SPECIAL APPLICATION: Tenryu: The Dragon Cycle- Kouei [AU]
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AU (Alternate Universe) Character Application
PLAYER INFO
NAME: Hallowd
CURRENT CHARACTERS, if any: Inoue Orihime/Kagerou
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME: Kouei
SERIES: Tenryu: The Dragon Cycle by Sanami Matoh
PERSONALITY:
On the surface, Kouei is brash, passionate, sincere and generally laid-back. He dives head-first into challenges and doesn't let the pull of his Fate (the capital letter is appropriate) slow him down. He was tossed helter-skelter into the business of being the Earth Dragon's chosen: he went along to guard the princess on a visit to the old dragon king, only to find fate tapping him on the shoulder.
Kouei's reckless demeanour hides five hundred years of age and experience. He somewhat enjoys the misleading effect of his youthful appearance and is not above using it to fool people into thinking he was born yesterday. He's cheeky in delivery, but surprisingly insightful when the situation calls for it. He sympathises easily, but will not coddle people, preferring a few words of encouragement and a hearty slap on the back to listening to a catalogue of woes.
He also consciously maintains a carefree, devil-may-care demeanour, lest the weight of the secrets he carries pull him down. Carrying the facade for so long has made it no longer so much an act as an integral part of his personality. He refused to yield to the sometimes grim mood of hiding and watching, and the rash, impetuous mask slowly became reality.
As a rule, he acts on emotion, but is capable of holding back and making strategic, logical choices. He would never have survived without developing a sense of tactics and caution. He tends to favour the personal over the tactical, though: he tells Taka to go find his vengeance rather than stay and help him and Fuuga in their own fight.
Kouei has a remarkable capacity for taking his circumstances and making the best of them. He can charge ahead without a plan, but has quick enough wits to think on his feet for most of the time. Trusting his own skills is commendable, albeit he can sometimes take this self-confidence too far and end up in over his head. He has something of a carpe diem attitude, preferring to live day to day and leave the larger schemes to sharper minds.
This isn't to say he's simple of either mind or imagination; he merely prefers action over thought. Among the three chosen, Raika is the mastermind and the authority figure: Fuuga and Kouei clearly act under his direction. Kouei has no problem hanging back and securing his companions' backs while they deal with the more delicate sides of a task. He's more follower than leader, but also used to acting alone when he must.
The depth of his calling is difficult for mostly anyone else to comprehend. In a very concrete sense, fulfilling the Earth Dragon's task is his reason for being. When the work is done, it means his death and liberation. The absolute nature of his task gives him a more sombre and solemn side he generally tries to conceal. He would sacrifice much more than he is comfortable thinking about to carry out a goal that he deemed important enough. (In practice, this would be something of a similar magnitude as the Earth Dragon's mandate.)
Kouei is easygoing in his personal relationships, making friends quickly and welcoming new people in his life. However, these relationships rarely deepen past a certain critical point. He's immortal and must conceal his given task: therefore, brief dalliances and physical relationships are facile, but the people he allows truly close to his heart are few and far between. It's easier fo him to have allies than lovers--he's learned to shunt aside his own desires in the service of a higher purpose. In spite of that, he appreciates life's small pleasures and grasps them eagerly whenever doing so doesn't interfere with his duty.
TIMELINE: The end of Volume 6 and the series (the point of his death)
CANON+AU BACKGROUND:
This is the part where I have to venture beyond canon to make sense. I said this app was going to be 50% canon and 50% canon-compliant bullshit, and this is where I have to start inventing. I've divided the background section in two and indicated which parts are lifted from the canon.
Canon
Tenryu is set in a mythologised version of ancient China. The technology level appears somewhat inconsistent across time periods, and I'm not a sinologist by a long shot, but if I had to name an era I'd go for the latter part of the Zhou Dynasty. The story spans a period of 400-500 hundred years in any case, an extensive flashback taking up half one manga volume to chart the beginning of the story.
The unnamed land (representing China) consists of multiple city states/small kingdoms that organise themselves according to their guardian animal spirits, so there are places like Hawk Village, Lion Valley, etc. At least the Tiger and Wolf Families are identified in the manga itself. Living among the human population are shapeshifters, gifted individuals who possess the talent to transform into animal forms and wield magical powers.
The most powerful of the shapechangers are the Dragon Family, further divided into four clans, Fire, Water, Earth and Heaven. Each clan is led by a King, but the Heaven Dragon King is at least the nominal head of the entire family. There is also a separate group, the Black Dragons, who are not counted as part of the Dragon Family but have allied themselves with the Heaven Dragons at the time of the story's beginning.
The story opens in the golden age of the Dragon Family, when its reign stretched far over the lands of many other clans. The current ruler, Emperor Ryuui, was engaged to marry a woman of the Black Dragons, but fell in love with another woman, Ranju, with whom he eventually had a son. Consumed with jealousy, the Black Dragon girl slew Ranju, for which crime she was imprisoned by the king. She went docilely to her sentence and bid her time in captivity.
Twenty years later, the king's son, Hiryuu, neared marriageable age. Princess Ryuurei from the royal family of the western capital (whose name is never specified) was sent to Emperor Ryuui's palace to visit. The young king and the princess soon fell in love, as their fathers had intended, and married not long afterwards. With Ryuurei's following pregnancy, an unseen threat grew over the peaceful reign of the Heaven Dragons.
The Black Dragon manipulated the pregnant princess from her hidden prison, beckoning her to her in her sleep. She infused the unborn child with her own spirit and her magic. The night the baby was born, she died in her cell. The ramifications of this became apparent later, when it was already too late to stop the Black Dragon's plan.
Kouei stepped into the story as a young guard at the royal/imperial (this distinction isn't clear in the manga itself) palace. His duties included caring for Kokurou, Ryuurei's lupine guardian, and he was clearly still earning his spurs, which is not surprising given he appeared to have recently attained adulthood. He is seen sparring with Fuuga, the princess's handmaiden and protector, on whom he harboured an obvious crush. It is also implied he was studying under Master Raika, the palace sage and significant mover behind the scenes. Nothing is known of his parents or other family.
