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Well, I'm still working on it, but here's what I've got so far. :P
Reisz Hasegawa
 Name: Reisz Hasegawa
Nickname(s): Rei to her friends, "Sena-Domis" to her subordinates (translates to "Heavenly Rebuke" in her native tongue), "Benihime" to her enemies ("Crimson Princess" wink .
Age: Appears to be in her early 30's - Actually 85 but she never clues people into this. Most assume she is in her early 30's because of her looks.
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3"
Weight 95 lbs
Race: Polaris - The Polaris are an old and wise race, gifted with great magical and fighting talent because of their Elven heritage. Though their life-expectancy is nowhere near that of the Elves, they live to be nearly 200 years of age and retain their youthful appearances throughout. Nearly all Polaris have jet-black hair and deep emerald eyes, and are hauntingly beautiful. They live in clusters of villages hidden in the forests far to the north, protected by magical pylons which prevent other magical societies from locking onto them or scrying, and masks their power to the outside world. Polaris are - in general - slightly shorter, lighter, and much faster than normal humans, making them capable dexterity-based warriors. Undoubtedly the greatest achievement of the Polaris has been in their ability to harness multiple types of energy in combat, using both their internal ki in fighting techniques, and the magical essence known as "mana" to cast combat spells. Because of this, their technique in combat can be highly unpredictable and throw many opponents off balance. All Polaris are masters of stealth and can easily conceal themselves from enemies in nearly all situations.
Appearance: Rei is taller than average for most Polaris women, about two inches above the norm. She likes to wear her pure black hair in a ponytail of sorts, though she lets a few blade-like bangs hang down to below her neck. Rei's clothing is of a traditional Polaris style, though she is quick to remark on the "various upgrades and enhancements" she has made to it. In Polaris society, these clothes are given to a group of warriors called "Cailendel", or "Spellswords". These warriors fight by using their weapons as grounding points for powerful mana-based attacks, which require little preparation or chant to activate. Spellswords are a rare breed in the Polaris, and are highly venerated for their mastery of magical and martial arts. Spellsword armor, developed by a number of Polaris sorcerers, is supposed to augment the body's flow of energy, forcing ki into the arms and legs and empowering the warrior in battle. The armors are known as "Tansen Sena-Taeginra", or "Heaven's Warrior Tunics". The robes are green and black, trimmed with gold. A black half-robe covers the upper body, clasped by a dark-green bandolier and belt. The collar is raised, concealing the neck, and can be pulled up further to conceal the mouth and cheeks. The top has no sleeves, leaving the shoulders bare, but most of the biceps and forearms are covered by bracers made from black cloth and an etched, golden metal material which seems to be much more resilient than conventional steel (Rei often uses her bracers to block strong armed attacks). The gloves have no fingers, making it easier to "write" symbols for spells, though gold threads do wrap around the thumb and middle fingers, tied back to the gold on the bracers; these enchanted threads were added to help her distribute power efficiently while casting spells (the end result is that she can cast three times as fast, which is extraordinarily useful in heated, fast paced combat). Beneath her exposed shoulders, two circles of green cloth wrap high around the top of her biceps, decorated with gold symbols in some long-lost language. These are another of Rei's additions, and probably the most high-powered and useful at that. Known as "Oregama-Tervessni" ("Fabled Circle of Enchantments" wink , these rings are able to trap and hold the essence of spells, and then recast them at a moment's notice. The rings cannot hold the essences of very high powered spells, but can repeatedly cast lower level buffing and defense spells with ease; provided that the spells are cast into the rings beforehand. The rings can hold one or two spells each, depending on power, and the spells can be released at anytime via a hand motion and/or mental command. The tops of the rings extend up to the bottom of Rei's earlobes. The two scabbards for Rei's swords are attached to her back, via the "V" style bandolier that she wears over her sleeveless top. On the sides of her hips, running down to the top of her thighs, there are two long slits, designed to help the outfit "breathe" while running, and improving the mobility of the legs. The waist is fastened with a black and green belt, two gold stars embroidered into the ends, signifying Rei's rank as a Spellsword. Her thighs are protected by the same powerful engraved metal that is on her bracers, as are her shins, the long boots she wears extending up to her knee-guards. Her boots have open toes, another design which allows for breathing while running, and also allows her to grip surfaces better, improving her climbing abilities as well. The soles of her boots have slotted grips that give her better traction. Rei has two tattoos, one on each of her shoulder-blades, which symbolize her proficiency in the use of both ki and mana. She has one visible scar, which runs from an inch below her left eye, down over her cheek and jaw, stopping at the top of her neck. She also wears a pair of emerald earrings and a matching necklace that were given to her by her father. She usually wears a small, purse-like bag, the strap slung across her chest so the bag is on her back, out of the way for combat.
