Zetsuko

Sengoku Space Opera

Roen was sitting against a wall of the tavern, leaning back and idly sipping on his drink after a surprisingly half-decent meal. He was watching the crowd, cybernetic eye quickly scanning over faces. The Neon Geisha was the kind of place a bounty might wander into on occasion though Roen wasn't expecting much, the glance couldn't hurt though and besides, there was other ways to occupy himself around here if nothing turned up.

The scuffle between a girl with a large nodachi and some ronin didn't go beneath his notice but neither did it hold his attention, such fight tend to happen in seedy joints like this. Instead his eye caught another patron, a woman across the room that seemed to be frustrated with the device in her hands. Despite the respirator covering part of her face his eye was able to recognize her and his HUD brought up information about her bounty. Tomoe Gozen, 'The Mad Dog of Taishi' he chuckled to himself at that, the samurai and their nicknames, continuing to read the info as he watched her he found that most things were standard nut the bounty was sizable, she must have pissed someone off.

Just as he was beginning to think of how he'd go about things she got up and started after that shifty Nobuzai. He'd noticed the odd figure awhile ago but brushed it off, since this was formerly Nobuzai space he assumed it was a spy or something along those lines. If the bounty was anything to go by this Tomoe was not fond of the Nobuzai so whatever business she had with the man wasn't going to be pleasant for him, and if she had the sense to drag him someplace secluded before engaging in it well...she'd put herself right in the perfect spot for him.

Either way he couldn't just let her get away so once she was almost outside he got up and made his way out, past the white-haired girl looting the thugs she took on, and into the street to keep after Tomoe.

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

Riley & Lothair

Riley was still turning a fine emerald in her hands with a grin and muttering to herself "heh, few bolts in the baddies and I can live like a queen...hmm?" She caught movement out of the corner of her eye, specifically the sleeper's movement. That suspicious character from before with a particular interest in the Aldonian sitting next to her.

With her reverie broken she also noticed as some of the others were getting up to go prepare for their journey. She would have been a bit hesitant to let Flint handle all of the gems laid out so far but knew better than to cause problems, especially this early, besides there would be plenty more where they came from if the lord was to be believed. Of course, this didn't stop her from pocketing the gem she held.

It actually worked out that she was left alone with Lothair, with the other two occupied they could handle the issue of this mysterious sleeper. She scooted a bit closer to the Aldonian "Hey, we're gonna be working to together, right? means we aught to be watching each other's backs" she kept her voice low, trying to be discrete "Been a shady sort with his eyes on you since we got here, while thems two's busy I figure we should find out what he's up to 'afore we got problems" finally turning her head to look in his direction she ended with "Whaddya say?"

Lothair was surprised by the teen suddenly getting close to him. But her words got him thinking and he calmed himself quickly. This girl, or so he assumed based on her voice, what was she doing here... doing mercenary work. He initially thought that maybe she was someone's escort or something. Regardless, she was clearly very perceptive. He had a feeling that someone was watching him in particular when he first arrived, but couldn't tell who exactly. Now he could deal with this issue directly. He reached for the pendant to keep it safe for now in one of his pouches. Then he reached over to the girl's far shoulder with an arm to pull her a bit closer so that he could play along "No need to be shy! A lot of girls long for me at the sight of my fair skin and hair!" he loudly boasted so that anyone listening in the pub could hear.

Now that they were uncomfortably close, he could tell that she... wasn't the most affluent person in the world. He kept himself well kempt and clean. In fact, he had lightly applied some scented oils to his neck so that the stench of the bad parts of the city wouldn't offend him. Regardless, this was a matter of life or death. He had to do what he had to do. Thus, he gently whispered into Riley's ear "I'll play along. Hope you have a plan to get him isolated... if not... perhaps... we could request a room? If someone is following me... I want some answers from them. Oh, and of course the room is my treat, Lady..." Lothair paused as he didn't know her name.

With a faint smirk Riley leaned into the man "Riley, name's Riley" Her head rested on his shoulder, the Aldonian had something pleasant smelling on his neck and she tilted her head up slightly to catch a whiff of it herself, inhaling slowly through her nose before whispering back "and while a room does sound nice, shady's already on his way out" She nodded in the direction of the door and smiled up at him to keep up the facade "We aught to be careful though, I don't like his look"

Lothair took a quick glance at the guy who was supposedly already leaving. He then loudly said "I've got a room at the House of the Silver Moon. We can talk all night long there. Or, if you like this place, then I'm sure we can find somewhere cozy here." with a beaming smile as he looked at Riley. He got up from his chair, offering a hand to help Riley up. They had to hurry and follow the guy as he was leaving the room. He whispered into her ear "If things get rough, stay behind me."

