Character Questionnaire - Bonus XP!

These are always fun.



1) Oh, gods. The House of Feng is a group of msotly merchants and dynastic bureeacrats, but for the msot, a part, a beneveolent bunch, if cunning and contanstly competing. Thanks to Grandpa Chao's weird little game, seventy of us are in direct competition for his estate--that goes about as well as you'd expect.


2) Feng Chao is one of the few dragon-blooded to earn a satrapy for himself, and subseqently pay off the royalties thereof, without the aid of a dynastic house. Feng Zha, my cousin, is an accomplished craftsman and artisan. My greatest rival, Feng Te, is a brilliant soldier.


3)  Probably spending my later years in a mansion with friend and family. Even the ones that drive me crazy.


4)  What's done is done. Odds are she's not coming back. The real question is who will ascend to the throne...


5) You mean one of those Anathema? I'm certain t would be quite a short life for me.


6) Hard to say, but I imagine I'd be less rich or adopted by another house had I not been born under the lineage of Feng.


7) I enjoy embroidery and woodcarving quite a bit.


8) A good drink and pleasant conversation with the locals.


9) Trying to make a profit, or trading favors.


10) Table Manners. It is not as important as a first impression or good fashion, but it is still frequently necessary to negotiations.


11) I actually rather like working with and drinking alongside working-class types. I'm still a sailor at heart, I suppose.


12) Probably the same thign I doo now, just with different prices and supply chains since there wouldn't be any pirates.


13) Probably sell and transports weapons in stead of furniture.


14) Lutes are nice. Something fast and danceable.


15) For all my paranoia concernign their schemes agaisnt one another, I do actually lvoe my family and wish to see it prosper.


16) Spring, as it often brings out adventurousness in my fellow sailors and soldiers.


17) I don't know what makes Feng Te such a ruthless, callous man. But he is one.


18) I used to love the tale of the merchant prince Fortyn Gaiza. Now, I realize that it was not power that made him a prince, but nobility. I still admire him, though.


19) He was a pirate attempting to raid the ship I was sailing on. It didn't end well for either of us. I don't like killing, but sometimes it is necessary to what we must do and nobles of the Realm.


20) Probably a declaration of love. To whom, exactly, woudl depend on how much longer I'm to live.

1) Tell us about the members of your family - if you don't have a family, tell us about the family you would like to have.


My mother was an Arbiter, my father a farmer. She would be gone for long stretches of time, but always came home. My father was a simple man, with simple tastes. But we never went wanting. It was not a glorious life, but it was enough for me. Until I was old enough to become an Arbiter myself. 


2) Who were you in the First Age, and what were you known for? If Dragon-Blooded, what is your immediate family known for, what deeds has your line accomplished that you are proud of?

I do not know exactly who I was. Much of that Age is lost. What fragments I have gathered from my time in the tomb... I was apparently one who traveled much, dispensing justice across Creation. 


3) What is your idea of an ideal retirement - their 'happily ever after'?

Though I can ill-conceive of such a time, it would not be unpleasant to settle down some place with enough room to collect books and scripture. I would like a chance to share that knowledge with others, help them beyond even my life. A place amenable to tea, I think, would make such a retirement perfect.


4) What is your opinion of the Scarlet Empress?


I know little of the woman, beyond the dogma cries of her heralds. She has held onto power for a long time, far longer than is proper. Only the Perfect of Paragon has such longevity, and the corruption of his rule is plain to see. Without her, or perhaps because of her absence, the Realm is spiraling into decay and destruction. 


5) If you were a different type of Exalt, how different would your life be?

Justice is not picky. Were I a Lunar or Dragon-Blooded, or left mortal, I would pursue my current goals. All that would be different would be the fervor and limits of what I would be capable of.


6) If you were from a different part of Creation, how different would your life be?


The South is a place, a harsh place, that has greatly shaped who I am. We do what we must to survive, and that often brings us into conflict with one another. Water is a precious, sacred thing here. To be in another place where water flows freely and is taken for granted... I cannot fathom such a place.


7) What is your favorite hobby or skill that does not pertain to combat in any way?


