Name: Ketsuryu Shinobu

Codename: Oni

Age: 269

Gfaer: Male

Place of Birth: Kyoto, Japan

Affiliations: Giovanni Vampire Clan

Occupation: Vagrant

Appearance: Shin is a large, thickly-built man, standing an impressive 195 cm tall and weighing 82 kg of pure muscle. His features are quite striking, with a strong jaw, thick eyebrows, and a piercing gaze made all the more potent with eyes that burn like embers. His thick, dark hair is generally brushed back, to where it hangs to the base of his neck. His skin is unusually pale, which along with his large fangs, fiery eyes, and bite scar on his shoulder, are all indicators of his vampiric nature. Numerous tattoos from various eras cover his body, completely filling in the skin of his arms and back and most of his chest and neck. He hasn't updated his wardrobe since the 1980's, and so he generally wears a low-cut tee-shirt, blue jeans with a chain belt, leather boots, a studded motorcycle jacket, and a sour expression. To protect himself from sunlight, he will also wear a matching motorcycle helmet, studded riding gloves and a long, red scarf.

Powers: As a vampire, Shin is imbued with superhuman strength and speed, and is unburdened by mortal needs such as air or sleep. His senses also have an uncanny sharpness, fitting for a predator, though he is particularly sensitive to supernatural phenomena. Born of the mystic East, he feeds on Chi (also known as chakra, mana or life force) rather than blood, though sucking blood from the living is still the easiest means of doing so. By consuming enough of an entity's Chi, he can assimilate some of their skills or memories, or even supernatural abilities they possess. Shin's regenerative ability is prodigious even among vampires, as he can shrug off attacks that would kill lesser vampires ten times over, and recover from the most grievous of wounds with startling speed.

The vampire art of transformation is Shin's specialty, as he can reshape his entire body to suit his needs. Bones, flesh and blood can become weapons or armor as needed, turning Shin into an unliving weapon. He can also mimic the shape of any creature he tastes the blood of, though he has difficulty mimicking humans. He has some minor necromantic ability, able to commune with the dead and can raise some weak undead servants. 

Skills: Once an indomitable swordsman, Shin's skills have dulled from centuries of neglect. Even so, he is still a sharp tactician, and has encyclopedic knowledge of Far Eastern supernatural creatures, and more specifically, how to kill them. He is a very proficient hand-to-hand fighter, and is quite good at riding motorcycles and horses.

Equipment/Resources: He tries to keep a motorcycle when he can, though the model varies depending on what he can procure. He is rumoured to still be in possession of his enchanted sword, though no one can say where he has hidden it.

Weaknesses: Naturally, the sun his his greatest weakness. Its rays cause his flesh to burst into flames, which his regenerative ability can barely keep up with. Placing a stake in his heart paralyzes him and also halts his regeneration until removed. All of his powers, including his regeneration, must be fueled by the Chi of living creatures in order to operate at their full capacity. If he does not feed for a long time, his bestial hunger can overwhelm his higher thoughts and send him into a mindless feeding frenzy. His enhanced senses are also something of a double-edged sword, as over-stimulation (particularly by bright lights) can overwhelm and stun him.

Psychological Profile: Shin is a man disillusioned with the world and its people. He is cynical and callous, keeping a stoic, stone-faced demeanor at nearly all times. Deep within him, there is a gnawing bloodlust, which he only allows to break loose when in the heat of battle or hunting his prey. He has little patience for those he considers to be fools, and speaks as little as he can afford to. Despite his misanthropy, Shin believes strongly in a sense of justice and personal honor, though his morals are quite warped by most standards.

Biography: Born in Japan during the Edo Period, Shinobu was a samurai in the service of a lesser feudal lord near the old imperial capital. Due to his massive stature and strength, Shin was nicknamed "Oni" be his peers, after the giant demons of legend. He trained in the use of an odaichi, a massive sword usually saved for ceremonied, as it was as long as an entire person. Shin's lord spent much of his money on collecting rarities from across Japan, and so had his lands taken from him after failing to pay his dues to the Shogun. As hid estate dissolved, the lord divided his remaining wealth and possessions among his servants, mostly so the Shogun could not have them. Shin came was gifted with an enchanted blade, said to be the bane of monsters.

Like most of his fellow samurai, upon his "unemployment," Shin became a ronin, a sword for hire. Unlike them, he made his living by hunting youkai and other such monsters, putting his magic sword to good use. This led him to tracking down a supposed demon, which had been terrorizing villagers across eastern Kanto. He eventually discovered that this "demon" was in fact a vampire of the Italian Giovanni Clan, hiding in the east to escape punishment for her crimes against the clan. They battled for hours, with Shin slowly losing ground until she finally struck and bit him, turning him into her vampiric servant.

He served for some time as her personal retainer and guard before she was tracked down and punished by her clan. The Giovanni Clan took mercy on Shin, sparing him on the condition that he carry out their will in the Far East. With no other options, he accepted. For the next few centuries he was mostly left alone to his own devices, and he continued to spread justice across Japan; bringing retribution to the deserving and only feeding on the unjust. Though events such as the fall of the samurai class and Japan's defeat in WWII greatly disheartened him, and made him into a darker, more ruthless person. He has continued to bring his own brand of vicious justice to the Land of the Rising Sun, though he feels the carnal nature of his being continue to strengthen inside him.

Yakuza and lesser street gangs in Japan have also come to know this brutal avenger as "Oni," and by that alias the League of Heroes came to know of him, and extended him an invitation to join their ranks. Though he was initially skeptical, his Clan superiors urged him to join, considering him to be their man on the inside regarding this largely unknown organization.