Jia Kis
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Jia Kis
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Jia Kis
Jia Kis is the half-elven daughter (Elven and Aasimar descent) of Loana Kis and Aurelius. She is currently active, serving as one of the Knights of the Realm for the kingdom of Aetveris. She is a Godling (as a blessed champion), chosen by Falayna.
History
Birth and Upbringing
Jia Kis was born and raised in secrecy. This was due to the fact that the world was under the oppression of several malevolent forces that her mother, Loana, actively fought to stop. Aurelius had disappeared before Jia was born, as he had to deal with the essence of the Horseman of War that ate away at his soul, and did not wish to endanger his family. It left Loana to fend for herself, but she knew that if her enemies (particularly Ronda when she was a Demon Lord) found out that Loana had an infant daughter, then it would leave a dire vulnerability to be exploited.
Loana did not want to risk the chance of losing her daughter to the jaws of evil. As such, she called in a favor from an old friend, Saria Kal. Saria would be asked to become Jia's guardian, while Loana would be busy tending to the world's affairs. Saria accepted, and in order to keep Jia truly secluded from the dangers of Chronus, Saria would help raise Jia in the First World instead, in a region where time would flow differently. Anytime Loana had free time, she would help raise Jia as well, in order to fulfill her motherly duties.
Loana's struggle did not go completely unnoticed however, as Solomon the Hyena came to learn of Loana's plight. Developing a bond with her as a friend, he offered to lend assistance as well, and would go on to become Jia's adoptive uncle. With the support of several of these key individuals, Jia was able to grow and learn in secrecy. Loana and Saria taught Jia everything they knew, and allowed Jia to forge her own destiny. She had heard of the legendary tales of Aurelius' exploits as an adventurer, and for a time, Jia found a nack for gunslinging, but alas, it was only a phase as she found herself drawn to the more spiritual aspects of the cosmos overtime.
The flow of time in the First World was somewhat faster than the Prime Material Plane, as far as where Jia grew up in that plane of existence. Either way, her upbringing was not rushed, as many years would pass with Jia periodically visiting the prime material plane to go on field trips with her mother and her uncle, Solomon. Saria would also take Jia on several journeys to help her get more familiar and comfortable with Chronus in general.
Kinetic Monk
Being a direct descendant from the Horseman of War and a Godling of Yamatsumi, Jia was noted to have unique potential as realized by her first true master, Kattaris Veir. Kattaris is a Kinetic Monk that blends the power of occult psychic magic with elemental ki. As she is also a close friend of Loana, Kattaris would be introduced to Jia as such, and would grant guidance and training to Jia in the First World. Jia would become Kattaris' third major student (with Nikita and Farah being the first two before her). The Half-Elf had great versatility and adaptability like her father, with the discipline, patience and keen senses of her mother. This combined with the essence that flows through her veins from both of her parents' legacies would all contribute in helping Jia excel as a Kinetic Monk.
However, this growth in power came at a price, unknown to Jia at the time. The essence of War inside of her would crave this growing power, and a hidden arrogance was building inside of her. Kattaris knew that Jia was pure of heart, but she could not anticipate just how intense the generational curse of the Horseman of War could be, passing on its legacy to his son, Aurelius, and now it echoes in his granddaughter, Jia as well. Once Jia was fully trained as a Kinetic Monk in the following years, she'd be satisfied with the knowledge she had gained from Kattaris, Jia would finally be ready to venture out into the world, and Kattaris would give Jia her blessing to proceed.
The Echo of War
As an adult and fully trained Kinetic Monk, Jia had already proven to surpass both of her parents just from her sheer raw power and potential alone. This potent presence of hers would eventually reach the attention of Cormick Thale, who was in the process of forging a new order for Aetveris as an elite group who can safeguard the kingdom's interests. At the time, there was a rift disturbance threatening the kingdom's members, which was said to be the Demon Lord Angazhan responsible for the issue.
To prove herself to the kingdom, Jia would aid other adventurers in investigating the rift, saving any lives they could, and putting an end to the Demon Lord's interference to the Prime Material plane. However, while the party survived and manage to somewhat resolve the problem, there were a few notable things that shook Jia to the core. Jia witnessed one of her fellow adventurers committing questionable acts to form allegiances with Qlippoth, who opposed the demon lord, yet they themselves were not benevolent beings. Eventually ties had to be severed as the deal with the Qlippoth couldn't go through, causing the party to clash with the Qlippoth regardless.
This left Jia beginning to question the wisdom of one of her comrades, but she would heed no mind to it, maintaining her trust with them. As they continued to proceed into confronting the Demon Lord himself, Jia was more than ready to put an end to him, but the party warned her that slaying the Demon Lord then and there would leave the souls he had trapped in his domain to remain trapped. Jia however made a counterpoint to the argument, claiming that if they leave the Demon Lord alone and simply free the current souls, then it won't stop future victims from falling into the same fate.