I greatly enjoy reading and gathering ancient tomes for study. There is something in finding those lost pieces of knowledge, learning things long forgotten to help Creation again, that drives me. Calligraphy is another hobby of mine, though one that I never nurtured formally.


8) What is your favorite way of relaxing in your downtime?


Reading and learning are something that gives me great pleasure in life. Tea drinking is perhaps the single greatest way to relax and let loose the burdens of the soul


9) When you aren't on-screen and doing things, where are you and what are you usually doing?


Justice is never satisfied. Always does it need a hand to serve it. Thus I am always traveling, learning, and serving. 


10) What is the third-most important thing in your daily life? Why?


Myself. Justice, above all else, must be served and is the single greatest thing in my life. The people, especially those who cannot help themselves, must be sheltered and taken care of second. Only when time allows and the above are met can I turn attention to myself.


11) What is your most guilty pleasure?


... A shower. Water is scarce and precious in the South. We cannot afford to waste it with such frivolous wastes like showering. Still... When the opportunity affords itself, I sometimes struggle to not immediately indulge.


12) In a world with no war or conflict, what would your do for a living?


I cannot imagine such a world. Though, perhaps if such a world existed, I would work as an instructor. Someone who could pass on things to make the future better. Though perhaps I would be happiest as a simple tea shop owner. 


13) In a world that is only war and conflict, what would you do for a living?


It seems to me like this is the world we already live in, thus nothing changes for me. It is a life spent in the pursuit of justice for all. 


14) Let's form a band! What instrument do you play, and what genre do you prefer?

I cannot play any instruments, and I fear my voice not awe-inspiring. Music is not something I indulge in often. However, I confess to finding the songs mortals use after their days in the fields to be... touching. Such folkmusic is, perhaps, the genre I would prefer. 

15) What's a harmless secret about you that you'd prefer to keep silent? Your secrets are safe here!


... I do not care for silence. Not the quiet of night, mind you, but true silence. With no wind across the dunes, no chirp of bird or roar of beast. True, utter, oppressive silence...


16) What is your favorite time of year, and why?


I find the middle of tea harvesting season to be the most enjoyable time of year. Tea calms the mind and soothes the soul, none better than that first cup of tea. 


17) Describe your most perfect opposite - why are they the way they are? (The Ebon Dragon is just curious)

One taken by avarice and sloth. Someone who was born into utter privilege, who was given everything and yet coveted more. Nothing is enough for them and they must take everything from everyone else, for theirs is the only life that matters. I could not even begin to speculate as to how such a person could come to be. My mind simply cannot fathom it.




18) What was your favorite story when you were a child? Now that you're Exalted (and presumably an adult), how do you feel about that story?


My mother used to tell me a story about a man who had won his freedom and had taken to a life of hard work to help others. This man was loved by all, but especially his wife.

One day, a greedy, evil man came to their town with a claim to the land. He intended on throwing everyone's livelihoods away. The hero stood up to the evil man and made a wager; the land would go to the victor of a challenge. The first one to strike water in the barren land would win. The evil man agreed, and they began digging the next morning. 

The evil man had brought with him a machine, a relic of the First Age, but the hero was not deterred. He dug, and he dug, and he dug til both men came to sandstone. While the machine began to break through, the man's shovel was not enough to break the hard rock. Before he could despair, his wife dropped him a hammer and a request that he get their child water. As they had not yet had children, he took this news with great joy and began to smash away at the rock.

By the end of the day, neither had struck rock. But just as the hero's strength was finally giving out, he smashed the last boulder and was rewarded with a great fountain of water. But the joy of his victory was short-lived, for his body was broken from his labor and he passed away in the arms of his wife.

Heroes do not always live to see the lives they touch, or the justice they bring, but they are lives worth living.


19) Do you remember the first person you killed? If you haven't killed anyone yet, how long do you think you can live an immortal life without doing so?

He was a boy, barely old enough to be away from his mother. He was delirious and in agony. In his desperate hunger, he had consumed a toxic plant. I took the boy to every healer I could find, and they all said the same thing. He was doomed to suffered a slow, agonizing death. I could not bear such a sight... So I gave him a better end.

