Librairian's Character Library

Yes, yes, I'm finally caving. As much as I tried to resist, popular demand has forced me to give my characters their own little thread. That, and page count differences between users. Please, enjoy to your heart's content, and take as much time admiring my characters as you see fit. As much as they are mine, they are even more yours.

Just for the sake of holding on, here is a link to my old character page.

Name: Shisho

Age: 17

Race: Magi (Hylian)

Sex: Male

Hair: Brown Mullet cut

Eyes: Green

Weight: 157 lbs.

Height: 5 ft. 11 in.

Weapon 1: A Spell Book that contains a myriad of complicated spells.

Weapon 2: The Book of Ken, a tome that copies down any magic Shisho sees.

Weapon 3*: The Baton of Tears, a conductor’s baton made from a Moon’s Tear.

Armor: A single gauntlet on his right hand.

Theme Song: All You Need is Love

Strengths: He is smarter than most, if not all, of his opponents. Also, he thinks quickly, and is not prone to fear or sadness, giving him mental superiority over most others. Being one of the Magi, his magic is infinite, so he can use as many spells as he wishes, as long as he is healthy. His gauntlet is strong enough to stop a sword strike, and flexible enough to give his fingers and wrist full range of motion. Depending on who they are, he might already know something about his opponent. He can attack from 50 feet or more depending on the spell he uses. He has a basic knowledge of martial combat, giving him a chance, if nothing else, to defend himself if an opponent attacks at close range. With the Book of Ken, he knows all nonphysical abilities that he can see an opponent performing.

Weakness: First and foremost, he’s thin and not very strong. The gauntlet he wears is a little too heavy for his arm, preventing quick strikes with his right. He thinks he can use his martial combat to fend off all physical attacks sent his way, but he can’t. He feels inferior in the face of figures that he deems better than himself, and concurrently doesn’t perform as well around them. He’s too focused on what’s in front of him, so he usually isn’t aware of what’s going on behind or to his sides. The spells in his Spell Book, as well as the Book of Ken, take time and preparation to cast, so are essentially useless in combat. Depending on the power of the spell, he may not be able to read everything written in the Book of Ken. He's a Magi, so he is often thought by others to be creepy, suspicious, or otherwise not pleasant to be around.

Skills/Magic 1: Magic**:

Shield: A normal defensive spell that makes all of his clothes like light body armor. Strong enough to stop blade strikes, self propelled projectiles, and a portion of the blunt trauma. Still able to be breached through exceptional strength, mechanism propelled projectiles, and other extenuating conditions. Additionally, it turns all of the purple shades, red.

Jump: A spell that multiplies regular jumping height by 5. A momentum powered leap will travel even farther. Additionally, at lower angles, jump speed also rises.

Life: A spell that is used to heal others. Its effectiveness is great enough to repair most damage, leaving only a few bumps and bruises in worse conditions. All Magi are unable to use healing spells on themselves.

Wind: A warping spell that makes use of warp points. On first glace, it may seem similar to the more popular Farore‘s Wind, but is much more effective, in that it can be used anywhere. It is still limited to two warp points none the less.

Fairy: A morphing magic that turns its caster into a fairy, until the spell is uncast. Shisho’s look also changes slightly, replacing his current shirt with a short sleeved version, and removing his cloak and glasses all together. Additionally, he can choose weather he wants to glow or not. His glow is a deep purple that gets pink near the edges.

Fire: A spell that allows a weapon to generate fire balls. To activate the fire, the weapon must be thrust forward. In Shisho’s case, he would have to throw a punch. The spell does not work if the thrust itself hits the target.

Lightning: Same as fire, but with electric bolts.

Reflect: A spell that makes a weapon reflective to many nonphysical attacks. The spell is strong enough to reflect anything from light, to lower level spells in the higher bracket, to various other forms of energy.

Conjure: Mini House: A spell that takes a random house, shrinks it, and brings it near the caster. Essentially, a useless spell.

Light: A spell that creates an explosive, fist sized ball of light. Detonates under the conditions that it hits something with enough force (equates to being dropped from waist high), or after a short amount of time has passed.

Magic Bolt: A spell that generates a blue and orange flashing, beach ball sized, orb of magic. Takes both hands to generate.

Bolt: A spell that launches a massive lightning bolt in the direction fired. Gets wider until it hits 25 feet. Takes both hands to cast.

Shadow Teleport: A spell that converts its caster into a mobile ball of shadow. Once in shadow ball form, the caster is intangible. However, during interphase, the caster is extremely vulnerable.

Shadow Clones: A spell that makes two identical clones of the caster. Must be using Shadow Teleport to cast. Clones are capable of anything their creator is capable of. Clones are invulnerable, and can only be destroyed if their heads are severed, their creator is killed, or the spell is uncast. Can only be cast once, unless one of the clones has been destroyed. Additionally, the Clones and creator’s thoughts are not synchronized, and as a result, fight as three separate people.

Scatter Magic Bolt: A spell that generates a Magic Bolt in the shape of a small, blue, six point (Octahedron) cluster. On contact with a solid object, the spell separates into twelve parts (Icosahedron) that fly in different directions.

Dark Influence: A mind control spell. Used to control background NPCs.

Skills/Magic 2: Songs:

Song of Healing: Any negative corruption that may be affecting the listener will vanish within a matter of seconds. This corruption can be anything from emotional baggage, to an alteration of the listener’s form, to dark magic or curses. The song is most effective when the listener is undead, or is rendered similarly, as it deals more specifically with the soul.

Song of Storms: When this song is played, storm clouds appear from nowhere, and begin to rain. The rain is not ordinary though. When the rain falls on a troubled being, their sorrows, like tears on their cheek, will be washed away. Additionally, the wind picks up.

Personality: Generally, it doesn’t seem like he has a personality. To everyone he’s not close to, he is silent to. But when you actually get to know him, you’ll find that he can be very emotional when he wants to be. Although his expression doesn’t change much no matter which way you look at him. When he’s with a friend, he’s nice to them, he talks to them, and he comforts them in their time of need. When he’s with someone he doesn’t like, he judges them, thinks less of them, but is always willing to hear what they have to say. When he’s got spare time, you might see him get excited over learning something new, or cursing everything he deems unintelligent. In fact, if you did see him in his spare time, you might think him out of his mind, as he talks to himself as if there is somebody with him. His unwavering faith in his own abilities are backed up by his love for the Goddess of Wisdom: Nayru.

Appearance: He is covered from head to toe in purple. His hair is a rather generic shade of brown, cut with the top and sides shorter, and the back being quite long. Below a thick set of eyebrows, he wears a pair of black sunglasses, which he needs to see clearly. Around his shoulders, he has, clasped with a gold colored emblem marked with the Triforce, a purple cloak, the neck of which rises past his mouth, hiding it from normal view. On his body, he wears a loose fitting, purple button up shirt, with six buttons going down the front. Underneath, he has a very thin, pale upper body, with his belly much more bulky than his chest. His right hand is home to his gauntlet, an iron glove. On his legs, he wears a brown belt, which is covered by the bottom of his shirt, with a purple pair of loose fitting trousers. Underneath, he has a rather sturdy pair of legs, almost appearing disproportionate to his scrawny upper half. And on his feet, a brown pair of boots with an inch thick sole, raising him to his marked height of 5' 11".

History: Hi, my name’s Shisho, but if you read above you’d already know that. I was born in the village of the Blue Maiden, to parents who orphaned me right after birth. Although I don’t know who those parents are, I‘m happy it happened that way. A day later, I was noticed by one of the Magi that lived in a stockade north of the village. For those who don’t understand Magi, it‘s really just plural for Mage. Anyways, as a charitable, if not misunderstood, race, they adopted me into the family. As customary, I was put with the youngest group of children, and raised in that circle. Me, four of my brothers, and five of my sisters, like any other group of Magi children, grew up switching between five older brother and sister guardians.

Of course, as we aged, we each became different. I spent most of my time doing what I loved: Reading books in the Library. Although reading is a characteristic of our race, sometimes I would read to the point where I wasn’t eating or sleeping. Naturally, when I was younger, I had to study very hard, with the help of my elders, to understand our books of magic. But as I got older, I began to pick it up rather quickly, excelling beyond many of my brothers and sisters, though without their knowledge. Unfortunately, that is a story for another time. This is supposed to be my history, not my forum to brag.

Although studying was my passion, I did have livelihood elsewhere. On the rare occasion I did venture into the village, I usually talked to my cousin, from the stockade to the south. Her name was Iris. Yes, the Iris, from the tale of the Hero and the Four Sword. She may not have been the brightest girl out there, but the love I held for her was second only to the love I held for my closest brother, Ken. In fact, the three of us often visited each other, and told stories of how our days were. We were the best of friends.

Okay, maybe I’ll brag just a bit. We were about ten at the time, when the Hero passed through the village of the Blue Maiden. I was, of course, buried under dozens of books back in our Library at the time, but Iris was right there. She, in a move of, no offense to her, stupidity, had lost her Spell Book, and was trapped in the Dark World. The Hero then came, returned her book to her, and let her help him return something she had taken. A few days after, the Hero destroyed our Lord Vaati, as well as the Great King of Evil, Ganon. Our people worship darkness, so that didn‘t really go over well with everyone but us three. By the by, that is why I learned the Conjure: Mini House, Spell.

And now, the saddest part of my tale. Six years after the passing of Lord Vaati, tragedy befell my people. For reasons beyond my knowledge, all but myself were killed. The only reason I had survived was because I was hidden behind many stacks of books. It wasn’t until hours after the carnage that I stopped reading and learned what happened. I was too late to heal any of the injured or revive any of the fallen. Besides a few blast marks, from my brothers and sisters trying to defend themselves, there was no damage to the area. After I checked for survivors there, I immediately warped to the southern stockade. They were perfectly fine, but knew what happened, and were getting ready to leave. They thought that the collected hatred of the villagers had pushed them to kill my family.

This was untrue. I tried to explain to Iris that it wasn’t the villagers who killed them, that a mob driven by hatred would have demolished our homes on top of killing my family. But she, sharing the panic all my cousins felt, wouldn’t believe me. Now they live far away from the ocean their stockade once stood near, in a forest far to the north. It’s not any harder to get to, but quite bothersome to visit. Thieves you know. All in all, an unfortunate event, but not nearly enough to damage me.

After a period of research, I decided my fate. I would find the Legendary Song of Healing, the very same tune one of the ancient Heroes used to bring peace to souls with regret. With that decided, I took to the road for almost a year, looking for the song. The world is a big place though, and I found some things that had nothing to do with the song, but were nice to find anyway. Of course, eventually, I found it. All the leads I hit trying to find it turned out to be true. In fact, I had to travel all the way to a foreign country called Termina to find one of the mask salesmen who knew it.

With the song finally in my possession, I quickly headed back to the stockade. Once I returned, I played the song, and my family was finally able to pass on. The resulting mask was the powerful Black Mage Mask. Unlike the White Mage Mask, it gives its wearer near unlimited physical strength. This seemed a little dangerous, so I gave it a continence by giving it half my soul. I didn’t want anyone to wear it and have them run amok in our name, so I think I did a pretty good job of preventing that. Anyways, with such a powerful tool at my disposal, I decided to travel, and heal all those who needed healing. And that’s where you join me, I guess.

Completed Crossroads: Twilight in the Forest, The Plight of Faenaro, Welcome to Oblivion, The Dragon Reborn, OPEN and their Intentions,

*Not really a weapon (But then again, neither are the other two)
**Spells are memorized and do not require any outside sources to use.

Name: Kawaii

Age: 72

Apparent Age: Somewhere between six and nine

Race: Doll

Sex: Female

Weight: 78 lbs. (118 lbs.)

Height: 3 ft. 11 in. (5 ft. 11 in.)

Hair: Blonde, hangs down to chin.

Eyes: Blue

Skin: Pale, with a light blush on her more curvy areas.

Appearance: Just as the ornament she wears might suggest, she has the appearance of a little angel. This little girl has the very essence of adorable, with all of the marks to make one stop in their tracks and remark on how cute she is. Her face is ever endearing, with pinchable, round cheeks; bright, emotional eyes; and a wide, soft forehead. Her blonde hair, parted down the center, hangs freely down to her chin. It is clean and straight, with a bit of a sheen. Her clear, pale skin is only blemished by a red circle on the center of her left shoulder blade, which is covered by her dress. This circle, rough and bark-like, is the only thing besides a lack of certain bodily functions that might suggest she is anything other than human. The clothing she wears is all pink. She wears a billowing, hot pink dress that extends to her knees. It’s an armless garment that puffs out a bit at the waist, where she wears a red belt. Without this belt, the dress would flap wildly in the wind. The dress ties in the front. Over the ties, she wears a light pink bow adorned with a blue, glass jewel in the center. On her back, she wears an ornament in the shape of wings. Each wing is about twice the size of one of her palms. She wears red buckle shoes on her feet, with light pink socks underneath.

Picture:

By the super talented, super amazing Hitokirichibi.

Weapon: Her own body.

Armor: Her own body.

