Post by aden on Jul 31, 2006 19:33:58 GMT -5
Name: Iikagen
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Nation: Fire Nation
Group: Igni Islander
Bender?: No
Physical Appearance: Iikagen is tall and lanky, standing about 6'3" tall with a body whose real strength is made less obvious by the stretched-out muscles of his spider-like limbs. Some parts of his lightly tanned physique are more apparently defined, specifically his abdomen and shoulders, which he likes to display prominently.
He keeps his head bald, usually shaving once a week or whenever the black peach fuzz of hair starts to become noticeable. Iikagen's face is made up of long, hawkish nose and a wide mouth lined with surprisingly white teeth. His eyes are a bit narrow, but are capable of stretching wide when he so chooses, and they sit beneath a pair of long, dark eyebrows. His jaw line is long and angular, coming to a sharp point.
Iikagen's most notable feature, however, is the tattoos that mark his face. The pattern is inlaid into his skin with a dark indigo dye that runs perfectly horizontal across his face, level with his eyes. The line is about half an inch wide and is only broken in continuity by his eyes, and ending just before his ears. He also has a set of five small dots, about a quarter inch in diameter, evenly spaced above each eyebrow. Lastly, a row of three dots runs vertically up his forehead with the bottom dot in line with those above his eyebrows, and with the middle dot twice as large as the other two.
Clothing/Armor: Iikagen's natural attire is very light and practical for his jungle homeland. He prefers to wear a crimson vest that's two sizes too small. It has threadbare gold-colored trimming along its edges, and he leaves it open in the front. The vest is short and only reaches down to the top of his abdomen.
For bottoms, he occasionally wears a plain off-white breech cloth, though on hotter days he'll forgo undergarments completely. Over these, he tends to wear loose-fitting capris-length pants or voluminous shorts, usually of a matching crimson color. If the pants don't have a drawstring along their bottom edge to keep them tight to his calves, Iikagen will sometimes just use twine or extra linen wrapping to tie them in place when he expects to be doing some running. Over this still, he also tends to wear a large square black sarong that is made of silk. It's folded diagonally into a triangle and tied around his waist with the point of the triangle running down his right side.
On his wrists and ankles, he has diamond-shaped flaps of leather folded around his skin and held in place by a layer of bandage wrappings. They extend halfway up his shins and forearms with the pointed tips of the leather covering the tops of his feet and backs of his hands, respectively.
Weapons: Iikegen himself can be considered a weapon, with or without use of sword or spear. He has trained since childhood under the torturous training methods on his tribe and has shown himself possessed of both abundant natural talent and an strange sort of psychological warfare that keeps those around him perpetually off-balance.
He is master of the traditional Igni fighting system which can best be described as a style which trains the human body to react instinctively to attack, and to use the surroundings to their fullest. Though there are almost no limits to what Iikagen may do during a fight in order to win, some of the more frequently called-upon techniques include elbows, knees, leaping strikes and an assortment of strangleholds. One distinctly Igni technique, however, is the use of headscissor takedowns, often times using trees or nearby objects as springboards to leap from.
As far as actual weapons go, Iikagen has some experience with a wide assortment of weapons, but prefers to use a chain rope-dart. His personal chain is about 20 feet long and made of thin, blackened steel links with a metal weight at one end and a barbed dart on the other.
He also has a flare for using shortspears, another signature Igni weapon. Typically used in a set of three (one for throwing), the shortspears are much like a typical spear, only with a shorter grip that puts the overall length of each at about 2 feet long.
Personality: It is hard to pin down Iikagen's personality, because it apparently changes more often than the tides. He is wildly unpredictable, with moods ranging from irrelevant silliness, to frightening belligerance, to outright insanity, and all the way to perfect elegance and gracefulness. The moment Iikagen feels like his next move could be predicted, he usually does the opposite of what could be expected. In this way, he ensures that those around him are always kept off-guard, unsure, or even downright frightened of him.
However, despite the craziness on the surface, the inner workings of Iikagen's mind are far more rational than he would ever let on. He walks a razor's edge between absolute control and total chaos, but seems to merge the two extremes fluently and without succumbing to either. The randomness that he often displays is almost always premeditated, which makes him quite the paradox, and perhaps even more difficult to get a bead on.
One of the few constants about Iikagen, though, is his loved of a challenge, particularly in combat. The thrill of fighting a skilled opponent is perhaps his greatest joy in life, and though he hates to lose, he never stops searching for someone who can best him... and then find a way to become even better. Iikagen fears neither death nor pain, for on his home island, death is an all too familiar occurrence. And as the saying goes on the Ignis, "Be happy joo in pain, it lets joo know joo still alive." In many ways, Iikagen's ultimate goal in life is to die in pitched combat against the best fighter in the world... and of course to take the bastard with him.
Another key feature about Iikagen is his general mannerisms. Having been raised in a secluded island culture, he has very few scruples about what is and is not 'right' or 'proper' in the rest of the world. All he knows about that is from stories and observations, and more often he doesn't care enough to try and fit in. He has no problem being lewd, crude, vulgar, and offensive in public when he feels like it, and he has almost no sense of chivalry. Where he comes from, women are treated as equals for the most part, and so he wouldn't hold a door or pick up a dropped token for a lady unless he had plans to bed them.
In the end, it is almost a futile exercise to try and characterize Iikagen. For he has become so obsessed with making himself unpredictable, that even he doesn't usually know his next move from moment to moment. He trusts almost no one unless he has leverage or concrete reasons to believe they'll keep their word, and sometimes it's hard not to believe that he truly has lost his mind.
Background: Iikagen was born screaming to a young woman of the Tengu tribe, the second largest tribe of the Igni archipelago. His father was either a member of the Labor Council or one of the miners who carried sacks of gemstones to the main village on their half of the island; his mother wasn't sure, nor did she truly care much. In this particular tribe, marriage was an almost nonexistent institution and Iikagen never truly had much of a desire to meet the man who contributed to his being. As a baby he was soon seperated from his mother and placed in the care of permanent wet nurses who oversaw the raising of each new brood of Tengu children.
