Malkav

"You look so...simple." Ayaka said, looking Hajime up and down. He was wearing a simple straw hat, and robes. No body armor, he looked as if he were ready to travel, not fight. Ayaka on the other hand had on light armor and was ready for the battle that was coming. "Follow my instructions very closely." Hajime began, ignoring Ayaka's previous statement, "The enemy is rushing like swine to the slaughter. I want you and your Ninja to leave the battlefield. We'll draw them in and slowly attempt to surround them. I won't be signaling you, so you'll have to use your gut. I want you to flank them from the sides and arch around them from behind. Make sure you leave them a path to escape." "That doesn't make sense, why not crush them?" "Because, I don't care about winning the battle, I care about winning the war." "Why do you have to be so different?" "Because that's what you love about me." Hajime lifted his head so she could see into the hat and he winked. Ayaka walked off. Hajime then turned towards the rushing enemy. His hand fell silently on the hilt of his sword. [i]Sun Tzu has yet to fail me...[/i]. His first enemy came swiftly, but Hajime's sword was swifter, cutting the enemy's arm off instantly. Hajime quickly resheathed his sword and took a step back. Another agressor came forth and this time, Hajime attacked. His hat served a double purpose. Not only did it keep the sun from his eyes, it also kept his enemy from seeing his eyes. A skilled warrior can tell what his opponent's doing by the look in his eye, with the hat, Hajime cancelled out this weakness. But it worked double, because Hajime dared not look up and into someone's eyes, the last thing he needed was to feel sympathetic towards his enemy. Hajime's strategy was working, but he was losing alot of men in the process. [i]Alright Ayaka, its time you got your ass out here.[/i] He thought to himself as he kept on with his plan. His sword technique was keeping him safe for the time being, but he needed something to interfere. He looked out towards the horizon and had yet to see ayaka...

Hajime stood and began walking away from the tree. "Where are you going?" asked Ayaka, who watched him. "I'm going to sharpen my blade, it's been drawing quite slow recently." he continued walking. Ayaka waited for a moment and sprinted as silent as a cat and followed him. His long hair blew slightly in the wind. It was unusual for men not to tie their hair up, it might get in his way during battle. He said nothing as they walked, but instead hummed a tune that's been around since their childhood. "You don't see to be bothered by anything." she said. "What's there to be bothered about? When not in war, I don't think like a soldier. Surprisingly." "Why surprisingly?" "I've killed so many, and yet, I can still laugh and cry. My first instinct to solving a problem isn't killing, but rather to work it out. Then on the battlefield, unless my first instinct is to kill, I will die. It's a cute paradox really." "Yeah, cute." "You just don't know how much that means to me..." They entered a hut that was some ways from the tree. Inside there were many weapons upon the wall and many supplies used to take care of them. There was also a small bookcase containing scrolls, many of which were guides to effective use of the weapons. Ayaka didn't see why he'd need these considering he was using that odd Iai style, but she wasn't one to judge. She watched as he drew his nodachi from its sheath. The long sword glimmered some with the help of the the light shining through the cracks. "Why are you here?" Hajime asked Ayaka, who just sat watching him. "Well, I thought we'd talk some more." "No, thankyou. I and my sword need some us time. Perhaps if you'd taken my offer on the card game, then things might've been different." "You drank my sake though." said Ayaka annoyed. "That's besides the point." Hajime answered with a slight smile on his face. "You're so difficult. I'll leave." Ayaka stood. "Sit back down, Ayaka," said Hajime calmly, "You're welcome to stay." They sat there for another hour while Hajime sharpened and shined his sword, he then stopped and stood up to leave again. By now, Ayaka had dozed off in the hut and he left her, closing the door behind him. Hajime walked to a bridge over the stream. The water made the most calming of noises as it splashed through the rocks deposited below. He looked out over the setting sun in the west and watched it as the sky turned red, he then took stance on the bridge. Hajime waited and waited, not moving, not making a sound, and then he saw them. Bats began flying towards him, now that the sun was gone, they would take flight. Drawing with lightning speed, Hajime struck with his sword three times and resheathed it. 9 bats fell to their death, missing limbs or heads. Hajime walked off satisfied, Iai still had yet to fail him.

Name: Yagyu Hajime Age: 23 Sex: Male Affiliation: Takeda of Kai Class:Samurai Appearance: Attachment (look familiar?) Weapon: Long sword called "Drying Pole" Fighting Style: Yagyu style Iai Jitsu, an improvement made upon Shigenobu's art. The style (at this time) is in its infancy and is practiced by very few people. The phrase for those few who do use it is, "Saya no uchi (the best sword is the one that doesn't leave its sheath)". Basically, what this mean is that for the majority of the battle, the sword remains in the scabbard. It is only drawn in defense or attack and after which it is quickly resheathed. It's a difficulty technique in which mastery yields great rewards. (if you ever played dynasty warriors, its Zhou Tai's fighting style, for the shallow). Also knows a form of unarmed combat, Sosuishi-ryu Jujutsu, which he uses sometimes as an alternative to unsheathing his sword. Personality: A quiet individual, he is not one for idle threats or taunts. In battle he is quiet and pokerfaced, not showing any emotion and not speaking unless to comment on something mildy interesting in battle. This is not to be mistaken for cockiness however. Outside of the battle, Hajime is a mildly sociable guy, he speaks and is polite. This niceness hides his love for women however. He is also very charming and charismatic and a favorite among takeda's ranks. Also a lover of books and haikus, can often be seen reciting them. Biography(brief, just the facts): Born to an obscure branch of the Yagyu family, Hajime was not fortunate enough the learn the family sword skills, so he grew up on other swordsman. One in particular was Shigenobu, who was the founder of the Iai Jitsu art. Hajime, at age 7 saw him slay a man in one strike in which those there to withness the battle were not able to the sword once it was drawn. Hajime went on to attempt to mimic this technique. He first started by knocking insects out of the air with his wooden practice rod, he then moved on the cutting swallows out of the air with his blade. After a while, he joined Takeda's army and quickly rose up the ranks, this is when tragedy struck. His father and mother were both killed in a raid of his village that he grew up in, after their deaths, Hajime began to perfect his technique at a scary speed. Many said that their death's inspired him to be a greater warrior, others say he used swordplay as an escape from the pain of their deaths. Whatever it was, no one knows, but Hajime became an instant favorite in Takeda's ranks and went on to help Takeda's forces win many sweeping victories. Final Thought: Chauvanistic Wandering Poet Last Question: Is there room for my character to go Ronin in the future in this rpg? Like if my lord dies or something?

