Four Spirits and the Child of Peace (planning)

[Harbertia]

Newbie Friendly, Co-Operative, Wuxia, Eastern Fantasy, Storytelling

Premise
The Four Spirits and the Child of Peace is inspired by eastern style folklore and takes place in a world with influences from Chinese and Indian traditions. The Five Spirits and the Child of Peace focuses on the journey of five guardians escorting the Child of Peace to the Temple of Harmony atop the Bones of the World. The Child of Peace is a reincarnation of the temple's previous head, whom the five guardians failed to protect. The five have spent 85 years searching for their charge's reincarnated self before the evil spirit forces that slew him before could find him. Now that they have found the Child of Peace, they must bring him to the Nexus of the Lay at the Temple of Harmony so the child can return the world to a state of balance for in the 85 years of absence from it the world has seen darkness sway into the lead- famine, war, depression, anger, sadness all grow stronger. Even the Guardians have felt the effects along their journey, and those effects will only get worse as they make their way back to the temple where their foes wait, having occupied the Nexus of the Lay.

Play
This is designed to be a co-operative game where it's us players vs the game it's self. Players will take on the role of one of the Four Spirits, the Guardians of the Temple of Harmony who must escort the Child of Peace (or the Child of Peace should they volunteer for that role). The RP will last for as long as we want it to but our objective should be to achieve this goal after many trials that develop our characters. By the start of the RP the Four Spirits will have been questing for 85 years and in that time will have experienced what should be considered a 'fall'. The characters should be designed as beings that will rise again through the journey, or fall further from grace. Bringing the Five Spirits back to an inner harmony should be part of the development of the Child of Peace.

As a player, we'll be sharing in the story telling. Each of our characters has a journey themselves, one of character. Meaning that we will all have to be involved in how we develop as a group. Each of us has the common goal, and a character around whom our goal relies, but our characters are individuals whose stories are intertwined. This planning period is so we can get our characters prepared for the next chapter of their journey.

The Setting
The game takes place in an Eastern Fantasy setting that draws upon Hindi, Buddhist, Taoist, and other sources. The world is presented in a very vague way that allows players to contribute to the setting. As stated previously we're all sharing the role of storyteller. It's a very loose structure, but the vagueness and structure means that we'll have to discuss our characters together if we are to build where our character are.

Characters
-The Child of Peace-

Sevagru “Lukmik” Metoklukmikma(སེབ༹གྲུ་“ལུག་མིག་”མེ་ཏོག་ལུག་མིག), The Child of Peace. Addressed formally and historically as Gui-Taiping(Lit: Honourable/Worthy Peace)
ཞི་བའི་ཕྲུ་གུ, 太平兒童, 평화로운 아이, 平和な子供, Amar taivan khüükhed, កុមារមានសន្តិភាព, Huuwaliyasunjui, Đứa trẻ bình yên, शांति का बच्चा—The Child of Peace. This is the one constant name by which this being goes.

According to the very oldest legends in the land, this being is the manifestation of the force of Balance itself. As long as the Child lives, the world remains at peace. The Child’s body may be mortal, but their spirit, though their memories may fade if the Child is not brought up knowing their duties, will persist until the end of time, so long as they restore peace at the Temple of the Harmony each lifetime. Even the Four (Great) Spirits may be claimed by the sands of time, and eventually be replaced by the Gods in the absence of the Child(as Four is, of course, a most inauspicious of numbers), but the Child is eternal. The longer the world goes without the influence of the Five Elements, the more misfortune befalls it as darkness sways the cosmic scales in its favour. With the help of each spirit, the Child safeguards and balances the Cosmic Scale, a great stone scale made of marble and obsidian that is as old as time itself located within the deepest reaches of the Caverns of Eternity, the ancient tunnels beneath the Temple grounds.

The Cosmic Scale is indestructible, immovable, and unchangeable, save for the Child’s efforts to balance it, doing so by delicately distributing Golden Favours. Golden Favours are temporary expressions of divine pleasure, created by the Child of Peace imbuing sincere prayers of visitors at the Fountain of Divine Tears into pearls produced by the clams in Huian’s Pools. Unfortunately, evil in the world constantly shifts, and Golden Favours are not eternal. When the one whose prayer creates it passes on, the Favour evaporates into nothingness, making the task of balancing the scales a permanent job. Without the Child, the scale grows ever more unbalanced, and the situation of the world becomes ever more dire. Unfortunately, the Child has been gone from the Temple for perhaps the longest time in history. Indeed, darkness has had a great deal of time to advance upon the world. As the Spirits quest as an inauspicious quartet.

Fortunately, in the 72nd year of Peace’s Absence, with the combination of the Number of rising, vital energy, and spirits visiting Earth, and the Number of happiness, doubles, and the blessings they bring, the Child of Peace was reborn. Each time the Child is reborn, the signs can be seen the year prior. A single Chrysanthemum will grow to an enormous size over the course of the year, and will finally release a baby, who will remain attached to it until someone frees the child. The Chrysanthemum will always take one of the Five Elemental colours, and the child will, for the rest of that lifetime, maintain a matching hair colour. The pistil will similarly take on a colour, which will correspond to the colour of the Child’s iris.

Normally, the Chrysanthemum of Rebirth will bestow itself upon a domestic Chrysanthemum, one tended by the careful hand of monks, or perhaps by priests. But this time, the Chrysanthemum of Rebirth came not into the eagerly awaiting arms of a priest, or those of a thrilled peasant, but into the unforgiving arms of the Great Southwestern Mountains. The Empire of the Sky that inhabits these alpine regions knows of the Child of Peace, and has, on occasion, borne previous incarnations of the Child, but each of those times had been where the Chrysanthemum of Rebirth was in the presence of a knowledgeable monk. Unfortunately, there had been no such luck with the previous rebirth. A wild chrysanthemum, not a domestic one, bore the Child. Worse still, it would be clear to anyone who looked at the Child that the flower had begun to die by the time the Child was plucked from it. Although the flower may be white—the colour of death—the fact that the pistil was a sickly grey betrays the truth. Worse still, those who found the Child did not know of the Temple, for they were believers in the Old Gods, the unforgiving façades that the gods donned before the time of civilisation. These yak herders did not know to bring the Child to the Temple, so, rather than doing so, they embraced the Child as one of their own, and raised them. Only recently, just at the end of the summer trading system, was the Child recognised. Though the humble spotter, Brother Lobsang, was not able to coax the Child from the arms of their adoptive family, the Spirits have since received the news, and so only now, in the deep winter, where the bitter cold of the Great Southwestern Mountains has brought a seemingly endless whiteout, but the Spirits must fight through to retrieve the Child, and escort them from this distant land back to the Temple.

