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.

[Mistress Sheena]

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.

[Baneheart]

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)

[Shelus]

((( While editing this Bio... I put the Yoko Kanno 'Stand Alone Complex O.S.T. 2' This gave me the idea to enter a female warrior into the tournament.

Name: Genkaku Meijin
Theme Song: 'cyberbird' - Yoko Kanno - Stand Alone Complex O.S.T. 2

Origin: Kyoto, Japan (Japanese)
Age: 33
Sex: Female.
Hair: Dark Brown, appears to be black. Medium of length and a bit wild.
Eye Color: Yellow
Height: 5' 07"
Weight: 121 lbs.

Class: Ronin
Fighting Style(s): Champuru Kendo (In short... a bit of everything rolled into the art of dancing.) Kendo and a small bit of Tai Chi... without the Chi. ;_;

Clothing and Armor: Not much armor in the way of defense covers Genkaku's body. The clothing that she does wear is what would appear to be a white shirt with sleeves that reach to the elbows and almost 'slackish' pants. The shirt, although not much on the outside... except for the long stimmed sunflower on the bottom, is buttoned from top to bottom and is able to allow a hand in between each button for the sake of a throwing object. If one is to notice any type of armor... Genkaku wears a small brass bracer on each wrist and ankle, four in all. These allow simple protection when purposely over-compensating to allow the illusion of a growing sword. For shoes... simple sandles cover her feet.

1st Primary Weapon: One sword carried at her left side is known as Genkaku (illusion) This sword is just like any normal Katana, but a bit lighter than most. This sword allows Genkaku to move around more quickly, a need considering her main fighting style.

2nd Primary Weapon: Her other weapon is a polearm of sorts that is a total length of 5ft. The shaft of this polearm is of equall length to the blade, as well as width... except for near the blade. This spear does not however... just have that one blade on the end. Once a trigger mechanism is fired off on the butt of this polearm, two other blades spring out of the sides of this weapon. The size of each of these side blades equall a total of 8 inches in length. These two blades are well hidden inside of the shaft if this polearm. The polearm is even light enough to do serious damage when onlly wielded in one hand. This polearm is kept in place by yellow straps that come over around her back, over her shoulder.
((( The other weapon will be sacrificed for that battle once this weapon is wielded. )))

Secondary Weaponry: A small Tanto is tucked away at her back behind her shirt. Unseen but rest assured that when the going gets tough... the tough gets going. This dagger is usually a last resort and is only used when she is in a trapped situation. Even though it is behind the shirt, there is a small slit upon the back of the shirt to allow a hand to grip the hilt of this small dagger.

Projectiles: 14 finely shaped Bo-Shurikens, (seven on each side of her shirt) are fitted neatly in a diagonal method for easy extraction. These sharp crafted tools are excellent when thrown correctly.

Appearence: Genkaku is one of few women to be honored with the title of Samurai. Her dedication can be summed up by her will to find her Master's murderer, who is also known to have been called her lover, but no evidence supports this. She stands a good height and is a fairly breasted woman. Although when she feels that the day will be a bloody one, or one filled with combat... long white linen cloths will keep her bust nice and fit to allow her manevuerability to be at its best performance. ((( Not meant to offend, I'm being serious. ))) She bears a strong feminine nature in her walk. She walks with reason. She is Women. She will not let the fact of her gender exclude her from this competetion, regardless of the rules.

Background/Biography:

As a child at the age of 12, Genkaku was the only daughter of one of Japan's most infamous crime lords. Although not even the slightest bit interested to grow up just like father, time would teach this child the misfortunes of attemting such a fate while under the watch of her father. Through the trials and errors of this life she had lived up to the age of 17, Genkaku had met up with a man who was a sworn enemy of her father. This man would ask a favor of Genkaku... Genkaku would only be too happy to oblige. She was asked to murder her father, in return... a place among those of the Samurai. It had already been aparent to this stranger that Genkaku had a way with the sword, what better way to shed light on her talents than become a Samurai? Even if no female to known history has ever achieved such a rank.

On the date that Genkaku would have to follow through, security around her father's manner had been a bit laxed. Seemingly odd with the bad weather of that moment, Genkaku walked onward... onward to the resting place of her father... whos name is still forgotten among history. Upon approaching the door to his bedroom, she noticed that the door had already been open. As she walked inside the room, a voice... a voice spoke to him. A simple reflex allowed her to draw her blade and face the figure that had spoken. The figure was none other than her father. She seemed suprised that her father wasn't angry, but instead... her father seemed ready. Both had swords drawn. They each looked at each other as they stood a good ten feet away from one another... ready to fight. A sudden flash of lightning would signal the charge. As they now stood with backs to each other, a good couple of seconds passed until she realized her father had been slain by her own sword, the sword given unto her by her father. She looked down at her father as he breathed his final breath while laying in a puddle of his own blood. Genkaku had shed her first tear for her father, she had cried before but never once in symphony for her father. His dying words were enough to make even the most hated child cry... I'am glad... that it got to... end this way... Please... Forgive me..... for everything~

