Last Voyages

[hidden_fragrance]

User Name/Nick: Petal
User DW: mocha_onigiri
E-mail: nefarioussagittarius@gmail.com
Other Characters: N/A

Character Name: Jin Guangyao (Meng Yao)
Series: The Untamed
Age: 33
From When?: [After his death facing Nie Mingjue’s vengeful spirit.]

Inmate/Warden: Inmate

Arrival: [(INMATES ONLY) --
His soul was snatched at the moment of death. Jin Giuangyao’s culture is that of ancient China. He’s likely to think this is some limbo or part of his reincarnation cycle. It would be fitting that he would be a prisoner considering he committed some pretty terrible acts in life. That’s not to say he’s wholly evil or incapable of acts of kindness or mercy, but he certainly earned his spot here through lies, betrayal, murder and (though unintentional and something he regrets mightily) incest.

Abilities/Powers:

Cultivation:(in Untamed banishing, binding , appeasing, sealing of ghosts, demons, undead)
He had a rough start due to shaky education, but this forced him to research more than one topic making him more versatile than a cultivator that has a specialized field.

One of the most dangerous techniques he picked up started out innocent enough. His close friend and sworn brother taught him the ‘Song of Clarity’ which can be played on the Guqin. However, he broke into Cloud Recesses' forbidden library and switched some lines out with the ‘Song of Turmoil’ which he used to slowly but surely poison the mind of his other sworn brother and former mentor, Nie Mingjue. This lead to the man’s qi deviation and death.

Chord Assassination:
The use of guqin strings as garrote.

Travel by Sword:
Pretty much what it sounds like. Every cultivator has a sword which houses a spirit. They can lay their sword horizontal, balance on it, and travel through the air. Think witches on a broom, just standing instead of sitting.

Sword play: What you'd expect of competent swordsmanship. No magic there.

Photographic memory: He never never forgets something he’s seen whether it’s a face, a map or enemy plans. If he’s met you once, he’ll know your face and name the next time you meet even if much time has passed. If he’s met you twice, he knows all your likes and dislikes. He can remember details of entire conversations.


Acting: He is frighteningly good at this. He can switch from mellow and calm, to crying and grieved to manic in an eye-blink .

Silver Tongue: He knows how to get people on his side and also how to play others against one another. Lan Xichen warned Jiang Cheng not to engage in conversation with Jin Guangyao because of this during their confrontation.

Healing: A sufficiently advanced cultivator can use their qi to heal another. It's not limitless though, and can be dangerous is you give too much of it to another. To heal oneself they must meditate.

[I would like to keep his more personality based abilities like good memory and persuasion intact. It's literally part of his personality. While I don't imagine the wardens will let him keep his sword (smart) his basic martial arts can remain intact. I'd like that so that he is not helpless. Also, being able to keep his healing ability would be nice. It's the most altruistic ability you could leave him with, seeing as how sharing qi with others is sometimes risky.

Perhaps he can earn the music based abilities back as privilege later, but certainly don't give him that level of daoist magic right now. Considering he committed murder with it they may not be keen to let him keep this. There's no guarantee he won't use it to do bad things at this stage. His skills as a cultivator that let him shut down the bodily functions should be nerfed as well.]

Personality:
This guy has a hard to pin down personality because he has his surface personality which is what most people will see and the more ruthless one which he keeps hidden. For the purpose of keeping things organized, we’ll start with the former.

When he was still Meng Yao and serving the Nie Clan in the Unclean realm he was consistently humble and courteous. He carried a very meek and respectful air at Cloud Recesses though he seemed a little uncomfortable about the students openly talking about his family circumstances. He is always pleasant and smiling even to people who are openly rude to him. He likes to run errands for people and if he’s put in charge of something he will see it done well and to the letter. His time working for Nie Mingjue earned him a reputation as being 'capable' and clever. Seeing a conflict begin between his cousin and Lan Xichen, he deftly stepped in to be the neutral party to quell it. There’s an eagerness to please and to suppress conflict about Jin Guangyao. Reading people’s wants and needs is where he thrives. He is the sort to use words and diplomacy first before anything else. If he's met someone twice he knows their interests and likes which makes him a very gracious and warm host. If someone is a guest in his home, he will make sure they are comfortable and their needs seen too. Despite his rank, he's happy to see to things personally if that's what gets it done.

