[OOC] NEON GODS [Japanese Country Cyberpunk]

[BingTheWing]

ネオン の 神

_{Inspirations: Akira, Yojimbo, Jack Reacher, the Godfather.}

Premise

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• Starting date and location August 13, 2055, in the fictional rural town of Suribachi, Hyōgo prefecture, Japan.
• The following technologies are widespread: VR, Internet of Things, cybernetic limbs and implants, self-driving cars, household robots.
• Since the early 2020s, Japan’s population began experiencing a severe slump, threatening to drop to 85 million people by the current date if left unattended.
• This forced Japan to weaken its immigration policy, reducing requirements for work visas, residential permits, and even naturalization.
• A sudden influx of immigrants from Korea, a drastically overpopulated China, Southeast Asia, India, South America, Russia, and the United States start to arrive on Japanese soil to live and work, turning Japan into a multicultural society.
• With these drastic social changes came an increased crime rate, with mafias from other countries expanding their influence into cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo.
• Other minor crime families from Moscow, New York, and Shanghai war for control over territory in the Japanese countryside.
• Suribachi, a relatively small town of around 70,000, has long been yakuza territory, but in recent years a San Francisco-based family called the Sycamores have challenged their claim from Kobe.
• Drive-by shootings, muggings, and street brawls have become more common in Suribachi. Many people are fleeing the violence, left untethered by an ineffectual prefectural government.
• Yet your character, who may be a recent visitor or a long-time resident, has decided to stay. Do they have unfinished business? Grudges to settle? Loose threads to sever?

The World in 2055

• Most present-day countries still exist with their current governmental structure, e.g the United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the People’s Republic of China.
• Overpopulation has now become the world’s most pressing issue. Great superpowers like India and China are threatened by revolt from the impoverished masses.
• A major oil shortage in the early 2030s caused a global recession and caused most countries to heavily subsidize green energy. As of today, more than 40% of Japanese energy is renewable and that number is steadily increasing.
• Phones have been replaced by headsets and smart arm-mounted displays.
• Nearly every single thing in a modern home is connected to the internet, from your refrigerator recommending meals, to your bed measuring your hormone levels to your clothes having access to the latest weather forecasts.
• ‘Helper’ robots for menial tasks like cleaning, lifting, and to a certain extent security are prevalent in factories and middle to upper class households.
• Virtual reality is the new era of entertainment, and hikikomori found dead of sleep deprivation and thirst with their visors still on is a common occurrence.
• Cybernetics has advanced greatly, and Japan holds merit for being the world leader in this regard. A budget robotic prosthetic arm could cost as much as a good handgun. For cheaper models, people must regularly take medication to ensure their body does not reject the prosthetics. Chip implants to lessen the need for sleep, make mathematical calculations quicker, and to enhance VR experiences, are pricier but not uncommon. However, heart and lung cybernetics have been known to bankrupt families.
• Self-driving cars are already rendering manual models ‘antique’, being programmed to take into account traffic flows and collision risks. Emergency manual operation is still a legal requirement, however. Taxi and ride-sharing drivers also protest against the rise of automated taxis.

Japan in 2055

• Through a gradual series of legislation, Japan has had the world’s laxest immigration laws and subsequently the world’s largest influx of immigrants for almost thirty years, surpassing that of the European Union and the United States.
• This is in direct response to Japan’s falling population. Local industry was suffering from a lack of manpower. Many businesses are staffed by only 60% ethnic Japanese.
• Japan is becoming known as ‘the new America’. With the once great United States undergoing political and social turmoil, the world’s determined and ambitious from Manila to Saõ Paulo are making landfall on Japanese ports.
• The Japanese reaction to this has been extremely controversial, dynamic, and debatable, with opinions from all across the spectrum. (This is up for exploration with character creation.) Many prominently negative responses come from the yakuza, who regularly harass businesses owned by immigrants and beat ‘undesirable’ foreigners on the streets.
• Like the organized syndicates of early 20th-century America, immigrants need protection. The Russian Mob occupies Sapporo, the Chinese and Korean mafia oversee their respective communities, but there has been an entirely new animal - the crime families originating from the United States, who leverage their influence through the megacorporations their countrymen own.
• Weapons laws have also been rolled back due to the influence of the Mob. Most gangsters carry a handgun, and it is not uncommon to see bodyguards wielding assault rifles and shotguns.