The rest of Genkaku's history would best be described as simple... 'betrayel' Even upon entering the ranks of the Smaurai, most of her new brethren didn't take too kindly to her. Wether this was becuase of her family history or the fact that she was the first female Samurai... time would soon tell. As Genkaku became of the age of 27, she had gained respect from this new family and even excelled in rank faster than most could think possible. At the height of her Samurai career, a terrible tragedy befell upon her master of the time, who had also been the stranger who asked her to slay her father. While keeping watch outside of her Masters quarters, a loud noise had come from the inside of the room and caused Genkaku to force open the locked door to see what the trouble was. As she entered... pain, suffering, death and torture came to her eyes as she saw her Master slain along with all of his servants. As she creeped over his Master's corpse to see what the ccause of death was, a fellow Samurai, once a friend, had entered the room to see Genkaku with the murder weapon... a polearm just a bit smaller than herself that she carries today. The fellow Samurai charged in anger at Genkaku only to realize his own demise. The one that was considered her friend looked down to see that same polearm forced into his stomach. She tried to keep his weight up so he wouldn't fall forward on the Master, but she had not had the strength to do so. As the guy fell forward, the end of the polearm caught him... only forning his corpse farther down the blade, but another suprise would soon be noticed. As the butt of this Polearm met the floor, blood shattered all over the Genkaku's face... just missing her eyes. She noticed that two blades sprung from out of the base of the blade of this polearm... cutting the man in half. A terrible sight as the mans body slowly slid down off his lower half and bled even more so.

It had taken Genkaku two days to persuade officials that the one that 'was' her friend was the murderer and that she only struck him becuase she found him leaning over the corpse with blood on his hands. After the accident involving her Master, Genkaku resigned her title of Samurai to become a Ronin... no alligance to anyone but herself, or a higher bidder. Although she has no alligance... she is still highly respected amongst fellow Samurai, she uses these ties and those of her fathers still existing crime ring to find the one that murdered her Master... the one that had taken her in after she had nothing and no one. The fighting stance which she uses today was taught to him by her Master, even if she wasn't able to learn the last bit of it. Only a little bit more was required to know, and that would of allowed her to know every aspect of this unique Martial style. But now she feels she can not rest in peace untill she discovers the last bit of knowledge regarding this style. This is what brings Genkaku to the tournament... even though it may seem small... the small glimmer of hope that is her faith keeps her here. She thrives to know the secret she did not get a chance to know... wether this tournament opens her eyes to this secret or not.

[LocoColt04]

Originally Posted by The Welsh Paddy

Origin: Half Japanese, Half Brittish

Originally Posted by LocoColt04

all characters must be of Asian descent

I had assumed everyone would have realized that this meant fully Asian-blooded characters. If you think of the time period, the Westerners had very minimal contact with the Far East, especially not with Japan. This was the time when the exploration was only just beginning. As such, a half-British character would be nearly impossible to have. You may wish to to re-write that. I would prefer it, but I am not going to force it. I'm sorry if it causes you to make too many drastic changes.


edit:
For anyone curious, you are allowed to edit AS MUCH AS YOU PLEASE until the tenth. At that point, the thread will be closed and all characters will be considered final, no exceptions.


another edit for the hell of it:
Well... TWP has informed me that he intends to create a new character altogether, so I suppose this post no longer serves much of a purpose. All the same, know that it's okay if you have a mixed-breed character if you really want to.

[Angantyr]

Name: Dai Hoskiko
Origin: Wakkanai, Japan
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Hair Color: Black with red streaks
Eye Color: Black
Height: 5'1
Weight:110lbs

Fighting Style(s): Dai uses a style known as Bak Mei, She also has basic training with the Samurai sword, Quite swift, Various sword Techniques

Clothing and Armor: She has a Navi sleevless shirt which shows some clevage, small 3 layered shoulder pads, black gloves that reached to just before her elbows, a proctective pad on top of them with small spikes coming out, small black shoes with long black socks that reached to just under her knees, a small mini skirt with a longer peice behind her which had a green and black image of a dragon weaving through fire, and lastely a belt to hold her weapons.

Weaponry: 3'ft Katana, 2 sets of 6 Shurikens and a Wakizashi

Background/Biography: to be added in a later date.

[Bryan 2.0]

Name: Kana Souji Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi
Origin: Edo (Today known as Tokyo)
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Hair color: Natural blue/black (so black that it appears a dark shade of blue in certain light)
Eye color: An extremely rare pale blue
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 130lbs
Fighting style: Tennen Rishin-ryu, Kenjutsu

Clothing and armor:

A plain, all white kimono that Okita left behind when he passed away. Kana wears no armor.

Weaponry:

The infamous katana, Kikuichi-monji, which was a famous sword said to be created during the time that Emperor Go-Toba reigned. His secondary weapon is a katana that Okita gave him when he first began his training in the art of Kenjutsu.

Special attack:

Sandanzuki: A finishing attack taught by Okita that consists of three stabs. Once in the neck, once in the right shoulder and once in the left shoulder. This attack is so quick that it appears as though it is one swift movement.

Biography:

Kana Souji (then Kiroshi Motonari) was born in Edo in the Fall of 1846. His parents had left him in the courtyard of an abandoned temple just weeks after his birth with nothing but a slip of paper with his name on it. He was quickly discovered and taken in by an elderly women who would go on to take care of Kana until the Spring of 1864. It was around this time that the old woman died from natural causes, thus leaving Kana homeless. He returned to the temple where he had been left as an infant.

