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Has it really been five years?
Kaminosai · Fri Apr 25, 2014 @ 06:23am · 1 Comments |
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******** Work, ******** Taxes, ******** National Borders |
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So, two things occurred to me today while I was waiting at the bus stop listening to Jaya the Cat's "Dominant Paradigm".
1: I HATE PUBLIC TRANSIT.
Well, to be more accurate I hate waiting for it. I spent the better part of an hour in my own little slice of hell today due to my bus not showing up. I'm still not certain if it was very, very late, or if the next one was very, very early. When I asked the driver he just sneered at me and told me to sit like a misbehaving puppy. During that hour I learned way more about the sexual escapades of a vagrants and burn-outs than I ever needed or desired to know.
And what the hell is it with EVERYONE who waits at a bus stop smoking? I'm sitting here looking at people who obviously can't even keep a roof over their head, let alone afford basic amenities like soap. Or have at least half a dozen children milling about them and obviously no car to transport them. How the hell do these people have money for ******** cigarettes? I know those things ain't cheap. I worked at a gas station and I can tell you they don't make their money off petrol.
Swear to god, even the kids were passing around a childproof lighter.
2: I HATE MY JOB.
Yes, I've said this before. But honestly it's always been half in jest. Until recently I actually really liked my job for the most part. It's often filled with frustration (and sometimes slightly traumatizing), but I've always left work feeling like I've done something important and managed to help people who need it.
This past week, I haven't felt that. Mostly I've just left work seething with rage.
All the things I like about this job are changing or going away all together. The medical and emergency services that gave me that feeling, are canceling their accounts left and right. My bosses are losing their wonderful laid back attitude and adopting a more "helicopter" management style. And, aside from my roommate who started here recently, every single person I enjoyed working with has either quit or had a drastic change in personality to the point where I can barely stand being in the same room with them.
Also, we're apparently vastly beneath the required protocol for anyone who handles peoples credit card information. Apparently, we're not supposed to have access to any website not directly involved with our clients, have any paper or writing utensils in the office, no personal items on the call floor of any kind, and be monitored by camera 24 hours a day. Which basically means our job will be to sit there twiddling our thumbs waiting for the phone to ring.
******** that. Tomorrow I'm calling Kaiser and asking how much it would cost for me to pay for my medical directly. Then I'm making an appointment with a councilor at SRJC to see what my options are for going back to school full time and getting paid for it. It should have been long enough by now for me to start over with a clean slate, and some of those scholarships or grants pay more than I make NOW. I'm getting off this sinking ship, even if I have to float on someone's corpse to do it.
Kaminosai · Tue May 12, 2009 @ 03:27am · 0 Comments |
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So...
Where has the Red Monk been these past few months?
Naturally, it's been one of those situations where the longer I waited to update my journal the more i had to write about and the less inclined I was to bother. So at this point, I think I'm just going to go over some highlights.
First, I was perpetually ill for about two and a half months. Just one thing after another. Wound up missing some work and took another depression dive, which only made me get worse and so on. Did eventually pull out of it though.
Wound up finally getting a laptop. The desktop i was borrowing finally bought the farm and the local Office Depot was having (yet another) close out sale. It's not exactly top of the line, but more than suffices for my needs. I've been almost physically attached to the thing ever since. Now I just need to get a much smaller tablet for it and I'll be all set.
Went to Vegas with some friends for a weekend. Had a blast. Saw Cirque Du Soleil, which was INSANE. If any of you go there anytime soon I highly suggest eating at the Nine Fine Irishmen. Fantastic food and a house band that can cover the Pogues no less than five times in the span we were eating there, and do it WELL.
I've also begun using my machine every single night. Well, barring a couple mornings I got home too tired to even take off my boots, or was crashing at my mom's place for whatever reason. Anyway, the impact it's had on my mental faculties is unbelievable. My mind is clearer than it's ever been in my entire life, and I haven't been sick in months. The few times I've gone without it I've spent the entirety of the next day wondering how in the hell did I manage to live like that for over ten years. How did I even manage to get anything done at all? Ever?
As a result of this, I've been spending a great deal of time on self introspection. Which is why most of you have barely heard from me save for when I'm on gmail at work. It's interesting what you can discover about yourself when you're able to focus on more than just trying to make it from one day to the next without destroying yourself. Some of these things I will talk about here later.
I think... that's about it for the major stuff. There's a few other minor things, such as my roomie's getting a cat and my job switching to a new system i absolutely loathe. But all of that can wait for later. For now I need to get prepared for the morning rush here.
