Shiryo Kane

Euthanatos
Chela of the Phula
Shiryokosha no Sekkuku
Cohai of Walking the Ebon Road
Agent of the Court of Shooting Stars

Description


~Right place, right time: Kane (Kah-neh, not Kayne) is right where he wants to be, when he wants to be. The thirtyish Japanese man conceals an average build behind loose slacks and a button-down silk skirt. The pants might be black nylon or tan khakis. The shirt often comes in deep blue, black, or indigo. Kane tends to wear his black hair as long as his shoulders. But it may be bound in a ponytail or a bandanna. His features exude a glow of humanity, as if he were meant to be and knows it. His lips remain drawn into a firm line. Thoughtful brown eyes search the scenery for fellow actors in this drama called Destiny.~

OOC: Appearance 2; Arcane 2

"You're luckier than you know, 'dachi."

History


Youth

Karasuisho was long home to a dozen shinta of the Shiryokosha sect, a faction of the Euthanatos Tradition. Rich in culture and heritage, Shiryo Kane's addition to the miya (chantry) only strengthened these mysticks. He was born in 1973, the bastard son of his Awakened mother, Chokoku Tomoe. Kane never knew his father nor did he really miss him. All the other mages of the miya acted as surrogate parents. They did their best to insure Kane was raised with decent ethics instilled. They also oversaw the boy's education.

Early on, Kane studied and learned subjects esoteric and exoteric alike. Kane didn't study mystickal practices because he was not yet Awakened. But the boy was expected to Awaken, due to his heritage and exposure to magick. Despite the risk to his sanity, his mother often took the youth to witness the outcomes of her sorcerous rituals. Kane often visited the city that Karasuisho was near, Yokohama, too. He enjoyed the busy environment and all the cool things one could do. He began to play pachinko at casinos. Strangely, Kane won often. Joss (luck) seemed to favor the boy. He was winning too much actually. His mother had to bail the boy out of trouble once. She encouraged him to pursue other hobbies. So the Western violin hooked the bright boy. He began taking lessons at age eight and fell in love with the music.

Awakening

When his adolescence arrived, Kane began to despair that he would never Awaken despite sectmates' assurances. However, the boy's mystickal senses were beginning to peak. He found he could sense joss-affecting spells at work. Kane knew when his mother or some other mage of the chantry was casting Entropy-based spells. Finally, at age fifteen, Kane had a vital dream. He dreamed that he would father many children, all of who would be especially touched by joss. The Shiryokosha would thus be strengthened. Fortune would favor them above all: "Destiny's curve".

Kane informed his mother of what he envisioned. She observed Kane during the next ritual and it was confirmed that the boy was Awakened! His tutelage began immediately. His mother and many other mages at Karasuisho all acted informally as his mentors. Kane developed magick quite eclectically with such a diverse tutelage. Plus, the violin remained his passion. Indeed, it even became a staple of his magick.

In only three years, Kane's mentorship was concluded. He only had to prove he was a competent and mature mage. The sect tested Kane, sending him into nearby Tokyo. His task was to employ his mystickal senses for joss magicks in order to discover dhampyrs. These half-vampires were reputed to be carriers of great fortune. He was to catalogue their identities as accurately as possible. Kane was his Entropy Arts to home in randomly on all the Shade Walkers in Tokyo. Serendipity guided these joss-touched shen together. Over a month's time, Kane discovered nine dhampyrs in the city. A few he acquainted and interviewed, but most he observed from a (safe) distance. With this successful endeavor under his belt, Kane returned to Karasuisho.

Thus, Kane was considered full-fledged Shiryokosha, after he passed only one more test. Kane was subjected to the sanpo yurei, called the agama re elsewhere. In the dismal Yin World, Kane got a closer look at death than he ever had. And it was closer than he ever wanted. As the sect elders hoped, that glimpse into the true nature of death and entropy encouraged Kane to live and promote life. The so-called death-mages weren't nearly as morbid as many other mysticks believed.

Serendipitous Search

After his graduation, Kane decided to make a career out of researching the rare and intriguing Half-Damned. For the next seven years, the young shinta went from city to city in Japan. He used his good fortune to fund his path, by scoring prudent wins at casinos here and there. Kane searched out as many dhampyrs as he could. He identified and catalogued each one he encountered. Some, especially those who served their Kuei-jin parents (sometimes for centuries), were especially hard to track at times. But Kane learned to home in on these better-educated and empowered dhampyrs. He would track the uses of Arts like Tzu Wei to their sources. Over time, Kane noticed how few dhampyrs there actually were in Japan. Only half the population that the Shiryokosha projected from the past seemed to still exist.

