Application for Aef

[darkestbefore]

Player Information
Name: Rynn
Age: Old. Very Old. (I am definitely 18+)
Contact: chaneystarr
Other Characters: n/a

Character Information
Name: Yona
Canon: Akatsuki no Yona
Canon Point: Manga Chapter 183, just after the Dragons' Tournament.
Age: 17-18 (she is 16 at the start of the series and considerable time has passed since then, although we're not given an exact idea of how long it's been)
History:
Yona's Wiki
Anime Synopsis
Manga Synopsis (for later chapters, since she is post-anime)

Since the wiki is very sporadic and leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to detailing the plot, I've included a bullet list of important plot factors as a timeline.

1) The series opens with introducing us to Yona, the main character of her story who, at the beginning of both the anime and manga is revealed to be the sole princess in a land called Kouka (heavily influenced on fantasy-medieval-Korea). The only daughter of the current ruler, King Il, she is portrayed as a slightly-spoiled and very sheltered and naive princess just turning 16. In the brief introduction we are given to this life, we learn that her mother died mysteriously when Yona was very young and her father, the King, is considered cowardly by many of his nobles because he hates fighting and war and seeks to follow a peaceful path, even if it is considered a 'weaker' route. He refuses to touch a weapon or lift one against their neighboring countries, who are often greedy to expand into their own border territories, although this is only hinted at early in the series.

Yona has grown up very alone and sheltered, pampered in having been given nearly anything she desires, but despite being slightly spoiled from this, she still has a genuine and pure heart, if a little immature. Her biggest concern at the start is that she has fallen deeply in love with her cousin, Soo-Won, and wishes to be betrothed to him as the future king, but her father has irrefutably put his foot down about this and refused her (perhaps for the first time in her life). She doesn't understand why he would refuse her this, as Soo-Won is a gentle and kind soul and beloved by everyone in the kingdom and his father had been Il's own older brother, a famed war general, making Soo-Won the obvious successor in everyone's eyes. The other prominent character revealed early on is Yona's personal bodyguard, appointed to her by Il, the son of one of his former generals and now the General of the Wind Tribe himself, Son Hak. He has watched over her since they were both young and the two of them, along with Soo-Won, have been inseparable nearly all their lives. Even Hak fully assumes that one day Soo-Won will marry Yona and he will guard them both as the king's right-hand man, despite the fact that he's been secretly in love with Yona himself since childhood, but believes himself not worthy of the princess.

2) All these bright dreams and hopes for the future are dashed rather abruptly very early on in the series. On the evening of Yona's 16th birthday, she sneaks out of her room to go plead with her father one more time to allow her to marry her beloved Soo-Won, certain she can change his mind. Only, upon arriving at her father's chambers, it's to walk in on the terrible sight of her father's murder... and her cousin wielding the bloody blade. Shocked and betrayed by what she's witnessing, she's chased through the castle by Soo-Won's guards but easily captured and about to be killed as well, to leave no loose ends to the truth of this political coup. Hak shows up at the very last minute to protect her, also just as rocked by this unforeseen betrayal and lashing out at his closest friend for his injustice - and the cold, unremorseful prince who now appears as a stranger to both of them. When the numbers surrounding them grow too much to overcome, Hak instead chooses to scoop up the princess and flee, barely making it out of the castle with her in the dead of night - their escape only made possible by a servant of her father's playing a decoy of her to lead the guards away and likely perishing in the process. Badly wounded, they both flee the capital, no longer knowing who they can trust.

3) Fate and old legends lead them to seek out the High Priest, a prophet who had once served in the palace as the Voice of the Gods - one who could hear their words and guide those who sought their blessing. He'd been cast out of the palace sometime after Yona was born, for reasons she'd never learned, but having nowhere else to turn and being hunted by her cousin's loyal soldiers, she turns to the one source of direction she hopes she can trust - the gods themselves.

Kouka itself has a bit of unique origin story in that it was formed when a Dragon God, Hiryuu, came down to earth to live among humans because he loved the mortals so well. But humans were fickle and not all could be trusted, so those dragons in heaven who had loved him sent their spirits to join with four mortal souls willing to protect their Dragon God, granting them a portion of their power and binding them to the service and protection of Hiryuu. This legend has been passed down for centuries now, of the four mighty dragon warriors and Hiryuu, the first king of Kouka, and how they always appeared in times of great need.

Yona has always been considered "blessed" because of her vibrant red hair, even though it's something she's always hated about herself because it made her stand out so much, marked her as different from everyone around her. She learns it's because it's said she was born with the blessing of Hiryuu, as he was known to have this same color and none else had ever sported it in their kingdom, leading many to believe she might be his soul reborn. The priest listens to the gods for her but ultimately tells her she must choose her own path forward - to decide what she must become and who she wants to be.

