Eyes of...
09-10-07, 02:55 PM
[Name] – Unknown
[Assumed/Given Name] – Miharu Miki-Chizu
[Age] – 24
[Gender] – Female
[Height] – 5 feet, 5 inches
[Weight] – 135 pounds
[Race] – Mystic (Ascendant Human) {see history}
[Home] – Comb Mountain’s base; Akashima
[Region of Common Activity] – Akashima, Southern Comb Mountains, Concordia, Scara Brae
[Languages] – Akashima (noble dialect), Common (western Coronian inflection)
[Class] – Mystic {see history}
Sub-class] – Traveling warrior; assassin; mercenary
[Hair] – Black
[Eyes] – Ivory-slate
[Reputation]
None Current.
[Appearance] – A classic beauty, masked behind a façade of irritation and demure interest. Her eyes are slit, like those of the elven kind, but not so pronounced. They show her Akashima heritage from a distance, and give her a unique, attractive appeal. Her eyes are a pronounced ivory-white coloration, having no pupils or iris, the coloration is all the same but sometimes seems to swirl. Her skin is an olive-tan tone, resembling the natural coloration of the high elven people. Her body is thin, lithe, muscles well toned by very thin. Most of her weight is balanced at her center, slightly inclined towards her upper body due to her abs. Her arms and legs are thin, seemingly fragile, and the bones are inclined to protrude at times, also creating a weakness to blunt trauma.
Her clothes are of a macabre nature, something akin to the modern style of the youth of Corone. She is inclined to wear mostly black, somewhat risqué clothing, most of which is barely strapped on. Her pants are a slim, low-cut, boot-cut style, made of thin blackened leather. The base of them is tucked into a pair of thin leather boots, two inch heels, which rise halfway up her leg. The bottom of the heel and the tip of the boot are shod with steel, which creates a clicking noise under most common strides she assumes. Her upper body is covered with a black corset-esque shirt, low cut to show off what little cleavage she has, with very thin straps. Along the sides are black ribbons, which run the length of the corset, holding it together. It is never tied tight, allowing the insides of her ribs to show, as well as the edges of her cleavage. It is similarly strapped along the front, tight till her breasts, where it is loosened till the top (basically open). To finish her outfit, she wears a pair of elbow high, fishnet gloves. They are fingerless and only stylistic and have no true function.
Finally, her defining characteristics, and those that everyone focuses on and notices from a distance first before even her eyes, is the tattoo that plays across her lithe body. Her first one was a native symbol that is tattooed under and behind her left ear. It stands for Good Health. The second is on the side of her neck, to the right.
[Personality] –
Identified by: Reserve, aloof, stance and walk
Vices: Drinker, Easy to anger, disgust of spirits, greed, power, need for honor
Virtues: Helping the needy (despite herself), Honorable, Leadership, Sense of Duty, Loyalty (once earned or given), Personal Courage (no fear)
–
She believes in the common gods of the Akashima people, but does not accept them all equally. Her beliefs are based on her past experiences and what she assumes about her curse.
[b]Ruka – [Guardian of the Forest] – Miki believes that, though sacred, the forests are no longer necessary for the connection and future of the small oasis nation. The forests once kept them safe, offered them shelter, and provided for them. But with time comes development, and with development comes advancement of religious beliefs.
Gingitsu – [Guardian of the Spirits] – The supposed Guardian of the Spirits, is the only deity that Miki has a true feeling towards, and that is disgust. The spirits are what created her, what forced her into the life she did not want and would rather sacrifice for a sense of commonality. However, since that could not be and the guardian and her flock held a lackluster grip on the doings of the spirit realm, she has a grave mistrust of them, bordering on hatred.
[Weapon(s)]
– Due to her specialize training in the arts of Aka-Wa, or “Red Peace”, she uses her body as a honed weapon. The spirit comes from her elbows, fingers or knuckles, and knees far easier than from any other part of her body.
[Armor]
[Fingerless Leather Gloves] – Only note for the armor is that they are steel plated along the back of the hand, able to withstand most blunt attacks, and small bladed weapons. However, the impact still does send force into her hand, allowing bones to be crushed just as easily as normal.
[Magic]
NOTES!
[[The magic of a Mystic is something unnatural, something not easily broken or bypassed. The common dispel magic spells will only work on a spell of a level below what is common. This is because the spells cast are not something of a natural source, but a supernatural drawing of power from the ethereal realm of the spirits. However, anything that deals damage to spirits, such as spells or power placed on a weapon, are going to EASILY break through any spell cast in this nature. Other than that, the only other specification is that the ethereal spells cast by Miki MUST be cast in a physical form, through her eyes or the tattoo’s that will play across her. Without her eyes or her tattoo’s she cannot cast. Spells cast from her eyes take time, depending on the power of the spell as well as its level in comparison to her own. Each will be specified in their description.]]
