Players Name: Warr
Power Level: 6
Characters Name: Keith Yoshida Carter
Alternate Identity: Aikage (Shadow of Love), 'Shinobi-nin' (One who Endures), or 'True Believer'.
Height: 5'8â€Â
Weight: 140 Ibls.
Age: 17
Hair: Reddish-brown died black once a week,
Eyes: Blue
Description: Keith's basic build type is one that at his age could go either way. He could continue to grow and be tall and well built, or he could be a pipsqueak. As it stands, he's in no way imposing, the only thing that's particularly 'big' is his hair, which sticks up in ridiculous directions without gel, and is fluffy as can be. The only thing constant about his hair's exact pattern is a 'crest' of hair at the front.
His shoulder size is not particularly imposing, right in the middle of 'wow that kids effeminate' and 'that guy is a tough person'. His height and weight only worsen this situation, as he's not got a lot of 'meat' on his bones at the moment.
His skin is pale as can be, from spending so many nights and days inside his mother's home, and he's got teeth that are slightly 'spaced' incorrectly, not to the point that they're ugly, but to the point he in a different situation would probably be a treitary candidate for braces.
His nose has obviously been broken at least once before, and he's got a short nose at that, sort of like what one might place on a bear or a dog, as opposed to a distinguished nose like most other humans have. His smile is rare, and his heavy amount of dimples aren't easily seen as a result.
His clothes vary with his attitude, but he most of the time wears loose fitting pants and shorts, and a hoodie, no matter what other clothes he might be wearing. An forehead protector styled after his favorite anime's 'headband/forehead protectors', is also always on the young man, with the kanji for 'love', clearly on the middle of it.
History: Keith's childhood wasn't what one might call 'normal' but it wasn't strange enough to call uncommon. His mother was the only child of a fairly rich landlord in the neighborhood of 'The West End', in Freedom City, and his father was a man she had met and fell in love with within a year. The two lived happily for a time, having two sons, Keith's father, Daniel, keeping the family afloat with managing one of the tenements his father-in-law owned, and on the side consulting work with the US Navy, which he had once been a full time member of, before he had settled down in Freedom City ten years before.
Keith's family life was happy in its beginnings, his mother worked in a nearby cafe that was owned by a friend of the family, and his father never had too little time for his son, Keith. He indulged the child's every curiosity about the odd things which he kept, including a number of Japanese Cultural artifacts he had picked up when he was stationed in Japan during his service in the US Navy.
The boy fell instantly in love with the stories his father told him, and went goo goo eyed when his father introduced him to Anime and Manga, as well as enrolled him in Juijutsu classes at a nearby martial arts school.
His younger brother always got more attention, but Keith was happier that way, as it let him do what he wanted, and he knew his brother needed the attention. This was because his brother had been born with a mild case of autism, and seemed to have a weak immune system on top of that.
His brother's name was Daniel Leeroy, in honor of his grandfather and his father. His brother was the second born, and had been given the name because Keith was given his name after his father's two best friends, both of whom had died before his father could even introduce them to his son.
The boy's life continued to be happy, if a little strange compared to many, as time rolled on. It continued to until his seventh year in life. His father was out consulting at a nearby mixed martial arts school, teaching as he regularly did there as of late, when an age old enemy showed their face. Katanarchists, whom he had gained the vicious hate of in his secret time when he was in the United States Navy. In his time as the Superhero, Katsujinken, the Life-Saving sword, -His father had gained training in an ancient and secret art of defensive kenjutsu which might well be called 'mystical' in his life, beginning when Keith's grandfather had been stationed in Okinawa when Keith's father Daniel was a child.-, he had gained the hatred of the Katanarchists, first because he was not Japanese yet a master of a Japanese art, and second because he repeatedly stopped their operations throughout places in Asia he could reach and hear about.
In Japan he had gained fame, but he had been careful to keep his identity hidden. That was why when he was killed, -killing the Katanarchists in the process, refusing to die before he was sure all of his students were safe- it was a total surprise to his family. They believed it an act of crime that was random, and were fearful of why the Katanarchists had shown themselves as they did.
