[CHAR] The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

Name: Lu Fau "The Tiger Phantom"
Age: 28
Race: Human
School: Haunted Blade of The Seeking Sword

Fighting Style: "The mind is the hilt and the body is the blade." Strength is not the focus. The key is bodily precision and mastering of angles. This style is incredibly difficult to master, as it hones the chi to sharpen the body, making the user become a living sword! Weapons can be parried with hands as each strike can cut deep into the opponent - intense focus can cause non-invasive lacerations, making it difficult to defend. Mastering the Haunted Blade requires unparalleled speed. Excessive use of such lightning fast reflexes can fatally damage the body. To unravel the full potential of this fighting style requires an incredible amount of focus, and even then, has a high probability of causing irreversible damage.

Weaknesses: As a Master of the Haunted Blade, Lu Fau must constantly be mindful of himself and his surroundings. It is vital that he remains calm in the heat of battle. Failure to do so could cause his chi to implode, relinquishing such energy coiled within his body will cause him to shatter from the inside out. The amount of chi required is especially taxing for a human. The Haunted Blade was intended for a race with durable constitution like the Orcs and certain Manbeasts. Lu Fau is the only human that has mastered this technique, but the price for such an achievement could cost him his life.

Weapons: None.

History: His name is Lu Fau, but most know him as The Tiger Phantom. His legend began as the fighting champion of The Seeking Sword. Under the strict guidance of Master Gan Fang, Lu Fau won tournaments and defeated many great martial artists. He was well on his way to entering the Altar of Champions, where his statue would join the halls of other great martial artists before him. However, The Shimmering Fates would not grant him such a fortune. Jealous of Lu Fau's success, five grandmasters of lesser known schools conspired to murder his family. While they succeeded in exacting their cruel revenge, what they failed to realize is that they awakened a far more deadlier adversary. The death of his wife and two sons put him in a state of disarray, causing Lu Fau to spiral down a sordid path full of violence and death. He journeyed into the Forest of Spears and entered the Cursed Catacombs of Khijo. There, he unearthed the sealed manuscripts of a forgotten technique from the tomb of a necromancer monk. The Haunted Blade. According to his master Gan Fang, Lu Fau didn't leave the catacombs until he had mastered it to perfection.

With this new found knowledge, he reemerged back into the land of the living, not as Lu Fau, but as The Tiger Phantom. The hunt was on. He traveled across Daozen and killed three of the five grandmasters , eliminating their students in the process. He followed the last two into the Valley of Beggar's Song where they managed trap him inside a fighting pit. With the help of another hero named Lee Mitas who was also in the pits, The Tiger Phantom killed everyone they threw at them. Opting to fight them alone, Lu Fau battled with both grandmasters at the same time. It was a breathtaking fight that is still talked about in the Valley of Beggar's Song to this day. Unfortunately, the two grandmasters managed to escape. Unphased, Lu Fau continued his search until an anonymous tip pointed him towards the Annual Tournament in the Secret Cove. He has no desire to win the competition. His only concern is to finish what he started back at the Valley of Beggar's Song.

My relation to Hokori: "I once was his traveling companion for a trek from the forest of spears, to a resting village up north. It was just after I had left from the catacombs of Khijo."

[TheHumbleMagnificent]

NPCs

The Golden Masters

Master of The Shallow Step: Talia Iyo

Talia Iyo is guided by the wind mothers of her elven religion. She brings elegance and grace to even the most cumbersome of students. She has unwavering patience, but does not baby her students. Talia is most famous for defeating Vetrus in an unsanctioned fight inside the mountains of the Grand Tortoise mines. She playfully holds this win over the master, who despises her very much for doing so.

Some say she is the most powerful of the four as she has yet to fully reveal her true potential. Many martial artists have tried to ask her hand in marriage through combat, which may explain why she has the record for most wins. Talia loves sailing. She is the current champion of the Thirsty Fish Trail boat race. Many believe she is cheating by using her martial abilities (which is strictly forbidden) but no one is brave enough to openly accuse her.

Master of The Grieving Spider: Vetrus

Emperor Zetram often employed Vetrus for tasks that required a more subtler touch that outright combat could not provide. The Grieving Spider itself is known as the assassin's style, using the foundation of trickery as its most important principle. Such a style requires an intelligence and understanding for reading other fighting techniques, while accepting the limited identity of one's self. Vetrus is known for thoroughly outclassing The Jolly Tusk, a herculean mammoth man who was highly favored to beat him.