Catch you all on the flipside
Kaminosai · Fri Mar 20, 2009 @ 01:44pm · 3 Comments |
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So, under the "If it isn't one thing, it's another" catagory: My home computer is screwed again. Only this time it's because windows up and decided I needed to "activate" it. I'm curious how exactly I've been using it so far, being inactive and all. But anyway, Microsoft has decided that the code that was imprinted into the software and written down on it's the CD case is, in fact, wrong. Meaning I can't activate it. Meaning it won't let me log into my own computer.
HOWEVER! I just noticed this evening under the activation interface, it gives an option to go to the Microsoft webpage to view the FAQ. Somehow, they didn't consider the fact that giving me access to IE actually gives me access to the entire computer. It's a bit of a pain in the a**, but until I find a working WinXP activation code it will suffice.
Kaminosai · Tue Sep 30, 2008 @ 09:48am · 0 Comments |
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You have no idea how freaking long this took me to do. Outlining and putting the limitations on what Kami's capabilities are was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do in almost two decades of roleplaying. And even then, I still have to finish writing up his full history. He's a true renaissance man in the tradition of Doc Savage and the like, and the overall goal was to make a character who reflected my love eastern religions/mysticism and low budget kung-fu movies. ~laughs~ Surprisingly, a lot of the detail was a result of outside influences while playing him here on Gaia over the years, rather than my own doing. It's really the interactions with the characters of my friends and acquaintances that have shaped him into the character he is today. By which I mean a disgustingly overpowered Mary-Sue. xd
If you're reading this because we're involved in a match during a tournament or what-have-you, then I'd like to apologize in advance for how complicated Kami's magic is. sweatdrop I did my best to make it as easy to understand as possible, but even then it's pretty out there. If there's anything you don't quite get feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll try to clear it up for you.
Anyway, enough babbling, here's Kaminosai in a nutshell:
Basic Info
Name: Kaminosai (alias, real name unknown) Age: 170 (Approx.) Species: Human Gender: Male Height: 6 feet even Weight: 180lbs (Approx.) Profession: Wandering Monk, Onmyouji, Holistic Physician
Likes: Family and friends, alcohol (preferably sake), seeing a patient recover successfully, leering at beautiful women, enka and kabuki plays, the occasional sparring match Dislikes: Losing a patient, red meat, most modern music, any variety of nut
Appearance: Standing at roughly six feet tall, Kami has a lean and well toned build, like that of an olympic gymnast. His most striking feature is easily his hair. It extends down to his waist and is a rather unnatural shade of red, a trait passed down from his father's side of the family. His eyes are generally relaxed almost to the point of being closed, but when seen they are a fairly normal brown. The lazy look is further complimented by a scraggly patch of bright red stubble on his chin, as he generally can't be bothered to shave. His body is absolutely covered with scars from head to toe. They vary in size, shape, and age greatly, having built up over the proceeding decades to uncountable numbers.
He is often recognized by his almost trademarked clothing. His distinctive red kimono and hakama, along with his hair, have lead to such nicknames as the "Red Monk" or the "Crimson Priest". The kimono is often worn loosely and wide open, despite never wearing anything underneath it. It's sleeves are also abnormally large by most standards, nearly draping to the floor when his arms are down. He seems to use them for storage space and can often be seen pulling all manner of objects for his craft from them. He also favors wooden geta sandals and white tabi socks for his feet, and occasionally ties his long hair back with a white ribbon.
Equipment/Personal Effects: He carries a wide variety of objects for use in his multiple professions, which include (but are not limited to): Stacks of blank paper, Bandages, Acupuncture needles, Medicinal salves and balms, Various herbs, Bottles of mysterious liquids, Jars of ink, Writing brushes, Scrolls, Tomes, and no less than two bottles of Sake (For medicinal purposes assuredly). The stacks of blank paper are for his Ofuda, and he seems to carry an impossible amount of these on him at all times. Most of these objects, especially the medicinal materials, are kept in an old fashioned wooden backpack that he can often be seen wearing.
In the past he was often seen to carry a deceptively simple looking staff with him a good deal of the time. Over the course of his adventures it was revealed his staff utilized components there were in actuality part of the shattered remains of the original Vajra scepter. It was eventually broken down and combined with remaining peice, the legendary Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, to recreate the ancient Hindu weapon. Due to recent events, this artifact is currently being used to hold a malevolent "God Slayer" force in stasis.
Background
History: Very long and probably uninteresting to most people. Will provide a link to it later. TL;DR version as follows:
Kaminosai was born in the 1830's, within the nation of Japan, to an esteemed Shinto Priestess and a foreigner. Little is known about his father beyond the fact that he was European and a highly skilled physician. His mother's family had been highly regarded as Onmyouji for generations, and traced their family line all the way back Susano Oh Mikoto, the Shinto god of wind, sea, and storms. He lived a privileged life throughout his youth, and eventually began a family of his own. However, the violence that sparked the Meiji revolution claimed the lives of his parents, wife, and unborn child. After this, he discovered from his mother's journal that he was Susano's 108th decendant, and that the deity had visited his mother in a vision. In it he said that the boy would one day bear a great destiny in his name. Such a destiny was important to the inner workings of the universe itself, and as such the boy would not die naturally until his task was complete.