In his early years, Iikagen seemed like a mild-mannered child. He was a bit adventurous, but otherwise didn't fuss much. He was easily overlooked and actually somewhat of a runt compared to other kids. As he grew, things didn't change much except that he became the target of some of the larger boys. During some of the games they played (games that often could be described simply as 'tackle that guy!'), Iikagen found himself on the losing team against the larger, more organized cliques. Before long he came to the realization that he had to play just as rough if he wanted things to change, because the members of the tribe who were assigned to watch over the youngsters certainly weren't intervening. In fact, they seemed to encourage that type of competition where the strong prevailed over the weak.
Around age 5 and 6 when the children of the tribe were required to assist with menial labor that went into keeping the tribe running smoothly, Iikagen managed to get his first taste of revenge. When he and another boy who had often tormented him in previous years were assigned to latrine duty, Iikagen shoved him down into the disgusting pit and dropped one of the less-harmful varieties of native snakes down with him. In the weeks to come, in between the rough-housing that still continued (though Iikagen had managed to coerce some allies onto his side and was not always the one on the losing end), Iikagen found more opportunities to get back at the other kids. He dripped orange juice over one boy while he was sleeping, resulting in about 37 bug-bites by the time he awoke. For another 'prank' he put a dried-up puffer fish in a particularly nasty girl's bed. And for another... well, he just beat that kid up when he went off into the forest to use the restroom.
At age 7, the children of the tribe were assigned what was deemed to be the task they had shown themselves most fit for. Iikagen had long-since hoped that he would get to be a warrior, but unfortunately he was still quite small compared to the rest of the boys his age. And due to the relatively discrete nature of his various acts of revenge on the other boys who had been chosen to become warriors, those making the decision about his career weren't so aware of his aptitude for the martial arts.
Instead he was sent to mines where he would be used to squeeze into the tiny crevices and crannies to scout for new veins of fire rubies. Needless to say, this was not to Iikagen's liking. He began acting out among the other workers close to his age and began picking fights whenever he could. Amazingly, he even managed to hold his own against kids that were older than him, but eventually a 12 year old who also worked the mines got fed up with Iikagen getting everyone else in trouble with the adults, and so he whacked him in the back of the head with a shovel. The young troublemaker never saw it coming, and the impact fractured his skull.
Iikagen had very distorted memories of the period after that day, but he does remember the strangest feeling of grinding bone and something poking at his brain. From the account of the tribal surgeon, he would later learn that he managed to survive a very rare occurrence of brain surgery by a physician who had only ever mended broken bones on limbs before. He had to chisel off a slightly larger piece of jagged bone from Iikagen's skull, remove the fragments of bone in his brain, and cover the hole with small steel plate. It was truly remarkable that the young boy survived the procedure, and even more so that he survived after an opportunistic infection set in and rendered him in a state of delirium for the better part of a year.
It wasn't until he was nearly 8 that Iikagen truly regained his good senses, although he had memories of his time acting like a raving fool. He recalled days when he would barely be able to speak coherently and days when he would act so outrageously that people could only gawk and call for someone to take him back to bed. It was somewhat embarrassing, but also somewhat liberating when he considered how hesitant people around him were when they didn't know what to expect.
Eventually Iikagen was well enough to be put back to work, but instead of heading to the mines, he decided that he would like a change of career. The young boy slipped in among the ranks of the fledgling warriors, and when it was eventually discovered that he was playing hookie Iikagen managed to convince one of the instructors to let him prove himself. Either out of respect for his determination, or for a cheap laugh, the instructor let Iikagen prove himself by fighting one of the more gifted young warriors. And in what was likely the most unorthodox and amusing sparring matches witnessed, Iikagen managed to win using a combination of deception, skill, and just plain strangeness to confuse his opponent enough to leave an opening for a cheap shot. There was certainly controversy over the victory, but since the warden of the mine was in no hurry to have the wild child back under his command, and the instructors found his unique methods of combat to be amusing, he was allowed to train as a warrior.
During the next few years, Iikagen was introduced to the cruel, unusual, and sometimes simply torturous methods of Igni combat training. On days where he was not racking up bruises from learning the basics of fighting or building up his strength by climbing trees, he was learning the intimate details of the jungle and how to hunt down any kind of prey. His year of bedrest had set him back significantly, but Iikagen progressed quickly and eventually caught up with his classmates. He was almost always the odd one out, though, and whenever there were team assignments his partner could never be sure of what to expect. Occasionally he would be the perfect companion: serious, reliable, and helpful. And other days he might kick his partner off a tree branch just to watch him fall.
When he was 11, the Tengu tribe had a particularly nasty conflict with their sister tribe, the Ken'ichi. Iikagen's tribe had been accused of boarding and pillaging one of the Ken'ichi's trade ships that was loaded with Fire Nation imports, but the Tengu tribe countered by claiming that the Ken'ichi had paid for those good with gems stolen from one of their stockpiles. Regardless, Iikagen got his first glimpse of warfare when the two opposing forces clashed one night not far from the main Tengu village. The Ken'ichi had attempted a surprise amphibious assault, but it was beat back in grand fashion. Two Tengu warriors in particular rose to fame during that battle for killing one of the Ken'ichi's firebenders, which was accredited as the turning point of the fight. Iikagen had not been allowed to participate in combat during that battle, but he had been close enough to see some of the actual fighting. And he was surprised to find out shortly thereafter, that the twin brothers who had gained such notoriety, were actually his half-brothers.
A few more years passed and Iikagen began to grow more and more skilled. He was still a relatively small boy, though, and his lack of physical stature kept his prodigious fighting skills from really shining through. At age 13 he was put through a week of trials to prove his manhood and earn the distinctive tattoos of his people. He had to perform feats ranging from walking across burning coals, to standing on a balance pole for hours, to fighting for his life against three full-fledged warriors armed with sticks for a round of five minutes. He passed all of the tests, and even got some attention for managing to break the nose of one of the warriors he fought. Since that last portion of the test was generally supposed to be a one-sided beating to show a young warrior's ability to keep fighting no matter what, his performance earned him some acclaim.
