2006 Tournament of Arms Registration and Information

[LocoColt04]

Okay, here's the thread you've all been waiting for. I had originally said I would have it up at the start of June, and then said it would come earlier... well, I apologize that it didn't come earlier, but today is the first of June all the same.

Many of you have been keeping up with the information thread thus far. Please continue using THAT thread if you have any questions. This thread is for character registration ONLY. In this post, I will provide my expectations for your characters, as well as any special restrictions placed on this tournament.

The thread will start with basic information, followed by character information, environment information, and finally some dates and such.

READ ALL OF THE INFORMATION IN THIS THREAD. I WILL IGNORE ANY QUESTIONS WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.

ALL REGULAR RPB AND TOA RULES APPLY. BE SURE TO READ THE ANNOUNCEMENTS IN BOTH FORUMS SO THAT YOU ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE RULES.

(Also, be sure you read the stickied thread in here regarding judging.)


===


Let's start with the tournament-specific restrictions.

As most of you are aware, all characters must be of Asian descent, and I would prefer that all characters are new, from scratch, specifically for this tournament. You do not have to craft some elaborate back story, but if you choose to do so, more power to you. It gives you more to play with when writing in the tournament, and also gives your opponents some possible weaknesses to exploit.

Exploitation is a good thing. This may be fake, but I want this tournament to be more realistic than any tournament we've ever had before. I want the characters to really live, and I want the writers to take advantage of one another -- without, of course, godmodding.

On that note, GODMODDING OF ANY KIND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. I will not close a thread immediately if someone cheats. As such, do not respond to a god-mod with more godmodding. If you have been cornered into doing something with absolutely no way out, do not complain about it. Take the hit, and then continue. If both players cheat, both will be disqualified at the end of the round. If a god-mod post has you trapped in a situation of death or near-fatal injury... go along with it. The other writer will be disqualified at the end of the round, and we will erase all existance of your injuries for the next round.

If you read the other sticky in here, you may know what I'm talking about. It is asked that any major injuries you sustain within battle carry over to the next fight. Healing between fights is obviously allowed (as it doesn't take place during the fight itself), but if you break a leg or sever an arm, those are things that cannot be rectified over the course of a week. For roleplay purposes, each character will have a week of roleplay time to recover between rounds.

Now, one more thing.

NO MAGIC WILL BE ALLOWED IN THIS TOURNAMENT. This includes chi, energy-based magic, geomancy, anything and everything that is not physical contact. I struggled with the confines of this specification for a long time, and made the decision that it's best to deny all forms of magic rather than pick and choose what is and is not allowed.


===


And now, we look at a basic character setup. For display purposes, I will create a very shallow character following the guidelines for this tournament. I expect your characters to be a bit more detailed. Please note that it is not necessary to lay out your bio in this format, nor are you required to include all of what I listed (but you are welcome to use it if you wish to do so).


Name: ...should definitely sound Asian
Origin: Even though the countries may not have existed in the era of this tournament, it gives us a better idea of your roots all the same
Age:
Gender:
Hair Color: Most should be black or dark brown (but not required)
Eye Color: Ditto
Height:
Weight:

Fighting Style(s): I know much was discussed about job classes and cross-classing, and I have decided it would be easier not to require any specific classes at all. If you wish to do so, you still may, but it may be easiest to do this instead. I ask that you list all styles of fighting for which your character has been trained (or self-taught). Thieves, ninjas, assassins... all characters with primarily these styles of training should be shorter, lighter, and faster. Samurai, Knights... all characters blah blah ditto should be taller, heavier, and slower. You may mix and match as you see fit, but you can't do everything at once.

Clothing and Armor: Just make sure it fits with your fighting styles. Clothing can change daily, but armor should not.

Weaponry: Each character is allowed up to two primary weapons and two secondary weapons. Obviously, you do not need to use all of the alloted weapons. In most cases, the primary will consist of two swords of some type. Secondary weapons could be bows, knives, daggers, and other smaller weapons. Throwing knives fall under the category of projectiles, and thusly do not count toward your secondary weapons. In the case of a fighting style that requires a third large weapon, the secondary weapons MUST be sacrificed, with the exception of projectiles. Your character may only carry as many shuriken, darts, etc., as is feasible for the clothing and gear. These are not limitless!

