Heretic, Hero(Taka Level 6)

Taka
Male
22 Seasons
5’4” 140 pounds
White Hair
Grey Eyes
Cursed Samurai

Level 3 Profile – Here

Updates in orange.

Appearance: Taka wears armor that is a deep black, polished to shine as if obsidian. The armor covers his chest, forearms shoulders and his shins, but otherwise leaves his body open for attacks. Under this he wears a brown Kimono, befitting his place as a Ronin Samurai. The quality of the armor is always pristine, while his kimono shows the truth of his station, being frazzled and dirty. His arms are covered in bandages in order to hide the legions of black skin on his arm, and rare is the time one can find him not wearing his kimono, to hide similar blackened legions on his back along either side of his spine.

Personality: Taka is often described as insane, as he often mutters things to himself. His eyes have a deep look to them as his sleep is hardly restful, only managing to recover his vitality to face another day. He is irritable and those that don’t listen to him, or ask him to repeat himself often find themselves on the end of a rant. His obsession with killing has led him to a darker more morbid personality, which has tainted his sense of Honor.

History:

Taka once belonged to a family of Samurai, well established in the tradition of these noble warriors. He however, was met with disaster as after completing his rite of passage, he was charged with guarding an important woman, who needed to reach one of the main cities of Akishima. They had traveled for weeks, and upon reaching the halfway point, came to rest in a large forest, hoping to get through quickly. Stories of Bog Hags and Oni persisted and it was only when they were caught unawares in the forest did they realize the truth of the stories.

A twisted man had given his name to an Oni, and was employing this Oni with a rather gruesome task. Finding the most honorable people it could, it would take them back to this madman, with their retainer, if any. The unlucky ones to travel unguarded were slain instantly, in an odd ritual that preserved the man’s horrid contract. The Oni in return would continue to find suitable victims, in an effort to help the man with his bargain, and in turn end the contract.

That soul was none other than Taka’s charge.

Ambushed by the vicious demon, Taka charged forward cleaving into the monstrosity with his katana, only to find that the monster merely shrugged off the damage. In one savage blow Taka was sent against a tree, where he slumped and passed out, unused to the rigors of combat, and having only reached adulthood.

When he awoke, she was screaming for mercy. Taka groaned rushing to his feet, only to find himself chained to the ground like a dog. He watched on in horror as his charge was placed upon an anvil, and sacrificed in a bloody ritual. The result of which was a Katana that would obviously be evil. The man hammered away at the steel, folding and refolding it, until such time that the katana was complete. He would occasionally dip the blade into the growing pool of blood upon the anvil as he continued to forge it. When he finished it, he placed it in its ornate saya, and dropped it at the feet of Taka speaking, “Now, she is your burden. Go ahead pick it up…”

Taka struggled against his bonds only to realize that he could not reach the man. Glaring him down the man turned to the Oni and spoke, “Unfortunately your old katana was broken by my friend here. You will find it hard to escape without a replacement, as you samurai put such stock in your Katana. Your soul is gone my friend, and your honor is obviously tainted, what have you to lose in accepting my gift to you?”

Taka looked down upon the sword, and could hear her screams echoing in his mind as he saw her bloodied and dead body lying upon the anvil. He felt a shudder race down his spine, as he reached forward and gently touched the blade, before drawing his hand back as if burned. When he detected nothing amiss in himself he gripped it, and pulled the blade from its sheath.*

“Its name is Rengoku, and you will learn to fear its power, as all my other customers have feared their swords,” He said cackling as Taka looked over the blade. He could hear her screams die in his mind as he tucked the Saya in the place his old katana’s saya had been. He then flicked the blade carefully testing its balance. In return the chains around his wrists and neck sprung free.

Dropping into a stance Taka sneered as he spoke, “My honor may be stained, but I shall cleanse that stain in your blood…”

Everything went black after that.

When Taka came out of his delirium he found the Oni slain, and the man’s head cut from his shoulders. Blood covered his kimono, and he was more than certain he had been injured across his chest. Looking down however he saw no wounds, no cuts, or no mark that he had ever been injured, yet he was drenched in blood. The sword in his hands felt incredibly light, easy to swing, though no perceptible change had occurred since he had last drawn the blade.

