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Quote:
What disappointment
to stand a moment looking
and leave it behind--
brocade woven by someone
along the rim of the hills.
~Kokinshu 49

I bid you all farewell for now. The dedication people had to the shop even in its quiet passing makes this a bittersweet goodbye. I know you would have done what you could, but I find I don't have it in me to give the shop up entirely, and I don't have time to do anything with it. Let's leave it intact in our memories. If I ever finish grad school, perhaps it can reopen in a new, fresh way. But for now, farewell. I had a lot of fun. Thank you.


Past Announcements:Event Registration 849, Dasharath and Yakaisou 852, Roshan 838, Marrok 834, Renzoku 833, Shikashu 812, Sabi 807, Ashe 805, No Journals Penalty List 802, Rosales 798, Journals Deadline 795, Sekishi cert 794, Worklists 791, Marrok Shakujo 787, RP Event setup 776, Shakujos 766, Renzoku cert 766, Twins certs 741, Lalchandra 716,Contest Results 715,Rosales Roshan and Megani certs 706, Sabi and Yakaisou certs 691, City Creation and RP Contest Winners 676 and 677, Coloring Contest Winner 673, Raffle and Ad Contest Winners 668, Mikio pg 627, Hyoukyo pg 606, Congrats Sephiros 586, Raffle 513, Congrats Oura on the Dice Game 512, Mau leaves us 505, owners see 434 and 490

Quote:
Table of Contents:
  • 1 - Announcements
  • 2 - Enlightenment ~ rules
  • 3 - Legends and Lore ~ the six realms
  • 4 - The Paths Followed ~ stages
  • 5 - Wealth and Health ~ availability
  • 6 - Nagas and Rakshasas
  • 7 - Defining Dragons ~ a biased lexicon
  • 8 - The War and the Wall ~ what’s up with the 5th realm
  • 9 - Jizo's Teahouse ~ becoming Human
  • 10 - Vritra's Blackened Shrine ~ becoming Gaki
  • 11 - Karma ~ those up for customization
  • 12 - Those Summoned ~ ownerslist
  • 13 – Blacklist and Affiliates

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The Obvious

Gaia TOS.
No art theft.
Don’t godmod.
Speak human.

Thread rules

XiaoRen’s word is law.
Don’t be easily offended, yaoi and religious discussion both feature prominently in thread.
If you have issues with someone in thread, take it to PMs.

RP Rules

Normal Asuras (base lineart) will not be confiscated for inactivity.

Special Edition Asuras (unique lineart) must be RP Asuras, and they will be confiscated if you do not RP them or show up in the shop for more than 4 months. Announced hiatuses will be given special consideration.

RP vs NonRP
When you first get an Asura, you must choose if you want it to be RP or Non-RP. It cannot change status later.

Non-RP Asuras will be summoned from your shakujo in a few weeks with no actions on your part. They can be reborn into a Human or a Gaki if you buy an item for them. They have no powers. They cannot be customized after they are purchased. They cannot breed.

RP Asuras require you to RP them from one stage to another. The Asura will not appear from the shakujo until you write a summons. He will not be reborn as a Human or a Gaki until you RP his death. He will not gain powers as a Human or a Gaki until you RP his training and acquisition of those powers (see Jizo’s Tea House and Vritra’s Blackened Shrine). RP Asuras will be able to breed, once breeding is implimented in the shop.

What, just 3 RPs? Not really. The summoning, death, and acquisition of powers are the only required RPs. But it would be difficult to make the plot flow from one to the other without RPs in between.

RP Asuras must have a journal in the guild. Only RPs that are posted or linked in your Asura's journals will be official. The journal will also be linked to the owners' list.

Owners of RP Asuras must read the front page, and are encouraged to read the extra information in the Biased Lexicon and Q&A sections in the Guild.

RP Asuras are eligible for customization. After you have RPed a certain amount, or very well, your pet will be added to a list of Asuras eligible for customization. You can ask for an item or a marking, some change to your pet’s art. Asuras that have earned karma towards customization will be listed in the Karma section in post 11. Also, if your Asura is reborn as a Human or a Gaki, and you have RPed him well, you can have some choice in his reincarnation’s appearance.

Co-ownership is permitted. Though only two owners. This can be for financial reasons or for RP reasons. For instance if one of you wanted to RP the summoner and the other the Asura.

ICly a summoner can only have one Asura. OOC of course you can have as many as you want. But you need to write a new summoner for each. It isn't that a person couldn't physically carry around two shakujos, which would work. But I don't think a human could handle two Asuras. As it is, it should be difficult for your human to handle one. A summoner with two would be on the fast track to the asylum, or the morgue. Actually, that might be true with having just one Asura.

Your Asura can have more than one summoner. The only thing that gives a summoner control over the Asura is that they are in possession of the shakujo. If they lose the shakujo to another human, then the Asuras contract with them is null while they don't have the shakujo. So you can write the shakujo changing hands, if you want to. An Asura is only bound to obey one person at a time though.

Solos in your journal count as RP. If you like to write alone.

