Information
Minecraft username
- Henwy_
Character name
- Honu Hanri
Character age
- 28
Link to character introduction
What element are you applying for mastery over?
- Earth
Bending instructors
Number of mastery lessons completed
- 12-14 (approx.)
[ ! ] I’ve been working towards mastery since before this system was introduced, so my lessons don’t exactly align with the current system, although I’ve still done the same qualitative amount (if not more) of roleplay.
Master moves completed
-
Dust Stepping
-
Magnetisation
-
Dust Storm
Why do you deserve the title of master?
Honu’s mastery is something I have been working on since March 2021 and I have made sure to treat the entire journey with integrity. Honu is known for, and has been defined by, his weakness and lack of adeptness when it comes to earthbending. So, during this process I made sure to stay true to his character. I did this through depicting the immense struggle he has gone through whilst trying to become a proficient bender, it required him to not only overcome physical challenges, through consistent workouts and strength conditioning, but also mental challenges, such as reconnecting with his mother and believing more in himself. A large part of Honu’s mastery was less about his actual bending and more about his character development, as it was his attitude and lack of self-belief which hindered him so much. Since I started Honu’s journey, it has been realistic and has proven to be a big part of Honu’s life, in which he has experienced great adventures, met new people, and been able to demonstrate his ability to help others.
As a master, Honu will have many new opportunities to explore, which will benefit myself and others - I do have some specific ideas in mind but I want them to be somewhat secretive and be explored naturally. However, I am certain that I will remain authentic to Honu’s character despite being a master, acknowledging his childhood struggle with bending and enveloping that into the bending style he adopts. In regard to his bending style, I plan it to be unique and more about agility and acute abilities, rather than brute force like traditional earthbending. I have already been showing this through the mastery moves he has learnt: dust stepping, and magnetisation, and dust storm, as these reflect his nature of being quite small, timid, and not as strong as those around him. He also has a focus on seismic sense, which is one of his main abilities, and a niche I hope to make a large part of his character. He first learnt this ability from a scroll he discovered and has been perfecting it ever since - I plan to develop it even more as a master, which would allow him to show a higher talent and understanding of the ability, as well integrating it as a core part of his bending style.
What roleplay would you generate as a master?
While I plan to have most of the roleplay generated by Honu remain within the realm of Earth Kingdom politics and governmental affairs, I do think him being a master could generate some interesting storylines. As I stated, has grown proficient in his seismic sense and may be able to hone that down to be acute enough to become a truthseeker. This could be very useful in terms of court roleplay, or just anything around general life, but mainly in terms of his profession. I also am open to Honu exploring a vigilante path, which would generate interesting roleplay by giving the opportunity for him to be both the ‘hero’ and ‘villain’, depending on the perspective of the other characters. This can be nice for those who are looking for conflict, especially when we have a lack of villains within the current state of RP.
I am also willing to teach others if it comes up IRP, so that would be a way to generate RP too and give others a path towards mastery and perfecting the bending of their own characters. Through doing this, I should be able to help motivate others and involve them into bending RP, which is quite highly desired by the player-base.
Knowledge Showcase
[ ! ] I did write quite a bit so please feel free to take your time reviewing this. Absolutely no rush!
Choose a move you have learned and roleplay how you would teach it to a student. Explain what the move does and describe the form, movements, and technique required to perform it. How does it connect to your element? How can it be used practically outside of lessons?
Honu found an open clearing where he took his student to learn the ability of seismic sense. He felt this clearing was the perfect spot because not only was it relatively empty, but it also had some trees, boulders, and bushes dotted around that would act as good practise for obstacle navigation. He sat him and his student on the grass.
“Right, today I want to teach you the ability of seismic sensing. It is something a few earthbenders can do… but only to a small extent, and it takes immense time and practise to be able to truly hone it down and refine the ability towards viable precision. This ability comes directly from our badgermole teachers.” Honu told his student, evoking a tone of reminiscence. “I was fortunate enough to meet some of these badgermoles with a dear friend of mine, which is where I discovered this ability - and we found an ancient scroll shortly after which truly taught me how to use it.”
Honu began explaining the move in more detail, discussing how it works best on flat ground, with a wide and balanced stance, and retelling an anecdote of when he tried to do it on a dusty floor and ended up stubbing his toe a plethora of times.
“…This is because the vibrations will be clearer and crisper on hard earth, as opposed to being muffled and indecipherable on softer earth…”
He then developed more detail into the actual technique. He told his student to try and find a sense of tranquillity. Honu stressed the importance of feeling ‘as one’ with the earth, and ensured his student let their feet and soul unionise with the ground beneath them.
“The logic of the technique follows as this: the larger movements you do, the further your sense will see - but with distance, precision is lost. If you do smaller, more acute movements, then your precision and accuracy will be heightened - but obviously, you cannot see as far. Learning when to prioritise accuracy or distance is paramount for mastering this ability, and will largely come from natural, practical use over time. However, one thing I learnt was the value of mixing both in quick succession. You will perhaps find yourself in contexts where you need both up-close precision, and a vague knowledge of what is going on in the distance - the way we handle this is through mixing both types of movement. You do this through constantly sliding your feet accords the ground… like a crab!” Honu laughed at his little zoomorphic comparison at the end, mimicking nipping claws with his hands.
He guided his student through the motions at first, they initially couldn’t really read the vibrations. Honu decided sensory deprivation was needed and told his student to adopt a blindfold. This method of teaching helped as the student now had no option but to read the seismic vibrations, or else they were entirely blind. Honu set them the task of navigating a maze he had made, using the pre-existing natural obstacles paired with some he had bent himself. After a short while the student, with many mistakes, was able to complete the course.
Honu sat the student back down. “Well done, you seem to understand the basics. I recommend you train yourself over the next coming weeks. I also recommend doing it in areas you haven’t explored before, whilst in the dark or blindfolded if possible.” He instructed with a smile. “This ability has been monumental to earthbending, it was the crux of discovering metalbending, and can be used in so many ways to aid us throughout life… whether that be in combat, where our vision is compromised, or navigating tunnels and uneasy paths. In fact, I read in my scroll that the best of those who can read seismic senses - far beyond my own ability - are able to read the small vibrations so perfectly that they can track the smallest of biological changes. Allegedly, this can be used as a means to ‘truthseek’…” He said whilst using his hands to do air quotes. “…as you can observe a change in heart rate and breathing pace when someone lies, although I personally have never met someone who holds this ability - so for all I know it could just be a myth, but an interesting parting thought nonetheless.” Honu told his student, who bowed at him silently.
“Anywho, class dismissed. I hope to see you soon, and make sure you practice, I’ll be able to tell if you don’t!” Honu said as his student went back home, keeping on their blindfold on as they attempted to use their senses to navigate the path back.
Please respond in character to one of the following scenarios. Choose one that will help showcase your character’s relevant skills and creativity! You may respond to both scenarios if you wish.
I wanted to do both but thought I’d show mercy to whoever is gonna have to review this xx.
Scenario
A devastating earthquake has struck a city in the cold, dead of night, causing widespread destruction and leaving many people injured. Many buildings have become unstable or collapsed altogether, trapping citizens and creating obstacles throughout the city. The air is thick with dust that creates a hazy atmosphere, obscuring visibility and making it hard to assess the extent of the damage. Fires have broken out in one area of the city. As the dust settles and the injured cry out for help, you emerge from where you had taken shelter…
Response
Honu woke up, submerged under a mountain of rubble, utterly dazed and unable to truly comprehend what was going on. He lay still, as if he were dead, trying to remember where on earth he was. His memory came back to him, he had been sleeping in his Jehung villa… and somehow, he was here. He tried to remember anything else but then the adrenaline began to wear off and he could feel multiple sharp pieces of rock cutting into his abdomen. He winced out in pain, trying to slide his slender frame out of the rubble, but he couldn’t. He painfully gasped as he continued to try and push himself out, only making the scrapes on his body worse. He stopped, took a breath, and thoughtfully analysed the situation. ‘No more hesitation’ he told himself, as a means of establishing some self-motivation in this hopeless situation. There wasn’t enough room for him to properly bend the rocks away, but he was able to break them, cracking and crushing them bit by bit. Ignoring the pain as best he could, he eventually made himself enough space to heave out of the mighty collapse.
Clutching his side, Honu looked around at the devastation that surrounded him. Not only had his entire home been destroyed, but the whole of Jehung was in absolute misery. He could hear so many screams all at once that it just didn’t feel real. Fires from a distance shone a burning red glow that was exasperated by the dusty atmosphere, visibility had been diffused from reality. He stood, petrified and in shock, until a desperate woman ran up to him and begged for help.
“My house! My home! It’s all gone. I can’t find my wife. Please help!”
