Heir of the Mitsumine Clan - Interest and Signup Thread

No Tamamo-No-Mae, as ultra famous youkai are off limits. You may make up a kitsune to possess the prietess, but no referencing strong youkai, as they may be found in the setting and are off limits to players.

Furthermore, I may have to object to the character as she is, given that she seems too unstable. Possessed by a powerful demon? That's one thing. With an eroding sanity, possessed by a myriad of grieving spirits and dealing with it by getting drunk? Way too dangerous. Spiritual characters would try to exorcise her and if they fail, they'd either cast you away or refer you to a stronger person to deal with all those problems.

Ah sorry, I was just using names, didn't mean for it to be the famous one.

If I may try my hand at a rebuttal, while Yasuchika may be unstable, she isn't so dangerous. The several grieving ghosts and malicious fox spirit are currently sealed within her body. If they did overcome her mind and unanimously decided they hate humanity, then they would all come crashing down on humanity with the strength of...one drunk woman. As long as they remained sealed within Yasuchika, they are unable to haunt anyone else. If anything, the danger she poses is if those spirits got out, which an exorcism would precisely do. The act of exorcising is to drive out a spirit form a person or place, put that merely displaces them. If other priests tried to exorcise the spirits in her, all they would accomplish is to instead of having all these spirits haunt one woman, they would be pushed out into the world to haunt others. If the priest used a type of exorcism that forced the spirit to the next world or out right destroyed them, while it would get rid of the problem, Yasuchika would see that as a highly immoral thing to do and resist them. If it was a type that made the spirits want to pass on to the next world willingly then...everyone wins (well, maybe except maybe old neet who wanted to play a crazy drunk). While she may have strength against the supernatural, to the physical world she is merely one drunk woman, and by extension, so is everything possessing her.

If there is a problem with a crazy drunk being accepted as an aid to the Heir, then my interpretation of events was going to be that the heir was going to need allies. It seems she currently doesn't have much protection from the supernatural (I think the heir could do something, don't remember if any others did) making what help you can get worth it. Worse case scenario, as a traveling monk, Yasuchika's wanderings may take a route that "just so happens" to parallel the heir's journey, due to no small amount on the fox spirits part.

If you really think the character should be scraped, then that's that. Maybe I will try my hand at a yakuza, or perhaps a pure youkai. Still need people in priest department so maybe a miko if I can think of something interesting. May not try a Seimei expy, onmyouji are like wizards for me, hard to play one without wanting to make them powerful).

Name: Mitsumine Kasuria

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Species: Human

Appearance: On duty sans eye color. Off duty.

Personality: Kasuria is an observant and outgoing girl who has proved to the village - and soon the world outside of it - that she is someone who deserves the gift of communication with the gods that has been bestowed upon her. She shows an immense amount of respect for authority with particular regards to the gods. Although she is slightly envious of Ainori she has learned to respect her sister and does not bear ill will towards her. While she likes to tease her sister and be playful she knows how to show her the respect she needs once the time calls for it and makes sure to keep her mouth shut when dealing with the gods and other people in a position of authority.

Kasuria seems like a different person when on duty as a Shrine Maiden and when off duty. While she is on duty she tends to act polite and reserved. She tends to show concern for the needs of others and takes her position seriously. In general she does not tend to play around when on duty although she does make sure that she gets along with those visiting the shrine. Oftentimes she can be mistaken for shy by those who don't know her very well due to her relaxed nature when on duty.

When off duty things an a different story. While still polite she's more playful, often taking time to tease Ainori and Tsubaki. She tends to joke around and often daydreams about the type of adventures she plans to get up to with Ainori once her older sister takes the throne. This carries over to her actions in battle as well as she often tries to make a spectacle out of things much to the dismay of Takeshi during their training. As a whole she knows how to be dutiful while still having fun.

