THE BACKSTORY
One hundred years prior to the start of the story, there was a legendary swordsmith named Kayou Kuso. Throughout his lifetime, he was credited with making high quality katanas, to the point where the emperor of Japan acknowledged his skill. It was in his old age, however, that the emperor's son requested him to make seven blades of the "highest quality that has ever been seen." Once presented, the emperor's son was displeased with them, and ridiculed the old man. He demanded them to be remade, but Kayou refused. He said they were the finest swords to ever be made and that it would be impossible to improve them. Enfuriated, the emperor's son had him thrown out of the castle and his name dishonored. Shamed, Kayou Kuso retreated with his blades and gave up the art of swordsmithing. It was unknown when he died, due to his reclusive nature, but ten years after that event, bad things began to happen.
The man that had shamed the legendary swordsmith became emperor ten years later, and immediately there were problems. In the far north of Japan, strange monsters as black as the night, called Oni, began to appear and wreak havoc upon the land. At first, despite the ferocity of these demons, there was little concern over the matter. The armies of the land were more than capable enough to keep the demons under control. However, as time dragged on and the weeks became months, the months became years, and the years became decades, the invasion never faltered. In fact, it only grew in intensity. More demons continued to appear, and they grew stronger too. This proved to be too much as the years dragged on and the nation of Japan began to lose ground to these creatures. Now, ninety years after the start of the invasion, the demons have destroyed nearly half of Japan, leaving the emperor and the shogunate in a panic.
The current emperor, the third generation to be in command during this invasion, is growing desperate. His army is wearing thin. By this point the daimyo have all put aside their differences in order to join forces against the Oni. As grim as the situation has become, a recent discovery may have turned the tides. The shogun's most prized samurai, Yasushi Miyoshi, combatted Oni for the first time and it was discovered that his katana was able to destroy the demons in droves. When questioned, he explained that his blade had been passed down his family line for a few generations, originating about one hundred years back. This led to the discovery that Kayou Kuso had distributed his final blades after his humiliation, and also the discovery that the blades had legendary power and abilities. When the emperor tried to relinquish Yasushi of his sword, Kouhei, he found that nobody else could even draw the blade. The swords chose their owners. With this in sight, it was determined that the power of these blades would be necessary to combat the demon invasion, and Yasushi was charged with the task of gathering the other six swords.
THE STORY
After gathering all the swords and their owners, Yasushi Miyoshi brings them all back to the emperor for their instructions. They are told the history behind the swords and their mission, which is to travel deep into the Oni territory and find a way to end the invasion and destroy the demons. This is emphasized not to be optional, and the seven owners are to be accompanied full force by a small battallion of soldiers. While they travel Japan, they will learn of the mysteries that surround their swords and the demons that stand in their way. Perhaps they will learn a bit about the emperor and shogunate too, and hopefully a bit about each other. But one thing for certain is that the road ahead is difficult and unknown. After all... nobody that has strayed north has ever returned.
Due to the invasion from the north, many people have migrated further south to the "safe" territories. As such, there is a serious case of overpopulation in the major cities and even some problems with it in the southern villages. In fact, the further south you go the worse it gets, with the new capitol being in the south part of Japan. It has become a common understanding that the further south you are, the safer you are. However, there have been rare cases where Oni have appeared far beyond their territory, even with a case of a scouting party appearing hundreds of kilometers south of it. Due to the rarity, it has little effect on the opinion of what "safe" really is.
As a part of the overpopulation, food shortages are becoming increasingly more common. To make matters worse, there has been a recent drought. Because of this, most nobles have had their castles blocked off to keep the peasants away from their storages. The caste system has become even more divided now, since there is now a higher concentration of people in the total area and there are more peasants and merchants than there used to be in the regions. Crime, however, has mostly vanished aside from theft. Stealing food and valuables is now the most common crime, and practically the only crime. Murder cases have become rare, though death itself is constant due to the overpopulation.