As such, an agreement was made with the Demon Lord by the party (which Jia did not agree to), to free the current souls, but the party, excluding Jia, would have to play his games later on. This had greatly upset Jia, and the hidden arrogance, anger and desire for War inside of her became much more vibrant, lashing out verbally with rage at the Demon Lord, and the party's supposed cowardice in taking the easy way out of the problem. It was here that the essence of War rose, beginning to overtake Jia's spirit. It wasn't Jia Kis anymore...it was War itself.
It was a disturbing sight that had the party uneasy, as if they were witnessing Jia behave like a completely different person. While tensions were getting higher, the party would report their success to the others, though Jia would be left with a degree of mental instability, as the essence of War wrestled with her psyche. It was trying to take over her for good. After the mission was complete, Jia may have proven herself worthy for being a Knight of the Realm, but it was painfully clear she had a lot of soul-searching to do.
And so, Jia would set out in quiet solitude, in order to figure out a way to deal with the Essence of War inside of her.
Desna's Guidance
Jia would travel alone in secret, in a battle of wits against the echo of War itself within her. This dark, arrogant side of her was akin to a split personality disorder, and it constantly tempted her to finish the job, to slay the Demon Lord and bring the fires of War to his domain. However, Jia knew that the other adventurers she went with on the mission prior had a good point in that simply slaying the Demon Lord wouldn't have solved the larger picture at the time. She refused her dark counterpart's desires at every turn with sheer will, though the constant reminder that this essence of War was inherently part of her was something she can't simply escape from.
Knowing this, Jia would confront the darkness head on, threatening to destroy herself in the process if it meant ending the corruption of War forever. With this desperate resilience and will to push on, it drew the attention of her deific patron, Desna, who had anticipated Jia's birth long ago, thanks to a meeting that occurred between Loana and Xerxes Blackfrost, during the time of conflict with the Tidal Empire from Ronda's dark reign. Xerxes acknowledged that Loana's child would indeed be blessed by Desna, and as such, Xerxes acknowledged Loana's child, Jia, as a sister.
This vision came true, for within that moment of Jia's turmoil, she would channel all of her spiritual essence into lashing forth against the dark essence within her, like a tidal wave washing the corruption away. This forced the darkness out, which manifested as a sinister version of Jia, who became the next Horseman of War. It was like looking into a twisted mirror, seeing a reflection of what could be if Jia lost the battle of wills. Now, it was a battle of might, with the echo of the Horseman of War's powers and abilities, versus Jia as a Kinetic Monk.
As the echo was a reflection of Jia herself in a darker aspect, many of their strengths are mirrored in some way during the fight. However, Jia's deep knowledge of psychic ki, her advanced martial arts skills and sheer determination would pull ahead of the dark echo, the latter which was still rooted in the past. They fought in the wilderness, under a moonlit sky where fate would decide the future of many lives. Eventually, Jia's upper hand on the dark echo would start to overwhelm the entity, until finally, Jia was able to land the finishing blow with her fist, shrouded in kinetic energy. In this moment, Desna's blessing would bathe Jia over her victory, which was treated as a trial all along.
With the dark echo's destruction, the essence was purged of the malicious split-personality disorder that haunted Jia during her solitude. In its place, Jia gained clarity from Desna's guidance, and her mind was finally at peace. Tears would flow down Jia's eyes, as she'd fall to her knees, reflecting upon the bursts of arrogance, rage, and desire for War that scared her comrades prior during the Demon Lord mission. The arrogance was gone...replaced with guilt. She hated that she of all people could have become a monster that would bring certain doom to Chronus, which would be the opposite of everything she and her family stood for. She now understood that power wasn't everything. Her mother may not be as powerful as Jia, but what she can acknowledge is the fact that Loana had temperance, with the ability to lead and keep a clear mind, even in dire situations. That's what made her mother so admirable in the eyes of many.
The guilt she felt was very much similar to what her own father felt during his struggle against the essence of War. She now know what it really feels like to truly lose yourself to absolute power that can corrupt absolutely. The blessing of Desna however would soothe her, letting her know that her ability to acknowledge her flaws and try to correct them is a step in the right direction. With Desna becoming Jia's deific patron, the half-elf would gain a newfound hope and purpose to adhere to the will of Desna's guidance.
Rise of the Elemental Shadowblades
With the essence of War dealt with and cleansed within her, Jia continued her duties to serve the nation of Aetveris. During such, a major incident arose in which invaders from an alternate future timeline, would seek to conquer Chronus and 'make it a better place'. The invasion is led by future Andrei Lifetouch, who is Nikita's son from another time where events played out differently. Future Andrei was also accompanied by Kathryn Thale, a future version of Cormick's daughter from a possible union between him and a woman by the name of Katya as the mother.
