Zeroth

In Hunting Beasts and Monsters

So aside from taking the heads as proof of the kill, is there anything else we should be looting from the bodies?

Do we absorb the echoes of their blood or their souls or their experience points in any way?

Kinda tempted to go "real" Monster Hunter and wear them as a hat or make a sword out of their bones.

The Jade Stream

"Very well." Dai Xin nodded as Kyang and Liu both left to make their preparations. He looked over at Torako, and gestured for her to lead the way. He would follow for the moment, unless she also needed to do something before they set out in search of the bandits. "Miss Torako, if you would like I can carry your sword for you. I will return it posthaste once we have identified our targets; I've no skill in using weaponry myself."

As they walked towards the main gates of town, Dai Xin looked around at the buildings and, further beyond, the types of trees and fields outside the gates. His eyes moved back and forth across different paths he could see, not upon the ground but through the air, from rooftop to tree branch. Once he had identified what he thought would be the most efficient route to follow the road out of town, he exhaled through his nose and nodded to himself. Now all there was to do was wait.

"Miss Torako," he began, "What Rikokan martial arts have you witnessed in your travels? I have only traveled here in Yunzhou, but have heard tales of the warrior-class called "samurai" in your homeland and their skill with blades. Does Rikoku also have empty-handed martial arts?"

In Hunting Beasts and Monsters

Kenji put his foot on the small of the dog-creature's back and yanked his spear out roughly, tearing a chunk of flesh from the creature as he moved away. He had only done so because Donny had come in swinging an improvised flail, and he didn't wanna be anywhere near such an unpredictable weapon. But with the enemy already down Donny just had to keep it that way--Kenji grimaced as he turned away, hearing the first crunch, then the second, as the other man swung away repeatedly.

The pale woman had engaged another of the beasts, and it looked like one of the others was going after the three that were still dragging the woman. Kenji figured he must be cocky or just stupid, attacking when he was outnumbered with what looked like just a cane--then again, perhaps it was a sword-cane or made of something more sturdy than a typical walking stick. Still, the guy was going to get himself killed...but, yet again, these things didn't seem so tough, actually...

There was a strange rush coursing through Kenji now, and he was unsure whether it was fear, adrenaline, or...something he didn't want to think about. Nevertheless, he made another decision--not one he felt was a good one, but he didn't have many other options at this point. He took off at a sprint, holding his spear out away from his body in one hand and pumping the other back and forth as hard as he could while he ran. While this guy with the cane was on one side of the three dog-men, he intended to come in from the other side for a pincer attack.

As he closed the distance he took the spear in both hands and tightened his grip, before stepping down hard and thrusting forward. He slid across the damp stones, thanks to his momentum, but kept his balance and managed what he thought was a damn good piercing attack, despite not knowing any martial arts. One of the dog-men turned to face him, obviously hearing his footsteps, but by the time it brought the rusty looking cleaver out from under its filthy robes the cross spear took it in the shoulder, the center prong going all the way through while one of the side blades dug into the area between its collar and chest. Kenji knocked it off balance as it snapped at him, spittle flying through the air between them. Its free claw lashed out, but couldn't get to him thanks to the spear's length.

Use leverage and see if we can...

Kenji had his hands on the lower third of the spear's shaft, and held it close to his body while he grunted and tried to simply swing the weapon up and in an arc, using his weight as a fulcrum. It tore free of the God Hand's shoulder in a spray of blood, leaving gristly white bone and stands of torn muscle in plain sight, and the creature screeched in rage as it stumbled. The spear rose straight up above Kenji's head, some of the blood dripping down onto his shoulder and staining his uniform before he brought it straight back down in a chopping motion. The cross blade sticking out of the bottom side punctured the top of the monster's head with a thick "plup" sound causing it to freeze in mid swing, its cleaver falling from limp hands. Blood squirted out from beneath one of its eyes as its scream rose to a high, keening pitch. Kenji stepped back, yanking the monster forward until it fell, facefirst onto the cobblestones. Levering the spear again he pulled it out...but the creature was still struggling to get up, though its motions were uncoordinated and it spasmed at random intervals.

Even with brain damage these things don't give up, what the hell kind of world is this...