Skills/Magic: Her one special talent is her ability to transform herself into an adult woman for a short period. Though she uses this almost exclusively as a method of persuasion, she is not aware of why people are persuaded it. She uses this ability very rarely, though, as she loses her superhuman strength when she uses it. Her only other magical trait is that her angel wing ornament makes any earth she walks upon fertile. These wings also glow in the dark when she wills them to.

Strengths: The first and greatest of her battle strengths is her superhuman strength. The upper limit of this strength has never been tested, and has already proved powerful enough to move three tons. This same strength powers her legs as well as her arms, allowing her superhuman running and jumping abilities. As a doll, her body doesn’t succumb to many human faults. These include being hungry, tired, and even feeling pain. For that matter, she doesn’t need to breathe, has no vital points, and has no brain for a psychic to read. Furthermore, she can automatically regenerate lost body parts by coming in contact with a piece of wood roughly the size of the part in question. To cap everything off, though her curiosity and sub-par intelligence often get into trouble, they also make her fearless.

Weakness: Having a wooden body, she is horribly vulnerable to fire, which will burn her the moment she comes in contact with it. As a result, she is deathly afraid of fire, and cowers the instant she’s exposed to or sees any. Her only other physical weakness is that her body will crack if hit by a sufficiently strong attack. Besides that, all of her weaknesses are mental. As a child, she has many childish hang-ups such as disobedience, confusion, and indiscretion. She also doesn’t know how to read, and takes little notice of words unless she was already curious. She’s also a sucker for toys and other such diversions, meaning she’s easily bribed. And, of course, the downside to being fearless is that she often gets into trouble.

Personality: This little doll was designed with the most sunny personality under the sun. Her smile is just as bright as the green fields that she wants little more than to play in. And she is as innocent and pure as the cloudless blue sky over these fields. Always full of cheer and sweetness, she goes about her life with as much vigor as her childish disposition can muster. She’s so friendly and curious, in fact, that she will often engage complete strangers simply because she wants to talk. There are few occasions on which this little girl is not the very image of happiness. Of course, she’s still by no measure perfect. Though clever and kind-hearted, her grasp of any intellectual matter is tenuous at best. When angered or frustrated, she can be downright cold. When saddened or desperate, she can throw an earth-rending tantrum. In a combat situation, she acts tough, even cocky, but is still compassionate and merciful. Fighting is more of a game to her than anything else, and she always assumes her opponent feels the same way. Upon receiving damage, or seeing her opponent lash out in a manner that’s outright cruel, are the only times she takes fighting seriously.

History: Kawaii was made by a doll maker who will forever remain nameless to history. That doll maker was the best in the land, who could even bring his dolls to life. He built scores of men, women, and children to make customers happy. But, because his creations came and went so fast, he himself was a very sad and lonely man. So, he decided to make for himself a daughter. She would be the perfect little girl; full of energy and sunshine for the rest of his days. But, a few days before his most perfect creation was finished, a lord, to whom the doll maker owed a debt, came in with an order. He wanted a doll assassin: one that could fell any barrier, but could still charm their way into any enemy’s halls. The lord ordered that it be ready in only half the time it normally took to make a doll of that kind. So, the doll maker turned on the only creation that was close enough to completion, yet had enough room to be built to the lord’s specifications: his daughter. He outfitted her with greater strength than his strongest doll, greater speed than his fastest, and greater regenerative power than his most resilient. He hadn’t built anything as magnificent and terrible in all his career. The doll maker presented the doll to the lord, only for it to be turned down because of its appearance as a child. The doll maker, furious that he had bastardized his own daughter for no reason, shouted at the lord. The angered lord then sentenced the creator and creation to death. At that moment, the doll maker panicked. In an act of desperation, he touched the doll’s back and whispered a word to it, activating it. As the doll’s eyes glowed a sickly yellow, it slaughtered all those around it, save its master. When there were none left willing to try to stop them, they hastily ran away. As they made their escape, the remaining followers of the lord launched a barrage of arrows upon them. The doll was unharmed, but the maker was fatally wounded. As the doll maker lay dying, he touched her back, whispered a word, then pushed her lifeless body into the river. She woke with no memory, only knowing that she had a master, a father, somewhere to find.

Post BA History: Kawaii looked high and low for her master. The doll walked the globe many times over, searching from the highest mountain peak, to the furthest ocean wave, to the deepest jungle tangles. She searched tirelessly. Weariness never clouded her eyes and the quakes of hunger never rattled her belly. Her search took her from the lush jungles of the East, to the serene mountains of the West, to the glimmering tundras of the North, to the busy cities of the South. The doll searched blindly, without knowing anything about who she was looking for. The fact that he was her master was the only thing she looked for. Her search took her across deserts, through grasslands, and even between islands. She beheld their beauty, yet never rested in her search. But, because the doll lived without ageing and traveled without tiring, she was a very lonely girl. Though it would never last, people would take her in and feed her, no matter where she went. “I have someone I need to find,” she would say, and then she would be off. Even through her loneliness, she was the girl full of energy and sunshine. Across the world, there were games to be played, sights to be seen, people to meet, and distances to be ran. She could not help but smile in the face of it all. Her search never ended, but there was never a time when she could not rest and enjoy life. One day, she met someone, a child of darkness, a boy of sediment and haze. She proved her worth against him in a contest of tenacity, and left the defeated boy a piece of her ribbon. They met again, in a time of desperation for the boy. He asked for her help, and they never left each other’s hearts after that. The boy of sediment and haze was a boy without love. The doll was a girl whose love overflowed. When they met, they found that they each had something the other was looking for. One who wanted to be loved and doted upon, and one who wanted to love and protect. They each found both in the other.

Completed Crossroads: Lost in the Moment, Rooftop Battle, Hunting for a Death Dealer, Saints and Sinners, Uneasy Alliances and New Friends,

Name: Fallen God of Destruction
Fuzen

Age: 25

Race: Hylian/Demon

Sex: Male

Hair: Cream Brown/Silver, 2 Bangs and a tail

Eyes: Brown/Red

Weight: 158 lbs.

Height: 5ft. 10in.

Weapon 1: Ijinken (Katana)/Ijin Claws (Katars)

Weapon 2: Small jar of sand made of sand.

Armor: None

Theme Song: Blood on the Dance Floor/Elimination

Strengths: His primary strength is in his sword. Ijinken has many talents, ranging from an almost impenetrable defense, to a crushing offense. As a result of one of its skills, he fights better in a desert or stone based setting. As for Fuzen himself, he mostly excels in manipulation. With his looks, combined with his quick and charming wit, he could almost rival an incubus in his ability to attract. As a result, he is very adept at trickery, information gathering, and deception. But besides being a little faster, stronger, and more skilled than your average swordsman/katarman, he has no outstanding strengths physically. Despite just recoloring himself, his form switching allows for disguise. While in demon form, he’s not susceptible to alcohol or poison.

Weakness: His primary weakness is in his sword. Since Ijinken is a sentient sword, it may at times disobey Fuzen’s commands. Due to being nearly opposite in elementals, it loses a great deal of its power in the rain. As for Fuzen himself, he falters when it’s down to hand to hand. With his strength being only a little bit higher than an average NPC, he’s weaker than most BA Characters. And even though Ijinken has so much power, the strength of the steel itself is ordinary. His desires start and end with greed, lust, gluttony, pride, envy, wrath, and/or sloth. Because of that, he is not only a very predictable (to those who may have met him before) warrior, but is also one who is easily manipulated when it comes to the afore mentioned sins. Despite being able to save his life, his second form will still be sore from the firsts damage. While in demon form, he’s susceptible to light magic.

Skills/Magic: He has two forms, a demon one and a Hylian one. The strategy of using the two is actually quite simple. His basic approach involves two steps. 1) Much like a Venus Fly Trap, he uses the attractiveness and familiarity of his Hylian form, to lure in unsuspecting prey. 2) Continuing the trap analogy, after he attracts, he then confronts with his demon form, usually resulting in his favored outcome. Now, besides disguise, the most advantageous ability his form switching allows, is the ability to cheat death. If one form is severely damaged, or even killed, he can convert to his other to avoid perishing, and begin regenerating what was damaged. This will leave him stuck in his alternate form, as turning back would either result in his death (Again), or having to deal with the heavy damage. Besides looking different, there’s no real difference between his two forms. The only thing to note, is that his katana will become a pair of katars. Since it is a pair of katars, both sword and sheath need to be in his possession for both to appear.

Personality: All who know him, know there’s only one word for him. That word is Evil. At the same time, someone might say he has a split personality.

As a demon, his personality borders on psychotic. He shows incredible narcissism, while at the same time, is almost completely self destructive when it comes to getting what he wants. At times he may seem calm, which is always when fighting a woman, but mostly he appears to be caught in a rage. He always puts himself above all else, without letting others know that his ego is so very consuming. His demeanor will show that he is sadistic and insane, but underneath, he is in no way crazy. He thinks with his sharp intellect on point, making his rage a focused storm.

As a Hylian, his personality borders on fuzzy. He shows incredible concern for others, while at the same time, is almost completely humble when it comes to getting compliments for that. At times he may seem romantic, which is always when it comes to women, but mostly he appears to be friendly. He always puts others above all else, without letting them know that his charity is so very consuming. His demeanor will show that he is personable and happy, but underneath, he is in no way superior. He thinks with his quick wit on point, making him universally likable.

As a murderer, he is a very choosy person. His normal qualifications for a victim are as follows. First off, he will try and find someone intelligent, as they’re harder to get in the right place to get away with it. Next, he will usually favor women over men, as he can satisfy his lust on top of his wrath. After that, he considers physical attractiveness, as a good looking victim will normally make others regret their loss more. And lastly, he considers physical strength, because a fight with a victim that matches his power is more satisfying.

Appearance (Hylian): He’s a very handsome youth. A person that didn’t know better would call him a pretty boy. In fact, a simple change of clothing, and one might mistake him for a woman. His body is quite well made, with outstanding muscle tone and perfect physique. However, his muscles, despite their tone, are not very large. He wears common ronin clothing. His shirt is all light gray with blue trim on each edge. His pants are the same way. Around his waist, a blue sash holds his sword and a little jar of sand. On his feet, he wears wooden sandals and white socks. His creamy, light brown hair comes down in two bangs to frame his face, with the rest tied back in a tail.

Appearance (Demon): He’s a very handsome youth. His red eyes and black skin make him look dangerous without taking away beauty. In fact, a simple change of clothing, and one might mistake him for a female. His body is quite well made, with outstanding muscle tone and perfect physique. However, his muscles, despite their tone, are not very large. He wears common ronin clothing. His shirt is all black with red trim on each edge. His pants are the same way. Around his waist, he wears a red sash with a little jar of sand tied to it. On his feet he wears wooden sandals and grey socks. His shiny, silver hair comes down in two bangs to frame his face, with the rest tied back in a tail.

History: Long before the Sorceress of Shadows and the General of Darkness, there were three others that carried the flames of Sorrow, Despair, and Destruction. Their names were Zaigou, Zaiaku, and Fuzen. They spread their flames over the land and brought what they represented to the people. But as the people were about to be totally consumed, a great hero came and struck down the demons that reigned over them. The flames were blown into the wind, to be forgotten until the time they would rise again. The sisters Zaigou and Zaiaku, representing Sorrow and Despair respectively, were killed first. They were given the chance to be resurrected however, and both of them, deeply regretting what they had done, chose to be simple citizens. They lived happily in mortality till the day they died again. Fuzen, on the other hand, put up a much greater fight. Although in the end, he failed anyway. When he was given the chance to be resurrected, he chose to be born into greatness. To be stronger, better, and more vile than in his previous life. The higher powers would not have this. They cast his spirit into the womb of a poor Hylian woman. He was born a mix of the two breeds, Demon and Hylian. From his clawing at her insides, his mother died giving birth to him, and he murdered his father as soon as he was able to support himself. His twenty five years amongst the mortal have changed him, but he is still a monster. As a god of destruction, he had killed leagues of men and enjoyed it. Now, he savors his kills, each one being special to him. He’s continued to kill until now, where we look in on him.

Completed Crossroads: The Fate of a Murderer, Bejeweled: Ijinken and the Wielders of the Sword,

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Name: Ijinken of the Desert/Ijin Claws of Fuzen

Age: Immortal

Race: Tsurugikami (Sword God of Desert Warfare)/God Katars (Modified Deity)

Sex: None

Hair: None

Eyes: None

Weight: 5 lbs./6 lbs. (Each)

Height: 3 ft./2 ft. (Each)

Weapon: Sands and souls

Armor: Sheath

Theme Song: Sandopolis

Strengths: Being made by a powerful Kami, there is hardly anything on the mortal plain that can break Ijinken. As a god of desert warfare, it’s a brilliant tactician that can state any plan it comes up with in an easy to understand way. In a desert or on a beach, Ijinken becomes a near unstoppable weapon. Over time, it can even break down stone into a sand. As a result of the psychic power it uses to communicate with, it can shield its wielder from mental attack. On its own, Ijinken is capable of astonishing feats.

Weakness: Because of a little quirk in its personality, it’s forbid itself from acting without a wielder, making it go inactive without someone holding onto it. As a god of desert warfare, it will not always come up with a winning strategy in other settings. In the rain, Ijinken loses all of its sand manipulating power. Though Ijinken itself can never run out of power, for anything but sand manipulation, it drains energy from its wielder.

