TheHumbleMagnificent

The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

CS is finally up.

The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

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.

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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.

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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.

The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

Ohh Boar will make for a nice addition. Can't wait to read up on his history.

CS still on hold until I clear something up with Avanhelsing. I did manage to put up some NPCs.

The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

That sounds awesome! Maybe he was a reigning champ for a time too. Yeah I'm up for that. I'll pm you some ideas when I get his history finalized.

Plunder of the stars!

Maybe a run in with a pirate gang trying to get in on what we looted from the luxury cruiser?

Kung Fu Steampunk! (Still accepting)

Bumpsies

The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

I can see VotBS meshing well with him, especially with his back story in mind. I didn't mention it in the lore, but VotBS is usually the place where foreigners end up if they get kicked out of Lotus Port. My character will most likely have some history with that place...

Feel free to take as much liberty as you'd like regarding the events, people, and lifestyle at that location if it helps flesh Lee out more too.

The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

@Avanhelsing I like what you have so far. Maybe you can expand on the Troll master (did he teach others or were you his only student?) Unless you prefer to keep that anonymous.

I should have my cs up later tonight followed with some NPCs like the masters, the emperor, and PM Lei.

The Hand of Shimmering Fates (No longer accepting)

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."

Kung Fu Steampunk! (Still accepting)

OOC is up! http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/81552-the-hand-of-shimmering-fates-wuxia-steampunk-epic/ooc