Snagglepuss89

•HAGAKURE•

Did some editing, I'll go ahead and bold the relevent sections for easy reading. Also: You called him a stringbean but not... you know... a snake. Long and thin. (Also I'm using the asian symbolization of the snake. To quote:

Hider

"In ancient Asian folklore, snakes sometimes rewarded humans with gifts of pearls, in general, snakes often appeared as guardians of shrines and treasure and their saliva was thought to create precious the jewels underground. The snake is linked with wisdom and prophecy. Snakes found in a home are even welcomed as good luck and the embodiment of the spirits of the ancestors as protectors, thus they are called protection snakes.

In the Chinese zodiac, people who are born in the Year of the Snake are generally enigmatic but they are also the wisest. Characterized as thinkers and philosophers, they are seen as fond of conversation and intelligent discussion. They do, however, tire quickly of repetitiveness and are not particularly inclined to take advice, although they will listen to it. Although Snake people will examine a situation from many angles, they can also act with speed and determination."

which fits him a bit more than the western depictions. Although it's a bit of both really.)

Madanami Hyōryū - Disciple of the Wind

Name

Madanami Hyōryū - Disciple of the Wind

Age

30

Totem

Snake

Appearance

Hyōryū embodies the tall and thin archetype. He has never met a man he had to look up at, and rarely anyone of equal height. Still though, in spite of his shear vertical size the man looks as if a strong breeze could blow him over. The life of a philosopher does not demand great strength, nor can always supply adequate nutrition every day. He wears plain clothes, and aside from his coin purse the only thing he seems to carry with him is a staff as tall as he is. Scars quite clearly made by blades adorn his face, hinting that he has been through one or more violent encounters in his day. This though is the only hint at all at first glance that the man would be anywhere near a fight should one break out.

Personality

Like the wind, Hyōryū's personality embodies his teachings. He is free with his emotions, most of the time going around adversity like a gentle breeze, unbothered and uncaring about the current situation. When that breeze turns into a storm however he lets his anger blow freely over those around him. He follows his own pursuits, the embodiment of a free spirit. Often times this is knowledge, spending the little time he has between traveling and hunting for students to read up on local lore and history. This could also be a curiosity of the taste of the local brandy, or interest in how the local fishermen catch the local breeds of fish. Whatever he has an interest in at the time will inevitably drag him into a new adventure for the day.

The path of least resistance is the path of the wind- and his devotion to this is indistinguishable from laziness. He began following his master in order to leave a life of working hard in a career he didn't want. He has, as a result, found himself happier as an adult than he ever was a child; Firmly cementing his belief in his masters' teachings. This does not mean he never has a desire to lend a hand- and Hyōryū will seek to do anything he desires- but it does mean more often than not he will leave you to chop the firewood while he goes to catch an extra hour of sleep.

Fights for Hyōryū are more often than not a distraction. Local bandit 'guardians' trying to take a fee from him to enter town, samurai who took special exception to his teachings, prison guards trying to stop him from escaping. Years upon years of travel have forced him into fights he would rather avoid altogether, but also honed his skills to the point where making quick work of a thug becomes easier than trying to avoid them. Hyōryū will always choose the easier option.

History

As a child, Hyōryū had always been the willful sort, quicker to ask forgiveness than permission. His parents were merchants with no small amount of wealth, and tried to groom him all his life to either take over their business or find a position even greater. He was an intelligent child, and they dreamed of him becoming a minister for one of the Shoguns, or even one of the daimyō. Having no interest in either of these things, he took every chance he could to escape from his tutors and wander the town until he was caught- and of course punished once again.

One day however he met a new face on one of his excursions, an old man reeking of booze who had quite literally been thrown out of a bar right in front of him. For a moment they sized each other up, before the older one finally spoke:

"You look like a smart kid, would you like to be my student?"

Hyōryū was surprised, but as impulsive and willful as ever. His current studies would lead to a life of boredom, and a change would certainly be welcome. With some hesitation, he answered the man with a nod.

"Ah good, now how much money do you have on you?"

Money? On him? Absolutely none. Sneaking out earned him punishment enough, let alone adding theft on top of it. The man, his eyes glistening with hope, slowly turned sour as realization came over him that he would not be getting anything out of Hyōryū. With a sigh, he picked himself off the ground and dusted off his clothing, ruffling the boy's hair as he began to pass by.

"Fine then, a free lesson; Go where the wind takes you."

