Key: PoetieTheMapper

Character: Tarus

Skill(or transformation): Hollow Shell Kata

Big sidenote: I am aware that Roaring Earth needs to be mastered. With the next RPP I will master the style fully and thus meet the pre-requirements for HSK.

Reasoning:

Emptiness

During his time as prisoner of the Empire Tarus faced brutality at its peak. The Empire breaks individuals down both physically and mentally through different forms of torture to open them to mind control. Tarus too has gone through the excruciating forms of torture. From starvation, to death matches against Hell Beasts, to brutality served by one of the authorities. In order to survive such environment Tarus had to empty his mind, reach a higher state of awareness that would allow him to endure. Therefor he:

	•	Meditated heavily: Meditation increased his mental strength incredibly. To the point where desp ite being starved or fatigued,
        he remained sharp, steadfast and unwilling to join the Empire. Through this self-training Tarus learned how to tap into a
        higher state of awareness. Which also increased his energy reserves by constantly generating and channelling energy

	•	Emptied himself; many prisoners around him broke down, gave up hope and succumbed to continuous torture. Some did it out of
        selflessness, sacrificing their self in order to protect the rest, most just couldn’t face the walls of the mines anymore and
        submitted. The constant whispering about the benefits of joining them; food, hot baths, clean clothing, survivability or even
        power. Desires that peaked under these circumstances, but Tarus emptied himself of such desires and projected this unyiel
        ding hope also unto Colla; a young kid who was on the verge of giving in.


Physical conditioning

In that underground prison the first things to affect a prisoner is the steep decline of physical strength and endurance. Which in turn makes the torturing incredible hard to withstand. Tarus didn’t overcome this merciless by mental strength only. In order to harden his body he:

	•	Saw mining duty as a form of physical training; since sparring was fatigue heavy, it became a rarity. But to maintain shape
        and/or strengthen the body, he challenged himself to perform far above average when mining. This conditioned his body greatly,
        vastly increasing his strength and endurance.

	•	Endured brutality; even in times of severe punishment, Tarus never wavered. Keeping true to his allegiance. In turn he had to
        endure broken legs, shattered knees, being beaten half to death, ending up heavily wounded. In order to not have fellow
        prisoners hurt, he took V. Schreibers onslaught with their baton head-on, until they grew tired and stopped. Iscile (a warden)
        joined in on the cruel onslaught, but they too gave up. A prime example of Tarus weaponizing his endurance.


	•	Had adapted to the lack of nutrition and proper rest; this showed when he attempted his first breakout. Although he lacked
        sufficient energy to transform, he still managed to defeat a warden of the prison relatively easy.

What is the moment:

All of the time he has spent underground, improving himself under the pretence of breaking down, surviving, enduring and emptying himself. Learning how to ‘weapon’ his endurance and effectively tire his opponents through withstanding their attacks and attempts to break his spirit. Then being broken out by High Hops and recovering fully.