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The Great Guild Fortune

Introduction

INTRODUCTION:
In a time long past existed a mythical world brimming with many magical creatures and races. And what bound and connected them all together was their chi: an energy within all living things. This energy could be controlled and eventually mastered to achieve great wisdom or conjure terrible power. Chi unifies all things, wicked and good, for better or for worse.

It is now the year 444 and the Yune Empire has spread over much of the world. It is an empire of conquest, with warfare and greed being the currency of the land. Though founded and ruled by Human nobility it is a melting pot of creatures and cultures, and despite it’s titanic size it remains the most stable entity in the world: richer and more secure than the kingdoms that surround it. With a dynasty crossing it's two-hundredth year, the empire is an ancient and established beast and will forever be remembered.

But all prosperity is eventually threatened. In the north the Empire of Ashura, a mysterious race of great power and ability, have also been expanding, and the two empires now find themselves nose to nose. War has erupted, and for the last six years the empires and their satellites have fought over land, sky, and sea. Armies clash and combatants on each side utilize their mastery of chi to fight.

Though the rest of the world has been coated in blood and iron the chaos of war has not yet reached the Yutan mainland, which is good, for amidst it all Yuwen Fortune rides for the port village of Poyo in hopes of recruiting warriors. He is on a quest for riches and glory- but he needs a team. And he’s desperate. Adventure awaits the future members of the Great Guild, they've only to join…



THE GREAT GUILD FORTUNE:
The Great Guild Fortune is a fantasy RP set in a fictional world and based on Asian mythology and culture. The Great Guild Fortune is a highly cooperative roleplay and requires lots of communication in group chats and on discord. This thread is a reboot of the The Great Guild Fortune (2014), and the opening acts will follow some of the same story beats and plots as the original thread. It was primarily designed for the members behind threads like Lords of Rock and Hadean. If you think you'd like to join submit a character or message me! We're happy to have new members come in and join the story.

THE STORY SO FAR:
Day 1 - 1st of June, 444: The village of Poyo is a peaceful community of farmers and fishermen, and it receives a great many travellers for it is one of the only ports along the northern river Gan. In hopes of recruiting travelling warriors from the north heading to the Imperial City of Yuna-Yae a young man of mixed blooded nobility rides for the village. Yuwen Fortune is his name, and he arrives at dusk to find the village celebrating the Emperor’s birthday.

CHARACTER CREATION:
Whether your character is a local who has lived in the village their entire life or a warrior passing through for the night, when our story begins your character find themselves in the village of Poyo for one reason or another. No matter their origin they will eventually be crimped into the Great Guild Fortune.

Code: Select all
[i]"Character quote"[/i]

[right][img](if you have a character image insert the url here)[/img][/right][b]Name:[/b] The full name of your character. Nicknames can also be included.
[b]Sex:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] Your characters race from the list below (Beast-Man, Goblin, Human, etc).

[b]Physical Description:[/b] A brief description of their features.
[b]Clothing:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]
[b]Skin Colour:[/b]
[b]Hair Colour:[/b]
[b]Eye Colour:[/b]

[b]Occupation:[/b]
[b]History/Bio:[/b]
[b]Home Town:[/b] The town your character comes from (You can make this up and develop it for yourself).
[b]Home Country:[/b] One of the countries from the map of the world.

[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]Fears and Desires:[/b]

[b]Equipment and Weapons:[/b]
[b]Styles and Abilities:[/b] List any specific fighting styles or special abilities.
[b]Chi and Augmentations: [/b]List here if your character has any specialization in using their Chi. The three types of magic Chi arts are Elemental Chi (controlling an element), Telekichises (Using Chi to manipulate the world around you), and the illegal Necromancy. You can also list any augmentations your character has, a process where your Chi has been manipulated to change you physically or mentally.


GUILD MEMBERS:
Yuwen Fortune
Lo-Muna Vanhi
Namari Shioh
Shuin Shindoi
Suiken
Ginchiyo Lao Tzu
Samyan
Ren Van
Takai
Xanth
Yamato Hibiki
Sunaarashi

MAPS AND MEDIA:
Map of Yutan and the World - This map, and the others to come, will have new locations edited in based on what the players create and where they visit as the story progresses.

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RACIAL PROFILING:
Ashura

ImageDescription: The Ashura are a tall, blue skinned people. With four or six arms and muscular builds they present quite an imposing presence. Their faces are long, straight and defined like sculptures. They typically have pitch black hair and colourful eyes. The Ashura have great physical strength and are a highly intelligent race. They live an average of 80 years and stand between 6.5 to 7.5 feet.

Culture: The Ashura are an ancient species and see themselves as an enlightened and majestic race, superior to all others. Their culture, though an empire based on trade and conquest, puts education at its forefront and has a concept of constant improvement. Be it physically or mental, the Ashura always pushed further perfection. They are the founders and masters of Chi Augmentation, used to both physically and mentally enhance their bodies. They are also the founders of necromancy, discovered in attempts to achieve immortality, though its use is now widely outlawed across the world.

Humans (Yune, Gwanish, Sunen, Byeonsu)
Description: The physical appearance of Humans range considerably depending on origin, though they all generally stand at 5 to 6 feet tall. Yune humans come from the land of Yutan and have flat faces, dark hair and folded eyes, with skin tones ranging from pale to brown tanned. Gwanish come from Gwanalai, and physically resemble the Yune humans save for darker hair, shorter stature, softer, rounder features, and more colourful and curly hairs. The Sunen humans have long, hard features with more open eyes and tan to brown skin, from their desert heritage. The Byeonsu humans resemble the Yune humans with paler skin and harder features. Humans live an average of 100 years.
Culture: Humanity has its origin based in unity and discipline. They were the first to focus their Chi in battle and use it as a weapon. But since their beginnings Humanity has been separated and divided, and their culture with it. The Imperial culture of the Yune humans is class and capitalist based: the importance of nobility, money, and honour the most important things in the empire. Racism and sexism are also ingrained in noble Yune society. In contrast the Gwanish humans are birthed from war and being a fighter or warrior is the most important thing in their tribal kingdoms and societies. The Sunen humans are honourless, the harsh conditions of the desert teaching that coin and happiness take priority over anything else. The Byeonsu humans are healers and growers, focusing their chi on communal preservation and growth.


Oni (Fire, Snow)

Description: The Oni are a large, horned race standing at 6 to 7 feet tall. Their faces are large, their teeth sharp, and their bodies more curvaceous and muscles than the average humans. They look genetically hardened in comparison to the other races, as though they physically came from the earth. Their skin’s range in different hues of reds, blues, greens, purples, oranges, and browns, with the Fire Oni from the Hokoru Islands typically having softer features and warmer skin tones and hair and the Snow Oni from Onium having harder features and colder, darker skin-tones. They live an average of 120 years.

Culture: The Oni base their cultures on the Earth, their religions worshipping it and their society built upon working with it’s power. They were the founders and the masters of Elemental Chi, using their inner Chi to tame and control the elements for their own use. But time and war have drifted the Oni apart. In the south the fire Oni fight among themselves in tribal wars and in the north the Snow Oni try to raid and enslave the world with their empire. The constant fighting has engrained a philosophy into the Oni: life is cruel place, and though they have great power it can lead to great destruction. The power they have must be used carefully to ensure their enemies are destroyed, but the destruction does not spread beyond that. This logic is the key to modern Oni culture, and leads to them having some of the most tactical and thought out warfare of the current age.

