Name: Ayakami Enzo
Title: The Radiant Swordsman
Race: Arkhavian Human
Gender: Male
Occupation: Hikari Duelist
:Description:
"The form of my Soul Sword was guided by my innermost nature, and in turn the form of my body was guided by the shape of my blade."
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
As befits his high speed, precision based fighting style, Enzo is a lithe, leanly muscled warrior with a whip-like physique. He moves with exceeding grace and efficiency, both on and off the duel floor yet at the same time seems possessed of an almost boundless core of energy that keeps him moving almost constantly. He has large, expressive blue eyes set off by unruly black hair and light skin. In day to day life, Enzo has an easy smile that lights up his entire face, while in combat he becomes almost frighteningly intense. Enzo's Radiance - a birthmark that signaled his ability to channel Pure Light - is a twisting metallic blue tangle of lines that runs from his left forearm up to his shoulder.
:Abilities:
Name: Hikari - The Wielders of Pure Light
"From the moment of my birth everyone knew that I would one day wield the Soul Sword and live the life of the Hikari. Some days, I regret that it was not a decision I was able to make on my own."
Information: Enzo is one of the Hikari, humans born on Arkhavia that are able to tap into a pool of energy known as Pure Light. The Hikari control the manifestation of Pure Light by creating a Soul Sword, or tamashi no ken. This solid, channeled power serves as both weapon and control mechanism for the Hikari. Once this ability is achieved, the Hikari themselves become more and more infused with the Pure Light over the years, growing stronger, faster, more agile, and more resilient to damage. This is a passive effect due to long exposure.
The prime use of Pure Light is the manifestation of the Soul Sword. In Enzo's case his tamashi no ken takes the form of a rapier named Creciente. The blade is an inch wide and three feet in length. It is double edged along the entire length and tapers into a deadly point. Like many historical rapiers, Creciente possesses a basket hilt designed to protect the wielder's hand. Creciente's is formed of a tangle of twisted metallic blue lines that stretch from the guard all the way to the heavy, rounded pommel. The grip itself is a pristine white in color with the feel of soft leather over steel.
Hikari are able to channel Pure Light through their own bodies for a number of uses as well. Most are at least capable of enhancing their own speed, strength, and endurance. Enzo can also speed his healing, enhance his senses, resist damage, and use a number of combat techniques specially created to use Pure Light and Soul Swords, known as the Thirteen Noble Truths.
Name: The Radiant Swordsman
"At the age of five I was enrolled in the Chrysalis Academy. My parents could not afford it themselves, but my grandfather helped. Those were happy days, and the friends and teachers in that place shaped who I have become as much as my own family."
Information: Enzo studied at the prestigious Chrysalis Academy in the city of Valieur. It was there that he learned how to summon his Soul Sword, and how to wield the Pure Light that was his birthright. In addition to his training as a Hikari it is where he learned the basics of combat and how to wield Creciente. In later years he would begin training with more experienced Hikari. Eventually he was accepted to study beneath one of the greatest living Hikari Duelists, Jenovia Weiss. Jenovia was a true master of the rapier, and Enzo drank in every thing she had to teach him, spending hours every day in study and practice. In time he would surpass even Jenovia.
Name: The Thirteen Noble Truths
"Embrace Honor. Seek Truth. Defend the weak. Rise against evil. This is the way of the Ayakami."
Information: The Ayakami School has a history that stretches back millenia, with some that say it originated before the Arkhavians even came to their world from Ancient Terra. Whether this is true or not, it is undisputed that that the School has long been known for producing great duelists whose minds and honor are as great as their combat skills. The School is currently run by Enzo's grandfather, Renault, who spent a great many years teaching his grandson the Way of the Ayakami outside of the boy's regular studies at the Chrysalis and beyond graduation.
The signature techniques of the Ayakami School are known as the Thirteen Noble Truths. Each is as much philosophy as it is battle maneuver. While originally a school for swordsmen, the Truths can easily be utilized by a master of any form of Soul Sword with the right mindset and training. The only living person to have mastered all thirteen Truths is Ayakami Renault, although it is widely regarded that Enzo will one day master them all himself and take the reins of the school when his grandfather retires. Enzo has, to this point, mastered seven of the Noble Truths.
The Thirteen Noble Truths of the Ayakami School
The First: Lightning. "The future is not set. Destiny is not the mountain in the distance. One can change their course in life at any time with the proper effort."
