User has no bio, yet i consume the greedy. i rob the thieves. i kill the killers. nobody wants me. if you don't have me, nobody will want you. what's my name?
Our story starts in New York City, in the year 1942. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" has topped the charts for three months following its December release, repeated showings of "Casablanca" are practically painted onto the projection screens of cinemas, and "Fantasia" has solidified Mickey Mouse as America's favorite rodent. For the past year, Italian-Americans have been shipped back to their mother country with rifles and bayonets, where they are either killed or return home injured and scarred, facing the same discrimination as before their deployment. Now, more than ever, there is a cultural divide between Italians and Americans. Us and Them. The federal government protects Americans, but there is no such group to protect the dagos. There is only a group so secretive, it is known to Italians simply as "Our Thing" with a wink and nod. To the rest of the world, this organization is known by a much more black-and-white term: The Sicilian Mafia.
As you have pieced together, this is a mafia roleplay. Tommy guns, fedoras, the whole shebang. Though what a "Mafia Story" implies is only a group of tropes ripped from the Sopranos and Corleones, I'd like to immediately specify how original I'd like this to be, before I get even five sentences into this OOC synopsis, and that's very original. The unavoidable themes to make this a mafia story (Italian Crime Families, Intricate Murders, Codes of Honor, etc.) have been used many different times in many different stories. Because we'll be using them as well, as you read past this point, let's all collectively agree to not hit the groan-inducing tropes used in this genre: Nobody will be described as "Sleeping with the fishes", nobody will extort shopkeepers with a bat, and so help me God, nobody better get gunned down eating spaghetti. We have a huge amount of creative freedom with this not being a literal Godfather roleplay, so let's write like it.
Additionally, right off the bat, I'd also like to specify the kind of character that is not acceptable, because Mafia/Military/Zombie RPs usually get three or four of him. He's the lone wolf with dead (or otherwise disposed by distance/lack of plot importance) family, somewhere in his 20's to 30's, with combative experience from Prison/War/The Streets®, roguish good looks undercut by a facial scar, a signature (usually melee) weapon, and an easy to pronounce, deeply meaningful name. I get that we're all hobby writers and the easiest characters to write are strong, silent protagonists, but that gets boring. You get five scowling enforcers, everybody realizes their characters are all the same dude in a suit, people start dropping out, and it gets boring. Don't make a caricature, make a character. For an example of a tough, yet humanized, non-caricatural mobster, look no further than The Godfather's Luca Brasi -- Introduced as "The dumb strong guy" by way of reciting his lines like a yokel, we later find out that his low intelligence and loyalty to the Don stem from Vito finding and resuscitating him from a failed suicide-by-overdose after he killed his newborn son for being half-Irish. Just like that, Luca goes from caricature to character. The same humanizing elements should be found in yours. Capisce?
Aside from the emphasis on originality and character development, the last note I'd like to make here is the unnecessary RP structure I'm throwing in for little to no reason. You ready? Alright. The RP will center around two rival families (Or at least, two controlled by players out of several NPC families) and characters will be in either family. The ultimate goal of this RP is to defeat, take over, or otherwise destroy the opposing family. We will need a lot of characters for this, and since I have very high standards for admittance, I recommend everyone play a few characters and we randomly switch POVs ASOIAF style. The CS's will be short to make this bearable.
So, here's an interest check. I'll have concrete stuff within a week, just setting this out there to see if anyone's interested and to answer any questions. This is going in the Advanced and Nations interest checks because there's a decent amount of character vs. character scheming, firstly, and I'm also hedging my bets on having buds in the NRP section, so whatever. Now open for comments/questions/concerns/Mr Allen J hatemail!
Our story starts in New York City, in the year 1942. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" has topped the charts for three months following its December release, repeated showings of "Casablanca" are practically painted onto the projection screens of cinemas, and "Fantasia" has solidified Mickey Mouse as America's favorite rodent. For the past year, Italian-Americans have been shipped back to their mother country with rifles and bayonets, where they are either killed or return home injured and scarred, facing the same discrimination as before their deployment. Now, more than ever, there is a cultural divide between Italians and Americans. Us and Them. The federal government protects Americans, but there is no such group to protect the dagos. There is only a group so secretive, it is known to Italians simply as "Our Thing" with a wink and nod. To the rest of the world, this organization is known by a much more black-and-white term: The Sicilian Mafia.
As you have pieced together, this is a mafia roleplay. Tommy guns, fedoras, the whole shebang. Though what a "Mafia Story" implies is only a group of tropes ripped from the Sopranos and Corleones, I'd like to immediately specify how original I'd like this to be, before I get even five sentences into this OOC synopsis, and that's very original. The unavoidable themes to make this a mafia story (Italian Crime Families, Intricate Murders, Codes of Honor, etc.) have been used many different times in many different stories. Because we'll be using them as well, as you read past this point, let's all collectively agree to not hit the groan-inducing tropes used in this genre: Nobody will be described as "Sleeping with the fishes", nobody will extort shopkeepers with a bat, and so help me God, nobody better get gunned down eating spaghetti. We have a huge amount of creative freedom with this not being a literal Godfather roleplay, so let's write like it.
