<div style="padding:5px;font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#5a524c;" size="2">■</font> ''"Word was a gang of rogues wanted to use that hill with the gravestone to build their own headquarters of sorts. Funny thing was, by the time the authorities got there all they found were pools of blood and broken dagger. That gang was never heard from again."'' - Observant Tavern-goer</div>
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<div style="padding:5px;font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#5a524c;" size="2">■</font> ''"We were trying to ascertain the identity of an assassin who goes by Mansa Musa. The man operates in complete secrecy. But *he smiled* everyone makes mistakes, and he surely made his. Too bad for us he was quick to correct that mistake. We were to meet our informant late one evening but when we got there he had been hung."'' - Limsan Lominsan Chief of the Guard</div>
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<div style="padding:5px;font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#5a524c;" size="2">■</font> ''"We were trying to ascertain the identity of an assassin who goes by Mansa Musa. The man operates in complete secrecy. But *he smiled* everyone makes mistakes, and he surely made his. Too bad for us he was quick to correct that mistake. We were to meet our informant late one evening at a predetermined location. When we arrived all we found was our informant dead with a noose around his neck."'' - Limsan Lominsan Chief of the Guard</div>
<div style="padding:5px;font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#5a524c;" size="2">■</font> ''"Want a job done? Send a table reservation for the Bismark to the mailboxes at the Inn in the aftcastle of Limsa Lominsa. It's box 34. Jot down where and when you want to meet and Mansa will be there."'' - Rich Merchant from Uldah and various underground individuals.</div>
<div style="padding:5px;font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#5a524c;" size="2">■</font> ''"Want a job done? Send a table reservation for the Bismark to the mailboxes at the Inn in the aftcastle of Limsa Lominsa. It's box 34. Jot down where and when you want to meet and Mansa will be there."'' - Rich Merchant from Uldah and various underground individuals.</div>
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Revision as of 06:29, 21 May 2018
Vincent Sarkoza
About
Name... Vincent Sarkoza
Alias... Mansa Musa
Age... 28
Gender... Male
Race... Hyur
Clan... Midlander. Gekko No Kage (Moonlight Shadow Clan)
Orientation... Heterosexual
Marital... Single
Deity... Oschon
Nationality... N/A
Occupation... Gourmet Chef at the Bismark. Contract Assassin and espionage expert.
Alignment... Chaotic Neutral
Vincent stands 180cm tall while the body is taught and lean like an Olympic Gymnast, a result of years of training since his childhood years with his master Mansa Musa on their mountain hut. Vincent is most known for his red hair, teal colored eyes, and the scar-like birthmark on his right eye. His facial expression tends to change notably from a kind expression with a gentle smile while operating as a chef to a somewhat sadistic smirk while operating in the night.
Scars & Markings: His body is adorned by scars both obvious and faint. He is mostly known for the scar over his right eye, though it wasn't cut but rather it was a mark he was born with.
Clothing: Vincent can usually be seen in casual attire and is almost always wearing his trademark purple bandanna. He also wears a beautiful, oak pendant around his neck at all times. Carved on it is a Gemini symbol with a simple zig zag lighting going down the center. It symbolizes the death of his love at his own hands and the most profound and intense experience of his life and the impact it had on him. Though he's moved on from the incident, it serves as a reminder of what was and has now become a part of him. While roaming the night hunting his victims, Vincent prefers to wear what is most appropriate for the job though he does stay away from wearing cumbersome armor.
(On the left: A portrait of Vincent by an artist in Kugane (Character inspired from Takehiko Inoue's Vagabond)
As a man who's traveled throughout Eorzea, sampled the fine sake of Kurogane, and gazed upon the vastness of the Azim Steppes, Vincent has learned as much as he could of the cultures of the world before finally returning to Eorzea once again. Thus, within the red haired man rests the tutelage of the many lessons and stories he had acquired throughout the years. However,as his age approaches thirty winters, Vincent has begun to find more enlightenment in enjoying life through the pursuit of amusement and adrenaline. "what is life but the stories we tell, the lives touched, and memories treasured?" - Vincent.
Likes
Money It pays the bills and allows him to be good at his job, among other things.
Wine
A taste he picked up after he set out on his own, he enjoys drinking wine from time to time.
Tea He drinks this more out of habit and enjoyment. After drinking tea for over a decade it just kind of stuck with him
Desserts There's always room for dessert
Traveling Vincent has many journals of cataloged flora and fauna with detailed drawings and notes. As his travels extended past Eorzea he began to write about the people he's met.
