Zeroth

Jianghu: Age After War

Yi Hyun-Woo

5'6"/167cm*130lbs/58kg*Eyes: Pale Amber

_{"I do not know if I have the talent to be great. I do not know if I can work hard enough to be great. But, now that my eyes have been opened to this world...I merely wish to see its horizons."}

ϟ YI HYUN-WOO ϟ

|| Age: 18 || Rank: Third-Rate || Allegiance: Martial Alliance || Alignment: Neutral Good || Traits: Soft spoken, Cautious ||

---

[P E R S O N A L I T Y]

_{(Based on the 12 Jungian Archetypes)}
|| The Face: The Innocent || The Soul: The Creator || The Self: The Ruler || The Ego: The Caregiver ||

---

[H I S T O R Y]

Hyun-Woo, third child of the Yi family, hails from the land of Goryeo. Among the great Taebaek Mountain Range, nestled between some of the lesser-known peaks, Yi Hyun-Woo lived in a simple, salt-of-the-earth village. In order to enter the Murim--the "branch" of Jianghu in Goryeo--one must have talent. A warrior can boast that their training, or their motivation, or their bonds among brothers, lovers, and comrades will overcome the gulf in talent all they like. The truth remains that no matter how hard one works, no matter their drive, if someone else works just as hard but has a smidgeon more talent, the second warrior will inevitably surpass the first. Thus the cultivation--and the suppression--of talent among each generation became a matter of life and death. Those who would pass on their arts wished for the greatest talents among their students. Those who wished to defeat their enemies despised the talents among students who were not their own.

How talented Yi Hyun-Woo might have been, is a question with no answer. For before he could even make a fist, much less hold a sword, the boy was fated to die. Born blind, his body wracked by pain and disease, the infant struggled even to breathe. Though his family held no great status or legendary feats, Hyun-Woo’s father had practiced martial arts in his youth and knew that great masters could heal the body with their techniques as well as they could destroy it. He also knew the legends of many such masters, and of these, the closest had supposedly ascended, to be called an "Immortal Sage," atop the peak of Azure Cloud Mountain.

The mountain held many dangers, and of these vicious brigands were by far the least. Hyun-Woo’s father was a man of little talent. Hyun-Woo, being expected to die before he reached two years of age, had not even received a name. Yet, for this nameless child, somehow a man of no talent ascended the mountain. Past the blue mists, above the swirling snowstorms, he climbed until his hands and feet were raw and covered in his own frozen blood. There, at the top, he did not find an Immortal Sage immersed in meditation.

He found only bones.

And yet, among the martial artists of the world there are many strange practices. Alchemy that infuses the spiritual energy of nature into medicine. Plants grown for a thousand years, devoured to increase one’s strength. Swords that can bewitch their own wielders. For those who practice forbidden, demonic arts, even cannibalism can be seen as a path to power...

The marrow of those bones saved Hyun-Woo’s life. Though still blind, and still frail, he lived. Though he required a cane, he began to walk. And unbeknownst to his family and village, a will apart from his own guided his steps. Over many years, it led him to move in certain ways, to breathe in rhythms, and his cane became far more than a blind child’s stick. Eventually, one moonless night, when every creature besides Hyun-Woo became just as blind, the ache in his bones drew him to the peak of Azure Cloud Mountain. There, beneath the place where his father dug up a Sage’s bones, he found a slip of jade carved by a blade. As he sat upon the mountain ledge, unperturbed by thousands of feet of empty space below him that he could not see, he traced the carvings with his fingers. He breathed the words. And he began to Cultivate.

He sat, cane across his lap, on the peak of that mountain for some time. His stomach rumbled with hunger, but he did not feel the need to stop. He could feel the sun's warmth as it rose, and as it crossed the sky, and as it caressed his back.

A storm gathered as the blue clouds turned purple, then black. Lightning rumbled, wind howled, and a blizzard cold enough to freeze birds in flight circled the peak. White lightning descended, and in the instant between the time it left the clouds and the moment it struck the ground, Hyun-Woo’s head snapped up and he saw it.

The boy awoke to another sunrise--to the first sunrise he had ever seen. His cane, broken to splinters and charred to cinders, still pointed the way one last time. Where the lightning blasted away the stones of the not-so-immortal Sage's resting place, he found one last gift: a metal box, its seal now melted away. Within lay a book of yellowed pages, though its ink had not faded. The title read thusly:

To My Descendants - The Inheritance of the Azure Cloud, The Art of the Flashing Sword

---

[M A R T I A L A R T S]

Azure Cloud Flash Sword

^{Silent Thunder}

---

History and Lore

The Azure Cloud Flash Sword is a school of blade-mastery with a long history, yet one that has dwindled with time. Perhaps a century ago, one could hear heroic tales of this school’s chivalrous disciples from any traveling minstrel. Fifty years ago, Azure Cloud Flash Sword would still be known as a prestigious hall of swordsmen, producing many fine champions whose skills were deeply coveted. A score of years ago, tales of the Azure Cloud drifted here and there, shrouded in an unknown strength and mystique. Now, the name is spoken only in reference to a lost, historical art. Yet it seems there has been one last transmission, from an unknown Master to a single Disciple...

