ColourDeaf

Tobias tapped the side of Talli's face, trying to bring her back to reality. She was smiling wekly, one pupil slightly larger than the other. A concussion. Bugger. "Next fight: Tobias vs. Ren." Bugger. "Tallie...Tallie, look at me. I've got to go for a few seconds, but I'll be back soon, ok? I'll be back soon."she nodded and he straightened, letting her lean back onto the tree. He lingered for a few sconds before waljking to the ring. Ren was already there, a knife fighter. He was loosening up his right arm, where a knife gleamed dully in the light. Tobias turned to the principal and rised an eyebrow. "Real knives?" "I thought someone with your fighting prowess wouldn;t be worried, Durden." "I'm not." he said simply, turning back to his opponent "I have more important things to do. Let's make this quick." he stated, motioning to the knife fighter. Ren sprang fowards driving his blade forwards, expecting Tobias to dodge. The knife sank into the flesh of Tobias's flesh, and he grunted slightly. Tobias brought his hand up sharply, grabbing the younger boy's arm. He twisted it sharply, making the fighter let go of the knife, and grabbed the boy's shoulder with his free hand. He brought Ren's face down sharply, bringing his knee up at the same time. Ren's nose impacted with Tobias's knee, and his head napped back in a spray of blood. Tobias let go of Ren and span, bringing his foot around in a tight circle, smashing it into Ren's jaw. The boy fell, and Tobias tobias calmly knelt one knee on his back, grabbing a handful of Ren's hair. He brought the head back and smashed it into the floor. Again. And again. There was no style to his fighting, fancy techniques and acrobatics might look good, but it was practicality that won the day, in the end. He brought Ren's face up after the first time and turned it and his own to look at the principal. "Can I go now?" The crowd stood, silent, stunned. Some were crying. Ren choaked and spluttered. The prinvipal nodded and Tobias stood up, kicking Ren squarely in the ribs for emphasis. He was not in the mood. Nurses and medics ran to Ren, and a few ran to tobias thoughhe brushed past them. He walked back to Tallie and kneeled in front of her, reching out and touching her face. "You ok?" Tallie just looked stunned at him. He looked down and saw the hilt of the knife sticking from his chest. He grbbed it and pulled the knife out in a mist of blood, before stabbing it into the ground. "I've had worse," he said, blood oozing from the wound "If you're good, someday I'll show you my scars..." He sat by her, resting his back against the tree. [I]Your still afraid to die... Is that really so bad?[/I] "You..." he said, quietly, looking at the floor "You don't have to fight any more. If you don't want to. You took a pretty bad knock to the head in your fight...You might get hurt. I...I wouldn't want that."

Saikano is the most depressing thing I have ever watchd, even from the first episode. I think the characters are deep and unique, the experiences stem from actual reality (rather than the usual "clamp-esque" romance manga/anime). Unforetunately I've only seen the anime, but I really want to read the manga (which will be difficult because non mainstream manga are hard to come by here in the UK).I can honestly say this is the only romance anime I have actaully really liked.

Tobias sighed as he carried her through the dark school grounds, the only thing warming him Tallie's sleeping form snuggling into his chest. He had a way to go before he reached East Dorm, and consequently his room, and the night was getting cold. The few people that were still up were staff members, and they knew better than to mention the curfew to Tobias Durden (mostly because they enjoyed the use of their legs). Tobias could hear Tallie's breath and her chest moving up and down slowly against his. She sighed in her sleep and Tobias could feel the whisper of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth in spite of himself. [I]Stop it. She'll just hate you anyway. After she learns what you did. ...I guess you're right. I know I am.[/I] He unconsciously hugged her closer to him, as if clinging to a lifeline, his last vestiges of humanity. He lost himself in her breathing, her warmth, her smell, and soon reached the dorm. He looked at a couple of girls who were watching him strangely. "Which is Tallie's room?" "Why do you want-" "Now." he stated simply, giving her a cold stare. She jumped slightly and rang off some directions. Nodding, her made his way to her room, trying not to disturb her as he made his way up the stairs. She was on the same floor as him. He got to her room and opened the door with some difficulty, and walked in. It seemed like a normal girl's room (though he had little experience with them...or any guys, for that matter). he walked her over to her bed and placed Tallie on it, pulling away slightly, but stopping as he felt something tugging on his arm. It was tallie, clinging to him. He stared at her for a moment before sighing and disengaging himself from her. He started to walk to his own room, a spartan affair with no decorations, photos or books, and plain white blinds over his window. He stopped and looked back at Tallie's sleeping form, peaceful, content. He walked over to her and sat on her bed. He watched her for a moment before Leaning back against the wall, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep [I]Your afraid to live and trust. I know. She'll hate you. I know.[/I] As he woke in the morning he saw Tallie watching him, smiling slightly. He sighed and got up, making his way to the door. ?Get ready, the fights will be starting soon

Tobias sighs as he turns back, staring at her squarely. She really did want to to train with him. He nods and falls into his familiar fighting stance, right leg forwards, leaning back, arms low and net into claws, with his right arm slightly higher. He mkotions to her. "Don't hold back." She smiles and spring at her, iniciating a flurry of punches and kicks. Tobias dances back and blocks with hands and forearms. She spins and brings her right arm around sharply. Tobias blocks with his right forearm and snakes it around her leg. He leans back suddenly and catapults her over him. She slams into the ground, cushioning her fall with her foirearms. Tobias lets go and spins around, grinning as she gets back up, rubbing her arms. "You're good, but there is one thing wrong with your fighting." He dodges forwards and recieves a crippling blow to his temple. Hecarries on forwards andpunches right next to her face. He leans in and stares into her eyes, his breath brushing against her face, his mouth bare inches from hers. "Life is like a fight. You're going to get hurt, so tuck your chin in and take it. You're problem is you're still afraid to die." he lingers over her for a moments, on his hands and knees over her prone body, close enough for each of them to feel the other's body heat. He taps her ever so gently on her cheek, endearingly and gets up, stretching his arms above him. "Get some rest, Tallie. Don't embarras me tomorrow."

