Shinkawa, City of Adventure: An Urban Fantasy RP

[Tachi]

Monster dens, mysterious places that neither science nor magic can truly explain. Some believe they serve as gates to another plane, the denizens of which can pass through, others theorise powerful mages in the distant past made their homes in these locations and had enchantments in place to summon or create these monsters, guaranteeing they would never be left unguarded. Regardless of what the truth behind them is, the fact remains that the creatures that live in these dens are dangerous and must be dealt with whenever they appear.

That's where Hunters come in. Mages, martial artists, archers and more dedicated to clearing out problematic monster dens. While their job is generally the same, Hunters work for a variety of reasons; some are in it for the rather impressive sums of money jobs tend to offer, some track down specific species which are known for their culinary applications and some even avoid killing monsters, aiming to capture them for research, to be sold as pets or some other purpose and some are just interested in helping people or putting their strength to the test.

The coastal town of Shinkawa happens to be located near several of these dens, with monsters tending to show up from time to time from the depths of the ocean, the Inoue forest to the city's south or the caves that dot Mount Tomari to the south-east. The town's architecture is generally fairly modern, aside from a few streets of more traditional buildings around the Shinkawa Shrine, a large Shinto shrine on the northern end. The town's main attractions (aside from near guaranteed employment for hunters) include its beautiful beaches, on days when they aren't being assaulted by the kraken or other sea-dwelling monsters at least, the Budou café, a maid café with an eccentric owner and the shrine.

---

So, yeah, basically this is going to be a fantasy sandbox RP set in the town of Shinkawa in the Japan-analogue country of Himoto. There's not really going to be much of an overarching plot, although player created plots or events are encouraged. Tone-wise, I'm aiming for something LIGHTHEARTED AND COMEDIC for the most part.

Oh, and VitaVitaAR will be helping me out with GMing.

---

A couple of notes:

- The standard fantasy races are present and player-created races can be submitted. Just don't go too crazy. If your race is basically kryptonians or something similarly godlike, they probably won't get in. Also, I'd prefer if we could avoid having any sapient races that are always evil.
- Mages don't have a monopoly on logic-defying craziness. Ki attacks, destructive shockwaves or beams from swinging a sword and the like are all acceptable.
- Keep the tone in mind. While serious plots are fine with me, I don't want things going too grimdark.

---

Character sheet:

Name:
Race:
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:
Skills/Abilities:
Equipment:
Brief Backstory:

---

Race sheet:

Name:
Description:

---

Name: Vampires
Description: Vampires are fearsome creatures of the night that turn those they drink the blood of into their slaves...Except when they don't. The actual traits of a vampire vary greatly from case to case. Some turn others simply by drinking their blood, others need to feed the target some of their own and others still are completely incapable of siring new vampires. Some burst into flames when exposed to sunlight while some just get exhausted or sunburnt quickly. Of all the traits commonly associated with them, the only one that seems to be consistent is a need to drink blood to survive.

[VitaVitaAR]

Co-GM checking in!

[Bubsy 2]

Interested, I'll probably get around to making a CS tommorowish. (Optimistically)

[Gareth]

Character sheet:

Name:Bryan Gallager
Race:Human
Age:18
Appearance:

My Spoiler

Personality:He is very friendly and talkative to others and this probably comes from the fact that he has lived with a very tight, close knit family who cared about one another. He is very competitive for things and this has come from the need to win to get things instead of his older brothers getting things first. He has sympathy towards others and is an honest individual who wouldn't lie even to save another person's feelings.

Even so he would still trick others to get what he wants, the more he wants something the worse the trick he'd use to get it.

Sometimes he wears his heart on his sleeve and can react without thinking, especially when something significant happens to someone or thing he cares about.

Skills/Abilities:He is an excellent shot with his bow.
He can walk silently when he wants to.
He has excellent hearing.
He can see as well in the dark as he can during daylight.

Equipment:His bow and a full quiver of arrows, a couple of daggers he has strapped to his belt, extra set of clothes and some dried meat he has in a sack strapped to his back, a leather container filled with water, and a lucky coin he keeps in his pocket.

