[CHAR] Rurouni Kenshin - Stand of the Shinsengumi

[vancexentan]

Name: Fujimaru Kozuki
Nicknames: Foreign Samurai, Twin Blades, Wolf of Mibu (Shinsengumi)
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Rank: Troop Captain of the 11th Squad
Specializations: Dual Sword Combat, Single Sword Combat, and Kodachi Combat

Appearance: WIP

Personality:

Soft spoken, and respectful Kozuki is no stranger to the arts, and intricate nature of politics due to his upbringing. He is a calm individual more prone to thoughtful choices rather than rash actions. He has little in the way of actual ambition though he does seek to better himself no matter the circumstances if possible. He is a loyal man but a practical man though he has sworn his vowes, and wishes to protect the shogunate he will do all he can in order to fight for his squad, and himself. He has little qualms over murdering his enemies, and the thugs of the land ending opponents swiftly without regard for morality. He disregards racism towards him quickly disregarding it he prefers to live the life he has been allotted not worrying about slurs, or comments towards his person. That being said he can be angered in numerous ways including disregarding innocent lives, or killing needlessly. He is a true professional willing to give, and follow orders to the best of his ability. He looks forward to the day his sword is not needed so much though he will live on to the end regardless of the death he causes.

Biography:

His birthplace unknown Fujimaru was found after a local fisherman found him floating on the wreckage of a ship long lost at sea at the age of 3. With no memories of his past life, and no way to find out where exactly he came from he was taken in by a local blacksmith who used to be a samurai warrior in Kyoto. His adopted father gave him his last name Kozuki, and named him Fujimaru since he had no name of his own. Though the boy knew not of what was to come ahead in life he did his best to learn, and help his new family. He faced some hardship as some disliked his foreign roots though he knew nothing of where he came from he grew up in Japanese culture, and learned the same as they did. The only thing truly different about him was eyes, and skin for all intents and purposes his father made sure he learned all he could to fit in well. It was not a secret that his father only took him in due to his own son dying of illness not five years ago. Left without a proper successor the blacksmith trained his son both in the art of forging metal but also in his sword technique in case he must ever need to serve in combat. Growing up was hard, and difficulties came often but Fujimaru never truly gave into the hardships he wanted to prove that he could fight as well as any warrior.

He was not natural talent, and often he failed especially at archery. However after adopting a new radical technique of using twin blades instead of the traditional two he managed to feel more comfortable. Repeated training, and drilling by his father, and his friends allowed him to eventually master the sword technique, and his black smithing became adequate. Eventually Fujimaru made his way to the military when his father wanted him to test his metal against true opponents. Initially nothing more than a ronin of little renown he bested a known bandit, and managed to hold his own against proper samurai earning himself a spot in the Roshigami. The leader saw potential in the young man and allowed him a spot in their ranks thinking to throw him away if he proved himself worthless.

He served with ability until the disbandment of the Roshigami into the Shinsengumi. With the reformation he vowed to serve the Emperor, and the Shinsengumi's leaders as well as a he could. His capabilities forcibly promoted him to Captain as new members swelled the ranks. With their role as a police force coming to fruition they needed new leaders, and very few met the requirements to match the role of Captain. Given the role simply out of nessessity Fujimaru seeks to fight to the end.

Fighting Style: Fujimaru's fighting style is deceptively simple. His twin blades allow him to unleash a flurry of attacks all at once. Simple movements such as a block, or a strike allow him to feint, or to follow through with another attack. He prefers an offensive flurry complimented with a defense oriented towards the offensive side as well. While he presses he could swiftly counter, and press the advantage into a deadly swift stab. Though poor in archery he does also successfully use single swords be it the Nodachi, or the Kodachi as they were his father's preferred weapons. Though he generally uses his two katana blades he can act like a proper samurai if the situation happens. His skills with the Shinsengumi-Kenjutsu aren't a joke either a capable user of the techniques used in it including the Gatotsu which pales in comparison to fellow captain Hajime Saito's.

Preferred Weapon(s): His twin katana blades however a nodachi is preferable in open combat.

