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[Asor al ed Ergnas]

 

トキヲ・ファンカ

"It's a crazy town."

GM: Sangre de La Rosa
Co-GM: Wandering Rogue

This RolePlay is rated M for Mature.

It contains Sex, Drugs, and Murder.

Including but not limited to,

Vicious demons feasting upon entrails with vivid description,

Prostitutes stabbing men in the back during coitus,

A great manner of terrible things happening to innocent people,

And use of tobacco.

 

 

 

Premise

Spoiler

Tokio Funka....A town of tradition, warmth, and booming economics. If you wanted it, anything could be found here. Pleasure, Wealth, Food. It could all be attainable if you had the desire and will. In Tokio Funka, anything seemed possible.
 
Unfortunately for us humans, it really was.
 
I was little, when the Oni came. They were spoken of in stories, and legend only before then. To see them, monstrous and terrible was worse than anything any of us could ever imagine. We soon found out that in reality, they had always been there. Watching, waiting, planning like the snakes they were. Striking deals from the shadows with the Hierarchy. Steadily making their legends grow, rumors seeming too real for comfort. Then, when it was time; they came in a wave of unholy filth. We had no defense, save for the Dark Priests on the outskirts of our town. My parents and some of the older samurai went to them for help, and they happily gave it. But the cost...was far too high for them to repay. So, we let ourselves be subdued. Living at the whims, and pleasures of these despicable creatures.
 
But we have new allies now. It's time to retake our town.- Oimashu Takunda(53)

 
Our Story Now

Spoiler

It's been thirty-nine years since the Oni came to Tokio Funka. Since then, they have been living large in the city alongside the humans whom have amassed wealth by benefiting off of the needs of the Oni. These humans, being nobles, wealthy merchants, emissaries of the Emperor; help to make up the Hierarchy of Tokio Funka. They control what comes in, and goes out of the city. In exchange for comfort and luxury, the Oni force the weaker of their numbers to be conscripted into the Emperors army. This, is not the only reason of course. Thanks to the strength of the Oni, the Hierarchy fears them. Which of course, is understandable. It's better to be with the dominant faction, than be dominated yourself. The lower class humans suffer as expected. Prostitution, filth and squalor is common in the streets now these days. Small bands of urchin thieves trying to simply survive are taken away and severely punished. Most of these children, don't come back. Then you have the slaves.
 
Regular citizens sold to the Oni by their own kind is a frequent sight in the city of Tokio Funka. People round up whom are untagged, and sold in auction to the highest bidder. It is something that leaves a foul taste in the mouths of many. Ironically enough, the lesser Oni identify with these people. Being in much the same predicament as them. No choice but to fight for a cause that isn't theirs, or be killed. Naturally, a coalition of humans tired of living in this state, have banded together with the lesser Oni whom just desire to live themselves without being subjugated. These individuals are growing even more well known in the city these days as "The Sakura Rebellion".

 

Factions/Races

Spoiler

The Oni
Oni are separated into two categories. Greater Oni, being the strong, old demons who have been around for a very, long time. They are large, greedy, and bloodthirsty individuals. Their strength could snap men in two with little effort. Some, are even large enough to use their bones as toothpicks. Not only known for their strength, many are wise, and crafty. As evidenced by their swift, and cemented integration into Tokio Funka. Some say, it's as if the spot was already there, waiting for them.
 
The Lesser Oni, are generally smaller, and though weak compared to the Greater Oni, are strong individuals in their own right. Able to easily surpass a common man in physical ability, they are not to be underestimated. Many are also rather dull, leading for them to be misguided and intimidated by the Greater counterparts. This also, makes them capable soldiers for the army of the Emperor, if only for sheer force. Though, it is said some only play the fool; so as to go unnoticed themselves.
 
The Hierarchy
A collection of humans who are at the top of the totem pole. These men and women are composed of anyone who has the wealth, or resources to dominate the lower populace. Aptly named, they control everything from food, money, and even the many crafts the city provides. If you grow crops, if you sell your body, if you are a craftsman; you can bet your button that someone from The Hierarchy will come to collect.  Everyone pays taxes to The Hierarchy, or are submitted to the Greater Oni for disciplinary action.
 
The Common Man
Your everyday citizens, living under the rule of fellow humans and the monstrous Oni. The common people can range in just about any viable profession, providing they have the craft for it. Whores, Homeless, Thieves, Blacksmiths, Farmers, and even common slaves. These are just some the regular humans forced under the foot of their so called "betters". Many, if not all; simply just desire the common freedoms deserved by all man. Sadly, this isn't the case. Basic rights, and rules have been all but thrown out the window when the Oni took up power. With a few wrong words, a person could easily end up as a slave. Or worse for some, forced into battle. Either way, many are forced away from their families unwillingly, and regardless of what you are as the common man; life could be far better.
 
The Sakura Rebellion
Named after their symbol and the annual festival. The Sakura Rebellion is a combined effort of Lesser Oni, and the humans treated less than dirt. This group is tired of being used, beaten, and abused. People from all walks of life, work in secret to try and make lives better for their fellow man. With the recent alliance with some of the more intelligent Lesser Oni, plans to rise against their so called "betters" have not only taken visible shape and form; they instill hope to many for a better life. But to achieve their goals, they will have to work with the one group that frightens even the Greater Oni; the Dark Priests. 
 
Dark Priests
Little is known about these people. Some even doubt if they are even really human. their bodies are always covered with their robes, and not even the oldest individual in Tokio Funka can recall ever seeing one of their hooded faces. What is known however, is that the Oni dare not go near their temple outside of town. It is also a well documented fact, that they are not taxed, and even supplied a monthly allotment of goods. Rumors say it's because they hold the key to driving out the Oni, and restoring peace once again to the tumult of the city. Others think it's because they are even worse monsters than the Oni, who simply have no interest in the squabble. But higher members of the Sakura Rebellion have gained information form their Lesser Oni Allies, and intend to seek out the Dark Priests to see if their information holds fact.

 

 
Character Sheet

Spoiler

 
Character Appearance: What do you look like? Written descriptions are welcome, but I am a visual person. Pictures are recommended.
 
Theme: What groove describes you?
 
Name: What do people call you?
 
Gender: Are you a man, or woman? Or are you something that fits into both, or neither of these categories?
 
Age:  How old are you?
 
Race: Are you a Dreadful Oni, or Lowly Human?(If you wish to be Half-Human/Oni, you'll have to really impress me)
 
Personality: What kind of individual are you?
 
Faction: Where do you stand? I refer you to the Q&A regarding this.
 
Skills: What do you contribute to the world? Do you sew, do you farm, do you teach? Or do you use your Oni abilities? Keep It Simple
 
History: What is your past like?

NPCS:

Spoiler

Will Add as they appear.

 

 What Follows is my Q&A, along with some supplementary stuff.
I require patience in waiting for said answers, I am a busy woman.
 