Brief Backstory:Growing up he was always picked on by his older brothers. There was five members to the family: His father, mother, his two brothers and him and they didn't live in the lap of luxury. From early on Bryan learnt to do chores and because they lived on a farm these chores included things like working the fields and lifting hay bale's and other physical tasks in order to help provide for his family.

One of the group things his brothers, him and his father would do would be to go out hunting together. With only bows and arrows, keen eyesight and sense enough to not scare the prey. They caught loads of deer and small animals and after about ten hunting trips bryan was the best shot out of the whole group, which shocked his dad-and in turn pleased Bryan.

Their family seemed to be all happy and healthy until...

One day all of a sudden his mother got ill, and on a hunch that it wasn't just a day sickness his father took the old family car and loaded her up to see the doctor. He promised the boys that he'd be back in a couple days with the news.

It wasn't good news...

Dad came back alone without mom and told him and his brothers that..

Mom had some kind of illness that affected her muscles and the doctor didn't know if it was going to be life threatening but all the same it kept her at the hospital and it was only going to get worse.

The Doctor also mentioned that there was a procedure used with a cure that could get rid of the illness, but the cure was a rare thing, rarely seen anywhere and the procedure was tremendously expensive.

That is when to save having to argue with his brothers and father and also out of necessity to save his mom he decided to leave the barn during the night...

That night he slept next to a well used road. In the morning, after waking up he explained his situation to someone passing by and they suggested that he become a hunter and that there is work for them in Shinkawa. He decided it was a grand idea and made his way to the town...

[Diminuendo]

I'll definitely be keeping tabs on this... I'll put up a CS sometime tomorrow.

[Bubsy 2]

Quick question: You said the RP was urban fantasy, but that can mean a few different time periods. Does this take place in contemporary times?

[VitaVitaAR]

It's modern times. ^^;

The OP kind of mentions modern buildings and cafes, it's not exactly what I'd expect from something taking place in a standard fantasy time period. Urban fantasy tends to mean fantasy in modern times when I've seen it used.

[Bubsy 2]

VitaVitaAR said
It's modern times. ^^;The OP kind of mentions modern buildings and cafes, it's not exactly what I'd expect from something taking place in a standard fantasy time period. Urban fantasy tends to mean fantasy in modern times when I've seen it used.

Not necessarily, it can sometimes mean past or future settings. I figured you meant modern times, but I just wanted to make sure :P

[Tachi]

I'm looking forward to seeing what people come up with.

@Diggerton: Basically, yeah. I know I didn't mention a specific time, but I'd say it's roughly 2014 in the setting.

@Gareth: He looks good for the most part, although there are a couple of things that seem a little odd. Specifically the hunting (unless that's just meant to be for fun, I suppose) and horse drawn wagon, since supermarkets and cars exist in the setting, making those seem a little...antiquated.

[Gareth]

Well the hunting thing was mostly for fun.

Oh I didn't know cars and that existed...

Even if they do though, can I still have the part about the horse drawn wagon in my character's bio because his family is too poor to afford a car.

[Dharc]

I don't think the car would be the problem, because you can basically make a car out of anything. Even a dinosaur! Granted, it'd be a bit...ironic to create a fossil-fueled fossil-mobile, but it's possible. No, your character's problem would be purchasing fuel, because it is expensive. And I don't even drive.

Also, I am expressing my love for the OP!!~ It kind of reminds me of a Monster Hunter X Guilty Gear RP I once had cooking in my head. Just imagine the amazing awesomeness that could be made!

[Zombehs]

Dungeon diving, monster hunting? Sure, why not.

[Gareth]

Ok I edited the C.S. the family has a car now.

[Tachi]

Thanks for that. With that done, he's accepted.

[Bubsy 2]

Name: Hazel Hosner

Race: Human

Age: 27

Appearance: Hazel is a youthful girl with soft white skin. She has long straight red hair that reaches down to the small of her back. She has a small frame, and stands at a rather average height of 5'3. Hazel has a heart-shaped face adorned with deep green eyes. Hazel is graceful, but appears to be delicate and weak, despite the fact she is actually a strong Hunter. She is sure of step and has an almost commanding gait, oft earning the attention of others in the room.