His faith renewed, he left his home country and struck out for Asia. He spent many decades wandering the land, journeying as far as Europe, Africa, and back again. He studied many things from many masters, mostly in the fields of mysticism, medicine, and the martial arts. Eventually he became regarded as a master of these fields himself, yet continued to travel and learn until he came to the lands of Gaia.
He found himself returning to the city of Barton many times over the next few years. He quickly became involved in many different groups and organizations in the area. The Warrior Monks, M.I.B., and the Nogitsune to name a few. It was here that he finally learned exactly what his destiny was. Namely, to prevent the resurrection of Yamata No Orochi, the great mountain serpent that had supposedly been dispatched by his divine ancestor. There was a long series of altercations with a strange cult that worshiped the Orochi. Eventually there came a heated battle, culminating in the red monk facing the cults enigmatic leader and the Yamata No Orochi itself on his own. Through unorthodox means (namely, allowing himself to be eaten) Kaminosai severed the cult master's link to the demon and prevented it's resurrection. His own soul now acts as the key to keep the beast sealed until the end of the universe, when it will be allowed to roam free and devour all of creation. Susano himself offered him the chance to end his mortal existence and take a seat in Takamagahara, which the monk humbly refused in favor of living the remainder of his life in Gaia with his family and friends.
Personality: Some of Kaminosai's earliest memory's are of watching his father tend to patients. Despite the amazing range of his medical skills, it was his bedside manor that he was well known for. Kami was always proudest of his father when he was healing the sick and the injured, and quickly adopted this into his personality at a young age. In effect, he is simply laid back nearly to a fault. For the most part almost nothing ever phases him or removes the relaxed smile he wears. This isn't to say he's unemotional or suppressing his feelings, he just tends to see the upside of most situations and is very rarely surprised.
He will drop his relaxed mood under the right circumstances however. Should a situation become dangerous he is always quick to take charge. Using his vast experience to direct others to the proper course of action with an air of authority few seem to argue with. (While most of the people he currently spends time around are far, far older than himself, a Human's shorter lifespan forces them to learn more from their daily life and experiences. So his 170 years of experience could be considered almost on par with the centuries accumulated by his companions.) He is also not completely immune to stress and pressure, and will eventually crack when enough is piled on him. Something that seems to be happening more and more in recent years.
Despite what most people think of when they picture a monk, Kami prefers to spend his time skirt chasing and getting blind drunk, rather than praying or meditating. Negative re-enforcement has toned these habits down quite a bit however. The rest of the time he can be seen practicing his skills, or reading through literature by the great eastern philosophers.
As a healer, he is very much like his father. No matter how serious the patient's condition is, he will always have a smile on his face and assure them that everything will be okay. Once he takes someone on as a patient, he becomes almost pathologically obsessed with seeing their recovery. Often this leads to him treating people whether they would like him to or not.
Goals: Having accomplished his destiny, Kaminosai currently has no long term goals. He simply wishes to live a quiet life in good company.
Combat Info
Fighting Style: As a whole, Kaminosai's approach to combat is somewhat unique. He enjoys the pugilistic aspects of the martial arts, but dislikes situations in which physical violence is used to settle confrontation. This is not to say he is a pacifist, as he will often be the first to jump into the fray when someone is in danger, but if the opportunity to talk a situation out presents itself he will almost always explore that avenue first.
Classified as a "technique" fighter, he does not focus on overpowering his opponent with superior strength or speed. In fact he does not focus on overpowering his opponent at all. Instead everything in his arsenal, from his hand to hand techniques to his spiritual abilities and even medical skills, are focused on removing the opponents ability to function on just about any level required. His magical abilities lend themselves best to countering the effects of other mystical arts or subduing spiritual beings. His skills as a doctor and pugilist make him capable of countering most physical attacks and removing an opponents ability to move.
In short, his entire fighting philosophy centers on retaining harmony by removing his opponents ability to be aggressive.
Izumo Ryuu As a child, Kaminosai was trained in the martial discipline's that would eventually become known as Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu (which itself would eventually spawn the more well known arts of Judo, Aikido, and Jujitsu). Due to his training predating the modern iteration of the martial art by quite a long time, his style in it is somewhat less rigid or refined. He has also trained to some extent in a myriad of different styles and techniques during his wandering years, most notably Tai Chi and Xingyi. Many aspects of these have become entwined within his own martial style to create a fairly unique way of fighting. He has come to call his style "Izumo Ryuu", as a sort of mockery of the reasons for his martial studies in the first place.
