Natalia [Approved; 0-2+]

Shēnghuó Human Template

Basics

Real Name: Niem
Alias: Natalia (currently), though she has use a hundred other names.
True Age: Over 5000 years old
Gender: Female
Personality:
Natalia is a complex person, as anyone who has grown up melding and living in different societies since the dawn of civilization would be. She is at her core a kind hearted girl who cannot stand to see suffering and pain. She is known to pass out food to the homeless and donate no small portion of her income to charities.  She values life, and will fight to defend it if she must.  While friendly and outgoing, she is surprisingly stand-offish towards people who attempt to get closer to her; what this means is that she will polite and nice to people, but is incredibly proficient at keeping personal information out of the conversation and not letting people get too close to her for a variety of reasons.

Under this mask, she is a patient and decisive person; she has grown into this through so many years of life. Her experiences in battle and her long life have groomed her to be incredibly knowledgeable and intelligent. To many, she seems a mysterious stranger, kind hearted but distant despite the best of attempts. She has a fondness for dogs, and actually owns a small dog that lives in the “tavern” she owns. In battle, if she is forced to fight that is, she is a relentless bruiser, using her regeneration properties to take on attacks many would consider suicidal to gain unexpected opening. She will relent only if her enemy is rendered incapable of fighting, is killed, or admits defeat. And woe to those that feign defeat and attempt to strike afterwards; she has a strong sense of honor, and will not tolerate such deceit. She is, for the most part, honest herself, but there are times when she must lie. She does not approve of it, or enjoy it, but if it must be done so be it.

General Appearance

Appearance:

Spoiler:

Appearance Age: Mid to Late 20s

Natural Abilities

Master Chef
A combination of her natural love for cooking and the place of women throughout much of history, Niem is a legendary cook.  She knows by heart millions of recipes, secret ingredients, and combinations.  She has an innate knowledge of presentation, and can very competently run a restaurant or inn of her own (and does on some days).  She knows how to make a stew that would make gods weep and bring men back from the dead for a taste.

Master Linguist
Through her life and her travels, Natalia has lived in hundreds of countries and learned thousands of languages. She has been through the collapse of empires and the rise of tyranny. Whether because of her own talent or a result of her regenerative properties, she is capable of remembering an incredible amount of information, including language. She speaks most if not all known languages, and several ‘dead’ languages. She is capable of writing in these languages as well.

Ancient Mind
Niem possesses a mind so sharp she must be careful lest she cut herself with it.  Whether her own or a product of the immense stores of Qi running through her, she is capable of remembering a great deal of information and has a very quick mind.  This is not always a boon, however; there are days where faces come to her mind.  Friends from centuries long past, people she has failed to save, days best  left not described if they cannot be wholly forgotten.  Should someone be foolish enough to try and tap into her mind they will find themselves bombarded by five thousand years worth of information and living.

Martial Master
With over five thousand years of life, much of history being chaotic and violent, it is little wonder that Niem knows a great deal about how to fight.  Under different alias' and disguises she has studied and mastered hundreds of martial arts, some now dead and some hidden from the knowledge of the world.  She displays little of this on a day to day basis, but when the time comes for her to defend herself or another she does not hesitate to demonstrate.

Weapon/Improvised Weapon Master
Partially a bi-product of her study of the martial arts, Niem is capable of utilizing almost any form of weapon with surprising accuracy and to deadly effect.  This extends to most mundane objects as well, as just about anything can be made into a weapon.  This is compounded by the fact that she unconsciously exudes Qi into the item she is holding in combat, making it capable of causing harm to spiritual entities and being far tougher than items like it.

Sixth Sense/Perception
Like many humans Niem has developed the ability to see spirits.  However, as a direct result of her long life and her amazing memory, her perception is far greater than most.  She is capable of distinguishing different types of beings from great distances, gauge their strength, and so on.