[[Spells that are cast relating to her tattoos are completely different than the spiritual realm spells. These spells are directly connected to her, and can be instantly cast. When being cast, which just takes a bit of thought, the tattoo will glow a distinct coloration. Once cast the ink used to tattoo the image will begin to fade, but will have no affect on the strength. When the spells have been used to their extent the tattoo will fade to disappearance. After a good rest, or rest at all, the tattoo will return. The only other important fact is that the tattoo must be exposed at least halfway in order to be cast. Side Note: To increase the strength of the tattoo, though not the number of times it is used, more must be added to it. Meaning the stronger the tattoo, the more space it takes up, the less is left for others. Also, tattoo’s of magical properties require a special ink, depending on the type of tattoo being inscribed; such as fire spells requiring dragon’s blood, and shadow spells requiring demonic blood. Finally, the tattoos can ONLY be inscribed on the person by a tattooist who can both enchant, and has masterwork skill with the needle.]]
{{Magic skills ranked from Adept [1] to Legend [10]}}
[Healing] – Miki’s only tattoo based spell is the ink design on her throat. The spell allows her to flood a sense of relief throughout herself. The ability is very weak, allowing small cuts, bruises, and hairline fractures to be healed within a minute and stop bleeding immediately. It also calms her a little bit, allowing her mind to be focuses while the cooling affect is flooding her. The spell can be cast a number of times equal to her strength with it. When used, it glows a faint blue coloration. The strength of the spell advances at a different rate, however, so it will be added in when advancing. [1]
[[This ‘spell’ must be exposed. It also cannot be cast on another person in any way by herself]]
[Charm] – One of her eyes shifts to a light blue coloration along the bottom half and a moon-blue coloration along the top half. At the center, where the pupil should be, is a black heart shape that appears very vividly. The spell takes only a minute to summon and can be held till cast, or let go. Once cast the spell allows the caster to play mind games with the target, making them believe that Miki is not only a friend, but could possibly go as far as a love interest. The weaker the mind and less magical resistance ability, the easier the spell works. [1]
[[This spell requires one eye, allowing another spell to be cast from the other eye if necessary]]
[Stone Skin] – This spell creates a void like pupil at the very center. Around that is a swirling lightning blue colored iris, that looks like it is a typhoon spinning clockwise. Around that, where the eye should be white, it appears as a soft sandy color, broken and shattering. The spell takes a few minutes to summon, and can be instantly cast once summoned. It allows the skin of the caster to become thicker, stronger, and more like stone than flesh. [Also meaning that the skin takes on a rocky coloration, a deep blotchy brown and dust color.] The only advantage that it offers besides thicker skin for defense is that being a stone like substance the skin also assists VERY slightly in resisting lightning powered spells and attacks. Once cast the spell will last for no longer than ten minutes, and can be dispelled like any other spell, though with the specifications stated earlier. [1]
[[The spell requires one eye, allowing another spell to be cast from the other if necessary]]
[Mechanic’s Enhancement] – An odd spell for a native of Akashima, but Miki-Chizu is extremely intrigued by the integration of magic and technology. Though her native lands are not commonly known for technological advancements, in a low fantasy way, Alerar’s are… and those lands intrigue the young warrior. This spell allows her to have a technological view that most cannot develop for years. Her eyes glow a light brown at the center, light gears rotating around the pupil (which is completely dark blue, but also looks like a gear). The spell takes no time to summon or cast, but takes up both eyes, so when active no other spells can be cast. Once cast she can look at a technological gadget (such as a gun or a clock) and see not only the pieces, but change focus as if zooming in and out. It also makes her eyes adjust and focus on pieces that she would have otherwise missed, the spell allowing her (not necessarily more knowledge but…) the ability to pick out otherwise miniscule details she would have missed. Once cast it can be dispelled when she releases it, or after being used for an hour. [2]
[[This spell requires both eyes, meaning no other spell can be summoned or cast while it is in use. Attempts to summon another spell will instantly dispel the Mechanic’s Enhancement spell]]
[Skills]
[b] Skills rank from Adept [1] to Average [3] to Legend [10]
[Aka-Wa] – Dubbed Aka-Wa – or “Red Peace” – because of the brutality it causes in battle, and yet offers the wielder so little blood when fighting. Though she is fighting, and can still kill her opponent, if done correctly hardly anyone will know other than the bruises left behind on the corpse. Very little blood would ever be spilt, at least when the skill with this style is still low.
