Post by Cao Zhen on Aug 5, 2011 18:11:09 GMT
"When rewards for the army was not sufficient, he (Cao Zhen) would always with the riches from his own house reward them again."
- Unknown, translated by Stephen So
Name: Cao Zhen
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Style: Canon
Residence: Changan, Yongzhou, Guanzhong Region
Personality:
Cao Zhen was groomed to be a reliable Cao general from ten years old and onward, and is a fiercely steadfast general in battle, reading the field and making calm, calculated decisions. Off the battlefield, he is a humble man, speaking little of his own accomplishments. He relishes the company of his kinsmen, particularly Cao Zihuan, and enjoys having casual conversation, though he hardly ever leads the topics himself. Looking at him, you would never guess that this man was a confident, talented leader of men.
Appearance:
Cao Zhen is of notable stature, coming from a tall family. He stands at an impressive 6’4”, tall for a Han Chinese, and bears a semi-muscular build. His black hair is roughly shoulder length, and when worn down, compliments his blue eyes and fair skin well. Oddly enough, he is slightly more pale than the average man of his country, which helps him to stand out despite his reserved personality. In the way of facial hair, often a symbol of status in the time, he wears a goatee, keeping away from the more traditional beards and mustaches and thus skirting the need for excessive care.
Apparel/Armour:
Any proper general will wear armor that not only is functional, but inspires confidence in his men. Cao Zhen is no stranger to this unspoken rule. He dons an impressive suit of steel armor with an underlying layer of leather and cloth for both comfort and practicality. Not only is the ensemble more than effective at turning aside blades and arrows, but its immaculate, magnificent, and downright impressive appearance does wonders for the morale of his soldiers even when they are in dire straits. He often opts not to wear his plumed helmet unless he’s on the frontlines fighting and commanding.
Off the battlefield, Zidan often will continue to wear his armor, especially during council. However, he generally tends to clothe himself in simple leather armor concealed under blue robes, never one to leave himself fully vulnerable to the possibility of attack.
(( Notes: The armor is tinged in shades of neutral to navy blue, reflecting the colors of the Wei flag, as opposed to the red prominently used in Kessen. Similarly, any gold is instead silver. The plume is white horse-hair, and he doesn’t wear a cape. Additionally, plume is half the length shown, because a plume that long is just plain stupid. ))
Weapon(s):
Zidan carries a composite recurve bow that he is utterly deadly with, though he does come up short in the archery department when it comes to Huang Zhong and the late Xiahou Yuan. He also wields a jian, which he keeps on his belt at all times, in and out of battle.
History:
Born Qin Zhen in 185, Zhen clearly wasn’t a blood Cao. His birth father, Qin Shao, was a longtime friend of Cao Cao and opted to hide him in 195 from pursuing rebels. When the rebels arrived at the Qin household and inquired as to Mengde’s whereabouts, Shao claimed to be the man they sought, and was subsequently slain. After the rebels had left, Cao Cao decided out of respect to take in the now-orphaned Zhen. As a result, he was renamed to Cao Zhen and given his personal name of Zidan. Mengde had the boy reside with Cao Xiu, a cousin of Cao Cao’s, and the eventual heir Cao Pi, a move which brought both Pi and Zhen together as close brothers in a tightly-knit relationship.
Zidan’s childhood as a Cao was expectedly wrought with training and grooming in equal parts, but the lad took most of his own training into his own hands. As he grew in both skill and age, he began to accompany his lord father on hunts. One such hunt had them encounter a ferocious tiger in the woods. Concerned for his adoptive father’s well-being, Zhen masterfully slew the tiger with his bow, earning great respect from Mengde and, ironically, was quickly made the head of the ‘tiger and leopard unit’. From then forward, Zhen accompanied Cao Cao into battle for years, earning minor merits, but several titles, including the Marquis of Lingshou Ting.
Zhen didn’t become noteworthy as a general in the Wei army until the aftermath of the Battle of Mt. Dingjun, where Xiahou Yuan was slain. As part of the effort to regain ground, Cao Zhen was appointed to oversee Xu Huang’s retaking of Yangping Pass. However, the opposing Shu general Gao Xiang held most all of the strategic positions, and avoided battle, thwarting any efforts. Given the hopelessness in reacquiring Hanzhong and the surrounds, Cao Cao opted to personally rescue Zhang He, and sent Zidan to aid another Cao relative, Cao Hong, pulling him from Wudu. Both counts succeeded, and Cao Zhen retreated with his relative and army to Chencang, where he stopped to defend against a possible Shu attack.
Following the battle, Zhen was sent to the northern borders to watch the Xiongnu and Qiang barbarians for movement. A punitive invasion force came from the Qiang in 219, and Zhen fielded his army to counter them before they could reach the borders. During the battle, he received a messenger from the Wei heartland, reporting his adoptive father’s death. The report hit home hard with Zidan, but it did not shake his resolve in the present conflict; he regrouped his forces and routed the Qiang within two days. With the battle over, Zidan began the long march back to the Wei capital, aiming to rendezvous with his beloved brother.
Statistics:
Strength - 6
Perception - 8
Endurance - 5
Charisma - 9
Intelligence - 7
Agility - 6
Luck - 4
Gold: 170
Alignment: 0
Reputation: 50
Entourage Units: N/A
Personal Army:
200 Levy Spearmen
100 Light Swordsmen
100 Peasant Bowmen