Qi Abilities

Type: Jìnéng (Internal)
Abilities:
Immortal Soul
This is the single greatest power Natalia has, and her greatest curse.  This is the source of her long life, her regenerative properties, her immortality.  She has become a walking avatar of the living energy of the planet.  She is tied to it as deeply as a fish is to water.  Natalia is not able to be 'killed' in the normal sense of the word while on Earth.  When she takes enough damage to 'kill' her she enters a stasis like state.  During this time her body can not be altered, but she is not capable of any of the things a living being is.  She is effectively dead.  Depending on the severity of the killing blow, how hurt she was before said blow was struck, and several other factors she will remain in this state for some time.  At minimum she will remain dead for two weeks(real time/RP time).  The upper limit for this time period scales into centuries.

In addition Immortal Soul grants her the following abilities.

Immense Qi Reserves
The amount of Qi present in Niem's body is beyond anything thought possible at any time before.  It is because of this level of power that she has attained a level of immortality and eternal youth.  That said, she does not possess “limitless Qi” though some would say that is false.  She possesses a great deal, and it does refresh given time.

Regeneration
Because of the immense reserves of Qi that flow through her body, Natalia possesses the ability to regenerate.  Wounds heal almost before they've finished being created, and lost limbs can be regrown given time and concentration (in roughly the space of a post or two, depending on how much of the limb has been lost).  This regeneration has its limits though.  While organs CAN be regrown, the brain can not and immense trauma to the brain can and will “kill” her.

Amplified Natural Abilities
Due to the immense Qi energy running through her body and her continual training in martial arts Natalia's body functions at a far higher level innately.  Her strength, speed, endurance, and so on are what some would call “superhuman.”  Through deliberate control and practice Natalia has developed the ability to bring herself down to the level of a normal human so that she may interact with people without harming them.  She is capable of doing this, at this point, at the drop of a hat.

Additionally, she is immune to most diseases and poisons.  There is another weakness to this immortality, however.  Niem's soul is tied to her body in a greater sense than any other being.  Her power is tied to the planet.  Should she leave the planet (either heading to space on her own, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, etc) she will loose roughly 90% of her power.  Additionally, if she is killed in one of these places she will not come back until her remains are brought back to Earth or another large conglomeration of living beings.  Her soul can not, currently, be separated from her body by any means, and so if her body is never returned she will remain trapped in her body for the rest of time.

Internalized Qi Flow
Niem is a walking embodiment of the Life Energy of the planet and the beings that inhabit it.  This power is internalized within her, and as such she has an innate understanding of how the techniques of Shēnghuó users work.  She has trained so completely towards the internal style that she is all but incapable of projecting any form of Qi ability beyond herself with very limited exceptions.  Effectively, she has no ranged offensive capabilities that stem from her Qi use other than directly flinging something at a target.  This is manifested in that she is also incapable of prolonged generation of Chi outside of her body.  An example is that she is incapable of standing still in mid-air; if she ceases moving she is not able to generate a stable platform and will begin to fall.

Another side effect of this is that until she actually begins to use her Qi abilities Niem exudes next to no detectable level of Qi above the norm.  If someone were to focus on her though, and really make an effort to detect her level of Qi they would find the power just beneath the surface, like the magma beneath a mountain.

Touch of Life
One of the few exceptions of how Niem can use her Qi, she is capable of healing other's wounds by using some of her Qi to manipulate and amplify the Qi in another living being.  She is incapable of healing the wounds of someone who is dead (AKA she can't bring someone back from the dead, and cannot heal a Shinigami or similar being).

Diamond Body
Hardened by the internalized Qi flow, Niem's bones are far stronger than they should be.  This allows her body to withstand the stressed put on it when she actually allows her body to function at a combative level.  Additionally by focusing for a few moments Niem is capable of flooding her skin with Qi, granting her protective capabilities similar to Hierro.

Qi Abilities

Base Qi Abilities

Immortal Soul
This is the single greatest power Natalia has, and her greatest curse.  This is the source of her long life, her regenerative properties, her immortality.  She has become a walking avatar of the living energy of the planet.  She is tied to it as deeply as a fish is to water.  Natalia is not able to be 'killed' in the normal sense of the word while on Earth.  When she takes enough damage to 'kill' her she enters a stasis like state.  During this time her body can not be altered, but she is not capable of any of the things a living being is.  She is effectively dead.  Depending on the severity of the killing blow, how hurt she was before said blow was struck, and several other factors she will remain in this state for some time.  At minimum she will remain dead for two weeks(real time/RP time).  The upper limit for this time period scales into centuries.

