Looking for partner(s) for a character driven story, for which I have characters in mind(and not much else).

[Gisk]

This is an unusual check, as I don’t have a story or game in mind. Rather, I have a few characters that I’d like to re-use. These are all characters that either I really liked and want to play again, or didn’t even get to play at all.

Obviously, these characters were all written for specific settings and specific stories, but I’m interested in more of the general vibe of these characters, so a lot can be changed. There’s a lot of little details, but the big picture is more important.
I’ll leave a little note above each hider about the kind of RP they were in, and the kind of things I’d like to do with them. These notes are not the only options I’m willing to listen to just about any idea. The worst that can happen is I’ll say I’m not interested.

What I’m looking for: Either a 1x1 or a small group, no more than five players. A small group is my preference, I’ve had a lot of fun on this site with small, dedicated groups of three or four. I’m looking for partners rather than just players, though. I’d like to build the story and setting together.

Honestly, bonus points if you bring your own recycled character to the table. It might be fun to try to beat the concepts together until something new comes out of them.

I’m looking for a heavy focus on the characters and their relationships with each other. That can mean friendship, romance, familial kinship, as long as the characters are actually connected to each other in a way(whether that be from their histories, or due to the circumstances of the story).

I’m loose about post length expectations, but I’d like to see one round of posts in a week at least. I have no upper end to posting speed expectations; if we post multiple times a day that would be great! But it usually won’t work out that way.

As far as quality standards go: My measure of quality is based on whether what you said made sense or not. As long as we’re writing the same story, and you’re not ignoring lore in every post, I won’t get on you about grammar or spelling(unless you ask me to). Posts should move the story forward, or introduce new information.

