Without Heaven [OOC + Signups]

[Hologram Summer]

@Buio

I don't think we'll have any issues with the Three Blades of Dominion mobilizing at the start of the RP. My plan for the first main storyline is for the Three Blades and the other islanders to deal with a common enemy so there will be plenty of things to do for everyone other than to start killing each other. XD

 

[Vonghese]

Will they all be in the same area? That would make for better RP, since we'd be able to play off each other's posts, but we'd need something to bring us together in the first place.

 

[Buio]

hmm, how about an island festival of some sorts? That would also serve as a good excuse to have some edo officials on the island who could be there doing an 'inspection' which sould allow for our GM to set-up whatever future plans he has concerning the government.

 

[Buio]

oh, and vong, here's a few potential pics I found for you

Spoiler

 

[Vonghese]

That could work. Are there any major japanese holidays that would bring the island together?

 

[Vonghese]

I like the second one, even though it has no beard. Thanks, man.

 

[Buio]

hahaha. 'are there any' It's more like choosing WHICH buddhist/shinto festival to go with. Plus japanese villages were known for pretty much coming up with their own traditions, ceremonies and festivities based on teh local folklore so it's not even like it woudl be inaccurate to just make a festival up hat the citizens of ritenkyo decided to celebrate for one reason or another in their history. What's our GM say about this?

and no problem ^_^.

 

[oneofthelostgirls]

So I'm working on a CS right now, but wanted to raise some questions. I'm trying to decide between two different characters and

@Buio , Would Muramasa ever give any of his forged demon blades to anyone else? I was thinking for one of my characters that her father would have been killed by him and she would go to him to take the sword with her father's soul in exchange for her vassalage.

@Vonghese , Are the daughters/apprentices actually his concubines? I was planning on possibly building my character off one of those two, though the daimyo's daughter would probably be my choice, if that's alright. Her backstory would kind of branch off from the one I mentioned for Buio if Muramasa doesn't actually give her the blade. I was just wondering if I could take that character from Aito's bio.

 

[Michelle the Editor]

Appearance

Name: Aimatsu

Alias/Titles: Peony Maiden (her working name)

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Profession: Prostitute/Spy

Likes: Feeling in control, respect, independence even if it means doing menial chores for herself, secrets, swimming, peonies.

Dislikes: Being used or manipulated, zealots, unpredictable people, arrogance, long speeches, insects (especially infestations), fighting and having to get bloodstains out of her good clothes.

Bio: Aimatsu grew up in a relatively new samurai family. They were ambitious to rise higher in rank, which meant her brothers became samurai in the hopes of earning the family further honors, while she was thrown into the path of as many other noble families as possible. Aimatsu's parents couldn't afford a big enough dowry to marry her off, so instead they managed to make her the concubine of an older, respectable samurai. Unfortunately, one of Aimatsu's older brothers refused to turn in his sword as demanded and started a fight which resulted in three deaths, including his own. With the family in disgrace, Aimatsu's lover sent her away to avoid any association with them.

Unwilling to go home and deal with both her family's anger and the attentions of the Imperial Court, Aimatsu ran away. She found her way to the island, and seeing as she'd already been whored out by her family and knew the ropes, she decided that would be an acceptable career. She found a place on the Street of the Flowers, a street occupied by a small but respectable guild of prostitutes who all used flower names. Once there she realized that her patrons' secrets might be an even more lucrative career, and she's been wheedling them out and occasionally selling them to interested buyers.

Weapon(s): Poisons and other drugs to incapacitate people, or leave them open to suggestion. She also carries a small knife in her sash, just in case, and most of her hairpins are sharpened for this same reason.

Fighting Style: She's a lightweight and does whatever works, honor be damned--pepper in the eyes, hair-pulling, groin attacks, and running and screaming for help.

 

[Tensa Hiruma]

You mean like that, right?

 

[Michelle the Editor]

I was trying to use a box or else a spoiler to keep it from being huge but yeah, that's it. Thank you!

 

[Tensa Hiruma]

I have an idea.

You can always URL link it.

Like This

Or as said, you can proceed like:

Spoiler

 

[Michelle the Editor]

Aha, I was linking to the wrong page! Thanks, fixed now.

 

[Tensa Hiruma]

It worked!


You're very welcome. ^^

 

[Vonghese]

I like how people aren't trying for weapons escalation in this RP. There's no complex or fancy weapons, unless you count the demon blades, and they're still just special katana.

 

[Hologram Summer]

@Michelle the Editor

Aimatsu is approved! The prostitute guild is a nice touch too!

@ Buio

A festival is actually a great idea and we'll probably have one in Ritenkyo at some point in the RP. Although, with mental state of the people running the island, I can only imagine what kind of festival that would be. XD

However, I have another idea on how to introduce this common enemy to the people of Ritenkyo.

(spoiler alert!)