Additionally, right off the bat, I'd also like to specify the kind of character that is not acceptable, because Mafia/Military/Zombie RPs usually get three or four of him. He's the lone wolf with dead (or otherwise disposed by distance/lack of plot importance) family, somewhere in his 20's to 30's, with combative experience from Prison/War/The Streets®, roguish good looks undercut by a facial scar, a signature (usually melee) weapon, and an easy to pronounce, deeply meaningful name. I get that we're all hobby writers and the easiest characters to write are strong, silent protagonists, but that gets boring. You get five scowling enforcers, everybody realizes their characters are all the same dude in a suit, people start dropping out, and it gets boring. Don't make a caricature, make a character. For an example of a tough, yet humanized, non-caricatural mobster, look no further than The Godfather's Luca Brasi -- Introduced as "The dumb strong guy" by way of reciting his lines like a yokel, we later find out that his low intelligence and loyalty to the Don stem from Vito finding and resuscitating him from a failed suicide-by-overdose after he killed his newborn son for being half-Irish. Just like that, Luca goes from caricature to character. The same humanizing elements should be found in yours. Capisce?
Aside from the emphasis on originality and character development, the last note I'd like to make here is the unnecessary RP structure I'm throwing in for little to no reason. You ready? Alright. The RP will center around two rival families (Or at least, two controlled by players out of several NPC families) and characters will be in either family. The ultimate goal of this RP is to defeat, take over, or otherwise destroy the opposing family. We will need a lot of characters for this, and since I have very high standards for admittance, I recommend everyone play a few characters and we randomly switch POVs ASOIAF style. The CS's will be short to make this bearable.
So, here's an interest check. I'll have concrete stuff within a week, just setting this out there to see if anyone's interested and to answer any questions. This is going in the Advanced and Nations interest checks because there's a decent amount of character vs. character scheming, firstly, and I'm also hedging my bets on having buds in the NRP section, so whatever. Now open for comments/questions/concerns/Mr Allen J hatemail!
Our story starts in New York City, in the year 1942. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" has topped the charts for three months following its December release, repeated showings of "Casablanca" are practically painted onto the projection screens of cinemas, and "Fantasia" has solidified Mickey Mouse as America's favorite rodent. For the past year, Italian-Americans have been shipped back to their mother country with rifles and bayonets, where they are either killed or return home injured and scarred, facing the same discrimination as before their deployment. Now, more than ever, there is a cultural divide between Italians and Americans. Us and Them. The federal government protects Americans, but there is no such group to protect the dagos. There is only a group so secretive, it is known to Italians simply as "Our Thing" with a wink and nod. To the rest of the world, this organization is known by a much more black-and-white term: The Sicilian Mafia.
As you have pieced together, this is a mafia roleplay. Tommy guns, fedoras, the whole shebang. Though what a "Mafia Story" implies is only a group of tropes ripped from the Sopranos and Corleones, I'd like to immediately specify how original I'd like this to be, before I get even five sentences into this OOC synopsis, and that's very original. The unavoidable themes to make this a mafia story (Italian Crime Families, Intricate Murders, Codes of Honor, etc.) have been used many different times in many different stories. Because we'll be using them as well, as you read past this point, let's all collectively agree to not hit the groan-inducing tropes used in this genre: Nobody will be described as "Sleeping with the fishes", nobody will extort shopkeepers with a bat, and so help me God, nobody better get gunned down eating spaghetti. We have a huge amount of creative freedom with this not being a literal Godfather roleplay, so let's write like it.
Additionally, right off the bat, I'd also like to specify the kind of character that is not acceptable, because Mafia/Military/Zombie RPs usually get three or four of him. He's the lone wolf with dead (or otherwise disposed by distance/lack of plot importance) family, somewhere in his 20's to 30's, with combative experience from Prison/War/The Streets®, roguish good looks undercut by a facial scar, a signature (usually melee) weapon, and an easy to pronounce, deeply meaningful name. I get that we're all hobby writers and the easiest characters to write are strong, silent protagonists, but that gets boring. You get five scowling enforcers, everybody realizes their characters are all the same dude in a suit, people start dropping out, and it gets boring. Don't make a caricature, make a character. For an example of a tough, yet humanized, non-caricatural mobster, look no further than The Godfather's Luca Brasi -- Introduced as "The dumb strong guy" by way of reciting his lines like a yokel, we later find out that his low intelligence and loyalty to the Don stem from Vito finding and resuscitating him from a failed suicide-by-overdose after he killed his newborn son for being half-Irish. Just like that, Luca goes from caricature to character. The same humanizing elements should be found in yours. Capisce?
Aside from the emphasis on originality and character development, the last note I'd like to make here is the unnecessary RP structure I'm throwing in for little to no reason. You ready? Alright. The RP will center around two rival families (Or at least, two controlled by players out of several NPC families) and characters will be in either family. The ultimate goal of this RP is to defeat, take over, or otherwise destroy the opposing family. We will need a lot of characters for this, and since I have very high standards for admittance, I recommend everyone play a few characters and we randomly switch POVs ASOIAF style. The CS's will be short to make this bearable.
So, here's an interest check. I'll have concrete stuff within a week, just setting this out there to see if anyone's interested and to answer any questions. This is going in the Advanced and Nations interest checks because there's a decent amount of character vs. character scheming, firstly, and I'm also hedging my bets on having buds in the NRP section, so whatever. Now open for comments/questions/concerns/Mr Allen J hatemail!
Our story starts in New York City, in the year 1942. Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" has topped the charts for three months following its December release, repeated showings of "Casablanca" are practically painted onto the projection screens of cinemas, and "Fantasia" has solidified Mickey Mouse as America's favorite rodent. For the past year, Italian-Americans have been shipped back to their mother country with rifles and bayonets, where they are either killed or return home injured and scarred, facing the same discrimination as before their deployment. Now, more than ever, there is a cultural divide between Italians and Americans. Us and Them. The federal government protects Americans, but there is no such group to protect the dagos. There is only a group so secretive, it is known to Italians simply as "Our Thing" with a wink and nod. To the rest of the world, this organization is known by a much more black-and-white term: The Sicilian Mafia.