Kami's hand to hand fighting style is almost completely defensive. He very rarely makes a direct attack, focusing instead on countering the attacks of his opponents. He makes a wide use of joint locks and submission holds or pins as Daito Ryu traditionally dictates. If a fight is serious enough, he may even dislocate or destroy his opponents joints entirely. Offensively, he prefers to rely on strikes that are quick, light, and accurate. These manifest mainly as "atemi", strikes used to throw an opponent off balance or hit a vital area to set up an opponent for a joint lock or submission hold. His accuracy with these attacks is truly unnerving, and his knowledge of physiology and acupuncture only makes them all the more dangerous. Theoretically, he can end fights startlingly quick if his opponent should make the proper pressure and acupuncture points available for him to paralyze them. In most cases however, he simply winds up slowly picking his opponents apart one bodily function at a time.
Palpation: A curious technique that so far seems unique to the Red Monk. On connecting a physical strike against his opponent (usually with the flat of the palm), he sends a weak pulse of his own chi into their body. This acts as a sort of sonar, and provides him with a picture of their physiology. What he can learn from this varies however. Many beings have organs or systems that are wholly unique, and augmentations such as cybernetics show up as a large "shadow" in his mental image. While he can notice the presence of these things, he cannot normally tell what their function may be.
Special Abilities:
Physical limitations: All of Kami's physical characteristics are well within human limitations. His strength, speed, and so on are all in typical ranges for someone of his build and physique. However, there are two things that stand out for him as being exceedingly above average. The first are his hands, which have the pin-point accurate hand eye co-ordination and steadiness of a skilled surgeon with the toughness of a lifelong martial artist. His gripping strength is also pretty extreme, and capable of crushing a masonry brick with one hand. His greatest strength however are his reflexes, which are practically surreal. He's shown himself capable of reacting to the actions of the fastest "speed type" opponents, and has often demonstrated the ability to dodge gunfire.
Divine Ancestry and Thunder Immunity: While Kaminosai can trace his family back to a major Shinto deity, this does not actually make him very special. There are many versions of the legend of Susano's battle with the Yamato No Orochi that end by stating the god and his mortal bride went on to populate most of japans western coast. In fact, according to legend most of the island nations population are descended from one deity or another. Even during his own battle with the great mountain serpent, Kaminosai found it was the mortal blood of the Princess Kushinata that allowed him to subdue the demon, rather than the divine blood of Susano. However, his status as Susano's 108th ancestor has lead to him receiving a minor blessing, in that the wind and skies will never bring him harm. In effect, he is immune to any danger presented by anything pertaining to wind, thunder, or lightning. The catch is, this immunity only applies when the danger is caused via nature or magic, and mechanical or otherwise purely artificial sources do not apply. As such, thunderbolts will simply make his hair stand out, powerful shockwaves part as they pass him, but a common handheld Tazer will still put him down for the count. It also only applies when said elements would cause the damage directly. There is nothing stopping a gust of wind from blowing him over the edge of a cliff, for example.
Chi and Alcohol: During his martial art studies Kaminosai mastered the ability to utilize his bodies internal energies (Chi) in various ways to improve his physical abilities, even to the point of overcoming the limits of the human body. However, chi is also crucial to how effective his magic can be, and thus needs to be conserved as much as possible. For this reason he developed another similar ability, which is to burn the Alcohol his system has absorbed from his exorbitant drinking binges and convert it into a similar kind of energy. This will usually give him a sort of buffer before he actually has to use his own energies. Good for two to three large bursts of power depending on how drunk he is at the time. Once he does start pulling energy from his actual Chi, his magical abilities immediately begin taking a serious hit in effectiveness. The number of ofuda he can control at one time begins to decline, as does the overall strength of his seals and spells.
Spirit Sense Kaminosai's training as a priest and onmyouji has honed his 6th sense to become much stronger than your average human. However, it is mostly focused on feeling out the flow of natural energies in the area around him rather than individuals. While he can feel the interactions between the elements and how those energies are affected by a beings presence, he cannot simply look at someone and tell whether their power level is over nine-thousand, as it were.
There is also a curious side effect in his bond with the Yamata No Orochi. Due to his soul acting as a sort of key to the lock that keeps the demon sealed, and the Orochi's own nature as being effectively a hole in the workings of the universe, Kaminosai no longer shows up on other peoples 6th senses. In a sense he appears as a void on their radar, indistinguishable from background noise. The only exceptions are beings who's fundamental nature or powers involve them in some way with the forces of "void" or "nothingness", to whom he will give the same impression as a gaping hole in the surrounding spiritual energy.