After receiving his tattoos, which is usually the extent of the 'coming of age' trial for the other Tengu professions, Iikagen experienced a brief golden era of his life. His budding reputation came in quite handy as he exercised some of his new rights of manhood with the girls of his tribe. However, all good things must come to an end, and when his half-brother war heroes were assigned to teach the intermediate-level warriors, Iikagen found himself the focal point of all their wrath. Perhaps it was their minor blood relation that made him their favorite punching bag, or perhaps it was his budding reputation as a future prospect... or perhaps they thought he was just weird, like most other people, but for whatever reason, he was their test dummy for every technique that was learned. And those two did not pull punches. Iikagen would often walk away from training more bloody and battered than every other warrior, except of course the unfortunate soul who go to be his sparring partner.
Only once in a blue moon did Iikagen ever attempt to take his vengeance on his brothers, and though he would occasionally end up counting a minor victory when he would put something unpleasant in their hammocks or sneak a shot in during training demonstrations, but on those days he usually crawled back to the longhouse where the warriors slept.
However, by the time he was in his mid-teens, he had finally hit a major growth spurt and shot up to an impressive height. He packed on muscle almost as quickly, and before long his half-brothers were no longer disguising their animosity. He had since moved up to the advanced level of Igni training, but they would still occasionally confront him from time to time. And despite Iikagen's impressive skills as a fighter, his brothers were older and more experienced and sometimes managed to corner and overpower him. The two seemed determined to break him and eliminate a possible rival for the position of War Minister, which they seemed to covet for themselves.
But despite the rather predatory beatings he experienced, Iikagen was relatively unphased by all of it. He had long since become accustomed to the physical pain of his torment, and the fact that they persisted in hounding him meant that they were truly scared. The only thing he feared was that they would eventually decide that he was too much of a threat and simply kill him in his sleep one of these days.
When he was 18, another major conflict broke out between the Tengu tribe and the Bo-Topi tribe of the neighboring island. Iikagen didn't even bother trying to figure out why they were fighting, for he had been longing for an opportunity to see real combat. By this point he had completed all the standard training that the Tengu tribe had to offer and was continually honing his skills by challenging anyone who was crazy enough to fight him. Thus far he'd managed to avoid killing anyone (that he knew of), so a chance to put his skills to their full use was a wish come true.
The fighting took place over a series of skirmishes, and during the very first battle, one of Iikagen's half-brothers was killed by a firebender from the other tribe. The other twin suffered an injury as well, and with those two out of the way, Iikagen found an opportunity to shine. In one of the following clashes, he managed to isolate and kill two of the Bo-Topi's benders. It was hardly for vengeance, though, and more so to solidify his own legacy as a Tengu war hero.
The conflict culminated in a particularly bloody battle on the Bo-Topi island in which the Tengu warriors nearly managed to fight through a well-laid ambush, but were repelled just shy of victory. With both sides taking losses at an unsustainable rate, they came to a cease-fire that has since lasted to this day.
Iikagen walked away from the conflict with an impressive body count racked up and the fame of having two high profile kills to his name. Combined with the fall of the former golden boys of the tribe, this put him in prime position to advance his standing just a short while later. The War Minister of the Tengu tribe was a relatively old man, but one whom was well-respected for his skill in battle and his cunning as a strategist. Though past his prime, no one had dared to challenge him for the title in years because, honestly, no one thought they could do a better job. But as a stroke of luck (for Iikagen, that is), the War Minister suffered a serious snakebite one day on a routine visit to one of the villages on the edge of the Tengu's territory.
In the empty seat left by the War Minister's death many warriors, still coming off the battle high of the conflict with the Bo-topi, cast in their lots for the position. Iikagen didn't vocalize his intentions to enter the fray immediately, but instead waited for the shouting to die down. After an initial period of people singing their own praises and touting their accomplishments, three warriors emerged as the final candidates for the position, and would not back down from simple debating. At that point, where traditionally there would have been a series of duels to determine the new War Minister, Iikagen intervened and challenged each of them to a duel, but not for the purpose of siezing the War Minister's seat. instead, he challenged one man for being offensively Ugly, another for smelling like rotten meat, and the third (his surviving half-brother), he challenged just because he didn't like him.
It was a strange move, especially when the tribe was in need of a new commander for their military, but Iikagen had his own methods of ensuring that the potential replacements were so insulted that they would postpone killing each other for the chance to kill him first.
What followed was, perhaps, one of the most impressive displays of single combat that the Tengu tribe had witnessed in recent memory. During the first fight, Iikagen fought the man he'd called ugly. The fight lasted all of 12 seconds, at which time Iikagen managed to counter the man's lunge with a perfectly-timed counter-kick to the knee, followed by smashing the falling man's face on his knee. The quick knockout brought cheers to the crowd, and soon the entire village had dropped what they were doing to come see the spectacle. The second fight lasted much longer, though. The 'smelly' opponent was highly skilled and put on a veritable clinic with his spear. However Iikagen, armed with a weighted chain, managed to deflect, tangle, trap, and block the man's skilled attacks, often bringing the battle to crescendos and then to stalemates as the two warriors seemed evenly matched.
And yet, as the battle wore on, Iikagen could feel his opponent becoming more and more frustrated; something he made sure to help along with a myriad of insults and taunts. Eventually the man lost his cool and Iikagen managed to disarm him, loop his chain around his neck, and then eventually cut the man's throat using the barbed hook on the dart end of his chain. The crowd cheered with the excellence of the fight, and when Iikagen rose from that struggle he was covered in blood and wild-eyed. He stalked right over to his half-brother, looking gruesome and crazy, and attempted to drag him into the fighting circle immediately without a break for himself. However, his sibling would have none of the challenge anymore. As disgraceful as it was to back down from a challenge after it had been formally accepted, Iikagen's bloodthirsty appearance had managed to scare the former war-hero into fearing for his life.
Iikagen then turned his challenge on to anyone in the crowd, even daring to provoke some of the tribe's own firebenders. But no one was up to the challenge after seeing the amazing battle that had played out just before them. And so it was that with all three candidates for the position of War Minister defeated or dead, Iikagen decided to 'give back to de community' by assuming the position himself.