Background/Biography: Only if you wish to have one. This is not required, but will greatly help in identifying some key aspects of your character. Why did s/he choose these fighting styles? What are his/her strengths and weaknesses? Etcetera? Part of judging comes from creativity, so by all means, feel free to fill this portion out to your heart's content. Just don't go overboard and write a whole roleplay-type story... you can, but to be honest, I probably won't read it all, and neither will the other writers. I mention something at the end of this post which should appeal to those of you wishing to include an extensive background for your character. I suggest you do so there, rather than in your bio. Of course, a basic rundown of the "why" on some things would still be nice to have within this portion of your character creation sheet.


===


The environment, whee!

Feudal Japan. I should hope that would be obvious by now.

The tournament itself will be held in... pardon the cliché... a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon style of complex. I only say this to give you an idea of what I'm looking for. It will basically be a very large estate with a massive courtyard in the midst of the main house. This courtyard is paved with stones. The tournament fights will all begin within this courtyard, but are not required to stay there. Feel free to move throughout the house and possibly even into the estate grounds outside the house.

...I ask that you don't do anything to burn down the building, of course. Feel free to swipe torches from inside and then burn stuff outside, but I don't want any fires within the main building. There will be some smaller buildings (like guest homes and such) that you can destroy to your heart's content.

Remember, this is Feudal Japan. There's no electricity. Use your brain.

All participants will have rooms within the main house. I ask that if your fight moves into the house, you keep it out of the participants' rooms. There are large living areas and kitchens full of objects you can utilize.

The environment is fully interactive. It is not godmodding to throw a frying pan at your opponent. Not only is that good use of your environment, but it's also comedic relief. No one said you had to be 100% serious all of the time.

If you have any further questions, please ask them in the Q&A thread.


===


THERE WILL BE SOMETHING NEW THIS YEAR. I am putting up another thread in just a moment where each participant may (but is not required to) write a roleplay-styled introduction post describing how his/her character ended up in Japan for this tournament. Whether your character was notified by letter, word of mouth, or just happened to stroll by, that is completely up to you. You will only be allowed one post, but you may put as much information into it (within the 50,000 character limit) as you like. I will read through that entire thread prior to judging the first round. The thread will be closed the moment the first round starts, so if you wish to write an introduction, capitalize upon the opportunity as soon as possible.


REGISTRATION WILL END ON SUNDAY, 11 JUNE 2006.

The Q&A thread will remain open throughout the duration of the tournament.

ROUND ONE WILL START ON WEDNESDAY, 14 JUNE 2006.

The pairings will be randomized. I will quite literally put your names into a hat and draw them out that way. A lot of things depend on how many people we get with legitimate characters for the tournament.

In the case of only eight people, there will be three rounds. The first round will be ten days, the second will be twenty, and the third will be thirty. These are estimates, but should be fairly close to what we'll have.

In the case of 9-12 people... I will cut applicants to get it down to eight.

In the case of more than twelve people, we will go with a four-round tournament. Round one will be a week, rounds two and three will be two weeks, and the final round will be a month.

Past champions will receive a bye through the first round if we do not have a full 16, in the order of most recent champions and/or finalists.

I WILL NOT ACCEPT MORE THAN SIXTEEN PARTICIPANTS.


...I honestly hope we can get a strong 14-16 players for this event. It would be nice. You can expect the tournament to last through August, but it should not run into September. If it does, I apologize, but hopefully it won't be an issue for any of you.

Do not register if you cannot be available through August.

There is no post limit on these threads. Endings will be abrupt, but for any thread in which both participants wish to continue their topic and reach a conclusion, I will copy the thread into the RPB forum and remove the judgement post so that it may be continued.

There will be no victory posts, with the exception of the final round. Killing your opponent's character will not be allowed in this victory post.


===


With that, I officially declare registration for the 2006 TOA open.

