Iroh Profile
Player Information
Name: Peter
Age: 22
AIM SN: BenignEvildoer
email: dirty_bible_monkey@hotmail.com
Have you played in an LJ based game before? Yes
Currrently Played Characters: Deadpool
Character Information
General
Canon Source: Avatar the Last Airbender
Canon Format: Cartoon Show
Character's Name: Iroh
Character's Age: 64
What form will your character's NV take? A scroll at first, he may update it eventually.
Abilities
Character's Canon Abilities: Iroh is pyrokinetic, able to produce and manipulate fire utilizing a form of martial arts known as firebending. He is shown to be one of the most powerful firebenders in the Avatar universe, and is shown to be capable of defeating multiple skilled firebenders in rather quick succession. Unlike waterbenders and earthbenders, firebenders do not have to have an already present source of their element and can create fire. One of Iroh’s less common firebending abilities is fire breath. He is also able to generate and “bend” lightning, though it takes more time to do than producing fire and it is an ability that only a select few firebending masters are capable of. Uniquely he is able to re-direct lightning, a technique he created himself. In the series, he uses this technique to deflect actual lightning from a ship he was travelling on, as well as to prevent his firebending prodigy niece from killing her brother with lightning. His fighting style emphasizes control, and he avoids using more force than is necessary to accomplish any given task.
Due to his many years of experience he is able to fight using a variety of weapons, and is highly proficient in hand to hand combat, having studied different styles of combat over the years. He has years of experience being a General in the Fire Nation’s army, and is well versed in strategy, both in long term and short term engagements. Iroh keeps his sense of strategy sharp by playing Pai Sho, a game akin to Shogi in Avatar. He also knows how to make a delicious cup of tea, which is one of his great passions in life. His tea making skills are impressive enough that he made a rather drab Earth Kingdom shop popular, and was quickly offered a new job creating tea in a shop of his own design. In a similar vein, he is somewhat of an amateur botanist, and has knowledge of several different types of plants, though he is not an expert. He is a capable singer, and can play a few instruments.
He has visited the Spirit World, and can see spirits, and is aware if someone has been touched by a spirit or has spiritual power in some way. He himself has no real power over spiritual things, only a partial understanding of them and a general awareness of them.
Weapons: He is well versed in most melee weapons, and is adept at making use of improvised weapons. He will not be bringing any with him to Siren’s Port.
History/Personality/Plans/etc.
Character History: Iroh was the first born son of Firelord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah. He was the crown prince of the Fire Nation, destined to become the leader of his nation. He was brought up believing that his nation was the greatest nation in the world, and that conquering the rest of the world was a way to spread that greatness. He had every luxury available to him, the best teachers, the best food, and yet he was slightly different from many others in his family. His prowess was put into question, and to stop any further questioning of his power he set out to slay a dragon, the ultimate symbol of firebending mastery. What he found instead was the long lost civilization of the sun warriors. He was tested by the two last dragons, and he proved worthy of the lesson. The dragons taught Iroh how to firebend without aggression or hatred. He staged a fake slaying of one of the two dragons, which impressed all those who saw it, and earned him the name Dragon of the West. Meanwhile, he had promised the sun warrior people to keep their secret safe, and to preserve the last dragons.
He was married when he turned 27, and he was happy with his wife in the brief time they had together. She bore him one son named Lu Ten when he was thirty, and died a year later after contracting an illness. Iroh loved his son very dearly, and was quite playful and loving with him. He came to believe that he should pave the way for his son's rule, and tried to make sure he was fully prepared for life and a future of ruling the Fire Nation. He had a dream of one day conquering the great city of Ba Sing Se, and with an entire nation's military at his disposal, Iroh began a 600 day siege of the city. Lu Ten was an adult at this time, and served as an officer leading the siege from the front. Iroh managed to break through the outer wall, a feat that was unmatched before him, but before he could make it into the inner city, his son Lu Ten was killed in action. His purpose for fighting was destroyed, and he withdrew his army from the battlefield.
