The Tower of the Spider Ninja Clan OOC (Closed by invitation)

[Armphid]

Jessina, The Lost Island.

The island of Jessina is a new land, only settled five hundred years ago. There was little development until two hundred years ago, when rich veins of silver and iron were discovered. There is still little settlement here, many of the mines playing out almost 60 years ago, just before the ravages of the Dragonlord that drove many others away. The overall population of the island is in the neighborhood of 40, 000 “civilized” folk. The numbers of the monsters and barbarian tribes remains largely unknown.

The Peoples
Humans- The civilized population of Jessina is largely human, due to that race’s remarkable abilities at pro-creation. They have a notable but not overwhelming majority over the other civilized races, though many of the barbarians that dwell in the highlands are also human. The island as a whole is officially part of the New Kingdom, located over the sea to the south, ruled by King Godfrey III. The local vassal of the king is Lord Shingle (technically an Earl) who resides in Silverlode, a wealthy mining town inland. Humans are known for their boldness and virility. More than any other race, humans are explorers, always curious to see what is over the next hill or beyond the horizon. This has also given them a reputation as risk-takers, sometimes to the point of foolishness. Humans also have the shortest gestation and maturation time of all the other races, allowing them to spring back from disaster or war faster than the others. Humans also have an unusual magic ability, the ability to inter-breed with other races. Perhaps as a result, they get along with the other races well, and often welcome them into their communities. This attitude is not necessarily shared however.

Dwarves- Dwarves are a sizable minority on Jessina, many having made the long journey from fabled Midgard (the Dwarven Empire, even further away than the New Kingdom) attracted by the mines and mountains of the lost island. A few clans made the move as a whole, resulting in a few dwarf only settlements in the mountain areas. Dwarven culture bares some similarity to that of the ancient Norsemen in our world, but with an emphasis on mining and manufacturing rather than farming and fishing. Renowned for their craftsmanship, dwarven metal goods (not just weapons) are very desirable and trade well. Dwarven alchemists have also created a rudimentary form of gunpowder, meaning that most dwarves will carry a blunderbuss rather than a bow. Dwarves are well known for battle prowess, and an eagerness to display it. Dwarven mercenaries are common, and most either adventure or serve in their jarl’s forces before settling down to become craftsmen. They usually work through caravans or trading towns, rarely allowing outsiders into their halls and palaces. Most dwarves would admit that they have a very strong sense of other races as outsiders, a mild xenophobia that prevents much mixing. The valor of humans appeals to the dwarves immensely, but their ability to inter-breed…quite frankly freaks most dwarves out. Their well ingrained distrust of other races is enough that there have never been any known half-dwarves, much to the race’s relief. Dwarves respect elves, seeing a match for their own craftsmanship in iron and stone in elvish wood work, weaving, and magic. They see the elves as similar, spirits of the woods as dwarves are spirits of the mountains.

Elves- Elves have been in Jessina longer than any of the others, this island long an outpost and something of a fall back for their people. The vast woods of the lost island are united in one elven kingdom, ruled by Queen Moira. The legendary (and largely thought deceased or fictional) elven warrior-mage Balthazar has his own lands here as well, in a majestic river valley deep in the mountains. Elves are close to nature, master hunters, trackers, and crafters of wood, leather, and cloth. Elven made garments are wonders to behold, and can be passed on for generations. They are also master bowyers, and unsurpassed in the magical arts. They are passionate beings, and due to the nature of elven reproduction (an elven couple must ingest a series of potions over the course of a year before even being able to become pregnant), take many lovers over their long lives, and do not share the sex taboo that humans and dwarves have. This is one reason why there are so many half-elves, since humans seem to break the normal restrictions on elven fertility. The elves involved in such pairings are often baffled, but try to be good parents. It is often hard, since both the other parent and the offspring seem to mature and fade so quickly…many such elves become devoted to family lines, becoming an eternal “grandparent” to the entire lineage. Though they travel for trade and commerce, few elves are adventurers. So long do they live, that there is very little that seems worth risking their lives for. Those that do are looked at a bit oddly by the rest of elven society, and are sometimes said to have “the human sickness.” Humans both delight and worry elves. Humanity’s emotional nature, curiosity, and remarkable flexibility are both charming and fascinating but many worry that in their explorations humans will find things better left alone. Some elves also worry that if things continue, humans will breed the elves into extinction. Elves respect dwarves, though they dislike their interest in tearing the earth apart so. Many elves feel that once the mountains run out of coal, the dwarves will bring their axes to the woods looking to fuel their forges.

