Post by Kagetsuki on Mar 9, 2007 1:28:30 GMT -5
Name: Noroi Kagetsuki (Her Zokumei; that is, her common and informal name. She has three others.)
Age: She appears somewhere in her mid-to-late twenties, although in reality she’s maybe 7000 or so. Keep in mind that years are counted differently in her society; she’s about 7000 in human years.
Gender: Female
Race: Eimin
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Power Level: That depends on which of her three forms she’s in…
Human- Low-Tier, Medium
Normal- High-Tier, Medium (I think…)
True- Middle-Tier, High (Again, I think so…)
Timeline: She can fit into almost any timeline, although she goes best with Medieval or Modern.
Appearance:
Human Form- Standing at about 5’5, she is slender and doesn’t seem the fighting type in the least. Her relatively plain black hair, straight and touching her shoulder blades, falls lightly over her face; the bangs are just long enough to reach her gray eyes. The tone of Kagetsuki’s skin in human form is nothing out of the ordinary; it isn’t tanned, but it isn’t as though she spends too much time inside, either. Truly, she could pass for a simple high school student in this form—nothing says she is otherwise. She even wears clothes to fit the part: black “skinny” jeans, a simple black top, and flats. Depending on the time period and fashion, the clothes change accordingly.
Normal Form- Now around 5’8, she is still slender, but her body is sharper—as opposed to the more curved, soft appearance of her human form. There is a definite air about her which tells not only that she can fight, but she can fight well. Her hair is still straight and black, but now added are a small number of silver and violet streaks. It touches a couple of inches above her waist, though she usually keeps it up, in a messy bun or perhaps something more elaborate. Seeing as this is halfway between her human form and her true form, the demonic traits start to show up: her skin is just a few shades darker than the white of a vampire’s, unmarked save for a jagged scar running across her neck; her eyes are a violet, predatory, her canines (if you were to look) are a little longer and sharper, and she has black, bat-like wings. With this form also comes a high tolerance and even immunity to things like alcohols and poisons, along with most other substances that might adversely affect her physical condition. This principle works for physical sicknesses too, but strangely enough she remains vulnerable to any mental illness. Lastly, in terms of attire Kagetsuki may wear any number of things, but when outside the palace she’s most likely to be found in something comfortable and battle-ready. Her one accessory is a choker ‘round her neck, black, a small pendant showing her mother’s sigil of a crescent moon in darkness set in the middle (she doesn’t yet have her own, as weird as that may sound).
True Form- All semblance of a human is lost once Kagetsuki enters this form. She now looks like a canid hybrid, something between wolf, fox, and jackal; standing about 4’4 tall (whereas most normal wolves are maybe 3’ once mature), and something like 6’5 from nose to tail (this one a relatively normal measure), she’s larger than any average canine, but in terms of her race she’s just shy of being considered petite. Her coat is sleek, black in color, the ends of her paws and tail silvery, along with her underside; her eyes are violet. While her bone and body structure are somewhere between a wolf’s and jackal’s, her outward appearance is more like that of a Simian Jackal (Ethiopian Wolf), save her tail, which resembles those of foxes (and is about ¼ of her total length). Though her coat seems thin, it actually has two layers, the first a water and dirt repellent, the second an undercoat for insulation. Both are surprisingly soft. Lastly, she has wings, the same as when in her normal form; they’re proportionate to her body.
Personality: Generally quite cold and terse. She seems to lack empathy, making her appear much harsher than she really is. Her concerns are for herself and, to a lesser extent, her kingdom and Entourage—nothing else. While this may, on the surface, be selfish, her background has a lot to do with it, and thus survival for herself comes first, while her kingdom comes second, no matter the fact that she’d never really wanted to be queen. As for her Entourage, well, they are the only people she sees as trustworthy...
Kagetsuki has an apparent hatred for almost every other species that isn’t demon—especially humans. While the reasons behind this aren’t well known, one might predict that her slight disgust for her own people has projected onto others; this disgust can also account for the way she rules her kingdom, an absolute monarch. Her hatred for humans seems to be caused by another reason, though.
Because love has been ruined for her before, she no longer puts much faith in such things, so it’s exceedingly difficult to get close to her, even as a friend. In ideal situations, if she’s forced to travel with anyone other than her Entourage she stays distant, speaking only when necessary, helping only when it will be advantageous to her. Should the situation arise where she begins to see signs of growing close to travel partners, she has a tendency to end the relationship prematurely, often by whatever means necessary.