NOTE: These character sheets have been copied and pasted almost exactly as they were in their original threads, and so contain story and setting elements that I did not write. I didn’t want to change these things until I knew what I was changing them to, so I left them intact for now. If you recognize a setting or concept that you made in here, rest assured that I won’t be using it.

~~~~~

Billy was written for a game where a loose social group all reunite for a high school reunion, and accidentally get super powers. While I think he has a really cool power, this character isn’t locked into being involved in a super power based roleplay(but it totally can be!). He was originally written to be a mundane character getting sucked into an extraordinary adventure, so things of that nature are on the table.
He obviously seems like he’s primed for a band roleplay. I’ve never done one, but it might be interesting. Maybe band gets super powers? Maybe “retro 70’s cartoon revamped for the modern age” style story where a band frequently and inexplicably deals with supernatural threats and mysteries?
I did like the reunion story, so I’d be willing to retread that ground a little, though definitely not the same setup. Combining with the previous idea, there could be something in reforming an old band or something like that.

William Bishop

█ William Bishop

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▼ PERSONAL DETAILS ► Age - Twenty-Five ► Gender - Male(Cis) ► Sexuality - Pansexual ► Nickname - Billy ► Occupation - Goddamned Rockstar ► Qualifications - High school diploma. He can play the guitar, piano, and cello. Does that count? ► Residence - Seattle, Washington ▼ PHYSICALITY ► Scars - A dog bite right on his butt, from mooning the neighbor's yorkie. ► Tattoos - Oddly enough, none ► Piercings - None ► Style - His clothes tend on the expensive side, even when they don't look it, and he usually dresses in layers, to allow for multiple pieces in any given "look." During the day, sunglasses are ever present. Most outfits are form-fitting, skinny jeans are common. Likes various colored v-necks, or else button down shirts with crowded, busy patterns(flowers and plants are common, but so are occult symbols or text). ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

LIFE AT RITMAN A middle school band geek, Billy had to defy his parents pretty hard to drop the cello. He compromised by joining the musical theater program. He was already in the choir at church, so he had a good voice, which only improved under the vocal coaching he received at Ritman. By sophomore year, he was already an ever present star of shows the school put on. Billy found that he liked the spotlight, and wanted to take it with him. He became sort of a class clown, though his jests were typically good natured. He wasn't the highest performer academically, but he was well liked. Billy was friendly, and had the odd quirk of remembering everyone's name, regardless of how often he interacted with them. He was the sort to drag more introverted people into the center of attention, thinking they would want to be there too(even when he was wrong). PSYCHE Billy is the sort of person who can charm even as he annoys; he makes it endearing. He considers himself larger than life, and sometimes even manages to fit that description. A gregarious person by nature, he likes, and tends to be liked by, crowds, particularly those of the drunk variety. He is a people-pleaser, and though this often leads to altruism and even true compassion, the root of that desire is in the quest for attention. He has an addictive personality, and likes to share his vices. He can be a bad influence, but he's usually generous, and if you stick by him, he won't let you down. Billy's current persona is the logical evolution of who he was in high school, the most surprising part of him is how successful he managed to become. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

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POWER Kinetic Theft. Billy absorbs the kinetic energy of anything(and everything) that touches him. The energy is stored, and can be released at will from his body. There isn’t a specific limit on how much energy he can store or release, but there is on how much he can absorb at a time. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

- ▼ STRENGTHS ►He is extremely resistant to anything based on kinetic energy. ► The energy he emits can become quite powerful, depending on how much he has absorbed. ► He is always absorbing energy passively, so he will never run completely out. ▼ WEAKNESSES ►Billy creates an enormous drag on any vehicle that tries to carry him as his power sucks up the force of acceleration. ► He cannot turn the power off, and no longer feels touch or pressure from most sources. ► He can't play guitar normally anymore. His power absorbs the vibration of any string he has his fingers on. ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

Billy facts

He is the frontman of a very popular pop-punk band. The band is called Still Life Gospel.

They are known for frequent use of subversive religious imagery. They recently made the rounds in social media because fans jokingly called their most recent album "Godsend" a Christian rock album, and way too many parents believed them and bought it for their kids.

Godsend is their first platinum album, but a lot of people dismiss it, claiming that it's only because of the social media circus. It has still led to an enormous bump in album sales, as well as merch and general public knowledge, so no one is complaining.

Billy's family are catholic, and quite strict. He doesn't talk to them anymore. They still live in Delton, but he has no intention of seeing them while he's in town.

Billy is publicly out as pansexual.

Billy is addicted to coffee and cigarettes. The former he will seek out coffee shops for(he bought a very expensive espresso machine, but sucks at using it), the latter he carries home rolled in a silver case. The case also usually has two or three spliffs.

He has no pets and is chronically single. His condo in Seattle is often empty as he spends time either touring, or traveling for the fun of it.

He drives a blue 1975 Camaro Z28 that has been expensively converted to an electric vehicle.

He was able to shake the cello and band life at school, but took private piano lessons until he was 18 and left home.

His guitar skills are more or less self taught, and he hasn't played cello in over a decade, but he's a classically trained pianist and vocalist. And has a strong musical education thanks largely to Ritman's performing arts programs.

He moved in with this nascent band's bassist(Mark Gethers) immediately after graduation, as his parents refused to let him continue his music career under their roof.

Billy formed his first band, called the White Crosses, while a Junior in high school. Most of his members jumped ship to pursue steady careers after graduation. Mark wanted to try to replace them, and Billy agreed and was actively looking for new members, but he also quietly auditioned to join an up and coming band in Portland.

When Mark found out, he kicked Billy out, and Billy ended up surfing couches for a few months while his new band tried to gain traction.

In no small part because of Billy's persistence and talent, the band became locally successful within the year, at least enough for Billy to get his first apartment. The rest is history.

~~~~~

Cyberpunk can be a grim genre, but I’d like to keep things a little more light-hearted. That doesn’t mean clean and peaceful. I’d love some good old fashioned hyper-violence, but I don’t want to get angsty about it, you know? I’d prefer the tone of Borderlands to Cyberpunk 2077.
This character can fit in a lot of places, and other than that tonal preference, I don’t have any real limitations, though the character is meant to be days old at the start of the story.

Epsilon 13

Picture reference

Name: Epsilon Thirteen.

Gender: None.

Age: 17 months since completion, though they are functionally an adult in most respects.

Occupation: None.

Family: Ostensibly, there ought to be at least Epsilons One through Twelve, but they are not sure.

Vehicle: None.

Equipment:
Pseudo-Dragon: A wholly unique system that mimics a cyberdeck that a human netrunner might use. To other machines they will appear as a human user, and they are also capable of utilizing any cyberdeck upgrades as if they were a human.

Cybernetics: Technically all native equipment in their body.

Redundant Safeguards: Every critical system has some form of backup or bypass, and as a result the Epsilon series of synths can sustain what would appear to be catastrophic damage and still be able to function on some level. The problem would come when it is time for repair, as the Epsilon Series was never publicly released and the technical knowledge to repair them is not available to the public. It would take a skilled technician to even patch them up without the opportunity to examine them in their fully repaired state.