Nekojin- The smallest civilized race, the nekojin are so scattered that it is hard to speak of them as a people. They have no written history, which makes it even harder to discern where they came from. Most nekojin live in human communities, though there is at least one nekojin barbarian tribe on Jessina. There will be occasional nekojin villages as well, but these are small, barely hamlets. These furred beings are even more curious than humans, but lose interest in anything quickly, lacking human drive and ingenuity. As a result, they are often looked upon as being moronic, good for nothing annoyances. The cat folk take this in stride; they know who the truly awesome ones are. Nekojin travel a great deal, the whole race being largely nomadic. Often they will “adopt” an adventuring group as a kind of family and travel along, invited or not. Those who get to know them find the cat folk very loyal, fearless, and quite compassionate. They like all the other races immensely, fascinated by dwarven mechanisms and elven magic (this is generally not a returned enthusiasm), and delight in the newest mechanical/magical wares and toys. They are particularly fond of music boxes. Nekojin identify with humans, both races sharing curiosity and a certain boldness. They make excellent warriors, but are often so frustrating to train that many do not bother.


Monster Races- There are too many of these to mention, but there are some of particular note. Swamp goblins are very numerous on Jessina, and though weaker than humans, they breed even faster. Lizard folk live in the swamps as well, in savage barbarian tribes that often menace travelers. Trolls, cave and water, are unfortunately common, though they can only venture out at night, for if the sun’s rays touch them they turn to stone. Redcaps, larger, smarter goblins are also often a travel menace thought hey usually avoid armed adventurers. Off the coast live tribes of fish men that attack both ships and coastal communities. Possibly the most feared of the monster races are the dark elves that dwell far below the surface. They occasionally raid the surface for slaves, and their appearance is dreaded in every community on the island. There are rumors of dragons in the great swamps and mountains, but none have been seen since the Dragonlord’s campaign.

The Land
The island of Jessina is about the size of the United Kingdom and Ireland in our world, if the two were joined together. The terrain is also much the same. In the south, north, and west, there are mountain ranges that give way to ridges, and finally to rolling hills before the plains and moors. Much of the land is covered in forest or swamp, very little having been cleared for farms or towns. It is a wild land, rich with animal and plant life. Dotting the landscape are strange ruins. From structures as simple as massive stone circles (a la Stonehenge) to fallen towers, the builders (and destroyers) of these are unknown. The elves are the only ones who have a history of that ancient time, and all they will tell anyone is that there was a kingdom here millennia ago, that was smashed in battle with an insidious evil. The barbarian tribes in the highlands and the western mountains are descendants of that ancient kingdom.

Jessina is also rich in minerals. Silver, iron, copper, and coal are in great abundance, and some gold has been discovered as well. The dwarves claim that other more exotic metals lie far beneath the surface. The soil is good for crops, and the sea provides riches of its own, such as fish, pearls, and whale oil. The richness of resources in this land is something that many sages puzzle over. With such wealth, how did it go unnoticed? Why was it abandoned and lost for so long? Prior to the discovery (or re-discovery) of the island 500 years ago, there is no record of it.

There are several geographic points of interest. Of particular note is Noah’s Bay. Named for the human explorer who found Jessina, the bay is a huge curving inlet on the east coast of the island. There are a few good anchorage points, but also several dangerous reefs and rocks, making navigation dangerous, especially at night or during the winter. When the Lighthouse of Petra still shone, it was passable, but now fewer and fewer ships brave the dangers of the bay. At the southern tip, the town of Black Harbor was the largest human settlement on the island until the Dragonlord’s army sacked and burned it sixty years ago. The burned ruins still stand, and few go near them. Dark things move among the wreckage, and many who go exploring there never return.

