harder for them, they are to spend majority of that time under it, only allowed to resurface for no more than 8 times. Those who exceed are punished. They are also required to swim a minimum of five kilometers every day.
[/hider]

[hider=Techniques]
10 steps of the Flightless Bird:
A technique that is only used underwater. It makes use of the users agility and endurance. Gu Xuefeng is a master at this, moving at unbelievable speeds, practically dancing around his enemies leaving only a trail of blood. Although he is only able to use up to the 7th step due to his condition.

5 fold technique of the Emperor’s Beak: 
A technique taught to the heir of the Empyrean Penguin. It is close quarters combat style which mimics the sharp beak of a penguin. Users of this art are taught the various pressure points in the human body which allows them to incapacitate the enemy or make them feel unimaginable pain. They are also able to transmit freezing cold qi into their opponent’s bodies and freeze them from the inside.  Gu can still use all 5 but is unable to maximize the potential due to his limp and damaged meridians.
[/hider]

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[/quote]

Here's my main thoughts on it.
[hider]Penguin is pretty weird. I know that it's pretty classic to have martial arts based on animals, but it's pretty weird to base martial arts on an animal that, to my knowledge, would not have been known to exist. Mammoth is weird, but elephants and Siberia borders China so it's somewhat understandable as a limitation of language rather than something else. China has white foxes natively so that one's good. This might be a bit nitpicky though.

Pretty much all of the water arts are so specific and weird. It's pretty unlikely that I'll ever intentionally put people in situations where it's useful. More of a word of warning than something to fix.

The cultivation base hits half of the process. The main thing I'm looking for is why, not the exact process. It's an open system so there doesn't have to exact parallels to traditional Chinese energies, but it just missed why the cultivation works. It's just written as people being abused without reason as to why.

I'm not sure if I've ever elaborated on grades. I'm assuming they're 1:1 with rank. I'd honestly just stay away from grading systems for now. Just have the flower be of immeasurable energy and the petal be of considerable energy.

It is pretty weird that his meridians were destroyed but he got away. Was it from combat and he managed to escape? Weird that they would just break his meridians and not just straight up kill him if that wasn't the case.

It feels that his character is pretty outside the ballpark that he'd not really fit in as one of the gang. It'd make him pretty hard to place and write around as a character. He feels that he'll be off doing his own thing more than anything else. This is probably the biggest issue, in all honesty.[/hider]

[hr]

This is also a message for everyone.

I know I called ranks things like peak master and this requires a bit of specific knowledge into different wuxia series, but words work a lot better if you shuffle things around a bit. You reach the position of peak master, you breakthrough to the peak realm, etc. Also capitalizing every single title is kinda ugly. I'm not the most consistent with it, but you don't need to capitalize things like qi, peak master, etc.

Also, the IC will probably be late-Friday to some time Saturday.