In addition Immortal Soul grants her the following abilities.

Immense Qi Reserves-The amount of Qi present in Niem's body is beyond anything thought possible at any time before.  It is because of this level of power that she has attained a level of immortality and eternal youth.  That said, she does not possess “limitless Qi” though some would say that is false.  She possesses a great deal, and it does refresh given time.Regeneration-Because of the immense reserves of Qi that flow through her body, Natalia possesses the ability to regenerate.  Wounds heal almost before they've finished being created, and lost limbs can be regrown given time and concentration (in roughly the space of a post or two, depending on how much of the limb has been lost).  This regeneration has its limits though.  While organs CAN be regrown, the brain can not and immense trauma to the brain can and will “kill” her. Amplified Natural Abilities-Due to the immense Qi energy running through her body and her continual training in martial arts Natalia's body functions at a far higher level innately.  Her strength, speed, endurance, and so on are what some would call “superhuman.”  Through deliberate control and practice Natalia has developed the ability to bring herself down to the level of a normal human so that she may interact with people without harming them.  She is capable of doing this, at this point, at the drop of a hat.

Additionally, she is immune to most diseases and early poisons.  There is another weakness to this immortality, however.  Niem's soul is tied to her body in a greater sense than any other being.  Her power is tied to the planet.  Should she leave the planet (either heading to space on her own, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, etc) she will loose roughly 90% of her power.  Additionally, if she is killed in one of these places she will not come back until her remains are brought back to Earth or another large conglomeration of living beings.  Her soul can not, currently, be separated from her body by any means, and so if her body is never returned she will remain trapped in her body for the rest of time.

Internalized Qi Flow
Niem is a walking embodiment of the Life Energy of the planet and the beings that inhabit it.  This power is internalized within her, and as such she has an innate understanding of how the techniques of Shēnghuó users work.  She has trained so completely towards the internal style that she is all but incapable of projecting any form of Qi ability beyond herself with very limited exceptions.  Effectively, she has no ranged offensive capabilities that stem from her Qi use other than directly flinging something at a target.  This is manifested in that she is also incapable of prolonged generation of Qi outside of her body.  An example is that she is incapable of standing still in mid-air; if she ceases moving she is not able to generate a stable platform and will begin to fall.

Another side effect of this is that until she actually begins to use her Qi abilities Niem exudes next to no detectable level of Qi above the norm.  If someone were to focus on her though, and really make an effort to detect her level of Qi they would find the power just beneath the surface, like the magma beneath a mountain.

Touch of Life
One of the few exceptions of how Niem can use her Qi, she is capable of healing other's wounds by using some of her Qi to manipulate and amplify the Qi in another living being.  She is incapable of healing the wounds of someone who is dead (AKA she can't bring someone back from the dead, and cannot heal a Shinigami or similar being).

Diamond Body
Hardened by the internalized Qi flow, Niem's bones are far stronger than they should be.  This allows her body to withstand the stressed put on it when she actually allows her body to function at a combative level.  Additionally by focusing for a few moments Niem is capable of flooding her skin with Qi, granting her protective capabilities similar to Hierro.

The Qi Gates

Aether Gate
The Aether Gate is the entry level gate of the Qi Gate System, and governs the flow of Qi within the body and the limiters placed on the body to prevent it from burning itself out. By opening this gate the body is allowed to work at 100% of its natural capability instead of the ~15% capability the body typically works at. Additionally, once the Aether Gate is opened Qi is funneled into the user’s bones to strengthen them, enabling them to withstand the forces placed on them with the increased capability of the body.

Additionally, through training one may learn and gain access to a series of five sub gates that grant minor capabilities that can be accessed while the Aether Gate is open. This takes additional time before one moves on to learning the advanced gates.