From Black Harbor, a long and wide gravel road, Gallows Way, winds south and west toward Silverlode and the Bright Hills. Gallows Way got its name from an incident a century ago, when Lord Shingle’s forces rode against the swamp goblins. The goblins had been raiding towns and caravans, and the people asked Lord Shingle to step in. His knights inflicted horrible casualties on the goblins, and captured hundreds of prisoners. To make his point to the goblins, Lord Shingle erected gibbets along the road, one every hundred feet, and hung the prisoners along them, all the way from Silverlode to Black Harbor. The road also goes along the border of the Great Oak Swamp to the south, a large swamp that is a breeding ground for goblins, trolls, lizard men, and other creatures. Monsters from the swamps regularly attack travelers on the road, making the journey far from safe. To the north of the road stretches the Forest of Petra, a deciduous forest with trees of all kinds, including a rare tree with silvery bark much prized for its wood. This is the land of the elves, and while they don’t mind travelers, they do usually like those coming through to introduce themselves.

Toward the end of Gallows Way rise the Bright Hills, so named for the rich mineral deposits there. The road ends in the largest human town on the island, Silverlode. Though several of its famed silver mines are played out, there are still a few open, and iron and copper are plentiful. Silverlode also boasts a large dwarf community, and a few kilometers from the town is the manor of Lord Shingle. Further west of Silverlode are a small group of mountains, the home of several dwarf communities, including the hall of the famed jarl Thialfi Olafsson.

On the northern end of Noah’s Bay, not even a kilometer inland, rises Mount Petra. This unusual mountain, standing alone at the top of the bay, has been a strange place since the settlement of Jessina. It was here that the cult of the demon-goddess Alrinach demanded the sacrifice of infants and virgins to safeguard the passage of ships. Until the church of the goddess Lysandra, deity of moon and sea, drove them out and imprisoned the wicked goddess herself in chains of silver beneath the mountain. At the summit, they erected a great temple to Lysandra, a large lighthouse, to make safe the bay. It was this temple that was the goal of the Dragonlord’s campaign 60 years ago, and the site of the curse that ended his villainy. The lighthouse is gone, returning only during the nights of the full moon, still full of the monsters of the Dragonlord’s army, and untold riches.

To the south of Mount Petra, northward on the coast from Black Harbor, is the town of Noah’s Landing. A small settlement of perhaps 500, mostly humans, though there are dwarves and nekojin as well, and elves are often visiting from the nearby forest. It is a farming community, though some do venture out into the bay for some fishing. The town is most famous for having largely survived the Dragonlord’s campaign, and being the site of both the Spider Ninja Clan and the St. George’s Academy for Young Adventurers.

In Noah’s Landing are several interesting places. Perhaps the most ordinary of these is Noah’s Inn, a large two story inn with stabling for a dozen horses. The inn is run by Isaac Strange, a lean and handsome man in his thirties, usually dressed in robes of blue or purple. Strange is wealthy, and very interested in collecting both art and magical items. He is also known to be very knowledgeable about the area, and willing to share his knowledge.

The Spider Ninja Clan has its home just outside the town, a small compound with a shrine, a large training yard, and a five story pagoda. Relations with the town are cordial, if distant. The ninja take an active part in defending the town, and buy all their food from the citizens, and the apprentice ninjas are a common sight in the town’s streets, occasionally bantering/arguing/fighting with students from St. George’s.