Alright, again exactly what it says on the tin [B]Anything You Want[/B] Walking through the park Just me and you There isn't much in the world I wouldn't do for you So if a man with a knife said "Your money or your life" I wouldn't think twice... I'd stand my ground And not give an inch Coiled like a spring I wouldn't even flinch And I'd stare into the eyes of that Son of a ***** And this is What I'd say... Do anything you want To the girl Just don't hurt me I might be crazy But I ain't reckless She's got a diamond ring And she's got a necklace Look in her purse She's got keys to a lexus Me I'll be on my way. Do anything you want To the girl Just don't hurt me Oh what a funny old way To measure love Find out where you stand When push comes to shove 'Cause right now It ain't you I'm thinking of It's me It's me It's ME ME ME ME I LOVE ME! Do anything you want To the girl Just dont hurt me I said do anything you want To the girl Just dont hurt me (Don't hurt me!) [B]New Daddy Now[/B] I'm not the kind to stay around till dawn And she looks so peaceful When she's laying there So I move round her place And I come face to face With a boy of 5 Who's looking at me He said "Are you my new daddy now? Will you be at my birthday party Saturday? Will you take me to the park And chase these monsters from the dark? Are you my new daddy now? Are you my new daddy now?" I look at him in the face And say "Look kid, I'm just here to rob the place So put that playstation in this bag And shut your yap! Cause statisically if you break it down The reason your dad ain't Is cause half of all marriages end in divorce And that's a fact." He said "Are you my new daddy now?" (I said [I]no thanks[/I]) "Will you be at my birthday party Saturday?" (Hey what's in that piggy bank?) "Will you take me to the park And chase these monsters from the dark? Are you my new daddy now?" "Kid, I'm not your new daddy now?" And then I hear the sirens In the yard Isn't it funny how a man can have A sudden change of heart? 'Cause this kid could use a dad To make his life fufilled And maybe I could use A human shield He said "Are you my new daddy now" (I said [I]you got it kid![/I]) "Will you be at my birthday party Saturday?" (Go grab your baseball mit -) "And let's go to the park And chase these monsters from the dark" "Are you my new daddy now?" "(Stay in front of me kid) I'm you new daddy now..." ... Are your sides splitting yet?

Now, I've not been to many anime conventions, but there always seem to be a league of cosplayers of all levels of quality, and all seem to have a favourite character to cosplay as. now this led me to wonder wether anyone here either has cosplayed, or would every consider it? Personally, there is only one person I would actually cosplay as, and that is Jet from Cowboy Bebop, and only when he's in the white suit he wears. This is because: [list=a] [*]There aren't a whole lot of black anime characters [*]There aren't a large amount of big anime characters that aren't just goofy [*]Jet rocks (I think he's much cooler than Spike - but please, hold your rotten fruit for now) [*]I need an excuse to where a pimpin white suit and hat [*]Hair's easy - just need to shave most of my head (which will be hidden by a hat and I could just shave the rest later anyway) [/list] What about you?

An anime character that's like me... Strangely enough, I would probably say Osaka from Azumanga Daioh. She's a bit clumsy, really spaced out and means well, but messes up a large amount. Also she looks just like me, since I'm a 6'3", large black male rugby player. I mean, we're like twins :p.