Skills and Abilities: Kasuria's strongest gift is her ability to see and speak to the gods although her skill with a sword comes as a close second. Over the last twelve years she has been trained in the duties of a Shrine Maiden in order to put her abilities to good use. She has knowledge of what it takes to clean and tend to shrines, assist priests and priestesses and how to pray to the gods for the sake of others. She also has knowledge of dealing with the supernatural via rituals, sacred charms, paper tools and other such things although it is agreed that she is not very good at it.

Religious abilities and skills aside she has training with wielding a sword -specifically the art of fighting with a katana- and general fighting abilities. However her ability to wield a katana far outclasses any other fighting abilities she may have as well as general abilities outside of her profession.

Possessions of Note: Kasuria doesn't have much to remember her parents by outside of vague memories of them. One thing she does have however is a katana owned by her father that Takeshi bestowed upon her once he felt satisfied that she had completed her training.

Bio: Kasuria was taken in by Takeshi alongside her sister Ainori at the age of five. In the small village they lived in she was brought up as a Shrine Maiden as a result of her ability to see and speak to the gods. This training gave her knowledge of religious rituals and helped prepare her to help serve her older sister in her goal of taking the throne. When Takeshi wasn't preparing Ainori for her role in leading the Clan he taught Kasuria how to use a sword so that the younger sibling may better serve as protection for her sister.

edited 27th Aug '14 11:13:37 PM by Chariot

Kasuria, even though I find her name a tad weird, is approved!

And as to the drunk priestess... I'm going to have to say no, I'm sorry. She still seems a bit too unstable for my liking as a character. Too many malevolent influences within, plus drunken problem, plus slip in sanity amounts to a character that is a tad too eccentric.

edited 27th Aug '14 10:46:01 PM by daltar

You could at least give her a trial run; see if she actually works or not in practice before giving her the boot, as opposed to just saying nay before giving her a real chance. Honestly, I'm interested in this character, and I think she could work if given that chance. Just my two cents.

Name: Kazuo Koga

Age: 34

Gender: Male

Species: Human

Appearance: Blade of the neet. Numerous scars cover his body and his skin is slightly tanned much like a laborer. His back is covered in a tattoo featuring Susanoo and Orochi.

Personality: Kazuo is pessimistic and jaded from the life he lived. He believes ideals are useless without strength and the means to act upon them. Laws are meaningless, only the actions of men matter. While he may adhere to some personal code, he cares little for what others consider honorable, believing what a man can and is willing to do to be the only restrictions that bind us. He can be smug and seems to enjoy confrontation, even if unwilling to risk a lost.

Skills and Abilities: Kazuo comes from a group of guerrilla war fighters that promoted adaptability over rigid perfection. As a result, Kazuo is trained to be proficient with many weapons rather then master one. Kazuo will always try to stack the odds in his favor through the choice of tools and by taking advantage of his environment. Rarely would he try to win a fight blow to blow. Kazuo's techniques can be summed up as surprise attacks and taking advantage of your enemies shortcomings. Certain notable techniques include...

• Iaijutsu: This is the one sword technique kazuo has trained hard to perfect, using it to end most fights before they can begin. If Kazuo can not end a fight in the first few blows, he will change to a much more defensive stance and either change to a weapon that would give him an advantage or use his environment to create an opening.
• Kusari-fundo: A weighted chain that Kazuo often employs as a weapon due to its utility.
• Martial arts: Kazuo is proficient in Judo. He has also taken to street fighting techniques which also colors his hand to hand fights.
• Forest Runner: Kazuo is a lightweight fighter who favors mobility. While no ninja, he is quicker oh his feet then most other warriors and is capable climber.
• Traps: As a guerrilla war fighter, Kazuo made use of many traps and improvised weapons. If given the chance, he ill try to employ such tactics to stack the odds in his favor.

Possessions of Note: Katana, Wakizashi, Tonto, and kusari-fundo. He is also carrying a present from Takeshi to the Heir which includes 20 ryo, expensive sake, fine silk, and a cucumber carved from ivory.