History:
“Shinno Seizu had always known the reign of Noroi Kagetsuki would be an interesting one. Being a Nightwatcher, he was privileged enough to be able to read stars, but he—he was an Imperial Nightwatcher. He'd read the skies and fortunes of the Noroi family for generations; it was all he did. From the moment Seizu had read the fates of the girl's parents, he'd known she would be...special. To say the least.
He'd never said anything to the mother and father about what their daughter would do, what she would become; he preferred to stay to himself, and besides, telling them would change what the stars intended. Nightwatchers had rules, and he was rather strict about keeping them. If they'd found out their daughter was going to murder them...Well...It simply would not have been right.
So instead, Seizu had waited for the girl's birth. Even then, many signs had spoken of her being unique, but when she was born...He'd taken note of three very important things, things he'd realized only then.
1. She'd been born a girl, when clearly her father had wanted a son. Eimin males usually had a very strong influence on the gender of a child; by all means, it should have been a boy. But it had not.
2. She'd been born an only child; that is to say, Seizu knew when she was born that the mother would bear no other children. Having only one child was rare—very rare; many thought that it was bad luck or the sign of a curse.
3. Last...Her name. Not her Zokumei; Kagetsuki was an interesting one but nothing special. Her true name...her one name. Seizu had been reluctant to pronounce it, afraid the parents would kill her there. But in the end, being lower than the royals, he'd done it...And he'd winced at the fury that had filled the father's eyes. —. Her name was —.
With all of these signs, Seizu had been eager to see the girl grow up. And he had, enjoying every moment. When every other person turned the young princess away, he'd take her in fondly, always, and he'd always tell her—‘You're going to be special, little one. You will bring about change.’
He'd hated seeing her suffer, and the night the girl had massacred her parents he almost couldn't stand to go see her, sitting there in the entrance hall soaked in blood, her eyes wide and filled with tears. He'd avoided looking at the bodies when he picked her up, comforting her and listening to her whisper, ‘I did it. I did it...They're gone...’”
~
Her father, Idris, had wished for a son to carry the bloodline. Her mother, Shie, had had no choice in marriage, and had not wanted a child at all. When she was born, it was the beginning of disaster.
Eimin law forbade outright murder of a first child, especially in the royal family, but that did not stop her father’s anger at having a daughter. Some of Kagetsuki’s earliest memories are of being beaten and having no idea why; while the reason made itself clear eventually, the beatings did not stop. Her father hated her, and her mother simply didn’t care—combined with the fact that she was a simple child nowhere near her parents’ power, there was nothing to do but take the undeserved punishments.
Years of physical abuse taught her endurance, and she eventually learned ways to shorten the sessions: while crying usually prolonged her father’s rage, staying quiet quickly found him bored and burned out. There was a price for her silence, however, and though the scars no longer show, quite often after a punishment the nail marks in her knees were deeper than some of the lashes.
Most of Kagetsuki’s childhood was spent this way, wandering helplessly around the palace, fearing at every moment her father’s wrath and trying to find comfort in an apathetic mother more interested in finding a way to please her husband. In public she was treated as a royal child should be; she received a range of lessons, including etiquette, magic, and weapon-play, and she was even allowed to choose a Specialty. Soon enough her parents had arranged her future husband, Ankoku. Two months following a particularly eerie conversation with her mother, though, everything changed.
The details of that day have never been completely revealed, and even the most trusted members of her Entourage can’t tell the full story. What is known is that her father took her for a final beating—with intent to kill—and she snapped, somehow killing him and her mother. Seizu found her in the entrance hall amidst death and took her from the ruined court before the other residents of the palace could see, cleaning her up and starting the next part of her life. The man, who of course had known of this day for as long as Kagetsuki had been alive, had prepared, and it was at this point Jinchuu came into play. A shapeshifter, he had been hired solely to protect the young princess; once news of the deaths of the king and queen reached the public, a civil war was sure to break out, and the heir would obviously be a popular target.
While Seizu first charged Jinchuu to keep Kagetsuki hidden in the forest near the city, his opinion quickly changed. The war which broke out was massive; it would be foolish to keep her close to such danger, and asking for refuge in one of the other five territories of Jigoku would not be smart either. This being the case, the solution the stargazer found was to take the young girl to the human world until she grew old enough to return…And there she stayed for about 1500 years. It was in the human world that she gained most of her allies—that is to say, her Entourage—and also made a few enemies.
I won’t go into detail on the part of her time in the human realm, as I might be able to make a History RP out of it, so let’s start back at the time she finally returned to the Imperial City. The civil war which had started when she’d left was still going on, but at a far less escalated scale than it had been; power was in the hands of none other than the man she’d been arranged to marry, Ankoku.