A breeze followed the man as he passed by, and with very little hesitation Hyōryū followed after him. Go where the wind takes him? Even a boy as young as he knew how useless that advice was to anyone, far too general and applicable to anything. It was like telling a warrior "Don't die" before going into battle. Still though, there was a... resonance within him. He already did what he wanted in life, if this man could teach him more, maybe how to truly achieve that, then perhaps he would be a more worthwhile teacher than his parents could hire.

They walked with each other until they reached the edge of town, when the man finally turned to regard him once more.

"Look, you don't have any money right? Stop following me, I only take on students with cash."

"I'm not following you, I'm going where the wind takes me."

With a laugh as his only reply, the two began their journey across the continent. A twelve year old boy and a man approaching his fifties- certainly an odd pairing. Studying under his master was nothing like the studying he did back home. Almost every lesson was taught as an experience, wisdom coming in patches over years. When a storm threatened to capsize their boat he was taught of the wind's fury. When a newborn cried in it's mothers arms he was taught of the wind's love and gift of life. Laughing was the wind in your lungs sharing in your happiness, and a gentle breeze along the road was the wind guiding you towards where you truly wanted to be. One day, the wind blew them in separate directions, and Hyōryū took it upon himself to teach others what he had learned from his master.

He lived a comfortable, if often bruised, existence this way, until his most recent student turned out to be the son of the local Shogun. Very displeased upon learning what the rumored "Way of the Wind" was like, he was labeled a conman and thrown in prison to rot away.

Fortunately for him though, the wind blew away from his jail cell, and he chose to follow it to freedom.

Strengths

The Gentle Breeze and the Raging Hurricane - In most combat situations Hyōryū moves fluidly around the battle, his staff affording him great versatility and even greater reach when combined with his already substantial height. When calm he prefers to disarm and disable his opponents, or pass by them and avoid a battle altogether. However, when angered any pretense of the above fades, and fluid motions are replaced with an unrelenting offense. A flurry of attacks from all directions with his staff that carry enough force to shatter bones. Once the Hurricane is unleashed, what Hyōryū wants is for you to die, and he will do everything in his power to achieve that.

A Steady Wind - While unreliable, Hyōryū is level headed in almost any situation. His philosophy grants him a stress-free outlook on life and way of thinking. Decisions are easy to reach when you always choose to do what you want to, and should the wind blow against him he'll simply go with the flow rather than fight the gust.

Tsukishima Travel Guide - Hyōryū has been all over the continent, and though he never stays in one place for long he always tries to learn as much as he can about the area before leaving. It has given him a staggering level of knowledge about the land, and ironically he could probably become one of the best tutors available if he taught anything other than the Way of the Wind

Weaknesses

Where the Wind Goes - Getting Hyōryū to go where you want him to, or need him to, or stopping him from going where you don't want to is nearly an impossible task. Once he has decided to leave for another place it takes the wind itself changing to stop him.

Fickle Breeze - To go along with the above, he is notoriously unreliable. Come up with the perfect plan to take down the bad guys? He could easily change his role halfway through if he feels like it. Or perhaps even follow you halfway across the continent despite totally not being your student just because he feels like it.

Philisophical Couch Potato - While Hyōryū sometimes wants to lend a hand and help out- more often than not he really doesn't want to do any work. Mules are easier to convince than he is when he's feeling lazy, or rather not feeling productive.

Violent Disinterest - He has no desire to kill most people, so in most cases does not. A wounded and shamed enemy can be a very dangerous one indeed, and he has numerous scars to show for why leaving someone alive is a bad idea.

Likes

Sugary Foods
Local Festivals
Small Talk
Storms

Dislikes

Being Indoors
Loud Noise
Self Righteousness
Being Broke

•HAGAKURE•

Hah, Gowi can confirm that I hate personality sections (I myself usually don't have it down for the character until the second or third post) because it feels like a lot of telling instead of showing, so I figured that, if anything, would be the major issue. I'll see what I can do to revise it. As for the eyescar- can't say I'm a fan of it, but it's the vibe the facial expression gives off that's absolutely perfect for him.

The religion bit wasn't important and cutting it won't really change much, so yeah that's easy and doable.

