OOC- Application
PLAYER INFORMATION-
Name/Nickname: Moria
AIM/E-mail/Contact: AIM: standbackufools
I am over the age of eighteen.
CHARACTER INFORMATION-
Canon Character and Series: Ret. General Iroh; Avatar: the Last Airbender
In-Game Name: Ret. Admiral Iroh
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Position & Ship: Strategist, Convoy
Appearance:
At first glance, Iroh is not terribly impressive-looking. He stands only about 5’4”, and is quite rotund. His hairline has receded almost entirely off his forehead, and what remains is long, but pulled into a topknot. He has bushy sideburns that defy gravity and a tiny beard, which, if left unkempt for a few days, quickly grows into a full length beard. His eyes are gold and kindly.
If you look hard enough, you will notice that his muscles are actually very well-toned, and he walks with a grace, power, and sense of solidity that would not be expected of an old man.
Personality:
Easygoing, friendly, and dryly good-humored, Iroh is a very spiritual man who appreciates the balance of nature, and uses this balance to enhance his life and his abilities. However, beneath the easygoing exterior lies a wise man experienced in the ways of the world, a seasoned and wily strategist, and a powerful Firebending master.
Although he can appear hedonistic at times, Iroh's personal philosophies are ones of living life to the fullest, and following a path of your own choosing. He is a firm believer that everyone has the power to create his or her own destiny. Iroh appears laid back because he understands that there are things in life you can't control, but he also believes that you are fully responsible for the parts that you can. To someone who does not know him well, Iroh can seem lazy, but from an objective point of view, he is calm and understands the balance of life.
Because of his understanding of this balance, he has a firm grasp on what is right and what is wrong. Even when most everyone else around him is confused by morality and what is best, Iroh will know, and he will give advice on the matter. He will also stand up and fight for what he knows is right, whether it’s one person against him or an entire nation; even to his own family.
Iroh has a peculiar, almost all-encompassing love of tea. He’s also particularly fond of the strategy game Pai Sho, tea, and music. And tea. Ginseng and jasmine are pronounced to be his two favorite teas.
Probably as definitive of Iroh's character as his love for tea is his sage advice and wisdom. Iroh is known for his sometimes cryptic proverbs and lengthy anecdotes. Closely related to this wisdom is Iroh's affinity for spirituality. He constantly advocates maintaining the balance between elements, and can actually see spirits, even when no one else around him can.
Iroh has no desire for power, not protesting when his brother took his birthright as the successor to their father. He retired from being an Admiral by his own choice, and believes that "there is nothing wrong with a simple life of peace and prosperity".
Despite his age, Iroh can be quite the ladies' man when the need arises and flirts with a variety of women when the mood strikes him. They can be older or younger, he will flirt without bias.
Iroh has a tendency to not involve himself in battle, but when he does partake in them, he displays great skill, speed and ferocity.
Abilities/Weapons:
Iroh is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to fighting. He possesses the unique ability to create fire without tinder, and he can ‘bend’ it to his will in a variety of attacks and uses. This ability is known, unsurprisingly, as ‘Firebending.’ One such attack is the ‘breath of fire’ technique, resembling a dragon breathing flames on its opponent, and probably helped him get the nickname “The Dragon of the West.”
Iroh stands as one of the select few Firebenders who possesses the ability to generate lightning. Most notably, he is also the inventor of a unique Firebending technique involving the absorption and redirection of lightning.
Unlike other Firebenders, Iroh’s style is much less aggressive and more defensive, featuring more grasping techniques and throws than direct strikes. This style springs from the beauty and life in fire, not the anger, hate, and destruction.
In addition to the firebending, he is also quite skilled at Kung-fu, and can handle himself capably without Bending, if need be.
Iroh is a very gifted strategist, having once been one of Ivona’s top Admirals. The units under his control won many battles in the Ishvalan Campaign and managed to break through the ‘Impenetrable Temple’ of Ishvala. There are many who still refer to him as "Admiral" Iroh, despite the fact that he has been retired for years.
How well can your character hack?:
Easy. Being an Admiral, Iroh was well-trained in the use of difference engines, but never really had a liking for it, and, in the years since his retirement, has found no need for such skills, so they have fallen into disuse.