When they find the Child, what they will find may be disconcerting. Lukmik is not the leader that they so desperately need, but rather, a short, ragged, slightly ill-tempered tween girl. Indeed, from behind, the only indicator of anything particularly special about the child is her short silk-soft white hair, which never seems to grow, and resists any attempts to cut it that anyone else makes. This physical resistance to change is another indicator of the Child of Peace. From the front, however, something about her face does give a sense of something supernatural. Her skin is blemishless, as perfect and smooth as Celadon from the Eastern Peninsula, and with rosy red cheeks that a youthful Child will often have. Unlike most iterations, however, her hair is a deathly white, while her irises are a shallow, sickly grey, likely reflecting the inauspicious circumstances of her rebirth. Further with the deathly tone of her appearance, her nails appear like obsidian. Black, yet simultaneously reflective. Although she is neither bony nor obese, and otherwise appears quite healthy, something about this appearance will certainly unnerve a Spirit. Certainly, these circumstances are not ideal. Certainly, as they escort the Child back to the Temple, they will do well to teach this youngster of her otherworldly heritage, and restore balance to the world.

-The Five Spirits-

(天音　飛鳥)Also known as: “Phoenix Asuka” (鳳凰の飛鳥), “The phoenix with no mouth” (口無し鳳凰), “Shadow” (影)

A soft-spoken, socially-awkward, androgynous mercenary and sword collector known for his unparalleled skills with the sword, his ruthlessness, and his unorthodox personal code of honour, Amane no Asuka’s career first began when he left the Amane Monastery in which he had been raised, at the age of 14, and picked up a sword to defend himself, for it was shortly after his departure from the monastery that he began performing contract killings and mercenary work to make a living, building a reputation for reliability and an uncanny ability to evade attention on the job.

Having developed a penchant for collecting swords, Asuka eventually came into possession of a possessed sabre, the Kime, whereupon he met the demon Kiryūin, with whom he forged a pact: in exchange for perpetual youth, superhuman eyesight, and stealth like that of a shadow, Asuka must never again sleep with a woman.

With his newfound strength, Asuka began travelling far outside his home country, his name accumulating all manners of legends and tales about it. He was said to have challenged entire armies on his own, leaving no trace of his presence behind even as he decimated them single handedly, carrying in his right hand the cursed sabre Kime, and in his left, the holy sabre Yozora-no-ōgatana, said to contain a powerful talisman encased inside the blade.

Asuka’s downfall eventually came when he travelled into the west to a prosperous land and settled down to relax for a while, having grown weary of fighting and seeking to rest. Here, it is said that he encountered an old crone who, after asking Asuka for alms, was denied: the old crone, in retaliation, cast upon Asuka a spell known as the Prem Rog, or the “lovesickness”. Resisting its effects for days, Asuka finally succumbed when a beautiful young woman named Sitri (possibly sent by the old crone) came to the weakened Asuka’s house and seduced him, whereupon they spent a night making love. The next morning, when he touched Kime, the sword shattered into a thousand pieces, and Kiryūin came forth, laughed at his “master” for being too weak to resist the primal sexual urge, seized him and dragged him into the earth, devouring his body and binding his spirit to the earth.

Now formless and in perpetual torment, Asuka spent 888 years bound to the earth, at the end of which he found himself rescued by a benevolent yaksha, who fashioned for him a new body out of the earth, though warning that the curse of Kiryūin persists and that his new body will not last forever, meaning that he will one day return to be bound to the earth. The yaksha offered Asuka a choice: live out the remainder of his days in whatever fashion he desired, only to return to the earth as a restless, cursed spirit, or attempt to break the curse.

The latter option would entail one particular task: Asuka would have to offer himself, body and soul alike, to an entity known as the Child of Peace. To protect this Child, to escort them eastward to the Temple of Harmony, such that the world may once again be put into balance. On the yaksha's bidding, Asuka scoured the earth, finding the Child in one of his many incarnations, pledging himself to the service of the Child. To protect the Child and all his subsequent incarnations, until the day that the curse of Kiryūin may wear off or be broken, and his spirit thus released from its bondage.

And thus, as one of the Five Spirits, Asuka began yet another chapter in his lengthy existence, protecting the Child's many forms, still hoping deep down to one day outwit Kiryūin, break the curse that binds his spirit to the earth, and to exact vengeance on the crone and the woman Sitri who had doomed him to succumb to the innate human desire. On the side, he seeks also to find the meaning of love, a concept that has by and large remained alien to him.

Bai Xiang takes the form of a male human about a head taller than average, with copper-coloured skin, a broad, rotund chest, a round face, and a long black beard that extends to his waist. A formidable warrior, Bai Xiang is the greatest of the Four Spirits in raw strength, though not in skill. A famous legend tells of how Bai Xiang defeated a demon who reviled sunlight by luring it beneath the shadow of a mountain, then ripping the mountain out of the earth and throwing it beyond the horizon, weakening the demon to the point where it could be killed. Aside from his immense strength and resilience, Bai Xiang had the ability to change his size at will, transform into an elephant, and summon and command lightning. All of these powers have faded since the loss of the Child, aside from a (still formidable, but lesser by comparison) fraction of his strength and his control over lightning. When not fighting with his bare hands, Bai Xiang wields a short golden club with a spherical head adorned by elephants with eyes made of diamond.

Long ago, Bai Xiang was a mortal man named Sakra, an ambitious general who won many great battles over the course of his lifetime in the service of a kingdom in the west. When he grew old and realized he would soon die, General Sakra travelled to the east to the Temple of Harmony to meet with the current incarnation of the Child of Peace, who was an old man. General Sakra pleaded to the Child of Peace to grant him the blessing of more life, saying that he could not bear to let go of his current life when he had achieved so much in it. The Child of Peace told General Sakra he would fulfill this wish, and allow him to live another 10,000 years in the form of a spirit, if he would spend that time guarding the Child and his successors from demons. Sakra agreed, was transformed into Bai Xiang, and became a member of the Four Spirits. Thousands of years have passed since that day, and thousands more will pass before his duty and blessing ends, though Bai Xiang fears that if the Child of Peace is not found and restored to their temple, the gods will strip him of his immortality and annihilate his soul for his failure.