He turned the spear until he was holding its blade pointed down, the shaft extending up in the air and his hands closer to the middle. He drove it down like an ice pick into the back of the monster's skull, and the blade exited through the bottom of its chin, digging into the ground and pinning it down. Kenji put his foot on the back of the cross blades like one would the edge of a shovel, and pushed it in further. The creature's legs kicked wildly for a few seconds...then it went still, blood pooling beneath the corpse and Kenji's shoes. He gagged as the scent hit him, and jerked the spear out as he looked around to get another gauge on the situation...

The Jade Stream

Dai Xin nodded expectantly at Kyang's answer, blinked slowly while listening to Torako, and when Liu gave his own reply the martial artist finally let another half smile show through his stoicism.

"Then between the four of us, I feel confident that a band such as this won't be a problem." he said. "As for who shall accompany who, I shall leave it to the rest of you. My own style and many of the others I have taken skills from include methods of Suo Di. I am confident I can move quickly and stealthily, and will be close at hand when the enemy arrives." Suo Di, also known as Shukuchi in Rikokan, was an umbrella term referring to methods of walking, stepping, and lunging in martial arts. There were also legends of magical sages or hermits who had mastered such arts to the extent of seeming to teleport, or walk on air, or other such outlandish things. Even leaving out the more exaggerated claims, someone who knew what they were doing with such techniques could balance on thin tree limbs, leap between walls to climb a building, and close the distance between themselves and an opponent with frightening speed.

Warriors of Hyrule [A Fantasy Drama Odyssey]

Seeker

Name: Seeker
Age: 19
Species: Shiekah
Appearance:

Image

He stands roughly 5 feet 10 inches, and weighs around 160 pounds, most of it muscle. The eye symbol of the Shiekah tribe is sewn into the back of his shirt, as he proudly advertises his identity despite the penchant of his people to be secretive.

Weapons and Equipment: A pair of light steel vambraces attached to his gloves, and greaves with a similar design attached to a pair of shin-high leather boots. These mostly serve as protection; in terms of weaponry, Seeker uses his own body and a variety of martial arts skills.

Skills:
+Shadow Sage Fist - An ancient martial arts style dating back to a much earlier age, when the tribe of shadows still protected the royal family. Though some of it has been lost over the years, Seeker has made it his goal to continue developing it. His personal style is highly offensive in nature--likely because of his personality--as opposed to the more stealth based arts the Shiekah are known for. He prefers "bladed hand" and "open palm" style strikes, while his kicks focus on being fast and precise.

+Stealth and Mobility - Despite his preference, Seeker is still very capable of moving silently, swiftly, and with agility. Things like jumping from rooftops or climbing walls are familiar to him, and with his athletic ability he can do it at a speed and height most wouldn't be comfortable with. Most of the time, however, he prefers the direct approach.

+Truth Sense - Though it's certainly not 100% accurate, and sometimes may not even trigger, Seeker has a certain "sense" for things. He may react as if he has felt a rumbling in the earth when secrets are about, or if he squints just right a magical illusion might waver for a moment. He might even feel the "killing intent" of an enemy moments before they strike. However, this isn't a well practiced or developed skill, and in order for the predictions to do any good he has to be capable of reacting to them with his own natural speed and reflexes.

+Show Off - Seeker's excellent, paradoxically enough, at making a big show of himself. Whether it's a conversation to jump right into, a challenge to be overcome, or a lady to woo, he won't hesitate at all. Whether or not he's successful is up in the air, but you can bet he'll make a scene to remember.

Flaws:
-Complete Idiot - When it comes to fighting, or even some forms of social interaction, Seeker can do okay. Technology? Books? Math? Common Sense? To hell with that.

-Womanizer - Honestly that makes him sound a little worse than he is, but the fact of the matter is that Seeker will hit on practically any woman he comes across relentlessly and doesn't often take a hint. Even if he were able to land a date, he's still not very faithful and his eye wanders so much it's like he looks in two different directions at once.

-Blood Knight - Loves a good fight, too much to be healthy. It's less about hurting people and more about overcoming challenges and testing his skills. That's actually worse in a way because he will actively seek out and continuously pester his would-be opponents, even after they've already fought once. Yet if he doesn't deem someone as "strong," it's almost worse because he becomes a really condescending prick.

