Phantom Swordsman
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| The Phantom Swordsman | |
| Player: @Epsicon | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | 30 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Ryo Shinichiro / Mitsuhide Akechi |
| Known Aliases: | n/a |
| Species: | Human / Spirit |
| Age: | 25 (Roughly) |
| Height: | 6 feet, 10 inches. |
| Weight: | 260 lbs. |
| Eye Color: | Confidential |
| Hair Color: | Confidential |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Occupation: | Professional Crime Fighter |
| Place of Birth: | Paragon City / Mino Province |
| Base of Operations: | Steel Canyon |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Confidential |
| Known Powers | |
| Katana, Super Reflexes | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Ninja Run, Soul Explosion | |
| Equipment | |
| Katana, Custom Samurai Armor, Magical Talismans | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
City of Heroes ID Card
((Roleplayer))
A man clad in dark grey samurai armor, he hides his face behind a white mask. When questioned as to his past, the Phantom Swordsman usually responds with short answers, and refers to himself as "We", "Ryo" or "Mitsuhide". Depending on the name used, the tone and sound of his voice differs. He is stoic, very quiet and shows little emotion. While he displays no qualms with killing criminals, he will usually hold back on human or other intelligent creatures unless they start using lethal force.
Signature Skills: Katana (Akechi Style), Sixth Sense (Reflexes), Dash (Ki Enabled Movement), Soul Explosion (Desperation Move)
The Story So Far
Ryo Shinichiro was your average 25 year old Paragon City citizen, managing to survive through all sorts of ordeals that have plagued the city since before his birth to present day. He was attending the Paragon University, studying magical artifacts and their applications to modern day situations when he stumbled upon the katana that would lead to the creation of the Phantom Swordsman.
As he studied magical artifacts and talismans, his natural curiosity began to take hold. Already an avid katana collector, Ryo began to research supposedly enchanted blades from famous wielders. While browsing the magical black markets, he came across what was said the to be legendary blade of Mitsuhide Akechi. Knowing this samurai died a regretful death, Ryo began to inquire as to what made the blade special. The merchant was hesitant to say, only to mention the seal that bound the blade to the sheath was there for good reason. Curious to know more, he purchased the blade and took it back to the university, hoping one of his older peers could help him pry into the blade's magical quantities.
Arriving back on campus, Ryo found himself alone in the lab. After an hour, he found himself tired of waiting and decided to unseal the sword himself. What took place next is still a mystery to most. As the seal crumbled away, Ryo drew the blade. A brilliant flash of light filled the room, an explosion of sound blew out the lab's windows, and Ryo fell to the floor unconscious. When security arrived to find him, they found the blade partially drawn, Ryo on the floor and the walls covered in cuts.
Three weeks later, Ryo came to in the Paragon Hospital. Groggy from the ordeal, he was unsure as to what took place. He was even more unsure why a second voice suddenly started speaking in his mind. The voice identified itself as Mitsuhide Akechi, the very owner of the sword Ryo unsealed. As he spoke, a flood of memories began to enter Ryo's mind. The showdown at Honnoji, Oda Nobunaga's dying curse, and eventually... his death at the hands of Toyotomi Hideyoshi after days of fatigue on the run. The images faded, but Ryo felt that they were also burnt into his long term memory. He could recall the sights, sounds and pain of those days. As if he had lived them. Mitsuhide, sensing Ryo's confusion, suggested that when Ryo had unsealed the sword... it was possible the samurai's soul that had been cursed to live in the blade somehow fused into Ryo's soul. Two men, of different times and backgrounds, were now occupying the same single body.
Ryo's instructors, and investigators at M.A.G.I., later confirmed it. Furthermore, they discovered the fusion was so haphazard and forced, it was impossible to tell where one soul began and the other ended. A separation ritual could easily spell the end for one, or both, men. Distraught, Ryo and Mitsuhide were forced to accept the idea that the two might forever be locked in the same body. Life became difficult for a while. At school, Ryo felt Mitsuhide's uneasiness in sitting in a classroom for hours at a time. On the streets, Mitsuhide felt Ryo's disgust for those that abused magical abilities for their own villainous gain. No matter who controlled the body, the other was always in the background, offering alternative advice. While troublesome, it was not impossible to adapt to normal life until the ki leaking began.
Ki, a life force energy, has been theorized to be sustained and created by the human soul. In a case as such as Ryo and Mitsuhide's, where two souls inhabited one body, an excess of ki was being generated. Furthermore, as the two began to cooperate more and more, the souls further unionized, and less ki was wasted in maintaining the two. With an excess amount of energy, and no place for it to go, the ki began leaking out during everyday activities. A normal push on a door might result in the door unhinging. Grabbing a pencil might snap it in two. Casually lobbing a book to a friend might come with the force of an overhand throw. Seeking help controlling this force, the two returned to M.A.G.I.
After months of training, the two learned to control this new force and use it like a battery of power. However, they were informed that while daily expending of the ki could prevent accidents now, in the future, it might become impossible to expend the ki faster than they created it. M.A.G.I. had a solution, but it was impractical in every day life. But, as a hero, they could find a new purpose and a new kind of "normal" existence. Mitsuhide readily embraced the idea, loving the option to get out of stuffy classrooms and back to serving justice. Ryo was less than enthusiastic, many of the his childhood friends and became heroes and now lay in pine boxes. But, as more and more ki had to be spent each day, Ryo finally succumbed to the idea and allowed Mitsuhide to take the lead as a hero.
As the M.A.G.I. smiths began to gather material for the solution, Mitsuhide and Ryo mused over a theme. Ryo, a fan of heroes like Statesman, suggested the usual attire. But Mitsuhide suggested a darker theme, something to compliment his own swordsmanship abilities. Something that would intimidate villains into submission. Flipping through history books, they finally found a design that coincided with Mitsuhide's idea. A Samurai warrior armor set, black and grey, with near demonic looking features. As for a face guard, a simple white mask with black eyelets would do, to resemble a bleached skull. They would later call the theme, "The Phantom Swordsman."
After what seemed a lifetime to Mitsuhide, the armor was created. M.A.G.I. had imbued the costume with material that drained ki from the human body, and then used to bolster the wielder's own strength and abilities. The set was magically calibrated to match a "normal" man's ki level, and the two hit the streets to test out their new personage. At first, they tackled villains of all backgrounds, arresting and never killing unless driven to otherwise. If pushed that far, Ryo always let Mitsuhide deliver the killing blow. But as time went on, they found they were more effective, and were forced to manslaughter less often, foes of magical backgrounds. Dodging bullets and lasers proved difficult to the inexperienced Mitsuhide, but he could easily deflect arrows, disarm sword users, and the suit - to a degree - absorbed some magical attacks. As such, the two made a vow to aid whoever was in need, but to concentrate on groups like the Circle of Thorns or Banished Pantheon.
Currently, the two are seeking a group of like minded heroes to join.
Personality
As the Phantom Swordsman, the two are somewhat awkward, quiet and prefer to be in the background. The strain of two acting as one for maximum efficiency takes immense concentration, leaving little room for conversation.
Ryo is also quiet, but enthusiastic when talking about his favorite interests. He does not drink, smoke or take any recreational drugs. Ryo has a crush on a fellow heroine, but refuses to give up a name. Mitsuhide is sworn to secrecy as well.
Mitsuhide on the other hand is well spoken and kind hearted. He imagines himself as chivalrous while also adhering to the strictest codes of bushido. While meaning well, he can sometimes seem insincere... he simply means to only offer (in his opinion) the best advice. Unfortunately, Mitsuhide is also somewhat of a goof at heroing. He trusts the spoken word absolutely, flashes back to his warrior days in battle ... sometimes killing in the heat of the moment, and mostly completely fails any attempt to interact with modern technology. Mitsuhide sometimes drinks (sake only), doesn't smoke or take any recreational drugs. He does not have any romantic interests.
Powers and Abilities
The Phantom Swordsman's powers are drawn from the union of Ryo and Mitsuhide's souls and Mitsuhide's own skill with a katana. The specially made MAGI armor that burns ki as energy and produces raw power is also a factor. While essentially limited to dodging incoming attacks and delivering incapacitating blows, the Phantom Swordsman has a move he rarely uses because of it's insanely destructive nature. The Soul Explosion. By looping both Ryo and Mitsuhide's ki into a highly concentrated loop, constantly adding more without an outlet, the Phantom Swordsman can something like a ki bomb. At critical levels, the ki explodes from the Swordsman's body and slams into whatever surrounds him. Rarely anything hit by this is left standing, including the Phantom Swordsman. Using the move guarantees an extended hospital stay.
Equipment
The MAGI armor is constantly on the Phantom Swordsman, thus being the most well known. The second being Mitsuhide's katana, reinforced with Impervium to make a deadly weapon for all. However, he does pack additional gadgets and gizmos. Ryo is something of a scholar on artifacts, constantly gathering new tools to use in their career. He carries an assortment of weakening amulets, staffs of various power and the occasional enchanted weapon. They are, if nothing else, versatile.
Author Notes
Creating the Phantom Swordsman
The Phantom Swordsman is a character I've been wanting to create for a while, one that blended real life historical figures and the City of Heroes universe cohesively. Being a fan of the Sengoku period, I naturally chose a samurai in direct opposition to what I plan on being a major villain, Oda Nobunaga. While I am usually against portraying Nobunaga as a bad guy, so many others have done it before me that I thought it would be easier for a Western audience - somewhat familiar with Samurai Warriors/Warriors Orochi, Onimusha and Devil Kings - to accept Nobunaga as a villain than as a misunderstood military leader.
So, thanks to history, I chose Mitsuhide Akechi. His portrayal as an excellent swordsman in the Warriors franchise certainly helped with this decision, and since he was (supposedly) one of the few with Nobunaga at the time of his death, I bent fact somewhat to make both Nobunaga and Mitsuhide cursed souls, forever sealed in magical artifacts, destined to duel each other to the death time and time again, for the rest of eternity. (More on that in the Expanded Biography.)
The overall design of the Phantom Swordsman is not a coincidence. If you think it mimics another "Dark Knight", then you would be spot on. Since Ryo is a modern day citizen, not obsessed with combat or being a hero, and Mitsuhide had a high sense of justice, it would make sense for them to avoid killing villains if at all possible. If anything, only Mitsuhide would be the one able to do it as Ryo wouldn't have the stomach for it. This is what influenced the "dark" design, despite them being classically good. If the villains were quicker to lay down arms out of fear, less bloodshed would occur.
Lastly, the final piece to the Phantom Swordsman lies in partial thanks to Shakugan no Shana, which I borrowed from without immediately realizing. Like the Phantom Swordsman, the main character in that series also uses his own "soul energy" to fuel combat moves. It's been at least two years since I had watched the show, so while I can definitely say showing soul energy as fire and using it for Epic Power Pool attacks was influenced by the series, many other anime titles also feature heroes burning their life force energy for power... so I don't feel this is outright plagiarism. At the very least, I hope it's not seen as such. :D