Stone: Qi infuses the user’s skin and muscles, granting a 20% bonus to strength and defensive capabilities.Spark:Grants the user a slight heat aura which can ignite flammable objects not worn on the user and cause slight burns. Also increases the users speed by 20%.Gust:The Qi around the user floods outward in a light gust, and grants the user a heightened sense of things in its area of effect. Additionally, the gust subgate assists with short burst movements, granting a 80% speed boost to movements that go no more than 10 feet in total distance covered.Stream:Increases the flow of Qi in the user’s body, increasing all of their physical capabilities by 5%. Additionally, the subgate increases the flow of Qi out of the body, allowing Qi to be forced out of the user’s body and into the enemies, which attempts to cause internal damage.

There are drawbacks to this gate, however, depending on the level of mastery present. The first drawback is the amount of time it takes to actually learn; assuming a physically fit body and concentrated mind, it takes a human who has aptitude for Qi use approximately 30 years’ worth of training to access this gate. Beyond that, each subgate can take anywhere from 5 years to 12 years more to gain access too. To fully master the Aether Gate it can take a normal human’s lifetime, though it is possible to learn and master the gate in less time.

Beyond that, without a method of healing or caution on the part of the user it is possible for the user to inflict damage upon his/her body from the unrestrained actions. Increase fatigue and muscle soreness are the least of the effects, but depending on exertion can range up to muscle tearing, bone damage, and so forth.

The Advanced Gates

The Advanced Gates refer to the gates after the Aether Gate, which are extensions of the subgates present in the Aether Gate to a degree. These gates are incredibly hard to learn and master, place great strain on the body, and are typically unattainable by mortals unless they have Awakened. It takes a large amount of time to discover and access the gate; there is no particular order in which the gates are discovered, and vary from user to user. After having mastered the Aether Gate, a process that can only be completed once one decides to either learn or forsake the sub gates and has spent 100 years training with the Aether Gate, it can take anywhere from 1 to 100 years to learn the first of the Advanced Gates. Beyond that, the time to mastery and learning of the others varies greatly based on personal ability.


Mountain Gate
The Mountain Gate’s focus is on immovability and strength. Once this gate is opened the user’s muscles and skin is flooded with Qi, increasing their physical strength by 600%(6 times) and their defensive capabilities by 300%(3 times). Along with this increase in strength, they gain a rather impressive defensive ability in that as long as they remain in contact with the ground or a wall they redirect roughly 40% of the force they are struck with into the surroundings. This ability is inactive while the user is not in contact with the ground.

The second major effect of the Mountain Gate is to impose a penalty on movement against those that are struck while it is active. Incredibly heavy Qi floods into the opponent and attempts to weigh them down, reducing their movement speed by a cumulative 5% per hit. This reduction cannot reduce a person below 20% of their movement speed. Additionally, this energy can be dissipated by a release of power on the targets part, or by not being hit for 3 posts time after a strike. For every 3 posts, 10% of this effect is removed.

The user’s total movement speed is reduced by 40% while this gate is active. However, if the user managed to unlock the Stone subgate of the Aether Gate BEFORE learning the Mountain Gate, this penalty is reduced to 30%.


Inferno Gate
The Inferno Gate focuses on destructive power and speed; once this gate is opened, the user’s leg muscles are flooded with Qi, empowered and hardened, increasing their total speed increases by roughly 500%(5 times). Their reflexes are amplified while this gate is active as well to keep up with their new speed.

The destructive side of this gate comes from the second effect. Once the gate is opened, a field of Qi surrounds the user. While the user is in motion, the Qi reduces the friction the user experiences from the atmosphere around them, and converts it into a heat aura around the user. This aura is only active while the user remains in motion and for 2 seconds after, at which point it returns to normal. This heat can exceed 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (over 800 degrees Celcius) and is used in attacks to burn the opponent, the area around them, and so forth. This aura also absorbs heat directed at the user up to a point while it is active, protecting them both from its effect and from heat based attacks directed at them, though it has its limits.

There are serious risks with using this gate, however. Primarily, this risk is to injury to the user’s legs from the strain on the muscles, though the entire body is at risk from the forces being exerted on it. Additionally, it is possible for the user to exceed speeds that their reflexes can keep up with, resulting in further injury both to themselves and those around them.

If the user learned the Spark subgate BEFORE learning the Inferno Gate, the speed increase is increased to 550%, the damage from the heat aura is enhanced slightly. All other effects remain the same.