Women Nough said.
Beaches refer to what's just above, plus beaches are always nice
Napping
Flowers and stars Vincent finds it highly rejuvenating to gaze upon the heavens or fields of flowers.
Dislikes
Restrictions
Judgmental People
Stubborness
Righteousness
The Authorities
Goody-two-shoes
Fears
Fat Hairy Spiders Eorzea's little nopes. Vincent would rather fight Bahamut itself than deal with these nopes.
Death Despite his cocky attitude in combat Vincent is concerned about death. This concern is what has been keeping him alive.
Caught off guard There is nothing Vincent fears more than an ambush. Vincent likes to be the one that gets a jump on someone, not the other way around. Unfortunately this happens more than he likes.
Favorites
Favorite Food: Ratatouille
Favorite Drink: Jasmine/green/black tea
Favorite Color: None
Favorite Places: Uldah, Costa del Sol, a grave stone
Friends
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Acquiantances
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Allies
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Enemies
Reserved ( )
Reserved: ( )
Reserved ( )
Reserved ( )
NPC
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◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely!
■ "That guy with red hair? Yeah he's a travelin cook and some sort of wild life cataloger or something." - Uldhan Civilian
■ "Oh Vinny? Yeah I know him, I've done business with him a few times. He brings herbs and spices from the far away places he's been to." - Various Merchants
■ "I didn't like him at first. But he really proved himself to be quite the cook. The boss seems quite fond of him. He drops by regularly for about a week a month, usually, to work at the restaurant. Other than that the man's on the road all the time gathering information for the restaurant." - Sous Chef at the Bismark
◢ Uncommon Rumors -A little more difficult to hear.
■ "I heard he likes to visit a gravestone that's on a hill outside the city a ways. Apparently he'd leave a bouquet every time he visits." - Waitress at the Bismark
■ "I've always wondered how a guy like him survived on the road. Turns out he's not half bad at fighting....with his frying pan! Hahahahaha!" - Caravan guard hired to protect merchants from Limsa Lominsa to Uldah
◢ Rare Rumors -Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using!
■ "We were trying to ascertain the identity of an assassin who goes by Mansa Musa. The man operates in complete secrecy. But *he smiled* everyone makes mistakes, and he surely made his. Too bad for us he was quick to correct that mistake. We were to meet our informant late one evening at a predetermined location. When we arrived all we found was our informant dead with a noose around his neck." - Limsan Lominsan Chief of the Guard
■ "Want a job done? Send a table reservation for the Bismark to the mailboxes at the Inn in the aftcastle of Limsa Lominsa. It's box 34. Jot down where and when you want to meet and Mansa will be there." - Rich Merchant from Uldah and various underground individuals.
PC
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◢ Player Character Rumors -Feel free to add rumors of your own!
■ "He -- he really likes women, doesn't he? He's a bit too... flattering, perhaps." Pia Fashonti
During The Sixth Astral Era, the Sarkoza family were part of the three migratory waves of Hyur that settled in Eorzea. Little is known about their history except for pieces of information that they may be from either Doma, or somewhere else in the East. The name Sarkoza was used after the clan settled in Eorzea in order to fit in and is one of the reasons why most of the family's history before that time has either been lost or cannot be traced back to them.
It was however, both intrigue and politics that truly disconnected the Sarkoza family from its true ancestral roots. As the family began to gain some semblance of wealth and renown in Thanalan, it grew in size and separated into three main houses. Though all three houses were under the same name, it operated much as if it were three utterly different families. Each house utilized the first name of their respective heads of house to distinguish themselves from the other houses. Each three worked together to ensure "the greater good of the Sarkoza family" but even then there grew to be rivalries between the three. After only three hundred years in Eorzea the three families tore at one another. All over a sword, power , and of course wealth.
A large wooden and metal chest had been unearthed one day by an expeditionary team that was sent back to the east by one of the three houses back to an area where the familiy's origin was thought to be located. When the chest was brought back, the leaders of all three houses, Bozan , Cyril, and Oskan, gathered together to open the chest. Inside they discovered a wooden tome and a magnificent sabre made of an unknown metal that shone a gentle bright white and blue as aether swirled around the blade like a mist. The guard, grip, and pommel were decorated with with soft wine red leather, beautiful silver, and brilliant gold in a streamline fashion. The pommel itself was a mixture of gold and silver, and made to perfectly balance the entire weapon.