Hiryuu and Ryuurei's daughter Ryuui was four years old when Ryuurei's father was found murdered, his heart torn out and missing. Ryuui was the one to find the body, and Ryuurei found a small piece of flesh stuck under her nail. This aroused Ryuurei's suspicions, but too late. The Black Dragon had slipped into Ryuui before her birth and was controlling her actions. In this guise, she was able to also kill Ryuurei's brother Ryuukei, and manipulate Hiryuu into killing Ryuuka, Ryuukei's lover and a guard from the Fire Dragons.
Meanwhile, Ryuurei was summoned to meet with the Earth Dragon King in his mountain stronghold. Raika, Fuuga and Kouei went with her, the latter two presumably on guard duty and Raika as the ancient lore of the Dragon Family was his concern and area of expertise.
The Earth Dragon, in his true form as an immense, Chinese dragon, shared his knowledge with Ryuurei and her escorts. He told them of the Dragon Kings who, in ancient times, had concentrated their powers into the shape of gems. In addition to the kings, the Heaven Dragons also had a high priestess of sorts, the miko-princess (Jap. mikohime), who was the appointed protector of all the dragons. She was reborn (the whole reincarnation idea is very Taoist in this manga) only once in several centuries and always in times of great need. Now, the Black Dragon was on the move, and thus the return of the kings and the miko-princess was of utmost importance. Ryuurei had been chosen as the miko-princess. The Earth Dragon granted her the three gems of the other dragon kings, as well as her own protection gem.
It was, however, too late to stop the Black Dragon now. The kings would eventually be reborn to take up the Dragon Family's destined task of countermanding the Black Dragon's power. On this rather fatalistic note, the Earth Dragon appointed Raika, Fuuga and Kouei as the keepers of the Dragon Family's lore and gave them the errand of waiting for the reborn kings and instructing them in their task. To this end, he extended all their lifespans and carved his mark on each of their faces.
Kouei was therefore tossed rather headfirst onto a quest of great importance. He chose to join Fuuga and Raika in the task despite Raika's words that he would bear the burden alone. Kouei's attitude showed that he simply considered it his duty to see the matter through to the end--the only reason he gave for his acceptance was that he "wanted to do his part", as he was "already wrapped up in this".
The Earth Dragon bade them pass the knowledge they'd been given on to the reborn kings, then passed quietly away. He had lived a long life in anticipation of the disaster that was unfolding in the palace, and welcomed death.
The foursome returned to the palace to in time to find Hiryuu, who had been controlled by the Black Dragon inside his daughter. He realised Ryuui was not what she seemed to be, and, heartbroken, slew his own child to stop the monstrosity she had become, but not before she wounded him fatally. Ryuurei and the three chosen found Hiryuu on the brink of death. Distraught, Ryuurei instructed the three to bury Hiryuu, Ryuukei and Ryuuka with the gems and, not wishing to linger after the deaths of her husband and child, took her own life.
This is where the flashback ends. Kouei's role in the events so far was marginal, as his part truly began with the Earth Dragon's task. While an integral part of the palace's everyday life, he didn't appear to hold a high position or be particularly involved in any politics. He was, however, always seen in Raika and Fuuga's company, and therefore obviously had the palace sage's attention. It seems his choice to become the Dragon's chosen was also influenced by Fuuga and his close relationship with her.
AU
The story does not tell what happens to the empire of the Dragon Family after the flashback ends. However, seeing as the young king, his wife and queen and his only child, as well as Ryuurei's brother and father were all dead, it is reasonable to assume the reign of the Dragons collapsed with the death of the royal family. The Black Dragon had thus undone an era of prosperity and peace and scattered the central government into a multitude of smaller kingdoms and states.
Amid the confusion, Raika, Kouei and Fuuga were left to preserve as much of the Dragons' lore as they could and go into hiding. Raika has a hideout on the sacred mountain Tenku in the manga, so I have assumed they used it as a base of operations during the long twilight years.
In short, the three chosen spent the next half a millennia waiting for the Dragon Kings and the miko-princess to all appear at the same time. This would be the sign that the hour of reckoning drew near and the Black Dragon could be vanquished.
Kouei coped with the burden of secrecy and the alienation their task brought by trying to maintain his youthful, carefree outlook on life. My interpretation is that he followed the example of his teacher out of duty and admiration, but didn't truly realise the sheer magnitude of their task until later. He had to do some quite involved adjusting after the fact, but ultimately settled into his role.
Canon says nothing about his family, but it seems reasonable that he was a younger son in a noble family, sent to the palace to be trained as a warrior. I'd like to say he was a middle child, eclipsed by his older sister but never quite granted the care and attention due his younger brother. It would explain, in part, his constant presence in the palace and his eagerness to take on the Earth Dragon's task: he didn't feel particularly affixed or indebted to his family. His primary loyalties were to Raika, his teacher, and to the Dragon Family at large.
The three shared an extraordinary duty and an extraordinary bond. Raika was the leader and the wise father figure, but they only had each other. At some point soon after their flight from the palace, Kouei confessed his feelings to Fuuga, and they were lovers for a time. Their relationship eventually moved past the physical, however, into something even deeper and more intimate. If questioned, Kouei might have likened it to the movement of the moon around the earth on a fixed course: they both had their own lives, but could only stray so far from the other. He had other lovers at other times, brief affairs that usually ended when it was time for him and Fuuga to move on. This made his attitude towards romance at once wistful and pragmatic. It was easier to simply bed a person he was attracted to, but he sometimes yearned for the deeper affection and closeness that emotional ties brought.
Kouei and Fuuga spent much time on the road, listening to rumours and keeping contact with the surviving members of the Dragon Family. They did not exist in complete isolation, but maintained alliances with the Dragon Clans best as they could. The village of Ryoga, featured in volumes four and five of the manga, seems to be a safe haven for the Dragon Family, as are Ryuuka's village and the house of Ryuuhou, Ryuurei's grandfather. This suggests to me that there was a limited number of people who knew the truth and helped the three chosen in their task.