-Overconfident/Impulsive - It has to be said that he definitely has some skill, but nonetheless he'll brashly and boldly take risks without bothering to think about whether or not he can actually walk the talk.

Bio: Seeker keeps his past under wraps for the most part, but from what can be gathered it seems he's one of the few remaining Shiekah and was born in a hidden village (not the one near Kakariko). He grew up and was trained there, and this partially accounts for how ignorant he is of the outside world, as he only recently left. But already he's begun making a name for himself, scouring bars and other slummy hangouts for a good fight, and doing a little bit of mercenary work as well. He's always trying to score with one lady or another, and at first glance this just seems like the behavior of a chauvinistic pig. But the truth is, the Shiekah are truly dying out. Even when one includes those of mixed blood in the clan, Seeker is one of the last--possibly THE last--males of his tribe. This is the mission he was given by those left in his village: Continue the bloodline of the tribe, and restore them to their former glory. Revive their culture, by seeking the ancient artifacts of shadows and truth, and bring glory once more to the name of the Shiekah.

So he travels, and he fights, and he flirts. True to his name, he seeks, but this is one Shiekah who refuses to fade quietly into the darkness. When he heard that the Queen sought the help of would-be Heroes, he saw it as a perfect opportunity. If he could become a bodyguard for the Royal Family, just like his ancestors, perhaps it would be the next step he needed on the road to glory.

Maybe then the girls would pay attention to him.

Warriors of Hyrule [A Fantasy Drama Odyssey]

It's meant to tie in to both the Sheikah items in the games (Mask/Lens of Truth, and the Stone of Agony in Ocarina of time) and the "chi/ki sense" of fictional martial artists. It's not intended to be as strong as Spider Sense, as that borders on precognition a lot of times. This would be like noticing something out of the corner of your eye as you walk on a crowded sidewalk. He might be able to differentiate what he's feeling ("Is this magic, or bloodlust?") but he can't know for certain what it is ahead of time, and has to consciously react to it. Something like an enemy coming down on top of him with weapon at the ready might trigger a strong enough response that he'd know "someone is trying to attack me from this direction" but he still has to turn around and react. He doesn't know if they have a sword or an axe, and doesn't know if they're too heavy to stop or too fast to get away from.

If you're still not cool with it I can downplay it some more.

Warriors of Hyrule [A Fantasy Drama Odyssey]

Here's my submission for judgement, let me know if anything needs to be changed or tweaked.

My Character

Name: Seeker
Age: 19
Species: Shiekah
Appearance:

Seeker

He stands roughly 5 feet 10 inches, and weighs around 160 pounds, most of it muscle. The eye symbol of the Shiekah tribe is sewn into the back of his shirt, as he proudly advertises his identity despite the penchant of his people to be secretive.

Weapons and Equipment: A pair of light steel vambraces attached to his gloves, and greaves with a similar design attached to a pair of shin-high leather boots. These mostly serve as protection; in terms of weaponry, Seeker uses his own body and a variety of martial arts skills.

Skills:
+Shadow Sage Fist - An ancient martial arts style dating back to a much earlier age, when the tribe of shadows still protected the royal family. Though some of it has been lost over the years, Seeker has made it his goal to continue developing it. His personal style is highly offensive in nature--likely because of his personality--as opposed to the more stealth based arts the Shiekah are known for. He prefers "bladed hand" and "open palm" style strikes, while his kicks focus on being fast and precise.

+Stealth and Mobility - Despite his preference, Seeker is still very capable of moving silently, swiftly, and with agility. Things like jumping from rooftops or climbing walls are familiar to him, and with his athletic ability he can do it at a speed and height most wouldn't be comfortable with. Most of the time, however, he prefers the direct approach.

+Truth Sense - Though it's certainly not 100% accurate, and sometimes may not even trigger, Seeker has a certain "sense" for things. He may react as if he has felt a rumbling in the earth when secrets are about, or if he squints just right a magical illusion might waver for a moment. He might even feel the "killing intent" of an enemy moments before they strike. However, this isn't a well practiced or developed skill, and in order for the predictions to do any good he has to be capable of reacting to them with his own natural speed and reflexes.