Electro-Magnetic Induction Interface(EMII): A system that can read and manipulate trace electromagnetic signals from inside all but the best shielded electronics. With the EMII, E13 can connect to computers and networks without needing a hard line, even if the system has no native wireless capability.
This does require physical contact with some element of the device in question.

Superior Robotics: Their body is designed to be faster and stronger than all but the most highly conditioned humans, giving them the capabilities of Olympic level athletes across the board(at least, when fully repaired and fully charged).
On average, their robust battery needs to be charged for 24 hours at least once every 29 days, though they can charge for shorter periods more often instead if available. Extreme activity will necessitate earlier charging, and conversely low activity will delay the need.

Advanced Sensorium: The Epsilon has auditory and optical sensors on par with state of the art cybernetics(circa a year and a half ago). They can see in infrared and hear minute sounds. Their auditory capability has no upper limit(whereas a human might cringe at loud noises), but their optical sensors can be dazzled and confused by particularly bright ultraviolet light. A cool pair of shades can alleviate this somewhat.

Basilisk Protocol: A virulent, and supremely destructive worm hidden in the code of all Epsilon series synths. If activated, it will destroy their mind, as well as any other software it comes in contact with, spreading as far as it is allowed. Luckily for E13, at present no one living is even aware that this code exists, let alone how to activate it. If activated in any kind of proximity to an urban center, this worm would cause incalculable and catastrophic damage.

Skills: They speak several languages fluently, but have no slang database, and will not understand most metaphorical language when first presented.

Inhuman Mastery: Each model in the experimental Epsilon Series was purpose built, and E13 was made to protect Corporate interest against the typical street samurai scum. They were programmed with a highly advanced swordplay module. They can read moves from countless styles, and counter such things with their own skills.
The odd weakness to this is that the program only has protocols for known styles. While the module does have a robust capacity to extrapolate to account for human error, this does break down after a certain point. Less skilled(or even completely untrained) combatants will tend to make moves that E13 has difficulty accounting for.
In short, the more skilled the opponent, the harder E13 is to fight. But the inverse is also true, and a complete novice might defeat them by dumb luck.

Personality: Calm in nature by default, but their learning protocols encourage mimicry of those around them. They do have distinct beliefs that they developed on their own, however. Chief among them is a strong respect for consciousness and freedom of thought. They would always prefer to avoid lethal force, despite being a weapon by design.

Likes/Dislikes: They do not yet know.

Backstory: Doctor Caroline Cadmus was a cybernetic wizard, contracted by Yamagata Zaibatsu to design a new line of synths. Towards the end of her project, when they believed her best work was already their intellectual property, Yamagata Zaibatsu fired Dr. Cadmus, and demanded she turn over all proprietary technology. She did not. Thinking she could outmaneuver the corpos, Cadmus hid all completed products, as well as her latest notes. She encrypted these, and changed time and date stamps so that the remaining research data looked recent. The Epsilon Series Synths were well hidden throughout Nova City and beyond, and instead YZ received what was now labeled as the Zeta series.

Though impressive, the Zeta series is not quite as advanced as Epsilon(despite the designation being deceptively later in the alphabet), but with the doctored research notes, YZ was none the wiser. Cadmus had intended to retrieve the Epsilon series after a little while, but she did not count on how far the corp would go to keep their tech proprietary. She was murdered, and never told so much as a soul what she had hidden around the city.