Justice must always be served, but it not always kind.




20) If you had a chance to prepare them, what would be your last words?
I don't know that I'm taken to such things, but if I had my choice of last words... I suppose they would be "My only regret is that I did not have more tea."

1) Tell us about the members of your family - if you don't have a family, tell us about the family you would like to have.


Well. I'm still on good terms with my old man and mam - they're gettin' on in years, but busy as ever! Dad's doing the more paperwork part of shipping fish to the Realm, mom's just as much a gossip as a woman can be. Malis an Jani - m'younger brother and sister, twins if you believe it - I hear they're doin' good work as a team. Sure they'll be running ol' dad's business into the ground so I don't have to.


2) Who were you in the First Age, and what were you known for? If Dragon-Blooded, what is your immediate family known for, what deeds has your line accomplished that you are proud of?


Bahahaha! Good question! I have NO idea. Haven't thought about it too much! I'd like to think I was a good time, though. Among all that golden finery and crazy rules - and crazy rule - I've heard about, I bet they could have used somebody who knew how to party without wheeling in an army of pleasure slaves and bathtubs of opiate. 


3) What is your idea of an ideal retirement - their 'happily ever after'?


Buddy, take it from me; if you need a light at the end of the tunnel to get through your daily life, you need to find a new tunnel. When I'm old and grey, IF I get to be old and grey, I wanna be doing exactly what I'm doing now.


4) What is your opinion of the Scarlet Empress?


Never met her, so I really can't say. Seems like she'd be a total stiff, but you can't believe how a person is by their reputation alone. Especially a reputation like hers - as big as the Realm, casting a shadow three times longer than Meru itself. 


5) If you were a different type of Exalt, how different would your life be?


I've heard about Sidereals and how they're meddlers, nudging a stream to influence a river days down the line. Think I'd like that. I've also heard about how they're bureaucratic quillpushers and slaves to the rules. Think I'd likely end up jumping off a metaphorical cliff into a conceptualized ravine if that was my daily life. 


6) If you were from a different part of Creation, how different would your life be?


I think I'd like being born in the East or South! Sure, the lack of ocean would be weird - but I've always thought I'd look dashing with green hair, and folk in the South an' me tend to get along like bees 'n flowers. Leastways, the good ones. 


7) What is your favorite hobby or skill that does not pertain to combat in any way?


Buddy, let me tell you. You'd turn stark white if you knew how long and deep I can sleep. Anywhere. There's no sense trying to hide or even veil the truth - I can get comfortable anywhere and bed down for as long as I need to, and you'd best believe I'll be having the time of my life doing it.


8) What is your favorite way of relaxing in your downtime?


Hey! Didn't I just answer this? Guess I'll come up with another answer. There's nothing like meeting new people, seein' how folk live in the weird corners of Creation, maybe bringing a smile to their faces or using all that strength Luna gave me to make their lives a bit more pleasant. It's the little things that make all the difference once you're gone. 


9) When you aren't on-screen and doing things, where are you and what are you usually doing?


Oh, buddy, what aren't I doing? In all honestly, I'm likely taking my ease somewhere, or meeting somebody new. Both of those tend to go along with travel, which is what the bulk of my time is spent doing. 


10) What is the third-most important thing in your daily life? Why?


I've got a lot of jobs that I usually put off doing, mostly because I can fulfill doing them without trying too hard. I suppose keeping up on them would be the third-most important thing I try to keep a watch on. 


11) What is your most guilty pleasure?


Hey, just between you and me? Sweets. Don't matter where they're from or how they got to me, I ain't never met a bag of candies I didn't love a whole lot. I usually don't worry too much about appearances, but a grown man going to town on a satchel of wine gums ain't the sort of image I'm trying to convey most of the time. 


12) In a world with no war or conflict, what would your do for a living?


Exactly what I'm doing now. I'm sure we'd have a great deal less Full Moons getting blooded and beating their chests, but I kinda like having them around - we've got tons in common, and they tend to keep the No Moons in line better than the rest of us can. 