Personality: Hazel is a young and cheerful girl. Despite this, she is resolute and determined in accomplishing her goals. She has an iron-like resolve and is not prone to easily giving up. She is driven by the goal of finding the one who killed her father. She will go to great lengths to complete her goals, making her unpredictable at times. Hazel is also rather egotistical, believing herself to be the most skilled hunter in Shinkawa and impossible for any human to face one-on-one. Despite her negative traits, Hazel is a loyal friend that will protect those close to her. She can be is generally polite to those around her, and follows a strong code of honor. She dislikes seeing innocents suffer, so she is quick to lend a helping hand to those in need. Hazel also has a playful side, often teasing those she considers her friends.

Skills/Abilities: Hazel is agile and uses a quick combat style that emphasizes using a combination of superior footwork, sword handling, and rapid precision strikes to wear down an enemy and target their weak points. When placed on the defense Hazel is very quick and almost unhittable, opting to tire her opponents by making them waste attacks. She has little to no aptitude for magic, so she does not use it, relying purely on swordsmanship. Beyond her sword skills Hazel is an adept tracker, as is expected of most Hunters. She is very quick and has high endurance, so she is exceptionally hard to catch. Hazel is athletic, strong, and generally fit.

Equipment: Hazel's weapon of choice is a powerful sword that has been passed down in her family by generations, the Kusanagi. The sword, taken from Himoto and brought back to the west many years ago, is in the style of a Himoton katana. The sword has been fortified by powerful ancient magics and is nigh unbreakable, featuring a incredibly sharp cutting edge, capable of slicing even the strongest metal in twine. The sword carries with it the unique ability to control the winds, which can be used in many ways by the skilled warrior wielding it. In battle she dons light iron armor that may protect again only some wounds but does not restrict her movement. In addition to her combat gear Hazel will typically carry her wallet and her cell phone.

Brief Backstory: Hazel hails from a family of Hunters centuries old, famous in their homeland for their skills with the sword. Their family has great renown in western lands, but many years ago her grandfather faced a great shame, the details of which never revealed to Hazel, and decided to leave the west and come to Himoto, taking with him the Kusanagi. Back in the days when the world still seemed much smaller then it was, the ancestors of the Hosner's mounted an expedition into unknown waters. It was then that Himoto was first discovered by their homeland, and one of the things that was brought back was the Kusanagi. It was for this reason that Hazel's grandfather fled to Himoto, seeing it fit to return the sword to its home. The immigrant family established themselves in the city of Shinkawa, and began to practice their trade. Over the years they became known as reliable Hunters and were sought by many for their services. By the time Hazel was born their family had become established and wealthy, but that does not mean she had a comfortable upbringing. She was trained hard, as was customary within their family. Most of her childhood was spent with sword in hand, training with her siblings and father to become Hunters of Hosner caliber. Hazel was noted to be weaker then most of her sibling, and it was unlikely that she would be the one to inherent her grandfather's business.

However, with renown and money came enemies. Many Hunters envied the success of the Hosner family, and they were seen as outsiders by some. It wasn't long until some scorned Hunter came seeking retribution. Although many Hunters tolerated competition this particular man couldn't stand the success of Hazel's family, and he challenged her father to a duel. It became clear that this man outclassed even a warrior of even her father's caliber, but he refused to surrender. And when it became clear that Hazel's father could not continue to fight, instead of stopping, the envious Hunter stuck him down. The police arrived much too late, and he escape. The family's business passed onto Hazel's eldest brother, but he refused to take action to find the man who killed their father, so Hazel left her family and decided to strike out on her own.

She stayed in Shinkawa, but to this day has barely had any contact with her family, too stubborn and mad to forgive her brother's inaction. She trained harder then she ever had, and strove to become a swordsman stronger then her father. She also decided to take the Kusanagi, deeming her brother unworthy of her father's sword. Her family still doesn't know she's the one who stole it. After years of practice she has indeed become much stronger, and became and independent Hunter, seeking to make a living for herself, and always seeking to further her true goal: Avenger her father's unfair death.

[bbyangellike]

Interested ^^ Will get around to getting a CS up fairly soon. Probably tomorrow if I'm not too busy.

[Rune_Alchemist]

Certainly seems like it could be fun~
I'll get to work on CS~

[Tachi]

@Diggerton: Accepted.

---

Name: Akira Miyama

Race: Human

Age: 8, physically at least.

Appearance: I'd strongly recommend against touching the bunny.