Goblins

Description: The Goblin’s are a short race of creatures standing an average of 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall. They have greenish skin varying in hues from warm yellows to deep cyans, with large ears and eyes of bright, piercing colours. They have thin, agile bodies good for scampering and climbing, and typically have dull brown or black hair. They live an average of 120 years.
Culture: The Goblins were once called the Dokkaebi and came from the earthen mountains where they remained unseen for ages. In the earth they developed an unusual lust for riches and gold, its touch like catnip to them. When the mountains were mined by the Snow Oni three-hundred years ago the Goblins and their obsession were discovered, and soon the Oni manipulated them into becoming servants and eventually a race of slaves. Exploited and taken away from their original nature, the original goblin language was lost to time. After a few generations the goblins revolted against their Oni lords ran off into the Byeonsu wetlands south of the mountains, where they started a civilization anew within the swamps. Their obsession with gold remains, though much more subdued in the modern age.

Tengu

Description: The Tengu are a lanky race of red-skinned winged men standing an average of 5 to 6 feet tall. They have well defined features, long, human-like noses and large smiles, as well as two feathered wings coming from their backs, allowing them to fly. Their hair and eyes are bright and colourful. They live an average of 100 years.
Culture: The Tengu birthed the concepts of democracy and have been a peace-loving people throughout their history. Their mountains in Tengala were a safe haven, unreachable outside of flight and guarded not by armies but instead clans of trained Tengu warriors. In their meditations the Tengu managed to manipulate the world around with their Chi, and created the art of Telekichisis. But peace would not last, for the nations around them advanced more and more, until they too could scale the mountains of Tengala. And with them came chaos. War and conquest have now scattered the Tengu across the land, their flight making them agile travellers, and those who remain in the mountains are very defensive and battle worn as war continues to rage. Though now untrusting and hostile to outsiders, the Tengu remain a spiritual and fun loving people to their own kind. 



Image


Beast-Men (Askian, Gwanish)

Description: Unlike the other races the Beast-Men are not a single species but hundreds part of the same genetic family. Humanoid animals, from tortoises to leopards, from wolves to lizards, Beast-Men vary as much as the animals of the wilds do and range in size and appearance equally. They live an average of 100 years.
Culture: Beast men culture varies from tribe to tribe and species to species, based on what animal they are, where on Gwanalai or Askia they are located, and what their history is. Warm weather beast-men tend to come from Askia while cold weather beast-men come from Gwanalai. Beast-men have spread widely, and with their massive numbers they are a common sight across the land.

THE NATIONS: The world has nine major nations listed below, and various smaller tribes and societies.



The Yune Empire - A massive empire based in the land of Yutan. They have conquered many civilizations and are one of the richest nations in the world, with societal organization and a strong navy being key aspects to their prosperity. The empire is ruled by the Emperor and strictly human nobility beneath him, though it's peasantry consists of all races. Slavery is legal, but only Beast-Men and Goblins can be legally enslaved, the other races considered "too human", though the true reasons over which races are and aren't slaves are forged by political concerns. They are currently allied with the Empire of Hokoru and at war with the Empire of the Ashura, the Kingdom of Hui Lake, the Kingdom of Teng, and, in certain places, the Empire of Onium, as well as various other tribes and rebel factions, particularly in their conquered provinces.



Kingdom of Yeuxkyen - An island nation of Gwanish humans who currently maintain an uneasy peace with the Yune Empire and the Empire of Onium, both of which have recently invaded and conquered parts of their island nation. Following a long war and subsequent invasion by the Yune Empire the Yeuxkyen tribes reached a peace agreement, though how long it will last on the unstable island is unsure. It is ruled by the King of Yeuxkyen and the lands beneath him are ruled by warrior chieftains. Slavery is illegal in the Kingdom of Yeuxkyen save for Oni, a law passed as a direct response to the Oni invasion of the island's north. They are currently at peace.



Kingdom of Gwan - A nation in the lands of western Gwanalai formed by a unification of Human Gwanish tribes. They are a fierce battle-bred society that have won nearly every war they have been a part of, and constantly terrorize and pillage the unaffiliated villages and unprotected lands surrounded them. This has caused a wide array of hostile relations for the kingdom, and it is generally considered barbarian and uncivilized by the other nations. They are ruled by the Queen of the Gwanish and the lands beneath her are ruled by warrior chieftains. Every race can be legally enslaved in the Kingdom of Gwan, though it is rare to see a Gwanish human in servitude. They are currently at war with the Empire of Onium, the Kingdom of Hui Lake, and the Empire of Hokoru.



Kingdom of Hui Lake - A small nation of Goblins in upper Byeonsu. It is a trade based nation, and its bog towns are bustling with illegal deals and activity. The Goblins have had a long-time hostility toward the Snow Oni who originally enslaved them, but following the recent conquest of lower Byeonsu by the Yune Empire they agreed to ally themselves with their former Oni masters. The King of the Goblins, who is immune from prosecution, rules over the lands with nobility and peasantry beneath him. Slavery is legal in Hui Lake for all races, though Goblin's enslaving and selling other Goblins is most common. They are currently allied with the Empire of Onium and at war with the Yune Empire, the Empire of the Ashura, and the Kingdom of Gwan.


Image



Kingdom of Teng - A new nation formed following the surprise invasion of Tengala by the Yune Empire. The Tengu, a normally democratic and decentralized people, sought leadership in light of the war. One of their wise women took the opportunity and declared herself Queen. The Kingdom of Teng is focused on surviving and defending themselves in their war-torn mountains. There is the Queen and the populous under her with no other social class. Slavery is strictly illegal. They are currently at war with the Yune Empire and the Empire of the Ashura, as well as the rebel Tengu tribes that rejected the newly established Monarchy.



Empire of Onium - An ancient empire formed in the frigid north by the ice wielding Snow Oni. From their conquest of the goblins to their invasion of Yeuxkyen, Onium history is steeped in invasion and raiding, though trade and naval ingenuity have been equally crucial to their success. The Emperor rules with absolute power though the council of nobility beneath him can challenge his decisions. The slavery of Beastmen and Humans is legal. They are currently allied with the Kingdom of Hui Lake and at war with the Kingdom of Gwan, The Empire of the Ashura, and in certain places, the Yune Empire.



Empire of the Ashura - Little is known about the Empire of the Ashura, though it is said they rival or outdo the Empire of Yune in almost every way: from military size to lands conquered. The empire is ruled by an emperor, and there are several social classes beneath them, though there appears to be more safeguards and democratic decisions in the system than in many other nations. Slavery is legal but which races are subject to it remains unknown. They are currently at war with the Empire of Yune, The Kingdom of Teng, the Empire of Onium, and the Kingdom of Hui Lake.