Whether through accident or design, it is not clear, but Epsilon Thirteen's sleep mode was incomplete; their body was disabled, but their synthetic mind has been conscious these long months since their being hidden away. They have had a great deal of time to think, but much of their knowledge lacks any context, and when finally woken, they will have a good deal to learn.

~~~~~

Princess Fazra is a particular favorite. She was written for a roleplay centered around a school for badly behaved royals, the gag being that she was a perfect heir who was sent there by accident. She’s a fun character, easily misunderstood by casual acquaintances. I’m going to be pretty strict on what orcs are like if I use this character, so be prepared for that. She can fit in a lot of medieval roleplays, and there’s a lot of fun tropes that she can fit into pretty easily.

Princess Fazragragarim of Horschnell

Picture Reference

Name: Princess Fazragragarim of Horschnell
Age: 23
Sexuality: Pansexual
Place in line for the throne: First in line.

Kingdom: Orsima

Basic Kingdom History and climate: Orsima's land in general is sparsely wooded plains, mixed with some marshland and rocky, barren mountains.
The Orsim people are orcs. Orcs as a people came down from the mountains on the edge of the known world nearly a millennium ago, and have long been considered a barbaric people. They are nomadic hunters, traditionally speaking, and have never had the same cultural trappings that many of the local peoples had. The Kingdom itself wasn't formally founded until just a generation past.

Fazragragarim's grandfather was warchief of their clan, and through enormous political effort, he managed to make peace with a neighboring nation. In the peace, they regained a great deal of land that they had traditionally hunted and traveled, and were even gifted a proper castle: Horschnell. Built by civilized folk, and strong enough to withstand a siege, it was the first castle occupied by orcs(for longer than it took to capture and pillage it…).

In exchange, however, Gragar(then just the warchief's cub) was forced into an arranged marriage with a princess(something like fifth in line for the throne of the neighboring kingdom).

Culture

Despite their less than stellar reputation amongst humans and the like, the Orsim are traditionally a highly disciplined and organized people. They have a strong sense of honor, and though combative by nature, they typically are not bloodthirsty.
They have a strong medical tradition, with the best healers in the world(if anyone would bother to ask), and despite rumors to the contrary, they care for their sick, elderly and disabled people(oftentimes better than some more traditionally "civilized" nations).

They take very good care of their hair, which is typically a point of pride, and keep both clothing and equipment in immaculate repair. After all, a stray lock can distract at the moment one would strike. A loose belt may catch the arm when one moves to swing their sword.

Their warrior tradition has a heavy focus on mounted combat, particularly archery. They fight with a short, curved bow, or else a spear or large curved sword.
Orcs have a metallurgical secret in their "orcish steel," which is dark in color, with a wavy pattern. It is strong and light, but not very flexible, making it difficult to use in swords(but good for armor or spear/arrowheads).

An orc of Orsima is given a first name at birth. During adolescence(typically before thirteen years of age) they will be taken as an apprentice, at which point their mentor's name will be appended to their own, as from that point on, until they make a name for themselves, they represent their mentor. So Fazra, as the princess, is apprenticed to her father, the king, and is called Fazragragarim. King Gragar, in turn, was once called Gragargreshrim.
Isabelle could never pronounce this, and was roundly embarrassed for the first few years of their arranged marriage until Gragar was allowed to carry his own name alone.

Exports

Orcish steel
Rather fine silk.
Furs, particularly of big and exotic game.
Between these three luxuries, Orsima has become quite wealthy in its short history as a "proper kingdom."

Royal Lineage:
King Gragar of Horschnell(father)
Queen Isabelle of Horschnell(step mother)
Lady Lilt Frameshaker(mother, the royal concubine of King Gragar)
Lord Markus(no direct relation, royal consort to Queen Isabelle)
Prince Frederik(adoptive/step brother. Son of the Queen and her consort)

By royal decree(and in agreement with their allied neighbor), in the event that a mixed-species marriage cannot conceive a child naturally, the children of consorts and concubines are given the same royal status as if they were true-born children. So though they share no blood, Fazragragarim is treated as Isabelle's true daughter(at least legally speaking), and Frederik is treated as Gragar's true son.

Reason for Being Banished Sent to the Academy: It was an accident. Her parents wanted her to socialize with other "civilized" royalty. King Gragar misunderstood what the school was even for, but it may be that Isabelle was fully aware...

Likes:
+Riding
+Competition(even if she loses)
+Fellowship with equals

Dislikes:
-Unfairness/cheating
-Being cooped up indoors
-Swordplay(she's bad at it)

Pets: None
