Player: Jen
Character Name: Jiang Mei-li
Alias/Nickname: Zhan (Sparrow Hawk), to friends Mei
Race: Human - Migotian.
Age/Date of Birth: Rosedown 23, 3091 / 28
Apparent Age: Twenties.
Sex: Female
Height: 5' 1"
Weight: 120 lbs
Hair Color/Style: A dark chocolate brown, so dark it can be mistaken for black, which hangs to about mid back, typically worn loose and parted slightly to the left, occasionally pulled back into a high tight ponytail or held in a loose bun by jeweled sticks.
Eyes: Dark brown, making it sometimes hard to discern the iris from the pupil.
Marks/Scars/Tattoos: Several scars on her body, none of major note. She has four small gold loops in each of her ears. These are very small and not easily snagged.
Physical Appearance: Mei-li is of average height for a Migoto woman, with a slender frame and light body. Her flesh tone is a warm yet light golden tone, which is pale by most standards, but not as fair as an Elsyven. Her body is smooth and leanly muscled from pulling the weight of a bow string and riding horses nearly her entire life. Mei-li is not generously breasted, but where she lacks in this her shape and face make up for. She is quite lovely, with oval shaped slanted eyes, a gentle nose and soft full lips, pale complexion and smooth black hair. Her eyes are such a dark shade of brown that they are alluring and yet chilling to gaze into.
Occupation/Class: Silver Archer / Artisan, Musician (Di only), Bounty Hunter
Magic/Magite: None.
Carried Possessions: Fletching knife, pull ring, a couple dozen straight tail feathers, two spare bow strings, ryn, Dizi (Chinese bamboo flute), a ivory comb, black lacquered hair sticks, two bars of lavender soap, cotton cloth strips, her extra clothing, a water skin, two charcoal makeup sticks for outlining her eyes, a small bottle of red lip gloss, and a backpack/saddle bag for all her items.
Clothing and Armor: Rarely in casual wear, if seen Mei-li will wear a light black silk robe that hangs to her ankles with an indigo sash, decorated in red lotus blossoms, gold leafing and phoenixes intricately stitched into the cloth, white cotton socks and black slippers. In her traditional garb she has on a red silk tunic that buttons in the front with bamboo buttons, that hangs long, to about mid calf, and is slitted up the sides to about the hip, with gold wire trim. Underneath is a pair of black breaches that end at the knee, or long black cotton pants. She will wear boots in cold weather, typically black or brown, but will sport light woven sandals if it is warm. A red lacquered glossy leather and steel scaled breastplate sits over the tunic, leather pauldrons with a hawk in flight burnt on to each in detail, with matching leather bracers. A black cloth belt tied at the waist holding a pouch and a dagger. Her shins are covered with leather greaves of the same make and strapped by cloth ties. She won't wear gloves but does wrap her hands from wrist up to her knuckles in cotton strips.
Weapons: Her one true piece of art, a magnificently constructed composite bow, made from bone, bronze, bamboo, horn, sinew, glue and leather, crafted by her own hands from the tutelage of her mother and father. The bow itself is mostly horn with is white nearly transparent arms, the center handle grip made of treated bone and bamboo, wrapped in black dyed shark skin. Intricate designs could be made out inside the transparent bow arms, flowers and birds in a smooth painted black ink. The string is made of raw un-spun silk, with a cotton wrapped center. Its crafting took five years to complete and is extremely sturdy. Overall the bow weighs 30 lbs and stands 4 1/2 feet in height.
She also possesses a quiver with many arrows she's crafted herself, some unique in design for specific tasks, one dagger on her belt at the waist, and two small knives, one sheathed in her boot, and another sheathed and strapped to her upper left arm.
Likes: Cherry blossoms, cranes and small birds, her bow, accuracy, playing the Di, horses, a challenge, children(sweet, gentle tempered kids, not loud obnoxious ones), tea, vegetables, bathing, perfume, scented oils.
Dislikes: Demons, Elsyven, bandits, weakness, vile/ugly/disgusting people, cowardice, evil.
Merits: Ambidextrous (capable of using both hands to write and draw her bow with), Quick-reflexes, Sharp-eyed, Can Play the Di with moderate skill, Patient, Loyal, Honorable, Persuasive, Skilled Rider (can ride horses excellently, and even shoot accurately from the saddle).
Flaws: Overconfident, Vain, Arrogant, Proud, Obsessive, Cynical, Judgmental, Practical, Stubborn, Unpredictable, Unflinching-Killer, Not exceedingly skilled at hand combat (hand to hand or with weapons other than a bow).