As you have pieced together, this is a mafia roleplay. Tommy guns, fedoras, the whole shebang. Though what a "Mafia Story" implies is only a group of tropes ripped from the Sopranos and Corleones, I'd like to immediately specify how original I'd like this to be, before I get even five sentences into this OOC synopsis, and that's very original. The unavoidable themes to make this a mafia story (Italian Crime Families, Intricate Murders, Codes of Honor, etc.) have been used many different times in many different stories. Because we'll be using them as well, as you read past this point, let's all collectively agree to not hit the groan-inducing tropes used in this genre: Nobody will be described as "Sleeping with the fishes", nobody will extort shopkeepers with a bat, and so help me God, nobody better get gunned down eating spaghetti. We have a huge amount of creative freedom with this not being a literal Godfather roleplay, so let's write like it.
Additionally, right off the bat, I'd also like to specify the kind of character that is not acceptable, because Mafia/Military/Zombie RPs usually get three or four of him. He's the lone wolf with dead (or otherwise disposed by distance/lack of plot importance) parents, somewhere in his 20's to 30's, with combative experience from Prison/War/The Streets®, roguish good looks undercut by a facial scar, a signature (usually melee) weapon, and an easy to pronounce, deeply meaningful name. I get that we're all hobby writers and the easiest characters to write are strong, silent protagonists, but that gets boring. You get five scowling enforcers, everybody realizes their characters are all the same dude in a suit, people start dropping out, and it gets boring. Don't make a caricature, make a character. For an example of a tough, yet humanized, non-caricatural mobster, look no further than The Godfather's Luca Brasi -- Introduced as "The dumb strong guy" by way of reciting his lines like a yokel, we later find out that his low intelligence and loyalty to the Don stem from Vito finding and resuscitating him from a failed suicide-by-overdose after he killed his newborn son for being half-Irish. Just like that, Luca goes from caricature to character. The same humanizing elements should be found in yours. Capisce?
“Chakra is not a tool meant for killing, but for communication. It is the great connector of all living things.”
NAME
Iburi Kodo
GENDER
Male
AGE
13
ORIGIN
Konohagakure
RANK
Genin
APPEARANCE
Despite his newly-appointed status as a genin, Kodo still appears very much like a young monk would; He prefers flowy, grey clothing with muted accents, paired with plain white socks and traditional geta. He wears nothing unnecessary -- no accessories, jewelry, armor, or hats, with even his leaf village headband securely around his waist in a display of modesty. When it is especially cold or raining heavily, Kodo will wear Konohagakure's traditional white-and-red striped cloak, though that seems to be as decorated as he gets. Typical of his maternal lineage, he has hair so light it seems white with green eyes, while his nose and pointed features were supposedly inherited from his absentee father. In terms of his physique, Kodo is notably lean and taut, as a result of his vegetarian diet and strict exercise regimen.
PERSONALITY & MOTIVATIONS
Kodo is everything one would expect a boy raised in a temple to be like. He is quiet, meticulous, polite, and stoic to an almost aggravating extent, often failing to pick up on nuanced social cues. He is unfailingly kind, and though he maintains a quiet distance between himself and his comrades, he frequently shows a genuine interest in the happiness and well-being of those around him. Though he is very rarely seen smiling, it would be inaccurate to say he is at all solemn or grim; Kodo's emotionless attitude is one of forced restraint than gloom or nihilism. Though this attitude is derived from his discipline rather than his natural personality, it would be unfair to refer to Kodo's detached mannerisms as a "mask", or any similar descriptor, as stoicism instilled through discipline has simply become Kodo's personality. It might not have been Kodo when he was taken to the temple, though then again, very little about him is.
Despite his zen, carefree outlook, Kodo is not free from his own brand of inner demons. He harbors feelings of abandonment towards his parents for sending him to an isolated temple as an infant, and for disappearing as parental figures afterwards -- His father as a missing nin and his mother having fallen ill years ago. Kodo feels a similar resentment towards the temple for sending him out to become a ninja without letting him know the true reason why, and in many ways, resentment towards himself for not being able to fully detach from emotional bonds as a proper monk should. In order to distract himself from these difficulties, Kodo throws himself into his training, be it ninjutsu or monasticism.
Aside from his emotionless mannerisms, abandonment issues, and knack for productivity, the final major facet of Kodo's personality is his identification as a monk of Ninshu; He was instructed by the monks to become a jonin before attaining monkhood because of his strong attachment to his life at the temple as an acolyte, which the monks saw as an extension of Kodo's ego. Kodo genuinely enjoys the life of monasticism, and fully intends to return to it after completing his "test". Spending his childhood in a monastery has hardened Kodo, instilling intensely rigid habits in his daily life -- He is a vegetarian who begins his mornings with a half hour of prayer and half hour of exercise, who frequently tries to avoid simple comforts out of a sense of misguided duty. At the Fire Temple, monks eat mostly rice porridge and seaweed, for instance, which is now the only thing Kodo knows how to cook. The same monks almost exclusively communicate through Ninshu, and so Kodo is now a boy unfamiliar with noisy crowds or conversation.