You can never be sure of Master Vetrus' intentions as he is almost always plotting and scheming to test his students and those in his social circles. Painting is his favorite hobby. Several of his pieces are hung in the Emperor's hall and Vetrus makes it a point to give a painting to the other three masters every year for their birthdays. While the gesture may seem kind, almost all of the paintings he gifts them are fictional depictions of him standing over their defeated bodies in triumph.

Master of The Smiling Fist: Weretrigo Nightoak

Nightoak is a towering Elk Manbeast with immeasurable strength. He is most famous for sinking an island from the scorpion bay with a single punch. Master Vetrus and Gan Fang make it a habit to inform everyone that "the island wasn't necessarily huge..." and was "On its last leg anyway, what with the high tide coming in." Out of the four, Nightoak is the most laid back. He has a happy go lucky demeanor that rarely sways, even when Vetrus tests his patience. Nightoak loves singing and gardening. He is known to have one of the most powerfully operatic voices in the land, and his gardens at the Smiling Fist temple are tourist attractions.

Master of The Seeking Sword: Gan Fang

The Orc swordmaster is an old war dog. Even though he is by far the most strictest disciplinarian compared to the other Golden Masters, he produces great results. Most of his understudies move on to become grandmasters. However, because of the difficult curriculum, his school is also known for having the highest dropout rate.

Earn his respect and you have the loyalty of a supremely intelligent, and focused individual. Earn his distaste, and you will know true fear. Gan Fang is most known for ending a duel in one move. Keep in mind that he was facing six opponents. Masters Vetrus and Nightoak however claim "It was a complete mismatch between a seasoned master and six intermediate students." Gan Fang likes to go fishing and is the undisputed fishing champion in Floating Leaf City.

---

Emperor Zetram

The sole ruler of unified Daozen for over 100 years. His generosity and kindhearted wisdom won the hearts of his people, but that was long ago. For reasons unknown to even those who are close to him, the peaceful Emperor became a dark and brooding tyrant. Taxes became steeper and more regularly enforced, and punishments for petty crimes grew from tolerable to severe. The execution of Venerable Boar of The Smiling Fist was the straw that broke the camel's back. Members of his counsel staged a coo, ousting him from the throne and proclaimed themselves as the Voice of Daozen. Emperor Zetram and his family are prisoners in a sealed off tower at The Halberd Jewel.

---

Republic of Daozen

Prime Minister Lei

Prime Minister Lei was originally Emperor Zetram's royal ambassador. He oversaw all foreign relations and policies with outside countries. The formation of the Republic of Daozen was entirely his idea, one that he had been plotting since Emperor Zetram executed Venerable Boar. Lei used his death as a rallying point for the people, gaining their trust as he promised to bring back the prosperity that Daozen once knew. Gaining support from the Emperor's counsel, he coordinated a secret campaign to produce steam-powered war machines and tech to combat the opposition that would surely follow their declaration of power. The transfer of power from the Emperor to the Republic of Daozen was abrupt, but not without resistance. Loyalists stood their ground, but even with their gifts in martial combat and magic, the sheer power and numbers of the Republic overwhelmed and conquered. From The Halberd Jewel, the Republic spread across Daozen and occupied every major city. The people were concerned about the militaristic occupation of their territories, but Prime Minister Lei ensured that it was all a precautionary measure to weed out the rest of the resistance. In truth, Prime Minister Lei was putting all of his chess pieces in order, waiting for the right time to carry out his next order of business: ridding Daozen of its old traditions for violent customs. Relics, statues, artifacts, manuscripts and scrolls were purged in the main cities, burning them in massive bonfires as if sending a signal to Daozen that the new age is fast approaching. Prime Minister Lei looks to advance on the School Temples next, waiting or the right opportunity to strike.

Isao The Fox

Despite Prime Minister Lei's distaste for the world of martial combat, he understands that he needs powerful martial artists to take on The Golden Masters and their pesky schools. Enter Isao The Fox. The former prodigy of the Grieving Spider turned his back on the world and became Lei's right hand man. His deadly combination of quick gunslinging and quicker hand-to-hand-combat makes him the most dangerous Martial Artist in Lei's stable. Isao The Fox is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, even if it means killing innocent people. He leads a group of former martial arts masters turned bounty hunters under the banner of The Heartless Knife. They are equipped with armor and weapons forged from the science of steam-powered machinery, making them incredibly formidable.

