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IC: 7 Swordsmen of Celestial Mountain

Foreword and Rules
This is an oriental (Chinese-like) rp about a group of students possessing 7 unique swords from Master Star Hammer Wu, a master sword smith and martial artist.

This rp is not based on any historical nor factual Chinese references and is purely fictional. Though the setting is set in ancient Chinese with the inclusion of elaborate Kung Fu and whatnot.

Players will have the freedom to create the world during play and create npc's if it means that everyone may god mod it without killing it (very useful in conversations). All created npc's are ultimately up to me how to disperse their fate throughout the story.

Keep to standard Advanced level requirement while writing. Everyone MUST post at least once every two days. I'll be a bit lax on weekends since we all have fun things to do No speed posting so refrain from replying like a machine gun and give other players from other time zones to reply as well.

I reserve the right to visit death upon the character on player abandonment without any notice to me or to the OOC detailing the cause.

Introduction
Master Wu forged 7 when he resided in the cold mountain tops of Celestial Mountain and is very selective of his students and even more so on who deserves the swords that he had forged during his time there. He is an old and very strict man with a bald head and a white flowing beard that reaches down to his knees. His name was well known in the Jade Empire yet his whereabouts was a deep mystery, only that he was somewhere within the harsh environ of the Celestial Mountain. It is said that you'll never find him when you reach there but he and his students will find you.

Meanwhile, all across the Jade Empire, the Righteous Emperor has recently been replaced by his successor, who succeeded the name as well. Yet his actions were anything but righteous as he promptly deployed his armies throughout the land and ruled it with an iron fist. To further quell any rebellion from his method of rule, he forbade all forms of martial arts and passed an edict that non-Imperial practitioners is punishable by death. The only form seen openly in the Empire at this time is the Imperial Stance, a very efficient killing practice that touts quick and precise moves without losing any efficiency.

By this edict, villages were raided by Imperial armies on the pretext of "harbouring illegal practices". With this in effect, villages were more prone to fall on bandit raids due to the prohibition of knowing self defense. Therefore, they have to employ Imperial armies to guard them by providing a sizeable tithe which villages could barely afford.

It is a dark time in the Jade Empire and the once known heroes during the reign of the previous Emperor were either dead or in hiding from the edict. Rebellion is the tips of some very discrete lips and were never heard above a silent whisper.

This would all change when a ragged traveller would arrive on Celestial Mountain to seek help from Master Star Hammer Wu.

Players
For obvious reasons, the game will be open to 6 other players, all being the student of Master Star Hammer Wu. Being an oriental rp, keep in mind not to bring in any "exotic" characters more than one. I'll allow only one player to play any descent other than Chinese.

Each player is encouraged to build a unique character in terms of attacks as well as personality, for this is the base on which the 7 swords will be awarded before proper play begins.

Character sheet:
Naming Conventions

Names in the Jade Empire are given based on what the parents would like their child to be associated with in terms of abstraction in addition to their family name. Some examples:

Shining Wing Wu Bei
Crimson Hand Fu
Dragon Tongue Loong

And etc. etc. Go wild and keep the family name very Chinese sounding.

Martial Arts Styles

There are a number of martial arts style known throughout the Empire. Yet the edict has made their practice forbidden with the punishment of death. Players are allowed a maximum of 3 martial arts styles and rank them in terms of proficiency. #1 being the one he is most proficient at and #3 the least. Each created style must have the following:

Signature attribute: The style's most prominent feature, like whether it features more kicks, or more fast hand jabbing moves, etc. Pick one feature only.

Weakness: What the style is weak against. A rapid kicking style would be vulnerable to being imbalanced by uneven ground, for example. State one only.

Swords will be described next and will be linked here. Swords are awarded to the players before play based on their personality and martial arts styles in their profile. No two swords are alike and they couldn't be used well by anyone else except by those who are being awarded with it.

Any questions please ask

Swords
The swords of Master Star Hammer Wu were forged upon his arrival on Celestial Mountain many decades ago when he was seeking solitude. None two are alike whether in shape nor in function. And each one may only be suitably wielded by those of proper temperament and skill. Below is the names of the 7 swords and their short descriptions. The award of thse swords will be dependent on the profile.

1. Heaven's Fall: A cleaver with one curved sharp edge and a straight thick one at the other side. It's hilt is slightly elongated and the blade has serrated edges on it that never chip with use. It is the first sword that Master Wu forged upon arriving at the mountain and he slaved on it for 2 years.

Feature: Heaven's Fall is heavy and is said to be able to crush stone with ease. The weight means that it carries a very large momentum and is unable to perform surgically accurate strikes. However, it's weight and devastating power makes it an ideal weapon to wield in a whirlwind of death.