Questions, With Answers

Spoiler

"Who can we be?"- Liar
The main PC faction driving the RP will be The Sakura Rebellion. You CANNOT be a member of the Dark Priests.Player Characters will be largely composed of The Common Man and the Lesser Oni(both being the founding factions of The Sakura Rebellion). However, should a person wish to be a part of the Greater Oni or The Hierarchy, they can be. Providing your Character Sheet vastly impresses me. And I mean, impress. Should someone do so, their character will work with me personally to further the RP. Overall, I advise you all to shoot mainly for the factions provided in The Sakura Alliance.- Sangre
 
"What's the tech level?"- Neph
Excellent question Nephy. The setting itself has a Folky Japanese vibe to it. It is a fictionalized mishmash of both the Edo Period, and Meiji Period of Japan's history. So think of the setting and such as in the Edo Period(Samurai Champloo is a good example) and for the purposes of this RP, a little bit of the technology level present in the Meiji Period(Electricity, Radios, Think Rurouni Kenshin). No cars, however. As for the weapon level, since guns in RP's make me angry, I put it perhaps at the level of Princess Mononoke. However, if one talks with me one on one, we may be able to make a compromise based on your character. GM interaction is your friend here. Any further questions of what may, or may not be around in regards to technology; I will be happy to address.- Sangre
 
"Does this only involve the Onis or the entire plethora of Kamis? Will be seeing Kitsunes, Tengus and the likes?"- Diabolical Rhapsody
Another great question. Oni, Kami, Youkai. Here's my answer. If it's in Japanese folklore, assume it exists. However, for classification purposes, we will make Oni the broad term encompassing all three in classifying what you are, or what is. If you intend to make your character an Oni, as I have previously stated, to be one of the Greater, more powerful ones, you will need to impress me. Most will be dumbed down to a lesser level otherwise. -Sangre
 
"Do Oni have powers based upon their established Japanese Folklore?"- Dudeitzmeh
As for them having powers based upon folklore, the answer is yes they do. However, I will be keeping a tight leash on certain things. Such as mind control, psychic ability, ect. The OP abilities you all know and love. If you want it, again, you better impress. I ain't letting people get away with stupid bullshit. -Sangre
 
"Is there a limit to the mount of characters you will be accepting?" -Sangre
Excellent question me. The answer is yes. I am new at managing an entire RP to myself, and am going to be imposing a seven character cap. Read it again. Seven. I MAY perhaps go over this amount if I am wholly intrigued and slightly aroused by more than the Seven character cap I have imposed.. But as it stands right now, this is the cap. Also know, it is NOT first come, first serve. It's who has the most intriguing, relevant, and well put together characters that will make it in. So please, bring your A-Game. -Sangre
 
------
Once I accept a character, they are Locked Into The RP. Ominous? Perhaps a little. This means should you drop out, or stop posting, This DOESN'T mean your character is gone. Ohohohoho oh no. You have gained entry into my world, and now have a special place in it. Should the before mentioned things happen to you, Your Character will still be in the RP, under MY control. However, if you have to leave the RP thanks to whatever reason and are unable to post. Talk With Me, And We Will Make Arrangements! Back to the topic on hand. That's right, even without you, your character will continue to play a part in the RP. Unless they die. On the matter of Character Death, should you die within the RolePlay; you are gone. Nothing will save you. But this opens the door for someone else to take your spot. So I implore those whom are accepted, tread carefully, for I am very Unforgiving. These may seem like strange stipulations to many of you, and some may not exactly agree. So this is the point, that I will allow anyone to back out should they wish and allow others to have a better chance.
 
You may wonder "Sangre, this seems a bit odd for RPing, why are you doing it this way?" and you might be right in your assumptions. I have been around the block a few times when it comes to roleplays, and I for one, and sick and tired of good ideas dying because of lack of interest from BOTH GM's and Players. I am doing things this way as both an experiment, and a way for people to get used to my style of GMing. I give you my own promise, should people continue to participate, I'll always update. Even then, I'll finish up the story On My Own if need be. My ambitions will not falter or stop because of anything. I'd rather though, for it to not have to come to that. So I ask of you to help me build this world together, and any future ones I design. -Sangre de la Rosa
 
 

Edited by Sangre de la Rosa, 28 July 2014 - 02:13 PM.

[Johnny Paradise]

Spoiler

 

Theme: The Space Between Two Worlds

 

Name: Hyoudou Gaku

 

Gender: Male

 

Age:  28

 

Race: Human

 

Personality: Gaku is a long-suffering and subservient man who struggles to be optimistic. He is hard working and efficient, though often impractical as he is something of a dreamer. He hates serving the Hierarchy, but does it with a smile. He hates lying, but does it without the slightest hint of untruth in his words. His face is placid and imperturbable, though he himself is anything but. He likes children and animals and happiness, and because of that, he hates pretty much everything about the world as it is. If the world wasn't so dark and squalid, he would likely be a charming, carefree guy that spent most of his time in brothels and bars, but to his own lament he has little stomach for indulging in that sort of thing given the circumstances he's in.

 

Faction: Sakura Rebellion

 

Skills: Gaku used to be a teacher, and is therefore quite skilled at arithmetic, reading, writing, and et cetera. He currently works as a ferryman and has developed skill at managing that business, such as being a knowledgeable financier, a wonderful conversationalist, and a skilled boatman. 

 

History: As a child, Gaku was optimistic. He believed that his life was terrible and that the lives of everyone he knew were equally horrible and destitute, but he believed that things would all get better. He knew not how and he didn't believe he'd be a part of that change (such a thing was far too grand for someone like him), but he believed it would come. Though unhappy, he pretended he wasn't. Many who knew him saw him as a beacon of hope among the squalor, some even going so far as to get caught up in his enthusiasm, believing in their heart of hearts as well that their lives would change for the better.

 

They didn't.

 

As he grew up, Gaku's conviction slowly dissipated, but only he knew that. He refused to show it to the people whose beliefs he once shared. He began to settle into the deadening realization that he would die in squalor with nothing of merit to show for himself, yet still he told people to hope for the future. There was once a time in his life where he believed that his station was even fortuitous--not wealthy, yet not in much danger of being enslaved. He even had an education, future prospects! But even that was just some illusion of future prosperity, as his meaningless, plebeian education would never allow him to breach the barrier that blocked off commoners like him from the Hierarchy.

 

He settled quite naturally (natural, at least, according to others) into a career teaching children like him the sort of things he learned. His students could read and write at a rudimentary level and understood basic arithmetic. And that was likely all they would ever do. Still, whenever he wasn't stuck in a haze of disillusionment and unhappiness, he enjoyed himself here. He liked his students and their earnestness would sometimes rekindle that flame of passion that had burnt out in him so long ago, if only for a few moments.

 

His career was, however, short-lived, as were his students. The small amount of happiness he derived from his position was snuffed out as some of his students either died or found themselves confined to slavery. It wasn't an odd thing, to hear about a child dying on the streets, or to see some destitute youth sold off into slavery, but at least to Gaku, it was jarring and terrifying for it to have happened to his own students.

 

From then on, he took whatever work he could get to survive, secluding himself from his old life, not even caring anymore if people were disappointed in his listless pessimism. He eventually settled into a position as a ferryman, carrying people and cargo and whatever else needing ferrying across rivers and lakes. 

 

Eventually all of his pessimism and hatred and anguish turned into a desire for vindication. When he heard of the Sakura Rebellion, he thought back to his time as a child--the time when he thought his life would change. Then, he didn't believe he would be the medium through which change was brought, but now he had no desire to be anything but exactly that.    

[SliceAndDice]

Spoiler

 
Theme: Shinedown- I'm Alive
 
Name: Kohinata Hibiki
 
Gender: Male
 
Age:  19
 
Race: Halfbreed
 
Personality:  There was a time when Kohinata Hibiki was a passionate young man just shy of the prime of his life, enthusiastic about his future prospects, and hopeful for the future. That time, however, has long since passed. Now, he's little more than a hollowed out shell of the person he used to be. His hope has run out, his enthusiasm replaced by despair, and his passion turned to a quietly seething anger at the world. For him, the only reason to keep living is that death is worse. However, if he could secure a better life for himself, he thinks, then maybe, just maybe, he might be able to recover and return to his prior disposition. It's worth a shot, anyway...
 