Chapter 5 Heaven Characters: Laing, Tsuke Summary: Tsuke and Liang awake to find that Kojiro is not with them. Instead, they find themselves in Hiroshima right before "The Bomb" is dropped. They look for Kojiro but as soon as they realize where they are, the Bomb is dropped and they're forced to live out this day. At the end they find the exit to this hell at ground zero. Notes: This chapter's main purpose is to get Liang and Tsuke acquainted as they look for Kojiro who does not show up. This hell was made in horrible contrast to the somewhat up-tempo hell's we've been to. Make as you will of this chapter, what you want it to be is entirely up to you.

Maxim looked out upon the battlefield, he had 20 soldiers with him, all deathly loyal to him. They walked down to the very edge of the battle and awaited Maxim's orders. "Kill all the men. Capture the women and children." he said, not studdering once. His men ran down into the battle and Maxim sat back and watched. He didn't appreciate the subtle pleasentries of battle, nor did he like getting his hands dirty. Boredom eventually took him and he walked bravely serenely to the battle below. A band of UA warriors saw him and made to surround him. Maxim smiled behind his mask as they drew their weapons. "Surrender or Die!" one yelled, Maxim held his hands up. The UA began moving in, but as soon as they were close enough, Maxim took his claw and stabbed one of them squarely through the head, he slumped and died. The others attacked Maxim but he was too quick for them, in an instant he wasn't there anymore. Suddenly, one of them fell dead, the others jumped with surprise and took guard. Another looked towards his comrade and suddenly saw the clown appear behind him and lop his head off. Three more fell in similar fashion until there was only one left. Maxim appeared in front of him and he fell over, letting his helmet tumble off. Maxim looked into his face and saw that he was but a child, perhaps no older than 12 years old. Maxim picked him up and held him by the collar. "Little boy, this could be one of two things. Either the best day of your life, or the worst, which do you want it to be?" Maxim asked him, the boy spat in his mask, "I see, I'm sorry." The boy suddenly went catatonic and Maxim through him back to the ground. The boy laid motionless as Maxim saw his troops come back with many women and children bound together and marching in near unison. Maxim felt pleased as he saw his orders had been carried out flawlessly. One of the little girls however tried to break the line and run to the boy who Maxim had just sent into catatonia. She looked almost exactly like the boy and Maxim realized they were twins. "Guard!" Maxim yelled to one of his subordinates, "Make sure they are taken care of. And these two, the twins, bound them in my personal chambers." The guard nodded and grabbed the boy up and forced the girl to keep walking. Maxim took one last look out onto the battlefield and decided his work was done.

[i]To master the shadow, one must first allow it to master itself...[/i] Kojiro sat, blinded by the Mother. His anger festered within him, but what was he to do about it? He sat. For four hours he sat, nothing happening to him. Could the old fool possibly had been lying to him? Dammit, he thought. It all came back to him. Perhaps it was all a lie, created by the Mother to weaken him. She wasn't as strong as she acts, with a few precise movements, he could probably match her... [i]The shadow is made animate by the inanimate, what doesn't exist makes it exist...[/i] Kojiro dared not leave the safety of the cliff, for if this power truly existed within him, now would be the time to bring it out. Kojiro then, after letting his hatred and other insecurites go, his mind went blank. Another hour or so passed and Kojiro's mind slipped towards the idea of escape. He wanted to escape this hell, but not alone. He wanted to take her with him, if he hoped to leave, he'd have to find a way to get them both. He had to help her escape with him, he needed to get her. [i]The shadow follows you, now it may move freely...[/i] It opened its eyes, it's cold dark eyes and searched the cliff. Nothing. It ran down, hiding within the grass as it ran. If anything saw it, it would be mistaken for a small creature, or perhaps even a gust of wind. Under the moonlight, no doubt it would be seen, but it was very doubtful anything would notice what it was. It tasted the air, it tasted her, and as a serpent to eve it slithered her way. Desire mounting, and want overriding its senses, the very thought of her made it ache in agonizing ecstacy. It moved towards her, its desire guiding it in the direction it felt her. Perserverance paid off as it saw her, leaping gracefully through the trees and above the lake. It watched in tentative awe, moments passing in which it would not dare go near her. Its patience, however would not hold. It moved to the lake's edge and waited. She fell to the surface, landing firmly above the water. It readied itself for the attack. She leapt again, the wind soaring through her hair and down her frame while her clothes moved in rhythm to it. She twisted and performed a flip in the air and went towards the ground face first. She didn't notice however that the moonlight giving her that mystic glow suddenly disappeared from above her... It slammed into her, forming itself around her every curve and contour, taking her in and engulfing her in its passion. Heaven was tasted through her as they plunged into the water below. There it released her and returned to the surface and then to the land. It was nearly five minutes before she surfaced and swam for the shore. Its attack had caught her off guard, and now there she was, shocked and vulnerable. It slithered to her and rooted itself firmly in her own shadow, there it took all of her in. It saw through her wet clothes and at her body beneath, at the swell of her breasts and bosom as her clothes hugged them. It then smelled her, it smelled the love below, it smelled the soft lovely musk of her hair. It felt the heat of her breath. It had to have her, it had to take her. Two tentacles suddenly shot of from the ground and, grabbing her arms, forced her down on her back. It then brought out more tentacles, bringing the total to six out of itself, and with its bidding, they started removing her clothes. She didn't scream, although she attempted futily to resist. The shadows overpowered her, although they didn't harm her. Gently the tentacles began to caress her, some moving around her breasts, others around her cunt. She quietly struggled throughout this ordeal, and made little progress. Then, out of the blackness that was it, came a head. It's eyes were red and snakelike, and it's face was black as a moonless night. Following the head was a torso, and then suddenly, a large creature stood where it once was. Two of the tentacles holding her down suddenly became arms and the beast moved in close to her. It's face became level with hers. They stared into each other's eyes. It opened its mouth and let out it's serpent like tongue, licking the side of her face. She whimpered some, as she suddenly felt something inbetween her legs. A thick mass of darkness had gathered there and the thought of it there frightened her. "Liang..." she heard escape from its mouth. It knew her name, and the voice through the grunting sounded familiar. It's mass was suddenly within her and moving. At first it moved slowly, slipping in and out of her tight cunt with ease, but it began feeling different, more fleshy. It then began moving faster, slipping in and out easily despite the tightness of her pussy. She felt it in her stomach as she looked up at the monster who began taking shape. The contours of its face began to shape and a familiar face joined the familiar voice. The red eyes disappeared and revealed a blindfold, but she knew this face. "K-Kojiro?" she gasped as she then felt his breath upon her. Without thinking she brought his head down and began kissing him as he began thrusting into her faster. His breathing grew more rapid as he suddenly remembered who and where he was. He smelled her beneath him, felt the warmth of her touch all around him. He thrust into her again and heard her whimper out a soft, "yes", which made him swell. Faster and faster he thrusted into her, listening to her little whimpers and cries. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, licking the warm tears that were rolling down them. He couldn't see Liang, but he didn't have to, he didn't want to. Nothing could be more perfect than what he saw right now within his own mind, what his feelings allowed him to see. The shadow began receding back within Kojiro until he was fully visible under the moonlight. He controlled it now, fully. The exercise was a blur to him, and he didn't know how exactly he gained control of it, but it was his again. "I-I..." Kojiro began, but was unable to finish. He felt his climax coming and removed the blindfold from him eyes to look at Liang. She was red with pleasure as her body bounced in the rhythm of his thrusts, and she met his gaze. They stared at one another and said not a word as Liang gasped with the coming of her climax. Kojiro released his too in a fury of emotions and fell atop of Liang. She held him there in the grass and kissed him passionately, not knowing if she'd just been raped or made love to. She didn't care as long as it was him. They lied there for the rest of the night, not sleeping but never daring to leave each other's side. [i]And they become one...[/i] OOC: Finish it out Neuvoxraiha.