Empire of Sune - An old kingdom built in an old land, the Empire of Sune is supported by trade and the mercantile exports of the valuable minerals abundant beneath the desert sands. Over the years the empire has secured itself with a strong military and a policy of total neutrality in relation to the other nations, maintaining them all as constant trading partners and ensuring that Sune has always prospered. This changed with the Ashuran invasion, the first successful breach of the Sune mainland. The Sune defence was strong and eventually the war became a stalemate, both sides agreeing to a temporary truce. Since then the Sunes, while still remaining neutral, have set policies to aid the Yune Empire over the Ashurans in hopes of weakening their foe enough to reconquer their lost lands. The emperor rules with many lesser kings beneath him, and nobles beneath them. Slavery of all races is legal as is polygamy. They are currently at peace.



Empire of Hokoru - A nation spanning across Hokoru’s largest island; the Fire Oni's empire began as tribal allegiance and still mainly operates as one. The empire has little control over the land and mainly deals with international affairs, while each King beneath him rules their tribe like separate countries. Still, the rich land of the Hokoru islands has made the empire a prosperous nation, and the empire’s combined force would grant it an army and navy more powerful than their northern cousins in the Empire of Onium. Slavery is illegal. They are allied with the Yune Empire and are currently at peace.

ImageTHE WORLD: The world consists of eleven lands, listed below.



Yutan - Homeland of the Yune Humans. Yutan is geographically diverse and massively populous. The eastern coast of Yutan is rich with flowing waterways, forests, and jungles, while the west is covered with deserts and dry plateaus. It is a generally warm province and winter does not last long, snow being a rare occurrence everywhere outside the mountains in the north. The Yune Humans have lived on Yutan as old as time can tell and the land is covered in thousands of settlements, many of which have ancient roots and deep traditions attached to them. In it's heart is Yuna-Yae, the monstrous capital of the empire.



Gwanalai - Homeland of Gwanish Beast-Men and Gwanish Humans. The land of Gwanalai is harsh and inhospitable, housing massive rivers, towering mountains, and vast forests. Winter lasts the longest of all seasons in Gwanalai and when it does not snow it rains heavily. The ancient forests of Gwanalai were home to tribes of Gwanish beast-men who lived in isolation until Gwanish humans migrated to the land from across the Full-Moon Sea. It was a violent migration and set the tone of hundreds of years of Gwanish history to come. Gwanalai has no ancient settlements, most of its towns being along rivers and newly made out of stone or wood as they are so frequently rebuilt and reconquered. There is also magic hidden deep within it's borders, and lots of creature unimaginably to most.



Tengala - Homeland of the Tengu. The coasts are mainly cliffs as the entire land of Tengala is elevated, covered by the highest mountains in the world and housing massive steppes between them. Tengala has a very balanced climate, rarely shifting from extremes and maintaining a cool temperature. Snow is common on the peaks of the mountains and lower down it rains often. The Tengu were born from the land and the ancient cities built across the mountains are very inhospitable for those who cannot fly.



Sune - Homeland of the Sunen Humans. Sune is ancient and filled with desert. Sand covers the land though rocky mountains filled with great gems and riches are sprinkled across the dunes, and greenery and rivers sprout from the coasts. The climate stays the same in Sune year-round: burning hot in the day and freezing cold at night, sprinkled with chaotic sandstorms. The Sunen Humans have been around as long as the Yutan, and both trace back to ancient history. From the great cities to the smallest of tribal settlements in the desert, almost everything in Sune is made of stone and sand.

Kakan - Homeland of the Kakan Peoples. The land of Kakan is a wasteland bloodied with disease and savagery. Covered in desert and rock, bordered by imposing walls of mountain, and with the only greenery being the sparse thorn forests in the south, Kakan is not suitable for life of any kind. But it's filled with it. Beneath the rocks water flows and so for as long as time can tell peoples of all races have come to forge a life in Kakan, making it once a rich and populous farmland. That was before the deathly Kakan plague hit, which eventually forced the Yune Empire to build a giant wall between Kakan's two largest mountains in the north, cutting the land off from the rest of the empire completely. Now Kakan is filled with disease and violence forged from the need to survive in the harsh wasteland.



Byeonsu – Homeland of the Goblins and Byeonsu Humans. The lands of Byeonsu are vast and spotted with hundreds of lakes, bogs, and rivers, and are crowned by rocky peaks along it's northern borders. The skies above Byeonsu have almost constant rain or clouds, with sunny days being a rarity. The human inhabitants of Byeonsu live in wooden settlements on high stilts atop flowing, reed-filled lakes, bogs and paddies. The goblins live in more naturalistic environments, their houses built within trees and in swamp huts.


Askia - Homeland of the Askian Beast-Men. Warm beaches line Askia's northern shore followed almost immediately by vast jungles. The great rainforest of Askia stretches along it's entire shoreline far into the south, with savannah and warm dry lands scattered within it's borders. The wildlife of Askia is predatory and vicious, even the bugs being deadly. The climate of Askia remains tropical and hot, the concept of snow completely foreign to a native of the land. Though there are kingdoms and even empires further inside the land it is mainly filled with hunter-gatherer tribes of Beast-Men.

Hokoru Islands - Homeland of the Fire Oni. The land of Hokoru consists of tropical islands curving across the Full-Moon Sea. Covered in beaches, green fields, plentiful jungles, and the occasional volcano the islands of Hokoru have rich lands threatened only by their chaotic weather. The temperature remains warm though tsunamis and storms constantly threaten the communities built there. The Fire Oni lived on Hokoru as long as history recalls, and most of their settlements are built near the highest points of the islands, away from the coasts threatened by the sea. The Fire Oni often considers volcanoes and other sources of fire sacred places and they have vast temples and cities built near them.



Image


Onium - Homeland of the Snow Oni. The land of Onium is a freezing ice covered mammoth of earth. Littered in snowy mountains, icy lakes and rivers, tundra valleys, and rocky coasts, Onium is the coldest of all the known lands. Its temperatures are typically below freezing and the snowfall is constant. Onium is the birthplace of the Snow Oni who live mostly in the south of the land, by the waterways, valleys and coasts where they've built mighty fortresses and cities of stone and ice. The north has small tribal fortresses scattered throughout it's landscape. 



Vahira - Homeland of the Ashura. The land of Vahira is a hostile and unwelcome place for humans, and so little information on it is known. The Ashura have a great civilization and have thousands of settlements across their large lands, their capital apparently rivalling Yuna-Yae for size.



Otoro - Unexplored land beyond Kakan. It is unpopulated and few explorers have returned from its depths…

Toggle Rules

1. Good Grammar - Don't worry too much, we post fast and make mistakes, but just try and keep the grammar hot and legible!
2. No Godmodding - Don't force people to do stuff they don't want to too much, don't tie people's hands too much, and talk to people about it when you do.
3. Read the atmosphere - Try and match the tone of what's going on!
4. Post lengths - A lot of rp's require a minimum post-length but that puts limitations on the story-telling and conversations that we don't like. Sometimes you have to write a novel, sometimes a one sentence reply is best!
5. Keep language and action PG-13 - Basically just watch-out for the F-word and other similarly extreme language. Most other language is fine but we definitely want to keep the language feeling like a PG-13 anime even though the thread will get dark at times. Like in terms of violence we're somewhere between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Naruto, and in terms of fanservice our limit is around Heaven's Lost Property, a great PG-13 anime.
6. No Collab Posts - Collab posts are highly illegal in this thread! Just post back and forth for small convos and such, no need to make a collab post for anything!
7. Have fun - yeeehaw

Taking place in...