Nonetheless, this school of swordsmanship bestows its wielder keen senses and well-honed skills. Particularly in the speed of one’s draw, lunge, and thrust, it might not be hyperbole to say the Azure Cloud is unmatched. However, it is certainly not a strength-oriented sword. The straight, double edged blade favored by the style is that of a gentleman, one versed in scholarly arts as well as martial. Redirection, skillful cuts and disabling strikes, and evasive footwork are the domain of Azure Cloud Flash Sword. By using one’s inner energy, rather than external strength, the swordsman executes more advanced techniques.

Body Enhancements

• Enhanced Senses - Because he was once blind, Yi Hyun-Woo's other senses and his awareness of his environment are different from a person who has relied only on sight since birth. His nose, his skin, his ears, and even his concept of his orientation in physical space are far more sensitive than a normal person's. Azure Cloud Flash Sword's reliance on these senses--for its sword has many similarities to arts like Taijiquan and Baguazhang--has bolstered them even further. While Yi Hyun-Woo's physicality and mastery of fighting may only be Third-Rate, his senses and perception of his surroundings could be considered a half-step from First Class.
• Enhanced Reflexes - Combined with his senses, and the reliance on speed in the Azure Cloud Flash Sword, Yi Hyun-Woo has considerably faster reactions and better fast-twitch muscle memory than any "normal" person.
• Timid Presence - Having once been unable to see people, Yi Hyun-Woo never learned any subconscious need to BE seen by others. His personality is certainly quite docile, but he isn't anti-social; nonetheless, this quality makes it hard for him to stand out in a crowd. That is a terrible disposition for anyone who wants to become famous or practice leadership. But it can be quite surprising when a young man with a sword speaks up at your shoulder, and you have no idea how long he's been there. If Hyun-Woo actually wants to be stealthy, he's much more adept at hiding himself because he takes into account more than just not being seen.

Equipment

• Wumei Jian - A mundane sword of steel, forged by Yi Hyun-Woo's own father. After his son was healed, the man ceased practicing martial arts entirely and put all of his focus into the art of smithing. A regular village blacksmith by birth and trade, he had only practiced martial arts when he thought he could rise up to take on the world. But now he used that knowledge, along with long years of practice, to craft this weapon when his son returned from that mystical journey on the Azure Peak. The sword has five layers instead of three, with softer plates added to its central ridge to increase its durability--it has better flexibility when clashing against other weaponry, but still holds a keen edge.

Cultivation Base

• Azure Cloud Flash Sword's Lightning Arc Method - To the layperson, when one thinks of "Cultivation," one thinks of "drawing in" the Qi through breathing, meditation, alchemical pills, or other methods. That Qi is gathered, sometimes in enormous amounts, before a process of "refinement" begins, and the refined Qi is built up in "layers" or circulated through the body in a specific way, or otherwise altered from its natural state through "condensation." And with large amounts of condensed, purified, properly flowing Qi, one gains great power.
  
  Through the Lightning Arc Method, however, the process of "drawing in" and "purifying" the Qi is, in a sense, simultaneous. Though not completely free of impurities until later on in the Cultivation process, the raw energy is simply "split" into two rough masses--"positive" Qi, and "negative" Qi. It is unclear whether the Azure Cloud Flash Sword's masters intended these readings to mean the same thing as "Yin and Yang" or as "good and bad," or "clean and unclean," but whatever the case the art's practitioners are taught very specifically to separate the Qi into these two categories.
  
  The Positive and Negative Qi is then circulated through the body in a fashion like most other Cultivation Arts--the Cosmic Circuit, the Three Furnaces, the Twelve Principles, the Eight Extraordinaries, etc. However, the key of the Lightning Arc Method is that the two Qi Masses are kept in a specific alignment throughout the body: When Positive Qi enters the right side of the body, Negative Qi is entering the left side. When Positive Qi travels downward along the Cosmic Circuit into the Lower Dantian at the base of the Conceptual Vessel, Negative Qi is traveling upward along the Governing Vessel to enter the Upper Dantian. It requires the practitioner to maintain specifically rhythmic breathing, and to keep track of two circuits at once--there is no question that, for a beginner, this rhythm will falter. Thus, developing mental and physical reflexes is paramount--if you are certain you cannot avoid every failure in life, then you must learn to react to those failures as efficiently as possible.
  