[QUOTE=Dagger IX1]Well, you know what they say about the Kinsey Scale... ;) Numerous people, both straight and gay, feel very strongly about and are quite confident in their sexual orientation. Because of this, I think it's a little silly to say that everyone is inherently bisexual. ~Dagger~[/QUOTE] Not necessarily. Some pyshcologists could say that sexual drive is not only a natural drive for reproduction, but can be seen as a form of dominance over others, so it is viable that people (if going by Freud, especially men) could be inherently have instincts to dominate other s of their own sex, as showing that they are the best (an "alpha male" response, as it were), although this is unlikely. But I digress. Experimentation isn't necessarily a clean cut sign as to wether a person is bi/gay, as the others have said, it's merely if you find it more attractive than hetrosexual sex. But that's just my two cents. ColourDeaf

OOC: Sorry sorry sorry, my laptop died... IC: "Uh..Hi?...remember me?" Tobiasopened one eye and looked the girl in front of him up and down. It was the girl who was annoying him before. Whats-her-face...Tallie. She seemed mostly harmless. He let go of her hand and folded his arms across his chest. "What do you want?" "I...uh...just wanted to talk." "I don't." "What?" "Are you that stupid? Look, Barbie or whatever the hell your name is. You might think that there's some sweet little guy hidden inside me, but don;t try and find him. I don't do this big bravado to hide some deep-repressed emotions or try and look cool and get all the chicks or whatever you think it is. I do this because I don;t like having people around me." he breaks off and his hand comes forwards, cupping her chin and lifting it gently. "Now, you're cute, I'll give you that. Nice face, tight body and a cracking arse, if you don't mind me saying. But I won't hesitate from breaking one of you arms and legs to teach you the lesson - and this is important - of leaving me the hell alone. Unless you want a fight I would suggest...how can I put this gently?... ah, ****ing off" He lets go and flashes her a smile before walking off, raising a hand in a silent farewell...

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkGreen]Koji slowly opened his eyes, his pupils contracting to pinpricks at the light that streamed throgh the window of is apartment. He sat up on the couch and yawned, stretching his arms above his head. He relzexed and scratched his head, taking in the view. it was a small, one room apartment, too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer, but he liked it. He got off the couch, disturbing a cat that was stretched across his feet with a yowl. He smiled and scratched behind her ear. "Morning, Himeko." The cat purred and fell back aslep. He made his way to the kitchen, dodging the various other furballs that littered his floor. He reached it and grabbed a couple of bananas - the last of the fresh fruit in the house - and ate a got dressed with practised ease, mostly with his eyes half closed. He finished the fruit and threw the skins in the bin, wiping the last remmnants of sleep from his eyes. He grabbed two cans of cat food and pbanged them together, the time-honoured call that "slop's up." Cats of various shapes, sizes and colours (five in total) jumped onto various surfaces, three mewing and the other two just perching, watching him carefully. Koji opened the cans and quickly spooned them into two bowls, and the cats pounced on them, eating ravenously. "Make it last, guys. The boss is pushing back my paycheck..." He walked to the sink and splashed water onto his face. He looked at himself in the mirror, buttoning up his school shirt. He paused and looked at the scars that ran all across his chest. He sighed and finished, grabbing his walkman and putting one of the ear pieces in his ear. He walked down the stairs of the building and into the resteraunt part of it. A burly man behind the counter looked up from his paper and smiled. "Alright, you're awake. You can make some tea, eh?" "Won't." "Why not?" "Can't, Bayushi-san. School, remember?" he said, smiling at the grumbling that came from the man as he looked back at his paper, and walked out of the door, grabbing his bag from the table nearest it. The music of Snow Patrol resounded in his right ear. [I]"I'm trying not to stir It's too late The blanket's over there If you like I'm broken and I'm colder Than hell I should have said that I'd not Come back here."[/I] He made hisw ay to school, dodging past couples and groups alike, and entered the building, grabbing some books out of his locker. He walked calmly to class and sat down in his chair by the window just as the bell for the first lesson rang...[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[QUOTE=Jokopoko][COLOR=TEAL][SIZE=1]Hmmm, I don't think I've ever seen a Warhammer 40,000 RPG tried on OB. I've tried a Warhammer one myselt and it didn't get very far. A Necromunda RPG would be quite good I think but I've a few questions. Would the Imperium have direct involvement with the goings-on of the Hive I.E. Would the Adeptus Terra dispatch the Adeptus Arbites, Imperial Guard or Adeptus Astartes [Space Marines] if things got out of hand? Also, what characters would be playable. Could we only be memebers of the houses or the gangs for example or could we be Redemers or Tech-Priests? I think I would sign-up if I could play as an Imperial Commissoner like Yarrik for example, it would be interestring to see how a Warhammer 40,000 RPG went on the boards.[/SIZE][/COLOR][/QUOTE] At least someone knows of the setting. Necromunda is fairly out in the schticks, so the Imperium has little control over it per se (btw, Necromunda - as all semi-civilised Imperial worlds - already has a large Arbites precinct and several Imperial Guard regiments, like the Necromunda 8th "Spiders"). I would probably be fairly easy going on what people can and can;t be, but i would suggest being a ganger. I'm probably going to do this in the chapter system (jumping on the band wagon) based 6n several gangs and their respective Houses vying for power (with good old double crossings and High Noon showdowns aplenty). I'm working on a sumarry sheet for easy digestion as we speak, but before that would anyone be interested in any more information? Colour