Though most people are terrified of the Oni, despite the vast majority of the surviving population having never even seen one in person before, there are some that have a different view on them. These people have formed a cult, aptly named Onihai. They worship the demons as entities sent by God to punish sinners. In general they are mostly regarded by the population as lunatics, but there have been several events where the Onihai have obstructed human armies and therefore caused demon victory in battles. As such, the practice has been outlawed, though it still lives in the shadows. They have their own organization and heirarchy, though it is unknown to outsiders. As well, they are rather unpredictable in their actions. The majority of the rare murder cases have been linked to Onihai members.
These demonic creatures are absolutely terrifying. They are typically larger than humans and significantly stronger. Though regular weaponry do damage, they do little. It takes extreme effort to kill an Oni with a regular katana, though it is possible and has been done for many years. The demons vary in appearance and ability like humans do, with some variance in size and strength as well. But there have been reports of extreme mutations, referred to as Mega-Oni. These vary a lot, but some examples of reported Mega-Oni include: gigantic demons, winged demons, spider-like demons, demons with extra arms, demons with armor, etc. Due to the variance in Mega-Oni, they are unpredictable and highly dangerous. There are no confirmed reports of the death of a Mega-Oni. They are always tougher and stronger than even the strongest of regular demons, and it is typically when one or two of these show up that humans are forced to run.
There have been unconfirmed reports of Oni being capable of human speech, but there is no credible sources to the claims. However, it is known that the demons are capable of making shrieking, howling, snarling, roaring, and gibbering noises of varying intensities. This has been regarded as their form of communication with each other, which also proves they have intelligence. They have acute vision and hearing, though that varies as much as the demons do. They seem to be resistent to temperatures, as they operate just fine in snow-covered environments and even in burning towns, though flames do harm them. It is unknown what their source of energy is, however, as there have been no reports on what they eat or if they even do. As it would seem, they simply kill humans and animals but do not eat the corpses.
Despite their advancement, their attacks on cities are infrequent and unpredictable. Sometimes they even skip past villages and get back to them later. Their strategies are yet to be determined. As well it can be noted that there has never been any sightings of demons marching or advancing across the country, only sightings near villages immediately before an attack. Though there have been many scouting missions into the demon territory, none have returned. This is the most probable cause as to why there have been no sightings of advancing demons. In general, much about their behavior is unknown off the battlefield. However, their combat nature is very well known by this point. In battle, the demons are fierce, animalistic warriors that fight with their claws but do hold combat tactics. They have been known to retreat, regroup, flank, scout, call for reinforcements, and even siege. They have never displayed a merciful nature nor have they ever taken prisoners, and the only examples of them ignoring humans is when they would eventually come back to finish the job.
It is unknown precisely where in the north that the invasion began, or even why it would be that location should it be discovered. This leads top strategists to believe that there is some sort of portal that brings demons into this world and that this portal is at the location where it all started. Due to the ever-increasing numbers of Oni and Mega-Oni, they also believe that this portal basically spawns them at an increasing rate. There is no proof to these theories, but these are the most widely accepted beliefs thus far.
THE SWORDS
The wielder of Kouhei gains the ability to judge others. When the sword is drawn, even if just slightly, they can see into the hearts of everyone nearby. This allows them to determine the "type" of person that is before them, such as whether they are honest or malicious or anything of the sort relating to their history and personality. Though this does not grant the ability to read memories or minds, it gives a good perception on who the target is as a person. This blade chooses its owner based on morality.
- Taken
The wielder of Shinja gains the ability to entirely vanish from sight, along with anything they are holding or on their person. The invisibility is granted at the user's whim once the blade is drawn, even if just slightly. While they vanish from sight perfectly, they can still make noises or perhaps do other things to give away their position. The invisibility also works on demons, making them unable to detect the user as well. This blade chooses its owner based on inconspicuousness.