CLAN HISTORY
The Iburi name is synonymous in Konoha for their riches and reclusive nature, and across the world for their fine incense. One of the first cultivators and sellers of incense, the Iburi mon is one of the few found in every nation, be it in the small, expensive tins of incense one would gift a daimyo to the crates of plain, slow-burning incense sold at temples. As such, the Iburi compound features two impressive sets of high stone walls, and though ninjutsu makes scaling these an easy feat, the Iburi walls are seen by many as being more of a statement than a protective measure -- The Iburi are behind their walls, the rest of the world is beyond them, and the two are not equal. The Iburi have surprisingly few connections or allies for all of their riches, which is owed to their proud clannishness. Additionally, the unpopular view of the Iburi is also affected by their statistically high number of missing nin. Their Kekkai Genkai, the Smoke Release, allows a member of the clan to turn themselves into smoke, which can torture, possess, or outright suffocate opponents. As a result, members of this affluent clan are equipped with a tool for assassination and sense of superiority at the moment of their birth, two features that are seen as cause for their high rate of disappearance and desertion.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Kodo was born to Iburi Satoshi and Yamanaka Aina thirteen years ago, in the spring shortly after the war's end. His parents, who had both lost countless friends in the recent war had become disillusioned with their village ways and instead of sending their son to the academy, the couple opted to send their son to the Fire Temple. He would not learn military techniques during his childhood at the academy, but become a man of peace and discipline. Shortly after Kodo was sent away, his father Satoshi went missing, and has remained under Konoha's missing nin registry to this day.
At the temple, Kodo had surprising success with the harsh rules instilled by the monks, and thoroughly devoted his life to the spiritual branch of Ninshu. During this time he learned to communicate through the use of chakra, one of the main tenets of the high monks who taught him, who otherwise maintained vows of silence. Learning this ability early in life has made Kodo something of an empath, which he uses when "reading" people. Kodo stayed at the temple for ten years, until a fateful winter morning when pulled aside by the monks at the age of eleven -- Kodo was instructed that his fondness for the ways of the temple were appreciated, but an extension of pride and ego as great as any other. Additionally, the monks mentioned, they had received word that Kodo's mother had fallen ill, and with his father's absence and her shunned status from both the Yamanaka and Iburi clan, Kodo would have to care for her. After asking about the duration of his stay, Kodo was told that by the time he attains the rank of Jonin, he may return to the temple.
Since then, Kodo has had a fairly quiet life, which seems to be the closest thing he can get to still being a monk. Aside from his time spent catching up to the academy standards -- a feat that would take him two years, making him one of the older genins -- Kodo does very little but care for his mother Aina, train, and meditate. There is a white hare that frequents his garden named Yuki he sometimes feeds, though Kodo has no other pets or remarkable hobbies.
INFLUENCE & RELATIONS
Kodo and his mother Aina are pariahs of a sort within the Iburi compound; Aina, not a true Iburi but a Yamanaka by birth, is seen as a sponge of the Iburi fortune with her steadily declining health. Because the Yamanaka clan disavowed themselves of her following Satoshi's disappearance, the Iburis have allowed Aina to stay in their compound for the remainder of her life on the condition that she wait for the husband she is still married to. Her son Kodo is viewed with a similar pity -- An impure half-Iburi who has inherited none of his father's features, sent by his half-mad feverish mother and traitor father to some grey faraway temple too early to know anything of his clan's ways or history. Aside from his mother, his closest relative is his father's cousin Kahori, who periodically drops off groceries and medicine at their doorstep.
CHAKRA NATURE
Wind
SPECIAL TRAITS
Smoke Release: The Iburi clan carry a genetic ability -- specifically in their bloodstream -- that allow them to transform partially or fully into smoke. Most frequently, this involves slipping through bars and restraints, levitating, avoiding attacks, or moving quickly in three dimensions, though it has been developed into more advanced techniques such as using one's smoke form to enter opponents through the nose or mouth, torturing or outright suffocating them to death. Because the Iburi does not have to completely transform into smoke, this generally leaves their taijutsu practitioners with a style relying on avoiding their opponent's attacks while countering with a flurry of blows from all directions. The main weakness of this kekkai genkai is its susceptibility to wind; While in their smoke form, an Iburi can be torn apart by strong enough winds, such as those found in storms, mountains, or from Wind-based jutsu.
Ninshu Radar: Kodo's focused, lifelong study of Ninshu has allowed him to wordlessly communicate with other Ninshu users, as well as sense the emotions of others -- including those he does not see. In mission scenarios, this makes him akin to a chakra sensor, as he preemptively senses emotions such as fear, excitement, anger, anticipation, or any other emotion felt by those hiding from him. That being said, this can be negated by a lack of any emotion, such as those who are unconscious, meditating, or through more advanced means -- such as certain genjutsu or trained techniques.
FOCUS & SKILLS
Kodo, for lack of a better phrase, should really not be a ninja. He cannot bring himself to use a bladed weapon, a moral taught to him even by the warrior monks at the temple who would not arm themselves, and thereby does not make use of kunai, senbon, or shuriken. Also learned at the temple is the belief that trickery is immoral, which is the cause for Kodo's refusal to learn any genjutsu beyond the body substitution technique. Most of all, Kodo will simply not kill an enemy, no matter the cost -- it is no greater a choice than his refusal to eat meat, but it is his choice nonetheless. These philosophical barriers have proved troublesome for Kodo's ninja training, though he has attained the rank of genin all the same by compensating with strength in other fields.