The Horat-verse our primary setting

Welcome to the Horat Zone

The Horat-verse

The Horat-verse by Nulix

Welcome to the Horat Zone

The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 14 authors

Setting

4 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Ren Van
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Ren was silent for a moment as he contemplated whether or not Yuwen was being facetious or not, but ultimately decided the observation wasn't wholly inaccurate.

"As it so happens, character would be the correct word for it. Though, I have my means for trying to breath some... Unique life into it."

Setting

6 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Takai Character Portrait: Ren Van Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
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"I...was just going to suggest we fake a fire, evacuate the tents, and free Kaor in the confusion, Suiken added.

Setting

4 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Ren Van
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#, as written by Nulix
Yuwen looked at Suiken and then Ren before squinting up at the afternoon sun. "If we're going to start a fire we'll have to do it quick, soon enough we'll have to perform..." Yuwen paused, realization coming over him. "Wait a minute, the show! Kaor is guarded, right Xanth? I assume that's why you weren't able to escape with her." Yuwen stroked his chin. "Makoko has guards, but from the intel I've gathered his most ferocious warriors are performers in his show- and to beat us tonight and win Samyan he's sure to have them all performing, meaning it'll only be lackeys guarding her."

Yuwen turned to Ren and Suiken. "If we stage an accident backstage during the show Makoko will be too busy hosting to see himself, and all his best men will be busy, we'll have deniability because we'll be performing!"

Setting

4 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Ren Van
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"So, one of us slips off during the performances...this will have to be well-timed," Suiken sighed. "Though I'd advise against truly starting a fire, but make sure no harm comes to anyone trapped within. In fact, whoever slips off can re-convene with Takai and Gonpo in order to collaborate further. If you're up to it, Xanth, perhaps you can do so?" Suiken asked.

Setting

2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Takai Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
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Takai frowned and thought hard for a moment, "So...what if those contracts were found and destroyed?"

Setting

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Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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Samyan pulled the curtain past the entrance of her makeshift workshop, shutting the sharp noon light out of the wagon. The burlap sacks sat on the benches of the cart, and she'd layed a good sized blanket on the floor to serve as her workspace. Holding the silver needle lightly between the first two fingers of one hand, she began with the larger sack, pulling out each bone in turn. Each piece of the skeleton was placed delicately on the cloth, Samyan drawing the needle gingerly through each as though building an intricately detailed anatomical model.

The larger bones were placed first, carefully considering and stitching together the broken pieces until they reformed their original whole. It was deliberate, delicate work, with various shards so small and fragile that the slightest slip of a finger or careless exhale would see them lost to the aether. Nonetheless, Samyan proceeded quickly through the work with the practiced, familiar deftness of someone who had done this many times before.

Once the reconstruction was complete, Samyan reached over for the next part of her operation - cloth wrappings and tight leather clothing, which she used to dress her subject until all that showed was its bare, grinning face. That done, she lifted it gingerly and set it on one of the benches before resuming the process with the contents of the smaller sack. She would need to find masks before her work with these two was truly complete, but there would be more than enough time for that later.

Setting

4 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Ren Van
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Xanth nodded in response to Suiken. She wanted to go. There was only one problem. Kaor wouldn't come. But if the circus is on fire she'll have to, dark Xanth reasoned. She huffed the devil on her shoulder away and got to drawing with her finger again, rubbing out the bear. In Kaor's place she drew a face with a long schnoz. She pointed to her eye, then down to the picture. Keep an eye on that one.

Setting

8 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Takai Character Portrait: Namari Shioh Character Portrait: Sunaarashi Character Portrait: Ren Van Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
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#, as written by Nulix
"If you could do that, the greatest travelling circus in the land of Yune would be free," Zhaoprazu commented with a small smile. "But that would be impossible- Makoko keeps his contract in the safest place this circus has." The slippery mander leaned in to the monkey and his fruity little goblin companion so they could see into the blackness of his inhuman eyes. "His own body."

The metallic echo of a chau gong echoed through the packed passages of the tent. At the sound the temperate pace of the tent inhabitants swiftened. "You should get to your station," He informed the fire-oni. A few stagehands pushed passed Takai and Gonpo, hurrying to do the same. "Tickets just went on sale, that means mere hours until the show and a million things to do." Zhaoprazu turned back to the guild members. "I wish you luck, and if Makoko catches you and hangs you from your innards, I will weep." And with that Zhaoprazu scurried into the chaos of the big top...

***

Yuwen grimaced as Xanth drew a long nosed person in the manure between them. "Xanth, you were probably never told this but the tengu really don't like these caricatures." Yuwen went to a knee and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't let Yamato see this, it'll really hurt his feelings," He advised sincerely, trying to protect his friend from the deeprooted bigotry of his guildmates.

Suddenly, the sound of a gong bellowing out from the horizon. Yuwen rose as in the wake of the sound one of the many smaller tent in front of Makoko's bigtop parted it's curtain to reveal a ticket booth. Leering out at the assembled village was a woman, her hair tied back tight enough to rip the roots from her skull, and a makeup plastered smile cemented permanently on her face. "TONIGHT! THE FINAL OF THE FIVE DAY PERFORMANCES! MISTER MAKOKO'S MARVELOUS MOVING CIRCUS! FEATURING NEVER BEFORE SEEN CREATURES AND ACTS! COME EARLY FOR PRE-SHOW QUESTION SESSIONS WITH STARS OF THE STAGE POUNAMU SENSHU AND SHANG-LO!"

"Wait, that name..." Yuwen plunged his hand into his trousers and from them pulled out the folded flier for Makoko's circus. "Of course! This isn't racism, it's the world's greatest smeller, Shang-Lo!" Yuwen deducted, slapping the poster with the back of his hand. On it standing with the other performers was a noble illustration of the large nosed man. "This says he can identify a single orchid from across the stage. Alright, this settles it, during our show we all have to perform, and when we aren't we'll infiltrate, find Takai and Gonpo in Makoko's crowd, concoct a plan, free Kaor in the ensuing chaos, then get back to our show before the final curtain call, where all of us will cleanly and calmly take a bow, having outsold Makoko and won Wun back fair and square."

Yuwen looked over to the ticket seller, who already had a line of curious villagers queued. "Of course, that still means we have to put on one hell of a show." Yuwen dusted himself off and began to march back toward the village streets. "The four of us will reconvene tonight at the show!" He called back to Suiken, Xanth, and the man formerly known as Ren.

A lemur leaning against the side of a shack tracked Yuwen as he pushed a wooden stall into the square, across from ticketseller tent. "What are they planning...?" Makoko's lemur spy hummed as he bit into a plumb.

From their karts Yuwen emerged again, pulling behind him the kimono'd husk that was Namari. "Ladies and gentleman! There is simply TOO MUCH magic in this one town!" Yuwen announced, causing the line lookers. "Why see Makoko's tired old show yet another time when, instead, you could witness the GREAT GUILD FORTUNE For the same price! One night only, tickets on sale now!"