St. George’s Academy for Young Adventurers is the town’s most well known feature, though it often gives the townsfolk as much headache as it does income and prestige. The academy is a large walled compound, with a two story stone building with bell tower, two dormitories (one male, one female), plenty of open space for combat practice and sparring, a garden shed, and a storehouse. St. George’s accepts promising students between the ages of 14-18, provided they have a letter of introduction from a well known adventurer or otherwise impress the faculty

 

[Armphid]

Tower of the Spider Ninja Clan

The term “tower” is something of a misnomer, as the Spider Ninja Clan actually occupies a small compound atop a tall hill just outside of Noah’s Landing. 20 foot tall walls surround it, with only one gate (though there are actually several entrances and exits known to the ninja inside), the only structure visible above the wall being the seven story pagoda that gives the compound its name. The walls appear to be pitted with age, and unmanned, but the truth is quite different. Long ago, magicians from the nearby St. George’s Academy ensorcelled the walls to appear weak; and many an enemy force has vainly tried to break through the apparently crumbling mortar. The enchantment also allows the gate to move.

Within the walls, the compound is well crafted and constantly maintained, looking much like the interior of a Japanese castle on our Earth. Paths of smooth stones go from building to building, and there are many carefully pruned trees and plants growing in gardens. There are two large ponds connected by a stream over which there are two bridges. The stream flows underground from the southern pond, giving the ninja a source of fresh water within their own walls. Near the usual placement of the gate is a shrine to the clan’s ancestors, a round open platform with a dome roof supported by five pillars. In addition to the stone markers and incense burners, there is a large bell that is used in ceremonies. The bell also sounds whenever one of the clan dies, heard by all clan members wherever they may be. Those powerful chi can also tell who died and how, as can those who were close to the deceased.

In addition to the temple, there are two one story structures, strikingly similar to traditional Japanese homes. The clan members live here, each has a small room to himself; and each building having one shared bathroom. The ground floor is living space, but under each building is an underground room of the same size where much of the practice and training (especially weapons training) takes place. These rooms are lined with the tools and implements used for training, as well as wall scrolls that proclaim the tenants and maxims of the Spider Clan.

The Pagoda is where the five Masters dwell, and all others are forbidden entry unless invited and accompanied by a Master. It is within the pagoda that the clan’s secrets are stored and the main treasure vaults are hidden. Students who prove themselves are invited here to learn the secret ninpo techniques the clan has passed on. Only students who do remarkable things are allowed to learn ninpo, and most of the ninja do not actually know any. It is not required to know ninpo to be a full clan member, only those who are marked for great things in the clan will learn the secret techniques. Also, any full clan member may, at any time, declare that he intends to “climb” the Pagoda. This is a challenge to the Masters of the clan, and a serious endeavor. The challenger must announce this to a Master. 24 hours later, the challenger and any witnesses he wishes to invite enter the Pagoda’s first floor. The challenger must defeat the Master on each floor to proceed to the next floor; save for the first two which are guarded by the two highest ranked apprentices instead. This is not necessarily a violent conflict, as each Master chooses how they will stop the challenger. Climbing the Pagoda is a life or death struggle, and while Masters try not to kill or permanently harm ninja attempting the feat, deaths are not uncommon. For each floor the ninja reaches, he earns treasure or the offer to learn a ninpo secret. He who reaches the seventh floor will be taught all of the clan’s ninpo, and earn his pick of the clan’s great artifacts. In the last century, no one has climbed the entire Pagoda.

The clan is lead by five Masters, all of whom live in the Tower and instruct both the apprentice ninjas and lower ninjas. When the clan goes to war or takes on a particularly important or dangerous assignment, these five men also make the decisions. Their authority is iron-clad; to disobey a master is to ask for punishment or death. Only the order of another master can outweigh a master’s words. In the ancient days; only men were allowed to be members of the clan. A crisis resulted when the clan was running out of ninja children due to their policy; only to discover that a significant portion of their members were women disguised as men in order to become ninja. Since then, both sexes have been accepted as ninja, but a remnant of this tradition is that regardless of gender, a Master is addressed as such.