Faction: If you asked? Sakura Rebellion. How true that is remains to be seen...
 
Skills: Hibiki is a Martial Arts virtuoso by necessity (see below). He can also tap into massive reservoirs of brute strength from his half-Oni side, but only in times of absolute desperation.
 
History:
In the town of Tokio Funka and the surrounding area, the presence of the Oni and all of the societal changes brought by their appearance is common knowledge. In the neighboring town of Johsai, however, the news was not so recognized. Oh, the word traveled fast, make no mistake, but with Oni only existing in stories and folklore it was far too easy to write such things off as falsehoods, to label the newsbringers as attention seekers who had taken statements such as "That businessman is so good he must be an Oni" far too literally. As such, any pleas for help fell on deaf ears in Johsai, where the people simply lived out their happy lives. Kohinata Hibiki was one of these people, working in the fields to help support his family and training himself in martial arts at night. It was hard, being the man of the house at such a young age, but his father had abandoned his family shortly before he'd been born, and neither Hibiki nor his mother knew who he was. Three years ago, however, all of that changed.
 
At that time, Johsai had been experiencing an inordinate number of disappearances. Women, children, even grown men on occasion would simply vanish in the night, never to be seen again. Investigations turned up absolutely nothing, and nobody knew what became of them. Only those who became fresh victims ever had the misfortune of finding the answer. And Hibiki was one such unfortunate man. It happened when he was out behind his house, practicing his kicks. Out of nowhere, half a dozen dark shapes surrounded him, and try as he might to fight them off they overpowered him effortlessly. Hibiki was knocked unconscious in the process, and when he woke up he had been tied up and tossed in the back of a cart that was rolling along the highway in the night along with several other townsfolk. It was not until sunrise that they knew where they were going- Tokio Funka, the town that they soon discovered had told the truth when it claimed to be overrun by demons. And they were all about to find out just how cruel a fist the Oni ruled with.
 
They were put up for auction, every last one of them. Most were bought for work in the mines and fields, but some were bought with something special in mind. When it was Hibiki's turn on the block, he resisted. Using nothing but his self-taught skills and a strength he'd never known he had, he managed to get free from one of the guards and made a run for it, only to be taken down a second later. Far from being displeased, however, one of the Oni at the auction was impressed and purchased him then and there. After he'd been "properly introduced" to his new life, the man who owned him told Hibiki why he'd been bought; he was going to be that Oni's next fighter in what was called "Dorei Shiai"- the Slave Games. A cruel, twisted form of entertainment not unlike the gladiatorial games practiced by the Romans, Oni who were interested would pick slaves of theirs that they believed were strong fighters to enter in fighting competitions with other slaves. The winner was rewarded with extra food and a warm bed for the night; the loser was either sent to the fields and forced to work until they collapsed, assuming of course that they weren't killed in the process.
 
As unwilling as he was to use his martial arts in such a manner, it didn't take long for Hibiki's drive to survive took over and led him to fight for his life night after night in the ring. In little time at all, he became the opponent to beat in the Games, taking down men twice his size and age with strength and endurance that seemed at times to rival those of an Oni. Naturally, such things drew suspicion from the Overseers and investors of the Dorei Shiai. How could this boy, self taught and scrawny as he was, be performing such feats? The answer came one night when, after another battle for his life, Hibiki was greeted, not with cheers and the escort to the warm bed, but one of the Greater Oni holding a woman by the collar of her torn and shredded kimono; his mother. Without any hesitation, the Oni demanded she "Tell the arena the truth." Almost crying from pains still healing, his mother used the last of her breath to shout that she had laid with an Oni, and that Hibiki was the result. The arena had gone silent as the weight of what they had just heard hit them; this boy they had been watching was a Bachihan, or "cursed half." The jeers and angry shouting soon followed. Some were demanding disqualification, others wanted him left in the mines to perish. But soon, one chant overtook them all; "Execution! Execution! Execution! Execution! EXECUTION!"
 
Just as Hibiki prepared to fight for his life one last time, however, the Oni who held his mother raised his hand once more. The gesture seemed to cast a spell over the audience, as one by one they all fell silent. Then he spoke to them all. "Friends," he began, "Let us not behave like savages. There is a code that we must follow. And that code states..." with an aching slowness he began to draw a blade from his belt, "BLAME NOT THE CHILD FOR THE PARENT'S SINS!" And with a single, dreadfully clean swipe he decapitated the only family Hibiki had ever known, no more than five meters in front of him.
 
The young man could never remember what happened after that. As soon as his mother's blood splattered against his face, everything else became a blur. He heard the crowd roaring as he was dragged back to his slave housing, but whether it was more jeering or shouts of approval he could not say. After that, Hibiki's life did something he thought impossible; it took a stark turn for the worse. Now that his status as a halfbreed was known, it seemed nobody was on his side. Humans treated him like a traitor or a carrier for some horrible disease. Even his fellow slaves and fighters, who he'd known for almost three years, wouldn't go near him or look him in the eye. It was as though, in their eyes, he stood accused of some treason and would drag them down with him. He could not talk to them, could not eat with them, could not even be near them without being bathed in hostility and silent condemnation. And the Oni, who had never been on his side to begin with, treated him worse still. To them, he was nothing short of an abomination, a travesty bound in flesh that nearly all of them would have killed with their own hands but for the words of the Oni that had slain his mother. It didn't take them long to find a solution, however; all that was required, they realized, was that he lose in the Dorei Shiai. And so, he was invited to compete once more, and knowing nothing else he accepted.
 
But these were not ordinary matches. As compensation for his status, the organizers of the games arranged for his fights to "have the scales balanced properly." Hibiki was forced to fight under handicaps of various natures, all designed to ensure his downfall in the ring. They pitted him against two, sometimes even three opponents. They sent him in barehanded against enemies wielding swords and naginatas. They hung great iron chains on his ankles and bound him to the wall. For one match, he was blindfolded and set against a notorious murderer who was given a knife. And yet, in spite of all of it, he still managed to win. It was no longer about surviving, or earning a reward- the former wasn't guaranteed, and the latter was outright denied to him. It was about spiting everybody who now treated him like an outcast, about showing all of them, human and Oni alike, that they could hate and despise him all they wanted because he didn't care. All he cared about what that he would not surrender and go quietly into the night.
 
But Hibiki was not the only one who didn't care what had to be done. That much was made clear to him on his final night in the arena. When he arrived, he was surprised to see that there was no physical handicap. No blindfold, no chains, no pre-fight bruising, nothing of the sort. Moreover, when he entered the ring, it was only him and the referee present, with no opponent in sight- just a small box with a spirit tag draped over it. The referee announced that they had finally found a challenger worthy to fight "The undefeated Bachi-han" on equal footing. Then, they removed the tag from the wooden box. Barely a second later the top flew open and out from the box leaped a voracious wolf spirit, driven mad by hunger, that immediately began to circle Hibiki. A small star flew out of somewhere in the audience, cutting the boy's cheek just barely. No serious damage was done, but the scent of his blood was in the air. And that was all it took to set the wolf spirit onto him.
 