Riley nodded and giggled under her breath. Taking his hand she hung on his arm when she was up to keep them looking like a couple. She whispered to him again as they left"hehe, I hope you really do have a room there, I could do with a nice bed" She kept up the image, at least as long as they were in public view, and took the lead as they followed the man out, keeping her eyes on the strange man and subtly guiding Lothair along.

Sengoku Space Opera

Roen

---

Roen Chikage

___________________________________________ Roen Chikage 31 | Male ᴏʀɪɢɪɴ Koga Shinobi ꜰᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ Koga Inc. ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ Primary: Marksmanship Secondary: Stealth Secondary: Endurance Weapons EMW-22 ARASHI A high-powered rifle that uses a magnetic firing system similar to other Gauss rifles, easily capable of piercing RAI shields or Iron Samurai armor depending on the type of ammunition loaded. It's 'wheellock' energy cell and breach loading mechanism allow for rapid reloading. Developed by Koga Inc. for it's Shinobi Ion-Pulse Tonfas Trading the cutting edge of a monoblade for energy pulses on hits, this weapon will still break down RAI shields but not as quickly. However, it makes up for this by having a more profound effect on opponents in Exo-suit and Iron Samurai armor. KG-53 ZAKTI A simple revolver-style sidearm. This weapon makes for a reliable secondary to take down lightly-armored or unarmored targets Modifications Cybernetic Eye: Roen's eye of scanning and highlighting targets for better acquisition in the field as well as a low-light vision mode Cybernetic Arm: Though the prosthetic does not replace enough of the arm to impact his strength in a significant way it does have a built in RAI generator, allowing him to project a direction shield from the arm, and a hydraulic piston in the wrist to augment his punch. The force on the piston is enough to crack ribs on an unarmored target Bio-Mods: Roen sports some of the same biological modifications as other Koga. These include a synaptic boost for his reaction time and a boost to his remaining organic eye so that it may keep up with the cybernetic one	ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ Roen stands at 6" with a fit, athletic build. His hair is black and kept short and he has light facial hair along his chin and jaw. His right eye glows bright orange, being a cybernetic replacement, while his left remains grey. His greyish-white skin bears marking from further augmentation in places, notably his neck, and his left arm has been replaced from just above the elbow with a mechanical prosthetic. ꜰɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ Twin Peaks - A simple balanced style utilizing the long arms of the tonfas in a natural grip to ward of attacks while occasionally swinging out into a reversed grip for brutal strikes ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ Roen merely tried to get by. No longer having any associate connections with any corporations he merely drifts as a mercenary in an thankfully thriving market. He silently hopes that he may find companionship again ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ Roen was recruited and trained as a child to be a shinobi for Koga inc. and served many years of largely unremarkable service eliminating any threats and spreading that special type of Koga terror among any armies the corporation saw fit. He was always somewhat distant from most other agents despite working well with any teams he was assigned to, It was because of this that he was chosen to be the handler for what was initially described to him as the Koga's "biggest investment" This "investment" turned out to be a frightened young pale girl called Shizuya. The poor girl was sold to the Koga to serve as a weapon in exchange for cybernetics that would keep the girl's fragile body alive. Roen was initially meant to be a partner/handler for her to see how effective she would be in the field, his usually distant nature selected to avoid them getting too close in the event of her failure. The complete opposite happened, however, and Roen became extremely close with the girl. Most of the cybernetics he has now were even done to make her feel less like an oddity because of her own. Thankfully she did well and the two would become a deadly pair. Their relationship, while unexpected, was overlooked because it only seemed to improve their loyalty. They would continue to serve loyally until they were paired with several other agents on an assassination mission against a prominent Nobuzai general. The mission could not have gone more wrong, the mission was a failure and the other agents had all either gone missing or were killed, Shizuya included. Roen was left alone to limb back to the Koga and report the mission's failure. Now the Koga could perhaps forgive a minor failure here and there, they could forgive the odd small mistake, but this was no small failing. They had intended to execute Roen, as he had not only failed the assassination but lost Shizuya in the process, but he was able to escape before they could. In the years since he has taken to working as a mercenary

