Wu name : Itami_no_Hobi. (Pain's Reward)
Born The moment of Le Giao Thua, 1879 (vietnamese New years.Last hour between old year and new).
Died : Phao no (The first morning of the day of the new period).
Reborn : 7 days later.
Total age : 120
Dharma : Devil Tiger : Disciple
Dharma level 3.
Nature : Visionary
Po' Nature : Beast
Demeanor : Pusher
Direction : South
Personal History.
Lan was born during the time of Ham Nghi, Nguyens 8th Emperor. She does not remember the time this young emperor rose to the throne at the early age of twelve. She does however recollect scattered bits of the Can Vuong Resistance movement against French rule, and the fleeing of the capital by the emperor and his regents.
It was during this time she made her way, living the hardened but simple life. She was never witness to violence although the thought of it excited her. She continued to mature, growing in beauty and intelligence. She was also very observant by sheer nature. More often then not she allowed simple servitude and obedience. Lan continued to progress as the learned to live under the hand of the french Government. Her family was forced to release most of their profits as stipend for the French.Her mother and Father were of the upper class ,wealthy owners of a rubber factory, uncanny for such age and time. To escape further economic pressure, they pledged loyalty to the French consulate. They were then transported at once to a compound where they could exchange trivialities with other Vietnamese families deemed "special" by the French.
She was forced to learn the French and English language. Needless to say, she became fluent, gaining dominance of their culture so quickly, it was believed she was half french. Unoticed assimilation was her only goal. Yet it turns out the soldiers of the compound watched her. She first tried not to pay attention to them, go about her daily chores. But the comments began to come..then the quick touches. This continued for Lan during the Tet of 1900...when she was hurying home to her parents, to attend the gala held within the compound. One soldier caught her from behind as the other grabbed her mouth to cease the screaming. She wept bitter tears as she was taken by them, each in turn. She realized one of them was Vietnamese, and one French. She lashed out at them, kicking one in the knee as he brought the butt of his rifle down at her head in a blur. They then commenced to kick her head in, another stupid bitch that wouldnt be forced.
She remember Yomi...she remembered trying to scream..and nothing coming out. Wordless, breathless and tearless she proceded through Kakuri. She walked, her head down-trodden through icy winds, shivering until she reached the Castle of Kakuri. She walked through as he looked upon the Emma O, and his royal court. His eyes swept through the crowd as she lowered her head politely, in quiet resignation. A chuckle. A smirk. Then she began to laugh outright. Emma himself looked up at her. tilting his head slightly, in confusion and shock.
The pain started. Ripping through her form as she continued to laugh. The tears she cried were crimson as he chuckled...beginning to fall to the ground, that was heated as acid. She began to melt, but her laughing continued..joining her scream until they melted into one.
Lan crawled her way out of the mud and looked to the sky as it cried for her. She began to growl, locking her eyes on a group of two boys, presenting careful pennance at a Shinto to their ancestors. She slithered from the grave and leaped toward them, snapping the firsts boy's neck as if it was paper. The other flailed his arms toward her face attempting a karate strike, but she grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and threw him against the neighboring tree so hard..he splattered. Lan ripped the flesh and ate, then suddenly shuddered as lighting seemed to snap the sky in half..much like she did the boy. Before her, was a woman. Lan stood up and leaped at the woman, but she seemed to melt into the ground...all save one hand..which leaped up at her and grabbed her by the throat. Lan look in suprise at the woman..who began to meld out of the shadow. The woman simply smiled, draining Lan of all the nutrients she ate from the boys as lan curled up like a kitten, wishing the pain to stop, yet relishing it. The woman explained who she was..and what she expected. She looked to Lan for understanding and found it. Lan was no longer in Vietnam. She was in Japan.
And she looked different, wholly japanese, instead of Vietnamese. A simple portent revelead she was living in the body of her dual soul. She was taken back to Vietnam at once, under the careful care of the woman, an ancestor of the Flashing Carp wu. That was the beginning. The Jungles of Vietnam are a perfect place to train and learn. She learned little about ettiquete but trained in the ways of the Dharma.
After taking the rite..and professing her dharma, she began to learn how to manipulate the ki in her body. The first trick was how to extend her arm...along a muscle. Then to do it while holding a blade. She learned of history, of Yomi, the castle she was in. She felt the pain, but relished it, honing it, allowing actions to meld with emotions. The years continue to progress, under the tutalidge of the Flashing Carp Ancestor, she matured slowly. This was the time of French and Vietnamese war, the time when Japan was stepping toward it imperialistic destiny.