Quite predictably, he lost. Badly. As hard as he fought back, there was no way a simple man with no knowledge of the arcane arts could defeat a spirit. He certainly would have been killed, had something in the audience not drawn the wolf spirit's attention and coaxed it into breaking out of the ring and trying to devour the viewers. Once the spirit had been subdued and resealed, the command was given to throw the match's loser into the slave fields and leave him to die from his wounds. But out in the fields, help came from an unexpected source; a Tengu who identified with the Greater Oni appeared that night and treated his wounds. This Tengu informed Hibiki that despite being a halfbreed, the Oni blood that he possessed was the real deal. Furthermore, the Tengu knew the secret to awakening that heritage completely. Even as a halfbreed, he could pass for a full fledged Oni and, with his already formidable strength aided by demonic power, he would surely find a welcome place in the ruling caste. And all he had to do was infiltrate a certain rebellious organization and sell them out at the apex of their plans...

Edited by Shakespeare with a Sword, 18 July 2014 - 08:20 AM.

[Mors]

Spoiler

Theme: Baths - Aminals
Name: Ishikawa Goemon
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Race: Human
 
Personality: I'm a selfish guy, no need to hide it. Anyone growing up on the streets will tell you that the first lesson you learn is to trust no one and to look out only for yourself. I enjoy the usual vices - drinking, gambling, women, and the rest. You only get one life, and the chance of it ending or turning for the worst the next minute is more likely than you think. But hey, that doesn't mean I'm not a likable guy! Especially if you buy me a drink. Just don't expect me to go out of my way to have your back. Gotta be realistic about these things you know. Always trust a drinker to drink, an oni to kill, and a coward like me to run away with his tail between his legs.
 
Faction: The Common Man
 
Skills: I'm a thief by occupation. I can pick pockets, scale buildings, think resourcefully, and sneak away quickly without being seen. Oh, and did I mention I have a magical raccoon-dog as my partner who can change his appearance and can make me float in the air.
 
History: 
Have you seen the Emperor's palace? I mean, obviously you've seen it, but have you seen it? The Emperor's palace is a sprawling affair of walled compounds, exquisite gardens, large manors for the extended family, and finally the Inner Palace, the great towering structure that can be seen from everywhere in the city and has for generations housed the hierarchy. Years of wealth and taxes poured into a giant fortress of wood and stone, the whole thing garnished with jade and gold. A dedicated man could probably scrape enough off the walls to make himself slightly richer than one of the seven gods of fortune. And I am...or at least was, a dedicated man.
 
Let's turn back the clock a little. For as long as I can remember, I've always considered myself to be a quick guy. Quick hands, quick wits, quick to dressed and get the hell out of the brothel before men showed up and asked for their debts to be paid. Being quick is probably the best thing to be when growing up on the streets of Tokio Funka trying to fight to live among the other beggars and thieves. Unfortunately, being a little bit better than everyone else meant I dreamt a little bigger than everyone else. It seemed so easy at the time, one quick trip in and out of the palace and I would be set. No more scrounging around for piss every day. Enough money to be able to spend all my days at the geisha house with the lovely Akane.
 
And so I set off to rob the Hierarchy. 
 
It doesn't really need to be said that people make mistakes. They have regrets. But I'm willing to bet not many have made mistakes as large or had regrets as deep as me. You can guess where I'm going with this...my brilliant plan to rob the very rich to give to the very poor me was a terrible failure.
 
I'd like to say it was a good attempt. That I almost got away. Having never seen so many jewels in my life, I had assumed that they must have belonged to the Emperor himself. I wish they were, it would've saved me from some measure of embarrassment and they would've given me the mercy of a quick execution. No, the jewels belonged to a woman named Tomoko, a fat lady in waiting for the Empress. They caught me before I got out the door, and I was sentenced to an unspecified amount of time in the dungeons.
 
Have you seen the Emperor's dungeon? It's much like the Emperor's palace, but the reverse. Most men don't make it past the first year. Those are the lucky ones. I was in there for fifteen. Fifteen years of hunger, of wallowing in my own filth, of just waiting for the day I could finally die peacefully. I would still be there now if I didn't meet Nim. I don't know how the little tanuki found his way into that dark forsaken place, let alone found the keys to my cell, but I can only thank the gods that he did.
 
"What did you do?" the little Oni asked. It had been years since I talked to anyone, let alone an oni, and the sudden question startled me.
 
"Er...what? I'm a prisoner. I don't do anything but sit here until I die." 
 
"What did you do to be put here? What was your crime?" he asked again.
 
This time I just shrugged and responded, "I got caught." Soon after came the jingling of keys and I was free at last after fifteen years in that hell.
 
It doesn't really need to be said that people make mistakes. They make regrets. Don't spend the night with the cheapest whore, lest you want your birches set on fire the next morning. Don't run with a hot pot of tea, lest you want to be scalded. Don't try to rob the Emperor's palace, lest you want to spend fifteen years of your life in agonizing hunger and boredom. I've learned all kinds of things from my many mistakes. But the one thing I never learn is to stop making them. But it's okay.This time I'll have Nim with me. This time will be different...

[Unbelievably Majestic]

Zakari

Spoiler

"If you're not having fun then what's the point?"

Name: Zakari
Gender: Male
Age: Around five-hundred and seventy or so, as near as I can guess. My kitsune form has five-tails. So my guess should be pretty close.
Race: Lesser Oni - Kitsune
Personality: I've been called a lot of things in my life. Mischievous. Capricious. Dangerous. Monstrous. Friendly. The list goes on and on. And I can't really disagree with any of them. They've all had an element of truth. But how I'd describe myself is much simpler. 'Old.' I've seen a lot. And I've seen it more than once. I've lived and loved and lost and found and done it all again and again. And more than anything I'm bored of the repetition. Which is why I like change. When things get shaken up, things get fun. It's why I like new and unique things. Especially when it comes to people. I like the oddball and the underdog more often than not. And most of all I just want things to be entertaining. It's the reason I helped the Oni take everything. And it's the same reason I will help the humans take it all back.
Faction: Sakura Rebellion
Skills: The usual tricks of the Kitsune trade. Shape-shifting, fox form, human form, anywhere in between, I have a few different human forms I can take. Samurai style sword fighting that I learned amongst the humans. My natural aptitude for fighting, and my youkai body, help out tremendously when it comes to fighting.
History: You ever hear the folk tale about a fox who lives a hundred years and gains the power to change to human form? Turns out it's true. And it's really quite a surprising thing for an elderly fox to go through. Though calling it 'elderly' is making light of an extraordinarily long fox life. Of course, as a fox, you don't think about that sort of thing. You just know that people keep going away, but you do not. It's very strange to think that I once acknowledged that fact, yet had no idea why it happened. Something as simple as 'I am old.' was beyond my grasp. Until I reached 100 years of age. It was like a rebirth in a sense. And I guess, in a sense, it really was. For I became more than a crafty old fox that day. When I finally learned to change back into a fox form I took the risk of going through with it, knowing that I may lose my new found mind. But I also knew that if I lost it, I wouldn't know. So maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Thankfully I managed to keep my mind.

For a start I was still practically a fox. I was smarter, yes. But still a fox. A tense bundle of hunger, survival instincts and skittish responses to noise. It would mystify me why I ran from a rustling bush, when in my mind I knew it was just the wind. Eventually my mind managed to take control. Sense and sensibility won out over instinct. But I never lost my connection to nature, and more importantly, to my family. It used to be that all I cared about was protecting my forest. To keep my friends, family and home safe. But no matter what I tried their lives would end, and I would keep going. As is the curse of living longer than others. Saving lives to watch them end. It was a bittersweet existence.

