Dragoncat Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 (edited) A bit of a backstory here: On a FE RP forum I'm a member of, they recently added an area where you can be canon characters. The first RP in that area, The Rough Waves Ahead, was an AU of the Revelations route where Corrin is evil, basically. I claimed Saizo, Kagero, Asugi, and Beruka and wrote this as practice: “Asugi, take that vile thing out of your mouth and come with me.” A redheaded ninja looked at his son with a blank expression. “There’s been reports of faceless in the area.”The boy removed the lollipop from his mouth and held it by the stick. “Get your shurikens.” His father continued. “Lord Ryoma is asking us to track them down and get rid of them before they can do any damage.”“Woah, Dad...are you sure?” Asugi fidgeted. “I’m not sure I’m skilled enough to take down one of those things yet.”“Faceless are big, slow, stupid things. Any ninja can kill them easily, plus you are the son of Saizo the Fifth. If you plan on succeeding me as the sixth, you’ll take this as the great training opportunity it is.” Saizo’s scarred eye opened, revealing the milky white inside. His good eye was a fiery red like his hair. Asugi knew that he didn’t usually show his bad eye unless he was annoyed, or worse, angry. And when he was angry, it was scary.The door opened, and both turned to see the female ninja walk in. She had long, dark hair the same color as Asugi’s. “Saizo, you can’t possibly be wanting to take him along! He’s only eight.”“If we don’t push his limits, he’ll never reach my level.”“That may be true, but... I heard there are yellow faceless among the gray ones. And we both know how dangerous those are.”Saizo replied with a soft grunt. Most of the monsters known as faceless had gray skin, but there was the occasional yellow one. Yellow faceless were a bigger threat because they exhaled a toxic gas. Eight years ago, Saizo had breathed in too much of that gas and became deathly sick. He had been miserable, coughing and hacking up blood and bile.His bloodline was a proud line of ninjas dating back generations. Traditionally, the first born son would change his name to Saizo when the time was right. Not wanting the line to end there, Saizo had turned to Kagero, his closest female ally, and they had romanced each other every night until Kagero was certain she was pregnant. They didn’t expect Saizo to live to meet his child, but against all odds, he beat the sickness.“You’re not changing your mind, I see.” Kagero said. Asugi had put the lollipop back in his mouth while his parents were debating. Kagero gave him a slight glare. “Come on. Spit out that candy and let’s go.”Asugi would have much rather stayed home to finish his candy, but the last time he refused one of his father’s “training opportunities”, he got the cold shoulder treatment for days. Ninjas weren’t exactly the most affectionate parents. But it was still unpleasant, having that blind white eye glaring at him constantly until Kagero got Saizo to cool his head.He bit down on the lollipop, crunched it up, and threw the stick away, then retrieved his shurikens from the shelf. Saizo turned around and walked out, leaving Kagero to follow with their son.The ninja family made their way to the forest outside the capital city and began tracking. At one point, Saizo suddenly stopped and made a disgusted face. Asugi blinked. “Dad, you almost stepped in that.”“Pop quiz.” Saizo said. “Can you tell what made that pile?”“Uh, a bear?”“No.” Saizo shook his head. “Try again.”“A wolf?”“Still wrong. I’ll give you a hint: it flies.”“A pegasus? Really? It looks like it came from a carnivore.”Kagero sighed. “Your father is trying to get you to say wyvern.”Asugi’s eyes widened. “Wyvern? Aren’t they only in Nohr?”“That means a Nohrian has gotten across the border. Scum, all of them.” Saizo spat. “But we’ll report that later. Right now we have faceless to deal with.”A roar echoed through the woods. Asugi stiffened, but his parents weren’t fazed. All three of them knew that roar wasn’t a bear. It was the faceless. They were getting closer.