Name:Malkav Age: 400ish (looks 20s) Alliance: Vampire Appearance: picture Weapons: Carries two dagger like claws, one on each hand. Extra: Malkav wears a mask that reminds people of a joker on a deck of cards. It was his calling card of sorts Personality: It is said that there is a fine line between brilliance and insanity. But a select few have blurred this: Nietzsche, Lector, and Van Gough. This man, Malkav, is brilliant. Be it through his seductive tongue? His graceful movements? Perhaps his deceptive stare. A manipulative man, his mask hides his emotions as well as his face, if one was to judge just from talking to the man, they'd believe he was laughing at them the whole time. This however, does not get in the way of his passion, a pervert in his own right, Malkav may in a few instances give way to sadism and find himself loving to hurt things. Few people, from simply meeting him would know of his madness, nor of his intentions. Fighting style: Obfuscate-can become invisible, Dementation-may figure out what scares his victim and induce the image of it upon them. His fighting style is very unorthodox, employing bends, leaps, and strikes that would put a contortionist and a mime to shame. Character Snippet: Some 400 odd years ago... [i]What is he in here for? He never screams, disobeys, or try to escape. I've actually had a conversation or two with him, he's not crazy at all... He murdered them though, the whole family, and ate the dog... Are they sure it was him? This guy, besides the mask...is sane, actually a genius... That's why the judge gave him this instead of prison. He's a trickster, don't let him fool you... I have yet to, but I'm telling you, they've made a mistake...[/i] The Asylum doors opened, revealing the plastic chamber which held him. But something was wrong. The prisoner was no where to be found. Quickly one of the two men pulled out a two-way radio and began radioing for help. "Alert! We have a runner, we have a runner!" he yelled as he opened the plastic cage. He ran inside to look for ways the prisoner got out, but suddenly heard the door shut behind him. Before he could turn, he felt a sharp pain in his back, and a cold, yet beautiful voice whispered in his ear. "Though this be madness, there is method in it..." the killer disappeared once more. The night drew on, and the police found their way to asylum, inside was nothing but horror. Bodies were piled up at the door. Blood was all over the walls. But it wasn't splattered, it was drawn perfectly into images, drawings, and writings. Only a true madman could do this. But what caught the attentions of the police was what was written upon the wall adjacent the door. All ye who enter here, abandon all hope... [i]A madman who quotes Hamlet and Dante?[/i]

