Post by Lepa on Jan 13, 2021 13:11:52 GMT -8
Name: Kiai Seigishi
Alias: The Lion of Justice
Gender: Male
Age: ~30+
Race: Human
Home: Aster City
Alliance: None (Formerly the Shadowstep)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Friends: Fei Yen, Ryusei, Lepa
Enemies: Kurozuru
Likes: Hot springs
Dislikes: Injustice, the Shadowstep
Relationship: While not as skilled as them, he appears to be close comrades with Fei Yen and Ryusei, who treat him like an equal. He decided to adopt Lepa as his pupil, despite her own protests.
Personality:
A loud, obnoxious man with a penchant for shouting about justice, Kiai draws attention to himself wherever he goes. His mannerisms often cause others to view him as a nuisance or a joke, and Kiai himself seems to be oblivious to this (though its possible he may be feigning stupidity). He can be a bit clumsy at times, but his intentions are always well meaning. Despite this, Kiai is an honorable man who genuinely believes in the things that he preaches about. He places great emphasis on honor, justice, and duty. He overflows with chivalry and a willingness to defend others, and is especially good with children. His impulsiveness can land him in trouble, but in the end, he is a man of his word who strives to uphold his ideals. This has caused him to have clashing views with the organization that trained him, so he's parted ways with them.
Powers:
Kiai Gauntlets
Kiai possesses a pair of bracers on his wrists. These can mechanically form a flat, nail shaped covering over his fists. They only serve to increase the power of his punches and have no special properties aside from their hardness.
Shadowstep Arts
Kiai's training under the Shadowstep allowed him to develop high speed agility and reaction time. He focuses mostly on close range martial arts, though he can also attack from a distance using nails in place of shuriken. He only has a limited amount of nails however and must either retrieve the ones he's thrown in battle or restock his ammo elsewhere. He typically uses his speed to overwhelm opponents, looking for openings to attack. While not as fast as most ninja, his raw strength can make up for it.
Burning Heart
Kiai is unable to use the signature move of the Shadowstep, which allows one to meld into darkness. To make up for this, many of Kiai's techniques tend to be punctuated with flames or explosions, which he refers to as his Burning Heart. He doesn't actually have fire powers; rather, he seems to have set up various ways to trigger them, such as dispensing lighter fluid from his gauntlets. Though they're excellent for illusion and offense, Kiai seems to use it more for personal flair.
Weaknesses:
Though a bit more powerful than his comrades, he's also a bit slower. His larger frame also makes him easier to hit compared to Fei Yen or Ryusei. He can also be a bit clumsy and his ninja arts aren't quite as refined as his peers. His Burning Heart techniques also makes him potentially flammable, sometimes burning his own clothes off. Kiai's strong devotion to his ideals and his emotional nature can also trigger personal conflict within him, clouding his will to fight.
History:
Orphaned by violent conflict, Kiai was taken in and raised by the Shadowstep, a secret organization descended from a centuries old ninja clan. Though he trained under them from a young age, Kiai desperately clung to his father's beliefs in justice to the point where it was detrimental to Kiai's own training. That wasn't to say Kiai couldn't fight; he was more than capable of holding his own and could execute special arts with ease. Rather, Kiai disliked the trickery and deception that came with the territory of being a Shadowstep agent. He even went so far as to refuse learning the group's signature technique. In spite of all this, he'd managed to find his own work arounds and completed his training.
Kiai continued to hold steadfast to his ideals of justice and honor, even if it made his missions more difficult. Others often thought of him as a burden on group missions, which eventually affected his standing and dropped him to taking care of the most menial of tasks. Yet, even with minimal deception, Kiai remained restless. On a mission dealing with a particularly nasty political target in a small territory, Kiai couldn't help but break away from the Shadowstep's protocol to loudly denounce the evil man. The mission was immediately called off and believed to be a disaster. However, it turned out Kiai's words had inspired the people to rise up and overthrow the corrupt man, achieving what the Shadowstep had wanted all along.
It was with this that the Shadowstep realized that Kiai was absolutely more than capable; they'd just been utilizing his skills incorrectly. From then on, Kiai often served in a diplomatic role or as a distraction for the others. Though he was uneasy with the latter, he was more than happy to be visible and preach his ideals of justice to others. Even if he didn't agree with the ways of the Shadowstep, he was content with his role in their operations. This lasted until the day he'd found himself caught in an event orchestrated by the Shadowstep that sacrificed many civilians. Even if the outcome was good for the world as a whole, Kiai was horrified. He then realized the possibility that the Shadowstep might have been responsible for the destruction of his own home and the death of his parents, though he had no proof to show for it.
Disgusted, Kiai announced his intentions to leave the Shadowstep, though he was met with resistance. Knowing how unorthodox he was, the organization didn't want to risk him revealing all of their secrets. Though they attempted to go after him, another agent intervened. It was Ryusei, one of the best agents in the Shadowstep. Others believed him to be arrogant, as he was also known for having problems with the organization. Still, Ryusei's skill was respected, and when he threatened the others to leave Kiai be, they relented.
Ryusei had barely interacted with Kiai before, but he respected Kiai's decision and steadfast belief in his ideals. Kiai himself was a bit wary of the high ranking Shadowstep, but over time he grew to trust him. Ryusei used his connections to help Kiai find a new place to live, and eventually Kiai settled down in Aster City.
Kiai now prowls the streets of Aster City as a hero and vigilante, making his living as a bounty hunter. He lives modestly and his work is honest, but he loves nothing more than to lend his aid to others.
Anything else:
- Kiai is a battle cry in martial arts, while Seigishi literally translates to "justice lion."