Suribachi in 2055

• The roleplay proper will mostly take place in the fictional town of Suribachi, in the fictional Kazakari district of the real Hyōgo prefecture, Japan, just a 20-minute maglev ride north of Kobe. Current population is at about 70,000. There is a river and a mountain range a few miles out.
• Suribachi has existed since the Genpei War as a minor farming village, but started economic growth after World War II as it was near the intersection of three regional railways. Suribachi was where you would change station to continue to bronze and copper mines, fishing ports, and inland factories in the rest of the prefecture, soon becoming a rural commuter town of sorts.
• As Japan’s population fell and immigration increased, Kobe’s real estate prices skyrocketed - as was the trend in other major Japanese cities. In response, the government subsidized the building of residential areas in rural towns to relocate foreign workers. Suribachi was one such recipient, and by 2055 the Japanese-to-foreigner ratio was nearly equal.
• The Sycamore family hails from San Francisco, CA, and their patriarch, Daniel Sycamore, made his fortune in the 2020s and early 2030s from gun running, counterfeiting, - and surprisingly - stock trading. His skill in the latter was so reputed so as it was rumored that he owned an eighth of all the private industry in the Bay Area by 2040. As he took advantage of Japan’s lax immigration policies in the early 2040s, Daniel decided to make Kobe, a port city, his main base of operations, purging the existing Chinese and Korean gangs via street-level warfare and corporate influence.
• The yakuza still put up a fight, though, and while still aggressively resisting the Sycamores in Kobe, they have also retreated to the prefectural countryside, where Kobe’s industry originates from. Suribachi is one of the many choke points to the rest of the prefecture, and - unfortunately for you - one of the front lines of the war.

Districts

WIP. All ya need to know at this point is that it’s majority residential with different ethnic enclaves, there’s a hospital, a prominent train station, and some small schools.

Rules

• All Guild rules apply, I guess. Keep it PG, fade to black beyond that. Cursing, discussion of mature themes, and gore is fair game.

Character Creation Guidelines

• Honestly, run wild, as long as your character isn't an extremely politically powerful person e.g a Yakuza senior member or one of the Sycamores themselves.
• In terms of combat capability, ex-military is the absolute bar at this point (and even then there shouldn't be plenty of these to go around). No secret government supersoldiers or whatever.

Character Ideas

• A doctor at Suribachi General Hospital, who feels duty bound to tend to the innocent and good-for-nothings alike of this town?
• A young yakuza initiate, who hates the Shikemoa for what he has perceived as an intrusion on his community?
• A scrappy yet determined immigrant, who has put everything he has on the line and cannot afford to move?
• A normal salaryman who would much rather this entire state of affairs did not exist?
• An alcoholic ex-Marine, looking for meaning in the wrong place at the wrong time?

CS

[center][h1]Name[/h1]
Image Here (optional). Real or realistically drawn images preferred. If it’s anime, I will tolerate it only if it is absolutely amazing.
[i]Optional quote by them or someone else, or an also optional one-sentence abstract that summarizes their character.[/i]
[/center]
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Sex:[/b]
[b]Nationality:[/b] Japanese naturalization in this timeline takes at the most two years. Dual citizenship is allowed.
[b]Languages Spoken:[/b] In order of fluency. Conversational Japanese is a requirement for citizenship. Most Japanese have also taken to learning Korean, Mandarin, Russian, etc.
[b]Cybernetic Enhancements:[/b] Brief description of each, if any.
[b]Property:[/b]Physical possessions they mostly keep on their person daily. Can be added to or removed from later.

[b]Appearance:[/b] Short yet brief, should include notable characteristics like tattoos or specially modified prosthetics. 3-4 sentences will do.

[b]Personality traits:[/b] 5-7 adjectives that encapsulate your character's personality.

[b]Background:[/b] Brief, but clear and concise and should answer the question: What are they doing in Suribachi?

[b]Skills:[/b] What will prevent you from getting killed in general. E.g good gambler, sharp shot, boobs perkier than an anime character, etc, etc.

[b]Flaws:[/b]What could [i]get [/i]you killed in general. E.g poor gambler, crap shot, alcoholic, abrasive, etc.

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Many of you cyberpunk junkies may be asking the question: why isn't this in a big city, like Tokyo or something? Well, personally I find cities in cyberpunk to be overused and really depressing. The Japanese countryside also happens to be very pretty and has a certain 'fairy tale' feel to it, like it's a bubble of perfection. The only thing better than shooting someone in the back is shooting someone in the back with beautiful natural scenery in the background. An interesting mesh of timeless and timely - one of the themes of this RP.

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[CaptainSully]

Sik

킴용싴

"I can never take back what I did..."

——————————————— Name: Kim Yong-Sik Nicknames: Sik Former Name: Park Hye-Jung Age: 31 Sex: Male ♂ Relationship Status: Single Nationality: South Korean Job: Chef Job: Chef ——————————————— Languages Spoken Korean Japanese English ——————————————— Traits Caring Courageous Daring Independent Repentant Secretive Sincere ———————————————