~
“‘How are we going to do this, nigousan?’ My voice was soft and questioning, but held enough of a tone of servility for her to know that I didn’t doubt her capabilities. I never doubt her capabilities—and I am lucky enough to have spent enough time with her for her to know that. Truth be told, I probably could have taken a tone that inferred doubt and escaped without punishment, but that is not my way. Not with her, at least.
She looked at me, her violet eyes cold; behind the wall I could see emotions flickering, anger, anxiousness, even fear. My Lady did not want to be here. Neither did I, really; I was concerned. Not for her safety, of course; I did not doubt for a second her ability to overthrow the man who now ruled. But was she really ready to take her place as queen? She had been gone for what seemed a rather long time, and even before that…Did she know anything of politics? Did she have any idea how to run a kingdom? Did she even know how to act amongst others of her status? When she took the throne back she was going to have to start dealing with the leaders of the other territories—I simply could not see it.
‘Toukan, Yozamu…,’ her voice jerked me back to reality; I straightened, alert, knowing she was giving out orders and knowing she would probably keep mine for last. Her eyes were no longer on me, but the city. ‘You two will stay with me.’ The dragon and the ibex demon both smirked; to be assigned as guards to the Lady was quite an honor, since that was usually left to me. I did not mind so much as I used to, though; before, it was a matter of trusting new allies, but they’d proven their worth since.
She spoke again. ‘Kinaru…I believe you know your task.’
A chill ran through my body at this. Kinaru. Yes, she would be sending that one, wouldn’t she? I knew quite well the task saved for such a being, and though I did not trust it, and never will, I had to admit that it was efficient. When my Lady came to power, Kinaru was going to be a valuable ally, though I had a feeling special precautions were going to have to be made in order to hold back its…enthusiasm. Even now the ‘twins’ looked gleeful, glancing at each other, offering twin salutes and then bounding off down the slope. I found myself feeling some pity for whoever they met.
Her eyes finally turned to me, made blank once more. Toukan and Yozamu were watching me too, intent, interested. What was I to do? ‘Jinchuu—to the palace. Make things ready.’ Use my abilities as a shapeshifter, she meant; infiltrate the palace, take out what guards there might be, perhaps impersonate one, and assure Ankoku that no, there was nothing at all happening…It was my job, then, to make sure everything went smoothly when the Lady got to the palace. Difficult for one person, but I was fully willing to accept the job, and I’d do my damned best to accomplish it.
My only reply to her was a simple, ‘Yes, Mistress.’ Then I was off—I took the form of some bird or another, something native to the territory. I wasn’t quite sure whether this plan would work or not. I was still worried for my Lady. But I knew, no matter what happened, that I’d stay loyal, and that I’d protect her to the death if it became necessary.
-
The plan worked. I still worried. It wasn’t necessary. No longer was she the lost royalty of Zanshi—no longer was she a wanderer. Her title, now, to me, was my Lady, the High Queen, Noroi Kagetsuki…”
~
Following the takeover of the Imperial City, Kagetsuki quickly changed the form of government—where a somewhat democratic nation had been, there was an absolute monarchy, and the population quickly learned how serious she was about it. From these beginning days of her rule she gained her reputation in politics: brutal, cold-hearted, uncaring, unsympathetic. With the seven members of her Entourage (three being gained after her return) the still-young queen crushed any opposition to her rule, and with allies like Kinaru and Moujuu, the chemist, she often carried out these exterminations leaving little to no trace of what had happened. Her status as dictator and queen carried to every other territory in Jigoku, and she has ruled thus ever since, the only true opposition coming from Ankoku—but he is always ultimately unsuccessful.
When Kagetsuki grows restless she usually ends up returning to the human realm for a visit; that is not to say she has friends there, but having spent so much time there before she can’t help but return to see how things fare. These return visits have caused some of the more tragic events since her return to power—including the death of Jinchuu and her first experience of the Cleansing—and these circumstances have helped to shape her current character.
A note on why she slightly hates her own race: Having known people like her parents and Ankoku, and having seen that many of the rest of her race is the same or have some other grievous faults, Kagetsuki cannot seem to help her disgust.