Raika had various methods of scrying and spying in his employ. However, even if one of the souls they were looking for appeared again among the living, this did not guarantee the time to battle the Black Dragon was at hand. The agents of the Black Dragon were afoot, as well, under her chief servant, Raki. The two sides skirmished now and again as the Black Dragon sought to thwart the return of the Dragon Kings and the remaining members of the Dragon Family tried to gather their leaders and guardians together again. It was a war of attrition fought in the shadows.
Kouei accepted all this, as well, the more sinister side of his work as a guardian of the Dragons. It never quite stopped galling him that the price of necessity was sometimes high, but he slowly became inured to his higher duty. This gave him a deepening fatalistic streak, much as he attempted to shrug it off and maintain a more lighthearted look on things. In the best days, it brought certainty and peace; at the worst times, denial and second-guessing of both himself and his beloved master.
Raika appears to have laid a careful scheme for the Dragon Kings' return. He gave Ryuurei's gem to Unryuu, a bandit leader, for safekeeping so that Unryuu's adopted son, Hiryuu, would eventually meet Ryuurei. He had plans to contact the Dragon Kings and see to their training, and was obviously wery aware of what went on in the feuding kingdoms. Fuuga and Kouei were integral links in this network, as the only two others who had lived through the years with the sage.
Still, the three chosen had to largely remain outside established society even as it changed during the long years. Kouei learned and forgot several human lifetimes' worth in this span of time: their mission remained the sole constant of his existence. He had to adjust to a life of secrecy and subterfuge in the service of a plan that would not come to fruition for hundreds of years.
Canon
Eventually the four Dragon Kings appeared again, along with the miko-princess, and the Black Dragon stirred from its long sleep. They were born in quite different circumstances from the last time. Hiryuu was a foundling raised by Unryuu alongside Ryuukei. The two were close as brothers, though not blood kin. Ryuurei was the daughter of the emperor of Seiju Kingdom (emperor in a kingdom, don't ask me), and Ryuuka lived in a village of the Fire Dragon Clan as its leader. She had a community of fighting women around her, and she appeared to be a mentor and teacher to many of them in addition to serving as the head of the village.
Thanks to Raika's carefully laid plans and nudging of the events, the four eventually found each other. The Dragon Family was being hunted by a local lord, Toraou, who seemed to harbour a hatred for the dragons. In truth, the reason went deeper than that: Toraou was hiding the sleeping Black Dragon at his estate, White Tiger Lair. The Black Dragon and her servant Raki had saved Toraou's life in order to use the power-hungry man as a pawn, and began the process of reviving the Black Dragon in her full power and eliminating her ancient enemies.
Raika made contact with Hiryuu's group and took over training Hiryuu for the confrontation with the Black Dragon. Meanwhile, Kouei and Fuuga met the others--Ryuurei, Ryuukei and Ryuuka--in the hidden town of Ryoga and instructed them in the old lore, as well as in fighting skills. They spent two years preparing for the battle, gathering allies and honing their abilities. Others joined their cause: Toraou's old henchmen, Kokurou of the Wolves and Taka of Hawk Village, came to fight at their side. The Black Dragon was a threat to all, regardless of clan, and Toraou had been sowing chaos and disorder all across the land.
The most we see of Kouei in the manga is during the last volume and the final battle with the Black Dragon and her allies. He played a substantial, if not critical, role in the battle, fighting alongside Taka, the leader of Hawk Village, turned to the Dragons' cause when Toraou's men attacked his village despite his oath to serve Toraou. They only met several hours before, but seemed to immediately work well together, complementing each others' strategies and reacting surprisingly well to the other's fighting style.
They came face to face with Toraja, a sorcerer in Toraou's service. She favoured underhanded tactics and instead of fighting the two herself, pitted them against villagers she had forcibly transformed into half-bestial shapes. Being too much of "good guys" to use lethal force, Kouei and Taka found themselves in dire straits. Taka, able to partially shapeshift, rescued Kouei from the fray by pulling him up into the air and flying them both up onto a roof to assess the situation.
Kouei, aware of Taka's desire for revenge for his village against Toraou, told Taka to leave him and Fuuga to handle the controlled villagers and go find his vengeance. Surprised and moved by Kouei's gesture, Taka left to find Toraou, while Fuuga searched for a way to free the villagers. Kouei leapt back among them to slow them down best as he could.
Fuuga was eventually able to break Toraja's spell, but at the same moment, Kouei was caught unawares by an attack from one of the villagers. He was rescued, off-panel, by Taka and limped back somewhat injured during the final scene.
In the meantime, Hiryuu had defeated the Black Dragon, but the victory came at a terrible cost. It was revealed that when the Black Dragon slipped into Ryuui's body and intended to be reborn in it, Ryuui's soul had split in two. The Black Dragon lived on as the girl, but a boy child was born as well, carrying half of Ryuui's soul. Thus, there was a symbiotic connection between the two children. The boy Ryuui had sought out Hiryuu and Ryuurei and told them he was their son, but the Black Dragon's defeat claimed his life as well.
As Ryuurei cradled her twice-dead child, Raika stepped forward and declared that there was a way to save the boy. The three chosen had lived only to see the battle be done. Their lives were at an end, and so they would give their strength to bring Ryuui back to life. Both Fuuga and Kouei came forward as if they had long expected this to happen--then again, predestination is a major theme in the story. The three chosen faded away together as Ryuui drew breath again. Kouei turned last to Taka, with a grin, a wave and a "See you!" before he vanished from sight. He went to his death with evident contentment, his duty fulfilled.
ABILITIES: I have to split this into canon and AU sections, too, due to the character being so minor. He's only seen fighting with his spear in the manga, but there are several abilities he would logically have, albeit they are never shown.
Canon:
Weapon skills: Kouei wields very similar two-handed spears throughout his two appearances. The sole full-fledged fight he has in the manga consists of holding off a courtyard full of villagers transformed into bestial shapes, whom he won't fatally injure. Thus, there's little opportunity to see him in a straight fight. However, he's had hundreds of years to hone his skills: he has no superhuman speed or strength, but he's likely to be at the height of a normal person's capacity in martial skill, strategy and staying power. Considering the culture from which he comes, it's also likely he is proficient with knives, swords and bows, but the spear remains his weapon of choice.