OOC: Remember your shintais and post with them in the upcoming cycle, and "Who Am I?" you suck... Kojiro saw her again, the Mother. She walked up to him and with a wave of her hand, his pain was gone and his wounds healed. He looked into her dragon's eyes, those piercing evil eyes and thought nothing better than to pluck them from her skull. He wanted to hurt her, to make her pay for defeating him, being stronger than him, humiliating him. He wanted her to be in the most excruciating agony ever conceived under the eyes of god, and then, he saw darkness. Kojiro awoke feeling his coat around him, covering him. He clenched it tightly and then awoke to realize that Liang was not in it. He jumped up and searched frantically through the damp darkness to find his sword. It wasn't there. "Chill out, everything's cool." came a voice from behind Kojiro, it was Tsuke. "Where is she? Where are we? Where did that bitch go?!" Kojiro yelled as he finally spotted his sword and collected it. He moved to leave the grotto but Tsuke stepped in his way, "Calm down, everything's fine I think. We're still alive, despite what she did." Kojiro stepped to Tsuke's face, "Get out of the way." "No." said Tsuke firmly, "I don't want to piss her off again." An almost familiar voice came from the shadows, "You really don't." It was the mother, how she got into the grotto without them noticing, they didn't know. Kojiro turned and prepared himself for the rematch, Tsuke merely grew more tense, waiting for something to jump off. "Keep your sword drawn [i]suki[/i]," she said. "Where's Liang?" Kojiro said, his hand resting on the handle of his blade. "She's safely out of the way. I've taken her somewhere to learn how to master her Shintais." "Shintais?" Kojiro and Tsuke said in unison. "Yes, the ability of yours that was granted to you when you decided to return to Earth. I can sense your shintais, and to leave here, to your misfortune, you must learn to utilize them." "I don't understand, what do our shintais have to do with our escaping? Who said that we must learn them?" asked Tsuke. "I said so, I do hate it when [i]suki[/i] come unprepared. I want you to know however, in the future, I have every intention of facing you again. I haven't been defeated in nearly 4000 years, I do so want my death match." "What of the Yama kings?" asked Kojiro, "Why not defeat them, I'm sure you have the power to bring down gods." "So young..." said the Mother, "Come with me, Yuri." Kojiro flenched at the stating of his first name. The Mother walked forward, pass he and Tsuke. Kojiro followed, however dispargingly. They walked out of the waterfall's grotto into the starfilled night. The reflection of the full moon shone brightly in the water, filling the area with a beauty that would make one forget the battle that took place here. "I feel," began the Mother, "that you are imbalanced. The yin within you is showing its ugly head, lurking within the shadows of your mind. For someone so young, you have such control over yourself. Much more, I admit, than I had when I was your age. But what baffles me is the fact that you are a half-breed. Half Russo I believe... Kojiro listenened to her out of fear and respect, something had grown within him that told him that no matter how hard he tried, or how much he wanted it. This dragon eyed queen was not going to be defeated. "What do you know of the creation of this and every other world?" she asked him, stopping just beneath the waterfall's mouth. Kojiro had not even noticed they had walked up. "Not much." Kojiro answered. "How poor of you, it should come to you in your meditations." "Meditations?" The mother threw Kojiro a scarf. "Cover your eyes. Find the yin within you, and manifest it into your shadow. This will allow you mastery over the Yin Prana." Kojiro followed instructions and covered his eyes, darkness then took him.

Name: Maxim Age: 76 Gender: Male Race: Sorcerer Side: Merlin BIATCH!!! Weapons: two dagger like claws, one on each hamd Powers: Illusions and trickery, can also induce madness in victim. Description: Picture coming soon Bio: A shady man who made his way to the top through lies, deceit, and bribery. At once a pimp who only sold high class whores to nobles and kings, the man grew to become one of the most feared and respected people around, not to mention with his powers he was able to do a few tasks for nobles. Seeing Merlin would win, he sided with him and now is still feared and respected by those around him. He wears the Joker mask and goes under then name of Maxim to conceal his true identity.

Kojiro sheathed his sword and stood straight up, his heart told him that these two weren't any harm. Liang, who was still in Kojiro's overcoat loosened her grip on her whip after seeing Kojiro's act of peace. "So, why are you here?" Kojiro asked Tsuke. "I'm travelling through the hells in search of a way back to the living world." Tsuke answered in his most diplomatic of voices. "We are in simlar situations then. Although for hell, I have yet to be seriously wowed." "Likewise." The two exchanged smirks, Liang looked on, allowing Kojiro to talk to the newcomers. Since they've been together, this was the first time they were introduced to others. Holding his coat tightly around her, Liang turned and walked towards the edge of the lake the waterfall emptied into and began wading in it, suddenly she looked up and saw two people standing upon a rock at the very base of the waterfall. Both had swords unsheathed and attacked. One, who was a woman moved gracefully and felled her opponent in a single blow. The woman straightened up and turned towards Liang, she then took off into the air as a crane, straight for Liang. "Kojiro!" Liang yelled as she began pulling her whip out. Before she could even remove the whip from beneath the coat, the woman was in her face. She was small, perhaps no taller than 5'0 ft and weighed maybe 90 lbs. She was petit, but what caught Liang's attention was her eyes, she had the eyes of a dragon. "You're a fool for coming here." said the woman to Liang, she held a sword level with Liang's neck. Suddenly, the woman had a long curved sword held to her neck as well. It was Kojiro's. "And you're a fool for misinterpreting our intentions." said Kojiro sarcastically. The woman suddenly disappeared, leaving a storm of cherry blossoms in her wake. Suddenly, she reappeared behind Kojiro. Kojiro turned quickly and parried a would be strike to his back and the woman disappeared again. She then appeared again, sword heading straight for Kojiro's throat, but he dodged it and exchanged blows with her before she went again. Kojiro stood deathly still with Liang still under him. Her eyes showed she was in a state of both fear and confusion. She too was still. Tsuke, who had been watching from the sidelines, had his claws ready for the strike, he then noticed someone floating face down towards the bank. It was Jin, floating in a puddle of his own blood. Tsuke ran to his comrade's side and turned him around, showing that he had a gash in his side, it was nothing that couldn't be treated, but Jin was on the verge of passing out. "I tried to...talk to her her..." Jin said, holding his side deathly, "she attacked me..." with that, he passed out. Kojiro heard heard a footstep in the water behind him. He turned and faced the woman once again. "Magic tricks aside," he said, "Let's finish this." Kojiro attacked her, his stronger more precise form finding little advantage over her graceful ballet of a fighting style. He stepped to her and brought his sword down upon her, but it was parried quickly, and she was able to recover from the strike faster than he. They both seemed equally matched, with Kojiro using every technique, trick, tactic, and strategy he was ever taught in an effort to bring her down. She then jumped back from him, and stood on top of the water in the middle of the river. She then spun and sent something Kojiro didn't expect his way. A large sickle of energy escaped her sword and made its way towards Kojiro. It surprised him so much, he didn't even think of getting out of the way... Tsuke watched as Kojiro went flying into the woods, he didn't have time to decide of Kojiro was alive or not, but he ran towards the woman and attempted in vain to defeat her. She blocked his first strike and knocked him off balance. As he fell back, she pressed her palm gently against his chest, and suddenly it exploded and sent he too flying into the woods. All that was left was Liang... She fought tears as she sat there, waiting for the mysterious woman to turn on her also. The woman looked at Liang, her dragon eyes hurting Liang more than anything else ever had. She grasped Kojiro's coat and stared somberly towards the ground... awaiting her fate. Liang suddenly felt a cold hand choking her and found herself at the top of the waterfall, feet dangling helplessly. The woman held her over the edge and said very frankly, as if she were talking to Liang at a dinnertable and not while dangling her from the ledge. "I see that you all are horribly unprepared to go forth. Most people at least scratch me, but then again, you are the first to make it this far in 1000 years..."