Tinkerer Mortrican

A foreigner from the Cities of Celeonia and vital asset of the steam-engine industry for the Republic's military. Prime Minister Lei sought out Mortrican many years before the declaration of the Republic. Fortune and fame was not the inventor's pursuit or motivation. The ability to watch his creations in action without repercussions is why he ultimately agreed to back Prime Minister Lei. He now teams up with the enslaved dwarven smiths of The Grand Tortoise Mines, brainstorming new ideas and inventions for Prime Minister Lei and the Republic Military.

[Avanhelsing]

Name: Lee Mitas
Age: 21

Race: Human

School: The Smiling Fist

Fighting Style: It is called Strong Monkey style. His style is mainly offensive since it focuses on strong and quick strikes and grabs. He focuses on striking his opponent in anyway he can or throwing them off balance. It does not really have any use for weapons but he does use his Chi to make his punches stronger. He has to meditate to really get as much strength as he can.

Weaknesses: His style is very close combat. He has to be in close to do the most damage.

Weapons: His main weapon is his gloves. They keep his hands safe and add a bit more damage to his strikes. He does not have any other weapons. He does keep a few brews in his pack to try and help his powers and his chi.

History: Lee is not a local in the area. He was not even born close to the area. Lee Mitas was born in the Trade Cities of Celeonia. His parents were both spice merchants who traded in the area. When Lee was 16 his parents decided to take him on one of their spice trips. Lee was so excited to go but it would not be all that great because a storm moved in and sunk the airship while at sea. Lee barely made it to the shore by himself.

However he didn't arrive at Lotus Port like many foreigners did. He washed ashore near the Valley of the Beggar's Song. There're was thrown into a fighting put because his captors figured he die and the crowds loved when a foreigner died. Except he didn't die. Quite the opposite in fact. Lee learned how to fight and with each loss he would get better. Until eventually he started to win. He was taught how to fight by one of the other prisoners and then he really became a fighter. His style was brutal but effective and that led him to become the champion of the pit.

After a year or two as the champ he met two different people that would become important to him. The first was a troll named Boar. The much larger was definitely a problem for the much smaller human. Their fight went for almost three brutal hours of neither getting the upper hand. However, Lee managed to get a rather strong hold on Boar and got the being on the ground where Lee got the knockout punch. Lee's reign as champion was only solidified with that win. He does not see Boar as his hated rival. Sure he is Lee's rival but Lee doesn't hate anyone. Also fighting Boar is the only time he can get a decent fight.

The other person he met was Lu Fau. The man had been thrown into the same pit as Lee but by now the young man was the champion. The two became good friends since they always had the other's back. When Lu Fau left Lee decided it was time to retire as the pit champ and just took his winnings with him. They still talk about the brutal young man who came from the sea in the Valley.

He heard that the Annual Battle Tournament was happening at Secret Cove so he decided to get involved. He loved a good fight.
My relation to... Lu Fau
The two of them were friends during their time in the pit. Lee learned a lot about the area from the other man.

Other: Even though he has been away from the Place of his birth, Lee still loves to invent things. He loves to create gadgets that might help in combat. His favorite invention is a glider suit that he is still working on.

[knighthawk]

Name: Boar

Age: 25

Race: Orc

Appearance:


School: Smiling fist

Fighting Style: Power through might, and like the wild pig, to close the distance even if it means running up the spear in your gut. Lots of step-in or step-through power blows and two step charge feeding into to lunges. For a style based on closing in, there is no emphasis on grapples but rather delivering enough power to knock the opponent back and close in all over again.
Boar was taught how to direct his Chi inward, to promote healing and regeneration for surviving such a reckless style of combat.

Weaknesses: Like the boar, it is meant to finish the fight quickly, not meant for long battles or wars. Ranged weapons are limited to whatever they can get their hands on to throw ahead of them. No emphasis on grapples and constant charging leaves windows for throw exploitation.

Weapons: Due to the sheer power and might, more-so when in orc hands, weapons are all considered 'disposable' and so take the position of 'escrima stick-staff-tetsubo' based on their size and weight.

History:
Twenty years ago, Venerable Boar of the smiling fist was not so venerable. A beastman of the porcine blood, he once came upon an Orc village destroyed by a raid. He gathered up the few survivors and brought them back to the Smiling fist temple to treat their wounds and help them get back on their feet. One boy, moved by the strangers kindness, threw himself at the masters feet in order to pay the debt of his village.

Three times the master tried to sent the boy home with his parents, and three times he refused. He sat at the top of the stairs for three days, he was kicked down the stairs three times by other students, lastly, the boy grew so ferocious he broke three bones trying to break the door down to get back in. He was brought back in to have his wounds tented to, and while Master Boar would not train him, a young master Nightoak saw something in the boy to be cultivated.