Immortality: Kouei's lifespan was extended by the Earth Dragon. This seems to have taken the form of freezing him in his early twenties: he hasn't aged since. I believe it is best compared to a form of slow regeneration, wherein dead cells are replaced perfectly. He can get sick and hurt and feels pain, but as long as he isn't outright decapitated/drowned/otherwise definitely ended, he will recover from the worst injuries if given sufficient time. Fingers/toes etc. will regenerate, but will take multiple months to do so. He can perish of exposure/neglect/blood loss if left without care, he'll just take longer to do so than the average person.
AU:
Here's where I veer off the beaten path. The canonical facts are as follows: all members of the Dragon Family have a gem that is the source of their power. It's located inside their body, but they can learn to tug it out through their palm at will. The dragon gem, when produced, enables them to do several things.
First, they can fire blasts of concentrated chi at enemies, stunning them and inflicting blunt/crushing trauma, depending on the force of the blast.
Second, they can create a dragon familiar, a small, semi-intelligent creature that requires the hair of a Dragon, a handful of earth, and the application of a gem to make, and that can act as a messenger. Its speech is only intelligible to members of the Dragon Family.
Third, and this is the big gun, they can shapeshift, once a day, into a sizeable, Chinese-style dragon that is capable of flight and has a breath weapon based on their respective element. This form is about thirty feet long from snout to tail and capable of carrying a few people at least over short distances. The transformation is powerful, but taxing, especially in combat. Rest is necessary after reverting to human form. The transformation, when triggered, produces a flare of light and power that can be seen and sensed from a good distance by those sensitive to auras/energy fields/whatnot.
Kouei's elemental affinity is never discussed in the manga. Out of personal preference, I lean towards water (but it could be anything save for fire, as the Fire Dragons are exclusively female).
Additionally, he has a gamut of survival skills, such as hunting, tracking, stealth, and some knowledge of herbalism and medicine (as understood by the ancient Chinese).
I would love to give him some kind of craft skill--there's no canonical indication, but he has had four-five hundred years to pick something up.
GAME INFO
EDENSPHERE NAME: Hawk
BIRTHDAY LOG: Yes, please!
DREAM:
He's dying.
He's dying, and it is good.
It's over. This moment is sense and peace and release, the husk of his life sloughed from his shoulders.
The people around him--familiar faces, from many years ago, and new ones, freshly met, already imprinting their shapes in the riversand of his life even as it is eroded by the current--look on in shock and sadness. The sympathy he feels at their grief is airy: there, but weightless and fleeting.
There's no need. This is right. This is as it should be.
"See you--"
* * *
Standing on the veranda, he grips the smooth haft of his spear so hard his knuckles tremble. His part is to watch and wait, not decide. They have business in this house, but he isn't the one conducting it.
"She lay with a man. Our rules are clear," says a stern, feminine voice from inside the doorway.
"Do with her whatever you must. My interest lies in the child." The other, familiar voice is polished and hard. The night around them is hot and humid, speckled with the lanterns hung along the veranda, the road a ribbon of grey through the dank woods.
From inside drifts the mixed tang of blood, or maybe it's only in his nose.
"Come," says the smooth-voiced man, stepping past him in a rustle of robes and long black hair, a still, well-wrapped bundle held in the crook of his arm. "We have a long way to go tonight."
He follows the tug of his fate, the pull of his love for this man like the moon pulling the tide.
* * *
She leaps, impossibly high, her knife flashing in the sun and coming down hard through his defences. Her grin is as bright and crooked as the blade, and it floods him with emotion: longing, annoyance, embarrassment, and underneath a fierce joy in this confrontation.
He raises his voice in accusation. "What the--! You've gotten better!"
Her grin widens. Her white-blond hair is tousled with sweat and dust. She's wild and beautiful, in this moment. "Maybe just a little."
* * *
He's surrounded by a tangle of creatures. The fight is tough, but it shouldn't be impossible. It's small compared to what others are facing, here in this same place. The things are half men, half beasts, in ragged clothes and with feral grimaces twisting their faces, simian, vulpine, feline.
One of them leaps and he blocks, frantic, kicking at the thing and spinning his spear like a staff to keep it at bay. They are the enemy, but he can't hurt them too badly, he just needs to hold on. Another barrels in and sweet Heaven, he won't catch that blow with only the haft.
Air rushes above him. The world drags at a dreamlike crawl.
He looks up at the sound, so loud now that it seems to drown the ruckus of the half-formed beasts overwhelming him. The beat of a wide wing strokes across the sun, and at a hard grip under his arms, his flailing feet kick away from the ground...
Then everything is cool and wet and dark.
JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[The handwriting is tall, bold and deliberate, slanting to the right a hair.]
I'm told this book lets me speak with others here. I have the distinct feeling either the gods made a grievous error in filing, or Heaven's sense of humour shifted in a more crooked direction when my back was turned.
As long as I'm here, I might as well make myself useful. If someone needs a hand, I can offer two. I know how to hold a weapon, a spear for preference: seems I was a guard or soldier before turning up in this place.
I'd better not even start on how strange everything looks--I'll get my bearings. I would prefer to do that with shoes on, though. Can anyone point me to a proper sandal-maker, so I can be rid of these floppy excuses for footwear?
For now, the name's Hawk.
ASPIRATIONS: This character is a terrible indulgence, because his canon is short and obscure and he only occupies a small part in it. However, he interests me because a) I loved him in the story and b) because he provides a good alternation to my current character--I'd like someone more mature, physically oriented and yes, male.
Edensphere seems to be kind also to OCs and minor characters, so I have hope. He also comes from a culture that's for all intents and purposes comparable to late bronze age China, so it would be interesting to see him adapt to the very temporally and technologically confused environment of the Sphere?
(Oh, and I wasn't 100% sure where to put this, but as I mentioned in the Abilities section, I'd like to invent him some kind of craft skill--there's no canonical indication, but he has had four hundred years to pick something up. He'd be well suited to work as a Guard, but I'd rather avoid going that route, at least entirely. It feels a little easy and often-used in the game as a whole.)