Looking down upon his, he flicked the blood from his blade and wandered through the forest reaching a guard post only a day later. Taka was then taken in for questioning, and was let go as no one could prove he had done the deed that he was accused of. However, the stain upon his family honor could only be cleansed by one of two things, seppuku, or by disavowing him. His parents begged for the latter, and with the mercy of his Daimyo, or perhaps by punishing him further, he has been cursed to wander as a Ronin.

Taka has had a busy time after becoming a ronin of the samurai caste. Somehow he has managed acting as a bodyguard the Anila Sakurazuka, princess of the north province of Akashima. Following that however was the events that would change Taka’s life forever…

Taka had finally returned home to the eastern province, even to his home town of Yanbo Harbor. Upon arriving there, he had seen a woman accosted by common street thugs,a nd attacked them to rescue the woman. Immediately upon doing so, he was attacked again by guards, this time protecting Asaraki Aiko, heir to the east. The problem came that Taka had been discharged as a Ronin from the ranks of the Eastern Guard, and the former comrades in arms of the Ronin brought him in for questioning. When it became apparent that Taka’s former commander was there, he resigned himself to a quick death, fr the woman he had failed to protect was none other than the betrothed to Hantei Jubei, commander of the Eastern Guard.

Given a brief respite from the commander on order of the Duke, Taka was allowed to remain in the palace, when more sinister plans unfolded. It seemed that the thugs Taka had warded off were from the Kuroi Taiyo, a criminal organization that smuggled drugs money and criminals into Akashima, through Yanbo Harbor. In an effort to control the Duke of the East, they kidnapped Aiko, and attempted to use her as a hostage.

Immediately, Taka who was not a member of the East Guard was dispatched to try and find her. The hope was that his Ronin status would allow him to move unseen by the criminals. Successfully finding the woman was hard, and required a bribe to a Neko Seer, but finally gave Taka the location he needed. Moving through the docks he located a boat named the Junyō, and boarded it. Soon upon entering the hull he found Lakin, and the truth of the situation was displayed.

A former friend of Taka’s, Hakuseki Sanzo had betrayed the ronin. He had come along with the patrols in order to report in to the duke if Taka could not get the job done, and when in the hull of the ship, he waylaid the ronin, laying him out. Revealing his true colors he eagerly held the ronin at knife point and force him to watch, unable to help the woman he had been charged with protecting.

However, in finding the hide out of the Kuroi Taiyo, he discovered the biggest kept Secret…

…his escort mission was a sham.

The Kuroi Taiyo in an effort the make sure the trade could spread deep into the realms of Akashima, had concocted the entire scam. In building up Taka’s career and reputation, it allowed him to be placed in a position of trust amongst the East Guard. In doing so, it came only naturally that Hantei Jubei, his commanding officer would trust Taka with the mission of escorting his betrothed, Haramura Rina. When they had left the city of Yan-bo and in doing so greatly reduced the security about them, the Kuroi Taiyo had sent their Summoner Xen to deal with the bodyguard detail. They had expected it to go as it had with previous people who had encountered Xen, a swift death and easy kidnapping.

Taka not only survived, but somehow managed to kill Xen’s oni, as the demon went back to Jigoku, it cursed Taka by spilling its blood into the Samurai’s open wounds, cursing him to one day betray the land he had nearly died protecting. It was this day, now fully explained, that had been Taka’s last day in control of himself. Even now, he understands the feelings that rise within him are no longer his own, but those of the Oni’s blood that lurks within his heart.

Seeking help, he ventured deep into the mountains of North Akashima, attempting to seek any way to control the demon’s blood within him, before he would succumb to its corrupting essence, and destroy Akashima in a tide of destruction. Here he met the Monk Hoturi, who offered no answer to his problems, but one way of delaying his fall;

“I can’t help you control it, but I can hone your mind so you may find that which you seek. Your path is one of Bushido, and not of the code of conduct. You must walk as a warrior, and use your focus on the art of war, in order to find your own balance. Only in this can you find peace in your soul.”

So now he seeks power, to press down the demon in his blood, and push back the day he must succumb to Jigoku’s whims.

Level 2

Taka has once again gone above and beyond the call of duty. In an effort to help Corone he has joined with the enigmatic Ixian Knights, being believed to be the Dark Blade, one of the mystical nine warriors determined to save Radasanth. He had devoted himself to learning how to become stronger, so that the oni blood that resides in him will not overcome his better judgement. To this end he has reunited with his one time mentor Hoturi, who has revealed a crucial piece to the puzzle, Taka had unbalanced himself, and in doing so was fast succumbing to the taint.

