Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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Might have just accidentally crossed over from the Spirit World, where all the other animals that are only one thing seem to be.
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Set In Stone (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Thread starter Leingod
- Start date
Might have just accidentally crossed over from the Spirit World, where all the other animals that are only one thing seem to be.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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Okay, got the first round of information for the Setting & World threadmark done; feel free to look that over. Keep in mind though that the information presented there is only information your character will have access to, so it's not necessarily accurate or free of bias.
EmpirePlayer
Anyone need some chaos?
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...huh. at least the option I prefer won. Still, I am a bit worried that you might strain yourself running 3 Quests simultaneously in 3 Boards. I mean, ROYL was on 2, so this feels like a step up for you.
Sinsystems
Your mind is an open book to me
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So who else wants our Princess to secretly sneak out of the palace and lead a gang of street kids?
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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I was doing stuff other than ROYL for a lot of that time, often on both SB and SV as well, so it's not that different. It also kind of helps that I'm doing this freeform with no actual fiddly bits to deal with.
ChaosTheVoid
Hanging Around
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No info on how Long Feng's post as Grand Secretariat is more powerful than it looks on the surface? You did explain it on SV I think.
Or are we supposed to discover this ourselves?
I came over from SV. Wanted imperial but found the quest too late. Also following Sandbender on SB. No account, but I lurk there constantly.
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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Like I said, it's information you actually have access to right now as a 7-year old.
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Sinsystems
Your mind is an open book to me
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Personally I hope we can play the role of the royalty that sneaks out of the Palace frequently when we are young, maybe even meet some other kids who will become members of our future group.
RoninSword
Sky God
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The main issue is that, as princess, I will be very shocked if we don't have hidden Dai Li bodyguards.
Prologue - Part I
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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AN: A big apology to everyone to for being so late with this, and a thank-you to everyone who's willing to put up with that and keep contributing. Sorry guys, writer's block just kicks my ass sometimes.
[] Earth
-[] Imperial Prince/ss
Clad all in white, with only two attendants – fewer than is normal for the now-presumptive heir to the throne to be going anywhere, even through the palace halls – you make your way to your brother's private chambers, given to him when he was made the Crown Prince and which he won't move out of until his enthronement. The attendants and Dai Li guards on duty bow as you pass. Though the one-month period of mandatory mourning for all citizens ended yesterday, many of the attendants still wear some hint of white on their clothes. Your father was beloved by most everyone who knew him; many of their eyes are still rimmed with red, and a few even venture to mutter condolences and words of comforts. Your own eyes are still red, your face tear-stained. One month ago, they lost their beloved Earth King.
But you lost your father.
As his family, you stood vigil with him as he breathed his last. You accompanied his body on its procession to the royal tombs, where he was buried with the grave goods that had been made specifically for this purpose throughout his reign. Silver plates, goblets and utensils, fine furniture dressed in silk, brocade and damask, clothes fit for a king, coins and jewelry of gold and jade, clay figurines of all the various attendants, maids and guards who'd served him in life, bronze censors and cauldrons and other ritual implements. Things that would make his journey into the afterlife safe and comfortable and ease his reincarnation.
And now, scarcely a month after Father's death, Kuei is being forced to end his mourning. One who is in a period of mourning for a family member is forbidden from attending to affairs of state, but the government can make no decisions without an Earth King to approve them. Thus, your brother has only been allowed to mourn for thirty days, where the customary period of mourning for a father in any other circumstance is three years (though in practice, two years is all that is actually required).
The Earth King is too important to mourn.
As you are still in mourning on top of being a seven year old child with no government position, you cannot attend Kuei's enthronement tomorrow. But you've decided that you can at least be here for him today.
You reach the entrance to your brother's reception room at last, the door flanked by two stone-faced Dai Li. You don't think you've ever seen a Dai Li make an actual expression. They kind of scare you.
"I wish to see my brother," you tell them, trying your best to sound authoritative.
"Our apologies, Your Highness," one of the Dai Li says as they both bow. "His Majesty the Earth King is currently entertaining a guest."
You frown. You already know that none of your family members are here. Who else would be visiting Kuei so soon after Father's funeral, on the day before he officially takes the throne?
"Who is it?" you ask.