The Masters are:

Master Enduring Green- A half-elf in his 2nd century of life, he was the last to climb the Pagoda who still lives. Guardian of the clan’s ninpo and the oldest living member, all the other masters defer to him, making him the most powerful person in the clan. Enduring Green teaches only advanced students, though he often offers counsel to even the lowliest apprentice. Even when offering counsel or comfort, he is aloof and distant, though not hostile. Even when faced with extreme disrespect, he never angers, merely deciding and dealing with the problem with swift power that his aged form belies. Any student fortunate enough to learn ninpo will do so from Enduring Green.

Master Black Wind- Youngest of all the masters, a lean and swarthy human woman who came from the mainland originally. Black Wind teaches the art of subterfuge and stealth, as well as sleight of hand and lock picking. Black Wind has a standing offer to award a student who sees her coming with the chance to learn ninpo. Black Wind is an exacting instructor, dealing out harsh words and swift punishments to those who fail or do poorly in her lessons. Some students clam that this is because she has so honed her senses that even a soft noise hurts her ears.

Master Swift Ending- A middle aged nekojin known for his great height and strength, Swift Ending teaches the arts of war to young ninja. Though skilled with weapons, his specialty is fighting with his bare hands, and he is widely known for his great deed of slaying the dark knight Laocorn with no weapon but his fists and feet. Swift Ending is a demanding but fair instructor, and many apprentices who favor a more direct approach or who have an aptitude for war find him a wise counselor.

Master Bitter Water- A dwarf woman of slight build and delicate beauty , Bitter Water instructs on alchemy, poisons, and the use of chemicals and herbs. She is the busiest of all the masters, handling most of the clan’s needs in the brewing and preparation of medicines, poisons, antidotes and other concoctions. She is the most openly compassionate of the masters, and lets it be known that apprentices can always approach her. They may have to stay out of her way or assist her in her latest potion making, but Bitter Water will listen and provide wise counsel to all who come to her.

Master Cloud Walker- A nimble and lean half-cat, Cloud Walker teaches acrobatics, tumbling, climbing, and all other “general” physical arts. Most cavalier and energetic of the masters, many apprentices enjoy him and his classes. Except that they tend to be very dangerous. Feeling that danger makes apprentices learn faster, Cloud Walker tends to use minimal precautions in his classes from the very beginning. While one may be battered or bruised in the other master’s classes, apprentices face dire consequences should things go ill in one of Cloud Walker’s sessions. Cloud Walker is known to have something of an ideological split with Black Wind. He believes that the ninja should do what they do with style and panache, which is completely at odds with Black Wind’s philosophy that no one should know who has done a deed beyond the ninja who did it. The split has blossomed into enmity, and a student that one teacher favors will surely face hardship from the other. Rumors persist that the two Masters have secret romantic feelings for one another; any student caught speaking of this by either one is sure to face punishment.

Recent History and Trends: The Spider Clan was once known and feared across the entire world, but those times have passed. Both in numbers and influence, they have suffered great losses. Indeed, in most of the mainland, the Spider Ninja Clan is only a legend, whispered stories of mysterious men who emerged from the shadows to kill tyrants and steal treasure from the wicked. The decline began in the time of the Dragonlord, sixty years ago. As the deranged half-elf’s army marched to the Lighthouse of Lysandra, he sent emissaries to the Spider Ninja Clan. These emissaries brought an offer of alliance from Valkyrion. If the ninja joined his forces, he could use their skills to eliminate many enemies by stealth and guile. He offered great wealth, including looting rights to the fabled treasure stores of the Silver Acolytes. The Masters debated on whether to accept this offer or not. All were tempted by the great wealth involved, but they also knew of the oath they had all sworn not to harm the town of Noah’s Landing, and to act in its defense should the need arise. Master Destiny Blade stated that the Clan had become soft and complacent in Noah’s Landing and that the Dragonlord would conquer. To oppose him was foolish. But in truth, it was greed that motivated him, along with envy and scorn for the people of the village and of St. George’s Academy.

