If you know what I'm going to do, you're an NPF Vet. (A Sign-Up)

[Raiden]

I received a very important text telling me that I've been slacking off in my duties and not upholding a time-honored NPF tradition of making the entire RP Forum implode in upon itself in a fury of anger and venom. So to qualify for my paycheck, here we go again.

Some of you older peeps may have heard about a game I'd run every few years called Soldiers of Light. It follows a certain history is pointed out below, and has kind of developed over time. With a lot more new people around, well, here's your chance.

The setting of the RP is a pseudo-Feudal Era Japan. While it has all of the same key points of Feudal Era Japanese culture (Empirical system, samurai and shoguns, ronin, etc), it is not the real Japan. Think Inuyasha with less flashbacks, or Samurai Champloo with poor writing. Anyway, the story is as follows:

Over a thousand years before the current RP takes place, the Demon King Talkatz, Demon of the Seven Elements, decided that he no longer just wanted to rule the underworld and the demons which inhabited it. He wanted to rule the upper world of Humans and Kami as well. So, he and his army of demon soldiers moved into the human world and started to take over. Now, as could be guessed, the humans didn't like that too much. They fought back, but they were greatly unprepared and were already distracted from fighting each other. Enemies refused to work together, alliances were broken when one side became too weak, and in general the demons seemed to be well on their way to taking over the entire country. And they likely would have, had Talkatz's greed for power not done him in.

In the underworld resided a demon blacksmith, chained inside his workshop. He was being punished by committing a great and terrible sin of the underworld: refusing to fight. Normally Talkatz would have had him killed, but the demon was one of the greatest divine sword artisans that the demon world had to offer. As such, the demon king chained him to the forge and forced him to produce weaponry for the army.

One day, a human ronin named Daisuke Tama was wandering the wastelands, searching for any means to destroy the demon interlopers that had invaded his city and killed his lord. In his travels he fell into a deep hole and found one of the entrances into the underworld. He spent months searching and avoiding demons until he came upon the demon swordsmith. In their discussion they came to an agreement. The demon blacksmith would forge a sword of incredible power, the finest he had ever created, and Tama would use it to destroy Talkatz. Then, the human world would be safe, and the demon would be free.

After two years of forging, rune work, and searching for the rare materials needed, it was finished. From a mix of demon forge and human purification magic came the birth of the Raigaki, the Sword of Light. Tama took the sword, and began his crusade to end the tyranny of Talkatz. Along the way, he managed to collect a small group of followers, like anyone with a sword and a dream of saving the world has a tendency to do. When they reached the Demon King's lair, they had been expected. There was a large army of demons waiting for them. The entire army was slaughtered before the might of Tama and his followers. The problem was Talkatz's elite demons, the group known as the Weapon Altmas. They each specialized in a demonic weapon, and to get Tama inside to fight the demon king, his followers sacrificed themselves to destroy the elite demons. Once inside, Tama faced Talkatz in battle, and almost defeated him. Before he could be fully killed, Talkatz separated his soul from his body and escaped. In anger Tama cut the body into pieces, dragging them from the lair to scatter them across the country. He then returned home and hid his sword in a secret place, so that if or when the Demon King returned, the sword would be ready for its new owner to wield it. Well, it's a millenia later, and Talkatz is up to his old tricks again. And Daisuke Kurama, a distant descendent of Tama, is leaving home with an ancient blade at his hip...

A fun twist in this RP is that we have both a Light Side and a Dark Side. Players on the Light Side will be attempting to keep the Demon King from returning, with those on the Dark Side actively working for him.

A person can choose to play a Human, Half-Demon, or Demon. Humans are humans, you are one. Congratulations. While not having any inherently magical ability, humans have learned many forms of combat as well as how to communicate with the Kami; spirits of the elements. If a human wishes to use magic, they at some point have learned how to communicate with the Kami and either befriended them or found ways to exert their will over them. Demons are creatures who usually manifest in one of two ways. They're either created when an element or a concept has become incredibly tainted with corruption in an area (such as water demons forming from polluted rivers or a sword demon manifesting around a sword known for killing the innocent). These demons tend to be aligned with a single concept and have pretty strong power associated with it. The other way is through the mating of two demons, which can create a new demon that usually has a mix of the parents' powers. Half-Demons are individuals made when a human and a demon fall in love/lust/boredom and create a baby. While not as inherently strong as their demonic parent, they are able to manipulate Kami like a human which gives them an edge.