Your answer comes when the door opens and Long Feng, the Senior Grand Secretary (and currently the only Grand Secretary) steps out of your brother's chambers. He's very tall and stands perfectly straight at all times. He's dressed in the green, black and gold of his position and wears his hair in a queue, with the pate shaved and a very long braid growing from the back. Seeing you, he smiles and makes a very deep bow.
"Ah, Your Highness, it is a pleasure to see you as always," he says. "I apologize deeply if I have caused you any inconvenience by taking up His Majesty's precious time."
"It's alright," you tell him. "I just wanted to talk to... to His Majesty."
"Of course, I am sure that in this trying time it will do His Majesty much good to be comforted by family," Long Feng replies. "He has always been very close to you. It's understandable, seeing as you are his only..."
[] Brother
[] Sister
"What did you talk to Kue- to His Majesty about?" you ask, a little curious.
"I was merely expressing my sincere condolences to His Majesty, and assuring him that I will assist him however possible in this difficult period of... adjustment," Long Feng answers. "Though of course His Majesty is wise and compassionate beyond his years, he is but a child of ten, and the Queen Dowager is no less distraught than the rest of us at the tragic loss we have all suffered.
"As a humble servant of the Earth King, it is only right that I assure His Majesty that he need not fear coming to me for any and all problems that may arise in the delicate task of administration." Long Feng bows again. "And though it is terribly presumptuous of me, I hope that you might be willing to come to me if there is anything troubling you that you don't wish to bother your family with, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Long Feng," you say with a slight bow that you've been practicing since you were four. "Your kind words are appreciated." You'd said those same words, with only the slightest variations, throughout the last month. Mother drilled them into you rigorously.
"Now then, I believe it best that I take no more of your time and leave you to speak with His Majesty, Your Highness," Long Feng says. You give him permission and he leaves. One of the Dai Li enters the room to inform your brother that you want to speak to him and returns quickly to tell you that the Earth King has given his permission for you to enter. It occurs to you that this might be the last time seeing your brother is as easy as telling a guard to inform your brother that you're here.
You take a deep breath to steady yourself before entering Kuei's reception room. You actually don't go here much; usually you both meet in the courtyards or he comes to visit you in Mother's private chambers, where you still live and where Kuei did as well, until Father began to get sick and named Kuei Crown Prince in case of his...
You enter and see Kuei sitting at a lavish couch, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. Attendants play soft, calming music and one of the court singers sings so lowly that it's almost like a whisper on the breeze. On the small table in front of Kuei is one of his favorite books. He was probably trying to take his mind off of things like reading. Trying and clearly failing.
Kuei has always been very gentle and sensitive. Even though he's three years older, you were the one who usually suggested what games to play, and Kuei simply agreed with whatever you wanted.
[] Your games got you both in trouble often
You, on the other hand, have always been something of a troublemaker. You like to sneak around in places you're not supposed to be and play games you're told you shouldn't, and you hate all the stupid rules there are in the palace. Poor Kuei was often dragged along for the ride, protesting all the way; more than once he got in trouble simply for not stopping you from doing something.
You've learned quite a bit from those adventures. Not only are you familiar with particular twists and turns you can take in the palace to more easily shake off a pursuer, you have a knack for coming up with very creative ideas, though so far you've only used that for pranks.
[] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
While you don't go looking for trouble, you do often go looking for something. When something catches your attention, it's hard for you to rest until you've answered whatever question has popped into your head. Your endless curiosity has often led to you sneaking around somewhere you shouldn't be, and poor Kuei was often dragged along for the ride, protesting all the way.
You've learned quite a bit from those expeditions. Not only are you much more patient and capable of sitting still than most children your age (which is rather useful for hiding), you have a knack for noticing small details that other people always seem to miss.
Upon seeing you enter the room, Kuei immediately stops his sniffling and stands up straight, forcing a smile at you. He's been trying to be the strong older brother this entire time, even though he's terrible at it. He happily calls your name...
What is your name?
[] Jing
[] Ren
[] Tao
[] Wenli
[] Yang
[] Yun
[] Write-In
It's not used by the Earth King or Queen, but the royal family does have a surname, Chun (春, which means "Spring (the season)"). With that in mind, here's some names to get you started. Pretty much all of these can be used for any gender, and can be used apart or combined with another to make a full name. Also, any name that's already in use by a major canon character is automatically vetoed.