A HIGHLY specialized martial arts style, which she depends on greatly for close combat, Aka-Wa is a very specific attacking style. By concentrating personal spiritual energy, the fighter is able to wield an unseen force. The aka-wa artist fights commonly with an open hand style, allowing the spirit energy to be emitted from specific points of the body. Often, especially when the skill is lower, the spirit can only be emitted from points where the skin is thin – such as knuckles, knees, or elbows. The spirit, once brought forth, is used like a dagger as it is pushed away from the body. The spirit blade passes through skin, bone, and muscle without cutting. However, once the energy is within the body it attacks the nerve nodes and lines that crisscross the opponent’s body. This skill requires knowledge of the body more than anything, for points within the body that hold these nodes are more important to strike than the lines. If struck, a numbing effect and slightly sharp pain will spread through the area, if it is a nerve line. If it strikes a node it will have the same effect, but from that node to the extremity that it connects with. At lower levels the nodes are near impossible to strike, the only truly targetable ones being on either side of the neck (which causes lightheadedness, nausea, and confusion if struck hard enough) and under each armpit (which cuts connects to the arms). The spiritual energy cannot pass through metal armor, since it is limited to distance of projection away from the user – 2 inches at this point – has a difficult time of passing through leather, and can pass through cloth like flesh. [3]
[[This ability can only be released through concentration of releasing it. Also, using it wears the wielder out, though does not drain them for some time. Will be VERY careful not to powergame this]]
[Battle Sense] – The most important part of fighting is not your skill, or your weapons, but your ability to see and understand the surroundings. Miki is used to looking and absorbing the place of battle before beginning, and being able to look for advantages and disadvantages that could be taken for granted by most. She also is able to be in a fight and still look around for something to take an advantage away from her opponent. A very simple area, such as an open field with a few trees, makes her senses 1 rank higher. Whereas complex and intricate settings, such as a ruined Cathedral in the middle of the night—not necessarily that complex either—reduces her sense by 1 rank. [3]
[Engineering] – Though the skill is not something that one from Akashima commonly takes up, despite the famed Higurashi Hajime’s clockworks and intricately detailed creations, Miki is extremely interested in it. She grew up hearing about the Smith of the System, the Smith of the Sword, and the Smith of the Sea, learning about their commitment and abilities that are rising to the technological tier of the Aleraran nation. When hearing the stories, she had gooseflesh, feeling a rise of thrill and euphoria. During her growth she spent much time indoors, hiding from the barbed tongues of her peers, studying books on detailed clockwork and such. Her skills, since she has had little more practice than toying with broken objects and hand-me-down clocks, is minimal at best. [1]
[I][[This skill is increased by the ranking of the spell “Mechanic’s Enhancement” related to half of its rank. The spell having a rank of 4 would grant a +2 rank to the base engineering skill.]]
[Gem Crafting] – She has a knack for the intricate details, not only in a technological perspective but too in a gem crafting realm. Whereas mechanics require complex thought and intricate understanding of the complexity… gem crafting requires no complex thought. They do share much in common though. Both skills require dedication, patience, a steady hand, and a keen eye. Gem crafting is simpler though, the crafter needing fewer tools and not near so much study. It is however a bit more difficult because unlike engineering, where you can go to Alerar and find cheap parts because of production, gems are expensive materials to practice on… Miki enjoys doing this as a hobby, but there are far more reasons for it, just mostly hidden from the public eye. [2]
[History]
A mystic is one born of devious intent. From the heart of the malicious spirits, which too depart their ethereal world like the benign, a mystic is created. These spirits, those that are not tamped and reduced upon arrival by the Spirit Warders, escape into the highlands of the Shirayama hills. If not caught, they move and change, developing a personality and a material base for which to move and cope with the difference between the ethereal planes and the material plane (Althanas). Once these beings have taken a fully human form it is nearly impossible to discern them from the common people of Akashima, or Corone itself. It is then that the darkness of their adventure begins.
It is not uncommon for them to attempt to assume a role of leadership, attempting to break into the strict socio-political realm of humanity. Others simply wreak havoc upon the lands, traveling away from the mountains and venturing to other lands. Unfortunately, most remain within the highlands, taking advantage of the normally docile society of the Akashima people. It is the final, and possibly all, that create mystics.