As for the third bit- I don't think that would work, but I like the idea and can certainly try and adapt it to the character. The Way of the Wind lends itself much more to a word of mouth sort of teaching (words are wind, after all), that doesn't mean though that it can't have it's own tenants or teachings that can tie into each chapter. Perhaps with a pretext of him dictating his travels to someone in the future rather than writing a book. Or someone else writing the book after having interviewed him. Something like:

'Strive to die happy. Regret breeds fear before death. The scared die breathless.' I had always lived by these words, commited my entire being to them. However, I would be a liar if I said I truly understood them before that day. Watching the mighty Daremo gasping on the ground, scared and desperate- My master was a wise man. I wonder what he had to witness to gain that wisdom. ~ Madanami Hyōryū, Disciple of the Wind

•HAGAKURE•

Sweet, hope we get a dozen applicants so we can have a nice fight to the death over who gets in the RP.

•HAGAKURE•

All right, here's character number 2's draft. Completely different concept from the first.

Madanami Hyōryū - Disciple of the Wind

Name

Madanami Hyōryū - Disciple of the Wind

Age

30

Totem

Snake

Appearance

Hyōryū embodies the tall and thin archetype. He has never met a man shorter than him, and rarely anyone of equal height. Still though, in spite of his shear vertical size the man looks as if a strong breeze could blow him over. The life of a philosopher does not demand great strength, nor can always supply adequate nutrition every day. He wears plain clothes, and aside from his coin purse the only thing he seems to carry with him is a staff as tall as he is. Scars quite clearly made by blades adorn his face, hinting that he has been through one or more violent encounters in his day. This though is the only hint at all at first glance that the man would be anywhere near a fight should one break out.

Personality

Like the wind, Hyōryū's personality embodies his teachings. He is free with his emotions, most of the time going around adversity like a gentle breeze, unbothered and uncaring about the current situation. When that breeze turns into a storm however he lets his anger blow freely over those around him. He follows his own pursuits, the embodiment of a free spirit. Often times this is knowledge, spending the little time he has between traveling and hunting for students to read up on local lore and history. This could also be a curiosity of the taste of the local brandy, or interest in how the local fishermen catch the local breeds of fish. Whatever he has an interest in at the time will inevitably drag him into a new adventure for the day.

History

As a child, Hyōryū had always been the willful sort, quicker to ask forgiveness than permission. His parents were merchants with no small amount of wealth, and tried to groom him all his life to either take over their business or find a position even greater. He was an intelligent child, and they dreamed of him becoming a minister for one of the Shoguns, or even one of the daimyō. Having no interest in either of these things, he took every chance he could to escape from his tutors and wander the town until he was caught- and of course punished once again.

One day however he met a new face on one of his excursions, an old man reeking of booze who had quite literally been thrown out of a bar right in front of him. For a moment they sized each other up, before the older one finally spoke:

"You look like a smart kid, would you like to be my student?"

Hyōryū was surprised, but as impulsive and willful as ever. His current studies would lead to a life of boredom, and a change would certainly be welcome. With some hesitation, he answered the man with a nod.

"Ah good, now how much money do you have on you?"

Money? On him? Absolutely none. Sneaking out earned him punishment enough, let alone adding theft on top of it. The man, his eyes glistening with hope, slowly turned sour as realization came over him that he would not be getting anything out of Hyōryū. With a sigh, he picked himself off the ground and dusted off his clothing, ruffling the boy's hair as he began to pass by.

"Fine then, a free lesson; Go where the wind takes you."

A breeze followed the man as he passed by, and with very little hesitation Hyōryū followed after him. Go where the wind takes him? Even a boy as young as he knew how useless that advice was to anyone, far too general and applicable to anything. It was like telling a warrior "Don't die" before going into battle. Still though, there was a... resonance within him. He already did what he wanted in life, if this man could teach him more, maybe how to truly achieve that, then perhaps he would be a more worthwhile teacher than his parents could hire.

They walked with each other until they reached the edge of town, when the man finally turned to regard him once more.

"Look, you don't have any money right? Stop following me, I only take on students with cash."

"I'm not following you, I'm going where the wind takes me."

With a laugh as his only reply, the two began their journey across the continent. For nearly two decades Hyōryū has wandered the land, traveling to wherever fancy strikes him. He gets by on taking in students of his own now- though often times he finds his teachings get him thrown out of bars much like when he had first met his master- and passing his philosophy across the continent. The wind had taken the two in separate directions years ago, and neither knew where the other had gone off to.

He lived a comfortable, if often bruised, existence this way, until his most recent student turned out to be the son of the local Shogun. Very displeased upon learning what the rumored "Way of the Wind" was like, he was labeled a conman and thrown in prison to rot away.

Fortunately for him though, the wind blew away from his jail cell, and he chose to follow it to freedom.