students scattered from the hallway, as if fleeing by instinct from a natural disaster, all reason lost in the face of this force of nature. They all knew who was coming. Death was coming. Tobias Durden was coming. He walked down the hallway hunched slightly, a predator on the prowl. His hands flexed and clenched unconciously, of their own according, waiting for a fight. No-one would start one, but a guy could dream, couldn't he? He saw a group of girls, none of them older than 14, staring at him in a mix of awe and terror. He glared at them. He liked his glare. It mixed just the right amount of insanity with "having a bad day" with just a hint of imminent violence. Turned onto its full power, he had seen a senior male wet himself over it. The memory still warmed his heart to this day. Needles to say the girls scattered. Tobias laughed, and a shudder ran through the collective spine of the remaining students int he hall. [I]It's good to be me...[/I]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkGreen]Alright, I'm still working on the world for Sho'gun, so I was thinking of starting this RP based on a finished setting. I just wanted to know if there were any takers for an RP in this world. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The hive is an ancient and incomprehensibly vast city, built op layer upon layer, stretching ten miles into the planet?s atmosphere. To those who live in the depths, the dark and ruinous Underhive offers every opportunity for wealth and power. Its collapsed caverns conceal the riches of the distant past: rare and precious metals, unfathomable archeotech devices, wondrous mutated fungi and much more. It is also a place of danger, where mutant creatures, renegades and killers hide from the laws of House and Hive. And, of course, there are others who want riches of the Underhive for themselves. Outside the hives, the planet?s surface is covered by endless miles of toxic ask wastes and the atmosphere is so polluted that it corrodes the hive?s armoured walls. Above is a harsh sky and the sun?s deadly light. Beyond the planet itself is the wider galaxy and the great realm of the Imperium of man, an empire of a million worlds held in thrall by the Adeptus of Earth. But such things are nothing more than legends in the Underhive where sky and space, planets and even the ground itself are concepts so wild and abstract that many refuse to believe they exist. No-one knows how old the hives of Necromunda are. Their very size is testament to many thousand years of growth, sprawling layer upon layer, climbing ever higher above the planet?s polluted surface. The deepest and oldest layer now lie far underground, buried by the corrosive ash that piles around the hive?s base. There parts of the hive were abandoned long ago, and now they are dark and dangerous places inhabited only by mutant things spawned by chemical pollutants, disease and madness. Where the hive breaks the surface its broad base spans ten miles or more from edge to edge, from ground level man made mountain rises ever more steeply upwards. Weathered walls of adamantium climb through the phosphorescent layer of undercloud, a pall of acidic dust which clings to the surface of Necromunda like a shroud. The hive reaches skywards through ghostly shadow, until it eventually penetrates the cloud base and emerges into the hard light of the sun. At cloud-top level the hive walls stand almost five miles above the ash waste. Above the dust layer the hive narrows into a single tall spike, a tower studded with a million lights. It stretches almost vertically above the sickly glowing cloud and reaches towards the stars. The spire is covered with armourplas blisters of man shapes and sizes. Domes n its surface shield carefully nurtured vegetation from the thin and arid air. Slim towers break from the outer shell, palaces of massive and elegant proportions yet barely significant in comparison to the hive. Cantilevered balconies hundreds of metres long jut out into open space forming the base for new construction sites. Broad circular landing platforms hang from the spire walls, and higher still gaping dark holes lead into spaceports inside the hive. Such are the hives of Necromunda, from their dark roots to their glittering tips. Each hive is a complete, self contained world as varied and complex as any planet in the vast Imperium. A man born in the middle layer of a hive can lice and die without seeing Necromunda?s sky or setting foot on the surface. He can labour in the guild factories or perhaps ply the trade of his family. In this way the vast majority devote their lives and their endeavours to creating the massive wealth of the world. Not all men are content to serve in the timeless fashion: a small minority dream of better things. Some crave wealth, power or simply to escape from bludgeoning poverty. Others seek to escape the restrictions of the guild or the crippling social order of House and Hive. Whatever their reasons, there is no shortage of young adventurers willing to chance all for a taste of wealth, prestige and power. HIVE PRIMUS The most important hive on Necromunda is called Hive Primus or Hive one. Hive Primus is the largest and oldest hive. Within it?s walls there are thousands of structural cells or domes, often many miles across and hundreds of metres high. Such a space can be built up with constructions as varied and sumptuous palaces and sprawling industrial complexes. The hive is honeycombed with domes both small and large, each built upon the other, linked by tunnels and shafts carrying traffic, power and other vital services through the hive. The hive is divided into vertical ordered zones. From its top to its subterranean depths these are: the Spire, Hive City, the Underhive and the Hive Bottom. [B]The Spire[/B] The Spire extends upwards from the cloud-top level, rising above the mass of the hive and piercing the planet?s atmosphere. This is the domain of the seven great clans called the Noble Houses. The Noble Houses are huge constructiums of galactic merchants and financiers whose leaders control the immense wealth of the planet. The most powerful of the Noble Houses is the House Helmawr, also known as the Imperial or Ruling House. The leader of this house is Lord Gregory Helmawr, Adeptus of the imperium of Man, and Guardian of Necromunda in the Holy Name of the Undying Emperor. He