A mystic is an unnatural being, one born of a human and a spirit. Most often it is a female human, raped, and an ethereal father. The birth of the child that is spawned from the partnership and forced union is often a bastard child, shunned by society, or studied by the Spirit Warders. Most mystics are quiet people, aloof and easily hurt. Growth for them relies heavily on their ability to ignore their own emotions, ignore the words – and sometimes actions – of the cruel children that grow with them. They have similar features; similar structure of their face, but their eyes set them apart. Instead of black pupils surrounded by a colored iris (even something so simple as brown), the mystic is born with slate-white eyes which are eerie and frightful to those that do not understand.
Power, for the mystic bastard children, comes from an ability to connect to the ethereal realm and summon spells that otherwise would be extremely difficult to cast under pressure. Most have the ability to cast in very aloof and often feared ways, which is something common for them. It is almost always a metaphysical connection to the other realm through a purely physical means. Perhaps the strangest of these means – and they way Miki casts – is through summoning the realm’s gifts to her eyes through which she can see the world. Through the eyes are the soul, and the soul of the mystic empowers everything about them.
They are also commonly devoted to physical combat. It is normally for either a rough childhood or an assumed obligation to society – whatever it is for there are hardly any mystic people that are not in some form a warrior. They are also socially different because the common Akashima citizen is cheerful, open minded, and welcoming. Mystics hold grudges, hatreds, fears, and yet do not show it if they can in anyway help it. They are often the quiet, sometimes assumedly smug, people that dwell in the dark corners of taverns and roam the alleys at night.
Miki, like almost all mystics, has long held a grave connection to combat. She is demanding, specific, and deadly serious when the question of her honor arises. Honor means more for her than anything, and with the small, curious underground ranking of the mystic warriors it is extremely important. They rank fights, and abilities, by wins and losses, and whatever may be between. A win, documented and in the public eye, counts for 3 ticks for them. A loss is 1 tick, and a tie is 2.
The young woman has a huge fascination with travel, but has not yet moved from the foothills. She holds a hatred for the ethereal race, and prays that with every spell she summons she damages their world in some form. She holds a grudge against the Spirit Warders, who she believes failed her mother, and therefore failed her and cursed her life. She holds a grudge against the government of Akashima, which has not done anything against her personally, but in not doing anything has allowed the threat of the malicious spirits to be moderated and hopefully controlled – instead of dealt with. Also, for the very slight sexist outlook on a female warrior, despite the amazing accomplishments of past women – such as Lady Akashima herself. Miki has a love for the concept of nature, and its survival, but does not heed it when in battle. She loves the great Ai’Bron monks, and yet has not traveled to The Citadel. She’s curious about the small island of Scara Brae, and its promise of honor and attention by way of the Dajas Pagoda.
[Note]
- For honor she calculates it in person as a win, loss, or tie. However, the difference between the score is also taken into consideration OOC’ly. A win by ten points would be an additional mark of honor. A win by 5 points would be only .5 honors, but would be added all the same. And accomplishing a task such as defeating an opponent who is two levels higher would be double honor, despite victory or defeat… and that continues for every 2 levels higher the opponent is. A level 4 opponent would offer 4 times as much honor; however, the intermediate levels are rounded down.
- Also, though it appears I have multiple skills and spells… very few are offensive, and she relies a good deal on her ability to wield her sword. Magic is by far, for now at least, a secondary weapon.
- Too, I would like to point out that Average skill for my system of rank is 3, 1 would be adept (meaning just knowing the very basics – how not to stab yourself when using a sword), and 2 would be below average. After rank 4, which is above average, I will be moving into skilled (5), Advanced (6), Expert (7), Brilliant (8), Mastered – meaning the basics of the weapon – (9), and finally Legend (10).
- Beyond that there are ranks, but they are hardly attainable in a soon to be time, so I will not bother with them in the actual profile section. However, advanced levels for non-magical skills are as followed Renowned {~1~}, Locally Recognized {~2~}, Regionally Recognized {~3~}, Nationally Acknowledged {~4~}, Worldwide Fame {~5~}. These levels of rank can be given despite not being a Legend with a weapon, but granted as a reward – in the same philosophy as gaining a title from a nation.
- Magic based ranking is the same way, but normally the country granting the acknowledgement is based on the magical ability that they are recognizing Miki for. For example: gaining the {~1~} Renowned rank in Alerar would be simple for a caster with the ability to constantly express their magical prowess which is based around mechanics. However, showing a true prowess and genius for spells playing around the basis of arcane and accepted magical abilities would most likely pass for more important to the Raiaeran people.