  The interplay of the two Qi types, and the philosophy behind the method, informs all techniques of the Azure Cloud Flash Sword. Many martial artists demonstrate their prowess through "explosive movement." They let out a great shout or exhalation, move with an almost mechanical efficiency of the body, and unleash the most power possible, through the smallest impact point possible, to the weakest target possible, as quickly as possible. There are certainly many techniques within the Azure Cloud Flash Sword that still utilize this concept--but Lightning is different from Fire. It does not burn constantly. And unlike Water, it does not "flow" smoothly. It builds within the clouds, and then, in less than a blink, it strikes the earth, arcing in jagged spikes and straight lines! It is when the breath of the Azure Cloud Flash Swordsman becomes still...the Positive and Negative Qi crash into one another, like a line of little children marching in place when the leader suddenly stops. And this clash of two opposing natures produces, in a single instant, a power that is not only their two strengths "added" together, but "multiplied" by the catalyst blade!

Techniques

• Earthward Step - A method of the “Walking and Breathing” practices used by many martial arts. The Azure Cloud’s method relies on the body’s natural rhythm of tension and release, both for the user and the opponent, as well as straight-line, high speed movement. For an instant, the swordsman may even seem to disappear from sight. Hyun-Woo can only travel a short distance at a time with this technique, but it is one of the most well-practiced in his arsenal.
• White Lightning Snake Fangs - This sword form teaches the Azure Cloud disciple to strike from any position like a coiled snake, to be ready at all times. From the scabbard, no matter where it is in relation to the user’s body, the swordsman must be able to draw and cut with a single motion in a fraction of a second. It requires extreme flexibility of the arm, straining the joint if used too many times in succession.
• Drifting Storm Cloud - A defensive form that must be practiced for long periods at a time, because it informs a great deal of Azure Cloud Flash Sword's ability to deal with enemies if their lightning-swift movements fail to dispatch the foe within the first instant of combat. Like some forms of Taijiquan, it allows the opponent's sword to make contact, and then reacts to their strength or redirects it. Yi Hyun-Woo has also incorporated his experience of using a blind man's cane into this blade, making his own sword into an extension of his senses. As a result, despite being a subsidiary form, it might be said that this is currently his most effective mode of fighting.

ϟ

Jianghu: Age After War

No real changes; it's good. You're free to put him in the character tab.

@OwO

I saw that a 0th post is already present in the CS tab, but did you want me to wait until you added your own character in a 1st post or anything like that?

Jianghu: Age After War

Here's my CS, with some of the alterations we discussed via PM. If I still need to change anything or if something could use improvement, please let me know! I also welcome feedback/critique from other players!

Yi Hyun-Woo

5'6"/167cm*130lbs/58kg*Eyes: Pale Amber

_{"I do not know if I have the talent to be great. I do not know if I can work hard enough to be great. But, now that my eyes have been opened to this world...I merely wish to see its horizons."}

ϟ YI HYUN-WOO ϟ

|| Age: 18 || Rank: Third-Rate || Allegiance: Martial Alliance || Alignment: Neutral Good || Traits: Soft spoken, Cautious ||

---

[P E R S O N A L I T Y]

_{(Based on the 12 Jungian Archetypes)}
|| The Face: The Innocent || The Soul: The Creator || The Self: The Ruler || The Ego: The Caregiver ||

---

[H I S T O R Y]

Hyun-Woo, third child of the Yi family, hails from the land of Goryeo. Among the great Taebaek Mountain Range, nestled between some of the lesser-known peaks, Yi Hyun-Woo lived in a simple, salt-of-the-earth village. In order to enter the Murim--the "branch" of Jianghu in Goryeo--one must have talent. A warrior can boast that their training, or their motivation, or their bonds among brothers, lovers, and comrades will overcome the gulf in talent all they like. The truth remains that no matter how hard one works, no matter their drive, if someone else works just as hard but has a smidgeon more talent, the second warrior will inevitably surpass the first. Thus the cultivation--and the suppression--of talent among each generation became a matter of life and death. Those who would pass on their arts wished for the greatest talents among their students. Those who wished to defeat their enemies despised the talents among students who were not their own.

How talented Yi Hyun-Woo might have been, is a question with no answer. For before he could even make a fist, much less hold a sword, the boy was fated to die. Born blind, his body wracked by pain and disease, the infant struggled even to breathe. Though his family held no great status or legendary feats, Hyun-Woo’s father had practiced martial arts in his youth and knew that great masters could heal the body with their techniques as well as they could destroy it. He also knew the legends of many such masters, and of these, the closest had supposedly ascended, to be called an "Immortal Sage," atop the peak of Azure Cloud Mountain.

The mountain held many dangers, and of these vicious brigands were by far the least. Hyun-Woo’s father was a man of little talent. Hyun-Woo, being expected to die before he reached two years of age, had not even received a name. Yet, for this nameless child, somehow a man of no talent ascended the mountain. Past the blue mists, above the swirling snowstorms, he climbed until his hands and feet were raw and covered in his own frozen blood. There, at the top, he did not find an Immortal Sage immersed in meditation.

He found only bones.

And yet, among the martial artists of the world there are many strange practices. Alchemy that infuses the spiritual energy of nature into medicine. Plants grown for a thousand years, devoured to increase one’s strength. Swords that can bewitch their own wielders. For those who practice forbidden, demonic arts, even cannibalism can be seen as a path to power...