Later that year on cold Winter's night, Kana was awakened by the sound of footsteps within the temple. Weaponless and untrained, he investigated this noise. It was a member of the Shinsengumi. The man appeared calm enough, though Kana was frightened nonetheless. He introduced himself as none other than Okita Soji. Kana had heard his name before and had heard how powerful he was in battle, yet he had never pictured him to appear so young.

Okita went on to explain that he was merely passing though and that he had been visiting with members of the Shintyougumi in Edo. He went on to spend several weeks in the temple with Kana, telling stories of the Shinsengumi's battles and his childhood. In return for keeping him company, Kana took what little he had and tried to make Okita feel as at home as he possibly could. This humored Okita greatly. The two grew closer together over time in the weeks they spent together until the weather broke and Okita had to return to Kyoto. Upon his leaving, Okita promised to return soon to spend time with Kana again.

Weeks had passed and the new year came about (1864) along with Okita. In return for his hospitality, Okita trained Kana in his free time. Okita made it clear that he would continue to train Kana under the condition that he did not go near the Shinsengumi. This meant no joining or any communication with them what so ever. Kana understood and agreed. Okita went on to teach Kana Tennen Rishin-ryu. He had even went so far as to purchase a katana for Kana so he could sharpen his skills while he was away. It was around this time that Kana recieved his new name (Kiyoshi at birth) from Okita.

Mid June of 1864 came around and Okita had not returned to Kana. Months passed by, but Kana did not let time slow his practice down. Each day that Okita did not return, Kana practiced harder to fight the urge to look for him. He knew that he could not, for he kept his promise to Okita. Stay away from the Shinsengumi.

The Winter had passed and so had another year (now 1865) and there was no sign of Okita. Kana had become deadly in Tennen Rishin-ryu, yet he still practiced as hard as he did the day that Okita began to teach him. Kana did not leave the temple and rather than practice at night, Kana would sit on the steps of the temple and wait for Okita's return. Seasons continued to change and so did Kana along with his fighting skills.

In the Spring of 1867, Kana was sitting on the temple stairs as he did at night when he saw a figure approaching him. It was Okita. Nearly three years had passed since he had last seen him. Kana could not hold back. He ran at Okita, hugging him tightly until Okita let out a sick sounding cough. He quickly backed away with his hand over his mouth. Okita had coughed up blood. Kana rushed him into the temple and took care of him for several days, though Okita continued to insist that there were no serious problems.

After finally convincing Kana that he was fine, Okita continued to teach him new things. He was impressed with Kana's progression in Kenjutsu. Okita returned to Kyoto once more in the Winter of 1867. When he returned, he began teaching Kana his final lesson. The Sandanzuki, which was his signature technique. It was a finishing attack that consisted of three stabs. Once in the neck, once in the right shoulder and once in the left shoulder. This attack was executed so swiftly by Okita that it appeared as though all three attacks were being performed simultaneously.

Once Kana was taught the Sandanzuki, he himself would have to improve on it's quickness. This was one lesson that Okita could not teach.

After teaching Kana his final lesson, Okita's health began fade. Eventually, Kana (who was now 21) took care of the 26 year old Okita. One evening, Okita walked through the house and simply tried to shrug off his illness as though there was nothing wrong. It would be the last time that Okita would walk. For his last remaining months, Okita did not speak. Kana stayed kneeled at his side, holding his hand and keeping a damp cloth on his forehead at all times. On the night of July 19, 1868, Okita opened his eyes and looked at Kana one last time. He forced a smile and assured Kana that everything would be okay. Minutes later, Okita passed away, still smiling, with his hand in Kana's.

Kana draped Okita's body in the nicest cloth that he had and then draped himself in a cloth as to not be seen. He then carried Okita's body to his family's home, never saying a word as to keep his promise to Okita. Kana knew that the Shinsengumi would ask his family how they found him. He would not break his promise to Okita, though his every move down to his gestures and speech were very close to Okita.

Kana returned to the temple and packed the few things he had. He stopped when he noticed something in a room that he did not often go in. It was Okita's katana, the legendary Kikuichi-monji, which was a famous sword said to be created during the time that Emperor Go-Toba reigned. Next to it was a note along with three black beaded bracelets which Okita never removed.

The note simply said: "Be as proud of me as I am of you. Never deny who was your teacher, yet never confess it to the Shinsengumi. I'm almost positive that many already know. Keep moving foward and away from this temple. You'll never be happy alone".

After reading the letter, Kana neatly folded it and placed it in with his belongings along with Okita's Shinsengumi uniforms. He then slipped on Okita's bracelets and Okita's casual all white kimono. He slid the Kikuichi-monji into his belt and began walking to the door of the temple. Upon leaving, he removed one of the torches from the wall and threw it to the floor.

Kana walked away, not looking back once as the temple where Okita and himself spent so much time together burned to the ground and lit the night sky. As he walked, a flicker of the flames lit up his pale, blue eyes and he spoke to himself...

"I am Kana Souji Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi".