2. Puzzle Box: The puzzle box is an odd weapon in itself. It is a long sword with no hilt guard and a straight bone hilt that fit in seamlessly with its sheath. The hilt and sheath have hidden mechanisms in it that allows added features to pop out. This is Master Wu's most elaborate weapon and he took took a better part of 20 years to perfect it.

Feature: The Puzzle Box has hidden things inside it's hilt and thick scabbard. Among it are:
A strong transparent wire in the hilt, to be released by popping off the pommel.
A pair of prongs pop up at the tip of the sheath. Similar prongs are also able to be extended at the base of the sheath as well.
A small compartment within the sheath.
A pair of lock picks within the hilt.
The blade can detach, the base is tied to the same transparent string as noted earlier.
The hilt has a mechanism to recoil the string to its original position.
The scabbard may be disassembled and reassembled again.

3. Flowing River: The Flowing River is a sword that Master Wu constructed right after the Puzzle Box. It is a sword with a sliding blade on a hilt with holes. It is a weird looking sword since by itself it is unable to sit upright without the blade sliding down again. It is a difficult blade to master yet Master Wu made it with simplicity in mind.

Feature: The Flowing River blade has two tips and a sliding hilt in the middle. The hilt has seven holes which is reminiscent of a flute. Covering different holes controls the direction of the blade at will. Covering 4 of them in a row will lock the blade in place. The blade is capable of erratic movements and often catches the unaware opponent by surprise. Covering no holes will make the blade swing freely.

4. Dragon Claws: Dragon Claws was forged at the same time as Flowing River. Master Wu felt that Flowing River could be complimented by the fluidity of another pair of blades. Hence the Dragon Claws were made. It is a pair thin short blades that are more suited to stabbing than slicing. It is a simple design yet the hilt and scabbard is what makes the Claws special. The question is whether the wielder can make a good use of them or not.

Feature: Dragon Claws is a pair of short swords with the pommel end of its hilts able to fit into the bi-directional sheaths (yes, the sheath has two openings on either side.

5. Star Chasers: Master Wu forged this sword right after he finished Dragon Claws. Just as Dragon Claws were made to compliment Flowing River, Star Chasers were made to compliment to ferocity and unpredictability of the Puzzle Box. It's not as mechanically elaborate as the Puzzle Box, yet it shares the same ingenuity while constructing it.

Feature: Star Chasers is another paired sword that is completely identical with a round hilt guard. It is normally joined between the two hilt guards and it forms a twin bladed swords sandwiched onto each other. The round guard allows the blade to rotate freely like a pair of scissors. The pair can be detached and reattached by the hilt guard.

6. New Moon: The New Moon is the most slender sword among Master Wu's creations. He designed it to be the ultimate sword in terms of grace as well as deadliness. He spent a better part of 20 years completing the sword and he touted it as the most difficult blade to control because of the weightless blade.

Feature: It is a curved thin blade with the edge so sharp it could slice a hair in two straight down the middle of the small diameter. The blade is typically weightless and most of the weight is situated at the polished marble hilt. The edge is so sharp, it can slice flesh like butter.

7. Transcendence: Transcendence is Master Wu's greatest accomplishment as well as disappointment. The reason for both of that would be because the sword is unfinished. It is still rough and unpolished throughout and the hilt is bound with rough leather straps. The blade makes a loud ring when it's being hit upon. Master Wu once said that the blade was arrogant and needs one full of wisdom to handle it.

Feature: Transcendence is a dull, unfinished blade yet it is sturdy and is very hard to break. Upon contact with the blade, a loud ring could be heard. Many people find themselves internally injured upon crossing swords with Transcendence, which comes from the effect of the sound waves generated by the blade.

Addendum: Sword sheaths are described here: 7 Swordsmen of Celestial Mountain OOC

Hehe, I know this book.

It was so awesome. And the film adaption wasn't too shabby either. I might join.

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jus cuz i cnt spell dusnt meen i dnt hv rites stop bein meen ppl

Finally! Someone else who know of it! Will look forward to seeing you here

Hey, I am a Chinaman xD

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jus cuz i cnt spell dusnt meen i dnt hv rites stop bein meen ppl

Name: Calm Foot Kah

Age: 21

Appearance: Kah, as he is more commonly known by, took after his father's meager and thin frame and wispy black hair the he wears over his face. He got his eyes from his mother, a pale shade of green akin to faded grass stains. His once fragile frame was invitation for abuse, but the few years of dedicated conditioning gave him ample muscle to "even out" his frame. Average height for his age, but he is graced with long legs.