Worst Fear: Losing to someone who is not worthy. Dying in dishonor. Becoming crippled and unable to draw her bow string. Tigers and bears (not baby ones, full grown, fooking scary ones). Gargoyles (given their stone exteriors her bow skills are really of no use against them).
Personality: Jiang Mei-li is a person of many different faces, and this can often be confusing to people, which is why she can be so unpredictable. On first appearances to those that do not know her she comes off as arrogant and vain, and this is very true, although not in the sense that many would think. Although vain about her appearance she is not doing it to seek attention from others, but rather for her own pride and beliefs. She believes that a person who does not care for themselves or life will show it in their physical self, and so she is always well groomed. Yet she is not afraid to get dirty if she has to, for dirt is not the kind of 'filth' she is referring to. Working hard and getting dirty are a part of life, but choosing to let one's body go to squalor is to her unacceptable and is also a sin against the Gods. It is not uncommon for her to spend nearly half of her earned ryn on a day of self pampering in a bath house.
She is not easily swayed, and when driven she will do everything within the bounds of her honor to get what she wants and is relentless to the point of obsession. Her arrogance is rooted in her upbringing and being from a family of great note has given her a strong persona, and she will talk down to people she believes are beneath her. Those she feels are honorable or deserving of her respect and/or trust she will talk with candidly and at times kindly, maybe even affectionately. Getting a compliment from Jiang Mei-li is truly noteworthy, for she would not give one if it weren't true. She does has a soft side, especially for children who she believes are innocent in nature, and can't be to blame for circumstances they are placed... that blame she reserves for others.
Her years of training have given her a great amount of confidence, and while she is justified in many rights at times it is so much so that it can be over dramatized. While good for intimidating her enemies it makes it difficult to make good connections with others around her. She can be kind to others, and merciful to those she feels are worthy, but she can also be a cold blooded killer, striking a man down with one shot, or tormenting with many, if she feels the person is undeserving of a swift death.
History: Born to the prestigious Jiang family, quite renowned for being master bowers, Mei-li has been raised in a splendid atmosphere, and her upbringing shows in her persona. Raised to learn calligraphy and the Di, she had been well educated since she was of an appropriate age. She was also taught the family's craft for making composite bows of excellent design and quality, and often took part in the artistry of the bows. Bows took years to complete, being true works of art, and so they often fetched a heavy price at the market and were unparalleled in accuracy, strength and range. They were highly prized and sought after by many archers and collectors alike.
Mei-li spent much of her time in studies in her youth, but once she took her greatest interest in the art of archery she elected to stop her formal ladies tutoring for that of a male dominated profession in her culture. A Silver Archer.
Her older brother Yu-lan was a Silver Archer of great skill and she had always looked up to him, not only as a skilled warrior but a person of great strength, character and honor. She worked hard to impress him and to show she could accomplish the task she had set to, her first years spent with often blistered or bleeding fingers, even with using a draw ring. It has taken her years of hard practice to attune her hands to the weight of a bow string, and even more time when she crafted her own bow, which was finished when she was twenty-three.
When she wasn't pulling a bow string she was dabbling with her Di or taking care of the horses on their family's estate. Mei-li has never been afraid to get dirty or work hard, but she had been raised that your outward appearance reflects your soul and how the Gods view you. Just as a priest would care for his God's temple it is only wise to care for your soul's temple. So she would bathe daily, or at least groom and care for herself as she was taught. Yet even so, she was raised to be practical and use only what was needed and never take more than what is necessary.
Mei-li was a talented young woman, and when she turned twenty-six she was appointed the title of Silver Archer, the eighteenth woman in her culture to obtain that title, by the Emperor himself, and was called Zhan, or Sparrow Hawk in the common tongue. With such a great honor bestowed to herself and her family Mei-li was very happy, and became a mentor for future women who wished to become a Silver Archer.
However her life took a drastic turn later that year when her brother Yu-lan was killed during a delivery of completed composite bows to the port city of Hinori, by a group of bandits called the Black Tiger. Although he had killed many of their men, he was overcome. He died in honor, yet Mei-li was distraught at her brother and mentor's death and she vowed revenge. Taking up arms Mei-li began to hunt the Black Tiger, killing its members one by one with the same weapon they had killed to steal, until she finally found the leader himself, and killed him slowly, his body housing nearly twenty arrows before she struck him down with a final shot to the heart. Yet their demise brought her no joy, no peace... not like she had thought.
So Mei-li stopped teaching and began taking jobs full time as a bounty hunter, at first working around her homelands, but she knew that it wouldn't be enough. She left her home, knowing that until she finds her inner peace once again she can't be there with her family.
Since coming to the main world Mei-li has learned common, and has taken a partner in the bounty hunting business within the last few months, a man named Kaisen Yuvonda. And so her story continues...