AU (Alternate Universe) Character Application
PLAYER INFO
NAME: Hallowd
CURRENT CHARACTERS, if any: Inoue Orihime/Kagerou
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME: Kouei
SERIES: Tenryu: The Dragon Cycle by Sanami Matoh
PERSONALITY:
On the surface, Kouei is brash, passionate, sincere and generally laid-back. He dives head-first into challenges and doesn't let the pull of his Fate (the capital letter is appropriate) slow him down. He was tossed helter-skelter into the business of being the Earth Dragon's chosen: he went along to guard the princess on a visit to the old dragon king, only to find fate tapping him on the shoulder.
Kouei's reckless demeanour hides five hundred years of age and experience. He somewhat enjoys the misleading effect of his youthful appearance and is not above using it to fool people into thinking he was born yesterday. He's cheeky in delivery, but surprisingly insightful when the situation calls for it. He sympathises easily, but will not coddle people, preferring a few words of encouragement and a hearty slap on the back to listening to a catalogue of woes.
He also consciously maintains a carefree, devil-may-care demeanour, lest the weight of the secrets he carries pull him down. Carrying the facade for so long has made it no longer so much an act as an integral part of his personality. He refused to yield to the sometimes grim mood of hiding and watching, and the rash, impetuous mask slowly became reality.
As a rule, he acts on emotion, but is capable of holding back and making strategic, logical choices. He would never have survived without developing a sense of tactics and caution. He tends to favour the personal over the tactical, though: he tells Taka to go find his vengeance rather than stay and help him and Fuuga in their own fight.
Kouei has a remarkable capacity for taking his circumstances and making the best of them. He can charge ahead without a plan, but has quick enough wits to think on his feet for most of the time. Trusting his own skills is commendable, albeit he can sometimes take this self-confidence too far and end up in over his head. He has something of a carpe diem attitude, preferring to live day to day and leave the larger schemes to sharper minds.
This isn't to say he's simple of either mind or imagination; he merely prefers action over thought. Among the three chosen, Raika is the mastermind and the authority figure: Fuuga and Kouei clearly act under his direction. Kouei has no problem hanging back and securing his companions' backs while they deal with the more delicate sides of a task. He's more follower than leader, but also used to acting alone when he must.
The depth of his calling is difficult for mostly anyone else to comprehend. In a very concrete sense, fulfilling the Earth Dragon's task is his reason for being. When the work is done, it means his death and liberation. The absolute nature of his task gives him a more sombre and solemn side he generally tries to conceal. He would sacrifice much more than he is comfortable thinking about to carry out a goal that he deemed important enough. (In practice, this would be something of a similar magnitude as the Earth Dragon's mandate.)
Kouei is easygoing in his personal relationships, making friends quickly and welcoming new people in his life. However, these relationships rarely deepen past a certain critical point. He's immortal and must conceal his given task: therefore, brief dalliances and physical relationships are facile, but the people he allows truly close to his heart are few and far between. It's easier fo him to have allies than lovers--he's learned to shunt aside his own desires in the service of a higher purpose. In spite of that, he appreciates life's small pleasures and grasps them eagerly whenever doing so doesn't interfere with his duty.
TIMELINE: The end of Volume 6 and the series (the point of his death)
CANON+AU BACKGROUND:
This is the part where I have to venture beyond canon to make sense. I said this app was going to be 50% canon and 50% canon-compliant bullshit, and this is where I have to start inventing. I've divided the background section in two and indicated which parts are lifted from the canon.
Canon
Tenryu is set in a mythologised version of ancient China. The technology level appears somewhat inconsistent across time periods, and I'm not a sinologist by a long shot, but if I had to name an era I'd go for the latter part of the Zhou Dynasty. The story spans a period of 400-500 hundred years in any case, an extensive flashback taking up half one manga volume to chart the beginning of the story.
The unnamed land (representing China) consists of multiple city states/small kingdoms that organise themselves according to their guardian animal spirits, so there are places like Hawk Village, Lion Valley, etc. At least the Tiger and Wolf Families are identified in the manga itself. Living among the human population are shapeshifters, gifted individuals who possess the talent to transform into animal forms and wield magical powers.
The most powerful of the shapechangers are the Dragon Family, further divided into four clans, Fire, Water, Earth and Heaven. Each clan is led by a King, but the Heaven Dragon King is at least the nominal head of the entire family. There is also a separate group, the Black Dragons, who are not counted as part of the Dragon Family but have allied themselves with the Heaven Dragons at the time of the story's beginning.
The story opens in the golden age of the Dragon Family, when its reign stretched far over the lands of many other clans. The current ruler, Emperor Ryuui, was engaged to marry a woman of the Black Dragons, but fell in love with another woman, Ranju, with whom he eventually had a son. Consumed with jealousy, the Black Dragon girl slew Ranju, for which crime she was imprisoned by the king. She went docilely to her sentence and bid her time in captivity.
Twenty years later, the king's son, Hiryuu, neared marriageable age. Princess Ryuurei from the royal family of the western capital (whose name is never specified) was sent to Emperor Ryuui's palace to visit. The young king and the princess soon fell in love, as their fathers had intended, and married not long afterwards. With Ryuurei's following pregnancy, an unseen threat grew over the peaceful reign of the Heaven Dragons.
The Black Dragon manipulated the pregnant princess from her hidden prison, beckoning her to her in her sleep. She infused the unborn child with her own spirit and her magic. The night the baby was born, she died in her cell. The ramifications of this became apparent later, when it was already too late to stop the Black Dragon's plan.
Kouei stepped into the story as a young guard at the royal/imperial (this distinction isn't clear in the manga itself) palace. His duties included caring for Kokurou, Ryuurei's lupine guardian, and he was clearly still earning his spurs, which is not surprising given he appeared to have recently attained adulthood. He is seen sparring with Fuuga, the princess's handmaiden and protector, on whom he harboured an obvious crush. It is also implied he was studying under Master Raika, the palace sage and significant mover behind the scenes. Nothing is known of his parents or other family.