- Taken
The wielder of Soyokaze gains the ability to drastically reduce their weight, which in turn increases their speed. If the blade is drawn, even if just slightly, the user can boost their speed to levels that are difficult to detect with the naked eye. As well, this makes them incredibly light to lift up or hoist around, to the degree that the user can even run on water. Though the speed is remarkable, it still requires stamina, just like a regular person running. This blade chooses its owner based on quickness.
- Taken
The wielder of Kashoku gains the ability to make their slices emit waves of energy. This requires the blade to be fully drawn, but the energy used is as strong as the blade itself and equal in size. Wider swings create longer cutting arcs. The energy comes from the natural spirit energy within the user, and as such can be drained over time with overuse. With proper aim, these waves can be used with even deadlier efficiency than the bow. This blade chooses its owner based on spirituality.
- Taken
The wielder of Inzen gains the ability to muster incredible strength. This requires the blade to merely be on their person. The boost in raw strength brings the user to superhuman feats, such as lifting entire boulders or even being able to fight demons with their bare fists. When combined with swordplay, it allows the wielder to destroy other non-legendary blades when the swings connect with another sword. Use of this ability requires stamina like any other physical activity. This blade chooses its owner based on willpower.
- Taken
The wielder of Yoken gains the ability of remarkable vision. This includes seeing in pitch-black darkness, seeing through objects, and noticing such minute details as muscle movements. The blade has to be at least slightly drawn for the ability to work. This incredible vision also allows predictive capabilities, since the user can see muscle movements and predict how it will move as such. It can be noted that the wielder of Yoken cannot see invisible entities. This blade chooses its owner based on perception.
- Taken
The wielder of Hasaki gains no ability, but the blade itself is capable of slicing through virtually anything. The only thing it cannot cut through is another legendary sword. The incredible sharpness allows even the lightest of swings to slash through solid stone. The cutting power is so intense that it creates no air resistence, making the blade swing faster and more silently. The blade does not have to be fully drawn, as any exposed portion of the blade will work. This blade chooses its owner based on sharpness.
- Taken
I'm sure it was noticed that the selection methods for the owners is rather vague. That is on purpose. Maybe "quickness" refers to "quickness of tongue" or "quickness of mind" rather than quickness of feet. Willpower can be interpretated as stubborness. Sharpness can even be interpretted as vision. The vagueness allows for a wider range of possible characters, so you're welcome. It wasn't meant to be confusing, so that is why this note is here.
Prior to the start of the story, it is most likely that the owners of the swords do not know of the blade's ability. Of course it is possible to know and be able to utilize it from the start, but that would have to be explained well in the history otherwise it ain't happening. Besides, I think it would be kinda cool to learn how to use it as the story progresses rather than starting off with knowledge of their own power. A sort of self-discovery thing.
As for how the characters came to wield their blades, it is pretty open-ended. It could have been passed down their family over the past few generations after their great-grandfather bought it at a market or whatever. Hell, they could've found the sword themselves wedged between two rocks in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps it was given to them as a gift or a reward. Get creative with it.
Not only can the owner be the only one capable of drawing the sword, they are also the only one capable of wielding it. If anyone but the owner wields it, even if the owner had drawn it and handed it to them, they will feel intense pain across their entire body, incapacitating them and leaving them unconscious. Needless to say, with an effect like that, these blades are only good for one person each.
The blades can choose their owners, so that means it is possible that they can switch owners even without their current owner dying. The reasoning behind this will be explained one day, but for now keep in mind that your character is likely not the first to own the blade and possibly not the last. However, the blades never choose someone who already owns a blade or has ever owned one. This means that no person will have multiple legendary blades.
Some blades require the use of spiritual energy or physical energy. Much like the principle of Yin and Yang, these draw from the potential of the body. Things that require physical energy basically require stamina while spiritual energy requires ki. Every living thing has ki and varying amounts of it. Though there is no way to measure it or gauge it, one can feel when they are low on either physical or spiritual energy.
Blades will be given on a "first come, first serve" sort of basis. However, if while I am offline or something, two people post characters for the same blade, it will go to the one that is of the highest quality. That is: the character I perceive to be a better character for the sword. Not trying to promote competition here, just trying to promote quality work.
