Post by Lepa on Jan 12, 2021 23:40:33 GMT -8
Name: Ryusei
Alias: Seiryuu
Gender: Male
Age: ~28+
Race: Human
Home: Unknown
Alliance: The Shadowstep
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Friends: Fei Yen, Kiai, Lepa
Enemies: Kurozuru
Likes: Solitude, nature
Dislikes: Cities
Relationship: Though their ideals are different, Ryusei is close friends with Fei Yen and Kiai. He's particularly close with Fei Yen, as they both once worked together in a highly effective four man unit. He finds amusement in Lepa's potential due to her abilities only surfacing when she's terrified.
Personality:
A man of few words and limited expressions, it seems Ryusei tends to only speak when necessary. Although quiet, he always appears to be analyzing the situation at hand, silently assessing the best course of action. He is acutely aware of his surroundings at almost all times and is rarely caught off guard by an ambush. He seems to be a detached individual, but in reality he's just focused on his current mission. He's not without his own humanity and cares deeply about his closest comrades. He simply doesn't vocalize this much and is more likely to show this by willingly going into mortal danger to protect them. Fei Yen also claims Ryusei relaxes when off duty, but most people would have difficulty telling.
Ryusei also doesn't feel any strong loyalty to the Shadowstep, disagreeing with their intervention in several incidents, so he's more than willing to break or bend their rules if it suits him. He mostly works for them out of convenience for both parties.
Powers:
Shadowstep - The signature ability and namesake of the Shadowstep, it is a special, ancient technique. It requires intense focus and acute awareness, but it allows the user to completely meld into the shadows, erasing their presence entirely. This is mostly used for sneaking by foes, ambush attacks or intelligence gathering. The major drawback is that the user must be in darkness or shadow to conceal themselves. The slightest bit of light will reveal their presence.
Shadowstep Arts -
Ryusei has spent most of his life training under the secret organization, honing his agility, precision and accuracy to a fine tuned point. He has little issue striking moving targets from afar, though he typically doesn't use projectiles. His dexterity also allows him to quickly assemble objects or efficiently operate consoles. He also possesses a special sickle used for clinging to or climbing walls, though it can be used for attacking as well. He's capable of hand to hand combat but prefers to use his weapon.
Weapon: Hyuga (龍牙) - "Dragon's Fang"
A blade specially crafted and issued by the Shadowstep, it is a singular blade that can be held like a normal sword or a tonfa stick. Using his ki, Ryusei is able to generate an edge of plasma like energy on the edge of his blade, making it more deadly and sometimes even increasing the range of his attacks. When not in use, it normally rests on a hook on the back of Ryusei's belt. The speed at which the blade travels causes it to release a high pitched "shing" whenever Ryusei swings it.
Weaknesses:
Like many others in the Shadowstep, Ryusei travels light in order to maximize his agility and speed at the cost of lacking armor to properly protect himself. Conventional weapons can and will hurt him if he's hit, which is best done if he's somehow forced to hold still. He prefers not to use projectiles, which forces him to fight up close. The sound of his blade being swung can also give away his position if he's hidden.
History:
The Shadowstep is a secret organization dedicated to overseeing the world's affairs. Said to be descended from a centuries old clan of ninja that once sealed off a great evil, they've since become an intelligence gathering network, but aren't above secretly intervening in world events.
Ryusei was the youngest member to reach his high rank at age 18. Having trained with the Shadowstep since childhood, he displayed exceptional skill and developed into a terrifying force believed to be unmatched. Unfortunately, he had a tendency to defy orders or complete missions under his own terms, leading others to believe he'd been corrupted by arrogance. In truth, Ryusei simply didn't believe in the Shadowstep's ways of interfering with the world and only sought to lend his skill in ways he thought fit.
One day, the head of the prestigious Shadowstep Kurozuru family had summoned several Shadowstep. There, Kurozuru recounted the story of how his ancestor was responsible for releasing an evil called the Dark Master. The ancestor's younger brother was responsible for bringing the clan together, killing both the traitor and sealing the Dark Master away. The Kurozuru clan then took responsibility and formed an alliance with other clans. Together, they formed the Shadowstep in hopes of guarding the sealed evil to ensure that it was never released again.
Kurozuru explained to the group that the secret location of the Dark Master had been compromised. He warned them that he'd overheard plans for several Shadowstep going rogue in hopes of unsealing the evil and gaining power for themselves. Desiring to prevent that from happening, Kurozuru requested the group to guard the hidden location and eliminate any intruders who entered. Though Ryusei wasn't among this group, he'd overheard the situation and decided to follow them out of suspicion.
Once at the chambers, Ryusei watched from the shadows until the supposed rogues came. When Fei Yen appeared alone, Ryusei was perplexed and engaged him in battle. Though he was skeptical about Fei Yen being a traitor, Ryusei refused to take his chances. The two fought briefly until Kurozuru appeared, revealing himself the true traitor and breaking the Dark Master's seal.
Ryusei and Fei Yen were able to reseal the Dark Master before he fully awakened, but Kurozuru had managed to absorb some of the being's powers that had escaped. With his new energy he called his Dark Will, Kurozuru used his new powers to resurrect the Shadowstep that had been killed by Fei Yen. Kurozuru then escaped as the two remaining men fought off their fallen allies.
Kurozuru's betrayal was the exact reason why Ryusei disliked the Shadowstep as an organization. No matter what they claimed, Ryusei believed it was too easy for someone to simply take advantage of an organization so big. He often thought of himself as a check to that balance, but he realized it simply wasn't enough. Though Fei Yen took responsibility for bringing Kurozuru to justice, Ryusei decided to lend his assistance.
Ryusei was the one who found a lead on Kurozuru, deducing that he was most likely in Aster City. Though he initially joined Fei Yen at the location, Ryusei often left to scout other locations in the world. On one of his routine returns to Aster City, he was surprised to learn that Fei Yen had taken in a strange rabbit woman. Ryusei had taken note of her high speed reflexes when he'd inadvertently startled her; he'd only seen that sort of speed from other Shadowstep members and assumed she was assigned to Fei Yen. Fei Yen himself explained that he'd encountered Kurozuru attacking her, with him believing her to be a Shadowstep member herself. Ryusei found mild amusement in this, but warned Fei Yen of the potential consequences of his actions.
Ryusei continues to check up on Fei Yen, but he's usually out of the city trying to find new leads or hunting down Kurozuru's resurrected Shadowstep members.
Anything else:
- He was once part of a unit in the Shadowstep called the Four Symbols. He served the symbolic role of Seiryuu, the Azure Dragon of the East, said to be noble and bring good fortune.