Bio: Kazuo hails from a border village. While on the surface the village appeared to be inhabited by woodcutters and hunters, and admittedly most of the time that was exactly what they were, they also held a secret duty as sentinels against the tiger clan. Even though sanctioned and loyal to the clan, few would call these soldiers samurai. Samurai carried with them honor and a certain social status, these men cared only for efficiency. They were guerrilla war fighters trained to use their environment to their advantage and employed a number of unsavory tactics, such as the use of traps and psychological warfare. During the previous war the village served as scouts and launched a number ambushes and hit and run operations. They carried a certain pride into battle, their moral was not even deterred by the lost of their village in the fighting. Unfortunately things changed after the conflict.

After the war, much of the territory along the border was merely abandoned. Neighboring villages refused to take in refuges, not wanting to deal with the problems they would bring. Kazuo and his comrades had found themselves in shanty towns with many other refuges from different backgrounds, including traders, whores, thieves, entertainers, and armed youths who refused to go back to serving as peasants after fighting in the war. The group sort of meld and became a new organization. The groups early activities mostly consisted of being bandits and raiding traveling caravans. But once they amassed some fortune things changed. Nearby villages reversed their "no refugee" policy with the show of coin. The group bought several legitimate businesses while continuing to make money illegally through both new and old means. The organization grew and expanded before splintering off into smaller groups.

Kazuo has been serving as an enforcer with a group known as the Kitano-kai, a yakuza group headed by his old war buddy Takeshi. They are currently operating out of a number of villages where they have a monopoly of the entertainment industry, have heavy influence on trade and workers unions, and run protection rackets. Trade goods going to or from the villages are especially known for being attacked by bandits unless they hire Kitano-kai bodyguards. Kazuo himself has seen no shortage of action in the years since the war, having to deal rival yakuza groups and government officials who take a direct approach to the Kitano-kai usurping their power from under them. With recent news, Takeshi has sent Kazuo to try to strike a deal with the heir, seeing an opportunity to expand operations. If nothing else Kazuo is there to make sure that the Heir does not take any action that would hinder the Kitano-kai's interest.

(Gah, missing breakfast. I figured I would try one last attempt at a character for this rp, assuming its till open. After deciding to name the boss/organization after Takeshi Kitano, I was half tempted just to make an expy of him as a character instead. Haha, sorry for the crude joke with the present for the heir, I figured they would probably send a woman if the heir was male and began to wonder what they would send since the heir is female.)

Daltar, mind if I join in? I'm...not exactly sure what I'd join in as and I was retired from R Ping here, but I can't resist this sort of premise. If you have any character suggestions I'd love some but I'll figure something out myself if you'll have me.

No problem!

Hmmm lets see... we may need a recognizance guy. Like a spymaster or intelligence expert of some sort. We got some ninjas, but it would be good if there was someone in charge of them. Aside from that... Hmmm someone who knows finances and trade?

However, anything really works at this point.

I'd love to play a spymaster.

Then I'll look forward to your character!

Just to be sure, you meant a spymaster for the Mitsumine, right?

I'll try and come up with something worthy of the RP and the Clan then.

For Ainori, yes.

Waitaminute... Goodisgood tried to make a spymaster, but you went and turned him down. And now you're letting someone else make one? I don't really see the logic behind this, honestly...

I didn't tell him not to do a spymaster, I told him to make him retired or instead of the Spymaster of the whole clan, just an information man for the Mitsumine Clan.

Like you did a General and I asked you to make him a retired one instead of the acting General of the forces of the Mitsumine, my advice to Goodisgood was the same.

So should I make a retired spymaster then? and sorry for any difficulties I'm causing.

No difficulties, what you just need to keep in mind is that the current government and Ainori's group are not exactly on the best terms. You can make a retired spymaster who didn't actually retire so much as they he gave away the official position and then went to live in Ainori's house, perhaps on a pretense of being something else.

Still, just keep what I mentioned in mind and you can go with your preferred explanation for him being with us.