[Assumed/Given Name] – Miharu Miki-Chizu
[Age] – 24
[Gender] – Female
[Height] – 5 feet, 5 inches
[Weight] – 135 pounds
[Race] – Mystic (Ascendant Human) {see history}
[Home] – Comb Mountain’s base; Akashima
[Region of Common Activity] – Akashima, Southern Comb Mountains, Concordia, Scara Brae
[Languages] – Akashima (noble dialect), Common (western Coronian inflection)
[Class] – Mystic {see history}
Sub-class] – Traveling warrior; assassin; mercenary
[Hair] – Black
[Eyes] – Ivory-slate
[Reputation]
None Current.
[Appearance] – A classic beauty, masked behind a façade of irritation and demure interest. Her eyes are slit, like those of the elven kind, but not so pronounced. They show her Akashima heritage from a distance, and give her a unique, attractive appeal. Her eyes are a pronounced ivory-white coloration, having no pupils or iris, the coloration is all the same but sometimes seems to swirl. Her skin is an olive-tan tone, resembling the natural coloration of the high elven people. Her body is thin, lithe, muscles well toned by very thin. Most of her weight is balanced at her center, slightly inclined towards her upper body due to her abs. Her arms and legs are thin, seemingly fragile, and the bones are inclined to protrude at times, also creating a weakness to blunt trauma.
Her clothes are of a macabre nature, something akin to the modern style of the youth of Corone. She is inclined to wear mostly black, somewhat risqué clothing, most of which is barely strapped on. Her pants are a slim, low-cut, boot-cut style, made of thin blackened leather. The base of them is tucked into a pair of thin leather boots, two inch heels, which rise halfway up her leg. The bottom of the heel and the tip of the boot are shod with steel, which creates a clicking noise under most common strides she assumes. Her upper body is covered with a black corset-esque shirt, low cut to show off what little cleavage she has, with very thin straps. Along the sides are black ribbons, which run the length of the corset, holding it together. It is never tied tight, allowing the insides of her ribs to show, as well as the edges of her cleavage. It is similarly strapped along the front, tight till her breasts, where it is loosened till the top (basically open). To finish her outfit, she wears a pair of elbow high, fishnet gloves. They are fingerless and only stylistic and have no true function.
Finally, her defining characteristics, and those that everyone focuses on and notices from a distance first before even her eyes, is the tattoo that plays across her lithe body. Her first one was a native symbol that is tattooed under and behind her left ear. It stands for Good Health. The second is on the side of her neck, to the right.
[Personality] –
Identified by: Reserve, aloof, stance and walk
Vices: Drinker, Easy to anger, disgust of spirits, greed, power, need for honor
Virtues: Helping the needy (despite herself), Honorable, Leadership, Sense of Duty, Loyalty (once earned or given), Personal Courage (no fear)
–
She believes in the common gods of the Akashima people, but does not accept them all equally. Her beliefs are based on her past experiences and what she assumes about her curse.
[b]Ruka – [Guardian of the Forest] – Miki believes that, though sacred, the forests are no longer necessary for the connection and future of the small oasis nation. The forests once kept them safe, offered them shelter, and provided for them. But with time comes development, and with development comes advancement of religious beliefs.
Gingitsu – [Guardian of the Spirits] – The supposed Guardian of the Spirits, is the only deity that Miki has a true feeling towards, and that is disgust. The spirits are what created her, what forced her into the life she did not want and would rather sacrifice for a sense of commonality. However, since that could not be and the guardian and her flock held a lackluster grip on the doings of the spirit realm, she has a grave mistrust of them, bordering on hatred.
[Weapon(s)]
– Due to her specialize training in the arts of Aka-Wa, or “Red Peace”, she uses her body as a honed weapon. The spirit comes from her elbows, fingers or knuckles, and knees far easier than from any other part of her body.
[Armor]
[Fingerless Leather Gloves] – Only note for the armor is that they are steel plated along the back of the hand, able to withstand most blunt attacks, and small bladed weapons. However, the impact still does send force into her hand, allowing bones to be crushed just as easily as normal.
[Magic]
NOTES!
[[The magic of a Mystic is something unnatural, something not easily broken or bypassed. The common dispel magic spells will only work on a spell of a level below what is common. This is because the spells cast are not something of a natural source, but a supernatural drawing of power from the ethereal realm of the spirits. However, anything that deals damage to spirits, such as spells or power placed on a weapon, are going to EASILY break through any spell cast in this nature. Other than that, the only other specification is that the ethereal spells cast by Miki MUST be cast in a physical form, through her eyes or the tattoo’s that will play across her. Without her eyes or her tattoo’s she cannot cast. Spells cast from her eyes take time, depending on the power of the spell as well as its level in comparison to her own. Each will be specified in their description.]]