[Psiko]

Name: Ryang
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Hair: Shaved
Eye: Brown
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 167 Lbs
"Job Class": Sōhei - (Warrior Monk)
Fighting Styles: Naginata-jutsu, Tetsubo-jutsu
Clothing: Kimono and white trousers with white undergarments. Tan outer robe and a black jacket over the kimono made of a gauze-like material. Waraji worn over white tabi and long kiahan for footwear. White hachimaki worn on head and a large wooden bead necklace adorned with several feathers hangs around his neck.
Armor: Kote and kusazuri
Weaponry: P1: Naginata (Polearm with blade at the end)
P2: Tachi
S1: Japanese-style Long Bow
S2: Tetsubo (Iron staff)
Background: To Be Added Later!

[LocoColt04]

Psiko called me just now, asking some questions, and has brought a very important point to my attention.

Will I write up a full description of the courtyard, as every fight starts there? Honestly, I hadn't thought about it at the time, but having potentially eight different courtyards won't settle very well...

As such, either Spike or myself will provide the introduction to EVERY fight. I figure I'll do the first round myself for sure, just to be certain that the courtyard in my head is the same courtyard that everyone fights in. I'll briefly describe the house as well, and will include weather conditions to add some uniqueness to each round.

Every thread for the first round will have the exact same conditions. The second round will be slightly different, and so on and so forth. The point is that all of the writers will be faced with exactly the same environmental challenges in each round (though we will assume that they are not all fighting at the same time).

In any case, I thought I would clarify in case anyone else was also curious.

Oh, and as a little sneak-peak of what's to come... I'm thinking an overcast night for the first round, with the only light coming from the few torches in and around the courtyard. That's not a guarantee, but it would be a fun way to start things off.

[Lucid]

Name: "Akai Yuki"
Origin: Kyoto, Japan
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Light Brown
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 115

Fighting Style(s): Tessen-jutsu

Clothing and Armor: Usually wears several layers of beautiful, but her top layer is a white kimono with red and black flower and fan designs, and she wears a red obi around her waist. Underneath she wears a short, red sleeveless kimono which ends several inches above her knees. She usually wears her hair, with a hairpin holding a small bun in place.

Weaponry: Akai uses two bladed and spiked, iron tessen(folding fans), one which she keeps tucked in her obi, and one which she hides in the sleeve of her kimono. She also wears a kansashi(hairpin) in her hair which she could use to stab an attacker.
Akai also carries a shamisen with her. It's mostly used for playing music, but she can use the strings to strangle someone.

Background/Biography: When she was just 10, Hana's own family sold her to a well-known geisha house and there she was trained as a maiko and was taught many skills such as song and dance. As the years went by, Hana grew, as did her beauty and her hatred of the geisha house. She longed to run away, but she only stayed because she had no where else to go. After many years of training, Hana had finally become a full and well-known geisha and sometime later, she was bought by a powerful Daimyo named Seiji who she had entertained many times in her years of working as a maiko and a geisha. Hana thought that Seiji had bought her because he had enjoyed her and her company, but that wasn't the case. Because Geisha were highly respected and able to travel between provinces without any trouble, Hana was bought simply to be trained and used as an assassin in order to kill Seiji's rival, the Daimyo Kiyoshi. Hana was trained in the art of Tessen-justu, which was rather easy for her to master since she was taught the art of fan dances when she lived in the geisha house.

When Seiji felt that Hana was ready, he sent her on the mission to kill Kiyoshi. After her task was completed, Hana was then sent on other missions, killing off anyone he didn't like. The more she continued to work for Seiji, the more she found how much she enjoyed killing, but after a while, that wasn't enough for her. Hana began to torture her victims before killing them, calling herself "Akai Yuki" to those who saw her and lived to tell about it, but if she caught anyone watching her as she killed her victims, she would gouge out one of that person's eyes as a reminder.

Akai liked her life with Seiji, but the longer she stayed with him, the more secrets she discovered and when Seiji felt that she knew too much, he ordered her killed. So one evening, on her way home from another mission, she was attacked on the road by Seiji's men and beaten then, when she was thought to be dead, they buried her. When Hana came to and found herself buried, she nearly went insane trying to dig her way out, but the only thing that kept her going was revenge. She looked like a zombie when she finally pulled herself out of the ground and started to walk back home. Anyone who saw her on the road that night had been frightened by the sight of her bloody white kimono and the strange look on her face which was half covered by her long black hair. Some even thought she was a ghost.

When Hana reached Seiji's home, she walked in with that same look, even frightening the same men who had "killed" her and without hesitation, she attacked them, stabbing them to death with her hairpin, smiling all the while. She then slowly made her way to Seiji and when she found him, she killed him in the most painful way she could imagine. Akai then left his home and travelled in search of something interesting to do. Her travels brought her to Edo where she heard a tournament was being held...


((Sorry, I've been a bit busy so my Bio's probably not that great... -_-; ))

[Akira]

Name: Tetsuya Takekami (Tetsuya = Dragon / Takekami = Warrior-God) A.K.A. "The Tiger of Sangju"
Origin: Nagoya, Owari Province, Japan
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Long black hair put up into the traditional Samurai chonmage topknot.
Eye Color: Normal brown with slight signs of yellow pigmenting.
Height: 5' 5" (Pretty tall for this era actually)
Weight: 132 lbs.