She smiled as she entered the compound at night, bidding everyone hello with a secret smile. She inquired as to what happened to the soldiers posted at the this particular compound, and was told they worked for the French, Under Dien Bien Phu. She had found an enemy.
She was readily accepted in the golden courts because of her sponsor of the Flashing carp wu. She continued to training, learning the shintais as she continued killing. Killing was the constant in her life. She began to amass a reputation for her temper, and her thoughtfullness. She perfected her rage, den coming to her one night, as she destroyed a small group of American Soldiers. She fell to her knees, listening to their moans. It was music to her. She yearned to bring it, to feel it herself. The emotions well up inside of her as she entered the court of the ancestors. They knew. She knew. She was told to walk grounds of a hamlet known as "peaceful". And watch for a sign of things to come. As she casually strolled, she saw nothing. She decided to take shelter in small house and sleep. As she slept, she could smell the blood seeping through the ground, and the screams. She awoke to find 100 men, women and children all killed by the soldiers. My Lai...she whispered. And she smiled to herself, taking in the scent as she pointed her nose to the air. What few were alive, she ripped to shreds using black wind. Turning to the soldiers..who stood in shock, she spoke.., using a cloud of yang as mist, walking through their shaking bodies then simply electrocuting them with Storm Shintai until their heads exploded.
In the morning she returned to be named the newest Penangallan. She is well known among the Apoc. Now club in Vietnam and her power among the golden court is spoken among whispers. She was sent back to Japan, to join the wu known as Shihaiken, and given a name that perfects her. Itami_no_Hobi. Pains reward.
Appearance : She stands at about 5'2" and 106 pounds. She looks to be well cut. Not exacly skinny and slender..but toned. She possesses short black hair and black eyes.
Demeanor : She is a Penangallan of the Golden Court. Men arent allowed to speak where she comes from, so this is a change to her. She believes she is above almost any man. She is bitch. She is whimsical in her emotions and wont hesistate to tell you what she thinks of you. Yet she can also be quite passionate. She enjoys pain. And loves to give it. She loathes akuma to death and would be willing to fight one at the drop of a hat. She personally finds kinjin interresting, wishing to see them use their powers so that she can get a specific feel for them. She only wishes to destroy them, and criticize.
Stats :
Attributes :
Strength 2 Charmisma 3 Perception 2 Dexterity 3 Manipulation1 Wits 2 Stamina 2 Appearance 4 Intelligence 3
Talents:
Alterness 2 Athletics 1 Dodge 2 Empathy 1 Expression 1 Intim. 3 Subterfuge 2
Skills:
Torture 1 Ettiquette 2 Firearms 1 Martial Arts 3 Melee 3 Stealth 3 Survival 3 Acrobatics 2
Knowledges:
Linguistics 2 Politics 2 Occult 1
Backgrounds:
Nushi 3 Talisman 2
Flaws Different Body 1 point flaw.
Disciplines:
Flesh Shintai - Level 3 Storm Shintai - Level 3 Demon Art - Black Wind. 1
Yin : 4 Yang 6 Hun: 4 Po' 6 Willpower 5 Chi points : 10
Storm is at level 3
Flesh is at level 7.
BW is at 1.
Storm shintai
This shintai reflects the Cathayans' links to the storms of the pacific and Indian Oceans. Most of the Middle kingdom is subject to terrible storms, even monsoons, during the course of the year. Some kueijin, particulary those with strong po's, revel in this extreme weather. Thus, they have learned to invoke the powers of the storm by attuning their Chi energies to the flows of weather.
Chi attunement : Stamina.
* Conjure the duke of Winds
This power allows a kueijin to raise fierce stormwinds. These can be used to make a sail boat travel more quickly to interfere with the flight of birds or being using certain diciplines. The kueijin jin player spends a poinmt of Willpower and rolls stamina + Portents (difficulty 6). The cathayan can generate a wind that moves 10 miles perhour for every success achieved. (in rp terms..I guess this means lines of prep?) Every five miles perhour worth of wind subtracts 1 mph of flight movement that flying or sailing characters can make or adds a silimiar amount to their speed if pushed in their direction. The kueijin may alter the direction of the wind every turn but the wind always emanates directly from him.