A few years passed, and Iikagen settled into his role as the commander of the Tengu warriors. He showed himself to be a very difficult person to work with on important matters. Often times he was very secretive about his orders that he gave to the military, and the other members of the Tengu Ruling Council sometimes thought he meant to use his position to seize power and declare himself Chief, a position that they had long ago discarded. It is for this reason that there would be the occasional challenger to his title, often times spurred on by the encouragements of other members of the council. Iikagen dealt with these challengers differently each time. Sometimes he would be merciful if the person was clearly outmatched. Other times he would kill them quickly and ferociously, and other times still he was actually sit the challenger down and have a pleasant conversation before the fight. No one knows quite how, but he actually managed to talk one young man into revoking his challenge completely.
Remarkably, there was a surprising lull in the number of conflicts with other tribes under Iikagen's watch as War Minister. His unusual military maneuvers that he liked to test out often had their warriors shifting from one side of the island to the other. He even ordered the construction of a watchtower in the middle of the jungle, only to completely disregard its use. Now, whether the other neighboring tribes were simply content with the peace themselves, too engrossed in their own affairs, or simply too unsure of what was going on with the Tengu tribe, no one is sure. But even the Ken'ichi tribe that shared their home island scarcely sent scouting parties across their borders to poke around anymore.
The Tengu people were relatively prosperous as well, and for the most part they had a favorable opinion of their War Minister. He was strange and quirky, but he was entertaining and occasionally sent out full search parties to help little kids find their lost toys in the jungle. Eventually the challenges stopped coming entirely, and IIkagen was beginning to grow increasingly bored. He was spending too much time enjoying the perks of his position with the tribe's women and felt as though he was getting weaker and weaker without some sort of conflict to keep him on edge. Even his attempts to sway the rest of the council into attacking one of the lesser tribes and secruing their islands for themselves proved fruitless. Those cowards had grown comfortable with the status quo and had turned all their attention to dealings with the Fire Nation (both legitimate and black market).
By the time he turned 22, Iikagen had spent a fair amount of time lurking around the Minister of Trade and gleaming all the information he could about the Fire Nation. It seemed like, from what he was told, the Fire nation was nearly complete in its conquest of the rest of the world. Pompous windbags that the mainlanders were pictured to be, Iikagen still couldn't help but reason that there must be some good fighters left in the Fire nation if they'd managed to beat everyone else.
The War Minister eventually managed to secure himself a spot on one of the trade ships that transported gemstones to the mainland under the pretense of personally inspecting a shipment of new Fire nation weaponry.
However, the night that the ship was docked into the Fire nation port, Iikagen collected some provisions and a small fortune in gemstones and slipped off the ship. He lowered himself into the sea and swam down shore where he managed to sneak further inland without being captured by the guards assigned to keep the Ignis on the docks. From there, iikagen has since been trying to survive any way he can, all the while keeping an eye out for a warrior who could pose a real challenge.
Sample RP: As he pushed aside the red flap of cloth hanging in the doorway of a tea house, Iikagen was greeted with the sight of a dimly lit, yet cozy room. Several low tables formed rows on the right half of the room and a pair of skylights allowed two rays of sunlight to brighten the atmosphere. Iikagen huffed slightly, as though moderately impressed with the layout of the tea house. He took a few strides towards the nearest vacant table, hiding the fact that he was well-aware that every person in that room new he was not from around there.
With his bald head, facial tattoos, revealing clothing, and tanned complexion, it wasn't difficult to figure out. The patrons of the tea house seemed unsure of how to react to the presence of an Igni in their midst. Their pre-concieved notion that the islanders brought sickness with them was only overshadowed by the rumors that their skill as fighters was unparalleled. For several moments after the lanky man sat down, not even the waitresses would make a move.
However, a pair of soldiers and their commanding officer seemed to have decided that his presence wasn't welcome. The officer stood up from his seat, followed immediately by his soldiers, and strode boldly over to the newcomer. Around the te house, it was assumed that things were under control and the waitresses went back to work.
"You. Igni," the officer stated, pronouncing the last word as though he were uttering a curse, "What are you doing away from the harbor?" The soldiers behind him stood at the ready.
It was common practice for Igni traders to remain on the docks, finish their business quickly, and then leave as soon as they could. However, Iikagen had no intention of going back with the merchants he arrived with.
"My apologies," Iikagen said, rising slowly from his seat and causing the soldiers to give a start, "But I was up with the sun and needed something to help keep me going. I heard the mainland had a Ginseng tea to die for." His voice flowed with surprising fluidity for some one of his education and he offered a wide, dazzling grin.
The officer did not seem placated.
"Find a drink some place else," he said, resting his hand on the sword at his hip. Iikagen's smile didn't waver in the least, and he spread his palms amicably.
"Gentlemen, must it come to this?" he asked, sounding perfectly at ease. A waitress stepped around one of the soldiers, carrying a tray of of hot tea cups to another man sitting past Iikagen. "Very well," he said, almost sadly and he turned as if to leave.
Yet, even as the soldiers began to relax their posture, Iikagen's right arm swooped up and backhanded the tray of tea right out of the waitress's grasp as she passed him by. The hot drinks flew by her head and splattered over the trio of men. Their hands went up to cover their faces from the scalding tea, and at that point it was all over.
Iikagen kicked off hard from the ground and flew towards the officer with both feet extended. His bare feet collided with the man's chest and sent him flying backwards into a support beam of the building. Hi cracked the back of his head against the wood and fell to the ground, laying very still.
The long-limbed islander fell to the ground after his jump, landing like a cat on all fours. The two soldiers had side-stepped slightly, putting him right between them. Without missing a beat, Iikagen threw his legs out to one side and sent himself into a spin, taking out the legs of both soldiers in rapid succession. They fell to the ground also, but Iikagen beat them to their feet. Even as the soldiers both made it to their knees, they each recieved a swift, debilitating kick just below the throat. They staggered backward, still conscious but unable to continue the fight.
Iikagen back-stepped quickly, his head swivelling to detect any more potential enemies in the room, but no one seemed to want any more trouble from the Igni. He smirked, enjoying the moment of his first fight on the mainland, though disappointed that it had been so easy. He gave a quick wave to the rest of the people in the tea house before turning and leaving the room.
Ack, just realized I forgot to make a new account before making this thread...