Strengths

The Wind Flows Freely - In most combat situations Hyōryū moves fluidly around the battle, his staff affording him great versatility and even greater reach when combined with his already substantial height. When calm he prefers to disarm and disable his opponents, or pass by them and avoid a battle altogether.

The Hurricane - When angered, any pretense of the above fades, and fluid motions are replaced with an unrelenting offense. A flurry of attacks from all directions with his staff that carry enough force to shatter bones. Once the Hurricane is unleashed, what Hyōryū wants is for you to die, and he will do everything in his power to achieve that.

Tsukishima Travel Guide - Hyōryū has been all over the continent, and though he never stays in one place for long he always tries to learn as much as he can about the area before leaving. It has given him a staggering level of knowledge about the land, and ironically he could probably become one of the best tutors available if he taught anything other than the Way of the Wind

Weaknesses

Where the Wind Goes - Getting Hyōryū to go where you want him to, or need him to, or stopping him from going where you don't want to is nearly an impossible task. Once he has decided to leave for another place it takes the wind itself changing to stop him.

Fickle Breeze - To go along with the above, he is notoriously unreliable. Come up with the perfect plan to take down the bad guys? He could easily change his role halfway through if he feels like it. Or perhaps even follow you halfway across the continent despite totally not being your student just because he feels like it.

Heathen Beliefs - While he considers himself a philosopher, there are many who consider him to follow a religion, one that isn't any of the established beliefs. Pious people following any of the well established faiths can and have taken offense to him. On the flip side, others have sought him out solely because they wanted to learn from him as a man of faith. It certainly can complicate things.

Violent Disinterest - He has no desire to kill most people, so in most cases does not. A wounded and shamed enemy can be a very dangerous one indeed, and he has numerous scars to show for why leaving someone alive is a bad idea.

Likes

Sugary Foods
Local Festivals
Small Talk
Storms

Dislikes

Being Indoors
Loud Noise
Self Righteousness
Being Broke

Hider

As far as a mention of his thin frame and then shattering bones- quarterstaves generate a lot of force, especially one as large as his. Just seemed out of place putting both of those together, so I figured I'd add an explanation.

•HAGAKURE•

And I should have my retooled character up in the next couple hours as well. Completely scrapped the old idea and went with a wandering philosopher sort of character instead. Follows his own "religion" of sorts he calls The Way of the Wind and offers to take on students (for money) while traveling throughout the land. Usually after being paid he teaches them "Do what you want" and "Go where the wind takes you" before slinking away with their money and skipping town. Leaving it ambiguous to most people whether he actually is a philosopher or just a con artist.

•HAGAKURE•

@Snagglepuss89Ninjas and other support are good, but I feel like his losing a daughter would be overshadowed by the losses faced by other members of the team. Norio lost his family, wealth, and honor, Hisao lost his self respect, Saiyuri has lost the comfort of being home Maybe not Saiyuri, but I'd still like to keep the backstories varied. Maybe he "lost" his daughter to her joining the royal army or something like that?

@DeadBeatWalking

Nah, it's fine, it was more that he had lost his honor and she was the catalyst for him abandoning the master his family had served for generations, but he can easily be tooled towards something else. Even something without any particular tragedy at all. I'll think on what to do with him and whether to change his role from ninja to something else entirely.

•HAGAKURE•

Hmm, much as a loathe dark backgrounds for their clichéness, here's my current thoughts:

Since we have a shrine maiden, a leader, and a warrior, I was thinking of filling the role of the ninja/support.

Basic background I'm forming:

From a long line of ninjas in service to their lord, and one of the best of this dying art. Naturally when his daughter was born he began training her too to serve his lord in place of himself after his death. Eventually though, conflict brewed between his Shogun and one of the four Daimyō. He and his daughter undertook a mission to assassinate the Daimyō, failed, and she was killed in the process. Disgraced and disillusioned he changed his name and lived life as a bandit, already considering himself dishonored beyond redemption. Likely he ends up imprisoned because he wanted to be caught, but as for why he decided to escape afterwards... Who knows?

I plan to play him as more of an uptight deadpan snarker than a depressing moody stone wall. Mid to late thirties, fathered a daughter when he was eighteen, she died a teenager a couple years before the RP starts.

IT'S BASICALLY JUST SAMURAI CHAMPLOO IDK

I was interested in this last time it was running but found it too late to hop in, expressing interest.

That title though, I seriously almost skipped over it.