Personality: Gritty and serious, but happy and playful at the same time. Rei is a hardened military veteran and has seen a lot of action, but wears a smile and has a happy demeanor wherever she goes. She often has a piece of long grass in her mouth, and talks through her teeth, always seeming to be in a relaxed state. She greets people with a casual two-finger salute and, although she often keeps her hand on the bottom of her larger sword, she also rests her elbow on the hilt, not really in a position to draw it. She smokes from a pipe (which is usually in her mouth whenever the piece of grass isn't) and has developed a love for sake, usually carrying a canteen of it with her. Her closest friends would be quick to state that she has what some would refer to as a "drinking problem". This is one side of her personality; the other side reveals itself while fighting. In combat, the smile is still there, but it is different; instead of enjoying the peace she is enjoying the test of her skills. In combat she taunts, trying to push her enemies to a stronger level, even if that level happens to be above her own. Though she never underestimates any opponent, she more often than not starts out easy against enemies, wondering if they'll misinterpret her power. She maintains her playful attitude, but also becomes much more serious, and gives her all to beating her opponent every time. Rei's voice is hard and powerful, but not loud, and reflects her gritty attitude. She is prone to yell at people that step out of line, but enjoys the company of friends, especially drinking buddies.
Biography: You'll have to roleplay extensively if you want to find out her backstory. She'll probably tell it to you if you buy her a few drinks, but be aware that she doesn't tell everything to people she considers strangers.
Weapons: Rei uses her two swords in her primary fighting style, though she is very proficient hand to hand fighter. Both blades have several different properties and abilities. Her larger sword, "Sasenagan" ("Rhythm of Air" wink , has a 2 1/2 inch deep base, making it wider than the conventional katana, and is also relatively short when compared to the same weapon, at 37" long, counting the shorter handle. The weapon is - surprisingly - extraordinarily light, and Rei wields it with great dexterity and finesse, able to turn the air around her into a storm of metal. The backside of the Sasenagan's hilt angles upward, and can be used to catch and wrench away an opponent's weapon. The sword's blade is double-edged, and even though it is angled, it is more than strong enough to parry with both sides. Because of its odd balancing, it would take some time to feel natural in any other warrior's hand. It was given to her by her father upon his death when she was very young, and she has put much of her strength into mastering it since his passing. She uses Sasenagan as her primary spell-casting sword as well, and there are various runic phrases etched into the blade. Rei's shorter sword, "Tsenaaliro Gouojul" ("Heavenly Blight, Master's Apprentice" wink , is primarily used as a parrying blade. Unlike its counterpart it has a straight blade, and is 27" long from the butt of the sword to the sharp, reinforced tip. The bloodline of this sword is reversed, so it is a bit "fatter" or "deeper" than a conventional wakazashi, and thus the blade is more suited to deflect major strikes from other weapons, and is perfect for stabbing an opponent without having to worry about the blade breaking off on their armor. Interestingly, Rei wears this sword with the butt facing toward the ground on her back, which is an unusual position for most warriors, but does make it easier to draw in an instant. Tsenaaliro Gouojul was given to Rei by her old master, a woman by the name of Tiberian, after she completed her Spellsword training. Rei cannot cast as many spells with her parrying blade as she can with Sasenagan, but the defensive spells she casts from it are more powerful than the ones she can cast from her main weapon. Besides her swords, Rei carries six runic throwing knives that she uses for a couple of purposes. One use is, of course, to use them as throwing knives, to take out ranged opponents with a little more stealth than a spell. The blades are heavier than standard throwing knives, but can still be thrown accurately about 25 yards. The second use of these smaller blades is to create binding links (for summoning creatures from other planes) or teleportation runes. By arranging the six knives in different patterns and casting spells into the center, different binding methods can be achieved, some can even hold dragons or equivalent monsters. The more ornate the binding, the longer it takes to set up and cast. By creating a pentagram with five of the blades and placing the sixth in the center, Rei can create a permanent teleportation rune, and even after removing the daggers, can teleport back to that location, no matter how far away she is, by targeting it with the spell "Setoa" ("Recall" wink .