An argument immediately ensued between Bozan and Cyril as to which house would hold the blade. All the while, Oskan sat and admired the blade with a sense of wonder. He suggested that the houses could share the sword and each could house the sword for a period of time and then pass it to the next house in line. Bozan and Cyril had none of it, claiming that to own a sword is to hold on to it until death, citing that a warrior's sword is part of his soul and a soul cannot be passed around like a toy.
Attempts were made to decipher the tome that came with the sword but to everyone there, it was a completely foreign language. Since the sword and tome were already in Cyrils house, the three agreed to leave it there until the tome could be deciphered. For a long while, nobody could decipher the tome and much money was spent on finding those who could and none were harder in the search than Bozan and Cyril. As for Oskan, he too tried to find ways to decipher the tome, preferring to look through the dusty books and scrolls of any library he could find. He saw no need to hire a translator since the other two were already looking for one. If Oskan had known what deciphering the tome would mean, he would have preferred if the sword had never been found.
When Bozan and Cyril found a linguist and historian by the name of Balien by pure chance, they quickly discovered through conversation that the man had spent a considerable amount of time in the East and even Doma itself. Upon hearing of an ancient sword and tome, Balien was absolutely overjoyed and insisted that he be taken to it as soon as possible and offered to decipher the tome free of charge so long as he could make a copy of the inscription on the tome and make a detailed drawing of the sword. Bozan and Cyril agreed and brought him to the main room of Cyril's rather spacious home. More of a small mansion really. Both he and Bozan owned rather large estates with the exception of Oskan.
There Balien stayed, translating one character after the other for three days and nights by comparing and referencing his many, many notes and referencing the knowledge he gained during his time in the east. Some might be surprised at how loudly Balien exclaimed eureka despite his lack of sleep. He wasted no time in conveying what he had just translated to Bozan and Cyril, who decided it didn't matter whether or not Oskan was present and used "let's not bother him while he's got his face in the books" as an excuse not to invite him.
Balien excitedly held up a sheet of paper with a large smile across his face and read:
Here lies the proof of the strength of our people. The sword that belonged to the man who was the first of our greatest leaders. With great ferocity and courage he slew the great eight headed dragon of the wind and sea and secured a future for our people and led us with grace and humility. Like he, his descendants were red of hair with eyes like summer grass and carried a scar on their right eye. This sword shall forever represent the best of the principles of our clan: righteousness, honor, humility, justice, and strength.
Balien looked up from the sheet of paper he had held so closely to his face for the past few minutes and found that both Bozan and Cyril had blank expressions. He apologized that who ever inscribed the tome didn't put down the clan name, but the two men before him knew very well that the sword did belong to the Sarkoza family. Just not to them, or their house to be precise, but to Oskan. Only Oskan fit the description of the hero in the tome. They always wondered why he had a scar on his right eye and why when neither his father nor mother had teal eyes and red hair and Oskan had. If it wasn't for the fact that Oskan looked enough like both his parents he would've been cast off as a bastard.
As Cyril and Bozan tried to figure out how to deal with what they just learned, Balien presented them with another piece of information. During his time in the east he saw a large stone wall with carvings that depicted a battle between a man and what seemed to be a dragon with eight heads. Behind the wall, the ruins of a large town that had been reclaimed by the forest. Balein told Bozan and Cyril of the great treasure, and relics that belonged to last royal family of their ancestors that supposedly lay beneath the town. The only proof that Balien had was a small but brilliant crystal. It was enough to convince the now excited men but no sooner were they elated about the news of treasure and wealth did they suddenly realized that Oskan was the rightful heir of that wealth as well as the rightful head of all of house Sarkoza. Over the next couple of weeks, Bozan and Cyril would continue to brainstorm a way to rid the world of Cyril and his house.
The final plan was to murder Oskan and everyone of his house attending at the new year's feast one month away. The rest were to be hunted down to insure that no line of Oskan would exist. It was doable. Bozan and Cyril's house were both much larger than Oskan's. Through sheer number and by the element of surprise they would have the upper hand they needed to steamroll their plan to success.