Avalon Academy: The Confines of the Crown

Left Haytham open to be bumped into outside if someone wants to, or out of the action so that the scene can be brought to a close.

Avalon Academy: The Confines of the Crown

HAYTHAM

@gowi@Polaris North

Potentially... remediable.

Haytham's enthusiasm quickly drained as the awkward boy seemed to freeze, and as seconds of silence grew to nearly a minute, Haytham chuckled nervously to fill the silence. His success earlier had been answered with a devastating failure of socialization, and it was already beginning to look like this year would be a repeat of the last: being practically shunned by his peers. With a scratch to the back of his head, he turned to the more talkative one of the two, who had also fallen suspiciously silent. Perhaps it was an engagement to withdraw from, for now.

"Heh, sorry if I'm interrupting something important here, I'll leave you two to finish, eh? Do try to enjoy yourselves here, it is your new home for awhile. I'm sure we'll bump into each other again."

As he walked away Haytham tried to shake the encounter from his mind. Could have been anything from bad timing, to indigestion that caused the failure, no use worrying over it before he knew for sure. If there was anything at all to worry about it would be the news that Swift brought him. He caught sight of her then, across the room, finishing her duties as fast as she always had, and with a small shake of her head she destroyed any chance he had of a peaceful night. With a sigh he began walking towards her, almost passing by Anareliea without a word.

Anareliea. Haytham had found her to be one of the most difficult people in the entire Conclave to interact with. The reason he could remain so casual with most people was simple: He was more or less a King in anything but name at that moment. There were many heirs that attended the Conclave, some to kingdoms of their own, but Haytham had encountered almost nobody that was above him in rank, even if he had met several who officially equaled him. Anareliea was a different story. Being Imperial put her above even Haytham, and she expected that difference to be acknowledge. It made interaction hard, to say the least.

Still, she didn't shun him like most of his peers seemed to, and he always tried to strike up a conversation, even if they usually ended in disaster. Gaea only knew how that temperament would serve her if she did actually manage to inherit the throne. Initially he had intended to avoid the Imperial Princess at the current gathering, but he supposed it would be even more rude to pass her without a word. They hadn't really spoken since the death of Theodoric, and she was currently relatively indisposed. Even his usual demeanor wouldn't embarrass her too much at that moment. He didn't know if she and her father were especially close, but...

"Hey, I know we're not really close, but your father... Well, I mean, I know the feeling, yeah? I'm sure you've heard a million condolences from a million different people, but... I wish Gaea had given you two more time together. Anyway, I just wanted to say good luck, I'll bug you more when you're not so much on display."

He would've added a bit about being available to talk about it with her, but he felt he was already overstepping his bounds as it were. Surely she was tired of the entire subject anyway, he knew that he had been in only a few weeks time. Besides, they both had the weight of rulership weighing on them- even if only potentially in Anareliea's case- and that took up more energy than could be spared for mourning.

Making his retreat with a bow towards the Princess, Haytham finally made his way over to Swift and the two began heading towards the doors, arguing in hushed whispers:

"So, did you find a wife yet my lord? Drooling perhaps over the prospect Imperial power with her Highness? That would certainly turn some heads back home considering your parents' neutrality."

"I get it Swift, children children children, save House Avion, yada yada. Look, isn't discussing the situation back home a little more important right now?"

"But my lord, your heir is a vital situation back home."

The older woman teased him so until they were finally out of the ballroom, and earshot, though the two continued to speak quietly.

"Baron Theodesus refuses to back down from his demands, and his allies have also stopped paying taxes in protest. The royal treasury depends on those cities, my Lord, and the barons continue to grow more bold."

"Have they threatened to raise arms?"

"No, they know as well as we do that they can't hope to match the Crown in rebellion. However, if we allow this to continue without a show of force..."

Marvelous. Haytham loved a fight but hated bloodshed, in particular among his own people. Still, it had been him that demanded to still have a hand in the affairs of his state while at the Conclave, and his regent was only complying with his wishes. Haytham, above anything, hated stress, and the first real test of his judgement was threatening to introduce an unhealthy dose of it into his life.

Perhaps sensing his apprehension, the woman added:

"Any misstep can be blamed on Ser Auric, he would happily take the hit to his reputation for you."

Haytham merely grunted in reply as he tried to get a bearing on his thoughts. Do or don't, worrying was useless. He would have to make a decision and deal with the consequences as they arose, inaction was a far worse choice in comparison. What had started as a fun day was quickly turning sour.

Then again, such was life at the Conclave.