Aside from his strength, Bai Xiang was also famous for his gregariousness. He would often be found in the village beneath the Temple of Harmony, engaging in various forms of hedonism with the peasants and priests who lived there. Secretly, Bai Xiang did this not because he enjoyed it, but because he wanted to ensure his glorious reputation would spread as far as possible. This is because Bai Xiang was and is still afraid of his inevitable death upon the fulfillment of his oath, and wants to establish a legacy that could persist forever, so that at least something of him can be immortal.

Huian is the more enigmatic of the Four Spirits who guard the Child of Peace and the Temple of Harmony at the Lay of the World. Huian is herself a being of shadow though one that ages ago devoted herself to the balance. She patrolled the caverns beneath the temple and occasionally the nearby rivers. Huian is a shape shifting spirit with a sympathy for mortals but a subtle approach to them. In a Human form she appears black haired, pale skinned, and her eyes are a dark brown that appears almost black. In her natural spirit form she's a great serpent of opal coils with a single gathering of ivory scales atop her head and eyes like a soft golden flame. Huian could at times be found resting in the pools below the temple looking upon her reflection with admiration while taking her time with her patrol. Pilgrims would at times find their way below the temple, rather then taking the stairs. Huian would be the Guardian most often encountered by those who did enter the caverns. As the caverns are close to the Nexus of the Lay she would always test them to make sure they sought no harm. On the day of her master's death, she had judged poorly. Her self admiration, and discrete nature- a pride- has prevented her from letting her failure go nor speaking of her sense of fault with the others. She's carried this burden as a growing guilt for 85 years, telling no one. Initially in arrogance believing she can keep it hidden. Though behind the pride is a fear that if her failure that day where known the others would loose faith in her character.

Born with noble blood as the prince with the name of YiXuan of an empire of the east that was ravaged by drought. His mother was the empress-consort of the empire, a deceiving and ruthless individual who would do anything to get her only son to the throne as the next emperor. YiXuan on the other hand had very little interest in the throne, but rather, he developed interest in mechanics and metallurgy. Having seen how his mother murdered one of his half-brothers (another concubine's child) with poison and framed it someone else, YiXuan developed a strong dislike in his mother's ways and escaped the palace ground at night with the help of several guards that he trusted.

Having left the palace, he decided to travel to a small city in the north, where a sage who happened to be an expert in mechanics lived. YiXuan wanted to become his student, and develop a way to help the empire that was suffering from drought. However, this plan quickly failed when he discovered that all of his gold and silvers (that he brought along from the palace) were stolen by a thief, and that the sage he wanted to learn from had died from old age. Starving and helpless, he traveled to the temple (which wasn't very far from his position) and asked the temple's head (previous reincarnation of the child of peace) for guidance. Having learned that YiXuan was on a mission to solve the drought problem in his country, the temple head granted him power, binding his soul with that of a dragon's, this granted him eternal life, the wisdom and knowledge of the ancient dragons that once dwelled in the eastern lands. The temple-head then guided him to a lost library where the ancient scrolls were stored. In exchange, YiXuan had to promise that he would only use his knowledge and powers for good purposes. Having thanked the temple head, he traveled to the lost library and mastered the study of mechanics and metallurgy. 15 years after, he left the lost library returned to the empire that he once lived and instructed the farmers to build water mills, improved farming tools and helped them to divert the water from a river, this improved the drought problem and quickly brought water and food to the empire. Having solved the drought problem, he traveled across the eastern lands to other empires and kingdom with only one purpose in mind - to help the people. At some point of his journey, he had learned that a tragedy had occurred to the temple head that once helped him. Feeling sad and ashamed that he wasn't able to protect the temple head, he swore that he would track down, find his reincarnation known as the child of peace and protect the child of peace on their journey to the Temple of Harmony (this matches the part the OP suggested).

Of all the four spirits, Jin Long has the most knowledge and skills when it comes to building contraptions and making weapons that other spirits would use to fight against evil spirits. Personality-wise, he tends to be very outgoing, and willing to compromise with others in order to get along with others. Unlike the other spirits, he lacks the skills to fight others with swords or other weapons in his human form, however, when threatened, he can turn into his dragon form and destroy his enemies with the breath of light and molten gold.

Setting Notes
Compiled from the character sheets and gameplay;

• The Temple of Harmony is built over a series of caverns with pools underground. Stairs lead up to the Temple of Harmony. The Temple of Harmony was built over the Nexus of the Lay through which the Child of Peace can bring harmony to the world, or the evil spirits turn the world in their favor. It's currently occupied by them and will need to be retaken.

[Utceforp]

This definitely looks interesting...

[Harbertia]

This definitely looks interesting...

Great to see you over her Utceforp When you have a character in mind just let us know by posting it here so we can start working out details between the characters.

[The Empire of Tau]

Emily
Emily, better known by her title of the Child of Peace, is a reincarnation of the temple's previous head. In terms of appearance, she appears to be an extremely pale child with a very small frame for a body. Emily wears a basic white dress, has red eyes, and has white hair that goes down to her feet. Mentally, Emily is very much a child, having child-like wonder, innocent, and everything else that it brings. She has no idea in the world of her title or position as the Child of Peace. Emily is a loving person at heart, she does not seek to harm no-one, and hates to see others in pain - how wholesome. Emily is not located in the modern world, where humans, their politics and wars exist, but in another plane of existence - the Bones of the World. For most of her life, Emily has been trapped in the Tower of Ludibrium.

What is the Tower of Ludibrium? Well, that’s hard to explain. The tower is a mega structure, towering high and deep below. Emily is found at the very bottom of the Tower of Ludibrium. At the very bottom, space-time becomes weird. Conventional time becomes warped and distorted. Enter in and it would be five years since you last came out for what felt like two minutes. The tower itself is also built of what appears to be lego-bricks. Really, everything appears to be built out of lego(s) in the Tower of Ludibrium. Even the people and monsters are also lego(s), or toys, to a point. Emily has living off of various candies and treats that grow at the bottom of the tower. Daemons of all types and kinds are found at the bottom, and will kill the Child of Peace if they see her. Thus why, Emily has been stuck in the Tower of Ludibrium for so long. She keeps company with the toys that she scavenges about. There is also a massive library that Emily uses at certain times to read, containing all forms of literature from Earth.