Fighting Style(s): Bujutsu, Kenjutsu - Iaijutsu, Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu

Translation -
[Kashima = Kashima shrine]
[Shinden = handed down by the Gods]
[Jikishinkage = from the shadow of the heart]
[ryu = school]

Clothing and Armor: Tetsuya wears a typical Kamishimo, which is the formal Japanese attire. This is made up firstly of a normal black Kimono that is dominated by a gold plaid design. The fit of the Kimono is very loose but the sleeves can be fastened by a small string so that they don't get in the way during fights. Along with the Kimono, Tetsuya wears a completely black Hakama that also has a very loose fit, yet this actually offers him more mobility during fights or battles.

Over the Kimono sits a light lamellar armor that offers more movement rather than defence. The armor consists of finely laced leather plates that are snug fitting yet don't take away from Tetsuya's versatility. The armor is only efficient at deflecting small weapons but mightier weapons will have no problem in piercing through this thin layer of leather. However, Tetsuya's speed is usually what saves his hide from sudden death.

Strung over the armor is a beautiful brown/yellow Katagina. There are two brooches near the pectoral region that are fastened to the Katagina that resemble Lotus blossoms. Lastly, the outfit is completed by a sturdy black sash that holds Bishamonten and Yomi in place.

Weaponry:

Bishamonten - Tetsuya's Katana, named after one of the seven Japanese Gods of luck, specifically the God of War and Treasure. The sword is a typical daito with a blade length of 63 cm. However, what makes this sword so special is the rumour that it sucks the soul of each slaughtered warrior from their bodies and transfers the strength to the wielder of the sword. Of course Tetsuya denies any such claim as being true. The handle is laced with a beautiful black silk and the butt of the hilt is crescent by a gold Kashira. The Tsuba is accordingly gold as well and has an intricate tiger design engraved into it. This was very uncommon for the time period and would most likely have been impractical as the blade guard would most likely break. However, the master blacksmith that forged this sword and its little brother used an unknown metal that is amazingly resilient as well as resistant. The blade is nothing out of the ordinary but is said to be much sturdier as well as slightly heavier than the average Katana but with the same razor-sharpness.

Yomi - The Wakizashi that accompanies Bishamonten. Yomi is named after the land of shadows; the final resting place of the dead. It looks identical to its bigger brother with a few slight differences. The lacing on the handle is not of black but rather red silk. The Tsuba and Kashira are also different in color; they are black rather than gold. The blade is also a darker metal color than Bishamonten.

Background/Biography: Said to be a distant descendant from Prince Ōnamuji who is attributed to have completed the creation of Japan, Tetsuya is a Samurai General with lots of experience gathered.

He started his military career with an early age. His unofficial noble status gave him easy access to higher ranks early on. However, soon after being promoted to a sergeant rank, he left the army to pursue personal goals.

Tetsuya set out on a journey towards the west. He made his way across the Yellow Sea and arrived in the Korean port town of Busan. Living in the eastern part Korea for 5 years, he became fluent in the Korean language as well as Korean Art of War.

Tetsuya returned to the Japanese mainland after the five year period to find Japan further torn between the separate claims of each Daimyo. He had heard things about a certain Daimyo Tokugawa Ieyasu who hoped to unify Japan under one war banner. However, much more interesting was the news of Daimyo Oda Nobunaga who was gaining evermore popularity among the people.

One day while heading towards southern Japan, Tetsuya came across an abandoned carriage. He looked around for signs of life but without success. He searched the inside for any personal belongings or possible hints to who this carriage could belong to. He found a small parchment in a chest hidden under a seat. After reading the document to find out anything pertaining to possible ownership, he came across the name Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Tetsuya read the document further and came to the assumption that this was the plans for an invasion of Korea.

Tetsuya having lived in Korea for five years had gained an inner connection to Korea and its people. He decided to ride towards Nagoya to confront Hideyoshi.

After a five day ride, Tetsuya arrived at the gates of Hideyoshi's manor. Approaching the guards cautiously, he requested Hideyoshi's audience. The guards smiled and turned towards each other, smirking all the while.

"Master Hideyoshi does not speak with common folk such as yourself. We request that you peacefully make your way back to your home."

Tetsuya was enraged by this inquiry. However, he had little experience in combat other than the basics he had learned in his short army career and the fighting styles he had seen in Korea. He made his way to a nearby town, depressed at his personal defeat.

After about five rounds of Sake in a local Sake house, Tetsuya made his way onto the streets. On his way towards the inn he had rented a room at, he passed by a small alleyway.

"You seem to be disappointed, boy."

Tetsuya jumped around and looked in all directions. After a small pause, a small old man walked out of the shadows. Tetsuya's drunken state influenced him to rudely yell at the man.

"What the hell do you want?! Leave me be old man before I have to hurt you!"

"But I can help..........Tetsuya!"

Tetsuya's eyes opened wide as the man spoke his name. He immediately inquired how the man knew his name. The man didn't answer but did tell him to follow. After a small walk outside of the town, Tetsuya and the man arrived at a small cottage. When Tetsuya entered, he was greeted by shining blades hanging from the sealing, lying against the wall, and cluttering up the corners. The man looked at Tetsuya as if he were taking measurements for clothing. After studying Tetsuya's build for about a minute, he walked over to one of the many piles and pulled a katana from its resting place.