+Show Off - Seeker's excellent, paradoxically enough, at making a big show of himself. Whether it's a conversation to jump right into, a challenge to be overcome, or a lady to woo, he won't hesitate at all. Whether or not he's successful is up in the air, but you can bet he'll make a scene to remember.

Flaws:
-Complete Idiot - When it comes to fighting, or even some forms of social interaction, Seeker can do okay. Technology? Books? Math? Common Sense? To hell with that.

-Womanizer - Honestly that makes him sound a little worse than he is, but the fact of the matter is that Seeker will hit on practically any woman he comes across relentlessly and doesn't often take a hint. Even if he were able to land a date, he's still not very faithful and his eye wanders so much it's like he looks in two different directions at once.

-Blood Knight - Loves a good fight, too much to be healthy. It's less about hurting people and more about overcoming challenges and testing his skills. That's actually worse in a way because he will actively seek out and continuously pester his would-be opponents, even after they've already fought once. Yet if he doesn't deem someone as "strong," it's almost worse because he becomes a really condescending prick.

-Overconfident/Impulsive - It has to be said that he definitely has some skill, but nonetheless he'll brashly and boldly take risks without bothering to think about whether or not he can actually walk the talk.

Bio: Seeker keeps his past under wraps for the most part, but from what can be gathered it seems he's one of the few remaining Shiekah and was born in a hidden village (not the one near Kakariko). He grew up and was trained there, and this partially accounts for how ignorant he is of the outside world, as he only recently left. But already he's begun making a name for himself, scouring bars and other slummy hangouts for a good fight, and doing a little bit of mercenary work as well. He's always trying to score with one lady or another, and at first glance this just seems like the behavior of a chauvinistic pig. But the truth is, the Shiekah are truly dying out. Even when one includes those of mixed blood in the clan, Seeker is one of the last--possibly THE last--males of his tribe. This is the mission he was given by those left in his village: Continue the bloodline of the tribe, and restore them to their former glory. Revive their culture, by seeking the ancient artifacts of shadows and truth, and bring glory once more to the name of the Shiekah.

So he travels, and he fights, and he flirts. True to his name, he seeks, but this is one Shiekah who refuses to fade quietly into the darkness. When he heard that the Queen sought the help of would-be Heroes, he saw it as a perfect opportunity. If he could become a bodyguard for the Royal Family, just like his ancestors, perhaps it would be the next step he needed on the road to glory.

Maybe then the girls would pay attention to him.

The Jade Stream

"Very well. As long as you are both okay with the risks." Dai Xin didn't take being outvoted personally, since there were still good points for that strategy over the other. "Young master Fengxian, it is likely the bandits will move as a group, yes? How many opponents are you confident in defeating at once?" It would likely be up to the two of them to rush in and deal with the bulk of the opposing force. If Torako and Kyang were to act as bait, Dai Xin thought that would mean that they might be placed in a compromising position where they couldn't fight right away. But, just to be sure...

"I ask the same of you, ladies." he said to the girls. "Especially without weapons, how many enemies can you fight and win against?" He didn't want to seem like he was looking down on them, but considering that they seemed more adept with their blades than without--and that he had not yet seen them demonstrate any overtly powerful Qi channeling techniques--he had to admit to himself that he was not expecting much.

Warriors of Hyrule [A Fantasy Drama Odyssey]

After looking at one of the wikis for the series, it seems like the only confirmed Shiekah in Twilight Princess is Impaz, but there are implications that Madame Fanadi, Renado, and his daughter Luda are also connected to the tribe because the symbols appear on their clothing. The Gorons mentioned that the tribe dwindled in prolonged wars, but nothing ever says they're outright extinct.

Actually I could probably work that into the character himself, perhaps a desire to restore the clan somehow. As for the "skills" of the Shiekah, though, like I said I was planning for this to be a "monk" type character--someone who uses martial arts and maybe a few "special attack" type skills. I feel like it'd fit with the ninja archetype the clan tends to have, but he wouldn't be using much magic, if any.

If it's alright, I'll go ahead and work up a character sheet and submit it in a bit.

Warriors of Hyrule [A Fantasy Drama Odyssey]

I'd like to express interest in joining this, if you're still accepting players. Would it be possible to make a Shiekah (as I think they'd be most suitable for a "monk" type character) even though in Twilight Princess it seemed like they weren't really around any more?