Dragonball M: A DBZ RPG Sign-Up and Discussion Thread.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

Black Panther time. I must away for now.

Enjoy yourself, you mad fiend.

[grampagen]

War of the Five Schools (五武道の戦)

The Martial Arts techniques of the Obushi-Sennin was the stuff of legend. Among the warriors of Earth he was for a time without peer under the heavens. But to possess such knowledge without sharing it would be a waste, and from time to time as circumstance allowed he would take disciples, each of whom asked the Old Master to help them reach a specific goal. To each request, he showed them the way, and they ascended to heights greater than he could imagine..
From five of his most prodigious students the foundations of five legendary disciplines were created. 2000 years ago, before he could declare any one of the five as his true successor, a great calamity befell the Earth and the Master fought his final battle, turning the tide, though it claimed his life, at the age of 108. Posthumously, the blood-feud of his five greatest students springing from a desire for a final recognition he could no longer give them was his greatest failure.

Crane

Founded by Nomi, the daughter of a general who was a friend of the Obushi-sennin. She sought to learn from him the secret of inner strength. Her philosophy was “one-shot, one-kill” with an emphasis on maneuverability to create the perfect opening to reach that goal.

Specialty: internal energy works, including the use of life-force (kikojutsu)
Techniques: Dodonpa, Kikoho, Multiform
Lineage: Chahan, Toh Magoh, Ochazuke, Zaofan
Status: Alive; multinational underground organization lead by Chahan, including assassin adepts; in the public sphere under many names a chain of spiritual fitness clinics.
Toh Magoh's Neo Crane school exists as a seperate organization in parallel.

Turtle

Founded by Yoroi, the first Turtle Sage, who sought to learn from the secret of longevity. Eternal patience lead to the development of a keen insight into the spirit of others and a forceful presence. His technique manifest willful intent through strong, direct energy attacks.

Specialty: Observation, interpersonal knowledge, perseverance, adaptation
Techniques: Kamehameha, Zanzoken
Lineage: Master Eskramato, Kamesennin Kuki, the Turtle monks of Kame Island, Sensei Roshi, Kami, Zaofan
Status: Alive; Lead by Eskramato in a sleek, ultra-modern martial arts school that seeks to bring the spiritual and physical practice into a new age.

Dragon

Founded by Seiryuu, the Dragon Abbot. A man with a protective instinct, he wished to learn the way to protect all living things from the wicked. A keen sense of justice was the root to develop a keen sense of timing with the philosophy “act last, strike first.” Inheriting a Fist of Life, he soon became dedicated to, then obsessed with, preserving things that would otherwise disappear from this world, resolving to guard them.

Specialty: Energy projection for evasion, shielding, and defensive maneuvers
Techniques: Claws protect the Pearl, Tail swirls the sea
Lineage: The Dragon Monks, Samson Balon, Marron Balon, Ochazuke, Zaofan.
Status: Alive; The Order of Dragon Monks was destroyed by Simon Battersea for their prized relic, the Jade Dragon's claw. Samson Balon, his daughter Marron, and his two latest students Ochazuke and Zaofan are currently working to revive the art.

Snake

The first Snake Master was an enigmatic man named Doku who sought to learn the way to end a conflict before it could happen. Trained to strike swiftly and to disappear without a trace, many of his enemies simply disappeared or seemed to die of natural causes with a suspicious timing after crossing him. In his view, by killing one evil man he could spare the lives of thousands. However the rules of honour dictate blood shall be repaid in vengeance, and soon his technique turned to hands of darker, more selfish ambitions.

Specialty: Poison hands, hidden essence, escapism.
Techniques: Naga Palm, Yamata no Orochi Fist, Multi-arm.
Lineage: The Snake Mistress of Coral Canyon, Hebito, Hebiko, Sasheem
Status: Dead; had a great big falling out with Sasheem in his prime 300 years ago. Their techniques have since fallen into legends and lore.

Tiger

The vagabond Bya Kau was a spirited fighter who sought to attain the will to push the body to its threshold and beyond. He became legendary for his endurance and stamina and gained notoriety for his overwhelming ferocity and intuitive Battle Awareness. The Obushi-sennin's last student, he did not get on at all with Lady Nomi. It was their clash of internal and external energy methods that started the first conflicts.

