[center][h2][color=red]"Akasha Appear! Arise from your slumber, you hidden selves…
-And unleash chaos."[/color][/h2]
[hider=Important, kinda. read this first]
Hello all,

This is a tentative interest check for Akasha Agency. The reason this is being posted right now (it's not done) is because it's been about 2 years in the making and I only just started writing it recently. Then I felt myself starting to drop off, so I felt as if I needed to post it to motivate myself to finish it finally. Akasha Agency is an anime, supernatural RP which you'll of course have known by the tags. This isn't your regular anime supernatural RP, because it's got a whole lot of reading to do to catch up on the context before the start, which usually doesn't happen (uhhh well I'm guessing because I honestly haven't been around the guild much in a while).

It's pretty important to understand the background context of the setting, since events which occurred in the background will all become relevant at some point in the RP. I suppose a point I'm trying to get across is; this RP is in it for the long haul. Times have changed for most of us, and we've all got busy lives one way or another. So take your time, and try not to be in a rush.

Anyone who knows me knows that things can take a while. The most important thing for me is to have fun, so if you have suggestions for stuff you might like to have, feel free to ask for them in the thread.

That's pretty much it from me, uhhhhhh good luck!
[/hider]

[u][i]Japan, 16th December 1970.[/i][/u]

On that day, the Akasha appeared, but the people didn't know it at the time. They came quietly, only to certain regions of Japan, and they have remained ever since.

You wouldn't know it walking around by day. There was no panic. No one knew, after all. But soon enough, strange phenomena began to occur. People began to disappear at night. Odd incidents that couldn't be explained. There were whispers that the [i]Kami[/i] had returned.

And they were angry.

[u][i]February 24th, 1971[/i][/u]

It was a snowy day in winter when the first nation-wide incident occurred. They called it the First Awakening. On that snowy night in February, the Akasha appeared. The Yokai of myth and legend suddenly attacked, with a seemingly unnatural, undying hatred for human life, they inflicted many casualties before the military was able to be deployed.

The military was able to weather the first assault. After they were deployed, the wave was quickly supressed, as the First Awakening incident was mostly isolated to the areas the Akasha had first appeared. However it was a victory with many civilian casualties, not to mention the assault itself was only the beginning of the ramifications of the First Awakening.

It gave birth to two distinct supernatural phenomena. 

[u]The appearance of the so called "Yokai Villages":[/u]
In the areas the Akasha appeared, the barrier between the realm of the [i]Yokai[/i] and the mortal realm had been permanently sundered. Supernatural beings walked freely amongst the humans, in those areas that had survived the First Awakening. Over time, the humans and [i]Yokai[/i] there came to a peaceful co-existence. It wouldn't be for many long, hard years, as in the meantime all [i]Yokai[/i] were approached with fear and suspicion due to the presence of the second phenomena…

[u]The Akasha Scourge:[/u]
Seemingly the source of the aggression that had possessed the normally passive [i]Yokai[/i] during the events of the First Awakening. The [i]Yokai[/i] that could be communicated with described it transmitting like a [i]"Plague"[/i], spreading from one [i]Yokai[/i] to another until entire communities were taken over. It unleashed chaos on both human and [i]Yokai[/i] communities alike.

Areas affected by the Akasha Scourge eventually become overrun with these mad [i]Yokai[/i], and even humans could be affected if they stayed too long, or were attacked by the infected. These areas were quarantined by the government, however in the earlier stages of the outbreak, all areas suspected of harbouring the scourge were also quarantined.

This meant many of the new Yokai villages, and the many towns the scourge originated in. In many cases, humans weren't evacuated from the places placed under quarantine, as the Akasha Scourge affected humans differently than it does Yokai. Most became frenzied and eventually died, like normal, but those who survived began to develop mutations.

There was a secondary wave of panic once this was made public. With all of the public's opinion at an all-time low, and with chaos threatening to erupt from dozens of fronts, it was clear something had to be done.

[u][i]August 27th 1972[/i][/u] 

The Akasha Agency is formed.

In essence it was a way for the Japanese government to organize their various departments into one to form a better response to the emergency. Its leaders however immediately begin to put forward drastic initiatives, and the adoption of these initiatives ultimately helped to stem the tide of the Akasha Scourge.