However, it has not all been learning and training for the young Ronin. He has also been pushed to his limits in finding a rival that overwhelms him in every way shape and form. Shiryko Benimaru, the hopeless samurai seems to be the person chosen by the forces of chaos and destruction plotting to raze Corone and destroy Radasanth. While their fights have always been cordial, it has always ended in Taka collapsing in a pool of his own blood. Twice the Oni within him has resurrected the dead toy, and tightened his grip on the Ronin’s soul.

Not only has Shiryko Benimaru stepped up as his rival, but Jensen Ambrose of the Knights of Apocalypse has served as a constant source of annoyance. The Knight has gone out of his way to harass and annoy the Samurai, if only at the behest of his friend Stephanie, who has a deep seated racial hatred towards the Akashiman. Still Taka has tried to retain his cool, even when learning under Hoturi, and has only lost his temper once in the face of fighting the enigmatic immortal.

Even now he prepares for the final showdown between him and Shiryku, honing his mind and body so that he might face down and defeat the Hopeless Samurai. Too many lives rely on his success, and he refuses to lose under such overwhelming odds.

It was as his master once said…

You were dead before you even picked up the blade. All you have left is to choose where and when you die. Know that from the moment you carry that blade, you are but six steps from death.

Level 3

Thankfully, Taka has not had to worry about the destroyer armies as much as he had in the past. This blessing bears with it the curse that far more vile things are present to fight at the moment. Between the battle for Corone's soul, and the hunt for the Cult of Blessed Torture, the Ronin find himself as sleepless as when Anita had found and tapped the ronin as a General. Taka has grown, becoming wise enough in leadership to not doubt himself anymore, though his decisions have also haunted his dreams, as he realizes even doing what is right by bushido, can tear a man's soul apart.

Level 6

Times have become tough for the Ronin. The Ixian Knights has disspiated with the disappearance of 'Silence' Sei Orlouge, the mercenary company follow Taka taking their lead from him, as they have done since he was made their leader. While preforming the occasional job for money, he still carries the ideals of the Ixian Knights with him, and is known to have his mercenaries work for free if the cause is just. While his original branch was over forty strong, it has dwindled down to a mere five men, some leaving after finding out they may never get paid again, some dying, others being injured and forced into retirement. The five with Taka are fiercely loyal to the Ronin, and would never betray him for they know he would give his life for them, and that is rare in this world.

Skills:

Iaijutsu – Weapon – Expert – Taka has been trained in the basics of Iaijutsu or quick fighting. Iaijutsu focuses on the art of pulling a blade from its sheath quickly, of which he has mastered. It further trains its students in the art of dealing a crippling blow with the opening draw, of which he still has much to learn. He can duel, and he can fight with this skill, while he has learned effective strikes, he still has not mastered the art of quickly sheathing his blade, preventing him from adopting this as a true fighting style.

Kenjutsu – Weapon – Expert – Once the Blade has been drawn from its Saya, Kenjutsu becomes the weapon art he must use. It practices in slashes that do not allow for the opponent to defend effectively. The art focuses mainly on perceived weak spots in armor, such as between plates, or even by learning to focus his power behind the edge of the blade to cut through weaker armors. However, at current he is only capable of the basic slashes, if he focuses his killing intent behind his blade however, he can cut through Iron chain mail or other such weak armors, full plate or solid plate still prevents his cutting through. He must be extra careful, as a Katana is little more than a six foot long razorblade, and any interception by weaponry to block his blows will result in nicks forming on the edge of his blade.

Lore of Bushido – Lore– Taka is versed in the knowledge of Bushido. As a Samurai he is expected to know all the tenants of Bushido, as a Ronin however, he is not pressed to follow the tenants. However, work being hard to get means that he often does, if only to satisfy his employers. The tenants of Bushido are:

• Gi (Honesty and Justice) - Set lies aside. A samurai does not make honesty or justice a matter for debate; he knows that there is only truth and falsehood, justice and injustice.
• Rei (Polite Courtesy) - A samurai is neither a bully nor a brute killer. He must treat his enemies with courtesy.
• Yu (Courage) - Only fear of death can destroy life; the samurai replaces it with an understanding of danger.
• Meyo (Honor) - Praises and curses are not what defines honor; the samurai reserves his judgement for himself.
• Jin (Compassion) - Just as the farmer does not grow crops merely to fill his own belly, the warrior does not fight for himself alone. A samurai must be constantly aware of the duty to protect others.*
• Makoto (Complete Sincerity) - A samurai’s words and his actions are one and the same. To ‘promise’ would be redundant.
• Chugo (Duty and Loyalty) - Actions and their consequences define those who take them. The samurai’s loyalty to those that he guards for is unshakable

It also impresses upon Samurai the meanings of their Daisho. A Samurai’s Katana is his Soul, it represents who he is, and how he fights. A katana that cannot kill its opponent is obviously in the hands of an equally weak soul, while one that can cut through legions is in the hands of a strong soul.