Specialty: Calculated offense, rugged endurance, mushin (empty mind; martial instinct)
Techniques: Tiger Smashing Fist, Tiger Splitting Kick, Iron Mirror
Lineage: Kenshiko, Kaibyo.
Status: Alive. Kenshiko, the single remaining master, currently trains the Red Raider Corpsmen in a simplified variant.

The Legend of Zxu'ro

A recent discovery of a hidden temple has indicated the hidden knowledge of a Chimera Style and its master Zxu'ro. A challenge was issued to future generations.

[KingofPie]

Nice write-up, Gen! If this is gonna be a lore day, I suppose I should get to work on these Snake School character sheets...I've got a few in mind....if I can ever overcome the massive wave of lethargy creeping upon me.

[grampagen]

Nice write-up, Gen! If this is gonna be a lore day, I suppose I should get to work on these Snake School character sheets...I've got a few in mind....if I can ever overcome the massive wave of lethargy creeping upon me.

Looking forward to it. Worldbuilding linkages, whoo-hoo!

[Cyke]

Nice write-up, Gen! If this is gonna be a lore day, I suppose I should get to work on these Snake School character sheets...I've got a few in mind....if I can ever overcome the massive wave of lethargy creeping upon me.

Looking forward to it. Worldbuilding linkages, whoo-hoo!

Yes! That's a fun read. Though, in hindsight, the specialties for the Turtle School (which I contributed wah wah) seem kind of meek and passive compared to the other schools. The others have life-force, energy projection, poison, offense and endurance; while Turtle has -- interpersonal knowledge (lol my bad). I do think observation, perseverance, and willpower are useful for the school, though, and fitting for a turtle. I also like how the Turtle School in Dragon Ball tended to have more energy manipulation and versatility than most other disciplines, whether it was Crane School, or Demons, or even Saiyans. So I like to think that things like the Kienzan, Scatter Shot, Sokidan, even Goku manipulating the kamehameha's travel all came from Roshi's philosophies (whatever they may be that don't require nude women).

That reminds me, I should write up Eskramoto, but maybe once Kamesennin Kuki is written up.

But thanks for the entertaining read, Grampagen! Yay lore nerds.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Great write-up, Gramps!

[grampagen]

To follow up on the last bit of lore, here's the woman of Ochazuke's fever dreams.
_____

Name: The mysterious smiling cat, Tiger Master Kaibyo (怪猫)

“Imagine if you could know everything a person was thinking, the real truth. Ah, wouldn't that be something?”

Race/Species: Human

Age: 24 (deceased)

Height/Weight: 5'7/144 lbs

Appearance: Here

Power Level:* ?

Style:* Hakkyoku Ko-ou Ken (八極虎王拳 "Eight Limbs of the Tiger King")

Techniques

See: Kenshiko

Muso Hoho (無想歩法 “Movement of the Unburdened Mind”) A concept with many names - lucidity, wu wei, mushin – through her fighting perception she was able to effortlessly perceive what was around her and act without wasted thought or movement. Opposed to Kenshiko's classical style – which is direct and relatively easy to train in - Kaibyo had a certain subtle awareness that cannot easily be taught. To aid herself in reaching this state, she usually went into a fight liquored up.

Items:

Special Sauce – A bottle of rum and vermouth spiced with macerated vanilla and tamarind. It was both a source of inspiration and a glass prison.

Special:

She had a knack for figuring things out, to the point where she felt it prudent to dull her senses to focus on a precious few things or, alternatively, ignore the closing threats surrounding them. More often than not this was her excuse to wash away the noise of what she saw coming with drink.

History*

Throughout the generations the Tiger Style practitioners had a particularly fierce rivalry with the Crane school which led to numerous closed-door challenges between the two factions. As time went on, the grit and tenacity required to carve a champion out of a novice was simply too much to bear, for their training was extremely taxing and the warriors produced dealt with a lifetime of accrued punishment. As masters aged and died, the lineage of the practice finally fell to the Twin Tigers of Ori City who struggled in vain to keep their practice alive.