The Assassini The Story (you can skip the introductory story if you want, but if you want an alright read, please be my guest to do so) April 1, 2005 Vatican City Pope John-Paul lied pain stricken in his bed, slowly loosing his battle to stay alive. He had no idea of what was going on outside of his apartments, but he knew that word of his health had gone public. They knew he was on the verge of dying, but they didn't know he was not dying of old age, but he was dying of poison. Slowly, the words [i]Mea Culpa[/i] escaped his lips as he prayed to the lord for help... Outside of the Pope's apartment, walked a lone nun, her head hung low as for the people around her not to see her face. She carried a shallow pail of water and a rag as she walked down the dreaded corridor. Cardinals, priests, bishops, and nuns all stood, praying, crying, hoping for John-Paul's survival, but this one nun did non of this, she simply walked. Night had come and the lights from outside filled the corridor, casting her shadow along the wall. It was a somber sight in this time of sorrow, one that would hopefully end quickly. At the papal apartment door, sat a lone Cardinal in a chair, guarding the door to the Pope's apartment. He was slumped over with his head buried in his hands, crying. As the nun approached, he jumped up with urgency and made eye contact with her. "What are you doing here?" asked the Cardinal standing sentry outside of the Pope's door. "The doctor told me to bring his Excellency a pail of water," said the Nun, "may I carry it inside?" The Cardinal looked her up and down, she was young, perhaps in her mid 20s, quite young for the papal doctors to be trusting, "I'm sorry, but no one will see the Pope. Give me-" Before he could finish his sentence, the nun hit him with the pail, not spilling a drop of the water within, the Cardinal slumped back into the chair, knocked out. Anyone passing by would think he was sleeping. The nun opened the door into the papal quarters and laying ten feet from her was Pope John-Paul II, himself. Two more Cardinals were in the room, one looked surprised and moved to get rid of the nun, whereas the other simply stood there. The nun sat the water down on a nearby pedestal and rushed to meet the approaching Cardinal, with a quick flick of her wrist, a knife appeared in her hand and she buried it inside of the Cardinal's stomach. He slumped to the floor dead. The Nun then took him into the papal bathroom and dropped his body in the tub. "Good work Seraphim." said the still living Cardinal from the other room, "I didn't expect you to make it this far." "What's his condition?" asked Seraphim, who removed the nun uniform and revealed a skin tight jump suit underneath which was loaded with two knives, an uzi, a grenade belt, and a radio. "He fought the good fight," said the Cardinal, whose eyes suddenly went cold, "and he's going to live." The Pope met Seraphim's gaze and smiled a sinister smile. "Your orders, your Excellency?" she asked the Cardinal. "Finish the job." Seraphim walked up to the Pope and looked him in the eye, she then put her hand over his mouth and nose, smothering him. The Pope was too weak to struggle and died within minutes. "So," Seraphim began after the body went limp, "What's next?" The Cardinal laughed a little and then pulled out a cell phone, "Alright, he's sleeping, come up." Seraphim waited patiently for what seemed like an hour. Soon, two men in black suits and handbags entered the room. They surrounded Seraphim and pulled out silenced pistols. "I'd point those elsewhere if I were you." she said, not loosing her composure in the face of a gun. "My dear Seraphim, you've served me since you were 14 years old," the Cardinal began, "and your work has been impecable, but if I am to become the next Pope, I don't need to be in league with [i]your[/i] company." Seraphim's eye's narrowed, "You're going to execute me? After 10 years service to you, the Holy Roman Empire, and the [color=darkred]Assassini[/color]?" "That, I must admit, is correct." said the Cardinal, with a sinister smile on his face. "If you do this, then I promise I'll come back for you, even if I have to break through the gates of hell themselves, I'll come back for you." "That is a problem I shall deal with as it arrives. Until it does, the blood, for now, is washed cleanly from my hands." he began walking towards the door, "My sons, kill her." Two shots were fired, both hitting dead on contact, and the two men walked towards her to collect the body. She lay limp, but they then saw a flash of silver light, and suddenly Seraphim flew up into the air as if lifted by the angels themselves and roundhoused one of the men, then, using her knife, she attempted to slit the other one's throat, but caught his cheek instead. Landing as gracefully as a cat, Seraphim hopped behind the bed as the sound of bullets whirled past her, luckily the room was bullet proof. Seraphim sat, holding the wounds recieved from the gunshots, neither were fatal, but they were both hurting like hell. She wanted to pull the Uzi from her side and simply spray the two, but that would cause a ruckus that the masses outside did not need to hear. On her belt however, she had a gas grenade. She quickly pulled the pin and threw it over the bed. As it went off, she sprinted from behind the bed and ran for the nearest agressor. His hands were covering his face as he coughed roughly. Seraphim ducked behind him and slit his throat with swift and silent proficiency. The saw what she had done and started firing madly in her direction. Seraphim, thinking quickly, used the dead body as a shield and grabbed the gun. By now the gas was getting to her also, but she fired the gun nonetheless and hit the second aggressor dead between the eyes. Seraphim quickly ran out the door and jumped the balcony into the streets below. Landing as gracefully as a cat, she then turned and saw doctors and priests running into the papal quarters. Like good Catholics, she knew, they wouldn't let anyone know that the Pope and two others had been murdered this night. She walked for what seemed like hours, plotting her revenge against the soon to be leader of the Church. She knew that she'd need help in defeating this man, but why stop at him? Seraphim knew that to get to him, she'd need to take out her former comrades in the [color=darkred]Assassini[/color]. She knew that they'd provide the Pope with constant protection at all points, so she'd have to take them all out first. She could be a hero, she thought, purging the church would prove something special. She'd have to prepare though... 6 months later... The Plan Welcome to the Assassini, a story of revenge against the most revered man in the world. Seraphim, a young woman whose life was devoted to service in the church, didn't serve as a simple nun or lady in waiting, she served the church in another way. She was a member of the Assassini, the Church's most ancient and well guarded secret. Her purpose was to eliminate those who were enemies to the Vatican, but in this new century, the Vatican is fighting a desperate inner war. The Politics of the Church have lead the holiest of men to involvement with nearly every litany in the book. None deserve to live, all deserve to die. Seraphim has begun an underground resistance known simply as the 2nd Coming, so are you with her? The Breakdown Ok, if you're a fan of Metal Gear Solid, Batman, Kill Bill, or spy thrillers like: James Bond or the Bourne Identity, then this game is for you. Generally for your sign-up, I'd like for you to make your character Human but at the same time a little different. Pretty much, I'd prefer a Solid Snake or an Black Mamba/The Bride to a Splinter Cell or a Earl Swagger. Your characters are gonna be a little off, but at the same time very much human. Like I'd expect someone who'd sign up as a character whose very batman, metalgear or kill bill inspired. I'm talking about a VERY interesting background, please don't be too generic. So here's the sign-up Name: you can leave it blank if you want to Codename: Your character's codename Affiliation: Assassini or 2nd Coming. Weapon Of Choice: What your character fights with, can have more than one, please don't get too ridiculous. Personality:YOur character's personality Background: Your character's background.

