The Ryūshi Clan

[K Mitsuhide]

The Ryūshi Clan

 

 

“Why didst thou leave the trodden paths of men
Too soon, and with weak hands though mighty heart
Dare the unpastured dragon in his den?”

 

~Percy Bysshe Shelley ~

 

Clan Symbol

 

 

Clan History

The clan lived in seclusion in underwater caves near where Kirigakure no Sato now resides. When the village had come into existence and continued to grow, the Ryūshi were eventually sucked in. Kirigakure no Sato did not like the idea of shinobi living as a threat just outside the borders of their village. And so, the Ryūshi became members of the village, though they still live outside of its borders. They were required to send shinobi to Kiri ninja academy, though it is now more of a formality – a sign of respect for the village that they had joined.

 

 Over many years, the Ryūshi morphed into something almost reptilian – their body temperature began to drop, and their skin began to slightly harden into microscopic scales in the place of skin. Their extended time in the water even changed the color of their hair and eyes into near-fluorescent greens and blues. Eventually the clan became something that, while resembling humanity, could not quite be labeled as such.

 

With these changes, and their generally reclusive habits, the clan eventually began to explore the outside world a bit... And they found a love for that which they resembled most – reptiles. They found one species in particular, and fell in love. The large reptiles known as Varanus komodoensis became their new obsession, and the assimilation of the species occurred more rapidly than one would expect. Still, it took years of training and conditioning before the giant lizards were ready to not only adapt to a somewhat wetter environment but to also become warriors like their masters.

 

When the NCIA came about, the Ryūshi did participate from the outskirts. However, for the majority of the conflicts they merely retreated back into their estate, only leaving for the occasional tattoo or to let their dragons feast upon waylaid NCIA shinobi who strayed too near. For them, the wars of nations mattered little as they had, in their own minds, become something more than mere humans.
 

Government

 

The Ryūshi clan follows a small council of three members and their dragons.
 
Hachūrui - the most venerable clan member, and is generally considered to be the leader of the clan, despite the division in power. The Hachūrui’s decisions generally go unchallenged. The current Hachūrui is Setsuko and her ancient Zato.
 
Doragon – the most powerful shinobi of the clan – a position that may be challenged at any time. The Doragon is considered the ardent protector of the clan, and generally assumes controlling power in times of crisis or conflict. The current Doragon is Komodo Kaemon and his wyrm Tamiko.
 
Sōzokujin - held in a similar fashion as royalty in that it is always held by the eldest descendant of the direct bloodline descending from the founder of the Ryūshi clan. Sōzokujin is usually only called upon to make the final vote in situations where the Hachūrui and Doragon cannot make a decisive judgment. The current Sōzokujin is Ryūshi Shigeru and his dragon Yuto.
 

Estate

 

 
The Ryūshi clans’ estate lies within one incredibly large cave in a mountainside. Though a few members of the clan may find their own caves to occupy, the majority of the clan members do stay within the main cave. The clan moved from underwater and into the mountains to help rise above the mists surrounding Kirigakure as well as to allow a little more light in. The cave itself also has a large, clear lake which is fed by a series of small streams. Fish can be seen swimming about lazily, as well as other varieties of small wildlife because the clan does not mind the company. The  homes are very well hidden; even if you are able to find their lairs, you are asking to fall into one of the many traps that the clan lays within the entrance.  
 
The Ryūshi live within the same massive cave. In fact, they live under the lake. How does this work, you ask? Well, the Ryūshi were able to swim down to the depths and tunnel outwards, then upwards to create a pocket of air where they were able to make their homes.
 

Adulthood

 

Adulthood is not defined in the same way within the Ryūshi clan as it is almost anywhere else in the entire world. For the Ryūshi clan shinobi, adulthood actually revolves around their pets.
 
Upon reaching roughly ten years of age, a Ryūshi clan shinobi is given a fertilized egg to take care of. Assuming that they can take good enough care of the egg for it to hatch, the Varanus komodoensis that hatches will be their life-long pet and friend. As soon as their pet is completely tamed and trained, the clan member is considered to be an adult.

 

Pet Titles:
Gennin – Hatchling/Youngling
Chuunin – Dragon
Jounin – Wyrm
Sennin – Ancient

 

Culture

 

Ryūshi clan members are generally very autonomous, and much like their pets, they are also generally fairly solitary. There are a few exceptions; for example, if the shinobi makes a close friend, they may be willing to become more sociable.