CHARACTER SHEET
*Place a character appearance here*
Name: *pretty self explanatory, but remember the setting*
Age: *still easy, anything goes*
Sex: *haven't lost you yet, have I?*
Occupation: *what do they even do for a living?*
Sword: *their legendary sword if applicable, otherwise delete this section*
Personality: *who are they, as a character?*
Background: *their personal history, including how they obtained their legendary sword if applicable*
Skills: *what can they do? can they do anything?*
Equipment: *what is their standard gear for the journey?*
Notes: *anything the above sections did not cover goes here*
Since there are few swords, there will be few owners. Not to worry though, as it is not a requirement to be an owner of a legendary blade to participate. If the character does not have a legendary sword, they have to have some form of justification for tagging along on the journey north. This can run from someone following in the shadows to a close friend of a sword owner that was specifically requested by the sword owner to tag along. In the latter case, which is the one I think is best since it establishes character relationships better, one must collaborate a bit with history and such with the corresponding sword owner. But don't worry, it's worth the effort to build character dynamics in such a way. Maybe we'll even see a married couple in the journey, who knows?
You can make multiple characters, but only one character gets to have a legendary blade. Any other characters you have cannot have one. Sorry, but limited blades mean I won't let people hog them. However, this is good because it allows for character diversity in the party. We don't need everyone running around with a sword.
Related to the previous note: even if your character owns a blade, they do not have to have any skill with it. They can be green-as-grass when it comes to swordplay and still be chosen. In fact, I think this route would be more amusing as they would be forced to practice with their blade and increase their skill throughout the duration of the journey in order to keep up with the threats. This obviously isn't a requirement, but just a note.
Non-blade characters need to serve a purpose in the journey. Though the emperor will allow the sword owners to bring others along at their request, so as to satisfy them and convince them to do the mission, the people they choose to tag along must still contribute to the group. Be it cooking food, tending wounds, or just carrying gear, they have to have a use. I know we all want some butt monkey character to come along for a good laugh, but they have to do something otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to join. Thinking about it, nobody wants to drag along dead weight, after all.
EXAMPLES
Name:
Yasushi Miyoshi
Age:
28
Sex:
Male
Occupation:
Samurai, regarded as one of the best.
Sword:
Kouhei
Personality:
The prized samurai of the shogun behaves like he is expected to. Yasushi is noble, honorable, and even humble to a degree. While he will speak with respect, even to peasants, he is still aware of his position in the feudal hierarchy and as such obeys the laws of society. Though he can be quite tolerant and wise, everyone has their limit. And once Yasushi is pushed too far, he will push back. Hard. His temper is well under his control, but he can be a force to be reckoned with if he loses it. While Yasushi behaves much more like the "classical" samurai, in the sense that he is loyal to his master while most of the current samurai are simply fighting for their lives, he is aware of how other people work. He can read other people quite accurately, even without Kouhei. He is well educated and as such harbors respectable intelligence, but his true genius is on the battlefield. Yasushi basically tries to be the model human being, though his humility makes him aware that he is not. Yet. While he is fiercely loyal to the shogun, Yasushi also cares greatly about his relationships with his family and comrades.
Background:
Born into nobility, Yasushi was destined to be a samurai like his father, Yuji Miyoshi. Though his father was renowned to be quite skilled, it was evident even in Yasushi's early teens that he was a prodigy warrior. While his combat prowess was clear in his youth, his greatest obstacle was behaving like a true samurai. This is where most of Yasushi's education as a samurai was focused, as combat came natural to him. After years of discipline and training, the personality of Yasushi today began to form. It was in his early twenties that his father was assigned to hold off the Oni menace at the territory line. He never came back. Yuji's death only fortified Yasushi's beliefs as to what a samurai truly is, and he vowed to make his father proud and become the ultimate samurai, both in body and in spirit. It was around this time that he also met the love of his life, Maiko Okuda. She was of a merchant family, but that made no difference to Yasushi. After two years of courting her, the two were married and eventually had a son named Miho. His son is now four years old, and Yasushi's reputation has only been increasing. The shogun had taken interest in his skill and decided to use him as a sort of confidant and prize possession at the same time. He was eventually assigned to fend off the demon invasion, much like his father was years before. However, upon entering battle, it was discovered that the sword he had been wielding since childhood was actually Kouhei and he was able to destroy the Oni with ease, turning the battle to a human victory. After that event, the emperor hired Yasushi to gather the other swords and their owners so as to find a possible way to save humanity. While this will displace him from his wife and child, he bears the burden of a true samurai and obeys his master's wishes.