Emily lives within a small room, a single bed, a table with chairs, and a mirror. It’s the only place that she can safely sleep without a worry of daemons and horrors that may lurk at six o'clock. A massive clock tower is hosted at the very deep-end at the bottom, telling the time here. At certain times, daemons and the horrors that call home at the Ludibrium bottom disappear and then reappear at different time spots. For Emily, this is a major inconvenience as she enjoys taking long walks at the bottom of Ludibrium. Something about this place is claiming to her. Emily can’t explain it to herself or anyone here - a feeling if you will. Speaking of anyone, there is another entity down here (not counting the daemons). A small box that appears at the same spot after every day. The box itself, Emily calls it ‘Steve,’ holds different types of potions and drinks that Emily uses for whatever needs she has. Given that Emily has no one else to talk to, she has developed a ‘relationship’ with Steve. For hours, when the clock allows, Emily would talk about random topics with Steve. When it is time for Emily to leave her friend, she hugs Steve and heads back home.

When sleeping, Emily has a pair of fluffy earmuffs. She likes the muffs as it reminds her of herself, a small cute little thing. Emily also envies the muffs because she hates how she can’t be a fluffy ball of softness. The muffs cancel out any sound, a vital thing down in the bottom. Daemons often battle in endless warfare as realms of different beings are taken over, re-taken, and fought over in massive battles in epic proportions. Emily can’t sleep if all she hears is the cries of battle and daemons.

Emily’s daily routine is simple. After the clock hits twelve o’clock in the morning, Emily wakes up. From there, she eats what she has gathered from the last day, be it lollipops, taffy, or likewise. Whatever when she feels it, Emily may read in the morning. If not, she will go outside to take her walk down to Steve. Emily only has five hours before the morning ends and enters into dusk, where the daemons reappear. She will talk to Steve about whatever, and will head back home, or the library to take a few books with her, an hour early before six o’clock, afternoon. The rest of the time, Emily stays at her home, wearing her muffs and doing whatever, as for the rest of the day is taken up by the daemons. If food is low, she will have to found some foodstuffs, or in this case, candy-stuff that lay about at the bottom.

[Khasinkonia]

Colour me intrigued

[Eclius]

Seems interesting. I'm Chinese in background, lemme know if you guys need help with the RP planning and/or monster ideas, I've got plenty!

[Utceforp]

Bai Xiang, the White Elephant

Bai Xiang takes the form of a male human about a head taller than average, with copper-coloured skin, a broad, rotund chest, a round face, and a long black beard that extends to his waist. A formidable warrior, Bai Xiang is the greatest of the Five Spirits in raw strength, though not in skill. A famous legend tells of how Bai Xiang defeated a demon who reviled sunlight by luring it beneath the shadow of a mountain, then ripping the mountain out of the earth and throwing it beyond the horizon, weakening the demon to the point where it could be killed. Aside from his immense strength and resilience, Bai Xiang had the ability to change his size at will, transform into an elephant, and summon and command lightning. All of these powers have faded since the loss of the Child, aside from a (still formidable, but lesser by comparison) fraction of his strength and his control over lightning. When not fighting with his bare hands, Bai Xiang wields a short golden club with a spherical head adorned by elephants with eyes made of diamond.

Long ago, Bai Xiang was a mortal man named Sakra, an ambitious general who won many great battles over the course of his lifetime in the service of a kingdom in the west. When he grew old and realized he would soon die, General Sakra travelled to the east to the Temple of Harmony to meet with the current incarnation of the Child of Peace, who was an old man. General Sakra pleaded to the Child of Peace to grant him the blessing of more life, saying that he could not bear to let go of his current life when he had achieved so much in it. The Child of Peace told General Sakra he would fulfill this wish, and allow him to live another 10,000 years in the form of a spirit, if he would spend that time guarding the Child and his successors from demons. Sakra agreed, was transformed into Bai Xiang, and became a member of the Five Spirits. Thousands of years have passed since that day, and thousands more will pass before his duty and blessing ends, though Bai Xiang fears that if the Child of Peace is not found and restored to their temple, the gods will strip him of his immortality and annihilate his soul for his failure.

Aside from his strength, Bai Xiang was also famous for his gregariousness. He would often be found in the village beneath the Temple of Harmony, engaging in various forms of hedonism with the peasants and priests who lived there. Secretly, Bai Xiang did this not because he enjoyed it, but because he wanted to ensure his glorious reputation would spread as far as possible. This is because Bai Xiang was and is still afraid of his inevitable death upon the fulfillment of his oath, and wants to establish a legacy that could persist forever, so that at least something of him can be immortal.

[Nagakawa]

Oh hello, what’s this? Do I smell an wuxia RP?

[Khasinkonia]

Now, do I want to do a weather spirit, or a water spirit?

[Nagakawa]

Amane no Asuka (天音　飛鳥)
Also known as: “Phoenix Asuka” (鳳凰の飛鳥), “The phoenix with no mouth” (口無し鳳凰), “Shadow” (影)

A soft-spoken, socially-awkward, androgynous mercenary and sword collector known for his unparalleled skills with the sword, his ruthlessness, and his unorthodox personal code of honour, Amane no Asuka’s career first began when he left the Amane Monastery in which he had been raised, at the age of 14, and picked up a sword to defend himself, for it was shortly after his departure from the monastery that he began performing contract killings and mercenary work to make a living, building a reputation for reliability and an uncanny ability to evade attention on the job.

Having developed a penchant for collecting swords, Asuka eventually came into possession of a possessed sabre, the Kime, whereupon he met the demon Kiryūin, with whom he forged a pact: in exchange for perpetual youth, superhuman eyesight, and stealth like that of a shadow, Asuka must never again sleep with a woman.

With his newfound strength, Asuka began travelling far outside his home country, his name accumulating all manners of legends and tales about it. He was said to have challenged entire armies on his own, leaving no trace of his presence behind even as he decimated them singlehandedly, carrying in his right hand the cursed sabre Kime, and in his left, the holy sabre Yozora-no-ōgatana, said to contain a powerful talisman encased inside the blade.