Powers:
-Kagetsuki specializes in Insolitus Magic—that is to say, magic so strange it doesn’t really have another classification. She can do such things as create a labyrinth that rearranges itself and responds to her emotions, make doors appear in walls, alter landscapes to resemble images that only a madman would think of, bypass normal worldly laws to do something like turn wood into glass, make rain fall up…If it’s bizarre and doesn’t seem to fit under any category, chances are she can do it. (And I do realize that some of the spells will probably seem like they belong under the category of Insanity Magic…) Her Specialty is more powerful when in true form, but the cost remains the same in any of her forms: the more dangerous or potent the spell, the higher amount of energy it takes.
-Limited Blood Healing- Self-explanatory; she requires more blood for larger wounds. This is her weakest area of magic and really not useful unless with small wounds. It is primarily used on her allies.
-Limited Dark Magic- Also self-explanatory. Everyone with her bloodline has some form of dark magic: Kutsuu has black fire, and Kagetsuki’s endowment involves covering the sun, making it pitch black in an area…stuff like that.
-Banishing- Something that can only be done in her true form. She has the ability to banish an opponent straight to the more hellish parts of Jigoku…or to Kyomu.
Which is just as bad.
-Binding Contracts- She has the ability to bind beings into her service through contracts; this is at least part of the reason most of her Entourage serves her. They are usually signed in blood, and done in a way that causes death or crippling injuries should the victim default on the terms of the bond.
-Slightly faster healing than normal, but not advantageous if she can’t rest between battles.
-Interdimensional travel through Kyomu
-Telepathy
Weapons:
Kagetsuki utilizes three weapons.
Higeki- A scythe she had fashioned especially for her own use; it’s a bit shorter than her height in normal form. The snath (shaft) is rather peculiar, the core made from the bones of some monster but the outer, visible layer fashioned from an unknown metal. No reason has been found yet as to why it’s made this way, but perhaps the deadly poison of the scythe has something to do with it…There is a handle roughly in the middle of the shaft, perpendicular, which she grips and uses to control the position of the 30” blade. The snath is decorated, but not enough to hinder combat. Opposite the blade, on the very end of the shaft, there is another, much smaller blade jutting out. Just a note, the poison in the scythe is a milder form of her own poison, making it highly volatile and curable only with her blood. Luckily for most opponents, though, Higeki isn’t the quickest weapon, and the poison can take a few moments to even touch the skin.
Tamashii- A single-edged daitō sword, longer than a katana but worn like a nodachi (across the back); it measures somewhere around 75 cm long. Both sides of the blade have a fuller (blood-groove) that lessens the weight of the sword and lets her know if she’s swinging correctly (The grooves make a whistling sound; when the blade edge and grooves whistle together it means the blade is angled perfectly with the direction of the cut.). Tamashii seems to be made with the exact same metal as her scythe. There are engravings in both the blade and hilt, underneath the black-and-gray wrapping; somehow, these engravings give the sword its special ability, Tamashii no Hakai…If you value your soul, don’t let the weapon pierce you while she has this attack activated. Of course, you’re usually dead before she activates it…
Kyuuketsuki- A double-edged sword, something like a katzbalger but shorter, measuring around 65 cm. Its blade is broad and comes to a sharp point; one of its defining features is the guard, which is figure-eight shaped. While the entire thing is quite sturdy, it’s also quicker than most of its kind, though not so much as Tamashii in terms of Kagetsuki’s weapons. It’s used like a xiphos, single-handed, good for both cutting and stabbing. Whereas her single-edged sword has the ability to steal souls, this sword has an ability quite different…it can suck blood. And I mean that quite literally. The queen often wields both Tamashii and Kyuuketsuki together in battle, so she gets a deadly blend of skills to go with her talent in their use…An opponent wouldn’t want to be hit with either.
Daggers- A simple collection of small daggers that Kagetsuki keeps in straps on the outsides of her boots. She usually carries six with her, three on each leg.
Weaknesses:
-Emotional instability: If she loses her temper she loses focus and becomes less efficient in battle.
-Past memories: Bringing up her past also makes her lose focus sometimes, especially if a particularly painful subject is brought up...
-She’s vulnerable to mental attacks/poisons/sicknesses.
-Pride: Kagetsuki has a very strong pride, and wounding it often makes her aggressive, which isn’t always the smartest thing for her to do.
-Despite being a demon, she’s still vulnerable to many things humans are—if you cut off her head, she’s dead. If you stab her in the heart, she’s dead. If you cut off her arm, she can’t grow it back…It might just take her longer to die than a human.
-Masayume: Though she doesn’t suffer from this disease as strongly as Kutsuu, there’s always still a chance that something will happen while she sleeps.
-In terms of anatomy, her back where her wings join her body is probably the weakest part of her.
-When in her true form she can’t react to attacks as quickly as when in normal form.