[Toph Bei Fong]

Name: Gamanoji Ren

Origin: Japanese

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Dark Brown

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 175

Fighting Style: Shiranui-ryu/Batoujutsu

Clothing/Armor: Dark-colored Kimono (Can't decide if I want dark blue, black, or a dark red. I'll edit this later when I decide.)

Weaponry: Two katana. One that he uses mainly, and another for back-up purposes.

Background: Gamanoji is one of the most lethal Hitokiri in the Imperialist's military. He seems to be a cold, disciplined and calculating warrior. Though at strange times, it is said that he has a somewhat 'normal' side that pops up every now and then. Sometime in the near future a drastic event is going to take place involving him.

[Vicious]

Name: Doragon Arashi, also known as Akuma Nirro (He changed his name after disappearing, his original name was “Daigoro Musashi”)
Origin: Osaka, Japan
Hair Color: Grey Silver
Eye Color: Gold
Height: 5’5
Weight: 174 lbs.
Fighter Style: Jujitsu, Kempo, Doragon Shippo, Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu, and Hoshi Butou Styles.

Clothing & Armor: His kimono is custom made and a pure crimson color carrying a white symbol of a wolf’s head encircled. The design of this kimono is not of its beauty though, looking past its appearance it has 4 layers. The first layer is a piece of cloth; the thing is it is a newly created substance that cannot catch fire. The next two layers are complete chain mail. But, they were done in a much different technique than typical chain mail. The metal itself is steel, but the pieces of metal laced together are much smaller than usual chain mail. This makes it much lighter, but it is still efficient against cuts and slashes. The last layer is the same as the outer shell layer, but made for comfort. This Kimono was specifically made by a blacksmith named “Heiseisame”.

Now, the kimono is not the only thing he wears. Over the sash is a belt that is white to blend in, but it is complete leather with a certain rings of metal connected around its center. These hold the two swords upon his back perfectly, but not only that the belt also can position the hold on these swords into whatever he wishes.

To continue, he wears two gloves that are thin, but made of the same material as the Kimono. On his forearms though are metal pads that are slightly thin and have spikes backwards. From there a long sleeved undershirt sits under all that and the kimono. Lastly, he wears a straw conical hat, thick split toe black socks and a pair of black Geta that have metal embedded on the bottom.


Weaponry:

Main –

Juritsu Makai – This Naginata, or pole-arm, was created for Arashi by a man named, “Yuushuu Taru”, a secret blacksmith within the Shinsengumi. He was also given certain details from a letter Arashi gave him to specific customization. They were strange, but the blacksmith did not question him. When it was finished a few months later after the sword was, it had a grand design. The entire pole-arm is black with red strands of fire running up the pole and turning into a dragon’s head on four sides before the guard of the blade. The strange customizations though are what give it a sight of beauty. The sharp side of the blade is shown at least two thousand tiny sharp teeth. The guard of the blade, which designed to match the pole, also has a pronged hilt that is a little over an inch in width behind the blade with a very sharp point. He killed the entire family that accused his father except their daughter with this weapon.

Doragon Ha: This Katana was crafted by a blacksmith in the name of “Murasame”, who took two years of the seven Arashi had went missing to create this sword. The sword length out to be 28” long and has sharp teeth on its sharp side. It then fits into a scabbard that is black with two symbols, one of a dragon and another of a demon underneath it upside-down connecting with a swirling cloud.

Secondary –

Wakizashi – A basic short sword usually carried with the main katana to create a Samurai’s Daisho.

Shurikens – Wrapped around his left thigh are eight shurikens he uses for throwing.

Biography: (Will be written in Role-play introductions)

[Lost Sol]

Is this fate? I come back because I haven't posted as much as I should, and here I see a TOURNAMENT!!! This is either my lucky day, or really bad day. Let's see if I got what it takes, need I let you people know this is a first for me, but I'll try not to dissapoint you all.