Ah, Ai, An, Bai, Bao, Bo, Chang, Chao, Chen, Cheng, Chu, Da, Dong, Fang, Fen, Fu, Gang, Guan, Gui, Guo, Hai, Hao, He, Heng, Hong, Hua, Huan, Huang, Hui, Jia, Jian, Jiang, Jie, Jing, Ju, Juan, Kun, Lan, Lang, Lei, Li, Liang, Ling, Lu, Ma, Min, Ming, Mu, Na, Ning, Nuan, Ping, Qi, Qiang, Qing, Qiu, Ren, Rong, Ru, Shao, Shi, Shu, Shui, Shun, Su, Tai, Tao, Ting, Tu, Wei, Wen, Wu, Xia, Xiang, Xin, Xiu, Xue, Xun, Ya, Yan, Yang, Ying, Yi, Yin, Yong, Yu, Yun, Zan, Ze, Zhi, Zhong, Zhou, Zhu
[] Earth
-[] Imperial Prince/ss
Clad all in white, with only two attendants – fewer than is normal for the now-presumptive heir to the throne to be going anywhere, even through the palace halls – you make your way to your brother's private chambers, given to him when he was made the Crown Prince and which he won't move out of until his enthronement. The attendants and Dai Li guards on duty bow as you pass. Though the one-month period of mandatory mourning for all citizens ended yesterday, many of the attendants still wear some hint of white on their clothes. Your father was beloved by most everyone who knew him; many of their eyes are still rimmed with red, and a few even venture to mutter condolences and words of comforts. Your own eyes are still red, your face tear-stained. One month ago, they lost their beloved Earth King.
But you lost your father.
As his family, you stood vigil with him as he breathed his last. You accompanied his body on its procession to the royal tombs, where he was buried with the grave goods that had been made specifically for this purpose throughout his reign. Silver plates, goblets and utensils, fine furniture dressed in silk, brocade and damask, clothes fit for a king, coins and jewelry of gold and jade, clay figurines of all the various attendants, maids and guards who'd served him in life, bronze censors and cauldrons and other ritual implements. Things that would make his journey into the afterlife safe and comfortable and ease his reincarnation.
And now, scarcely a month after Father's death, Kuei is being forced to end his mourning. One who is in a period of mourning for a family member is forbidden from attending to affairs of state, but the government can make no decisions without an Earth King to approve them. Thus, your brother has only been allowed to mourn for thirty days, where the customary period of mourning for a father in any other circumstance is three years (though in practice, two years is all that is actually required).
The Earth King is too important to mourn.
As you are still in mourning on top of being a seven year old child with no government position, you cannot attend Kuei's enthronement tomorrow. But you've decided that you can at least be here for him today.
You reach the entrance to your brother's reception room at last, the door flanked by two stone-faced Dai Li. You don't think you've ever seen a Dai Li make an actual expression. They kind of scare you.
"I wish to see my brother," you tell them, trying your best to sound authoritative.
"Our apologies, Your Highness," one of the Dai Li says as they both bow. "His Majesty the Earth King is currently entertaining a guest."
You frown. You already know that none of your family members are here. Who else would be visiting Kuei so soon after Father's funeral, on the day before he officially takes the throne?
"Who is it?" you ask.
Your answer comes when the door opens and Long Feng, the Senior Grand Secretary (and currently the only Grand Secretary) steps out of your brother's chambers. He's very tall and stands perfectly straight at all times. He's dressed in the green, black and gold of his position and wears his hair in a queue, with the pate shaved and a very long braid growing from the back. Seeing you, he smiles and makes a very deep bow.
"Ah, Your Highness, it is a pleasure to see you as always," he says. "I apologize deeply if I have caused you any inconvenience by taking up His Majesty's precious time."
"It's alright," you tell him. "I just wanted to talk to... to His Majesty."
"Of course, I am sure that in this trying time it will do His Majesty much good to be comforted by family," Long Feng replies. "He has always been very close to you. It's understandable, seeing as you are his only..."
[] Brother
[] Sister
"What did you talk to Kue- to His Majesty about?" you ask, a little curious.
"I was merely expressing my sincere condolences to His Majesty, and assuring him that I will assist him however possible in this difficult period of... adjustment," Long Feng answers. "Though of course His Majesty is wise and compassionate beyond his years, he is but a child of ten, and the Queen Dowager is no less distraught than the rest of us at the tragic loss we have all suffered.