Sorry...
*makes one now*
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Nation: Fire Nation
Group: Igni Islander
Bender?: No
Physical Appearance: Iikagen is tall and lanky, standing about 6'3" tall with a body whose real strength is made less obvious by the stretched-out muscles of his spider-like limbs. Some parts of his lightly tanned physique are more apparently defined, specifically his abdomen and shoulders, which he likes to display prominently.
He keeps his head bald, usually shaving once a week or whenever the black peach fuzz of hair starts to become noticeable. Iikagen's face is made up of long, hawkish nose and a wide mouth lined with surprisingly white teeth. His eyes are a bit narrow, but are capable of stretching wide when he so chooses, and they sit beneath a pair of long, dark eyebrows. His jaw line is long and angular, coming to a sharp point.
Iikagen's most notable feature, however, is the tattoos that mark his face. The pattern is inlaid into his skin with a dark indigo dye that runs perfectly horizontal across his face, level with his eyes. The line is about half an inch wide and is only broken in continuity by his eyes, and ending just before his ears. He also has a set of five small dots, about a quarter inch in diameter, evenly spaced above each eyebrow. Lastly, a row of three dots runs vertically up his forehead with the bottom dot in line with those above his eyebrows, and with the middle dot twice as large as the other two.
Clothing/Armor: Iikagen's natural attire is very light and practical for his jungle homeland. He prefers to wear a crimson vest that's two sizes too small. It has threadbare gold-colored trimming along its edges, and he leaves it open in the front. The vest is short and only reaches down to the top of his abdomen.
For bottoms, he occasionally wears a plain off-white breech cloth, though on hotter days he'll forgo undergarments completely. Over these, he tends to wear loose-fitting capris-length pants or voluminous shorts, usually of a matching crimson color. If the pants don't have a drawstring along their bottom edge to keep them tight to his calves, Iikagen will sometimes just use twine or extra linen wrapping to tie them in place when he expects to be doing some running. Over this still, he also tends to wear a large square black sarong that is made of silk. It's folded diagonally into a triangle and tied around his waist with the point of the triangle running down his right side.
On his wrists and ankles, he has diamond-shaped flaps of leather folded around his skin and held in place by a layer of bandage wrappings. They extend halfway up his shins and forearms with the pointed tips of the leather covering the tops of his feet and backs of his hands, respectively.
Weapons: Iikegen himself can be considered a weapon, with or without use of sword or spear. He has trained since childhood under the torturous training methods on his tribe and has shown himself possessed of both abundant natural talent and an strange sort of psychological warfare that keeps those around him perpetually off-balance.
He is master of the traditional Igni fighting system which can best be described as a style which trains the human body to react instinctively to attack, and to use the surroundings to their fullest. Though there are almost no limits to what Iikagen may do during a fight in order to win, some of the more frequently called-upon techniques include elbows, knees, leaping strikes and an assortment of strangleholds. One distinctly Igni technique, however, is the use of headscissor takedowns, often times using trees or nearby objects as springboards to leap from.
As far as actual weapons go, Iikagen has some experience with a wide assortment of weapons, but prefers to use a chain rope-dart. His personal chain is about 20 feet long and made of thin, blackened steel links with a metal weight at one end and a barbed dart on the other.
He also has a flare for using shortspears, another signature Igni weapon. Typically used in a set of three (one for throwing), the shortspears are much like a typical spear, only with a shorter grip that puts the overall length of each at about 2 feet long.
Personality: It is hard to pin down Iikagen's personality, because it apparently changes more often than the tides. He is wildly unpredictable, with moods ranging from irrelevant silliness, to frightening belligerance, to outright insanity, and all the way to perfect elegance and gracefulness. The moment Iikagen feels like his next move could be predicted, he usually does the opposite of what could be expected. In this way, he ensures that those around him are always kept off-guard, unsure, or even downright frightened of him.
However, despite the craziness on the surface, the inner workings of Iikagen's mind are far more rational than he would ever let on. He walks a razor's edge between absolute control and total chaos, but seems to merge the two extremes fluently and without succumbing to either. The randomness that he often displays is almost always premeditated, which makes him quite the paradox, and perhaps even more difficult to get a bead on.
One of the few constants about Iikagen, though, is his loved of a challenge, particularly in combat. The thrill of fighting a skilled opponent is perhaps his greatest joy in life, and though he hates to lose, he never stops searching for someone who can best him... and then find a way to become even better. Iikagen fears neither death nor pain, for on his home island, death is an all too familiar occurrence. And as the saying goes on the Ignis, "Be happy joo in pain, it lets joo know joo still alive." In many ways, Iikagen's ultimate goal in life is to die in pitched combat against the best fighter in the world... and of course to take the bastard with him.
Another key feature about Iikagen is his general mannerisms. Having been raised in a secluded island culture, he has very few scruples about what is and is not 'right' or 'proper' in the rest of the world. All he knows about that is from stories and observations, and more often he doesn't care enough to try and fit in. He has no problem being lewd, crude, vulgar, and offensive in public when he feels like it, and he has almost no sense of chivalry. Where he comes from, women are treated as equals for the most part, and so he wouldn't hold a door or pick up a dropped token for a lady unless he had plans to bed them.
In the end, it is almost a futile exercise to try and characterize Iikagen. For he has become so obsessed with making himself unpredictable, that even he doesn't usually know his next move from moment to moment. He trusts almost no one unless he has leverage or concrete reasons to believe they'll keep their word, and sometimes it's hard not to believe that he truly has lost his mind.
Background: Iikagen was born screaming to a young woman of the Tengu tribe, the second largest tribe of the Igni archipelago. His father was either a member of the Labor Council or one of the miners who carried sacks of gemstones to the main village on their half of the island; his mother wasn't sure, nor did she truly care much. In this particular tribe, marriage was an almost nonexistent institution and Iikagen never truly had much of a desire to meet the man who contributed to his being. As a baby he was soon seperated from his mother and placed in the care of permanent wet nurses who oversaw the raising of each new brood of Tengu children.