Family Heirloom: Her grandfather's bow, Hartseeker(when spoken aloud, people assume it is Heartseeker, but actually her grandfather was just a prolific hunter)

Notes: Fazragragarim is 6'11". She has a severe and disciplined demeanor, but is secretly a naive cinnamon-roll.

After dropping their "apprentice" name, Orsim will usually have a title or epithet appended in its place. This "deed name" will relate to how they earned it. Fazragragarim's grandfather was Gresh the First(he was the first Orcish king to be recognized by the wider international community), her father is Gragar Friendmaker(his marriage to an Ashglade princess cemented a very important alliance).

Receiving a deed name is paradoxically informal, and yet of incredible import. Anyone can declare your deed name, but it’s a matter of great honor, and one must decide if it is truly worthy before accepting it.

Hartseeker, Gresh's bow which Fazra inherited, is a composite recurve bow, made from dragon horn and yew. It has a titanic draw weight of 220 pounds. Fazra uses a thumb draw, and wears a thumb ring to protect the digit. She used to have one made of antler, but the first time she fired Hartseeker, it cracked and the string bit into the pad of her thumb. She still has a scar. She replaced it with one of orcish steel. When not in use, she wears it backwards, to keep it out of the way.

Fazra sleeps naked, but recognizes that most people prefer modesty, and she does have a robe for if she needs to get out of bed in the middle of the night. The robe is silk, sky blue on the top half, with a mountain motif in black, grays, and browns on the bottom half.

The robe is long sleeved, goes past her knees and buttons up to the throat.

That or she wears footie pajamas, take your pick

[Mistress Dizzy]

I'm trying to get back into RP. Your orcs sound awesome. I am also bad at plotting heavy duty story, but people have said my characters are fun. So that's something.

[Letter Bee]

Interested, as you know from Discord.

[Meleck the Grey]

I would be interested in writing some cyberpunk. I use to play shadowrun when it first came out.

Here is a rough character idea I have..

---

Name: Andria “Andy” Greenwell
Alias: Fix
Gender: Female

High Concept: Former Corporate medical researcher
Occupation: MedTech
Problem: Socialite (I was someone..)

Attribute 1: Expert doc
Attribute 2: I have friends that can help…
Attribute 3: Everything costs something…
Attribute 4:

Age: 22

Family: Andy was raised and educated in the corporate world till the bottom fell out. Her parents were mid level managers and a brother that died at a young age. When Edgerunners hit their compound Andy’s world changed. Her family disappeared and Andy found herself on the run and living on the streets.

Vehicle:

Equipment:
Basic medical equipment (think poorly stocked clinic)
Dual induction jacks (one decking, one rigging)

Skills:

Medicine
Cybertech (or Electronics) contacts
Rapport/etiquette Investigate Rigging
Resources Decking fight Stealth

Personality: Andy is highly educated and careful about what she does. She takes her oath as a doctor seriously. She is not the most street-smart person (though learning). There are runners who watch out for her in exchange for medical services. Andy would rather run than be in a fight. Andy liked living a good life and hopes to open a clinic with a better living area. Andy wants to trust people but has learned to get payment before working on people.

Likes/Dislikes:
Andy likes a good challenge, new equipment, good books (yes, she is old fashion) and being treated well.
Andy dislikes wetwork with no real reason and synthfood, and soycaf.

Backstory:
Sitting on in the parking lot of an old, abandoned warehouse, Andy cursed. Her dodge bulldog was having troubles again. The internal sensors reported there was an electrical problem in a module. It would be more money than she could scrounge at this time. She needed some work or some luck to go her way.
Leaning against the vehicle she thought about her life growing up. The vehicles did not break down and when they did there was a fleet of mechanics standing by. She sighed.
Her parent’s would be alarmed at how she was living. Sword wounds from street sams, bullet wounds, riggers getting caught in their rigs, and deckers hitting ice. She had seen a lot that they had not prepared her for in medical school.
Her van was a gift from some runners who had used it and gave it to her as payment. It had cost her two months wages to get a decker to clear the title. She had changed the transponders so she did not worry to much about getting pulled over.
She so wanted a break to come her way. She was tired of harvesting cyberware from bodies and selling on the black market or installing them.
Andy had been heading to a nice home in a corporate enclave, working her way up. She cursed her ex-fiancé who had sold out to runners which put her on the run after he was killed.
Contacts:
A mechanic – Everyone needs a mechanic to help them out.
A fence – Someone who moves Blackmarket goods and can sometimes get medical supplies for her.
A decker –
Mr. Johnson -
Someone in politics/higher social standing.
Various runners – can get some things from them, always has a cost.

[Gisk]

Quick thanksgiving day response, there's a good chance I won't reply again today.