Personality: Akira is generally a good deal more polite and mature than one might expect from someone of her apparent age. She is also far more knowledgeable, both about magic and the world in general, than a child should be, though she tries to avoid letting too much of this show to most people as it just gives more fuel to the nutjobs saying she's secretly some super-powerful mage that disappeared a few years ago. Akira has something of a weakness for sweets and plushies, acting far more like someone might expect a child to when they're involved. This makes ice cream or a new teddy bear effective ways of convincing her to do something.

Skills/Abilities: Akira is a powerful mage, capable of casting spells which should be far beyond an 8 year-old's ability. She is capable of creating tsunamis, explosions that could level a city block or the "Rays of Judgment", several thin columns of light from the sky which gradually expand, burning anything they touch. Of course, while she can use these, her body doesn't handle the strain very well and she will pass out soon after. Not to mention the fact that very few threats call for that kind of firepower. Generally, she sticks to more basic spells such as fireballs, spears of ice, a weak self-healing spell (the only one she knows, as healing was never her forte) and magical barriers.
Aside from her magic, Akira is about as strong and tough as one would expect an eight year-old to be.

Equipment: She's never seen without a stuffed animal of some kind.

Brief Backstory: Some time ago, there was a powerful mage with enough power to clear out dens full of powerful monsters with a single spell, without even entering them. However, two years ago, this mage vanished during a job. A short time after this, Akira turned up in Shinkawa and rented a small apartment with someone claiming to be her older sibling. No one thought much of this until it became clear that the child knew far more about magic than someone her age should.

Soon after, rumours began circulating that the disappeared mage and Akira were the same person. The exact logic behind this varied from person to person; a hunter jealous of the mage's success cursed her, she fell into the mythical fountain of youth, a strange monster did it, she was actually a small child piloting a mecha that looked like an adult all along or any number of other outlandish theories. Akira finds some of the rumours amusing enough that she's unlikely to ever actually clarify if there's any truth behind them. If she's asked, she'll generally just look at the person with a confused expression on her face until they drop it.

[Dharc]

Tachi, can you check your PMs? I sent you a question regarding the RP and my CS.

[Zombehs]

Hopefully t'is acceptable.

Name: Oni
Description: The Oni are a form of Youkai that resemble Western Ogres or Demons. There are two distinct classifications; those that serve under the Kishin and those that don’t. The Oni under the Kishin are much as originally portrayed, wicked and malevolent creatures. Those that are free from the Kishins’ influences are as varied as humanity in how they act. Physically, Onis all share some traits though. They are greatly superior to mankind in terms of physical prowess, with single Oni able to single handedly defeat dozens of grown humans in competitions of strength. Their love for alcohol seems to be a racial trait, and all Oni have some type of horn on their head. Size and number don’t really seem to matter and vary wildly between individuals. Almost all Oni are incapable of using magic though, although there are a few within every century.


Appearance: Due to Kuro’s small stature and feminine appearance, many people mistake him for a young girl. His rather soft voice probably doesn’t help, but that doesn’t do much to change the truth. Standing at 4’7 or just a bit under 1.4m and weighing barely 100lbs., it can be quite disconcerting to see Kuro carry around a kanabo that’s just as large as he is and probably a good deal heavier. While his eyes are normally of a red coloration, in battle they can take on an unearthly glow.

Name: Kuro
Race: Oni
Age: Appears as an adolescent. True age is probably close to half a century.

Personality: Reminiscent of a blue Oni, Kuro is a much calmer example of his species. Though he enjoys drinking as much as any of his kind, he does so because he actually enjoys the taste, rather than the festivities and partying that inevitably accompanies such acts. A remarkably tight lipped individual, he’s good enough company to hang around for idle chatter and such, but not necessarily befriend.

He’s had enough time to get over the fact that he is always going to be the runt of the clan, so most jabs at his size don’t get much rise out of him. What do annoy him are cowards and liars, and he’s generally quick to disassociate himself of them.

Fairly observant due to his situation, Kuro is one who thinks before he acts rather than simply following his whim as many of his more innebraited kind are prone to doing. Thanks to his size, he also never really fell in love with competitions and in fact doesn’t particularly enjoy participating or watching them, feeling most are pointless and only serve to inflate the winner’s ego.