[[Spells that are cast relating to her tattoos are completely different than the spiritual realm spells. These spells are directly connected to her, and can be instantly cast. When being cast, which just takes a bit of thought, the tattoo will glow a distinct coloration. Once cast the ink used to tattoo the image will begin to fade, but will have no affect on the strength. When the spells have been used to their extent the tattoo will fade to disappearance. After a good rest, or rest at all, the tattoo will return. The only other important fact is that the tattoo must be exposed at least halfway in order to be cast. Side Note: To increase the strength of the tattoo, though not the number of times it is used, more must be added to it. Meaning the stronger the tattoo, the more space it takes up, the less is left for others. Also, tattoo’s of magical properties require a special ink, depending on the type of tattoo being inscribed; such as fire spells requiring dragon’s blood, and shadow spells requiring demonic blood. Finally, the tattoos can ONLY be inscribed on the person by a tattooist who can both enchant, and has masterwork skill with the needle.]]
{{Magic skills ranked from Adept [1] to Legend [10]}}
[Healing] – Miki’s only tattoo based spell is the ink design on her throat. The spell allows her to flood a sense of relief throughout herself. The ability is very weak, allowing small cuts, bruises, and hairline fractures to be healed within a minute and stop bleeding immediately. It also calms her a little bit, allowing her mind to be focuses while the cooling affect is flooding her. The spell can be cast a number of times equal to her strength with it. When used, it glows a faint blue coloration. The strength of the spell advances at a different rate, however, so it will be added in when advancing. [1]
[[This ‘spell’ must be exposed. It also cannot be cast on another person in any way by herself]]
[Charm] – One of her eyes shifts to a light blue coloration along the bottom half and a moon-blue coloration along the top half. At the center, where the pupil should be, is a black heart shape that appears very vividly. The spell takes only a minute to summon and can be held till cast, or let go. Once cast the spell allows the caster to play mind games with the target, making them believe that Miki is not only a friend, but could possibly go as far as a love interest. The weaker the mind and less magical resistance ability, the easier the spell works. [1]
[[This spell requires one eye, allowing another spell to be cast from the other eye if necessary]]
[Stone Skin] – This spell creates a void like pupil at the very center. Around that is a swirling lightning blue colored iris, that looks like it is a typhoon spinning clockwise. Around that, where the eye should be white, it appears as a soft sandy color, broken and shattering. The spell takes a few minutes to summon, and can be instantly cast once summoned. It allows the skin of the caster to become thicker, stronger, and more like stone than flesh. [Also meaning that the skin takes on a rocky coloration, a deep blotchy brown and dust color.] The only advantage that it offers besides thicker skin for defense is that being a stone like substance the skin also assists VERY slightly in resisting lightning powered spells and attacks. Once cast the spell will last for no longer than ten minutes, and can be dispelled like any other spell, though with the specifications stated earlier. [1]
[[The spell requires one eye, allowing another spell to be cast from the other if necessary]]
[Mechanic’s Enhancement] – An odd spell for a native of Akashima, but Miki-Chizu is extremely intrigued by the integration of magic and technology. Though her native lands are not commonly known for technological advancements, in a low fantasy way, Alerar’s are… and those lands intrigue the young warrior. This spell allows her to have a technological view that most cannot develop for years. Her eyes glow a light brown at the center, light gears rotating around the pupil (which is completely dark blue, but also looks like a gear). The spell takes no time to summon or cast, but takes up both eyes, so when active no other spells can be cast. Once cast she can look at a technological gadget (such as a gun or a clock) and see not only the pieces, but change focus as if zooming in and out. It also makes her eyes adjust and focus on pieces that she would have otherwise missed, the spell allowing her (not necessarily more knowledge but…) the ability to pick out otherwise miniscule details she would have missed. Once cast it can be dispelled when she releases it, or after being used for an hour. [2]
[[This spell requires both eyes, meaning no other spell can be summoned or cast while it is in use. Attempts to summon another spell will instantly dispel the Mechanic’s Enhancement spell]]
[Skills]
[b] Skills rank from Adept [1] to Average [3] to Legend [10]
[Aka-Wa] – Dubbed Aka-Wa – or “Red Peace” – because of the brutality it causes in battle, and yet offers the wielder so little blood when fighting. Though she is fighting, and can still kill her opponent, if done correctly hardly anyone will know other than the bruises left behind on the corpse. Very little blood would ever be spilt, at least when the skill with this style is still low.