She thinks on that long and hard and her answer at the start is, she wants to survive. She doesn't want to ever have to watch others sacrifice themselves for her so that she might live, ever again. Seeing something promising in her resolve, the priest directs her to seek out the legendary souls of the four ancient dragons, still dwelling protected in the territories of her kingdom, although they've long hidden away through the years, awaiting the return of their beloved king. The priest sends with her his own young protege and ward, a young man named Yoon who has looked after him for many years now, who possesses all the common survival skills that both Hak and his very sheltered princess are clearly lacking in.

4) The main premise of the anime covers the following arcs that have Yona traipsing around the far corners of her kingdom in search of the elusive ancient tribes of Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire. In order to survive, she needs the aid and the protection of Hiryuu's ancient dragon protectors, though those souls have lived and died and been reborn through each generation ever since their original incarnation. Eventually, she does track them down and they all feel drawn to her, something in their spirit's recognizing who and what she is, even if she's not really aware she's anything special herself.

Kija, the White Dragon, possesses a feared dragon claw, his arm and hand in the shape of a dragon's and possessing all its strength. He is revered among his tribe and practically worshipped and pampered by them, as they have stuck to the old traditions and never forgotten who it is that dwells among them. The other tribes, however, have not fared so well. Shin-Ah is the Blue Dragon, possessing dragon eyes that can see to the soul of a person. It has a terrible power - and a terrible price - and the tribe believes they are cursed by a monster that is continually reborn among them. Unlike Kija, Shin-Ah has grown up locked away, feared and hated and reviled as a symbol of cursed luck among his people. Jae-Ha is the Green Dragon, possessing a dragon's leg, granting him speed, a powerful kick, and the ability to leap so high it seems like he can fly. Somewhere along the way, his tribe had started imprisoning the green dragons to keep them hidden away and he lived much of his young life locked away, his legs shackled to keep him contained and weak, until he finally managed to escape and fled, hoping to leave his legacy behind him forever.

Except upon meeting Yona, each of these dragons feel a deep resonance with her, the desire to follow and protect and stay close by her side. Even Jae-Ha who wanted to hate her and run as far as he could from his despised destiny, could not resist how he was drawn to her. The fact that she was so genuine and honest and driven in all she does impresses him as well and eventually, he, too, reluctantly agrees to join her.

Which leaves Zeno as the last of the dragons, the Yellow Dragon. Unlike his kin, he has no tribe and no one knows where to find him. He's rumored to have a strong body (as they all have one specific part gifted to them by their ancestors). But fortunately, the lack of clues don't stall them too long since Zeno instead finds them and reveals he felt them all come together, so he followed as well. They also learn, in time, that unlike the others, Zeno's soul has not been reincarnated over generations - yes, he has a strong body of a dragon when it is needed, but it comes with its own terrible price - immortality. He is the original Yellow Dragon and has wandered the earth since his time at Hiryuu's side, despite his eccentric and often erratic childlike personality that makes him seem much younger and more immature than the other normally-aged dragons.

This is where the anime comes to a close, having followed Yona's journey to gather her protectors to her side, watching her grow from sheltered princess to determined rebel exile. Refusing to let herself be stopped and to forge her own path ahead, to protect those important to her and what's more, to learn the truth behind that terrible night and its cause. In the path of that journey, she practiced archery every night until her fingers bled and she nearly dropped in exhaustion, but she could no longer obey her father's desire to never touch a weapon - not when she has people she wishes to protect, and not when she never wants to feel that helpless ever again. Once she's mastered those skills, she picks up a blade, even though Hak is initially against teaching her this, because he fears it's too dangerous and puts her too close to danger when fighting in close quarters. but even he is helpless to deny her in the face of her determination. No longer naive and sheltered, she's looking around her at the world she once took for granted and seeing it for what it really is, and those around her for who they really are. She has learned all too well the consequences of careless actions and words. And unlike her father, she will fight for what she believes is right. There's a fierce fire that burns in her, and she won't let anyone stand in her way to forge her own path forward with her own two hands.

5) The manga continues on from here and has several arcs that deal with more of the political goings-on both within and outside of Kouka. It reveals many more of the intrigues and struggles in various regions of Kouka that are a direct result of Il's not protecting his territory as best he could, or not having seen corrupt nobles for who and what they were. Kouka's neighboring countries are just as fraught with political intrigues and test Kouka's borders frequently, leading Yona and her dragons into conflicts and negotiations behind the scenes where they make some enemies but also powerful allies among the nobles of various territories and bordering kingdoms.