One of their key initiatives was that they began to reach out the [i]Yokai[/i] for information. However, due to the distrust the [i]Yokai[/i] now harboured against humanity, it didn't prove to be a very effective tactic to start with. It wasn't until a certain event that the initiative would begin to bear fruit.

On [u]November 4th 1972[/u], the [b]Kami[/b] appeared. Japan's Gods from folklore, and the rulers of the Spirit World. They made a proclamation to Japan. The Spirit World and the human world would remain separate. However if they offered unconditional aid to [i]Yokai[/i] stranded in the Human World, the [b]Kami[/b] would repay those efforts.

The Japanese government accepted the deal. [i]Yokai Villages[/i] were now under the full protection of the Akasha Agency and the Japanese military. With the aid thus rendered, the [i]Yokai[/i] were more ready to offer their information in kind.

They began to be able to coordinate their assaults and defences against the Akasha Scourge. They began to find greater and greater success in pushing back the threat. Eventually, it was thought that the Scourge had been eliminated entirely. 

No more 'active' cases of the Scourge were reported by the end of 1974, however a great many were still affected by it, in the form of mutations. The absence of all other symptoms made the government mark them as 'recovered', but the public's opinion of matters was still one tainted by fear, and these survivors would often face discrimination.

[i][u]September 1, 1975[/u][/i]

The Akasha Scourge returns.

When society had just started to rebuild, and the Government had just put forth the motion to disband the Akasha Agency, a 2nd wave of attacks began. The key difference between the first scourge and the new outbreak was the presence of a group of people that called themselves the [b]Yomi Troupe[/b]. They posed as a travelling circus and unleashed a terror attack in the heart of Tokyo.

The [b]Yomi Troupe[/b] featured many who had been mutated by the Scourge. Feeling ostracized by society, they decided to take back their dignity through force. They declared war on the Japanese government, with the stated intention of creating a world where those who had been afflicted by the Akasha Scourge could live fairly.

The war would end up lasting five years.

The [b]Yomi Troupe[/b] were elusive, and they seemed to be everywhere. It was hard to tell which were simply copycat groups inspired by the [b]Yomi Troupe[/b]'s ideals, and which attacks were the actual group itself. In a controversial decision, it was decided the ones captured would receive the death penalty. It was done to make an example of the members of the [i]Yomi Troupe[/i], and show that the Japanese Government wouldn't tolerate the actions of these "ruthless thugs."

The main group was eventually cornered in their base of operations, a warehouse hidden in the forests some distance away from [b]Osaka[/b]. Those trapped inside mostly chose to commit suicide by recklessly charging at the military as they closed in. The last one standing, the leader of the Troupe who had made that declaration all of those years ago chose to stay alive until the end. He made one final statement live on national TV before he was sentenced to death and executed.

[color=red][b]"This is not the end. This is only the beginning."[/b][/color]

While the main branch was gone, the copycat groups and other splinter groups formed when higher members of [b]Yomi[/b] found their differences too great, remained. And while they could never match the true threat of the original [b]Yomi Troupe[/b], they were still genuine and dangerous threats that drained the Akasha Agency's resources at every turn.

[u][i]July 4th, 1980.[/i][/u]

After examining the data in what was left of the Yomi Troupe's files, as well as reports from the various [b]Yokai Villages[/b] and the [b]Spirit World[/b] and other gathered reports, there was something disturbing discovered. The live [i]Yokai[/i] the Troupe had found in the wilderness were likely not remnants of the first Akasha Scourge, as expected.

Rather, the Scourge was starting to reappear on its own. And it was gaining momentum. The incident with the Yomi Troupe had helped contribute to the increase in cases of the Scourge, but the amount of cases increasing in regions that hadn't been targeted by them was also increasing.

If the Akasha Agency and the military had been at full strength and resources from the get-go, they would've been able to halt the storm quickly, as the numbers were still relatively low. However, with the various splinter groups to deal with, they were finding themselves stretched thin.

This was when the final new initiative the Akasha Agency would enact entirely on its own. To combat the ever growing corruption in almost every region around Japan, recruit the locals who know the land, to fight it. Give them the training and resources to be able to defend themselves and deal with the smaller scale threats, then expand the program to the entire nation.