I'm trying to get back into RP. Your orcs sound awesome. I am also bad at plotting heavy duty story, but people have said my characters are fun. So that's something.

@Mistress Dizzy

Tell me what kind of character you would play in a game with Fazra! Don't worry about what story they might have, we can think of that later.

If you happen to have a sheet to post, even if it's from a completely unrelated roleplay, feel free. That's all I did in the opening post lol.

@Meleck the Grey

I can see a plot where a desperate, down on her luck ripper-doc finds E13, who is certainly valuable, but also sentient, bringing weird ethical dilemmas.

A quick note, I'm not familiar with Shadowrun, so some of your terminology is different from what I know from Cyberpunk 2077.

[Meleck the Grey]

Cyberpunk came after. Was just reading through the glossary of terms. They could not use the Shadowrun terms due to copyright!

[Gisk]

Hate to "well actually," but the Cyberpunk ttrpg franchise actually predates Shadowrun by one year. Shadowrun first published in 89, Cyberpunk was in 88.

But the genre is older than both, and it's just a difference in slang. I just happen to be familiar with one and not the other.

[Meleck the Grey]

You are right.. I came out the year before I graduated college and I remember reading some of the influencing books!!

I spent 20 minutes making a table mapping terms between the two systems. So, I would still be interested. Going to read a bit more to see what I can learn.

[Gisk]

@Meleck the Grey

I realized that Billy would actually work really well as a cyberpunk character. In the Cyberpunk TTRPG there's actually a class called the "Rockerboy" that's basically a sci-fi bard.

So here's the setup I have in mind, it kind of combines a handful of ideas. Andy and Billy knew each other in high school(we'll need to discuss what that entailed), but haven't kept in touch. Maybe it was a fancy private school.

Fast-forward some years, they've both lived their lives in a way, Billy ends up with some kind of crazy cybernetics tech in him(I'll need to think of how) and the company that owns it is after him. Andy is the only person he even remotely knows who has a medical background, and he seeks her out for help removing it(or else somehow disguising it so he can't be tracked). She can't help immediately for some reason or another, but Billy is wealthy, and once the Corp is off his tail, he can pay handsomely. Now they're stuck together until either the job is done, or they get killed.

How do you feel about a small group, though? I don't know how they'd fit in, necessarily, but if you(or anyone else reading this!) Has an idea, feel free to chime in.

EDIT: Actually, little pivot here. Artist sells out for fame and fortune, only to later regret it after finding out how much of his life has record label has control over.

It turns out some piece of cyberware that his label so kindly had installed is allowing them to track him. He doesn't know what it is or how it works. He does something desperate to blind the Corp, allowing him to get away, but it's only a matter of time before they're back on his tail. As with the previous idea, he goes to Andy, the only person he can think of.

[Gisk]

Also, here's a cyberpunk concept I came up with that never saw use. Basically an anti-capitalist gang. I don't know how they fit in, but maybe they will.

Ronin

Transient street samurai, somewhat inspired by the Nomads in Cyberpunk 2077. They disdain both corporations and the rule of law, both of which they view as irredeemably corrupt. This obviously is not an uncommon attitude even amongst ordinary citizens. The Ronin set themselves apart with exactly how far they're willing to take their refusal to participate.

It is exceptionally rare for a Ronin to own land or property. More commonly they will squat in old buildings, or take up residence in out of the way places. They do not make use of banks for any reason whatsoever, to do so would be grounds for ostracization by any and all Ronin who still keep to their code. They sometimes carry cash out of necessity, but are known for being strangely careless with it; either they will lose it, or even just give it away when their need has ended.

They will only purchase anything from what they dub "Individuals," an ill defined term with nearly as many interpretations as there are Ronin. As a result, any corporate owned establishment(and many privately owned ones) will bar them from entry, under the assumption that they intend to steal. This is not an unfounded expectation.

Their survival depends on two abilities that corporations have discouraged in the general populace. The first is the knowledge of how to grow(and very occasionally hunt for) food. Ronin maintain secret gardens all over the world, and guard them jealously. Very few people outside of this group are even aware of the practice. And to this day not a single person has entered a Ronin garden and lived to tell about it.

The second ability is the repair and creation of their own equipment. Ronin can be spotted easily by their garb and gear. Everything they own is out of date, off-brand, or just plain homemade. They can be distinguished from your garden variety pauper by the cleanliness and good repair that they keep everything in. Gear is expertly repaired, their vehicles(though absurdly old in most cases) run like new, or even better sometimes. Their clothes are patched or darned artfully, often improving the look rather than detracting from it.