Skills:
Yasushi is incredibly skilled in the way of the sword, and has displayed skill with other weapons and even without weapons. He is in top physical shape, being both strong and fast. There is a reason he is regarded as one of the best warriors of mankind.
Equipment:
Like most samurai, Yasushi will be bringing a tanto to go along with Kouhei. He also has armed himself with his favorite bow and a quiver of arrows. Perhaps it can be best noted here that he also keeps a locket with a portrait of his wife.
Notes:
Like most samurai of this time, Yasushi has never killed another man. In fact, he makes an effort to never do such a thing, considering the greater problems at hand.
Name:
Kazu Nakanoi
Age:
Unknown
Sex:
Male
Occupation:
Murderous thief, wanted dead or alive.
Sword:
Shinja
Personality:
Cynical and spiteful are two words to describe Kazu. Though he is intelligent, most of that brainpower is used on sarcasm and insults, as well as general acts to aggravate those around him. For the most part, he will stay quiet and to himself, but once he starts talking it will only get worse and worse. He has no qualms in voicing his opinions on things, or perhaps voicing false opinions just to see what happens. He is a good liar and will constantly use that to his advantage, making it impossible to trust this man. Try as one might, he will not open up with his emotions, unless it is anger. Kazu seems to hold a particular fondness for causing problems with figures of authority, mainly Yasushi since they met. While he will throw a fuss and try to annoy everyone around him, he is still capable of listening to authority, but only if he sees a benefit in doing so. It can be noted that when he is truly angered, rather than his constant irritation and outbursts, he gets eerily quiet and seems to almost become terrifying in his features. He shows no signs of fear in any situation and actually will often joke about his own death, despite his will to live. His overall irritating and morbid nature make him hard to deal with and his anti-social tendencies make it impossible to like him.
Background:
Mostly unknown. Nobody knows where he came from, or even his surname. All that is known is that one day, about five years ago, Kazu began his life as a thief. For the most part, he was only a thief. But he would kill without remorse if someone got in his way, otherwise he avoided murder. His reputation as a thief grew more and more, and so did the value of his robberies. He began stealing more and more valuable things. This led to his attempted theft of Shinja while imperial soldiers were transporting it back to the capitol. He was apprehended in the process, but it was discovered that Shinja chose him as its owner. Something that likely saved his life, considering his rap sheet. Now in custody and under constant watch, Kazu is being forced to assist on the mission. However, he absolutely refuses to release any information about himself.
Skills:
Unknown
Equipment:
On this journey, Kazu won't be having any real equipment on his person. Unless you count the shackles that are constatnly bound around his wrists. Those will be on him.
Notes:
His total kill count is 18 murders, giving Kazu the record amount over the past ninety years. Murder itself is rare enough as it is, and Kazu seems to have more than his fair share of it.
CHARACTERS
Yasushi Miyoshi - a truly devout samurai tasked with leading the journey
Kazu - a despised and infamous criminal known for his attitude and impressive record
Akio Kenjou - a young merchant that stumbled upon his blade
Saito Takasu - an assassin that comes from a seriously flawed family
Takeshi Shun - a skilled and artistic craftsman
Johan Crossbow - a young boy from a foreign land on a religious mission
Akane Miyoshi - an overly curious young lady and younger sister to Yasushi