More will probably come as I remember other stuff...Sorry it's so long...
Age: She appears somewhere in her mid-to-late twenties, although in reality she’s maybe 7000 or so. Keep in mind that years are counted differently in her society; she’s about 7000 in human years.
Gender: Female
Race: Eimin
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Power Level: That depends on which of her three forms she’s in…
Human- Low-Tier, Medium
Normal- High-Tier, Medium (I think…)
True- Middle-Tier, High (Again, I think so…)
Timeline: She can fit into almost any timeline, although she goes best with Medieval or Modern.
Appearance:
Human Form- Standing at about 5’5, she is slender and doesn’t seem the fighting type in the least. Her relatively plain black hair, straight and touching her shoulder blades, falls lightly over her face; the bangs are just long enough to reach her gray eyes. The tone of Kagetsuki’s skin in human form is nothing out of the ordinary; it isn’t tanned, but it isn’t as though she spends too much time inside, either. Truly, she could pass for a simple high school student in this form—nothing says she is otherwise. She even wears clothes to fit the part: black “skinny” jeans, a simple black top, and flats. Depending on the time period and fashion, the clothes change accordingly.
Normal Form- Now around 5’8, she is still slender, but her body is sharper—as opposed to the more curved, soft appearance of her human form. There is a definite air about her which tells not only that she can fight, but she can fight well. Her hair is still straight and black, but now added are a small number of silver and violet streaks. It touches a couple of inches above her waist, though she usually keeps it up, in a messy bun or perhaps something more elaborate. Seeing as this is halfway between her human form and her true form, the demonic traits start to show up: her skin is just a few shades darker than the white of a vampire’s, unmarked save for a jagged scar running across her neck; her eyes are a violet, predatory, her canines (if you were to look) are a little longer and sharper, and she has black, bat-like wings. With this form also comes a high tolerance and even immunity to things like alcohols and poisons, along with most other substances that might adversely affect her physical condition. This principle works for physical sicknesses too, but strangely enough she remains vulnerable to any mental illness. Lastly, in terms of attire Kagetsuki may wear any number of things, but when outside the palace she’s most likely to be found in something comfortable and battle-ready. Her one accessory is a choker ‘round her neck, black, a small pendant showing her mother’s sigil of a crescent moon in darkness set in the middle (she doesn’t yet have her own, as weird as that may sound).
True Form- All semblance of a human is lost once Kagetsuki enters this form. She now looks like a canid hybrid, something between wolf, fox, and jackal; standing about 4’4 tall (whereas most normal wolves are maybe 3’ once mature), and something like 6’5 from nose to tail (this one a relatively normal measure), she’s larger than any average canine, but in terms of her race she’s just shy of being considered petite. Her coat is sleek, black in color, the ends of her paws and tail silvery, along with her underside; her eyes are violet. While her bone and body structure are somewhere between a wolf’s and jackal’s, her outward appearance is more like that of a Simian Jackal (Ethiopian Wolf), save her tail, which resembles those of foxes (and is about ¼ of her total length). Though her coat seems thin, it actually has two layers, the first a water and dirt repellent, the second an undercoat for insulation. Both are surprisingly soft. Lastly, she has wings, the same as when in her normal form; they’re proportionate to her body.
Personality: Generally quite cold and terse. She seems to lack empathy, making her appear much harsher than she really is. Her concerns are for herself and, to a lesser extent, her kingdom and Entourage—nothing else. While this may, on the surface, be selfish, her background has a lot to do with it, and thus survival for herself comes first, while her kingdom comes second, no matter the fact that she’d never really wanted to be queen. As for her Entourage, well, they are the only people she sees as trustworthy...
Kagetsuki has an apparent hatred for almost every other species that isn’t demon—especially humans. While the reasons behind this aren’t well known, one might predict that her slight disgust for her own people has projected onto others; this disgust can also account for the way she rules her kingdom, an absolute monarch. Her hatred for humans seems to be caused by another reason, though.
Because love has been ruined for her before, she no longer puts much faith in such things, so it’s exceedingly difficult to get close to her, even as a friend. In ideal situations, if she’s forced to travel with anyone other than her Entourage she stays distant, speaking only when necessary, helping only when it will be advantageous to her. Should the situation arise where she begins to see signs of growing close to travel partners, she has a tendency to end the relationship prematurely, often by whatever means necessary.