Kojiro watched Liang's berserk frenzy from a distance. A strange hell this was, a bamboo forest guarded by monkeys, not so much the hell he would have expected. Kojiro felt the wind shift behind him and he quickly turned and halved a monkey between the eyes. He then twisted fluidly and cut down another and the bamboo behind it. Kojiro then began using a succession of quick strikes and attacks to take out the rest of his foes, eventually. there was nothing left but he and the girl. Kojiro stared at her for a moment, an angel of death, goddess of discord. He approached her, stil within her frenzy, her eyes wild with the kill. Something clicked in his head then, was this the fabled fire soul? The perfect imbalance of Ho and P'o? He'd watch her, listen to her, feel her, perhaps even care for her in the days to come, for she had become his soul mate, the one whom he'd have to protect from here on out... As he approached the proximity of the whip she swung, the ground beneath them erupted in light, and thus, they were gone into the oblivion... [i]If we had met before, would I feel this way?[/i] Chapter 4 Thousand Crane Mother Characters (in posting order): Liang, Jin, Tsuke, Kojiro Plot Summary:Our heroes meet for the first time at the base of a large waterfall, there they see a lone female warrior meditating under the waterfall. Jin attempts to question her, but is beat sorely for disturbing her meditation. The others jump in to fight and are defeated in similar fashion. After this, the warrior reveals herself as Thousand Crane Mother, whom some fable as the greatest warrior who ever lived. She then tells them that passage out of this hell comes at a subtle price, they must learn to utilize in full effect their shintais and only with their power may they exit. Notes:This chapter is somewhat a wild card. I think the posting order will go around twice, once to get the fight and such out, and the second time to train and exit the hell. Thousand Crane Mother is the master of ALL shintais, and you absolutely positively can't defeat her, nor can you scratch her. Think of her as a female Pai Mei(kill bill fame). She is not friendly, kind, or caring. Let's have fun with this chapter. Any questions, PM me.

Olivia's crosseyed...

Kojiro wanted to smile, but her presence prevented him from doing so. The poor little girl had no clothes, and was walking barefooted through the thicket. He saw how her blood led to where they were standing at this exact moment, yet she didn't scream, pout, complain or anything. She was a strong girl, Kojiro wanted to do more than just give her his coat. Interestingly enough, he felt that he was bound to her by something unseen and unheard. The feeling, with all of its subtle mechanations, had been growing on him since he first met the little girl in the darkness. What could he do though? Kojiro stopped and turned around to face the girl. She nearly ran into him as he did so, "I'll help you." he said, making it sound more as a demand then an offer. He took her off her feet and held her in his arms, as a groom would his bride, but his grip held on as if he were carrying a sack of potatoes, not a woman. Her face turned red as he did so. "Um, thank you." she said as he began walking down the path again. "This way is quicker, besides, its not your fault you're naked." Kojiro answered. Silence fell over the two as the carried on. Kojiro's mind worked solemnly as he walked through the thickets. He thought back to how his journey through the darkness started. After he was shot, his mid fell into the darkness, and there he saw it, the scarlet road. He often wondered if he was the only one between himself and the girl who saw the road, a thin sliver of crimson that went forever forward, always. He never believed in the asian stories his father used to tell him of. The stories of Chi, the scarlet road, and the August Personage. At least not until he found himself here with the chance to return to the Earth. He was not ready to die, at least not like that. A coward shot him in the back as he was running, that isn't the death a warrior deserved, perhaps a thief, but not a warrior. Unluckily for Kojiro, he was both. Thief in him would have just taken the death, but the warrior wouldn't. Maybe that's why he walked down this scarlet way, maybe it was the way of the warrior. Looking down, Kojiro could see that the girl had fallen asleep, like a child in his arms. The bamboo, Kojiro noticed, had begun to creak unusually. He stopped. Something was coming for them. Not just something though, many things. Kojiro sat the girl down on his coat and unsheathed his sword. He waited tensely as the sounds of the creaks suddenly grew more fervent and then out of the sky itself, a chain like whip flew towards him. Kojiro snagged it on his sword and snatched with all of the force he could, suddenly pulling down a strange beast. It was a monkey wearing armor. The beast leaped back into the trees above him. Kojiro untangled the whip from his weapon and flung it towards the girl, who had awoken from the sounds of the ruckus. Kojiro stood deathly still as shadows were being cast all over the forest floor. "I hate monkeys..." he said, as they fell from the trees upon him.