The marrow of those bones saved Hyun-Woo’s life. Though still blind, and still frail, he lived. Though he required a cane, he began to walk. And unbeknownst to his family and village, a will apart from his own guided his steps. Over many years, it led him to move in certain ways, to breathe in rhythms, and his cane became far more than a blind child’s stick. Eventually, one moonless night, when every creature besides Hyun-Woo became just as blind, the ache in his bones drew him to the peak of Azure Cloud Mountain. There, beneath the place where his father dug up a Sage’s bones, he found a slip of jade carved by a blade. As he sat upon the mountain ledge, unperturbed by thousands of feet of empty space below him that he could not see, he traced the carvings with his fingers. He breathed the words. And he began to Cultivate.

He sat, cane across his lap, on the peak of that mountain for some time. His stomach rumbled with hunger, but he did not feel the need to stop. He could feel the sun's warmth as it rose, and as it crossed the sky, and as it caressed his back.

A storm gathered as the blue clouds turned purple, then black. Lightning rumbled, wind howled, and a blizzard cold enough to freeze birds in flight circled the peak. White lightning descended, and in the instant between the time it left the clouds and the moment it struck the ground, Hyun-Woo’s head snapped up and he saw it.

The boy awoke to another sunrise--to the first sunrise he had ever seen. His cane, broken to splinters and charred to cinders, still pointed the way one last time. Where the lightning blasted away the stones of the not-so-immortal Sage's resting place, he found one last gift: a metal box, its seal now melted away. Within lay a book of yellowed pages, though its ink had not faded. The title read thusly:

To My Descendants - The Inheritance of the Azure Cloud, The Art of the Flashing Sword

---

[M A R T I A L A R T S]

Azure Cloud Flash Sword

^{Silent Thunder}

---

History and Lore

The Azure Cloud Flash Sword is a school of blade-mastery with a long history, yet one that has dwindled with time. Perhaps a century ago, one could hear heroic tales of this school’s chivalrous disciples from any traveling minstrel. Fifty years ago, Azure Cloud Flash Sword would still be known as a prestigious hall of swordsmen, producing many fine champions whose skills were deeply coveted. A score of years ago, tales of the Azure Cloud drifted here and there, shrouded in an unknown strength and mystique. Now, the name is spoken only in reference to a lost, historical art. Yet it seems there has been one last transmission, from an unknown Master to a single Disciple...

Nonetheless, this school of swordsmanship bestows its wielder keen senses and well-honed skills. Particularly in the speed of one’s draw, lunge, and thrust, it might not be hyperbole to say the Azure Cloud is unmatched. However, it is certainly not a strength-oriented sword. The straight, double edged blade favored by the style is that of a gentleman, one versed in scholarly arts as well as martial. Redirection, skillful cuts and disabling strikes, and evasive footwork are the domain of Azure Cloud Flash Sword. By using one’s inner energy, rather than external strength, the swordsman executes more advanced techniques.

Body Enhancements

• Enhanced Senses - Because he was once blind, Yi Hyun-Woo's other senses and his awareness of his environment are different from a person who has relied only on sight since birth. His nose, his skin, his ears, and even his concept of his orientation in physical space are far more sensitive than a normal person's. Azure Cloud Flash Sword's reliance on these senses--for its sword has many similarities to arts like Taijiquan and Baguazhang--has bolstered them even further. While Yi Hyun-Woo's physicality and mastery of fighting may only be Third-Rate, his senses and perception of his surroundings could be considered a half-step from First Class.
• Enhanced Reflexes - Combined with his senses, and the reliance on speed in the Azure Cloud Flash Sword, Yi Hyun-Woo has considerably faster reactions and better fast-twitch muscle memory than any "normal" person.
• Timid Presence - Having once been unable to see people, Yi Hyun-Woo never learned any subconscious need to BE seen by others. His personality is certainly quite docile, but he isn't anti-social; nonetheless, this quality makes it hard for him to stand out in a crowd. That is a terrible disposition for anyone who wants to become famous or practice leadership. But it can be quite surprising when a young man with a sword speaks up at your shoulder, and you have no idea how long he's been there. If Hyun-Woo actually wants to be stealthy, he's much more adept at hiding himself because he takes into account more than just not being seen.

Equipment

• Wumei Jian - A mundane sword of steel, forged by Yi Hyun-Woo's own father. After his son was healed, the man ceased practicing martial arts entirely and put all of his focus into the art of smithing. A regular village blacksmith by birth and trade, he had only practiced martial arts when he thought he could rise up to take on the world. But now he used that knowledge, along with long years of practice, to craft this weapon when his son returned from that mystical journey on the Azure Peak. The sword has five layers instead of three, with softer plates added to its central ridge to increase its durability--it has better flexibility when clashing against other weaponry, but still holds a keen edge.

