"Mikoto" (Christopher Ryuugen) Body: 5 Mind: 7 Soul: 6 Current/Max HP: 49 / 65 Current/Max EP: 60 / 65 Attack Combat Value: 6 Defense Combat Value: 4 Equipment/Items: 240 dollars 170 kanmon Naginata w/Kung-Fu Sonic Wave Action (from living armor in cave) --> Damage = 15, Short Range, 5 EP/use, Penetrating (Armor) x1, 2x damage to things with Heightened Senses (Hearing), 0 damage to things that can't hear Wakizashi Medium pistol Total Character Points: 25 (18 Stat, 15 Attribute, +6 Defect, +2 Background) Total Experience Points: 1 (1 Unspent) Total Skill Experience: 0 Attribute Level Points -------------------------------------------------------------- Animal Friendship 1 1 Appearance 1 1 Damn Healthy! 1 1 Focused Damage (Unarmed) 2 2 Heightened Awareness 1 1 Highly Skilled 5 5 Personal Gear 1 1 Wang Fu 1 1 Magic .5 2 Wang Fu: Judge Opponent Personal Gear Type Attributes ---------------------------------------------------------- Wakizashi Minor 10 damage, Concealable Medium Pistol Minor 10 damage, Concealable, short range, Limited Shots (6) Poisoned Needle (Knockout) Minor WA lv.1: Incapacitating (Body check +0 penalty), Melee, No Damage, Limited Shots (1), Toxic Poisoned Needle (Blind) Minor WA lv.1: Flare x3 (Body Check +6 penalty), Melee, No Damage, Limited Shots (1), Toxic (Unspent) Major --- Magic Level Points -------------------------------------------------------------- Servant 5 5 Servant: A spirit/elemental manifesting as a falcon named "Mirabel" (See below for stats) Defect Points ------------------------------------------------------ Girl Magnet +1 Not So Strong +1 Owned by the Government (Shomura) +1 Phobia (Scarabs/Beetles) +1 Skeleton in the Closet (Spy/Assassin) +2 Skill Points = 80, Skill Paradigm = Medieval Fantasy Skill (Specialty) Level Skill Points -------------------------------------------------------------------- Acrobatics (Tumbling) 1 3 Animal Training (Falconer) 3 4 (1 level free) Burglary (B&E) 1 4 Cultural Arts (History) 2 4 Disguise (Costumes) 1 3 Forgery (Paper Documents) 2 4 Linguistics (Shomuran, Teckian) 2 6 Poisons (Natural) 1 3 Ride (Horse) 1 3 Sleight of Hand (Lockpick) 1 4 Social Sciences (Sociology) 1 1 Melee Attack (Katana) 1 5 Gun Combat (Pistol) 1 5 Unarmed Attack (Strike, Kick) 3 15 Melee Defense (Katana) 1 5 Unarmed Defense (Strikes) 1 5 Ranged Defense (Personal) 1 5 "Mirabel" Body 5, Mind 3, Soul 3 ACV/DCV 7/5, HP 70, EP 30 Points: 12 Stat, 20 Attribute, +7 Defect -- 25 total Attribute/Defect Level Points -------------------------------------------------------------- Combat Mastery 3 6 Damn Healthy! 3 3 Extra Attacks 1 4 Flight w/Hover 1 4 Highly Skilled 1 1 Natural Weapons (Talons) 1 1 Sixth Sense (Spirits) 1 1 Marked (Large glowing falcon) -- +2 Not So Strong -- +1 No Hands -- +2 Cannot Talk -- +1 Vulnerability (Earth magic) -- +1 Skill: Unarmed Attack (Strikes) 2 10 Skill Points Background: Mikoto is a very unusual person, in that he's a half-breed, the rare product of a marriage between a Shomuran citizen and a Teck citizen. His parents, a minor Shomuran local functionary and a female Teck prostitute who both worked and lived in border towns unwatched and uncared for by most of the world. The ninth son of a large and proud family, Mikoto's father, Ryuugen Kouichi, was mostly ignored by his mother and father; his brothers and sisters were all famous artisans and samurai, and the two eldest shared the responsibility of being daimyo of the family's lands near the capital. However, Kouichi was not a terribly smart or athletic man; his parents considered him a throwback, and his abilities in academics and battle were only average at best. Hoping to avoid him being an embarassment to the family, his mother and father asked a friend in the Shomuran government to give him a soft, somewhat prestigious civil service position in some faraway city. Kouichi would have been filled with resentment if he had any ambition at all; however, he knew he was the average son of a brilliant line, and was content to do nothing in the name of the nation, collect a modest paycheck, and stay away from the Ryuugen family, who made him feel inferior and insecure. Serving as the Local Magistrate for a riverside town called Mayakasa, Kouichi was the model of smiling charity and filial piety during the day and a scandalous rogue during the evening. Thanks to what little trade there was moving through the borderlands, Kouichi collected enough taxes to not overburden merchants but to give him enough money to entertain lavishly. The Magistrate's parties became known on both sides of the border as the place to be in the area for anybody of minor note who wanted to feel like someone important for just a little while. Maria Calaveras was blonde, busty, and a go-getter. She had been a woman of negotiable affection since age 14, abandoned by her own nameless mother in a town in the borderlands when said mother ran off with a gold prospector in hopes of a richer future. She was first invited to one of Kouichi's parties by her madam, a shrewd woman who knew the scent of money and wanted to get a cut of the Magistrate's seemingly deep pockets. The madam presented Maria to the admittedly not unattractive Kouichi, and the two smiled, had a drink, and once all the guests had gone, they spent the entire night in each other's embrace, and thus Mikoto's tale starts. Maria became a regular guest at the Magistrate's estate, almost every week spending days at a time. She was treated with respect by the servants, who eventually began to consider her a member of the household, and whenever Kouichi was required to appear in public, Maria, shining in Shomuran gowns that somehow made her look exotic as opposed to sensual, was always at his side. And each month the madam of Maria's house got a nice, tidy sum from Kouichi's purse. The complication that was Mikoto showed signs of existence four months after their first meeting, and Kouichi, bound by the rules of tradition even through his resentment of his own culture, offered to marry Maria. Thrilled that at last a man might want her for her instead of just her body (and this was not completely untrue), she gladly accepted. Without her knowing, Kouichi 'paid her off' to the madam, and Maria became lady of the manor. Mikoto was born nine months later, although he was born Christian Ryuugen, named by both parents. Around that