A HIGHLY specialized martial arts style, which she depends on greatly for close combat, Aka-Wa is a very specific attacking style. By concentrating personal spiritual energy, the fighter is able to wield an unseen force. The aka-wa artist fights commonly with an open hand style, allowing the spirit energy to be emitted from specific points of the body. Often, especially when the skill is lower, the spirit can only be emitted from points where the skin is thin – such as knuckles, knees, or elbows. The spirit, once brought forth, is used like a dagger as it is pushed away from the body. The spirit blade passes through skin, bone, and muscle without cutting. However, once the energy is within the body it attacks the nerve nodes and lines that crisscross the opponent’s body. This skill requires knowledge of the body more than anything, for points within the body that hold these nodes are more important to strike than the lines. If struck, a numbing effect and slightly sharp pain will spread through the area, if it is a nerve line. If it strikes a node it will have the same effect, but from that node to the extremity that it connects with. At lower levels the nodes are near impossible to strike, the only truly targetable ones being on either side of the neck (which causes lightheadedness, nausea, and confusion if struck hard enough) and under each armpit (which cuts connects to the arms). The spiritual energy cannot pass through metal armor, since it is limited to distance of projection away from the user – 2 inches at this point – has a difficult time of passing through leather, and can pass through cloth like flesh. [3]
[[This ability can only be released through concentration of releasing it. Also, using it wears the wielder out, though does not drain them for some time. Will be VERY careful not to powergame this]]
[Battle Sense] – The most important part of fighting is not your skill, or your weapons, but your ability to see and understand the surroundings. Miki is used to looking and absorbing the place of battle before beginning, and being able to look for advantages and disadvantages that could be taken for granted by most. She also is able to be in a fight and still look around for something to take an advantage away from her opponent. A very simple area, such as an open field with a few trees, makes her senses 1 rank higher. Whereas complex and intricate settings, such as a ruined Cathedral in the middle of the night—not necessarily that complex either—reduces her sense by 1 rank. [3]
[Engineering] – Though the skill is not something that one from Akashima commonly takes up, despite the famed Higurashi Hajime’s clockworks and intricately detailed creations, Miki is extremely interested in it. She grew up hearing about the Smith of the System, the Smith of the Sword, and the Smith of the Sea, learning about their commitment and abilities that are rising to the technological tier of the Aleraran nation. When hearing the stories, she had gooseflesh, feeling a rise of thrill and euphoria. During her growth she spent much time indoors, hiding from the barbed tongues of her peers, studying books on detailed clockwork and such. Her skills, since she has had little more practice than toying with broken objects and hand-me-down clocks, is minimal at best. [1]
[I][[This skill is increased by the ranking of the spell “Mechanic’s Enhancement” related to half of its rank. The spell having a rank of 4 would grant a +2 rank to the base engineering skill.]]
[Gem Crafting] – She has a knack for the intricate details, not only in a technological perspective but too in a gem crafting realm. Whereas mechanics require complex thought and intricate understanding of the complexity… gem crafting requires no complex thought. They do share much in common though. Both skills require dedication, patience, a steady hand, and a keen eye. Gem crafting is simpler though, the crafter needing fewer tools and not near so much study. It is however a bit more difficult because unlike engineering, where you can go to Alerar and find cheap parts because of production, gems are expensive materials to practice on… Miki enjoys doing this as a hobby, but there are far more reasons for it, just mostly hidden from the public eye. [2]
[History]
A mystic is one born of devious intent. From the heart of the malicious spirits, which too depart their ethereal world like the benign, a mystic is created. These spirits, those that are not tamped and reduced upon arrival by the Spirit Warders, escape into the highlands of the Shirayama hills. If not caught, they move and change, developing a personality and a material base for which to move and cope with the difference between the ethereal planes and the material plane (Althanas). Once these beings have taken a fully human form it is nearly impossible to discern them from the common people of Akashima, or Corone itself. It is then that the darkness of their adventure begins.
It is not uncommon for them to attempt to assume a role of leadership, attempting to break into the strict socio-political realm of humanity. Others simply wreak havoc upon the lands, traveling away from the mountains and venturing to other lands. Unfortunately, most remain within the highlands, taking advantage of the normally docile society of the Akashima people. It is the final, and possibly all, that create mystics.