However, underneath that surface persona is the one of resentment and ruthlessness that he doesn’t normally let anyone see if he can help it. He is absolutely brutal if he has decided that someone is a threat to him. He used the conflict between the Wen and Nie clans to plot the murder of the vice general who insulted him. Unluckily for him, he was caught in the act by Nie Mingjue. While he seemed remorseful for his actions and indeed he did throw himself in the way of a sword to save Nie Mingjue’s life minutes after this occurred, it’s more likely he was sorry he lost a comfortable position and the good will of the Nie Clan leader. He was absolutely willing to kill the disciples of the Nie clan while playing double agent in the Wen Clan. Despite how he argued that it was necessary and he had no choice in order to keep his cover, he relished in it. One of the disciples had insulted him and called him the son of a whore. While he never intended to actually harm the captured Nie Mingjue, he spitefully kicked him across the room and taunted him with his own sword. To add salt to the wound, he brought up the topic of his father's death knowing it would hurt Nie Mingjue the worst. A little payback for kicking him out and valuing a dog like the vice general over him.

It speaks to how convincing an actor Meng Yao can be that he had the Wen Clan leader convinced that Meng Yao was now the loyal advisor/torturer for the Wen Clan and also had Nie Mingjue believing it - although that his spite was not entirely an act helped sell its authenticity. Meng Yao knows when to mask emotions and when to let them shine through to serve his purposes. It enabled him to get close enough to stab Wen Rohan in the back and end the war. Nie Mingjue was still convinced that Meng Yao was a traitor until Lan Xichen jumped in and revealed that it had been Meng Yao all along writing to him in code and sending them all the Wen’s maps, stratagems and movements.

His relationship with Nie Mingjue never recovered despite his second brother's (Lan Zichen) best attempts. After a heated argument where Nie Mingjue kicked him down the stairs, he revealed that the technique that he was supposedly using to calm and heal Nie Mingjue's blade spirit had been altered by him. Jin Guangyao had been using his own home brew of the Lan Clan technique to slowly poison and weaken his obstinate brother's mental state. Mingjue suffered a qi deviation and died that same night. Despite having offed a nuisance and political opponent to his father their relationship didn't get better either. No matter how wicked or stupid the orders from his father, Guangyao was a filial son. But, one night he overheard his father telling a group of prostitutes why he never freed his mother or came back for his son. A woman who reads is too much trouble and she should have never had Meng Yao. (Birth name.) What was he supposed to do with the son of a prostitute, Jin Guangshan demanded. Why did he have to be born at all?

[Potentially triggering content that mentions sexual assault ahead in the next two paragraphs. Felt it merited a warning, but it has to be here to explain character motivation.]

Not only was this overheard conversation the tipping point, but learning his wife's origins really torpedoed any warmth he could have for his father. He thought he was marrying the daughter of his father's good friend. What the good friend did not know was that Jin Guangshan forced himself on his wife years ago and that's how his 'daughter' was conceived. Qin Su, his betrothed, was Jin Guangyao's half sister. The mother approached him before the wedding to reveal the truth, hoping the tragedy could be avoided. However, the couple had consummated their marriage prior to actually having a ceremony and Qin Su was pregnant. He couldn't break the marriage without disgracing her.

Realizing his father would never love him or treat him as anything more than a pawn, and was a monster to boot, he killed him in the most ironic and humiliating way possible. Jin Guangyao, with the help of Xue Yang gathered the oldest and least attractive prostitutes they could find and had them force themselves on his father who was tied to a bed. He ordered them to continue even if he died. With his health already failing him, he did die. He had no qualms about killing them all afterward to eliminate witnesses, or rather if he had qualms , it didn't stop him from making the logical decision. The only exception was Sisi who he spared for her kindness years prior. He confined her instead of killing her.