The wakizashi is ones honor, and must be up kept. The polishing and cleaning of a wakizashi is reminiscent of the constant vigilance a Samurai must keep in maintaining their honor.

Read & Speak Tradespeak –Lore – Taka can speak Tradespeak as well as read it.


Katas

Katas are ritualized movements which help a warrior frame their mind into a fighting style. While most Katas are simplistic and teach the style effectively, some are more specialized and grant the user a boon they can use during their day. Currently Taka can only prepare a single Kata a day, and that kata can only be used once, for the length of time described in the Kata.

Taka's mastery of the Katas is such that the posts a Kata lasts can be broken up, but under no circumstances can he exceed the maximum allotment of posts for the kata.

Taka may prepare two Katas at a time.

Finally, Taka may begin a new Kata while the old one is still going. For one post he gains the effect of both Katas. Once that post is done, the old Kata expires, regardless of how much time it has left, and he is under the movements of the new Kata.

Cut Under the Mountain – Kata – By entering a ritualistic set of maneuvers Taka learns to move swiftly, capitalizing on the clumsiness of his opponent’s armor and weaponry. Against targets that are heavily armored, (Golems, people in Full Platemail) or who are encumbered, he becomes lithe and agile. Against foes armed with a weapon that takes two hands (except those that are also wielding a Katana), he moves similarly fast, taking advantage of openings. For a period of two posts Taka becomes half again as fast, and very hard to hit

Storm’s Eye Style – Kata – The Storm’s Eye Kata mimics the fury of a hurricane, allowing its user to fight in an ever flowing hail of blows. Designed as an introduction to the Ni Iten Ichi Ryu style, it allows its wielder the ability to wield both Katana and Wakizashi for a short while in harmony. For a period of two posts, Taka can wield both Katana and Wakizashi without any penalty to his fighting prowess, however because of the constant movement needed for the Storm’s Eye, it is extremely tiring, and at the end of this Kata Taka will be fatigued.

Unbroken Blade Style – Kata - The Unbroken Blade Kata is one that allows its wielder to strike out with improved speed and efficiency. By choking up on the grip of the blade, the strikes come out stronger, but slower. While in this Kata, Taka’s natural speed is reduced to below that of the average human, but his sword strikes are nearly twice as hard. He can maintain this Kata indefinitely, but the second he releases it, he cannot re-enter the ritualized movements. It would take a period of time allowing him to re-prepare the kata (a nights rest and a period of half an hour), before he could once again enter it.

The Taint

Taka is tainted and as such enjoys certain benefits, as well as debilitating weaknesses. The taint has several easily spotted symptoms that grow harder and harder to hide as he becomes more tainted. The first being his blood has turned a pitch black. If his blood should come in contact with someone else’s blood, there is a chance they will become tainted as well. Only a sheer force of willpower could overcome being tainted. The second is legions of blackness upon his skin. These legions are not painful and actually look more like dyed patches of skin; however they are a blatant sign of his corruption. Anyone who looks upon these legions and knows of the taint will recognize Taka for what he is. The third is weakness to Jade; Jade upon contact will cause him to react violently. The presence of Jade upon his skin burns, as it attempts to suck the corruption that has become a part of his being out of him. This process is extremely painful, and should he try to use Jade in this manner it will crumble to dust long before it completes the process. Even then, when the last bit of taint upon his soul is done, he would die from the cleansing, so great would the strain on his body be. Because of this, Taka must avoid direct contact with Jade artifacts, Jade fingers, and any spells that work with the material Jade.

The taint works in stages, and at certain levels Taka begins to lose control of himself. The only way to prevent the taint from overwhelming him is to draw upon its powers as little as possible, and to get stronger to resist its corruption on his body. Once a symptom has presented itself, even should he grow beyond when it would appear, it will remain, cursing him as a reminder of his prior weaknesses.