Name: Bakuryu Shunko
Age: 20
Eye Color: Goldish brown, fully amber when fighting.
Hair Color: Black
Height: 5'4
Weight: 133lbs

Clothing: His shirt is black lamellar, covering only his upper body, not his arms. From his fingers to his wrists, each hand is covered with a leather glove, but these gloves cover a hidden steel within them protecting his hands. On his left shoulder he wears a red pauldron outlined with gold that lays flat from the left side of his neck from the collar down to the middle of his upper arm, buckled to his arm. His pants are loose and comfortable for feel, but underneath is even more lamellar, but the lamellar is shaped like shorts. His shins are covered with iron shinguards for his kicking attacks. And for his feet, he wears simple sandles that seperate his big toe from the rest, and he wears black socks. On his waist a customized black leather belt with buttoned loops all around holding his kunais, allowing him to pull them out quickly. On his right shoulder, are his two black ronin tantos that hang in a straight black sheath with one pocket for each tanto.(sorry if this is long, I'm just describing my character! You guys wanted reality.)

Class: Shadow Assassin
Style: Uses the dark with transcended skill, allowing swift and silent killing techniques.
Weapons: Two black ronin tantos hanging on his right shoulder in the black sheath. Ten kunais hang from his black leather belt around his waist, along with a pouch that holds his marble sized smoke bombs.
Primary: Black Ronin Tantos
Secondary: Kunais, used like daggers, and as projectiles if need be.

History: He was taken into a family of assassins at the age of 10, this was caused by his true family being killed by a rivaling clan. His family's assassins had burned his home and family alive, he was in hiding witnessing it. This had traumatized him, and anytime he sees fire it's a constant reminder of his dead family. His families closest allies took him for their own, and he showed potential. His training had begun at the age of 13, and most of it was done in dark rooms lit by very few candles. This type of training not only increased his hearing, but his reflexes and eyesight in the dark. His first mission was given at the age of 15 and was a success from his near death training. After ten consecutive successful missions, he was then trained till the age of 17 with even more intense training. This training was made to develop his hand-eye cooridination, which started quite horribly his first time, then gradually improved. By the time he was 19, he became a master of his style, which was the youngest record among his clan. Never in their history has someone accomplished their style so quickly, and he walked proudly from then on. But, his training caused him to develop a serious and very mature mind. If someone dies, he doesn't even so much as wince at the sight of someone being killed or dying. At the age of twenty (which is now) he left his home out of his own desire to perfect his skills. During his travels across Feudal Japan, he was delighted to see a sign that announced a tournament. Without a second thought, he decided this would be a perfect opportunity to test his mastery.

Need I remind you, this is my first and if there's anything you want changed, I will be happy to.

[T.G. Oskar]

Name: Shotaro Nawabusa
Origin: Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5' 7''
Weight: 157 lbs.

Fighting Style(s): Karate, Jujitsu, Samurai Jujitsu, Shaolin-style Gung Fu, Kenjutsu, Reversed-hand iaijutsu

Clothing and Armor: Wears a large, worn brown traveling coat over his typical clothing: a light metal breastplate, in traditional samurai style, under a creme yukata. His hands are wrapped in bandages, which reach to halfway his arms, covering the sleeves of the yukata. He wears a sakkat straw hat in his head, with a paper slit hanging from it's edge, with kanjis meaning "penance is the way to Nirvana", with intermixed Chinese kanji to represent foreign wording. Wears light wooden sandals, and the yukata is cut on the leg side, allowing for loose creme pants to replace.Wears a large, worn brown traveling coat over his typical clothing: a light metal breastplate, in traditional samurai style, under a creme yukata. His hands are wrapped in bandages, which reach to halfway his arms, covering the sleeves of the yukata.

Weaponry:
Principal:
Rope-bound Nawabusa katana and wakizashi: his daisho from his samurai days. The weapons are bound by ropes, specifically in the area between the tsuba and the sheath, representing his intention to seal his past away. However, the rope knot is done in a way a simple tug on a specific part can release it, in case the former samurai wishes, or needs, to use his old skills. This is as far as he can consider a "main" weapon: he uses his body most of the time, weighing his style on martial arts than on sword arts.

Secondary:
Prayer beads: During his training as a monk, he learned from a fellow individual that very long prayer beads, when untied, and prepared in a very specific way, could be used as an effective non-lethal weapon. He unties his prayer beads and uses them as a whip, or to trip opponents by using the beads to hit the feet.