We also learn more about the dragons, the legend behind them, the prices that come with their powers, and the limits those powers have. Through it all is woven a hidden background and a mysterious prophecy about Yona that even she herself has not yet uncovered (as the story stands). She goes through many terrible times, being captured and enslaved, having to fight on multiple battlefields, racing across the countryside alone to protect her people from a deadly enemy. In the most current arcs, which she will be coming in from, she was taken hostage by an enemy king hoping to use her as bribery to force her dragons to fight for him against Kouka - at the cost of her life if they refused. They played along for a while, but Yona was not treated well for a captive, and then nearly died in a fire at the end, unable to escape her confinement until Hak found her at the last moment.

Coming out of this terrible hostage scenario, she comes face to face with the rescuing army - and Soo-Won at its head. In order to save her dragons and return them to Kouka so they can heal from their own sustained injuries (being outside the borders of their sworn land weakens them to near-mortal healing), she agrees to hand herself over to Soo-Won as a political hostage and the manga arc currently has her being contained and cut off alone in her old rooms, separated from everyone she knows. It's the first time she's returned to the castle since that terrible night and she's alone to deal with both that trauma and the fear of what will become of her now, and how she can continue to protect those most important to her - even if she has to do so completely alone for the first time.

Personality:

Yona's personality undergoes a pretty sharp change in comparison between the beginning of the series and the later portions. Although those changes do happen very swiftly, as witnessing her father's murder at the hands of her beloved cousin have her growing up from the naive and sheltered princess very quickly. When we first meet her, she's portrayed as sheltered and innocent, very immature and pampered. Because of this, she can be pretty self-centered and spoiled, but it's not out of maliciousness or cruelty, more out of it doesn't occur to her to think outside the little gilded cage she's always lived in as protected and sheltered princess. Even then, she is shown to be mindful of those around her and the picture she must present to the world, the responsibilities that rest on her shoulders as her father's heir. Whether it's going out of her way not to cause more trouble or bother those who serve her, or hiding her tears when she's meant to be brave, Yona is a princess who tries her best and wants those around her to be happy, too - even if she's not always great at communicating that.

But that naive and pampered side dies a quick death along with the rest of her finery and privilege as a princess. Having to flee with only the clothes on her back, with her father's blood still on her hands, the shock and horror sets in and leaves her nearly catatonic with grief. For a while she drifts, not sure who she can trust or if anything she'd believed in back then was real, when it had all crashed so swiftly and terrible. Only Hak remains by her side, and in the end, he becomes her strength and her motivation, because just as he would give his life to protect her, she feels the same way for him. Except he's a lot more skilled at that than she is, so she sets out to change that as well.

Learning to survive in the outside world does not happen overnight. Living and traveling in the wilderness is harsh and dangerous and she knows hunger and fear and cold and pain. Never once does she complain about it, however, because she's determined to keep up with Hak, even when she's exhausted and soaked. She refuses to let herself be a burden and always tries her all to find the bright side, no matter what challenges they face together. As their little party grows with her protectors and companions, we see more facets of her personality unfold, who she is as a person flourishing as she rises to meet each need, learning more about herself, about the world around her. She takes on each new day with a sense of adventure and determination, forging ever forward and not looking back.

To conquer her fear and helplessness, she learns to wield a bow, even though she starts out with no real talent for it and her hands are soft and uncalloused. She's not afraid of the hard work and hours required to master it, however, and doesn't stop until she's certain she can protect those around her as best she can. She learns to cook and the basics of medicine from Yoon. She learns about her country and the truth of the people that live in it as she travels from territory to territory. She tends to the sick, she looks after the poor, she frees those who are being oppressed or enslaved. Where she finds an injustice, she rights it. She might not be Kouka's ruler, but she doesn't let that stop her from doing the right thing wherever she goes - no matter the danger or personal cost to her herself. She confesses often to being afraid, but she doesn't let that stop her. And when questioned about how she can still press forward despite her fear, she confesses that in comparison, nothing is as terrifying to her as "that night", meaning her final night in the castle. It gives her a perspective to balance her other struggles by and in that she can still take strength from it to keep going.

She learns the consequences of careless thoughts and actions. Although she has more than her fair share of impulsive moments, she also measures her words and her actions carefully. She has excellent skills as a negotiator and gets plenty of practice at it, especially when dealing with kings and nobles of enemy territories who pose a threat to her or her people. She hones a tactical mind, able to assess a situation or a person with accurate judgment. She comes at problems with an open mind and is intuitive and creative in her solutions. She's just as willing to sit down and share her meal with a pauper as she would have been any of the lords at her father's palace. She's not prideful and arrogant and there's something in her that inspires and touches those around her, as if her very presence becomes a beacon of hope to those who need it most.