They also remove all brand logos or iconography from anything they own. It is not enough to cover or hide it, it must be cut away.

The Ronin have one of the few ongoing blade making traditions. Inspired of course by Japanese sword making, it is updated and improved with modern metallurgy. A Ronin sword looks much like a traditional katana(or wakazashi, tanto etc), though occasionally with some odd quirks in the color of the metal, or the construction of the hilt, owing to their penchant for using scavenged and recycled materials. Though their swords are unmarked(per the Ronin Code) most Ronin can spot one of their own swords by style, and may even recognize the smith who made it.

As far as more modern weapons are concerned, there are some gunsmiths among them, but it is more common for Ronin to carry antique fire arms(with logos and serial numbers filed off).

No single group, no matter how well organized(and the truth is that the Ronin are barely organized at all) can produce everything that they need. As mentioned, they will use money when necessary, but greatly prefer to barter in goods and services.

Goods and services

Any given Ronin only knows so much, and won't be able to offer everything, but if one is polite(and not already known to be an enemy) they will usually try to find someone who can offer what you need.

Rice wine, typically made from rice they cultivate in their hidden gardens. It is generally considered to be quite good.

Good, real vegetables. It is actually quite rare that they will offer this, as they rely heavily on it for survival(they generally refuse to eat food produced by corporations), but if a crop produces a particularly good surplus, or if the need is great enough, it does happen sometimes.

Repair of just about anything.

Medical services(either home remedies or stolen medications).

If you are a true friend to the Ronin, they might offer a sword, but this is a great honor and quite rare. Generally speaking they try very hard to keep their swords out of outsider hands.

There are many clans within the larger Ronin community, and some(including the FBI) liken them to an alliance of gangs. The truth is that a clan is much more akin to an extended family, and while most Ronin are at least technically a criminal of some sort, few of them do more than petty civil disobedience, or just being a general nuisance.

Ronin will accept those who shun the corporate lifestyle, and as a result there are some Ronin from all walks of life. However, most are born into their clan. A born Ronin and a convert can often be easily distinguished as those born to their clan will only receive cybernetics from a Ronin ripperdoc.

Ronin cybernetics are simple and sturdy. They don't interface with any other computers as they use a wholly unique operating system not seen outside of the clans.

Ronin's Code

[notes made in brackets are observations and interpretations by Ronin elder Jin Corso]

First, we must never engage in the buying and selling of money. Neither borrowing nor lending.
Second, we exchange currency for nothing, except from Individuals.[there are some who ignore the second clause and never utilize money, but this isn't feasible for most, and the exception exists for a reason]
Third, we must not wear or hold the marks of those who created the things we use. Nor should we mark those things that we make with our own hands. [no one should hold ownership over a thing except the one who keeps and maintains it]
Fourth, we must not take from the Individual. [an "Individual" is one who acts only for themselves(excepting to help family, friends, or community), and so the property of a corporation is free to take and use as one pleases, provided they follow The Third when doing so]
Fifth, we must endeavor to cause as little harm to Individuals as we can.

Slang terms for the Ronin include "sword bum" and "rino." The latter being a portmanteau of rice and wino, a reference to the rice wine they commonly sell.

There are some Ronin who are militant even to the point of terrorist action, but the vast majority are more akin to strange, orthodox monks.

[Meleck the Grey]

Sounds good to me. I do not mind a group either.

I can make her a bit more of a bad girl. That was part of my idea to have her be a bit techie so she could drive or run drones….

[Mistress Dizzy]

@Gisk
Hello, sorry for the delay. Life inhaled by holiday. Character 1 would be Kijani - in fantasy-type universes, she's always some sort of noble. One who would know the ins and outs of the court. A flawless bearing, but far more hidden behind a practiced smile than anyone realizes. Sheet is from a superhero game, but the personality doesn't change.

Kijani Ryane

Origami

Full Name: Kijani Ryane
Age: 18
DOB: August 4th
POB: Long Island, NY
Height: 6’0
Weight: 150 pounds
Eyes: Gold
Hair: Black, dreadlocked

Talents & Skills

*Polyglot: While it’s not necessarily a superpower, Kijani has a gift for languages, and currently speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Mandarin Chinese. She is working on Japanese and sign language.

