[OOC] Kingdom Guild: Golden City

[Azena]

Yeah, I'm back now. Site crashed when I finally had time to post last week -.-

Also, since Wonder all ready took the liberty to discribe my village (no ill-feelings), I'm going to highlight her description here and in the Contract Details for you.

It was only lacking more people, being that the small town's train station seemed to be staffed by less than a dozen men. As the smoke and steam from the stopping of the train engine faded away the town was revealed more fully before them in the fading light. There was a mixture of wooden buildings and brick buildings, but far more wood. There was a warehouse and office for the train station to their right, and a general store towards their left. She could see other signs poking out from rows of buildings down the main road from the train: a saloon, a bank which also housed a telegram service, then on the general store side of the street there was a notary public, and a courthouse with a jail that really didn't look large enough to be either of those things. It looked like the end of the road faced an Inn, with something that looked like a row of workhouses next to it. Otherwise, the other buildings seemed to be residences or storage buildings. If there was a church, it was likely to be on another street over or so where there were more residences. Eulalie figured the same would be true for the houses of anyone well-to-do.

[wonderlandalli]

Azena said
Yeah, I'm back now. Site crashed when I finally had time to post last week -.-Also, since Wonder all ready took the liberty to discribe my village (no ill-feelings), I'm going to highlight her description here and in the Contract Details for you.

Nothing had been provided and you kept mentioning player initiative I thought it wouldn't hurt, sorry if toes were stepped on! Wanted to move the story along. If I left out something you wanted to include you could spring it on us where-ever it fits. :)

[Azena]

wonderlandalli said
Nothing had been provided and you kept mentioning player initiative I thought it wouldn't hurt, sorry if toes were stepped on! Wanted to move the story along. If I left out something you wanted to include you could spring it on us where-ever it fits. :)

Nope, like I said no ill-feelings. Just saved me the trouble of doing it and I wanted to highlight it so we don't get three different versions of the town..

Also, sorry my posting has slowed down so much, the beginning is always the hardest for me and I'm getting more involved with school and extra-curriculars now. That's why I'm trying to work the game into being self-suffecient so all I have to do is post available contracts and let your creativity work.

[wonderlandalli]

I'm going to come back to Eulalie tomorrow. If anyone else wants to post please go forward.

[wonderlandalli]

I notice Jolly hasn't written in a while, have we lost her??

[Azena]

Got confirmation last night that Jolly is gone. We can NPC Red until that group gets back to the Guild and then let her disappear. Or Hell, I guess I'll play as her for the time being. I'll work on a post and should have one up for her tomorrow.

[wonderlandalli]

OK

[LeoricAquila]

i have to say i'm a little saddened by that, it's okay if i need to just go solo

[Jollywolfe]

Sorry Guys. Last Post for me. Between a new job and my grandfather and just general life I don't have enough free time left to devote to this as well on a consistent basis. I wish I did. I hope you all have a lot of fun and I will at least try to read what is happening in here when I can.

au revoir
Jolly

[Azena]

With Jolly gone and I noticed our Peter and Alice haven't posted in response to Wonder, I just want to get a quick head count of who is still here and willing to play. This little experiment of mine failed and it's clear I need a more hands on approach. So before I revamp it, I need to know who's still interested in playing?

[MountainLynx]

I'm still keeping an eye on this.

[Reaper]

Is this still open?

[LeoricAquila]

i'll keep playing

[wonderlandalli]

Let's just get moving :) If the want to leave let them. If someone new wants to jump in they have time as Marian has not taken off with ninjaboy yet.

[cerozer0]

I'm still in, just waiting on Mischief. ;;

[Reaper]

I'm going to assume from the last few posts that it's alright if I submit a CS?

"Hitomi 'Fox' Kuzunoha" said
Full Name: Hitomi Kuzunoha
Alias: Fox (officially, though some have added "Black" before it after the colour of her armor)
Age: 199
Gender: Female
Race: Kitsune
Homeland: Osaka, Japan

Appearance

Notes:
- Her actual human form still retains the fox ears and tails. They are, however, hidden with additional illusions as explained below.
- Has a tattoo at the base of her spine (read: tramp stamp) of three roses. The number of roses equal the number of tails she has and only shows up under the "fully human" glamour. Along the bottom of the stems are the words nemo me impune lacessit (Latin for "No one provokes me with impunity")

Languages: English, Japanese, Chinese, Beast tongue

Height/Weight: 168cm/51kg

Outfit/Armor:

Casual Outfit

Armor

*No matter what her attire for the day is there are always two things she is wearing:

A silver collar with a sapphire set in the center. This is a trinket that hides the features of her Kitsune form that her normal magic cannot hide - the ears and tail. If one consummates their relationship with the Kitsune in her true form, they form a bond for life. To avoid being bound by force, it is imperative nobody sees her naked in her true form. Kitsunes become more humanoid as they gain tails (up to 9) either by ageing or fully absorbing auras, but the ears and tail will always remain.