Fighting Styles-
"Halen Senka" / "Heaven's Path": The official fighting style of Polaris Spellswords, "Halen Senka" ("Heaven's Path" wink is a complicated swordsmanship martial art which puts more emphasis on dexterity and reflexes than on brute strength. The art was created when Spellswords first came forth from the powerful magi of the hidden Polaris cities. Since magi were not physically strong enough to use brute force in their fighting style, it was agreed upon that a new, faster art needed to be created. At the time most Spellswords used rapier-type blades, and Halen Senka was created as a parrying-style martial art, though it has evolved quite a bit from when it was first created. The core concept remains the same however; block away from your opponent, push their sword outward, and take advantage of the opening you create. By far, the most fascinating part of Halen Senka is the way that the practitioner is able to break through planes of existence. By focusing ki into a single point, the fighter is able to force its way through into the ethereal plane, and is therefore able to pass through objects on the material plane. This is especially useful in passing through an opponent to set up a fatal back stabbing attack, or to walk through a barrier or wall blocking the fighter's path. Those traversing the ethereal plane are completely unaffected by weapons or spells that happen on the material, unless those spells extend into the ethereal plane. Because this skill greatly taxes the body, it can only be used two or three times a day by the most experienced fighters, and even then, they can only stay on the ethereal plane for a maximum of five seconds. Anyone traveling on the ethereal plane can see what is happening on the material plane at the time, but everything is distorted, blurry, and hard to discern. The stance for Halen Senka is rather open; standing with one foot pointing toward the opponent, the other pointing to the right, showing the side of the body to the opponent. The sword is held by a hand pointing towards the ground, then brought up as the back foot scoots back slightly to reenforce. Both hands hold the sword, pointing it on its side toward the enemy, back knee slightly bent.
"Telsae Gangetzen Toru" / "Art of the Moon's Winding Road": An unarmed fighting style that utilizes a "amplified circle of reaction", "Telsae Gangetzen Toru" ("Art of the Moon's Winding Road" wink was pioneered by the Spellsword Altas Rengnas and is used by many of the remaining Spellswords as their unarmed martial art of choice. Telsae Gangetzen Toru is based on the theory that there is a circle of energy flowing between us all, and instead of halting the circle by blocking and then counterattacking, it is more healthy to resolve the circle as quickly as possible. The easiest way is to try to read your opponent's attacks and move to counterattack as soon as they launch them. Whenever your opponent attacks they create a small opening that you can take advantage of, because they must slightly open up to take an aggressive action. By taking advantage of this opening, you can defeat your opponent as quickly as possible, without having to wait for them to make a mistake or for you to get a lucky strike. Telsae Gengetzen Toru is by no means a strictly defensive martial art however; it also focusses on using various holds and applying pressure on joints to bring opponents to the ground, where they can be dispatched easily. Most offensive moves in this art try to force the opponent to block in a way that would cause them to expose themselves to a second, more powerful attack. The traditional stance for Gangetzen Toru is very relaxed and casual, the side profile is shown to the enemy, legs spread shoulder length apart. The arm closer to the enemy is down, fist closed and ready to block, while the other arm is more retracted; forearm up, fist closed, and ready to counter attack.