[spoili]
Shortly after the Three Blades of Dominion started their reign on Ritenkyo, the shogunate began to realize the threat they posed to the mainland. The shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, decided that razing the island to the ground would be the best course of action. The people who lived there were no longer Japanese citizens or in other words, expendable. Over the course of 6 months, the shogun sent raid parties to Ritenkyo but the Three Blades and the islanders repelled them every time. Despite their victories, it was clear that it was only a matter of time until the island fell. Soon the shogun's battleships arrived on Ritenkyo's coast, ready to rain down fire and death upon the lawless island.

But then, something strange happened. Three days after the ships arrive, they just turned around and sailed back to the mainland. Not a single cannon fired at Ritenkyo. Thus, the Battle of Edo Bay came to an end.

Five years later, the mystery of Ritenkyo's victory against the shogunate finally comes to light. On the day the shogun set his fleet upon the island, the Three Blades have managed to infiltrate his castle and abduct his eldest son, Takechiyo (who would later be known as Tokugawa Iemitsu). Takechiyo was Hidetada's favorite son and has spent years grooming him to take his place as shogun. So much was Hidetada's investment on Takechiyo that he agreed to Reverend Hojo's proposal.

For five years, Takechiyo will live among us; the people you have left for dead in the island you wish to burn.

For five years, Takechiyo will be unharmed. Raised and doted like any child should be.

But harm even a lock of hair of anyone who calls Ritenkyo home and the wheels of karma will turn.

This young man's life will become recompense for your digression.

On his 18th birthday, Takechiyo will return home, safe and sound.

Perhaps then you will realize that this blind hatred towards us is foolish.

The RP will start with Reverend Hojo sending back Takechiyo to the mainland which opens the possibility of another attack from shogunate. If anyone wants to play the part of Takechiyo (or whatever you decide to name him), feel free to do so.
[/spoili]

Take note that the idea above is still subject to change depending on you guys.

@Vonghese

True that. No overcompensating here~

 

[Buio]

I like how people aren't trying for weapons escalation in this RP. There's no complex or fancy weapons, unless you count the demon blades, and they're still just special katana.

>.>

<.<

*quietly slides the tri-sectioned trident wielder concept he was working on back in his mind closet*

 

[Buio]

@oneofthelostgirls well.... that's kind of a complicated question. Muramasa obviously does give away his weapons sometimes, as evidenced with the one he gave Hojo. But the thing is that the blades that he gives away, he usually forges with the intent of giving away, like the one he gave to Hojo.

still, Muramasa is mad, so nothing is ever impossible for him. If, for whatever reason, he thinks that giving your character her "father"s sword will cause interesting things to happen, then he'll do it in a heart beat. So i guess the only way i can say if muramasa would give your character a weapon or not would be for you to write up her personality and a part of her history section, and I can tell you if that;s the kind of person muramasa would find interesting or boring (which will NOT be a judgement on the character's quality. Just a reflection of my character's tastes).


@Hologram Summer "Hey, I just happen to be a crazy monk who brainwashed (and hypnotized) a significant portion of a prison island's population to follow a religion. But you should totally be fine with letting your crown prince live with me for the last third of his formative years. I totally promise to not return him brainwashed to my service or embedded with a sub-conscious trigger to murder you exactly 108 days after returning to the capital. Scout's honor."

Lol, sounds like a sweet deal to me, I don't see why Hidetada wouldn't go for it. It's not like he still has the service of the loyal Iga ninja clan to call upon who could infiltrate the island and stealthily extract the hostage.

That being said, i'm mostly just poking fun at this. In all actuality I don't think it's a bad idea at all. what kind of character were you envisioning takechiyo being after is 5 years on the island? I'm not opposed to playing him if no one else is interested.

 

[Hologram Summer]

I kinda went for the folklore-ish kind of plot where modern logic would make everything seem funny and/or inconvenient. Authenticity! It happens... X'D

Takechiyo's pretty much a blank slate in my plot so anything goes I suppose. The reverend did keep his promise and kept his mitts off of Takechiyo's brain.

 

[Buio]

also, question. since we don;t have a navy of our own, and the prison ships would obviously take precauions against stowaways when delivering fresh prisoners to the island. how in blue blazes did we even get to the mainland? let alone infiltrate the castle, kidnap the kid, get out without sounding any alarms, and get far enough away from the capital that they could never catch up before we got back to the island, send that message to the shogun, and then somehow make our way back to ritenkyo (still holding a hostage prince who is probably looking for every chance to escape), not being caught by the shogun's retreating fleet that will be coming back the same way.

Just... if we have the resources to pull off that kind of a caper, it strikes me that it may just be easier for our characters to just assassinate the shogun while we're in the capital, remove the problem at it's source. Or, if we're not in the mood to start a war (or kill a lot of high-ranking officials while in the capital to make that impossible) we could just take the shogun himself as hostage no? Seems like a lot of effort put in for a relatively small reward.