Cultivation Base

• Azure Cloud Flash Sword's Lightning Arc Method - To the layperson, when one thinks of "Cultivation," one thinks of "drawing in" the Qi through breathing, meditation, alchemical pills, or other methods. That Qi is gathered, sometimes in enormous amounts, before a process of "refinement" begins, and the refined Qi is built up in "layers" or circulated through the body in a specific way, or otherwise altered from its natural state through "condensation." And with large amounts of condensed, purified, properly flowing Qi, one gains great power.
  
  Through the Lightning Arc Method, however, the process of "drawing in" and "purifying" the Qi is, in a sense, simultaneous. Though not completely free of impurities until later on in the Cultivation process, the raw energy is simply "split" into two rough masses--"positive" Qi, and "negative" Qi. It is unclear whether the Azure Cloud Flash Sword's masters intended these readings to mean the same thing as "Yin and Yang" or as "good and bad," or "clean and unclean," but whatever the case the art's practitioners are taught very specifically to separate the Qi into these two categories.
  
  The Positive and Negative Qi is then circulated through the body in a fashion like most other Cultivation Arts--the Cosmic Circuit, the Three Furnaces, the Twelve Principles, the Eight Extraordinaries, etc. However, the key of the Lightning Arc Method is that the two Qi Masses are kept in a specific alignment throughout the body: When Positive Qi enters the right side of the body, Negative Qi is entering the left side. When Positive Qi travels downward along the Cosmic Circuit into the Lower Dantian at the base of the Conceptual Vessel, Negative Qi is traveling upward along the Governing Vessel to enter the Upper Dantian. It requires the practitioner to maintain specifically rhythmic breathing, and to keep track of two circuits at once--there is no question that, for a beginner, this rhythm will falter. Thus, developing mental and physical reflexes is paramount--if you are certain you cannot avoid every failure in life, then you must learn to react to those failures as efficiently as possible.
  
  The interplay of the two Qi types, and the philosophy behind the method, informs all techniques of the Azure Cloud Flash Sword. Many martial artists demonstrate their prowess through "explosive movement." They let out a great shout or exhalation, move with an almost mechanical efficiency of the body, and unleash the most power possible, through the smallest impact point possible, to the weakest target possible, as quickly as possible. There are certainly many techniques within the Azure Cloud Flash Sword that still utilize this concept--but Lightning is different from Fire. It does not burn constantly. And unlike Water, it does not "flow" smoothly. It builds within the clouds, and then, in less than a blink, it strikes the earth, arcing in jagged spikes and straight lines! It is when the breath of the Azure Cloud Flash Swordsman becomes still...the Positive and Negative Qi crash into one another, like a line of little children marching in place when the leader suddenly stops. And this clash of two opposing natures produces, in a single instant, a power that is not only their two strengths "added" together, but "multiplied" by the catalyst blade!

Techniques

• Earthward Step - A method of the “Walking and Breathing” practices used by many martial arts. The Azure Cloud’s method relies on the body’s natural rhythm of tension and release, both for the user and the opponent, as well as straight-line, high speed movement. For an instant, the swordsman may even seem to disappear from sight. Hyun-Woo can only travel a short distance at a time with this technique, but it is one of the most well-practiced in his arsenal.
• White Lightning Snake Fangs - This sword form teaches the Azure Cloud disciple to strike from any position like a coiled snake, to be ready at all times. From the scabbard, no matter where it is in relation to the user’s body, the swordsman must be able to draw and cut with a single motion in a fraction of a second. It requires extreme flexibility of the arm, straining the joint if used too many times in succession.
• Drifting Storm Cloud - A defensive form that must be practiced for long periods at a time, because it informs a great deal of Azure Cloud Flash Sword's ability to deal with enemies if their lightning-swift movements fail to dispatch the foe within the first instant of combat. Like some forms of Taijiquan, it allows the opponent's sword to make contact, and then reacts to their strength or redirects it. Yi Hyun-Woo has also incorporated his experience of using a blind man's cane into this blade, making his own sword into an extension of his senses. As a result, despite being a subsidiary form, it might be said that this is currently his most effective mode of fighting.

ϟ

Jianghu: Age After War - A wuxia interest check

Hells yeah, I've been waiting for an RP like this to pop up for a long time!

Just to clarify, since this is more "Wuxia" and less "you thought Legendary Rank was the peak of cultivation? You've still got 13 Dimensional Realms and 72 Constellations to work through, boyo!" where do things like monsters, Demon/Spirit Beasts, or just general supernatural things like ghosts, necromancy, etc fall? Will we be sticking to mostly Street Fighter-esque applications of Qi, or is stuff like "Five Element Magic/Illusion Arrays/Summoning Arts/etc" present as well?

Heavens Torn Asunder

Hopefully starting out this many provinces over from Mifu is okay. Left it open and chaotic enough that it'd be easy for others to hear or notice if anyone else wants to get involved.