Kodo has strength and stamina outweighing most of his peer group, as a result of his near-ascetic diet, exercise regime, and slight outbalance of age. Additionally, Kodo has learned to rely on his versatile kekkai genkai, which he can use in a multitude of ways -- Though some would call it over-reliance, Kodo's Smoke Release allows him to dodge attacks, move around the battlefield at an unnatural speed, hide himself and allies, and make use of a versatile, tentacle-like smoke whip. Though Kodo refuses to properly arm himself or use deadly force, his powerful kekkai genkai allows him to retain an advantage in many combative scenarios.
EQUIPMENT & INVENTORY
Kodo wears metal armguards like those used by ANBU to deflect projectiles or bladed weapons, though otherwise the only supplies he takes on missions are smoke bombs, a favored tool of his clan. He currently has three types; Red smoke, which is meant to burn the eyes and lungs and cause enemies to flee, yellow smoke, which is a compound made mostly of sleeping gas and sedative, and blue smoke, which Kodo uses to control and make physical with the Stone Smoke technique or use for cover.
A variant of the Iburi clan's Smoke Release, this jutsu allows a user to control smoke and imbue it with chakra to turn it into a physical object. This is most frequently done in the form of whip-like tendrils, spikes, or spheres, though more complicated structures such as barriers, cages, or rope would be possible, depending on the experience of the user.
Name
Spiraling Smoke Technique
Rank
C
Range
Self
Description
A variant of the Iburi clan's Smoke Release, the Spiraling Smoke Technique requires the user to first transform into their smoke form, and then while they move, spin their shape into a thin, pointed spire to move around more quickly, and into concentrated openings such as keyholes or an opponent's nostrils.
Name
Fragrant Incense Technique
Rank
D
Range
Short
Description
A variant of the Iburi clan's Smoke Release, the Fragrant Incense Technique requires a user to take a large breathe, imbuing the air with chakra as they do so, and exhaling a cloud of thick pink smoke. Those who breathe in this smoke suffer mild auditory and visual hallucinations, weakened sensory systems, and fatigue. However, because the smoke is equal to the air the user can inhale, it must be performed in close quarters.
“Chakra is not a tool meant for killing, but for communication. It is the great connector of all living things.”
NAME
Iburi Kodo
GENDER
Male
AGE
13
ORIGIN
Konohagakure
RANK
Genin
APPEARANCE
Despite his newly-appointed status as a genin, Kodo still appears very much like a young monk would; He prefers flowy, grey clothing with muted accents, paired with plain white socks and traditional geta. He wears nothing unnecessary -- no accessories, jewelry, armor, or hats, with even his leaf village headband securely around his waist in a display of modesty. When it is especially cold or raining heavily, Kodo will wear Konohagakure's traditional white-and-red striped cloak, though that seems to be as decorated as he gets. Typical of his maternal lineage, he has hair so light it seems white with green eyes, while his nose and pointed features were supposedly inherited from his absentee father. In terms of his physique, Kodo is notably lean and taut, as a result of his vegetarian diet and strict exercise regimen.
PERSONALITY & MOTIVATIONS
Kodo is everything one would expect a boy raised in a temple to be like. He is quiet, meticulous, polite, and stoic to an almost aggravating extent, often failing to pick up on nuanced social cues. He is unfailingly kind, and though he maintains a quiet distance between himself and his comrades, he frequently shows a genuine interest in the happiness and well-being of those around him. Though he is very rarely seen smiling, it would be inaccurate to say he is at all solemn or grim; Kodo's emotionless attitude is one of forced restraint than gloom or nihilism. Though this attitude is derived from his discipline rather than his natural personality, it would be unfair to refer to Kodo's detached mannerisms as a "mask", or any similar descriptor, as stoicism instilled through discipline has simply become Kodo's personality. It might not have been Kodo when he was taken to the temple, though then again, very little about him is.
Despite his zen, carefree outlook, Kodo is not free from his own brand of inner demons. He harbors feelings of abandonment towards his parents for sending him to an isolated temple as an infant, and for disappearing as parental figures afterwards -- His father as a missing nin and his mother having fallen ill years ago. Kodo feels a similar resentment towards the temple for sending him out to become a ninja without letting him know the true reason why, and in many ways, resentment towards himself for not being able to fully detach from emotional bonds as a proper monk should. In order to distract himself from these difficulties, Kodo throws himself into his training, be it ninjutsu or monasticism.
Aside from his emotionless mannerisms, abandonment issues, and knack for productivity, the final major facet of Kodo's personality is his identification as a monk of Ninshu; He was instructed by the monks to become a jonin before attaining monkhood because of his strong attachment to his life at the temple as an acolyte, which the monks saw as an extension of Kodo's ego. Kodo genuinely enjoys the life of monasticism, and fully intends to return to it after completing his "test". Spending his childhood in a monastery has hardened Kodo, instilling intensely rigid habits in his daily life -- He is a vegetarian who begins his mornings with a half hour of prayer and half hour of exercise, who frequently tries to avoid simple comforts out of a sense of misguided duty. At the Fire Temple, monks eat mostly rice porridge and seaweed, for instance, which is now the only thing Kodo knows how to cook. The same monks almost exclusively communicate through Ninshu, and so Kodo is now a boy unfamiliar with noisy crowds or conversation.