A mystic is an unnatural being, one born of a human and a spirit. Most often it is a female human, raped, and an ethereal father. The birth of the child that is spawned from the partnership and forced union is often a bastard child, shunned by society, or studied by the Spirit Warders. Most mystics are quiet people, aloof and easily hurt. Growth for them relies heavily on their ability to ignore their own emotions, ignore the words – and sometimes actions – of the cruel children that grow with them. They have similar features; similar structure of their face, but their eyes set them apart. Instead of black pupils surrounded by a colored iris (even something so simple as brown), the mystic is born with slate-white eyes which are eerie and frightful to those that do not understand.
Power, for the mystic bastard children, comes from an ability to connect to the ethereal realm and summon spells that otherwise would be extremely difficult to cast under pressure. Most have the ability to cast in very aloof and often feared ways, which is something common for them. It is almost always a metaphysical connection to the other realm through a purely physical means. Perhaps the strangest of these means – and they way Miki casts – is through summoning the realm’s gifts to her eyes through which she can see the world. Through the eyes are the soul, and the soul of the mystic empowers everything about them.
They are also commonly devoted to physical combat. It is normally for either a rough childhood or an assumed obligation to society – whatever it is for there are hardly any mystic people that are not in some form a warrior. They are also socially different because the common Akashima citizen is cheerful, open minded, and welcoming. Mystics hold grudges, hatreds, fears, and yet do not show it if they can in anyway help it. They are often the quiet, sometimes assumedly smug, people that dwell in the dark corners of taverns and roam the alleys at night.
Miki, like almost all mystics, has long held a grave connection to combat. She is demanding, specific, and deadly serious when the question of her honor arises. Honor means more for her than anything, and with the small, curious underground ranking of the mystic warriors it is extremely important. They rank fights, and abilities, by wins and losses, and whatever may be between. A win, documented and in the public eye, counts for 3 ticks for them. A loss is 1 tick, and a tie is 2.
The young woman has a huge fascination with travel, but has not yet moved from the foothills. She holds a hatred for the ethereal race, and prays that with every spell she summons she damages their world in some form. She holds a grudge against the Spirit Warders, who she believes failed her mother, and therefore failed her and cursed her life. She holds a grudge against the government of Akashima, which has not done anything against her personally, but in not doing anything has allowed the threat of the malicious spirits to be moderated and hopefully controlled – instead of dealt with. Also, for the very slight sexist outlook on a female warrior, despite the amazing accomplishments of past women – such as Lady Akashima herself. Miki has a love for the concept of nature, and its survival, but does not heed it when in battle. She loves the great Ai’Bron monks, and yet has not traveled to The Citadel. She’s curious about the small island of Scara Brae, and its promise of honor and attention by way of the Dajas Pagoda.
[Note]
- For honor she calculates it in person as a win, loss, or tie. However, the difference between the score is also taken into consideration OOC’ly. A win by ten points would be an additional mark of honor. A win by 5 points would be only .5 honors, but would be added all the same. And accomplishing a task such as defeating an opponent who is two levels higher would be double honor, despite victory or defeat… and that continues for every 2 levels higher the opponent is. A level 4 opponent would offer 4 times as much honor; however, the intermediate levels are rounded down.
- Also, though it appears I have multiple skills and spells… very few are offensive, and she relies a good deal on her ability to wield her sword. Magic is by far, for now at least, a secondary weapon.
- Too, I would like to point out that Average skill for my system of rank is 3, 1 would be adept (meaning just knowing the very basics – how not to stab yourself when using a sword), and 2 would be below average. After rank 4, which is above average, I will be moving into skilled (5), Advanced (6), Expert (7), Brilliant (8), Mastered – meaning the basics of the weapon – (9), and finally Legend (10).
- Beyond that there are ranks, but they are hardly attainable in a soon to be time, so I will not bother with them in the actual profile section. However, advanced levels for non-magical skills are as followed Renowned {~1~}, Locally Recognized {~2~}, Regionally Recognized {~3~}, Nationally Acknowledged {~4~}, Worldwide Fame {~5~}. These levels of rank can be given despite not being a Legend with a weapon, but granted as a reward – in the same philosophy as gaining a title from a nation.
- Magic based ranking is the same way, but normally the country granting the acknowledgement is based on the magical ability that they are recognizing Miki for. For example: gaining the {~1~} Renowned rank in Alerar would be simple for a caster with the ability to constantly express their magical prowess which is based around mechanics. However, showing a true prowess and genius for spells playing around the basis of arcane and accepted magical abilities would most likely pass for more important to the Raiaeran people.