A gold armband around her right upper arm with a pearl set in it. The pearl ball is the source of a Kitsune's magical powers and their very soul. Separating it from them for extended periods of time will weaken and kill them. Returning it to them (whether after stealing it or finding it) will allow one to extract a favor from the Kitsune. This is more of an honor bound custom for them then it is a limitation of theirs, but since their life is tied to it, Kitsunes treat this seriously. Similarly, trying to blackmail them with this can be hazardous. It is not uncommon for Kitsunes to offer the pearl as a symbol of servitude or love.

Hunting Gear:
- Small, retractable crossbows fitted into her bracers. The underside of these bracers each hold a stiletto, hidden on the underside.
- A pair of wazikashi
- Cards. They are weighted with thin sheets of metal in the core and inscribed with spells, Hitomi's adapted version of talismans (with more lethality since they double as throwing weapons)

Likes: Sweets, Bad puns and wordplay, shiny jewels. A pretty face (of either gender)
Dislikes: Competition, especially when they don't abide by the "honor among thieves" adage. Oppressors and bullies. Bitter foods. Sleeping alone (insert sly wink here)

Occupation:
- Thief for hire... For the innocent. The Fox has a reputation for stealing from thugs and dishonorable men. She steals possessions that were taken by force or deceit or blackmail, and returns them to their rightful owner. Anything else she finds in the target's location is hers. The Fox is also known to steal letters and incriminating evidence from time to time, whether for leverage or to help bring criminals to justice. If it keeps the authorities from painting a target on her back...

Skill Set:
- Extremely nimble and agile.
- Lock picking
- Thievery
- Stealth and subterfuge
- Information gathering and interrogation.
- Seductress. A pretty face and a sultry smile is a ticket to almost anywhere.
- Extensive knowledge of herbalism and toxicology
- Proficient in most forms of knife work and dual wielding techniques
- Mastery of unarmed combat. She never draws her weapons if she can avoid it.

Magic Abilities:

Enchantment - Hitomi is able to inscribe spells and enchanments onto her cards and other objects, having crafted the collar that maintains her glamour charm herself. Her magic is contact-based, so any ranged magic she casts is always done through her weapons.

Personality:

Hitomi is eloquent, charming and seductive which are character traits most Kitsunes share, but she is also strangely straightforward in her interactions with people. One can always tell how they stand with Hitomi, for her kindness and politeness extend only as far as her respect for said person. Some might misconstrue this as arrogance or condescension, but she simply views it as brutal honesty and fair payment for their actions towards her. Though she can be persuaded to set aside her dislike when confronted with the glint of jewels and precious stones.

Strange as it is to think a thief would have a code of honor, Hitomi can be fairly stubborn in her views and values. Once convinced of something, she is almost impossible to persuade otherwise - a dangerous warning for those who would think of double-crossing her or angering her. Usually kind, gentle, and humorous, her temper is a fearsome phenomenon to behold. If she stops cracking quips or teasing her friends, it should be taken as a fair warning to back away, though such episodes are few and rare in between.

Generally patient and toleration, her Berserk Button is to see her close friends threatened or harmed, as well as innocent women children being mistreated. In fact, she has been known to set aside a fair portion of her income from contracts and jobs to feed orphans and widows she comes across (or inhabit the area around the Guild).

She is biased against those who come from wealthy backgrounds, convinced that they are in the Guild (or whatever dangerous profession) for sport and not out of necessity. Especially if these individuals are ignorant of the plight of the poor and helpless.

Background:

The matriarch of the Kuzunoha line was a famous Kitsune in Japanese folklore (or history, depending on one's perspective), and all female descendants of the line have always been born with very strong abilities and were almost always Kitsune themselves, despite their paternal heritage. Hitomi was no different. While the women of her line were mostly took the form of Inari shrine maidens, Hitomi's mother had been bound to a samurai, one of the shogun's top officers, during the time of her conception and birth. While Kitsunes born at the shrine of Inari were protected by divine right, Hitomi enjoyed only the protection of her status as a samurai's daughter. Should anyone discover her secret, they could bind her by force if they wanted to.

As such, Hitomi spent most of her life confined to her home, raised disguised as a hunting fox until she turned 100, where she grew an additional tail as well as developed her ability to adopt human form. By this time, her father had passed away, though the family secret lived on - her brother had been an exceptional samurai as well, and the magic of his mother protected him from harm on the battlefield. Unfortunately, that was the end of their time living in luxury. Her nephew, who did not inherit the bloodline from his father, desired the protection of her magic and sought to bind her to him by force. Her mother discovered him in the middle of his attempted rape and fended him off, but did not kill him.

In his anger, he revealed their real identities to the shogun and soon word was spread that there were two Kitsune's not under the shrine's protection. Every samurai who desired their blessings on the battlefield or simply wished to bind them out of lust, hunted them down. Both mother and daughter fled into self-exile, dodging the patrols and their hunters. Over the course of the next few years, Hitomi and her mother lived like regular Kitsunes - they used their tricks and cunning to lure men into their midst, and fed off their energies until Hitomi finally grew her second tail and adopted human form.