Chapter 3 The Bamboo Thicket Characters: Shang Guan Ling, Kojiro Yuri Summary: This is a simple yet complex chapter. The basic outline is, the two are traveling through a seeminglessly endless thicket of Bamboo. Somewhere down the line they are attacked by monkeys from the trees and eventually fight their way to the exit. Notes: Not much to say, this chapter gives alot of freedom and can be rp'd in the same manner as the previous post. Because of the limited # of people and the freedom of the chapter, we are free to rp much of what we want. Please, any questions can be addressed to the underground.

im discontinuing the yin-yang, hun-p'o system because in a story driven rpg, it doesn't fit (if this were pen and paper, or dice driven, it'd work near perfectly). Also, because so far you guys are doing a great job, I'd like to ask you 3's help in something. As you noticed, there weren't many sign-ups for the Thousand Hells, and this has in turn made me very uncomfortable. So I want to start a sort of "cancerous" ad campaign for its sequel, "Chaos Factor". I won't reveal an ounce of the plot for the sequel, but I will let you know this, it takes place in the real world in an urban setting. My thing is I want you guys to write short stories (when and if you have time) involving your characters fighting the "Yama Kings's" minions. If you read through the proem, you already know my character has become a business man of sorts. While you're doing that, I'll be busy creating graphics and stories of my own. I feel if we annoy otaku enough, they'll come running like lemmings. Give me your feed back on this idea.

O-ren, you could have saved that for a PM or IM... although I have a question along similar lines. Is the chapter going to end as it is or are you (james) gonna rp for persona?

Chapter 2Sho-ran Mountain Characters: Jin Jung, Tsuki Shishomi Summary: Jin and Tsuki find themselves at the base of a large mountain with the forgemaster Lau(for info on him, visit the underground thread). They ask him to forge them some weapons (i'm sorry jin, but you can't have guns, so if you'd pick another weapon, I'd appreciate it). After their weapons are forged, they find out they must journey up the snow topped mountain, get the ghost flame flower, and come back. Once they reach the top, they're attacked by the firebird Suzaku. After they defeat it, they get the flower, come back down, and the gate is opened for them to proceed to the next hell. Posting Order: Innocent, x Kakashi x. Notes: This is the first chapter where something actually happens, maybe you two should talk to each other using either the underground thread, IM, or PM to decide how your posts should be and to make sure both of you are happy with the chapter.The basic outline of the chapter is 1. get weapons 2. climb mountain 3.defeat suzaku 4.comeback and leave Any questions, either post in the underground or PM me, thanks. You may post more than twice in an alternating fashion if you see fit.

NPC Info Name: Forgemaster Lau Appearance: Feeble old man who has a bald head and a long beard that falls down to his feet. Wears tattered clothes Known Shintais: Ghost Flame Personality: A quirky old man with a large sense of humor. Nearly everything said to him is taken as a joke. He likes to make jokes but they are by all means not funny. Info: An old forgemaster who lives at the base of a large mountain, he forges weapons for those who would climb the mountain and bring him down the flower which rests atop it. Only if you make it to the top and back will you recieve passage out of this hell.

good question...

What an unfortunate way to die, he thought while holding the girl's head level with his. She looked young, something fresh out of highschool, but at the same time, her eyes held an aged glow to them. Cute. Yuri let go of her head and looked out into the darkness, it seemed as if he was left here with this naked little girl, and the only light within this hell shined down upon them. But this couldn't have been the hell? Yuri remembered hearing stories when he was a kid about what hell would be like, fire and brimstone, but this was just darkness, utter darkness... He walked off from the girl for a little ways, and further into the darkness. The light shining upon her eventually disappeared and he found himself alone once more. He continued to walk forward, and a light began to shine in front of him. He walked towards it still, and found that sitting within the center of the light was her again... "Liang..." he said disappointedly, she looked at him as if waiting for him to say something more. "It appears we're trapped here." Her eyes widened some and she looked around into the darkness surrounding them, she then slumped to the ground and tucked her knees under her chin. Yuri mused to himself quietly, [i]So this is hell? to spend all eternity in the darkness with a naked sexually abused girl barely out of diapers? God must really hate me...[/i] For hours they stood there, quietly observing each other and the darkness, until Yuri spotted a silky red thread running along into the darkness. "I believe there's a way out of here." said Yuri, who's eyes traced the thread into the dark oblivion. Liang looking puzzled tried to follow his gaze, but didn't see it, "Where?" Yuri began walking off. Liang, fearful of being alone, hustled behind him. They walked for what seemed like hours until at the end of the thread, there seemed to be a door. Yuri hid the excitement he felt very well from Liang, who was still following him puzzled. Each step closer nearly stopped his heartbeat, he did not want to be here in this type of hell. Soon they were upon the door. The couldn't see through the light to the other side, but it was either that or this darkness, and Yuri never liked the dark very much. "Shall we?" he asked Liang, who looked as if she took on the same weight that was in his heart. She nodded. Side by side, they took the final step, and then there was light.