 

When an adult Ryūshi clan member finds that they have a quarrel with another adult member, they will generally have a short, explosive duel that decides who was in the wrong. If a disagreement can still not be settled between the two members, then the issue is brought to the head of the clan.
 
When it comes to their hobbies, the Ryūshi actually have a strong love for calligraphy and the other paper arts. Despite their poor eyesight, they are still able to appreciate the beauty of the artwork. The Ryūshi also love to eat fish and swim, but have usually have an intense fear of heights.
 

Language

 

The Ryūshi clan has lived in seclusion long enough that even their language has changed. While they can both speak common, they have their own language as well, which incorporates hisses and squeals. Through this communication, the Ryūshi have developed the ability to literally understand and speak with their pets, which can cause quite a bit of confusion for any other Kiri shinobi listening in.
 

Kirigakure no Sato

 

The Ryūshi family, having existed outside of Kiri before Kiri or the Ryūshi had even been officially created, has a relationship with the village that is very mixed. They feel that the village should not have as much control over the Ryūshi as it does, but still respect the village enough to send their shinobi to the academy. The ninja that they do send generally don’t learn much from the academy, since they learn the majority of their art from the clan itself. It’s more of a respectful gesture to let Kirigakure no Sato know that the Ryūshi are not going to rebel or attack the village. They only send their shinobi to Kiri’s ninja academy after they are considered ‘adults’. It may seem odd that they send them right around the age of 12– 13, but the village has come to accept that the clan can teach the basics to their own children themselves.
 

Appearance

 

The Ryūshi have taken on a few traits of the dragons they have tamed. Their teeth are all incredibly sharp, though they retract into their gums enough to not be seen unless they desire so. Their eyes are usually a light green or blue, and have a black slit down center, resembling reptiles. Their eyesight is somewhat poor, but they can taste the air with their long, forked tongues. They are neither hot, nor cold-blooded, with their bodies usually sitting between 65 and 75 degrees, and their skin is just a little harder and tougher than a normal human’s. Though they spend as much time in the sunlight as possible, they almost never tan. Their hair matches their eyes, as it takes on a near-fluorescent shade of either blue or green.
 
When a clan member reaches adulthood, they receive tattoos of the ancestral markings of their clan. The color is a teal blue color that comes from the skin pigment of a rare lizard that only inhabits the mountainside around Kiri that the shinobi and their pet must find together in a sort of spiritual bonding exercise. They also use the venom of the Varanus komodoensis that the individual shinobi hatched in the ink. Over the years the Komodo clan has built up a resistance to their dragons’ venom, but they are only almost completely immune to their own pet. As a final note, the clan shinobi always have the clan symbol placed on their bodies. The majority of the time, they will have it tattooed onto their shoulders, or somewhere clearly visible on their upper bodies to openly demonstrate their pride in their heritage.
 

Ryūshi Clan Character Rules and Slots

 

There may be (3) PC clan members at any given time. Anyone may create a Ryūshi clan character without K Mitsuhide's approval on the condition that they PM at least three days prior to posting the character sheet in the creation forum.
 
Character Slots:
1.
2.
3.

Edited June 12, 2015 by Azure

[K Mitsuhide]

Techniques & Skills

 

 

Required Positive Skills (Pending; Re-Approved)

 

Dragon Tamer
Clan Skill: Komodo [Required]
Description: Any Komodo shinobi has a pet, which they hatch and raise from birth. Their painstaking devotion allows for their dragons to follow them in their Way of the Ninja. The connection between pet and master is very powerful, and a Komodo shinobi would be just lost without their pet as their pet would be without them. If their dragon were to die, the shinobi would probably spiral into a crippling depression, and wouldn't see a reason to live on. However, when their pet is alive and functioning, their abilities combined can be a very, very potent force.
Effect: Can speak and understand their pet, and most other Komodo Dragons. May take one 'Ryūshi Clan Dragon' as a small pet. Must also complete a minimum 500 word training thread to connect with their pet.