13) In a world that is only war and conflict, what would you do for a living?


Hopefully, what I'm doing right now. I'm not saying that I can't fight - is there a sword of Luna who can't? - but at least taking my ease don't mean I'm hiding from eternal war 'cept against the fae. Conflict is necessary to health, but so is rest. And war tends to spiral a man around the former until he can't even manage the latter without cold sweats and screaming at night. It's no way to live. 


14) Let's form a band! What instrument do you play, and what genre do you prefer?


Hey, hey! Great plan - I'll play whatever you need me to play. Although I suggest I'd be the most help on the drums, I bet I could lay down a wicked beat no matter what. Tell you what, you guys play whatever you like, and I'll pick up whatever slack is left for as long as you need me to.


15) What's a harmless secret about you that you'd prefer to keep silent? Your secrets are safe here!


Ooof. That's a rough one. Y'know - cross yer heart you won't laugh - But I cried like a pup when they were stickin' me with my moonsilver tattoos. It ain't unusual, but I've laughed at enough people doin' the same that there's a lot of jokes that'd be made at my expense if Loremaster Mirror decided to let that little secret slip.


16) What is your favorite time of year, and why?


This is a hard one, only 'cos I spend all my time in warm places near the ocean, practically. I guess if I had to narrow things down, though, I'd go with Calibration. Folk tend to live a little harder when they're afraid of bad omens, or the opposite - really makes it easier to get a measure of a man that way, and ensures for a fun night regardless.


17) Describe your most perfect opposite - why are they the way they are? (The Ebon Dragon is just curious)


Gorgeous. Humorless. Driven. Demure. I guess she'd be just the sort of woman I'd like to meet, if only because I know there'd be something interesting as the result of it. I've had my cheek slapped a few times by women just like that! You can find them easily; they tend to wear jade, sometimes don't have any hair.


18) What was your favorite story when you were a child? Now that you're Exalted (and presumably an adult), how do you feel about that story?


Four sailors were arguing that they each had the best way of braving the seas. One plunged headlong into the waves, staying his course by any means necessary, braving any storm without ever changing course. One insisted on moving with the current, taking a roundabout path with  slow but constant steady progress. The third was a father to his sailors, enduring any conditions with the help of his feverishly loyal crew by his side. Another sailed only when the time was right, waiting out the bad to make the best possible time when conditions were favorable - avoiding tempting ports of call along the way. They were each so convinced that their own method was the best, that they set sail for distant lands as a challenge to see which would make it sooner. They were each so determined to win that they never saw each other again, their argument and competition allowing an old friendship to be swallowed by the waves of spite forever. 

Every land has a legend like this. Being sure of yourself is important, but the lesson is to not get lost in your path and lose sight of things. I think it's a lesson often ignored, especially by my fellow moon-blessed and their sun-child mates. 


19) Do you remember the first person you killed? If you haven't killed anyone yet, how long do you think you can live an immortal life without doing so?


I do, actually, though I couldn't tell you her name or what she looked like. I wasn't attentive when I should have been, I wasn't mindful when I promised to be, and it wasn't me who paid the price for that laziness with a soul. Avenging someone isn't as good as saving them from danger to begin with, is a lesson I learned early and learned the hard way.


20) If you had a chance to prepare them, what would be your last words?
Hope it's laughter. Heck, I expect it to be laughter. If it ain't laughter, I hope I'll be trying to get the friends around me to stop worrying so much about death. It happens to everyone, eventually, and the best way to honor the dead is to live life even harder in their stead. 

1) Tell us about the members of your family - if you don't have a family, tell us about the family you would like to have.


My parents have been dead some years, but both were accomplished herders of mountain goats. My wife, Ghilda, was a warrior of our tribe with thighs like tree trunks and a good humor. Together we had two children, Freya and Gunther, who both began training as warriors and herders at age five. They were happy mischievous children but they were strong of body and mind, they were our joy. That all ended when creatures came to our camp while I was searching for a lost buck in the mountains and harvesting tubers we grew for food. The creatures slew the entire tribe and took my world in the process...thanks for asking.