[Renny]

Nagatoki Sogo

"I've killed scarier than you."
-
_{VA | Johnny Yong Bosch}

Name: Nagatoki Sogo
Nicknames: Bright-Eye Manslayer
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Rank: Member of the 11th Squad
Specializations: Single-Sword Combat

Personality: Nagatoki Sogo is an arrogant, rebellious, strong-willed young adult who leads with boundless energy and sterilized enthusiasm. He seeks to gain ever more power, ever-ambitious and looking to move up in the world. This knack for machinations has made Nagatoki rather contemplative and observant, strategic even. Which fuels his seemingly dynamic flow of energy. Only when tapping into his inner hitokiri does his energy fold taunt and sharp, becoming a palpable manifestation of his countless victims. Otherwise, one could just as easily find Nagatoki smiling amongst his enemies as he would his comrades.

Biography: Nagatoki grew up in a fairly peaceful family, ignorant for the most part of his father's dark history. Tomonaga Sogo, father of the eventual Bright-Eye Manslayer, renowned as The Death Hawk of Edo worked tirelessly to cultivated his reputation and swordsmanship. To become famous or infamous during a period of unrest. Unintentionally he found himself under the watchful eye of political powers, people who wanted others dead. The pay was enough to wash away his desires for fame which begun his eventual downfall. Somewhere along his career as a hitokiri he found his mate Sue Sogo and begun a family.

The eldest of which would later become Nagatoki Sogo the Bright-Eye Manslayer. His journey as hitokiri started with his father's innocent ambitions of ensuring his son's growth and ended the day he exacted revenge on his father and brother's killer. The night seemed destined for bloodshed. Tomonaga had sent Nagatoki and his younger brother Tanuki off to collect their mother Sue from her journey that night. Only they had no expected to encounter swordsmen on the path. Nagatoki, a swordsman in his own right drew his weapon but trembled against the thought of slaying someone.

Tomonaga appeared in the knick of time, quickly dispatching the two warriors. He sent them on to find their mother with reassuring words. But Nagatoki had ominous feeling, so they returned back to the small estate before retrieving Sue Sogo; they found a formidable swordsmen standing over their slouched and dead father. Enraged, Tanuki charged the thoughtless hitokiri and paid the price. Finally tipped over the edge, Nagatoki charged too but the swordsman swatted him aside and sly as a fox apologized for slaying Tanuki recklessly. Then he mentioned the eyes of a manslayer having been inherited before giving Nagotoki his name. Sanesuke Mori or The Phantom of Osaka.

When Sue Sogo returned, Nagatoki rested with Tanuki's head in his lap and his father's corpse close by. Reassured by his mother's appearance that his father and brother would be buried and honored, he stood up and stumbled away to began his journey of revenge. Starting at the age of thirteen, it took years of odd jobs, dark coincidences, and training by a lonesome, odd fisherman for Nagatoki to feel ready. At the age of seventeen he begun his twisted career as hitokiri, quickly earning his name "Bright-Eyes Manslayer" during a skirmish between two rival factions. During a typical assassination, he encountered The Phantom of Osaka.

The two battled under a crescent moon. Nagatoki had the advantage but sensed a lack of intention behind The Phantom's sickled blade. In the end Nagatoki felled The Phantom but felt unsatisfied. Seeing the elder man on his last leg, Nagatoki believed he felt regret on Sanesuke's sword. So he asked for the truth of his Tomonaga's assassination. Turns out The Phantom and The Death Hawk had been friends working for the same boss during their later eyes. Tomonaga was assigned to a new mission, one that could have jeopardized his family. He refused and because of his reputation, The Phantom and two others were sent to end him. When Tomonaga found out, he urged Sanesuke to let him check on his boys. Out of respect, The Phantom had allowed Tomonaga to save his sons under the pretense that his life was forfeited in exchange.

In his final moments The Phantom expressed his deep regret for slaying Tanuki, explaining that his reflexes betrayed his intentions and ever-since he's been awaiting for his "manslayer". Nagatoki, steeped in his own darkness returned home dead on the inside. Now twenty-and-a-half, he returned home a mirror image of his former-self. A formerly dressed swordsman stopped him on the way inside, seemingly defending his new home. It was Sue Sogo who recognized her son before conflict broke out but the swordsman who saw the manslayer inside.

Sue broke down the years as she bandaged his wounds that night. She had remarried an officer of the Shinsengumi two years prior. A single spar later and a conversation about regaining his humanity left Nagatoki contemplative about his next steps. It was the self-serving powers above him that caused his family such pain, that caused him such darkness. It took him only that instance to realize that his family was dead. His mother had found another life and it was time he had too. After joining the Shinsengumi off a whim and recommendation, Nagatoki found that he wanted more power, both politically and physically. Two years chipped away at his cold disposition, forging a combination of his former and current selves.