For fifteen years he was broken and bled all over the temple stones. For ten years he got back up and knocked back down again. For five years he knocked back. After a decade and a half, he earned the right to leave the temple walls and he took up a new name for the one who had saved his people. He would now be "Boar" in name of the Venerable master with quite a self imposed legend to live up to.

His first time traveling the lands, he came upon a human who claimed to be a disciple of the smiling fist. Not knowing him from the temple, he challenged the smaller one to a match. It was a glorious fight and clearly they were of the same root, but their teachers had each made a different emphasis. Boar spent so much time getting knocked around that he never developed any counterattacks for grappling maneuvers, like he did direct strikes, and that was his downfall. Loosing to someone half his weight was humbling, but also a moment of insight, he had so much more to learn and a whole world to teach him.

My relation to Lee Mitas
Also a student of the smiling fist, they were the first of the same school to face each other in the real world. but different teachers emphasized different aspects and racial anatomy leans to other focuses more. As such, even thought they both are of smiling fist, every time they meet makes for an amazing scene.

[Halvtand]

Name: Yin Hu
Age: 26
Race: Manbeast, anthropomorphic tiger.
Appearance:

School: seeking sword, seven blades.
Fighting Style: The main goal of Yin's style is versatility. Master Gan Fang has stated that while all techniques have a main use, there are at least six alternatives to it. The seven blades is an offensively defensive style. There is not a dedicated block in it, the closest you'll find is a straight open palm strike against the attacking limb. By repeatedly pummeling the opponent the objective is to physically persuade it to stop attacking. Many of the more defensive techniques also aim for soft spots such as exposed muscles, joints, throat, eyes, groin…
The hip is the most important part of the body for a wielder of the seven blades. From there all power is drawn, even the most basic punches, kicks and takedowns comes with a flick of the hip.
The style is heavily reliant on control of the body and chi. If the techniques are done correctly body and chi will flow as one and change muscles into wood and bones into steel.

Weaknesses: While the seven blades is a highly useful art it has a serious drawback. Its focus on control and balance means it is pretty stationary and as such has trouble with overly mobile or overwhelming opponents. A skilled fighter can overcome this weakness, but in the world of martial arts you rarely get a second chance. Yin’s tail, while it is a great help with balance and light attacks, can also be turned into a big weakness.

Weapons: While the seven blades have techniques for many different weapons such as staves, daggers, swords, whips, spears, halbeards, clubs ands so on Yin rarely use anything else than his fists. If he has to wield a weapon a simple bamboo staff is his choice.

History: Yin became first student of master Gan Fang after Lu Fau left on his mission of vengeance. Gan Fang often spoke of his previous student very fondly, almost like a lost son.

Yin Hu, like many of his anthropomorphic brothers and sisters, grew up in Valley of the beggar's song. They are mostly shunned by humans, elves and all other major races for being dirty half breeds. It is true after all. The legend of the manbeasts states that their entire race was founded on a dire night, where corrupt men and women of different races drank the blood of animals whose power they wanted. As a cruel joke, the gods granted their wishes. The following morning they were all run out of their homes and had to learn how to survive in the wild, like animals.

From these evil people today’s manbeasts are descended, and it seems nothing can be done to get rid of their vile history.
Although, there are a handful of people in the world that will treat manbeats as people. One of these are known as Master Gan Fang. He spotted the young Yin Hu in the valley one day, and saw potential in him. At that time Lu Fau was his head student, and Yin were mostly carrying out pointless repetitive tasks to strengthen his discipline and core strength.
Master Gan Fang didn’t train his students the same way, they were different people and had different talents. Yin Hu showed promise in the art of improvisation, and was trained in a style that would allow him to use the cores of many techniques in many different ways depending on situation.

Yin is fully trained and is about to leave his master and wander around the world and seek wisdom and perhaps an apprentice or two. He holds his master in the highest of regards and knows that while other masters claims he is boasting, Master Gan Fang is a mighty warrior, and truly capable of any feat he says he has performed.
Before his journey, Master Gan Fang has told Yin Hu that his final lesson will be at the annual battle tournament at Secret Cove. What he means by that, Yin doesn’t know.

My relation to... Boar.
This hulking monstrosity of the Smiling Fist School if pretty much Yin’s worst nightmare in battle. While they have never faced each other in the ring Yin has had the fortune of seeing the Orc train and is well aware that the training dummies aren’t supposed to break like that.