And then humans started turning up. Humans, with their long lives, vast stomachs and dangerous disregard for the life of my forest and its inhabitants.

Protecting the forest became harder, a lot harder, when the humans turned up. Their hunters would claim family and friends as trophies. I didn't begrudge them for that, it was the natural order. As an animal once ruled entirely by instinct I understood that. But it was still painful. I killed a lot of huntsmen back then. And I do mean a lot.

Slowly the chopping down of trees came to a crawl, and they would grow more food for themselves. I know now that they had settled there. The little place next door to my forest became Tokio Funka. The initial surge of activity was them building houses and farms. And as time passed I became more and more interested in them. Watching them grow old took a lot longer than it did with my family. Over the years I even got to know some of them, in my human form of course. To be honest I preferred them and their wits to the general confusion of my forest friends. I had a hell of a lot of fun messing with the humans. Getting to know the humans. Learning from the humans. Watching them grow old and fall in love. Watching them have children. Things that would take a fox three years, they spread it out over fifty years and squeezed every drop of joy out of it. It was really quite incredible to see.

And then, suddenly, I was approached about the Oni invasion. They wanted help. And I wanted to be entertained. So I agreed to help. Now, hearing that, some may wonder why. Why would I agree to help in such a thing? After I just got done telling you how much I enjoyed my time with humans. Well, that answer is simple. I am selfish. I liked the humans, but I like myself more. And this promised to be very interesting. And at my age it's unbelievable how strong the pull of 'interesting' can get. So of course I joined them. And, if I do say so myself, I helped out a fair bit in the planning stages. I had experience with humans after all, and more than a little experience with Tokio Funka. But when the time came and Oni arrived. The humans... Well... Let's just say I thought they were going to be more formidable than they turned out to be. You hear stories don't you. Stories of Demon Slayers. Strong humans able to defeat Oni at the drop of a hat. I went along with the invasion plans thinking it'd be fun. Thinking it'd be a challenge. But I was sorely disappointed.

We were too efficient for it to be fun. Of course, the rest of the Oni wanted that. They get their fun from the domination of the humans. But that holds no interest for me. You see, I didn't realize it until we actually invaded. But, the humans, those delightfully free and long living humans. Innocent and ignorant in all things supernatural. Watching them live. Having fun with them. Pulling pranks and generally messing with them, that, was the fun part. Without me noticing, the old Tokio Funka had become my new forest, literally in some places as the wood they had used was from my trees. My new home was amongst them. And they were an endless source of entertainment. I realized too late obviously, the invasion was already complete. But once again my forest needs to be protected. Even if that means going against the Oni and their cohorts.

[Jod]

Rikuto Moto

 

Spoiler

 

Character Appearance:

 

Theme: Riders On The Storm -

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DED812HKWyM

 

Name: Rikuto Moto

 

Gender: Man

 

Age:  34

 

Race: Human

 

Personality:

Rikuto is a hardy man, the kind who lives on the strength of his back. Much like his appearance his persona is strong, with an unerring confidence. His pleasures are simple, however that doesn’t mean his mind is simple as well. Although not particularly literate, only learning how to read and write from his wife, his mind is sharp and alert, his knowledge of a more practical sort. He is warm and jovial, and quick to laugh and smile. However this bellies a ferocious side, perhaps born from his time within the wilds. He is the kind that will protect his own no matter the cost, family above all else.

 

Faction: The Common Man

 

Skills:

Wood Cutter: Been chopping down wood from nearly most my life, my axe’s become like an extension of my arm. Heh, I could probably cut down a tree or two in my sleep. Sometimes though I need to use my axe on things other than a tree, like a bear(I’ve gotten two of em) or maybe a bandit(Stupid people just can't leave us decent folk alone)

 

Strength of an Ox: The men in the Moto family have always been strong, very strong, and I’m no different, that with a life of lugging wood around has only made me stronger.  Even on my bad days I can pull three entire logs all they way to the river.

 

Woodsman: Out here in the woods we do most everything by ourselves, from building our own houses and furniture, to foraging for food and hunting and tracking game. I even know all about using herbs for fixing fevers and all that.

History:

 

We wood folk are a simple people, we go out into the forest in the morning, by evening we have a stack of logs ready to be floated down the river. As easy as that. Course its not that the work aint hard, and the pay little, but the life’s simple and has its own pleasures.

 

Since we live in the woods mostly, the happenings of the outside take time to trickle into our little communities. An often times the happenings of the outer world rarely have any affect on us. After all no one really care about us woodsmen as long as there's a supply of wood floating down the river.

 

Out here most of us live off the strenght of our backs and what the woods provide us, most of our practices harken to the old ways. We build our own homes, find our own food, and protect our own from whatever else. Course we won’t be saying no to some gold either, we need it for the wine after all *raucous laughter*.

 

My wife Fumiko and I been married a blessed 15 years, with three kids. My wife, well she was a city girl, daughter of this merchant that used to come round to buy any hides we’d have gotten. Well It didn’t take us long to be sneaking into the woods is as far as I'm willing to say. My sons, Ichimaru and Kuro, the oldest and the youngest have taken the traits of the men of the Moto line both tall and enough strength to pull an ox, or at least they will be when they grow up *heh heh*. The Yumiko my daughter has luckily taken from my mother and there can’t be a better daughter around, though I worry her carefree nature will get her in trouble.

 

However I worry about the future, what kinda world will my kids inherit and all that. With all them Oni’s running about, I can’t help but feel unsettled. The wood was always a dangerous place for the unwary, but after them oni moved in, well the forest don’t seem as friendly as they did when I was a kid. It’ pretty much a fools game to run amok in the forest at night, yer asking to get eaten or for other similarly horrible fates. I remember my dad telling me about how the forest used to be so much safer in his day, and how he first caught sight of mom on that starry night... You can still ask him about that,  but he’s gone straight senile, living alone in that little cabin of his. Told him to move in with us, but the stubborn fool won't listen. Lately there’s been a few more problems cropping up, like bandits as well as slavers. Don’t even know what them bandits want, not like we have anything valuable. My wife tells me that there merely poor folk from the city, at their wits end, still nothing I can do about it, when something threatens my family, that something ain’t returning whole. Not that I enjoy fighting and all that, but the times are what they are, and unfortunately If ya ain’t strong, ya can’t survive…..

 

[Wandering Rogue]

Spoiler

 

KURASSHU

 

Gender:  Male

Age:  Old

Race:  Oni

 

Personality:  WHO AM I?  I AM THE WATER THAT FLOODS.  I AM THE EARTH THAT SHAKES.  I AM THE WIND THAT ROARS. I AM THE FIRE THAT DEVOURS.  I AM THE BEAST THAT FEASTS.  I AM THE FAMINE THAT STARVES.  I AM THE PLAGUE THAT SPREADS.  I AM THE ROCK THAT CRUSHES.  I AM THE BLADE THAT PIERCES.  I AM THE AXE THAT CLEAVES.  I AM THE WOUND THAT FESTERS.  I AM THE MEAT THAT SPOILS.  I AM THE HATE THAT CONSUMES.  I AM THE STORM THAT THUNDERS.  WHO AM I?

 

I AM THE BRINGER OF CALAMITY.

 

Faction:  Greater Oni

 

Skills: Despite what it says above, Kurasshu does not have any power over the elements or any kind of magic.  Unless you count being incredibly powerful with senses to match as magic.