rules not just Hive primus but all of Necromunda. The Spire contains broad airy spaces and splendours unimaginable to those who dwell in the darkness below. Its people enjoy the fruits of civilisation that spans the galaxy. From spaceports sunk deep into the spire walls ships carry the products of Necromunda all over the Imperium. In return, the riches of the galaxy flow into the hive ? exotic foods, sensuous slaves, exquisite artwork and rare materials from distant stars. [B]Hive City[/B] Below the lowest level of the Spire is a layer of solid adamantium called the Wall which divides the towering upper hive from the Hive City. Heavy gateways through the Wa;; enables carefully controlled passage between the two parts of the hive. Beneath the Wall lies the vast bulk of the working hive, the five mile deep Hive City that exaxtends from the cloud-top level to the ground. Hive city is divided between six manufacturing empires known as Houses. Each house exists in its own part of the hive and governs its own affairs quite separately from the other Houses. The hivers, as the population is called, live in dark, cramped and polluted conditions, never seeing the sun from the day they are born to the day they die. The air they breathe is recycled from above and grows ever more bitter and poisonous as it filters downwards. Even the water is distilled from the discharge of the upper hive and their food is factory produced chemical nutrient, algae-based or spud from corpse starch. Conditions are crowded and unsanitary, and, as the hive deepens, the darker and the less habitable the environment becomes. [B]Underhive[/B] In the depths of the Hive City it is common for power or water to fail or access tunnels to collapse, creating unproductive toxic waste zones. The lower the region the worse is its air, power and access, and the more unstable its structure. As the hive deepens normal habitation becomes impossible, and this region is known as the Underhive. There is no formal barrier between hive City and the Underhive because the border is constantly changing. Even as areas of Hive City are abandoned parts of the Underhive are resettled and rebuilt. As a consequence, the Underhive is an ever changing frontier where people are constantly seeking new opportunities or fleeing from sudden catastrophe. The Underhive is a frontier in more ways than one. Not only is it a barrier between Hie City and the unimaginable horrors of the Hive Bottom, it is also a region outside the formal law and order of the hive. The people of Hive City live carefully regulated lives. They are protected by the strict social codes of House and hive, dominated by family patriarchs, and obliged to work in guild factories. The sprawling Underhive is lawless and anarchic, and its stockaded settlements form the only havens of relative order. Even in these refuges, murder and violence are everyday facts of life. Gun law is the common law of the Underhive, and self protection is the best and only reliable defence. [B]The Hive Bottom[/B] At the base of the hive, buildings become so structurally dangerous that the region takes on a different and even more inhospitable character. This is the final and deepest zone called the Hive Bottom. The hive Bottom is so decayed and crumbling that the original domes and foundations have long since collapsed, forming a layer of almost solid muscle. Within the rubble are enclosed pockets linked by holes and tunnels worn by liquids leaking from above. These pollutants and effluents, the discharge fluid of the entire hive, form a vast lake of radioactive putridity called the Sump. Nothing can live in Hive Bottom other than the most monstrous mutants. Its denizens are the spawn of darkness and pollution. Some of these foul creatures find their way into the Underhive, or even into the lower parts of Hive City, but their natura; domain is the darkness of Hive Bottom. [B]THE HOUSES[/B] Below the adamantium barrier known as the Wall are the domains of the six Houses of Necromunda. These ordinary houses lack the privileges and the status of the Noble Houses. Their people are confined to the cramped hive City where conditions are squalid and dirty. The hivers, as they are called, are used to the dim light and rank air. Knowing no better, most live contented lives of toil in the guild factories, workshops and other industries which form the chief business of the hive. The Houses are manufacturers of goods of all kinds, from foodstuffs to armaments. These products are traded wit the Noble houses and in this way the wares of Necromunda reach the wide universe. A complex but efficient trading relationship has grown up based around the competition between the Houses to produce goods, and between the Noble Houses to buy them. The people of the six Houses do not normally mix, and the borders between their domains are carefully guarded against intruders. Each House is proud of its unique traditions and disdainful of its rival?s way of life. Where the territories of two Houses border each other it is common to find an interposing dead zone or area of fortification. Prolonged warfare between houses is rare, but not unknown. Violence can be triggered by anything from accidental trespass to deliberate invasion. The most common cause of animosity is contact fighting. This happens when a House tries to destroy vital factories in a neighbour?s domain in order to make it impossible for them to fulfil a contract. Should this happen the neighbour will incur heavy penalties and may lose a lucrative contract to a rival House. Open hostility is rare. For one thing, war between two Houses would simply further the interests of the other four and do neither antagonist any good. Also, the Noble Houses strongly disapprove of destructive conflict because it damages trade and hinders the movement of goods. Noble Houses may threaten to take their business elsewhere rather than tolerate a hive war. Consequently Hive City is mostly peaceful and industrious, and the majority of its people are happy to toil for their House and reap the meagre rewards on offer. The Houses are: [B]Orlock[/B] House Orlock is known as the House of Iron because its foundations lie upon deep ferrous slag pits. The hivers mine these pits for the debris of ancient times and extract enough pure metal from the refuse to serve their industries. Over