Shinto/Buddhist Magic: I've tried my damnedest to find a short and simple way to explain Kami's magic and how it works. Quite frankly, there ISN'T one. So I apologize, but you'll have to deal with the lengthy and complicated version.
Methods and Rules: Many forms of mystical arts involve imposing ones will on the workings of the universe and bending, or even breaking, those "rules" that govern it (Buddhist and Hindu teachings call these rules "Dharma" wink . Kaminosai's magic is in effect the exact opposite. The practical purposes behind most of the eastern magics is to maintain the natural order of the universe. In a way priests like Kaminosai are a combination of Police and Tech Support. Using their teachings to enforce the rules of Dharma and fix any "hacks" in the system.
Despite this, Kami and his brethren use more or less the same concept to keep Dharma in check as others to do break it. The main difference in the style Kami has studied is that he quite literally does it in writing. His style preaches that when one writes out a word onto an object, they are imposing their will upon that object and add to or giving it meaning. By further imposing more of ones will into that "meaning" they can change the nature of the object. The actual mechanics of this are fairly complicated, mostly having to do with using ones internal energy ("chi", which is mainly found in the blood) to bridge the gap between their spiritual energy ("ki" wink and the physical world.
Essentially it is a form of command magic, with the caveat that anything possessing a will of it's own is able to resist the effects. Those having a stronger will offering more resistance, and truly sentient beings can generally disregard the direct effects entirely. The upside to these techniques is that most traditional methods of counter-magic have no affect, unless someone somehow has a method of changing the meaning of a language. (Of course, someone can also simply do something to remove or distort the writing to have the same effect.)
Other rules worth noting include the fact that he cannot command an object or being to do something it is not otherwise physically capable of doing. Writing the character for "dance" on a rock will not cause the rock to spontaneously dance about. However, if the object is given such a word and provided with some assistance it may do something vaguely similar, if only temporarily. Which means writing "dance" upon a rock and rolling it over may cause it to continue to roll and flop around in a very rock-like manner for some time. Another example would be to write the word "fly" on an otherwise inanimate log and give it a good swift kick, causing it to propel upwards several feet and soar through the air some distance until it eventually came crashing back down to the ground.
Onmyoudo and Elemental Energies: The ancient Japanese teachings of Onmyoudo (modified teachings of the Tao) are an essential part of Kaminosai's mystical arts. They deal primarily with the flow of five elements. Namely: Wood, Earth, Fire, Metal, and Water. Other elements usually are considered a subset of one of these (wind for example, falls under the purview of water), and as a result they represent everything in the known universe. And while not technically elements themselves, the interactions of these elements result in varying degrees of Yin and Yang energy. The elements interact in one of two ways, known as the Complimentary and Conflicting paths. The Complimentary path is a relationship in which the elements bolster eachother. Wood fuels fire, Fire returns everything to the earth, earth produces metal, metal digs the trenches and paths for water to flow, and water nourishes the tree. The path of conflict is a relationship in which the elements dominate eachother. Earth absorbs and obstructs the flow of water, Water extinguishes fire, Fire melts metal, Metal hacks apart wood, and Wood drains the life from earth. Onmyoudo's main purpose is to carefully observe the interactions of these elements in one's surroundings as a form of divination. However it was quickly found that if one can manipulate these interactions they can change the course of events to their advantage. It's important to know however, that just like any other form of energy these elemental flows cannot be destroyed or created from nothing. They can merely be channeled into another element or transformed into a different energy (which is the basis for most forms of magic, at least from the perspective of the teachings Kami follows).
Ofuda: Ofuda are one of Kaminosai's most consistently used tools. Consisting of nothing more than slips of paper on which he writes various combinations of characters, words, and scriptures to provide a nearly unlimited number of effects, their uses extend throughout nearly all of his techniques. They are used to manipulate the flow of elemental and spiritual energy, as a method of remotely exerting his will over objects, to act as bodies for his Shikigami, construct seals and barriers, create illusions, and so on. Regardless of how their are scripted or what their function may be, nearly all of them are made to move and behave according to his will. This often results in them flying through the air, gathering together into larger sheets of paper, or folding and combining themselves via origami to create complex shapes. Most of his ofuda have very simple scripts that can be mass produced quickly by his paper shikigami (Naturally, the more of them required, the simpler the script). These can often be categorized as one of, or a combination of, the following:
Command: These ofuda often feature a single main word or phrase, and are used to allow Kami to exert his will on something that is too far out of his reach to write on directly.