Give enough incentives, like stable pay and steady work and you can make careers out of hunting the Akasha Scourge. The mutated victims of the Akasha Scourge were also included in this initiative. Most of them could sense the presence of the Akasha Scourge if it was close by, making them invaluable in rooting it out.

The possibility of not including them wasn't even considered. Great lengths were taken to make sure they would take part in these hunts. This would kill two birds with one stone, since the mutated had an ability that could not be replicated elsewhere, and it was a little known secret that the majority of people joining with the splinter groups the Agency was dealing with were these mutated humans.

It wasn't just lip service that they were recruited to help make Japan safer, however. A lot of research and testing went into creating the right protocols and structures to make sure these hunts were as successful as possible and had the least amount of casualties possible. There was no effort to make sure the mutated humans were always on the frontlines and likely to die. In fact, they were often one of the most protected, as their overall numbers was also beginning to dwindle due to the reduction in cases of the Akasha Scourge.

The initiative was a success in many ways. The local initiative was more effective than expected. In almost all cases, the local population of agents that had been recruited manage to lower the amount of cases in the immediate area dramatically. In some cases they eliminate cases within weeks.

[u][i]January 1, 1981[/i][/u]

As the initiative begins to spread throughout the nation, cases began to fall dramatically. Prominent activists who had been biding their time for such an opportunity used it as a springboard to fight for mutated humans' rights. A long since buried issue, under the guise of not wanting to 'shake the boat', it hadn't been talked about at all in parliament except for the various laws and initiatives that had been created to track them all.

Lobbyists were successful in getting the majority of these laws repealed. They continued to fight for mutated human's rights still, even afterwards, and eventually this led to Yomi's splinter groups eventually losing their power with the people as popular perception began to change.

The Akasha Scourge never really disappeared. It resurfaced time and time again, but as information continued to be collected, and the Akasha Agency's methodology continued to evolve, each outbreak has proved less and less of a threat.

It seems that soon, Japan may finally find true peace.
[hr]
[h2]And now...[/h2]

[b]Japan, May 4th, 2020.[/b] It's been 50 years since the Akasha Scourge first appeared, and Japan has rebuilt. The cities have become beacons of modern technology, but there are many towns that are still in the process of modernization. The Old Guard has finally decided to retire for the most part, to let the a new generation of [b][color=yellow]Akasha Operatives[/color][/b] take up the reigns. 

Much has changed since those initial days. These [b][color=yellow]Operatives'[/color][/b] primary roles had once mostly been to scout, research, and suppress the spread of the Akasha Scourge, now are mostly rendering assistance to the local [i]Yokai[/i]. Outbreaks are exceedingly rare, to the point of being deemed almost impossible in the modern age, but the Akasha Scourge has never really disappeared. By keeping a constant vigil, the Akasha Agency's information network can pinpoint the precise location of threats before they even arise, and in this way they can send in [b]Senior Operatives[/b] to make sure it never becomes a problem.

Thanks to the safer conditions and the extent to which our [b][color=yellow]Operatives'[/color][/b] responsibilities have changed, the Akasha Agency is now recruiting people as young as 16 as new [b][color=yellow]Operatives[/color][/b]. The face of the Akasha Agency has changed forever with the rise of new technology, but in many ways, the way their missions are carried out over the years have stayed the same.

Our story opens in [b][color=purple]Sentouji City[/color][/b], a city which has had a long history with the Akasha Agency.
[hr]
[h1][color=purple]Sentouji City[/color][/h1]
Our story takes place in Sentouji City, one of the first places in which the Akasha Scourge struck. What had once been nothing more than a rural farming town, is close to being a small city. Students of all ages will walk from their suburban houses, past old farms and traditional shrines, as a backdrop of apartment buildings and high-rises begins to fill the horizon. In the North of the city, you'll find it like the heart of metropolis anywhere else. And though modernization has been slow to reach other parts of the city, it's now considered fully modernized and it can no longer be described as "rural".

But there is still a legacy that the city will never forget.

Sentouji City is split into two districts, for a very obvious reason if you know the history of the town. The north-side is where most of the development of the city ended up being focused on, and many of the traditional places and the remnants of 'old town' reside in the south. This is because the North had once been the quarantine zone for the Akasha Scourge.