————————————————————————————————————————————— APPEARANCE At first glance nothing stands out about Sik or his appearance until you get close. He has optical augments and both of his arms have been replaced. He stands at six foot and one inch in height and weighs roughly two hundred and ten pounds. He has no tattoo's and no visible scarring of any kind. ————————————————————————————————————————————— BACKGROUND Arriving in Japan over ten years ago, Sik set out to start a new life free from the trouble he often found himself in. Whether it was fighting, stealing or running drugs, Sik was always a hairs width away from finding himself locked away in a cell for a long time. Unfortunately for him the idea of starting fresh disappeared quickly and gave way to his usual tendencies. He made a name for himself as an efficient thief and fighter. Even with his foreign identity the Yakuza came calling for his talents. What started out as stealing and debt collection soon escalated to contract killing. He killed a total of twenty four targets for the Yakuza including numerous bodyguards, grunts and lackeys. He was paid handsomely for the work he did both financially and through cybernetic enhancements. For a while he was their go to guy for jobs where the Yakuza wanted to maintain plausible deniability, that was until an accident changed him forever. While looking to take out his twenty fourth target, Sik fired several rounds at them and found his target with ruthless accuracy. Unfortunately one of his bullets ricocheted off the floor and hit a passing child square in the chest. The child dropped dead instantly and from that moment Sik vowed never to work for the Yakuza again. The gang had other ideas after the amount they had invested into Sik and gave him an ultimatum...return to work for them or run for the rest of his life. The months that followed involved a change of identity and moving from the bustling metropolis of Tokyo to the much quieter town of Suribachi. He now owns a small restaurent where he serves Korean food. He takes care of the local homeless by providing them with warm meals and sometimes with a roof over their heads on a late night. He is constantly looking to make up for what he did by helping others all the while keeping his identity a secret. ————————————————————————————————————————————— SKILLS ✦ Stealth | A young life of crime helped him to develop skills to remain undetected by even the most vigilant of people. ✦ Hacking | Part of his latter years involved the hacking of computers and electronics. Whether breaking into a secure door or disrupting a camera feed, Sik knows how to get it done. ✦ Small Arms Mastery | Not one to set up on a ledge over a mile away to shoot someone, Sik has a preference for pistols and sub machine guns over bigger weapons. ✦ Close Combat | While he may be lacking any particular martial arts training, Sik's life of crime has taught him how to fight up close and personal. ————————————————————————————————————————————— FLAWS ✦ Enemies Everywhere | In addition to the Yakuza, several smaller multinational gangs are trying to find Sik. ✦ Fuck the Police | After a life of crime a certain dislike of the police is bound to rise to the surface. Sik hates dealing with the police and shows them zero respect. In addition, he will readily intervene if he perceives the police to be dealing with someone too heavy handedly. ————————————————————————————————————————————— CYBERNETIC AUGMENTATIONS ✦ Kazuka X09 Optics | The Kazuka X09 Optics Augmentation is a high end, usually police only visual augment. It features facial recognition software that links directly to the police's criminal database, providing detailed personal information in a HUD overlay about anyone who is scanned. In addition to this, there are several different visual settings such as the ability to zoom in, track targets and thermal vision. ✦ x2 Yutani Mantis | A covert military spec arm augmentation, the Yutani Mantis provides increased strength and features retractable wrist blades. While not the strongest arm augments available, they are almost undetectable as being augments unless looking at them up close. ————————————————————————————————————————————— OTHER ✦ Speech Colour 888888 —————————————————————————————————————————————

[Plank Sinatra]

CS should be done within a couple of days, I already have an idea down.

[BingTheWing]

shameless bump to stay on page 1

[Sierra]

You're making me upset that Kira is already committed to another RP. She would be the Yakuza poster child.

[Bork Lazer]

Working on the CS. Possibly will be done by the end of this week.

[MegaOscarPwn]

The Viking is heeereeeeee

Mördred Siggurd

"What? Can't a lad like me have fun around these parts without getting aimed at?

Name: Mördred "Siggy" Siggurd
Age: 26 years old
Sex: Male
Nationality: Swedish and Japanese, obviously.
Languages Spoken: Fluent in Swedish, English and Japanese. Somewhat adept at Russian.
Cybernetic Enhancements:

- Skin Weave: In a process similar to muscle and bone lace, nanites thread fibers through skin tissue, making it much more resistant to damage. The result is bare skin that has resistance to damage similar to light body armor (think Kevlar). Skin weave is transparent to the naked eye for the most part, but can still be detected with careful observation. It takes a couple weeks for the nanites to complete the upgrade.

- 'Big Knucks': Reinforced knucklebones, giving the fist the impact value of a pair of brass knuckles. This is considered a form of black market cybertech, and as such is not accessible through the average on-the-Mall clinic.

- Mr. Studd: The Mr. Studd™ slogan "All night, every night and she'll never know." captures the adult intentions of these implants; use your imagination to what they are capable of.

- Smartgun Link: A cyber implant of sorts which links the user to the smart-gun itself, making it able to have assisted aim since the implant helps the user to do so.

Property:

- Smartglasses with cyberoptic "Targeting Scope" in them, which are common enough, except not the cyber-optic. It is compatible with the smart-guns and the smart-link, making the user able to take advantages of all the things the two implants offer.

- Arasaka "Marson", one of the high selling points of this weapon are the molded grips, available in either wood or rubber. It also features built-in tac-light and laser sight. Suppressed. Has been smarted out. Shoots 11mm rounds. It is able to hold 12 rounds in it's magazine.

- Arasaka PSH-4, a handgun sized 12 gauge, in competition with Poseidon’s Gong series. A much more compact weapon, though not as accurate. Quite literally a shotgun for one hand, albeit it is only able of holding around 3 rounds inside the magazine before reloading.

Appearance: Mördred is simply a very, very pale skinned lad. Standing at, let's say, 6'1 he's a figure that kind of imposes respect? He isn't the tallest of the bunch, albeit it is obvious that he likes brawling and other forms of hand-to-hand combat, which is made obvious by the many bruises he sometimes sports on his face and all over the body. Aside from that and his fit body, the lad would also have a full-on black beard that complemented the blue-crystal eyes hidden behind the smart sunglasses. That facial hair and the pompadour made him look like some sort of rocker boy, y'know, Grease and shit like that.