[Anomaly]

Name : Ketsurui
Origin: Possible chinese
Hair Color: Grey-black, usually left unbound and long
Eye Color: The left is a dark grey black, the right has been burned over
Height: 5'5
Weight: 150 lbs

Fighting Style(s): Praying Mantis Style (Fu Tao Surng Ngao and related forms), also employs a variety of techniques he's picked up during his career.

Appearance: Ketsurui appears out of place amoung warriors, especially with his trim beard and hair unbound. He is clad simpley, perhaps more akin to a merchant or craftsman. He always has a distant look in his one good eye when someone speaks to him that can often be mistaken as a dumb stare. The right side of his face is badly scarred from what appears to be burns, which has cost him the use of his right eye. On his right arm he has an odd, spiraling tattoo that travels up the length of his arm and disappears into the depths of his kimono. It is very possible that other burns cover his body.

Clothing and Armor: Ketsurui wears simple, common clothing. His most worn armor are leather gauntlets that come up to the elbow and leggings that reach up to the knees. Supplimenting this is a partial set of black scalemail armor, just the shoulder/neck guard for the right shoulder. He wears a simple black kimono with a white sash tied at the waist. The only thing really unusual about his attire are the soft leather shoes he wears instead of sandles. These are dark, like the kimono, but mud stained and worn. He has a distressing tendency not to take them off, even when he walks indoors.

Weaponry: Twin Hook Swords~ These can be weilded as a single sword when connected by a clasping mechanisim for heavier assault, but generally they are weilded as two seperate blades. Both were made from a single, solid peice of metal, the hilt, cresent guard, front and back of the blade all sharpened for slashing and the curled hooks for gouging. The only thing that detracts from their appearance as little more than torture devices are the cord wrapped handles that show obvious wear from heavy use. 'Ketsurui's use of the hooks to gouge out the eyes of his enemies is what earned him his one and only known name.

Secondary: Manriki Weighted Chain~ One end of the chain has a heavy weighted ball while the other ends in a sharp spike. Both ends are deadly if properly utilized and Ketsurui is well versed in the chains many uses. The chain is roughly about nine feet in length and segmented. It is normally wrapt about the waist or one of the arms when not in use.

Poisoned Needles~ When in a pinch, Ketsurui has been known to utilize several steel needles at both close range and long distance. Sometimes they are poisoned, other times they are not. He normally prepares them before battle and can only carry a limited supply hidden in his kimono. The poisons range from those that merely inflame and irritate, to those that can cause nausia and dizzyness as well as those that can cause weariness and unconciousness. It is rare for him to utilize a truly deadly poison...he tends to consider it unsporting.
Poisons:
-Prickly Heat: A not uncommon poison derived from a specifc species of ivy. The needle need only come in contact with the skin, rather than perice it, in order to start its work. Instantly the skin will be inflamed and a maddening desire to scratch the area will embrace the victims body, usually serving only to distract them from their demise. The poison has no lasting effects other than what the victim implements on themselves trying to rid themselves of thier discomforture.
-Sleep Crest: A secret blend of both planet and mineral extracts that act to suppress the victims breathing and flood their system with a tranqilizing agent. Drowziness occurs from one needle, but two may cause the sporadic loss of conciousness all together. Any further needles after that will lead to a more permanet sleep that the victim will likely never wake from. However, there are no real lasting negative effects and if the victim manages to survive they will merely suffer a mind splitting headache.
-Vile Seed: Derived from the condenced oil of a special seed, this poison induces severe illness in the victim. One needle will cause nausia, while two may cause sporadic vomiting, diahrea, and other violent reactions. The most leathal part of this poison does not come from the illness, but the accumulated effect of multiple needles. They lead to a kind of fever that has been known to reduce mens minds to mush, severly debilitating their ability to fight. This poisons effects can last for weeks unless the victim is given the antidote...by which time they may've already died of fever.
-Brocken Heart: Derived from a potent species of yew tree that grows only in the Himalaya, this poison interupts the electromagnetic impulses in the heart resulting in heart murmers and eventual heart failure. This is his deadliest poison, but also the hardest to make and thus rarely used. Naturally, death is about as lasting as an effect can get.