You may RP your own OCs or pets from other shops. Please consider how they fit into the Asuras world setting and provide some explanation for their background as part of the Asuras story. For example if you have a demonic character, they would be from the 1st realm. If you have a ghost character, they are from the 2nd realm. If you have a Youkai character (kitsune for example), they are from the 3rd realm. If you have an angelic or deific character, they are from the 6th realm. Some pets or characters may not fit with the shop setting.

If you are interested in DMing an adventure for other players, you CAN. I like stories with consequences. RP on Gaia is predominantly pure character interaction. That is fine, but there is something to be said for having a storyteller and suspense for the characters involved. If you want to try making an adventure, PM XiaoRen the premise of your story for approval. In an ideal world, I would DM lots of adventures for the Asuras, but I don’t know that I will have time.

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There are Six Realms in Samsara, the karmic wheel of pain. Picture a mountain, round and tall. At the peak, innermost and closest to the shining of the Bodhisattvas is the 6th realm. At the bottom is a wide smoking plain, fissured with fire and with ice, with room enough for all the souls of Samsara. This is the 1st realm. All the other realms lie on the slopes between.

These realms are physically related to each other, but they can also be thought of as different dimensions or planes. Each realm seems to be a world of its own when perceived from inside that realm. Only the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, who exist outside of Samsara, can see all the realms together and the mountain they comprise. Thus it is easy for a Buddha or Bodhisattva to travel from one realm to another, but it is more difficult for creatures within the realms.

The 6th Realm
This is the realm of paradises where the Devas dwell. It is the smallest realm. There are cities of crystal and gold feathered with hanging gardens. The trees drip with fruit and honey and all the waters run clean. It is forbidden to eat meat or take any life. The flames of desire are quenched with surfeit until desires themselves are proven an illusion. There are humble tea houses and lotus islands for those who wish to retreat entirely. More common are the palaces and theaters of the Devas, many of whom have lived in the 6th realm for thousands of years. One wonders if they truly mean to be Enlightened.

The Devas share this realm with all manner of heavenly beings. Of these, the Garuda and Kirin are most often in their company. It is usual to see pearled scales and horns shining amidst the orchards, and flashing wings lifting from the towers of their palaces.

Devas move with ease between the realms and can bring others with them. It is a skill they have honed in their eternal war with the Asuras, and they are aided by Soma, a drink that gives them immense power for a short time. Sometimes the Devas will bring beloved humans to the 6th realm, but it cannot prolong their life. For that the Devas have Vajras, mysterious gems that can hold a human soul in peace for a century.


The 5th Realm
One ring outward and below lies the 5th realm, the human world. This story takes place in a theoretical future setting. Science advanced industry and weaponry as fast as consumer demand required…faster than ecological safety measures or medicine. As water sources were polluted and populations swelled beyond what resources could support, the countries went to war. Civilization split into two factions, people embracing science as salvation from the problems it had caused, and people who wished to banish it altogether. Now society is divided between the New World and the Old World.

Only humans schooled in the occult can see between the realms. A powerful onmyouji could even move between the realms. For the most part, however, humans are bound to the 5th realm. They lack the knowledge, faith, and power to step outside.

See: The War and The Wall

The 4th Realm
This is the realm of the Asuras. It is a wilderness dotted with castles and small cities. Castles are the lairs of Asuras powerful or charismatic enough to attract and keep followers. These Asuras keep their armies the way Norse kings of old used to, by feasting them and giving them treasure, the spoils of battle. Castle lords and their armies are usually Semes, whose powers are suited to war. The more extravagant and powerful the castle, the more likely that Ukes will seek out those Semes for protection. Theoretically a powerful and beautiful Uke could attract an army of besotted Semes and have a castle of his own. There are no rules within a stronghold except those the lord of the stronghold enforces.

Asura cities are usually run by Ukes, whose powers are suited to creation and defense. Cities are lively, full of theaters, brothels, and stores. The buildings are wildly mismatched, each Asura trying to outdo his neighbor. Fights are commonplace, part of the overall theater of the cities. So long as death was the result of a pissing contest, a lovers tiff, or an overenthusiastic use of powers, there is no punishment for the killer. Premeditated or cold blooded killing, on the other hand, is punishable by exile from the city or death.

The greatest castle in the realm is Kaalapur, the fortress of Vritra. The greatest city in the land is Rasa, the seat of Varuna. (Vritra jokes this makes Varuna an Uke.)

The wilderness between the Asura strongholds and cities has life of its own. The lakes, rivers, and oceans are home to the Nagas, who have their own cities beside or under the water. The deserts and forests are home to the nomadic Rakshasas, who live in magnificent tents. There are some remaining Youkai, but most have moved to the 3rd realm.

All of the races of the 4th realm can move between the realms. Asuras don’t have Soma, so they expend their own energy to travel the slopes of Samsara. A normal Asura will arrive exhausted and vulnerable in another realm. An Asura who has been summoned by his shakujo is an exception, because he didn’t travel by his own will or power.

Nagas are a race of scholars, and they have extensive knowledge of Samsara. They travel the realms to learn more, and have their own paths from one realm to another. It is safer for an Asura to ask a Naga to take him from one realm to another, but Asuras are usually too proud. Rakshasas are secretive, and the Asuras don’t know how they travel or at what cost.

The 3rd Realm
The 3rd realm once belonged to the animals, but long ago the Devas led them into the 5th realm and gave them into human care. (Considering how the animals have fared in the 5th realm, the wisdom of that move was debatable.) The 3rd realm is entirely a wilderness, with no cities or towns.

The Youkai saw the neighboring realm empty and quickly moved in. They favored the forests and mountains, where trees rise so tall and intertwined that light never reaches the forest floor. Everywhere great stones jut from the ground as if placed there, pregnant with forgotten meaning. It is common to see red torii on the slopes or gohei wrapping the mighty stones and trees, territory markings of the Youkai.

But more than half of the 3rd realm is pastureland, a rolling heath. Grass comes in every color of the sea, and the hills are bruised purple with heather and thistles. Monoliths perch on the rocky ground here too, visible for miles. But they offer no shelter from the constant grey rain. The Youkai disliked the cold, open, wet spaces, and left them empty. No land is empty long. The always seeking Gaki wandered there, finding it softer than their own realm. Anywhere that wasn’t under Youkai protection became a haunt of hungry ghosts.

This was when the Asuras still considered themselves the guardians of the upper realms from the lower. Once they noticed their new neighbors, they moved into the 3rd realm and took much of it back from the Gaki by force. But that was long ago, before Varuna proclaimed himself King. After crowning himself, Varuna ordered the Asuras to drive the Gaki back to the 2nd realm. Asuras hate to follow command, and most of them immediately lost interest and went home, leaving the 3rd realm to the Gaki.

Some Asuras remain, loyal to Varuna’s orders. Others choose to live in the 3rd realm in self-imposed exile. It is easier to have a wide territory in the 3rd realm, and the chances of being bothered by other Asuras are slim. Each finds his own way to deal with the presence of the Gaki, whether to fight them, ignore them, or appease them. A building in the 3rd realm is always evidence of Asura or Gaki presence.

The Youkai build gates to travel from one realm to another. These are objects, usually torii, trees, or stones, that draw Chi from the surrounding land and spend it when the gate is used. On the other side is an identical object bound to the first. These gates are almost exclusively between the 3rd realm and the 5th, where Youkai have convinced humans in the Old World to worship them with offerings of food and liquor. The Youkai get really angry if any other race uses their gates.

The 2nd Realm
The 2nd realm is an ashy lowland, the foothills of Samsara, home to the Gaki and other wretched ghosts. The land is barren and grey, the plants are black and twisted or else white and dry as bones. Empty riverbeds thread all the hills with hollow veins, but only mist fills them. If there were ever rivers to carve those beds, they dried up when Vritra swallowed the waters of Samsara, and the waters never flowed back down again.

Nothing lives in the 2nd realm. There is no Chi in land or creature. Greater Gaki, those born of Asuras, are the lords of the land, the only builders, scholars, or collectors. They rule the Lesser Gaki when they care to. Some creatures that humans mistakenly call Youkai are really ghosts of the 2nd realm. The range of specters that haunt the land is so varied that many don’t seem to have a race. None but the Nagas have bothered to catalogue them. The most terrible beings of the 2nd realm, besides the Greater Gaki, are the Onryoo. Where Gaki are the embodiment of hunger, Onryoo are the embodiement of wrath and revenge. Even Greater Gaki avoid them.

All Greater Gaki and Onryoo and some other powerful ghosts can travel between the realms with ease. They have no Chi to spend and don’t seem to need it. Their hunger draws them towards the life of the upper realms like a tide. Lesser ghosts feel this draw, but don’t have enough hunger or hatred to carry them across. Ghosts never travel down to the 1st realm, though demons sometimes come up to the 2nd realm to torment them.

The 1st Realm
The 1st realm is an obsidian plain surrounding the rest of Samsara. It is the largest of the realms, and of them all it has the most names. Naraka, Diyu, Hell…the list is long. The plain is cracked as if from heat, and down in the smoking fissures are private worlds of torment. There are flaming lakes of oil, orchards where fallen samurai hang impaled on trees of swords, halls of cages - the settings are as varied as the mind can conjure.

There are three roles that beings play in the 1st realm – judges, tormentors, and tormented. The mass population consists of the tormented, souls shedding their immense karmic burden through suffering. These are temporary residents, who are reborn back into the upper realms once their burden is released. The tormentors are Akuman and Oni. Akuman are wholly evil beings and delight in their work. Oni are neutral beings who take their work seriously, but will not go out of their way to torment anyone not under their jurisdiction. Oni are obedient to the judges. Akuman can only be controlled through threats and binding magic.

Above the plain is the Black City, the courts of Enma. Enma is the lord of the 1st realm and especially of the judges. All souls pass through the courts of the Black City before being sentenced to specific torment. Enma and his judges are neutral beings, with equal justice for all but never sympathy. Sympathy is the role of the Bodhisattvas, who sometimes walk even here to speak with Enma or offer mercies to the souls.

The judges and oni can walk between the realms, but they are far to busy to leave their posts. Akuman can travel only to sites of extreme torment. This makes the entirety of the 2nd realm open to them. Some Akuman live permanently in the renegade cities of the 5th realm. Oni who have served Enma well are sometimes rewarded with a place in the 3rd or 5th realms. There they search for a cave in the mountains where they can retire. They don’t go to the 4th realm because it is not restful.

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Stage 1 - Shakujo
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A shakujo is the walking staff of a Buddhist Monk. The six rings symbolize the six realms of Samsara. These are no normal shakujo, however. The fourth ring is made of a different substance than the rest of the shakujo. This ring is bound to an Asura, and can summon him from wherever he is. It cannot, however, banish him whence he came.

How to summon the Asura:
If you have an RP Asura, your pet will remain a shakujo until you write a summoning post. This should be done in your pets journal. You can RP your summoner before this point, and that will count towards your overall RP Karma for customizations, but it will not summon your Asura. The summoning can be a ritual, if your summoner is a monk, onmyouji, found an old scroll and is following the instructions etc. The summoning could be in response to great need on the part of the summoner while they have the shakujo in hand. The summoning could even be an accident. Sabien, for example, was accidently summoned by his Ganguro girl singing Jpop in the vicinity of his shakujo. You can write the summons as an RP with another player or as a solo post. It should be at least three paragraphs long. Please don't describe the appearance or powers of the new Asura unless you already know them.

RP notes on Shakujo:
The shakujo gives the wielder limited power over the Asura. The Asura cannot willfully kill his summoner, and feels a compulsion to obey them. Asuras are a cunning and strong willed race, however. They might trick or lure their summoner to ruin or death. Some can resist the compulsion to obey. A powerful Asura might turn the bond to their own advantage and rule the human who summoned them.

The Asura's involuntary bond is to the human who wields the shakujo. If your summoner loses possession of the shakujo to another human, then the Asura is no longer bound to obey him. This doesn't poof the Asura back to the 4th realm, it just means he is free to do as he pleases. If the new owner of the shakujo then summons the Asura, the Asura is bound to their new summoner. Basically, they can change hands. The Asura can't free himself by taking the shakujo away from the summoner and keeping it, because only humans can be summoners. He could encourage another human to steal the shakujo. The moral is keep a close eye on your shakujo.

No one knows where these special shakujo are coming from. The shakujo are appearing only in the 5th realm, and only those of human blood can use them. Shakujo fall into the hands of their summoners through what seems like coincidence or strange circumstance, but the truth is that there is purpose behind it.

No Asura remembers how he was bound to the shakujo. If it is his first time to be summoned, he will be upset, disoriented. Or he may have had previous summoners. The farthest back any normal Asura will remember being summoned is 50 years. No shakujo is older than 50 years. While many of the shakujo look physically old, it is a purposeful deception. The phenomenon is so recent that Varuna is not yet aware of it.

Stage 2 - Asura
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Asuras are immortal creatures of the 4th realm of Samsara. Asuras are at first glance similar to humans in appearance. They also share some characteristics with the Nagas - antlers, claws, and a wide array of possible colors. Some Asuras wear clothes, but most prefer not to. They are more likely to adorn themselves with jewelery than cover themselves with cloth. A unique trait of the Asuras is that instead of organs they are filled with raw power, an immense amount of Chi. If they are wounded in battle, a mist of light and thick glowing liquid will ooze out.

Asuras have two genders, Uke and Seme, though to humans they all appear male. The display of Chi is the main phenotypical difference between the two. Uke's Chi is hidden unless they are using it. When they bring their powers to bear, a globe of swirling light, liquid, and smoke will appear between their hands. Seme's Chi is always on display. They have a spined maw in their abdomen with the globe ever swirling and burning inside. (Ukes and Semes can breed, but this function hasn’t been implemented in the shop yet.)

RP Notes on Asuras:
Asuras are powerful immortals that have been worshipped as gods by humans in the past. They are not wholly good or evil. The truth of their lower spiritual status is seen in their wildness. They are passionate, undisciplined, proud, and violent. It is very difficult for an Asura to be temperate, humble, patient, or monogamous. In spite of this, some Asuras do form permanent bonds with one another, similar to marriage. Some become great scholars. Some even follow the teachings of the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas.

The genders are deeply fixed in the psyche of the Asuras. It is extremely rare for an Uke to act dominant with a Seme or for a Seme to act submissive with an Uke. If you choose to RP your character this way, other Asuras will consider them outlandish, and may be violent to them. It is more common for roles to shift within the same gender, a Seme acting submissive to another Seme for example.

Ukes tend to have defensive or creative powers. Semes tend to have offensive or destructive powers. Some Asuras have a stronger Chi than others, and manifest more powers. An Asura with 3 powers is more powerful in general than an Asura with 2, and would win in a fight unless there were mitigating circumstances.
Normal Asuaras - 2 powers
Custom or Auction Asuras - 3 powers
Special Edition Asuras (original lineart) - 4 powers

Stage 3 (option) - Gaki
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Gaki are hungry ghosts of the 2nd realm of Samsara. This is the rebirth of an Asura who led a wicked life, or who died with a great unrest in his soul. A Gaki reborn from an Asura is a lord among his race, retaining the intelligence and charisma of his previous life. These Gaki appear similar to Asuras, but they are hollow inside, devoid of Chi. Black mist drifts from their empty eye sockets and from the Semes’ wide maws, the ashes and smoke of a snuffed blaze. Gaki retain the form of gender from their previous life, but they cannot procreate.

How to have your Asura reborn as a Gaki: You must RP the death of your Asura. This shouldn't happen out of the blue. Please think of a plot leading up to the event. To have your Asura reborn as a Gaki, you must have RPed him as deserving of a lower karmic state. For more details see Vritra's Blackened Shrine.

RP Notes on Gaki:
When your Asura dies, the bind to the shakujo is broken and the fourth ring shatters. Gaki have no obligations to their once summoners. Their memories of their previous life vary. Whether they remember them or not, it is common for them to haunt their once summoners. Here is why.

Gaki are by definition hungry. Most have a specific craving for something from their previous life. If they were reborn as a Gaki because of great unrest when they died, the root of that unrest will become their fixation. If they were reborn as a Gaki because of a generally wicked life, then their craving can relate to anything they prized or desired in their previous life. The trauma of having been bound to a shakujo often affects what their fixation becomes.

Gaki like to collect possessions and are territorial, even moreso than Asuras. Their emptiness can manifest as bitterness, cruelty, sorrow, or the drive to consume. They are capable of the full range of emotions, but it is difficult for them to be selfless or generous, as they have nothing to give.

Lesser gaki, those reborn from humans or animals, fear and gravitate towards greater Gaki reborn from Asuras. The lesser gaki are base creatures in twisted forms. They are cunning and hungry but not very intelligent. Greater Gaki despise them, but often choose to make use of them.

Gaki have no Chi, so at first they have no powers. In order to gain powers, they must steal a Vajra (see Vritra's Blackened Shrine). Then your Gaki will have the same number of powers that your Asura once did. Exceptional RP may be rewarded with an extra power.

Stage 3 (option) - Human
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Humans are the primary inhabitants of the 5th realm and the caretakers of the animals. Their world is currently at war between an ancient and modern way of life (see The War and The Wall). Because of magical influences or mutations due to extreme pollution, it is possible for humans to have phenotypes we don't see in real life. For the most part though, they look like us.

This is a Yaoi / BL shop, so your Asura will be reborn male. Therefore they can't make babies together.

How to have your Asura reborn as a Human: You must RP the death of your Asura. To have your Asura reborn as a Human, you must have RPed him as deserving of a higher karmic state. For more details see Jizo's Tea House.

RP notes on Humans:
When your Asura dies, the bind to the shakujo is broken and the fourth ring shatters. There should theoretically be a gap of years in the RP while your human grows from baby to adult, but to keep the shop timeline intact I am ignoring this fact. Just assume your Human is an adult and that the soul mysteriously travelled back in time.

Humans are the least likely to remember their former lives. But their karmic bonds to their previous life remain, unknown to them, and it is likely for them to become embroiled with people they once knew. (There are ways for a human to retain memories. If its something you really want, talk to me about how.)

Humans reborn from Asuras tend to be great, in some sense. They might be military or religious leaders, amazing artists, unforgettable lovers, saints, infamous criminals. They will in some way reflect the Asura they once were.

Humans do have Chi, but obviously not in the raw amounts that Asuras do. At first your human will have no powers. He must study and train to channel his Chi, and to draw on the ambient Chi that is in all living things (see Jizo's Teahouse). Then your human will gain the same number of powers he had as an Asura. Exceptional RP may be rewarded with an extra power.

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Flatsales:
The flatsale price for an Asura is 25k.
Flatsale Asuras have 2 powers.

Contests:
With the metaplot recently underway, I am always looking for good RPers. This will be a common type of sale. Prizes will vary. The prize and rules will be posted here before a contest.

This is the only way to get a Special Edition Asura. Special Edition Asuras have unique lineart and 4 powers. They are moderately RP required.

Auctions:
Items are valued at Tektek, rounded to the nearest thousand.
Auction Asuras have 3 powers.

Customs:

See the rules and availability in the Artists' Temples subforum.
Custom Asuras have 3 powers.

Custom Nagas Available
New Custom Nagas! Available from XiaoRen in the Artists' Temples subforum.

Nagas do not have powers, though they can study magic. They are not RP required. They have only one stage, but they are eligible for Karma (customization through RP). They cannot breed. Though female Nagas exist, only male Nagas are sold due to the BL focus of the shop. Starting price is $15. See details in the subforum!


Pet Trades:
PM XiaoRen with inquiries. Asuras acquired by pet trade are customs. The amount of lineart edits received should be equal on both sides. Here is a list of pets I will definitely trade for.

Pithy Twigs
Draconis Aetatis
Soul Society

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Nagas and Rakshasas


This is where we will sell companion races to the Asuras.

Nagas
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Excerpt from the Biased Lexicon ~
Our races have long been rivals and allies. Nagas have the lower bodies of serpents and upper bodies like Asuras, but without any exterior show of Chi. So it is difficult to tell their genders apart. They build their cities beside or under the water, and they are rarely found far from a river, lake, or sea. But they can live out of the water, so it is an affinity of the soul rather than a necessity of the flesh. Their race has been slowly waning.

The First Nagas were immortal. They had no need of food or water, sustained indefinitely by their own Chi, the same way Asuras are. They could change between two forms, appearing as great dragons, or else as the half man, half serpents described above. There are few of the First Nagas left. Many perished in the war with the Devas.

Ancient Nagas, only one or two generations removed from the First, have a lifespan of about 2000 years. They can still change forms. Very rarely, thirst and hunger will come on them and they must gorge.

Nagas, without any title because they are the ones we see every day all around us, have a lifespan of 100-500 years depending on their generation. Most cannot change forms, and become trapped in one form or the other. They must eat and drink regularly in order to survive.

They are touchy about discussing it. But you can tell how far removed from the First Nagas bloodlines a Naga is by how quickly he seems to age, whether he can change forms, and how often he eats.

Nagas have always been renowned as the most scholarly and wise of the races of the 6 realms. The waning of their people has only heightened their obsession with study. The young must learn quickly from the accumulated wisdom of their elders, because their lives are too short to gain that knowledge alone. Many a Naga inherits a private library from his ancestors.

While they don't have the raw power that Asuras do, never underestimate a Naga. They are nearly all spellcasters. They study and know a wide variety of uses for their Chi. Nor should you mistake a studious nature for a mild temper – they are as moody and violent as we are.

Rakshasas
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Excerpt from the Biased Lexicon ~
Rakshasas are renowned craftsmen and cunning traders. They trade in every Naga and Asura city, and one hardly buys anything in the 4th realm unless it is from a Rakshasa. Rakshasas have the head, fur, and tail of a great cat, and the general form of a human. Their hands are backwards, facing palms out when resting at their sides. The appearance of their genders is similar to humans.

Rakshasas are a nomadic race. They live in silk tents and carry all their many belongings with them. Or rather, their slaves carry them. Rakshasas are a hierarchical people with an elaborate caste system and rules of conduct that govern every aspect of their lives. These rules are incomprehensible to anyone who isn’t Rakshasa (some Nagas claim to understand them), but the one set of rules you should bother to learn are those concerning hospitality. You can request hospitality of any encampment of Rakshasa, and they will take you in without question. They will feast you, provide entertainment, and for three days they will let no harm come to you. This includes protecting you from anyone else who wishes you harm. Be careful, though. Many unwary Asuras abuse these hospitality laws and earn the grudge of their hosts. Rakshasas never forgive. Even if they seem to take no slight at the time, they are patient and may wait years to plan and exact revenge. They also eat Asuras.

Nagas speculate that it isn’t flesh but Chi that Rakshasas must eat in order to survive, making Asuras their preferred food. This hasn’t stopped Rakshasas and Asuras from being allies, business partners, even friends. But if your Rakshasa host has no reason to want you alive, it’s better to leave before the three days have passed. Some sensitive Asuras also refrain from eating while visiting with Rakshasas.

Rakshasas are on the surface a friendly and loquatious people. They are always polite and they will never break a promise. But their words usually carry traps and double meanings. They love to keep secrets.

Rakshasas always keep slaves. They sometimes capture weaker Asuras, but more usually their slaves are humans, youkai, or other Rakshasas. Most of the slave trade in the 4th realm is between Rakshasas, but some Asuras and Nagas purchase slaves from them.

A Raja is the ruler of a tribe, which can be as small as one traveling group or as large as hundreds.
A Ksha is the leader of an encampment.
The Brahmin are scholars and mages.
The Vaishyas are the most common caste, the craftsman and traders.
The Sudras are their slaves, and can be of any race.

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A Biased Lexicon

This is a dictionary of terms, places, and NPCs used in this thread. If you come across a person or word you don't know, go here. It isn't essential to read the entire dictionary, but if you intend to make an NPC of any of the other races, please look up that race here first.

List of Terms
Samsara
Chi
Mantra
Mudra
Mandala
Terms of the 6th Realm
Devas
Garuda
Kirin
Soma
Indra
Terms of the 5th Realm
New World
Old World
Domed City
Renegade City
The Wall
Prime Minister
The Emperor
The Shogun
Daimyo
Onmyoudo
Abe no Seimei
Shingon
Kukai
Terms of the 4th Realm
Varuna
Mitra
Rasa
Vritra
Kaalapur
Naga
Rakshasa
Terms of the 3rd Realm
Youkai
Terms of the 2nd Realm
Greater Gaki
Lesser Gaki
Vajra
Terms of the 1st Realm
Naraka
Enma
Akuman
Oni

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The War and The Wall

All owners please read this section. Summoners are human, and it is impossible to RP a human without knowing this information.

The War
In the 5th realm, in the year 2020 A.D, as years were reckoned then, the Third Great War broke out among humans. People claim may reasons for The War. There were countries in throes of industrial and scientific revolutions, religious genocides, burgeoning populations, diminishing water supplies, heavy pollution, and scientific advances in weaponry. But it can be summed up by human knowledge and desire outstripping human wisdom and temperance. This came as no great surprise to those in the other realms. Tokyo was the first city to fall. Bangkok, Hong Kong, New York, London, Rome…　In the span of a terrible year, human civilization was broken. The survivors were left in a deathly quiet anarchy, shocked silence too deep to continue fighting.

The first new seeds sprung from the oldest ashes. In Japan, Hikaru Shinji led a peaceful takeover to fill the power vacuum left by the death of the Prime Minister and Emperor. He declared Sendai the new capital, instituted a rigid new code of law, and began construction of domed cities. The city domes provided a contained environment that could be kept clean and protected from the world outside, both literally and figuratively. The Sendai Laws were strict, giving the government total authority over population control, industrial advancement, and scientific research. The Japanese people were grateful for order and a chance at survival, and enthusiastically fell into line. When the rest of the world saw the utopian society emerge from the ashes of Japan, many people clamored for the same. Thus began the New World.

But others thought that a return to modern life was a mistake, and that the root of all the trouble had been Science and Technology themselves. Hiroshi, a distant relative of the old emperor, claimed to be the sole legitimate ruler of Japan. He made Kyoto the capital once again. His reign would never have truly begun except for the support of the military genius Abe Yuuma. Abe became the first Shogun of the new age. Together, they strove to eradicate all traces of modernity or contact with the modern world. This phenomenon wasn’t limited to Japan. Across the world people who feared technology, or who disliked the sterility of the domed cities began to embrace a totally medieval way of life. Thus began the Old World

The Wall
Now a little over a century has passed, and the world is polarized. There is a Wall between the New World and the Old World. In Japan this is a literal wall that bisects Honshu just south of Tokyo. Above that wall is New Japan, and below it is Old Japan. The Wall in other countries may be physical or just an idea. But the two Worlds and their ways of life are kept militantly separate.

In the New World it is the year 100 A.R (Age of Renewal). Humans live in domed cities, leading highly regulated utopian lives. Everything is shiny, modern, high tech. Religion has been banned as a cause of strife. Any belief in the supernatural is condemned as “superstition”. Inside the domed cities, citizens only know what the news tells them. Scientific advances in clean energy, genetic modification, and water purification make headlines every day. They are told that the land anywhere outside the domes is too polluted to sustain life. This is a lie.

Cities too polluted or ruined were abandoned by the new governments, but not by humanity. These undomed Renegade Cities became the outlet for human greed, independence, and creativity. In these cities life is cheap and everything is for sale. Yakuza and mafia run what government there is. Renegade cities are mixing pots of science and religion. They are a constant threat and thorn in the New World’s side. People in renegade cities know about the existence of the Old World. The most powerful and infamous renegade city is Tokyo.

In the Old World it is the year 42 of Emperor Yamato’s reign. Humans have gone back to a medieval, feudal way of life. People use horses for transportation, clubs and blades for weapons, the sun to tell direction and time. Religions flourish, and magic is a reality. Buddhism enjoys undisputed dominance in the Old World. There are many Buddhist sects and they often go to war. The Buddhist church has an antagonistic relationship with secular government, the feudal lords. Only a few leaders, either religious or secular, are aware of the New World.

The general populous believes their way of life to be the only way of life. They believe that the other side of The Wall is a hell abounding with youkai and akuman, where only the most powerful warriors or onmyouji could survive. Religious and military groups vigilantly patrol the borders, keeping everyone and everything from the New World out. Trying to cross from the New World into the Old world is usually a deadly venture.

Sendai - current capital of New Japan
Hikaru Meiji - current Prime Minister of New Japan. Has immense political power, even in other New World nations.
Heian Kyo - current capital of Old Japan
Yamato - current Emperor of Old Japan. He is a figurehead and has little political power, but is the official head of the Shinto religion.
Himeji Castle - seat of the Date shogunate
Date Mangetsu - current Shogun. The practical ruler of Old Japan. He controls half of the Daimyos. The other half are at constant war trying to usurp his position.

Asuras in the New and Old Worlds

Shakujos are appearing in both the New and Old Worlds. The existence of Asuras in the New World has sparked recent interest in religion and magic, and the government is not pleased. A summoner in the New World had best keep their Asura a secret or flee before the government comes to disappear them.

In the Old World having people summon demons from other realms fits into the worldview. In metropolitan areas people would assume the summoner to be a great monk or onmyouji. In rural areas people might outcast or even try to kill the summoner for consorting with demons.

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Jizo’s Teahouse
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On the side of a dusty dirt road through the rice fields, a little bamboo forest sprouts sudden and wild, an oversized version of the tufted grass that seeds itself at the edge of tilled earth. A little thatched stucco building sits in the shade of the bowing trees. The sliding paper door is always open, a low entry, so that everyone must bow to enter. Inside, lords and peasants are equal, and enemies meet as sword brothers to savor the simple pleasure of tea together. An unassuming old man in plain white robes, hem dirty with travel, sits by the fire pit and the testubin, waiting to serve tea to any who enter. But this is no usual old man, and this teahouse is not always in the same place.

