Lord Shen
Lord Shen
shenprof.jpg
Continuity Kung Fu Panda 2
Age ???
Species Peacock
Hair Feather Color White
Eye Color Red
District Northern District
Journal disshension
Player Aya
Theme Song (Optional)

"Happiness must be taken, and I will take mine."

History

In the time of Ancient China in a land populated by animals that acted like people, the Peacock family once ruled the city of Gongmen. They were especially renowned and respected for their invention of fireworks, such as brought beauty and joy to the people, as well as prosperity to the city. Unfortunately the son of the Peacocks, Shen, saw potential in a more destructive purpose for the fireworks his family had created. This troubled his mother and father, which led them to seek the advice of their Soothsayer. She foretold that should Shen continue on this path, he would meet his defeat by a warrior of black and white.

Lord Shen had overheard this prophecy, and unwilling to accept such a fate, he took it upon himself to change it. With an army of wolves, Shen attacked a panda village, seeking to slaughter them all. When he returned to his father and mother, he expected them to be proud of his actions, but instead, all he saw was their horror. Although it pained them to do so, they banished their son for his crimes. Angered by this, Shen swore that he would return, and that China would be his to rule.

In his exile he continued to experiment with the destructive properties of fireworks, eventually perfecting it into the form of a weapon. It was a weapon that breathed fire and spit metal, a cannon that would even overpower the art of Kung Fu. He had bided his time, and it was decades later that would be the unveiling of his new-found power.

Thirty years had passed, and without an heir to the throne, Gongmen City was placed under the stewardship of the Kung Fu Council. It was around this time that Shen made his debut, returning to the city after effortlessly dispatching the guards and slicing through the gates. His arrival was not well received by the Kung Fu Council under the leadership of Thundering Rhino, and although Shen had no trouble in taking on Masters Croc and Storming Ox, he realized he was no match for the Rhino. Unfortunately, it was Thundering Rhino who would be the first to taste the power of Shen's cannon.

Thus went the first step in Lord Shen's plan. After subjugating the Council and the entirety of Gongmen City, he made preparations to begin his conquest of China. The old Soothsayer however warned him that his future had not changed, telling him that he would be defeated by a warrior of black and white. Loathe to believe such a thing, he was unfortunately forced to entertain the possibility when his subordinate, the Wolf Boss, returned with news that he had seen a panda warrior. He ordered that the panda be brought to him so that Shen could kill him and break free of the Soothsayer's prophecy. It wasn't long before the Dragon Warrior and the Furious Five were brought to him, having heard of the news of Thundering Rhino's death and the threat to Kung Fu. However Lord Shen was astonished and even amused that the so-called Dragon Warrior Po didn't seem to have any recollection of what part the peacock had played in his past.

The Furious Five plus one wasted no time in trying to finish their objective, which was to destroy the weapon Shen had created. Thinking they had succeeded, they were unable to catch Shen as Po had a momentary lapse when a vision was sparked upon seeing the red eyes of Shen's tail feathers, allowing the peacock to escape. Lord Shen had many more cannons at the ready, ordering them fired upon the tower, his ancestral home, in order to try destroying the Kung Fu warriors who had sought to stop him.

Concerned that the panda was still around, Lord Shen sped up his efforts to ready his ships for launch, ordering the weapons to be loaded so that they could set sail immediately. The Soothsayer warned him that the path he was on would only bring him to destruction, imploring him to rethink things and cease his plans. She told him that his parents had loved him and in banishing him, they had died because of the anguish for their son. While this gave him pause, Lord Shen had made up his mind to carry through with his ambitions. He set the Soothsayer free and went to seize his destiny. This time he was prepared to face Po when the panda tried to sneak into the old fireworks factory where the cannons were being stored, the latter of which unbeknownst to him had accidentally thwarted the plans of his friends as the Furious Five was set on blowing the whole place down. Lord Shen toyed with Po about the truth of his parents before eventually blowing him away with another massive cannon. Believing to have killed Po, the peacock had the ships set out for the harbor, the Furious Five captured and chained to be the witnesses of the end of Kung Fu (because that's a big deal).

Blasting bridges in his path, Lord Shen was convinced that he was at this point unstoppable. That was when a familiar lump appeared on a rooftop, the same panda that had been giving him so much trouble lately. Annoyed that it seemed no matter how many times he'd killed Po, the panda just kept coming back, Shen ordered his soldiers to take aim and fire. Po didn't make it easy for them, moving around and hopping aboard the boats to keep them from using the cannons to avoid catching each other in the crossfire. The wolves were ordered to attack, but Po managed to free the Furious Five, and together they started to thin the ranks of Shen's minions. With the addition of their Master Shifu as well as the previously imprisoned Storming Ox and Croc, they created a blockade out of Shen's own boats to hinder them from making it out to the harbor. Growing more frustrated as he saw his forces dwindling, Lord Shen ordered the Wolf Boss to fire the main cannon, although the wolf wouldn't do so as it meant to fire upon their own men. If you want something done, then you've got to do it yourself- words Shen apparently lived by as he killed the wolf without hesitation, and leaping atop the cannon, he lit the fuse and fired at the Kung Fu warriors who dared stand against him, throwing them into the harbor and destroying the blockade that barred his ships from passing.