Mastery of the First Noble Truth allows a combatant to instantly alter the direction of a strike without losing momentumn, speed, and strength. Thus what seems to be a committed strike against an opponent's legs can suddenly and without warning become a slash across his eyes.
The Second: Lance. "Nothing is to be gained by being content with what lies within arm's length. Those who truly wish to grasp greatness must reach beyond themselves for it."
The Second Truth involves channeling Pure Light through a lunging or thrusting attack, suddenly lengthening the effective range of the strike. For that single blow the wielder effectively doubles the range of his weapon.
The Third: Aegis. "There is a time and place for everything, in life and in battle. Aggression must give way to defense and patience, lest one grant the opportunity of victory to the opponent."
The Third Noble Truth, unlike the first two, is more of a stance than a single maneuver. It is a purely defensive style that allows the user to block and deflect attacks from any and all directions with extreme efficiency and effectiveness. Combining a surge of Pure Light with the Third Truth enables one to defend against even overwhelming attacks. One cannot attack while assuming the Aegis, and must therefore shift out of it before taking any offensive actions again.
The Fourth: Resonance. "All things within creation move at their own speed, exist by their own rules. If one can understand those rules, perceive those speeds, then one can move in harmony with all of creation, if only for a single precious moment."
Mastery of the Fourth Truth allows the user to attune his weapon to the harmonic frequency of a solid object, and thereby pierce through it. Utilizing Resonance in this manner does no damage to the solid object in question, but is instead used to reach whatever might lie on the other side of that barrier. Resonance can also work against energy shields, depending on their nature and if they are solid energy constructions or something else.
The Fifth: Dispersal. "It is often the case that by tackling a threat head on, one can become crushed beneath the sheer magnitude. A warrior of good judgment knows when to stand firm in the face of such a threat, and when to let it slide past like the wind around the mountain peak."
Those who master the Fifth Truth gain a valuable defensive maneuver. By channeling Pure Light and using it to redirect an incoming threat, the user can then disperse the power of the attack away from himself into an evenly distributed circle radiating away. Only the vector from which the attack originated is left out of Dispersal's area.
The Sixth: Judgment. "A noble warrior fights with control and compassion. There are times, however, when it is right and good that one should let free the rage and ferocity of one's primal, innermost nature."
Mastery of Judgment, the Sixth Truth, allows the user to channel their own fighting spirit and Pure Light into a devastatingly powerful attack, far in excess of a simple sword strike or spear thrust. The point of impact of one's weapon becomes merely the epicenter of a destructive wave of concussive force that radiates out in every direction. Masters of Judgment have been known to destroy armored vehicles with the thrust of a knife blade, or take down buildings with the lash of a whip.
The Seventh: Mirror. "It is said in science that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This much is true for all things. By understanding the nature of our opponent's attack we can turn that attack back against them in turn, utilizing their own strength against them."
A defensive maneuver, Mirror allows the user to reflect an enemy's attack back upon themselves. When used against a simple attack, such as a sword strike, it results in a reversal of the force used in the strike itself. The results of such an action can vary in many ways. When used against a less basically physical attack, the Seventh Truth can very truthfully reflect that attack back against its sender. Fire can be flung back into the face of its caster, bolts of lightning sent arcing back along their path of origin.
Name: Clarity
"The world is a series of moving parts and interconnected pieces of an amazing and wondrous variety. I learned long ago how to see and understand this incredible symphony of existence."
Information: Clarity is the word that Enzo uses to describe what to him is simply a natural way of understanding the world and what others call an amazing gift. Through keen observation and exact calculation, Enzo is able to grasp to an extreme extent how things work and predict response and reaction to an uncanny degree. In combat this means that after spending some time engaging with an opponent, he becomes see the weakness in their techniques, to predict how they will react to any given attack or movement, to gauge their mental and physical state to an uncannily precise degree. He understands how they move, how their abilities work, how every little part of his opponent works in sync to create that individual. And in turn, how to turn that knowledge into victory. Clarity is much more than a combat ability, however. Enzo was considered one of the most deadly members of his debate team, and regularly annihilated his opponents by tearing apart their arguments and predicting what their next line of thought would be.
In mechanical terms, five observed combat posts must pass before Enzo is capable of utilizing Clarity.