Personality: One could say he is shy, but in reality he is simply a soft spoken individual who simply keeps his opinions to himself. That trait has cost him many a time, and he suffered bulling from an early age, which lead to him having to learn to defend himself. An unexpected result was that he grew entranced with the martial arts, and dedicated himself to perfecting and mastering them to his up most abilities. Though not a master at his specific arts, he is quite proficient in the use of them, more than enough to keep any potential bully on his guard.

Background: Kah grew up in a remote village on the outskirts of the Empire, and thus bandits plagued his home his entire life. The village itself was not ably to pay for Imperial protection, and because they were so far removed from the more populated villages they were pretty much left to their own devices. Thus, when Kah began to suffer from sever bullying, his parents suggestively implied martial arts. With almost no Imperial presence, save for monthly 'inspections' Kah was ably to blossom past simply amateur practice and into devoted learning of his now favorite pastime, Capoeira. Now his parents have again suggested a possible escape from the bland existence of the village, in the form of a rumor of one Master Hammer Wu. Kah eagerly awaits to see if such tutelage under this master is possible.


Martial Arts Style:

#1. Capoeira: This is a odd martial art, in the fact it features the practitioner in a constantly moving, shifting, and very low to the ground. Another oddity is that Capoeira is focused on using ones whole body as a possible weapon, and such the crouching shifting stance often has the users hands and arms touching the ground for momentum, spins, and most notably handstands of varying purposes. Also one of the few arts were the practitioner is almost always in constant motion upside down and/or on all fours instead of a normal standing positions. A very evasive and unorthodox art that useful for offence and defence.

Signature attribute: Extensive use of fluid acrobatic sweeping kicks from a constantly moving practitioner.
Weakness: Relies heavily on rhythm, be it fast of slow.

#2. Savate: Where Capoeria has the user in constant motion and in unorthodox positions, Savate has the traditional boxing stance. Focusing more on kicks than punches, but not ignoring them either. A offensive artform, unlike Capoeira where one waits the openings to strikeor evade.

Signature attribute: Focuses on graceful kicks that employ the legs greater power and reach with minimal boxing techniques as well.
Weakness: It's a technical art, not good at defending against unfamiliar arts.


Sword:

The Star Chaser was originally intended for one of great humour and mirth. But Master Wu felt that the array of different movements and simple motives could unlock its potential as well. It is a weapon of simplicity with the potential of complex artistry. Simple hard work and dedication may turn this weapon into a surprise.

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You still need em background DJ.

Name: Water Ox Wan
Age: 24

Appearance: Wan is big. He's massive. He stands at six feet tall, his body a great mass of fat and muscle. His figure is imposing, greatly so. His head is a thick mop of black hair, held back with a bandana when training. Beyond the hair is a face that, whilst usually bruised and tired, bears a large nose, somewhat small eyes, and a winning smile.

Personality: In contrast to his size, Ox is one of the friendliest people in the community. Though serious in training, his spare time generally leads to him helping out in the town, carrying grain, water barrels, people, and so on. He is easily bought to laughter, resulting in huge belly-laughs echoing around. Although not to bright in terms of booksmarts, Ox still has a good degree of common sense about him, as well as a strong sense of right and wrong, even if this sense is coupled with a somewhat short attention span.


Martial Arts Style:

#1: Tai-Chi: Ox's main style. Whilst normally a relaxing art, this style can also be used defensively, mostly focused on negating attacks rather than returning them.
Signature move: Hand-To-Hand Defense
Weakness: Inability to concentrate- anger, distraction, etc.

#2 Judo: Ox uses his great strength to advantage here, using the grapple-focused judo style.
Signature: Grappling. Within reason, Ox will be able to best any opponent without similar training in a grapple situation.
Weakness: Fast opponents, being unable to grapple.

#3 Battōjutsu: Ox's style for swordfighting.
Signature: Battōjutsu focuses on a series of attacks after drawing the sword, similar to Iaidō. Ox's sword fighting is particularly strong when he first draws his sword.
Weakness: Once the initial attack is finished, the Battōjutsu style isn't as favourable as other styles.

Sword:

Heaven's Fall is a weapon of destruction, possibly only second to that of Transcendence. As such, it deserves to be in the possession of those who can use it for justice. However, the full potential of Heaven's Fall can only be brought out by a strong sense of justice as well as wrath.

Biography: Ox was born to a farming family living in the valleys at the bottom of the Celestial Mountain. He grew up as a farm hand, training as a fighter. However, whilst his friends and family finished their growth at around 5'6, Ox continued to grow to his massive proportions. His friendly personality kept him in the village for long enough, but, as always, people can be cruel. Ox became slowly alientated by his village due to his size. The day his master stopped showing up to training sessions was the day that Ox packed his bags and left to climb the Celestial mountain.

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RpG Arena. The are no great fighters. Only great writers.