2) Who were you in the First Age, and what were you known for? If Dragon-Blooded, what is your immediate family known for, what deeds has your line accomplished that you are proud of?
My former life is fuzzy at best and comes as dreams in the night. I was evidently...um, er, a woman...that lived in a place that no longer seems to exist in creation. It was here in the North lands but seems to have been swallowed by the wyld. She was strong and one of the less prideful of the Sun chosen, she was devoted to works of construction that were meant to make the lives of people better. She also had a strong taste for...company...she was slain before the usurpation by her mate because of her infidelity.

3) What is your idea of an ideal retirement - their 'happily ever after'?
I would retreat to a nomadic life perhaps raise reindeer and build a home on the small manse where my hearthstone came from.

4) What is your opinion of the Scarlet Empress?
Is she that chief from the Realm? I've never heard much good about her, but then my people never talked much about her at all. Icewalkers keep to our own and she is not our own.


5) If you were a different type of Exalt, how different would your life be?
I've only met one other kind and I'm not even sure what exactly the green haired longstrider really was. If I was different I would use that power in the same way I use my gift from the sun, to fight.

6) If you were from a different part of Creation, how different would your life be?
I would have likely been a poorly nourished frail thing with no understanding of ice flows nor how to build a shelter from a blizzard. I can't understand how people can handle the south lands. it makes no sense.


7) What is your favorite hobby or skill that does not pertain to combat in any way?
I sing, but only when alone. I also am good with mountain goats and sheep, having raised then for my formative years. Other than that I make my own clothes, *Turns about showing primative skins* not bad, eh?

8) What is your favorite way of relaxing in your downtime?
I sing to myself and walk a lot of the time. (It keeps me young) When I am in shelter I mend my clothes and check my gear for damage, just in case.


9) When you aren't on-screen and doing things, where are you and what are you usually doing?
I spend almost all of my time alone. I am wandering and check with travellers for news about the goings on near my home lands.

10) What is the third-most important thing in your daily life? Why?
Bear pits. Behind finding food, then shelter, making sure to have a good place far from camp to relieve yourself is more important than most other activities.

11) What is your most guilty pleasure?
I have a taste for companionship but I try to keep to myself in mourning of my life-mate.

12) In a world with no war or conflict, what would your do for a living?
In such a world I would retreat to a solitary life of farming and animal husbandry. I would sell surplus crops and animals for other supplies I may need.

13) In a world that is only war and conflict, what would you do for a living?
I would fight. I maybe would work as a soldier or help make weapons for the cause I believe in most.

14) Let's form a band! What instrument do you play, and what genre do you prefer?
I would play the cowbell and sing back up. The genre would be generally something like folk or blues music...whatever that may mean.

15) What's a harmless secret about you that you'd prefer to keep silent? Your secrets are safe here!
I keep the secret that I sing to myself. It's between me and walls of my tent.

16) What is your favorite time of year, and why?
I like the summer when the ground gets less frozen and the small flowers near the foothills break through the soil. It's very nice to see the color after months of grey.


17) Describe your most perfect opposite - why are they the way they are? (The Ebon Dragon is just curious)
My opposite would be a violent unscupulous thing with a love for heat and wind. He would be a coward that uses tricks and lies to weaken his enemies before moving in for the kill.

18) What was your favorite story when you were a child? Now that you're Exalted (and presumably an adult), how do you feel about that story?
My favorite story was the story about the mountain that loved the sky. He grew and grew always streching for his love, longing to join her and always live together in her embrace. Then one day the mountain broke away from the ground and lived in the skies arms forever as lovers and friends. It is a good story for teaching children the importance of determintaion and loyalty but really mountains can't live in the sky. It's just silly.


19) Do you remember the first person you killed? If you haven't killed anyone yet, how long do you think you can live an immortal life without doing so?
The first person I killed was Walks on Bones, a man from another tribe we used to compete with for herding territory. He was a ruthless man known for treading on burial grounds of his enemies to spurn their ancestors. I crushed his head with a rock. No regrets.


20) If you had a chance to prepare them, what would be your last words?
Sing and dnace to my memory. Because I died so you could enjoy life.