Background information
Character Name: The Empress (Xia -Li)
Background:
The Empress's world is complex - it's a matriarchal society in an oriental setting. The women are the heads of the households, men are fairly subservient though are treated as close to equals as possible. The leading role in all functions are held by women in both family and politics, and the women with the most power (Empresses) were viewed as divinities incarnate in human bodies, set here by the goddesses themselves to rule in their stead. Sex is viewed as divine and beautiful - a union of pure pleasure and functionality. Bisexuality was rampant in the country, and many women (the Empresses included) and men had several lovers of both sexes, though men and women only ever took one actual spouse. Sex was viewed as a beautiful gift from the godesses, and it was an indulgence that was allowed and encouraged. It was sometimes included in religious rituals as well. It was, of course, crucial in producing an heir; sons were not usually desired though were necessary in order to keep the lineage going.
The Empress Xia was four when her mother, Zhang Xiao took the Lotus Throne. Empresses held the highest authority in the land that was known as Yza-Cwa, and it was she who held all the provinces together under one rule, and prevented outsiders from invading. The women in the world of Yza-Cwa were taught reading, writing, math, philosophy - and were drilled harshly in the ways of combat and training. No female was left untrained - when a girl reached the age of ten, she was sent to the barracks to receive her training for the next eight years.
Empresses were no different, and in fact their training was much more in depth, much more rigorous, and far harsher than the rest. Each Empress was tattooed in the ancient tradition the moment she passed her training, and the tattoos were done with a special, enchanted ink that enabled the tattoos themselves to come alive, twisting and turning as if anxious to leap from the girls skin and into the shadows. With the right words, this can actually be done, but the Empress does need a shadow nearby in order to complete this ritual (hence the constant carrying of a parasol). Truly powerful Empresses were able to do this without the assistance of a shadow, but this has not happened in many generations. The tattoos are not just symbolic of an Empresses rule, they are blessed by the goddesses (and are, actually - manifestations of the divinities themselves), and therefore are a tool that is essential to keeping order. In times of dire need, the Empress may call upon their aid in order to either engage in battle, heal, or defend.
This Empress was not always known as such - when she was younger, her name was simply Xia, and she had enjoyed picking flowers, pestering her brother, and having cups of warm milk late into the night, giggling with the serving boy on whom she had fostered a childlike crush. She was, of course, taken from her mother and family when she turned came of age, and on her tenth birthday she was sent to the barracks for her specialty training. It was harsh, brutal, and bloody - it broke her in many ways, but also made her a strong woman, extremely capable of being the Empress she was born to be.
This was the purpose of the training of an Empress.
When Xia returned on her 18the birthday, she was no longer a giggling school girl who flirted with the serving boy. Instead, she was a grown woman with steel in her eyes and a sword in her hand, ready to fight, defend, and die for her country.
It was a good thing she was prepared to do so, since on the day of her return, her native home of Shang Lai (the capital of the country) was burned to the ground and her mother, the current Empress, with it. Xia immediately stepped into her mother's shoes, and took her place as Empress, leading the country in a full on assault against the intruding barbarians of Saltuk-Kur. Mid campaign (two years into the war, making her approximately 20) is when she arrives on the boat.
*It is important to note that magic, demons, and dragons are all very real in Xia's world, and each Empress has a Warlock that is assigned to help protect her alongside her own personal guard. Even though the society is largely Matriarchal, there are certain types of magic that each sex is physically unable to do. The Warlock was instituted by the minor gods as a balance, one to work with the Empress in times of need. Many times the Empress took their Warlock as a lover; Xia was no exception to this rule. Her Warlock was named Jian.
Personality: Xia is very refined, classic, well versed, and meticulous. She's very smart, and is a good battle tactician as well as an extremely well trained martial artist. Xia is also blunt, to the point, and dislikes games and dancing around subjects. She's a hard young woman, and can be fairly inflexible and unbending, especially in her views and opinions. She's been trained to be an Empress, and nothing else. Xia is a born leader and her rule is indisputable, and she is an absolute perfectionist in everything she does. She is aggressive, determined, irritable and stubborn and occasionally loses her temper. When Xia was younger, she had a difficult time keeping her anger in check, but has since been trained to show only what others want to see - a demure smile, a coy expression, a gaze of steel.