Asuka’s downfall eventually came when he travelled into the west to a prosperous land and settled down to relax for a while, having grown weary of fighting and seeking to rest. Here, it is said that he encountered an old crone who, after asking Asuka for alms, was denied: the old crone, in retaliation, cast upon Asuka a spell known as the Prem Rog, or the “lovesickness”. Resisting its effects for days, Asuka finally succumbed when a beautiful young woman named Sitri (possibly sent by the old crone) came to the weakened Asuka’s house and seduced him, whereupon they spent a night making love. The next morning, when he touched Kime, the sword shattered into a thousand pieces, and Kiryūin came forth, laughed at his “master” for being too weak to resist the primal sexual urge, seized him and dragged him into the earth, devouring his body and binding his spirit to the earth.

Now formless and in perpetual torment, Asuka spent 888 years bound to the earth, at the end of which he found himself rescued by a benevolent yaksha, who fashioned for him a new body out of the earth, though warning that the curse of Kiryūin persists and that his new body will not last forever, meaning that he will one day return to be bound to the earth. The yaksha offered Asuka a choice: live out the remainder of his days in whatever fashion he desired, only to return to the earth as a restless, cursed spirit, or attempt to break the curse.

The latter option would entail one particular task: Asuka would have to offer himself, body and soul alike, to an entity known as the Child of Peace. To protect this Child, to escort them eastward to the Temple of Harmony, such that the world may once again be put into balance. On the yaksha's bidding, Asuka scoured the earth, finding the Child in one of his many incarnations, pledging himself to the service of the Child. To protect the Child and all his subsequent incarnations, until the day that the curse of Kiryūin may wear off or be broken, and his spirit thus released from its bondage.

And thus, as one of the Five Spirits, Asuka began yet another chapter in his lengthy existence, protecting the Child's many forms, still hoping deep down to one day outwit Kiryūin, break the curse that binds his spirit to the earth, and to exact vengeance on the crone and the woman Sitri who had doomed him to succumb to the innate human desire. On the side, he seeks also to find the meaning of love, a concept that has by and large remained alien to him.

[Harbertia]

Emily
Emily, better known by her title of the Child of Peace, is a reincarnation of the temple's previous head. In terms of appearance, she appears to be an extremely pale child with a very small frame for a body. Emily wears a basic white dress, has red eyes, and has white hair that goes down to her feet. Mentally, Emily is very much a child, having child-like wonder, innocent, and everything else that it brings. She has no idea in the world of her title or position as the Child of Peace. Emily is a loving person at heart, she does not seek to harm no-one, and hates to see others in pain - how wholesome. Emily is not located in the modern world, where humans, their politics and wars exist, but in another plane of existence - the Bones of the World. For most of her life, Emily has been trapped in the Tower of Ludibrium.

What is the Tower of Ludibrium? Well, that’s hard to explain. The tower is a mega structure, towering high and deep below. Emily is found at the very bottom of the Tower of Ludibrium. At the very bottom, space-time becomes weird. Conventional time becomes warped and distorted. Enter in and it would be five years since you last came out for what felt like two minutes. The tower itself is also built of what appears to be lego-bricks. Really, everything appears to be built out of lego(s) in the Tower of Ludibrium. Even the people and monsters are also lego(s), or toys, to a point. Emily has living off of various candies and treats that grow at the bottom of the tower. Daemons of all types and kinds are found at the bottom, and will kill the Child of Peace if they see her. Thus why, Emily has been stuck in the Tower of Ludibrium for so long. She keeps company with the toys that she scavenges about. There is also a massive library that Emily uses at certain times to read, containing all forms of literature from Earth.

Emily lives within a small room, a single bed, a table with chairs, and a mirror. It’s the only place that she can safely sleep without a worry of daemons and horrors that may lurk at six o'clock. A massive clock tower is hosted at the very deep-end at the bottom, telling the time here. At certain times, daemons and the horrors that call home at the Ludibrium bottom disappear and then reappear at different time spots. For Emily, this is a major inconvenience as she enjoys taking long walks at the bottom of Ludibrium. Something about this place is claiming to her. Emily can’t explain it to herself or anyone here - a feeling if you will. Speaking of anyone, there is another entity down here (not counting the daemons). A small box that appears at the same spot after every day. The box itself, Emily calls it ‘Steve,’ holds different types of potions and drinks that Emily uses for whatever needs she has. Given that Emily has no one else to talk to, she has developed a ‘relationship’ with Steve. For hours, when the clock allows, Emily would talk about random topics with Steve. When it is time for Emily to leave her friend, she hugs Steve and heads back home.

When sleeping, Emily has a pair of fluffy earmuffs. She likes the muffs as it reminds her of herself, a small cute little thing. Emily also envies the muffs because she hates how she can’t be a fluffy ball of softness. The muffs cancel out any sound, a vital thing down in the bottom. Daemons often battle in endless warfare as realms of different beings are taken over, re-taken, and fought over in massive battles in epic proportions. Emily can’t sleep if all she hears is the cries of battle and daemons.

Emily’s daily routine is simple. After the clock hits twelve o’clock in the morning, Emily wakes up. From there, she eats what she has gathered from the last day, be it lollipops, taffy, or likewise. Whatever when she feels it, Emily may read in the morning. If not, she will go outside to take her walk down to Steve. Emily only has five hours before the morning ends and enters into dusk, where the daemons reappear. She will talk to Steve about whatever, and will head back home, or the library to take a few books with her, an hour early before six o’clock, afternoon. The rest of the time, Emily stays at her home, wearing her muffs and doing whatever, as for the rest of the day is taken up by the daemons. If food is low, she will have to found some foodstuffs, or in this case, candy-stuff that lay about at the bottom.

This doesn't fit with the eastern wuxia theme of the setting, however if you where to ever work for a company like Nintendo I'm sure Emily would be a wonderful character.

Bai Xiang, the White Elephant

Welcome to the RP, I have added Bai Xiang to the list of characters. You've done well hit the points that need to be addressed, some background, guardianship, and flaw.

Amane no Asuka (天音　飛鳥)
Also known as: “Phoenix Asuka” (鳳凰の飛鳥), “The phoenix with no mouth” (口無し鳳凰), “Shadow” (影)

Amane can be an epic edition to the caste though before we can add him to the list we'll need to add how he became one of the temple guardians.