For clothing, Mördred loves leather jackets and sweatpants, which is made obvious since it is mostly of what he wears. If the lad ain't wearing a jacket, then either he's got a hoodie on or something's wrong with him.

Personality traits:

- Hedonistic
- Honourable
- Loyal
- Egocentric
- Cynical
- Assured and Stylish

Background: Once an agent for private security in a corporation, Mördred took notice that there was a way better job to make money off of. A job that wasn't as restrictive or boring as standing at guard 4 hours in front of a building just to get shot from two clicks away. That job? Bounty hunting. Once a young lad from Sweden, now the 26 year old male with a newly acquired bounty-hunting permit, roamed the streets of the slums and higher-up's to search for prey. Perhaps it was his charm, his attractiveness or his addiction to the l e w d, but it seems that the lad could never catch the female targets.

Skills: Mördred's an expert at fighting dirty, not having had any kind of official training at all he had to learn wherever he was able, that being either behind a dumpster in a clandestine Fight Club or in a not-so-legal tournament where he got disqualified for performing a not-so-nice move to someone's lower parts.

Aside from that, the lad's got a silver tongue, I'll tell ya that much. There aren't a lot of lads and lasses that can resist the Viking's charm, albeit that's always subjective.

And last but not least, Mördred sure knows who to go with, always collecting information and having many confidantes in the streets. He may not know them like the palm of his hand, but he has people that do.

Flaws:

He's an asshole. Not a direct one, that is, but one way or another, he tends to be abrasive due to the sense of humour and overall personality that the bounty-hunter has. That can get him in a lot of trouble, and guess what? It has, multiple times.

Talking about l e w d, yes, he is quite the sex addict. Hookers, one-night-stands, friends-with-benefits, that's all game for him. Obviously, it can take the best of him at times, often forgetting about whatever he was thinking about the moment the lad sees a nice bootay. Perhaps that is the reason he's never able to catch the female targets...

Aaaaand he's a raging alcoholic. What? How can you live life without taking a drink or two? Let's just hope he isn't drunk when shots start flying past.

One last thing, though: he is a good shot, of course, but more often than not he can find himself distracted in the middle of battle.

[jimapple]

Chev "Smiley"

Chev Cohen

"Chev Cohen is a cold blooded murderer. He once asked me, "Why kill just one? When you can take out many, many, many more?"" - a Sycamore family member

Name: Chev "Smiley" Cohen
Age: 32
Sex: Male
Nationality: American
Languages Spoken: English
Cybernetic Enhancements:
- Brain-Computer Interfaces: faster, seamless access to information and to interaction with other machines.
- Nanotechnology healing: significantly increases skin, muscle, and bone regeneration.

Property:
- FN Electromagnetic pulse Pistol GEN 1: this weapon is capable of targeting and destroying electrical systems.
- FN Five-Seven Pistol GEN 52: this gun is famed for its ability to penetrate many types of body armor.
- FXDR 510 Harley Davidson bike: The 510 is the latest installment of the FXDR series. Chev had its body modified to make it bulletproof.
- Multiple fake passports and identity cards.

Appearance:
- Always well dressed and often in an expensive suit, Chev was taught to blend into the high society that the high echelon of the Sycamore family frequent.
- Since he could grow it Chev has always had a well kept facial hair.
- He has always tried to remain fit and healthy as the pressures of his job as a hitman demanded it.
- Aside from these Chev looks like an average white guy. His cybernetic enhancements do not have any physical manifestations.

Personality traits:
- Strategic
- Patient
- Respectful (seemingly)
- Sociopath
- Manipulative
- Sadistic

Background:
- Chev was an orphan and continually tried to run away from the institutions he was in.
- He was taken in when he was six by the Sycamore family when they saw him almost beat to death five other boys in a fight.
- Chev was trained as a hitman since he joined the family. He's one of the most notorious killers in American, some say he's killed on average about 20 people a year.
- He got into a serious disagreement with a senior Sycamore family member when he wouldn't listen to their orders of not killing a number of prominent rival family members. They were also threatened by his obvious ambitions streak.
- They didn't want to kill him as he was a valuable asset to the family so instead he was "banished" to Suribachi.

Skills:
- Eloquent grooming: Chev always looks well put together and his appearance commands respect
- Machinist: likes to tinker with devices and creates new things
- Hitman: he's been paid to kill people since he was a young boy, the Sycamore family noticed early his sociopath and sadistic tendencies and they honed them

Flaws:
- Humourless: makes people feel very uncomfortable
- Bigot: hates everyone who can't speak American
- Very Ambitious: normally is a good thing but not if you are part of a crime family

[jimapple]

How many players are you thinking of before starting the game?

[BingTheWing]

@CaptainSully Accepted, but please add your character's belongings. I added that in the CS late and you may have not noticed it, my apologies. I'll tell you when to add it in the Character tab.