Wave Gate
The Wave Gate’s focuses are on Flow and Vision. The Vision aspect is revealed once this gate is opened. Upon the user’s forehead the symbol of a vertical, open, lidless eye appears, the center of which will glow with a faint cerulean glow. This eye serves three purposes; firstly, it increases the user’s reflexes by 400%(4 times), giving them greater reaction time and capability. Secondly, it serves as a shroud to mask the user’s mind from abilities that would seek to gain information from it. Finally, it grants the user the ability to see the flow of energy within or around a person. For example, the eye would allow Natalia to see the flow of energy as it flowed from IQigo to Zangetsu for a Getsuga Tenshou. When the third ability is activated, the user’s eyes take on the same cerulean glow as the third eye.

The Aspect of Flow corresponds to ebb and flow, internal and external energy movement. The internal flow comes in 2 forms; first, the flow of Qi within the user is amplified, increasing all physical attributes by 100%. Secondly, the user draws energy into themselves while the Gate is active to power it, and can draw energy out of enemies they strike and convert it into Qi, albeit at small quantities per strike, meaning that extended contact with the user in this state or taking too many hits can end up being dangerous.

The external flow of energy comes from in 2 forms; first, the user’s offensive power is increased by 50%, empowered by Qi in the striking surfaces. The more dangerous ability of the gate, however, is the second external flow ability. The user’s strikes are followed by an immense wave of pure force, which will crash down in the direction of the strike and deal massive damage to those it strikes. (Think of the force shockwaves being thrown around in the battle between Ichiigo and Aizen in the final battle in the manga, then imagine that weaponized; that is concept behind this ability.)  The range this force extends to is shorter than one would imagine though, extending out no more than ten feet.

The unique danger to this gate is the fact that it drains a great deal of energy and places a great deal of stress on the body and mind simultaneously. Prolonged use of this gate can become life threatening if the user is not drawing in some type of energy or does not possess a great deal of energy on their own. Even then, the strains on the body can become life threatening through prolonged use.

If the user learned the Stream subgate BEFORE learning the Wave Gate, their physical abilities and offensive capabilities are increased by a further 10%, and the drain effect is slightly enhanced. All other effects remain the same.


Sky Gate
The Sky Gate is the most defensive of the gates, and focuses on avoidance and attrition. The avoidance comes from the user’s ability to, while this gate is active, negate their own mass. This has many applications from removing the weight of a punch during training to using it to avoid attacks. They do not actually become mass-less, but instead temporarily alter reality to reduce their mass down to negligible levels. They are only able to do this for 1 second at a time, and doing so requires a good deal of energy. Additionally, the user’s senses are heightened by a small flow of Qi that rushes out around them to a distance of 20 meters; they are able to sense movement or energy within this area to a heightened degree.

The attrition factor comes from the same flow of Qi; as it rushes out, it physically pushes all energy in that area and out to another 20 meters away, effectively depriving those within its area of effect of environmental and latent energy.

As stated, the major drawback of the Sky Gate is the use of energy, which can quickly deplete resources. They are also effected by the second effect, the removal of the latent energy.

If the user learned the Gust Subgate BEFORE having learned the Sky Gate, they retain the increase in short range speed within 10 ft.

Advanced Gate Progression

As previously stated, the Gates have no order in which they must be opened. However, for those that can learn and master the gates, there is the ability to open multiples of the gates at a time. This is no easy task, however, and comes with many dangers. This option only opens up once the user has learned all of the gates and spent at least 100 years training with them. Awakened Qi Users are capable of opening 2 of the gates simultaneously, while Fully Awakened Qi Masters(tier 0-3) are capable of opening 3 at once. Incredibly talented Fully Awakened Qi Masters(0-2) are said to be capable of opening all four gates at once.

However, there is great danger in this route. Opening any number of the gate compounds their own inherent disabilities and drawbacks, in addition to those listed below.