Title: The Radiant Swordsman
Race: Arkhavian Human
Gender: Male
Occupation: Hikari Duelist
:Description:
"The form of my Soul Sword was guided by my innermost nature, and in turn the form of my body was guided by the shape of my blade."
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 lbs
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
As befits his high speed, precision based fighting style, Enzo is a lithe, leanly muscled warrior with a whip-like physique. He moves with exceeding grace and efficiency, both on and off the duel floor yet at the same time seems possessed of an almost boundless core of energy that keeps him moving almost constantly. He has large, expressive blue eyes set off by unruly black hair and light skin. In day to day life, Enzo has an easy smile that lights up his entire face, while in combat he becomes almost frighteningly intense. Enzo's Radiance - a birthmark that signaled his ability to channel Pure Light - is a twisting metallic blue tangle of lines that runs from his left forearm up to his shoulder.
:Abilities:
Name: Hikari - The Wielders of Pure Light
"From the moment of my birth everyone knew that I would one day wield the Soul Sword and live the life of the Hikari. Some days, I regret that it was not a decision I was able to make on my own."
Information: Enzo is one of the Hikari, humans born on Arkhavia that are able to tap into a pool of energy known as Pure Light. The Hikari control the manifestation of Pure Light by creating a Soul Sword, or tamashi no ken. This solid, channeled power serves as both weapon and control mechanism for the Hikari. Once this ability is achieved, the Hikari themselves become more and more infused with the Pure Light over the years, growing stronger, faster, more agile, and more resilient to damage. This is a passive effect due to long exposure.
The prime use of Pure Light is the manifestation of the Soul Sword. In Enzo's case his tamashi no ken takes the form of a rapier named Creciente. The blade is an inch wide and three feet in length. It is double edged along the entire length and tapers into a deadly point. Like many historical rapiers, Creciente possesses a basket hilt designed to protect the wielder's hand. Creciente's is formed of a tangle of twisted metallic blue lines that stretch from the guard all the way to the heavy, rounded pommel. The grip itself is a pristine white in color with the feel of soft leather over steel.
Hikari are able to channel Pure Light through their own bodies for a number of uses as well. Most are at least capable of enhancing their own speed, strength, and endurance. Enzo can also speed his healing, enhance his senses, resist damage, and use a number of combat techniques specially created to use Pure Light and Soul Swords, known as the Thirteen Noble Truths.
Name: The Radiant Swordsman
"At the age of five I was enrolled in the Chrysalis Academy. My parents could not afford it themselves, but my grandfather helped. Those were happy days, and the friends and teachers in that place shaped who I have become as much as my own family."
Information: Enzo studied at the prestigious Chrysalis Academy in the city of Valieur. It was there that he learned how to summon his Soul Sword, and how to wield the Pure Light that was his birthright. In addition to his training as a Hikari it is where he learned the basics of combat and how to wield Creciente. In later years he would begin training with more experienced Hikari. Eventually he was accepted to study beneath one of the greatest living Hikari Duelists, Jenovia Weiss. Jenovia was a true master of the rapier, and Enzo drank in every thing she had to teach him, spending hours every day in study and practice. In time he would surpass even Jenovia.
Name: The Thirteen Noble Truths
"Embrace Honor. Seek Truth. Defend the weak. Rise against evil. This is the way of the Ayakami."
Information: The Ayakami School has a history that stretches back millenia, with some that say it originated before the Arkhavians even came to their world from Ancient Terra. Whether this is true or not, it is undisputed that that the School has long been known for producing great duelists whose minds and honor are as great as their combat skills. The School is currently run by Enzo's grandfather, Renault, who spent a great many years teaching his grandson the Way of the Ayakami outside of the boy's regular studies at the Chrysalis and beyond graduation.
The signature techniques of the Ayakami School are known as the Thirteen Noble Truths. Each is as much philosophy as it is battle maneuver. While originally a school for swordsmen, the Truths can easily be utilized by a master of any form of Soul Sword with the right mindset and training. The only living person to have mastered all thirteen Truths is Ayakami Renault, although it is widely regarded that Enzo will one day master them all himself and take the reins of the school when his grandfather retires. Enzo has, to this point, mastered seven of the Noble Truths.
The Thirteen Noble Truths of the Ayakami School
The First: Lightning. "The future is not set. Destiny is not the mountain in the distance. One can change their course in life at any time with the proper effort."