[Nagakawa]

Amane no Asuka (天音　飛鳥)
Also known as: “Phoenix Asuka” (鳳凰の飛鳥), “The phoenix with no mouth” (口無し鳳凰), “Shadow” (影)

Amane can be an epic edition to the caste though before we can add him to the list we'll need to add how he became one of the temple guardians.

Yep, I've edited the app

[Harbertia]

Amane can be an epic edition to the caste though before we can add him to the list we'll need to add how he became one of the temple guardians.

Yep, I've edited the app

Amane has been added to the list. Once we have two more spirit character enrolled we shall begin discussing the history between our characters.

Seems interesting. I'm Chinese in background, lemme know if you guys need help with the RP planning and/or monster ideas, I've got plenty!

I'd like such indeed. Knowing these will not only gives us a clearer understanding of what our characters are challenged by but also information we can use for developing the history further.

[Eclius]

Jin Long (金龙，原名慕容懿轩_, the Gold Dragon
Born with noble blood as the prince with the name of YiXuan of an empire of the east that was ravaged by drought. His mother was the empress-consort of the empire, a deceiving and ruthless individual who would do anything to get her only son to the throne as the next emperor. YiXuan on the other hand had very little interest in the throne, but rather, he developed interest in mechanics and metallurgy. Having seen how his mother murdered one of his half-brothers (another concubine's child) with poison and framed it someone else, YiXuan developed a strong dislike in his mother's ways and escaped the palace ground at night with the help of several guards that he trusted.

Having left the palace, he decided to travel to a small city in the north, where a sage who happened to be an expert in mechanics lived. YiXuan wanted to become his student, and develop a way to help the empire that was suffering from drought. However, this plan quickly failed when he discovered that all of his gold and silvers (that he brought along from the palace) were stolen by a thief, and that the sage he wanted to learn from had died from old age. Starving and helpless, he traveled to the temple (which wasn't very far from his position) and asked the temple's head (previous reincarnation of the child of peace) for guidance. Having learned that YiXuan was on a mission to solve the drought problem in his country, the temple head granted him power, binding his soul with that of a dragon's, this granted him eternal life, the wisdom and knowledge of the ancient dragons that once dwelled in the eastern lands. The temple-head then guided him to a lost library where the ancient scrolls were stored. In exchange, YiXuan had to promise that he would only use his knowledge and powers for good purposes. Having thanked the temple head, he traveled to the lost library and mastered the study of mechanics and metallurgy. 15 years after, he left the lost library returned to the empire that he once lived and instructed the farmers to build water mills, improved farming tools and helped them to divert the water from a river, this improved the drought problem and quickly brought water and food to the empire. Having solved the drought problem, he traveled across the eastern lands to other empires and kingdom with only one purpose in mind - to help the people. At some point of his journey, he had learned that a tragedy had occurred to the temple head that once helped him. Feeling sad and ashamed that he wasn't able to protect the temple head, he swore that he would track down, find his reincarnation known as the child of peace and protect the child of peace on their journey to the Temple of Harmony (this matches the part the OP suggested).

Of all the five spirits, Jin Long has the most knowledge and skills when it comes to building contraptions and making weapons that other spirits would use to fight against evil spirits. Personality-wise, he tends to be very outgoing, and willing to compromise with others in order to get along with others. Unlike the other spirits, he lacks the skills to fight others with swords or other weapons in his human form, however, when threatened, he can turn into his dragon form and destroy his enemies with the breath of light and molten gold.

[Harbertia]

Jin Long (金龙，原名慕容懿轩_, the Gold Dragon

That's four out of five down I think his absence may prove a point of interest but I think most of our characters would understand that the Child wanted him to go out and help others and not see him joining their quest negatively.

[Utceforp]

I fear I may have started a trend where all the spirits are former humans blessed by the Child. (Unless that's how spirits generally work in these kinds of stories? I admit I'm not at all familiar with the Wuxia genre - I'm basically going off the TV Tropes pages for Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Total War Three Kingdoms game, Avatar and TLoK, and Kill Six Billion Demons.)

[Nagakawa]

I fear I may have started a trend where all the spirits are former humans blessed by the Child. (Unless that's how spirits generally work in these kinds of stories? I admit I'm not at all familiar with the Wuxia genre - I'm basically going off the TV Tropes pages for Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Total War Three Kingdoms game, Avatar and TLoK, and Kill Six Billion Demons.)

If we're talking about the old classics, they are in fact filled with the opposite: Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing from Journey to the West, for example, were near-demigods who were punished for certain transgressions by being forced into mortal bodies with grotesque forms, while in Water Margin, pretty much the entire main cast used to be either celestial beings or demons of some sort.

On the other hand, most of the more modern wuxia works have characters of more earthly origins. If I remember correctly, the protagonist of Jin Yong's Lu Ding Ji is just some guy born to a prostitute who becomes powerful by being a manipulative asshole. The same seems to go for a lot of the more recent works I've read on wuxia websites: rather than fallen angels, the protagonists tend to be ordinary humans who, through whatever means, obtain blessings and/or curses that give them power. I haven't actually read a lot of modern wuxia- I just happen to be familiar with some of the classics because I took a module on them- but that seems to be my understanding of it, at least.

[Khasinkonia]

I fear I may have started a trend where all the spirits are former humans blessed by the Child. (Unless that's how spirits generally work in these kinds of stories? I admit I'm not at all familiar with the Wuxia genre - I'm basically going off the TV Tropes pages for Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Total War Three Kingdoms game, Avatar and TLoK, and Kill Six Billion Demons.)

If we're talking about the old classics, they are in fact filled with the opposite: Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing from Journey to the West, for example, were near-demigods who were punished for certain transgressions by being forced into mortal bodies with grotesque forms, while in Water Margin, pretty much the entire main cast used to be either celestial beings or demons of some sort.

On the other hand, most of the more modern wuxia works have characters of more earthly origins. If I remember correctly, the protagonist of Jin Yong's Lu Ding Ji is just some guy born to a prostitute who becomes powerful by being a manipulative asshole. The same seems to go for a lot of the more recent works I've read on wuxia websites: rather than fallen angels, the protagonists tend to be ordinary humans who, through whatever means, obtain blessings and/or curses that give them power. I haven't actually read a lot of modern wuxia- I just happen to be familiar with some of the classics because I took a module on them- but that seems to be my understanding of it, at least.

Maybe it would be wise to go evenly, and invite our last applicant for Guardian to take a celestial origin as well. That way we're roughly split.