** The Thunderbolts Kiss.
Many man have dreamed of holding the lightning in their hands, but the kueijin can actually do it. When a Cathayan uses this power, his very touch inflicts the power of the thunderbolt on his foes. A kueijin using this power may holding the lightning quietly and invisibly, waiting to be released, or may cause it to arc and thunder about her hands or body. The kueijin spends a point of Yang chi. The energies summoned are discharged when the kueijin physically strikes an opponent. The player rolls damage dice equal to the kueijin's permanent yang chi Rating when a victim is struck with this power; the damage is considered lethal. If the kueijin attacks and misses, the power remains unused. Other characters may touch (hit tackle you name it) the kueijin without suffering this effect; Thunderbolts kiss only affects those whom the kueijin consciously touches of his own volition.
*** Thunderbolts Caress
This power is similiar to Thunderbolts Kiss, but the kueijin need not touch his victim - he can actually cast the lightning bolt at targets a short distance away from him. Depending upon the characters desires, he may appear to throw the lightning bolt at his foes or simply jump from his hand or eyes and strike them. The player spends a point of yang chi. He must roll dexterity + Firearms to his his target. If the bolt hits, it does a number of dice of lethal damage equal to the throwing kueijin permanent yang chi. The lightning bolt has an equal to permanent Yang Chi, + Storm Shintai..in range.
**** Cloud Chariot
This power can create extremely strong, localized winds that actually lift the kueijin and fly him whereever he wishes to go. The kueijin spends a point of Willpower and rolls stamina + meditation (difficulty 7). He can fly at a rate of 20 mph, plus five miles per hour for every success achieved on the roll. This power cant be used on other characters, only on the kueijin himself.
***** Flight of the Dragons
This most awesome of the Storm Shintai powers allows a kueijin to channel ki through his body and into the world around him to affect the local weather patterns. Depending upon the amount of power he can muster, he can even cause terrible storms. The kueijiin spends a point of yang chi and rolls Manipulation + Occult (diff 6). The extent of his affect upon the local weather depends upon the number of successes achieved; successes are split up as desired to garner area and affect , as shown :
Successes Area Effect
1 success 1 mile radius Trivial changes (raise/lower temperature up to 10 deg. create disperse a few clouds)
2 successes 2 mile radius Minor changes (create/disperse rain showers or light snow)
3 successes 4 mile radius Major changes (create/disperse a power thundestorm or minor blizzard)
4 successes 8 mile radius Extremem Changes (create/disperse a mild hurricane or tornado or major blizzard)
5 or more successes 16 mile radius Very extremem Changes (create /disperse a monsoon - or Typhoon like storm)
The kueijin may buy Additional successes by expending further yang chi, at the rate of two Yang chi per automatic success. It takes time for these changes to occurr - about half hour per success. The kueijin must concentrate during this time. Once the changers have been made, they dissipate naturally, which may take hours or days.
Flesh Shintai.
The freakish Flesh Shintai is believed to have its roots in the jungles of the Golden Courts, although it has spread throughout the Middle kingdom. As the wood element analog, the Flesh Shintai allows a kueijin to channel Yang energy through the mediums of her corpse in order to augment and transform it. Practioners of this shintai typically group themselves into matriarchal covens. In some areas, vampires with great skill in the Discipline are referred to as panangallan. Penangallan typically attune themselves to Yang energy and, thus, appear to be relatively human - until they demonstrate the powers inherent to the discipline. Many Penangallan adorn themselves with elaborate tatoos and jewelry, as they enjoy the feeling of metal or ink against their flesh.
Chi attunement : Dexterity
* Long Neck
The name of this power is somewhat misleading; the vampire can actually extend either her neck or limbs, sending them slithering over walls and around corners. The skin does not extend with the limb, so onlookers experience the gruesome sight of the vampire's head or digit extending along a stringy thread of viscera and muscle tissue. No rolls is needed. The neck or limbs can extend 5 feet per point of Stamina the vampire possesses, allowing the vampire to strike or grapple at range. The limbs may be attacked anywhere along their length, and decapitation will kill the vampire, normally.