[End triggering content.]

Jin Guangyao does show compassion and affection towards those who have aided him or that he likes. When the Wen Clan burned down Cloud Recesses, the seat of Lan Clan, Meng Yao hid and aided Lan Xichen. He never forgot how the other saved him from humiliation during the presentation ceremony. He never forgot that Lan Xichen was the sworn brother who always saw the best in him and he stopped the man from sharing his fate . He chose to face Nie Mingjue alone and die on his own terms. His nephew, one of the only family members who actually loved him, he pushed out of harm's way at the last minute. He spared the life of the prostitute, Sisi, because she stood up for him and his mother once. He befriended Su She and didn't suppress his smaller clan. Even sending Xue Yang away with grievous injuries instead of an outright execution many have been his own twisted brand of mercy, albeit a really botched one. No one will ever accuse Jin Guangyao of being a hero, but he sees himself in the outcast and is inclined to throw kindness their way. He married his sister and carried the truth alone so that she wouldn't be dishonored. He never touched her again or any other woman. I believe this was out of fear for becoming like his father who slept with every woman he could get his hands on and then discarded him and his mother. And also, obviously, because he did not want to partake in incest. Jin Guangyao is far from a saint, but he has standards. He never forgets an enemy or an insult, but he equally appreciates anyone who was loyal or stood by him when no one wanted him.


Barge Reactions:
While I am pretty sure he has seen a ship before, I expect he’s never seen one as advanced as this or of this size and certainly not one with space around him. He’s going to be in for a shock. Having the inquisitive mind he does he’s going to be full of questions and expecting some answers. Also, wasn’t he supposed to be dead? As rare as it is to throw Jin Guangyao off balance, this will certainly do it.

Once he recovers from the shock he’ll likely be pretty accepting of the situation. Reincarnation and afterlife trials are something that are a part of his culture and considering the way he died and the life he’s led it will seem like a logical outcome to him. Mostly, he’ll be relieved that he’s not in a cell next to Nie Mingjue. Now that would be hell.


Path to Redemption:
He is, in fact, the son of a prostitute and needs to learn to be okay with that. Jin Guangyao is deeply insecure about his roots. This is THE trigger. This was a big part of why he killed certain characters like some of Nie Mingjue’s disciples, the captain of the guard in Qinghe, and later Nie Mingjue himself. Usually composed, this is the one thing that can make him go from 0 -1000 in a second. People have mocked him for it his whole life and treated him as though he was dirt beneath their feet because of it. Some people even relished in it because it was a chance to treat a clan leader’s bastard like a servant.The only parent who loved him passed away when he was fourteen. His own father kicked him down the stairs when he approached him with the pearl the sect leader had given his mother. There have been some exceptions like Nie Mingjue (before their falling out) and Lan Xichen who showed him kindness, but it was too little too late. The damage of being raised in a brothel which was at times a violent environment where he saw awful things, being abandoned by his own father and enduring the whispers and mockery his whole life wasn't enough. By the time he made a decent friend in Lan Zichen he didn’t know how to have a healthy relationship with someone. He refused to ever harm Zichen, but that didn’t stop him from using his friendship to assassinate their shared sworn brother. Considering that the Nie Clan leader was a political rival of his father whom he wanted to please, it makes sense, but the real reason is likely because Nie Minjue kicked him down the stairs and called him the son of a prostitute in the heated argument they had before his demise. It was something Jin Guangyao could not forgive. It was exactly how his father had treated him. It was to him the worst betrayal.