Elemental Manipulation: These Ofuda will alter the interactions between the five elements according to one of the two paths. Sometimes they even affect the flow pure yin and/or yang. Generally they perform one or more of these actions: -Direct (Shikiru): Alter the flow of an element from one path to the other, thereby changing the flow of the others to compensate. -Focus (Chuushin): Gather the energy of one element from the surrounding area into a single point, thereby increasing the intensity of the element at that point and decreasing it everywhere else. -Bind (Shibaru): Suppresses the flow of an element, simultaneously lowering its influence and causing a build up. Once the energy builds up to a sufficient point the ofuda will be overcome and release the energy in a powerful surge. How long this takes depends mostly on how strong the element is within the area in question. -Reflect (Utsusu): Repels a given element whenever it approaches to talisman. The effect is similar to trying to press the same poles of two powerful magnets together. This also affects all aspect of the element, meaning one scripted to reflect fire will not only push away the flames but also the heat they produce. However, they can only "push" the element away to a certain extent. Metal for example, may deflect a grazing hit from a bullet, but not a dead-on-target shot.
Elementally Infused: By being scripted to absorb a small amount of an elements energy, and Ofuda can be imbued with that elements properties. Only one element may be infused at a time, and the results vary with the element: -Fire (Ka): On command the paper can ignite in an intense burst of blue flame, after which it fizzles out almost immediately. -Metal (Kin): The paper becomes as strong and flexible as tempered steel. It's already sharp edges can make it into quite the dangerous weapon. -Wood (Moku): On command the talisman will sprout an exact duplicate of itself, complete with matching scripture. -Earth (Do): Increases the weight and density of the ofuda. A stack of papers of comparable size will weigh as much as a masonry brick. -Water (Sui): Gives Kami the ability to shift the ink on the ofuda on command, changing the scriptures written on it. This will likely change the scripture that's infusing the water energy into the ofuda, so it only works once.
One of his common practices is to cover his body with specific combination's of these scriptures, affording him a sort of "Ofuda Armor" as protection. He also tends to keep a handful of his defensive scripts handy in case he finds himself caught unawares.
It's also important to note that utilizing ofuda requires a great deal of concentration. A fistful of them could have wildly different effects and be directed or utilized independently. In large numbers, Kami is generally only able to utilize one set of identically scripted talismans at a time, and when directing them through the air likely cannot do much moving on his own.
Seals/Barriers The main purpose behind Kaminosai's magic is to see to it the laws of dharma are maintained. This generally requires him to contain and seal off anything that directly contradicts these laws. This basically means he has the capability of containing, sealing, or banishing anything that contradicts fundamental laws of nature. Be it a bolt of arcane energy, or a tear in the fabric of space. The most interesting thing about these techniques is that the more basic a law of Dharma that is being broken, the easier it is to rectify it. Which means that a lot of highly advanced magics that manipulate such things as Time and Space are actually easier for him to stop than say, a simple fireball. This isn't to say it's actually easy at all however. Even in those cases he needs time to understand the method with which Dharma is being broken and figure out the best method to fix it, which will require some time in and of itself. Once he discovers this however, it will be incredibly difficult for the offender to pull it off again in his presence.
Banishing spiritual beings also falls under this, but generally requires a great deal of preparation and a complicated, lengthy ritual.
One of the main exceptions worth noting, is that these techniques are nearly worthless against forms of Shamanic and Druidic magic. Due mostly to the fact that such schools rarely actually break the laws of nature. In fact, many people regard Shinto itself to be a form of shamanism.
Illusions Many of the techniques Kamiosai has studied provide various methods for causing illusionary effects. Some of these are as simple as combination's of various incense, pollens, and other agents to illicit specific hallucinatory reactions in others. His main method however, involves utilizing specific scriptures on his ofuda. Once seen, the scripture causes the viewer to see a collection of ofuda as something else entirely. The viewers ability to decipher what exactly the esoteric characters mean is not required, because the effect occurs at the spiritual level rather than anything effecting the eyes or brain. This means that it will affect even beings with no corporeal body, and still affect someone viewing them remotely via a photograph or televised camera. However, this also means that purely mechanical, undead, and other misc. "soulless" beings are not affected in any way. The other major downside to this is that these illusions are not terribly powerful. They're incapable of surviving the slightest bit of disturbance and the effects can often be broken with a modest amount of concentration.
Spatial Folding While their job is essentially to preserve the laws of Dharma, many monks like Kaminosai take advantage of bending those laws here and there in order to make their jobs easier. Folding small pockets of space in order to more easily carry around the large amount of supplies and tools needed to accomplish their job is one of those things men of his creed are technically not allowed to do. But everyone does it anyway. This is the reason why Kaminosai can produce hundreds of pounds of paper from beneath his robes without apparently being at all weighed down or encumbered by it. There are also a large number of his "Kamijin" familiars within the enfolded space who's job is to provide a constant supply of ofuda with simple scripts.