Boar’s headstrong attitude and lust for fighting is the polar opposite of the calm and calculating Yin. They might never be friends, but Yin respects Boar as a fellow martial artist, and secretly hopes that they will never have to face each other in battle, for Yin may not walk away from it.

[Pathfinder]

Name: Hokori

Age: 251

Race: Oni

Appearance:


School: Sleeping Dragon/Awoken Heart

Fighting Style: The Sleeping Dragon teaches one to attack with deliberate and powerful strikes, cutting through man and machine like a wire through clay. The Awoken Heart focuses on an Oni's immense magical abilities, harnessing their Chi and empowering their Oni's body. Hokori uses a technique similar to Xing Yi Quan for his attacks.

Weaknesses: The Sleeping Dragon's fault comes in its lack of range, needing to be close to any good. Awoken Heart is reliant on Hokori's pool of available Chi, prolonged battles will weaken him.

Weapons: A katana forged by the Smiths Under the Mountain. Its blade glows with internal fire and sings as it cleaves through the air.

History: Hokori has never wanted anything more from life besides tobacco, alcohol, and a place to call home. At first he had none, instead he traveled the world in search of these things. His search brought him into contact with many people of many walks of life. The one that would become the most important would come at his fiftieth year on this land. His name was Hokori and he was a warrior.

At the beginning the two fought, but somehow during the battle a friendship blossomed and the two traveled together for several decades before Hokori the Swordsman decided to go home. Throughout their many years of friendship Hokori taught the Oni all he knew before his death, he was eighty one years old. On his death, the Oni took up his name and his duty as defender of the hidden Village.

And so it went, generation after generation Hokori stood vigil over the village until one day everything just disappeared in a landslide. The Mountain had betrayed them. Afterwards Hokori watched over the survivors until the elements, bandits, or beasts took them too. This period of his life left Hokori in a deep depression as he felt like he had failed his old friend. It took twenty years but Hokori accepted the tragedy as it was and came out stronger than he ever could without it.

Struck with wanderlust yet again, Hokori has spent the last decade traveling the lands once again in search of new purpose, alcohol, and tobacco.

My relation to...Seikatsu
Hokori has seen the young man fight before and wishes him the best for whatever life can throw his way.

[Musoka]

Name: Seikatsu
Age: 23
Race: Half-Elf
Appearance:
School: The Shallow Step
Fighting Style: Jinque. Seikatsu is adept at fast, pinpoint strikes. He is never aiming for external physical damage, instead he uses his strikes to wear down the natural defenses his opponent's have. Once a chink in the armor is exposed so to speak, he attacks violently with strikes empowered by his chi. He is graceful and meticulous, his body always just out of reach of a sudden attack and reacting instantly to attack in return. His attacks are often spear hand strikes, using his long hands and fingers to give him the benefit of range. His chi empowered heavy strikes are often open palmed for ‘force’ strikes and allow a greater area to be affected by his chi.

Seikatsu also uses his chi to speed himself up, funneling inhuman energy into his legs to propel himself at faster speeds. At his fastest he simply becomes a flash of his crimson uniform. He is still attempting to learn how to create "clones" from his after image with Chi.

Weaknesses: Seikatsu is wholly focused on forms and precision that he develops tunnel vision quite easily. He needs to focus on a single target to be effective and as such his weakness is overwhelming odds. A break in his form will leave him clouded for the smallest time to be lethal.

Weapons: n/a

History: Seikatsu is a half elf, a man between worlds of the human and the elf world. Despite there being relative peace between all races, the idea of a half-caste is still mildly frowned upon and as such; Seikatsu never knew his parents...instead growing up in an orphanage. His childhood was fraught with the usual dangers of growing up in the Valley of The Beggars Song.

His childhood in the orphanage left him to realize to use all of his assets that his race gave him. His speed, his charm and his lithe grace were all assets to him as he escaped from most trouble. Despite this, his teenage years forced him into some of the commonly known blood pits that held the illegal fights attributed to the Valley. Once again his speed and grace were channelled into something that was new. A fighting style. His focus developed in his childhood became something more. He discovered some idea of what was known as magic. His chi became powerful strikes that tore arms out of sockets after his strikes hit home. Having become a renowned fighter, he was taken under the wing of the master of the Shallow Step and taken in to her school. There he became a quick study and was enrolled into the grand tournaments.

My relation to... Yin Hu.

“I remember the manbeast from the Valley...we always came to blows to see who was faster and more precise”