"As a humble servant of the Earth King, it is only right that I assure His Majesty that he need not fear coming to me for any and all problems that may arise in the delicate task of administration." Long Feng bows again. "And though it is terribly presumptuous of me, I hope that you might be willing to come to me if there is anything troubling you that you don't wish to bother your family with, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Long Feng," you say with a slight bow that you've been practicing since you were four. "Your kind words are appreciated." You'd said those same words, with only the slightest variations, throughout the last month. Mother drilled them into you rigorously.
"Now then, I believe it best that I take no more of your time and leave you to speak with His Majesty, Your Highness," Long Feng says. You give him permission and he leaves. One of the Dai Li enters the room to inform your brother that you want to speak to him and returns quickly to tell you that the Earth King has given his permission for you to enter. It occurs to you that this might be the last time seeing your brother is as easy as telling a guard to inform your brother that you're here.
You take a deep breath to steady yourself before entering Kuei's reception room. You actually don't go here much; usually you both meet in the courtyards or he comes to visit you in Mother's private chambers, where you still live and where Kuei did as well, until Father began to get sick and named Kuei Crown Prince in case of his...
You enter and see Kuei sitting at a lavish couch, wiping at his eyes with his sleeve. Attendants play soft, calming music and one of the court singers sings so lowly that it's almost like a whisper on the breeze. On the small table in front of Kuei is one of his favorite books. He was probably trying to take his mind off of things like reading. Trying and clearly failing.
Kuei has always been very gentle and sensitive. Even though he's three years older, you were the one who usually suggested what games to play, and Kuei simply agreed with whatever you wanted.
[] Your games got you both in trouble often
You, on the other hand, have always been something of a troublemaker. You like to sneak around in places you're not supposed to be and play games you're told you shouldn't, and you hate all the stupid rules there are in the palace. Poor Kuei was often dragged along for the ride, protesting all the way; more than once he got in trouble simply for not stopping you from doing something.
You've learned quite a bit from those adventures. Not only are you familiar with particular twists and turns you can take in the palace to more easily shake off a pursuer, you have a knack for coming up with very creative ideas, though so far you've only used that for pranks.
[] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
While you don't go looking for trouble, you do often go looking for something. When something catches your attention, it's hard for you to rest until you've answered whatever question has popped into your head. Your endless curiosity has often led to you sneaking around somewhere you shouldn't be, and poor Kuei was often dragged along for the ride, protesting all the way.
You've learned quite a bit from those expeditions. Not only are you much more patient and capable of sitting still than most children your age (which is rather useful for hiding), you have a knack for noticing small details that other people always seem to miss.
Upon seeing you enter the room, Kuei immediately stops his sniffling and stands up straight, forcing a smile at you. He's been trying to be the strong older brother this entire time, even though he's terrible at it. He happily calls your name...
What is your name?
[] Jing
[] Ren
[] Tao
[] Wenli
[] Yang
[] Yun
[] Write-In
It's not used by the Earth King or Queen, but the royal family does have a surname, Chun (春, which means "Spring (the season)"). With that in mind, here's some names to get you started. Pretty much all of these can be used for any gender, and can be used apart or combined with another to make a full name. Also, any name that's already in use by a major canon character is automatically vetoed.
Ah, Ai, An, Bai, Bao, Bo, Chang, Chao, Chen, Cheng, Chu, Da, Dong, Fang, Fen, Fu, Gang, Guan, Gui, Guo, Hai, Hao, He, Heng, Hong, Hua, Huan, Huang, Hui, Jia, Jian, Jiang, Jie, Jing, Ju, Juan, Kun, Lan, Lang, Lei, Li, Liang, Ling, Lu, Ma, Min, Ming, Mu, Na, Ning, Nuan, Ping, Qi, Qiang, Qing, Qiu, Ren, Rong, Ru, Shao, Shi, Shu, Shui, Shun, Su, Tai, Tao, Ting, Tu, Wei, Wen, Wu, Xia, Xiang, Xin, Xiu, Xue, Xun, Ya, Yan, Yang, Ying, Yi, Yin, Yong, Yu, Yun, Zan, Ze, Zhi, Zhong, Zhou, Zhu
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Sinsystems
Your mind is an open book to me
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[X] Sister
[X] Your games got you both in trouble often
[X] Hong
Now to campaign for a trickster princess who will be more than willing to sneak out of the palace.