"Telsae Sena-Domis" / "Art of the Heavenly Rebuke": Created by Reisz Hasegawa, "Telsae Sena-Domis" ("Art of the Heavenly Rebuke" wink is the unarmed martial art style from which Rei draws her nickname, as well as much of her reknown. This art is very peculiar in the fact that it is "stance-less"; there are no set forms, katas, or stances. The art in itself is very random and relies on adapting to what your opponent is doing, and baiting them into action. Nearly all the moves and strategies in Sena-Domis are designed specifically to exploit weak stances, create weaknesses and openings, or force the opponent to slip. This is done through a few methods. By repeatedly attacking the same, hard to guard areas (such as the shins), the opponent can be forced to slip up trying to defend themselves. The other method is by baiting the opponent; deliberately using an open stance to draw attacks. This is one of Rei's strongest advantages in combat; she is able to adapt to just about any kind or style of combat, whether it be ranged, super close-quarters, or otherwise. By tricking an opponent into believing that she has mistakenly left herself open, she can draw an attack which opens the opponent up to a powerful counter, and at the same time she can dodge away easily. The key point in understanding the style of Sena-Domis is to know how to properly distribute your weight in any situation, thereby allowing yourself to dodge easily while maintaining an "open" appearance. The Heavenly Warrior Tunic that Rei wears helps greatly with this, building up the ki in her legs which enables her to move quickly, dodge faster, and perform acrobatic, powerful counterattacks. In the Polaris homeland, Rei's new style has created quite an impact, both revered and reviled because of its formless nature. In the end, the form's greatest strength is in its unpredictability and adaptability, and it is devastating against opponents that rely on rigid-form techniques and use the same types of attacks over and over. The stance that Rei most commonly uses for Telsae Sena-Domis is the same as Telsae Gangetzen Toru, but instead of standing still and rigid, the body is more fluid, swaying slightly while bouncing lightly on the heels.
Combat Abilities-
"Telek" / "Instant Step": To add to her already formidable speed, Rei has lately perfected a new technique which she calls "Telek", or "Instant Step". By creating a barrier of dense ki, almost like a bubble, and then popping it suddenly, she is able to project himself, nearly instantaneously, to any place up to 50 meters away, using the dispersal of the bubble to instantly stop at her destination. Almost like a short range teleportation, it is instead an actual physical movement that happens so fast that it seems instantaneous, and, for this reason, it is not effected by planar binding spells or runes. There are two practical applications for this technique; escape or travel quickly from or across an area, or a nearly undodgeable backstab attack. By combining the instant step with a rotation and stab, the attacker can perform a quick backstab and appear in a completely different place with very little delay. Telek takes little energy to perform and almost no preperation at all, making it another effective tool for dodging attacks, and can be used in correlation with physical techniques to perform amazingly difficult to block strikes. The reason for the name is because when it is activated, the user appears to take one step forward and then completely dissapears, reappearing almost instantaneously at their destination, thus, "Instant Step". The technique is not completely foolproof, there are some skilled individuals who can track the movement with their mind and dodge potentially fatal strikes, but noone can track it with their eyes. At the end of a successful step, by placing her foot on any physical surface, whether it be stone, grass, or even water, Rei can instantly launch into another step, which makes this efficient for travel. This is the backbone of the backstabbing attack discussed earlier, as a slight pause is needed to rotate and stab (the name given to such an attack is "Tensae Dechaljik", which means "Tiger Leaps Upon His Prey" wink . However, when used in this style, the maximum distance of the next Telek is halved, so it cannot be used to permanently go forward. This is because the body has to recover from bursting the "bubble" of ki. Therefore, the distance in meters that can be achieved goes down every time the technique is used in immediate succession (i.e., 50m, 25m, 12m, 6m, 3m, 1.5m, etc.), and it is more practical to take two second breaks in between steps.
As an OOC note to those who claim to be able to replicate techniques and abilities that they see once; as you cannot actually "see" this technique, it is impossible for you to replicate it through such means.