Skills/Magic: Though Ijinken is extremely powerful, it limits its strength so that only a few abilities of limited power are available to the wielder.

Desolation: Allows its wielder to manipulate sand. This can come in the form of anything from a simple flow of sand, to hardening it into sandstone. Additionally, small control over wind is available, making sand clouds possible.

Desolation Shield: Without the wielder’s consent, Ijinken will make sand block a hit. Though nearly impenetrable, the sand can get in the way of its wielder’s attacks. Can be broken through with enough speed or strength.

Desolation Armor: Using sand, its wielder will create an armored, full-color shell around themselves. Though not as strong as the Desolation Shield, it HAS to be touched in order to damage the user.

The End: Using an extreme version of blessing warrior spirits, its wielder can turn a spirit into a ghost monster slave. The type of monster varies. It will always have a hole through where its heart should be, and its translucent head will house the missing organ.

The World: Using a stronger version of blessing warrior spirits, its wielder can excite spiritual power in anyone they choose. A visual effect of the excitement is a variably colored aura.

Soul Freezing Gale: Using its limited power over the wind, it allows its wielder to lower the temperature of the air until it hits thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit.

Body Ruining Heat: Using its limited power over the wind, it allows its wielder to raise the temperature of the air until it hits 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

Seer: In the same fashion that it communicates with its wielder, it allows them to project thoughts, and in a limited capacity, visions, to whomever they wish. Additionally, Seer can be used to pinpoint a particular person.

Appearance: Ijinken is simply this: Magnificent. The blade is curved perfectly, and narrow to just the right degree to maximize balance. When unsheathed, it always has the faint glow of moonlight shining from it. The hilt has a total of 30 gems imbedded in it; 15 on each of the wider sides. The shark skin around the hilt has been dyed orange, for the desert. The gold end on the pommel is marked with the Kanji for heaven. The hand guard is solid gold, and marked with the name of Hachiman on each of the longer faces. The sheath has a total of 110 gems imbedded in it; 37 on each of the wider sides, and 18 on the narrower ones. The sheath is made of wood that has been dyed orange, and lacquered with an orange lacquer. The metal at the top is gold, and marked four times with the Kanji for heaven. Of the total 140 gems adorning the blade, no two are the same.

Personality: Emotionless, concise, objective. Essentially, it thinks like a sword would think. Its speech is limited to three things: answers, explanations, and defiance. Answers will come in the shortest form possible, meaning no and yes are used the most. Explanation length will vary depending on the situation. Defiance is a rarely used three speech set. They are used when it is first grasped, first tried to be gotten rid of, and when it is taken. Any time it speaks, it speaks very formally, as in, it doesn’t use contractions.

Biography: In a far off land, there is a Kami known as Hachiman, the god of war. In that land, he is the divine protector of its people. Often, he would help the people of that land, almost especially outside of wartimes. The fisherman would pray to him for fish, and the farmers would pray to him for crops, and he would deliver them. He was a god that received much love from the people who prayed to him, even though he was in charge of such a grim job. This love was born from the sense of peace he spread over the land. Though he was the god of war, he protected the land, making sure war was something that would rarely occur.

Of course, no group of people is perfectly peaceful. When war did erupt, he made certain the right side came out victorious. But when any soldier prayed to him, he gave them his protection, if supplies were to run low, he would deliver more, and if a battle would end in a massacre, he made sure as many survived as he could. As a god of war, he performed his job beautifully. Sometimes, he would even go as far as to give certain clans his specific attention. These clans, as well as any others who felt him give them his blessing, made shrines where they could worship him. His popularity was second only to Inari, the god of rice.

But sometimes, he did not know how to give a blessing that would help the one who asked for it. In the desert, he would sometimes grant food, and they would die of thirst. In the forest, he would sometimes grant light, and they would die under the burning trees. He became very sad whenever bad things happened because people asked for his help. Even after great periods of trial and error, he was not able to perfect the art of blessing. And so, wars grew continuously more violent as he lost his self esteem. It took a long while for him to come up with a solution to the problem he faced.

Before he became too ashamed of himself, he was struck with a moment of brilliance. He would use his power to create many lesser Kami, who could specialize in certain fields of combat. And so were born the Tsurugikami, sword gods he could consult in different situations. Whenever the time called for it, he would wield one of the blades, and know just what to bestow upon those who needed it. Each was used in a different field of battle. They were the swords of the fields, the forests, the mountains, the seas, the skies, the towns, the deserts, the underground, the wastes, and the holy lands. With them, wars ended quickly, and without ending many lives.

As it turned out, Hachiman’s idea was half baked. As objects, they looked at things from an absolutely objective point of view, and from the view of a weapon no less. They did not look at situations from a right or wrong perspective, but from an economic one. The result was that many lives were lost, and stocks of resources were left greatly unused. Once, not but one man was left standing on a battle field as a result of the advice of a sword. This angered him. Out of spite, and out of concern for others, he gave the swords demon names, showing all that they could not be trusted.

In the end, that is how Ijinken came to be. Its motivations now, are only know to it.

Completed Crossroads: Bejeweled: Ijinken and the Wielders of the Sword,

Name: Nekome Nagisa

Age: 21

Race: Cat-Girl

Sex: Female

Weight: 130 lbs.

Height: 5ft. 11in.

Hair: Black

Eyes: Brown

Skin: Lightly tanned

Appearance: Neko is a multifaceted beauty. She blends traditional good looks with hints of both cuteness and toughness. I say traditional, but she is hardly so. As a Cat-Girl, certain parts of her body have feline, or at least animalistic, traits. Both of her feet and hands are just slightly larger in proportion to the rest of her body, and covered with short, black fur. This fur extends almost to her joints. At the end of each of her ten fingers and eight toes, she has a dull, if pointed, nail. A few strips of black fur curve around the rest of her, covering -with the exception of her rear- her more private areas. A tail covered with the same fur sprouts from her coccyx. It is long enough to wrap around her waist once, and is somewhat prehensile. Upon her head, she has a pair of big, fuzzy cat ears in lieu of human ones. She can move her ears quite easily. Her teeth are normal besides cuspids that are just barely elongated. Within eyes that are slightly slanted, she has slit pupils that widen and narrow depending on her mood. The rest of her face is quite human and fetching, framed by the mass of wild black hair that reaches down the length of her back. In particular, she has a small, almost snub nose. If she’s being playful with sarcasm, it will wrinkle in the most endearing way. She possesses a tight, curvy body with a pair of visibly muscled legs. Her bust is hardly modest, but more modest than she would like. Her clothing consists of a blue vest and a loose fitting pair of blue pants with a hole cut in them for her tail. Under those, she wears a tight shirt and shorts made of a dark, see-thru material inlaid with nets. She also wears a black belt around her waist, which she normally has her Kiseru tucked under.

Weapon: A bronze smoking pipe called a kiseru, and her claws.

Armor: None

Skills/Magic 1: Ninjutsu is a martial art used by ninjas that blends its physical elements with elements of deep thought and spirituality. It is an art based around tactics rather than facing an opponent in a contest of pure strength. Accomplishing one’s task, and living to see another day are the art’s tenants. How much honor a practitioner of Ninjutsu displays is entirely dependant on the practitioner. Ninjutsu arts consist of eighteen different skills. A sufficiently trained ninja can focus Life Force Energy into select maneuvers to perform specialty techniques called Jutsu.

18 Ninja Juhakkei:

Seishin-teki Kyoyo (Spiritual Refinement): Though outwardly wild, Neko has spent much time in meditation. This time has indeed refined her spirit, imparting unto her fortitude and purity of action that she may call upon in times of stress.
Speciality Jutsu:
Rifudou, a healing technique. Effective short of regrowing severed limbs, though it is powerful enough reattach them under good conditions. Consumes one fourth of her usable Life Force Energy.

Taijutsu (Unarmed Combat): Though she can fight very competently without a weapon, her Bojutsu skills tend to be a little better. As far as martial artists can go, she’s about middle of the road.
Speciality Jutsu:
Nekokotsu Jutsu, a basic supplementary technique. Increases speed, senses, and reaction time. Consumes one 128th of her usable Life Force Energy.

Kyudo (Bow Combat): Even if she owned a bow, or carried one around with her, she still wouldn’t use it due to a severe lack of skill.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Ninja To (Sword Combat): Though her skill with a Shinobigatana is above that of an average user, it remains a subordinate talent.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Bojutsu (Staff and Stick Combat): Of the eighteen skills, she is second most proficient in this field, even though her primary weapon is shorter than those normally used in this discipline. Although it is difficult for a layman to notice right away, she’s much more dangerous when armed accordingly.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Shurikenjutsu (Blade Throwing): Much like her Ninja Ken skills, she knows how to do it, but it remains a lesser talent.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Sojutsu (Spear Combat): Though this skill is similar to Naginatajutsu and Bojutsu, normal spears are too long and unbalanced for her to use well.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Naginatajutsu (Naginata Combat): Though she does not actively use this skill, she does switch to it whenever she uses some of her heat based Jutsu. As these Jutsu are neigh unable to be blocked, she does not use the technical aspects of this skill.
Speciality Jutsu:
Enkoukiseru Jutsu, a utility and offensive technique. Ignites the bowl of her kiseru, which releases a great deal of heat on contact with a solid object. Consumes one 32nd of her usable Life Force Energy.
Kiritori Enkoukiseru Jutsu, a utility and offensive technique. Envelopes the bowl of her kiseru in heat, allowing her to cut by using the heat to melt objects. Consumes one 24th of her usable Life Force Energy.

Kusarigamajutsu (Chain Weapon Combat): Much like her Shurikenjutsu skills, she knows how to do it, but it remains a lesser talent.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Kayakujutsu (Fire and Explosive use): Though she knows enough to put together small bombs, she dislikes taking the time to find the components.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Hensojutsu (Disguise and Impersonation): Due to her distinct physical features, she is effectively unable to use Hensojutsu.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Shinobi-iri (Stealth and Infiltration): Her basic Ninja training stressed stealth. As a result, she excels at this, being more proficient here than in any of the other eighteen skills. At night, she is all but invisible. This is added onto by her dark clothing.
Speciality Jutsu:
Suichoku Jutsu, a movement technique. Sends a surge of Life Force to her feet, allowing her to latch onto walls and other solid surfaces. Consumes one 128th of her usable Life Force Energy per step.

Bajutsu (Animal Riding): Being animalistic by nature, she quickly finds balance on any variety of animal she may need to ride.
Specialty Jutsu: None.

Sui-ren (Water Training): Though she dislikes large bodies of water, she remains a competent swimmer, her physical features allowing her to displace more water with each stroke than an ordinary human‘s.
Specialty Jutsu: None.

Boryaku (Military Strategy): Despite her appearance as a simpleton, her tactical knowledge is actually quite wide. She easily conceives brilliant plans for small skirmishes.
Specialty Jutsu: None.

Choho (Espionage): Her enhanced senses allow her to spy and gather information highly efficiently. Furthermore, she is an excellent listener, and knows what kinds of information are worth paying specific attention to.
Specialty Jutsu: None.

Intonjutsu (Escaping and Concealment): She is quite fleet of foot, able to run and maneuver over a wide variety of obstacles. When necessary, however, she can be so still, even her breath is silent.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Tenmon (Meteorology): Her heightened senses give her an advantage when predicting the weather. Specifically, she can smell how much moisture is in the air.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Chi-mon (Geography): Though she travels often, she is seldom in one place long enough to learn the specifics of the landscape. The same applies to peoples and their customs.
Speciality Jutsu: None.

Skills/Magic 2: Chakras are seven points on the body that regulate the flow of Universal Life Force Energy to different places inside of oneself. The placement of the Chakras goes up along the spine, beginning at the very bottom of the pelvis, and ending at the very top of the skull. They are, from the bottom up, Muladhara, the base Chakra; Swadhisthana, the genital Chakra; Manipura, the solar plexus Chakra; Anahata, the lung Chakra; Vishuddha, the throat Chakra; Ajna, the third eye Chakra; and lastly, Sahasrara, the crown Chakra. Each has their own associated number, function, color, and element. While the lower Chakras focus on functions of the body, the higher ones focus functions of the mind. Though certain amounts of Life Force Energy flow through all the Chakras and Energy Pathways of a normal being at all times, the bulk remains trapped in the bottom Chakra. Through spiritual refinement, higher Chakras can be fully reached. When a new Chakra is reached, a higher state of being is attained.

First Chakra (Four Petals, Red): Always active, grants no special traits.

Second Chakra (Six Petals, Orange): Active during times of intense physical sensation. When in use, she moves as if permanently affected by the Nekokotsu Jutsu. Additionally, her mind becomes more active, allowing her more creativity with her techniques. A downside is that she becomes more prone to distraction, especially when it comes to sexual desire.

Third Chakra (Ten Petals, Yellow): Able to be willed into activation. When in use, her all around physical condition improves based on her emotional state. During times of extreme determination, she could outrun and outmuscle any mortal opponent. A downside is that she will sometimes have severe mood swings when using the Third Chakra. Activation of her highest Chakra will immediately activate any below it. Currently, the highest she has attained.