Namari reluctantly plopped her elbows down on the wood as a few curious villagers approached. Yuwen backed away, placing his hands together and mouthing a thank you to the woman. Namari paid the guild leader little mind, instead ripping off a piece of the hastily written tickets and handing it out to their first customer. The customer swallowed upon seeing the hand that held the ticket had a shackle and shattered chain hanging from the wrist but still took the ticket regardless.

***

"Do it!"

"Jump!"

"What are you, chicken?!"

"Am not!"

"Then do it!"

"AAAAH!"
The girl let out a mighty bellow, running forward off the rock-ledge and leaping out. She plunged into the river, water splashing out onto her friends her watched. A moment later the girl herself rose to the surface, a bucktoothed grin on her face. The children cheered from atop the tiny drop-off.

"You like danger, do you?" A voice called. The children turned to see out of the tall grasses Yuwen Fortune sinisterly rise. "Then you'll love the Great Gilly Fortune." Yuwen handed one a poster. "We have real warriors from Yutan and beyond."

"Real warriors?" A child repeated.

Yuwen nodded. "That's right."

"But... I don't have any money," Another child added sadly.

Yuwen scratched his chin. "How many children live in Ginori?

"I don't know, fifty?" A child replied.

Yuwen pulled out from his cloak a bustling sack of coin. "Then you give this to every kid your age you know, and keep whatever's extra. You dig?"

***

"I never knew!" The man had a wide smile beneath his sunburnt stubble. He was barely paying attention to the field he was meant to be sowing. "What are you, year of the horse?"

"Year of the goat," The woman across from him said, she too smiling. In the large field of farm workers they seemed to be the two having, by far, the most fun.

"Girl, I can't be messin' with no year of the goat! Are you kidding me?" The man exclaimed, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"YOU LIKE ASTROLOGY, DO YOU?!" Yuwen exclaimed, emerging between the two. The man screamed in horror and dropped his woven baskets of seeds as Yuwen arose. "You like the wonders of the cosmos? Then you should see the Great Carnival Fortune." Yuwen handed each a flier.

"I'm sorry sir, but me and Cao Chen already went a day ago," The woman informed.

"You've seen Makoko's circus yes, but did Makoko's circus have the great Star Seeker, holy man of the north, and visionary of the stars? " Yuwen asked. "Because ours does."

"Really?" The woman whispered, taking in Yuwen's words before raising the poster to her friend. Yuwen grinned as he knelt again, ready to creep up to the next worker.

***

The market had died down as the orange sun stretched on the horizon, but the group of patchy faced teenagers were still gathered.

"I keep thinking about that little bounce, you know- that jiggle," One breathed.

"It's the ears for me," His friend said, closing his eyes.

"So you liked what you saw?"

The teens turned to see Yuwen Fortune had again invaded their space. "Come on, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Yuwen continued, ingratiating himself to the group. "You saw an attractive beast-man, can't imagine you get much of those here, right?"

"Right," A teen said bashfully.

"You liked her, yeah?"

"Yeah," Another added.

"Yeah, she's really foxy."

Yuwen paused, debating whether to correct the teen about Lo-Muna being a rabbit beast-man, but instead dismissed the thought. From behind his back he held out a poster. "You know she'll be performing tonight- at this." Yuwen grinned at the teens leaned in. "You should be there."

***

By the time Yuwen returned to the tent the sun had set, and the guild leader was shocked to see that almost every soul in the village of Ginori had crowded into the town square, though it was unclear if they had gathered to enter Fortune's carnival or Makoko's. "Okay," Yuwen announced, approaching Sunaarashi who stood outside their tent. "I did what I could. Our circus has danger, excitement, eroticism, music, and mystery, and Makoko's will have... well, sabotage and animal cruelty. Is everyone inside ready?"

Setting

2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Takai Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
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Gonpo gulped, his eyes drooped as he instinctively leaned back from Zhaoprazu's pitch black, doll-like eyes. He slowly turned towards Takai, amidst the hustle and bustle of the circus. "Good Friend, I'm no hunter of men, but..."

Gonpo drew his hunting knife. "Makoko's a predator, and a vile one at that. He is a plague upon this community. We should do..." His eyes glinted with the sharpness of his knife. "...What is necessary."

Setting

2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Takai Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
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Takai glanced down at Gonpo and saw what he saw in himself many years ago. Anger. Sadness. Vengeance. Was it the only way? A voice in his head whispered to him from long ago.

It wont stop this.

Killing them wont stop this, Takai.


The monkey man winced as a familiar pang of hurt pierced his heart. It was true, he couldn't see another way around this, but he had to try. For him. Takai let out a held breath and shrugged the heavy past away, giving Gonpo a wide smile, "Maybe. There might be another way to do this, though. Ruin Makoko's reputation. Make him wish he never owned this circus in the first place. If I know guys like him they hate to be a laughing stock." Takai lifted the bag of remaining nuts they hadn't planted yet and wiggled his brow, "What do you think, my friend?"

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2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Takai Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
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Gonpo looked between Takai, his bag of nuts, and back again. There was pain and plea in Takai's eyes. Even if Gonpo did not know the reason, he understood his feelings.

And Gonpo does not let good friends suffer like that.

Gonpo sheathed his knife and grabbed the bag, returning the monkey man's smile with his own. "I'm with you, Good Friend Takai. Let's do this, then get back to the others."

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Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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Samyan wandered about the center of the guild's performing tent, dusting the ground with earth from a large burlap sack. It was a small enchantment, and would fade within hours, but the metaphysical familiarity which began to pervade Fortune's Clown Tent should be enough to draw more people in when the doors swung open in a few short minutes.

Setting

2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Captain Jensu Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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#, as written by Nulix
"We just cleaned this place," Jensu complained as they spotted Samyan re-dirtying the earth for no apparent reason.

Setting

11 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Yamato Hibiki Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi Character Portrait: Namari Shioh Character Portrait: Sunaarashi Character Portrait: Ren Van Character Portrait: Captain Jensu Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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"Ready as we'll ever be," Suiken nodded. "I've got the act order written down here...." Suiken said, lifting up a scroll for Yuwen to read. "Added a bit of extra space in case anyone has a bonus act they'd want to perform. Are you ready to rally the crowd?"

He then turned to Samyan, who had just arrived at the Guild's tent. Or, to be more accurate, Suiken had sensed the aura emanating from her bag before she even stepped past the curtain. So, that's what she was up to. Needless to say, Suiken didn't approve, but this was no time to incite any inner-group conflict. Instead, the Snow Oni took a deep breath and stated. "I'm going to get my instruments tuned before I go on. Let's give this our all, everyone!"

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2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Captain Jensu Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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"Loose earth in the ring has aesthetic appeal," Samyan remarked, not looking up from her work. "Besides, in my culture sprinkling the ground with dirt before a performance gives you luck in attracting an audience. Everyone knows that."

Setting

3 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi Character Portrait: Sunaarashi
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Lo-Muna eyed Samyan warily despite having aided her in collecting the dirt she was currently spreading. So far, the Ashuran's first offer had held true and she had been released once it had been delivered. Soon, she would see if the second claim Samyan had made to her would also hold true. Glancing at Suiken's scroll, they might need it after all.

On the list was Sunaarashi and Lo-Muna's play the two had crafted together while she had worked on their costumes. It had taken up the rest of her time and she was glad she hadn't gone to scope out Makoto's tent. She had only just finished as the group had gathered and even then, Lo-Muna eyed the white qipao she wore with some disappointment. Some of the seams had been done clumsily in her haste and she had to forego the detailed embroidery she had been planning on.

