OOC Board: Jade Empire: The Golden Age ((OOC Board))

Long before the fall of the Temple of Dirge...long before the Water Dragon was captured by Emperor Sun Hai....long before the adventures of the last Spirit Monk...the ancient kingdom known as the Jade Empire prospered as one of the most powerful nations of the known world. This tale takes place over a hundred years prior to the events of the game, with new characters, both good and evil, and an even deeper story with more twists and turns.

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It is the year of the Dragon, one of the most glorious times within the Jade Empire which is supposedly blessed by the Gods with good fortune. Under the wise rule of the Empress Xia Suyin the Gracious Moon, the Empire thrives more than ever. But seeds of unrest have begun to stir beneath the surface of peace. Rumors of rebellions spread in hushed whispers. Apparently, there are a few members of the Imperial Court who disagree with Xia Suyin's rule. Indeed, it is odd to have a woman rule. In fact, Suyin is the first woman to rule the Empire in nearly five hundred years, following the unexpected death of her husband, the Emperor Xia Ang. Not only does she have backstabbing members in her court to concern herself with, but also the whims of her young, headstrong daughter, Princess Xia Lin, heir to the throne. And to top it off, talks of peace with the neighboring kingdom of Xiongnu to the North has been strained due to suspicion that the King of Xiongnu intends to declare war on the Jade Empire!

But...it is not only the dire circumstances of the Mortal world that have become unsettled...but it seems the peacefulness of the Spirit World has become turbulent as well, causing an unsettling rise in attacks from Demons and angry Spirits. Could there be a connection from the seemingly separate courses of actions? So much is not as it seems as of late, but not all is lost. The Empress has called upon a Spirit Monk from Land of Howling Spirits, a mountainous terrain beyond the western borders of the Jade Empire to look into the disturbances of the Spirit World. Regardless, she still has the ominous threat of possible war and the treachery of the Imperial Court to deal with.

The question you must ask yourself....is where do you stand in all this?

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Please refer to OOC Board for Information on the Jade Empire, Character Bios, etc.

Shan Liu sat on the steps of the hidden tree martial arts school. He crossed his legs and slowly took a breath of air while he began to Meditate. He then heard a group of students walking towards him and opened one eye.
"Hello there Jin." He said to his fellow student. Liu liked to practice the way of the open palm but had discovered Jin had been secretly practicing the ancient way of the closed fist. Liu stood up and faced the other boy. "How can I help you?"
"You can try to beat this!" he said and took off his shirt to flex his overly large muscles while his friends snickered. "Hey lady's, like what you see!?" he shouted at a few nearby town girls. "PIG!" they shouted back at him and waved at Liu. "What ever you'll be back!" he said and flexed his muscles. "Anyway, I've come here to smash you into the dirt like always!"
"Funny," Liu said, "I thought I've beaten you every time you've challenged me."
"You wish" he said and charged at Liu who easily side stepped him and opened up a flurry of heavenly palms and thousand cut styles. He pushed one more time against him with two open palms and infused them with chi. Liu sent Jin flying across the courtyard.
"How about you three?" he asked the other students who just ran over to Jin.
"You'll pay for this weakling!" Jin shouted and ran off. Liu only sighed at this walked up the steps.
'Time to see what master Sleeping Dragon is up to.' He thought and walked towards a large hut in the middle of the school.
(How was that?)

((Hey, I like your post, but I didn't get a profile on the OOC Board for your character. Would you mind putting it up? Then I can reply and we shall begin ))

(oh yea sure lol forgot, ill do it tomorrow, i need to get some sleep)

((No Prob, I'll go ahead and start my introductory post now! I'm going to place the Hidden Tree School near a village called Clear Springs, in a valley just south of the Imperial City. Just so we have a starting point. ))

It was a quiet morning in the small village of Clear Springs, but a dim one at that. Gray skies stretched as far as the eye could see, and the low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. But despite the lack of a beautiful day, the villagers no doubt would welcome the long awaited rain. It had been humid these last few summer weeks, and a bit of water would no doubt help the crops.

Regardless, Silver Wren was not looking forward to venturing onward in a torrential downpour. Sitting in the Chai Ming's Tea House, she stared out the window with a placid, emotionless expression with her eyes distant as her mind was deep in thought. A warm cup of green tea was cradled in the palm of her hands.

"You know, it'll get cold if you just let it sit there." Wren gave an annoyed glare at her companion, Hachi. He was tall, in terms of his wolf brethren, with silky fur the color of grey ashen slate and bright golden eyes. Yet, despite his canine appearance, Hachi was no wolf. At least not by choice. No, once he was a very powerful demon. Alas, once you defy the Elder Gods one too many times, they feel it fit to punish you however they can.

"You can't afford to waste what little money you have on decent tea....then just let it just waste away," he added. "Is being so wasteful a human trait?"

Indeed, it was odd for a mortal to have so strange a companion. A wolf who was once a demon. But then, the presence a former Spirit Monk was an oddity in itself. Well, birds of a feather an all that. Outcasts need to stick together.

"Careful, Hachi," she smirked, taking a tip of her tea. "If you don't behave, I doubt the proprieters would see it fit to feed you their scraps like a good little pooch."

The hair on Hachi's back stood up, "You wouldn't dare feed me scraps like a common mutt!"

Silver Wren gave a light careless shrug, "Perhaps...perhaps not. Just be a good little doggy and don't shed on the rug."

Hachi gave a low growl, but said nothing more. It was best he try not to draw too much attention anyways. Demons, even if they are bound in a harmless form, are still not the most welcomed visitors in many places. And Wren was in no mood to be chased out of another village due to Hachi's antics. If it wasn't for the occasional comic relief, she wasn't quite sure how she could cope with his dry humor and constant nagging.

"Besides," she continued, "It's best not to cause too much trouble. I'd like to have a decent place to sleep for once."

It was true, they had been wandering in the wilderness for quite some time. Not that she minded. On the contrary, she enjoyed the peacefulness of nature than the bustling life of humans. But a soft bed wouldn't hurt from time to time. They had only just arrived in Clear Springs last evening. Wren didn't know much of the place, only that it was home to the Hidden Trees Martial Arts school. She herself had never been there, but she had heard of it.

"Speak for yourself," Hachi said, scratching his ear before sitting back on his haunches. "The wild isn't too bad. It's more quiet...that's for sure. And smells less horrible."

Silver Wren said nothing, but simply smiled as she continued sipping her tea.

((I"ll post something else for Princess Lin and Empress Suyin later. I need sleep as well.))