@MegaOscarPwn My main problem with the character is that for such an ambitious guy, why would he go to such a off-the-beaten-track countryside town? There are many other major cities with far more opportunities for employment. He could be on the Sycamores' payroll, if ever, but it would be more likely he would take a job in a bigger city.

@jimapple The concept is okay, but I need more detail in the CS. What is the rate of his nanotechnology healing? How would it respond to a gunshot or stab wound, and how much medical attention would he need? How the hell could he run away before the age of six? What kinds of technology does he like to tinker with, and how does it reflect in his background?

[BingTheWing]

Also, the character ideas we have so far are fine, but I would also like to emphasize this story isn't about the gang war itself - it's about those affected by it. Not everyone has to be a cybernetic supersoldier to be relevant in the story. I'm also going for civilians, people who aren't necessarily armed, people with ordinary jobs, people who don't want the violence in the first place. This is my overall expectation with later CSes.

[Opposition]

Kana

_{気械こー佳奈
きかいこーかな}

“In meditation, it is revealed that man and machine are aligned indefinitely.”

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Name:
Kikaiko Kana
_{気械こー佳奈
きかいこーかな}

Preferred Name:
Kana

Age:
23

Sex:
Female

Nationality:
Zainichi Korean

Languages Spoken:
Japanese
Korean
English

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Cybernetic Enhancements:

► Modified Demolition Arm Prosthesis | This cybernetic limb prosthetic started out as an industrial augmentation meant for construction workers to use in demolition and deconstruction of structures. It was heavily augmented by Kana after she received it, but it was all she could afford with the small inheritance granted to her after her accident. The limb has quite a bit of strength in it as it is meant for heavy strain. The most prominent feature of the Demolition Arm is its jackhammer action which can cause a massive pulse of force outwards from the fist. This is accomplished by an autoloading explosive shell that is housed in the wrist that goes off when punched outward to create a shocking amount of force.

► Modified Machinist’s Arm Prosthesis |
Grafted onto Kana while she was young and upgraded to better fit her over time, her Machinist’s Arm is a mark left on her from the late Kikaiko family. The prosthesis is extremely similar to the one used by her father, as it houses a number of mechanics’ tools run by simple motors to extend from the forearm and be used precisely on any machinist’s project. Common available tools include a number of drill bits, a wrench mechanism, and a small circular saw.

► Neurotop Remote Interface |
The Neurotop Remote Interface is a common neural implant that allows for the user to interface with compatible machines and the internet remotely. Kana bought herself the implant whilst working in the KikaikonoDojo to allow her to access information, complex diagrams, schematics, and instructions whilst going about her biomechanical undertakings.

► Autodoc Toolkit Implant |
This internal implant is housed in the back side of the wrist on Kana’s Machinist’s Arm. It is a simple implant that houses a number of simple surgeon’s tools meant to assist in triage and urgent medical care.

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Property:

► Ōsuzumebachi Flechette Machine Pistols^(大雀蜂)
Designed and manufactured almost exclusively for Tokyo’s more underground consumers, the Ōsuzumebachi Flechette Machine Pistols pack a noticeable and rapid-fire punch in the form of flechette projectiles rather than conventional bullets. This offers a lightweight, compact, and concealable model made almost entirely of plastic and ceramics. Each pistol is augmented with a laser sight. These two weapons are the only firearms that Kana owns— one having belonged to her father and the other to her mother.

► PsySys Prescription Technispecs
When it comes to impaired vision, PsySys Technispecs are one of the top products to combat such issues. These stylized glasses also act as screens that can offer the wearer a heads-up display with a small array of information about their surroundings. More quality models come with 2-3x zoom functions. In efforts to maintain a knack for style as much as they do functionality, PsySys allows for the glasses to tint to any number of specified colors. Kana’s set appear as a pair of circular spectacles that she rarely leaves home without.

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Appearance:
Kana is by no means an imposing figure to be feared. With such small stature, she doesn’t carry much of an intimidating appearance. Instead, quite the opposite may be true as she often may appear rather sickly and weak. Her slight form is contrasted only by the mechanical appearance of her cybernetic arms— both appearing as slick and dark gunmetal limbs. Her prostheses have a very industrialized aesthetic, built from other pieced together cyberware. Kana is clearly of Korean descent, opting to dye her natural hair a lighter platinum blonde. She keeps her hair very well so that her straightened locks fall just around her neck. Very rarely is Kana seen without wearing a pair of circular spectacles. She has a knack for urban fashion, opting to dress with flashy aesthetics that have an unaccounted for tendency to stand out in the rural Suribachi.

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Personality traits:

► Forlorn
► Wistful
► Withdrawn
► Pensive
► Perceptive
► Conscientious
► Dissonant

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Background:

Kana was born to a pair of Korean immigrants to Japan, settling in Suribachi. Their identities remain a mystery to her as she was told that she was orphaned at birth in a crime-related accident. Unfortunately for the young girl, no more information on her original progenitors was available to her anywhere she could look. She was, after all, unaware of her own last name. Kana was in particularly rough shape due to a rare form of minor muscular dystrophy in parts of her body. Lost without help in this world, Kana would have fallen victim to its cruel fate had she not been accepted and cared for as an orphan by a particularly benevolent pair of guardians.

