Description

Fairly tall with a fair complexion, she has brilliant amber eyes. She has a small unusual birthmark on her right shoulderblade that appears to be a small ember-like symbol.

Personality

Witty and charming, Mei-Li tires of Court life but knows how to act in public- quiet and stoic, like any proud noblewoman. Given her upbringing, she is accustomed to the rules of being a princess. However, she's quite adept at breaking them just as easily. She has a tendancy to be mischevious, which gives her guards quite a few problems. In her youth, she was quite well-known for her many practical jokes. Mei-Li has a habit of sneaking away from the Imperial Palace and adventuring into the city markets dressed as a commoner.

She has a strained relationship with her mother, and never knew her father. Given her brother's future as Emperor, she sees little of him as he is being "prepped" for his destiny. The princess can have quite the temper if people aren't careful, but lacks the "high and mighty" ego of most of the Imperial Court. She speaks her mind when she pleases, much to the displeasure of her mother.

Equipment

Being a princess isn't what most what think. While she is trained on how to act and speak and so forth, she was trained on how to fight by her Personal Guards. While her mother and the Court are unaware of this, as she swore her guards to secrecy, she learned how to handle both sword and staff. Her preferred weapon is Qiang, a long spear. She is flexible and light on her feet, making her quite agile.

History

What she knows is that she was simply born a Princess of the Shang Dynasty to an overbearing mother and a father long-since dead. Her true history is hidden, even to her. The truth is simply she was born to an Ancient Order known as the Shadow Monks, who lived far to the North. Shadow Monks were well known and feared for their abilities to control spirits and animals. Legend says they could even travel to the spirit world or change into beasts of great power.

Her "father", the deceased Emperor, was aware of the Phoenix Prophecy and his priests told him the vessel would be born to the Shadow Monks. Having been corrupted by the Darkness, like his wife and son, she sought to destroy the threat before it could grow. With his armies, he crushed the Shadow Monks with little effort. When he came across the last infant alive, who happened to be Mei-Li, his wife betrayed him and murdered him. In her dark heart, she sought to manipulate the child and bend her to her will. So, by raising her, she hoped to corrupt the Phoenix. However, plans have gone hardly as planned.

And so, she lives now in a rather glamorous life, unaware of her history. But something is making her suspicious. Her eighteenth birthday is approaching fast, but something in her heart tells her times are changing.