Fighting Style: Nagatoki's specific style of fighting combines Tomonaga's hawk-inspired combat with his mentor's sickle-style art, which somehow curves the slashes of his blow. The fisherman coined it as an illusion projected by orthodox arc of the swordsmen continuous and meticulous swings. This combined with Tomonaga's Hunting God Hawk Style appliesa reflex-induced sequence of strikes, thrusts, and slashes usually aimed for legs, arms, and head. First and foremost, he disregards the quick-kill method, opting to immobilizing before killing. When tapping into his hitokiri, his methods lean towards beheading.

Preferred Weapon(s): Katana

[Raging Fenrir]

Haruka Orihara

Haruka Orihara

Nicknames: Otome-ken (Sword Maiden)

Age: 23

Gender: Female

Rank: Corporal

Specializations: Power Strikes, Judo

Personality: Haruka strictly adheres to laws and the code of the samurai. She believes evildoers must be punished and will not overlook even minor offenses. Despite her strict discipline, she is rather soft-spoken, often preferring to be the listener than the speaker. She is confident, but does not boast about her abilities. She seeks justice and honor, but has little interest in glory. If one can get past her stern demeanor, though, they will find a kind heart that truly cares for people.

Biography: Haruka was the daughter of a Samurai and grew up with 5 older brothers. As a child it was clear that she had little interest in becoming a "proper lady." She romped about her father's estate with her brothers and even cried less than them. She would pretend she was a boy to attend the martial arts lessons that were provided for her brothers under the alias "Haku." As she grew older, it became apparent to the teacher that she wasn't a boy, but he simply laughed it off and allowed her to continue her lessons since she was not showing any signs of falling behind.

As Haruka reached adulthood, her father tried marrying her off to suitors, hoping she would settle down into a peaceful life. He regretted being so lenient with her during childhood, though, as she seemed to give off a frightening aura. Whether or not this was intentional, she would not say, but she observed decorum to the letter so none could complain. Her father then presented her a challenge. He would allow her to continue practicing her swordsmanship to her heart's content, but if he could find a suitor who could defeat her in combat, she must marry that man. She still remains unmarried.

When the Boshin War broke out, Haruka's father remained a staunch shogunate supporter. He spoke out vocally against the Imperials, calling them Western Dogs. This made him an early target for the imperial forces. The Orihara estate was besieged by superior far superior forces wielding Western rifles. They fought bravely, but stood little chance. As Haruka prepared to face her fate in battle, a handmaiden, acting on her father's instructions, served her some drugged tea. Haruka passed out and was whisked away to safety. She was spared from the massacre since the Imperial forces decided it was better to spare the women and children.

Haruka would not forgive the Imperials or her handmaiden for denying her an honorable death. She rejected the idea of living out her days as a commoner, and fell in with the Shinsengumi. She had never felt more at home. Here, she could carry out justice and fight the evil that had destroyed her family.

Fighting Style: Haruka's swordsmanship appears simplistic to the untrained eye. It consists primarily of basic strikes and stances. However, rather than striving for elegance, her master taught her brutal efficiency. You needn't rely on tricks if you strike more swiftly and powerfully than your enemy. Haruka focuses on crushing enemies with relentless powerful strikes. However, she was also taught Judo for those times where she is separated from her blade. Her unarmed fighting style is the mirror image of her swordsmanship. Biding time, waiting for the enemy to move, and using their own strength against them. Before her estate was raided, her Master gave her a final lesson: combine these two styles to create the true essence of Orihara swordsmanship. She trains diligently hoping to achieve this pinnacle of technique, but knows she still has a long way to go.

Preferred Weapon(s): Katana

[Shiyonichi]

Ryuga

Name: Ryuga
Nicknames: The Swordsman of the Night Parade
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Rank: Assassin
Specializations: Single sword combat, Brawling, Quick thinking.