CLAN HISTORY
The Iburi name is synonymous in Konoha for their riches and reclusive nature, and across the world for their fine incense. One of the first cultivators and sellers of incense, the Iburi mon is one of the few found in every nation, be it in the small, expensive tins of incense one would gift a daimyo to the crates of plain, slow-burning incense sold at temples. As such, the Iburi compound features two impressive sets of high stone walls, and though ninjutsu makes scaling these an easy feat, the Iburi walls are seen by many as being more of a statement than a protective measure -- The Iburi are behind their walls, the rest of the world is beyond them, and the two are not equal. The Iburi have surprisingly few connections or allies for all of their riches, which is owed to their proud clannishness. Additionally, the unpopular view of the Iburi is also affected by their statistically high number of missing nin. Their Kekkai Genkai, the Smoke Release, allows a member of the clan to turn themselves into smoke, which can torture, possess, or outright suffocate opponents. As a result, members of this affluent clan are equipped with a tool for assassination and sense of superiority at the moment of their birth, two features that are seen as cause for their high rate of disappearance and desertion.
PERSONAL HISTORY
Kodo was born to Iburi Satoshi and Yamanaka Aina thirteen years ago, in the spring shortly after the war's end. His parents, who had both lost countless friends in the recent war had become disillusioned with their village ways and instead of sending their son to the academy, the couple opted to send their son to the Fire Temple. He would not learn military techniques during his childhood at the academy, but become a man of peace and discipline. Shortly after Kodo was sent away, his father Satoshi went missing, and has remained under Konoha's missing nin registry to this day.
At the temple, Kodo had surprising success with the harsh rules instilled by the monks, and thoroughly devoted his life to the spiritual branch of Ninshu. During this time he learned to communicate through the use of chakra, one of the main tenets of the high monks who taught him, who otherwise maintained vows of silence. Learning this ability early in life has made Kodo something of an empath, which he uses when "reading" people. Kodo stayed at the temple for ten years, until a fateful winter morning when pulled aside by the monks at the age of eleven -- Kodo was instructed that his fondness for the ways of the temple were appreciated, but an extension of pride and ego as great as any other. Additionally, the monks mentioned, they had received word that Kodo's mother had fallen ill, and with his father's absence and her shunned status from both the Yamanaka and Iburi clan, Kodo would have to care for her. After asking about the duration of his stay, Kodo was told that by the time he attains the rank of Jonin, he may return to the temple.
Since then, Kodo has had a fairly quiet life, which seems to be the closest thing he can get to still being a monk. Aside from his time spent catching up to the academy standards -- a feat that would take him two years, making him one of the older genins -- Kodo does very little but care for his mother Aina, train, and meditate. There is a white hare that frequents his garden named Yuki he sometimes feeds, though Kodo has no other pets or remarkable hobbies.
INFLUENCE & RELATIONS
Kodo and his mother Aina are pariahs of a sort within the Iburi compound; Aina, not a true Iburi but a Yamanaka by birth, is seen as a sponge of the Iburi fortune with her steadily declining health. Because the Yamanaka clan disavowed themselves of her following Satoshi's disappearance, the Iburis have allowed Aina to stay in their compound for the remainder of her life on the condition that she wait for the husband she is still married to. Her son Kodo is viewed with a similar pity -- An impure half-Iburi who has inherited none of his father's features, sent by his half-mad feverish mother and traitor father to some grey faraway temple too early to know anything of his clan's ways or history. Aside from his mother, his closest relative is his father's cousin Kahori, who periodically drops off groceries and medicine at their doorstep.
CHAKRA NATURE
Wind
SPECIAL TRAITS
Smoke Release: The Iburi clan carry a genetic ability -- specifically in their bloodstream -- that allow them to transform partially or fully into smoke. Most frequently, this involves slipping through bars and restraints, levitating, avoiding attacks, or moving quickly in three dimensions, though it has been developed into more advanced techniques such as using one's smoke form to enter opponents through the nose or mouth, torturing or outright suffocating them to death. Because the Iburi does not have to completely transform into smoke, this generally leaves their taijutsu practitioners with a style relying on avoiding their opponent's attacks while countering with a flurry of blows from all directions. The main weakness of this kekkai genkai is its susceptibility to wind; While in their smoke form, an Iburi can be torn apart by strong enough winds, such as those found in storms, mountains, or from Wind-based jutsu.
Ninshu Radar: Kodo's focused, lifelong study of Ninshu has allowed him to wordlessly communicate with other Ninshu users, as well as sense the emotions of others -- including those he does not see. In mission scenarios, this makes him akin to a chakra sensor, as he preemptively senses emotions such as fear, excitement, anger, anticipation, or any other emotion felt by those hiding from him. That being said, this can be negated by a lack of any emotion, such as those who are unconscious, meditating, or through more advanced means -- such as certain genjutsu or trained techniques.
FOCUS & SKILLS
Kodo, for lack of a better phrase, should really not be a ninja. He cannot bring himself to use a bladed weapon, a moral taught to him even by the warrior monks at the temple who would not arm themselves, and thereby does not make use of kunai, senbon, or shuriken. Also learned at the temple is the belief that trickery is immoral, which is the cause for Kodo's refusal to learn any genjutsu beyond the body substitution technique. Most of all, Kodo will simply not kill an enemy, no matter the cost -- it is no greater a choice than his refusal to eat meat, but it is his choice nonetheless. These philosophical barriers have proved troublesome for Kodo's ninja training, though he has attained the rank of genin all the same by compensating with strength in other fields.
Kodo has strength and stamina outweighing most of his peer group, as a result of his near-ascetic diet, exercise regime, and slight outbalance of age. Additionally, Kodo has learned to rely on his versatile kekkai genkai, which he can use in a multitude of ways -- Though some would call it over-reliance, Kodo's Smoke Release allows him to dodge attacks, move around the battlefield at an unnatural speed, hide himself and allies, and make use of a versatile, tentacle-like smoke whip. Though Kodo refuses to properly arm himself or use deadly force, his powerful kekkai genkai allows him to retain an advantage in many combative scenarios.