Being a human or a demon doesn't dictate what side you're on. There are demons who don't want the Demon King to return, and humans that are out for power. You can really pick whatever side you want.

Every player also gets two special abilities. Something they can do that the rest of the group probably can't. There are, however, a few restrictions.

Humans: Humans, lacking any inherent magic ability, must call upon Kami in order to use magic. However, humans are also often more resourceful in other ways as well, such as having skills that peak human abilities or are strange gadgets. Such examples may be: Powerful Cleave, Super Strength/Speed, Bomb Rain, Ability to see Demons, Sorcery, etc.

Demons: While humans get diversity, demons get easy access to magic. Demons are able to gain special powers related to their concept, such as a Fire Demon having the special ability to throw balls of flame or a Sword Demon gaining the ability to turn his limbs into blades. While their special skills can be a bit more magical, they're also pretty restricted as a demon's special abilities will have to either come from its weapon or its concept, so the Fire Demon from above likely won't have control over shadows.

Half-Demons: Half-demons get the best of both at weaker levels. A half-demon can claim access to its demon blood for a special skill, but it likely won't be as effective as a full-blood demon of the same type. Just as well, a half-demon is capable of talking to Kami like the humans can, and is able to be much more diverse in its abilities.

Sign-ups are as follows:

Name: (Using Japanese form. The first is your "Family" name, like your last name. The second is "Your" name, your individual name.)
Side: (Light (Working to destroy Talkatz)/Dark (Working FOR Talkatz))
Race: (Human/Demon/Half-Demon.)
Age: (Obvious)
Appearance: (Obvious)
Weapons: (What's he/she packin'?)
Special Skill: (Can he/she split into two? Can he/she shoot arrows tipped with explosives? A robotic arm? Very short distance teleportation? What?)
History: (What did he/she do before joining the team?)
Extra: (Anything else you want to add in.)


As an example, here's an NPC who will show up at some points during the game.

Name: Daisuke Kurama
Side: Good
Race: Human
Age: 23
Appearance: Long black hair that's tied back into a pony tail. Stands about 6'2", with a lean muscular build. Wears standard samurai clothing, but no armor. Wears sandals, and his sword hangs from his left hip. His sword has three runes on it's blade, and it's almost always glowing with a soft light.
Weapons: The Raigaki, an enchanted katana. If a demon even touches it, it will burn them.
Special Skill: Unlike the other characters, Kurama has no inherent special skills. Any skills he has come from the power of the sword. At the beginning of the RP, he has the following:
-Kama: Launches blades of light from his sword.
-Simpo: Kurama jumps high into the air, much higher than a normal human could ever hope to jump. Then, using the momentum of his fall, he points the tip of his sword down and pierces through a target.
-Dangik: Very destructive. Kurama swings downward with his blade, sending a very large, very powerful blast of light energy flying forth.
History: When he was around 5 years old, Kurama saw a ghostly figure. The figure led him to a hidden grotto, and it was there that he found an old rusted piece of metal that had once been a sword. When Kurama picked it up, the sword burned off the rust and shone like the day it first left the forge. After that, his life was dedicated to becoming a strong fighter, so that he could finally defeat the Demon King. Because of this, he didn't have a very eventful life up to this point.

[Astral Harmony]

You know I had to return.