Heavens Torn Asunder

[ K Y O ]

Haruki (春樹) Province
Beginning of A Long Road

---

A region that truly embodied the bounty of the land, forests and fertile ground filled Haruki Province. Such abundance meant that they supplied many of the other regions with food as the "Rice Bowl of Tenkai." Their abundance also allowed them to invest in luxuries, leaving its people better off than most--or, at least, that was what the tiny brush strokes in the corner of the map said. Truth be told, such abundance brought problems of its own to this lush land--such as the unscrupulous sorts who would gorge themselves on Haruki's horn of plenty.

"Hmmm...I must've walked several more miles by this point. Am I on the right road?" The young man--tall, handsome in feature, wearing robes and, most telling of his status, a sword--folded the map and placed it back into the inner lining of his kimono. His eyes were sharp, but bright, both young and intelligent. Despite his doubts he continued along the path.

"Too far to turn back now, I suppose..."

Yet not long after he said this, he rounded a bend in the path. On the other side of a steep hill, thick with trees and underbrush, the dirt road came to a sudden obstruction--a fallen tree, still clinging to its stump by a splintered sliver of trunk. The young man narrowed his eyes even further, for this was no misfortune of weather or age. The axe embedded in the stump had an edge that still gleamed.

"Ahh, sorry bout that, Young Master!" A rough voice guffawed. Atop the tree sat a large man, his plain robes girded up around his fat, hairy legs. His forearms bristled equally with muscle as well as fuzz, and his balding head held a smile minus a few teeth. "But the road's closed! Ya can't come this way!"

"It's no problem." The youth's hands dropped to his sides--the boor reached for the handle of his axe. But the noble-faced lad didn't touch his own weapon after all, and the thug relaxed. "I can simply go around."

"Gehahaha!" The ruffian dropped down from his perch and pulled the axe free, tapping its shaft across his shoulders. "'Fraid not, brat."

At that, more men appeared. One from either side of the fallen tree, blocking the roundabout. Two more stepped out onto the road behind their target, and yet another closed in from his left. The youth did not look at any of them--instead, he glanced up toward the hill on his right, and sniffed the air.

"Pretty smart, ain'tcha? Yep, we got an archer or three up there." The first bandit stepped forward and hacked a glob of phlegm into the dust. "An' forgive my rudeness, young master, but you don't look like one o' them prodigies what can take ten men without a scratch. So why don't ya lay down that sword...and yer purse...and them clothes, too?" With every moment the group closed in, until one of the two at his flank made to grab the young man's arm and pull him down--

"Wh...what the hell?" The bandit grabbed him with the other hand as well, and yanked as hard as he could. The youth didn't budge. "H-he's s'damn heavy, what gives!?"

"Are you guys the ones calling themselves the Bloody Wolves Gang?" asked the cool youth. But those sharp, bright eyes had changed--their corners perked with glee, just like the smirk on his face that grew wider every moment. The leader froze for a half-moment, then raised his axe.

"Kill 'em!"

A club, a heavy butcher's knife, and a stolen sword all swung at one time. The young man burst into laughter--and flame. A purple, magical blaze sprang from his skin, consuming his entire form in seconds. The clash of steel rang out. As the smoke cleared, the bandits saw their weapons caught among rows of spiked iron studs...and with ever mounting horror, craned their necks as the muscular, black-and-white skinned arm flexed its clawed grip on a red, cloth-wrapped haft.

"I'm hungry, so if you let me have one of those cows you've been rustling, I might let one of you sorry bastards live!" roared the Demon. With three whistle-thumps, three feathered shafts seemed to sprout from one alabaster shoulder. The Oni let out an enraged shout and brought his enormous club down right on top of an assailant. The other two jumped back, but as their companion's body was driven to the ground, his head no longer resembled anything recognizable as a human. The crimson spray spattered the Oni's pale face, and a long tongue snaked out to lap it up.

"Make that two cows."

Screams and bestial roars echoed through the forest...

Heavens Torn Asunder

@PKMNB0YAre the Provinces listed in like, a clockwise fashion, or ordered by which ones share borders (Mifu shares a border with Miwatari, which shares a border with Yamakawa, etc)?

Heavens Torn Asunder

Kyo the Oni

• Name:
  Kyokokumaru | "Kyo"
  ^{[虛哭丸] | One whose Cry is Hollow}
• Age:
  32 - Young by Oni standards
• Race:
  Oni
• Appearance:
  
  7"/213cm | 350lbs/159kg | Eyes: Wolf-Yellow

  
• Personality:
  Kyo strikes a fearsome figure, and there is no doubt he has all the typical qualities of the ogre-demon species he hails from. But beneath the veneer of brutality, the relish with which he crushes his enemies, and the thrill of battle, there's something else--a desire not just to prove oneself, but to be accepted. A quiet, introspective face turned towards the moon, or the monstrous reflection in the still pond. A search for...purpose? Stability? Safety? He's not even sure he knows what he wants...only that the life he leads is empty.
• History:
  Among the various tribes of Oni across the land, two are named among legends known far and wide: The White Horn Tribe, or Shirokaku [白角] of Yamakawa Province, and the Black Fang Tribe, or Kurokiba [黒牙] of Hakkou Province. But these two tribes have been bitter enemies for as long as their own legends have been passed down--perhaps longer. Though all Oni possess superhuman size, toughness, and strength, some subtypes of the ogre race have adapted differently due to environment or preferences in practice. The Black Fang Oni garnered a reputation as weapon masters--not just primitive brutes swinging clubs, but true warriors wielding iron staves, great spears, and all other tools of war. The White Horn Oni, on the other hand, became known for their magical potential. No one knows the exact reasons these two clans initially came to their blood feud, but their nature as opposites certainly lent itself to the equation.
  