Strengths: As a ninja, Nekome has trained her body and mind for years. Her physical training has resulted in a warrior with lithe movements who can perform a variety of acrobatics at a moment’s notice. She can perform these movements in almost utter silence. Using this skill while hiding herself behind cover or in darkness, she becomes all but a shadow, hidden to all save the most sensitive of warriors. She has a pair of powerful, yet shapely legs fully capable in martial combat. Her mental training has made her a master of tact, never letting a stray word slip. She can act completely convincingly, making up an entire life on a whim. With this tact, and her persuasive lips, she can smooth talk her way through nearly anything. These strengths, combined with her various ninja talents make her a deadly opponent. Beyond those things, she also has natural cat-like qualities, such as enhanced hearing and smell; heightened reflexes; excellent night vision; and extreme flexibility.

Weakness: Though a paragon of tact herself, she is fooled effortlessly by the tact of others. Unless she has information to the contrary, or it’s too obvious of a lie, she tends to believe anything anyone tells her. To compound this, she has a hard time telling if her own lies work, leading her to often press a deception that has already failed. She also has a short build to anger, though this rarely affects her professionalism. If forced to suppress it, it does build up. Although this anger is generally harmless, the way she expresses it will quickly provoke someone that’s also easily riled up. It sometimes causes her to make rash decisions, as well. Physically, her one real weakness is that her movements are hampered for a short period after she consumes Life Force. After her Jutsu is used, her body compensates for the lost energy by slowing down. Though she can power through the lower cost cool downs, the Kiritori and Rifudou will make her move slower for an exploitable amount of time. She’s also afraid of large bodies of water.

Personality: This woman’s own nature and the nature of her work form a duality in her. When out and about, she gives off a distinct positive energy. Each step she takes is without a care, and filled with self confidence, yet she’s not the least bit haughty. This confidence makes her somewhat blockheaded. That is to say, she’s superficial. Unless she already knows that there’s something beneath the surface, that is. Confident as she is, she is always open with both her thoughts and her body. This gives her an unexplainable sort of power to escape a situation when escape seems impossible. Even in a situation like that, she will remain in a cheerful -even delightful- state, often snickering and giving cat-like grins. Of course, she does tend to imitate the energy around her. If she’s alone, she mimics Sukoshi, becoming contemplative; if something important is happening, she’ll become serious; and if someone starts an argument, she’ll argue right back. Her little flashes of irritation often start these arguments. These flashes come about when one offends or insults her in some way. They dissipate with a return insult, and are immediately forgotten by her. The only way to earn her continuing ire is to make her feel uncomfortable, which turns her gruff and sarcastic. Whether she hides this ire or expresses it depends on the person. With people who’re too serious, her sarcasm is more playful. Though annoyed, she enjoys annoying them in return. With people who are some shade of ‘evil’, she becomes earnestly and intentionally offensive. This, of course, leads to the way she fights. Unless at a grave disadvantage, she fights with a sort of arrogant glee, from time to time taunting her opponent for any little thing; even for fighting too well. These taunts are not mean-spirited, however, and are only meant to irritate. It makes the confrontation more fun for her.
Of course, this is her acting freely. When the time comes for her to be a Ninja, she can become a blank slate at a moment’s notice. As equally of course, she does still draw upon her talents without necessarily taking up that mind-set.

History: Ah, Hajimemashte. Namae Neko da ne. Eh, nani? Jaa, Eego de. Ah, hey there. I’ll bet you already know, but my name’s Neko. This is your look into my ever exciting life. I’ll bet you feel so honored. Oh, but first, let’s get a look at you. My, aren’t you handsome. Let me put my fingers on you for a second. Oh, I like that. How about we get out of here, and… On second thought, no way. Just in case you’re actually a woman, I think I’ll stick to the interview.

The first thing you’re probably wondering is: “Cat-girl?” Well, that’s simple. My dad was an oversized cat. Yeah, I know, it’s creepy. Let’s not dwell on that part. Besides, being half cat is one of my best qualities. It’s what gives me my animal good looks. Of course, I’ll bet you could tell just by reading about my appearance. Whoever wrote that, though, is totally off. They didn’t use the word “hot” enough. AND MY NOSE DOES NOT WRINKLE! I am so getting a new person to do my profiles.

What? Oh, but look at me, I’ve gotten sidetracked. Where was I? Right. I was born in a middle class village not too far from the middle of nowhere. I always called it the village hidden in absolutely nothing. Back there, it’s a tradition for every kid to learn Ninjutsu. Hm? Oh, Ninja Techniques. I happen to be the daughter of the head ninja, and resident master, my mother. Has anyone here ever met her? No, trust me, you don’t. All you need to know is that she plays around with cats. I get shivers just thinking about her.

Right. I studied my Ninjutsu under her. That’s how I got on in my early years. You know, I wasn’t always as popular as I am now. Oh yeah, as a kid, I got picked on a lot because of how I look. A lot of kids don’t know how to appreciate the finer facets of feline facial features. What… That was really stupid. Who’s writing this crap? As I was saying. I spent most of my time as a kid working to become a great ninja. It wasn’t until I got a little older that a got popular.

By the way, I swear my dialogue usually isn’t this bad. My writer must be high. Anyway, I had to develop a bit before I got any positive attention. But, as soon as I developed, boy, you should have seen it. The amount of horny guys that followed me around was more disturbing than anything else. At the time, though, I thought it was flattering. Of course, that was before I got into… Huh? Well, what else can’t I say? Oh, go ♥♥♥♥ yourself. Let’s just say, it was before I got involved in the wide world of pocket monsters.

I’ll tell you this. The pussy jokes were relentless, back there. A funny joke can get very annoying very fast if you hear it every day of your life. If I wasn’t bent over, or on my knees, uh, looking for things on the floor, so much, I probably would have killed someone. Even now, if you call me a pussy cat more than once, I swear I will punch you in the face. Oh, and I might as well dispel the rumors right now. This girl is easy. If you’re looking for a fun night out, all you have to do is find me. No losers, please

Moving right along, at sixteen, you could see I was turning into the person I am today. It was at that age when I first met Sukoshi. This nameless boy started hanging around my house, one day. The first time I talked to him, we just clicked. Obviously, he’s not of age, but that can’t stop us from talking to each other. He’s very mature for his age, and I don’t think I have to hide anything from him. Since he didn’t have a name, I decided to call him Sukoshi. Hey there, little bit!

Oh, this just came back to me. Later that year, my mother taught me how to mix catnip. You ever smoke a blunt? Do Acid? Shrooms? Well, it’s not quite an acid trip, but you get the picture. Just throw a little into the bowl of your pipe, light up, and sit back. Oh, but don’t ask for any. It’ll get me high, but don’t expect it to do the same thing for you. I try to keep a few packets on me all the time. It’s really easy to mix, but not everywhere has the stuff you need. Never know when I’ll need some.

Skip ahead a few years, and… No, before that. How about I let you answer the questions, then?! Good. As I was saying, I had just turned eighteen. Even though every able bodied man in the village was trying to, um… I hate euphemisms. Help me do some work on the floor? I don’t even know. The tedium of village life got pretty boring. So, you know, I went out to see the world. It’s just me and Sukoshi. And I’ve been having fun. I’ve, like, met some cute guys, seen some really interesting places, and other cool stuff.

So, the interview’s over? Okay. That was fun. We should do it again some time. See you later, handsome.

Completed Crossroads: A Fuzzy Distraction, Bejeweled: Ijinken and the Wielders of the Sword, Leaving the Sandbox: Black Cats, Black Clothes, and Black Business,

_________________________

Name: Kyo (Sukoshi)

Age: 39

Race: Cat

Sex: Male

Weight: 9 lbs.

Height: 1 foot

Fur: Black and brown

Eyes: Yellow

Appearance: He’s a black cat with a few light brown patches. Most notably on his chest and paws. One side of his face is black, while the other is brown. Besides that, there’s a few splashes of brown here and there on his fur.

Weapon: Claws

Armor: None

Skills/Magic: Does pretty much anything Neko tells him to do.

Strengths: He’s small, so he can escape easily.

Weakness: He’s a cat.

Personality: He’s very stern, with a strong sense of duty. A humble and thoughtful being, he carries himself with a noble, yet casual air. Although once quite stoic, he has recently gotten in the habit of speaking his mind. This comes out as meowing, though, so no one can understand him. He’s come to terms with being a cat and is happy to act like one. Concurrently, he finds it extremely irritating that Neko talks to him like he’s normal, and gets angry whenever she does it. He has a soft spot for her, though, so although he’s often critical of her, he finds he can look past most of her quirks.

History: Sukoshi, originally known as Kyo, was once a powerful warrior. His signature wooden armor, and power over the elements gave him the nickname “The Earth and Water Samurai.” A keeper of the peace, he traveled from region to region, wiping out the troubles that affected the people. But, one day, he went on a mission that he never came back from. He had been turned into a cat by the evil he had went up against. Unfortunately for him, no one knows how to change him back, or that he is even still alive. Because he was a Ronin, he had no home to return to, or family to take care of him. He’s continued to age at the normal rate, and all signs tell he’s doomed to be a cat the rest of his life. He accepted his fate. On an occasion two years after his transformation, he was captured by a woman with multiple eccentricities, and held with many other cats. It was during this time that he learned how to act like a cat. A mixed species being named Neko, who was apparently the woman’s daughter, seemed to tell that he used to be normal, though. She talked to him and treated him like he was in no way feline. Whenever she left the crazy woman‘s home, she would always take him along. Finally, when she left for the last time, he left the crazy woman‘s home forever. So, Sukoshi, as he’s now called, has been traveling with Neko. He is a happier man.

Completed Crossroads: A Fuzzy Distraction, Bejeweled: Ijinken and the Wielders of the Sword, Leaving the Sandbox: Black Cats, Black Clothes, and Black Business,

This is what happens when you listen to your dreams. Especially the ones you had when you were five.

Name: Doubutsu Yari

Alias: Dreamer

Age: 22

Sex: Female

Race: Human

Weight: 131 lbs.

Height: 5 ft., 10 in.

Eyes: Green

Hair: Bleach blonde, cropped somewhat close everywhere but the sides, which nearly extend to her shoulders.

Skin: A pale complexion that separates into white and pink when chilled

Appearance: To describe Doubutsu in one word, the adjective “fluffy” would be appropriate. Her blonde hair is tangled and messy from her lack of care of it. From anywhere but the front, that seemingly bleached color is nearly hidden by the very high collar on her jacket. Her jacket, the feature that defines her image, is quite literally comically oversized. What’s odd is that the jacket is made perfectly for her. The sleeves end where her wrist meets her hand, and the bottom ends just below her buttocks. With its green color, the jacket makes her thin body seem trollish. It almost looks like the jacket alone could cause her comparatively stick-like legs to snap. Of course, it just appears that she’s very thin by comparison. In fact, she’s just a size below average. Beneath the jacket, she wears a loose fitting flannel shirt and a pair of dark grey pants with long-john lining. On her feet, she sports a heavy pair of hiking boots with knee-high socks. On top of everything else, she never actually closes the jacket, and almost always keeps her eyes pointed downwards.

Weapon: The Sacred Animal Lance, chosen weapon of the Artists. It is a full metal weapon from tip to shaft, and very solidly constructed in the style of a spear. When placed straight up and down, it exceeds Doubutsu’s height by 3 in.. From weathering, it has a dark grey/green color. Just below the spearhead, the shaft briefly bulges into the shape of a cube. The cube portion has a hoop hanging from a hole in its center, which holds a plate shaped like a tiger claw, as well as a few smaller rings. These elements clink about freely. The spearhead is pentagonal in dimension, but still points out sharply like an arrow. It’s a very thin looking weapon, yet its endurance is second to none. It’s virtually unbendable and fairly light. Without a holder or sheath for it, she’s forced to carry it over her shoulder.

Armor: A fluffy and durable jacket that takes great effort to tear.

Skills/Magic: Her Lance wielding style is a unique blend of unorthodox spear handling and magic techniques. Her spear handling is out of the ordinary in the sense that she uses it more like a bat than a spear. Rather than focusing on thrusts with the sharp point, she focuses on hitting and breaking bones with the shaft. At very close ranges, however, she does tend to break down and use it more like a staff than a bat. To finish or threaten are the only times she uses the spearhead. Her physical moves are backed up by a handful of magical moves.

Tiger Art: As her most basic talent as an Artist, this technique takes little out of her. The attack consists of a high speed shockwave that travels in a straight line. As the shock flies, it will leave a trail of snow along the ground and a few flakes in the air. To activate, she only needs to thrust the blunt end of the Lance against the ground. Just after the thrust, an outline of a roaring tiger’s head within a circle will appear beneath her momentarily.

Spiraling Design: Using just a tad bit more energy, the Lance gains the ability to create gusts of wind with its movement. With a full swing, the gales can knock back an opponent of virtually any weight. With a small nudge, a little puff of air will pass by. To activate, she only needs to draw a straight line with the sharp end of the spear. Just after the draw, a spiral within a circle will appear beneath her momentarily.