----Deep in the forest, a lightly armored woman on the back of a silvery gray wyvern had been ambushed by big ugly monsters. The monsters had no eyes or noses, or any facial features at all. The fronts of their heads were covered in holes that oozed stench and malice. They were bipedal, with bulky arms and hands that were always curled into fists.The woman, named Beruka, was a retainer to Nohr’s Princess Camilla. Camilla’s other retainer had disappeared during the last border skirmish between Nohr and its rival nation Hoshido. They knew the swordswoman was probably still alive. They didn’t find her among the dead. Beruka had been told to search the Hoshidan wilderness for her and bring her back.She swung her axe and smacked a faceless in the chest, leaving a big gash dripping with black monster blood. The faceless hissed, recoiled, and rammed her and her mount into a tree. The wyvern screamed in pain as he slid down, pine needles piercing his wings, and nearly crushed his rider as he collapsed on the ground.Beruka didn’t have time to check to see if he was okay. A pang of worry went through her mind. Dagger had been by her side for nearly a decade, and she wasn’t as skilled at combat on the ground. She could get a new wyvern if he was done for, but she had grown attached to him. She stood her ground, finishing off the monster that hurt Dagger in a blind rage.When she saw the big yellow faceless coming her way, she started to wonder whether she should just give up and let these fiends kill her. Lady Camilla could get new retainers, and Beruka had no family whatsoever. Nobody would miss her. But as she was pondering this, the yellow faceless crumbled into dust right in front of her. A shuriken landed in the dust pile.If she was a religious woman, she would have viewed the ninja couple and their young son as a miracle from above. The parents moved quickly and stealthily, hitting the monsters where their faces should be. It seemed like the face area was the monsters’ weak spot. Even the son was aiming for it. He wasn’t as skilled as his parents and sometimes his shurikens would miss their targets, but he was helping. Beruka learned from their example. Every faceless that approached her got an axe blade to its non existent face, and soon, the clearing was covered in the crumbly remains of the monsters.Dagger lifted his head and screeched weakly. He was alive! But before Beruka could react, the adult male ninja was holding a shuriken to her throat. “Explain yourself, Nohrian. What were you targeting with those faceless?”“Saizo! Did you not see that they were attacking her too?”“Yeah, Dad. I saw one slam her wyvern into a tree.”“I understand why you think that, but I assure you, I am not a magician and I do not control faceless.” Beruka glared right down the shuriken, right at Saizo’s face. “I am here on...classified business. If you attack me, I will not hold back in my self defense.”Saizo scanned the area for any sign of more Nohrians and found none. “Hmph. You are alone. A lone wyvern rider is no threat.” He lowered his shuriken and put it in his cloak. “The Hoshidan capital has multiple ballistae surrounding the city. And they are manned and armed at all times. You have been warned.” With that, he began leading his partner and child back home. Beruka watched them leave, then turned her attention to Dagger and began bandaging him up. Then I wrote this to further explain the headcanon I had crafted. Wikipedia was a great, interesting research source. There was apparently a Saizo irl. He was a part of a group of ninjas called the Sanada Ten Braves. Kasai means fire in Japanese, it fits him perfectly. Kaze means wind so yeah. Speaking of Kaze, the person who had him in Rough Waves Ahead ships him with Camilla. Not my pairing, but I catered to it for obvious reasons. HistoryNinjas are said to have been around since the founding of Hoshido. They are thought to have originated as two small tribes: the Iga and Koga tribes, that later merged to form the Mokushu region. Hoshidan nobles have hired them throughout history, as spies, assassins, and most recently, personal retainers. There are a good number of ninja villages in Hoshido and Mokushu’s ninja population makes up roughly 90% of the overall population of the area.CultureThe culture of ninjas can be described as a more secretive version of Hoshido’s culture. Hoshido values tranquility, but will strike back fiercely when threatened. Ninjas appear to share those values. Many nobles who employ them say that you can’t beat their loyalty. Each and every one of them will die for their cause.Their loyalty to each other, however, isn’t always as strong. They work in teams but very rarely do they bond with their allies. They don’t want emotions to affect their work, so they try not to get attached to anyone. If someone dies in battle they can all move on with whatever mission they’ve been given.They even have this attitude when it comes to the next generation. They raise their children to