Hiryuu and Ryuurei's daughter Ryuui was four years old when Ryuurei's father was found murdered, his heart torn out and missing. Ryuui was the one to find the body, and Ryuurei found a small piece of flesh stuck under her nail. This aroused Ryuurei's suspicions, but too late. The Black Dragon had slipped into Ryuui before her birth and was controlling her actions. In this guise, she was able to also kill Ryuurei's brother Ryuukei, and manipulate Hiryuu into killing Ryuuka, Ryuukei's lover and a guard from the Fire Dragons.
Meanwhile, Ryuurei was summoned to meet with the Earth Dragon King in his mountain stronghold. Raika, Fuuga and Kouei went with her, the latter two presumably on guard duty and Raika as the ancient lore of the Dragon Family was his concern and area of expertise.
The Earth Dragon, in his true form as an immense, Chinese dragon, shared his knowledge with Ryuurei and her escorts. He told them of the Dragon Kings who, in ancient times, had concentrated their powers into the shape of gems. In addition to the kings, the Heaven Dragons also had a high priestess of sorts, the miko-princess (Jap. mikohime), who was the appointed protector of all the dragons. She was reborn (the whole reincarnation idea is very Taoist in this manga) only once in several centuries and always in times of great need. Now, the Black Dragon was on the move, and thus the return of the kings and the miko-princess was of utmost importance. Ryuurei had been chosen as the miko-princess. The Earth Dragon granted her the three gems of the other dragon kings, as well as her own protection gem.
It was, however, too late to stop the Black Dragon now. The kings would eventually be reborn to take up the Dragon Family's destined task of countermanding the Black Dragon's power. On this rather fatalistic note, the Earth Dragon appointed Raika, Fuuga and Kouei as the keepers of the Dragon Family's lore and gave them the errand of waiting for the reborn kings and instructing them in their task. To this end, he extended all their lifespans and carved his mark on each of their faces.
Kouei was therefore tossed rather headfirst onto a quest of great importance. He chose to join Fuuga and Raika in the task despite Raika's words that he would bear the burden alone. Kouei's attitude showed that he simply considered it his duty to see the matter through to the end--the only reason he gave for his acceptance was that he "wanted to do his part", as he was "already wrapped up in this".
The Earth Dragon bade them pass the knowledge they'd been given on to the reborn kings, then passed quietly away. He had lived a long life in anticipation of the disaster that was unfolding in the palace, and welcomed death.
The foursome returned to the palace to in time to find Hiryuu, who had been controlled by the Black Dragon inside his daughter. He realised Ryuui was not what she seemed to be, and, heartbroken, slew his own child to stop the monstrosity she had become, but not before she wounded him fatally. Ryuurei and the three chosen found Hiryuu on the brink of death. Distraught, Ryuurei instructed the three to bury Hiryuu, Ryuukei and Ryuuka with the gems and, not wishing to linger after the deaths of her husband and child, took her own life.
This is where the flashback ends. Kouei's role in the events so far was marginal, as his part truly began with the Earth Dragon's task. While an integral part of the palace's everyday life, he didn't appear to hold a high position or be particularly involved in any politics. He was, however, always seen in Raika and Fuuga's company, and therefore obviously had the palace sage's attention. It seems his choice to become the Dragon's chosen was also influenced by Fuuga and his close relationship with her.
AU
The story does not tell what happens to the empire of the Dragon Family after the flashback ends. However, seeing as the young king, his wife and queen and his only child, as well as Ryuurei's brother and father were all dead, it is reasonable to assume the reign of the Dragons collapsed with the death of the royal family. The Black Dragon had thus undone an era of prosperity and peace and scattered the central government into a multitude of smaller kingdoms and states.
Amid the confusion, Raika, Kouei and Fuuga were left to preserve as much of the Dragons' lore as they could and go into hiding. Raika has a hideout on the sacred mountain Tenku in the manga, so I have assumed they used it as a base of operations during the long twilight years.
In short, the three chosen spent the next half a millennia waiting for the Dragon Kings and the miko-princess to all appear at the same time. This would be the sign that the hour of reckoning drew near and the Black Dragon could be vanquished.
Kouei coped with the burden of secrecy and the alienation their task brought by trying to maintain his youthful, carefree outlook on life. My interpretation is that he followed the example of his teacher out of duty and admiration, but didn't truly realise the sheer magnitude of their task until later. He had to do some quite involved adjusting after the fact, but ultimately settled into his role.
Canon says nothing about his family, but it seems reasonable that he was a younger son in a noble family, sent to the palace to be trained as a warrior. I'd like to say he was a middle child, eclipsed by his older sister but never quite granted the care and attention due his younger brother. It would explain, in part, his constant presence in the palace and his eagerness to take on the Earth Dragon's task: he didn't feel particularly affixed or indebted to his family. His primary loyalties were to Raika, his teacher, and to the Dragon Family at large.
The three shared an extraordinary duty and an extraordinary bond. Raika was the leader and the wise father figure, but they only had each other. At some point soon after their flight from the palace, Kouei confessed his feelings to Fuuga, and they were lovers for a time. Their relationship eventually moved past the physical, however, into something even deeper and more intimate. If questioned, Kouei might have likened it to the movement of the moon around the earth on a fixed course: they both had their own lives, but could only stray so far from the other. He had other lovers at other times, brief affairs that usually ended when it was time for him and Fuuga to move on. This made his attitude towards romance at once wistful and pragmatic. It was easier to simply bed a person he was attracted to, but he sometimes yearned for the deeper affection and closeness that emotional ties brought.
Kouei and Fuuga spent much time on the road, listening to rumours and keeping contact with the surviving members of the Dragon Family. They did not exist in complete isolation, but maintained alliances with the Dragon Clans best as they could. The village of Ryoga, featured in volumes four and five of the manga, seems to be a safe haven for the Dragon Family, as are Ryuuka's village and the house of Ryuuhou, Ryuurei's grandfather. This suggests to me that there was a limited number of people who knew the truth and helped the three chosen in their task.
