X Japan

 

(X Japan is the setting for Oni X Fox by Sefra Orlick. Check it out by clicking here!)

 

Other Appellations:

 

The Japan of Oni and Foxes (Alpha), Universe 9715 (Universe 161)

 

Fox Harmonic:

 

Chi

 

Astral Connection:

 

L3 D1

 

X Japan’s Astral connection is lopsided to the unconscious Astral, which is usually manipulated by Fox mages to cast spells. Fox spells are augmented by the use of staves, perhaps operating on the same principle as Croatoan dreamstaves, and most commonly manifest as bolts of energy (fireballs, lightning, and on one occasion the Fox sorcerer Izuru even created a hand out of magical energy to knock on a door for him), invisible forcefields (perhaps the greatest trick in the Foxes’ arsenal. Magic forcefields can be used both to defend Fox territory and to besiege Oni territory. And the best part is, Oni don’t even realize a forcefield is there until they run right into it), and the ability to expel one’s lifeforce out of his or her body and shape it into a fox that can be used for scouting.

 

Ghost, a stable of unconscious Astral phenomena, are also known to exist, and the Oni ninja Kage has encountered a group of ghosts even if she doesn’t realize it.

 

X Japan’s connection the conscious Astral is slight. Spirits and yokai do exist, the Oni soldier Kei was even possessed by a fox spirit (as in a kitsune, it’s clan loyalty is speculative), but they seem to prefer remaining in the shadows and allowing the destiny of Japan to be decided by those that wear their faces. They are apparently coexist peacefully alongside humans, as yokai watching is a thing people do for recreation, notably Fox soldier Izuru.

 

Caution Rating:

 

0

 

Multiverse Activity:

 

Inactive

 

Keywords:

 

Sleeping, Analog

 

Description:

 

In another time, another place, another Japan, the country is fought over by two clans–the Oni and the Fox. The Oni clan is based in the mountains and favor strength of arms over the clever strategems and magic spells of their plains-dwelling rivals–with the exception of their elite ninja, who, though marginalized by Oni philosophy, are just as crafty and resourceful as any Fox mage.

 

Both clans wear masks to identity their allegiance. The more of the face a mask covers, the great its wearer’s prestige. To be unmasked by the enemy is the ultimate shame.

 

Well, except for Kage, but she’s different. In a lot of ways.

 

The Oni and Fox do not control all of Japan. They are simply the largest factions. Other masked clans control a handful of neutral territories such as the Kappa clan and the Tengu clan, and their allegiance to the Oni and Fox changes from time to time. Ronin also wander the land, masterless and willing to sell their sword, and are hired by both clans.

 

Clans take responsibility for the upkeep of their territories, and even help out local communities. It’s a shame the Oni and Foxes can’t get along, they seem to only want the best for Japan.

 

Years ago, the Oni and Fox waged a brutal war that was costly to both sides. The war resolved without a winner, and since them the clans have been engaged in what is known as endemic warfare, warfare that is continual but relatively low-stakes. They skirmish, they do not battle. They raid castles, they do not capture them. Lives are lost, but nowhere near the extend they otherwise might be. The status quo is, relatively speaking, peaceful.

 

But the schemes of certain Fox master may reignite the embers of endemic conflict into a full-scale, all-or-nothing war…

 

Individuals of Note

 

Oni Clan

 

 

Master Masayoshi

 

 

 

Eccentric, wild, and spontaneous, Master Masayoshi embodies the Oni spirit of action before thought.

And how!

Masa is highly durable and is capable of being sent flying clear over the horizon by an attack only to stand up, dust himself off, and get back into the action!

 

…Once he finds the action…

 

Raw Power 10

Durability 10

Speed 8

Sanity 2

Intelligence 2

Skill 10

 

Master Joichi

 

 

Nicknamed the “wild tiger,” Joichi is, amusingly, not as wild as fellow master Masayoshi and often serves as (somewhat) a counter to Masa’s eccentricities. That still doesn’t mean he isn’t an Oni master through and through. Joichi favors hard-hitting aggressive strategies as represented by his weapons of choice–a pair of shuko, claw like blades attached to the palms that allow wielders to rend at their opponent’s flesh, appropriately enough, like tigers.