Kaibyo was one of the lineage masters of the Tiger School and co-founder of the legacy art Hakkyoku Ko-ou Ken. She had a rivalry with the subordinate Crane School master in her area, Fezzan. Charged with the task of training ki adepts and with an assembly of ambitious students behind him handpicked by the Grand Master, Fezzan started muscling in on the bay area of Ori City. The secret war between these two schools soon spilled out to the streets, sometimes in subtle ways as Fezzan forcefully 'bought out' the locals, other times as the neighbourhood angrily fought back and was forcefully put down. Seeking refuge with the Tiger School, a number of fiery-blooded youths consolidated their efforts to push back, but though they had the heart, they ultimately didn't have the numbers or the talent to compete in any formal challenge. In a moment of weakness, out of options with her back to the wall, Kaibyo lashed out in a drunken haze. Reflexively and without a clouded thought in her head, she singlehandedly destroyed Fezzan's dojo to mete out her personal justice. And with that the quiet war had been reignited.

Ochazuke was an eyewitness to this clash, at that time a rival disciple of comparative rank to Fezzan, sent by Grandmaster Chahan to evaluate the progress of his training program. To amend for his counterpart's failure, he proposed to infiltrate the Tiger School as an assassination mission. In truth, this was a ruse to explore the art of their archrivals, for he recognized certain subtle movements in Kaibyo's technique and became entranced with where their arts intersected. Adopting the guise of the prospective student Zosui, he found the woman he was looking for at a rustic training camp far from the city centre and asked for tutelage. A firm mask sternly denied him at first, but slowly melted out as he continued to plead, moved by his persistence.

Then Kaibyo fell out from the utility closet she was eavesdropping from, sprawling over her stupour just enough to chastise her twin, Kenshiko, about cracking under pressure. And so 'Zosui' became a divide between the sisters, Kenshiko insisting he could, like clay, be sculpted from nothing, while her twin insisted they shouldn't take just anybody. As Ochazuke progressed doggedly through their hellish training regiment with a seemingly preternatural affinity aided by Kenshiko's fearsome guidance, Kaibyo spent more time in a bottle as lesser prospects washed out and their numbers continued to thin. While Kenshiko had the dedication, grit and passion of a head instructor and tirelessly sought to bring the best out of all her pupils, Kaibyo possessed the insight of a true master - if not the heart - and was able to intuit Ochazuke's motivations as the rigours of the Tiger School's training brought him physically to the breaking point. Cracks in the emotion and focus of the false neophyte exposed the hidden depth of his martial education, for the initiated can always recognize another.

On an evening after Kenshiko ceased the grueling daily training, Kaibyo confronted 'Zosui' and fired a ki blast at him, to which he instinctively responded with a Dodonpa, causing the fireball to swell and explode in a commanded backlash, which to her additional surprise did not immediately kill him. Weakened and exposed, she would have finished him that day but for the interference of her sister. Because Ochazuke kept her Kenshiko sharp, Kaibyo kept him around under the pretense of a live-in student, but in practice she effectively held him ransom; in body while he recovered from his wounds, and to his false identity in front of Kenshiko, who he had grown to genuinely respect.

Moved ever so slightly by his genuine dedication to studying their art, Kaibyo began tutoring Ochazuke personally in exchange for the location of Fezzan's Crane safehouses and demonstrations of the techniques. Blinded by ego and with the chance to wipe the blight of Fezzan from the Crane School's reputation, Ochazuke rationalized this as a way of cleansing his Master's honour of these mistakes, for what better way to expose the flaws in his rival's training by sending a strong opponent to test their mettle? Unbeknownst to him, it was the Grand Master of the Crane School himself who gave the order for their operations in the area. With such calculated damage accumulating to their operations, Chahan sent junior Crane disciples – those who Ochazuke himself had trained – to seek the lost member of their flock, concerned his prized protege had fallen to ransom or death. They soon found him fraternizing and reported the unthinkable - a defection.

Whether Kaibyo wanted to make up for mistaking his intention, or simply because he gave her a clear goal in a series of targets to wreck, when they confided their methods and sparred, she and Ochazuke began to elevate their respective arts and their understanding of each other. He found the body expanded as a vessel in sync with the ki of a fiery spirit, whereas she perhaps found a naive measure of hope that the senseless war between their schools could be ended. Soon obsessed with not the intersections but the whole of the Tiger Twins' techniques, Ochazuke disappeared into the busywork of her bequathed tasks for weeks, then focussed on mastering the knowledge she imparted for months. He gradually forgot his objective entirely as she coaxed him into their quid-pro-quo. Even when Kenshiko went on a last-ditch effort to gain more pupils in worldwide exhibition tour, 'Zosui' and Kaibyo only had attention for each other, and so with a smile in her heart she left the school in their capable hands.