He spent a couple of years wandering around the Earth Kingdom, and didn't attempt to make a claim for the throne. He found that he was helped by the kindness of strangers and words of wisdom during his troubled time. He became involved with a secret society known as the White Lotus, and learned of their dedication to mastery over the arts of battle and to preserving balance, and became deeply involved in them. He channelled many of his resources into the organization. He helped in expanding it, and found people with similar ideals. Using his influence, he managed to place them in subtle positions all over the world. He continued his work even as he returned to the Fire Nation, and he was greatly comforted by his nephew Zuko. Through Zuko, Iroh believed that his nation could be redeemed and restored to a position of balance in the world. He began to tutor his nephew, and sought to make him realize his true potential. He gradually began to think of him as his own son. When Zuko was scarred by his own father and sent into exile, Iroh used his influence to get a ship and a crew to help him. Although he was a retired general, he still commanded a great deal of respect for his leadership, previous victories and his prowess. He helped his nephew through the difficult time as they began searching around the world for the Avatar - Zuko’s ticket to regaining his honour within the Fire Nation.
The rest of his history can be found http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Iroh
Point in Canon: After the events of Sozin's Comet, Part 4: Avatar Aang, shortly after everything has settled down.
Character Personality: Iroh is best described as being a happily retired individual. He takes things slowly, and feels he has accomplished most of what he wants to do in life. He has no major undertakings he believes that should be left to him, and wishes to give the burden of responsibility to the younger generation. This is best represented in the guidance he offers his nephew, Zuko. Though by the laws of inheritance, he should be the Firelord, he didn't wish to take the throne for himself. Iroh believes that the world requires younger leadership to help fix problems with the current status quo. He is still perfectly willing to provide support and advice to any who need it, but isn't going to take the lead on things. He considers leadership to be something of a burden and a responsibility as opposed to something that people should seek, which makes him a good leader.
He is a man who has experienced a great deal in the world and is humbled by his experiences. He knows that people can be both good and evil, and that it is possible to make changes. When confronted with poverty, he accepts whatever help people are willing to give, even if they do not treat him with respect. He thanks the man who sliced at his feet as he was singing to make him dance and sing for a gold coin. Though most would find this humiliating, he finds no shame in it, and is glad to gain the coin for his efforts, as there was no obligation for the stranger to do it.
He is far different from the man he used to be. Though he was never needlessly cruel, he was nevertheless a very effective general in his younger years. The death of his son Lu Ten marked a profound change in him. His reason for conquering died with Lu Ten. It lead him to question who he was as a person, and what he stood for. Though he already had an appreciation for other cultures, he came to have a firm belief that there should be a balance. Keeping the world in balance makes him go against his home country once to avoid having the moon being destroyed, another time to stop a take over of the last Earth Kingdom city, Ba Sing Se, and finally an outright attack to reclaim the city that had been lost.
Teaching is a core part of Iroh's personality. He naturally feels inclined to listen and give advice to people, and is always happy to do so. He has lived a full life, and believes its important to pass on knowledge in order to improve the world. He believes that true wisdom comes from multiple different sources, and that being pragmatic about the world can make you a stronger person. Though the main recipient of his advice is his nephew, many others have also benefitted. When out in the wilderness, he talked with Toph and told her that people doing things for you is not because they believe you are weak, but because they care for you. After being attacked by a mugger (and subsequently disarming and putting him on his butt), he proceeds to advise him that his 'stance was wrong' and shows him how to make himself a greater threat. He then proceeds to discuss the man's life with him and suggests that he should follow his dream of becoming a masseuse. He is very forgiving of those who see the error of their ways, and believes that everyone should be given second chances, or more, so long as they learn and develop.
Iroh is a firm believer that life should be enjoyed to its fullest. Whether it be enjoying the food you are eating, having a nap, or sitting and drinking tea, these are things that are important to one’s well-being and should not be ignored. He acknowledges that leading a full life also involves being productive or working towards a goal, but if you do not take the time to enjoy what the world has to offer, what is the point? This enjoyment of life is perhaps where his judgement becomes the most suspect. He has been captured by enemy soldiers while taking a nap outside in a hot spring, as well as revealing himself to be a Firebender while in the Earth Kingdom because his tea was cold (he used firebending to heat the tea). Noticeably he also has never refused a offered meal or cup of tea, even from people he did not know. His enjoyment of tea has led to a self-poisoning incident at one point. When confronted with the possibility of either delectable tea or deadly poison, Iroh decided it was worth the risk to attempt to create a delicious tea after going without for a time.