 

Raw Power 9

Durability 7

Speed 8

Sanity 4

Intelligence 3

Skill 10

 

Daizo

 

 

 

Brawn over brains. Daizo is big muscle and a big heart. He always tries to helpful, though his efforts often leave something to be desired. He loves hitting the hot springs and relaxing after a hard day of Oni business!

 

Raw Power 10

Durability 8

Speed 5

Intelligence 1

Sanity 5

Skill 3

 

Saya

 

 

Rude, grumpy, and sarcastic, Saya’s tongue is as sharp as her sai. If there’s a bright side to the situation, she doesn’t see it, and will let you know she doesn’t see it. Quick to pragmatic violence, be it dismissing the worth of a hostage to his kidnappers or threatening Kappa clan transports.

 

Hey, she gets results!

 

Her weapons of choice are a pair of sai partially obscured by her long sleeves, which not only look cool but can partially cloak her movements.

 

Raw Power 5

Durability 3

Speed 7

Intelligence 6

Sanity 5

Skill 8

 

Shintaro “Shin”

 

, 

 

Hyperactive and obsessive, Shin is one of the Oni clan’s ninjas. Though not on the level of Kage or Masashi, he still graduated from ninja academy and knows the techniques of the shadows!

 

Shin is prone to hyperfixation. He can’t stand a mystery, be it what Kei’s gender or what goes bump in the middle of the night. He is totally convinced in the existence of extraterrestrial life, and after our probe scanned his universe we can say without a doubt that DATA HIDDEN BEHIND ARGO GOLD LEVEL CLEARANCE. PLEASE CONTACT AN ARCHIVAL MS.

 

It’s a shame that Shin doesn’t fixate on ultraterrestrials since, well, he’s being observed by them. And from our perspective, he is one.

 

Appropriately for a ninja, kunai are Shin’s weapons of choice…though is greatest weapon will always be that he knows THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE!

 

Raw Power 7

Durability 4

Speed 7

Intelligence 6

Sanity 3

Skill 7

 

Kage

 

 

 

Kage is a highly skilled, highly animated, easily bored ninja. She goes where she pleases around Oni and Fox territory and neither walls nor gates or concepts of privacy and ownership bar her way. Very playful, Kage sees the struggle between clans as a big, fun game that sometimes has too many rules and complications. She doesn’t care a bit about the honor of her mask which gives her an advantage over…pretty much everyone else, because everyone else really, really cares about their masks.

 

Though she seems to be a big goofball, Kage is surprisingly competent. She keeps a smoke bomb in her stomach which lets her vomit up a cloud of smoke in a pinch and knows pressure points that can drop a Fox with just one touch. Kunai are her weapons of choice, appropriate for a ninja.

 

She loves the trading card game Sam-Ur-Oh, but unfortunately can’t find anyone to play with her…

 

Raw Power 9

Durability 3

Speed 9

Intelligence 5

Sanity 4

Skill 10

 

Kei

 

 

An Oni soldier of unknown gender but certain loyalty, Kei is a level-headed stalwart and a balancing influence on his/her more animated teammates. He/she never forgets a favor. Kei is a true friend.

 

The supernatural seems to like Kei. They were possessed by a fox spirit (as in the yokai) and is the only ION to have seen the Lion Mask besides the Fox soldier Reiko.

 

His/her weapon of choice is a naginata.

 

Raw Power 8

Durability 6

Speed 5

Intelligence 5

Sanity 8

Skill 7

 

Masashi

 

 

Shin’s idol, they went to the academy together where Masashi majored in infiltration and Shin…didn’t. A highly skilled operative, he and Shin were able to dispatch two Fox masters and burn down a castle…which was a change to the original plan of capturing the castle, but a change not unwelcomed by Oni leadership.

 

He may not be all that he seems…

 

Raw Power 9

Durability 6

Speed 8

Intelligence 7

Sanity 3

Skill 10

 

Hiro

 

 

An unfortunate Oni recruit left to guard the base alone when the Foxes came calling. The Foxes attempted to use him as a bargaining chip, but as Saya bluntly put it…they didn’t really care about a lowly recruit. He was expendable.