[X] Your games got you both in trouble often
[X] Hong
Now to campaign for a trickster princess who will be more than willing to sneak out of the palace.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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You're not the Earth King, you're just his sibling. Once you're old enough that your mother is willing to give permission you can leave the palace anytime you want. You'll just have a few attendants escorting you. For your own protection and comfort of course. And you might be able to dodge a few palace attendants, but if you think that some pampered princess is going to evade the Dai Li's watchful eye, you're dreaming. They might not confront you, but Long Feng will be well aware of your activities.
Sinsystems
Your mind is an open book to me
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Well while that is true I want to be the sort of princess who does the whole "go into the city in disguise to get a better understanding of the opinions of the people" sort of thing. Plus we need to start somewhere if we want to be able to escape the eyes of the Dai Li.
Kingofbooks
Getting sticky.
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[X] Brother
[X] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
[X] Ren
How about "Royal Pains"?
[X] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
[X] Ren
How about "Royal Pains"?
ChaosTheVoid
Hanging Around
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[X] Sister
[X] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
[X] Yin
[X] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
[X] Yin
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EmpirePlayer
Anyone need some chaos?
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[X] Sister
[X] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
[X] Yan (Sounds like Yen, because fourth tone)
春艳
, which literally translated is Spring [Colourful/Splendid/Gaudy], which I think suits her somewhat.
[X] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
[X] Yan (Sounds like Yen, because fourth tone)
春艳
, which literally translated is Spring [Colourful/Splendid/Gaudy], which I think suits her somewhat.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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The current vote tally is:
[7] Sister
Sinsystems redaeth khoa36 ChaosTheVoid EmpirePlayer Minion #Q Ct613hulu
[5] Brother
Epsilon Kingofbooks Marthis Biofan09 Leekz01
[8] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
Epsilon Kingofbooks Marthis ChaosTheVoid EmpirePlayer Minion #Q Biofan09 Leekz01
[4] Your games got you both in trouble often
Sinsystems redaeth khoa36 Ct613hulu
[5] Ren
Epsilon Kingofbooks Marthis Biofan09 Leekz01
[4] Hong
Sinsystems redaeth khoa36 Ct613hulu
[2] Yin
ChaosTheVoid Minion #Q
[1] Yan
EmpirePlayer
[7] Sister
Sinsystems redaeth khoa36 ChaosTheVoid EmpirePlayer Minion #Q Ct613hulu
[5] Brother
Epsilon Kingofbooks Marthis Biofan09 Leekz01
[8] Your games sometimes got you both in trouble
Epsilon Kingofbooks Marthis ChaosTheVoid EmpirePlayer Minion #Q Biofan09 Leekz01
[4] Your games got you both in trouble often
Sinsystems redaeth khoa36 Ct613hulu
[5] Ren
Epsilon Kingofbooks Marthis Biofan09 Leekz01
[4] Hong
Sinsystems redaeth khoa36 Ct613hulu
[2] Yin
ChaosTheVoid Minion #Q
[1] Yan
EmpirePlayer
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
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BTW, here's the list of all the martial arts the different forms of Bending are based on.
Water – Northerner: Taijiquan ("Great Ultimate Fist"), more commonly known as Tai Chi. Rooted in Daoist concepts, Taijiquan is the study of appropriate change in response to an outside force. Rather than meeting force with force, taijiquan teaches you to redirect it, meeting yang with yin.
Water – Foggy Swamp Tribal: Bajiquan ("Eight Extremities Fist"). A style most useful in close combat, it's famous for both fighting with the elbows and shoulder as well as fists and feet and for its focus on bursts of "explosive power," meaning a sudden release of energy obtained by coordinated movement of the entire body. Though it sounds like night and day, baji actually shares this concept with taiji; though outwardly they seem like night and day, they operate on similar principles. It was originally called Baziquan ("Rake Fist") because of its unique strikes wherein the hands are held loose and slightly open and attack downward in a rake-like motion.
Earth – Imperial Prince/ss: Hung Ga/Hung Kuen ("Hung Family Style/Immense Fist"). A famous Southern style whose hallmarks are its deep, low stances that root it to the ground and strong kicks and punches that evoke mass and power. However, it's not all brute force; Hung Ga is inspired by two different animals: the tiger, with its hard, powerful blows, and the crane, with its ability to land and step gracefully on the earth. By mastering both aspects, a practitioner of Hung Ga masters the principles of both hard and soft.