follow in their footsteps and act more like teachers than doting parents. Ninja couples often prefer to be “partners” or “allies”, pairing up for the sole purpose of continuing their bloodlines and not even getting married. This isn’t to say they’re all that way. It appears to be the norm, but there have been plenty of cases where a ninja falls for a non ninja and has a typical family life.Weapons and GearThe shuriken, or ninja star, is the most common weapon used by ninjas, but they have been known to use katanas. They often dress in light armor and cloaks. Gear includes, but is not limited to, climbing hooks, breathing tubes for underwater movement, flint and kindling for starting fires, lockpicks, small drills, small hammers, and small chisels.Special AbilitiesNinjas are known for their agility and stealth. In battle, they move so fast that they sometimes appear invisible, and groups will often all jump on the same enemy at once. If there are trees or anything in an indoor area that they can climb, they will. Jumping out of trees and knocking things off walls is common.Various techniques known as ninjutsu exist, grouped under the four basic elements:Fire ninjutsu: Starting a fire near an enemy stronghold/camp/etc and using it as a distraction while entering from the other side.Water ninjutsu: Using aquatic plants on the surface of the water to conceal while swimming underneath.Air ninjutsu: Jumping from a high place, such as a tree, cliff, or even the flying steed of an ally, and landing safely on the feet.Earth ninjutsu: Hiding in holes in the ground or curling into a ball to avoid detection.These can be used both on and off the battlefield depending on the situation.Notable NinjasSaizo lineage: A bloodline that dates back nearly a century, beginning with the first ninja to serve the Hoshidan royalty. Contrary to popular belief, they aren’t all born with the name Saizo, and not all have been royal retainers. The first born son changes his name upon the death of his father. The fifth Saizo, born as Kasai, spent his early life in Mokushu until his father was murdered in cold blood by Mokushu’s current ruler. He began serving under the Hoshidan crown prince Ryoma and still does today.Kaze: Twin brother to Saizo the Fifth, he was captured by Nohr and kept as a war prisoner for about half a year before he was spared from execution. While there, he fell in love with a Nohrian princess, married her, and sired her daughter, proving that ninjas can develop close bonds. His relationship with his twin is rocky now, but both still respect each other.Kotaro: Current ruler of Mokushu, he is very power hungry and isn’t above murder and dirty tricks to achieve his goals. King Garon of Nohr has offered him power and riches. He is a thorn in the side of Hoshido and has been described as a “disgraceful excuse for a ninja”.Kagero: Prince Ryoma’s other retainer. She and Saizo the Fifth are partners in more than one way, they have a son together, but like most ninjas, they are not married. She paints when she has free time.Asugi: The newest addition to the Saizo lineage. He will be the sixth. He’s calm and collected, but has a crippling sweet tooth, much to his father’s chagrin. Unfortunately we didn't get to the Kotaro showdown :( The GM isn't active enough anymore, he's focusing on getting a voice acting career. They're starting another Fates RP with a different plot that I will still be the four I was. But I had to write how that fight might've gone down. “Milord, you can’t be serious.” Saizo gave Ryoma a blank stare. “Is there truly no other, better plan?”“It was actually Lord Xander’s idea. For a Nohrian, he’s quite good at strategy...plus your brother married a malig knight, so I know it won’t be hard for him.”“We are not all going to pile onto one wyvern. No way, no how.”Ryoma crossed his arms. “Two wyverns. You’ve already met Lady Camilla’s retainer. She has agreed to it. You’ll ride with Beruka and Kaze will ride with Camilla. Kagero and Asugi will start the fire.”Saizo grunted. “I will oblige.” He was secretly wishing he was one of the fire starters. But then again, dropping him and his twin right in front of Kotaro...it was what he wanted, even if it was in a different way than he’d imagined.The sound of feathered wing beats indicated that the scout had returned. “Big brother.” Hinoka announced. “The Mokushujin are on the move. Their commander appears to be blond, average build for a male ninja, but slightly older than Saizo and Kaze.”