The new years feast bought the three houses together to enjoy a time of happiness and plenty. Normally, it was a time when no rivalries existed between them. Men drank together, as did the women, and everyone young and old ate and sang songs and danced with one another. Unsurprisingly all in attendance at the feast were shocked when Bozan and Cyril initiated their killing spree. None had seen so much blood spilt in their life time. The floor quickly turned into a pool of blood, and the dining hall turned into a horror house of screams. Bozan, Cyril, and their men began thrusting their hidden daggers into those of Oskan's house at the final toast of the feast. Those who tried to run were cut down by men who barged through the front door with sword and axe. Every man, woman, and child was ruthlessly cut down.
Cyril, left standing alone in the center of the dance floor watched Bozan and Cyril execute his wife and children by slitting their throats. It was at that moment that he knew the sword had something to do with the massacre. He cursed Bozan and Cyril, stating that if they wanted the sword that bad they can have it. Of course, he didn't know about the wealth and power that he was heir to. Oskan's eyes quickly searched the room, trying to think of a way to defend himself against so many but that was just it. There were too many and he was unarmed. As Oskan began to make peace with his fate, he caught a glimpse of someone from his house who was looking in through a window on the top floor. He knew then that there was hope yet for the rest of his family and it was at that moment he suddenly remembered he still had a newborn daughter whom he left at home with his wife's mother. Oskan looked back at Bozan and Oskan with a defiant grin. "Well c'mon now" he said, just before his assailants thrust their swords into his body.
The rest of the house who didn't attend the feast in the hall had little time to evacuate. It sounded preposterous at first, that Bozan and Cyril would start killing those of their house but when armed men were sighted running towards their home they knew the warning to be true. No sooner did the rest of the house begin to leave out the back of the house did the men began killing any they could find. As the guards continued running down they shouted "find the baby! Find Oskan's newborn!"
Oska's grandmother and one of her attendants were the last ones to make it out of the massacre alive. The rest were either cut down on the run or died defending each other, trying to give the others time to escape. As they looked at their burning estate from a faraway hill, Oska's grandmother Mimra bid farewell to their past.
Through Oska, her great lineage survived. But from there on out they lived in poverty for the rest of their lives, living day to day as simple farmers. The Sarkoza name itself began to fade as Bozan and Cyril turned on one another and reduced the family name to rubble, with the surviving Sarkoza's taking the sword and traveling back to the east to see if there really were treasure to be had. Word of what happened in the Sarkoza household quickly became the talk of the town...for a time. Eventually like all inconsequencial events, especially when compared to the events that shaped the world, it and the name of the house faded into thin air.
On the year 1554, when Vincent was born his mother died of complications. She was his only remaining family as he had no other relatives and his own father had been the unfortunate victim of a bandit raid. Upon seeing her newborn son, she wrote on a slip of paper that read: Sarkoza. It is the wish of all mothers that their children would grow up to do great things, and the same could be said for the hope that Vincent's mother held for him when she wrote that name down. But it wasn't just that she hoped for him to do great things, it was because like Oskan and his ancestors, Vincent was born with teal green eyes, red hair, and a scar on his right eye. These were traits that hadn't been seen in the family for generations as Oska had been the last to carry those traits.
After Vincent's mom was buried, the nurse that had helped his mother carried Vincent in a basket toward her home in Uldah. After a series of unfortunate events, Vincent ended up in the slums where he was eventually brought to the orphanage he grew up at.
Life was hard for little Vinny. He knew nothing of his family save for the name Sarkoza, which was written on a slip of paper that was tied to his wrist when he was found in the slums of Uldah as a child and brought to an orphanage out in the desert.As he grew he quickly learned that in order to survive, he had to do what was needed in order to come out on top. The orphanage that accommodated him could only feed so many kids and so the weaker children starved while the stronger kids grew stronger.
Needless to say, he quickly learned how to fight and use his wits to outsmart the kids he couldn't beat. It was also during his time in the orphanage that he learned how to pickpockets through sleight of hand, a skill that he eventually sharpened as he moved on to picking heavier pockets in Uldah. His talent for hand to hand combat was eventually noticed by those at the pugilist guild when a few students saw the then young Vicent brawling with other kids on the street. They offered to take Vincent back to the guild to teach him how to fight properly but he took no interest in them as he had more important matters on his mind at the time so he refused them. More importantly however, he refused them because he had grown used to his life on the streets. He had begun to like the exhilaration of moving quickly and robbing people blind and outwitting the older kids or brawling with the ones he stood a chance against.