The Kung Fu masters were in bad shape, but Po still had enough strength in him to stand before Shen. Having found Inner Peace, he intercepted the volley of cannonballs fired his way, destroying what was left of Shen's cannons. Po attempted to talk to Shen about bad life decisions, but the peacock would have none of that. In desperation and out of fury, he attacked Po himself, his incessant attacks keeping the Dragon Warrior on the defensive. Unfortunately in his rage, Shen completely disregarded the damages done by each swing of his guandao, which ultimately loosened the mangled remnants of the heavy main cannon and caused it to fall, crushing him.

Personality

From early on, Shen proves to be an ambitious soul. He was enticed by power and saw the darker quality of something that his parents had created for enjoyment, twisting it into a destructive force. He wanted to be acknowledged for taking fate into his own wings, and he wanted to establish himself by a means of his choosing.

Given that the means of changing his fate was to raze a panda village and kill everyone in it, it's probably safe to say that his sanity is a little questionable. He slaughtered innocents to ensure that he would not fail in his ambitions, and he fully expected his parents to approve of his actions when he returned, not seeing it as some heinous crime committed, but one worthy of praise for he sought to make is own fate, not be directed by some prophecy of an old goat. He didn't understand why they looked at him in horror, and when his punishment came, it only became fuel for anger and vengeance. Shen sees himself as the victim, wronged by his parents and robbed of what should rightfully be his.

He's prideful and shameless, doing anything and everything to get what he wants. He looks down on others and seems to have little care for anyone, much less respect for his parents, feeling that he'd been betrayed. He believed that his parents hated him for what he had become, and that feeling has festered within his very being. Believing that his chance for happiness has been robbed of him, he has become heartless and cares little for others, only seeing a means to an end. The most one would see of Shen being anything resembling caring is when he speaks a final time with the Soothsayer, who had been around even when his parents were ruling and had likely watched him grow. Her words had been a revelation to him, that his parents loved him so much that they had died from the heartache of banishing their son. While perhaps he may have felt regret, it was but brief. He had come too far to turn back, and he wasn't going to look back at the past, keeping his sights fixed on the future. He feels that happiness is something to be taken, and he intends to do just that. However, he allows the Soothsayer to go unharmed, another bit of the past to turn his back upon.

For as terrible as his plans with gunpowder are, there is no denying Shen's brilliance in being able to conceive such weapons, and the design of his cannons are no simple matter. He has put thought into adjustment of height and direction, as well as a short fuse for immediate ignition. Undoubtedly he puts a lot of personal time and effort into his creations, including his experimentation with fireworks and the powder that fuels them. His feet bear the scars of one who has played with too much fire. With all the investment he has put into things, it only adds to his desire to see things to completion. That even means the sacrifice of his own soldiers, as proven by his readiness to fire the cannons despite them being in the way. He's a dangerous individual with an unwavering vision, stubborn enough that he won't even allow himself a second thought to turn from the dark path of his choosing.

Shen has a bit of a flare for drama and theatrics. He likes to build suspense, and he likes to make a show of his magnificent cannons. It's like a twisted version of his parents' legacy, in a way. He might be a little sadistic, and he enjoys seeing fear and distress in others. He wants to be in the right, and he's willing to twist the wrong to make it so, unwilling to bend to expectations if it doesn't align with what he wants. That doesn't mean that he's without fear himself. Even though he would never admit it, news of a panda still living and breathing made him anxious, and he was fully prepared to acknowledge this warrior of black and white who was foretold to defeat him as some sort of arch-nemesis, not that it worked out very well given Po's obliviousness.

He likes when things go according to plan, but when they begin to unravel at the seams, then he tends to lose his cool, as well as his temper. If things aren't going his way, then he lashes out both verbally and physically, usually at his subordinates. He has little patience if things or people are being difficult, and if he's at the end of his rope, he gets desperate. But even he knows when he has sealed his fate, and in that moment, he seems almost accepting of it.

Abilities

While not formally known as a master, Lord Shen is skilled enough in his techniques that he can go toe-to-toe with two masters of the Kung Fu Council simultaneously. He also holds his own against Po rather well. His style is fluid, quick and graceful, not a single movement wasted when it comes to dealing with an opponent. His maneuvers are continuous and showcase his excellent handling of balance for each pivot and turn, each sweep and strike. He specializes in interception and countering, but he is just as dangerous on the offensive.

A formidable opponent to fight both at range and in close combat, he has many weapons at his disposal carefully hidden within his robes. He is armed with a number of feather-shaped throwing knives, those of which he can throw with deadly precision although they're just as effective up close. He's lightning fast when it comes to the draw, and likewise can be said for when he pulls out the wave-edged blade of his glaive (guandao). Said weapon can be used for attacks in close quarters but also gives him a good range with its swing, and he can use it with proficiency. He's also hidden a coil of rope up his sleeves, that of which he uses to ensnare Storming Ox's horn to yank him down in mid-attack during that first encounter. Shen wears metal armor-like talons on his feet, and he makes use of his feet just as casually as he would a pair of hands, grabbing and tossing, or even blocking or diverting attacks. He also uses the metal as a striker to ignite his cannons.

Shen also makes good use of his tail plumage, long and unwieldy as it might appear. When fully fanned out, it can be quite intimidating, but he also uses it to glide from high places. His tail serves as an extra appendage, that of which he uses to balance upon or sweep his opponents off their feet. It also serves as a cover, concealing his next move.

While he won't have any with him, he's fully knowledgeable in the use of explosives and designing cannons, and given his ingenuity and interest in dabbling with destructive power, there'd be nothing stopping him from toying with anything new at his disposal.

Relationships

Important relationships and connections.

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