Proem "Mr. Kojiro, A Mr. Ebon is here to see you." came the voice from the teller's machine. Yuri, who was facing the daylight from his office at the southern tip of the city, suddenly turned around and answered the call with a quick, "Let him in." No sooner than that was said, the door swung open and a fairly young man walked into the office, he wore an armani suit and held in his left arm a crystal tipped cane. His hair and eyes were jet black and his face was distinctly Japanese. As he sat down in the chair adjacent to Yuri, a small white cat jumped unto Yuri's lap and made itself to rest. Yuri looked down on the cat and then back to Mr. Ebon before gaining a presentable composure. "Kojiro Yuri, its a pleasure to finally meet you. I have been interested in you for a very long time, now." said Ebon. "I'm sorry if I reserve that feeling, but I do not know who you are." replied Yuri, in a very business like manner. "Oh, but I'm sure you've heard of me, I am in fact very famous amongst [i]your[/i] circles. Perhaps-" Before Ebon could finish, he was snatched from his chair and a fine blade was held to his neck. Yuri stood behind him, his eyes a bloody red. "You've chosen the wrong person to interest yourself in, comrade." said Yuri, as he slid the blade across Ebon's throat, only to notice that it left no mark. "My, I'm sorry it had to come to this." said Ebon, he then too disappeared. He attacked quickly from behind Yuri, only to be deflected by Yuri's blade. They looked at each other for a second and then inched slowly to the far end of the room, giving them more room to groove. Yuri sheathed his sword, moving slowly into an Iai Jutsu stance, whilst Ebon stood there, his weapon obviously his cane. Yuri stepped towards the door slightly as Ebon stood there watching him. The air-conditioning in the room suddenly came on, breezing cold air into Yuri's face as he continued inching. "Running away are we?" asked Ebon, who had stayed in the same place this whole time, black eyes watching Yuri always. Yuri said nothing, but instead bolted into a corner shadow created by the sun's angle to the door and disappeared. Ebon then too, sidestepped and fell into a shadow in the floor created by the chair he was just sitting in. Mere moments later, Yuri stumbled out of the shadow he had entered, finding himself sparring openly with Ebon now. Ebon's attacks came from all directions, leaving Yuri very little time to parry them. Ebon's skills, Yuri knew very early on, surpassed his very own and a notch began to grow in his heart. "We could always stop this little duel, you won't win and I really don't want you to die...again." Ebon said, tucking his cane under his arm. Yuri weighed the options presented to him, and reluctantly, he sheathed his sword, "What do you want then?" "Excellent. I am under the understanding that you are a halfling. Part Kin, part Cathayan. Am I correct so far?" "Yes..." "And you, with help from a small band of others, dwelved into the Hell of the Eternal Ring and challenged the Yama King Berva?" "Yes, but-" "And upon accepting your challenge, the Yama King put his own existence on the line, saying he'd give you his hell if you defeated him?" 'Yes, but-" "And you, upon defeating him, chose not to accept his offer, but to remove his head, stake it, and then seal his hell off?" "..." "I see. These were the facts that were presented to me. Now, let me here the story from you." Yuri stared at Ebon for a moment before returning to his seat. "May I ask why I'm being interrogated?" "Because I want to know how a halfling defeated the first of the Wan Xian, and lived to tell about it. No other Yama King has before fallen to a mere Kuei-jin, especially not in his own territory." Ebon moved to sit down also. Yuri took a long deep breath and lit a cigarette, not that it could do anything to him anymore, "After I died...I met four others on the scarlet road..." Chapter 1 The Scarlet Road Summary: In this chapter, there will be two doors presented, one, Innocent and Kakashi's character's will take. The other Myself and Neuvoxraiha's characters will take. The two groups haven't met yet and will not meet until later on in the story. Posting order(from left to right): Neuvoxraiha, Malkav, Innocent, x Kakashi x Notes: I know, this is a shitty chapter, but I want everyone to kinda show their reactions to being dead and they're resolve to go back to the real world. your post doesn't have to be insanely long, but decent. It doesnt necessarily have to be my exact words, be creative, its a start. So there we go, post and have fun for the first chapter.

please delete this thead, thankyou

I liked attack of the deranged mutant killer monster snow goons. In that one, calvin fought an army of snow creatures that he created and was able to defeat them by icing them with the hose. Also lets not forget Yukon Ho! I've read calvin and hobbes almost my whole life before I passed my collections onto charities, they excited my imagination then, cause I related to that six year old monster. *drifts off...*

Now this will be the OOC or technical aspect of the rpg. Here we will keep up with the "stats" as it were, posting order, chapter by chapter progression, and character development. To start off, here are the additional stats I will be adding to each character. I want these stats to determine how your character's behavior will progress throughout the game. For starters, everyone starts off balanced between yin and yang and hun and p'o. After each of your post, depending on your actions during the post. Changes will be posted in the Underground. The first will be the Yin and Yang stats. Because you will now be Kuei-jin(asian vampires for the unschooled), you will be able to sense chi and soul, which means you can tell which someone is leaned towards. It will be your job to rp to your character in their state. Yin: Dark Chi, those who are attoned to this suffer horribly if attacked with wooden weapons after becoming imbalanced. Yin attoned characters usually prefer darker more enclosed areas. Yang: Light Chi, those who are attoned to this suffer horribly if attacked with metal weapons after becoming imbalanced. Yang attoned characters usually prefer brighter areas and the outdoors. Hun: Good, pretty much. Characters attoned to this are more likely to be good. And show mercy, and be very just. P'o: Evil, those attoned to this tend to be a tad ruthless and uncaring for lives. Jin Jung Yin: Balanced Yang: Balanced Hun: Balanced P'o: Balanced Shang Guan Liang Yin: Balanced Yang: Balanced Hun: Balanced P'o: Balanced Tsuki Shishomi Yin: Balanced Yang: Balanced Hun: Balanced P'o: Balanced Kojiro Yuri Yin: Balanced Yang: Balanced Hun: Balanced P'o: Balanced Shintai Beast Shintai: Allows you to turn into an animal of your choosing. Obligation: Can read minds Iron Mountain: The Kuei-jin's skin becomes hard as marble and becomes impervious to hand to hand and melee attacks. Black Wind: The Kuei-jin gains increased speed and strength. Flesh Shintai: The Kuei-jin can outstretch his arms and legs (think dhalsim from street fighter) Ghost Flame Shintai: Allows Kuejin to spit fire from his mouth Jade Shintai: Basically, the Kuei-jin can do that crouching tiger hidden dragon ****. Appear weightless and jump long distances and run up and down walls. Smoke Shintai: The Kueijin can create smoke illusions. Yin Prana: The Kuei-jin gains control over shadows. Blanket and area in shadows or jump into shadows and return through another. Yang Prana: Allows Kuei-jin to appear however they want using illusions. Demon Arts: Allows Kuei-jin to have a demon form. Cultivation: Allows Kuei-jin to manipulate their P'o, using it to create wave attacks with their fists.(kamehameha) Internalize: Allows the Kuei-jin to project their spirits. Astral projection. Thats it for now, I need everyone to post the three shintais they want to start off with. Yuri gets Yin Prana, Black WInd, and Internalize. Chapter 1 Next to post:Innocent DISCLAIMER: The names Kuei-jin, shintais, and other systems incorporated are sole property of white wolf gaming studios and non of this is being used for monetary gain, thankyou. -Deus Ex Maccus