Still, it looked nice from a distance. The form fitting dress reached her knees and had a long slit on both sides that nearly went up to the top of her thigh. The edges, opening, and buttons were outlined in yellow and the bell sleeves had little yellow ribbons sewn into them. The front of the Mandarin collar was the same shade of red as the ribbon in her hair.

Now, just a couple more things to take care of...

"Wait, Suiken!" Lo-Muna called out as she approached the Oni. "Speaking of music, for Sunaarashi and mine's play, would you be able to play some music for us? I think it would be too dull if we just spoke the whole time."

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Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi
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Suiken his mind focusing on tuning his instruments, stirred out of his concentration when Lo-Muna approached. Taking in her words, he scratched his chin and nodded. "Hmm, of course! It shouldn't be too dissimilar to the original Gwannish Opera, so I know just what to do."

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3 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi Character Portrait: Sunaarashi
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Lo-Muna beamed at him and gave a small bow in thanks, "I appreciate it, Suiken. It's a variation of Eternal Maiden on the Clouds so if you need any assistance, let us know. I'll go tell Sunaarashi so we can rehearse one last time."

With one last thanks, she turned to go back.

Setting

11 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Yamato Hibiki Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi Character Portrait: Namari Shioh Character Portrait: Sunaarashi Character Portrait: Ren Van Character Portrait: Captain Jensu Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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As Xanth, Suiken, and Yuwen discussed the possibility of fire, a though had occurred to Ren of something that would make for an interesting addition to tonight's entertainment. He started to feel very uneasy about how everything would go down, but if nothing else... Ren certainly knew he'd make for a very capable distraction.

It seemed as though they had a plan now, and as Yuwen rambled off about someone with Chi Based Smelling Powers, Ren looked back to Xanth. "If you need any help tonight Xanth, you shouldn't have any trouble finding me. Though I warn you; I will be ill equipped for anything requiring secrecy." He chuckled in that low voice he'd constructed. "Other than that, I'll soon be prepared with everything I need, just have one more thing to work on."

With that, he nodded to be Suiken and Xanth (Yuwen having already run off to set up the ticket booth) before heading back into town. He needed to find some kind of craftsman...

___________________________________________________________________________________________


'Old Man Ren' was back in town a short while later, and had already picked up a few things. Some small metal parts and pieces from a local tinkerer, a strange resin like substance from a carpenter, and bits and pieces of fire starting materials, such as a flint. He'd made his way over to a small workshop, finding a woman inside fast at work on designing what looked like a rather ornate birdhouse. "Excuse me miss." His voice bellowed. "Can I trouble you? I'd appreciate a few hours to work with some of your tools, if you wouldn't mind." The woman jolted slightly, turning around to peer at the strange figure.

"Uhh, sorry. I'm in the middle of another project for someone. You'll have to come back another time." She turned back to her work, expecting the man to leave.

Ren shifted uncomfortably. He'd expected she'd just... Stop doing that job and do his instead. That was, in hindsight, a poor assumption. Reaching into his cloak, he produced a small, hefty bag, opening it to pour a dozen gold coins onto the counter. "Surely you can spare even a few moment of your time to assist me." He pressed on.

She looked at the gold and almost immediately shook her head. "I'm sorry, that's not how I operate here. You can't pay to skip ahead, you'll just have to wait."

A heavy, agitated sigh emanated from the man, who slammed a hand down on the counter. Her eyes lingered over to it.

It was red. And covered in unholy black markings. Wait... Did they move?

"Where I come from, they have a saying about thrice denying the request of someone in need. Would you like to hear how it goes, or would you rather take the gold?"

The woman's eyes were widened in horror as she looked up to the figure. She wanted to scream or something, but realized what a mistake that could be. Instead, she acquiesced. "A-alright. But- But at least let me do some of the work. Forgive me I just... I want to make sure my tools are used correctly."

The figure nodded their veiled head slowly and let out a content sigh. "That will be acceptable. Shall we begin?"

___________________________________________________________________________________________


Hours later, Ren stepped back out onto the streets of the village, the craftswoman standing in the doorway behind him. Ren produced the bag once more, and handed her six more coins. "Your assistance is greatly appreciated miss. Thank you again." He gave a slight bow as he prepared to leave, but stopped short and turned back to the woman for a moment. "You know miss, there's another performance in town tonight. Not that Mr. Makoko's, a new one. Perhaps you'll come watch, should you have time. It will be a show to remember forever, I can promise you that much."

The frightful figure left, heading back towards another encampment. The craftswoman was, at this moment, preoccupied with trying to figure out whether or not she was invited to watch this performance, or if she'd been threatened to go. She was also trying to figure out whether or not that just made her more interested in going.

.....................................................................................


Ren continued down the street towards their tent, his staff carrying a little more weight in it now that before, landing with a slightly heavier thud. It was a bit unbalanced now, but Ren was skilled enough to continue to wield it, and in exactly the way he had intended to. Anyone that ended up near to him seemed to naturally veer away, making pathways open up quite easily for the man as he wove his way through the crowd to the tent.

He'd arrived shortly before Fortune, neither too early, nor too late, but precisely when he intended to arrive. Ren caught immediate sight of the necromancer tossing dirt on the ground for reasons that were almost certainly a crass perversion of nature, life, death, and everything one should hold as sacred. But he was also covered in curse words now, so this probably wouldn't make things any worse than they already were for him.

Yuwen entered shortly after, giving everyone a rundown on the situation, then asking if everyone was ready. "Should be good to go. Only thing I'm lacking is Master Wang, assuming you can spare him for a short while during the performances."

Suiken briefly addressed the plans he'd come up with, and indicated he'd go get his instruments before telling them to give it their all. "If all else fails Suiken, we can always host an impromptu concert."

He turned his gaze back to Yuwen, as he'd not had time to spy what Suiken had shown him. "So, what IS the order we're going in?"

Setting

11 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Xanth Character Portrait: Yamato Hibiki Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi Character Portrait: Namari Shioh Character Portrait: Sunaarashi Character Portrait: Ren Van Character Portrait: Captain Jensu Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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#, as written by Sepokku
Ginchiyo slogged out of the nearby wilderness, a tired scowl on her face. Her usual ragged clothing and cloak had been replaced with a colorful outfit adorned with feathers of every shade. Her gait was unusual, her knees bent as if she were trying to sneak behind a particularly short box. Pursing her lips and rolling her tongue, she made a small chirruping noise; which prompted a rooster with scarlet red feathers and a bright blue comb to follow her out of the wilds.

She let out another small chirrup, which caused a long-legged flamingo to tip-toe after her. A third chirrup caused a third bird to fly in; this one was a dark black raptor with dark red fake eyes on its wings. A fourth chirrup, another oddly colored bird; then a fifth, and a sixth. Before long she had a procession of oddly-colored birds following her or resting on her shoulders; one particularly flamboyant bird had made an honest-to-Gods nest in her hair and was silently looking around.

"Can't believe I'm doing this..." Ginchiyo grumbled as she awkwardly continued her awkward walk into the tent, the eyes of quite a few townsfolk on her. She arrived just in time to hear Ren ask their leader a very important question.