EQUIPMENT & INVENTORY
Kodo wears metal armguards like those used by ANBU to deflect projectiles or bladed weapons, though otherwise the only supplies he takes on missions are smoke bombs, a favored tool of his clan. He currently has three types; Red smoke, which is meant to burn the eyes and lungs and cause enemies to flee, yellow smoke, which is a compound made mostly of sleeping gas and sedative, and blue smoke, which Kodo uses to control and make physical with the Stone Smoke technique or use for cover.
A variant of the Iburi clan's Smoke Release, this jutsu allows a user to control smoke and imbue it with chakra to turn it into a physical object. This is most frequently done in the form of whip-like tendrils, spikes, or spheres, though more complicated structures such as barriers, cages, or rope would be possible, depending on the experience of the user.
Name
Spiraling Smoke Technique
Rank
C
Range
Self
Description
A variant of the Iburi clan's Smoke Release, the Spiraling Smoke Technique requires the user to first transform into their smoke form, and then while they move, spin their shape into a thin, pointed spire to move around more quickly, and into concentrated openings such as keyholes or an opponent's nostrils.
Name
Fragrant Incense Technique
Rank
D
Range
Short
Description
A variant of the Iburi clan's Smoke Release, the Fragrant Incense Technique requires a user to take a large breathe, imbuing the air with chakra as they do so, and exhaling a cloud of thick pink smoke. Those who breathe in this smoke suffer mild auditory and visual hallucinations, weakened sensory systems, and fatigue. However, because the smoke is equal to the air the user can inhale, it must be performed in close quarters.
"Funny thing about living to kill. You spend so much time killin', it don't scare you to die.”
NAME
Ezekiel Otis Fleming
ALIAS
• Zombie Zeke
GENDER
Male
SKILLS
Buried on Sunday, Back by Monday The "talent" that allowed Zeke to join the Unlucky Thirteen is the mixture of luck, constitution, and dead nerve endings that have allowed him to skirt past death on several occasions. He has been set on fire, thrown off a train, buried alive, blasted nearly clean through with buckshot, and stabbed more times than he can remember, with only an ugly mug and a bad limp to show for it. For this reason, he's the assassin of choice for targets who have killed previous would-be hitmen, or are otherwise more combatively skilled than the everyday revenge killings assassins are sought for. As a testament to this, he keeps the badges of three lawmen he's killed in his left breast pocket, which double both as a trophy and a protective measure from shots to the heart.
WANTED Zeke isn't just some cutthroat you find in the dark corner of a saloon to be paid off with a sack of silver dollars. He's Zombie Zeke of the Unlucky Thirteen. He's the caliber of assassin you pay with a briefcase full of bills to eliminate a rival oil prospector. Or at least, he used to be. Now he's just some guy with a skin condition trying to lay low. Though these are things he's trying to hide, his name, face, and the respect (Or bullets) they all bring are known to criminals, lawmen, and any who have heard of the Unlucky Thirteen, which is quite a many people. In the right places, Zeke is one of the few people who has a chance to get out of a hairy situation with "Do you know who I am?". Or accidentally run into them.
PERSONALITY
Zeke is a man of few words, and most of them are mean. An "Old-fashioned man" through and through, Zeke carries himself with a weight commanding respect, though he tries to maintain a level of politeness with women, children, and the elderly. For a paid murderer, Zeke is surprisingly reasonable and well-mannered, for all of his curmudgeonly ways. To maintain a relatively low profile, he avoids killing people outside of his job, which he also maintains is a better way to live. Aside from his gruff, rotting exterior, there is something of a softness to the nostalgia he views his times with the Unlucky Thirteen, who were his family for a number of years. His best stories all seem to concern contract killings with the group.
For the past few months, Zeke has not been himself; He is hiding out more, and is increasingly stressed and paranoid. Word of his crime is slowly spreading, as well as the public knowledge of the bounty placed on him by the newly-rebranded Dirty Dozen. Though he's normally self-loving enough to spend a few silvers on a nice hotel room/prostitute combo, he's been spending more and more days hiding under bridges and empty boxcars. The Ezekiel Fleming who walks today -- not the Zombie Zeke of legend -- is in dire need of a hot bath and a full meal, and is growing more desperate out of want for either.
HISTORY
Zeke's story starts with his birth in the irradiated remains of Hollywood, California, a smoldering town of mutants and rubble that once housed the most well-known oldworld media. Zeke would tell you this makes him "sort of like" a talkie star or folk hero. He has divulged little information about his childhood, though he assures most inquiring parties that it was fairly wretched. Due to the chemically tainted soil and water of his hometown, Zeke's late childhood included the development of a gangrenous skin condition on his face, arms, legs, chest, and back -- His sores having now spread to patches that are essentially rotting away, leading to visible bones on parts of his body. Coupled with his seeming imperviousness to death, he was known in most of the West coast as "Zombie Zeke" by his twenties, known for little other than his face and willingness to perform "jobs", such as intimidation and horse theft for local thieves.