WIP and forgive how lousy this is but I haven't been on Tropes in a long time. feel free to do some pre-emptive criticism.

name:Saito-bo Real name Sagara Saizo

Age:70

Gender:Male

Species:Human

Appearance:A harmless old man, doesn't always dress like that◊

Personality: At first glance, Saito seems like a kind and grandfatherly if odd old man. Nowadays he's much more a probably senile groundskeeper than the sort of wise ascetic sage normally associated with the term yamabushi. He's perfectly happy to dole out spiritual advice, but he's likely to do so in the form of rambling about his gardens while smelling faintly of alcohol and surrounded by a small zoo of stray animals and if he's ever performed a proper exorcism no one's been around to see it. If anything it seems like Takeshi must keep him around solely out of a fond sort of pity.

In truth "Saito-bo" has a mind keener than any blade and his senile foolishness and Yamabushi occupation are both a carefully maintained act. His sense for intrigue is matched only by his loyalty to Ainori's family and in their day both were the stuff of legend. He sees himself as merely a servant of the true Mitsumine, working in a world of shadows so that they can live happily in the light. To him "giving up" his identity and position as Spymaster of the Mitsumine was trivial provided he could continue to serve and protect the heir. Aside from his unbreakable loyalty, he is a man almost devoid of honor willing to utilize any tactic to keep his charges safe and prosperous. He has no fear of Spirits, Men, or even Gods though he acknowledges the usefulness of each to those he serves. If anything his self-imposed anonymity has only made him craftier and more dangerous, and he intends to use every scrap of guile he has to protect Ainori and fulfill her ambitions.

That said, he really does enjoy gardening and caring for animals of all sorts and tends to treat most young people these days as if they're all favorite grandchildren, at least up until he has to discipline or destroy them for his charges' sake. Though his vigorous consumption of alcohol is mostly faked, he does have a deep love of tea.

Skills and Abilities:"Saito"'s greatest assets are his intelligence and guile along with the sort of acumen for politics and espionage one only gets through decades of practice at intrigue. That said he hasn't survived to be an old shinobi without learning how to deal with problems in a direct and deadly fashion. Though nowadays he's likely to use his monk's Shakujo as a weapon he has many years of training with stealthier weapons of all sorts and though he'd never call himself a ninja out loud, ninjutsu's dirtier tricks have served him well even in old age. In his days as a more public persona he was particularly fond of the Tessen and even nowadays when he leaves his Shakujo behind he often carries a rather plain one. Though no swordsman honorable or otherwise if he can help it, he was considered quite good at Battojutsu in his younger days. Finally, though he is far, far weaker at both than any real Yamabushi he at least has enough spiritual power to see spirits and enough ki control to move like he did in his prime in short bursts.

Possessions of Note: Saito-bo has his shakujo and an old fan that's actually a tessen as well as a proper Yamabushi's white and saffron robes for rare occasions when he attempts to look wise and stately. Secreted away in a chest hidden under his gardening shed are the tools of his more sinister trade: various poisons and antidotes, senbon and darts, powders for blinding or smoke bombs, materials for various disguises, invisible inks, papers that burn completely to ash and all other manner of devices for forgeries and secret messages.

Bio: Sagara Saizo was the spymaster of Ainori's father Daichi and even before that served as a spy, assassin and general intelligence asset for the Mitsumine Clan. When both of Ainori's parents died twelve years ago, Saizo was struck with an incredible sorrow and officially retired as the spymaster for the Mitsumine Clan, wandering deep into the mountains and wilderness in a self-imposed exile where he reportedly died alone and in a state of incurable grief a year later.

Unofficially and known only to a few, the majority of this was a front set up by Saizo himself and a year after Sagara Saito's death he reappeared as a yamabushi called Saitobo and presented himself to Takeshi asking for lodgings in return for his counsel and spiritual services. Hiding under a mask of unconcern for earthly affairs, foolishness and increasing senility as the years went by Saizo has watched Ainori grow up and occasionally advised Saito on matters of espionage. Now with Ainori poised to take over as head of the clan with all of the danger that implies, he feels it may be time to reveal himself to her and aid her in any way she allows.

edited 22nd Sep '14 4:34:23 PM by Dblade26

Just posting to say I've finished my spymaster, though I'm sure he'll need revisions to fit properly so please let me know.

Approved!