The quarantine was placed quickly enough to contain the Scourge to a certain part of the city. The phenomenon which allowed the Yokai to cross over from the Spirit World to the Human World was not localized to the North of the city. The south became one of the first [i]Yokai Villages[/i] as [i]Yokai[/i] fleeing the exlcusion zone sought refuge, and stranded Yokai also found they had nowhere to turn to.

The inhabitants of Sentouji, after initially being fearful of the Yokai, after a while welcomed them as they proved to be a means to fight the Scourge. A type of technique which would later be known as [b][color=blue]Arts[/color][/b] were taught to any with the aptititude as an early defense against the Akasha Scourge.

After the tide of the Akasha Scourge had been eliminated, residents returning to the North of the city decided it would be easier to rebuild it from the ground up. The rest as we know it, is history. The Akasha Agency have a long past with Sentouji. Though the threat of the Akasha Scourge has greatly, the Akasha Agency has never left their post.

[h3][color=purple]Facilities(Agency related)[/color][/h3]

The local training center is still one of the largest the Akasha Agency has to offer. It relocated from the south district, it now occupies a high-rise building in the north side of Sentouji, and features several different [b][color=red]Fighter Dojos[/color][/b] on each level, as well as some of the best [b][color=blue]Arts[/color][/b] training Japan has to offer. 

The local scene is also thriving in the South, with many local certified training dojos which offer more specific training and fighting styles to master, and many Yokai in the temples and hidden places of the South District still ready to teach students the ways of [b][color=blue]Arts Masters[/color][/b].

[h3][color=purple]The Night Mandate[/color][/h3]

[b][color=purple]Sentouji City's[/color][/b] population of Yokai isn't as numerous as it used to be. The reason is something known as the [b][color=purple]Night Mandate[/color][/b]. Eventually a method had been found to return the Veil separating the Human World and the Spirit World to a more stable state. This meant no [i]Yokai[/i] was ever stranded on the other side any longer.

Still, many didn't want to leave. They had good memories of the Human World, and wished to stay. However, the rules and values of the humans and [i]Yokai[/i] were fundamentally incompatible. Not all [i]Yokai[/i] are inherently 'good', and in the Spirit World there's hardly such a moral compass amongst the more comomon [i]Yokai[/i]. The wrong kind of [i]Yokai[/i] allowed to live permanently in the human world could cause untold chaos.

To remedy this, the Yokai treated with the Japanese Government and formed something called the [b]Night Mandate[/b]. During the day, no Yokai would be able to cross over into the Human World, but at Night the gates are let open, for whichever areas still have them. Yokai can choose to cross over and stay indefinitely if they like, as long as their application is approved by the Japanese Government. But only at night can they make the crossing, and many mischievous Yokai will choose to come along for the ride.

The Akasha Agency helps with managing this issue on the human side. Mostly it's just to make sure Yokai don't get into too much trouble. The [i]Kami[/i] passed a decree saying that Yokai entering the human realm must abide by their rules as part of the [b][color=purple]Night Mandate[/color][/b], but Yokai being Yokai, who can say how effective such a decree really is? Any Yokai caught breaking the rules is returned to the Spirit World to face punishment there, or at least any the Akasha Agency can get their hands on.

This takes us to the likely scene of where our protagonists will be, the night of [u]May 4th, 2020.[/u] The Akasha Agency has opened it's local [b]Shokuden職田[/b] for the night, the place where our [b][color=yellow]Operatives[/color][/b] will be assigned their very first tasks as [b][color=yellow]Akasha Operatives[/color][/b].
[hr]
[h2][color=yellow]Akasha Operatives[/color][/h2]

[b][color=yellow]Akasha Operatives[/color][/b] are the Agency's elite agents, sent directly on the field to combat the Akasha Scourge. Or at least they used to be. Now it's a much more widely reaching field of experience, separated into three distinct classes depending on the field they most excel in. Each class corresponds to a certain type of expertise which each represent one field which the Akasha Agency has jurisdiction over when it comes to its affairs.

[b][color=red]Fighters[/color][/b] specialize in direct combat and pure fighting skill. They are the frontline in a squad of agents. Assignments that require [b][color=red]Fighters[/color][/b] are ones that require the quick application of force, which often can't be achieved as easily by other classes. 