[King Fenii]

Name: Kenji Shibata
Origin: Japanese
Age: 24
Hair Color: Dark Brown with a slight grey streak on the right side
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 154 lbs.

Class: Royal Assassin
Fighting Styles: Ninjitsu and Shaolin Fist


Initial Clothing:
Layer 1: Crimson tights covering almost his whole body apart from his arms.
Layer 2: White, slightly baggy pants which is very light. Wears white lower-arm guards covering his hands as well, made of the same material as his pants.
Layer 3: Sturdy crimson fighting gloves. Goldenyellow belt worn around waist (out of fabric). Wears specialy designed very light crimson boots.

Battle Equipment:
- Armour: Light Chinese armour, only placed on the upper body; 2 straps of thick white metal pieces (2 by 4 inches, an inch thick) held together by an elastic fabric, crossing his chest. On his back a golden plate holds the straps together. On his chest, where the straps cross, a round emblem rests on his chest. It's made out of 1,5 inch thick gold and has a diameter of about 8 inches.

To protect his lower arms, he wears strong leather armguards on top of his fabric ones. These are crimson coloured and curve out a bit at the side of the elbows.

For further protection, he wears shoulderpads that cover a large part of his upper arms, made out of the same light material as the white metal straps. The shoulderpads are a golden colour though.

Mobility is important for Kenji, so he does not wear additional armour for his lower body.

- Weaponry:
His standard weapons is a Chinese broadsword he had used for many years. Because of his Japanese background he also favours to use a short katana, as he isn't in too long blades. His katana is specialy designed with a larger handle to store away a small, practical dagger inside that he can release by twisting the end of his handle.

The lengths of the blades are:
- Broadsword: 18 inches (45 cm)
- Katana: 16 inches (40 cm)
- Dagger: 5 inches (12,5 cm)

Story:
Kenji Shibata was born in Nagasaki, Japan and was a Samurai's son. After he found out that his own family was betraying the Emperor, Kenji ran away from his home, and ended up in South-East China. At that time, he was 11 years old.

On his way towards a major town, he noticed a royal entourage was being attack by a grand number of banidts. Kenji picked up one of the dead royal guards' sword and aided the entourage. As thank for this honourable act, the entourage took him to see their king. The king himself was also impressed and he gave Kenji the opportunity to train in under his safety.

Kenji quickly found out he was a master at swiftly dispatching his foes and doing this rather silently. The king was impressed by his skills and Kenji was then named as king's personal assassin. He was only 16 when he recieved that title.

For years, Kenji had served his king with full trust, and their relationship was grew ever more stronger during this period. He suddenly hears that his father had died back in Kawasagi. Kenji travels back to Japan to be at his father's funeral. He decides to stay in Japan for a while and finds out a tournament is being held.

Thinking that this tournament might lead him to his father's killer, Kenji joins the tournament, without having the slightest idea what to expect...

[Malevolence]

Just a note for everyone: I found a good site for finding Japanese Samurai-related vocabulary/terms. If you need any references, this site should have 'em.

Name: Takei Masashi (Westernized – Masashi Takei)
Age: 36
Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 165 lbs.
Hair Color: Black, hints of red from excessive outdoor exposure
Eye Color: Brown
Class: Samurai, under the Daimyo Kaga
Styles: Kenjutsu, jujitsu, tai-chi, Crane and Snake-style Kung Fu, Kama, Kusari-gama, iaijutsu