He has a bit of a mischievous side at times. He is willing to stray from the straight and narrow for minor things. He has stolen a few minor items that would not be severely missed, such as some perfume, and things not essential for living. He also has been shown convincing crew members to bet against him again and continue playing a game he is a master of. He also used the fact that there was a paralyzing venom hitting several people to get himself close to an attractive woman. As long as there is no major harm to the individual, these things are all in good fun. He also has a good sense of humour about himself and isn’t easily insulted. He recognizes he is a thicker set older man, and laughs at jokes people make about his age and weight.
Character Plans: Iroh will be confused at his new surroundings, but he will adapt relatively quickly, and come to accept that he is stuck there, and make the best of it. He will likely be working to regain a tea shop of his very own, and settle into a quiet life. He may become more involved if he founds out about the depths of cruelty and exploitation done by the corporations, but is unlikely to do so in a very blatant manner.
Appearance/PB: Iroh is an older man with a few wrinkles, but he has continued doing martial arts all his life and is physically very fit. He has a thicker build, and has impressive side burns, with a beard in the middle. He keeps a fairly orderly appearance most of the time, and is usually found wearing robes with some room in them. His hair was black before, but it has greyed with age, he has a fairly wide forehead, and a round face.
Writing Samples
First Person Sample 1
[Iroh can be seen walking around a bit confused]
Am I dreaming?
[Pinches himself]
Ouch! No, I am not. This does not seem like the spirit realm, but I do not recognize anything.
[Strokes beard thoughtfully]
Hopefully I can find a helpful stranger to guide me.
[Pause]
A cup of tea would be heavenly right now as well.
Additional First Person Sample
[Iroh sits by a table with a hot cup of tea, and a teapot beside him]
From what I have heard, it seems as though I will be here for some time.
[Lifts his tea cup up, takes a whiff and then sips it]
Ahhhh, that is good tea! No matter the circumstance, a cup of tea is always helpful.
[There is a brief pause as he makes a face, there was something else he was supposed to be asking, but the tea had taken his attention, his eyes widen up and he smiles as he remembers]
I would be most appreciative if someone could tell me where I might find a job. If possible, I would prefer a tea shop, but one cannot be too picky.
[A pause as he takes another sip of tea]
If it is not too much trouble, the directions of a good place to eat would also be greatly appreciated, as I fear I am not a terrific cook.
Third Person Sample
Iroh appeared in the centre of the baseball diamond, and felt as though he had been beaten and had ingested poison. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the new surroundings, they were strange and unnatural to him. He had been doing inventory in his tea shop the 'Jasmine Dragon' when he had felt himself being sucked through into this strange realm. This seemed like the work of a powerful spirit, but he didn't believe he had crossed any. He certainly hadn't felt anything. He stood up and calmly looked around. The field around him was in poor repair, there was clearly no one who had bothered attending to it. There seemed to be some rather large indents, as if large things had fallen here before.
“It is best to dig a well before one gets hungry,” he spoke aloud, the familiar words giving him something to hold on to. It was probably best to get out of this place as soon as possible, there was no telling what trouble he might find here. He began moving, slowly at first, still feeling woozy from his journey. Where he was, he had no idea. There were signs a little ways off, perhaps they could help him. As he approached them, he blinked for a moment and had to read them again to make for certain what he read.
“Welcome to the jungle-- baby? You're going to die?-- Strange, I didn't think this was a jungle... let’s see 'Walks out at night are pleasant, especially if you sing loudly' -well late night walks are nice, though quiet is preferable,” he read aloud. He continued reading through them in silence. This seemed like it was put together by someone with a strange sense of humour, and there was nothing helpful here. He heard a bit of a rustle off in the distance, someone was approaching and not attempting to hide their footsteps. Iroh stood his ground. He was confident in his ability to deal with threats, and preferred to believe that whoever was here would be helpful.