Earth – Si Wong Tribal: Choy Li Fut. A style that combines aspects of Northern and Southern styles of Shaolin kung fu into a powerful, cohesive whole, which Bruce Lee praised as the most effective fighting style for fighting multiple opponents, and one of the most difficult styles to attack and defend against. It combines the powerful arm and hand techniques of the Shaolin animal forms of the South with the extended circular movements, twisting body, and agile footwork of the North.
Fire – Little Soldier Boy/Girl: Northern Shaolin; the name can refer to the wide range of styles practiced in the Northern Shaolin tradition, but can also refer to the specific style disseminated by Gu Yu-jeung in the early 20th century. Northern Shaolin's characteristics emphasizes aggressively attacking with the full range of the body by striking with fully extended limbs, quickly advancing and retreating, and with powerful acrobatic leaps and whirling circular blocks. These are all connected by quick, fluid transitions to quickly and seamlessly change the direction in which force is issued. It requires incredible agility, speed and power, and is one of the most impressive martial arts visually.
Fire – Sun Warrior: Southern Dragon Style. An unusual style in many ways; although classified as a soft, internal style (one that focuses on qi rather than muscles for power), the initial training is much more in line with a hard, external one: the student strikes hard, blocks hard and stomps into place with each movement. Eventually, the method of transmitting power is memorized and the now-hardened body learns to mask this power with smooth, fluid grace, making the style very deceptive and hard to counter. At the highest level, the opponent is allowed to tire themselves out, sinuous evasion through perfect bodily control becoming the dragon's key defense. A novice and a master look like they're practicing completely different martial arts.
Air – Gift of the Spirits: Baguazhang ("Eight Trigram Palm"). Like tiajiquan, it is an internal style based strongly on (and named after) Daoist principles. It's most well-known feature is the circular movement and footwork that make a bagua practitioner difficult to fight. Bagua training is rooted in "circle walking;" by walking the edge of a small circle while always facing the center, periodically changing direction and simultaneously executing forms, a bagua practitioner builds up the speed, flexibility and control needed to easily and quickly maneuver around an opponent, and to evade attacks by flowing around them. It employs both strikes and throws which take advantage of circular movement to build up power.
Air – The Last Airbender?: Feng Shou ("Wind Hand Art"). Another Daoist-inspired internal style, though this one is much more recent, being founded sometime in the early 1930s. Like Bagua, it incorporates circular movement to build up power and evade attacks, but it has a lot of techniques that involve countering strikes or block by "rolling with them," taking control of the opponent's own attack to counter him, as well as more active techniques like Tu Shou ("Poisoned Hands"), which turns defense into attack by blocking and then rapidly striking three vital points before the opponent can react.
Air – Righteous Orphan: Changquan ("Long Fist"). Actually an entire family of external styles that originate in the North, and which are a cornerstone of both the curriculum of Northern Shaolin and the modern sport of wushu (the irony inherent in that is entirely intentional). All forms of Long Fist emphasize fully extended kicks and striking techniques and swift, acrobatic attacks. Some styles take the motto of "the best defense is a good offense" and are so aggressive they give the opponent no chance to attack, while others emphasize defense over offense, noting that almost all Long Fist techniques are counters. All styles feature large, extended, circular movements that both build and require excellent agility and mobility. Advanced techniques include qin na (joint locks) and shuai jiao (throws and takedowns). Different Long Fist styles serve as the originators of even more styles; Fanziquan ("Rotating Fist"), for example, is one of the primary inspirations for Ying Zhao Pai, a.k.a. the famous Eagle Claw style.
Water – Northerner: Taijiquan ("Great Ultimate Fist"), more commonly known as Tai Chi. Rooted in Daoist concepts, Taijiquan is the study of appropriate change in response to an outside force. Rather than meeting force with force, taijiquan teaches you to redirect it, meeting yang with yin.
Water – Foggy Swamp Tribal: Bajiquan ("Eight Extremities Fist"). A style most useful in close combat, it's famous for both fighting with the elbows and shoulder as well as fists and feet and for its focus on bursts of "explosive power," meaning a sudden release of energy obtained by coordinated movement of the entire body. Though it sounds like night and day, baji actually shares this concept with taiji; though outwardly they seem like night and day, they operate on similar principles. It was originally called Baziquan ("Rake Fist") because of its unique strikes wherein the hands are held loose and slightly open and attack downward in a rake-like motion.