Environmental Mural: As the Sacred Animal Lance’s true purpose, it takes no effort at all. Its primary function is to stabilize any climatic abnormalities in the vicinity, but it has another positive side effect. After use, it will destabilize the abilities of any elemental user in the same vicinity. To activate, she needs to spin it once above her head and thrust the blunt end into the ground. The spin makes a circle appear beneath her. The circle disappears after the thrust.

Strengths: Having lived in freezing environs her entire life, she is nearly impervious to any kind of cold. Concurrently, she has a high resistance to weather and cold based magic. Of course, her jacket plays a big role in her resistance, but she still has a high tolerance without it. That jacket is actually essential to her defenses. It’s an extremely thick piece of clothing that pads almost all of the blows she may receive. In fact, the material is so thick and durable that it can stop a sword strike from a man of average strength. But naturally, she has strengths aside from her jacket. Despite being rather thin, she’s fairly strong. That, coupled with the hardness of her spear, make a strike with said weapon very painful. In addition, she’s very quick on her feet, almost making it look like she’s ballet dancing when moving around a lot.

Weakness: As it happens, her jacket is a weakness as well, as she gets very hot when in the midst of battle. And hot isn‘t even a strong enough adjective. If the temperature is any higher that 20 degrees fahrenheit, virtually any physical activity will cause her to break into a sweat. If the temperature is any higher than 50 degrees, she’ll sweat as long as she has the jacket on. If the temperature is any higher than 80 degrees, she’ll pass out within half an hour during physical activity. She is often seen not wearing her jacket during her down time because of this, leaving her open to surprise attack. Unfortunately, she will still suffer from the heat, even if her jacket is off. Finally, some of the dance moves she uses are inadvertently too big to transition from quickly, leading her to occasionally tip over when trying to change directions.

Personality: Most of the time, the wielder of the Sacred Lance is shy, and keeps to herself and her thoughts. But she is also a charitable being who joys in making other people’s lives easier. Her daily concerns, however, are primarily with herself and her needs. She is a very detail oriented person. If there’s a nook or cranny that someone else missed, she’s the one that would find it. Though she is often stony faced, Doubutsu does like to have herself a bit of fun, and is especially fond of dancing. This is reflected in the way she moves around when pressed to move quickly. As a result, she quite enjoys opportunities to get physical. On such occasions, her opponents are usually surprised by the frenetic and powerful movements coming from such a quiet and withdrawn person. She would like to meet new people, but she finds herself too depressingly quiet, so she usually stays to the side. Because of her status as an Artist, there is nothing that occurs in nature she fears, whether it be a wild animal or natural disaster. Being fairly intelligent, she knows a few ways of the world and tries to be mature about it.

History: Where to start? I guess the beginning is best, so I’ll start there. I was born in a land of ice and snow. There, I was raised by my family: My mom, Irene Yari, and my dad, Kiba Yari. Also, there was my little brother, Pete Yari. We all lived in a two story house that was always kept full of food and fire wood. There were a few “neighbors,” if that’s what they could be called, nearby. There was my friend, Paulena Ashford, and the neighborhood wise man, Homer Postvee. And that’s pretty much a generalization of my situation for the beginning of my life. Oh, don’t you worry, it gets a lot less boring soon.

I wasn’t actually born on land. It was a lake, actually; a frozen lake. Not only born, but lived on the lake as well. As a matter of fact, an entire village of one hundred people lived on that lake. That may sound dangerous, but when we tried to see how deep the ice was, we hit dirt before we hit water. Yep, we lived on a giant block of ice. It’d been that way for longer than anyone could remember. That’s how cold it was. And you know what was strange? Just a few miles away, in any direction, it was green, briskly warm, and our little lake looked like hell on Earth. During the summer, of course. We fit right in in the winter.

That wasn’t the only strange thing about where I lived. Our house -the one we lived in- was actually a house-mobile. The entire thing sat upon two giant logs that acted like skis. There was a gap between them that a platform lowered down into. That was actually how we got it to move around. You see, my mom is actually an Ice Elementalist by nature and, through use of a little mechanism, she focused one of her more indiscriminate attacks into a method of propulsion. Wacky, right? Well, it just keeps getting more interesting from here.

Pretty much everyone I knew was out of the ordinary. My dad was, and still is, impossibly strong. At his best, he could lift our house over his head! My little brother was born a Fire Elementalist, a very curious thing I still wonder about. I mentioned my friend, Paulena, earlier, right? She was born an Air Elementalist, but had to use her special weapons, the Lightning Gloves and Thunder Jacket, to use her power. And over on the very edge of the lake (He lived on the shore if I remember right), there was Homer. He was born an Earth Elementalist, and he claimed to be one of the best.

Then, of course, there’s me, an Artist. I first became an Artist when I was very little. It was around age five when I found my first Sacred Animal Lance. The thing was sticking out of a snow drift when I first laid eyes on it. It was the Lance of the Fish if I remember correctly. I used to use it, but now it’s my brother’s. You know, it’s kind of an interesting story about how he got it. I’ll tell ya about it.

I think I was around twelve at the time, but I might have been younger. It was especially cold that year, and a whole bunch of things made it feel a lot colder. Dad had just gotten a tan from a small vacation he took, Pete had gotten greedy with his fire and started keeping to himself, and mom got a cold, turning her sneezes into ice blasts every once in a while. It would have been a fairly miserable time, had I not recently learned how to perform Artist magic. And it was a good thing I did too, because some pretty bad stuff started happening.

Elsewhere, things were getting stolen every few hours. The villagers lost a lot of food, Paulena’s weapons were stolen, and Homer’s magical staff had gone missing. Thing was, these things were just disappearing, sometimes from right in front of people. Soon, my mom’s ice started to get stolen. For my dad, that was the last straw. Using our boat, which had been fitted with a scaled down version of the propulsion system our house used, we traveled from one side of the lake to the other, looking for clues. This was when I first realized the importance of a heavy jacket.

We got our first lead in Paulena. Before her jacket and gloves were stolen, she had noticed a black spirit circling over the small fishing hutch she lived in. She said it disappeared right after her equipment did. Just a weird side note: I actually shared my first kiss with her. It was really odd, but she surprised me with a kiss on the lips just before we left that day. She didn’t stay on the lake very long after that, so I never got to find out why. I feel terrible, ‘cause I think she was in love with me. I wish I could apologize for not returning her feelings. Anyways, back on subject.

Though my mom objected, we went to see Homer for advice. As it turned out, he and her had some kind of animosity between them. Working around that inconvenience, we got him to tell us what was going on. Evidently, a spirit residing over the area had become angered because of the ancient and unnatural winter that hung over the lake. Just a weird side note: This guy is kind of bizarre. He never sleeps. He just stands atop a stone staircase that spirals around a five foot tall cone, and uses a trapeze tied to a tree to get down. I’m rambling. Once he told us how to get rid of the spirit, we left.

It was then my life changed. We came to a halt in the very center of the lake and everyone became eerily quiet. A few minutes passed, but it felt longer than that. Then, my dad approached me. He told me the true purpose of the Sacred Animal Lance I carried, and that I wasn’t the one who was supposed to wield it. “Draw the Sacred Animal,” are the only words I can still hear his voice saying perfectly. As I began to tear up from the news, he took the spear from my hands and gave it to my little brother, its true wielder. Depressed, I curled up in the corner as we started to move again.

Shortly after, fate stuck our vessel. Moving quickly, our poor boat smashed into a frozen pile of snow, tossing all of us into the air. I skid along the ice for a few feet, frightened that I had broken a bone. Still depressed and unmotivated, I looked down into the ice, waiting for my invincible dad to come check on me. It was a miracle that I saw the grey of the object below against the green-blue of the icy depths. Another Sacred Animal Lance lay trapped just below the surface of the lake. As fast as we could, we began to excavate the artifact. Now we had two, and I knew what I had to do. Using the Lance of the Tiger, I carved a cat claw in the ice.

Only a few years later, and our lake is nearly an actual lake. The instant I drew the Sacred Animal Insignia, a curse on the lake was lifted. The spirit dissipated and everyone’s possessions were returned to them. All of the houses were moved to the water front, Paulena moved away, and in a mysterious fashion, Homer disappeared one day. Everyone was happy… Except for me. I still didn’t trust my dad, so, a few years ago, I left home. I’ve learned a few things out here. Namely, I prefer cold weather.

Completed Crossroads: Uneasy Alliances and New Friends,

Name: Unknown. She’s never revealed it to anyone.

Nickname: Miss Spider (Or any variation of that)

Age: 15

Sex: Female

Race: Spider Wraith

Weight: 114 lbs.

Height: 5 ft. 5 in.

Eyes: Yellow green, two under each lid.

Hair: Black, slicked down.

Skin: The color white.

Appearance: Gothic, a million times over, gothic. Starting from the top, she wears a black beret atop her head. Her short, jet black hair is completely slicked down, to the point where it wouldn’t affect a silhouette of her head. Around her neck, she wears a light blue bandana, a personal treasure of hers. Beneath that, she wears a collar that holds up a black and white stripped cape. The cape is only long enough to cover her shoulder blades. As for the rest of her, she sports a tight, black bodysuit with a wide slit cut in over her lower back. Over that, she wears an unremarkable black T-shirt and skirt. And, accentuating her skinny body, she wears a large pair of black gloves and boots. Now, having listed all that, we get to her actual body. The most obvious trait she possesses is her completely white skin. Getting a little closer, one might notice that under each of her eye lids, she hides two yellow-green eyes, making that four eyes total. A little closer and the pair of pearly white, fang sized canines in her mouth become obvious. If one were to actually feel her, they’d notice a raised section of flesh over her coccyx (Lower Back). This raised section has three holes, from which she ejaculates her webbing. Aside from all that, if one was to ignore her freaky features, she would appear quite cute, even lovable.

Weapon: None

Armor: None

Skills/Magic: As a Spider Wraith, she has many talents relating to spiders. Of course, there’s the proportional strength and sticking abilities mentioned below, but there’s so much more. Naturally, producing web strands is her biggest skill. The strands are a quarter of an inch thick with an appearance almost like grey crystal. They’re nearly impossible to break without a cutting tool, and are sticky enough to restrain the arm of a full grown man. Miss Spider can stick to them just as she would any other surface, but they can stick to more than she can. Aside from the strands, she has her fangs, which are made dangerous by her great jaw strength. They work much like a real spider’s, able to suck liquids, such as blood, into them. Additionally, she has a few tricks she’s given names to.

You’re… Not afraid yet?: Easily her most horrifying and useful talent. In this transformation, she sprouts four extra legs. Two grow from each of her sides, and her existing legs completely turn around, ending up at the same angle as her new ones. Each of her transformed legs is also a bit longer than the original ones, raising her now squat form to about her normal chest height. Here, she stands just like a spider, belly down and head tilted up. The normally uncomfortable neck position is made easier by the merging of the lower part of her neck and very top of her back. As a strange side effect, her new limbs will be fully clothed, boots and all. The added legs greatly increase her running speed, jump height, and balance. Miss Spider almost always assumes this form when confronted with an opponent.

I catch more than bugs!: Working up a great deal of web material, she’ll produce a single strand that will explode into a fully put together web. Once the strand leaves her grip, it will expand within a couple seconds. A negative side effect is the hiccup it causes in her system. Forcing her body to produce the strand causes her to suffer from temporary headache, stomachache, muscle ache, and loss of balance. Though she often uses it in combat as a means of trapping, she rarely uses it outside of battle, preferring to build her own.

Help! I’m going into the Rage of Blood!: Rather than a state of rage, the Rage of Blood is a condition where she must feed on flesh. Under the influence of the Rage, she can not determine the difference between enemy and ally and will try to feed on the closest thing to her that looks human. The condition can be brought on by the sight of a great deal of blood, suffering a bloody injury, or having been deprived of feeding for a certain amount of time. A sign that she’s about to go into the Rage is vomiting up a goopy, green substance.

Strengths: Aside from her Spider Wraith powers, she has no outstanding strengths. However, there are a few automatic powers that could translate into strengths. Firstly, one might say strength is one of her strengths, though it really isn‘t. One of her Spider Wraith powers is proportional strength, making her arms just as powerful as her legs. Though it isn’t much, she can pack a more powerful punch than one might first suspect. From her next power, this one being the ability to produce webbing, her supply of said webbing is nearly limitless. Not only does her body immediately begin production of the webs once some is used, there is always miles of the stuff in her from the beginning. Finally, she can stick to any surface. Regardless of what she’s wearing, if the surface is wet, or even if it’s not consistent, she’ll stick to it.

Weaknesses: Right away, her appearance can be marked as a weakness. Since she’s unable to hide the downright frightening features of her face, not many are able to trust, or even stand to be around her. That, along with the needs she is forced to fulfill as a Spider Wraith, makes her almost incapable of social contact. Just as one might suspect from her age, she’s quite naïve, both on the battle field and on the field of life. In combat, she has no sense of strategy. Unless she’s given the opportunity to think her steps through, her attacks will have been the result of instinct, leaving her vulnerable to someone who might think their way through a fight. As far as life goes, she has a hard time with inhibition. Often times, she’ll say something disturbing and not realize it until someone reacts negatively.