time, Kouichi's brother Kyosuke, a medium-level functionary in the Shomuran government, came both to visit Kouichi... and to investigate rumors that he had married without telling his family. Kouichi entertained his brother royally, hoping that the rich reception would defuse the problems inherent in the system: Mayakasa as a region was suffering as Kouichi cared less and less for the people, and Maria was the final straw. In actuality a sort of high-level spy for the Shomuran government, Kyosuke was a dedicated public servant... so dedicated that his assassination of his brother and sister-in-law was flawless. By the time the servants awoke in the morning, he was as confused and stunned as they were. Christopher was remanded to Kyosuke's custody, and taken back with him to the capital districts at Kyo. The Ryuugen family were unwilling to raise the boy, and for good reason: his blonde hair was practically unknown in their family or, indeed, in Shomuran at all. No amount of concealmeant would keep his sordid past from the right eyes. However, all of them agreed that killing the child for a mistake of birth over which he had no control would be crueller than they were willing to be. The answer came in the fourth Ryuugen son, Kensuke, who worked in a bureau of State Security somewhat different than his brother Kyosuke's. The bureau in which Kensuke worked was... a bit covert. Employing both magic and as much science as the empire had mastered, they performed those tasks which the government claimed it had little need for. And Kensuke, almost a genius in psychology, had a plan which he hoped would find him some favor with his superiors. A plan which required an unformed mind he could mold into the perfect servant. Christopher was given to Kensuke, who took him into his home and named him Mikoto ("Beautiful Lute", after the fine strands of his gold hair that resembled koto strings). Mikoto was a bright child, suitably athletic and having a very studious nature; he was, as Kensuke said to his brothers when the subject came up, "more a Ryuugen than his father". Kensuke was, despite his somewhat cold nature, a caring father who encouraged Mikoto to follow his curiosities in any direction he led them. As a result, the boy grew up well-educated, well- mannered, and generally pleasant. If anything, he was overzealous about the concept of filial obedience; to him, Kensuke's word was law, and by extension, his loyalty to Shomuran was absolute. But Kensuke's plan wasn't just to raise a son. It was, in fact, rather fortuitous that Mikoto had some talent for magic, as it was required for what he wanted. The ultimate goal was to create a perfect mole who was remarkable enough to be "special", but not so much that he was over-conspicuous. A spy who was well-educated, erudite, and charming, who worked his way into anybody's confidence and completed his job without reservation. Trained somewhat in combat, the spy's real strength as an assassin came from his ability to control a wild elemental that was mystically bonded to him. Using the bird at a distance, an untraceable weapon, the spy would become the perfect assassin. The elemental was 'given' to Mikoto as a pet on his eleventh birthday. Through ancient rites the spirit was bonded to the boy, and he was at first told that his 'friend' would come to him when he concentrated on needing her. At first the 'spell' was too draining to keep up for very long, and Mikoto could only control the bird for a few moments at a time. However, as he grew older, and his control increased, he and Mirabel became extensions of each other, acting in concert with eerie synchronicity. Although it took concentration and energy to keep the bird's form intact in the physical realm (and thus Mirabel was not omnipresent), the pair became good friends, in the sense of a beloved animal companion and master. The rest of Mikoto's education was simply the same rearing that any spy was given. He learned how to use gun, sword, and his own body as a weapon, though not as effectively as others of his age, since the lion's share of his training was spent learning to control Mirabel. Politics and social graces, all of the things necessary to perform his cover with absolute perfection were taught to him, and Mikoto picked them up with admirable quickness, being a fast learner. By the time he was 18, Kensuke's plan was a complete success. Mikoto, loyal to Shomuran and the 'father' that raised him, was ready to perform his duties without the slightest hesitation. And perform he did. Sent to the borderlands where he would be less conspicuous, the government set Mikoto up as a somewhat wealthy trader, though none of the property was his own; indeed, almost everything he owned was truly the possession of the Shomuran government. Given free reign to simply investigate and send regular information reports back to Kyo, Mikoto worked as a lone agent, without support, for many years. The only times he was expected to act were when his reports indicated someone was in need of killing, and the government indicated this by sending him a simple pressed, dried lily by messenger: the flower of death. The target's name was inscribed on the letter, which was always burned by Mikoto once the killing was completed. By the age of 21, his hands were quiet bloody. His latest assignment has been in the Salamander range, investigating rumors of the Slayers for the government, and to collect as much information on them as he can. Currently he travels between Teck and Shomuran, collecting information while posing as a "jack of all trades" for hire, taking on interesting jobs which may lead him to more information to send back. Of course, there is always the next order that may or may not come from Kyo at any time... Mikoto is a surprisingly well-adjusted type for being capable of such cold murder. He presents a warm and reasonable front, perhaps a bit too dependent on logic but willing to see the merit of hunches. He is fairly pleasant and willing to make conversation, and has more than enough lies about his past and life filed away to make him an excellent liar. However, in combat he and Mirabel are instruments of exacting precision; he becomes cold and sharp just like the edge of a knife. During an assassination, he is all business all the time, and is willing to go to any length to perform his duty.