A decade later, he had been paid to settle the debts of enough unruly mutants by way of a gun or blade to make his living solely from murder, which would remain his lifelong profession. From there, it was not long until he would stumble into a Freetown saloon called "The Snakeboot Inn". At Snakeboot some twenty years ago, he and another dozen bounty hunters, mercenaries, and hitmen formed "The Unlucky Thirteen", an assassin's company made up of "A Baker's Dozen Batch of Get-The-Job-Done", as their calling card billed. Vowing to keep the rules simple -- No women, no children -- the group's extensive individual talents allowed them to accrue enough wealth to maintain fear, respect, and territory in parts of the Freetowns and Brighton, eventually purchasing a large compound base in Brighton itself. This group was the closest Zeke has said he has felt to having a family, which is a fair point for a man raised by half-melted cannibals. However, this all changed two months ago to the day, now that he has reached a ripe old fourty-four.
There is little public knowledge of the incident itself, though only two things are publically known; Zeke was hired to kill George Tavish II, and that Zeke killed both George Tavish II and the young Sophia Tavish. Having violated both of his group's "No women, No children" rules, the group has publically disavowed themselves of him and has sworn to hunt him down and clean their reputation's sole stain. He has lived as a drifter since then, hiding from place to place in the night where he is known, and renting beds where he is not.
INVENTORY
Six-Shooter Pistol Zeke's pistol is an old-fashioned six round model, with enough stopping power to fell a horse. He calls it his "Hand cannon". He's not an exceptional shot, though he compensates by shooting people in close quarters.
Needle and Thread Part of Zeke's survivability is his constitution, and part of it is his wisdom to dig bullets out of himself and stitch up holes.
Feet of The Hare Daga is an extraordinarily fast runner. For a man who rejects all technology -- such as guns -- this comes in handy pretty often. Aside from his sheer speed, Daga is one of the most in-shape long distance runners you're likely to meet this side of the Mississippi Delta's remnants, and a skilled climber.
Hide of The Toad Daga spends his days either gathering food or standing in the desert watching the patterns of sand falling out of his hands. All eccentricities aside, this demonstrates an individual with either an unnatural constitution or willpower, or in Daga's case, both. Aside from his ability to take a beating, this manifests itself in his uncomplaining attitude towards being caught in the elements, be it scorching heat or freezing rain.
Eye of The Crow Among the Wandering Tribe, the occupation of a newborn babe is decided by The Great Spirit, who usually decides on Hunter for boys and Berry Picker for girls. When Daga was brought to the tent of the elders, the elders were told by The Great Spirit that Daga would be their tribe's next Shaman. As such, he was raised in the wilderness by the Shaman before him, and taught the skills of his people's mystics, which is referred to as "Spirit Sight"; Looking into a realm that is not ours.
PERSONALITY
Daga is odd, but not as odd as he seems. Many of his "strange ways" are the cultural norm for a shaman -- Sleeping outside, eating only sparse vegetation, and intensely meditating to see the future. He is the odd one out in nearly every situation, and as a result he tends to keep the lowest possible profile for a man wearing a hyena pelt, keeping to as few words as possible. Aside from the jokes others have at the strangeness of his ways, there is a visible shellshocked weariness to his face some quickly pick up on. He always seems as if he is only half-listening and half-aware, as if one ear is here and the other listens to the spirits. Aside from the additional distance this creates between himself and others, his language barrier presents another wall -- His knowledge of the English language is downright primitive, compared to the only shabby knowledge of his people's linguistics. This is another reason he tends to keep his words short.
HISTORY
Daga was born Encoqoja of the Wandering Tribe, where he remained for a year before being sent to live with the shaman Skyturtle. Ironically, his first name meant "Favored Son". Raised in the wilderness by a seasoned druid, Daga's early life involved foregoing a formal education, social interaction, and the close family dynamic of the Wandering Tribe in favor of spiritual training. When compared to the odds of achieving normalcy he was dealt, Daga seems almost ordinary. His teacher, for example, wore a dried gourd on his penis, mud all over his body, and a live turtle strapped to his back. Comparatively, Daga eats with his hands, listens to animals, and talks to trees. Some men in Blackfinger do stranger.
After being trained to his master's extent and going on a spiritual rite of passage where he earned his true name, Daga'oxeraqu, or Bloodfoot, he was allowed to leave the safety of his master's familiar cave into the world. In the tradition of his people, he is a wandering medicine man sworn to aid the wandering tribesmen he comes across in the form of blessings, vision guiding, and exorcisms. His travels have most recently lead him to Blackfinger in search of his stolen cactus seeds.
INVENTORY
Healing Staff A wooden stave with a few feathers and a small piece of deerskin stretched in the crook of two small branches. Daga claims it heals sicknesses.
REASON FOR VISITING
Retrieving stolen goods from a local bandit.
RELATIONS
The only person, teacher, or friend Daga has ever known, and arguably the only person who knows his real name. How sad. Aside from being a crazy desert hobo, Skyturtle's not up to much these days, but I didn't want to leave this section blank. Ho hum.
Definitely interested, though I've got a few questions for different characters in mind.
1) With no machines to press thousands of pills a day, how far back has medicine gone? Is there still surgery? Are medical textbooks/unexpired medicine still used? Is losing a limb a death sentence or a segue into a cool Furiosa arm?
2) Do inner cities use old world drugs and alcohol, or is everyone shooting up newfangled apocalypse juice?
3) How mutated/different are the flora and fauna? Are we just dealing with hardy desert descendants or did mutation make things all alien?
User has no bio, yet [color=222222]i consume the greedy. i rob the thieves. i kill the killers. nobody wants me. if you don't have me, nobody will want you. what's my name?[/color]
<div style="white-space:pre-wrap;">User has no bio, yet <font color="#222222">i consume the greedy. i rob the thieves. i kill the killers. nobody wants me. if you don't have me, nobody will want you. what's my name?</font></div>
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mickilennial
Kuro
Dark Cloud
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