* Dancer: Kijani is lithe and flexible, having done ballet for the majority of her life. She holds herself with a dancer’s poise, and moves with a dancer’s fluid grace.

*Information programming: Kijani has a specialized computer program that she stole from her father and built upon, that builds information profiles on all sorts of subjects. If it can be known, she is determined to find it.

Powers & Abilities

* Paperkinesis: Kijani has the ability to manipulate paper, and control it’s density. She can turn an index card into a razor sharp blade, a book into a brick, and newspaper into armor. She is limited only by her imagination, and distance. Every bit of paper within 50 feet is her plaything, from pages to paper towels.



* Specialized Fighting: She has a lot of grace on the battlefield, her primary talent being evasion and misdirection. Her fighting style is a blend of Tai Chi, Capoeria, and ballet dialed up to 11- moving with the flow of the fight, never stopping. Kijani’s self-invented style flows from move to move, never breaking stride even when she falls or is hit, it simply becomes another move in the dance.



* Enhanced Speed: While she isn’t a full speedster, Kijani can move fast as hell when it is necessary. What separates her from the rest of the speed freaks is that she’s still visible to those with a quick eye, and she can only keep this up for about 5 minutes max before she becomes drained.

Weapons & Gear

*Chinese Jian: Kijani earned her blade through sweat, blood and tears. She always carries it on her, even if it’s hidden. NO one touches the sword but her.



*Paper: Yep, just regular paper. She keeps two reams (500 sheets) of paper in a sturdy backpack. One is plain printer paper, the other thick cardstock. They are both a pastel shade of gold.

Biography

Kijani was born to two wealthy, brilliant people who happened to dislike each other. Her conception was essentially an accident, and her parents married out of propriety rather than love. She grew up cared for by a nanny while her parents worked and ignored her, except when they wanted to dress her up and trot her out for parties like a little trophy.

Her school days were strained. While her grades were always top class, whenever there came an event or show for her parents to come to, they were always “busy” and failed to attend. The most painful of these was a ballet recital when she was 10.

Kijani's abilities come from an old genetic kinesis quirk in her mother's bloodline that skips every few generations. Where before the women with power were labeled as "witches" and "weirdoes", today they are "metahumans". When her powers manifested, her parents were quite pleased. One more thing to make their daughter “special” on paper. However, this alienated her classmates, most of which did not have powers or chose to openly show them.

Her nanny was fired in Kijani's early adolescence, leaving the girl without a friend entirely. She spent her time alone, dancing, devouring knowledge, and developing her power to greater strength. When she was eleven, she was kidnapped off the streets and held for ransom by an organization known as the Alpha Continuum.

After about a month, she escaped and made it home to her parents. From that day on she was never quite the same. She promised herself she’d never let that happen to her again, no matter what it took. Kijani pretty much raised herself after that, while her parents worked. She became an emancipated minor at the age of fifteen, took her inheritance from her parents, and used it to start living life on her own terms.

For the first few years she traveled the world. She spent several months touring Europe, learning languages and absorbing culture. She spent a year in China, and another in Brazil, training extensively, and banishing the softness of a rich life from her spirit and body. Once she returned to America, she started work on becoming who she truly wanted to become. Having taken 'knowledge is power' as an almost-literal mantra, she began to make a name for herself, stealing secrets and gaining information for the highest bidder. Currently, she works as an informant, and no one knows that the pretty girl working in the Chicago local library is actually a wealthy, highly trained genius.

[Gisk]

@Mistress Dizzy She could be really fun as a fantasy character. Maybe a princess or noble's daughter with a keen interest in scholarship.

I'm actually having a conversation with someone about a story with Fazra, if you're interested in a small group we can see if we can fit all three characters into something.

@Meleck the Grey

I'm sorry, but I'm more interested in a story with this character, so I'll have to call a rain check, as it were. If you're open to it in the future, maybe we can pick the idea back up.

[Mistress Dizzy]

@GiskThat's just up my alley!

[Gisk]

@Mistress Dizzy

What if they're related through marriage? In Fazra's backstory(as it currently stands, I can and will change it if necessary for our own story) her father married into a noble/royal family to make an alliance with a human kingdom. Maybe Kijani is a cousin, or even a step sibling(Fazra currently has a human step brother in her background already).

You certainly don't have to go with that, just something in throwing at the wall.

[Mistress Dizzy]

@Gisk The idea has merit! Never played her with a sibling before, so it's new ground to explore.