the centuries extensive mining of the slag has caused some lower domes to collapse. In the past this led to hivequakes and the destruction of several overlying domes. For many centuries the House has fulfilled the Ulanti Contract, a lucrative deal by which one House supplies the core requirements of the Ulanti Noble House. Previously the contract was supplied by House Delaque, but the Orlocks usurped the position by bribing Underhive gang raiders to destroy fuel lines into a Delaque guild factory. Since then the two Houses have taken every opportunity to discredit each other. Five years ago Lord Hagen Orlock was assassinated by the Delaques, and the relations between the two house have never been so tense. [B]Goliath[/B] The domain of House Goliath is situated unfavourably within the Hive City and occupies some of the deepest and harshest areas. Their extensive heavy industries contribute further it the pollution and heat, so that their territory is often filled with toxic smog and dark fumes. The way of compensation the Goliaths are tough and persistent by inclination. They consider the hivers of other Houses to be soft and slack. In truth all hivers are naturally robust, being inured to the toxins and deprivations which they accept unquestioningly as part of normal life. The Goliaths, however, take a stubborn ppride in their ability to endure hardship. The other houses see the Goliaths as barbaric, unsophisticated and unpredictable. Goliath institutions such as the fighting pits and the Feast of the Fallen do nothing to dispel the impression of a violent people inimical to their neighbours. Size and strength are seen as the measure of a man (or woman). Their style of dress emphasises a preoccupation with physique, featuring weighty chains and massive spike bracers. [B]Escher[/B] House Escher is perhaps the most strikingly different of all the Houses of Necromunda. Like all the houses it is controlled by a ruling family, and its political life and institutions are dominated by close relatives or families in service. However, unlike the other Houses which have reasonably balanced populations, that of the Escher is made up almost entirely of women. The few males are shrivelled and imbecilic, perhaps a result of a genetic flaw within the House bloodline. Whatever the reason, they play no part in the normal affairs of the Escher. Escher society has long since developed to cope with its uniquely imbalanced population so that it is no longer perceived as a disadvantage. The Escher have a reputation for arrogance and are said to look down upon and pity all males. They are particularly dismissive of the Goliaths as simple and brutish. The two Houses are old enemies and skirmishes along their borders are common. [B]Van Saar[/B] House Van Saar is renowned for the quality of its technical products. Its technology is no more advanced than that of anyone else, progresses being almost non-existent throughout the Imperium, but the House?s manufacturing processes are precise and its finished materials are of the highest quality. The Noble Houses pay a premium for Van Saar goods, and as a result the House is probably the most wealthy in Hive City. The Van Saar are reputed to be a serious minded and humourless people, with a deeply ingrained sense of order. Like all the houses of Hive City they have a style of dress which marks them out. In the case of the Van Saar this takes the form of a tight-fitting body suit designed to protect and sustain the wearer in the hive environment. Semi-permeable membranes in the suit reduce the loss of body moisture whilst various spots on the material change colour to warn the wearer of airborne toxins and reduced oxygen levels. [B]Delaque[/B] House Delaque benefits from a special understanding with the Imperial house of Helmawr, providing not just materials but also information to the rulers of Necromunda. Delaque spies are said to operate throughout the hive, observing the activities of other Houses. It is rumoured that some of the ruling members of the Houses, and even some Noble Houses, are in the pay of the Delaque. Other Houses are justifiably suspicious of House Delaque. Their appearance does little to contradict an age old reputation for double dealing and espionage. Delaque traditionally wear long coats with internal pockets in which they can easily conceal weapons and other large items. Most are very pale and bald headed. Their whispering voices are thin and eerie. Many wear dark visors or glasses to protect their sensitice eyes ? an intolerance of light being a common Delaque weakness. Although the entire hive is dim by normal standards, the territory of house Delaque is particularly dark and shadowy as befits a people whose motives and methods are shrouded in mystery. [B]Cawdor[/B] House Cawdor is the stronghold of the Cult of the Redemption whose prophets foretell of universal destruction. Although the cult has its adherents throughout the hive, in House Cawdor it has attained the status of an official religion. For this reason the House is also known as the House of the Redemption. The Cawdor attitude to the other Houses is strongly coloured by their beliefs. Amongst other things this forbids them to show their faces in public, so Cawdor can be recognised by their elaborate masks. The designs of their masks are often quite bizarre and disturbing. The Redemption demands a strict code of conduct, and those who break the rules are driven away and become outcasts. Hivers who do not follow the Redemption are worthless infidels. Needless to say, the relationship between House Cawdor and the other Houses is strained. It is often supposed that the Cawdor actively support Redemptionist outlaws in the other Houses. [B]GANGS[/B] The Underhive is a dangerous place where people gather together into gangs so they can explore, travel and fight together. Those which join a gang are called gangers. House traditions are so strong and their identities so distinct that even in the Underhive gangs are formed from gangers of one House. A Necromundan?s entire sense of self is based upon House loyalty, and even the descendants of downhive settlers retain their House identity to a large extent. The bulk of gangers come from the Underhive itself. They are the descendants of of settlers, some from families established in the Underhive for generations. The