Honu nodded at her with a trembling chin, still unable to make any form of speech due to his petrification. He let go of his side, feeling that the cuts weren’t deep enough to require any immediate attention - not that it would matter if they were, the luxury of time and medical care was not available right now. In the meantime, he ripped off one of his silk sleeves, and tied his bloody wounds, tightly. He could only hope that this would reduce any haemorrhaging and numb the infectious, burning pain.
Honu inhaled deeply, slightly choking on the smoke, and broke off into a sprint. He ran past the fallen Hiqora shrine, down towards the massacred resort, rationalising the best approach to take as the world blurred around him. Instinctively, he decided to B-line towards his learning centre. Yet, the dust of the earthquake hindered his vision too much and despite knowing the layout of the town like the back of his hand, he was unable to orientate himself. He clasped his hands together and parted them with a strong force. Allowing the motion of his arms to slice the dust in front of him, forcing it to dissipate in either direction. He noticed the top spire of the learning centre. He thrusted his clenched fists down towards the ground to jerk a slab of earth upwards, which propelled him into the air, gaining him much more distance than he could by running on foot. Whilst in the air, he closed his eyes, focussing on the dust around him. He had to use his surroundings to his advantage if he was going to save these people. He made a pinching motion with one hand, pulling up a thin pillar of settled dust that he could land the tip of his foot on. As his foot landed on the pillar, he swiftly pressed upon it, propelling his momentum, and causing the dust to crumble back onto the ground. He followed through with a pinch of his other hand, bringing up another pillar to his other foot, and repeated the same technique.
Swiftly, he dust stepped towards his learning centre, but as he had got right there, he made a misstep and flew like a blind bird right towards the side of the building. Fortunately, instead of crashing into it, he was able to use his magnetisation to cling onto the side of the building, he heard the screams of two boarding students, who were stuck in the fiery building. The entrance had collapsed in on itself, leaving them no possible escape. Without hesitation, Honu began to scale the building by bending out individual tiles from the wall to act as steps. He reached the window of the top floor and smashed it a couple times with his elbow until it eventually broke - fragmenting his elbow in return.
“Here, let me help you out!” He called at them, at the top of his lungs so he could be heard over the ambient screams or terror. “Quick! We don’t have too much time on our hands!" He shouted in desperation, ushering them to come forward with his injured arm.
That seemed to get them out of their state of blank shock, and they ran towards him. Honu took one and slid down the wall, latching onto it with one connected magnetic palm. He then took the other and did the same. He landed on the ground with a thud, ensuring that he used the dust to cushion his fall, and he regained his balance. He looked at the two students, who were still in shock, and then looked back at the building.
“Run! Go to the outskirts of the town. I’m not sure what has happened but find Mayor Guffei, she’ll know what to do!”
As they ran away, Honu began to grow overstimulated with the ordeal, his audio senses were entirely overwhelmed with the persistent piercing screams, and his vision was getting blurred by the dust. In fact, the dust began to settle on his eyes, which felt as if a venom had been squeezed into both his eyeballs, scratching away at them by the second. He squeezed his eyes shut as forcefully as possible, not able to get himself to reopen them. He cursed Hiqora. ‘Think, Honu. Think!’. He ripped off one of his sleeves and tied it around his eyes, kicking off his shoes simultaneously, allowing his burnt, calloused feet to feel the ground. He adopted a wide stance, allowing him to feel as balanced and connected to the earth as possible. Then he tried to deprive his focus from his hearing, drowning out the screams into a numbing silence, focusing only on his breath. He felt one with the earth, his body becoming merely an extension of it. He slid his foot across the ground. He could feel the vibrations of the screams, and the vibrations of the fire, and vibrations of people running away, and the vibrations of herding animals. Despite having his eyes blindfolded, his seismic sense provided him a far better vision than he had before. He could feel practically everything. Yet, he was able to sense something that wasn’t running, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. He placed his foot flat onto the stone below him, bending away any dust that could possibly make his senses less acute. He sensed that someone was trapped under the statue from the town square.
Honu rushed towards their direction, swiping himself across the ground in a way which ensured his feet could keep connection to the ground as much as possible, in order to maintain sight of his surroundings. As he bent round the corner to the town square, he felt the consequences of blindness. Due to only being able to see the seismic sensations, he failed to realise that where he was about to step was a plank of wood engulfed in flames. The flame playfully decided to spread its hungry reign over Honu’s lower body. As Honu’s foot landed on the plank of wood, he winced out in pain and fell to the ground. He quickly rolled over and began to pat out the fire that had caught onto his lower pantleg of his pyjamas. He didn’t take off the blindfold because he could feel that there would still be dust in the atmosphere, which he didn’t have the time to dissipate. He bent down and touched the bottom of his right foot. It was torched, and stung to the touch, but it wasn’t anything too severe. He ripped off his other sleeve and wrapped it around his foot, then stood up and continued to limp towards the victim of the statue.
