[Daoyi] Reference
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-- Daoyi
An enigmatic figure that styles herself as a reclusive, impassive vagabond. Though deficient in all these aspects, Daoyi's slow demeanor hides both her penchant for explosive movement and earthly hedonism - both terrible qualities of a supposed 'hermit'. She's been a spectator and instigator of trouble in equal measure, reaping the benefits of her transient state while shirking the responsibilities of her religious duty.
Her family hopes for her ascension - To leave behind this world and live immortal as their bloodline's personal god. On the surface, it's a pleasure to serve, but outside and in she's torn between this world and the next. Mortal or otherwise, she knows duty is the one thing she can't walk away from.
Table of Contents
BackstoryBorn at a young age, Daoyi was spirited away from the hospital by her biological parents. Her inheritance of every recessive gene at once resulted in her markedly human appearance.
She was the youngest in a family where her siblings had either left or stayed for days at a time, As a result, Daoyi lived unremarkably in her childhood years. The gourd was an heirloom artifact that boasted a regenerating stock of wine, and by accident she found that it granted her powers on first consumption. Seeking to take advantage of this rare occasion, she was spurred on to continue absorbing the liquor in hopes that she would finally be of use.
However, she became disillusioned over her inability to achieve godhood after several years, primarily because of her own ineptitude. In addition, events that unfolded during that time and escalated from her involvement continued to jade her. After a particularly sour incident involving her own kidnapping, she decided that avoidance was the best way to continue living, and began roaming far from her parents' home, searching in vain for peace or understanding.
Daoyi would usually find herself pondering life in the sun, hiding from bandits or finding people to talk to, which would inevitably result in chaos due to misunderstandings as well as her own sour attitude. Well jaded from several of these encounters, a chance encounter with some kind of fox eventually led her to the Summer Leagues. PersonalityDaoyi is an impulse-driven person, knowing extensively of her world but very little of the people in it. Daoyi is well-versed in the ways people act in her world; Though she has a lot of stories to tell, she usually doesn't lend herself to situations where she can do so. She feels an absence of identity due to the stagnation of her duty, as well as having to stay in her homeland because of this obligation. She usually considers herself a 'force of nature' and treats herself somewhat as such, taking an apathetic if not cynical approach to the affairs of others and herself. Around other people, Daoyi tends to be awkward with dark logic, though she's positive wherever she can be; Whatever humor she derives either comes out dry or as a product of her own stupidity.
Without stimulus, her responsibilities as a future god tend to dictate her actions. As a result, she sees helping people and keeping a tidy and peaceful world as moreso part of the 'job'. Regardless, she has some empathy for the disenfranchised, though she's more likely to ignore a problem and just walk past if she can. Exceptions include especially egregious cases, or if by her own ineptitude she finds herself involved in said situations. Daoyi is aware how her indulgence in earthly delights and moral bankruptcy give off a corrupt image, and is reserved and embarrassed somewhat because of this.
Under the influence of 'the Wine' Daoyi is far more open and expressive. She becomes willing to confide in people, as well as louder and aware of her surroundings. She frequently doesn't remember some of her more 'fantastic' stunts in this state, but usually feels bad about the aftermath. Daoyi doesn't see her wine as a vice, but moreso an extension of her body, fighting off anyone that gets near it (even by accident) and in most cases, treating it better than she treats her own body. Her justification for this is that when she becomes her family's god, her body will go while the gourd will remain for whoever else is capable of taking the journey. Whatever contempt she has towards herself is usually short-lived when she becomes sober again. |
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Abilities
Divine possessions
This refers to Daoyi's wine, firecrackers and gourd. All three are crucial to her strategies in battle.
The wine has all the usual properties of alcohol: It is sticky, slippery in certain situations and highly flammable. The gourd produces enough to fill itself over a certain amount of time, and as long as no one is looking inside the gourd, it will continue to do so.
The wine inebriates people through both spiritual and physical avenues. This means that those physically strong but lacking in soulful strength, and vice versa, may find themselves somewhat susceptible, However, the main threat is with the gourd itself, as Daoyi's preferred method of attack is to swing and flail to beat her enemies down from unpredictable angles.
Daoyi keeps a large supply of miniature ball firecrackers, either as a distraction tool or as a readily available source to burn wine. The application of this ranges from simply throwing these at the opponent, denying opponents ground or self immolation. Daoyi makes these by shaping them from dirt, then filling with wine and some of her own power.
Martial prowess
Daoyi uses a hackneyed version of made-up techniques in tandem with recognized styles, though primarily drawing from movements associated with Drunken Fist. At far ranges, this is for kicking off and ricocheting her gourd and projectile attacks. Close up, it ensures that Daoyi isn't entirely defenseless, though she may be at a disadvantage regardless. Her style offers some agility, but usually relies on small hits progressing to larger, more punishing blows.
Daoyi can punch holes in her gourd so it leaks alcohol haphazardly, and patch it up with dirt. Her ability to take potshots by flicking firecrackers is decent.
Inhuman physiology
Owing to her drawing power from the gourd over such a long time, in larger quantities it replaces her blood and grants an especially hardy body. This helps with feats of strength and agility. In addition, though her limbs can break and she can be disoriented, having wine in her body ensures that she can fight off or prevent the effects somewhat. These benefits are less effective the less wine is in her body.
Strengths
Between her tough skin and slipperiness, Daoyi is a hard target to get a good hit on. Any blows that do hit square may just bounce off as she takes the chance to go for a counterattack on her own. In certain case scenarios, she will push an advantage farther than either party can stand to disorient her opponent.
Daoyi both needs and easily controls ground by either setting it aflame with alcohol fire, or establishing large stretches of wine and rock in her efforts to slip by and dodge attacks. The longer a battle transpires, the messier it becomes for her opponent until they're cramped with nowhere to run from her bludgeoning strikes.
With all her tools and combinations, she has some way to fight an enemy in any situation. This makes it somewhat uncertain to approach her first, and in worst case scenarios she may get several good hits in a row if she can improvise properly. This scenario usually gives her a head start in her game-plan, and recovering from one of these interactions may prove difficult.
Weaknesses
While Daoyi can control ground well, this means opponents that spend a lot of time airborne need a lot more work to put and bring down. Daoyi must rely on aerial gourd and firecracker techniques, the former of which is somewhat unreliable and the latter requiring far more resources to deny aerial space.
It is difficult for her to check how much wine is beaten out of her in the heat of battle. She may walk into blows that'd cripple her without the wine, or be prone to unexpected attacks while she attempts to 'refill'. Especially dangerous for her is a sober state, as not only does she begin to overthink but she can easily be overwhelmed and beat down due to her slow moving speed (without stained ground).
By restraining a limb, taking away one of her weapons or staying out of view one may heavily cripple her ability to fight at certain ranges and angles. Having her spend all her firecrackers stands out, as it prevents her from disorienting her enemy and trading favorably.
Gallery
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First reference of Daoyi (click to enlarge) |
Daoyi in alternative medium |
Miscellaneous sketches |
Author's Notes
- Daoyi's visual and character motifs are a mess of tangentially related characters. Includes but is not limited to: Suika Ibuki, Dionysus (Hades), the main character of Disco Elysium and Isaac from the Castlevania animated series.
- The goal of Daoyi is to write a 'hero' where it's emphasized that she fights herself with just as much, if not more effort than her enemies. Hopefully, there is a lot of inner conflict with her own purpose as well as her place in the world and how she relates to others. A lot of chaotic tangents, but a fun character at the end of the day ONE CAN ONLY HOPE
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