Kai's Upgrade

» Name Of Character: Jian "Kai" Yijun
» Link To Character: https://www.platinumhearts.net/t18064-jian-kai-yijun-3-5

» Upgrading: Firstly, I would like to apply for a tier upgrade though I am not sure how many tier ups Kai has qualified for so if possible that could be better left to staff's judgment. Also, based on the feats of physical strength and increase in general power Kai has demonstrated and undergone I wanted to apply for a single rank upgrade to his Strength skill from Adept. Following is the list of changes to Kai:

Stance Shift: Kai is now able to actively use this ability twice a post consciously instead of only in life or death situations, while maintaining the energy cost associated with switching Stances.

Bastion Stance: Just a small upgrade here, instead of only 1 shield per thread Kai is now able to reform it once allowing for a maximum of 2 shields per thread.

NEW Ranger Stance: Obtained some time after Kai's inquisition in Tampa, this form solves an issue he has struggled with since his first adventures. Prior to Ranger Stance, the only ranged capability Kai possessed was a handgun which was less effective than an actual ability would be. By activating this Stance Kai gains access to a jade bow with the ability to summon matching arrows at will (seen here:

Spoiler:

. Both these objects are formed from dense spiritual energy concentrated into physical shapes. While the bow is far more difficult to reform should it suffer serious damage, individually each arrow doesn't take much energy to form at all meaning Kai can shoot at least a few dozen arrows throughout a thread before becoming exhausted. The bow, named Shenyi after the mythological archer, possesses great strength and is able to send arrows flying much farther and faster than a man-made weapon should normally be capable of. Along with this the arrows themselves are two-pronged and have quite sharp tips able to pierce even metal objects or armor. Though Kai is not exactly a practiced sharpshooter, his ability to use Ranger Stance can be quite fearsome especially against individuals whom struggle in long distance combat. Finally, Ranger Stance causes changes to his Skill sheet: In exchange for dropping his Strength stat a full rank, his general Speed increases a full rank. This synergizes with Ranger because it makes it easier for Kai to stay out of close range where this Stance suffers most.

NEW Assault Stance: Unlike his first two Stances, this one was unlocked not from necessity but from his raw emotional state. While in combat with the spirit of Guan Yu, Kai was forced on the defensive to the point of not even being able to fight back. It wasn't until the powerful feelings of shame and insecurity of his own weakness bubbled to the surface, mixing to concoct an extreme sense of rage, was this Stance unlocked. Assault is also Kai's first real close range offensive technique which completes the trifecta of offense, defense, and range he has been sorely missing. By switching to this Stance Kai is able to summon a pair of beautiful and engraved magic swords, named the Swords of Fate, previously belonging to Liu Bei (seen here:

Spoiler:

which he dual-wields. These swords, one short one long, are both regal and intimidating simultaneously. Though not individually named, each possesses its own unique identity making them one-of-a-kind. The short sword possesses a thicker blade while overall being lighter allowed for quicker movements, and is held in Kai's offhand. The primary sword is significantly longer and heavier, meaning Kai can usually do more damage across a greater surface area but can't swing it as fast as its brother. Together they make a dangerous duo capable putting the fear in fodder Kai comes across like none other. Their general durability and sharpness are both quite staggering given Kai's own unremarkable level of power, and thus rarely need to be reformed in a thread. However if one or both were to be broken it would require a significant amount of spiritual energy to recreate them, making them less useful against enemies significantly stronger than their owner. Assault Stance grants Kai the singular ability to telekinetically control their position within a range of about fifty meters. Defensively this makes it more difficult to keep the swords out of his grasp, such as by knocking one or both out of his hands, while offensive applications include throwing one and then bringing it back to him to rinse and repeat. Lastly, Assault Stance lowers Kai's general Durability and Pain Endurance stats a full rank (or equivalent amount if min or max) in order to increase his Strength skill a full rank or equivalent.

NEW Jade Dragon's Flames: Also unlocked during his duel with Guan Yu in an ancient underground crypt, this is less an ability and a full fledged power. Kai possesses the ability to create, manipulate, and utilize dangerous green-coloured fire in a multitude of ways. This fire possesses a few significant traits which differentiate it from standard, common fire. First off the flames themselves are noticeably hotter than normal, to the point of being able to melt and weld metals without too much trouble. Against other fire users this can be useful in allowing Kai to beat out or overtake their flames, though not easily. Second, the Jade Dragon's Flames are uniquely immune to water of all kinds. While the fire can certainly be suffocated or stuffed out, water is rendered ineffective against it similar to how some individuals possess ice which cannot melt. This trait provides Kai with extra versatility in underwater combat or versus people who may usually completely counter fire users. Lastly Kai's green fire, on touch, "frees" physical and metaphysical objects from their previous "sovereign". To put it simply, if a Quincy capable of manipulating his arrows after shooting them were to fire one and have it be hit by these flames, the Quincy would lose all control over the arrow. This applies to abilities and objects of all kinds, a trait most noticeably effective against other element-users. This excludes objects like Zanpakutos, Quincy bows/spirit weapons, and their ilk.