Raika had various methods of scrying and spying in his employ. However, even if one of the souls they were looking for appeared again among the living, this did not guarantee the time to battle the Black Dragon was at hand. The agents of the Black Dragon were afoot, as well, under her chief servant, Raki. The two sides skirmished now and again as the Black Dragon sought to thwart the return of the Dragon Kings and the remaining members of the Dragon Family tried to gather their leaders and guardians together again. It was a war of attrition fought in the shadows.
Kouei accepted all this, as well, the more sinister side of his work as a guardian of the Dragons. It never quite stopped galling him that the price of necessity was sometimes high, but he slowly became inured to his higher duty. This gave him a deepening fatalistic streak, much as he attempted to shrug it off and maintain a more lighthearted look on things. In the best days, it brought certainty and peace; at the worst times, denial and second-guessing of both himself and his beloved master.
Raika appears to have laid a careful scheme for the Dragon Kings' return. He gave Ryuurei's gem to Unryuu, a bandit leader, for safekeeping so that Unryuu's adopted son, Hiryuu, would eventually meet Ryuurei. He had plans to contact the Dragon Kings and see to their training, and was obviously wery aware of what went on in the feuding kingdoms. Fuuga and Kouei were integral links in this network, as the only two others who had lived through the years with the sage.
Still, the three chosen had to largely remain outside established society even as it changed during the long years. Kouei learned and forgot several human lifetimes' worth in this span of time: their mission remained the sole constant of his existence. He had to adjust to a life of secrecy and subterfuge in the service of a plan that would not come to fruition for hundreds of years.
Canon
Eventually the four Dragon Kings appeared again, along with the miko-princess, and the Black Dragon stirred from its long sleep. They were born in quite different circumstances from the last time. Hiryuu was a foundling raised by Unryuu alongside Ryuukei. The two were close as brothers, though not blood kin. Ryuurei was the daughter of the emperor of Seiju Kingdom (emperor in a kingdom, don't ask me), and Ryuuka lived in a village of the Fire Dragon Clan as its leader. She had a community of fighting women around her, and she appeared to be a mentor and teacher to many of them in addition to serving as the head of the village.
Thanks to Raika's carefully laid plans and nudging of the events, the four eventually found each other. The Dragon Family was being hunted by a local lord, Toraou, who seemed to harbour a hatred for the dragons. In truth, the reason went deeper than that: Toraou was hiding the sleeping Black Dragon at his estate, White Tiger Lair. The Black Dragon and her servant Raki had saved Toraou's life in order to use the power-hungry man as a pawn, and began the process of reviving the Black Dragon in her full power and eliminating her ancient enemies.
Raika made contact with Hiryuu's group and took over training Hiryuu for the confrontation with the Black Dragon. Meanwhile, Kouei and Fuuga met the others--Ryuurei, Ryuukei and Ryuuka--in the hidden town of Ryoga and instructed them in the old lore, as well as in fighting skills. They spent two years preparing for the battle, gathering allies and honing their abilities. Others joined their cause: Toraou's old henchmen, Kokurou of the Wolves and Taka of Hawk Village, came to fight at their side. The Black Dragon was a threat to all, regardless of clan, and Toraou had been sowing chaos and disorder all across the land.
The most we see of Kouei in the manga is during the last volume and the final battle with the Black Dragon and her allies. He played a substantial, if not critical, role in the battle, fighting alongside Taka, the leader of Hawk Village, turned to the Dragons' cause when Toraou's men attacked his village despite his oath to serve Toraou. They only met several hours before, but seemed to immediately work well together, complementing each others' strategies and reacting surprisingly well to the other's fighting style.
They came face to face with Toraja, a sorcerer in Toraou's service. She favoured underhanded tactics and instead of fighting the two herself, pitted them against villagers she had forcibly transformed into half-bestial shapes. Being too much of "good guys" to use lethal force, Kouei and Taka found themselves in dire straits. Taka, able to partially shapeshift, rescued Kouei from the fray by pulling him up into the air and flying them both up onto a roof to assess the situation.
Kouei, aware of Taka's desire for revenge for his village against Toraou, told Taka to leave him and Fuuga to handle the controlled villagers and go find his vengeance. Surprised and moved by Kouei's gesture, Taka left to find Toraou, while Fuuga searched for a way to free the villagers. Kouei leapt back among them to slow them down best as he could.
Fuuga was eventually able to break Toraja's spell, but at the same moment, Kouei was caught unawares by an attack from one of the villagers. He was rescued, off-panel, by Taka and limped back somewhat injured during the final scene.
In the meantime, Hiryuu had defeated the Black Dragon, but the victory came at a terrible cost. It was revealed that when the Black Dragon slipped into Ryuui's body and intended to be reborn in it, Ryuui's soul had split in two. The Black Dragon lived on as the girl, but a boy child was born as well, carrying half of Ryuui's soul. Thus, there was a symbiotic connection between the two children. The boy Ryuui had sought out Hiryuu and Ryuurei and told them he was their son, but the Black Dragon's defeat claimed his life as well.
As Ryuurei cradled her twice-dead child, Raika stepped forward and declared that there was a way to save the boy. The three chosen had lived only to see the battle be done. Their lives were at an end, and so they would give their strength to bring Ryuui back to life. Both Fuuga and Kouei came forward as if they had long expected this to happen--then again, predestination is a major theme in the story. The three chosen faded away together as Ryuui drew breath again. Kouei turned last to Taka, with a grin, a wave and a "See you!" before he vanished from sight. He went to his death with evident contentment, his duty fulfilled.
ABILITIES: I have to split this into canon and AU sections, too, due to the character being so minor. He's only seen fighting with his spear in the manga, but there are several abilities he would logically have, albeit they are never shown.
Canon:
Weapon skills: Kouei wields very similar two-handed spears throughout his two appearances. The sole full-fledged fight he has in the manga consists of holding off a courtyard full of villagers transformed into bestial shapes, whom he won't fatally injure. Thus, there's little opportunity to see him in a straight fight. However, he's had hundreds of years to hone his skills: he has no superhuman speed or strength, but he's likely to be at the height of a normal person's capacity in martial skill, strategy and staying power. Considering the culture from which he comes, it's also likely he is proficient with knives, swords and bows, but the spear remains his weapon of choice.