Sengoku Space Opera

Roen

---

Roen Chikage

___________________________________________ Roen Chikage 31 | Male ᴏʀɪɢɪɴ Koga Shinobi ꜰᴏʀᴍᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ Koga Inc. ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ Primary: Marksmanship Secondary: Stealth Secondary: Endurance Weapons EMW-22 ARASHI A high-powered rifle that uses a magnetic firing system similar to other Gauss rifles, easily capable of piercing RAI shields or Iron Samurai armor depending on the type of ammunition loaded. It's 'wheellock' energy cell and breach loading mechanism allow for rapid reloading. Developed by Koga Inc. for it's Shinobi Ion-Pulse Tonfas Trading the cutting edge of a monoblade for energy pulses on hits, this weapon will still break down RAI shields but not as quickly. However, it makes up for this by having a more profound effect on opponents in Exo-suit and Iron Samurai armor. KG-53 ZAKTI A simple revolver-style sidearm. This weapon makes for a reliable secondary to take down lightly-armored or unarmored targets Modifications Cybernetic Eye: Roen's eye of scanning and highlighting targets for better acquisition in the field as well as a low-light vision mode Cybernetic Arm: Though the prosthetic does not replace enough of the arm to impact his strength in a significant way it does have a built in RAI generator, allowing him to project a direction shield from the arm, and a hydraulic piston in the wrist to augment his punch. The force on the piston is enough to crack ribs on an unarmored target Bio-Mods: Roen sports some of the same biological modifications as other Koga. These include a synaptic boost for his reaction time and a boost to his remaining organic eye so that it may keep up with the cybernetic one	ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ Roen stands at 6" with a fit, athletic build. His hair is black and kept short and he has light facial hair along his chin and jaw. His right eye glows bright orange, being a cybernetic replacement, while his left remains grey. His greyish-white skin bears marking from further augmentation in places, notably his neck, and his left arm has been replaced from just above the elbow with a mechanical prosthetic. ꜰɪɢʜᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ Twin Peaks - A simple balanced style utilizing the long arms of the tonfas in a natural grip to ward of attacks while occasionally swinging out into a reversed grip for brutal strikes ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ Roen merely tried to get by. No longer having any associate connections with any corporations he merely drifts as a mercenary in an thankfully thriving market. He silently hopes that he may find companionship again ʜɪꜱᴛᴏʀʏ Roen was recruited and trained as a child to be a shinobi for Koga inc. and served many years of largely unremarkable service eliminating any threats and spreading that special type of Koga terror among any armies the corporation saw fit. He was always somewhat distant from most other agents despite working well with any teams he was assigned to, It was because of this that he was chosen to be the handler for what was initially described to him as the Koga's "biggest investment" This "investment" turned out to be a frightened young pale girl called Shizuya. The poor girl was sold to the Koga to serve as a weapon in exchange for cybernetics that would keep the girl's fragile body alive. Roen was initially meant to be a partner/handler for her to see how effective she would be in the field, his usually distant nature selected to avoid them getting too close in the event of her failure. The complete opposite happened, however, and Roen became extremely close with the girl. Most of the cybernetics he has now were even done to make her feel less like an oddity because of her own. Thankfully she did well and the two would become a deadly pair. Their relationship, while unexpected, was overlooked because it only seemed to improve their loyalty. They would continue to serve loyally until they were paired with several other agents on an assassination mission against a prominent Nobuzai general. The mission could not have gone more wrong, the mission was a failure and the other agents had all either gone missing or were killed, Shizuya included. Roen was left alone to limb back to the Koga and report the mission's failure. Now the Koga could perhaps forgive a minor failure here and there, they could forgive the odd small mistake, but this was no small failing. They had intended to execute Roen, as he had not only failed the assassination but lost Shizuya in the process, but he was able to escape before they could. In the years since he has taken to working as a mercenary

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

The lord's entrance wasn't as grand as Riley had assumed it would be but his appearance was still noticeable, fancy as he was. She caught the expression on his face as he entered but thought nothing of it, she was perfectly fine taking Guthbert's money regardless of what he thought of her.

Riley was silent like most of the others as the man started speaking, slowly coming around the table as he went on. When he passed near to her it began to nag on her slightly that she couldn't smell him, nobles especially like their perfumes but the fact that nothing seemed to come of the man struck her as a bit strange. Her confusion was lost only a moment later, however, when the lord casually dropped a fortune on the table in front of them. Riley's eyes widened and her mouth gaped slightly. She quickly snatched up one of the gems and turned it over in her hands, clearly dazzled by the pretty little things. Given how she was faced with a small fortune in her hands and the promise of the kind of wealth her kind don't even see in dreams it was needless to say she was in.

She remained quiet though, at least in part because she was still awestruck by the gems on the table, giving Guthbert time to answer the other's questions, and despite her fascination with the shinies on the table she had an ear for the answers.

Sengoku Space Opera

I'm intrigued

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

the Bawdy Boar, a worn tavern in the poor district, it seemed a strange place for a lord to want to gather. Nonetheless, Riley welcomed the familiar ground, she'd have been out of place in most fancier establishments and that would have just led to an awkward situation, besides, if the pay for this job is what they say it is they could send her to the sewers for all she cared. A few looks came her way as she entered but almost all returned to what they were doing when they realized she was rather unremarkable, at least to them. She did catch the sleeper's gaze despite his efforts to hide it, however, and as she flipped a few coins to the innkeeper for food and drink she noticed she wasn't the only one with his attention.