The man handed the blade to Tetsuya. It was a typical sword with no interesting or remarkable features.

"Let me see what you can do boy, hehehe!"

With that, the man leaped towards Tetsuya, striking forward with a hidden dagger. Tetsuya felt the blade slice into his stomach before falling unconscious.

Tetsuya awoke from his sleep after three days. The man was hammering away at another blade, as was presumable. Tetsuya got out of bed and yelled at the man, claiming that he had almost killed him. The man laughed and continued to hammer. Realising the man wasn't going to listen, Tetsuya started to look around the heaps of swords. A slight glimmer fell into his eye from one of the piles. It was a shiny metallic Katana. He pulled it out and started swinging it around, making his inability to wield the sword quite apparent.

"I could teach you Tetsuya. I could make you undefeatable," the man said not looking at him.

"Teach me to fight? You would be willing to make me your apprentice?"

The man nodded accordingly. Suddenly, he jumped from his stool and stood on one foot.

"Your first lesson, boy. Grab the Blade from may hand."

Tetsuya smirked as he misleadingly went for the blade. He looked into his hand but didn't find the dagger. Suddenly, he saw as blood trickled from his cheek.

"You must be faster, boy. It seems I will have to start with the basics here. But I love the challenge hehehe..."

----

After years of training, Tetsuya had become avid at fighting styles of all kinds. However, he had mastered the skills a warrior needed to be a successful Samurai. On his final day of training, the old man told Tetsuya he would create the ultimate daisho for him and that he would depart soon thereafter. Tetsuya looked at the man confused but didn't push the subject further.

"Your final training will be to capture the special metal from the waterfall of Fujukiro. Bring it back to me and I will create your daisho, boy."

Tetsuya departed for the forest and located the waterfall. Approaching the waterfall, he could make out small shiny particles flowing in the water. He grasped for the pieces but was not successful. He suddenly remembered the day the man had showed him how to grasp the dagger from the palm. Concentrating rigorously, Tetsuya speedily flicked his hand in and out of the waterfall. After an hour of gathering small pieces of metal, Tetsuya made his way back to the old man's cottage.

Opening the door, Tetsuya entered, however, the man was nowhere in sight. He looked over to the chimney where the man had always been hammering away at hot metal and found the beautiful daisho of the old man. Tetsuya took Bishamonten and Yomi, as the man had called them, and slipped them into his sash.

He left the cottage and never looked back. Tetsuya had actually never found out the name of the old man. After some minor inquiries in town, Tetsuya was surprised to hear that the so called cottage had burned down 89 years prior and that no one since had lived upon the ruins. Tetsuya eerily gripped his daisho.

----

By this time, Nobunaga had already died and Hideyoshi was in final planning stages to invade Korea. Tetsuya immediately made his way towards the manor again. Walking up towards the guards, he unsheathed Bishamonten and sliced their heads off. He pushed the gates open and stormed inwards. Slaughtering off guard after guard, he made his way to Hideyoshi's room. He burst inward and was infuriated to find the room empty and all belongings gone.

Tetsuya galloped at full speed on his horse towards the nearest harbour. If he could not stop the invasion of Korea, he could at least offer his services to the Korean army and push back the invading Japanese army as much as possible.

----

By 1598, the seven year invasion and the Japanese army had been pushed back by a common Chinese and Korean force and completely eliminated. One famous battle gave Tetsuya the name ”The Tiger of Sangju” where he fought and destroyed a Japanese army of 15,000 with a mere 400 men. He alone was said to have taken the lives of 3000 Samurai soldiers…

----


8 years prior, before Tetsuya had completed his training:

The old man was once again forging a sword. He looked over to Tetsuya and said: “Your training shall commence my boy. There is a tournament in the area of Edo. You shall depart immediately and commence your training in the tournament. Don’t worry, your training is developed enough to defeat the mightiest of warriors. Take my daisho and you will be victorious.”

[LocoColt04]

I'll admit that I hadn't originally intended on having placeholders, but I'm not going to argue it. Showing intent is better than coming in late and REALLY wanting to participate. I'm probably going to stick with just the first 16 who get here, too, since no one's character thus far has breached any of the restrictions.

Name: Yasu (Calm - Ironic – Simple - Name)
Theme Song: Girugamesh – Dirty Blue Blood
Origin: Kyoto, Japan
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Ebony
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 150 lbs.
Class: Shinobi Hunter

Personality: His behavior aspect is a mix between calm and insane. Since his wife’s demise, he has grown insane, utilizing explosive weapons as well as his own melee weapons. His personality is relatively calm, but his demeanor is that of a tiger defending his territory within brutal means.

Fighting Style(s): Yasu’s fighting techniques are based upon utilizing each liquidated maneuver he may elicit to better himself within the battle field; each move also insanely placed additionally. He mainly sports staff-like weapons as well as explosives that may prove to better himself within the conflict. The hand-to-hand methods he may use are based upon the same principals that he may use on his weapons, hitherto most of his direct moves are additionally based on the way of centering yourself juxtapose to stated opponent, the position provides a greater height in establishing a potential kill zone. Each educed movement is centered toward grappling the said opponent, and disarming them, thusly abrogating them from their fighting stance through joint locks, pressure points, and point attacks. His moves may seem unconventional as he continues thus forth, each action is said to be that of a devil, and his strikes remain rapidly placed as well as forcefully established due to his strength.