Weaknesses:
Iroh feels incredibly responsible for the death of his son, and is still grieving, though much less painfully than before. Because he was the commanding officer, Iroh considers his son’s death to be directly his fault, and this can lead him to be very sensitive about protecting his remaining family (those of them he likes, anyway).
Firbenders get their primary source of power and energy from the sun. As such, Iroh’s abilities are much less powerful and much less effective at night and completely useless on the rare occasions when the sun is eclipsed.
Such powers are also extremely draining on those who use them. Making and controlling fire and lightning is extraordinarily difficult, and requires both concentration and strength. After using such techniques for too long, Iroh will get extremely exhausted, and he will have to stop or else risk falling unconscious. If he’s firebending at night, his strength will be drained even more quickly, even though the attacks are less effective.
Despite his great power, Iroh is, in fact, only human, and is subject to normal human limitations including disease, wounds, and being killed.
History:
Iroh was born in Ivona, the eldest of two sons and a daughter of a mighty Grand Admiral. From a young age, he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. Not wanting to be shown any favoritism, he joined the military at the lowest level, and quickly rose to the top, becoming known for his cunning strategies and his prowess with fire. He married and was happy for a long time. But sadly, his wife died in childbirth. He grieved, of course, but decided the best way to carry on the memory of his wife was to raise his new son with love and caring.
His son grew up well, and joined the military as was the family tradition.
Like his father before him, Iroh became a renowned Admiral, earning the nickname “Dragon of the West” for his ruthlessness and power during campaigns. He was one of the major strategic Admirals behind the Ishaval campaign. During the campaign, there was a temple to Ishval concealed in a large cavern that was extremely well defended and guarded, and try as they might, the Ivonian Army could not penetrate its defenses. Iroh and his men laid siege to the temple caverns for 400 days, and successfully breached it - a feat that had never been equaled before or since.
However, before victory could be had, his son was killed on the front lines, and in his grief, Iroh abandoned the siege. Iroh ordered his men to withdraw from the battlefield, and they left the campaign. The Ishaval Campaign continued without him, and the Ishvalans as a race were almost completely exterminated. The Temple Siege came to be seen as a terrible dishonor and failure for Iroh and his career. Shortly thereafter, Iroh voluntarily retired as Admiral, but he was still well respected as a strategist among Ivonians and well liked by the soldiers.
As Iroh was returning home from the Siege, his father died under mysterious circumstances. Although Iroh was the rightful successor, his younger brother was made heir apparent in his place, apparently on the dying request of their father. Still grieving for the loss of his son, Iroh did not contest his brother, and he relinquished power of the family estates (which were considerable) without incident.
He spent two years at sky, grieving for his son and trying to discover his own place in the world.
During his travels, he discovered the very first Firebenders: a pair of dragons. Thinking that perhaps they could help him regain at least a small part of himself that had been lost, he managed to prove himself worthy of their teachings, and they revealed to him the true secrets of Firebending. Using that style, he realized one could use his abilities with a power that sprung from the beauty and life in fire, not the anger, hate, and destruction. He grew to have a powerful understanding of not only fire, but all the elements, and the delicate balance of life and its cycle.
During this time, he kept in contact with his younger sister, with whom he had always been close. She’d married not long before, and one day word came to Iroh that she had given birth to a son, named ‘Red’. Iroh decided to move to Melior to be closer to the part of his family he actually liked. He opened his own tea shop, “The Jasmine Dragon,” which became extremely successful. Iroh was happy again, for he could drink tea and play pai sho every day.
A few years later, Iroh’s sister gave birth to another son, “Ness.” Iroh tried to be as good a mentor as he could to both Red and Ness, teaching them how to play Pai Sho, which, as well as being fun, gave them insight into strategy, and he offered advice whenever asked… and when not asked.
When Red wanted to learn to fight to defend his family, Iroh was initially supportive of the idea, and helped to train his nephew. When Red became more reclusive and stopped talking to the family, however, Iroh was displeased. He was extremely supportive of Ness’ decision to leave home, for at least Ness kept in regular contact with his mother.
Now, a few years later, his sister has received word from Ness that Red is, in fact, not dead and is on the same ship as he is. Worrying about their safety, she asked Iroh to sign aboard the ship and keep an eye on them. Though hesitant about leaving his tea shop, Iroh agreed that family was more important, and left Melior to find the Convoy and his nephews.