Name: Wei Junli
Age: 23
Sex: Male
Race: Human
Nation: Ju Ren Kyo
Position/Status: Emperor of Shen
History: The island empire of Shen lies to the south of the overall territory of Ju Ren Kyo, in the midst of the White Sea. Being separated from the other empires of Ju Ren Kyo by sea, the people and culture of Shen are somewhat different from their northern neighbors, having kept their traditional names from before Baelwill's unification of the land.
As the thirdborn son of the emperor of Shen, Prince Wei Junli was groomed to be a leader of his people and a general in defense of his future domain. He was trained in combat and strategy from a young age, and excelled in his studies of war. As Junli grew into adolescence, he began to understand the injustice of the world he lived in. The land bowed before a distant kingdom, their sovereignty denied from them, the people powerless before Baelwill's arcane might. But during his fifteenth year, resentment began to give way to hope: Baelwill's mightiest weapon was broken, its warriors weakened. His eldest brother, the crown prince, raised an army to join with various other lords from around the world to assault Baelwill, but fell to their defense network and godlike knights as so many others had. When he had gotten over his grief, Junli returned to his training and studies with a vengeance, determined to become strong enough to strike back against Baelwill.
Five years later, at the age of twenty, Junli had become a full-fledged general in service of his empire. The timing was fortuitous as well, given that as Ju Ren Kyo began to stabilize from Baelwill's wane and the rule of a child empress, a few of her subordinate emperors began to display ambitions of their own. The empire of Shen came under assault from one of its eastern neighbors, the Jushibaki Empire, in a war of conquest. Both Junli and his elder brother took their ailing father's place on the battlefield, but only one emerged from it alive. While Junli repelled the enemy from the coasts of Shen itself, his brother fell at sea, his fleet set ablaze by his foes. Enraged at the loss of his brother at the hands of his fellow countrymen, Junli took his own fleet and ransacked the ports of the east for months, blazing a trail of carnage across the Jushibaki Empire's coast. With their foe's navy in shambles, the armies of Shen disembarked on the continent itself, beginning a march to the capital. Junli's armies were assailed several times on the march inland, but they repelled the Jushibaki each time, with the final assault degenerating into a total rout as Junli slew the Jushibaki Emperor himself in personal combat.
His enemy was broken and their walls were vulnerable, but even as Junli and his forces came within sight of the Jushibaki capital, personal tragedy struck him once more. His father had fallen victim to the ravages of time. Wei Junli was now the Emperor of Shen. He had barely come to terms with the realization that he was the crown prince and heir apparent of his empire. And now he was expected to be its leader in full. With a heavy heart, the Shen emperor halted his forces' advance and forged a peace with the Jushibaki Empire, extracting tribute in gold and supplies as concession for being forced into this war. As soon as the terms were sealed, Junli took his army and sailed for home, intent on keeping his domains stable after his empire's change in leadership.
For the next two years, Junli slowly became accustomed to ruling his domains, gaining experience in the art of governing. But all the while, his ambition grew, as did his plans. First and foremost, Baelwill would fall. They were a threat to the world at large, and had been silent for far too long. But his fellow emperors were not to be trusted. Without Baelwill's influence, Ju Ren Kyo's unity would not last. Some empires continued to profess loyalty to Baelwill, binding themselves to the Supreme Empress that carried the blood of their ages-long rulers. Others began to distance themselves from the Supreme Empress's court, plotting against both her and each other, with the Jushibaki having been among their ranks. For the time being, Junli continued to pay at least nominal homage to the Supreme Empress's court in order to avoid provoking anyone. He continued to build up his armies and fleets, but knew that if he were to have the freedom to strike at Baelwill, he would have to keep his fellow emperors pacified for the time being...
Skills and Abilities:Martial Lord: In the distant past, the warrior-kings of Shen had been known to wield massive guan dao halberds, and this was the inspiration that lead Junli to pursue mastery of said weapon. He has trained since childhood to wield the guan dao, starting with lesser polearms and smaller halberds to hone his abilities until he could finally wield the fabled weapon of his people's legends. The end result was that Junli was capable of wielding a mighty weapon few warriors possessed the strength or skill to master, making him a force to be reckoned with in combat.
The Phoenix's Legacy: While the emperor himself may have no training in the magical arts, great magics flow within his blood. For ages, the line of Wei has claimed that the blood of the phoenix ran within their veins due to their immense endurance and innate command of fire. Wounds that would fell an ordinary man were ignored as they kept fighting. Immolating flames trailed behind their every swing in battle. A blazing aura could erupt at a moment's thought to repel those that surrounded them. If they were not phoenixes, then the scions of Wei were as close as a human could be to one.
Audacious Command: With a campaign's worth of experience behind him and an intense drive to accomplish his goals, Junli cuts a striking figure. He would not be considered beautiful like many nobles of the East, but instead rather ruggedly handsome. His presence and his appearance combine to lend him the charisma of a heroic warrior, inspiring his people to greater heights.
Prosperous Nation: As the gateway into Ju Ren Kyo by sea, the empire of Shen is rich from trade. Mecrundian merchants sell their wares in the ports of Shen, which are then taken by Shen merchants into Ju Ren Kyo proper. Due to this prosperity, Shen boasts about as large of a population as its fellow empires, despite possessing less land overall.
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