Clothing and Armor: He has a handsome visage whilst having hair of raven silk, with which is slicked back to avoid the obstruction of it. His face may have few or more signs of five-o’-clock shadow, but it’s still very handsome. His body type is slightly muscular, but toned enough to provide him with maneuverability. His attire is consistent of blue garments, yet he may provide himself with the garments of traditional ninja attire, as well as steel gauntlets about half a foot in length.

He may also wear a Shikami mask when in his ninja attire (irony), yet it may only be proven rarely. Beneath his attire is light steel Japanese samurai armor which is plates and such, he wears this to protect himself from his opponent’s weapons as well as his very own. Upon his hands are thick leather gloves facilely made by him, which is made to protect him from blisters and other such hindrances. In addition, he may store his gunpowder to his side, hanging from a leather strap that’s attached firmly to his belt.

Armaments:
• Primary Weapon: A Jumonji yari (yari means spear) with the middle blade about a three foot long constructed of pure steel forged by the most masterful crafters in all Japan. The crimson and raven pole is undersized for maneuverability when in a conflict, whilst soldiers’ yari’s are more prolonged, more likely reaching to twenty feet in length. The shaft sports designs and pictures of battles won throughout the years. The weapon is holstered away upon his back via strap of leather. This weapon is mainly used by Yasu in battles and such.

• Secondary Weapon: A shikoro ken, or saw sword, is his secondary choice incase he may not be able to use his yari within the battle. The sword is a seriated blade that’s used by traditional ninjas, which it was supposedly used to saw through enemies with the right amount of force exerted toward the blade. The blade is the length of an average katana.

• Tertiary Weapon: hi no kurakkaa (Firecracker) is not actually a weapon, but merely a distraction. The tool is used to disrupt the attention of said opponent, they elicit out a continuous ear-shattering sound when their single fuse is lit. These are found within a leather bag at his right side, he may sport three strips of firecrackers upon his persona.


• Projectile: A Ōzutsu; the weapon’s length is about two and half feet, the shaft is slightly thick, including hallow, but it light enough to carry around. The ending of the barrel is a head of a dragon with its mouth open revealing the dark shaft of the weapon. The weapon’s shaft appears to have the same designs that his yari would have. Upon the side is a jutting out knob that you attach the fuse to, the end sports a curved handle with a ball end. The weapon’s mode of firing is achieved via gunpowder, which is poured through a hole located at the left side. The weapon may sport two modes of fire, which is to launch out an array of fiery sparks that which will catch the opponent aflame; another mode of firing may be objects as well.


Background/Biography:

Yasu was born within the depths of Kyoto; he was chosen to be one of the trained ninjas of the village. Each ninja trained him within their ways, within their logical standards moreover. He was chosen at the age of ten when to be trained within logic, once he turned nineteen; he was trained within the physical means. At the epoch of his twentieth birthday, he was given a simple task; an assassination. But when he slithered his way to the location, he was appalled to see what his potential target was… It was his wife, the wife he had married when he was eighteen. She supposedly committed a greater crime amongst the people, but what was the crime?

He decided to destroy the faction with which he resided in, he managed to eliminate three, but the others found out. In consequence to his actions, they murdered his wife within the silence of the twilight moon, he was shocked, and he was destroyed. He decided to hunt each down, but by the time he figured it out, they were sprawled along the landscape and within the vast depths of Japan.

With that, he continued thus forth into Japan, he would find the tournament, he would sense that they’d probably be there… Be there to endeavor an assassination upon his character, he made a few friends including this young woman who remains animalistic to his sights. He hoped he would also make some money, he’d hope they’d defray for such a tournament if he won. He was set onto the goal of winning and slaughtering the competitors that would lie before him, including an old friend from his past journeys. He had sent a letter, via carrier pigeon, to her informing her of the tournament of arms he had entered, thusly, she has arrived to fight along side, yet it may be against. (Simple)

[The Welsh Paddy]

EDIT: Forgot to say. I'm not using Omura anymore. This is a whole new character I wanna use, mainly because I wanted to go for an entirely different approach battle wise. I'm gonna enjoy playing this character very much. xD

Name: Aoki Kimira
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Birthplace: Japan
Theme Song: Gazette - Carry?

Appearance

Aoki is a very beautiful looking woman, but also looks somewhat fearsome because of her mask. Those who have seen her without her mask have all been slaughtered mercilessly, all save one.

She wears a set of black, tight fitting, leather clothing. Knee high hunting boots, buckled tightly to her legs, and shorts, which reach only quarter of the way down her thighs, and a tight fitting vest, which reveals her stomach. She also wears a pair of black fingerless gloves, which reach all the way up just past her elbows, so her shoulders are visible. She wears a belt around her waist, and another going down across her chest. From these, she hangs all her weapons. Two sheaths, one on each of her hips hang from her waist, where she keeps her twin short swords. Her single Katar also hangs from her waist, with the blade wrapped simply, but carefully to avoid injury when moving about. On her back, hanging from her second belt is her quiver and bow, all black in colour.