"So, what IS the order we're going in?"

Without waiting for Yuwen to answer, the procession of wild birds made their way into the tent, following their temporary leader, not one of them entirely silent. Ginchiyo pursed her lips and let out three more awkward chirrups. As if on cue, all but the bird on her head scattered to roost in the tent. "I'm first." She locked eyes with Yuwen as if daring him to disagree. Seeming to take offense, the bird roosting in her hair began to flap its wings. The rest of the birds in the tent began to mirror its aggravation; the rooster even ruffled its feathers and let out an angry "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO"

"Alright! Alright. We go last. We'll go last!" Seeming to understand, the bird on her head settled down and began to clean its feather with its beak. In unison, the rest of the birds calmed down and returned to whatever they had been doing. Ginchiyo let out a defeated sigh and sat down so that both her knees were to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees and wrapped both her arms around them.

"If anyone laughs, I'll make sure every one of these birds flies over you after they've been fed."

Setting

4 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Captain Jensu Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu
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#, as written by Nulix
Yuwen observed the crowd of cocks surrounding Ginchiyo and adjusted his robe. "You really are a wildling, aren't you?" Yuwen smirked at the woman, not bothering to ask where she'd been since they'd entered the farming town. He leaned toward her. "No chance you can get Makoko's pets to revolt against him, can you?"

Suddenly Jensu re-entered through the stage-curtain, a flash of the crowd beyond spotted as they entered. "Everyone is inside... but theres a lot of empty space."

"Damn it," Yuwen cursed. "I guess we'll have to put on a show good enough to make people leave Makoko's early. You know, make it... extra irresistible."

Yuwen turned back to his guild, gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, before facing the curtain and marching forward, through the fabric and onto the stage.

***

The air in the Great Guild's tent was stale, and summer sweat lingered on the moustaches of the assembled crowd. They stood and sat across the floor of the tent, waiting for the show to begin. Just as boredom began to take over a figure emerged- a figure many in the crowd recognized, for he had personally sold most of them on the show earlier that day... only, something about him was different. He wore a white-robe, and above his lip were two long-thing tendrils of hair hanging down. The man suddenly awoke, and revealed to the crowd pupilless eyes. They gasped in horror.

"Fear... I smell fear among you," Yuwen began to speak in a voice that was not his own. "I am the mystical Star Seeker, holy man of the north, and visionary of fate. Tonight you will be entertained, intertwined, and erotically exfoliated," He predicted, wisely. "We have for you performers from every corner of the map, and masters from every race known to man..."

Yuwen rose a hand to his heart as if having a vision. "My first guess... I met in the frozen wastes of Onium, singing a song as thousands of children drowned to death on an ocean-bound frigate... he is the great bard of our time, he sings... to keep from crying... allow me to introduce... Suiken!"

There was a sputter of confused claps as Suiken was given his cue...

Setting

10 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Suiken Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune Character Portrait: Yamato Hibiki Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi Character Portrait: Namari Shioh Character Portrait: Sunaarashi Character Portrait: Ren Van Character Portrait: Captain Jensu Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
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Suiken too couldn't help but share a confused glance with the crowd as Yuwen gave his...unique introduction. But he soon steeled himself and his attentions drifted elsewhere. A state where nothing was there but he and the crowd. He sat down and placed his instruments down in front of him. While percussion was his instrument of choice, he opted to use a guzheng. The curtain behind him closed and everything grew dark aside from a small lantern placed on stage to illuminate the Snow Oni.

The guzheng came first and by the time his fingers plucked upon the first note, a bit of recognition and nostalgia coated the hearts of the audience present. The opening notes were reminiscent of an old jingle many remembered from their youths to differing degrees. It was an old Yunish tune that didn't see much circulation anymore. What many adults heard as children were only a small snippet of the full tune, even the elders in the small crowd had only heard it a sparse few times. Only to the children and youth present was the song completely new, and even to them, its jaunty, joyful tune was captivating, especially once he sang.

Look at them go! Look at the carp go!
All around, to and fro! Up against the river's flow!
Swim, swim, swim strong fishes! The place where only the brave know!
O'er the deadly waterfall! Up against the river's flow!


Behind him, the darkened curtains suddenly lit up via lanterns on the opposite side! They illuminated shadowy figures, puppets shaped like fish, each carved by the oni bard himself in preparation for tonight and puppeteered by some of Suiken's guildmates. They danced along similarly carved out shadow puppets made to resemble waves, held along by a carefully manipulated rope. Slowly they swam, simulating a struggle...and before the audience knew it, where there were once at least a dozen fish puppets, their number soon dwindled down to about half of that.

Some would call it a foolish thing!
A fruitless to be sure!
Determined as they were, they did not lose faith
O'er the deadly waterfall, their quest was one most pure!


Behind him, the fish puppets dwindled to all but three. It was then that the lanterns behind the curtain dimmed and the gleeful song's tone shifted to one of melancholy. The three remaining fish appeared to struggle as they attempted to swim up the river. One hand remained on the guzheng while his other subtly reached behind him where his Ice-Fang mallets sat. It could barely be called a slightly of hand as the audience was so entrenched in the song and the puppetry that they didn't even notice his subtle movements.

Using his own manipulation of the mallet's chi, he caused a chill to dart through the air, surprising the crowd as it was in the middle of summer.

With respect to their fallen brethren...the remaining carp trekked on
Through the harsh winter winds...and the dimming of the sun
The three who remained...kept each other warm with love and song
Their journey was close to its end. Once the next day dawned...


The song suddenly and without warning picked up its pace, Suiken's fingers gliding across the strings of the guzheng, note after note pouring forth, the oni sweating from his forehead despite the frigid air he had dispersed in the surrounding area.

At Dawn! At dawwwwwn!
They could see blue all across the river at dawn!
Look at them go! look at the carps go!
Against the Raging River's floooow!


The last three fish puppets appeared to struggle across the shadow-waterfall i nthe background. But with one last push, the two carps trailing behind used their strength to push the carp in the lead forward. Giving it just the edge it needed to cross up the river and mature into...

A dragon! A dragon of spring!
It brought with it a great warmth, enveloping everything!


As he sang, the most massive puppet yet...and the one with the most time put into it emerged. The head of a great dragon. With another subtle motion, Suiken shot a blast of his Natsuta palm blast into the air. The wintery breeze of his mallets now vanished as Suiken continued.

With one bellow the frost fell and he melted the snow
Rising above the deadly waterfall, ignoring the Raging River's flow!
Wisely he spoke to his kin and bid them return to the sea.
He saw the top of the world and knew how everything came to be...
And one day...


The puppet of the dragon turned to look down on his carp brethren.

You too shall see...

He concluded with a sweeping rhythm across the guzheng, as lanterns were lit where the dragon's eyes sat, constantly growing dimmer before brightening and growing dimmer once again, giving them an almost ethereal quality. It was now that Suiken turned to the audience directly speaking to them. "It with great honor that I welcome you all! To the Great Guild's Circus!" he stated with a bow.

Setting

2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi Character Portrait: Sunaarashi
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Lo-Muna’s hands nervously tugged at the white sash around her waist. The blue silk shimmered in the soft light of the torch beside her and she found herself picking at the threads already coming undone. She sighed. There wasn’t much that could be done in so little time.

