Tao Sing

Many consider the course of a human life to be inherently unpredictable, even with the workings of fate that underlie all of Covenant. For one such as the Jiayuanese hero Tau Sing, this is a bitter truth that can never truly be forgotten. Still, she skillfully handled the incredible events that seemed to constantly surround her, becoming idolized by her people for her grand deeds.

Physical Description

Body Features

Physically, Tau Sing didn't look all that impressive. While she was built with a certain athletic grace, she was also incredibly short for a human. However, with her training she was able to move with an unmatched speed and agility. This allowed her to gain an advantage over opponents that who underestimated her.
Like many other heroes, Sing was an especially attractive person. She had smooth skin, and straight, black hair usually kept tied back to be kept out of her eyes. She had deep green eyes, often poetically described as being the color of summer leaves.

Apparel & Accessories

As a martial artist, Sing never wore any armor. Instead she preferred an outfit normally consisting of little more that a chest covering and short pants. These were mostly made of a plum-colored silk and were deliberately revealing both for ease of motion and to potentially distract enemies.
She almost never used weapons, usually using her fists, feet, and chi in battle. She also kept darts in case she needed to strike from a distance. In addition, she learned how to wield a staff, and did occasionally carry one, but this became increasingly rare. Despite its enchantments, this was a very simple, unadorned weapon.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Tao Sing was born in the city of Ganhuang as Tao Wei, the son of the Minister of Justice Tao Lang. With such a wealthy and influential father, he had the best education and was constantly surrounded by luxury. Despite his successes in his studies, he was largely considered a useless fop by his peers, preferring to lounge around rather than contribute to the community.
Still, after the death of the emperor, omens read by the priesthood of Yuhuang marked Wei as the next emperor. As part of his coronation, he drank the Tea of the Weaver Girl with a peasant woman named Chang Lin, and the two were married as emperor and empress of all Jiayuan.
The new imperial couple were very ineffectual governors of the empire. He lacked all intrest in his imperial duties while his wife lacked the experience. They received advice from the imperial widow, which allowed Empress Lin to become a very popular ruler, but Wei still preferred to bask in his luxury.
Unbeknownst to Emperor Wei, a portal to the infernal plane had opened in the Straight of Dragons between Jiayuan and Sokoku. By order of the gods, two dragons, a mated pair of t'ien lungs investigated. They managed to close the portal, but were overcome by the tyrannical energies of the plane. They desired to rule all, and would start by replacing the rulers of the lands of Duanjia.
Unlike in Sokoku, one dragon taking the place of the ruler wasn't so simple, because the emperor and empress ruled together. The dragon believed he could take the place of Emperor Wei more easily due to the relative popularity of the empress. Because he found it amusing, he didn't kill the true emperor, but changed his form so none would recognize him.
Wei woke up on the side of the road just outside the city in a clearly unfamiliar body-- that of a woman-- in the presence of the Weird Sisters, who said that only one so unbound by fate could free the throne. The former emperor was not about to let this injustice stand, and marched into the royal palace speaking out that the emperor was an imposter. It was all too easy for the Dragon Emperor-- wearing Emperor Wei's form to declare the newcomer mad and ordered the real Wei's incarceration.
What he did not expect was that the empress would still recognize her husband, as they were still bound in love by the Tea of the Weaver Girl. After Empress Lin had Wei released, the Dragon Emperor decided she was too much of a risk. He killed her and used illusions and disguises to make the people believe she was still alive.
Wei needed to hide, fleeing as far into the mountains as possible, and even finding an isolated monastery. There Wei learned martial arts to stop the Dragon Emperor, and learned to channel her chi. Through this, she learned to accept what had happened, even taking on the more feminine name Sing.
With the Dragon Emperor unrestrained by Empress Lin, he became much harsher to the Jiayuanese people. Still, he found himself opposed by a people's champion known only as Sing. She managed to avoid all attempts to capture her and managed to prevent him from truly holding Jiayuan.
When she has grown enough on ability, she marched alone into the royal palace once more, and once again declared the emperor an imposter. She declared herself as Tao Sing, daughter of Tao Lang and challenged the dragon to single combat.
Both infuriated and amused, the Dragon Emperor agreed. Sing and the dragon battled hand-to-hand until the corrupted celestial dragon was dead. The people celebrated, and Sing was even offered the throne as empress. Still, she refused. Thanks to the Tea of the Weaver Girl, she still loved her lost wife, and didn't want to be bound like that to another.
Life was hard for Tao Sing after that. She had won against her foul enemy and saved her people, but she didn't know what to do with herself after. She lived in the palace for a time, but she was a very different person in more ways than just the physical. In the end, she got on a boat to the Polisian city of Pasedonis and was never seen again.

Legends

The life of Tao Sing is quite well-documented compared to that of other heroes. While wild stories are still often told about her, the truth is still there to be found. These accounts are written by the hands of those who were there, often Sing, herself in an attempt to humbly preserve the truth of her deeds.
Some have questioned how she was able to defeat the Dragon Emperor alone and bare-handed. The martial artists of Duanjia can perform amazing feats, but even the greatest would be simply unable to slay such a powerful t'ien lung single-handedly. It is believed by some that the gods, themselves blessed her fists, while some few tell that the corruption had simply weakened the Dragon Emperor just enough to allow this.
It is also somewhat unclear just what fate befell Sing. It is believed that she made it to Pasedonis, but not what happened after that. Some have claimed she simply set out to explore the strange places of the world, but others have said she left Covenant altogether to battle the Dragon Emperor's corruption at the source.

Alignment

Neutral Good

Species

Human

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Unthroned Emperor, Dragonslayer, Mistress of Mortal Chi, Hero of Jiayuan

Circumstances of Death

Disappeared

Sex

Female (formerly male)

Eyes

Green

Hair

Black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale

Height

5 ft. 0 in.

Weight

95 lbs.

Aligned Organization

Jiayuan