Eventually, Vincent realized that he could only do so much on his own and if he wanted to eat more, loot more, and live more comfortably, he would need help from the other children which led him to propose a plan to form a gang with the kids around his age who were weak on their own. This isn't to say that Vincent didn't try recruiting the older kids but they were too proud of their own strength and too ignorant to take part.Only a few older children joined up, knowing that life would be easier in a group. The rest eventually joined one after the other later on after noticing the success of Vincent and his gang.
Life was routine for a time, work together to steal food from the vendors, pickpocket the wealthy merchants in Uldah, and rob the largest homes they could find. Though business wasn't always good, at the very least no one went hungry anymore and boredom was no longer an issue since everyone was always off doing something to the benefit of everyone. It didn't please the orphanage all too well since they didn't want to be known as the orphanage that provided shelter to a band of thieves and the kids didn't want that either because it meant that they would lose a home. Because of this, the orphanage was largely empty save for the workers and toddlers that remained there until late at night, when everyone returned to their beds to call it a day. Even then, some kids opted to sleep outside under a starry night sky when the weather was good.This kept the orphanage out of prying eyes and actually made it easier for the orphanage to feed and take care of the toddlers. On his twelfth birthday, the kids got together and announced that Vincent would be the leader of the gang. It wasn't something Vincent cared too much for since all he really thought about was being able to eat well and sleep well but he decided to roll with it anyway. It was only later on that Vincet learned that, though he was taller and stronger for his age, it was mainly because of his wit and charisma that the others agreed to elect him as the leader. Plus he was the one that brought everyone together in the first place.
That same year the orphanage declared that though what Vincent and his crew were doing helped the orphanage get by, poverty was still prolific in the area and the orphanage had actually been in a slow but steady decline the entire time. It was time for Vincent and everyone to move out. As everyone gathered side by side behind the circle looking at Vincent and waiting for him to announce their next course of action, a thought trickled into his mind until it became a full blown revelation. It was time to make a choice. What he decided here would set him of radically different paths in the future. The decision of whether or not to continue leading his merry band of thieves or set out and become an adventurer. A hero even. One who had wealth, power, and glory.
He had seen many adventurers come and go and everyone he saw served only to fuel his curiosity and ambition. He was terrified of ending up like the old men he had seen during his time in the dark and ugly parts of the greatest city in Thanalan. The ones who have spent all their life trying to get by and never leaving the confines of the city, let alone the land. He felt uneasy leaving his group behind but in his heart he knew it was time to leave. It was a hard goodbye and since he never made any real friends during his time in the orphanage, he couldn't name the next leader. Thus, he made his peace with them and left them to their own devices. Some laughed at the notion of "Vinny" Sarkoza as a hero and some smiled, thinking that it might just happen.
Nothing else was on his mind while he was on his way through Western Thanalan. He could only see himself whirling his greatxe at numerous enemies and even slaying a primal or two like the warriors he had heard about in the stories of old. For a kid who grew up owning nothing and had to struggle to live everyday, there was nothing else to live for. Nothing else to strive for. With a bag of of food and assorted clothing slung over his shoulder and a small dagger strapped to a leather belt, he would face the world...or so he thought. He had not gotten within three malms of Horizon before he was kidnapped by human traffickers who were also bound for Vesper Bay.
As luck would have it, a veteran of the Rogues guild had been tracking the same band of traffickers and stowed away on their ship before dispatching the traffickers and their hired mercenaries. Vincent could hear something was going on above, he didn't know what was going on but he could guess. He could hear shuffling footsteps, the clash of steel, death, and fear. What he did know for sure was that he had been kidnapped and he was pissed.Pissed that he was still a kid and couldn't grow up any faster, that he wasn't any stronger or more alert and he took out all his anger on the Rogue when he opened the barrel that contained him. It took the Rogue completely off guard, the last thing he expected was an angry child to come leaping out of the barrel punching and screaming. When Vincent finally calmed down, the rogue introduced himself as Mansa Musa. The man who would later on mentor Vincent on the rougish arts and eventually, before his death, the arts of the shinobi.
After an incident involving Vincent and a marauder, Vincent accepted Mansa's tutelage and for the next 10 years until he was 22 he trained and lived with the man. When asked about why Mansa decided to take on Vincent as an apprentice, he simply stated he liked the fire he saw in Vincent's eyes when he leapt out of the barrel and when he drove his dagger though the heart of the marauder that had deceived him.