In his early years, Iikagen seemed like a mild-mannered child. He was a bit adventurous, but otherwise didn't fuss much. He was easily overlooked and actually somewhat of a runt compared to other kids. As he grew, things didn't change much except that he became the target of some of the larger boys. During some of the games they played (games that often could be described simply as 'tackle that guy!'), Iikagen found himself on the losing team against the larger, more organized cliques. Before long he came to the realization that he had to play just as rough if he wanted things to change, because the members of the tribe who were assigned to watch over the youngsters certainly weren't intervening. In fact, they seemed to encourage that type of competition where the strong prevailed over the weak.
Around age 5 and 6 when the children of the tribe were required to assist with menial labor that went into keeping the tribe running smoothly, Iikagen managed to get his first taste of revenge. When he and another boy who had often tormented him in previous years were assigned to latrine duty, Iikagen shoved him down into the disgusting pit and dropped one of the less-harmful varieties of native snakes down with him. In the weeks to come, in between the rough-housing that still continued (though Iikagen had managed to coerce some allies onto his side and was not always the one on the losing end), Iikagen found more opportunities to get back at the other kids. He dripped orange juice over one boy while he was sleeping, resulting in about 37 bug-bites by the time he awoke. For another 'prank' he put a dried-up puffer fish in a particularly nasty girl's bed. And for another... well, he just beat that kid up when he went off into the forest to use the restroom.
At age 7, the children of the tribe were assigned what was deemed to be the task they had shown themselves most fit for. Iikagen had long-since hoped that he would get to be a warrior, but unfortunately he was still quite small compared to the rest of the boys his age. And due to the relatively discrete nature of his various acts of revenge on the other boys who had been chosen to become warriors, those making the decision about his career weren't so aware of his aptitude for the martial arts.
Instead he was sent to mines where he would be used to squeeze into the tiny crevices and crannies to scout for new veins of fire rubies. Needless to say, this was not to Iikagen's liking. He began acting out among the other workers close to his age and began picking fights whenever he could. Amazingly, he even managed to hold his own against kids that were older than him, but eventually a 12 year old who also worked the mines got fed up with Iikagen getting everyone else in trouble with the adults, and so he whacked him in the back of the head with a shovel. The young troublemaker never saw it coming, and the impact fractured his skull.
Iikagen had very distorted memories of the period after that day, but he does remember the strangest feeling of grinding bone and something poking at his brain. From the account of the tribal surgeon, he would later learn that he managed to survive a very rare occurrence of brain surgery by a physician who had only ever mended broken bones on limbs before. He had to chisel off a slightly larger piece of jagged bone from Iikagen's skull, remove the fragments of bone in his brain, and cover the hole with small steel plate. It was truly remarkable that the young boy survived the procedure, and even more so that he survived after an opportunistic infection set in and rendered him in a state of delirium for the better part of a year.
It wasn't until he was nearly 8 that Iikagen truly regained his good senses, although he had memories of his time acting like a raving fool. He recalled days when he would barely be able to speak coherently and days when he would act so outrageously that people could only gawk and call for someone to take him back to bed. It was somewhat embarrassing, but also somewhat liberating when he considered how hesitant people around him were when they didn't know what to expect.
Eventually Iikagen was well enough to be put back to work, but instead of heading to the mines, he decided that he would like a change of career. The young boy slipped in among the ranks of the fledgling warriors, and when it was eventually discovered that he was playing hookie Iikagen managed to convince one of the instructors to let him prove himself. Either out of respect for his determination, or for a cheap laugh, the instructor let Iikagen prove himself by fighting one of the more gifted young warriors. And in what was likely the most unorthodox and amusing sparring matches witnessed, Iikagen managed to win using a combination of deception, skill, and just plain strangeness to confuse his opponent enough to leave an opening for a cheap shot. There was certainly controversy over the victory, but since the warden of the mine was in no hurry to have the wild child back under his command, and the instructors found his unique methods of combat to be amusing, he was allowed to train as a warrior.
During the next few years, Iikagen was introduced to the cruel, unusual, and sometimes simply torturous methods of Igni combat training. On days where he was not racking up bruises from learning the basics of fighting or building up his strength by climbing trees, he was learning the intimate details of the jungle and how to hunt down any kind of prey. His year of bedrest had set him back significantly, but Iikagen progressed quickly and eventually caught up with his classmates. He was almost always the odd one out, though, and whenever there were team assignments his partner could never be sure of what to expect. Occasionally he would be the perfect companion: serious, reliable, and helpful. And other days he might kick his partner off a tree branch just to watch him fall.
When he was 11, the Tengu tribe had a particularly nasty conflict with their sister tribe, the Ken'ichi. Iikagen's tribe had been accused of boarding and pillaging one of the Ken'ichi's trade ships that was loaded with Fire Nation imports, but the Tengu tribe countered by claiming that the Ken'ichi had paid for those good with gems stolen from one of their stockpiles. Regardless, Iikagen got his first glimpse of warfare when the two opposing forces clashed one night not far from the main Tengu village. The Ken'ichi had attempted a surprise amphibious assault, but it was beat back in grand fashion. Two Tengu warriors in particular rose to fame during that battle for killing one of the Ken'ichi's firebenders, which was accredited as the turning point of the fight. Iikagen had not been allowed to participate in combat during that battle, but he had been close enough to see some of the actual fighting. And he was surprised to find out shortly thereafter, that the twin brothers who had gained such notoriety, were actually his half-brothers.
A few more years passed and Iikagen began to grow more and more skilled. He was still a relatively small boy, though, and his lack of physical stature kept his prodigious fighting skills from really shining through. At age 13 he was put through a week of trials to prove his manhood and earn the distinctive tattoos of his people. He had to perform feats ranging from walking across burning coals, to standing on a balance pole for hours, to fighting for his life against three full-fledged warriors armed with sticks for a round of five minutes. He passed all of the tests, and even got some attention for managing to break the nose of one of the warriors he fought. Since that last portion of the test was generally supposed to be a one-sided beating to show a young warrior's ability to keep fighting no matter what, his performance earned him some acclaim.