Personality: Despite her young body and violent past, she’s really a nice, stable young lady. Her most positive trait is her near limitless capacity for self sacrifice. Literally, she is self sacrificing to a fault. If there is any way to make someone else’s life easier by volunteering her own, she’ll try her best to make it happen. Seemingly a conflicting trait is her near boundless maturity. Really, she deals well with all things. Whether it’s her inability to be socially accepted or her desire to remain solitary, she’ll be mature about it. When asked why she keeps to herself, her most common answer is, “It is in humanity’s nature to fear me. This, I can not change.“ All that being known, she doesn’t really sound like your average fifteen year old girl. Due to a certain event, she acts more like she’s forty. Although, she still has a few childish traits left. The way she presents herself is a clear indication of her youth. Similarly, she never uses a person’s real name, always using a nickname instead. She’s almost always the first one to give credit to those who deserve it. Of course, there’s the issue of the Rage of Blood. Though she hates killing, she feels absolutely nothing wrong about sucking the life juices from a living human. Actually, she quite enjoys it.

Biography: Paris, France. In a dark room, a mother is giving birth. The father stands nearby, a grim look upon his face. He knows there are only a few moments left for him to reveal his secret. It’s too late. The baby is thrust from its mother’s loins, crying loudly as it comes into the world. Through with the difficult labor, the mother looks to the father, but he is not there. The baby squirms and the midwife of the birth screams in terror. The father is running away from the responsibility he is faced with. Coming with the birth of his daughter, his secret is unveiled. The child is a horrible mutant, yet its mother cradles it in her arms anyways. It stops crying for a moment, long enough for the mother to say one thing. “I still love you,” she said, looking not at the baby, but out into empty space, “Her name will be…” A crash of thunder cuts her off. It begins to rain.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Time passed, people moved, and the milky white child grew up into a sprightly little miss. By age eight, she’d been leading a stable life, although one that was a little out of the ordinary. She’d been peacefully living alone with her mother since she was born. Her parent may not have been wealthy, but she was well off, giving the child very little to complain about. Not that she would complain. By a parent’s definition of a good girl, she was a good girl. She was always cheerful, loved to laugh and play, and she always helped out around the house. Her mother always said she was an angel in disguise.

But, she was an unfortunate child. Throughout her young life, she never left the confines of her house; not even once. Time and people may have moved, but the mutant girl remained in the same place she had been all her life. Instead of going to school and forming bonds of friendship with other spry lasses her age, or ties of infatuation with the young lads, she was taught at home with private lessons from her mother. Rather than play in the public parks that glistened with mother nature’s pure aura in the serene spring, or in the fountains of clear water that refreshed the soul in the intoxicating heat of summer, she stayed inside, playing games by herself in the room with the big windows.

Sure, on occasion her mother would hire some strong stomached boy or girl, who always wore some casual thing -as if life had no need for any proper displays of respect- to play with her, but no friends were ever that for longer than a couple hours. They would stick their fingers into her mouth, trying to discover as only children can, if her fangs were real. Their fingers would bleed, the charming green dress the pale child wore would be stained, and neither would see each other again. After a while, the very sight of her through the big windows she played adjacent to would send not only children, but adults, shying away from the house of the spider child.

However, the mutant girl remained unaware of the lot she had been given. Indeed, she was always that cheerful little Bridget or Antoinette or Madeline or whatever name she made up for herself. There was only one time, a time before her life turned blacker than the coal colored locks she once wore loosely down past her shoulders, that she ever felt truly unhappy. It was a temperate mid-afternoon, not a disagreeable day, but one that required at least a light jacket to go outside in. Light was everywhere in the house of the spider child, pouring through the windows that had not a single drape drawn. The little girl was a cheery Nathalie that day, all bundled up and ready to pretend she was about to go outside.

“Mommy?” she asked as her tired mother walked into the room, “Why can’t I go outside?”

“Because, mon petit tresor,” her mother began, ready to again painfully lie to her only offspring, “You have a skin condition. You wouldn’t last out there. Pas sortant.”

“But mommy, everything out there is in here too. I’ve seen it and smelled it. There can’t be anything wrong with me.”

“Not everything that is out there is in here, Nathalie of today. Out there, there is something you aren’t old enough to understand yet.”

“That’s not true! Your answer to everything is the same! Why can’t you let me be free?!”

That day lived on in the mother’s mind for a very long time as the day her petit tresor stopped wearing her mint green dresses. From then until the blackening, the clothing of the pale child turned from a tint to a shade. Her attire became forest green.

After that day, life went on as usual in the house of the spider child. In fact, an entire year passed before anything out of the ordinary happened. On the day of the young one’s ninth birthday, she received a strange gift -out of very few others- from her mother. With a kind of disappointed look upon her face, she asked her mother why she had been given a worn blue bandana. She would have preferred to get a new dress. Taking in a worried breath, her mother began to explain. The piece of cloth belonged to the child’s father, her papa. He had bought it for his wife while she was pregnant. Since he left them, it had never been worn, but it had never been thrown out. Next to her daughter, it was the single mother’s personal treasure.

Immediately, the pale child wrapped the cloth around her neck. After adjusting its fit, she asked something her mother knew was coming, but was not ready for. “Mommy, what was papa like?”

“Well, Olivie of today,” she began as her limbs stiffened up, “Your papa was a great man. He was twice as strong in the arm as most men were in the leg. Ah oui, an incredible man. He was tall, kind of intimidating, had many of your features. You really do have your papa’s complexion. But he was so kind, not a brute like many of his type. He did everything he could for me. A poet, your papa; would write me an ode every day. Ah and was always tres courtois. If there were a gentleman in this world, it was him. He was surely the best in Paris.”

“Where is he now?” the young one asked timidly in the face of such a description, “Where’d papa go?”

“He went off to fulfill a promise, mon petit tresor. He once told me that he would vanish if he ever displeased me. He never found out that he did no such thing.”

A few tears escaped the mother who had a strong will; the first she had shed in the whole nine years, the whole time she had been with daughter but without husband. Without husband… Not true. There was always the feeling, the suggestion, the small speck of hope that appeared on the horizon at the end of the road, that he was still bound to her by the wedding band. But that wasn’t important. The head at her hip and embrace around her waist was what was. Black forest. That’s what became of the little one then. Her greens became dark, and black polish clung to her nails. The black forest that was still green, but hid everything covered by its leaves.

And still, life went on as it always had in the house of the spider child. The pale skinned little girl was as cheerful as ever, though she grew somewhat rebellious and a might stir-crazy, as any growing girl in her situation might. Such continued for years, time drawing ever closer to the event that had no choice but to come. She was at the fragile age of eleven, in the company of another girl, age at tender twelve. They tried on different styles of clothing, talked of their dreams on the outside, and generally did what young girls did. Oh, it was a sight that made mother happy. Unfortunately, she had to go out and pick up a few things from the market. She wouldn’t be too long.

That was when the gears began to turn and the oil began to be poured. The elder of the innocents suggested that, after the lady of the house was out of sight, they sneak away to play with the others. Wouldn’t they get in trouble? No, not if they were home in time. Isn’t it dangerous? No, not at all. That sounded good to them. Leaving the house of the spider child, the house with the big windows, the house one of them had never left, they stepped out into the real world. Evening struck a short time after, cooling the midsummer’s night’s air. There were so many things out in the world’s night. There were new friends, a big place to play, and a pain that shot through the back of her head.

From a sleep the pale girl had not fallen into on her own, she awoke. The slow steps she took to return to consciousness were muffled by an unnatural fog. She had yet to open her eyes. And then, she did. Something stung her sensitive sight on one side, leaving her bicloptic. She was covered twofold, once by a thick burlap sheet, and again by a viscous white substance. Something bothered her throat. She coughed it up. Her activity brought out new light, as the sheet was removed and her life was brought into new perspective. A rain of feet, fists, and hateful words came from children not four or five years older than her. They didn’t stop; they were merciless to the freak, to the monster, to the innocent little girl.

Then…

Everything turned black.

All that had transpired came out in one natural act that symbolized the start of sexual maturity in the life cycle of a certain species. The anger at the single mother for her confinement, the sadness over the father that abandoned them, and the pain of the horrible night she was just about to stop experiencing. In almost an instant, the lives of those who would cause pain were slung over the walls and floors, a nice red color that swirled around with a certain green. The little one stood amongst the sludge, clutching her stomach, about to collapse. She was hungry. But for what? Nothing she saw suited her palate. There was only one place she could go to get a gourmet meal.

Three bodies may have entered the house of the spider child that night, two may have left, but none would ever stay there again. The first entered as it began to rain, concerned that the room with the big windows was empty. The second entered in search of food, turning their view upside down as they looked. The third walked in when the first would never walk out again, to coax the second out of their newfound Rage. “Sleep now,” said the third as they touched the second on the head, letting them fall to the floor, “You took what you had to, and now you’re ready. There’s just one thing left to do, and that’s to make peace. You chose a good woman, but it’s still sad to see you take this road. At least you’ll always be together, and…

…As for me…

…You’ll always have my bandanna.”

Name: Black Shisho

Age: Less than a year (17)

Race: Black Mage Mask

Sex: Male

Hair: Black Mullet cut

Eyes: None (White)

Weight: 157 lbs. normally

Height: 5 ft. 11 in.

Weapon 1: His own Body

Weapon 2*: The Black Baton, a personal baton.

Armor: His own Body

Theme Song: Iori Yagami

Strengths: His primary strength is just that, his exceptional physical strength. At the same time, he is smarter than most, if not all, of his opponents. Also, he thinks quickly, and is not prone to fear or sadness, giving him mental superiority over most others. His natural body, should it be damaged, can regenerate lost, or badly wounded parts. Depending on who they are, he might already know something about his opponent. His strength is actually completely under his control, meaning he can distribute his muscle however he wishes. Normally, he distributes his strength evenly between his parts. Putting him on a scale, his even strength would measure above average, while his focused strength would border on extraordinary. He has a basic knowledge of martial combat, giving his strength, if nothing else, an extra edge when it comes to fighting a foe with equal or greater might.

Weakness: First and foremost, he has no tolerance for magic or energy based attacks. Even a weak or elemental attack will easily tear through him. He feels inferior in the face of figures that he deems better than himself, and concurrently doesn’t perform as well around them. His regenerative talent takes a great amount of energy, often putting him out of fighting condition. He’s too focused on what’s in front of him, so he usually isn’t aware of what’s going on behind or to his sides. Though his strength focusing talent allows for a mighty hit, it lends nothing to defense. On top of that, if an area he has a lot of strength focused into is damaged or destroyed, he is weakened even more than a destruction under normal conditions. He's an almost completely black, human shaped mask, so he is often thought by others to be frightening, suspicious, or otherwise not pleasant to be around.

Skills/Magic 1: Styles:

Shield Style: Negation Strike: Focusing all his strength into one of his arms, he thrusts his open palm forward. Seemingly useless in basic description, it’s actually the only talent he possesses that can stop a magical attack. A downside though is that all other parts of his body become as frail as twigs.

Jump Style: Black Hurricane: Leaping into the air, he performs a sweeping kick aimed either to the head or, in cases where he wants to cause less damage, the shoulder.

Life Style: Arousing Touch: Hitting a certain pressure point on the neck, he performs primitive acupressure. Hitting this point sends an endorphin rush through the body, giving the one it’s applied to a burst of energy. He is unable to perform this on himself.

Wind Style: Shadow Projectile: Used after a successful Fairy Style: Rising Black Wind. Shifting strength back to his legs, he jumps toward his airborne opponent. His position above or under them will determine his next attack.

Fairy Style: Rising Black Wind: A simple duck, followed by an uppercut. First, he adds strength to his legs to get a quick rise. Second, he shifts that strength into his right arm to get a strong punch. Altogether, he strikes with enough force to send an opponent of average weight into a high arc through the air.

Fire Style: Ura Crusher: Used after a successful Wind Style: Shadow Projectile. When below the airborne opponent, he delivers a simple blow to a leg or arm. The hit will cause the opponent to spin, reducing chances of a safe landing.

Lightning Style: Omote Crusher: Used after a successful Wind Style: Shadow Projectile. When above the airborne opponent, he performs a small twirl, and strikes their stomach with his foot. The hit will cause the opponent to fall straight down rapidly.

Reflect Style: Paper Thin Shield: He covers his whole body with his cloak. This will keep many weak projectiles from striking his body directly. Additionally, those projectiles fall at his disposal.

Mini House Style: Log Cutter: Focusing a small amount of strength into his middle and index fingers, he is able to cut wood. Considered useless in battle.

Light Style: Virtuous Stance: His normal combat stance. In this posture, the palms face the opponent, with the left hand extended, and the right pulled back. The body itself faces to the right, while the head, of course, looks straight toward the opponent. And the feet are set just wider than shoulder length.

Magic Bolt Style: Darkness Drop: Used against a falling opponent or after a successful Wind Style: Shadow Projectile. A simple pile driver. From behind, he wraps his arms around an opponent’s legs, and his legs around their chest.