Then the day came when Chahan himself came to Ori City. He announced his presence by shooting a Dodonpa through Ochazuke's back and lead the charge against the Tiger students himself. Presumed dead, Ochazuke slowly pulled himself from his demise using Kikojutsu, only able to stay alive enough to witness Kaibyo challenge Chahan from his vantage point on the floor. After kicking the wind out of the junior Cranes, the younger master seized the advantage through the insight she had into her opponent's technique, drawing strength from the tenacity to stake her life on every blow struck for the sake of her pride and legacy. As she began to turn the tide, Chahan suddenly gave the order to his students. Diminished but still alive, three students, Ochazuke's former juniours, threw themselves at her one by one with Kikojutsu suicide explosions in fanatical devotion to their master.


Other:
- Kaibyo translates roughly to “strange cat”, a term for a bewitching supernatural cat in Japanese folklore.
- Kenshiko translates to “Sabre-tooth Tiger”
- Tora (Tiger) is a Japanese colloquialism for salaryman drunkards
- The elder twin of the two, Kaibyo was older than Kenshiko by about 4 minutes
- Young Kenshiko
- Young Ochazuke

Music

The Drunken Tiger Kaibyo: KOF '96 - Fairy

The Passionate Tiger Kenshiko: KOF '96 - Rumbling on the City

The Hidden Tiger 'Zosui': Kevin Collier – Savage (Amiga)

Ochazuke's Memories – Idealism – Phosphenes

[Ptrvc]

So I was going to write up this big angsty nightmare Jack, but considering how much of that is going on right now, I think I'll just wait on it. Probably until he actually kills someone for reals again or something.

Trying to think up a new ability, but honestly I'm pretty terrible at that sort of thing. The best I can think of is

Better Stabbing Something Something Spades?: Jack is specially trained to be real good at stabbing people 50% more stabs for each stab.

Might need work.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Why the **** are people fighting.

[grampagen]

Why the **** are people fighting.

"Your Ki no longer stinks of stank"

Nunlil you card.

[Yun Lao]

Time to go the way of the dinosaur and travel into the past.

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

"Your Ki no longer stinks of stank"

Nunlil you card.

Totoma Style: Stan-Ki

*entire lookout hurls*


Saiyan farts are the thing of legends. Usually apocalyptic ones.

[grampagen]

Yes! That's a fun read. Though, in hindsight, the specialties for the Turtle School (which I contributed wah wah) seem kind of meek and passive compared to the other schools. The others have life-force, energy projection, poison, offense and endurance; while Turtle has -- interpersonal knowledge (lol my bad). I do think observation, perseverance, and willpower are useful for the school, though, and fitting for a turtle. I also like how the Turtle School in Dragon Ball tended to have more energy manipulation and versatility than most other disciplines, whether it was Crane School, or Demons, or even Saiyans. So I like to think that things like the Kienzan, Scatter Shot, Sokidan, even Goku manipulating the kamehameha's travel all came from Roshi's philosophies (whatever they may be that don't require nude women).

That reminds me, I should write up Eskramoto, but maybe once Kamesennin Kuki is written up.

But thanks for the entertaining read, Grampagen! Yay lore nerds.

Thanks for your help in fleshing it out as well. Let me know if I should edit anything going forward.

[grampagen]

Totoma Style: Stan-Ki

*entire lookout hurls*


Saiyan farts are the thing of legends. Usually apocalyptic ones.

He didn't learn that from Tasure. Must be from his other side.



STANK MASTER BEKON WAFTS IN

[Monstrous Bird of Qin, Ou Ki]

He didn't learn that from Tasure. Must be from his other side.



STANK MASTER BEKON WAFTS IN

Tasure loved him for his manly musk and its ability to kill everything within a 250km radius.

...

But in all seriousness, Bekon actually looked like Tonio Trussardi from Diamond is Unbreakable. I guess. Close enough.