  And yet, where has there ever been a tale of two factions sworn to destroy one another without a tale of star-crossed lovers woven within it? Two young, impressionable, hard-headed demons pursued a bond despite all the wisdom and foreboding of their families, and thus was an Oni of mixed blood conceived. Yet this tale is not a happy one--for all such star crossed loves seem to end in tragedy. From this tragedy comes the name, "Kyokokumaru,"--for no one, not even his own mother, would listen to his cries.
  
  Born with blackened horns and ivory fangs, Kyo was cast out from both tribes. Other Youkai communities, and even some humans, within the territory of each clan and even some of the surrounding provinces, dared not grant him safe haven lest the Black Fangs or White Horns come looking for him with drawn swords and hexing curses. Left to survive on his own, he has stolen livestock to eat; in defending himself from bandits or self-righteous "demon slayers," he has committed murder or caused undue harm. Not one to shy away from drink either, Kyo has rumpled many feathers along his way, and thus finds himself alone. So he wanders...and wonders...in search of a place to be...
• Abilities/Skills:
  
  
  • Kekkai no Buren [血継の武練] - Bloodline Weapon Arts. Though his Kurokiba-Oni heritage is diluted, reducing this ability's effectiveness by half, Kyo is instinctually able to use most types of close-combat weaponry upon seizing them in his hands. Almost a form of psychometry, he grasps the underlying principles of the weapon and the fundamentals of its use. He can't mimic personalized techniques or learn the subtleties of specific styles without training, and thus a weapon that's been "modified" to a certain degree to fit those specialties doesn't quite fit right in his hands until he's had time to acclimate to it.
  • Shirokaku Youjutsu [白角の妖術] - White Horn Demon Arts. Though his Shirokaku-Oni heritage is diluted, reducing this ability's effectiveness by half, Kyo knows a small number of spells learned by many Madoushi of the White Horn Tribe. Given proper materials, preparation time, and a provision of his own energy, he can perform some basic spellcraft. Think in terms of starting a campfire with a cantrip. Two of the most used are: Shapeshift into a Human form (though several tells give away his true nature), and creating a simple Barrier within a geometric area to defend against hostile attacks or spells (though its territory is small and its structure weak, overall). Given that he has a higher than usual amount of energy for most Oni, it's possible that with time he could become a more accomplished magician with dedicated training.
  • Zasshoku Kaifuku [雑食の回復] - Omnivorous Recovery. Through eating incredibly large quantities of food, even compared to what a being Kyo's size would normally have to eat to maintain their muscle mass, Kyo can speed up his healing factor. The supernaturally tough body of an Oni can withstand much more punishment than a human in the first place, but it's thanks to this ability Kyo survived the first decade or so after his exile. However, what exactly an Oni considers "food" isn't always palatable to honest, upright society...In any case, the speed and degree of healing depends entirely on the amount and the nutrition of the food. Eating a horse--literally--could probably bring him back even from near-death, but who knows if he could finish the whole thing before he bled out.
• Other:
  
  
  • Kyo carries a Kanabo in classical Oni style, which is roughly six feet long and at least a solid eighty pounds.
  • While not supernaturally skilled as he is with weapons, Kyo enjoys hand-to-hand martial arts as well, and is particularly fond of Sumo Wrestling.
  • He becomes melancholy around mountains, and calmer around flower fields.

Heavens Torn Asunder

@PKMNB0Y As discussed in PM, here's the revised draft for my character. Other players, please feel free to offer critiques or suggestions! It looks like, so far, we have a ninja, a sword specialist, and a strategist, so I suppose the role my character would fill would be more towards the Big Guy/Berserker end of the spectrum!