I personally think if he would have been fostered at Qinghe with the Nie Clan sooner or had been in a stable environment like Wei Wuxian with the Jiang Clan he may have learned to trust people or at least care about them without using them. Going to the Jin Clan, while understandable because it’s his father’s clan, was an awful move. He had to play double agent to a dangerous enemy before his father would even acknowledge him as his son. Though this technically made Jin Guangyao a war hero, his father would continue only to use him for his dirty work and do everything possible to keep him a mere figurehead despite his intelligence and talents. He didn’t even get the generational ‘Xi’ character shared by his half brother and cousin. It should have been Xiyao instead of Guangyao. This made him clan, but not family. It only fostered his resentment and made him more paranoid and embittered. Then his father brought another bastard to Carp Tower, his other half brother, which was a pointed message of how replaceable he was. He even confided to Nie Mingjue during an argument that ‘ I’m afraid all of the time.’ In the novel, Lan Xichen even remarked that Nie Minjue was being too harsh on their sworn brother considering the viper’s nest that was the Jin clan and how his father’s wife was abusing him to the point of leaving wounds on him that sometimes bled.

So, getting away from the Clans, politics and endless ambition is a good start. He needs to find himself as himself and learn that there is value there. Not as the son of the wealthiest clan leader, the son of a prostitute, or even a cultivator or astute advisor. Jin Guangyao, needs to find Meng Yao again. (His birth name before being accepted into the Jin Clan.)

He also really needs to learn the value of other people’s lives or at least set a higher value on those that he feels has wronged him. While he will protect and spare the people who have done him kindness or whom he has affection for he takes no issue with removing someone who has insulted him off the board permanently. This is especially if it furthers his goals or preserves his own life. He could not understand why Nie Mingjue was so enraged when he killed his disciples. After all, he was a double agent at the time. He had an act to keep up. And after all, he spared Nie Mingjue. Sacrifices have to be made in war. When Nie Mingjue bitterly commented that he should have sacrificed his own life, Jin Guangyao shrewdly observed that he had taken far less lives than the former. What made Nie Mingjue so righteous? Easy for a clan leader born with everything to judge someone who had nothing and had to fight their whole life for scraps. At the end of his rope Nie Mingjue demanded to know if Jin Guangyao thought his life so much more important than his disciples and without hesitation, he replied,’ yes!’

Jin Guangyao does have good impulses to work off of however. He constructed the guard towers so that help would get to citizens quicker in the case of demonic attack. He fought hard against the clans opposing this. He never forgot Lan Zichen’s kindness to him when he was still an unclaimed son and saved his life during the Sunshot campaign and used his perfect memory to help his friend rebuild his home exactly as it was after it was burned. He reached out to Sue She in his disgrace and gained a loyal ally merely because he never shunned the man and treated him fairly. Part of that could have been for personal gain, but I believe he really does feel for the underdog. He sees himself in the shunned and outcast. He sees himself in people who are self made and have to fight to earn their place in society. Jin Guangyao continued to take care of Nie Mingjue’s brother after he passed, Nie Huiasang, getting him out of many dilemmas. When his older brother was still alive and Jin Guangyao visited Qinghe, he always brought with him gifts for Huiasang, knowing that his older brother did not approve of his artistic pursuits. Despite his tenuous relationship with Mingjue he continued to be fond of Huiasang. Huiasang even looked forward to his visits. He threw his nephew, Jin Ling, out of harm's way when he could have used him as a shield and seemed to feel genuine remorse when the boy broke down crying upon learning the atrocities his uncle committed. Despite his actions, he does actually care about the way people see him. It was Xichen’s loss of trust in him more than the sword pointed at him that brought him to his knees. Lastly, even though Lan Xichen agreed to die with him, when Jin Guangyao couldn’t let it happen. In the end, he didn't want to destroy someone he loved even if it meant going into the afterlife alone. Instead, he pushed the other man to safety, taking Nie Mingjue’s full wrath and facing his death and his karma bravely.

History:

https://modao-zushi.fandom.com/wiki/Jin_Guangyao/History

Sample Journal Entry:

https://tlvgreatesthitsdw.dreamwidth.org/104260.html?thread=29016900#cmt29016900


Sample RP:

https://tlvgreatesthitsdw.dreamwidth.org/104260.html?thread=29015364#cmt29015364

Special Notes: