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 Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:33 pm
A Martial Arts Action Roleplay Humanity's history of violent conflicts and destructive wars has accordingly given rise to powerful warriors. The Mongols, the Spartans, the Viking, the Samurai…these and many other orders have been recognized fort their martial prowess, their efficient and lethality on the battlefield, and the legacies they have left behind.
But like so many other things, there are certain legacies that are lost to time, only carried on as a whisper in legends. This is one of those stories.
The story of the Shinken, otherwise known as the Godhand.
It is said that long ago, a clan of martial arts warriors were in the middle of a blood feud with numerous other clans. Beset on all fronts by their enemies and facing their demise, this nameless clan dropped to their knees, and prayed to the heavens above for salvation. The did not care from which deity the aid came...only that it came. And when it seemed all was lost, some of the powers that be answered.
Seiryu, Azure Dragon of the North; Suzaku, Vermilion Bird of the South; Byakko, White Tiger of the West; and Genbu, Black Tortoise of the East. Together, they are the Four Saint Beast, and these celestial beings came to the aid of the clan, admiring their dedication to the ways of the martial arts. The Beasts blessed the warrior clan, with the name of Shinken, as well as power beyond any human. With this new power, the warriors of the Shinken could command their Ki, their inner energy, to perform supernatural acts: healing the sick, surviving all manner of injury that would kill a normal man, and weaponizing their Ki for lethal techniques. In honor of the Saint Beasts, the Shinken dubbed the combination of their supernatural gifts and their personal fighting style the 'Path of Four Gods'...and with it, they destroyed any and all that stood to face them.
After the blood feud was settled, a time of peace reigned throughout the Shinken's homeland. But it is here that their legacy ends...it is known that the Godhand were scattered to the winds, but the reason behind it isn't clear even to those that know the myth. Some say a schism within the family occurred that tore it apart, while others claim an outside force did them in, and even more still believe they feared their own power and personal resigned themselves to an existence of obscurity. Whatever the case, to the world at large, the Godhand is just another fanciful story to listen to.
...But of course, in stories like this, it never stays that way.
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:07 am
  Arclight City was supposed to be safe haven. A new city where peace reigned. And it was, for a time. But things like that don't tend to last very long.
With new territory to seize, numerous fight clubs began entering into Arclight. In the beginning, things were relatively fine...but the stuff hit the fan when, with all the prime locations were taken up, the various clubs got to fighting one another instead of themselves for it. One brawl turned into two, into four, and before anyone knew it, the streets of Arclight were beset by a violent street war.
Even with a top notch police force, the combat and bloodshed could not be stemmed. In a matter of months, the situation became dire; the streets weren't safe, even sometimes during the day, and for those in combat, you'd never know if you've been victorious one day, or mangled or worse the next.
Something had to be done...and two groups rose to the challenge.
First was the Heavenly King Dojo, run by Master Taejo. The Dojo was known for being run by one of the most powerful martial artist alive, and for taking in practitioners of any and all styles and disciplines. Taejo had brought his Dojo and his nephew Kenji Yamato to Arclight for the promise of a peaceful life, but the fighting had changed that quickly enough. What's more, Taejo detested the use of martial arts for the settling of petty disputes. He forbid his students to partake in the street war...but when some of his students disobeyed, and another died trying to protect some innocents, Master Taejo had had enough. The Heavenly Kings took to the streets, taking justice into their own hands as they crusaded against the rabble.
On the other side, there was the Infinity Corps. A private military company, they dealt mostly in security details, though it was rumored they also took part in covert black ops. By request of Arclight's mayor, the Corps came into Arclight to aid authorities. However, it wasn't just the rank and file that came...Mugen Kurosawa, leader of Infinity, came himself, with his personally lead team known as VOID. Almost single-handedly, Mugen and VOID began cleaning the streets with brutal efficiency.
The Heavenly Kings and VOID...two power houses in Arclight. It was only inevitable that they met in combat. And startling revelations were made.
Mugen and Taejo, when the two side met, instantly met in one-on-one combat. It was discovered then that both men practiced different variants on the same style. After a heated battles for that ages, Taejo was struck down with a fatal blow; with his final breaths, he revealed to his students that Kenji and Mugen are the two remaining heirs to the Shinken Clan and Four Gods style, and that Mugen will stop at nothing to wipe them out.
Now, everything is coming to a head. The street war is slowly losing momentum, but it's a long way from over. And new, powerful enemies face both the Dojo and VOID. When the dust settles, only side, one heir, will remain. But either way?
The Godhand will rise again.
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:17 am
 1. Follow the common roleplaying guidelines:
~Follow TOS, keep it PG-13. Violence, romance, swearing are accepted, but keep it to a minimum.
~No god-modding, auto-hitting, puppeting, or PC-killing without consent.
~Literacy expected, meaning a well written paragraph or two.
~Attempt being active if you join, and inform me if there's an extend absence.
2. This is my roleplay, my story, so my rules stand. Don't do something drastic without my prior knowledge, or feel my wrath.
3. PM all profile applications; title it "King" if you're siding with the Dojo or "VOID" if with the titular group. On that note, you must be aligned with either side, no random street tough...though you're allegiance with your comrades doesn't have to be tight at all.
4. As this is a martial arts theme action RP, fighting between characters expected. But keep it in-character, and not between other players.
5. Keep OOC talk in the appropriate thread; I'm not too fond of extra chatter within posts.
6. I reserve the right to change these rules, add any more as I see fit, and most importantly enforce them. I trust y'all are smart enough to know everything listed here, but don't make me have to be mean to you for neglecting these.
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:23 am
 As I've said before and hoped you've gathered, this is a martial arts roleplay. Specifically, it's an homage to the fighting game genre. And anyone who's ever been in an arcade or watched someone play one should have a small idea of what I'm looking for in terms of characters: an eclectic and diverse cast of characters, from all over the world, practitioners of any and every style of martial arts. Some things of note before you get started:
1. Every character must practice some form of martial arts. Sure, you can have a character with little or no formal training, but they have to be basing their fighting off of someone, and said someone has to be good someone. But if they incorporate some other skill they have into their fighting (like ballet or being sufficiently drunk), then be sure to mention that.
2. Fighting styles must be real ones; I know I have my 'Path of Four Gods', but that's just glorified kung-fu (and in Mugen's case,that fused with Baji quan).
3.Weapon users are okay. Just real, practical weapons (no yo-yos or basketballs) and no high-lethality weapons (guns, explosive, knives, swords).
4. Everyone can utilize Ki. It's not exclusive to the Path users, they just achieved greater power more easily, and can do a little more with it. Everyone else has it, that how everyone can be strong enough to survive things that would break or kill a normal person. Things like battle auras, glowing, and fireballs do happen, but not all the time; so keep it low-key and to a minimum.
Now, with those things in mind, here's the profile skeleton. Go wild, make me something good! Please fill out profile in 1st person, as your character. [color=yourpick][size=10][b]I was Born:[/b] Character Name/Nickname
[b]But You'll Know Me Better As:[/b] Character's Fight Title
[b]I'm A[/b] (Age) [b]Year Old[/b] (Male/Female)
[b]My Bloodline Speaks:[/b] (Nationality)
[b]Others Like to Think I'm:[/b] (Personality)
[b]And As Far As Looks Go:[/b] (Description or Linked Picture)
[b]Fear The Power Of:[/b] (Fighting Discipline)
[b]You Can't Match My:[/b] (Power, Defense, Speed or Technique; Can choose two)
[b]This Is My Story:[/b] (Brief Bio)
[b]Oh, Did I Forget To Mention?:[/b] (Extra trivia)
[b]Play My Song:[/b] (Theme Song[s], optional)
[b]Played By:[/b] (User name)[/size][/color]
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:30 am
 Time of Day
Morning - Noon - Evening - Night
Weather
Clear - Overcast - Rain/Storm - Snow - Heatwave
Current Events/Announcements
12/7 ~ Stated thread for Godhand Rising
12/8 ~ Acceptance of applications begins
12/13 ~ Godhand Rising is Open!
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Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 2:57 pm
Amidst the sound of gently rolling waves, heavy footsteps sounded out upon the deck of the huge ocean liner that sat on in the waters near Arclight City's ports. From the vantage point at the bow of the ship, the man known as Mugen Kurosawa stood, sipping from a glass of fine white wine as he looked upon the city. It was a typical sight, the endless sea of lights that illuminated the night, making the starts next to impossible to see. However, there was one light that caught Mugen's eyes in particular: A warehouse, in the same district that contained the docks on but the far side from them, that was engulfed in flames. It was this that had Mugen's attention. His amusement...and most of all his disgust.
"This city is rotten," the man muttered. "I can almost feel the vileness that stains its streets. And that little fire...I know for a fact it was the result of some mindless thugs beating each other bloody, setting the space aflame to sate their raging machismo." Mugen spar over the side of the boat. "These fools know nothing of a true struggle...a true blood feud amongst warriors. There is no honor here. Nothing but mindless rage and blood lust."
Unable to stand the sight anymore, Mugen turned away, finishing the rest of his wine. "But I...I will fix this. The rabble will fall into the VOID, and Arclight city will be cleansed." The man chuckled, crushing the glass he held. Mugen didn't flinch as the shattered pieces cut into his hand, however. No, in fact he relished the momentary pain...only when he allowed it did such sensations bother him. Having enough of it, Mugen allowed his body to do as it usually did: Ki flowed through his body, into his hand. Blood withdrew back inside the wound, and said openings sealed themselves, pushing out the glass. The hand shone with a dim violet-black light throughout, such powerful Ki flowing through Mugen that it ev"And then, I'll crush that foolish Dojo, and all that dwell within. Their fates shall be the worse. Oh yes..."
xxxXXXxxx
It probably would've been a good idea to not stick around the place. The ACPD might been a little inept when it came to putting down fights, but they were more than competent at pretty much everything else (how that worked was a mystery, but hey, the world is pretty strange like that). However, even give that...Zane couldn't help but watch. The flames of the warehouse were simply mesmerizing. Even more so, as done by his own hands.
Don't get it wrong, though. Zane didn't go around setting fire to things all willy-nilly. In fact, of anything major, this was only the second time...or maybe third, if you count that one dinner on Christmas last year. However, there was no way that he could have ignored what was going on in that warehouse. The fight club that had taken residence there weren't just causing trouble on the street and beating up others that intruded on their 'turf'...they had gone full gang, and were stashing guns in the place, as well as a small drug production. And considering Zane and the Dojo were out fighting like the rest of them, even though they were helping, there was no way the authorities would let him get off on anything.
So Zane lit the place up...after clearing it out, of course. The guys were small time, probably why they'd turned criminal in the first place. They didn't have anything on a member of the Heavenly King Dojo.
Satisfied that nothing would go wrong after the fire department showed up, Zane slipped away from the crowd outside, returning to his motorcycle and speeding off down the road, back to the Dojo. Keni Boy was supposed to be teaching a late night class, so chances were everyone would be there, either watching and helping out or just hanging as they usually did.
That, and they wouldn't be able to give him any grief about this, being half-way across town. "...Hopefully. Kenji's always pulling that 'mystic martial arts voodoo' crap, after all."
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:22 pm
 omoi daseba haruka haruka
mirai wa dokomademo kagayaiteta --Kenji//Yamato--"Calm your soul. Press your heart into your feet and breathe deeply." Kenji's voice rolled softly across his class, all seated, butterfly-style, hands together, eyes shut and backs straight. Breathing in the earthy scent of the studio, he allowed himself a small sigh. It was peaceful, for once. These were moments he relished--the more often the world was like this, the sooner Arclight City could possibly be safe. It was these lessons--how to calm, to soothe, to contain your anger and channel it into positive areas--that would change the city's condition. This much, he firmly believed.
"I will count from one to ten. Follow the sound of my voice, and let your heart come from your feet back up into your chest. Once there, envision yourself in a place where you know infinite peace."
Silence in the room. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that all was still.
"One. Two..."
...weee....wooo...weee...wwweeewwwooooweeewooooweeewoooWEEEEWOOOOOWEEEEEEWOOOOOWEEEWOOOOWEEEEWOOOOO--
Kenji's eyes flashed open, lips pursing. A firetruck raced past the glass window to the dojo, sirens blaring, red and blue strobe lights like a club on surprised faces, his students startled out of their peace. Already the muscles were tensed, braced for a potential fight, despite the fact that none ever--well, rarely--came near.
That firetruck had better not have been summoned for Zane's actions, Kenji mused icily. Otherwise, they'd be having words. There were better ways to handle situations than setting them on fire.
"Let us return to our meditations, shall we?" But the meditation wouldn't be the same, he acknowledged. They were never the same after things like that.kirei na aozora no shita de
bokura wa sugoshi dake obieteita
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:46 pm
"I underestimated just who I was dealing with--She had to know the pain was beating on me like a drum...
 ::Katarina [Zevran]:: Oh, well, look at that. Mugen was having a little spasm. Honestly. The man deserved an award for all the soliloquies he did. Katarina looked at her watch with the kind of tempered impatience of one paid to deal with such trivialities.
Staring out at the burning building, Katarina raised an eyebrow only briefly, before lapsing back into apathy. Well, they had said Arclight was a problem city. Figured that they would see as much. Although, frankly, the idea that factions would vie for a potentially ruined city was illogical to her. Why destroy what you couldn't have, if you could simply leave for another place? Surely there were alternatives. More logical ones, at the least.
Katarina folded the lapels to her coat back out and straightened them for possibly the sixth time, straightening imaginary wrinkles. While she was here, she might as well find out how the city ticked, if not its residents. Mugen probably wouldn't assign her to anything particularly troubling or time-consuming. He never seemed to, at least.
"Sir," She started, finally making herself known, "When are we going to get on shore? I am anxious to survey the city and determine the work to be done."...she underestimated just who she was stealing from."
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Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:10 pm
Aria Mirele Rivkin A mix of her favorite songs resonated from the ear buds that were planted firmly in her ears. Her dark hair was tied back in a pony tail and she wore knee length sweat pants, a t-shirt and socks. The Israeli woman slid down in a right split on the starboard side of the ocean liner and then proceeded to touch her toes with her long outstretched arms. She held that position for exactly twenty seconds, stood up and repeated the stretch on her left leg.
She preferred solitude over social interactions. Besides, if Mugen was on deck, he surely would not want to be disturbed. Mugen often spoke to himself. At first she wasn't sure if it was a sign of illness but now she understood that it was just how the man worked. And it was best to leave him be when he was in one of his moods. Even if he wanted to socialize, she would rather listen than speak. Yes, she was introverted but that was not the reason why she preferred not to speak. She just found no purpose in speaking unless she had something important and meaningful to say. Which, unfortunately, was rarely the case.
The young lady continued her exercise by doing cartwheels until she reached the bow of the ship. That was when she saw the fire that was devouring the warehouse. She turned off the music and removed the ear buds. Even from the ocean liner, she could hear the familiar sound of sirens. She noticed Katarina speaking to Mugen and refrained from interrupting. Besides, this woman didn't speak...
Aria leaned against the ledge and continued to stare at the smoke that was blackening the sky.
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:47 pm
"Always ready to work, aren't you, Katarina?" Mugen said with small chuckle, coming to a stop and turning to his comrade. "But then, that's why I hired you into the Infinity Corps, and let you into VOID." The Russian was one of his better operatives. She could get the job done, and was no nonsense...not that the other members of VOID didn't either, to varying degrees, but Katarina made this aspect her own. "I was certain that you had seen enough when we flew in before the grunts arrived, but I guess not."
At that point, Mugen noticed the second of his cadre where he had been previously. Aria didn't speak much, preferring for her fists to do most of her talking for her. Good thing, sometimes Mugen didn't like more talkative people.
Looking out back towards the flames on shore, slowly dying, Mugen nodded. "I'll stay here with the grunts; I still have to get things cleared up with the mayor and the ACPD before I can deploy anyone. But you can grab a speedboat and take Aria with you, if you really hate doing nothing." Mugen whistled loudly, getting Aria's attention, and then tapping his wrists. Time to work. "Just try to keep out of trouble. If you run afoul of the authorities, you're on your owned. And, if you meet anyone hailing from the Heavenly King Dojo again...leave them be for now. Especially Taejo's nephew. That one is mine."
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 6:19 pm
"I underestimated just who I was dealing with--She had to know the pain was beating on me like a drum...
::Katarina [Zevran]:: Of course that was why he hired her. Why else would she be here? His habit of reiterating things she already knew was grating on her ever-narrow band of patience, but intelligence kept her in check.
"Thank you, sir. The aerial view is never quite the same as the actual 'being-in-the-streets' experience, I've found. And I try my best not to cause disturbances. If one is asked of me, then I shall handle it with the most expedience possible. Aria and I are quite capable."
Turning to the Israeli, she nodded quietly, understanding in an odd way the woman's tenancy to remain silent. It was better than Mugen's pedantic ramblings, to say the least. Fastening her coat tighter around her waist--she was already prepared to leave--Katarina headed for the nearest speedboat, snapping her fingers at a drowsy ship-hand.
"Make the cabling ready. Aria and I are leaving for the city, we need the speedboat hoisted into the water." She brushed her fingers through her hair, hoping that she still had her folded comb in the compartment of the boat. Otherwise, her hair would be a royal wreck by the time they got to shore, and frankly, that would drive her mad....she underestimated just who she was stealing from."
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Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 5:19 pm
Shurong Ray
Shurong leaned against a lightpost in front of the dojo, one foot up and both hands in the pockets of an orchid colored sweatshirt hoodie. A firetruck zoomed by, its lights flashing in her face and its sirens annoying the hell out of her. Was whatever set fire of any importance? More importantly, who set it afire? Hopefully not anyone Shurong knew.
The short girl was twirling a long, thin silver chain on her finger. The streetlight flickered a bit, the result of poor maintenance, before resolving to become even brighter than before. Shurong rolled her eyes. Tonight was a bad night for her. She was very irritable, and for no reason at all that she could think of.
Shurong sighed and twisted her hat around until it sat backwards on her head.She had absolutely nothing to do at the moment. Perhaps a trip to the convenience store? Well, why not. There was a wallet sitting on the end of the chain anyway, which was shoved in the pocket of Shurong's jacket as she made her way down the street.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 12:04 pm
Aria Mirele Rivkin Crime. It will last until the end of mankind. All solutions were temporary. One can lessen the crimes in a city but it will always, always happen. But any solution was better than none at all and it was for that reason that her parents did what they did. She wanted to follow in their footsteps and it has led her to where she was now. She was determined to help out in any way she can. The future will be a better place.
Mugen's whistle caught her attention. He tapped his wrist. She knew what that meant. He didn't have to say much to get the point across. No one had to. She nodded once to Mugen to show that she understood. Then turning to the Russian, she nodded again. It was funny how they communicated with each other. It was much like pantomime. Any normal person would find it utterly annoying. She, however, found it nice to not have to say everything out loud.
She followed Katarina. That woman amazed her. Her precision and her complete emotional control was way beyond her level. Good training, Aria thought.
She waited patiently for their speedboat to be prepared. Some of these people worked much too slow for her preference but she was not the type to complain. She was trained to go along with whatever was offered. Finally, the ship-hand came back, apologizing for his lack of efficiency. She merely nodded and followed Katarina into their little boat.
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Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:36 pm
[Vincent Bailey]
[Don Juan]
Below the deck of the boat, Vincent, with a bloodstream full of whiskey, punched at the red sand-filled bag before him with ungloved hands. His knuckles shown white with the scar tissue he'd acquired from several brawls back in Boston. Well, South Boston. That's where all the Irish blood was located.
Lifting his foot from the ground, Vince round-house kicked the bag. The chain and hook that held it suspended groaned, releasing its load. The bag fell to the floor and split where his foot had impacted, scattering the glittering pieces of eroded rock. He chuckled before picking the bottle of Jack Daniels off the floor and taking another swig. "Whoops."
Vincent, who had now ruined the third punching bag of the boat voyage, staggered over to a chair that had been bolted to the floor and amused himself by watching beads of sweat race down his glistening chest, making silent bets on which ones would reach his shorts first.
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Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 5:46 pm
[Ramona Bateman]
[Wendy]
Late again as usual. Night time classes were the bane of Ramona's existence. Instead, she wanted to visit the harbor and hunt for pirates. A block over from her current location she could hear the loud wailing of sirens, piquing the girl's curiosity. So she turned left at the intersection.
Though old enough (and crtainly wealthy enough) to buy a car, Ramona preferred to walk, or use her hanglider when possible. This evening her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she wore a strapless lime green cocktail dress, and had to be careful not to bend over because of the gown's short length. The dress itself was backless, revealing tattooed wings on her shoulderblades. On her feet were a pair of matching green flats, completing the "Tinker Bell" look she had aimed for when getting dressed and answering the call to go to the dojo, despite not actually having plansto visit the place at all.
As she emerged onto the sidewalk where the firetrucks had just sped by on, she could see a familiar face mounted on a motorcycle heading in her direction. Ramona smiled and waved before loudly calling "Zane!"
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