"Detaltek" / "Wind Step" / "Wind Walk": Created and first used by the Spellsword warrior Syfer, "Detaltek" (which translates to "Wind Step" but is also referred to as "Wind Walking" wink is a high level technique which allows its user to lessen or completely ignore the effects of gravity. By focusing ambient ki at their feet, with the same backspin as the surrounding air, the user lessens their gravity, depending on how dense they make the small field of energy. The higher the density, the less they are effected by gravity. There are two main uses for this technique:
1. By creating a less-dense field of energy, the user is able to effectively lessen their own physical weight and move faster and easier, without having to worry about lifting off the ground. This is especially useful in combat if the user has suffered injuries such as dislocations, broken bones, or twists and sprains, as performing under the full force of gravity with such injuries would be very uncomfortable. When used in this way, the technique also drains much less energy while sustained, leaving more for the combatant to put into their attacks and other abilities. However, when used in this manner, it is feasible that when locking blades, the user may be in somewhat of a disadvantage due to decreased weight, unless they have fully mastered the technique and can activate/deactivate it at will.
2. By creating a super-dense field of energy, the user is able to literally take off and fly, jump to extraordinary heights, or traverse ravines or canyons with ease. Although this makes some traveling easier, the large amount of energy required to sustain actions like these is not quite in the range of being practical. However, this type of usage can be used to perform extraordinary feats in combat, such as floating above an enemy, then releasing the field to drop on them, or riding on debris away from an explosion. It can also be used to walk on walls or ceilings, which is what Rei primarily uses it for outside of combat.
This technique has several more secrets, however. The most notable of these is that the energy field can, with practice, be directed to the hands, and with even more practice, be completely reversed, pulling objects toward the user. Rei has yet to completely perfect this, but feasibly, if it can be transferred to the hands, it can be transferred to any part of the body, or even outside the body, creating gravitational vortexes inside bodies to crush the internal organs of enemies. To activate the Detaltek requires no movement or action, but to redirect or reverse the field requires the index and ring fingers of both hands be touching each other, thumbs touching to form a triangle. Then, by channeling their ki directly into the center of the triangle, they are able to draw the fields there and reverse their flow.
"Oregama-Tervessni" / "Fabled Circle of Enchantments": The two rings that Rei wears that rise up above her shoulders are not for decoration, but are in fact, powerful magical artifacts. Known as "Oregama-Tervessni" ("Fabled Circle of Enchantments" wink , these rings are able to trap the essences of lower-level spells and trap them within their fabric, and then recast the spells at their user's convenience. The Oregama-Tervessni is an item that is rooted deep within Polaris lore, and it is said that only a few people in every couple of generations will be able to create and use them. The creator of the theory behind the Circle was a Polaris mage named Tervis Nilkron. Using a peculiar binding method and casting method in which he used two conductors to cast directly into a circle of fabric, he successfully attempted to transcribe the essence of a low level spell into the cloth. However, that was the easy part. Calling the spell back out proved to be a much more difficult process, and in the end, Nilkron could not successfully cast the spell stored within the cloth up until his death. However, his successor, Sindial Nilkron, opted to walk the path of the Spellsword, and mastered control over his ki. He found a way - using his ki - to force the spell to manifest at will, and since it was the essence of the spell (not just a charge of a cast), he could cast the spell as many times as he liked, as many times per day as he liked, as long as he could raise his arm to project the ki. The only drawback at this point was that the power of the spell deteriorated over time, and after a month of steady use, a new one needed to be made. Since their invention, Spellsword technology has improved and Oregama-Tervessni have improved as well. Rei's Circles can hold up to two spells, and because of the cloth that they are made from, the power of the spells within will never deteriorate. Another improvement is that instead just relying on a somatic component, a verbal component may be used instead, or both may be used at the same time to double the power of the spell. This is especially useful if one of the spells is a healing one; what is the use of having such a spell charged if you can't raise your hand to release it? Instead of having to raise their arm and aim (in the case of defensive and buffing spells), they can speak a pre-designated string and release the spell on themselves. In the case of offensive spells however, aim still must be taken with the arm, because the ki must be directly focussed on the target of the spell; otherwise the spell will release and strike the caster. Rei's Circles are made from a strengthened, green cloth material called "hantekchi" (like the rest of her vestments) and are decorated with gold trim. They retain their circular shape while worn because they conduct the air's ambient energy in the center.
 Valkyrjar · Thu Mar 09, 2006 @ 12:31pm · 1 Comments |
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