loyalty of these established Undehivers to their House is tempered with romantic notions of life in Hive City, a place they have never been to and can only dimply imagine. Some gangers come downhive from Hive City. Young juves and discontented hivers are keen to join or form gangs, and there are always hardy Underhives willing to give them a chance. As well as its ordinary gangers a gang might also include hired help in the form of mercenary fighters, psychic mutants or Ratskin trackers. [B]Gang leaders[/B] Gang leaders are usually experienced fighters who know the local Badzones and understands the dangers of the Underhive. Sometimes a ruthless desperado from Hive City will set up his own gang, but only the greenest of juves or the most inexperienced ganger would follow him. All gangs recruit new fighters now and again, the most successful gang leaders are highly respected and competition for membership is keen. Even the most experienced and skilful gangers may have to find new companions if their leader is slain or captured, and such fighters can always command a good price fort heir services. Their aim of every gang leader, and eventually every ganger, is to get rich and go more uphive. Some return to Hive city, where their new wealth enables them to live in luxury for years. Most dream of freedom in the Spire, away from the filth of hive City and the repression of the family patriarchs. Only he richest get to the Spire, but in the Spire money buys power unimaginable to the hivers of Hive City [B]All Holed Up[/B] The place to start is one of the big settlements that adjoins the wastezones and deep parts of the Underhive. Places like Dead End Pass and Dust Falls are full of gangers passing the time of day in the drinking holes, trading posts and workshops. They wait for news of tunnel openings, rumours of ore strikes, and any information that might lead them to fortune. News is soon public knowledge. Rumours, real or false, spread faster than Rat Pox. Settlements suddenly disappear as rival gangs scramble for a piece of action. It?s easy to pick up odd jobs inside a settlement. Guilders hire gangers to take things from place to place, or to protect them as they travel through the hive. The town?s traders are more than willing to pay for information or services. Local settlers often hire help to round up livestock or hump slime barrels into the nearest settlement. If all else fails, a day?s scavenging in the adjoining wastelands will always turn up a few trinkets or bits of junk to sell to one of the workshops. Odd jobs depend upon good contacts, and it is thes contacts which keep the gang going from day to day. The more people you know, the more favours you are owed, and the easier it is to build a gang?s numbers and weapons stock. [B]OUTCASTS[/B] The Underhive exists beyond the laws of House and Hive. The Houses have little influence and their family patriarchs care little about life beyond their borders. Even the Imperial House would think twice about trying to impose its will in the anarchic bowels of the hive. The Underhive provides a natural refuge for those seeking to escape retribution or revenge. Individual criminals and political dissidents can melt into society without fear. Larger groups of outcasts can find a secluded place to make their home. Amongst these groups are crazed religious zealots, mutant-hating Redemptionists, Utopionists, cannibals, head-hunters and any number of misfits and madmen. [B]Mutants[/B] The constantly recycled air, water and food of the hive have an inevitable effect on its inhabitants. Pollutants and toxins build up in the bio-system causing genetic instability and mutation. The effects of this are worse further down the hive where toxins are more concentrated. Because mutation is so common minor deformities are tolerated to a degree, even in the Spire and Hive City. However, conspicuous mutants are rooted out and destroyed according to the strict laws of House and Hive. Only those who flee downhive can hope to escape and start new lives, losing themselves amongst the ever-shifting population of the underhive. Underhive inhabitants are more tolerant of mutants than other hiver. So long as mutants keep a low profile and are not obviously or grossly deformed, they can live peacefully even inside a big settlement. Underhivers are not inclined to ask questions or look to closely at their neighbours, and are more sympathetic to mutants in general. Of course, not all are equally tolerant. House Cawdor especially are quick to turn upon mutants. Other fanatical groups such as Redemptionists hate all mutants no matter how minor their deformities. Their creed preaches the uncompromising destruction of all deviants. For those too mutated to live in the big settlements the lawless expanse of the Badzones provides ample opportunity to hide. Mutants of the most hideous varieties, scaly many-limbed monstrosities, will naturally gravitate towards the deeper part of the hive an the hive bottom. They are outcasts even form the Badzones. Not all mutants are physically grotesque. Some appear normal, but actually have psychic powers of one kind or another. These mutants are more readily accepted into the Underhive than conspicuous deviants. Some are welcomed and protected because their abilities are useful, such as psychic healers and precogs. [B]Ratskins[/B] The Ratskin people have lived in the ruins of the Underhive for as long as time itself, and the Ratskins regard the place as their ancestral home. They know almost nothing of the world that lies above their heads or beyond the hive. Ratskins have lived apart for so long they have developed their own language, and only the few who visit Underhive settlements to trade bother to learn the common tongue of the hive. They are called Ratskins due to their habit of wearing the pelts of the giant rats that inhabit the Underhive along with them. Ratskins possess senses uniquely adapted to the conditions of the Underhive. Their sight is incredibly keen and it is commnly supposed they can see in pitch darkness. A Ratskin can smell out tiny differences in air quality, and can track other hivers or hive creatures by scent. Their hearing is also finely attuned to the hive. The slightest sounds tell them where others might be, whether a tunnel is safe, or if dangerous creatures lurk nearby. Ratskins