Bolt Style: This to That Stance: A secondary combat stance. In this posture, he stands on his hands and attacks with his feet. When at rest, he faces the opponent, but while attacking he faces away. This makes his ability to defend fall sharply, but at the same time confuses his opponent greatly.

Shadow Teleport Style: Corrupted Drill: The only Style he can use in the This to That Stance. Bending at the elbows, he pushes himself off the ground with a spin, and strikes his opponent with his feet.

Shadow Clone Style: Morning Star Dance: Focusing all his strength into his legs, he quickly darts from one position to another, leaving an image at each position. Only three positions can hold an image in the time it takes him to run between them.

Scatter Magic Bolt Style: Desbreko Striker: Focusing strength into his shoulders and elbows, he releases a flurry of weak punches.

Dark Influence Style: Reversing Touch: Hitting a certain pressure point on the neck, he performs primitive acupressure. Hitting this point sends an estrogen rush in males, and a testosterone rush in females, making the one it’s applied to unstable.

Skills/Magic 2: Songs:

Song of Healing: Any negative corruption that may be affecting the listener will vanish within a matter of seconds. This corruption can be anything from emotional baggage, to an alteration of the listener’s form, to dark magic or curses. The song is most effective when the listener is undead, or is rendered similarly, as it deals more specifically with the soul.

Song of Storms: When this song is played, storm clouds appear from nowhere, and begin to rain. The rain is not ordinary though. When the rain falls on a troubled being, their sorrows, like tears on their cheek, will be washed away. Additionally, the wind picks up.

Skills/Magic 3: Transformation:

Double Soul: Being a mask, he can actually still be worn. Double Soul is the effect that’s rendered when he combines with Shisho only. In that case, Shisho gains complete control of their combined body, and starts referring to himself as We. In this form, Shisho holds the talents of both characters. This covers everything from weapons and armor, to techniques and spells. To combine, only Black Shisho has to be willing. The resulting body is almost completely identical to Black Shisho. The only differences are, he now has round, pure white eyes, and a wavy, jagged, white smile reaching from ear to ear. Without being too expressive, the smile and eyes work the same as regular facial features. Additionally, if Shisho’s consciousness is ever knocked out, Black Shisho will take over.

Transform into Black Mage (Insert name here): Another skill involving combination. This can be used with anyone. In which case, Black Shisho still retains awareness, but generally lets his wearer control their combined body. For example, one can control a part of the body if the other isn’t paying attention. Like Double Soul, the combination shares talents, even giving the wearer temporarily greater intelligence. A requisite for the combination is the willingness of both parties, which Black Shisho usually doesn’t have. The resulting body is that of a Mage, but still strongly resembles the wearer. A downside to combination is that the two might disagree on certain things, and start fighting mentally.

Personality: Generally, he acts just like Shisho. He may seem emotionless, but can be emotional in the extreme when he wants to be. Although, since he has no face, you can‘t tell by looking at him. When he’s with a friend, he’s nice to them, he talks to them, and he comforts them in their time of need. When he’s with someone he doesn’t like, his difference from Shisho becomes obvious. Where the original restrains any anger he feels, Black Shisho acts on it, often letting it drive him into a blind rage. But, like Shisho, if the agitator has a good excuse, he’ll let it slide. Another emotion normally restrained by the original that he acts on is sexual desire. He‘ll try everything in his power to get a woman in bed with him, even resorting to rape in more extreme cases. Besides anger and sexual desire, he is mentally identical to Shisho. However, since many things anger him, and he caters an odd taste in females, it’s hard to tell the two are related.

Appearance: His entire body, including his clothing, is made up of a smooth, metallic, black substance with a blue sheen. On his head, there’s a black hood and cloak; the hood being long, for example, like Link’s hat. Beneath, he wears a slick looking mullet. His face is without eyes, mouth, or nose. In place of his mouth, a slight depression, in the shape of a smile, stretches ear to ear. Where his eyes should be, two smaller depressions. On his body, he wears a piece of clothing that covers his shoulders, chest, and upper back. Below, he sports a loose fitting, button up shirt, with six buttons going down the front. On his legs, he wears a belt, which is covered by the bottom of his shirt, with a pair of loose fitting trousers. And on his feet, a pair of boots with an inch thick sole. Beneath it all, he matches with Shisho’s odd, indoor body proportions.

History: Well, what is there to say about him? He’s not even existed for a year. He has about as much history as a brand new clock. If it’s gold for history, then it’s better to look at Shisho’s profile. About the only thing worth noting about Black Shisho is that he has half of the real one’s soul. He used to be the Black Mage Mask, but then he got the half. To tell the truth, the mask came from the healing of Shisho’s closest brother in life, Ken. Ken had unfinished business, which remains a mystery to all those who still live. Ken’s last dying memento for the original was the Book of Ken.

The conductor of the healing song did not want to keep the mask on his person, disliking the power it contained, nor did he want it to fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, he gave it half of his soul, giving it sentience and the ability to resist being used to evil ends. Having half the soul, it mimics Shisho’s actions, only letting Ken’s hidden psychotic personality slip through in the form of emotion. The psychosis only affects the emotions that Shisho has the most difficult time controlling. The result: Black Shisho turns ravenous whenever he becomes aroused or angry, and self destructive when he becomes depressed.

He now wanders the land, looking for any excuse to become enraged beyond sight, and lusty beyond comprehension. As long as nothing holds him back, he can do everything the original Shisho never had the anger or abandon to do.

Name: Uru of Dinjara

Age: 43

Race: Human

Sex: Female

Weight: 153 lbs.

Height: 5ft. 9in.

Hair: Black, tied back in a secure bun.

Eyes: Lime

Skin: Mostly white with an olive tint.

Appearance: Going from top to bottom. Although her natural color is gray, her hair has been dyed a dark black. To keep a more natural look, she keeps her hair tied back in a loose, but secure, bun. She has a face like many in the later stages of middle age. Though it was obvious she was once a beautiful girl, time has put a few wrinkles on her face, especially around her mouth. Her eyes are very expressive, clearly showing any emotion she may have. The clothing she wears is somewhat complex. Her shirt is an open chested number that folds closed. The right side folds over her torso, and gets secured with ties on the inside. The left side folds over that, and gets secured with ties on the outside. It is a lapis lazuli blue, with a navy color on the trim. Though she needs no belt, she does wear one in a navy color. She wears her reed armor over these things. Her sleeves are secured by elastic bands around her wrists. Her pants are a sky blue color, and are besides unremarkable. She keeps her pant legs secured by elastic bands around her ankles. Her reed pads are worn over these. When not using her tonfa, she also keeps them in the strings used to secure the pads. Her shoes are a black combination of hide and leather, and slip on rather than being tied. The cape she wears ties around the neck, and is padded with a small ring of cloth so as not to irritate her skin. When looking at her, one may feel any number of things. For a partner, it is usually safety. For an opponent, it is usually intimidation.

Weapon: A pair of Gekidite tonfa. The tonfa are purely for combat, and have no decoration. Gekidite is in the line of other rare metals such as Orichalcum, Mithril, Adamantium, and others. While not nearly as durable as any of them, it has a definitively higher melting point, and the irreproducible property of absorbing radiation. It is sometimes referred to as Platinum Tungsten.

Armor: Reed pads and a straw cape. The pads are made of curved reed halves threaded together vertically with red cords. Her chest pad wraps completely around her chest, and ties on over her shoulders. Her abdominal pad wraps all the way around her belly, and ties on to the chest pad. Both fit her tightly, restraining her movement somewhat. Despite, all of her reed pads hold up with surprising strength. She also has a pair of reed shin guards. Whenever she uses Sternabi, she removes the cape.

The Vekka: The Vekka is a green, crystalline orb about the size of a baseball. It glows constantly, and red spots can be seen shifting around inside. This orb is inside of her body. Twice a day, at sunrise and sunset, it opens up a hole in her body that one can see straight through. It hovers in the center of this hole. When in the open, it gives off a harsh radiation that is dangerous to anyone exposed more than once. When the Vekka shows itself, Uru becomes dead for the next hour after the hole closes. When she revives, her vitality will be restored and all her injuries will be healed. This also replaces her need for sleep. Whenever it emerges, it causes her a great deal of pain, and because of that, her body is less vital than it should be.

Skills/Magic: Her ability to produce magic is entirely based on how she uses her tonfa. She can use four spells per day. Also, because of the properties of Gekidite, the first spell used after recovering from the effects of the Vekka will have twice the power.

Wind: When activated, her tonfa will begin flashing with a brilliant green light. If an opponent is struck, the wind around them becomes razor sharp. This wind will leave cuts all over their body.

Lightning: When activated, her tonfa will begin flashing with a neon green light. If an opponent is struck, electricity will surge from her weapon into their body. This electricity can sometimes leave a foe unable to move.

Fire: When activated, her tonfa will begin flashing with a brilliant red light. If an opponent is struck, a plume of fire will appear and engulf them. This fire is unable to cling to objects on the mortal plain, though, so it will flicker away after a few moments.

Strengths: She is a model of physical perfection. Her body is built to allow perfect balance between movement and power, and she is not lacking in either. She could handily wrestle someone twice her weight to the ground, or steadily outrun someone much lighter in a race. Her intensive training in martial arts has also sculpted her body into a powerful weapon. She could match a combat expert in either an armed or unarmed match, or outperform a gymnast a fraction of her weight. Uru could stand as an example of what the human body can do at its most powerful. She is the definition of a person with power, a god among men.

Weakness: Uru is an elderly person, and has felt the ravages of time more harshly than most people who walk the globe. Because of her age, she becomes worn out quicker than virtually anyone. If she does not finish whatever she needs her strengths to do quickly, her body will let her down. In a similar fashion, she becomes short of breath fast, sometimes after a single move. She may be agile, but the act of running would tire her immensely. Her mind proves a weakness, as well. While her body and will are mighty, her intellect is less than desirable. She will often charge into battle for no reason, or even when the result would be detrimental to her. Worse, she will commonly turn down help or advice, even when at an obvious disadvantage. In short, not only will she find the worst course of action to take, but she will also take it against all argument.

Personality: Uru is a person who may go through a wide variety of emotions throughout the day. Accordingly, she has no dominant emotion, letting her feelings change freely. The only constant is that she is the opposite of shrewd. Any emotion she feels will be displayed earnestly and obviously. When interacting with a friend, or even someone she just met that she likes, she will be bombastic and energetic. Although she considers time spent with friends a treasure, most will look upon her enthusiasm as the epitome of cheesy. When interacting with an enemy, or a person she finds unfavorable, she becomes cold and stark. Of course, that’s mostly for someone she either wants to battle or is required to battle. Depending on the situation, she can burst into a rage of anger, sadness. or fear. On occasion, she can be self serving, but can also turn right around to be benevolent. Of course, she is self serving more often, and normally has to be coerced into benevolence. She is also impulsive, and can go through a great deal for little or no reason. Her unrivaled persistence can make this worse, but can also be one of her greatest qualities in the best of times. As mentioned, she has no problem becoming angry, sad, or afraid when the time comes.

History: At an early age, Uru was already one of the greatest and mightiest kings Dinjara had ever seen. She was as strong as any man in her troops, and as graceful as any dancer that entertained in her court. Both her and her people were proud of the mighty cities and ziggurats that stood throughout their nation. The capital city stayed as strong as ever, and even the poorest towns began to build brick and stone houses in place of stick and straw huts. The surrounding nations farmed, and the Dinjarans made sure that every nation serving them was safe. As a result, trade was never an issue, allowing the people to rely on no country but their own.

Although they were prosperous, the people of Dinjara found themselves at odds with Uru’s rule. She ruled harshly, and commonly abused her powers to fulfill her personal desires. Her most hated law came in the form of a marriage regulation rule. Because she, the ruler, was so strong, she believed that the men that inhabited her nation should be just as strong. To promote stronger warriors, she mandated that all men in the country who wished to get married and have children were to first throw her one time in a wrestling match. Though possible, no man that could throw or pin her came away from the fight victorious or without severe injury. Many recovered quickly, but many were also permanently plagued with pain.

Many gods heard the laments of the people, but it was the Lord God who eventually decided to intervene. The Lord God crafted a man out of rice paper, and filled the paper man with all manner of foul creatures of the land. This man was named Sternatampish. The paper man proceeded to terrorize everyone he encountered as they came and went from the capital city. Hearing terrible rumors of a person possessing many lives, Uru sent Lem, a woman of the city’s temple, to try and dissuade the paper man from bothering anyone, deciding it would be less of a hassle than outright fighting him. Lem approached Sternatampish carefully, but found that he was as civilized as any person. He was simply doing what the Lord God asked, as thanks for creating him.

The two became fast friends, and the paper man quickly forgot about what he was doing before they met. He impressed her by using the talents of each creature that housed itself in his rotund belly. He could fly like the insects, sneak like the rats, and grimace like the snakes. After a week, Lem began to miss her friends and family back in the capital. She did return, but vowed to visit the paper man whenever she had the strength to journey into the wild. Upon her return, Uru began to have several strange dreams in which she would meet and converse with a fat stranger. Uru’s father interoperated the dreams as a message that she was about to meet a strong friend.