 

History:  THERE WAS ANOTHER REALM BEFORE THIS.  ONE WHERE I WAS BORN AND WHERE I SERVED.  IT WAS THE MASTER WHO SENT ME TO THE WORLD OF MEN AS PUNISHMENT.  NOT MINE.  I SERVED WELL AND THAT IS WHY I WAS SENT TO THIS WORLD AS PUNISHMENT FOR YOU HUMANS.  I BRING THE SUFFERING YOU DESERVE BUT THAT IS NOT WHY I DO IT.  OH NO.  IT IS NOT DUTY THAT MOVES ME. I DO IT ALL FOR ME.  THE EATING, THE KILLING, THE BREAKING, THE STOMPING, THE CRUSHING...ALL OF IT.  IT BRINGS ME A PLEASURE YOU CANNOT IMAGINE.  

 

I CAME TO THIS WORLD IN A STORM.  I OPENED MY EYES AS IT RAGED AND LOOKED DOWN UPON THE LAND OF MAN.  A VILLAGE FILLED WITH DOZENS OF FRAIL MORTALS HIDING BEHIND THEIR PALTRY WALLS.  I BROKE THEM DOWN AND REACHED INSIDE.  I TORE THEM OUT ONE BY ONE AND ATE THEM TO THE MUSIC OF THEIR FAMILY'S SCREAMS.  SOME FOUGHT ME.  I CRUSHED THEM WHILE THE REST CRIED.  THEIR TEARS ONLY SWEETENED THE MEAT.  I FEASTED FOR HOURS.

 

THOSE WERE THE OLD TIMES.  WE ONI WERE PLENTY AND FILLED EVERY CORNER OF THE LAND.  WE TOOK FROM YOU EVERYTHING AND YET YOU CONTINUED.  YOU GREW STRONGER AND LEARNED HOW TO FIGHT BACK.  OTHERS DIED AND FLED INTO THE DARK PLACES BUT NOT I, NEVER KURASSHU.  IT HAD ONLY JUST GOTTEN INTERESTING.  I REVELED IN ALL YOUR NEW INVENTIONS AND TESTED MYSELF AGAINST THEM BUT NONE DID I ENJOY SO MUCH AS WAR.  WITH ALL THE DANGERS IN THE WORLD YOU STILL FOUND THE ENERGY TO SHORTEN YOUR ALREADY SHORT LIVES SO VIOLENTLY.  YOU WERE ALL SO EAGER...HOW COULD I RESIST?

 

WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?  WHEN DID THEIR BECOME SO FEW OF US LEFT?  THERE WERE TOO FEW OF US OLD ONES LEFT AND THE YOUNGER ONES GREW DUMBER AND WEAKER WITH EVERY GENERATION.  YET, YOU HUMANS KEPT GROWING AND COMING UP WITH MORE WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR WEAKNESS.  WHAT COULD I DO BUT KEEP CRUSHING YOU AGAIN AND AGAIN.  YOU FEARED ME AND BLAMED EVERY ILL ON ME AND MINE.  HOW YOU WORKED UP THE COURAGE TO COME AT ME AGAIN AND AGAIN I CAN NEVER GUESS BUT I LOOKED FORWARD TO IT.  THE MORE YOU TRIED AND CLOSER YOU CAME THE MORE I GREW TO ENJOY THE SLAUGHTER.

 

HOWEVER, WHERE I SAW A CHALLENGE THE OTHERS SAW THEIR DEATH.  NOT TODAY.  NOT TOMORROW.  SOMEDAY THOUGH, EVENTUALLY THEY KNEW IT WOULD COME AT MORTAL HANDS.  FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MILLENIA THEY WERE AFRAID.   THEY HAD LIVED TOO LONG AND GROWN TOO ATTACHED TO LIVING.   THEY WERE WEAK AND CHOSE TO ALLY THEMSELVES WITH HUMANS TO CONQUER.  THEY CAME TO ME TOO.  ASKED ME TO JOIN THEM.  I LAUGHED AND MOCKED THEM.  HUMANS ARE SPORT.  YOU EAT THEM.  YOU USE THEM AS AMUSEMENT.  RULE THEM?  MIGHT AS WELL RULE A FARM.  

 

I WOULD OF FOUGHT THEM.  I WANTED TO.  THE THOUGHT OF PITTING MY STRENGTH AGAINST THEM MADE MY BLOOD BOIL.  THEY DID NOT MEET ME WITH CLAW AND FANG THOUGH.  THEY USED A FOUL HUMAN WEAPON.  GUILE.  THEY POISONED ME AND USED THEIR TRICKERY TO SEAL ME AWAY WHILE I WAS WEAK.  I RAILED AGAINST MY PRISON AND SHOUTED CHALLENGES THAT WENT UNANSWERED FOR DECADES.  

 

IT WAS A HUMAN WHO FOUND ME.  HE UNDID THE TRAP FROM THE OUTSIDE AND JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO REWARD HIS CURIOSITY WITH DEATH HE BEGAN TO SAY SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THE CITY KNOWN AS TOKIO FUNKA...

[Liar]

Spoiler

 

Relentless Optimism!

 

Name: Hajime Rei

Gender: Male

Age: Sixteen

Race: Human

 

Personality: It’s kind of hard to describe myself since most people would just acknowledge the good points, but father and my brothers always say that introspection is the road to strength. People say I’m energetic and too curious for my own good, and I have to agree. I enjoy mingling with people and seeing new sights. Father wants me cooped in the castle, but I know there’s more to life than just sitting around with a bunch of old farts and coming up with schemes to make more money.

 

Personally, I want to say that I have a keen devotion to justice. I help the downtrodden whenever I can. It’s something I learned from father. Since we come from a samurai family, we’re traditional in that view that the strong must help the weak. I’m steadfastly loyal to my friends, family, and the common people that my forefathers were tasked to protect. I try to become strong so that I may be able to do what needs to be done.

 

I can be a little naïve, as father and my brothers would often say, because I lack a lot of experience. I must confess I can be in some respects, but I’m not totally blind. I detest the Greater Oni and many others in the Hierarchy. They hurt people because they’re too weak to stand up against them. As much as I want to do something about it, there isn’t anything I can do alone. Father tries his best to treat those of the caste beneath him with respect, but sometimes I fear that many people believe my family are just as bad as the other folks in the Hierarchy. They don’t know that we’re only in the top to ensure that the few people under us are treated with the rights they deserve.

 

A lot of people think I’m just the “Fool of the Hajime,” but I’m far cleverer than many of those folks realise. My two older brothers think I can’t do anything, but maybe father knows that I’m far more intelligent than I let on. It’s the only way to keep my head low while I try to come up with a way to make sure evil can be vanquished from my beloved Tokio Funka.

 

Faction: The Hierarchy

 

Skills: Well, not to toot my own horn, but I’m a pretty accomplished swordsman and martial artist. I’m pretty sure I can take on most humans without a scratch, but even I don’t know how I would actually fare against the Oni. Luckily, if I ever have to fight one (which I hope I don’t soon), then I think I’m pretty nimble and agile enough to run away. I’m pretty fast. My tutors tell me I have good reflexes. Other than that, I guess I know a few things about politics and running businesses. I am the son of a samurai, and father makes doubly sure his sons know how to take his position once he passes.

 

History: To truly understand who I am, you would have to understand who my family are. I’m a member of the Hajime, a clan of warriors (samurai) that has remained alive since the formation of this country and devotedly loyal to its emperors. Truthfully, we’re not all that special. The few things we can say about us are our natural longevity and our tendency to remain alive through the most brutal wars of this country’s history. We’re kind of hard to kill.