 

Ouch.

 

The last time we checked, the poor guy is still locked up. Maybe he should just switch sides?

 

ARGO NOTE FROM RESEARCHER HAND: Hey, he actually got out! Can you believe it? Someone find out where he went!

 

Raw Power–Useless

Durability–Pointless

Speed-Purposeless

Sanity-Hopeless

Intelligence–Witless

Skill-Hapless

 

Fox Clan

 

 

Master Kobayashi

 

 

A voice of moderation within Fox clan leadership, it is a shame that Kobayashi is overruled time and time again by his hawkish counterpart Master Kitano.

 

Raw Power 7

Durability 6

Speed 6

Sanity 5

Intelligence 5

Skill 10

 

Master Kitano

 

 

Cool-headed, calm, and more than likely insidious, Master Kitano is the chief war monger among the Fox clan leadership.

 

The Oni clan are the eternal rivals of the Fox clan, but Master Kitano harbors a particularly deep hatred for the Oni. He believes, like all war mongers, that war is the path to peace, and that the memory of those that perished in the last war with the Oni can only be honored by completely annihilating the Oni once and for all. He has no doubt that the Fox clan would crush the Oni clan, if only total war was declared.

 

Raw Power 6

Durability 4

Speed 6

Sanity 2

Intelligence 10

Skill 10

 

Midori

 

 

 

Lazy. That’s the best way to describe Midori. Lazy, lazy, lazy. She doesn’t get anxious over anything, she just goes with the flow. Midori is prone to fall asleep, even sometimes falling face-first into bowels of ramen.

 

Midori isn’t the best Fox mage, mostly because she refuses to give anything more  than the bare minimum amount of effort required, especially her magical studies. She lags behind her peers and only recently learned how to project her lifeforce as a fox, something that Fox mages are all supposed to know as a basic skill.

 

Her weapon of choice is a magic staff…or the chopsticks constantly hanging out of her mouth, if those can be counted as weapons…

 

Raw Power 4

Durability 3

Speed 2

Intelligence 5

Sanity 10

Skill 4

 

Reiko

 

 

 

Reiko is a wealthy heiress from a highly influential family, but dislikes people bringing it up. A gentle soul, she is perhaps a poor fit for the Fox clan lifestyle, and her family urges her to leave the life behind and come home, but Reiko wouldn’t dare leave her friends behind.

 

Her greatest strength is her kindness–and her greatest weakness.

 

She, like the Oni soldier Kei, has seen the mysterious Lion Mask, and in fact has seen him several times. Each time the Lion Mask appears to her, he leaves her a cryptic clue–a haiku, a charm–what these clues mean is anyone’s guess.

 

She mighttttt have a thing for Izuru. You decide!

 

She has a pet tortoise named Chibi-chan.

 

Her weapon of choice is a bladed fan and she has learned how to use it to deflect magic. While this skill sounds impressive, the Oni clan does not use magic, meaning her deflection skill is of little practical use.

 

Raw Power 3

Durability 6

Speed 5

Intelligence 6

Sanity 4

Skill 6

 

Izumi

 

 

Izumi is Izuru’s sister. Where he was pampered and cursed by low expectations, she was disciplined to create a fighting machine, one of the strongest fighters in the entire Fox clan.

 

Izuru trains every day. From a young age she was taught to work, work, work, and now its almost second nature to her, though sometimes she envies the freedom of her brother. She has honed her body to the peak of perfection to the point that she wrestles bears for recreation.

 

She was previously afraid of heights until Kage “helped” her overcome her phobia via an impromptu immersion therapy session.

 

Her weapons of choice are a pair of extra-large tonfa.

 

Raw Power 10

Durability 7

Speed 6

Sanity 4

Intelligence 4

Skill 9

 

Kisago

 

 

Kisago acts pretty Oni-like for a Fox soldier. He favors quick action over slow thought and fancies himself something of a macho man–which made Izumi being assigned as his combat instructor all the funnier. He also fancies himself Takeshi’s rival as Takeshi’s super-agreeable personality clashes vividly with his own.

 

He a lot of time in the scroll library, but he is TOTALLY not a nerd!