The other Masters honored their oath, and prepared to defend the town. Destiny Blade’s honor and reason lost out to malice and avarice, and he left the clan, taking forty other ninjas with him. These outcast ninja still used the devices, tools, and name of the Spider Clan, and so it came to be known that the ninja had sided with the cruel warlord. The remaining Masters immediately cast these renegades out of the clan, striking their names from the rolls of lineage. When the Lighthouse vanished with the Dragonlord and much of his army inside it, the war ended and nowhere was the hollowness of the victory felt more than in the Spider Clan. Well over half the clan had perished in the short war, on both sides. Their reputation was tarnished by the traitors, meaning that though they are still largely accepted, many important tasks which the clan might once have earned gold for doing were offered to more “trustworthy” groups. Coupled with the fact that ninjas brought into the clan rarely marry or produce children, despite the urging of the Masters, all this has resulted in an inexorable decline. There are only 40 clan members total, including the Masters and the current crop of apprentices. With ninja being forced to take riskier jobs with less resources and back up than ever before, the Great Bell tolls often for fallen ninja, and there are few to replace them. Still the Spider Clan remains proud, relying on their traditions to see them through (though some say they cling to them in false hope), determined that their skills, secrets, and craft will not perish, and become the stuff of legend once more.

 

[Armphid]

Well, there's the basic set up and the back story.

The idea is that we're all going to be playing apprentice ninjas of the Spider Clan; learning to be ninja, going into town and getting into trouble, sneaking out for adventures, and so on and so forth.

The setting is fantasy but it's also pretty heavily anime inspired; so conventions from both are usable.

The apprentices can be of any race described above, or even others if you've got a neat idea, just run it by me. They are talented and have been in school for a bit already, but they're still apprentices. No one's going to start out as the baddest bad ass who has ever bad assed. The students should all have strong points and weak points. Since our apprentices are, obviously, going to be significant, I'm also going to assume that at this point, they've all also gained a chance to learn some ninpo (ninja magic, think of the jutsus in Naruto, or the special attacks and magic in Bleach, or even magic spells/abilites from more traditional fantasy fare). Basically, each character can have one "magical" ability starting out. This can be a special attack, a utility power, there's a lot of room. Again, just run it by me.

I'll post my basic character soon(ish) to give more of an idea of what I mean. But feel free to think of things, ask questions, etc.

 

[Armphid]

Here's an example profile to give an idea of what we're looking at.

Name: Nash
Rank: Apprentice Ninja
Race: Half-nekojin
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 150lbs
Eyes: Jade green
Hair: brown and spiky, falling like a mane to his shoulders

Appearance: Nash has a lean, gracile build though he is neither as lithe as your average nekojin nor as broad as a normal human male. Though he is not furred all over like a full blooded nekojin, he does have cat-like ears instead of human ones, and a long furry tail rather like a lion's. His ears and tail often signal his feelings even when he manages to keep his youthful face composed. His skin is a creamy Caucasian hue. Nash usually wears the standard ninja boots, slightly loose pants, gloves, and tunic, but he also wears a long dark red sash around his waist. He is also often festooned with weapons; claiming he wishes to become a master of them all. In truth, he's started to train in them all and then lost interest, but refuses to give them up. Currently he has a ninja sword, a nunchuk, a tonfa, a kama, a weighted chain, and a katar, in addition to several shuriken and kunai knives.

History: Slavery is not common on Jessina, but it's not technically illegal. Thus some rich merchants and nobles do keep slaves, some using them as prostitutes. Nash's mother was one of those unfortunates; conceiving her son by a wealthy young noble out for a good time. Nash's life went as normally as it could for the child of a slave, who was thus a slave himself, until his likeness to the newly raised Baron von Eisen became a rumor among people in the area. Word reached the Baron, who realized he had sired a bastard that would threaten the inheritance of the children he had by his wife. The nobleman contracted the Spider Ninja Clan to kill the woman and the boy. Upon investigating the matter, the ninja given the mission discovered the truth. What happened then is a secret known only to the Masters.