 

Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked; let’s speed things up to the recent history of my clan. When the Oni invaded nearly four decades ago, my grandfather, Hajime Katsushiro, wanted to oppose them. Although I have never met him, Hajime Katsushiro was famously known for his virtue and honour. There were some that looked up to him as an icon of resistance against the Oni. When he was alive, he intended to gather an army to drive away the Oni. However, the Oni had shown their strength already, and many believed it was a suicidal endeavour to oppose them any further.

 

Unfortunately, despite his charisma, my grandfather failed to gather the support from the various influential families and people of the time (several of them would later become part of the Hierarchy). My father, Hajime Mitsunari, was only sixteen when the Oni came, but he was a smart man and knew what would happen to my grandfather and the clan if they kept opposing the Oni. Their rivals would turn them all in to be executed and made an example of. The Hajime owned vast tracts of land for farming and for a variety of artisans to use. The deaths of the Hajime would mean splitting up this property between the Oni and the humans that pledged their support to them.

 

To protect the clan, my father murdered my grandfather. He then personally delivered his head to the Oni, and dedicated himself to their cause. The Oni spared the Hajime. It is thanks to the actions of my father that we remain as part of the Hierarchy. However, my father never forgave himself, the Oni, and the other members of the Hierarchy for forcing him to kill his father.

 

Decades roll by and then I was born. My name is Hajime Rei, the third and youngest son of my father. I’m not well-liked by my father’s retainers because I act in a way unbefitting for a member of our class. My oldest brother is the clan heir and he was named after our grandfather, Katsushiro. He’s ten years older than me, and a lot of our old servants say that he acts precisely like our father did when he was younger. He’s a genius, but I think he just has a stick up his ass. My other brother is Yahiko and he’s only six older than I am. He’s virtually the opposite of Katsushiro. He likes to drink, court women, and has a lot of other vices. Unfortunately, I don’t have a mother. She died of illness when I was very young, and I hardly have any memories of her.

 

For a long time, I was content to just drift by. As the third son of a samurai family, I’m basically the spare’s spare. I had no ambitions whatsoever, and maybe it was this line of thinking that made Yahiko who he is. Out of the three of us, father said I was the most proficient in the martial arts than my two older brothers. I was smart, but not on the same level as Katsushiro or Yahiko. Despite his vices, Yahiko was skilled in business. Father allowed him to watch over several businesses the clan owned. Katsushiro, of course, was learning how to take over as the next clan leader. What was I supposed to do? There really wasn’t anything for me to do. Despite the Oni’s influence over us, the nation was pretty much at peace. What good was I if there were no wars to be fought? I wasn’t as competent in politics and business as my brothers were.

 

With no responsibilities or duties, I wandered. I explored Tokio Funka because I had nothing to do, and earned my reputation as a fool by associating with children that many in my class were thought to be beneath me. Despite my family’s place in the Hierarchy, I was just as much as a vagabond as the many other drifters that came to the town. However, my outlook changed a year ago when I found my brother drunk in an alley.

 

“Rei,” he slurred my name, a drunken smile on his face as he tried (and failed) to lift his head up to look at me. “Is that you? Pick up your beloved big brother and take him home?”

 

At the time, I frowned at the way he smelled of cheap sake. His clothes were a mess, as if hastily put together. I would guess that he was probably having an affair with a married woman, but was caught in bed with the husband and was forced to leave quickly. It didn’t excuse him being drunk when the sun was still high though. Regardless, I was a devoted brother, and I helped him up.

 

“You’re so lucky, Rei,” Yahiko suddenly said as I was helping him walk back home.

 

I didn’t say anything, but I did look at him. There was still a drunken smile on his face, but it didn’t match the dull look in his eyes. I loved my brother, but even I didn’t enjoy the dumb things he did. We were the Hajime Clan! We’re not like those other oppressors in the Hierarchy! Father cares for our workers. We were not the pompous, arrogant good-for-nothings that the common people hate!

 

When we arrived at the compound that was the Hajime residence, Katsushiro was waiting at the gates with two servants. He was frowning deeply, but I never really saw him smile that often to begin with. Katsushiro was rather taciturn. When we came closer, the two servants took Yahiko from me.

 

“Where did you find him?” Katsushiro asked, his eyes watching Yahiko being dragged away by the servants.

 

I crossed my arms, shaking my head disapprovingly. “I found him in an alleyway near one of the teahouses close to the slums.”

 

My brother clicked his tongue. “Fool. He could have been robbed or killed…” He paused, and swivelled his head to me. “Pray tell, what were you doing near there?”

 

I rolled my eyes. “And how did you know to wait for us out here?” I wasn’t ignorant; I knew Katsushiro had some informants in town. Fortunately, Katsushiro didn’t press for an answer. As we walked inside, I decided to voice my grievances about Yahiko to my responsible brother. “Katsu-nii, why does father allow Yahiko-nii to gallivant around town like he does? It gives us a bad reputation.”

 

“While I do not approve of it…” He sighed. “It allows Yahiko to cope with the things he needs to do.”

 

I scowled. “That’s dumb, Katsu-nii. He’s making the Hajime look like bastards! Father should just disown him with the way he—”

 

Unfortunately, whatever I wanted to say stopped in my throat as Katsushiro slapped me with the back of his hand. My brother glared down at me with a viciousness I’ve never seen him have before. “Do not talk about matters you know nothing about. You speak of justice and ideals, but you know little about the reality this clan faces. It is thanks to the works of father, Yahiko, and I that you are able to live freely and comfortably as you do now.”

 

When that first happened, I was angry. I hated my brothers for making me feel so ignorant. I resented my father for not allowing me the opportunity to take up our clan’s responsibilities. However, since that time a year ago, I started to pay more attention to what father and my brothers did. I noticed how tired my father and brothers were whenever they had to deal with another member of the Hierarchy or the Oni. I watched as Yahiko put up a front of reckless happiness to hide whatever pain he was going through.

 

This system we have now is broken. I had once thought being in the Hierarchy was enough to help those unable to help themselves, but I realised that they (even the most despicable ones) were oppressed by the Oni. They just simply lived in a gilded cage. Recently, there have been rumours of a rebellion being plotted. I don’t know what I can do, but I know that I simply can’t stand back and just watch. My family worked hard to make sure I live with choice, but now I know that the choice I have to make is to take up arms and remove the shackles that have been placed on my clan and the people we have sworn to protect.

[Vafhudr]

Spoiler

 

 
Theme: You don't know me
 
Name: Jisaku Kanade
 
Gender: woman
 
Age:  38
 
Race:  Human
 
Personality: Her personality can be defined in one simple phrase – looking out for number one. It is a saying in town that Kanade loves only one thing and that is Kanade herself. She is affable, but she is made of steel. She tries to act classy, but at the end of the day she remains a street thug with a lot of cash. She tries to keep a composed and business like attitude, but at the end of the day is that she likes to run stuff. She takes pleasure in getting stuff done, in ordering people around, in managing the empire she cut out for herself out of the shittiest wood possible. She posseses a cunning and calculating mind geared toward one goal – getting ahead in life. She believes that there are those who exploit and those who are exploited and she firmly intends to be on the side of the exploiter. Who those exploiters are does not matter – as long as she is on their side. She has little scruples, but that does not mean she has no conscience. There are things she will not abide with – if she can. For one, while she is a ruthless exploiter, Kanade has built her small empire by putting a weapon in the hands of people who had nothing. She never dealt in slavery and, though never openly, she often buys and releases slaves and gives them job in her ranks and affiliated businesses.Abusers and other molesters get no mercy from her either. She mocks anyone whom she finds weak and pathetic, but she is always thrilled by those who are willing to play the ladder game. 
 