Name: Hirasaka Tsubasa
Side: Dark
Race: Demon
Age: Around 400 years old (reckoned to look around 23)
Appearance: Tsubasa stands about 5' 7" with a light skin tone, lifeless red eyes, and a wealth of ghostly white hair that hangs freely until it comes together with a large red hairbow at the knees. She wears a white mini-yukata with a red spider motif, a blood red obi with another large bow on the back, and black armguards and sandals.
Weapons: Monomolecular Wire - a seemingly-inexhaustable length of thin wire that can cleave through flesh and stone with ease.
Chidori - An elegant and sharp wakizashi. Usually wielded by Tsubasa to trick the enemy into believing that she doesn't have any other weapons.
Special Skill
Wire Imprisonment - Tsubasa connects a length of wire between a certain part of a person's body and another point. Movement of the imprisoned limb will cause the wire to cut into it, and too much movement could end up severing the limb completely.
Wire Web Trap - Tsubasa can set up webs of criss-crossing wires between almost any two points. Anyone foolish enough to pass through these is cut into pieces. The sun can reflect off these wires which makes wire webs easy to see in the light, but difficult to see in the dark. Tsubasa can also create single wire traps which can be just as dangerous, merely easier to avoid but harder to detect.
History: Tsubasa has worked for Mizuno Shizuka for as long as she can remember. As a large group of demon and half demon assassins, Talkatz often relies upon them to maintain a certain amount of balance in the underworld by dealing with troublemakers. For centuries, this group of demonic kunoichi have never left the underworld until now. Talkatz has put an order out for the Kurama bloodline and an additional mission to retrieve the Raigaki. Because Tsubasa is one of Shizuka's deadliest and skilled trained killers, she got the mission.
Extra: The other Kimonos will stay out of the story unless you wish them to be present. Otherwise, it's all Tsubasa.

[Overcast]

Name: Kinjo Ieyasu
Side: Dark
Race: Human
Age: 21
Appearance: Wildly disheveled black hair, uncomfortably pale, with dark sunken sockets holding dark brown eyes. Lithe build that is bordering on gaunt. Stands about 5'3" and typically in a dark blue hakama with white top, his bow strung over his back, his sword hanging off his right hip, his arrows hanging off his left. His right hand is always gloved in anticipation for the use of his bow.
Weapons:

• Sokuza: His longbow and most proficient weapon. Standing at 7'3" feet itself, it is relatively easy to maintain and replenish and while not very special he found it doesn't have to be. Not as long as he aims properly.
• Menomae: An enchanted katana, and something he typically tries to pull on reflexively. It has a longing desire to always be in its sheath and so when pulled out it will slice with great power due to its indignation before annoyingly returning to the sheath.

Special Skill:

• Shurennohayawaza: With amazing speed he can release an accurate shot from his bow to go long distances and strike perfectly on point.
• Itsuwaru: While significantly less quick, with the proper arrow he can deflect the shot off of at least one surface in order to complete the shot.

History: Kinjo has for many years feared the inevitability of his own death. It was something that made him a terrible warrior in the frontlines back when he served men, but while he was far away, simply pulling on his bowstring he was unmatched. On one particular battle he had ended the last human standing, plucking away with his bow until his string was shot and his quiver empty, royally beyond help. He watched the hoard descend on him as he let out any quantity of prayers that he could be saved. As it so happened he would be.

But not how he figured.

Talkaz saw potential in the boy, asking him what it would take to allow him to join his army and forsake all of humanity. The answer was relatively easy. They have promised him that if he can get that sword he will be granted the secret to immortality while staying on the mortal plane. A gift that he will do anything to receive. For there is nothing more important than being alive.

Nothing at all.
Extra: Wildly paranoid about everything, and very much a coward. He typically tries to mask his cowardice under excuses that in all honesty seem reasonable. But if you are in his mind you'll see it clearly.

[mauve]

The NPF ain't an NPF without a Soldiers of Light game. The new forum is now officially complete!

I stalked almost all of the original ones, even though I only actually played in one. I'm so gonna sign up for this. Consider this a placeholder.

[Bard The 5th LW]

i am interested. Fortunately, my schedule will be clearing up soon, so I will leave a placeholder.

[Darth SS]

Y'know what, I'm going to throw down a placeholder as well. And my guy's going to be radically different, maybe, from anything else I've done in the past.

[Dauntasa]

Alright, placeholder. Working on a Dark-side Naginata user. Can't think of a good name, though.

[krogothwolf]

I too will toss in a placeholder for this, for it interests me.

[Geminex]

Placeholder also. I'd like to try playing a fanatic again... Maybe a human, or half-demon. I'd have to see. Dark side, definitely.

[DanteFalcon]

Given the sheer number of dark siders I'll be making a light side demon. Work in progress.