Mansa's training was nothing short of grueling. Vincent actually died once when he was fifteen and would've stayed that way if Mansa hadn't been nearby and quick to use a Phoenix Down. It was an incident that left Vincent recovering from both the resurrection sickness and the injuries that killed him for three whole months before he could start walking properly again. Mansa kept closer watch on Vincent ever since then, probably because he didn't have another Phoenix Down laying around and far too much time had been invested in young Vincent to let him die again. Whereas before Mansa left Vincent to his own devices on certain "missions", after Vincent's resurrection Mansa began accompanying him but still leaving most of the work up to him. This pleased Vincent greatly as he had already began to view Mansa as a father figure. Through the "missions", more like tasks that had to be completed in a certain time, Vincent learned about the art of stealth, throwing daggers (and later shurikens), reconnaisance, poisons, information gathering, and assassination, which Vincent practiced on Mansa himself. When he wasn't off doing Mansa's missions, which sometimes were just things Mansa himself was too lazy to do, Mansa was busy sharpening Vincent's body and mind. Teaching him how to properly meditate, conditioning his bones and muscles, and teaching him about aether. It was also during his time with Mansa that Vincent learned how to cook, since Mansa was always bad at it and Vincent was tired of eating poorly prepared food. Though Mansa always pestered Vincent to focus more on training, he secretly wished Vincent would advance his cooking skills as well since life seemed fuller when eating real food.
It wasn't until a year before Mansa's death by Vincent's hand that he taught Vincent the arts of the shinobi. Skills that were passed down to Mansa from Mansa's own familty from the Doman side. His mother's side. Vincent was surprised to see the similarities in which rogues and shinobi fought, aside from the ninjutsus he learned later on. Learning how to channel the aether around him and in himself into physical form was one of the toughest things Vincent ever learned and it took him upwards of up to almost half a year to simply learn Huton and Suiton. At the final moment when Vincent ended Mansa's life, Vincent had succesfully cast the single ninjutsu that he could never come to grasp before...Raiton.
That was the greatest tragedy of his life. Vincent had always wondered why Mansa had no family. He didn't have a wife, according to him he never even married, he had no children, no relatives to speak of, and his parents were long dead. Mansa was for all intents and purposes, alone on Eorzea. It wasn't until Vincent's final mission that Mansa revealed to him why. The student, in a final show of skill and all that he or she has learned over the years, must overcome the master in a battle to the death as is tradition in the Musa family. If the student is victorious, then the master dies with honor knowing that he has passed on his will and legacy to the next generation. If the student fails then the master is to take his own life to make up for the shame of unsuccessfully passing on his art. Mansa's mother died by his hands, an event that scarred him for life and ever since then he vowed to never start a family of his own.
Mansa's life was the second life Vincent had ever taken up to that point. "Take it" Mansa said, "I'll always be here" he held up his soul stone as he lay in Vincent's embrace, his hand trembling as his life faded away. "And... I'll always be here" he rested his hand against Vincent's chest and struggled a weak grin before slowly shutting his eyes and passing away.
The ten years he spent with Mansa had taught him much about the realities of the world. He had almost forgotten what he had originally set out to do. Becoming a hero seemed like so much of a childish dream, a dream he no longer cared much for. He had a new dream now, or rather a new pursuit. The freedom to pursue what interests him and live his life like he pleased. "Everyone's free to do what they wish Vincent, that liberty is the most important thing in life. It is what you should pursue. Never let anything or anyone hold you back, though it can be easy to loose your way and come under sway of someone else" Mansa said once. The world was cruel, made crueler by war and the calamity that he could've only survived with Mansa's help. But there was beauty as well, an aspect that Vincent appreciated greatly. With everything Mansa taught him over the years, and with the will that he now carries, Vincent left the old hut that he had lived in for so long.
For the next year, Vincent worked with the Rogues guild. Often taking contracts that dealt with people who violated the code that the guild held dearly and completing most of those missions on his own. It was during this year that three great events happened in his life: becoming an assassin, falling in love, and then having to murder the same woman he loved. The latter two weighed most heavily on him and still does to this day, but there was no other way but to leave the past is it was and continue to live on. The realm was reborn, and there was much to do and see.