Cost: -1

 

Tongue of a Reptile; Strength of Smell
Clan Skill: Komodo [Required]
Description: Komodo clan members have a long, forked tongue - just like their pets. Much as how a dog relies on its nose, these shinobi rely upon their tongues. Despite their poor eyesight, however, these shinobi can gauge their surroundings just as well as any normal human - possibly even better...
Effect: Immune to Impaired Eyesight, and Blind is treated as Impaired Eyesight as long as they do not suffer Impaired Smell.
Cost: -1

 

Additional Positive Skills (Pending Approval)

 

Venomous Bite
[Komodo Clan Exclusive]
Effect: Once per battle per shinobi rank, one non-ranged Taijutsu technique directed against an opponent may be treated as also having 40 poison damage for 1 turn. Additional ranks grant an additional turn of poison damage, to a maximum of 3. This skill may not be used with any technique that already inflicts poison damage, and may only be used once per turn. May be taken by Komodo clan pets.
Description: Whether it's a bacteria or a venom, no one knows for sure. Whatever it is, it's a deadly toxin to most living creatures. Komodo dragons naturally excrete this toxin within their mouths. Members of the Komodo clan have also developed this interesting trait, and they have no qualms over using it upon those they see as their prey.
Ranks: 3
Cost: -3 per rank
 
Primal Hunger
[Komodo Clan Exclusive]
Effect: The first time blood appears on the battlefield, the user of this skill is treated as having the status effect Enraged for 2 turns. User must use their main phase to attack an opponent. If the person bleeding is an ally, there is a 20% chance that the user of this skill will attack their ally instead. May be taken by Komodo clan pets.
Description: The smell of blood to a predator... It's a most delightful thing. When a true predator picks up on that scent, their true nature is brought out like a monster in the night. It's difficult to control, but can be a useful tool in battle.
Ranks:
Cost: -1

 

Hindering Skills (Approved)

 

Reptilian Blood
Clan Skill: Komodo [Required]
Description: While Komodo clan members' blood is not quite as low by degree as truly cold-blooded species, they are still very vulnerable to the cold and avoid it at all costs.
Effect: Weakness to Ice - take 120% damage from ice element techniques, and do not gain a defensive modifier when taking ice damage. When Ice damage is received, there is a 50% chance that the character will also be inflicted with the Cold status effect for one turn. In addition, any status effect inflicting any form of cold-based effect lasts one turn longer.
Cost: +2
 
Poor Vision
Clan Skill: Komodo [Required]
Description: While their ability to maintain a high level of awareness of their surroundings with their tongues, if a Komodo clan member were to lose their ability to smell or use that tongue, they must do their best to use their eyes - despite their poor eyesight.
Effect: If the clan member receives the status effect Impaired Smell then they are also afflicted with Impaired Eyesight. If anything covers the clan member's mouth that would hinder their ability to use their tongue, or if they lose/cannot use their tongue then they are also afflicted with Impaired Eyesight.
Cost: +1

 

They Love to Eat!
Clan Skill: Komodo [Required]
Description: Komodo Dragons have a fierce metabolism, especially whilst still young. Their trainer must provide food for their reptile, usually in the form of large rats. This continues on until the dragon is large enough to track down its own food. But in the meantime – he’s your problem…
Effect: 25% of all money made until level 15 is paid toward food for your Komodo Dragon. This is generally seen in RP, as the food will have no positive or negative effects otherwise.
Cost: +1

Edited July 7, 2015 by K Mitsuhide

[PandaMattMatt]

A_PP_RO_VE_D

[K Mitsuhide]

Bumping

[K Mitsuhide]

Added in character slots and restrictions.

[K Mitsuhide]

Bumped.

[Cellar Door]

Not that this is bad or anything, but... don't you think the name of this is kind of lazy?

[K Mitsuhide]

The title of the forum and such, yes. Technically, the full name of the clan is Ryūshi-Komodo. I suppose I could simply remove Komodo from that and keep it as the Ryūshi.

 

The bond between the two species eventually became so powerful that the Ryūshi even incorporated ‘Komodo’ into their clan name – though it is up to the clan member whether they take Ryūshi, Komodo, or both as their surname.

Edited June 11, 2015 by K Mitsuhide

[Cellar Door]

Oh, I see. Do um... do they live on an island, called Komodo Island? Because that would be neat.

[K Mitsuhide]

Alrighty then. I suppose I see your point, I'll change all references to Komodo, and instead use their scientific name Varanus komodoensis. *Done

Edited June 12, 2015 by K Mitsuhide

[Azure]

Updated your topic to reflect this.

 

Approved.