Her mother had learned how to wield a katana from her father, and passed the knowledge down to her. In case they were ever set upon by thugs, they could defend themselves while avoiding revealing their true form. They survived like this, moving from one region to the next, avoiding hunters and wicked men alike. A decade passed and they were settling into a new village when it was caught in the midst of a battle between two rival shoguns. They tried to escape, but her mother died in the attempt and left Hitomi, now barely a century old, to fend for herself.

Realising she would only be safe across the sea, Hitomi found her way to the closest port and convinced a ship to smuggle her off the island of Japan. Her travels took her to Korea and China, but both nations had their own stories of fox spirits and she could not stay in one place before she was forced to move on. She had to go somewhere where her kind had never been heard of, or at least, where nobody would look for fox spirits like her. She traveled from nation to nation, port to port, resorting to stealing in order to get the money she needed to get faraway from the continent of her birth.

Along her travels she would meet others like her, and she would learn that no matter where she went, the world would be the same. Men would always lust after her power and her beauty, if she let them. The powerful and rich built their wealth upon the backs of those beneath them, and if they knew of her existence, she would just be another stepping stone of theirs. She struck back the only way she knew how, by using the very things these people desired in her against them. Over the years of her exploits, the rumours and legend of a thief known as the Fox would spring up in her trail, and the poor and downtrodden knew that if they wished to take back what was stolen from them, to look for the beauty in black prowling the alleys.

She was always careful - while her clients and the people she sought to help did their best to help and protect her when trouble came calling, she did her best to keep them out of harm's way altogether. She made sure the contracts were just and legitimate before following through, and made sure to eliminate her opposition. As her successes grew, so did the number of people who wished to see her fall. They collaborated and teamed up to bring her down, setting her up for the executioner's block when she was breaking in to the house of some wealthy and influential merchant only to find everyone on the grounds dead and a regiment of soldiers surrounding her.

As luck (or fate) would have it, this was where the Guild intervened. While spending a night in the holding cell was unpleasant, she was being escorted to the Guild the next morning, instead of the firing squad.

Unique Abilities:

Aura - Kitsunes are able to absorb the auras/spiritual energy/life force of humans. While they only really require physical contact to do so, Hitomi prefers to do so via physical intimacy. Doing so grants her increased power both physically and magically. Her victims will experience temporary weakness or disorientation in mild cases to unconsciousness or death, depending on the amount drained. The boost to her abilities is temporary unless she takes ALL of the victim's Aura, thereby killing them and taking their strength for her own.

Her own bloodline gives her the ability to manipulate and channel her aura to different intents and purposes, listed below, and her irises change colour based on them (hence her name, Hitomi)

Muladhara (Red) - Deals with physical abilities. Her Aura augments her physical prowess in all respects - strength, endurance, agility are all heightened.

Swadhisthana (Orange) - Deals with emotion. The part of a Kitsune's aura that makes them appear so attractive to almost anyone. Once they have bonded with a mate for life, this also allows them to pick up on their partner's mood.

Manipura (Yellow) - Deals with self-energy and willpower. The absorption part of her abilities as a Kitsune comes from this. This aspect also allows her to imbue her weapons with her aura and augment them.

Anahata (Green) - Deals with psychic healing. Forms a barrier around her at the cost of mobility. Used to heal minor wounds as well up to small fractures. Does not erase the long term effects of the wound, so soreness, pain and stiffness of the affected area will still persist.

Vishuddha (Blue) - Deals with intelligence. A more passive aura: it simply allows her to learn at a faster pace. Does not extend to physical skills. A side effect of this allows her to learn new languages by fully absorbing aura or via osmosis as she listens to the language.

Anja (Indigo) - Deals with mental communication. Presently, she has not used this ability. She can communicate telepathically with her lifelong mate across long distances. And sense if they are in danger. As she does not have one yet...

Sahasrara (Violet) - Deals with awareness of illusions and obtaining a higher consciousness. Again, a more passive ability. She can sense if there is an illusion being cast and see through it by activating this aspect of her aura. This is also why she is able to adopt human form and hide her Kitsune form.

*While older, nine - tailed Kitsunes can use the full extent of their Aura, Hitomi being a (relatively) young Kitsune can only use a maximum of two Auras at once (each at half power)

Other Information:
- Hitomi currently has three tails.
- While there are good and evil Kitsunes/Gumihos/Huli Jings, Hitomi considers herself the benevolent type. She only kills if necessary or threatened.
- Her aura flares brightly around her when she transforms into her Kitsune form, or is channeling her full power. The latter is a survival mechanism that only kicks in in near-death situations.

EDIT: I took 5 hours plus on this CS checking the folklore and everything from midnight till 5am, so forgive any incoherent writing or fuzzily explained stuff, I'll clean it up as needed and when I'm a little more rested.

[LeoricAquila]

Sawyer approves of this

[Reaper]

LeoricAquila said
Sawyer approves of this

I foresee a lot of UST between Sawyer and HItomi if she does get accepted xD

[cerozer0]

Ya know what, Mischief hasn't been active for weeks. Sorry to them, but I'm gonna whip together a post to get the guild-group moving.

[LeoricAquila]

Reaper said
I foresee a lot of UST between Sawyer and HItomi if she does get accepted xD

looking forward to it