History:
“Shinno Seizu had always known the reign of Noroi Kagetsuki would be an interesting one. Being a Nightwatcher, he was privileged enough to be able to read stars, but he—he was an Imperial Nightwatcher. He'd read the skies and fortunes of the Noroi family for generations; it was all he did. From the moment Seizu had read the fates of the girl's parents, he'd known she would be...special. To say the least.
He'd never said anything to the mother and father about what their daughter would do, what she would become; he preferred to stay to himself, and besides, telling them would change what the stars intended. Nightwatchers had rules, and he was rather strict about keeping them. If they'd found out their daughter was going to murder them...Well...It simply would not have been right.
So instead, Seizu had waited for the girl's birth. Even then, many signs had spoken of her being unique, but when she was born...He'd taken note of three very important things, things he'd realized only then.
1. She'd been born a girl, when clearly her father had wanted a son. Eimin males usually had a very strong influence on the gender of a child; by all means, it should have been a boy. But it had not.
2. She'd been born an only child; that is to say, Seizu knew when she was born that the mother would bear no other children. Having only one child was rare—very rare; many thought that it was bad luck or the sign of a curse.
3. Last...Her name. Not her Zokumei; Kagetsuki was an interesting one but nothing special. Her true name...her one name. Seizu had been reluctant to pronounce it, afraid the parents would kill her there. But in the end, being lower than the royals, he'd done it...And he'd winced at the fury that had filled the father's eyes. —. Her name was —.
With all of these signs, Seizu had been eager to see the girl grow up. And he had, enjoying every moment. When every other person turned the young princess away, he'd take her in fondly, always, and he'd always tell her—‘You're going to be special, little one. You will bring about change.’
He'd hated seeing her suffer, and the night the girl had massacred her parents he almost couldn't stand to go see her, sitting there in the entrance hall soaked in blood, her eyes wide and filled with tears. He'd avoided looking at the bodies when he picked her up, comforting her and listening to her whisper, ‘I did it. I did it...They're gone...’”
~
Her father, Idris, had wished for a son to carry the bloodline. Her mother, Shie, had had no choice in marriage, and had not wanted a child at all. When she was born, it was the beginning of disaster.
Eimin law forbade outright murder of a first child, especially in the royal family, but that did not stop her father’s anger at having a daughter. Some of Kagetsuki’s earliest memories are of being beaten and having no idea why; while the reason made itself clear eventually, the beatings did not stop. Her father hated her, and her mother simply didn’t care—combined with the fact that she was a simple child nowhere near her parents’ power, there was nothing to do but take the undeserved punishments.
Years of physical abuse taught her endurance, and she eventually learned ways to shorten the sessions: while crying usually prolonged her father’s rage, staying quiet quickly found him bored and burned out. There was a price for her silence, however, and though the scars no longer show, quite often after a punishment the nail marks in her knees were deeper than some of the lashes.
Most of Kagetsuki’s childhood was spent this way, wandering helplessly around the palace, fearing at every moment her father’s wrath and trying to find comfort in an apathetic mother more interested in finding a way to please her husband. In public she was treated as a royal child should be; she received a range of lessons, including etiquette, magic, and weapon-play, and she was even allowed to choose a Specialty. Soon enough her parents had arranged her future husband, Ankoku. Two months following a particularly eerie conversation with her mother, though, everything changed.
The details of that day have never been completely revealed, and even the most trusted members of her Entourage can’t tell the full story. What is known is that her father took her for a final beating—with intent to kill—and she snapped, somehow killing him and her mother. Seizu found her in the entrance hall amidst death and took her from the ruined court before the other residents of the palace could see, cleaning her up and starting the next part of her life. The man, who of course had known of this day for as long as Kagetsuki had been alive, had prepared, and it was at this point Jinchuu came into play. A shapeshifter, he had been hired solely to protect the young princess; once news of the deaths of the king and queen reached the public, a civil war was sure to break out, and the heir would obviously be a popular target.
While Seizu first charged Jinchuu to keep Kagetsuki hidden in the forest near the city, his opinion quickly changed. The war which broke out was massive; it would be foolish to keep her close to such danger, and asking for refuge in one of the other five territories of Jigoku would not be smart either. This being the case, the solution the stargazer found was to take the young girl to the human world until she grew old enough to return…And there she stayed for about 1500 years. It was in the human world that she gained most of her allies—that is to say, her Entourage—and also made a few enemies.
I won’t go into detail on the part of her time in the human realm, as I might be able to make a History RP out of it, so let’s start back at the time she finally returned to the Imperial City. The civil war which had started when she’d left was still going on, but at a far less escalated scale than it had been; power was in the hands of none other than the man she’d been arranged to marry, Ankoku.
