Hiyugo Nishi

"Alien identities
Don't hide that special face from me
You walked through the fire with a ten-headed lion
And turned on your destiny
Open up, forget your life
Breathe in, breathe out, retain a sense of suicide
Aren't you glad to see how far you've come?
You're a wizard in a blizzard
You're a mystical machine gun..."
-- Kula Shaker, Mystical Machine Gun

Prelude

A Tokyo native, Hiyugo Nishi grew up within the city limits. Someone once described it as sounding "like a traffic jam at a pinball arcade wedged inside a dinosaur's asshole." Hiyugo certainly grew up with a mindset to match. An unabashed child of the modern age, he had a hunger for the colour and noise of Shinjuku. He practically grew up on its streets, much to the chagrin of his parents, who despaired for his schoolwork. But Hiyugo had plans that didn't involve technical college. Threading through the streets he saw many guides directing visitors to whatever they might desire, might it be a Karaoke bar, good Tonkatsu or a relatively clean cathouse. His friendly and enthusiastic demeanour made him a hit with visitors to the area, and he made a tidy sum taking a gratuity from the bars he brought patrons to. But after a while he was approached by less reputable denizens of the area.

He was asked to procure certain types of people - while he initially balked, when he was showed the money he was more than agreeable to luring wealthy businessmen to be robbed, or nubile young girls into the waiting trucks of the slavers and pimps. Life was good for him - no responsibilities or obligations except looking after his own ass. Given that he ran with the dangerous Tokyo underworld, rubbing shoulders with Yakuza, muggers, rapists and murderers, it was ironic that his life would be ended by a speeding delivery truck.

His soul screamed endlessly in the Hell of Being Cut To Pieces until his P'o drove him to break free - his own loathing at how much he had fallen. His ashes swirled together just outside the medical waste disposal where his body had been incinerated, Devil Tiger chih-mei tamers waiting for him. After reading his Horoscope he was given to the Thrashing Dragons to train.

He saw that his former life had been a canker sore in Shinjuku, a focal point in which the natural order of society had bent and crumpled. His mentor, a member of the Ten Seasons Sect, taught him that his skills could be used to learn something, rather than for his own selfish gains.

And thus Hiyugo became the gardener of a few blocks of Shinjuku - carefully he weeds out troubled shoots, encourages healthy growth and occasionally performs radical experiments to see if he can force his project to change in unexpected ways.

Image

Scarlet-cycled except under the direst circumstances, Hiyugo is a man full of boundless energy and cheer - to hear him talk, Tokyo is the most exciting city on Earth. Perhaps he believes it, too. He typically dresses in comfortable pants and a shirt with a bright print, all the better to play up his exuberant image. He usually carries a nickel-plated .45 tucked into his pants just in case of trouble, but he's not found a need to use it just yet.

Character Sheet

Name: Hiyugo Nishi

Nature: Caregiver

Demeanour: Bon Vivant

P'o Nature: The Bandit

Direction: East

Attributes

Physical: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stramina 2

Social: Charisma 4 (Smooth Talker), Manipulation 3, Appearance 3

Mental: Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3

Abilities

Talents: Alertness 2, Dodge 1, Empathy 3, Intimidation 1, Streetwise 3, Subterfuge 3

Skills: Crafts 1, Etiquette 1, Firearms 1, Performance 3, Stealth 2, Survival 1

Knowledges: Academics 1, Computer 1, Linguistics 1 (Japanese [Native], English), Occult 1, Science 1

Backgrounds

Contacts 3 (Shinjuku Nightlife), Rites 1 (Greeting the Sun), Resources 3, Allies 2 (Shinjuku business owners)

Advantages

Disciplines: Demon Shintai 1 (Maw), Yang Prana 1, Obligation 1

Yin/Yang: 2/4

Morality

Hun: 3

P'o: 3

Willpower: 6

Dharma: Dance of the Thrashing Dragon 1