When found and brought to the hospital in a state of near-death, Kana required the replacement of a number of muscle fibers with artificial counterparts. Kana was taken in by the Kikaiko family and cared for at the KikainoDojo, where her disability was dealt with via cybernetic augmentation of one of her arms. Her adoptive family ran this dojo as a refuge and support center for cybernetically augmented people struggling to survive for various reasons, operated between her ‘mother’, ‘father’, and another orphaned child of similar age to Kana named Tao that she soon grew to view as a brother.. The dojo acted something like a non-secular church for a struggling group in Suribachi, offering repairs, sustenance, and simple medical assistance to the many, though a number of outsiders likened the group more to a cult than a church. Either way, it created a tight-knit bond between its frequenters. As such, the caring family had no problem bringing the little girl into their dojo. With all of the work done to help others, the KikainoDojo required great monetary support. While the dojo received some donations and Kana’s mother worked as surgeon’s assistant at Suribachi General Hospital, they still didn’t have enough money to keep up with increasing demand of the dojo’s assistance. This led to the advent of the KikainoDojo Machine Shop built as an addition onto the dojo. In the machine shop, Kana’s adoptive father worked tirelessly on a number of odd mechanical jobs and repairs. Kana took to the Dojo’s principles quite quickly, and she soon became an apprentice to her guardians, offering as much help as a young child could.

Even in their ultimate efforts to keep the dojo afloat, the Kikaiko family was working against all odds. It wasn’t long into Kana’s life that the dojo had accrued a larger and larger debt that soon crippled the family. Having run out of options, Kana’s father resorted to taking out loans. What Kana was unaware of, however, was that he didn’t have the necessary assets to take out such great loans from banks and instead resorted to drawing funds from both the Yakuza and the Sycamore Family simultaneously. When Kana’s father finally reached the point where he could no longer stave off the wrath of the two families, the KikainoDojo was attacked in a drive-by. The place ended up riddled with holes, firebombed, and partially collapsed.

After the attack, Kana only remembers waking up in the hospital to learn that her remaining biological had been crushed and required amputation. With such an expensive medical procedure, Kana had no way to pay for it, but it was then that Kana received word that neither of her guardians had survived. With no other option, a small inheritance of her father’s hidden reserves was nearly entirely used up in Kana’s medical bills. Kana was entirely surprised by this revelation, choosing to accept only half of the treatment so that her brother could receive treatment for whatever wounds he might have taken in the disaster. It was then that it was revealed to the hospitalized girl that her brother was beyond saving and the doctors had proclaimed him unable to be saved, especially with the funds available. Tao himself opted to offer all of the inheritance to Kana so that one of them could live rather than having them both die.

Upon receiving her treatment, Kana made the impulsive decision to try and help Tao herself. That day, both Kana and Tao Kikaiko had disappeared from Suribachi General Hospital. At the shell of what once was the great KikainoDojo, Kana maintains herself in the broken machine shop while Tao remains lost in catatonia and barely kept alive by his sister’s biomechanical rigging. Kana has plans to resurrect the fallen dojo from its broken state, entirely unaware of any Yakuza or Sycamore grudges that may remain.

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Skills:

► Cyberneticist | Kana is well versed in the inner workings of cybernetics and mechanics of various machines. This stems from her time around her father at the KikaikonoDojo. She has the necessary skills to repair, maintenance, assemble, or disassemble mechanics she is familiar with.

► Biomechanist | Taking after her mother, Kana has an apprentice’s knowledge of how the body works, particularly in its interactions with machines. This allows her the skills necessary to manage basic medical procedures and maintenance of cybernetic augmentations on humans.

► The Way of the Machine | In the many teachings of the KikainoDojo, Kana learned how to fend for herself as an augmented human in Suribachi. One of the common practices around the dojo from day to day was the honing of what was called ‘The Way of the Machine’. This was a technical art taught by some of the dojo’s patrons meant to show its participants how to use their cybernetics to their advantage in combat. Lacking any actual training in any weapons, this knowledge of fighting with her own body offers Kana her greatest defense.

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Flaws:

► Debt To Inheritance | Due to the great debts accrued by the progenitors of the KikainoDojo, both Yakuza and Sycamore loan sharks never got the chance to collect on the business after it was destroyed. With Kana being the last connection to her dead parents, she has thusly inherited their debts, and may be considered an enemy of both of the major gangs in Suribachi.

► Debt To Metal | In her heavy reliance on cybernetics, Kana’s body finds it harder and harder to cope with its numerous mechanical augmentations. On a daily basis, Kana is faced with the conundrum of requiring medications to prevent the rejections of her augmentations and the immense pain of the slow process following. With expensive medications being so far out of her reach, Kana often must resort to procuring her fix through other means.

► Atrophy | While Kana has grown to overcome her disability from birth almost entirely, the lingering effects still remain as she augments her body more and more. Where Kana finds herself lacking any artificial muscle fiber or prostheses, she is a great deal weaker as her muscles have partially atrophied, thusly giving her reduced strength in those areas.

[BingTheWing]

@OppositionJ Accepted. Put in in the CS tab.

UPDATE: Expanded a little of the Sycamores' history in the OP. They came to Japan in the early 2040s, eliminating Korean and Chinese presence in Kobe.