Skills/Abilities: While not as strong as others of his kind due to his small size, Kuro is quite stronger than a human. The strongest human could likely give the miniature human a challenge in a competition of strength, but even then without the aid of magic the human’s loss is almost certainly guaranteed.

Kuro’s entire body is also tougher than a human’s, and his size has no factor here. He can endure damage and envrionments that would cripple a human, and recovers from injury more easily. His body doesn't feel any different from a human’s yet its resistance is somehow much higher. Small caliber rounds from firearms are largely ineffective at penetrating, though the impact can still jar the lightweight Oni. Rifle rounds generally penetrate, but usually not deep enough to be fatal. Even with an entire clip is emptied, it isn't a guarantee Kuro will actually die (putting aside head-shots), though he’ll certainly be incapacitated and in need of outside medical attention.

Given his weapon of choice, Kuro isn’t exceptionally fast compared to a human, comparable to a swordsman. His true speed is revealed when he lets go of his kanabo as one might expect. At that point, even the most swift-footed rogues would be pushed to keep up with the miniature Youkai, and almost none would be able to match his stamina.

Does the ability to drink as much alcohol as he wants without massive kidney failure or horrible hangovers count?

Like some other Youkai, Kuro has the ability to grant humans with enough talent a contract with him and is known to do so as a favor. Lifetime contracts are vows incomparable to even marriage, and so all of his are limited-use deals. Generally those granted one are able to call for him with an expenditure of magical energy to assist in combat.

Equipment: A massive kanabo made of deadened iron, the weapon is heavy enough that it’s downright impractical. For a human that is. While capable of wielding it one handed, it would be akin to a human trying to one-hand a zweihander. In other words, unwieldy and impossible to control. The material is able to soak in magical energy and render it inert, thus providing a manner of protection to Kuro thanks to its size.

His kimono was a gift from the tengu under his clan when he left. Its utility is quite nice for Kuro, as the clothes are self-mending and protect him from most sorts of environments quite well; cool in the summer heat and warm in winter’s chill.

Carries a gourd around with a Cider Bug inside. While traditionally Onis loved their Sake Bugs, the times have changed and Bugs of various alcohols are available. Upon being submerged in water, the Bugs are capable of converting the liquid into certain types of alcohol. His chosen variety produces a slightly sweet-tart flavor. Make a comment and he’ll generally hit you.

Misc. everyday items that might destroy someone's more fantastical view of the otherwise traditional looking oni. A wallet with various important cards inside such as a Hunter ID, credit cards, or the like. Also carries a cellphone around so people can easily contact him, mainly for jobs.

Brief Backstory: Kuro belonged to a clan of Oni that had never been under a Kishin. Those that had felt a demonic “god’s” touch always had to be careful lest the influences creep back. His community was one that had no such worries, aside from being mindful of those that would try to take advantage of them, and thus partied freely. Their relationship with nearby human communities was relatively peaceful and Kuro grew up without much troubles or worries.

Well, at least until it became apparent that he didn’t have much growing up to do. Given he stopped at his current appearance when he was quite young, he developed a bit differently than the other Oni. Where a life of constant competition, drinking, and partying might have awaited had he grown up to be as large as the others, he instead found different pleasures in life. These differences eventually drove him to leave his clansmen and travel the world instead. With only a few possessions in hand, he left the mountains that housed his clan to see what the world had to offer.

Quickly realizing that he needed to provide for himself now that he’d left the community, Kuro took up whatever work he could. Given that he looked about 16 at best, and a lack of legal documents to prove otherwise, he found himself in a line where none of that really mattered. Hunting. Granted, they hadn’t actually sent him out on a job since, “Hunter Guild sends young child to Den,” wasn't really good publicity. He had heard about creatures causing trouble near the city's outskirts and gone to investigate. Given the citizen's seemed more concerned about somebody getting hurt rather than dying, Kuro figured he alone would be enough. It turned out that he was as the expedition ended up with him clearing out the minor den of monsters when he stumbled upon it. One thing led to another and Kuro found himself with a steady income soon enough.

While not famous, Kuro has become a relatively well-known figure among the Hunter Guilds. His distinctive appearance, personality, and skills as a Hunter means it's not too hard for him to find work with others in the business.