Post by Bayushi Shoju on Dec 5, 2009 14:56:46 GMT -5
OOC:
Puppeteer:
Hunter
Residence:
PM me.
Discovery:
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IC:
Puppet:
Shoju
Passed Down:
Bayushi
Cursed:
Male
Rotations:
38
Form:
Human
Class:
Samurai, Daimyo, Lord of the North, Master of Secrets
Destruction:
Churetsu, the Celestial Blade of the Bayushi: This unassuming sword embodies the misdirection and deception of the Bayushi. Only those with the blood of Bayushi in their veins may wield the blade, for those that do not will burn as a celestial poison courses through their body as long as they hold it. It is a blade that can strike true, hitting an opponent in a moment of weakness cutting through their defense while making the wielder harder to hit. As long as it is held in combat the wielder will always appear to be standing five feet to the left or right of the his actual position. Should its bearer ever die the blade will magically return to Kyuden Bayushi, and in the eyes of its true bearer it takes on a dark red glow.
Itsuwari, Ancestral Katana of the Bayushi: An ancient blade dating back to the formation of the Empire itself and the first Emperor. The secrets of this blade are unknown to most and it can protect the mind of its wielder from outside influence as long as it is carried. It has the power to cut through even the hardest of hides and armor and never rusts or is found in need of repair.
Ambition: A dark and cursed blade that grows in strength as it kills. The more it kills the more blood it needs to grow in power. This kill to power ratio is exponential, a little power at first kill, then needing two more kills to grow again, then three more, and so on. The only exceptipon is if the victim is powerful in some way, especially if it is more powerful than the wielder, then it grows in power far more rapidly. As its power grows it whispers secrets of power in the mind of its wielder, secrets of ambition sending its bearer to kill greater and more dangerous beings and seizing more power for himself. It can cut through tough hide as if it was paper regardless of its strength, it just does it easier after it has fed. Its power weakens the longer it goes without feeding, but its siren call never does.
Powers/Abilities/Talents:
Bayushi may be human but he is not just human, he is a master swordsman, easily one of the best warriors in the land, human or otherwise, in terms of pure skill,, his technique is one built upon through centuries of practice by his clan. It focuses on deception and misdirection to win the fight and is known as the School of Bitter Truths. Shoju is a shrewd tactician and military leader, and through this skill he became the Lord of the north. Thanks to his wife he is slowly gaining some skill in the courts as well, and while he was always decent in this field he is slowly getting better.
Kage yakiin: Also known as Shadow Brands, these are tattoos created from the secret source of the Bayushi's power, the Shadow. As long as the tattoos are shielded from the light they increase the power and durability of the branded party. When exposed to bright light they sear and burn like fire. Shoju has two brands, one on his lower back and one of his right thigh. As a result his physical abilities are enhanced to superhuman capabilities, making him the match to some hanyou and low ranked youkai.
Attitude Check:
Loyalty, that is the defining feature of Shoju. Well, Bayushi loyalty is to be more specific, but what can one expect in a clan of ninjas, courtiers, and other less than reputable sorts. Bayushi loyalty dictates that he is loyal to his clan, for without the clan they would be slaughtered by their numerous enemies, he is Loyal to the Emperor, even in his weakened state and near constant war that ravages the land, and he is loyal to those that have proven to be loyal to him. He loves his wife, and his brother. He knows how to keep a secret, after all he is known as the Master of Secrets.
Mirror:
Return to the Past:
It is said that Bayushi Shoju killed his own father in order to gain his current position. Of course these words are never heard when he, his wife, or their agents are within earshot. But it is true, though not for the reason most think. The truth is far darker, and is mired in betrayal, and whose secrets have been scourged from all records to maintain internal loyalty and never let the truth be known. There are only five people still alive that know the truth, Shoju, his wife Kachiko, his brother Aramoro, The Shosuro poison master, and the one responsible for his father's fate. A spider demon whose name is still unknown.
There can be no doubt in anyone's mind that Shoju loves his wife nor that she loves him. He has watched her since she came of age and has heard a great many tales of her skill and beauty though out the courts of the lands. When he finally met her he was doubly enthralled by her beauty, and knew right there that he was going to marry her. When they finally spent the night together she saw right through his "mask" and he was unable to beguile her with his words of fancy. For the first time in his life the Great Deceiver was forced to be himself. She was his perfect match, he could rule the battle field while she ruled the courts. They married five years ago, when she was 15 and he was 32.
He took the position as Lord of the North through deception, misdirection, lies, and poison. He had up until that time been a vassal to the demented youkai that ruled there, and for ten years he made himself her greatest confidant and adviser. Then one day he manipulated her into sending a large force against an upstart lord and then his army rose to slaughter the remaining forces at the lord's castle. While this was happening an elite force of shadow demons and ninja loyal to Shoju battled and killed the forces inside the castle. Thanks to some poison he was able to weaken the Lord to the point where Shoju could confront him and strike him down with the bloodsword Ambition, as it alone would have the pure power to defeat a lord. Though now that the sword has tasted such blood it yearns for more, and after ten years it calls to Shoju to let it drink once more.
Other:
Shoju leads a clan, and within this clan there are a number of families, and each has its own role in the clan. The one thing that unifies the clan is a simple tradition, all members of clan Bayushi wear a mask, and their colors are that of black and red, their symbol is the scorpion. The families are as such, in level of importance and strength:
Bayushi- The ruling family, a family of proud Samurai and courtiers. The face of the clan.
Shosuro- The Clan's shadow, they are the ninja, poison masters, saboteurs and assassins.
Soshi- The clan's mystics, practicing traditional magic and shadow magic. They alone hold the secrets of the Shadow Brand.
Yogo- A cursed family that holds the darkest secrets of the clan and produce powerful monks in the service of the clan. They tend to Traitor's grove, where the souls of clan traitors are forever bound into trees.
Rokugo-A minor family of criminals who oversee the clan's illegal activities so that the clan can keep a clean nose publicly.
Kochako-A minor family that represents the internal affairs part of the Bayushi, as they keep the clan loyal to itself, the Empire, and the Emperor, in that order.
Nanbu- A minor family of warriors and samurai that protects the Soshi spellcasters.
Goju-The Shadow demon family in the service of the clan, bound by Yogo magics at first they now serve the clan willingly.
Sample Roleplay:
Shoju looked into the room where a thousand identical swords lay, all of them death, save one, and to Shoju's eyes it glowed with a dull red light. Churetsu, the celestial blade of his clan. Reaching for the blade he stopped for a minute to glance about the room, after all, the sword had a habit of moving about and he wished to make sure the light was not an after effect. Seizing the blade he placed it on his waist and moved out of the room and into his grand hall.
Once in his hall he took a seat as his wife to a position to his left and the Shosuro lord took one to his right. He knew his brother lurked in the shadows behind him as well. One of the men in the room bowed and addressed him, informing him of occurrence in his lands, it seemed that the demon hunter's village had been destroyed some time in the past. He would deal with the local lord for not informing him of this sooner, and it also seemed that a strange group was hunting a spider demon. His eyes narrowing ever so slightly Shoju spoke, "This interests me. Send the men out and bring them to me, unharmed. I wish to speak to them and they will be treated as guests. That is all for now. Go." With those words spoken several men and women left the hall to seek out information on this group, or risk their lord's disfavor.
Even Me.