She wanted to find a place she could see the whole inn, or at least the sleeper and the Aldonian he was watching, but that seemed to only really be two places: either the table the man was sleeping at or the table by the door occupied by only one stranger. She decided for the latter, taking a seat across from the stranger and only giving them a slight nod in acknowledgement hoping they were content if they both kept to themselves. From there she tried her best to keep an eye on the Aldonian, the sleeper, and anyone else the odd man thought was worth watching, curious as to what lot she was being thrown with. Other than that she simply ate and passed the time waiting for whatever form of entrance her employee saw fit.

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

I'm fine with or without a discord, I'll leave it up to you guys.

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

Riley Kincaid

NAME: Riley Kincaid
SEX: Female
AGE: 17 - Youth
HOMELAND: Republic of Carise
BACKGROUND: Tradesman

TRAITS:
Keen Eyed - Riley is blessed with excellent eyesight.
Attention to Detail - Having spent time in a craftsman's trade and going for pockets on the streets, Riley's learned to look for the little things.
Danger sense - Riley's got a sense for when trouble's approaching.

FLAWS:
Small - Young and small, Riley doesn't have much weight to throw around.

PROFICIENCIES:
Repair: 3
Smithing: 2
Skullduggery: 1
Crossbows: 2
Daggers: 2

PERSONALITY: The easiest way to describe Riley would be tomboyish. She's crude and lacks much decorum but has a spry and energetic demeanor. She seems to not take things seriously at times, ever being an excited youth that is "enjoying the adventure for what it is" and tries never to show her fear or weakness. She has a fear of being useless, as that more often that not would had lead to abandonment among the street kids, and by that same not her past has left her faithless. Because of her appearance and demeanor she's often mistaken for a boy most of the time, she does not actively try to keep up this facade but is not quick to correct it either.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Standing at 5"2' Riley is a short thing with a slim figure and light olive skin. She has brown hair, kept short, and amber colored eyes. She is outwardly rather androgynous, and could be seen as either a young boy or girl.

EQUIPMENT: Riley carries her crossbow and a quiver strapped to her lower back filled with bolts. Above that is her pack containing a few tools needed to maintain her own, or other's, weapons. She wears a grey gambeson over her tunic to protect her torso, the padded jacket is slightly big on her and hangs down just over her thighs. A dagger is kept on her belt in easy reach and her pants have been modified to hold a few extra bolts without restricting movement. She tends to wear a dark brown traveling cloak over everything but the pack.

Riley forged her own crossbow. The design is plain but effective, it's only real difference from other crossbows aside from appearance is the metal hooks at the front that she can slip her dagger into as a sort of bayonet.

HISTORY: Riley grew up a street urchin in Carise, eking out a rather pitiful existence among the other gutter rats. Like most of them she never really knew who her parents were, instead she was raised by some of the other urchins. They ran like a sort of family of their own, a small gang of them pooling whatever they could to get by. Sometimes the older kids could find legitimate work, bring a bit of money to keep the gang going but most of the time their meager gains were from pickpocketing, theft, or scamming unsuspecting travelers. An older kid going by the name Alister was the one who taught her the pickpockets art. She was by no means a master but was able to pick a few marks, until one day when she got a little too cocky.

She was perhaps 10 at the time. She tried for the pockets of a local merchant, a weaponsmith, but was caught. By some stroke of luck rather than turn her over to the guard the man took pity on her and offered a position as his assistant, an offer she was more than happy to take, hungry as she was. She took well to the trade and learned quick, but what really fascinated her was their clientele. The shop would often serve mercenaries, either looking for new weapons or repairs for their old equipment. She'd listen to their stories while they were there, always enamored by their tales. She had a perhaps romanticized view of them, seeing them akin to free adventurers, and naturally had a desire to become one. The smith wasn't exactly reluctant to let her go but did give her one condition: She make her own damn weapons.

And so that is what she set out to do. Between working at the forge or assisting the smith she would borrow a weapon and practice. Crossbows, mind you, advised by the smith for obvious reasons. All-in-all she spent close to six years with the smith before forging her gear to start a career as a mercenary. Most would overlook her because of her youth, but she didn't cost much and had some maintenance skills that helped her find some work.

The Depths of Blackmire Keep - Dare You Enter?

@Chicken I redid the description for Keen-eyed to better reflect it as a mental trait. I think it could still be kept but do tell if you still feel I should switch it out