[Nagakawa]

If we're talking about the old classics, they are in fact filled with the opposite: Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing from Journey to the West, for example, were near-demigods who were punished for certain transgressions by being forced into mortal bodies with grotesque forms, while in Water Margin, pretty much the entire main cast used to be either celestial beings or demons of some sort.

On the other hand, most of the more modern wuxia works have characters of more earthly origins. If I remember correctly, the protagonist of Jin Yong's Lu Ding Ji is just some guy born to a prostitute who becomes powerful by being a manipulative asshole. The same seems to go for a lot of the more recent works I've read on wuxia websites: rather than fallen angels, the protagonists tend to be ordinary humans who, through whatever means, obtain blessings and/or curses that give them power. I haven't actually read a lot of modern wuxia- I just happen to be familiar with some of the classics because I took a module on them- but that seems to be my understanding of it, at least.

Maybe it would be wise to go evenly, and invite our last applicant for Guardian to take a celestial origin as well. That way we're roughly split.

Makes sense to me.

[Harbertia]

I fear I may have started a trend where all the spirits are former humans blessed by the Child. (Unless that's how spirits generally work in these kinds of stories? I admit I'm not at all familiar with the Wuxia genre - I'm basically going off the TV Tropes pages for Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Total War Three Kingdoms game, Avatar and TLoK, and Kill Six Billion Demons.)

If we're talking about the old classics, they are in fact filled with the opposite: Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing from Journey to the West, for example, were near-demigods who were punished for certain transgressions by being forced into mortal bodies with grotesque forms, while in Water Margin, pretty much the entire main cast used to be either celestial beings or demons of some sort.

On the other hand, most of the more modern wuxia works have characters of more earthly origins. If I remember correctly, the protagonist of Jin Yong's Lu Ding Ji is just some guy born to a prostitute who becomes powerful by being a manipulative asshole. The same seems to go for a lot of the more recent works I've read on wuxia websites: rather than fallen angels, the protagonists tend to be ordinary humans who, through whatever means, obtain blessings and/or curses that give them power. I haven't actually read a lot of modern wuxia- I just happen to be familiar with some of the classics because I took a module on them- but that seems to be my understanding of it, at least.

Given this trend it seems that Huian would be the oldest of the Five Guardians which, may make her 'reluctance to inform them of her fault in the matter' even more connected to her sense of pride. As the senior guardian it's damaging to her image to have misjudged'. Utceforp has certainly started this trend but it seems like something we can work with.

Maybe it would be wise to go evenly, and invite our last applicant for Guardian to take a celestial origin as well. That way we're roughly split.

Makes sense to me.

I'll let the preference be stated in the OP post for our last guardian.

[Utceforp]

I feel like excessive worldbuilding right off the bat would be harmful to the kind of rp we're planning on doing, but would it be a good idea to at least brainstorm some vague details about the cosmology and history of the setting?

[Harbertia]

I feel like excessive worldbuilding right off the bat would be harmful to the kind of rp we're planning on doing, but would it be a good idea to at least brainstorm some vague details about the cosmology and history of the setting?

I see no harm in doing that however it may effect the player of the Child of Peace who has been waiting for the fifth. So I shall relay what they have told me that would be important moving into this. The child of peace is reborn in a Crysanthimum blossom. The way they have stated it the blossom usually emerges in a set location but this time emerged as a wildflower which is why it has taken our characters 85 years to find them. The player has stated that the guardians will be able to identify the child of peace on sight and that a delayed entry into the world has also played a roll in the many year search. I think our adversaries may have done some things to make this the case.

[The Empire of Tau]

Huang Peng, better known as the Master-gunner of the North, had his upbringing as a soldier of fortune within the Northern Empire’s various wars that spanned across the continent. The advent and advancement of primitive blackpowder weapons (the matchlock musket) had allowed peasants, such as Huang at the time, the chance to effortlessly murder a skilled warrior in the battlefield. A dishonorable weapon for some, but a great equalizer for common people like Huang Peng. From battlefields to sieges, Huang Peng would spend his former days within a matchlock musket unit, fighting wars for the North, and gaining experience in his chosen field of weapon. Things would turn south very quickly for the North as funding soon dried up to pay for the massive Northern army, and years of war would gather up to major war exhaustion for the general population. A civil war soon followed with Huang Peng joining up with the rebel side. At the end of the Northern Civil War, a dynasty changed followed, and Huang Peng would leave the path of war for a more peaceful life after years spent in the army.

Unfortunately, Huang Peng has barely any coin for himself. Thus, Huang searched for various merc-jobs across the world. Even more war and bloodshed would follow Huang for a couple of more years, getting paid for his services, before landing himself upon a more simple guard job. Unknown to Huang, the temple’s head would be the previous reincarnation of the Child of Peace. For years onend, Huang Peng followed and guarded the person with his life, getting paid as usual for the job. A friendly relationship developed between the two, time spent talking to each other. While not the peaceful life that Huang imagines, wanting to own a farm somewhere in the South, but this was not too bad either. Huang at least had a good friend, the temple’s head, to have conversations on various topics, drink with, and overall have a good time with. For the job itself, it was very simple. The Child of Peace barely left the temple and when the person did, Huang acted as a good intimidation-barrier to anyone who dares try murder the temple’s head, if anyone really wanted to anyhow. Of course, someone did try their hand and managed to do it successfully.

At night, while the Child of Peace was asleep, Huang Peng stood guard in the same room. Soon, a series of cries is heard. The door opened and a team of assassins rushed in, having killed the standing guards outside. Huang, always having his matchlock musket primed and ready for shooting at this time, shot the first assassin. Huang then switched to a Blunderbuss nearby, and sprayed multiple targets at once. From there, having used up his guns, Huang engaged in a brutal melee struggle. The death of multiple assassins and then Huang Peng follows, overwhelmed by the multiple stab wounds on his body and pain.

Huang Peng was given a second chance, but this time as a spirit guardian by higher beings that be, rewarding him for his sacrifice. Huang would say otherwise, but he would not complain too much, taking the offer. They informed Huang that he guarded the Child of Peace, and a new one was reincarnated after the unfortunate events that happened. Finding a new purpose, Huang was sent off to the Bones of the World in search for the new Child of Peace, a 85 year search for a fruitless find, until something would happen….