Every 20 points of taint represents a full level of Taint that Taka has accumulated. The levels of taint are always in relation to Taka’s level, and should he find that his taint level is 1.5 times his own (full levels, not points) he will succumb and the oni within him will begin its vengeance upon the mortal realms.

When the taint level is half his level, the blackened blood presents.

When the taint is equal to his level, the black legions present themselves.

When Taka has any taint points, Jade is an enemy to the ronin.

Taka currently has a Taint level of 3 full levels and 10 points.

Clarification: Even if he should gain levels he will not lose any legions he was given. The blood may clear up if he gains distance from his taint rank through some means.

Indestructable – Taint – So long as Taka has not been burned to ashes or utterly torn apart, a nights rest will see him awaken with his full faculties. However, this requires 8 hours of rest, and it must be uninterrupted in order for him to be able to use this powerful restorative. Every time this ability is used, Taka receives 5 taint points.

Death of Virtue – Taint – By gaining 5 points of taint per post, Taka can double his strength, drawing upon the strength of Jigoku to infuse him. Whenever Taka draws upon the taint in this manner, he loses the benefits of the Soul of Water until he rests.

Soul of Water

Taka is the chosen champion of the water spirits. They seek to aid the ronin whenever possible, and when in a realm firmly in their domain (sea side towns, near lakes, in a heavy rainstorm, ect. ect.) he gains their aid even in mysterious ways. This has left a mark upon the Ronin, and allowed him access to the following abilities;

Aura Read - Soul of Water - Taka can sense thea ura's of other warriors. Those who have committed themselves to fighting register in Taka's sense, giving him a sense of their fighting prowess. While unable to sense the exact abilities of an opponent, he often feels their presence from the perspective of one of the five elements , Earth, Air, Water, Fire, or the mysteries of the Void. Based on this, Taka gains an understanding of what the person may be capable of. This again gives him more of a feeling and may cause him to overestimate an opponent, as he feels their warrior's spirit, not their current prowess.

Soul of Water - Soul of Water - Taka's own chi can be manifest about him, causing his opponent to feel as if they are thrown into the ocean to drown. Other than slightly disorienting the opponent, it increases Taka's resiliency as he connects to the water kami (spirit in this case, rather than gods). In terms of game play, depending on how strong a warrior my opponent is they will feel his chi manifest, and he will continue to fight until he is dealt an incapacitating blow or killed. Clarification: Fatigue does not slow him, and while calling on the soul of water and so long as any injuries taken are relatively superficial he will continue to fight long after most.

Equipment:

Rengoku – A four foot long steel Katana. It houses the soul of his charge who he failed to protect, and all he knows is that if he ever acts dishonorably, the blade makes him pay for it. Any attempt to rid himself of the blade has found him awoken with it beside him. He cannot draw any other blade while he carries Rengoku, lest he be punished for his dishonorable conduct.

Wakizashi – His honor blade it measures roughly four feet in length and is also made of steel. It is only used as a symbol of his station, rarely if ever for combat. He will never sell this blade for any price, such is its symbolism.

Rat’s Tail Nodachi – A six foot Steel Nodachi, the Rat’s Tail is a special weapon that attunes to its wielder. The hilt and the saya, or scabbard, of the No Dachi is wrapped almost entirely in gauze like cloth. Sentient in form, it feeds off the warriors spirit that Taka seems to embody all too strongly. While it has the qualities of steel, as Taka is able to feed it more, the blade may grow harder taking on the attribute of higher materials, as it begins to evolve and change with it’s wielder. It currently has one ability; Taka can mentally control the gauze like cloth covering the blade, causing it to wrap about him and cover wounds, or lash out and bind enemy weapons. However, as it is a cloth currently, any strong force against it could tear or rip the fabric. Upon the cloth tearing or ripping the scraps will dissipate into nothing, before the blade will slowly grow back the lost cloth.

A backpack - In the pack is some stale rice balls, a daisho stand, a tatami mat, a small bowl for Sake, a tanto (small steel knife) for grooming purposes, a small book that is filled with various tales of Samurai, a Straw Hat(when not wearing it), and a straw cloak (again when not worn), and a porcelain white mask with the symbols for Bushido painted upon it in a circle.

Set of Steel armor - Includes breastplate shoulder guards, forearm bracers and shin guards.

Approved - direct transfer.