That does not, however, mean she is unfeeling. Xia is an extremely emotional creature, but she's been trained to never show it, never let it seep through the exterior of what her Empress training has taught her. The loss of her mother is still very real to Xia, and though she was seperated from her family for ten years, she very vividly remembers what court life was like before her absence, and what her mother was like. The fact that she was murdered by invadors has caused Xia to not only hold a deep seated anger in her heart, it has also made her views cynical and a little bitter.
However, every woman has her weak spot - Flowers, specifically lotus blossoms are one of said weaknesses; the Empress has a hidden sensitive side and can fully appreciate the beauty of life and the work of the goddesses.
Xia carries herself with an obvious air of authority; her back is always straight, posture perfect, and regardless of her height, she always seems to be looking down on people. It's not entirely intentional, though most of the time, it is. She's used to being in charge, in control, and no one to challenge her.
Appearance: Empress Xia is extremely small and lithe, but very solid. Her entire body from her neck to her toes is covered in living tattoos that move constantly. She has extremely thick black hair that hangs nearly to her ankles but it is almost always pulled tightly into a complex knot on top of her head and adorned with glittering ornaments. Her eyes are are strangely blue, and it's been whispered she may one day be an Empress who can control the Shadows themselves.
Spoken / written languages: Xia speaks the language of her native home, Yza-Cwa - which is roughly equivalent to Chinese, as well as that of the neighboring countries such as the enemy language of Saltuk-Kur. Someone is going to have to teach the girl common D:
Abilities: Xia's tattoos are unique in that once etched onto her skin, they become a part of her, mixing in with her body chemistry and, coupled with her heritage, become not only a manifestation of the deities themselves, but also an extremely symbolic and useful tool. When necessary and called on by Xia, they can actually come off of her body, and be used as projections.
Xia tends to carry a small silk parasol with her at all times - the reasoning for this is because of the need for shadows. Shadows give her manifestations more...shape, as it were. The shadows fill in the gaps between the tattoo ink lines, very similar to having shade work done on RL tattoos. Eventually, I would like her to be able to call these forth without the need for filler, but that will take several months for her to develop, since the boat has a dampen and it's already an extremely difficult feat to accomplish.
The tattoos themselves vary - there's a large dragon, a tiger, a few embodiments of defense (shields, the Chinese kanji symbol for shields, the word for protect), and kanji symbols. Each kind means and can manifest into something different. For example, the dragon and tiger, obviously, are her main attack (and defense, as well). When she's near shadows, she can call either forward and engage it in battle, until it's defeated (this can be done by distracting or disabling her). There are kanji symbols that she has been marked with that denote the Chinese words for Heal, Pray, Wellness, etc. These are really meant for self protection. Xia is able to do minor things for other people, but its very limited to scrapes, scratches, maybe a broken bone, but anything more severe and she will be unable to help another. These were created by the divine in order to assist, heal, and protect the Empress. In protecting her, the country was protected.
There are also tattoos that are, for lack of a better word, relatively useless in the sense of battle, and were given to the Empresses to make their lives a bit easier. Since there is enormous strain on the women, the goddesses felt it fair to give them a few 'perks'. A couple examples of these are tattoos of a cherry blossom tree, dragonflies, lotus blossoms, small animals (cats, dogs), etc. Frivolities that can be called upon for aesthetic value, more shade than a simple parasol can provide, or simply company if the Empress gets lonely.
She's also a good fighter - she was trained in combat and with weapons, and is a talented martial artist.
For the purposes of the good ship Elegante, her powers are significantly muted (much to her dismay). Anything resembling a weapon that is tattooed on her is blocked - she cannot call forth any manifestation of a blade, sword, katana, etc. Her attacks that don’t require a weapon are her dragon and a tiger, and these are both significantly smaller than normal. They stand approximately three feet at the shoulder. Still intimidating, but not as large as they are supposed to be.
All of her ‘supernatural’ abilities will exhaust her upon use.
Items: Xia will arrive on the boat dressed in her Imperial Regalia, along with a paper fan, parasol, and small clutch type purse that contains several coins, hairpins, and an extra set of earrings.
Xia is in room 1226 on Deck 12.