I entered the restaurant. Mr. Su, who ran the place, was the grandfather of one of my friends so I'd known him for years. He'd seen me walking down the street this morning and asked if I'd come eat supper with them tonight, 10pm. "Bring that also," he had said, pointing to the white, stone or ivory decorative sword handle I had decorating my waist on the left side.
When we about half finished eating, he asked me where I had gotten my sword. I assumed he was talking about the handle on my waist.
"Pawn shop," I said, "the guy bought it off of a man who cleaned out an old, delinquent, storage building. Ten dollars."
Mr. Su nodded. "Can you show it to us?" he asked.
"Sure," I said then grabbed it with my left hand. I was then certain that it was a weapon of some kind, so I searched for a target. Seeing my glass in front of me, I drew the sword, flipped it over so that I was holding it properly, then stood up and swung at the glass, cutting it cleanly. A white blade had formed in front of the handle, and I stopped it before hitting the person sitting beside me.
Every looked at me in disbelief and I realized that I had just destroyed their property. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll pay for it."
"It's fine." said Mr. Su. "Come over here." He walked to the bookcase on the opposite side of the table from him. I walked up to him. "How did you know how to use it?"
"I read too much Manga." I said, and he half nodded. "Actually," I said, realizing that was a bit rude, "I don't know. When I touched it, I just knew it would be a sword if I wanted it to be."
He nodded again, this time apparently satisfied with my answers. He grabbed several swords out of a box on the shelf and stuck them all in my right hand. "Choose." he said.
I wondered for a few seconds if there were any restrictions on this choice, but he simply said "Choose" again, but loudly and with more insistence that I obey. I loosened my grip then grabbed one of the swords while they fell. "Not even Japanese." he said, and I looked at the blade. The handle and scabbard reminded me of a gun magazine, and the blade was about as short as a tanto.
For thousands of years groups of warriors have defended the Earth against Incursions, invasion attempts from outside the Earth, whether from another dimension/realm or another planet. The two groups that have survived the best into the modern age are the Samurai and the Ninja. The Samurai have a strict honor code which they religiously obey, while the Ninja do whatever they need to to complete the mission. There are many factions of both, some of which use technology and some of which use the more mystical forces of magic, Ki, spiritual, and demonic power. These things are incorporated into their weapons, usually blades, and are locked against use by requiring the user to possess at least some aptitude with their type, technological, magical, Ki, spiritual, or demonic. These weapons give power to their user, and in turn feed on their power, strengthening both as their bond grows.
Technology gives the user technological abilities, such as technopathy. Magical gives the user power over the more esoteric forces, such as life and death, as well as the elements, such as fire, lightning, and ice. Ki gives a person the ability to manipulate their Ki to enhance their body, as well as project it through the weapon to form attacks. Spiritual gives them power over spirits, as well as allowing them greater understanding of the other mystical forces. Demonic power gives them the raw power of demon kind, which can manifest in multiple ways, from toxins, to fire, to darkness, to death.
Not all of us are necessarily human, and may be from different walks of life or radically different factions. We must come together, however, to defend against a massive incursion that has just begun, and will only grow in strength with time.
In the dream I based this on, I am the boy from the story. Mr. Su, whose name I didn't know and who I didn't really know, is a retired Samurai Master who will teach me to use my Ki blade (no, not the Kingdom hearts kind), then send me to one of the few friendly Ninja factions to learn to use my Ninja Tech blade. This incursion, however, can happen during or after my training depending on how the rest of you want to play this, as apprentices or graduates.
When we about half finished eating, he asked me where I had gotten my sword. I assumed he was talking about the handle on my waist.
"Pawn shop," I said, "the guy bought it off of a man who cleaned out an old, delinquent, storage building. Ten dollars."
Mr. Su nodded. "Can you show it to us?" he asked.
"Sure," I said then grabbed it with my left hand. I was then certain that it was a weapon of some kind, so I searched for a target. Seeing my glass in front of me, I drew the sword, flipped it over so that I was holding it properly, then stood up and swung at the glass, cutting it cleanly. A white blade had formed in front of the handle, and I stopped it before hitting the person sitting beside me.
Every looked at me in disbelief and I realized that I had just destroyed their property. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'll pay for it."
"It's fine." said Mr. Su. "Come over here." He walked to the bookcase on the opposite side of the table from him. I walked up to him. "How did you know how to use it?"
"I read too much Manga." I said, and he half nodded. "Actually," I said, realizing that was a bit rude, "I don't know. When I touched it, I just knew it would be a sword if I wanted it to be."
He nodded again, this time apparently satisfied with my answers. He grabbed several swords out of a box on the shelf and stuck them all in my right hand. "Choose." he said.
I wondered for a few seconds if there were any restrictions on this choice, but he simply said "Choose" again, but loudly and with more insistence that I obey. I loosened my grip then grabbed one of the swords while they fell. "Not even Japanese." he said, and I looked at the blade. The handle and scabbard reminded me of a gun magazine, and the blade was about as short as a tanto.
For thousands of years groups of warriors have defended the Earth against Incursions, invasion attempts from outside the Earth, whether from another dimension/realm or another planet. The two groups that have survived the best into the modern age are the Samurai and the Ninja. The Samurai have a strict honor code which they religiously obey, while the Ninja do whatever they need to to complete the mission. There are many factions of both, some of which use technology and some of which use the more mystical forces of magic, Ki, spiritual, and demonic power. These things are incorporated into their weapons, usually blades, and are locked against use by requiring the user to possess at least some aptitude with their type, technological, magical, Ki, spiritual, or demonic. These weapons give power to their user, and in turn feed on their power, strengthening both as their bond grows.
Technology gives the user technological abilities, such as technopathy. Magical gives the user power over the more esoteric forces, such as life and death, as well as the elements, such as fire, lightning, and ice. Ki gives a person the ability to manipulate their Ki to enhance their body, as well as project it through the weapon to form attacks. Spiritual gives them power over spirits, as well as allowing them greater understanding of the other mystical forces. Demonic power gives them the raw power of demon kind, which can manifest in multiple ways, from toxins, to fire, to darkness, to death.
Not all of us are necessarily human, and may be from different walks of life or radically different factions. We must come together, however, to defend against a massive incursion that has just begun, and will only grow in strength with time.
In the dream I based this on, I am the boy from the story. Mr. Su, whose name I didn't know and who I didn't really know, is a retired Samurai Master who will teach me to use my Ki blade (no, not the Kingdom hearts kind), then send me to one of the few friendly Ninja factions to learn to use my Ninja Tech blade. This incursion, however, can happen during or after my training depending on how the rest of you want to play this, as apprentices or graduates.