Name: Liu Mei Yin

Age: 21

Appearance: Mei Yin is a sombre looking individual. Often expressionless and empty looking. She is beautiful, but often her sadness overrides her natural beauty. She has doeful, but sharply attentive brown eyes and silky medium length ebony locks. Mei Yin's frame is petite, but elegant and she carries herself well making sure to keeping ideal posture at all times. She prefers traditional dress because it suits her level of training and movement.

Personality: A lot Mei Yin's actions are thoughtful and deliberate. She is a person of purpose, so this may make her appear extremely unapproachable and cold. She may perhaps be so, she very seldom thinks of the feelings or consideration of others, but adversely, she thinks little of herself also. Mei Yin can be considered slow and unaware, but she is in fact aware of her surroundings at all times. You could say that her personality is restricted at the result of perfect awareness. Being so aware of everything else besides herself has left her with a multitude of problems ranging from lack of self-motivation and drive for future prospects.

Martial Arts Style:

Celestial Serpent: A free-form fluid defensive style, focus on evasion and momentum shift.
Signature: Intuitive Counter - Counter moves can be easily initiated regardless of situation.
Weakness: Similar defensive styles.

Ruby Phoenix: Focus on accuracy and precision of strikes.
Signature: Nature's Revival - Quick recovery after strikes.
Weakness: Other evasive opponents.

Righteous Tiger: Focus on bodily speed. Short, sharp strikes.
Signature: 1,000 Needles - A succession of strikes that are unnoticed until the last.
Weakness: Weightier opponents.

Sword:

A movement like water and a peaceful mind are the two key elements in controlling the Flowing River. It is an embodiment of peace as well as hidden rage. It's Master Wu's hardest sword to use and only those bathed in sorrow may find the instinct to use it well.

Biography:

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Oh man, I haven't read this book yet, but I am a wuxia fan so this is going to be hard to resist. Expect me to give in and post up a profile soon.

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Name: Du Wei Mao
Age: 22

Appearance: An androgynous eunuch, it is impossible to distinguish a gender for Wei Mao (and indeed unnecessary when speaking Mandarin. But for the sake of ease in English, will be referred to as ‘he’). He has a lean short build that some might call delicate until witnessing him fight. He favors earthen tones or green, always wearing clothing bare of ornamentation. His face is bare of facial hair and perfectly oval, too vainly beautiful to belong to a man. He wears his black hair long in a Taoist topknot.

Personality: Wei Mao has a silver tongue that hides a disdainful arrogant personality. He can on occasion be quite vain and foolishly believes himself to be wiser than his elders. He shows the proper deference when necessary, but even his teacher believes that his confidence will be his downfall.

Martial Arts Style:
1. Unleashed Chaos – an uncontrolled seemingly random technique at odds with his name and cool demeanor. Consists of a ferocious attack and many false moves/feints to disguise the few that hold considerable force. Can induce a state of lasting weakness or confusion upon the recipient. Its advantage lies in the unpredictable and forceful nature of the attacks; however this style requires a great deal of energy and can leave the user drained afterwards.
2. Viper Fang – A powerful technique utilizing the practitioner’s internal energy to channel poison through the finger tips or other exposed areas of skin. Can also be used to absorb poisons to augment the user’s internal energy. Has the advantage of causing near instant paralysis or death depending on the dosage, and the weakness of requiring physical hand-to-flesh contact.
3. One Body Two Fists – This is not so much a technique as a fusion ability. This style allows the user to fight with two techniques at the same time, one for each side of the body. The true master can utilize a different move for each limb. The advantage and the disadvantage is the same – it can combine two techniques or two moves within a technique. This allows one to attack in two different methods, but it can also lead to conflicting results if the choice of techniques is not made carefully.

Sword:

The use of the Puzzle Box requires cunning and wit. Most importantly, it requires the arrogance and the desire to succeed by using any means necessary to achieve it. A dark heart is the key for the master of the Puzzle Box as well as ingenuity.

Biography: Wei Mao came from a family of esteemed pugilists. When the Emperor’s new law came into effect, his parents could not bear that their family’s martial arts would be lost. They sent the young Wei Mao into the tutelage of a traveling Taoist monk. Although the official word from the Emperor proclaims the Du family dead, it is possible that other members remain in hiding. As a disciple of the Tao, Wei Mao learned equally about justice and martial arts. However, he quickly stagnated under his master’s mediocre skill and began to explore his family secrets more deeply. Angered that the boy could not conform to the virtues of humility and self-reflectance, master and disciple parted ways. Now Wei Mao still holds the scrolls containing the secrets to his ancestor’s hidden technique and has headed to Celestial Mountain in search of a master fit to teach him.