Earth – Imperial Prince/ss: Hung Ga/Hung Kuen ("Hung Family Style/Immense Fist"). A famous Southern style whose hallmarks are its deep, low stances that root it to the ground and strong kicks and punches that evoke mass and power. However, it's not all brute force; Hung Ga is inspired by two different animals: the tiger, with its hard, powerful blows, and the crane, with its ability to land and step gracefully on the earth. By mastering both aspects, a practitioner of Hung Ga masters the principles of both hard and soft.
Earth – Si Wong Tribal: Choy Li Fut. A style that combines aspects of Northern and Southern styles of Shaolin kung fu into a powerful, cohesive whole, which Bruce Lee praised as the most effective fighting style for fighting multiple opponents, and one of the most difficult styles to attack and defend against. It combines the powerful arm and hand techniques of the Shaolin animal forms of the South with the extended circular movements, twisting body, and agile footwork of the North.
Fire – Little Soldier Boy/Girl: Northern Shaolin; the name can refer to the wide range of styles practiced in the Northern Shaolin tradition, but can also refer to the specific style disseminated by Gu Yu-jeung in the early 20th century. Northern Shaolin's characteristics emphasizes aggressively attacking with the full range of the body by striking with fully extended limbs, quickly advancing and retreating, and with powerful acrobatic leaps and whirling circular blocks. These are all connected by quick, fluid transitions to quickly and seamlessly change the direction in which force is issued. It requires incredible agility, speed and power, and is one of the most impressive martial arts visually.
Fire – Sun Warrior: Southern Dragon Style. An unusual style in many ways; although classified as a soft, internal style (one that focuses on qi rather than muscles for power), the initial training is much more in line with a hard, external one: the student strikes hard, blocks hard and stomps into place with each movement. Eventually, the method of transmitting power is memorized and the now-hardened body learns to mask this power with smooth, fluid grace, making the style very deceptive and hard to counter. At the highest level, the opponent is allowed to tire themselves out, sinuous evasion through perfect bodily control becoming the dragon's key defense. A novice and a master look like they're practicing completely different martial arts.
Air – Gift of the Spirits: Baguazhang ("Eight Trigram Palm"). Like tiajiquan, it is an internal style based strongly on (and named after) Daoist principles. It's most well-known feature is the circular movement and footwork that make a bagua practitioner difficult to fight. Bagua training is rooted in "circle walking;" by walking the edge of a small circle while always facing the center, periodically changing direction and simultaneously executing forms, a bagua practitioner builds up the speed, flexibility and control needed to easily and quickly maneuver around an opponent, and to evade attacks by flowing around them. It employs both strikes and throws which take advantage of circular movement to build up power.
Air – The Last Airbender?: Feng Shou ("Wind Hand Art"). Another Daoist-inspired internal style, though this one is much more recent, being founded sometime in the early 1930s. Like Bagua, it incorporates circular movement to build up power and evade attacks, but it has a lot of techniques that involve countering strikes or block by "rolling with them," taking control of the opponent's own attack to counter him, as well as more active techniques like Tu Shou ("Poisoned Hands"), which turns defense into attack by blocking and then rapidly striking three vital points before the opponent can react.
Air – Righteous Orphan: Changquan ("Long Fist"). Actually an entire family of external styles that originate in the North, and which are a cornerstone of both the curriculum of Northern Shaolin and the modern sport of wushu (the irony inherent in that is entirely intentional). All forms of Long Fist emphasize fully extended kicks and striking techniques and swift, acrobatic attacks. Some styles take the motto of "the best defense is a good offense" and are so aggressive they give the opponent no chance to attack, while others emphasize defense over offense, noting that almost all Long Fist techniques are counters. All styles feature large, extended, circular movements that both build and require excellent agility and mobility. Advanced techniques include qin na (joint locks) and shuai jiao (throws and takedowns). Different Long Fist styles serve as the originators of even more styles; Fanziquan ("Rotating Fist"), for example, is one of the primary inspirations for Ying Zhao Pai, a.k.a. the famous Eagle Claw style.