Unfortunately, some of the gaki who sired these Shade Walkers took offense to Kane's nosiness. He sometimes found those terrifying vampires chasing him, Celestial Devils and Thrashing Dragons both. Anytime Kane realized that the undead were after his blood and soul though, he immediately left town. His good joss helped him escape each time without harm. Kane just marked the city to return to later, to finish his research.

And Kane always did. Before returning to Karasuisho in 1998, he catalogued 28 dhampyrs throughout Japan. Shiryokosha records indicated 60 dhampyrs once existed in the country. They would die and be reborn again over the centuries. Kane was concerned about their fate: over half were still unaccounted for. He figured that a few likely emigrated from Japan. Some might have broken their karmic cycle, positively or negatively, and either ascended to Heaven or suffered the Second Breath and became full gaki.

But what about the rest? Kane was deeply concerned. He found the Half-Damned to be fascinating creatures. They were shen of starkly contrasting colors. They were torn between Hun and P'o. Kane wanted to see them enjoy their good fortune and not succumb to their darker urges.

However, Kane needed a break from his research. He retreated to Karasuisho, sharing his findings with the chantry. In exchange, Kane learned more advanced spells and Arts. He also helped instruct a couple new apprentices. Kane knew he couldn't stay too long. He nevertheless languished two long years. He wasn't sure where else to go in Japan to find the missing dhampyrs. Finally, Kane beheld a vision. He saw the mushroom cloud explosions that once decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Burnings, as many shen called these disasters, tainted the ki energy of these cities. Indeed, this taint yielded great corruption and spawned many demons.

Ashes

Previously, Kane avoided these metropoli because of the danger. But a nagging intuitive itch suggested he would find clues to the missing Shade Walkers here. Indeed, the young mage knew his Path led through these cities. Logical deduction pointed to them! So in 2000, Kane voyaged to Nagasaki. He did not go unprotected though, and bore a mystickal blessing of purification to keep both his body and soul safe.

The city was thriving like any other. But mystickally aware Kane sensed something just under the nose of the Sleepers. The air felt poisoned, or at least the ki did. It disturbed Kane but he pressed forward with his usual regimen of seeking out the joss-touched. His serendipitous senses led Kane to the red light district. A run-down brothel drew him and there a dark woman awaited him. She wasn't dark as in dark-skinned, but dark-souled. Kane knew she was a dhampyr but felt pity for her, because the attractive young woman seemed to have faltered to the whims of her P'o.

So Kane ignored the flirtations of the other prostitutes and followed "Sawako" upstairs. He noticed that she had six fingers on each hand but said nothing: that was unusual but not unnatural. Kane enjoyed their sexual intercourse. When the sweaty deed was done, he relaxed in Sawako's arms. To his shock, she suddenly sprouted her fangs. He tried to struggle away but she wrapped all four limbs around him. Worse…a tail! A tail like that of a devil slid from her rear end and wound firmly around him, too. She was no dhampyr, or if she was, she was twisted. Kane realized she must have been twisted by the city's poisoned ki. Sawako laughed at his horror-filled cries. In desperation, Kane unleashed his most devastating spell: Rip the Man-Body. Kane felt no satisfaction or relief as Sawako screeched and practically exploded beneath him. Quite dead, Kane crawled away from that dhampyr's corpse and fled hurriedly from the brothel. He didn't stay to face the wrath of her pimps.

Kane retreated to his hotel and cleaned himself thoroughly. He played a dirge for Sawako on his violin. The music was also to soothe himself -- he never killed anyone before. Kane occasionally levied potent curses on his enemies. These curses sometimes resulted in death through indirect circumstances. But he never killed anyone face-to-face. And he definitely didn't want to kill the rare dhampyrs. But he steeled himself and decided to continue his research. Over two long years, Kane observed seven more dhampyrs in Nagasaki. He never approached them, as he watched them often engage in sadistic and twisted activities. Most of them had tails like Sawako, too. He overheard them refer to themselves as makuro hiko, or maiko, and saw evidence to link these monstrosities to House Genji vampires!