Vincent inherited the history, or rather the clan Gekko no Kage (Moonlight Shadow), through his master Mansa Musa whom he also has taken the name of as an alias after his death. In history, the Gekko no Kage's shinobi were few but powerful, as masters could only take on one apprentice and the completion of one's training meant the apprentice had to surpass and overwhelm his or her master. It is a trial that ends in the master's death and this practice was meant to preserve and perpetuate the "elite purity" of the clan. In some instances the master, who has spent countless hours honing the skill of his/her disciple, ends up killing the apprentice in the final hour. This meant the clan's shinobi, those who were able to take on apprentices, chose their disciples wisely and trained them diligently. Disciples are chosen at a young age and training begins for however many years it takes for the apprentice to surpass his/her master. However this practice proved unsustainable over time as conflict wore on, even though many shinobi didn't strictly adhere to the code instead preferring to fight alongside their disciple. Some even took on more than one disciple to satisfy the demands of war, resulting in a number of junior ninjas. Even so, continued conflict combined with the inefficiency of "elite purity" eventually caused its downfall, leaving Mansa Musa as the clan's sole surviving heir until he came across Vincent. At the height of his final trial Vincent reluctantly struck down Mansa, whom in his dying breath passes on the clan's final soul stone of many generations to Vincent.
Songs used set a mood, lyrics may not reflect the views of my character. Please mind your speakers when clicking the links. (WIP)
Baby Blue Artist: Badfinger(For getting himself into trouble all the time. Really he only has himself to blame)
Have you Ever Seen The Rain Artist: Creedence Clearwater (Would represent him traveling around all the time)
Bad Moon Rising Artist: Creedence Clearwater (Same for traveling)
This Fire Artist:Franz Ferdinand (Vincent's...evil-er side.)
Vincent fights with a variety of tools, gadgets, weapons, and ninjutsu. During combat he will always use them in conjunction with one another, never relying solely on one direction of attack. Having trained for over a decade, Vincent is at peak physical condition and can maintain enough mental stability in combat (unless affected adversely from an outside source) to manipulate aether to use ninjutsu. Vincent trains whenever he can and continues to strive to create new jutsu and refine ones he already knows. Training with any new weapons and gear he obtains is also something Vincent takes seriously, as on one occasion his own gadget was turned against him due to a lack of understanding of its properties.
Vincent prefers one on one combat. Fighting with a single opponent, and ideally being able to get a jump on the opponent, allows Vincent to fighter harder without having to worry about stamina. Prolonged fights isn't Vincent's strong suit, which is why Vincent fights with his weapons, tools, and ninjutsu. All to conserve physical and aetherical stamina should he need to rely on them later.
Without using aether, Vincent is highly proficient in dual wielding. Fighting in a similar method to the Filipino stick fighting method "Kali", Vincent wields his blades in unison with each other and engaging his opponent in quick successions of strikes and jabs. During hand to hand combat, Vincent fights using CQC Techniques (close quarters combat).
During the 4 years he spent in Othard and Hingashi trying to discover his family's heritage, Vincent has learned how to fight with the katana by learning from a Samurai. Vincent has since incorporated the katana into his own fighting style by substituting the aetherically powered attacks of the samurai with ninjustu, gadgets, and other secondary weapons such as wakizashis, daggers, and shurikens.
Skills
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Espionage
Lock Picking
Cooking
Hand-to-hand Combat
Ninjutsu and aether manipulation
Dagger and Short sword handling
Tracking
Basic Gadget/Gear Smithing
Drawing/Sketching
Katana Usage
Gear References/Inspiration
Magitek Gauntlets.Houses Hidden blades and grappling hook
■ I will play mature content and themes (violence, sexuality, drug / alcohol use) as long as they're logical in a plot-driven encounter. Coarse and excessive language. Temporary injury and incapacitation. Temporary imprisonment. Most walk-up encounters.
■ Ask about long-term and/or permanent injury and disfigurement. Long-term captivity or imprisonment.
■ I won't play (I'm pretty flexible so long as it makes for good RP and everyone is fine with what is taking place. RP is supposed to be fun but lets keep the excessive oddities in check yeah?
Disclaimer
■ Don't be afraid to talk to me oocly. RP is supposed to be fun and if you're not having fun let me know and we can make it fun.
RP Hooks
■ If your character is familiar with the underground, then most likely you know of Mansa Musa and how to contact him.
■ Being a known chef at the Bismark, your character might have heard of him.
■ Vincent is known widely to the public as the red haired traveling chef.
■ WIP
Time Zone/Server
■ EST (US)
■ Balmung
Credit
Thank you all for letting me use/alter your codes. And thanks Koen, good to have you back. otherwise I wouldn't have known about this.
Quote used is inspired by retired Marine Corps General James Mattis. "Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."