On the opposite side of the stage, Sunaarashi tugged on the suit he’d tucked away somewhere, and nodded to Lo-Muna. It was time for her entrance.

She gave a small nod and began to proceed onstage. The crowd’s murmurs quieted as their eyes focused on the beauty lit by the soft glow of the flames around her. Wordlessly, she dropped to her knees and bowed her head down to the audience.

β€œMy good people!” she cried out, head still bowed to the floor. β€œI beg of you, pretend you never saw me!”

She looked up, the light of the flames focused on her face.

β€œI have come far and yet still, there is much danger,” she explained as curious whispers could be heard from the growing crowd. β€œThere is a kingdom not far from here whose people have suffered for quite a long time. It was not always like this however. They once thrived and had bountiful harvests. They feasted without care and knew their blood would run far. That is.. That is until I was born.”

Lo-Muna slammed her hands upon the stage and a gust of wind blew out from beneath her, causing the fires to dim and the stage to darken. The reflective sheen of her hanfu helped keep her in sight of the audience.

β€œAs I grew older, the number of misfortunes too, grew in number. My people began to suffer and I found myself thrust into the world.”

She spun around, arms wide, and another gust of wind came out. The fires on the nearby poles nearly went out but then suddenly sprang back to life, even brighter than before.

β€œThe gods had spoken to my people, you see. They told them that once I left, peace would resume in the kingdom. What they did not know was that it only left them, because that misfortune would chase after me.”

At her words, the fires flared again and the shadows behind her seemed to loom over Lo-Muna. It was almost as though…

β€œNo!” Lo-Muna cried out as she whirled around, the shadows taking form. β€œThey’ve found me!”

Lo-Muna dodged the shadows with ease but she made a big show of landing on the stage, one hand on the ground, panting as though she had exerted herself.

β€œI cannot put the rest of you in danger,” she asserted as she gave a small smile to the audience, making eye contact with a few. β€œFarewell.”

She then leapt off to the side, out of the audience’s view, to where Sunaarashi stood waiting.

β€œAnd now it’s yours,” Lo-Muna said with a grin and her hands on her hips.

Setting

2 Characters Present

Character Portrait: Takai Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
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0.25 INK

Simultaneous with the festivities in the relatively diminutive tent of the Great Guild, a far more extravagant celebration was commencing opposite them. Lines of customers from the village and beyond still awaited permission to be let inside and join in the most highly anticipated show in all of Yune. On a normal night, there wouldn't be a single empty seat left in the tent, but tonight was an odd exception. The unexpected draw from it's smaller competitor gave way to a couple of rows of empty seats, not that it was entirely noticeable among the sea of people still excitedly waiting inside and the flash and pomp of the opening ceremony going underway.

Behind the scenes, however....things weren't looking as bright and cheerful. Another long line was beginning to form at Makoko's Circus. One that did not seem to bode well. Acrobats, clutching their stomachs, on the verge of soiling themselves. Archers, clutching at their mouths to keep from vomiting. Attendants running to and fro amidst the chaos, worrying if a bug had broken out amongst the performers as they attempted to get their doctors to ascertain the nature of the illness. The fact that some semblance of order remained, even hanging by a thread was a testament to how much of a well-oiled machine Makoko's Circus was.

Eventually, the cause of the problem became all the more clear. It was nuts. No, literally, the very same nuts sold at concessions. Upon discovering this, the items were quickly replaced with fresh candied fruits as they attempted to sort out just how their legion of prestigious chefs and gardeners, handpicked by Makoko himself from his travels throughout the land could make such an error.

The Hunter of Tengu was one of two who had an inkling of what happened. How Makoko's rivals had interfered. "Poison, huh...?" he sighed derisively, lounging in the grass, idly watching panic begin to brew within his current place of employment. "Not very sporting." He sat up, brandishing his club, going to search for the two infiltrators.

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View All » Add Character » 25 Characters to follow in this universe

Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune
Character Portrait: Namari Shioh
Character Portrait: Suiken
Character Portrait: Sunaarashi
Character Portrait: Takai
Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi
Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu
Character Portrait: Xanth
Character Portrait: Yamato Hibiki
Character Portrait: Captain Jensu
Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
Character Portrait: Ren Van
Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher

Newest

Character Portrait: Gonpo the Fisher
Gonpo the Fisher

A Hunter Seeking the Greatest Catch!

Character Portrait: Ren Van
Ren Van

A Warrior Without Honor, But Maintaining his Humanity.

Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
Samyan Zaheer

spiffy

Character Portrait: Captain Jensu
Captain Jensu

A Moderately Washed Up Sea Ship Captain

Character Portrait: Yamato Hibiki
Yamato Hibiki

A Ronin seeking his own path

Character Portrait: Xanth
Xanth

The Assassin with no Voice nor Past.

Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu
Ginchiyo Lao Tzu

The Wanderer from Gwanalai

Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi
Lo-Muna Vanhi

The Ravishing Beauty of the South

Character Portrait: Takai
Takai

The Noble Shaming Arrow of Flaming Lae Ming Wae

Character Portrait: Sunaarashi
Sunaarashi

An Unstoppable Force of Nature sent from the desert to destroy his enemies

Trending

Character Portrait: Sunaarashi
Sunaarashi

An Unstoppable Force of Nature sent from the desert to destroy his enemies

Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu
Ginchiyo Lao Tzu

The Wanderer from Gwanalai

Character Portrait: Suiken
Suiken

A Wandering Street Musician who knows more than he lets on

Character Portrait: Captain Jensu
Captain Jensu

A Moderately Washed Up Sea Ship Captain

Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi
Lo-Muna Vanhi

The Ravishing Beauty of the South

Character Portrait: Ren Van
Ren Van

A Warrior Without Honor, But Maintaining his Humanity.

Character Portrait: Takai
Takai

The Noble Shaming Arrow of Flaming Lae Ming Wae

Character Portrait: Xanth
Xanth

The Assassin with no Voice nor Past.

Character Portrait: Yamato Hibiki
Yamato Hibiki

A Ronin seeking his own path

Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
Samyan Zaheer

spiffy

Most Followed

Character Portrait: Takai
Takai

The Noble Shaming Arrow of Flaming Lae Ming Wae

Character Portrait: Suiken
Suiken

A Wandering Street Musician who knows more than he lets on

Character Portrait: Captain Jensu
Captain Jensu

A Moderately Washed Up Sea Ship Captain

Character Portrait: Sunaarashi
Sunaarashi

An Unstoppable Force of Nature sent from the desert to destroy his enemies

Character Portrait: Lo-Muna Vanhi
Lo-Muna Vanhi

The Ravishing Beauty of the South

Character Portrait: Namari Shioh
Namari Shioh

A Practitioner of Bastardry

Character Portrait: Xanth
Xanth

The Assassin with no Voice nor Past.

Character Portrait: Ginchiyo Lao Tzu
Ginchiyo Lao Tzu

The Wanderer from Gwanalai

Character Portrait: Samyan Zaheer
Samyan Zaheer

spiffy

Character Portrait: Yuwen Fortune
Yuwen Fortune

The Fearless Young Guild Leader of Fortune


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