All Nash knows is that he was abducted by a man claiming to have saved his life; a fact that seemed borne out when moments after the man took him from the cathouse that had been his home; men-at-arms in service to the Baron barged in searching and yelling for him. The man told Nash that his mother was dead, murdered by the Baron, and that his rescuer was a member of the Spider Ninja Clan. He offered Nash a place to live and train, a new "family," that would give him the tools of revenge.

Nash accepted and came to live among the ninja for the next few years, finally becoming an apprentice six months ago.

Strengths: Nash is quick on his feet; physically and mentally. He learns quickly and is adaptable. He is talented with most small throwing weapons and has a moderate skill with many hand to hand weapons.

Weaknesses: Nash is easily distracted and loses interest in things quickly unless properly motivated. He easily becomes bored and prone to rash action to relieve his boredom. He is intensely curious; far more than is healthy for him. He is also extremely sensitive about his past and his mother. Mention of either is likely to result in battle. He has bad luck with smoke bombs; they always seem to go off on his belt or be duds when he uses them properly.

Ninpo: Enemy Strikes Air Displacement - Nash makes a series of quick hand signs to activate this power. To those present, he seems to take several steps forward. In actuality he bends the light from him forward to become invisible and project an illusion of himself a foot in front and to the right of his actual location. The illusion does everything that Nash does, following his every movement, even his voice will be bent to come from the illusion. The illusion is not solid however, and if struck, it will be apparent that it is not the real Nash. This doesn't break the spell however. The weakness of the technique is that Nash remains solid. He still will cast a shadow, can be touched, and made visible if thrown into water or if powder or some other material is blown onto him.

 

[HookerBoots]

Name: Lashala
Rank: Apprentice Ninja
Race: Elf
Gender: Female
Age: 75 (or almost 19, depending on whose calendar you use)
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 122 lbs
Eyes: Deep forest green
Hair: Long, silky platinum blonde

Appearance: Lashala is a beauty, even among a race renowned for their physical attractiveness. Even as a small child, her parents and the rest of their settlement doted on her for her loveliness. Her features are delicate and fine; large green eyes framed by long lashes, a delicate upturned nose, high cheekbones, and skin the color of porcelain. When her long white-blonde hair isn't tucked into a hood to hide its sheen, Lashala tries out curiously intricate styles of braiding and tails - at least one Master has compared her to a parade float: Lovely to look at, but covered in more frills that necessary. She typically wears a black cloth mask pulled over her lower face when she's around the rest of the clan - the staring and the come-ons get old very fast. Her slender body is usually covered in the standard ninja garb, accented with deep green leather bracers.

History: Her parents, an alchemist and a seer, had spent nearly twenty years trying to conceive, and gave her anything she asked for while still trying to instill in her the important elven values. Imagine their dismay when their prized only daughter developed "the human sickness" and decided to go out on her own adventuring. Within her first week, Lashala was captured by a cruel noble who decided to try and turn her into his own personal broodmare, and was saved in the nick of time by a ninja who said he was a member of the Spider Ninja Clan, dropped her in a nearby grove of trees with her things, and vanished into the night.

After several years of wandering, learning what she could from human and dwarven masters what she hadn't been able to learn in her own home, Lashala came to the Tower of the Spider Ninja Clan about ten years ago, and asked for admission to the clan. She was denied, and decided that, to persuade them to let her in, she would have to do something astonishing. So she spent a day preparing a potion, brewing a mix of herbs that she'd gathered in her travels into a thick, syrupy tincture. She went to the outside of the walls surrounding the Tower, drank half of her potion, and started to climb.

The walls were sheer, which she'd known from the first. The potion, however, gave her the ability to stick to the wall like a fly, much to the amazement of the people of Noah's Landing. When she reached the top of the wall, she sat down, waiting. After an hour, Masters Enduring Green and Bitter Water came to fetch her and grant her admission into the clan - as well as to demand to know how she'd made that potion. Lashala rose gracefully, handed over her vial, and followed them to the apprentices' housing. When the Masters found out that she owed life debt to one of their deceased members, they apologized to her for their previous cavalier dismissal of her petition.