“That’s Kotaro, all right.” Kagero glanced at Saizo and saw him start to tremble with rage. A dark purple wyvern and a silver one landed. Kaze was already with his wife on the back of the dark purple one. As Saizo climbed onto the silver wyvern with Beruka, Midori hopped off of the other one. “I’ll go with Asugi and Aunt Kagero!” She said. “I’ve never seen fire ninjutsu before! It will be interesting!” Both wyverns took to the air, their riders leading them to the thick woods near the Mokushu capital, where they would hide until they saw the fire. They were to drop the twins then, while the fire distracted the enemy.“All the traps are gone, sorry for taking so long, Dad-” Asugi ran up to the group, then noticed that Saizo wasn’t there and looked around, confused. “Lord Ryoma, where’d he go?”Midori bounced on her feet. “Hi, cousin! We’re going to be working together! But no time to chat, the enemy is moving! I’ll explain everything to you on the way!” And then she grabbed Asugi’s arm and took off running. He drug his feet for a second, but easily kept up with her. Kagero trailed close behind. Ryoma chuckled softly before gathering the rest of the Hoshidans.----“So...” Kaze broke the awkward silence. “Your son and my daughter appear to be getting along. Although Midori’s normally friendly with everyone she meets...”“That could be her downfall someday.” Saizo said.Kaze shook his head. “No, she knows the difference between good people and bad people. Believe me. Camilla and I have made an effort to teach her that.”“Darling.” Camilla tapped Kaze’s shoulder. “Is that smoke? Is that our cue?”----“Ignore it, you numbskulls!” Kotaro was trying, and failing, to turn his troops’ attention away from the fire right outside the gates. A couple of samurais had dropped their katanas and were running toward it with buckets of water. Kotaro knew the grass didn’t just spontaneously combust. No, this was ninjutsu! Saizo the Fifth was near, and wanting to avenge Saizo the Fourth. Let him! Kotaro was prepared to slay father and son with the same shuriken.He turned, and someone dropped out of the sky right in front of him. “Gah!” He stumbled and almost tripped. Both Saizo and Kaze were on top of Kotaro, tackling him to the ground and slashing at him with their shurikens. But he wriggled free and took off running.“Brother!” Kaze jumped in front of Saizo. “He’s luring you into a trap!” But it was too late, Saizo had worked himself into a blood frenzy and wasn’t going to listen. Next thing he knew, he was in a hole in the ground with spikes at the bottom.“Hah! Stupid fool!” Kotaro spat. He didn’t get to gloat long before an arrow hit him in the back of his neck. He fell over, bleeding and gasping for air. Asugi jumped out of a nearby tree and slashed Kotaro’s throat open.Ryoma had seen the whole thing. From where Kotaro had stood in the beginning of the battle, he raised his voice to speak. “Mokushujin! Your lord is dead! Surrender now, and we will stop the bloodshed here!”The fire was starting to die down, and the remaining Mokushu troops were surrendering to the Hoshidan and Nohrian attack force. Most of the Nohrians were gravitating toward Prince Xander, but Beruka and Camilla landed near Kotaro’s corpse and the trapped Saizo. Kagero and Midori had also joined them.After helping his brother out of the pitfall trap, Kaze turned to Midori. “Concoction, please. For your hotheaded uncle...” Midori handed him a small bottle, which was promptly handed to Saizo, who opened it and drank it. “Well. I suppose we won’t have to air lift him anywhere.” Camilla commented.“Mom, did you see? I hit him! In a vital area!” Midori pointed to the arrow sticking out of Kotaro.“Hey, he was still breathing when I got to him. But I’m sure that helped.” Asugi smiled at his cousin.“Asugi.” Saizo rasped, feeling the effects of the bitter tasting healing potion. “That man was Kotaro, did you know that?”Asugi nodded. “I had a pretty good feeling he was. He almost got you.”“Which is why I’m lucky to have such good backup. I’m proud of you, son. Now your grandfather can have a peaceful afterlife.”“Aww, thanks...”“You’re welcome.” Saizo ruffled his son’s hair, looking more like a father than ever. The others looked surprised. Frankly, he surprised himself, feeling this surge of parental pride...or maybe even love. Maybe now he could understand why his brother was so close to his family. Maybe. If you read all that, please post your comments in this thread :) Edited August 23, 2016 by Dragoncat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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