** Detach Limb
This power is one classically associated with the mythical Penangallan. The vampire has mastered Chi to such an extend that she may separate a part of her life-force from the main resevoir. in this manner, she may actually detach a part of her body and allow it to act at range. It is most commonly used to allow the head and guts to separate themselves from the vampires trunk. Folk legends depict the resulting mass is capable of flightm although such a feat is possible only if the Cathayan posesses the power of Harnessing the Dragons Breath. Otherwise, the head mass slithers/crawls along at the characters normal ground speed. It is capable of crawling up walls, ceilings, ect, though its passage leaves a bloody smear. Limbs may likewise be detached. This function is most commonly reserved for hands, while a vampire is certainly capable of detaching its leg, imbuing it with life and allowing it to hop along under its own power, doing so can porve somewhat useless and rather comical. Detached hands maybe prove quite useful, though, enabling the vampire to grab out of reach item or strangle a victim at range, or even throw a weapon its holding on to, aiming it at range. Again, unless the vampire has the power of harnessing the Dragons Breath, the hand is limited to scuttling along like a spider (Thing from the ADAMS FAMILY lol) The vampire spends one point of yang chi and one turn in concentation. The detached head-mass or appendage is considered a small target (diffulculty 7 to hit in melee, firearms difficulty increased by one). A head mass is considered to have 4 heal levels, a limb 3, a hand 2. In all cases, Physical Attributes and Abilities of the head mass are considered to be identical to those of the vampire. Chi and both aspects of the soul remain in the head-mass, but the heart does not (the head mass cannot be staked with either wood or metal, though if the dormant body is staked, the head mass immediately collaspes paralyzed) By Far the common use of the power is the detachment of the head mass. Under conventional means of locomotion, the head-mass alternately slithers and scuttles along at normal ground speeds. Because it is largely boneless, the head mass may fit into any open area accessible to the skull. It may use its viscera to constrict (strenght +2 normal damage) if it can get a firm grip (e. g. by dropping on a victim from ambush, or one turn after a successful bite). Otherwise the head mass may attack by striking. (normal dexterity + Brawl inflicts standard damage) The body remains dormant and extremely vulnerable. Most vampires take care to surround themselves with retainers, or else they hide their bodies in very secure locales. If the body is destroyed, the head mass is trapped in its visceral state. It can maintain unlife, of sorts, though it can never gain more than 4 health levels and must spend an extra point of chi when animating itself. Limbs creep/drag themselves along at half normal ground spped. A limb may remain detached from the body for up to a night; at dawn, the limb ceases to reamin animate (and rapidly disintegrates) Limbs may attack (strangle) or grasp objects at a distance, though if the limb is outside of the vampires line of sight, it may "see " its target only if the vampire is focusing on it via some sort of clairvoyant power.
Special: If the also has the level two Cultivation Cleave the demon, the dual souls can be forced into separate parts of the vampires body. Thus, the vampire could animate her head mass with her hun soul, while use the Po' to animate the headless trunk. So long as the head mass can keep the other body part within line of sight, the body can see or act at no penalty.
*** Lotus Cloud
By combining internal Chi with Drawn Breath, the vampire may exhal an opalscent cloud of euphoric yang energy. All who breath the vapors become dreamy, giggly and generally incoherant. This power does not affect vampires, spirits or other unliving things, but mortals and shapeshifters are succeptibe. The Vampire spends a point of yang Chi, then exhales a cloud. Mortals within the cloud automatically become giddy and highly suggestible, as if experiencing a narcotic drug. Shen may rolls Willpower (diffulculty 6) to resist, as may certain specially trained mortals (martial arts masters, Shih demon Hunters). A narcotized victim can take no aggressive action and its likely to succumb to any pleasurable suggestion. If the victim is aggressively attacked, he defends himself but at -1 to dice pools. The powers effects last for one scene.
**** Pelest
The vampire can construct small creatures from his body, detaching them and sending them out on various errands. These creatures are known as pelesit, and they prove exceedingl useful as spies. Pelesit typically appear as grotesque insects or deformed homunculi, though many vampires who mast this power decorate themselves in elaborate irezumi (body tatoos), then cause the tatoos themselves to animate at the Kueijin's bidding. The vampire spends a point o Yang Chi,and one or more Health levels to detach a pelesit from the body. For each Health level the pelesit "borrows" it has two Health levels and a strenght and stamina of 1 (these traits increase arithmetically as the pelesit is bestowed more of the vampires flesh). The creature has a dexterity of 3, mental attributes of 2 and a brawl and dodge of 2. and can deliver a sharp bite for Str damage. It travels with a bizarre hopping gait, can climb fairly well and speak in a shrill abrasive voice. The pelesit may remain detached for an entire night, but immediatelly withers and dies at dawn. If the pelesitreturns to the vampire before dawn, it may merge back into the vampires body, and the vampire regains the health levels bestowed upon the creature. If the pelesit is killed or fail to return, the vampire loses the Health levels and must heal and the resulting damage normally.
