Orochi Clan
Base of Operations:
The Shogunate of Venezuela
Age: Roughly five hundred years, they first emerged during Japan's 'Warring States' period.
Super Power Origin: Mystical techniques passed down for generations.
Place of Birth: Iga Province, Japan.
Group Affiliation & Rank: They are an ally of the Strigidae so long as they are well paid, but remain available for outside contracts.
Status: Active.
Appearance: The average clansmen wears a crimson Keikogi. Many Shinobi retain this color scheme as they advance in rank and authority but all do not.
Mini Biography:
Grid Points: The average Orochi has the stats listed below however higher ranking Shinobi will have higher stats. They aren't extremely high and I ask that those who roleplay with the Orochi respect their statline and sell them appropriately because if you don't the concept will become weakened over time.
- Agility: (3) Olympic Athlete. Gymnastics, acrobatics and shinobi agility kata's are part of their daily training. A lifetime of sparing and lethal tests push their reflexes to the limit.
- Durability: (2) Tough. Weaklings cannot endure Shinobi training and those who are not physically and mentally tough do not survive long.
- Energy Projection: (1) None. The Orochi do not have any energy projection powers whatsoever.
- Fighting Ability: (4) Experienced. Every single Orochi is roughly as skilled as a professional mixed martial artist.
- Intelligence: (2) Average. The Orochi are roughly average in intellect.
- Mental Power: (1) None. No magical, psychic or mystical power is found among the rank and file.
- Speed: (2) Quick. They are as swift and explosive as the average person is likely to become with intensive training.
- Stamina: (3) Olympic Athlete. Endless cardiovascular training and muscular conditioning means an Orochi can fight for roughly an hour.
- Strength: (2) Olympic Athlete. Grueling strength training lets an Orochi bench press roughly twice his or her weight.
Equipment:
Due to their alliance with Ivana Strigidae they have been supplied weapons designed by Arrachtach, an Arcani scientist and arms designer who works for Ivana. These weapons are upgraded, modern versions of the traditional weapons of the Shinobi.
- Bow:Each Orochi Shinobi is trained in the art of Kyūjutsu, the ancient Japanese art of archery. During the period in which the Orochi first emerged the bow was of such importance that it was the symbol of the professional warrior and the life of the warrior was known as kyūba no michi; the way of horse and bow. Today the Orochi wield a carbon fiber compound bow. The draw weight can be adjusted for each Orochi but is generally somewhere around a hundred and twenty pounds. The cams give the bow a ninety nine percent let-off which reduces fatigue and improves accuracy
Shinobi Training
An ancient clan, dating back five centuries the origins of the Orochi Clan can be found in the bloody chaos of Japan's 'Warring States' period. As such their martial traditions descend from this violent time. Known as 'Koryu', or 'Old Style' martial arts from this period were not about inner peace, self discipline or fitness. Instead they were collections of the brutal and pragmatic skills a warrior needed to attain victory in war. These Koryu styles form the foundation of Orochi training to this day.
Kenjutsu
The use of the sword is very important to the Orochi for it is the sword which is their primary melee weapon. A katana provides reach, tremendous cutting power and can block a weapon without risking injury to ones own arm. It is seen as a reliable and trustworthy tool in battle. Though there are many modern styles the Orochi's ryu focuses on techniques that are useful against an armored warrior. During the period in which their sword style was developed nearly all Samauri went into battle armored and every sword style was designed to be used against an armored foe.
Within the Orochi clan there are seven skills considered vital to the mastery of the katana.
- Cutting: The most fundamental skill. Each Orochi is expected to master a large number of different cuts, from basic strokes to advanced cutting techniques. Power is critical to the Orochi style for it requires blows of extreme power both to knock a foes weapon aside and create an opening and to hack through an enemies armor. The Orochi style of Kenjutsu is an aggressive, offensive art and thus most warriors are true masters of the cut.
- Thrusting: Often considered a secondary skill used to intercept or take advantage of an opening the Orochi style of swordplay demands it be mastered for it is vital when striking at the small openings in an opponents armor.