[CaptainSully]

@BingTheWing I haven’t got PC access at present so here’s Sik’s property. I’ll add to the CS tomorrow once I’m back at my PC. I’ll also add details on his shop tomorrow so it can act as a possible location for people to visit if they wish.

Property

Active Camouflage Cloak: Sik has a cloak that can perfectly blend into the background wherever he may be. While it is almost impossible to spot when active, it can be spotted relatively easy when moving too quickly due to the cloak struggling to keep up and process the surroundings. It covers him head to toe and has a run time of one full hour between charges. (Usually kept in rucksack)

Master Key Wristwatch: What appears to be a simple wristwatch is in fact a highly effective hacking tool. It is capable of hacking into low protection devices but struggles when it comes to more complex systems. In addition to this the watch can be linked to various other types of equipment in a remote control capacity.

L231A Flechette Pistol: A pistol that fires armour piercing flechettes. While highly effective against most modern armour, the gun and flechettes are magnetically linked to each other. This means that once fired the flechettes can be recalled to their parent weapon. (Kept inside his jacket)

Pet Dog: While not property per se, Sik’s pet dog Rufus is a German Shepherd. Raised from a puppy it follows him everywhere. It is friendly and entirely loyal but will not hesitate to attack those who try to hurt his owner. The dog has several cybernetic enhancements including having life extending augments, reinforced jaw and nano razor teeth. It’s bite is capable of cutting through most skin augments if required but since Sik left his servitude to the Yakuza, Rufus has never had to utilise these.

[BingTheWing]

@CaptainSully The portable blindspot and master key wristwatch seem a little too OP. Some drawbacks and technological limitations to balance them out would be appreciated.

[CaptainSully]

@BingTheWing edits made. Let me know what you think.

[BingTheWing]

I suppose that could work. Once you add that into the CS, you can post in the Character tab.

[Lady Ostara]

working on a CS, hope to post it soon

[Bork Lazer]

Finished for now. Will work on it more later.

Moving at the speed of neon...

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Connie Lee - A Driver or The Driver?

Life hit me hard. Now, I always move fast so that I never get hit again.

Name: Constance "Connie" Lee

Age: 22

Sex: Male

Nationality: Singaporean.

Languages Spoken:

- Malay (Fluent)
- English (Advanced)
- Japanese (Conversational)
- Hokkien (Basic)

Cybernetic Enhancements

Armalance Kasparovian Booster-Ware Model M - Originally designed by Armalance to provide government soldiers with the capability to deal with the rising number of augmented criminals on the streets , this . This reflex co-processor augments the cerebellum's capacity to process nerve signals, essentially increasing the reaction time of the recipient to inhuman levels where they could theoretically catch a bullet mid-air.

Suzuki Wireless Smart-Link v1.5 - A standard co-processor link chip that comes standard issue in every Suzuki bike issued after 2040. This cybernetic chip links the computing systems of the Undertaker and Connie's nervous system, allowing him to control the bike with literally a thought of his head and granting him a higher precision of driving than most other punk bikers.

Property

Undertaker - 2050 Suzuki Zendatsu FDX600 - No noise. No burning rubber. No smoke. Aesthetically, it's a beaut. A 3-D fabricated streamlined carbon-shelled plated body covering a low-weight titanium alloy skeleton that's a sexy blend of Japanese chic design and efficiency. The new and refurbished model of the front-runner Suzuki Zendatsu is a cutting-edge motorcycle armed with an experimental revolutionary integrated mag-lev motor drive and standard electromagnetic anti-lock brakes with a complete reduction in 85% of friction, thereby promoting higher efficiency and affording incredible amounts of balance. This bad boy's able to reach an acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in under 1 seconds and a measured top speed of 550 mph (No one's ever ridden it that fast before without dying). Furthermore, this baby's not just a machine of power but a machine of intelligence. The 2050 Suzuki Zendatsu, like most modern motorcycles, comes integrated with a computer system instead of a normal manual control system as seen in most vehicles developed pre 2030. Connie's model is modified with a matte-blue finish and a locked trunk where he stores a myriad of items, mainly his packages.

Bullpit Prismo - The Prismo is a full-faced motorcycle helmet that affords top-of-the-line protection against the many dangers of driving on the road such as drunk drivers, angry drivers, gun-toting drivers and plain stupid drivers. The nano-tube based mesh-foam cushioning and the poly-laminate composite shell is responsible for absorbing the devastating skull-crushing impacts which the driver wouldn't be able to normally survive. Hell, it's even been rated for bullets (but don't push your luck.) The 2030 Prismo features a new smart HUD that indicates incoming traffic jams, possible routes and the driver's proximity with other vehicles.

Armalance Broadsider Compact - Commonly referred to as the 'ABC', this semi-automatic pistol for first-time gun users is aimed for civilians who can't hit the broadside of a barn. A pathetic seven-round magazine with a caliber of 10mm ensures that it falls into the hall of shame for any aspiring gun owner. However, the cheap cost relative to other pistols on the market make it one of the most ubiquitous civilian firearms within Japan.