Kai is able to utilize his Jade Dragon's Flames to complement his other abilities, namely Stances. This leads to his fire being not just offensive, but defensive and utility-based as well. An example of an attack would be to infuse fire into a Ranger Stance arrow to cause more damage or even an inferno explosion on impact. Defensively it could be used to coat his Bastion shield to provide extra durability against energy-based attacks. Lastly, Kai can use a burst of fire to push himself in a specific direction allowing for a quick last minute dodge or leap into the air. Unfortunately the use of this fire for extended periods of time can be extremely costly energy-wise and due to its natural unbiased destructive nature can, especially as Kai is still unskilled in its use, prove harmful when created or used near allies. If not kept in check these flames can also cause mayhem by spreading and damaging the local environment, which is particularly dangerous in areas permeated by plants or flammable objects.

NEW Mandate of Heaven: Defined over three thousand years ago, the term Mandate of Heaven was used to proclaim an individual the "Son of Heaven". What this boiled down to was a supposed mandate from heaven to justify a ruler's rule. This wasn't unique to China as Europe possessed the "divine right of kings", an idea which essentially allowed rulers to do as they pleased under the guise of heaven-given kingship. The Mandate differs in the fact it may declare a truly just individual to be emperor of China, but it purposely does not excuse poor behavior or cruel actions. Along with the heaven-sent mandate to rule, it also supported rebels more righteous and just than whoever happened to sit on the Dragon's Throne at the time.

Kai inherited the Mandate of Heaven due to his spirit being ancient Chinese Emperor Liu Bei's, just two thousand two hundred years older. However, it his Kai's just and righteous beliefs and actions which bestow the Mandate upon him as without them he would be like any other incarnation of Liu Bei's spirit: A regular, unimpressive man. For Kai, the Mandate of Heaven exists as both a claim to the Dragon Throne as well as a very real, very noticeable unique passive ability. As it is the supposed result of heaven, the will of the universe, to free China of its incumbent ruler, the Mandate provides Kai with a significant 1.5 times boost in all his powers while within the borders of the ancient nation. This includes his skills, abilities, and potential power ceiling. However, it is also active outside China in the form of a constant 1.2 times overall power boost contingent on Kai staying on the righteous path and not straying from heroism expected of him by the Mandate. Should Kai's attitude or actions swing the opposite way in any form he will suffer from a disastrous 0.7 times multiplier to everything until he changes back (Kai's righteousness is determined both by me and staff, aka if staff notices he isn't doing what he should be they can activate this debuff).

NEW Heirloom Seal of the Realm: Carved out from jade in 221 BCE by Qin Shi Huang after uniting all of China as emperor for the first time in history, this ancient artifact of immense importance once belonged to Yuan Shu during the Three Kingdoms era of China over 2,200 years ago. After Yuan Shu's death it fell into the welcoming hands of Liu Bei, who immediately hid it after making a replica which was obtained by Cao Cao. This action was meant to enable Liu Bei to bide his time until he was prepared to declare himself the true emperor of China, but unfortunately the future kingdom of Cao Wei had grown too powerful and thus he had no opportunity to do so. Hoping a descendant would someday reclaim the jade dragon Seal, Liu Bei had it placed in an underground crypt along with ordering Guan Yu to tie his spirit inside after his death. Eventually in 2417 Kai was drawn to this underground chamber where upon touching the Seal it was transformed into a brilliant jade emerald ring which refuses to leave the finger it was placed on. This nigh-indestructible piece of jewelry possesses no abilities but is priceless as an artifact and declares Kai can potentially become the true emperor of China.

» Why: In this thread Kai did battle with JJ's character Sonny temporarily before the thread died. Kai was able to break his opponent's bones despite them being quite durable. Similarly, this event thread consisted of Kai doing battle against dozens of monsters of unknown origin as he fought for his survival, encountering two unique individuals in the process. He has also been in social threads unrelated to the power upgrade and is currently in a couple threads with noteworthy battles in them.

However most importantly, Kai went on a solo adventure in this thread: https://www.platinumhearts.net/t18282-descendant-of-shu-closed. In it, Kai battled his way through dozens of dangerous enchanted Terracotta soldiers, pushing himself past the limits he'd known his entire life. This included forcing himself to use far more physical strength than he is normally capable of. After this feat he came upon the Heirloom Seal which transformed and placed itself on his finger. Following this the spirit of one of China's greatest warriors in history, Guan Yu, showed up and attacked Kai with a ferocity previously unseen by the young Chinese man. After being reduced to only blocking with Bastion Stance, Kai's rage exploded and the situation forcibly unlocked new powers (Assault Stance, Jade Dragon's Flames, and Mandate of Heaven) which allowed him to go on the offensive and, after a nail-biting battle, claim victory over Guan Yu by destroying his physical body and putting his spirit to rest once and for all. Though exhausted, this personal adventure allowed Kai to shatter his old limits, unlock a couple new abilities, and become a better person overall after it was through. This thread was equivalent to an anime's main protagonist going off on a side quest to find their true meaning/become stronger, to put it simply.

» Extra: I understand it seems like a lot so if there are any issues I will comply wholeheartedly with required changes/removals/