***** The Ten Thousand Forms
At this level of mastery, the vampire gains near complete control over her shape. She can appear as nearly as any type of person by changing skin, hair and body parameters, and can even spout wings. She can also appear as an animal, so long as the animal is of roughlly the same mass as the vampire. The is power costs two points of Yang to activate. The vampire must make a perception + Athletics roll (difficulty 7). Success enables the vampire to take nearly any humanoid shape she can imagine. For an extra Yang point's expenditure, the vampire can grow an extra pair of arms or a pair of bat-like wings. These accouterments duplicate the effects of the equivalent Demon Shintai powers. Duplicating a specific person or becomming an animal requires a perception + Athletics rolls (difficulty 9)
***** * Body of the Mouse
Up until this level of master of Flesh Shintai is reached, Kueijin, even the panangallans, are generally limited to changing their bodies into shapes of roughly the same size and mass as their true form. Now they can transcend that restriction. With the body of the mouse, they not only can alter their shape, they can become smaller in the process. Many kueijin find this power extremely useful for sneaking into forbidden areas, spying on their rivals, and so forth. System : The player spends a point of yang Chi and rolls Stamina + Athletics (difficulty 7). For every success, the kueijin may reduce his size by half, to a maximu, of one inch tall. (Thus two successes means the kueijin is one fourth normal height.) The Kueijin may also change shape, just the like power Ten Thousand Forms.
***** ** Body of the Serpent
This power makes the kueijin entire body flexible, as if it were made out of rubber. He is able to stretch his limbs or Torso, bend them at impossible angles, sqeeze through small spaces, and resist most forms of physical damage. The player spends two points of Yang Chil; no roll is required, and the kueijin remains in body of the serpent form until he chooses to return to normal form or the next dawn occurrs. While in Serpent form, the kueijin may stretch his limbs and/or body up to one foot per point of permanent yang chi that he possesses. Unlike long neck, the skin stretches along with bones and muscles. While he is stretching, his body and bones have the consistency of firm rubber. The kueijin can, for example bend in way sthat a body is not supposed to bend. He can fit through spaces as narrow as 3 inches wide, though the smaller the space, the longer it takes him to ooze through. While usiing body of the Serpent, the kueijin is considered to have 3 points of armor against all physical attacks such as punches, kicks, knives and bullets; this armor does not apply against fire discipline powers.
Demon Shintai power.
Black Wind.
Allowing the the rage of the Po' (inner demon) to channel itself through her body, the kueijin becomes inhumanly swift - a typhoon of destruction. Essentially, Black Wind is a focused, or not so Focused - frenzy. While in the black Wind State, the character gains powers similiar to prolonged use of demon chi but because the character is in a continuous demonic fury, she gains demonic energy as fast as she uses it. This discpline is a common one among more warlike kueijin, who use it to become whirling blurs of carnage. This power costs the kueijin one point of Demon chi per turn of use. For each dot in the power, the vampire may take an extra action (as with Celerity), arithmatically increase runnig speed or add one automatic success to a Brawl or Melee damage dice pool. Each turn, the vampire may reassign dots. So a vampire with Black Wind 4 may choose to take two extra actions, run at double speed, and add one success to all Brawl damage Dice pools. The next turn he may choose to take 4 extra actions and add no dice to damage. Extra actions gained by Black Wind occur after all other characters have taken their actions for the turn. While using black wind, the vampire may not use any other discipline, except demon shintai, although he may maintain previously activated powers. Moreover, each turn the power is used the vampire must roll Po' (difficulty 8); if he fails the roll, ,he enters fire soul. A frenzied vampire suffers no wound penalties, bu may not use firearms or any other missle weapons; he instead prefers to shred foes face to face - of course such is the intent of most who use black wind. The problem lies in the fact that a vampire using this power just as readily attacks allies as enemies. Black wind, like all Demon arts, ius a violent discipline. While accessing Black wind, a character must use it to perform deeds suitable to the Po's dominance. Thus a character could use Black Wind to attack or move with superhuman swiftness, but not to play a guitar at Superhuman speed. Black wind is basically like a combo of the disciplines of celerity and potence.