After receiving his tattoos, which is usually the extent of the 'coming of age' trial for the other Tengu professions, Iikagen experienced a brief golden era of his life. His budding reputation came in quite handy as he exercised some of his new rights of manhood with the girls of his tribe. However, all good things must come to an end, and when his half-brother war heroes were assigned to teach the intermediate-level warriors, Iikagen found himself the focal point of all their wrath. Perhaps it was their minor blood relation that made him their favorite punching bag, or perhaps it was his budding reputation as a future prospect... or perhaps they thought he was just weird, like most other people, but for whatever reason, he was their test dummy for every technique that was learned. And those two did not pull punches. Iikagen would often walk away from training more bloody and battered than every other warrior, except of course the unfortunate soul who go to be his sparring partner.
Only once in a blue moon did Iikagen ever attempt to take his vengeance on his brothers, and though he would occasionally end up counting a minor victory when he would put something unpleasant in their hammocks or sneak a shot in during training demonstrations, but on those days he usually crawled back to the longhouse where the warriors slept.
However, by the time he was in his mid-teens, he had finally hit a major growth spurt and shot up to an impressive height. He packed on muscle almost as quickly, and before long his half-brothers were no longer disguising their animosity. He had since moved up to the advanced level of Igni training, but they would still occasionally confront him from time to time. And despite Iikagen's impressive skills as a fighter, his brothers were older and more experienced and sometimes managed to corner and overpower him. The two seemed determined to break him and eliminate a possible rival for the position of War Minister, which they seemed to covet for themselves.
But despite the rather predatory beatings he experienced, Iikagen was relatively unphased by all of it. He had long since become accustomed to the physical pain of his torment, and the fact that they persisted in hounding him meant that they were truly scared. The only thing he feared was that they would eventually decide that he was too much of a threat and simply kill him in his sleep one of these days.
When he was 18, another major conflict broke out between the Tengu tribe and the Bo-Topi tribe of the neighboring island. Iikagen didn't even bother trying to figure out why they were fighting, for he had been longing for an opportunity to see real combat. By this point he had completed all the standard training that the Tengu tribe had to offer and was continually honing his skills by challenging anyone who was crazy enough to fight him. Thus far he'd managed to avoid killing anyone (that he knew of), so a chance to put his skills to their full use was a wish come true.
The fighting took place over a series of skirmishes, and during the very first battle, one of Iikagen's half-brothers was killed by a firebender from the other tribe. The other twin suffered an injury as well, and with those two out of the way, Iikagen found an opportunity to shine. In one of the following clashes, he managed to isolate and kill two of the Bo-Topi's benders. It was hardly for vengeance, though, and more so to solidify his own legacy as a Tengu war hero.
The conflict culminated in a particularly bloody battle on the Bo-Topi island in which the Tengu warriors nearly managed to fight through a well-laid ambush, but were repelled just shy of victory. With both sides taking losses at an unsustainable rate, they came to a cease-fire that has since lasted to this day.
Iikagen walked away from the conflict with an impressive body count racked up and the fame of having two high profile kills to his name. Combined with the fall of the former golden boys of the tribe, this put him in prime position to advance his standing just a short while later. The War Minister of the Tengu tribe was a relatively old man, but one whom was well-respected for his skill in battle and his cunning as a strategist. Though past his prime, no one had dared to challenge him for the title in years because, honestly, no one thought they could do a better job. But as a stroke of luck (for Iikagen, that is), the War Minister suffered a serious snakebite one day on a routine visit to one of the villages on the edge of the Tengu's territory.
In the empty seat left by the War Minister's death many warriors, still coming off the battle high of the conflict with the Bo-topi, cast in their lots for the position. Iikagen didn't vocalize his intentions to enter the fray immediately, but instead waited for the shouting to die down. After an initial period of people singing their own praises and touting their accomplishments, three warriors emerged as the final candidates for the position, and would not back down from simple debating. At that point, where traditionally there would have been a series of duels to determine the new War Minister, Iikagen intervened and challenged each of them to a duel, but not for the purpose of siezing the War Minister's seat. instead, he challenged one man for being offensively Ugly, another for smelling like rotten meat, and the third (his surviving half-brother), he challenged just because he didn't like him.
It was a strange move, especially when the tribe was in need of a new commander for their military, but Iikagen had his own methods of ensuring that the potential replacements were so insulted that they would postpone killing each other for the chance to kill him first.
What followed was, perhaps, one of the most impressive displays of single combat that the Tengu tribe had witnessed in recent memory. During the first fight, Iikagen fought the man he'd called ugly. The fight lasted all of 12 seconds, at which time Iikagen managed to counter the man's lunge with a perfectly-timed counter-kick to the knee, followed by smashing the falling man's face on his knee. The quick knockout brought cheers to the crowd, and soon the entire village had dropped what they were doing to come see the spectacle. The second fight lasted much longer, though. The 'smelly' opponent was highly skilled and put on a veritable clinic with his spear. However Iikagen, armed with a weighted chain, managed to deflect, tangle, trap, and block the man's skilled attacks, often bringing the battle to crescendos and then to stalemates as the two warriors seemed evenly matched.
And yet, as the battle wore on, Iikagen could feel his opponent becoming more and more frustrated; something he made sure to help along with a myriad of insults and taunts. Eventually the man lost his cool and Iikagen managed to disarm him, loop his chain around his neck, and then eventually cut the man's throat using the barbed hook on the dart end of his chain. The crowd cheered with the excellence of the fight, and when Iikagen rose from that struggle he was covered in blood and wild-eyed. He stalked right over to his half-brother, looking gruesome and crazy, and attempted to drag him into the fighting circle immediately without a break for himself. However, his sibling would have none of the challenge anymore. As disgraceful as it was to back down from a challenge after it had been formally accepted, Iikagen's bloodthirsty appearance had managed to scare the former war-hero into fearing for his life.
Iikagen then turned his challenge on to anyone in the crowd, even daring to provoke some of the tribe's own firebenders. But no one was up to the challenge after seeing the amazing battle that had played out just before them. And so it was that with all three candidates for the position of War Minister defeated or dead, Iikagen decided to 'give back to de community' by assuming the position himself.
