Daiyu Sying

Name: Daiyu Sying
Age: 37
Gender: Female

Nation: Earth Kingdom (Kyoshi Island)

Physical Appearance: Daiyu is a tall middle aged woman. She typically wears her sleek raven hair tied back. Her dark skin and laugh lines are covered by Kyoshi War paint. The paint is white with red shading above the eyes and dark lips. She has green earth-kingdom eyes.

She wears a light green silk kimono. The fabric of which symbolizes the brave blood that flows through her veins. Her gold insignia represents the honor of the warrior's heart. She wears a gold hair piece with a red flower.

Equipment: Daiyu carries the things all Kyoshi Warriors have. She has an armored green kimono. However, she prefers not to wear the metal plate armor over her kimono unless she is on duty. She carries metal fans used for deflecting attacks and using an opponent’s energy against them. She wields a katana, which is a long slightly-curved sword.

Combat Skills: Daiyu trained as a Kyoshi warrior. The style of close combat uses the opponent’s momentum against them. She uses metal fans as a defense and a katana for offense. Although most Kyoshi warriors seldom use their katana she tends to favor it in certain situations. She is a master in the use of the katana.

Talents: Daiyu is a skilled blacksmith. As a warrior she studied the use of the katana. She soon began to feel as if her armor and weapons were an extension of her own body. She became interested in how these tools were made and at sixteen she took up an apprenticeship with the local blacksmith. After she had passed her prime as a warrior she took over the small forge. She supplies the Kyoshi warriors with weapons and armor and occasionally sells to travelers. Kyoshi Island has an extensive mountain range, the mines of which provide plenty of iron. The most common form of armor she makes is for the Kyoshi warriors. This is constructed of iron plates connected together by leather straps and worn over green kimonos. However, she can make other types.

Flaws: She isn’t very trusting of outsiders, especially men. Kyoshi Island is currently following an isolationist policy. She isn’t used to a lot of new people. When she was younger she was engaged, but he left the island to open a shop in Ba Sing Se. She couldn’t leave the Island, as she had a duty to the other warriors and her family. She was hurt by him leaving and decided never to marry.

Daiyu is skilled in close combat, but has no ranged attacks. Both of her primary weapons require her to get in close to an opponent. This is sometimes difficult as she is getting older and cannot always move as fast. She is weak against benders who use ranged attacks because hers are purely physical and her fighting style relies on the opponent expending more energy and wearing out before her.

History: Daiyu Sying was born on Kyoshi Island to loving parents. When she was eight she began training with the other warriors. She learned to use a katana and metal fans to fight. Her small size wasn’t a deterrent due to the fact that the style of fighting uses the opponent’s own energy against them. They fought off a few invasions but mostly just patrolled the streets and broke up drunken brawls.

When she was sixteen she became an apprentice to the local blacksmith in her free time. She had grown taller than most of the other girls and the extra work gave her a stronger physique. She fell in love with a boy named Cheng and they got engaged. However, Cheng decided he wanted to move to Ba Sing Se to open a shop. Daiyu chose to stay on Kyoshi. She was heartbroken when he left but has always imagined one day she would go visit the Earth Kingdom Capital.

She was forced to retire from the Kyoshi Warriors at the age of twenty six because of a knee injury. She is still closely involved in the dojo where she serves as a master. She teaches the younger girls the basics of battling with the katana. When the old blacksmith Bao-Zhi retired he allowed her to take over his shop for a small fee. She loves the Island and would do anything to protect the people who call it home.

Personality: Daiyu is fiercely protective of her people. She is a mentor to the younger warriors in her village. She doesn't trust outsiders. She is a strong woman, but she is sensitive when it comes to love. She was heartbroken by for fiancé who left.

Pet: Miāo (WIP)

Writing Sample: Daiyu Sying sat on the edge of the pier and waited for a fish to bite. As she waited she listened to Bao-Zhi talk about the good old days. He was a bald man with a dark completion and deep wrinkles. He had a sturdy build and it was apparent by looking at him that he had once been very muscular but now age and retirement had taken their toll. She remembered him standing at the forge, his strong arms bringing the hammer down on the weakened iron.

Darkness came on suddenly and she looked up in terror as she stood in the shadow of the Unagi. She pushed Bao-Zhi out of the way as the giant eel flopped onto the pier, smashing it into tiny pieces. Daiyu was thrown into the water and the impact pushed her under. Her lungs burned, as she struggled to reach the surface.