That ripple in time was the first time he felt the pangs of loss, the hidden side of love, it's 'shadow'. At seven years of age, he had lost his father. A lesser child would have withdrawn from the world and hidden from life at such a loss, but his father's 'gifts' to the boy as a child had taught him otherwise. They had taught him that a true hero must endure, that is the most basic sign of courage. His father's action only proved this, and the boy endured the loss. He endured the long periods of time when he would have to take care of his younger brother by himself because his mother was too busy working at the Cafe so she could keep them afloat, and his grandfather was too busy maintaining the tenements so he could be sure they had a safe place to stay.
It was in this climate of loss that the seven year old Keith and the two year old Daniel began to blossom as brothers. It was in this climate of loss and endurance that Daniel found his life time mentor, his father figure, his big brother, who was always there to defend him. The older brother introduced his younger brother to all of the things his father introduced him to, and helped teach his little brother to read, write, and draw. But most importantly, to hope.
Keith endured the rough times, both at home, and at school. He paid some attention to the antics of the superheroes running about and like many kids in the city read pretty much any comic published by 'Castle Comics', he could get his hands on, but he never really got into superheroes like many kids did. He fell more in love with Shonen Manga, even going so far as to save up every bit of money he got on his birthday and at Christmas to buy himself and his younger brother more of those wondrous things to read.
Because he was quiet, fatherless, and lived in such an odd situation, he had few 'socialization', skills by the time he got into the later years of elementary school, when one's classmates began to get meaner and look for an easy target.
He endured their beatings, their hateful names. He endured it for years, until the day one of them was foolish enough to call his brother a 'retard', having seen the little boy and his older brother walk to school, Keith taking his younger brother to kindergarten before he went to his own, fifth grade class. Keith lashed out that day, hurling a table full force at the other student, and hitting him. It was surprising that the throw had went the way it had, his lack of training in the art of Juijutsu for the past five years not showing. The boy was sent to the office, and suspended for a week, but no one ever said a thing about his little brother again.
Years passed, and his mother ascended from waitress to manager of the cafe, he began to help his grandfather with things in the tenement and help the more elderly and infirm residents of the tenement. The boy began to get more and more money, and saved most of it for college, but spent some on his little brother at least once a week, and some of the two's manga habit, too.
In no time at all, Keith was sixteen and in his junior year of high school from accelerated course loads. He was working part time for his grandfather, and making deliveries for the cafe his mother managed. As the boy had went through so much stress and work, his only joys in life and havens were being around his little brother, and reading his favorite manga, 'Soba', a story about a young ninja boy who's hero father died at the hands of an evil cult, and whom was thought to be a 'reject' by the rest of his ninja village because he bore a curse mark from the same battle, both boys loved the series, and from its many alternating comedy and action moments, even Daniel had no problem with loving it without a problem.
He was saving money even then, and on one faithful night approximately three months ago, the boy was walking home after making a delivery for his mother's cafe, a precious bit of money to him, one hundred dollars he wanted to buy his brother a large 'Teikatsu Soba' plushie which farted, one of the character's trademark moves, which his brother loved.
A gang of hoods whom loitered in parts of the neighbor noticed Keith. They knew he -had- to have some cash, as he was always doing something productive, like the energizer bunny. The most vehement of them walked towards the boy, and clearly said.
“Give us whatever's in your wallet, kid. That nice watch on your wrist, too, and maybe we won't beat you two badly.â€Â
The young man glared at the hood, his blue eyes taking in the man's features for a moment, in the dim light not ten feet from his house.
“You heard me, you little piece of dung.†the hood continued.
“Don't talk to yourself like that.†Keith spat, tired of being pushed around, and refusing to let his little brother's birthday present money be stolen.
The hood threw a punch, and Keith caught it, throwing him clumsily, a bit of his training in Juijutsu still there, and the boy was tackled to the ground by the Hood's biggest friend. The hood chuckled, pulling out a knife, and moved menacingly towards Keith.