This is Jizo, a bodhisattva of mercy who offers succor to struggling souls in every realm, even the halls of hell. His teahouse can appear in any place and at any time, because place and time are illusions of Samsara that do not bind the bodhisattvas. The teahouse might appear as a corrugated metal shack in an alley of Tokyo, as a side room in an expensive Japanese restaurant in the Aomori conglomerate. Seekers will find the temple once they are ready to find it, even if they are not aware of their heart’s searching.

At his teahouse, Jizo keeps gifts to help your human on his path to enlightenment. These holy items help your human harness and focus his chi.

Here are the current items you have to choose from
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Rebirth into a Higher Realm

How you RP your Asura determines whether he will be reborn as a human or a gaki. There are many paths up the mountain. There isn’t a set formula for RPing your Asura as good. Maybe he tries to moderate his passions, or maybe he accepts them. Maybe he actively helps others, or maybe he lives in seclusion and study. It is up to you to come up with a consistent rationale for your Asura’s morals. There is one certain rule: if your Asura kills another being for any reason, it is a serious stain on his karma. For your Asura to be reborn as a human, his righteous acts have to outweigh his unrighteous ones. If you want your Asura to change stages, and you aren’t certain if he is lined up be reborn as a human or a gaki, PM Varuna King and I will review your RPs and tell you.

The Eightfold Path

1: RP your Asura’s death, this can be either a joint or a solo RP
2: PM Varuna king a link to the death scene
3: Within a month, you will receive the art for your new human. Your human comes without powers, because humans do not innately know how to use their Chi this way. In order to access his potential powers, your human must train. This could be traditional religious training, such as Onmyoudo, or it can be something you make up.
4: Complete at least one RP indicating what sort of spiritual training your human plans to undergo. PM Varuna King a link to this RP or RPs.
5: Complete a joint RP with me, the shopowner, as Jizo. I will write the appearance of jizo’s teahouse to your human, and you RP your human’s interactions with Jizo. Jizo will give you an item that will help your human in his training.
6: Choose an item from Jizo’s teahouse. In character, this item is a gift from Jizo. Out of character, you get to choose which item you want from those available, and you must purchase it. An item costs 100,000g. Every item is unique, original art. Not only do you get the large item design art shown in Jizo’s Teahouse, but the item will also be added to your human’s art.
7: Complete at least one RP describing your character’s training with this item. PM Varuna King a link to this RP.
8: Your human receives his powers. Your human will have at least as many powers as your Asura did. For example, if your Asura had two powers, your human will have at least two powers. If your RP has been particularly good; if you have gone beyond the minimum requirements, your human may get an extra power.

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Vritra's Blackened Shrine is under construction.

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Karma is under construction. (I know, you thought the cosmic powers were more with it than that.)

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KEY :: name / owner / position / stage / journal

Shop NPCs
Varuna / XiaoRen / SE Seme / 2 / link

Generation One
Dasharath / Manda / Seme / 2 / journal guild
Sajan / Sephiros Immortal / Uke / 2 / link
Mitra / midnight_medea / SE Uke / 2 / journal guild
Tarak / Sephiros Immortal / Seme / 2 / link
Nirav / Manda / Uke / 2 / journal guild
Huneterius / Atriz / Seme / 2 / link
Akasha / Lady_Ourania / Uke / 2 / link
Gajra / Kaleidoscopegrl / Uke / 2 / journal guild
Sephiroth / Sephiros Immortal / Seme / 2 / link
Tristus / Chaeval / Uke / 2 / link
Li / TiggzH / Uke / 2 / journal guild
Kavi / Merci` / Uke / 1 / link
Amon / Nokomis Midnight / Uke / 2 / link
Jaris / Pukio / Seme / 1 / link
Saifullah / midnight_medea / Seme / 2 / journal guild
Nitin / Anrea / Uke / 2 / link
Sharzeh / Ceedabear / Seme / 2 / link
Dyar / Sephiros Immortal / Seme / 2 / link
Mayonaka / Sephiros Immortal / Uke / 2 / link
Ashe / Petite Kitsune / SE Uke / 1 / link
Vedayin / Manda / Seme / 2 / link
Sakash / SkieBorne / Uke / 1 / link
Rohinish / Sephiros Immortal / SE Gaki / 2 / link
? / Thabara / Seme / 1 / link
Daikichi / Erina_Nobara / Uke / 2 / link
Surya / Petite Kitsune / Uke / 2 / link
Chanda / Petite Kitsune / Uke / 1 / no journal yet

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Guilt By Association
PM Affiliation requests to this mule

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[url=http://tinyurl.com/mbbhvd][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/folkenwolf/asuras/banners/AsurasB1.png[/IMG][/url]

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Credits

Owner, Artist: XiaoRen
Artist: Shushida
Artist: Petite Kitsune
Lineartist, Guest Artist: Ivynian
Gaia Forums » GAIA Gaming » Mini Shops » Breedable/Changing Pets

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