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| People: Emperor Furugato: An elderly man who loves nothing more than Kabuki and poetry. Kindly, though aloof, Furugato is not aware of the goings-on in his empire. Controlled by the Empress and his Counselors, Furugato believes that all is well in Japan.
Ichiteru Harume: The Emperor's official wife, though he has many mistresses. Young, bitter, and sad, Ichiteru longs to return to her old life as a courtesan. She sees an upside to her position, however: She controls the Emperor to do her bidding, and to eliminate threats in the Country.
Toriyama Sokasan: Shogun of Japan. In the past, the Shogun controlled the Emperor, but the Emperor's strong backing has forced the Shogun into submission. Seventeen years old, Toriyama is cold, angry, and tired of being contolled by the Emperor.
Aoi Suzuma: A battle-hardened, middle aged woman, Aoi is the leader of the Momokaze ninja clan. A furious feminist, Aoi rarely works with other Ninja clans unless they accept women.
Shindo Takatori: Leader of the Koga ninja clan. Serious, intelligent, and mindful, Shindo puts the lives of his ninjas before their mission, an attitude that has brought scorn upon him from other Clan leaders.
Hideo Bundori: Leader of the Hikage ninja clan. Once thought as a humorous, light-hearted man, Hideo has grown cold and hate-filled. Hideo has hired his clan out to an unknown contact, and is performing unmentionable deeds all around the country. |
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| Places: Kyoto: The Country's capital, where the Emperor resides. A very beautiful city, Kyoto is thick with memories of the country's past.
Edo: The Country's other capital. Edo, welcoming technological advances, has begun to forget the country's past and move onto the future.
Kakusei: A small peasant village. The Lotus Blossom circus visits the town, causing a flock of attendees to watch the acrobats perform.
Sentai: The town where Jax was born. Now reduced to rubble, no one knows what caused the town's destruction... |
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| Groups: The Koga: An honorable Ninja clan often hired by the government. They are honorable fighters, and some of the stealthiest Ninjas to date.
The Momokaze: A secret Ninja clan known only to few. Comprised completely of Women, the Momokaze provide a refuge to oppresed women who wish to strike back at the men who run the country.
The Yamato: An honorable Ninja clan that refuses to deal with the government. The most adamant clan about defeating the Hikage. Setsuya is the son of the clan's leader.
The Hikage: A mysterious Ninja clan that was once highly respected, until after being hired by an unknown contact. Now, the Hikage kill and assasinate recklessly. Many of the other Ninja clans have declared war on the Hikage.
The Lotus Blossom Circus: A famous Chinese Acrobat troupe. Xianfei travels with them as a performer.
The Shitenoh: A group of Mercenaries originally headed by Horuken.
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| The Story So Far... Kitsune, a proficient thief, has just completed a succsessful job and is escaping through the nearby forest when he literally runs into Guy, a foreigner who has been travelling Japan for many weeks. After a brief argument, Kitsune and Guy make camp. Little do they know that Horuken, an infamous mercenary, is lurking in wait to rob them of their posessions.
In China, The spirit of Jeng Ziao, a terrible mass murderer from a century ago, awakens in his crypt. Thirsty for blood, Jeng travels to Japan.
The Lotus Blossom Circus, A travelling Chinese acrobatic troupe, has begun their performance in the fishing village of Kakusei. Jeng appears soon after and begins slaughtering audience members. Xianfei Li, a young girl traveling with the circus, draws her mysterious sword and prepares to battle Jeng for disrupting her performance.
Back at Kitsune and Guy's camp, Horuken attacks the pair and is fought to a standstill. Kaoru, a young traveler, stops to watch the fight and joins the camp. That night, the young nymph Mana investigates the camp, causing the incubus part of Guy to awaken and pursue her. Guy is subdued, and the group disperses. Guy remains in the forest with Mana.
Yamada Tensen, The Emperor's strongest general, attacks a village deemed unsafe by the Emperor's order. Kaiso, a rebel, arrives on the scene and picks off several of the general's men.
Back at the Lotus Blossom circus, Jeng and Xianfei engage in battle, watched by Kendo and Setsuya. Xianfei manages to sever Jeng's arm, but is subdued. The spirit in her sword, Ashura, posesses her and the battle continues...
Shichisaburo, a young onnagata, meets up with Kitsune in the markets of Kyoto. Assuming Shichisaburo to be a woman, The two join up for a quick lunch. Outside the city, Kaiso fires off his musket, causing Mana, Guy, Kitsune, Shichisaburo and Horuken to pursue him. After a brief confrontation, Horuken, Guy and Mana head back into the city, where a battle over the Young nymph's safety ensues...
Kitsune and Shichisaburo take their leave, and then part their seperate ways after a pleasant afternoon. As thanks, Kitsune brings Shichisaburo's favorite cherry tree back to life.
Back at the town of Aku, Kitsune, Jax and Kikyo find themselves confronted by a very, very angry General Tensen. Kaoru manages to irritate a few of the soldiers, causing him to run into the group and start a full-on battle...
The battle over Mana continues, and is joined by Shun Mimoto, Horuken's brother, and Kei, a young psychic. Exhausted, they then sit down for a nice break at a famous teahouse.... Or so it seems. |
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