Appearance:


Personality: Ryuga is a rather rude and blunt individual, being born and growing up in an improvised environment, caused him to take a more thug like demeanor though more mellowed out than the common street thug. He also has a more negative view of the world, which causes him to take unexpected situations as in stride, as he is absolutely sure that the world is out for him. Though despite his thuggish demeanor and general cynicism, he has a soft side especially towards his adopted family and is able to quickly connect with lower caste members of society. While he tends to follow his own way and only gives lip service to the code of Bushido to get by in the Shinsengumi, he actually respects those who genuinely follows it. As in his eyes people who can follow such strict rules and are still kicking are genuinely impressive for being able to do so.

Biography: Ryuga was not born from a Samurai family, infact he was just a nameless orphan from an improvised area who just so happened to have a talent for the sword, having first picked one up when he was forced to defend himself from a bandit an eventually using it to become a sellsword to survive. He took on many jobs for various people, gaining both fame and infamy as he became known as the Swordsman of the Night Parade.

One day, he was seriously injured after a job that had gone wrong and collapsed on the side of the road, he thought it would be the end of his life, but he was saved by a wandering samurai and the three children that the samurai took in. At first he didn’t really know what to make of it, as he had lived a life of selfish survival, but he knew one thing people were after this wandering samurai, owing the samurai his life he joined them on their journey to protect them.

He never knew what the samurai did to have assassins after him, he never asked, as a sellsword it was common courtesy not to ask about a person’s past or the reasons behind a job. He just kept on following them and fighting along side the samurai to repel his assassins and the group became something he never had before, a family.

However, one day a particularly powerful assassin simply as Yon, was sent after them, who was more than a match for the two of them. The Samurai took a fatal blow for Ryuga and left a brief opening that allowed Ryuga to exploit and take the assassin’s left eye. The assassin retreated after that, having suffered an injury, the assassin decided it wasn’t worth it to risk his life any further.

Ryuga took the children under his care, he decided after that encounter continuing to travel wasn’t safe and bought a small home and hired a caretaker in the city, by collecting a few bounties. He joined the Shinsengumi to continue providing for the children, due to the fact that they valued merit over family names, meaning someone like him who had none, could get in. He also didn’t want to have the children he takes care of to get influenced by his line of work as a sellsword and end up on the wrong side of the law.

Fighting Style: His style doesn’t have an official name, as he has never been trained in an official sword style. Instead his style is an amalgamation of self training, on the spot improvisations, and moves that he copied from watching other swordsmen, making an extremely fluid hybrid style that is described as fighting a person who has been possessed by a hundred demons. It is both versatile and combined with him throwing out kicks, punches, and throwing knives, it makes it unpredictable. However, it’s greatest weakness is in it’s lack of discipline and lack of focus, which leaves it with no real physical strengths or weaknesses as it doesn’t really specialize in any specific technique, making it a jack of all trades style.

Preferred Weapon(s): Katana, Throwing Knives, Iron plated Gentas.

[Marcus XVI]

Name: Toki Yamato
Nicknames: The Bastard of Yamato, Dishonest Mutt
Age: 32
Gender: male
Rank: Assassin
Specializations: Firearms, ambushes

Appearance: Toki stands at 5'7, He seems almost scrawny, but it's clear he is quite fit even despite his looks. His cheeks are a bit gaunt and his nose has broken at least twice. Toki keeps his hair cut short in the style of the foreigners and has decided to go for a mostly shaven look - leaving his thin mustache however. Under his haori he wears foreign clothes - black pants, a thick belt with a sort of bandolier for the shells of his coach gun, riding boots and an officer's coat - he had to pay quite a price for the coat and it is now one of his most prized possessions. He openly carries his foreign weapons on his hip - the coach gun having it's own specially made holster.

Personality: Despite his seeming dishonesty and other less savory antics Toki is quite jovial - lacking the traditional training of etiquette due to his illegitimacy he has no trouble conversing with people from all around the society - from the lowliest peasant to the highest of nobles, or the foreigners for that matter.

Biography: Toki is the youngest - and illegitimate - son of the Yamato Clan - a little clan formerly from the north of Shikoku, now fallen on hard times. He was never quite interested in the 'traditional arts', preferring sake dens and gunsmiths over calligraphy and swordsmanship. He got interested in firearms at a young age - quickly devouring every piece of information about them, the more technical the better! When the black ship arrived he began associating as much as possible with the foreigners - becoming quite adept in their language in the process and managing to make few contacts - contacts he would later use to outfit a squad of men with if not the most modern tools of killing at least with something that would get the job done.