Two GatesOpening two of the Gates simultaneously compounds their own drawbacks. Additionally, the user’s body is placed under even greater amounts of strain; muscle damage, bone damage, nerve damage, and so forth will easily result from the use of two gates.Three GatesTo activate three gates at once compounds all of their drawbacks. Additionally, the user risks injuring their Qi circulation system; this can result in hindered Qi use for up to a week to follow the use, in addition to the drawbacks listed under Two Gates. Prolonged use can results in serious injury or death.Four GatesBy Activating all four gates the user compounds all drawbacks listed in the gates, guarantees muscle, nerve, bone, and Qi circulation system damage. Use of this many gates for more than 2 posts will result in death.  In Natalia's case, keeping this up for more than 2 posts will result in an exponentially scaling level of death.

Character Background:

Every Story Needs a Beginning

Niem started life a simple girl in a far simpler time.  Over five thousand years ago she was born and grew, back before cities rose and civilizations came into their own.  Then, there was only one civilization, and it was but starting.  The world was younger then, still wild and unexplored.  Still fresh.  This was the world Niem grew up in, the one she still remembers on quiet nights.  Back when things were simple.  She gathered plants and fruits for her family.  She shared simple meals with her family.

That all changed.  To this day she doesn't remember many of the details.  A bright light descending on her village.  The ground shaking, shattering.  Warmth and comfort and fear and pain.  These are the flashes she has of the day that changed everything.  Whatever it was, the event would leave a mark on Niem in the form of a huge tattoo along her back.  What it symbolized she has since figured out; on that day something crashed into the Earth, and when it had it had changed her.  It made her a walking well of power, of life energy.  When she came to after the event though she knew nothing of that.  She wouldn't for a long time to come.

She traveled then, not knowing where else to go.  In those early times there were still dangers.  Darkness was a danger.  Others could be a danger.  For a young girl on her own, the world was danger.  Given time though she would realize her knew powers.  Her healing.  That was where it all began, and if you want to find what shaped the person she was to become look there.  She could heal from any wound, and she found ways of healing others; animals she came across, people she found on battlefields.  This was the beginning of the road for her.

Every Hero a Weapon

Time flew on, and yet it didn't seem to touch her.  This was strange and terrifying to her.  When she consulted other people, they accussed her of being a demon, a monster from the darkness, and a hundred other things.  They burned her and buried her.  They stoned her.  And she returned; invariably she would come back.  That was the scariest thing of all.  She grew to understand that small truth; that she could not pass through the doors of death, and that frightened people.  In their fear they lashed out.  She could not go through her life, given that she no longer knew how long it would, and not learn to defend herself.

So she began to learn.  At first it was by simple observation of men as they hunted.  When warfare began, when violence began to take hold of the world she studied it.  As the martial arts rose throughout the world she was there and watched, and learned.  She learned the different philosophies, always under a different name and  a different look.  She learned how to change the color of her hair through use of pigments that would late become a world wide industry.  She learned to speak different languages and assimilated into society as it grew and flourished.  And always she studied how to fight the things she could see that other could not.  She saw the dark beings that ate men and left them cold.  She learned how to destroy them, both for the sake of others and herself.  She learned to defend herself from her fellow man.

Every Tale a Journey

Her life took her over the world.  She moved as society grew around her.  She watched the rise and fall of empires as she grew more and more stable in who she was and what she was.  Through this though she became colder, more distant.  She had little choice; she watched countless friends pass away because of age or disease or war.  Always she remained.  So she would pick up and travel.  If people discovered what she was they would shun her or kill her.  They'd try at least.  The face of human violence, driven by fear, was a terrible one and she had little interest in seeing it again.  She had no interest in hurting them when they tried though.

Later, as tales of immortality began to flourish in the societies of man she had to hide herself away form the crazed experiments and desires of people.  So she slipped further from society until it spanned the globe, and then she faded into it.  She assimilated and hid in its core; in taverns and hearth stories.  In roadside fires.  Always distant, always kind, and always.  When the modern day arose, and the spirit world was made known to the world at large she did not trust it to ease the reactions to her; five thousand years of reaction could not be equaled out by one discovery she asserted.  But the world had changed forever.  People began to worry about defending themselves from these strange beings who wielded amazing powers.

She was still a kind person; that could not be changed.  So when she saw a chance to help humanity, even from the shadows, she decided she would.  She approached the Hephestus Academy project, invented credentials, and took up a calling both old and new to her.  Now she just had to keep her secret while helping.  Who didn't like a challenge then again?

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