care nothing for the Hive City or the hivers that come from above. They do not understand the hivers? strange lust for scrap metals and glittering stones. Most of all they are baffled but the foolish manner in which settlers eat poisonous fungi, fall down holes, blunder into roof falls, and generally act in a senseless and dangerous fashion. Although the outsiders puzzle and often anger them, the Ratskins are content to leave hivers alone so long as they leave the Ratskins in peace. Adventurous Ratsins trade with the hivers and sometimes hire themselves out as guides or trackers, but they are a self-sufficient and proud people who neither need nor want much from anyone. Ratskins know their way around the Underhive better than anyone else/ They know about the main tunnels, the small crawl holes, and the shifting drains and sumps of the effluvial flows. They know ways into and through the Underhive which the hivers are utterly ignorant of. They can find paths into domes which remain undiscovered and buried to ordinary men. Ratskins move through the hive effortlessly and mysteriously, disappearing almost magically, appearing as if from nowhere. Any takers? Ask any questions if you're not clear on something. Cheers ColourDeaf[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[CENTER][B]Sunday September 5th 11:25am[/B] [COLOR=Indigo]A shadow stood above the school, the wind whipping around him in forceful carresses. The figure drew a breath, the smell of new students, unmolded minds filling his senses. The figure was balanced on the very top of the school's clocktower, one foot planted ever so lightly on the top of the steeple. It was holding an object, possibly a staff, resting against its shoulder, and it's face was hidden by the wide brimmed hat it wore. Dark eyes peered out across the school It's students His realm. The figure let the breath out, the air being caught up in a whipping zephyr and torn away. Soon the students would mov into their rooms, a new year would begin, and they would learn. The shadowy figure laughed, his shoulders barely moving with the whispery sound. They would learn indeed. They would learn this was his realm, from time before memory this was his home, his domain. They would learn that he was the true ruler of every shadow of every crevice in this place. They shall learn that he is wiser than any of the fools they called teachers. And they would learn his name. The figure disappeared behind a screen of dust, leaving behind only the whisper of an echo of a name. Yuan-i'teur.[/CENTER][/COLOR] ((OOC: Suitably mysterious, methinks))

[COLOR=DarkGreen][B]Name[/B]: Toshiro Mifune [B]Code Name[/B]: Zephyr [B]Appearance[/B]: Tall and dangerously thin, Toshiro's arm are long and gangly, with long fingers and wide knuckles. His face is rapier thin and he has a hooked nose, and wide eyes. His mouth is wide and normally curled into a smile. His hair is long and bright red, dyed, although there are streaks of premature white in it. He normally wears a skin tight bodyglove of a black synthetic material, underneath a long brown trenchcoat and over large brown gloves. His lower legs are encased in huge metallic boots, with small pistons and springs hidden carefully in them. these are to absorb most of the shock of impact from his landings. Although his face is undoubtedly youthful (late twenties), there are definite signs of wear and tear. He habitually wears racing goggles on his forehead. [B]Abilities[/B]: [B]Speed[/B]: Zephyr seems to be able to work on a different speed than any ofther creature on earth. Because of this he can travel at speeds that rival teleportation, leap great distances and posseses split second reflexes that are on the brink of a sixth sense. His body natural exudes a protective psionic barrier when travelling at these high speeds to stop him breaking his neck when turning a corner or splatting on an unfortunate wall. He has discovered a use for the barrier, becoming a human bullet, crashing through walls and other obstacles that get in his way. However, the faster he travels the more damage he does to his body (many reports show him curled up on his cell floor coughing up blood for hours after a particularly long fight), and although he has an incomparably faster healing rate than humans, the damage does show. [B]Personality[/B]: Toshiro is a kindly person, although he does have an inflated ego and a superiority complex to go with it. He is a strangely patient for a person with his ability, and can be found more often than not reading a book (a favourite of his being a novel-sized rendition of - oddly enough - [I]The Tortoise and the Hare[/I], which he proclaims is "deeply depressing"). He holds great respect for people that can match his speed, and people who can best him in a fight (normally exclaiming he is "in love with their skills"). He also has a habit of getting people's names wrong. [B]Bio[/B]: Toshiro had a fairly normal childhood. He had two dreams, to be the fastest runner in the world (he was a successful sprinter during middle and high school) and to see the world. All of it. He trained in running almost obsessively, having little time for his friends and family. He was approached by the Masamune Corporation to be part of what they described as a "Specialist training course for up and coming athletes." Young and naive as he was, he accepted the terms and agreed to be experimented on. He did not, however, expect the level of experimentation he was to undergo. The did numerous surgeries on his leg muscles to find their density, and these had to be performed without anestehtic, as his highly sped up metaolism burned through it too quickly. He was trained relentlessly to heighten his powers, and was soon ready for battle. He was highly successful in assassination missions, and was in high demand (who wouldn't want a fighter who could speed past security and dodge bullets?). What the Corporation did not tell him was that his body was workingso fast that hewould die much sooner than originally anticipated. They don't know whether he will die in a year, ten years or tomorrow, but he will die soon. He already has a series of drugs and medicines to keep him going. Upon learning them, he abandoned Masamune to it's own devices, and swore reenge on those that made him quite literally live fast and die young.[/COLOR]