[b][color=blue]Arts[/color][/b] is an umbrella term used to describe the various techniques and types of Magic the Akasha Agency employs on its missions. It can be anything from exorcism, divination, seals and talismans, to direct elemental manipulation and the like. 

[b][color=blue]Arts[/color][/b] practitioners generally take on a more expertise heavy, investigative role compared to [b][color=red]Fighers[/color][/b]. Bringing their unique knowledge to solve problems which may have more to them than meets the eye.

[b][color=yellowgreen]Specialists[/color][/b] are unique, in the sense that this is the class for those who have [b]Mutations[/b]. Mutations from the Akasha Scourge can make it difficult to practice [b][color=blue]Arts[/color][/b], and while it never stops them from being [b][color=red]Fighers[/color][/b], their methods for engaging in combat often go against the grain and require a different kind of training.

In the past they were vital to rooting out the Akasha Scourge due to their ability to sense it. However the role hasn't vanished because it was discovered that Mutated humans possess a sort of intuition. If it's something at all remotely to do with the Akasha Scourge, they tend to gravitate towards it. Not to mention that their unique abilities mean, more often than not, they can suit any team composition.

An [b][color=yellow]Operative[/color][/b] can train in all three styles if they are so inclined, (Specialist's have an extra condition of if it's possible), but career [b][color=yellow]Operatives[/color][/b] can also specialize in a single one.

The purpose of this system is to be able to quickly determine a prospective agent's strengths and weaknesses, streamline the process of assigning [b][color=yellow]Operatives[/color][/b] to missions. Each Class has a standardized baseline to compare with other classes, and separates the various levels of strength displayed in each Class via Rankings, starting at Rank 1 and going up to Rank 9.

Breakdowns on each class, including how to write one into a character sheet are listed below.

[color=red][h2]Fighters[/h2][/color]
[hider=Fighters]
Operatives who specialize in direct combat utilizing a mix of martial arts and/or weapons expertise were once known as [b][color=red]Kenshi[/color][/b]. In the old days, this was due to the fact that in some areas, conventional ballistic weapons were hard to come by for the average citizen. Many took to training with traditional weapons and hand-to-hand martial arts. 

Many of them took up swords. It seemed quite odd, but a relatively harmless thing. Swords would obviously be some of the first of the weapons that would come to mind when thinking about taking one up. However, there were all kinds of swords, from all over the world. Real Katana were obviously rare, but there were falchions, broadswords, scimitars and more. It was quite a novelty from the outside looking in.

They were never a majority. It was in fact quite the opposite, but at one point the Akasha Agency was providing mass training from a large dojo. It was a public showing of the new initiative, so media presence was allowed, and even encouraged. When some of the media began to cover this story, eventually it was said of them; 

"They are like Samurai, except without orderly discipline. Rather than Warriors([i]Senshi[/i]-戦士), they are more like Swordfighters([i]Kenshi[/i]-剣士)".

And the name stuck.

Their skillset prioritizes direct combat above all else, and are greatly suited to rough situations. If there's a rowdy [i]Yokai[/i] in need of a beating, or there's need of some force to back up a negotiation, you'll definitely want a [b][color=red]Figher[/color][/b] by your side.

[h3]Character Sheets - Fighter[/h3]
[b][color=red]Fighters[/color][/b] have no specific requirements to be accepted by the Akasha Agency other than passing a general physical fitness exam, and proving that they can fight. [b][color=red]Fighter[/color][/b] characters may start at Rank 1 to about 3. Most [b][color=red]Fighters[/color][/b] start at Rank 1, but the Ranks from 1 to 4 are split into general aptitude rather than field experience. A talented [color=red][b]Fighter[/b][/color] can start at Rank 2 or higher, and exceptional [b][color=red]Fighters[/color][/b] can start even higher.

As a [b][color=red]Fighter[/color][/b], you'll be defined by your [b]Talents[/b] and [b]Techniques[/b]. Your [b]Talents[/b], simply put, are your listed broad specialty/ies in terms of weapons and techniques as a [color=red][b]Fighter[/b][/color]. As an example, say you specialize in using a katana, you would list [i]'Sword - Katana'[/i], as a Talent. You could then put any specific fighting styles learnt afterwards, such as... something, I'm sure you'll find a way.

(A full example of a Fighter's Talent+Technique set as would be seen on a real sheet will be given below, just so you know).