She is very jealous of her possession and would do well not to mess with them. 
 
Faction: Hierarchy
 
Skills: Kanade was once a seamstress. Her skills nowadays involve a very quick knife hand, an eye for prices, and to be very, very convincing. She gets what she wants – and her skills are geared toward exactly that. 
 
History: Kanade started as the lowest of the low. She was born from a whore and foreign merchant from the lands beyond the oceans. She never met him, but he has left her an unhappy legacy – such as her hair, for instance. She doesn’t know who that man was, but if she meets him one day, she will cut off his ball and feed them to him. Her mother raised her as well as she could and tried really hard to keep her daughter out of the trade. And so young Kanade was shipped off to a textile workshop in the city at the age of 7 where she learned how to sew in a sweltering room with other girls. Mistreatment and poor working conditions came with the territory. They were the underclass – a fact of which they were reminded daily. Her mother’s philosophy was to keep her head low. You don’t want to pick a fight with the big people. Small people stay silent and keep to themselves. The problem was that Kanade was a lively child and not one to take things lying down. And so when one day one of the overseers got a bit too violent with her, instead of bearing it as her mother always encouraged her to  do, she took a need from workshop and rammed it in the overseer’s throat. He did not die quickly. The one sided beating turned into a vicious brawl in which Kanade, now 13 years old, was fighting with a grown man. The fight caused a fire, which in turned consumed the whole building. Finally triumphing over her opponent, Kanade did not have the strength, being exhausted and seriously injured, to get out of the building. Fortunately for her, a girl came back in to drag her out, but she suffered severe burns nonetheless. Her mother cried when she saw her – now she would never be able to marry, something her mother had hoped would get her out of the gutters, however empty such a hope was.
 
This marked a turning point for Kanade. Disfigured and pissed off, intent on never working for anyone else again, she set out on the street with a knife and went into the underworld. She initially found no one who would take her. Who would want a little girl with knife and half her body scorched? Who would want to touch that? No one, it turns out. She was laughed at. Just a lonely kid with a knife and enough pent up anger to burn the city.
 
But, as it has been already established, Kanade is not one to take an insult lying down. She started her own gang – and her own racketeering schemes, starting with her mother’s own “co-workers”. She recruited among prostitutes – especially those who did not have as much success anymore. She recruited among the unaffiliated petty thieves. She picked up the half-dying and gave them a knife and targets. She found whipped dogs and turned them into hungry wolves. She began by killing pimps. And then when their superiors showed up, she killed them as well. No method was too underhanded for her. After all, she was fighting hardened criminals with a lot more resources than her. With time, her influenced widened. She started in whoremongering, then moved into exotic goods and weapons. Through that she became acquainted with the higher imperial shot-callers and the Oni occupiers and made herself a prime partner with the powers that be in providing things they could not get. The city might by a disgusting piece of work, but where Kanade holds sway, things are clean. Things are orderly. You don’t get mugged if you are under Kanade’s protection. You don’t get abused in one of Kanade’s  pleasure parlours. She is an unapologetic collaboratrice and criminal, but if you are under her protection, you are protected. Unless you fucked with the Oni. At which point you are on your own, you fucking dumbass. It’s a personal point of pride for her that her mother died in a comfortable bed and not alone in an alleyway like a dog.
 
Now Kanade is rich, powerful, but she has met a wall – the Oni. While she has clout with the Imperial establishment, she knows very well that they will do business with her only insofar as she is useful to them. She is held in contempt by most of them. She is also well aware that rebellion is in the air and she is only worried about one thing with regards to the coming chaos – to get out on top. That’s all that matters. 
 

[Diabolical Rhapsody]

Yukihime

Spoiler

"A Warm smile rising up from smoldering embers of pain."

Theme: Rain

 

Name: Yukihime Ise

 

Gender: Woman

 

Age: 23

 

Race: Human

 

Personality: Ise is a warm and cheerful person who likes to make everyone comfortable. Due to her earlier experiences, she did have extreme self-conscious with her body which has been calmed by the fling of lovers she had. Especially after Sasaki-san who taught her basic self-defense and spent quality time knowing her, it seems her repressed bright spark was back. She is also a voracious reader and is usually good company to ruffians and philosophers alike.

 

Faction: Sakura Rebellion

 

Skills: Geisha Arts - Singing, Playing Shamisen, Massage. Know basic self defense.

 

Items: A Tanto, a bladed fan with collapsible blades, Shamisen.

 

History: Born into a family of farmers as their seventh child, Ise didn't have a luxury of a normal life. When the cold winter hit in her seventh year and left the family barely surviving and her twin brother under the icy snow, the Kawaguchis decided that they needed to change things desperately. With a stone burdening their soul they sold off Ise and her elder sister to an Okiya through a friend and thus began her life as a geisha. She started young and as bizarre as it may seem, the one who became her new "okaa-san" was much better mother than her real one. She took care of the two girls patiently, a few years into the craft Ise had distinguished herself as quiet a talent with the Shamisen and her soothing sound that sounded like a lullaby was sought by many men. Starting as a O-shaku, she quickly graduated to being a highly sought after Maiko.

 

At this time her beauty too was touching new bounds and her sister who was four years her senior was nearing her Mizuage. Though not as talented as Ise, she certainly had the looks. A few years passed and her sister moved on to greener pastures, all the while being luckily shielded to the state of the world outside. The same could also be said for Ise, though the inflow of youkai visitors increased, everything had remained relatively civil as opposed to the world outside.

 

This was all until her time came, ironically on her Mizuage. Even though "Okaa-san" had vocally opposed to the notion the man who ran the Okiya had already committed to the mysterious patron, who turned out to be an Oni. It was Ise's initiation into hell, as she was not only ravaged by a being too powerful for any mortal, she was also reminded of her feebleness. It was a stroke of luck that she barely survived, mainly because of the hero of the story. Yoshida Sasaki, a Irezumi artist who was also among the many men and women behind the rising rebellion. It was by sheer luck that the Oni was one of the targets of the more militant outfit of the rebellion to send out a message and had her fate not been smiling, Ise surely would have been like the fifty other maiko's who were ravaged till death by her crazed patron, a fact that she later discovered.

 

It was Sasaki's patience and confidence in her that along with time healed some of the mental scars she had of the experience. Though her few physical scars ensured that she won't be able to be an Oiran ever. the fact that she had survived an Oni meant that she was as tough as nails. Thus, after a break of two years she resumed her apprenticeship under Okaa-san and turned full geisha at around 21 years of age. With heartfelt gratitude and tears, she left the Okiya that had been her home for twelve years and once again sought out Yoshida Sasaki.

 

Full convinced with his ideology and hoping to contribute in her newfound family, she wishes to use her talents to be  useful in more covert and violet efforts of the Rebellion. Afterall, success won't befall them unless they depose of some essential cogs in the machinery that is the hierarchy.

 

Thus in shroud of geishas she wishes to become an assassin. Though low on fighting abilities, you would be surprised how unprepared a man is when he thinks he is dominating a woman.

 

Defining feature: A whole back tattoo of a White Akuma on her back. Parts of it are still unfinished, it can be said that it is Sasaki-san's most ambitious and long-drawn work. They work on it whenever they do get a chance to enjoy some peace.