- Parrying: Defense is an essential skill, even if the offensively focused Orochi style. A dead warrior cannot attack. As time went on and weapons became more and more deadly defensive techniques were forced to adapt to them. Today every Orochi warrior is required to cut an arrow from the air to prove their defensive prowess.
- Binding: After one parries or is parried there is often a period in which both warriors press their weapons together, seeking openings or advantage. The Orochi consider this a critical phase for their offensive style demands one attack again as soon as possible. As such the mastery of the bind is essential, for the Orochi must seize the initiative after parrying or redouble their assault after being parried.
- Feinting: Offense requires openings and feinting creates those openings. Orochi are constantly feinting, testing and prodding the defenses of their foes, seeking the tiniest sliver of an opening to exploit.
- Footwork: Dominate angles are considered a force multiplier for ones offense. An advanced technique is twice as likely to land if combined with strong footwork and a feint is four times as likely to create an opening if combined with a dominate angle. Defensively many Orochi learn to exit on an angle and circle out of sheer necessity; the brutal offense their peers bring to bear demands it.
- Tactics: The position of the ground, sources of light, strengths and weaknesses of an opponents weapon, close or open quarters, all of these things and more were of paramount importance to the ancient Samurai, who wrote about them extensively. This tradition was passed on through generations of Orochi and is alive and well today. Veteran clansmen often believe it is tactics which is the most vital to victory, given the proliferation of powerful firearms and superhuman enemies on the battlefield.
Kyujutsu
For roughly four hundred years it was the bow, not the blade, which was the primary weapon of the Japanese warrior. The Orochi first emerged during the last century of the bows battlefield dominance and its prominence in the way of the warrior was so great that the Orochi specialize in archery to this day. Originally the art of the bow was tied to horsemanship and the archer primarily fought from horseback. The yumi bow was also the most popular bow in the early days of the Orochi clan. However both of these practices have fallen by the wayside and the Orochi now specialize in foot archery and use modern compound bows.
The critical skills for an Orochi archer are the following:
- Accuracy: There is no purpose to a shot that misses its mark. From their first day of training until they day they retire or die every Orochi is expected to drill their accuracy. In the modern era this is even more important for to compete with the gun requires exceptional skill. The use of explosive arrows in battle raises the stakes for a missed shot could easily maim or kill an ally. Every Orochi can hit a human torso at seventy yards without fail, even when injured, fatigued or in the wind and rain.
- Rate of Fire: With the advent of the earliest fireams rate of fire was one of the only advantages the bow offered. The Orochi capitalized on this, training their Clansmen to fire as quickly as possible by grading them by the largest number of targets struck in the shortest amount of time. Today with the use of poisoned and explosive arrows a small group of Orochi can unleash a devastating amount of firepower in seconds.
- Target Priority: Battle can present a bewildering number of choices to an Orochi and give him less than a second to decide. Explosive arrow, poisoned arrow, tazer arrow, smoke arrow, the warrior must choose instinctively. The Clan drills its members relentlessly on the various types of targets, area denial fire and suppressive fire and fire-and-maneuver tactics. Teamwork and tactical shooting are as much a part of the Orochi way of war as their heartbeats.
Jujutsu
Unlike its decedents, Judo and Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, Jujutsu was never a sport. It was a style which taught warriors how to fight in close quarters with a short weapon or unarmed against a foe wearing armor. At times a Samurai would be disarmed or have his weapon broken. Because the arts of the Orochi were war arts such a foe would almost always be armored for war and they would be very likely to be armed. This rendered striking an option of last resort for punching and kicking against an armored man with a sword or spear is not a winning strategy. The art of Jujutsu was developed to allow a warrior to deflect an oncoming attack, make a takedown and either secure a choke/joint-lock or use a secondary short-blade to slay an armored foe.
Later generations saw the use of unarmed combat skyrocket as the worldwide rise in mutations lead to a plethora of warriors fully capable of fighting unarmed. Many of these techniques were absorbed into the Orochi as they fought with, and trained beside many of the worlds greatest warriors. As the generations marched onward the Orochi added a vast number of advanced striking techniques to what was once a grappling/dagger focused art.