Yona inspires those around her, often in different ways, but she is optimistic, driven, determined, hopeful, and protective. Her companions often remark that watching her struggle to overcome a fear or a conflict often inspires them to be better, or to be of more aid to her. While she looks frail and frightened, she carries an immense weight of responsibility on her shoulders but she does not falter under it. Even when her hands shake with fear or pain or weariness, she still grips her bow tightly to take aim. When she is backed into a corner, there is a fire in her eyes that makes her enemies waver and fall back in the face of her determination and conviction.

She remains idealistic and eager to learn throughout her journey through Kouka and its neighboring countries and the more she discovers she is ignorant about, the more she seeks to remedy this. Even when she gains the strength and assistance of the four sacred dragons, she doesn't turn her attention immediately to regain her father's throne, instead turning to learn more of the land and its people herself, believing that she can do more good as just Yona than as a Princess or ruler. Instead of revenge, she focuses instead on healing the hurts and scars left in the wake of countless wars and her own father's naive ideals. Yona is sincere and driven and it's possibly because she does not demand things of the people she encounters that they end up becoming so inspired and willing to aid her, whether it be the dragons she seeks or the people in the villages and cities she travels through and leaves ultimately changed for the better in her wake.

The comparison between her and Hiryuu in this sense has been made very clear. He, too, loved people and walked among them, helping those he encountered and bettering the lives of those whose paths he crossed. Even when he was betrayed and hurt and in danger, he didn't falter, just continued his path forward with his faithful companions at his side, forging a strong and happy kingdom for those who sought the safety and dreams of such a place. Yona's path, though full of hardship, seems to be shaping her in the same way, and pointing her in a similar direction.

Abilities & Skills:

So despite being the reborn/reincarnated soul of a dragon god, Yona is astonishingly normal in the physical/magical sense. Although I'd be open to playing with those who can sense such things or might feel that depth of presence in her soul, overall Yona is exactly how she appears - a slim young girl with oddly-vibrant red hair and violet eyes.

She grew up having a very sheltered life and it's only in the past year or so that she's had to fend for herself. But having witnessed her father murdered in front of her and having been helpless to save herself or anyone important to her, she has committed herself to the cause of never being that afraid and helpless ever again. To that end, she trained day and night until her fingers were raw and bloody but she never complained. Now, a year later, she is a master marksman with a bow and has started mastering a few styles of swordplay as well. She's also learned quite a few hand-to-hand and brawler's moves, as well as some powerful kicks from her companions' fighting styles, all of which vary wildly from one another due to their origins in various tribes and regions of her country.

She is intelligent and wise, often able to assess and come to a strategic decision with a swiftness that hints at her agile mind. One that's had to grow up very quickly and survive wars, assassination attempts, and all manner of other dangers while surviving on the run and in exile - often in the uninhabited wild regions of her kingdom, or the less-than-reputable border towns. She is usually even-tempered and an expert at negotiation, but she will also not hesitate to call someone on their shit if she senses unfairness or cruelty or injustice. She is extremely adept at seeing to the heart of a matter - or to the heart of a person she is interacting with, having learned to be an excellent judge of character and also assess for herself what her opinion should be about them - no matter what rumor or appearances might first hint at. It is this ability to meet with people with her own open-mindedness that draw so many to her, no matter who they are.

She had an extensive education growing up as a princess and her father's sole heir, being groomed to reign after him one day. That included all sorts of literature, philosophy, history, arts, music, and any number of things that might have been considered necessary of the age. The only thing she'd been forbidden was any knowledge of weapons and fighting - something her father had stood firm on until his sudden murder had made her take up learning this as a necessity.

Inventory/Companions:

1) one very intelligent and playful squirrel named Ao who rides around almost constantly on her shoulder.
2) one old bow and quiver from Hak she has carried on her person since early in her journey
3) one short sword borrowed from Jae-Ha to learn swordplay, typically worn in a sheath at her waist.
4) her travelling clothes - nothing special and allows her to blend in just about anywhere. The only keepsake she has from her former appearance as "princess" is the gold fringe earrings with the beads of jade she still wears from her ears.
5) one ornate hairpin, usually kept hidden away and tucked out of sight - never worn.

Choice: Witch
Reason:

While the temptation to go the dragon route with her was very strong, at her core, Yona tends to be the central figure in her party that draws in others around her. All throughout her canon, she's only managed to have the power she's forged and mastered herself. She has no innate magic, no special abilities. But she has her spirit and her drive and I want to carry that determination on in this setting as well, seeing where she can take it with new avenues that are opening up to her, and power she can wield in her own hands - but still requires the support and connections of bonds that she often comes to cherish more than anything.

Sample:
TDM Top-Level