For a while the group Toki gathered were little more than glorified bandits, skirting on the edge of the law and more or less causing trouble and being more a nuisance than any kind of a threat to the Imperial - and by extension to the Shogunates - forces. A change to this came when they openly disrespected an officer - an imperial captain. The captain challenged the crew into a duel on the spot, something Toki felt was plainly idiotic. It was 5 against one and the 5 were armed with coach guns and swords whereas the captain was only armed with his sword. Still, a 'duel' they had. It ended in less than 3 seconds with the captain's body riddled with shot. This action hardly gained them any love from the imperial forces and the men quickly found themselves having to flee their home province.

Now more more or less criminals in the eyes of the imperial forces Toki threw his lot in with the Shogunate properly. The crew 'enlisted' to the Shogunate cause and managed to prove their worth to at least few of the commanders - even though the proper samurai leading them still saw the men as little more than crass and dishonorable fools, their use of tactics more fitting to a peasant rather than samurai was still proving to be very effective. Thus Toki and his little group had gotten - if not an outright pardon, then at least a stay of execution.

When the Shinsengumi was formed Toki managed to get himself aquainted with the group - mostly by cashing in a favour from one of the samurai he had served under, with the caveat that he literally never ask any favours from the fellow ever again. His dishonest and dishonourable creed of 'quick victory, at any cost' may not have made him many friends, but it has made his 'crew'- as he calls the little group of four compatriots he hangs around with, the group he armed before joining the Shinsengumi - a quite effective fighting force.

Fighting Style: Toki's fighting style is quite... Dishonorable to say the least. He never fights alone if he can avoid it and utilizes his squads marksmanship ability as much as possible. If he has to fight alone he will take full advantage of every dishonest trick in the book - be it sand in the eyes or just blasting his opponent from close range with his revolver or coach gun. His defenses consist of him staying quick on his feet and remaining out of sword reach as much as possible, or just simply legging it - often to goad his enemies in to following him to a prepared ambush.

Preferred Weapon(s): Colt Army Model 1860 revolver, a short barreled coach gun without the stock and modified to empty both barrels with the pull of only one trigger, wakizashi for close combat

[Eviledd1984]

Yuya Kishibe

Name: Yuya Kishibe

Nicknames: The Spirit Of Hiroshima, Little Runt.

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Rank: Assassin

Specializations: Swordplay, Traps, Archery.

Appearance: Yuya stands at around 5'4 weighting around 158 pounds, His body type being thin but toned with noticeable muscles. Long dark brown hair that is tied with a black bow, Light brown eyes with a small scar on his left eyebrow above his left eye. Some noticeable features on Yuya was burnt marks on his right hand, right leg, left hand and some burnt marks on his torso and back. Wearing a dark green kimono with obi and dark colored sandals.

Personality: Yuya is a dedicated worker being focused on a job he is given, Although at times he can become too fixated on work that when he is doing a job he obsesses over every detail. When he is not working he likes to keep to himself but is not against making friendly conversation with others, Being a person attuned with nature doing his best to protect animals and nature form others.

Making new traps and or improvised weapons. Yuya when he finds someone interesting who or whom he likes, He will stalk them or follow them around pestering them with questions about them.

Biography: Yuya was born in Hiroshima living with his mother and father, His father having been a mercenary and hunter. His father while working when not being a mercenary he was working with a nobelman as a hunter removing the local animals that would become pest for the nobelman. And his father was the head bodyguard for the nobelman.

However when he Yuya was twelve years old his father was murdered and a man named Josuke Yoshikage both took over as leader of his father's mercenary group, And married his mother. The cause of his father's death was kept secret form others, Yuya believes that his father was killed during a mission protecting a nobelman.

As he grew older he trained with Josuke not knowing that he killed his own father, Being apart of the mercenary group protecting nobles or being apart of proxy wars, fighting bandits, or hunting dangerous animals attacking villages. Yuya later joined the Shinsengumi thanks to the help of Josuke who gave him a recommendation as well as a little bribing to officials.

Fighting Style: Yuya's style of sword fighting is free form, And in a way majestic as he is very light on his feet. Making sure to be one step head of his foe, For the most part he likes hiding and setting up traps or making sure he was unseen when he strikes.

Preferred Weapon(s): A katana, a crossbow with bolts, And a dagger.