Pipe - It's a pipe. A five foot long pipe. A reinforced titanium pipe taken from the sunken remains of a battle-ship that was found in the junkyard that's good for pushing other bikers off their cycles. What? Did you expect some fancy vibro-blade or a chainsaw?

Appearance
For a man of his profession, Connie is decidedly mundane and contrasts the usual punkish images that one would imagine when they hear of the term "street driver". His head bears a short clean-shaven cut of tawny brown hair intermixed with a row of faint surgical scars from his extensive neural-ware modifications with blue eyes that almost glow in the dark. His body is of a stout stature, bearing broad shoulders and thick limbs. A mixture of South-East Asian and American genes effectively cancelled each other out in terms of ethnically defining features, placing his features somewhere between that of a Caucasian and a Asian. His street attire usually consists of a insulated bomber jacket in drab-green olive with motorcycle gloves and treads.

Personality traits

- Optimistic

- Restless

- Reckless

- Daredevil

- Energetic

- Greedy
Background

Born at the beginning of the 2030s, Constance came from a rough-and-tumble background filled with copious amounts of street racing and violence in the bordering lands of urban Singapore and rural Sabah, the latter of which was quickly being transformed into a major bio-oil plantation by rivaling Indonesian and Malaysian corporations. The disillusionment with the increasing industrialization of the rural villages of Malaysia intensified the current mat rempit attitudes within youth groups and led to the sudden onset of street racers, in open rebellion of the new social paradigm. During one of his many illegal street races, Constance saw the opportunity to participate in a high profile illegal street race which was known as the Danger Derby in order to win a highly coveted Suzuki Zendatsu prototype that had been stolen by black-market techies but denied it.

Before the eve of the match, Constance came in contact through his gang with an employee of a indie corporation to Suzuki, Hayai Motorworks, to win back the Suzuki Zendatsu for them in exchange for a sum of 1,000,000,000 ringgit. A few broken bones and a concussion later, Constance became the new winner of a Zendatsu, the fastest electro-cycle on the market. Now, all he had to do was play his part of the deal and his gang would be one of the richest syndicates in the South-East Asian region.

He didn't.

Reneging on his deal, Constance fled both the bounty hunters sent to him by Hayai and his gang, eventually escaping to Japan and bargaining with the Sycamore Gang for protection from both parties in exchange for his services as a data-courier for several years, paying off his debts. During this era, Constance hitched it up with a local bokozotsu gang in Kobe which he grew extremely close with. During one day, whilst drunkenly celebrating the birthday of one of his gang members in the bokozotsu, the Sycamore Gang raided their hideout due to one of the bokozotsu gang members accidentally blowing up the cars of a Sycamore family member during a robbery.

Now, Constance works as a sushi deliveryman within the rural areas of Surubachi, working to scrap by with the meagre salary he has whilst trying to stay out of the gang war between the Yakuza and the Sycamore Family. Now, that the war's come to Surubachi, Constance wonders whether or not he's still able to run away from his problems....

Skills

Mat Rempit - The machine doesn't make the driver. The driver makes the machine. Connie is a fearsome street driver who's learnt how to grift it with the best of the best and able to push the capabilities of his cycle beyond its limits. Drifts and turns come to him as easy even as he's cruising at blurring speeds. Evading and escaping blockades of automated squad cars and armies of gangoons is exciting. Pulling off improbable tricks and death-defying stunts is his hobby. It's arguable whether or not Connie is the greatest driver in the world but he's certainly the best human driver Surubachi's ever seen.

Street Mechanic - A good driver knows how to maintain his vehicle. Connie has thorough knowledge of how to maintain and repair his cycle, along with being able to make the occasional fine-tune or upgrade to the systems of Undertaker. However, any more advanced upgrade is beyond the skills of Connie who seeks the help of techies or handyman's for more specific needs.

Living GPS - After five years of traversing through Surubachi and its many districts, Connie possesses a encyclopedic knowledge of every nook and cranny within the bowels of Surubachi. This allows him to travel to any location in Surubachi that he's familar with or has been before.

Flaws

Feel the Need, The Need for Speed - The common diet of an adrenaline junkie is going into high-risk scenarios with little to no regard for their own personal safety or common sense. Off the wheel, Connie's sense of security is about as normal as any sane individual. On the road , Connie transforms into a reckless driver, a demon of speed who will take the opportunity to engage in any dangerous route of driving or the one which provides him with the most sense of thrill.

Greenhorn - Due to a life-time of running people over and killing them, Connie has a lack of experience with guns and melee weapons, only having to use them in exceptional circumstances. In those exceptional circumstances, Connie is horrendously bad at ranged and hand-to-hand combat, but not completely inefficient to the point where he's worst than a pacifistic monk at the art of killing somebody.

That Chrome Looks Juicy. Mind if I pick it over your dead body? - Connie's cycle is a rare sight in a rural village such as Suribachi and his skills as a driver attract attention from both the Yakuza and the Sycamore Gang whilst he travels through the most dangerous parts of town. Therefore, Connie is a prime target for recruitment by both the Yakuza and the Sycamore Gang, despite him wanting nothing to do in their little war.

[BingTheWing]

I plan to close applications by this Saturday. The IC will begin next week at the latest.