A few years passed, and Iikagen settled into his role as the commander of the Tengu warriors. He showed himself to be a very difficult person to work with on important matters. Often times he was very secretive about his orders that he gave to the military, and the other members of the Tengu Ruling Council sometimes thought he meant to use his position to seize power and declare himself Chief, a position that they had long ago discarded. It is for this reason that there would be the occasional challenger to his title, often times spurred on by the encouragements of other members of the council. Iikagen dealt with these challengers differently each time. Sometimes he would be merciful if the person was clearly outmatched. Other times he would kill them quickly and ferociously, and other times still he was actually sit the challenger down and have a pleasant conversation before the fight. No one knows quite how, but he actually managed to talk one young man into revoking his challenge completely.
Remarkably, there was a surprising lull in the number of conflicts with other tribes under Iikagen's watch as War Minister. His unusual military maneuvers that he liked to test out often had their warriors shifting from one side of the island to the other. He even ordered the construction of a watchtower in the middle of the jungle, only to completely disregard its use. Now, whether the other neighboring tribes were simply content with the peace themselves, too engrossed in their own affairs, or simply too unsure of what was going on with the Tengu tribe, no one is sure. But even the Ken'ichi tribe that shared their home island scarcely sent scouting parties across their borders to poke around anymore.
The Tengu people were relatively prosperous as well, and for the most part they had a favorable opinion of their War Minister. He was strange and quirky, but he was entertaining and occasionally sent out full search parties to help little kids find their lost toys in the jungle. Eventually the challenges stopped coming entirely, and IIkagen was beginning to grow increasingly bored. He was spending too much time enjoying the perks of his position with the tribe's women and felt as though he was getting weaker and weaker without some sort of conflict to keep him on edge. Even his attempts to sway the rest of the council into attacking one of the lesser tribes and secruing their islands for themselves proved fruitless. Those cowards had grown comfortable with the status quo and had turned all their attention to dealings with the Fire Nation (both legitimate and black market).
By the time he turned 22, Iikagen had spent a fair amount of time lurking around the Minister of Trade and gleaming all the information he could about the Fire Nation. It seemed like, from what he was told, the Fire nation was nearly complete in its conquest of the rest of the world. Pompous windbags that the mainlanders were pictured to be, Iikagen still couldn't help but reason that there must be some good fighters left in the Fire nation if they'd managed to beat everyone else.
The War Minister eventually managed to secure himself a spot on one of the trade ships that transported gemstones to the mainland under the pretense of personally inspecting a shipment of new Fire nation weaponry.
However, the night that the ship was docked into the Fire nation port, Iikagen collected some provisions and a small fortune in gemstones and slipped off the ship. He lowered himself into the sea and swam down shore where he managed to sneak further inland without being captured by the guards assigned to keep the Ignis on the docks. From there, iikagen has since been trying to survive any way he can, all the while keeping an eye out for a warrior who could pose a real challenge.
Sample RP: As he pushed aside the red flap of cloth hanging in the doorway of a tea house, Iikagen was greeted with the sight of a dimly lit, yet cozy room. Several low tables formed rows on the right half of the room and a pair of skylights allowed two rays of sunlight to brighten the atmosphere. Iikagen huffed slightly, as though moderately impressed with the layout of the tea house. He took a few strides towards the nearest vacant table, hiding the fact that he was well-aware that every person in that room new he was not from around there.
With his bald head, facial tattoos, revealing clothing, and tanned complexion, it wasn't difficult to figure out. The patrons of the tea house seemed unsure of how to react to the presence of an Igni in their midst. Their pre-concieved notion that the islanders brought sickness with them was only overshadowed by the rumors that their skill as fighters was unparalleled. For several moments after the lanky man sat down, not even the waitresses would make a move.
However, a pair of soldiers and their commanding officer seemed to have decided that his presence wasn't welcome. The officer stood up from his seat, followed immediately by his soldiers, and strode boldly over to the newcomer. Around the te house, it was assumed that things were under control and the waitresses went back to work.
"You. Igni," the officer stated, pronouncing the last word as though he were uttering a curse, "What are you doing away from the harbor?" The soldiers behind him stood at the ready.
It was common practice for Igni traders to remain on the docks, finish their business quickly, and then leave as soon as they could. However, Iikagen had no intention of going back with the merchants he arrived with.
"My apologies," Iikagen said, rising slowly from his seat and causing the soldiers to give a start, "But I was up with the sun and needed something to help keep me going. I heard the mainland had a Ginseng tea to die for." His voice flowed with surprising fluidity for some one of his education and he offered a wide, dazzling grin.
The officer did not seem placated.
"Find a drink some place else," he said, resting his hand on the sword at his hip. Iikagen's smile didn't waver in the least, and he spread his palms amicably.
"Gentlemen, must it come to this?" he asked, sounding perfectly at ease. A waitress stepped around one of the soldiers, carrying a tray of of hot tea cups to another man sitting past Iikagen. "Very well," he said, almost sadly and he turned as if to leave.
Yet, even as the soldiers began to relax their posture, Iikagen's right arm swooped up and backhanded the tray of tea right out of the waitress's grasp as she passed him by. The hot drinks flew by her head and splattered over the trio of men. Their hands went up to cover their faces from the scalding tea, and at that point it was all over.
Iikagen kicked off hard from the ground and flew towards the officer with both feet extended. His bare feet collided with the man's chest and sent him flying backwards into a support beam of the building. Hi cracked the back of his head against the wood and fell to the ground, laying very still.
The long-limbed islander fell to the ground after his jump, landing like a cat on all fours. The two soldiers had side-stepped slightly, putting him right between them. Without missing a beat, Iikagen threw his legs out to one side and sent himself into a spin, taking out the legs of both soldiers in rapid succession. They fell to the ground also, but Iikagen beat them to their feet. Even as the soldiers both made it to their knees, they each recieved a swift, debilitating kick just below the throat. They staggered backward, still conscious but unable to continue the fight.
Iikagen back-stepped quickly, his head swivelling to detect any more potential enemies in the room, but no one seemed to want any more trouble from the Igni. He smirked, enjoying the moment of his first fight on the mainland, though disappointed that it had been so easy. He gave a quick wave to the rest of the people in the tea house before turning and leaving the room.
Ack, just realized I forgot to make a new account before making this thread...
Sorry... *makes one now*