Familiars (Shikigami): Many Onmyouji make use of spiritual familiars to help them with their work, and Kami is no different. The way these spirits are manifested or used varies from one priest to another. Sometimes they are simple mindless servants for basic tasks, or more powerful beings bound to the priests spirit or will. Kaminosai currently has four different Shikigami:
Kamijin: These shikigami take the form of small paper men. First, he uses complicated origami to fold one of his Ofuda into the shape of a roughly 5 inch tall person. He then writes various magical scripts onto the paper to bind an air spirit into it. After that the paper figure becomes fully animated and capable of independent movement. Orders can be given to them either by writing instructions into the binding seal itself, or by another script that allows him communicate his wishes mentally. On rare occasions, he will "program" a Shikigami to have free will and true sentience. Generally they are used for the mass production of simple ofuda (and can usually function in the same manner of any ofuda by themselves), but are also used for other mundane tasks. He also often writes in the instructions on how to make more of their own kind so they can self replicate within his robes as needed. When give the ability to speak, their voices are high pitched and adorably squeaky.
Cloud Spirit More like a pet than a familiar, Kaminosai saved this young spirit while it was still young and it has followed him ever since. More often known as a Jindouyun or Kintoun, it is of the same type made famous as being ridden by the infamous Monkey King. Usually it spends it's time in the skies above wherever the monk may be staying at the time. If called, it will descend and pick Kaminosai up (with enough room for a single passenger) and take him wherever he wishes to go.
Juu-Injuu Originally a Chinju No Kami (a minor guardian deity tasked with guarding a specific geographic area), Juu-Injuu was tasked with watching over a beach in which Kaminosai's adopted sister made her residence, and was awakened from a long slumber by the monk. After the beach was effectively abandoned, the spirit was eventually tasked by Susano to aid Kaminosai in any way required and bonded by the god into the monks cloud familiar. A rather mysterious presence, Juu-Injuu forgoes any indication of mortal behavior (such as blinking), and is completely androgynous in appearance and voice. Even Kami himself has no idea whether the minor deity is male or female, or even if it possesses a gender in the first place. A staunch pacifist, Juu-Injuu is incapable of assisting it's master in combat. Instead, it usually acts as an intermediary between Kaminosai and the local spirits of the land.
Yamata No Orochi Also not technically a familiar per se. After the battle with the insane high priest of the serpent worshipping cult, Kaminosai's immortal soul became the key to keep the Mountain Serpent King sealed until the end of creation, at which time it will be released and allowed to devour the physical world. The blood of Susano's mortal bride, the Princess Kushinata, keeps the great demon sated and calm until then. One of the side effects of this connection, is that Kaminosai now has the capability to temporarily summon Orochi into this world, if only partially. How much of the beast manifests is handled by the number of it's heads Kami decides to summon. One head results in a small snake no more than six inches long, two resulting in a double headed serpent the size of an average Ball Python, and so on to nine, in which the demon covers roughly the area of a mountain range. Regardless of what size it may be, the Orochi always possesses the ability to devour literally anything. Even so far as to eat "nothingness" itself. While watching over the Yamata No Orochi is Kaminosai's task to manage as he see's fit, releasing it is technically something he is not allowed to do. As a result, summoning more than one head at any time is reserved only for the most drastic of emergencies.
Kaminosai · Thu Sep 11, 2008 @ 10:48am · 0 Comments |
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So, grandma's only got a couple days left apparently. Between my mom and I we can only afford to send one of us down there, so she's going to fly out in the morning while I cover her shift all week. I kind of regret that I can't be there, but what can you do?
On the bright side, my doctor had a cancellation this morning and I got in to see him. He gave me a number to make an appointment with physical therapy. I'm not really arguing, I'll do anything at this point to get this taken care of.
Kaminosai · Tue Sep 09, 2008 @ 06:48am · 0 Comments |
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Always on my Mind #2: My Health |
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So, I'm kind of concerned for myself right now. I mean, yeah things have been up and down like always. There's always bad stuff going on and it's always stressful, but I generally tend to keep a level head and muscle my way through it. Metaphorically speaking. But lately, this whole situation with my ankle has been exacerbating everything terribly.
Hrm... actually lemme back up a bit there.
So, about three months ago I was doing great. I had settled in here with my new roomates of +1 awesomeness, I was losing weight, eating better, using the machine more often, happy with work, getting ready for school, and so on. I was even walking five miles a day. Then, during one of those walks, I stepped in a pothole and wrenched my ankle horribly. I felt it pop twice. The doctor said it was a sprain and told me to just do what i'd been doing (R.I.C.E) and it should get better in a month or so. Well, we're past two months now and it's still ******** up, and my doctor is booked up through this month.