Immortality: Kouei's lifespan was extended by the Earth Dragon. This seems to have taken the form of freezing him in his early twenties: he hasn't aged since. I believe it is best compared to a form of slow regeneration, wherein dead cells are replaced perfectly. He can get sick and hurt and feels pain, but as long as he isn't outright decapitated/drowned/otherwise definitely ended, he will recover from the worst injuries if given sufficient time. Fingers/toes etc. will regenerate, but will take multiple months to do so. He can perish of exposure/neglect/blood loss if left without care, he'll just take longer to do so than the average person.
AU:
Here's where I veer off the beaten path. The canonical facts are as follows: all members of the Dragon Family have a gem that is the source of their power. It's located inside their body, but they can learn to tug it out through their palm at will. The dragon gem, when produced, enables them to do several things.
First, they can fire blasts of concentrated chi at enemies, stunning them and inflicting blunt/crushing trauma, depending on the force of the blast.
Second, they can create a dragon familiar, a small, semi-intelligent creature that requires the hair of a Dragon, a handful of earth, and the application of a gem to make, and that can act as a messenger. Its speech is only intelligible to members of the Dragon Family.
Third, and this is the big gun, they can shapeshift, once a day, into a sizeable, Chinese-style dragon that is capable of flight and has a breath weapon based on their respective element. This form is about thirty feet long from snout to tail and capable of carrying a few people at least over short distances. The transformation is powerful, but taxing, especially in combat. Rest is necessary after reverting to human form. The transformation, when triggered, produces a flare of light and power that can be seen and sensed from a good distance by those sensitive to auras/energy fields/whatnot.
Kouei's elemental affinity is never discussed in the manga. Out of personal preference, I lean towards water (but it could be anything save for fire, as the Fire Dragons are exclusively female).
Additionally, he has a gamut of survival skills, such as hunting, tracking, stealth, and some knowledge of herbalism and medicine (as understood by the ancient Chinese).
I would love to give him some kind of craft skill--there's no canonical indication, but he has had four-five hundred years to pick something up.
GAME INFO
EDENSPHERE NAME: Hawk
BIRTHDAY LOG: Yes, please!
DREAM:
He's dying.
He's dying, and it is good.
It's over. This moment is sense and peace and release, the husk of his life sloughed from his shoulders.
The people around him--familiar faces, from many years ago, and new ones, freshly met, already imprinting their shapes in the riversand of his life even as it is eroded by the current--look on in shock and sadness. The sympathy he feels at their grief is airy: there, but weightless and fleeting.
There's no need. This is right. This is as it should be.
"See you--"
* * *
Standing on the veranda, he grips the smooth haft of his spear so hard his knuckles tremble. His part is to watch and wait, not decide. They have business in this house, but he isn't the one conducting it.
"She lay with a man. Our rules are clear," says a stern, feminine voice from inside the doorway.
"Do with her whatever you must. My interest lies in the child." The other, familiar voice is polished and hard. The night around them is hot and humid, speckled with the lanterns hung along the veranda, the road a ribbon of grey through the dank woods.
From inside drifts the mixed tang of blood, or maybe it's only in his nose.
"Come," says the smooth-voiced man, stepping past him in a rustle of robes and long black hair, a still, well-wrapped bundle held in the crook of his arm. "We have a long way to go tonight."
He follows the tug of his fate, the pull of his love for this man like the moon pulling the tide.
* * *
She leaps, impossibly high, her knife flashing in the sun and coming down hard through his defences. Her grin is as bright and crooked as the blade, and it floods him with emotion: longing, annoyance, embarrassment, and underneath a fierce joy in this confrontation.
He raises his voice in accusation. "What the--! You've gotten better!"
Her grin widens. Her white-blond hair is tousled with sweat and dust. She's wild and beautiful, in this moment. "Maybe just a little."
* * *
He's surrounded by a tangle of creatures. The fight is tough, but it shouldn't be impossible. It's small compared to what others are facing, here in this same place. The things are half men, half beasts, in ragged clothes and with feral grimaces twisting their faces, simian, vulpine, feline.
One of them leaps and he blocks, frantic, kicking at the thing and spinning his spear like a staff to keep it at bay. They are the enemy, but he can't hurt them too badly, he just needs to hold on. Another barrels in and sweet Heaven, he won't catch that blow with only the haft.
Air rushes above him. The world drags at a dreamlike crawl.
He looks up at the sound, so loud now that it seems to drown the ruckus of the half-formed beasts overwhelming him. The beat of a wide wing strokes across the sun, and at a hard grip under his arms, his flailing feet kick away from the ground...
Then everything is cool and wet and dark.
JOURNAL SAMPLE:
[The handwriting is tall, bold and deliberate, slanting to the right a hair.]
I'm told this book lets me speak with others here. I have the distinct feeling either the gods made a grievous error in filing, or Heaven's sense of humour shifted in a more crooked direction when my back was turned.
As long as I'm here, I might as well make myself useful. If someone needs a hand, I can offer two. I know how to hold a weapon, a spear for preference: seems I was a guard or soldier before turning up in this place.
I'd better not even start on how strange everything looks--I'll get my bearings. I would prefer to do that with shoes on, though. Can anyone point me to a proper sandal-maker, so I can be rid of these floppy excuses for footwear?
For now, the name's Hawk.
ASPIRATIONS: This character is a terrible indulgence, because his canon is short and obscure and he only occupies a small part in it. However, he interests me because a) I loved him in the story and b) because he provides a good alternation to my current character--I'd like someone more mature, physically oriented and yes, male.
Edensphere seems to be kind also to OCs and minor characters, so I have hope. He also comes from a culture that's for all intents and purposes comparable to late bronze age China, so it would be interesting to see him adapt to the very temporally and technologically confused environment of the Sphere?
(Oh, and I wasn't 100% sure where to put this, but as I mentioned in the Abilities section, I'd like to invent him some kind of craft skill--there's no canonical indication, but he has had four hundred years to pick something up. He'd be well suited to work as a Guard, but I'd rather avoid going that route, at least entirely. It feels a little easy and often-used in the game as a whole.)