Both Future Andrei and Kathryn had experienced ill fortune in their timelines to some capacity, and so they became part of the Infinite Empire led by an alternate version of Voradale in the future, who became an Emperor. Due to the differences in ideals between Future Andrei and present timeline Cormick, the two would clash, which led to the death of Theo Jung, one of the Knights of the Realm. Cormick was greatly displeased by these atrocious acts committed by the invaders that be, and he wished for future Andrei and future Kathryn to be judged for their crimes. As such, he dispatched Jia, sending her on a mission to capture and retrieve both assailants.
However, things appeared to be more complicated than usual. When Jia did confront future Andrei, she tried to get him to surrender willingly and peacefully, but clearly that option didn't work. In order to stay on his trail, she had to face him in direct combat, under the terms that if she lost, then she'd leave him be. It turns out, when the two clashed, due to future Andrei still being the son of Solomon the Hyena, the battle ended up ending in a draw, after fighting for the whole day with neither side faltering.
Since future Andrei could not defeat Jia, it meant she could follow him and learn more about him, but it also meant that Jia could not capture him for Cormick just yet. She tried to reason with him to prove that Cormick does not mean ill will, but the convincing was difficult. As she aimed to get closer to him in a genuine way, future Andrei thought he had an opportunity to exploit, by manipulating her instead. Eventually, Jia caught wind of this truth after he confessed his plans to his present timeline mother, Nikita Lifetouch, which left Jia disappointed in future Andrei.
However, the army that future Andrei led, called KARMA, would influence Reignfall from the Setlaar in negative ways. Jia wanted to put a stop to Reignfall before it did anymore damage, but its political influence in the Setlaar region is too strong, and it would be difficult for the Kingdom of Aetveris to simply hone in and assault them directly. In addition to being evenly matched to future Andrei at the time due to him having the advantage of his father's blood in his veins, Jia needed to find ways to close the gap between such immense powers, and she needed to find a way fast.
Meanwhile, Nikita Lifetouch and Farah Tsun had concluded special training under Kattaris Veir, which addressed similar issues. Brute force was not enough to deal with the incoming threats to the world, so it was necessary to diversify and think outside of the box to come up with solutions that don't expose the would be heroes out in the open so blatantly.
With the rise of the Kinetic Shinobi from Nikita and Farah with the guidance of Kattaris Veir, word of it has reached Jia Kis, who spoke of it to her mother Loana Kis, and Sasha Dessex. It turns out that Kinetic Shinobi are an evolution of the Kinetic Monk philosophies, retaining not only all of a Kinetic Monk's capabilities, but also embracing the element of void and shadow that Kineticists can harness normally, to bolster the art of stealth, infiltration, disguise, and infiltratoration. Loana finds the approach rather peculiar and interesting, but she quickly realized that there are ways to diversify techniques rooted from that path, which do not need a Kinetic focus specifically, but rather from element of shadow itself as a whole. Loana is no stranger to Ninjutsu, having become quite familiar with a variety of martial combat traditions during her time in duty as a Time Knight. She herself utilized various weaponry to great effect from both Bushido and Ninjutsu philosophies over many years of her experience.
Meanwhile, Sasha Dessex was in the process of inventing her own order of infiltrators, and has incorporated inventions blended with magic to compliment the skillset of an infiltrator. This has left Jia Kis, the prodigy of Kattaris Veir, to explore the final piece of the puzzle by further inspecting the darker elements of the Occult, particularly the element of void from kineticists, and similar energies utilized by other practitioners, such as Fey Adepts. The truth that she found was that the shadows were indeed as much of a natural element as all others, being part of the great mystery of the multiverse. The essence of pure shadow, called 'Shadowstuff', was the key to bridge the gap between traditional elemental energies with the plane of shadow without faltering into blatant corruption.
With these discoveries and notes from Loana Kis, Sasha Dessex, and Jia Kis, they have all come together to combine their knowledge into forging the ultimate infiltrator, one that rivals even the mystical Kinetic Shinobi or similar...
The rise of Elemental Shadowblades have been born.
Kinetic Spectre
Part infiltrator and Part Healer, Jia has grown considerably since her last encounter with the Demon Lord she faced with her comrades sometime ago during the Rift problem that Aetveris was dealing with. She diverted down her own path from her former master's teachings, forging something new on her own. Her exposure to Aetveris and the Knights of the Realm have influenced her greatly, adopting not only the element of Shadow, but also reinforcing that of Light. As an infiltrator, it was a change in philosophy to how she used to be as a Kinetic Monk, going from a direct, brash combatant to learning the importance of subtlety, tactics, and deception. The customs and traditions of Aetveris have likewise inspired her to revisit the element of light in addition to what she already knew of the shadow.