That was when a call rang out, an all too familiar one. “Leave my big brother alone, you poophead!†The voice was Keith's little brother, who had heard his brother's voice and came out of their home.
The hoods punched Kieth one, two, three times. That was when Daniel moved. He jumped on the nearest hood's back and hit him with a brick. Keith got one more punch, to the temple, and couldn't move as it happened. The entire gang of hoodlums descended on Daniel, who had just knocked out their friend, and they beat him to an inch of his life. They cut his chest, leaving a x to mark to the other gangs who had beaten him, and then they fled. It seemed like forever, the time it took Keith to crawl to his younger brother's side with his slightly broken leg, but he did, and he held his brother, screaming for help.
Half an hour passed, and the boy sat beside his brother's hospital bedside, his body quivering with anger at both himself for being weak and not defending someone he loved, and at those hoods who had attacked him. Daniel whispered a plea to his older brother as he lay there, exhausted and broken badly.
“I want you to read Soba to me, Ani-san.†Daniel called out, and Keith, though shocked at his brother's request, pulled out the newest volume of the comic book out,which oddly enough had came that morning, his mother had brought it to the hospital for her less hurt son to read as they waited for news from the doctor.
Keith read the comic to his brother, showing him the pictures after he read the words to his brother, this issue was a story about a no name shinobi-nin from the village hidden in the trees, the village Soba was from. It was a story about the no name shinobi-nin visiting his younger brother. In the story, the older shinobi-nin was named only 'Ani-san', and in the story, the no name shinobi-nin was confronted from a group of thugs sent by the 'Bandit King', the big villain of the village. They confronted him outside of his little brother's home, and the no name shinobi-nin nearly lost, before he remembered who was nearby, who he was fighting to protect. His reason for fighting on and enduring. Then the bo summoned his strength, and defeated the bandits, using a number of the village hidden in the tree's trademark moves, as well as sheer will, to fight them off, suffering terrible wounds by the end of it, but surviving, and enduring.
Keith's teeth gritted as he read it. It was a story that seemed almost to poke fun at his situation, but the boy didn't realize the celestial joke. He just realized that like that time earlier in his life, he had been too weak. He had been too slow, to fragile. He had not endured, he had not been able to protect himself. He felt the pain of the other side of love, it's shadow for the second time.
He whispered a solemn wish, his body tingling as he did, his mind reeling. He wished that he had the power to fight them, the power to be like the shinobi-nin in the comic. He wanted to believe there was something somewhere in fate that would help him, help him where these 'superheroes' of the city had failed.
“I wish I had the power. I... I will have the power. I won't fail my family again. I'll protect those I love. I will protect those I love... I will do it, and I won't die. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP.†The youth burst out of no where, his mind wrapping around the fact that the superheroes had not helped him or his family in this crisis.
He reached for his brother's hand and then it happened. The boy felt a twinge, and he felt more powerful, energy lit up around him, and suddenly his brother's wounds were less severe, his brother had healed somewhat, suddenly. The boy looked at his brother and Keith looked back, his eyes wondering what had happened.
The younger of the two grinned. “That makes me happy, Keith... I was something like what Soba might say.†The little boy grinned at his older brother, who simply looked at his brother, seeing the cut that was gone, and having felt those energies as he had, he smiled at his brother, trying to hide his shock.
When he went home that night, he performed the hand signs he knew so well from being a fan of “Soba!†and to his surprise, performed the techniques. His breath heightened as his mind wrapped around this situation, on this feeling of power he suddenly had. He didn't feel like a puny child anymore, he felt powerful. He felt like he could do something about his problems, he could avenge his little brother.
He could make sure that they felt the other side of love, and he never did again. That was where his call sign had been decided. 'Aikage', the Shadow of love. He resolved to begin hunting for clues on who those hoodlums were, knowing the cops had already written it off as a 'non-priority', as no one had been killed.