“I’m here to help you! Let me get you out of here!” Honu reassured them, as if he had done this before.
He took one more swipe of his foot, feeling where the statue had fallen and the rough shape of it. It was clearly made of dense stone and was going to be a heavy lift, something Honu was never very good with despite his bending proficiency. He took a deep breath and invoked a wide, low position. His legs were spread just ever so slightly more than shoulder-width and his elbows were bent outwards. It was a stance he had learnt from his masters that worked best for him, as it dispersed the tension of bending throughout his whole body, partially making up for his lack of physical strength. He took two fists and thrust them in the direction of the statue. Instantly, he could feel the tension of its weight rise through his legs, through his arms, and up to his neck. He began lifting the statue by raising his arms up ever so slightly. However, the sheer weight of the statue was proving to be quite the challenge… it made no levitation.
“Ahhhhhh! Please, hurry! My legs!” The victim cried out, whilst the statue’s weight was beginning to crush their bones.
“Yes, yes. I’m trying!” Honu replied strenuously.
With that, he tried to lift it again, making some more progress this time. The statue was moving off the ground and lifted off the victim’s legs, giving them some room to slide out from under it. Honu could feel the statue’s weight begin to overpower him, he was beginning to lose his balance. He tried to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground, but the statue was too heavy. He felt his feet begin to slide and his stance grow unstable. He knew it would fall, immanently.
“Quick! I can’t hold it for much longer!” Honu cried out, as the victim was nearly free… but then it dominated Honu’s muscles, and his limbs began to shake.
He tried to surge the statue to the side, but it was too late. The victim had almost got completely out from under it, but Honu trying to bend it to the side as a desperate attempt to regain control had meant that it landed right down onto their ankle, smashing it to pieces. The crunch was the most harrowing sound Honu had ever heard, a sound he knew he would never be able to shake out of his mind, one that would haunt him at night.
“I’m sorry! I’m so so sorry!” Honu stuttered as he rushed to roll the statue off the victim’s foot. “I promise I’ll get you out of here, I promise!” Honu said, not sure if he was trying to reassure the victim or himself.
Honu helped the victim up and began to limp away from the town square, towards the outskirts of the town. The two were hopeless due to their injuries, so Honu had to think fast if he were going to get them out of there alive. He pulled off his blindfold and looked around him, fortunately the dust had settled slightly. As he was searching for anything that could help, the only thing he saw the impending building that was about to collapse onto them. Faster than he ever had before, Honu pulled both of his arms upwards to his face and crossed them. This caused two sharp slabs of earth to shield them in the form of a shelter. The building crashed on top the shelter, causing it to crack and rain dust from within, but ultimately it was able to withstand the weight. Honu looked at the victim, who was in a manic state of tears and panic, and then looked at the shelter. He knew it wouldn’t last long. He took a deep breath and shot the shelter walls back into the ground. He then spun around on his left heel and serendipitously saw a gap in the forest where the mayor and citizens were evacuating.
“I know the way, just stay by my side.” Honu told the victim, grabbing them and holding them close. “Hold onto me, okay?”
Honu then, with only one free fist, as the other was holding onto this poor person for dear life, pushed with all his might onto the ground and then to the sky. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins, giving him the last bit of strength he needed, like a blessing from Hiqora. The earth beneath them launched both of them into the air, which was perhaps a reckless move from Honu considering both of them had suffered severe injuries, but he had no real choice. There was no alternative. They flew directly towards the gap in the forest, and Honu was able to quickly turn the ground into a sand-like state that would soften their fall and not sustain them any more injuries than they had already endured. Honu took the victim to two citizens holding an empty stretcher and laid them down. He didn’t have it in him to apologise for what happened to their foot, he just wanted to get out of there. Honu let the rest run off and stayed in the forest opening for a short moment.
He did his best; everyone seems to have been safely evacuated… but he doesn’t think he’ll ever forgive himself for failing that poor person. He wanted to give up. But, before he had any time to weep, he felt another seismic shockwave flood towards him from the volcano, it wasn’t over yet…
Thank you for reading! A whole bunch of screenshots are also available on request.