Feudal Japan and the Era of Change: Characters

In 1467, the Onin War began.

By 1477, it was over. Kyoto was utterly destroyed, and Japan feel into an era of even greater conflict. Though some had nearly united Japan into a land of peace, the daimyo worked against this, with generals and self imposed rulers relishing their own wealth and prosperity, while hundreds died in their name. The land of Nippon was in utter, endless chaos. With clans vying for power from Hokkaido to Kyushu, now was the darkest era in all of this warring lands history.

But along with this bloodletting, rumours and legends sprang up of demons, dark creatures, and monsters roaming the battlefields, picking off the damned or drawing them back into shadows. Of late, new legends have risen, of single beasts wandering into forts and butchering hundreds. Though the daimyo are convinced this is nothing more than ronin and shinobi, some think differently.

With foreign influence in the land growing, as the Chinese begin to speak with the imperial families and daimyo, and travellers from far east of the islands begin to arrive by the boatloads, it is certain that the world will change. The Emperor has made decrees declaring grand prizes for those that can best the Superior Oni, and rewards for any head of an Oni brought to the imperial representatives. If the foreigners hear about this, an invasion of extermination will come soon behind.

Upholding the traditions of this land are more important than any war, any demon, or any trade - at least, that's the Emperors official statement...

Oni:

Magic:

Character Template:

Name: Guan Zhao
Age: 32
Gender: Male

Species: Human

Occupation: Envoy
Alliance: Great Ming Empire

Appearance:

Spoiler:

Equipment: Zhao carries an array of weapons, both of his own continent and of the eastern realm. A dadao and jian form the basis of his weapons of home, while a nagamaki forms the strength of his connection to the warring world. And wrapped in a fine silken banner, the reason for his journey.

Personality: At a young age, Zhao showed a love of accuracy, skill, and knowledge. Zhao grew to be a calm and deep thinking man, and unlike his father, managed to join the nobility of the army at an extremely young age, organising battles against the Turpan and the consistently invasive forces that were held at bay by the old Yuan Dynasty. His demeanour and stature made his mind clear, and his deep love for the arts and the concepts of the greatly minded made him an outstanding figure in both the battlefield and the halls of philosophy. He was not a particularly cold man, and even as he aged he knew to respect all individuals, be they friend or foe, and loved all around him. His kindness, mixed with his military skill, have left many questioning what his true motives may be.

History: Zhao was born and raised in Shanghai, a small town on the coast of the Great Ming lands. Much like him, it was changing rapidly, growing and expanding and experiencing many great gifts. At a young age, Zhao was taken into the military, as his father before him, and he showed a great proficiency with the old jian, a weapon of grace and eloquence, much like he. As he climbed the ranks, he battled against the greatest enemies of the Ming, even winning battles for them before he was made a member of the high ranks, organising battles and leading charges against relentless hordes.

Before long, Zhao was given the chance to do something none had done before - to join a political envoy to Japan, to aid one of the small clans that had secretly sworn itself to the Great Ming dynasty. There, he would command armies, and slowly the clan would climb to power over the whole land. But, once he and his crew arrived, the clan had already fallen. Zhao and his crew chose to explore the land, and find a new puppet for the Great Ming Emperor to use, and abuse, and turn into his own.

Before long, Zhao forgot that he had come for the emperor. He relished the fights against the trained Samurai, and though the culture confused him, he found something very tranquil about a world engulfed in war.

Name: Fukutomi Akane
Age: 17
Gender: Female

Species: Oni - Bakeneko

Occupation: Shinobi
Alliance: Herself

Appearance: Standing at just over 5'2 with a slender build, Fukutomi Akane is not an imposing person. Her hair is jet black, though her eyes are green.

Reference Image:

True Form:

Equipment:
Katana
Kunai
Black Eggs
Fukiya - Blowgun (Along with an array of poisoned darts)
Rimankyu - Bow (Along with a quiver of arrows)


Personality: Quiet and reserved, Akane does not form relationships with anyone, aside from those neccessary to achieve her goal, mostly due to the danger she would be in if anyone were to realise what she was. She easily becomes fixated on goals, with a single minded determination to see them through to success, no matter how difficult they may seem.
History:
For twelve years, Fukutomi Akane was the pet cat of the Shinobi Fukutomi Yori. As a cat, she would watch him teaching his students and prospective Shinobi. After turning twelve, Fukutomi’s pet became a bakeneko. At first, she was simply content to stay a pet and watch. As time passed, however, she grew restless. She began to explore her abilities as a Bakeneko, such as the ability to shapeshift into a human, and her ability to use magic. She eventually approached her old master posing as a human, and requested that she be trained as a Shinobi, and after some protest, he agreed to teach her. Alongside training, she continued to explore her powers in secret; to be discovered as a demon would surely mean death.

For years, she was trained in espionage, sabotage and assassination. She learned how to create and use poisons, alongside learning how to fight against the highly trained and heavily armoured Samurai. In time, however, the hidden home in the mountains was discovered through the torture of a captured student. The home was razed, and Fukutomi Yori was executed. Akane, however, escaped by hiding as a cat. She learned the names and faces of each man involved in the attack, along with the name of their master, and set out on a quest to avenge her life-long companion. Occaisionally, when she is not preparing to kill another one of her targets, she will hunt Oni, as there is a large reward for each slain demon; money that can be used to further her own mission.

Name: Naoki Yoshi
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Species: Human
Occupation: Ronin
Alliance: None
Appearance: Eye colour, brown; hair, long and black, pulled back into a kind of pony-tail; height, 5'4"; weight, 120lbs; face, thin, "handsome".
Equipment: Weapons,Katana, Bo, Nagamaki, tanto;clothing, standard clothes, robe; armor, none; monetary, small amount of genbo.
Personality: A temperamental man
History: Trained in the art of the Samurai by his father, ronin Shiki No-Uta, and taught some medicine by his mother, Chie-Haha. He serves no master and has long been in search for a place to call his own. He is a wanderer, a man who has been wandering Japan, he has seen many fortresses, many battles, and the deaths of many men and women. Along his travels he has saved merchants from bandits and from the occasional person claiming to be Oni or in relation with Oni. He has been questioned many times by other Samurai about who he calls master and his lack of an answer has been the cause of many fights. [wip]




Michiko Beautiful wisdom child
Naoki honest, straight tree