Emissary of the Way
Shū
Shū is a descendent of one of the oldest clans in all of China, a family that has two sides: one which they show the world, and one which is hidden.
A familial secret society has safeguarded the history of her clan and their supernatural power for centuries, a spiritual power that allows them to manipulate the currents of the natural world.Using this power Shū began a quest. She dared to be recognized the greatest of all warriors, but this quest would reveal to her that the power her clan possessed was stolen. The being who originally possessed the power was a great dragon who had become enslaved by her ancestors, and whose spirit remained imprisoned within the spirits of her clan.Shū sought justice for the dragon by severing her clan's ties to its power. The dragon's spirit became unified once again within her, but it was corrupted by hatred and pain. It took control of Shū's body, and only when sealed away by a powerful warrior was Shū able to emerge free from the influence of the dragon. However, she refused to let its spirit perish. Through dedication and and supreme effort, Shū worked to purify the ancient being.With the spirit of the dragon purified, Shū has returned to embrace not the path of might, but the Path itself.*
MASTERING THE WAY
Over the course of many triumphs and defeats, Shū has gained much wisdom. Where once she sought to conquer a summit of strength, she now aims to plumb the depths of understanding. Her journey continues even after she has become emissary of the Way, and while her limits are no longer physical, her spiritual knowledge and faith can always be further tempered.
Her miraculous transformation into master of the Way was brought upon by first attaining a complete understanding of Taijitu, the force which actuates the Way. This came in the form of honing five concepts.
TAIJI
By blending spiritual energies Shū learned to sense Taiji, the fundamental dualism of all things. Utilizing her new knowledge of Taiji, she strove to foster a greater resonance with the universe.
WUJI
There is a ‘stillness’ inside and outside of the cosmic boundaries of the universe, known as Wuji. One could call Wuji the infinite reach of nothingness. Knowledge of Wuji allowed Shū to empty herself, and thereby engender new possibilities.
WU XING
The third component of Taijitu, Wu Xing, concerns the transitioning of phases within a system and their cycles. In Shū, Wu Xing gave access to the ability to merge her body, mind, and spirit , giving rise to a unique, ascended state. A more perfect version of herself that could freely bend spiritual energies.
BAGUA
Bagua is the fourth component of Taijitu. Cresting Bagua leads to the second most profound expansion of understanding. It could be said that the former three components were merely the stepping stones of Taijitu one must cross before its true essence can be known. Honing Bagua allowed Shū to glimpse and interact with the building blocks of reality.
METAMORPHASIS
The final step in mastering Taijitu is its most dangerous and ambigious. It requires and grants true understanding of the Way, and the exponential deepening of one’s knowledge on all levels. With Metamorphosis, the Way becomes the Will. Shū could not attain this understanding alone, however. In fact, she had become so crazed with power by forcefully utilizing only the previous four forms of Taijitu that she was sealed away by another great warrior. Inside her prison she was required to fundamentally change her mind, body, and spirit in order to understand Metamorphosis and gain freedom.She had to become someone entirely new, and only then did she emerge as emissary of the Way.