[Harbertia]

Huang Peng, better known as the Master-gunner of the North, had his upbringing as a soldier of fortune within the Northern Empire’s various wars that spanned across the continent. The advent and advancement of primitive blackpowder weapons (the matchlock musket) had allowed peasants, such as Huang at the time, the chance to effortlessly murder a skilled warrior in the battlefield. A dishonorable weapon for some, but a great equalizer for common people like Huang Peng. From battlefields to sieges, Huang Peng would spend his former days within a matchlock musket unit, fighting wars for the North, and gaining experience in his chosen field of weapon. Things would turn south very quickly for the North as funding soon dried up to pay for the massive Northern army, and years of war would gather up to major war exhaustion for the general population. A civil war soon followed with Huang Peng joining up with the rebel side. At the end of the Northern Civil War, a dynasty changed followed, and Huang Peng would leave the path of war for a more peaceful life after years spent in the army.

Unfortunately, Huang Peng has barely any coin for himself. Thus, Huang searched for various merc-jobs across the world. Even more war and bloodshed would follow Huang for a couple of more years, getting paid for his services, before landing himself upon a more simple guard job. Unknown to Huang, the temple’s head would be the previous reincarnation of the Child of Peace. For years onend, Huang Peng followed and guarded the person with his life, getting paid as usual for the job. A friendly relationship developed between the two, time spent talking to each other. While not the peaceful life that Huang imagines, wanting to own a farm somewhere in the South, but this was not too bad either. Huang at least had a good friend, the temple’s head, to have conversations on various topics, drink with, and overall have a good time with. For the job itself, it was very simple. The Child of Peace barely left the temple and when the person did, Huang acted as a good intimidation-barrier to anyone who dares try murder the temple’s head, if anyone really wanted to anyhow. Of course, someone did try their hand and managed to do it successfully.

At night, while the Child of Peace was asleep, Huang Peng stood guard in the same room. Soon, a series of cries is heard. The door opened and a team of assassins rushed in, having killed the standing guards outside. Huang, always having his matchlock musket primed and ready for shooting at this time, shot the first assassin. Huang then switched to a Blunderbuss nearby, and sprayed multiple targets at once. From there, having used up his guns, Huang engaged in a brutal melee struggle. The death of multiple assassins and then Huang Peng follows, overwhelmed by the multiple stab wounds on his body and pain.

Huang Peng was given a second chance, but this time as a spirit guardian by higher beings that be, rewarding him for his sacrifice. Huang would say otherwise, but he would not complain too much, taking the offer. They informed Huang that he guarded the Child of Peace, and a new one was reincarnated after the unfortunate events that happened. Finding a new purpose, Huang was sent off to the Bones of the World in search for the new Child of Peace, a 85 year search for a fruitless find, until something would happen….

I don't know about this. One player is fine with this, but having RPed with you I can't say I have confidence in your ability to play this part you've devised. Additionally, the player reserved to be the Child of Peace feels that you underestimate their capacity for self defense. I personally feel that this RP isn't for you, and had let you know such. I will say this certainly exceeded my expectations of you but that's partially as I get you and Ky mixed up often in my mind as both of you are rather silly. There is a concern regarding letting you join us.

[The Empire of Tau]

Huang Peng, better known as the Master-gunner of the North, had his upbringing as a soldier of fortune within the Northern Empire’s various wars that spanned across the continent. The advent and advancement of primitive blackpowder weapons (the matchlock musket) had allowed peasants, such as Huang at the time, the chance to effortlessly murder a skilled warrior in the battlefield. A dishonorable weapon for some, but a great equalizer for common people like Huang Peng. From battlefields to sieges, Huang Peng would spend his former days within a matchlock musket unit, fighting wars for the North, and gaining experience in his chosen field of weapon. Things would turn south very quickly for the North as funding soon dried up to pay for the massive Northern army, and years of war would gather up to major war exhaustion for the general population. A civil war soon followed with Huang Peng joining up with the rebel side. At the end of the Northern Civil War, a dynasty changed followed, and Huang Peng would leave the path of war for a more peaceful life after years spent in the army.

Unfortunately, Huang Peng has barely any coin for himself. Thus, Huang searched for various merc-jobs across the world. Even more war and bloodshed would follow Huang for a couple of more years, getting paid for his services, before landing himself upon a more simple guard job. Unknown to Huang, the temple’s head would be the previous reincarnation of the Child of Peace. For years onend, Huang Peng followed and guarded the person with his life, getting paid as usual for the job. A friendly relationship developed between the two, time spent talking to each other. While not the peaceful life that Huang imagines, wanting to own a farm somewhere in the South, but this was not too bad either. Huang at least had a good friend, the temple’s head, to have conversations on various topics, drink with, and overall have a good time with. For the job itself, it was very simple. The Child of Peace barely left the temple and when the person did, Huang acted as a good intimidation-barrier to anyone who dares try murder the temple’s head, if anyone really wanted to anyhow. Of course, someone did try their hand and managed to do it successfully.

At night, while the Child of Peace was asleep, Huang Peng stood guard in the same room. Soon, a series of cries is heard. The door opened and a team of assassins rushed in, having killed the standing guards outside. Huang, always having his matchlock musket primed and ready for shooting at this time, shot the first assassin. Huang then switched to a Blunderbuss nearby, and sprayed multiple targets at once. From there, having used up his guns, Huang engaged in a brutal melee struggle. The death of multiple assassins and then Huang Peng follows, overwhelmed by the multiple stab wounds on his body and pain.

Huang Peng was given a second chance, but this time as a spirit guardian by higher beings that be, rewarding him for his sacrifice. Huang would say otherwise, but he would not complain too much, taking the offer. They informed Huang that he guarded the Child of Peace, and a new one was reincarnated after the unfortunate events that happened. Finding a new purpose, Huang was sent off to the Bones of the World in search for the new Child of Peace, a 85 year search for a fruitless find, until something would happen….

I don't know about this. One player is fine with this, but having RPed with you I can't say I have confidence in your ability to play this part you've devised. Additionally, the player reserved to be the Child of Peace feels that you underestimate their capacity for self defense. I personally feel that this RP isn't for you, and had let you know such. I will say this certainly exceeded my expectations of you but that's partially as I get you and Ky mixed up often in my mind as both of you are rather silly. There is a concern regarding letting you join us.

I'll leave then.