Jujutsu focuses upon:
- Throws: The takedowns of western wrestling are uncommon in Jujutsu because they expose one's back to the foes weapon and failing a shoot takedown places one in a position to be stabbed to death with no possible defense. In addition the mud and grass slick with dew or blood often makes the 'drive' necessary for a shoot impossible. Instead Jujutsu focuses on throwing from the clench or using points of leverage on a foes armor to hurl them to the ground.
- Clenching: Weapons require room to swing. By denying a foe that room a Jujutsu practitioner can stuff the offense of an armed enemy. Jujutsu relies on a clench to successfully throw. The clench is also the preferred location to deploy daggers and shortswords, and Jujutsu teaches how to close the distance, stuff the offense of a longer weapon and overwhelm the enemy by combining thrusts toward chinks in the armor and the constant threat of a throw takedown. In the modern era striking from the clench is also taught.
- Short Blades: Many warriors carried a shortsword or dagger as a backup weapon. A few even specialized in the short sword, using it as their main weapon. Both of these things remain true today and the use of a shortsword or dagger is as vital as it has ever been. Many a foe has fallen to the infighting skills of an Orochi they thought disarmed.
- Striking: Historically the use of strikes was neither common nor effective. However times have changed and so have the Orochi. The plethora of modern striking techniques, mutations and modern physical training have made unarmed striking effective once more. Orochi of the modern era are far more athletic and explosive than their ancient counterparts and are capable of delivering blows of tremendous speed and power.
Venezuelan Equipment
Ivana commands the Orochi clan, having defeated their seven secret masters in combat. They have served her faithfully for years and sacrificed much in the conquest of Venezuela. Most of the clan has migrated from their stronghold in Japan to Venezuela and taken up defense of the nation. In exchange they have been armed with weapons designed by Arrachtach using Venezuela's advanced technology and even some vibranium components.
Katana
The Orochi are an ancient clan who first rose to prominence in feudal Japan. They combine modern construction and technologies with the traditional weapons of the shinobi. Those who follow Ivana typically imitate her choice of weaponry; the blade and bow.
Among the Orochi are artisans of sword smithing whose metalworking traditions descend from the arts used to forge the blades of the Samurai. Many types of blades were forged in that blood soaked era however it is the 'Honsanmai' pattern that was chosen when Arrachtach provided them with vibranium and access to Venezuela's metallurgy.
Though Venezuela has access to vast stores of vibranium it is still extremely valuable and not to be used friviously. The Orochi were not given though to craft every sword from solid vibranium. Instead the used the ancient Honsanmai pattern to forge the very edge of the blade from the rare metal. The core was constructed from titanium, which is not extremely hard but is tough and will flex without breaking. The sides of the blade are crafted from a tungsten-steel alloy which is extremely hard and wear resistant, allowing the blade to block incoming attacks without being damaged.
Arrows
For an individual warrior it can be difficult to craft a multitude of complex arrows and still perform all of their duties. However nation-states produce thousands of firearms, roads, munitions, power grids, tanks, computers, planes and satellites daily. Producing vast quantities of high tech arrows is realitively trivial in comparison. Venezuela produces all the arrows the Orochi could ever need and then some.
The typical arrow uses a carbon fiber shaft because they retain perfect straightness under stress, guaranteeing accuracy. They are also lightweight. Barbed broadheads are used, made from a tungsten-steel alloy. The shaft contains a small injector powered by compressed air. The compressed air is stored in the hollow rear of the shaft. A packet of botulinum toxin is stored at the front of the arrow. Upon penetrate the injector sprays the toxin directly into the bloodstream.
Botulinum is generally considered the most lethal toxin known to man with 2.1 nanograms being considered a one hundred percent lethal dose. It degrades proteins vital to neurotransmitters, and in the vast dosage that the arrow injects typically causes complete failure of every bodily process within second.
The Orochi also carry a number of gadget arrows, which provide them with ranged versatility.
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