Strengths: Lashala is a talented herbalist and alchemist, and is very quick witted, despite her typically quiet demeanor. She also, like most elves, has a talent for magic.

Weaknesses: While she is stronger than she looks, Lashala has very little in the way of physical strength. She is also not terribly good at stealth, in part because of her appearance, though with the aid of some special abilities or illusions, she does fairly well.

Ninpo: Blood Shedding Victory Technique - Focusing her chi inward, Lashala makes her blood into a toxic contact poison and increases her blood pressure. If cut or injured, she will spurt blood all over. This poisonous blood takes effect immediately; creating nausea, dizziness, and clouding the vision of those effected by it, rendering weaker people blind and vomiting immediately, and lasting at least ten minutes or up to an hour at her current level of power.

 

[JadeKnight]

Name: Cassandra
Rank: Apprentice Ninja
Race: Nekojin
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 115 lbs.
Eyes: Sea green
Hair: Short, cropped red hair

Appearance: Cassandra's body is covered with soft white fur, striped with black from head to toe. Her body is slender and lithe, very toned, with a three foot long slender tail. She wears most of the typical ninja gear, suit , boots, but no hood. Instead she wears a simple black mask that covers around her eyes, over her nose, cheeks, and forehead. Her eyes shine with the need for knowledge, with white ears poking through the red hair on her head.

History: Cassandra was born in one of the many hamlets near the center of Jessina. Like most nekojins, she was very curious and tried to learn all she could. After the age of 16, she disappeared off on her own to try and explore the world around her. She also had the knack of being the the wrong place at the right time. She had almost been made a slave several times, but she always managed to get them the slip.

During one of her adventures she had decided to spend a night in what seemed to be a very reputable inn, but it was actually a front for a band of thieves that had been terrorizing the area for several months. Most of the patrons at the inn wound up becoming their slaves and sold on the black market. That evening, they had decided the latest batch of patrons would make nice slaves, including her. However it seemed that the group had attracted the wrong kind of attention, becoming marks for the Spider Ninja clan.

After the raid, she was offered a position at the Academy by the ninja who was leading the raid.

Strengths: Cassandra is a quick-learner at everything she tries to do. She is very nimble on her feet and quick with her hand.

Weakness: Since her body is built for speed and agility, she doesn't have much in the way of physical strength. Her attention span is often short, jumping from activity to activity.

Ninpo: Nine Live Split - Through a combination of hand gestures and chi focus, Cassandra is able to create nine replicas of herselves. She can use them to do a variety of things, fight, clean, fetch things, or be in multiple places at once. This technique usually gets her in as much trouble as it does help her. Each replica will disappear after a time period or if it takes any sort of damage.

 

[Armphid]

Need to change your last post a bit, Jade. Cassandra is YOUR character. Cassie's is Lashala. I mean, she could be talking to herself and feeling herself up, but I don't think that's what you had in mind.

 

[JadeKnight]

Details, details.

 

[JadeKnight]

Corrected, happy now?

 

[JadeKnight]

Happy Thanksgiving

 

[Drakkwall]

Hmmm... I am thinking of a Dwarf Ninja... but I'd like some suggestions on it...

 

[Armphid]

Thank you for your interest, Drakkwall, but you've already missed a major rule of this thread.

As it says in the title, this thread is "Closed by Invitation." Meaning that unless you get a PM from one of the people already in it inviting you, please don't post here, let alone in the IC. It'd be great if you read along, we'd be glad to do so and hope you enjoy it. But that's the way recruiting and joining is being handled.

I'm sorry if that wasn't clear from the beginning. I hope you have fun in other RPs and keep reading.

 

[Drakkwall]

Whoops didn't see that, my bad.

 

[Armphid]

just as a note to you two; do as you will with Lashala and Cassandra. However, if they go after Nash or looking for him, they won't find him. This is the lead-in to the first plotline.

I'm sure you saw that coming but just as a note. Let me know when you are ready for the thread to move ahead to the next day.