Weaponry:
-- Katana, Tengu: Masashi’s blade is named Tengu, for a fictional creature in Japanese mythology. A Tengu is a man with a crow’s head and black feathered wings. It is known for its guile and trickery, as well as its speed and skill with a blade. Masashi’s katana is build with an extended handle and tang for greater stability, with a longer blade to balance it out for quicker, more precise strikes. Its 29 inch blade length makes it as close to a hand-and-a-half sword as a Japanese sword smith could bring himself to make. The handle is not quite long enough for it to be called a dai-katana, and certainly not long enough to call it a nagamaki, but it does the job it was made for.
-- Wakizashi, Ki’rin: Again named for a mythological creature, a ki’rin is a unicorn-like flying creature that glides on air and gallops through the sky with unmatched grace. Similarly, Masashi’s wakizashi slices through the air to parry attacks coming at him from the sides, or is excellently suited to make a surprising cutting slash from an unexpected angle. The back edge of Ki’rin is laced with brass rings that make a ringing sound when Masashi swings it in a certain way, causing a disembodied and disorienting metal ringing sound to reverberate up and down the blade.
-- Tanto: Masashi has two tanto – daggers – which he uses when necessary. They are balanced and can be thrown, but are more suited for close attacks when either his ability to use Tengu or Ki’rin has been compromised.
-- Kusari-Gama: A kusari-gama, or lashknife, is usually a weighted chain with a handle at one and, and a kama attached at the other. Masashi’s kusari-gama is significantly longer than most – the chain is 12 feet long – and is usable in multiple forms. The kama – a sickle-like weapon used by monks and sohei – has a more hooked blade than most, and has an ergonomically-carved handle. This allows Masahi to use it either as two weapons – a weighted chain and a kama, or for its intended purpose, as a weapon of misdirection and distance. When used correctly, a kusari-gama can attack from behind obstables, around corners, or even from behind an opponent Masashi is facing from the front. The chain can also be used to snare, disarm, or trip opponents.

Armor:
-- Lamellar plate armor: Masashi wears gray armor with gold and red trim. Lamellar consists of steel plates with leather backings tied together by steel and leather cord. The armor is both flexible and protective, but can be easily damaged or dismantled by well placed, unblocked strikes. The armor also includes a fitted kabuto, or helmet, that protects the neck and shoulders with lamellar plating, and the top of the head with solid steel, leather-and-cord-trimmed to match the body armor. The chest plate of the lamellar is solid, and is jointed at the thoracic-abdominal midsection, and covered with a decorative but functionally useless sash – usually blue to indicate Masashi’s loyalty to Daimyo Kaga.

Techniques:
Masashi is trained in most forms of unarmed combat, and specializes in Crane, Snake and Dragon. His weakness lies in his inability to counter most jujutsu and judo techniques because of his body’s relative density in the lamellar armor, but when unarmored, he is a formidable unarmed opponent for even the most skilled judo masters. When armed and armored, Masashi prefers close combat, but will not pass up a chance to eliminate or incapacitate a foe with a well-placed shot from his dai-kyu. When in close combat with a sword, his first thoughts go to iaido – drawing a blade quickly, decapitating an opponent, cleaning the blade, and returning it to the scabbard all within about ten seconds. If this becomes impossible, or is thwarted, he will resort to kendo, and use his swords in regular combat, relying more on speed and avoidance than brute strength.

Background:
Takei Masashi was not born into that name. He was originally born Watashiro Saka, to a farmer living in Chugoku, subsisting off of whatever koku of rice his father did not pay as tithe to the local daimyo and to Tokugawa. At age fifteen, when he was supposed to take up farming, he rejected his father’s life and went off on his own to follow what he called his “personal destiny.” He left Japan for mainland China, knowing full-well that he would probably not ever be able to return to Japan.

Upon arriving in China, he moved south to Tibet, where he lived with a group of Zen Buddhist monks until he was twenty-five years old. Those ten years were spent training in the arts of meditation, tai-chi (a Chinese martial art emphasizing balance and control), two specialized styles of Kung Fu, and the way of the blade, as taught to him by the local sohei, or warrior monks. The sohei taught him all they could about combat after realizing his voracity for both spiritual and physical learning, showing him the proper use of kama – scythes – and of the kusari-gama – the lashknife. However, since the monks did not use full swords in combat, he instead trained with bokken, or wooden swords. He eventually developed the skill necessary to use a bokken as viciously and effectively as he would a shinken, and left the monastery to travel to the Middle East.