She found a way to merge these two aspects together, which doubled down on not only her infiltrator skillset, but her abilities as a healer as well. A unique pathway has now been unlocked, taking notes from what came before her, and what lies ahead in the future. She has forged herself into the first Kinetic Spectre, unraveling a fusion of techniques that has never been explored before with psychic phenomenon. Blending martial arts with mysticism and legendary maneuvers from various martial disciplines, Jia is able to fulfill a myriad of roles needed for the seemingly never ending struggle for the Kingdom of Aetveris. She is indeed.... The King's Shadow.
Falayna's Guidance
WIP
Appearance
Jia Kis is a half-elven female that stands at 5'7 feet tall with an athletic, curvacious and nimble physique. She is an ideal blend of human athleticism with elven grace, with a touch of celestial influence from her father's Aasimar qualities. She has pointed elven ears like her mother that are pronounced from celestial influence. Her skin is milky smooth and radiant like her mother's, with a subtle tanned complexion. She has strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. Her hair is similar to her mother's, while her eyes are similar to her father's, except her pupils appear more dreamlike and mystical, as if staring into a cosmic sea if one were to gaze into them.
She favors a light clothing, typically adorned in the style of an elegant, elven dress.
Edge of Judgement
Jia's iconic katana is called the Edge of Judgement, which is her symbolic weapon as a Kinetic Spectre. The blade itself is comprised of specialized shadowstuff, though its properties can be enhanced, or even changed to other materials, including pure Quintessence to thwart time-based effects if needed. In battle, the weapon is typically grafted firmly in Jia's hand, and she combines sword strikes with unarmed martial arts, as if the blade were a natural extension of herself.
Spectre Form (1st Stage)
Like most other individuals associated with the Ascendants of Ki, Jia harnesses transformations as well, for greater utility, speed, and battle prowess. As a Kinetic Spectre, she takes on the form of what appears to be a winged, hooded entity with a color scheme of silver and blue, while carrying a hint of celestial influence. The Spectre Form has two distinct stages. The first stage is a standardized transformation that enhances Jia's speed, defense, maneuverability, heightened striking power and finesse with the Edge of Judgement. The Edge of Judgement's appearance is also altered while wielded by Jia in this form.
Spectre Form (2nd Stage)
The second, more advanced stage of the Spectre Form brings forth unique properties that greatly bolsters Jia's defenses, speed, and aggression to even greater heights, while imbuing her with the essence of the dimension of dreams.
The Spectre Form's appearance becomes brighter and more intense, as the form is constantly bursting with psychic energy that flows through her.
Personality
Jia reflects the qualities of both Aurelius and Loana. She has the temperament, patience and discipline of her mother, but she can also be fiery, radical and brash like her father sometimes. This was much more prominent while she struggled initially with the essence of War inside of her, but since finding peace within herself and cleansing the corruption within her from Desna's guidance, she has become much more lighthearted. She doesn't shy away from enjoying life, though at the same time she takes her training and growth very seriously, always ready to take the next step with utilizing her full potential. This dedication to training and self-improvement became more prominent with Jia's embrace into Falayna's ideals.
She is friendly and easy to approach, though if she is justifiably angered, she can be quite cold and cruel towards her enemies. She's grown fond of guerilla warfare, tactics and battle strategies, much like the Horseman of War, but she isn't consumed by the aspect of War either. Her previous arrogance has been toned down considerably once she became an Elemental Shadowblade, which has led her to becoming a much more well-rounded individual with good aligned ideals that match the Kingdom of Aetveris.
She is trustworthy to allies, kind by her nature, yet also devious in her actions when she wishes. Above all else, she harbors a great deal of respect for Falayna and Desna and what they stands for.
Friends and Family
Mother : Loana Kis
Father : Aurelius
Adoptive Godfather : Xerxes Blackfrost
Adoptive Uncle : Solomon, aka the Hyena
Guardian : Saria Kal
Half-Sister : Terra Azureleaf
Monster Aunt : Ronda Azureleaf
Allies: Cormick Thale, Incredibilis, Shura, Sera Sage, Selena Sage, Sasha Dessex, Nikita Lifetouch, Farah Tsun, Jack Urnov, Isabelle Zoradyne, Seona Echosong, The Gladiator, Delvar Starbreaker.
Enemies
Enemies of Falayna and Desna, and those who threaten Chronus.
Aspirations
Embrace her true potential to aspire to ever greater heights of power in order to be ready to defend Chronus. She also respects the ideals of Falayna and Desna, and she is devoted to her service as a Knight of the Realm for Aetveris.