~
“‘How are we going to do this, nigousan?’ My voice was soft and questioning, but held enough of a tone of servility for her to know that I didn’t doubt her capabilities. I never doubt her capabilities—and I am lucky enough to have spent enough time with her for her to know that. Truth be told, I probably could have taken a tone that inferred doubt and escaped without punishment, but that is not my way. Not with her, at least.
She looked at me, her violet eyes cold; behind the wall I could see emotions flickering, anger, anxiousness, even fear. My Lady did not want to be here. Neither did I, really; I was concerned. Not for her safety, of course; I did not doubt for a second her ability to overthrow the man who now ruled. But was she really ready to take her place as queen? She had been gone for what seemed a rather long time, and even before that…Did she know anything of politics? Did she have any idea how to run a kingdom? Did she even know how to act amongst others of her status? When she took the throne back she was going to have to start dealing with the leaders of the other territories—I simply could not see it.
‘Toukan, Yozamu…,’ her voice jerked me back to reality; I straightened, alert, knowing she was giving out orders and knowing she would probably keep mine for last. Her eyes were no longer on me, but the city. ‘You two will stay with me.’ The dragon and the ibex demon both smirked; to be assigned as guards to the Lady was quite an honor, since that was usually left to me. I did not mind so much as I used to, though; before, it was a matter of trusting new allies, but they’d proven their worth since.
She spoke again. ‘Kinaru…I believe you know your task.’
A chill ran through my body at this. Kinaru. Yes, she would be sending that one, wouldn’t she? I knew quite well the task saved for such a being, and though I did not trust it, and never will, I had to admit that it was efficient. When my Lady came to power, Kinaru was going to be a valuable ally, though I had a feeling special precautions were going to have to be made in order to hold back its…enthusiasm. Even now the ‘twins’ looked gleeful, glancing at each other, offering twin salutes and then bounding off down the slope. I found myself feeling some pity for whoever they met.
Her eyes finally turned to me, made blank once more. Toukan and Yozamu were watching me too, intent, interested. What was I to do? ‘Jinchuu—to the palace. Make things ready.’ Use my abilities as a shapeshifter, she meant; infiltrate the palace, take out what guards there might be, perhaps impersonate one, and assure Ankoku that no, there was nothing at all happening…It was my job, then, to make sure everything went smoothly when the Lady got to the palace. Difficult for one person, but I was fully willing to accept the job, and I’d do my damned best to accomplish it.
My only reply to her was a simple, ‘Yes, Mistress.’ Then I was off—I took the form of some bird or another, something native to the territory. I wasn’t quite sure whether this plan would work or not. I was still worried for my Lady. But I knew, no matter what happened, that I’d stay loyal, and that I’d protect her to the death if it became necessary.
-
The plan worked. I still worried. It wasn’t necessary. No longer was she the lost royalty of Zanshi—no longer was she a wanderer. Her title, now, to me, was my Lady, the High Queen, Noroi Kagetsuki…”
~
Following the takeover of the Imperial City, Kagetsuki quickly changed the form of government—where a somewhat democratic nation had been, there was an absolute monarchy, and the population quickly learned how serious she was about it. From these beginning days of her rule she gained her reputation in politics: brutal, cold-hearted, uncaring, unsympathetic. With the seven members of her Entourage (three being gained after her return) the still-young queen crushed any opposition to her rule, and with allies like Kinaru and Moujuu, the chemist, she often carried out these exterminations leaving little to no trace of what had happened. Her status as dictator and queen carried to every other territory in Jigoku, and she has ruled thus ever since, the only true opposition coming from Ankoku—but he is always ultimately unsuccessful.
When Kagetsuki grows restless she usually ends up returning to the human realm for a visit; that is not to say she has friends there, but having spent so much time there before she can’t help but return to see how things fare. These return visits have caused some of the more tragic events since her return to power—including the death of Jinchuu and her first experience of the Cleansing—and these circumstances have helped to shape her current character.
A note on why she slightly hates her own race: Having known people like her parents and Ankoku, and having seen that many of the rest of her race is the same or have some other grievous faults, Kagetsuki cannot seem to help her disgust.
Powers:
-Kagetsuki specializes in Insolitus Magic—that is to say, magic so strange it doesn’t really have another classification. She can do such things as create a labyrinth that rearranges itself and responds to her emotions, make doors appear in walls, alter landscapes to resemble images that only a madman would think of, bypass normal worldly laws to do something like turn wood into glass, make rain fall up…If it’s bizarre and doesn’t seem to fit under any category, chances are she can do it. (And I do realize that some of the spells will probably seem like they belong under the category of Insanity Magic…) Her Specialty is more powerful when in true form, but the cost remains the same in any of her forms: the more dangerous or potent the spell, the higher amount of energy it takes.