After staying in Baghdad for a few years, and doing little other than smoking opium and hashish and becoming a general slob, Saka decided to start a slow journey back to Japan, to see if the borders would be open to him. On his way, he met another exile from Japan, a sword smith named Takei Shushei. Shushei was the one who forged both Tengu and Ki’rin for Masashi, but only after three full years of training to re-hone his skills as a warrior. When he came to Shushei, Saka was an opium addict, strung-out, and lacking control over himself. When he had completed his re-training, he was thirty years old, had lighter hair, and was as strong – if not stronger – than he had been with the sohei of Tibet. Shushei also taught Saka the art of iaijutsu – the art of killing with as little effort and motion as possible with a blade. Watashiro Saka was nor more, and the man who was once him assumed a new name, Takei Masahi, after Shushei told him he would take him in as a member of his family – a great honor, even though the Takei line had been in self-imposed exile in Nepal for three centuries.

When he returned to Chugoku, he found his family long gone, moved on to somewhere in Hokkaido to live amongst the Ainu. Seeking refuge with a neighboring daimyo, Masashi was able to demonstrate his skill with a blade when two pickpockets attempted to steal his coinpurse in an open market. In a magnificently flashy display of skill, Masashi drew Tengu and Ki’rin in one motion, and decapitated both of them with the sound of ringing bells echoing off of Ki’rin’s blade. It just so happened that Daimyo Kaga had been coming through the market to go on an embassage to Tokugawa in Edo that day, and he asked Masashi if he was bound to a lord. When Masashi said no, Daimyo Kaga immediately took him into his care, and issued him a blue sash of Kaga to tie around the waist of a set of armor that was to be made for him.

Since then, Masashi has served in Kaga’s armies as a lieutenant, and lived quietly on his small estate when not needed. Every so often, however, he aches for a little excitement, and goes in search of an opportunity to re-sharpen his skills with a blade.

[Overdriven]

Name: Kurayami Reikoku
Alias: The Reikoku "The Ruthless"
Origin: Japan
Age: 22
Hair Color: Black, with a dark blue sheen
Eye Color: Dark blue
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 170 Lbs

Occupation: Ronin Samurai

Fighting Style(s): Aikido, Ninjutsu, Go Rin No Sho

Kurayami fights with a speed that few Samurai ever achieve. He relies mostly on swift, powerful slashes and well placed thrusts with his dominant sword. He also takes full advantage of his extensive hand to hand martial arts in a fight, using it often to keep his opponent off balance.

Clothing and Armor: Kurayami wears light Samurai armor, which is black and contains a dark blue tint throughout it. He wears no helmet, as most Samurai do, and a mask depicting a demonic visage when it suits him.

Weaponry: Haiiro-Rein: A katana passed down through the Reikoku bloodline. Though it appears dull, the blade is quite sharp and cuts easily. It is said that all who own the sword somehow die by it, and it is cursed. Kurayami takes no interest in such tales, and instead uses it to snuff the life from others.

Komakai Eki: Wakizashi blade taken from the corpse of a warlord Kurayami himself killed. The weapon was used very well by that warlord, and The Reikoku saw it as a fine addition to his collection. He carries it along with Haiiro-Rein

Tenmei and Hakumei: Twin Tanto knives. Tenmei has a white handle, and Hakumei a black, reflecting their names. He received them from the Ninja who he travelled with before entering the tournament.

Arashi's Bow: A Longbow that belonged to an archer named Arashi. After the archer went missing Kurayami held onto his bow until a time which the man should return. (Not the same Arashi the character above, mind you.)

Straight Blade Shuriken: Kurayami carries several on his person. Though he's not as skilled by any means as a Ninjutsu master, he can throw them rather accurately.

Background/Biography: Kurayami was raised in a family of loyal Samurai, but when they were eventually all killed in service of their warlord, Kura set out on his own. He became a Ronin, a wandering Samurai, who served whatever warlord could pay him the best. It is through his latest warlord that he learned of this tournament.

Having spent a good deal of time in the company of two practicioners of Ninjutsu, he learned a good deal of the art from them.

(Full Story to be included)