Mastery of the First Noble Truth allows a combatant to instantly alter the direction of a strike without losing momentumn, speed, and strength. Thus what seems to be a committed strike against an opponent's legs can suddenly and without warning become a slash across his eyes.
The Second: Lance. "Nothing is to be gained by being content with what lies within arm's length. Those who truly wish to grasp greatness must reach beyond themselves for it."
The Second Truth involves channeling Pure Light through a lunging or thrusting attack, suddenly lengthening the effective range of the strike. For that single blow the wielder effectively doubles the range of his weapon.
The Third: Aegis. "There is a time and place for everything, in life and in battle. Aggression must give way to defense and patience, lest one grant the opportunity of victory to the opponent."
The Third Noble Truth, unlike the first two, is more of a stance than a single maneuver. It is a purely defensive style that allows the user to block and deflect attacks from any and all directions with extreme efficiency and effectiveness. Combining a surge of Pure Light with the Third Truth enables one to defend against even overwhelming attacks. One cannot attack while assuming the Aegis, and must therefore shift out of it before taking any offensive actions again.
The Fourth: Resonance. "All things within creation move at their own speed, exist by their own rules. If one can understand those rules, perceive those speeds, then one can move in harmony with all of creation, if only for a single precious moment."
Mastery of the Fourth Truth allows the user to attune his weapon to the harmonic frequency of a solid object, and thereby pierce through it. Utilizing Resonance in this manner does no damage to the solid object in question, but is instead used to reach whatever might lie on the other side of that barrier. Resonance can also work against energy shields, depending on their nature and if they are solid energy constructions or something else.
The Fifth: Dispersal. "It is often the case that by tackling a threat head on, one can become crushed beneath the sheer magnitude. A warrior of good judgment knows when to stand firm in the face of such a threat, and when to let it slide past like the wind around the mountain peak."
Those who master the Fifth Truth gain a valuable defensive maneuver. By channeling Pure Light and using it to redirect an incoming threat, the user can then disperse the power of the attack away from himself into an evenly distributed circle radiating away. Only the vector from which the attack originated is left out of Dispersal's area.
The Sixth: Judgment. "A noble warrior fights with control and compassion. There are times, however, when it is right and good that one should let free the rage and ferocity of one's primal, innermost nature."
Mastery of Judgment, the Sixth Truth, allows the user to channel their own fighting spirit and Pure Light into a devastatingly powerful attack, far in excess of a simple sword strike or spear thrust. The point of impact of one's weapon becomes merely the epicenter of a destructive wave of concussive force that radiates out in every direction. Masters of Judgment have been known to destroy armored vehicles with the thrust of a knife blade, or take down buildings with the lash of a whip.
The Seventh: Mirror. "It is said in science that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This much is true for all things. By understanding the nature of our opponent's attack we can turn that attack back against them in turn, utilizing their own strength against them."
A defensive maneuver, Mirror allows the user to reflect an enemy's attack back upon themselves. When used against a simple attack, such as a sword strike, it results in a reversal of the force used in the strike itself. The results of such an action can vary in many ways. When used against a less basically physical attack, the Seventh Truth can very truthfully reflect that attack back against its sender. Fire can be flung back into the face of its caster, bolts of lightning sent arcing back along their path of origin.
Name: Clarity
"The world is a series of moving parts and interconnected pieces of an amazing and wondrous variety. I learned long ago how to see and understand this incredible symphony of existence."
Information: Clarity is the word that Enzo uses to describe what to him is simply a natural way of understanding the world and what others call an amazing gift. Through keen observation and exact calculation, Enzo is able to grasp to an extreme extent how things work and predict response and reaction to an uncanny degree. In combat this means that after spending some time engaging with an opponent, he becomes see the weakness in their techniques, to predict how they will react to any given attack or movement, to gauge their mental and physical state to an uncannily precise degree. He understands how they move, how their abilities work, how every little part of his opponent works in sync to create that individual. And in turn, how to turn that knowledge into victory. Clarity is much more than a combat ability, however. Enzo was considered one of the most deadly members of his debate team, and regularly annihilated his opponents by tearing apart their arguments and predicting what their next line of thought would be.
In mechanical terms, five observed combat posts must pass before Enzo is capable of utilizing Clarity.