Keith Carter's past fanned the flames of the fire that created the shadow, his mind no longer accepting him as what he was before. He felt stronger, more resilient, capable of things he could not do before. He could be the hero to his little brother's sight he had wished he could have been when he was younger. He could endure the pain of his enemies. He was not a simple nerd who loved Manga and in particular the manga 'Soba'. Because he truly believed in himself, in the possibilities, he had 'ascended' into something else, he had begun to unlock the secret strength within him, begun to become more than a mere mortal man.
He had begun the path to becoming a symbol.
Complications: Sense of Duty- Keith is driven to protect his mother, younger brother, grandfather, and to avenge his brother's injuries on the bullies that picked on him and sent his brother to the hospital.
Secret Identity- To protect his family, and keep his actions undercover, Keith is very careful to keep his identity secret. Not doing so would cause very big problems for him.
Symbolism- When Keith is in his 'Keith' identity and around his brother or around his original neighborhood, the West End, he strives to be the most upstanding citizen he can be, and tries to be as heroic as he can muster, without looking like a goof ball. He wants to be a symbol of hope to his brother. As the Shinobi-nin/Aikage/'True Believer', he strives to strike fear into bullies and violent criminal's hearts. He must mark every opponent he defeats and criminal he stops with a symbol cut into their flesh with a kunai, or so he believes. A symbol that is a cross between the Kanji for the Japanese word 'Ai', and the Kanji for the Japanese word 'Shinobi-nin.'
Unknown Enemies- Keith, being the child of Katsujinken, despite not knowing it himself, is marked for death with only that as a reason. His powers manifesting would only bring more hatred towards them when they realize he exists, and this will make him an instant target of hatred, and enemy, of the Katanarchists. Likewise, when he realizes their ties to his father's death, he will likely gain another complication, 'Hatred: Katanarchists' and 'Hatred: The Crimson Katana'.
Stats: 48
Str: 14 (+2)
Dex: 20 (+5)
Con: 20 (+5)
Int: 18 (+4)
Wis: 18 (+4)
Cha: 18 (+4)
Combat:
Attack: +2
Grapple: +4 (+2 from Strength)
Defense: +1 (+1 flat-footed)
Knockback: -2
Initiative: +5
Saves:
Toughness: +5 (Constitution=+5, Other: +)
Fortitude: +5 (Constitution=+5, Other: +)
Reflex: +5 (Dex=+5, Other: +)
Will: +4 (Wis:+4, +)
Skills: 36 ranks total= 9 PP
Acrobatics 5 Ranks
Bluff 1
Climb 2
Computer 4 ranks
Craft (Artistic) 4 Ranks
Escape Artist 4 Ranks
Gather Information 2
Investigate 1
Intimidate 1
Japanese (English Language; Base.)
Knowledge (History) 2
Knowledge (Pop Culture) 4
Sense Motive 5 Ranks
Feats: 2 pp
Attractive 1, Eidetic Memory
Powers: 26 PP
Ninjutsu Array 6 (Drawback: Power Loss [when unable to gesture; Uncommon, Minor];
BE: 'Courage of a Hero' Healing 6
AP: Water Spear Blast 3 (Extra: Penetrating; PF: Improved Critical 2)
AP: Henge no Jutsu / Transformation Technique Morph 4 (any form; 2pp)
AP: Kirigakure no JutsuObscure 4 (Sight, Selective 5 PP) (Extras: Independent)
AP: Kunai/Shuriken Volley Blast 6
AP: Kunai/Shuriken Melee Strike 6 & Deflect 3 (Slow Projectiles; Extra: Move action)
Super-Movement 3 (Wall-Crawling 2, Water Walking; 6pp) Ninja Movement Training
Super-Senses 2 (Counters Obscure [fog/mist] on vision; Flaw: Only works on own Obscure) [1pp]
Leaping 1 (1 PP)
Drawbacks: 0pp
DC Block:
ATTACKS: SAVE DC: DAMAGE TYPE:
Costs: Abilities (48) + Combat (6) + Saves (0) + Skills (8) + Feats (2) + Powers (26) - Drawbacks (00) = 90 Total Cost
Total available points=90