So, this doesn't really sound like a big deal, but there's been a few problems that have resulted from this and the fact that I do not own a usable vehicle. I'm generally dependant on walking and public transporation to get around, and now I can't even walk down to the busstop. Which means that I'm basically dependant on other people to get anywhere. This is a pretty huge blow to what little pride in myself I have. I hate feeling dependant on others to this extent. It also means that I'm basically incapable of going anywhere but home or work, which is driving more than a little stir crazy.
I feel like someone who was making the last few yards of long, grueling marathon, and then had a brick wall dropped right in front of them.
And I suppose even that doesn't sound that bad really. But in the last week I've begun to realize that as a result of all of this, I've been slipping further and further into my depression than I had originally thought. In fact I don't think I've been this bad since before I went to see my first shrink, which would have been a good 10-11 years ago.
I've been withdrawing away from everyone more and more, even with you guys online. Posting less, haven't drawn a thing since Kit's gift, barely even game or anything else anymore. Mostly if I see my roommates it's because I'm laying about watching TV. On my days off I mostly just sleep. When I'm awake I'm bored and restless despite having plenty at my disposal to occupy my time. My eating habits have grown worse again too. I haven't bought salad stuff in weeks and keep making fast-food stops on the way to work. My bodies going back to crap and it's only making me feel worse.
I've tried to talk it out with a few people, and for the most part it helps but it never really seems to stick. Support from Kit, Nyami, and Chris have helped more than anything, but I think they're the only thing keeping me just this side of sane. And the worst part is, there's not alot I can do to fix the situation. I've tried doing other things to better myself. Getting my finances untangled from my mother's, getting more organized and keeping better track of things that need to be done, etc. But it just feels like I'm trying to use a paddle off a rowboat to steer an oceanliner.
Even after reading that last bit a couple times I can't think of anything I can do to help myself feel better. I'm starting to wonder if there's a downside to this sort of zen status I've had about being single. There's a certain kind of comfort you can't get from family and friends, and maybe this is one of those times where that's what I need. But I honestly don't know.
Kaminosai · Fri Sep 05, 2008 @ 11:05am · 0 Comments |
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Always on my Mind #1: Family |
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Mom: Phew... okay, where to begin. So, a couple posts back or so I mentioned that I had been fretting over how I'm going to support her within the next few years on my own. Well apparently she was aware that this had been bothering me. If this doesn't sound like a problem, that's because next to none of you know my mother.
So after admitting to me that she had considered suicide as an alternative to being a "burden" on her children, she has told me she "decided to live after all". Not only that, but she's decided to become a nun.
Yeah that's right, a NUN.
I mean, I can see where she's coming from. Food and board provided free of charge, she gets to spend her time helping people, she's always had faith in the Judeo-Christian God despite being basically non denominational, and she's been celibate for over a decade anyway. So why not? It's just... weird. I'm still not entirely sure what to think.
Sister + Family: I really need to keep in better touch with my sister. That said we've been keeping up better than we used to. A phone call or a few traded text's every couple of months or so. Honestly though it's the same problem I have with everyone else. I think about everyone all the time, I just totally suck at remembering to call or write. I do worry about her a lot though.
She's working full time and her latest spine injury was not that long ago. I know I can trust Jack to take care of her, I can honestly only hope to someday be half as good a ******** as he is. But still, they're a whole continent away and there's nothing I can do to help from here.
I miss my nieces too. It's been long enough they probably don't even remember my face at this point.
Nyami: More or less the same as above, actually. There's only so much I can do to help, and what little there is I feel like I could be doing better. I know she'll get out of this rut though, it's just going to take time and determination. She's way stronger than I am. I have faith in her.
Father-Unit a*****e. I mean... sorry. Again, where to begin...
I was just beginning to come to terms with my feelings about my dad. Things were going good, he seemed to be doing better and has been trying really hard to make up for his vanishing act when I was younger. He'd managed to even be a little less of the crazy for awhile there. I honestly thought things would come to terms and be okay. ~laughs~ Next time I'll just wish for a unicorn or something.
I had a talk about this with mom, and discover I was mistaken about a few things. See, there's a few troubling events of my youth that I had always attributed to my Uncle. And for the most part this is true, however there were a few key events that were actually the actions of my father, in addition to a few I was unaware of.
So yeah, now I've gone from "coming to terms" to where all I can think about when I see him is how badly I want to pick something up and reduce is skull to the consistency of silly putty. Plus, suddenly the crazy seems to be pouring out of him as though it had never left, and he's gone back to his (arguably subconscious) attempts at ******** me.
I eagerly await the day when he finally pays off his debts to me and I can tell him to ******** off for good.
Kaminosai · Fri Jul 25, 2008 @ 01:03pm · 1 Comments |
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