-Limited Blood Healing- Self-explanatory; she requires more blood for larger wounds. This is her weakest area of magic and really not useful unless with small wounds. It is primarily used on her allies.
-Limited Dark Magic- Also self-explanatory. Everyone with her bloodline has some form of dark magic: Kutsuu has black fire, and Kagetsuki’s endowment involves covering the sun, making it pitch black in an area…stuff like that.
-Banishing- Something that can only be done in her true form. She has the ability to banish an opponent straight to the more hellish parts of Jigoku…or to Kyomu.
Which is just as bad.
-Binding Contracts- She has the ability to bind beings into her service through contracts; this is at least part of the reason most of her Entourage serves her. They are usually signed in blood, and done in a way that causes death or crippling injuries should the victim default on the terms of the bond.
-Slightly faster healing than normal, but not advantageous if she can’t rest between battles.
-Interdimensional travel through Kyomu
-Telepathy
Weapons:
Kagetsuki utilizes three weapons.
Higeki- A scythe she had fashioned especially for her own use; it’s a bit shorter than her height in normal form. The snath (shaft) is rather peculiar, the core made from the bones of some monster but the outer, visible layer fashioned from an unknown metal. No reason has been found yet as to why it’s made this way, but perhaps the deadly poison of the scythe has something to do with it…There is a handle roughly in the middle of the shaft, perpendicular, which she grips and uses to control the position of the 30” blade. The snath is decorated, but not enough to hinder combat. Opposite the blade, on the very end of the shaft, there is another, much smaller blade jutting out. Just a note, the poison in the scythe is a milder form of her own poison, making it highly volatile and curable only with her blood. Luckily for most opponents, though, Higeki isn’t the quickest weapon, and the poison can take a few moments to even touch the skin.
Tamashii- A single-edged daitō sword, longer than a katana but worn like a nodachi (across the back); it measures somewhere around 75 cm long. Both sides of the blade have a fuller (blood-groove) that lessens the weight of the sword and lets her know if she’s swinging correctly (The grooves make a whistling sound; when the blade edge and grooves whistle together it means the blade is angled perfectly with the direction of the cut.). Tamashii seems to be made with the exact same metal as her scythe. There are engravings in both the blade and hilt, underneath the black-and-gray wrapping; somehow, these engravings give the sword its special ability, Tamashii no Hakai…If you value your soul, don’t let the weapon pierce you while she has this attack activated. Of course, you’re usually dead before she activates it…
Kyuuketsuki- A double-edged sword, something like a katzbalger but shorter, measuring around 65 cm. Its blade is broad and comes to a sharp point; one of its defining features is the guard, which is figure-eight shaped. While the entire thing is quite sturdy, it’s also quicker than most of its kind, though not so much as Tamashii in terms of Kagetsuki’s weapons. It’s used like a xiphos, single-handed, good for both cutting and stabbing. Whereas her single-edged sword has the ability to steal souls, this sword has an ability quite different…it can suck blood. And I mean that quite literally. The queen often wields both Tamashii and Kyuuketsuki together in battle, so she gets a deadly blend of skills to go with her talent in their use…An opponent wouldn’t want to be hit with either.
Daggers- A simple collection of small daggers that Kagetsuki keeps in straps on the outsides of her boots. She usually carries six with her, three on each leg.
Weaknesses:
-Emotional instability: If she loses her temper she loses focus and becomes less efficient in battle.
-Past memories: Bringing up her past also makes her lose focus sometimes, especially if a particularly painful subject is brought up...
-She’s vulnerable to mental attacks/poisons/sicknesses.
-Pride: Kagetsuki has a very strong pride, and wounding it often makes her aggressive, which isn’t always the smartest thing for her to do.
-Despite being a demon, she’s still vulnerable to many things humans are—if you cut off her head, she’s dead. If you stab her in the heart, she’s dead. If you cut off her arm, she can’t grow it back…It might just take her longer to die than a human.
-Masayume: Though she doesn’t suffer from this disease as strongly as Kutsuu, there’s always still a chance that something will happen while she sleeps.
-In terms of anatomy, her back where her wings join her body is probably the weakest part of her.
-When in her true form she can’t react to attacks as quickly as when in normal form.
More will probably come as I remember other stuff...Sorry it's so long...