[b]Techniques[/b] are specific strikes, 'moves', and maneouvers, that are the crystallization of your character's skills and knowledge which form their true fighting style. A rapid barrage of blows, with blistering speed and power. A well timed, precise strike, impossible for even the fastest to avoid. Describe it, slap on a name, and that's a Technique, baby!! Woo!!

[b]Techniques[/b] are the moves [b][color=red]Fighters[/color][/b] will directly be using in the RP for serious combat. Expect to go into detail about [i]how[/i] the strikes land, to allow for other players to dynamically respond to it without needing as much direct input from you. Interactivity is the name of the game for [b][color=red]Fighters[/color][/b], and while smaller fodder enemies can be dispatched freely in any manner you really wish, [b]Techniques[/b] will be used extensively later on; to alleviate the pressure of needing to 'call' hits against tougher monsters, or other players.

Here's an example of a skillset for a prospective fighter; [hider=Example]
[b]Fighter:[/b] Kunohana, Issei 

[b]Rank:[/b] 2

[b]Talents:[/b] [i]Sword - Katana[/i], [i]Ganryu[/i], [i]Shukuchi[/i], [i]Long distance sprint[/i]
[i]Ganryu[/i] is a style which chases the idea of speed that transcends the realm of mortal beings. It favors fast techniques which give the opponent little room to maneouver. They say the speed of it is unmatched, but that it can lack power compared to other sword styles. [i]Shukuchi[/i] is a type of footwork which is greatly emphasized in [i]Ganryu[/i]. At a basic level, it's the act of moving quickly without appearing as if you're moving at all. At a high level, it will appear as if you simply vanished and reappeared behind them. Issei Kunohana has much to learn before she reaches this level.
([i]I'm pulling all of this out of my ass by the way and you should to. The explanation here is optional, but if you're making your own sword techniques then I would appreciate an explanation. Otherwise, store bought is fine.[/i])

[b]Techniques:[/b] 
~
[list]
[*][i][b]1. Tsubame Gaeshi[/b] - Swallow Reversal[/i]
An extremely fast strike which is difficult to avoid, said to have been created to catch a flying swallow without it being able to escape. It takes time to enter the correct stance to execute the technique, and the opponent must be on even ground with you to obtain the best results. This is a high level technique which Issei Kunohana is able to execute at a moderate standard. This increases the time she needs to set up the move properly, and the chance that she will miss, or fail the technique.
~
[*][i][b]2. Flash Step[/b] - Lightless[/i]
Using the concept of [i]Shukuchi[/i], seemingly a single step that takes oneself a great distance. Issei Kunohana has attained mastery over the skill, far beyond her level otherwise, and attained the level of 'Lightless', which means she almost completely disappears from sight when using this technique. She can still be found however with keen eyes, and a sound intuition. Her trajectory can sometimes be predictable.
~
[*][i][b]3. Flash Step, Stage 2:[/b] Instant Kill[/i]
Issei Kunohana executes a strike immediately after the use of Flash Step to add a deadly force to an otherwise regular attack. If catching an enemy off-guard, it has a high likelihood to strike the vital points. The skill is very deadly, but if she misses the attack, she will be left wide open, as she must commit all of her focus to landing the technique. This technique locks off the use of [b]Flash Step[/b] for a little while as a result.
[/list]
~
[hr]

[/hider]

Starting at Rank 1, you can have up to three [b]Talents[/b] and [b]Techniques[/b], gaining one of either a Talent or a Technique with every rank, or one of each if it's something small. You can have less and have them more complex or powerful instead. It's all up to the GM's and the player's discretions and how you want your overall power to be like. Focus on having a fun and interesting skill-set over being directly powerful. There'll be enough room for everyone to grow once the RP gets long enough.

As a final bit of advice, try not to make yourself a 'complete' character in the beginning. Instead, give yourself an open-ended skillset you think you would enjoy playing with or against the other players in the RP. Leave some room to see where your character's training and their interactions will take them instead on their journey, rather than setting it in stone, all by yourself. Have a goal in mind, but be prepared for the road to change ahead of you, basically that sort of thing.

[/hider]

[color=blue][h2]Arts[/h2][/color]
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[color=yellow][h2]Specialists[/h2][/color]
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