 

His weapon of choice is a katana, just like his rival Takeshi, and he has a pretty good quick-draw or iaido, technique.

 

Raw Power 5

Durability 5

Speed 6

Intelligence 4

Sanity 4

Skill 6

 

Ayumi

 

 

Ayumi is a very bubbly girl, the opposite of the introverted Reiko who is her friend and trainee. Ayumi likes shopping, and often goes shopping to destress from life as a Fox soldier.

 

She originally joined the Fox clan for protection, but as their struggle against the Oni clan heats up, she’s starting to wonder if she made the right choice or not.

 

Her weapon of choice is a kusarigama, or chain sickle, which she can use to disarm and immobilize foes.

 

Raw Power 4

Durability 4

Speed 7

Intelligence 4

Sanity 3

Skill 7

 

Izuru

 

 

Izuru is the brother of Izumi, and while she was given a straight and clear path forward through life, he was left to find his own way, and chose the mystic arts.

 

Brought in to train up the lazy Fox mage Midori, Izuru found he had his work cut out for him. When he isn’t trying to coax some effort out of Midori, Izuru enjoys painting and yokai watching.

 

His weapon of choice is a magic staff, the traditional weapon of mages.

 

Raw Power 8

Durability 3

Speed 5

Intelligence 7

Sanity 5

Skill 7

 

Master Takeshi

 

 

 

Before Master Kitano tested Takeshi’ resolve, Takeshi was a good solder by the Master’s standards. He was skillful, polite, humble, and very, very agreeable. Takeshi’s rival Kisago even called him mindless. But after Master Kitano’s test, Takeshi became Kitano’s ideal soldier–close to robotic in nature. He comes when he is summoned and he does what must be done. He is a mirror reflecting the desires and wishes of others.

 

Because of these qualities, Kitano promoted Takeshi to the rank of Master over the objections of Master Kobayashi who feared that, Takeshi’s skills and virtues aside, he was not cut out for leadership. Takeshi is a selfless and has great trouble thinking for himself. Extreme agreeableness, while good for soldiers, is not a good quality for leaders, and Master Kobayashi fears the new Master will falter under pressure.

 

His weapon of choice is a katana.

 

Raw Power 6

Durability 6

Speed 6

Intelligence 3

Sanity 1

Skill 7

 

Hiseo

 

 

Hiseo is an expert swordsman brought in by Master Kitano to train Takeshi in preparation for him becoming a Master. Though not a Fox clan Master, Hiseo is a mater of the blade, and few in all of Japan can rival his skill. He is a highly disciplined fighter even to the point that a bleeding neck wound is of only mild concern to him.

 

Though his incredible focus and pain tolerance may make him see frightening, he has his soft spots. He likes marketplace knick-knacks, especially fancy umbrellas, and has a fear of octopi owing to a previous encounter.

 

His weapon of choice is–what else? A katana.

 

Raw Power 8

Durability 10

Speed 7

Intelligence 3

Sanity 8

Skill 8

Fusazane

 

 

Illusive, eccentric, and perhaps a little irrational, Fusazane is the zany tactician of the Fox clan. His strategies are so complex that even he has trouble understanding them!

 

His weapon of choice is a katana, with which he uses unorthodox techniques that take his enemies off-guard.

 

Raw Power-4

Durability-5

Speed-6

Sanity-?

Intelligence;?

Skill-?

 

Niko

 

 

 

Originally brought in to help Fusazane as an extra tactician, the Oni ninjas Shin and Kage got the best of him during an altercation at a costume party and unmasked him. Unwilling to return to his comrades in shame, Shin decided to start all over with a new identity as a fresh Fox clan recruit named who, by chance, found himself serving under Master Takeshi.

 

Raw Power 5

Durability 4

Speed 5

Intelligence 6

Sanity 3

Skill 6

 

Noriko

 

 

Noriko’s younger but far taller cousin. Noriko is a mage, like her cousin, but is outgoing and spunky, unlike he cousin. Differences aside, Noriko is totally devoted to Midori.

 

Raw Power 5

Durability 3

Speed 5

Intelligence 6

Sanity 6

Skill 6