Kyo the Oni

• Name:
  Kyokokumaru | "Kyo"
  ^{[虛哭丸] | One whose Cry is Hollow}
• Age:
  32 - Young by Oni standards
• Race:
  Oni
• Appearance:
  
  7"/213cm | 350lbs/159kg | Eyes: Wolf-Yellow

  
• Personality:
  Kyo strikes a fearsome figure, and there is no doubt he has all the typical qualities of the ogre-demon species he hails from. But beneath the veneer of brutality, the relish with which he crushes his enemies, and the thrill of battle, there's something else--a desire not just to prove oneself, but to be accepted. A quiet, introspective face turned towards the moon, or the monstrous reflection in the still pond. A search for...purpose? Stability? Safety? He's not even sure he knows what he wants...only that the life he leads is empty.
• History:
  Among the various tribes of Oni across the land, two are named among legends known far and wide: The White Horn Tribe, or Shirokaku [白角] of Yamakawa Province, and the Black Fang Tribe, or Kurokiba [黒牙] of Hakkou Province. But these two tribes have been bitter enemies for as long as their own legends have been passed down--perhaps longer. Though all Oni possess superhuman size, toughness, and strength, some subtypes of the ogre race have adapted differently due to environment or preferences in practice. The Black Fang Oni garnered a reputation as weapon masters--not just primitive brutes swinging clubs, but true warriors wielding iron staves, great spears, and all other tools of war. The White Horn Oni, on the other hand, became known for their magical potential. No one knows the exact reasons these two clans initially came to their blood feud, but their nature as opposites certainly lent itself to the equation.
  
  And yet, where has there ever been a tale of two factions sworn to destroy one another without a tale of star-crossed lovers woven within it? Two young, impressionable, hard-headed demons pursued a bond despite all the wisdom and foreboding of their families, and thus was an Oni of mixed blood conceived. Yet this tale is not a happy one--for all such star crossed loves seem to end in tragedy. From this tragedy comes the name, "Kyokokumaru,"--for no one, not even his own mother, would listen to his cries.
  
  Born with blackened horns and ivory fangs, Kyo was cast out from both tribes. Other Youkai communities, and even some humans, within the territory of each clan and even some of the surrounding provinces, dared not grant him safe haven lest the Black Fangs or White Horns come looking for him with drawn swords and hexing curses. Left to survive on his own, he has stolen livestock to eat; in defending himself from bandits or self-righteous "demon slayers," he has committed murder or caused undue harm. Not one to shy away from drink either, Kyo has rumpled many feathers along his way, and thus finds himself alone. So he wanders...and wonders...in search of a place to be...
• Abilities/Skills:
  
  
  • Kekkai no Buren [血継の武練] - Bloodline Weapon Arts. Though his Kurokiba-Oni heritage is diluted, reducing this ability's effectiveness by half, Kyo is instinctually able to use most types of close-combat weaponry upon seizing them in his hands. Almost a form of psychometry, he grasps the underlying principles of the weapon and the fundamentals of its use. He can't mimic personalized techniques or learn the subtleties of specific styles without training, and thus a weapon that's been "modified" to a certain degree to fit those specialties doesn't quite fit right in his hands until he's had time to acclimate to it.
  • Shirokaku Youjutsu [白角の妖術] - White Horn Demon Arts. Though his Shirokaku-Oni heritage is diluted, reducing this ability's effectiveness by half, Kyo knows a small number of spells learned by many Madoushi of the White Horn Tribe. Given proper materials, preparation time, and a provision of his own energy, he can perform some basic spellcraft. Think in terms of starting a campfire with a cantrip. Two of the most used are: Shapeshift into a Human form (though several tells give away his true nature), and creating a simple Barrier within a geometric area to defend against hostile attacks or spells (though its territory is small and its structure weak, overall). Given that he has a higher than usual amount of energy for most Oni, it's possible that with time he could become a more accomplished magician with dedicated training.
  • Zasshoku Kaifuku [雑食の回復] - Omnivorous Recovery. Through eating incredibly large quantities of food, even compared to what a being Kyo's size would normally have to eat to maintain their muscle mass, Kyo can speed up his healing factor. The supernaturally tough body of an Oni can withstand much more punishment than a human in the first place, but it's thanks to this ability Kyo survived the first decade or so after his exile. However, what exactly an Oni considers "food" isn't always palatable to honest, upright society...In any case, the speed and degree of healing depends entirely on the amount and the nutrition of the food. Eating a horse--literally--could probably bring him back even from near-death, but who knows if he could finish the whole thing before he bled out.
• Other:
  
  
  • Kyo carries a Kanabo in classical Oni style, which is roughly six feet long and at least a solid eighty pounds.
  • While not supernaturally skilled as he is with weapons, Kyo enjoys hand-to-hand martial arts as well, and is particularly fond of Sumo Wrestling.
  • He becomes melancholy around mountains, and calmer around flower fields.

Heavens Torn Asunder

Interested!

@PKMNB0YAs far as magic goes, do you have any system you'd prefer players to stick to? Like, is Onmyodo limited to using Shikigami or other familiars, setting up barriers, etc? Or do we just need to make whatever power-set we come up with match the general flavor? (As in, if you wanna just cast Fireball, do it by throwing a paper ofuda or making hand seals?)

Similar question as above, but applied to Youkai--should they stick as close to Japanese myth as possible, or is there leeway towards other influences?

And what sort of "power scale," should we stick to? For example, do you imagine this setting as closer to Ruroni Kenshin, or or something more embellished like Inuyasha, Sengoku Basara, etc?