A while hence, Sternatampish was invited to attend a wedding by Lem. He arrived at the capital, and was received well by the people he met. When the groom went to challenge Uru, the paper man became confused and enraged. He stepped between the two, and challenged her to a fight over the bride’s right to marry. Naturally, Uru accepted. They fought each other to a standstill, and, eventually, the king decided to forfeit the match. She was impressed that he would fight so hard so that a mere stranger could be happy. She respected him so much, in fact, that she removed the law on marriage. The paper man was touched by her benevolence.

Uru and Sternatampish were as inseparable as brother and sister after that. In defeat, they became the closest of friends. One day, the king suggested that they go on a quest to spread their glory and friendship. She proposed that they travel to the Hanging Caves to harvest the rare vegetation inside, and also to slay the beast guarding the caves. Her friend made several attempts to talk her out of the needlessly violent act, but she was beyond convincing. They even sought counsel from the wisest men in the capital, but she was still beyond convincing. Eventually, the paper man gave up, and they prepared to leave. Before they went, Uru’s father bestowed her with two powerful weapons.

On the way there, the two learned a great deal about each other. They became warriors near unstoppable as a duo. During the journey, Uru began to have nightmares. In each one, she saw a terrifying animal chewing or clawing their way out of a net that had trapped them. Sternatampish convinced his friend that the dreams were a sign that they were going to overcome the obstacles they faced. She became confident that he was right, and was assured that their adventure would be successful. As they approached the caves, the nightmares ended. Back in the capital city, Uru’s father prayed to the sun goddess for their safety. The goddess agreed to help the two if they were ever in danger.

Once at the mouth of the Hanging Caves, the paper man suddenly became frightened at the concept of challenging the caves’ guardian. The king was able to talk him into renewing his bravery, but was disheartened from seeing someone who had previously been so surefooted become so scared. Sternatampish was so touched by her words, that he vowed not to leave the caves until the guardian was dead. After searching for a long time, they eventually came upon the great beast. After seeing her friend’s fear, Uru became uncertain. She thought back to all of the people who had tried to dissuade her from this unhappy task. Full of valor, the paper man reassured her that they were going to win. Suddenly, she became confident, and they attacked the beast.

Despite their combined strength, the beast was managing to overpower them. It was simply too strong for Uru to wrestle, and too wild for Sternatampish to subdue. The sun goddess looked down upon them, and quickly rushed to their aid. She blessed the king’s weapons with power over the sharpest winds. With the blessing, the two were able to overcome the beast’s power. Defeated, it begged Uru to spare its life, and she did, indeed, feel sorry for hurting the creature. The paper man urged his friend to kill the beast, however, reminding her of his oath. The beast begged him to convince her otherwise, but he remained adamant. It cursed them with its last breath, before the king finished it off.

With their trial over, they began harvesting the caves’ hanging vegetation. The paper man fashioned a rope from the strong fibers, and offered it up to the gods to negate the beast’s curse. As many gods looked upon the two, the sky god’s most handsome son became enamored with Uru. After the offering was made, the sky god’s son appeared before her. He made several sexual advances, but was rejected each time. She reminded him of how he mistreated every other woman he had advanced upon. Furious and emasculated, he asked the sky god to set the inhuman archer, Vekka, upon her. When the sky god turned him down, he threatened to raise every corpse in the land. Lazily, the sky god gave in.

As the king and the paper man walked back to the capital, Vekka came upon them. It fired its arrow, and pierced Uru through the solar plexus. To her shock, the arrow left no mark on her body. It simply passed through her, as if she were a ghost. The only difference was that the arrow no longer displayed a brilliantly green arrowhead, as it had when it was flying at her. Sternatampish was not able to tell that she was not hurt right away. In a rage, and without the help of any god, he rushed at Vekka, killing the inhuman archer with only a few blows. When he saw that Uru was still alive, he rejoiced. She praised him for his devotion and strength in killing the archer.

To thank the sun goddess for everything she had done, Uru offered Vekka’s precious gem eyes as a gift. The sun goddess was touched, and granted her weapons the power over the strike of lightning in return. After the archer became cold, the sky god’s son appeared before the two. He cried over the loss of one of the gods’ most devoted followers. Sternatampish felt no sympathy for the god, and threw the archer’s severed head at him. The paper man then threatened the god, promising to add him to his mass if he ever tried to advance on the king again. The two eventually reached the capital, where they were treated to a festival in their honor.

The gods had been witness to all of this. While not a one felt sorry for how the sky god’s son was treated, they decided that someone had to be punished for killing both the Hanging Caves’ beast and the inhuman archer. All of this was against the sun goddess’s will. Since Uru would suffer the rest of her life from Vekka’s arrow, they decided on Sternatampish. As he became ill, he dreamed of his punishment. Knowing he was going to die, he told his friend about his dreams, and then cursed the rope he offered. He even went as far as to curse Lem for turning him from his first path. The king was surprised by his sudden vindictiveness. She prayed to the sun goddess, who had deep sympathy for them. The paper man took back what he said, and died soon after.

Uru was shaken to the bone with grief. She cried for days, and kneeled at his side for even longer. The animals he was composed of slowly left his paper body, and his once rotund belly became flat. Stray cats came and ate the paper, leaving only one scrap left. Under this scrap, a single bug remained. It was a giant dragonfly that refused to fly away. That was what he had been reduced to. The bug was all that was left of the paper man. It had none of his intellect, but all of his loyalty. It devoted itself to the King of Dinjara, and followed her like her fallen friend once hand. Whenever she commanded, it would lift her into the air, carrying her any distance she desired.

Although part of her friend remained to comfort her, she was still shaken by her friend’s passing. To appease the gods that killed him, she offered gifts of hecatombs, beautiful metal crafts, and other great things. She did not want her friend to go to the underworld instead of the skyworld. The gods saw Uru’s sorrow, and accepted the gifts. In exchange, they blessed her weapons with the power over ardent flames, and promised that Sternatampish would be happy in the next life. Her grief ended after hearing the words of the gods, but she also became filled with worry. She knew that one day she would anger the gods again, and that there was nothing she could do to stop them from taking her own life.

The king set out to find a way to protect herself from the gods. She searched for the only known people to have been granted the gods‘ gift of immortality. If they were to give her the secret, her goal would be complete. With her natural strength combined with never ending life, she would be free from any divine punishment. These people were Nammerne and his wife, the only known survivors of a mythical planet-wide disaster. They were given the secret as a reward for also saving many innocent creatures that walked the globe. Unfortunately, they lived in a place not unlike the underworld, a sideworld. It was equally as difficult to get to without dying.

After a great deal of searching, she came to a mighty stone pass, guarded by a pair of gigantic manticores. They let her go through without a fight. Beyond the pass was a mountain and a depression. The mountain was a volcano, and the depression housed the passage to the sideworld. She reached the passage, but, as she did, the volcano erupted. To escape the lava, she ran into the dark passage. The flow nearly caught up with her several times. The smoke of the burning vegetation in the passage dyed her graying hair a stark black. Just as the lava was about to catch her, she emerged in the sideworld. There, she marveled at the topaz earth and purple silk sky.

In the sideworld, Uru saw someone she recognized from Dinjara. She hailed the person, and explained why she was there. The person, now living in the sideworld, cautioned her to turn back, but still directed her to Kanell, the ferryman. When she found Kanell, he was surrounded by a group of giants with seashell-like skin. Frightened by the creatures, she treated them as hostile, and slew them using her divine blessings. Afterwards, she approached Kanell, and told him why she was trying to find Nammerne and his wife. He informed her that she had just killed the only creatures capable of surviving the lethal water that surrounded Nammerne’s island.

Uru made several attempts to fly to the island, but lost her way ever time. Kanell was the only one who could find its location, and her dragonfly could only carry one person. He instructed her to chop down several trees with which to make a bridge. She did so, and followed his directions until they finally arrived at the island. When they stepped upon the beach, Nammerne met them happily, overjoyed to see the ferryman after such a long while. He then laid eyes on the king, and asked her who she was. She greeted him and told her story. After explaining why she had searched for him, she demanded that he give her the secret. Naturally, he was put off by her.

Without an eloquent speech or heated tirade, he succinctly mocked her for seeking immortality out of fear, and not simply avoiding actions that would anger the gods. Vexed by his comments, she shouted that immortals had no place telling mortals not to be scared of dying. Although he understood what she was saying, he was hesitant to reveal the secret to her. He questioned why someone as foolhardy and impetuous as Uru should receive the same honor as a hero such as himself. To test her worthiness, he had Kanell deconstruct the bridge. He challenged the king to find the shore in one week without the ferryman. She gladly accepted the terms.

Her worthiness was determined quickly as insufficient. She flew to and from the island in the wrong direction each time she came back to sleep. Each time, Nammerne and his wife brought out a small animal. By the time a week was up, they had fourteen animals with Vekka mutations. Uru tried to extend her time by lying about how many times she was forced to return to the island, but the animals stood as irrefutable proof of her failure. The immortal chastised her for the entire day, until Kanell rebuilt the bridge and returned. Nammerne may have been furious with the king, but he was also angry with the ferryman for bringing someone so objectionable to the island. In a rage, he banished them both from the sideworld.

Nammerne’s wife felt pity for Uru. After traveling so far, she had to leave with nothing. The immortal pleaded to her husband to at least give the king a mercy gift. He agreed, and revealed the location of a plant that did not grant immortality, but would return whoever used it back to their youth. Having become elderly over the course of her great search, Uru was overjoyed to hear this. As fast as her legs could carry her, she fled from the sideworld, and headed to where the plant was. She looked out at the massive, thorn covered mountain, wondering how to get to the top, where the plant lay. Kanell, who traveled with her, advised her to cover herself in armor too thick to be pierced by the thorns.

She made several attempts up the mountain, but the thorns were able to rend her flesh no matter what she wore. The armor only served to weigh her down. Even after changing to something lighter, the climb was still next to impossible. Everything about the thorned mountain was terrifying. Several times, she almost fell due to fear caused by what lived there. The king eventually found the plant, but was put off by its frightening appearance. After she was back at the mountain‘s foot, she made a decision to test it before using it. Once she returned to the capital, she would use some of it on an old man. Alas, being covered in scrapes and thorns, she did not find herself dignified enough to return. A nearby lake served as her bath.

Uru lay the plant down gently, and entered the lake. The very idea of being young again made her feel youthful. In her excitement, she took her eyes from the plant just as a group of creatures of the earth appeared. An old, dull butterfly ate one leaf. As it swallowed the last bite, it’s wings spread in a rainbow of colors, and it flew off. A diseased rat ate another leaf. As it swallowed the last bite, it became a fluffy squirrel, and scampered off. A snake that was too old to grow anymore ate the last leaf. As it swallowed the last bite, it shed its skin, emerging twice the size it had been! It left the dead husk where the plant had lain, and slithered away. The ferryman saw none of this, distracted by the bathing king.

As she emerged from the lake, she became horrified when she saw that the plant was no longer where she left it. She broke down into tears, lamenting the fate she had been dealt. Kanell made every attempt to comfort her, but she would not acquiesce. He praised her for the adversity she had overcome, and spoke of her most glorious victories. He repeated everything she had revealed to Nammerne. And still, she would not stop grieving over the loss of the plant. He even reminded her that the plant was not what she had set out to find. She responded to those words. Uru, King of Dinjara, admitted to lacking an understanding of the world. Her memories showed that all folly in her life was because of her own actions.

The ferryman continued to encourage her. Hearing his words, she realized that she had a wealth of advice that she had cast off her entire life. Determined once more, she urged Kanell to continue on to the capital. He wistfully departed. Uru began traveling in search of a seer. As much as she had forgotten over the course of her lifetime, a seer was the only way to benefit from the lessons she had picked up throughout her days. She searches.

____________________________________________

Name: Sternabi

Age: 25

Race: Tyranus Dragonfly

Sex: Male

Weight: 77 lbs.

Height: 1ft. 1in.

Length: 3ft. 2in.

Wingspan: 4ft. each.

Exoskeleton: A vivid blue that shows a green sheen when exposed to sunlight.

Eyes: Purple

Appearance: He has the appearance of any other dragonfly, only larger. His head is round, with a pair of massive compound eyes. His body is long, with his tail taking up almost his entire length. Each one of his six legs has a series of ridges on the inside to make it easier to grab things. He has four wings that are common to insects, only they are long and thin instead of round and short.

Skills/Magic: In the air, he can perform many tricks and maneuvers, even whilst carrying someone. His wings, even with passenger, propel him at decent speeds. He does this at Uru’s unspoken command. When using him to fly, he behaves as if his wings were hers.

Strengths: Can easily lift and carry twice his body weight. At around three times, he becomes a less graceful flyer. His limit is four times.

Weaknesses: He is unable to do anything other than lift whatever Uru tells him to lift.

Personality: None. Other than his devotion to Uru, he has no personality traits.

History: When Sternatampish was first created, Sternabi was placed in his back to give him both a spine and the ability to fly. Because the dragonfly played such an important role, it was the only creature to retain any memories after the paper man died. From those memories, he knew of Uru and the friendship they once had. It was from this that he was drawn to stay at her side. Since he was freed from the body, he has constantly followed her, not letting her move more than a few feet away unless he was commanded to do so.