Her shoulders and thighs are tattooed with black tribal marks, which create the illusion of invisibility in dark areas, and in the wild. (They work like tiger stripes.) She has a couple of markings on her pale face, too, but only stripes on both her cheeks.

Aoki stands at 5"4, and looks very fragile, which often confuses people into thinking she isn't all that harmless. She has thin black, neck-length hair, most of which was cut away from her face so it wouldn't get in the way.

http://aseriana.net/direngrey/images/imgtotchi/6.jpg

Here's what her hair looks like, just so you get a better idea of what she looks like. Her face looks pretty much the same, if one was to see it.

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g8...addy/Mempo.jpg

This is her mask, which covers everything apart from her bright green eyes.

History

Aoki was born in Heian-kyo (The City of Peace) to a somewhat rich and well respected family. She lived quite normally up until the age of seven, where a group of the shogun's warriors came in to arrest her parents. Both her mother and father were killed in front of the young girl when they tried to resist, and Aoki was taken away and jailed. She really was jailed, but had been given certain privileges, though she never understood why. She was given more food than any of her inmates, and she was allowed for a walk about the fort twice daily, though under the company of five samurai. This was one mistake that would eventually cost the shogun dearly.

By the age of nine, she planned her escape. She had become far more resourceful than anyone could have imagined. It was evening time, when a group of Samurai had come to escort her on her usual walk. When they came by one of the smaller gates leading out, she suddenly grabbed the nearest weapon to her, which happened to be a sheathed short sword. With speed and strength of desperation, she drove the blade into the exposed side of her opponent, mortally wounding him. Before the others had a chance to stop her, she made her escape. Climbing nimbly up the wall, killing the guard at the top, and then leaping down the other side and sprinting off far from the city.

For the next few years, Aoki had seemed to simply vanish from the face of society. However, she had lived in the wild. Most of the time spent in the forests. By the age of 12, she had adapted to her new style of life, and learned to be able to take care of herself, where most others can't. She soon became more animal-like in her actions, and her senses were so finely attuned that she could pin point the location of a twig snapping from almost 100 yards away.

At the age of fifteen, she yet again shown herself to civilisation, though under a new identity, 'Genzo', meaning Phantom. She came and went into the outskirts of Heian-kyo, leaving no sign of her being there apart from a number of missing items, and leaving anyone who had witnessed confused as to whether it really was her, or a ghost. It was on one such raid, when she bumped into a man, not much older than herself, called Yasu, and it wasn't the best of meeting places, for the two were beset by guards, who came in at them from all directions. But Aoki and the other seemed to have suddenly become comrades in arms, and combining their skills, managed to escape the soldiers.

The two spent a few days with each other, and they got to know each other pretty well. Then the time came for them to go their own way. They both made a pact that they would both become the greatest warriors of all.

Years later, when Aoki just turned 20, she received a letter from Yasu via carrier pidgeon, telling her of the upcoming tournament of arms. By then, Aoki had learned to use a number of weapons. She wasn't all that great at using all of them in direct battle, but she was still frightningly dangerous with them. The tournament of arms would be the perfect opportunity to keep her promise to Yasu.

Weapons

Aoki has a number of weapons, which she had acquired on her numerous visits to the outskirts of the city. These include two short swords, a bow and arrow, a katar and a number of throwing knives.

Shortswords: Both of these are little over the length of Aoki's forearm. She isn't all that great in using these weapons, but she is still dangerous with them nonetheless. When these are not in use, she sheathes them, one on each hip.

Katar: A Katar is like a knife, only the handle is more like a hook. (You know the way Wolverine uses his claws to battle? Aoki uses her Katar like that.) The blade is incredibly sharp, and is six inches in length. Again, Aoki avoids direct combat with these. When not in use, this is sheathed and hung on her waist belt.

Throwing Knives: These, along with her bow and arrow, are the only weapons Aoki has actually mastered. She has five of these, and has them strapped along the belt going down across her chest. She can throw these with deadly accuracy and speed. She rarely uses these, as there are only five of them, and they're pretty much a back up for when she runs out of arrows, if she runs out of arrows.

Bow and Arrow: This short bow is Aoki's trademark weapon. She can fire arrows swiftly and accurately, from up to fifty meters away. She has a quiver of twenty five arrows. Aoki can also set fire to these arrows quite swiftly if done correctly, and she often uses this as a more enviromental weapon, to distract her opponent, cause even more damage to her opponent, as well as to be used normally.

Fighting Style

Aoki uses her environment more than anything in battle. She makes full use of her surroundings, wether as a weapon, or merely a place to conceal herself. She prides herself in using her mind in battle, in a way no other would. Because of this, she is considered dishonourable, even more so than the ninja. In dark places, she has the advantage, and can practically make herself invisible.

She always really enjoys talking to her opponent in battle. Taunting them and insulting them, she aims to provoke her opponent into making a wrong move, and then attacking them when they're vulnerable. While not possessing great strength, she is incredibly fast, and it is speed, which she depends on most to avoid harm. That and using her surroundings.

Personality

Aoki is generally quiet towards people, though in battle that changes for the exact opposite, where she really enjoys taunting and provoking her opponent. She is always calm and happy despite her upbringing. She doesn't trust people so easy, with the exception of Yasu.