Dust

By 2002, Kane had enough. He left Nagasaki and traveled to the larger city, Hiroshima. Kane expected to find nothing but maiko here, too. And he was correct, discovering a dozen more. Many were paired up here in deadly, fiendish duos. In 2003, a pair of homosexual maiko discovered the spying mage by accident. Instead of fleeing (and possibly being run down), Kane took up his violin. He channeled his hypnotic magick, enchanting the two vicious maiko. He turned their anger into a fierce lust. They fell upon each other in brutal desire. Kane got the hell out of Dodge before he was forced to join in on the "fun".

Meanwhile, during his joss-influenced study, Kane encountered something else he never did before. A girl, not quite eighteen, bore a weaker but dhampyr-like measure of joss blessing. Kane acquainted the girl, Kutsuya Ruri, and learned that her father matched the identity of one of the maiko he recently marked. The diabolic Shade Walker long forgot about his daughter. Her aunt and uncle raised Ruri instead. Indeed, she was a normal girl, save for her consistent streaks of good luck. Their friendship eventually blossomed into dating and then intimacy. Kane began to realize she could be the key to his destiny of enriching the Shiryokosha with joss-blessed acolytes and apprentices.

Unfortunately, the Celestial Devils who were manipulating the maiko foresaw the meddling of this shinta. The visions that their Chi'iu Muh dragon tears granted illustrated Shiryo Kane. A Wu of vampires was dispatched to destroy him. However, Kane was gifted with visions of his own. He foresaw their impending arrival. So, after much persuasion, Kane prepared to flee the city with Ruri. Just as they left the apartment building, the Wu arrived. They fled down an alley with the laughing vampires hot on their tails. Kane tossed minor curses back at their pursuit to inconvenience and slow them down. It had limited effect. Kane and Ruri had to run and run. Only through his Arts could he sustain the pace and he was not advanced enough to impose the same gifts on Ruri.

So Ruri stumbled and fell, exhausted. Kane tried to help her but she begged him to escape. Maybe they would ignore her since he was their true target? Heartbroken, Kane knew he would die for sure if he lingered to try and help Ruri. So he fled once more and managed to elude the Wu. Kane felt Ruri's screams empathically, even across the city. The vampires slaughtered the poor girl in vengeful fury at the mage's escape. Miserable and impotently enraged, Kane took the airplane back to Yokohama and Karasuisho.

Once there, he confided his misery to his sympathetic mother. He also laid down the most comprehensive report on the makuro hiko the sect saw to date. Kane's efforts were commended and his bravery noted. It took a lot of guts to go into the hearts of corruption and spy on demons. Still, Kane didn't feel brave or heroic. He blamed himself for months for Ruri's murder.

New Deal

However, his visions returned. Kane knew the Genji vampires were still seeking his blood. His mother advised him to leave Japan full stop. Kane considered his options. He decided to immigrate to America, to one of many "Little Asia" districts. The chantry masters informed Kane that another Shiryokosha from the Kuroiten chantry already took that path. If he wanted to meet or even work with Daitan Shindashi, Kansas City, Missouri, was his destination.

Then Kane decided to embark on this move, realizing he could study the shen that also immigrated -- perhaps even some more of the lost dhampyrs. (Just, hopefully no more maiko!) So after the summer ended in 2004, Kane moved to Little Asia in Kansas City. He joined the Court of Shooting Stars; the medley of supernaturals in this Coalition intrigued him. What would joss hold in store for him here, Shiryo Kane wondered?

Koyaniwa (Sanctum)


~Midori-no-Koyama hosts a wide estate and a beautiful Zen garden. Within that garden stands an outbuilding. A stony path leads through the flora to the entrance. Insulated plywood walls are shelled in staggered, gray tile common to Japanese fashion. A red spiralled roof keeps the 20'x20' building in the garden's feng shui alignment. A solid red door opens into Koyoniwa itself.

Despite its name, this is no garden shed. Past the door reveals the hut of a mystick. Shiryo Kane dwells and works his Arts here. One of the only basic modern amenities in his Sanctum is the A/C unit. It is installed in one of two small windows set side by side in the rear wall. The shed includes only this one room. The walls and ceiling are painted red. Blue ribbons stretch across the walls where they meet the ceiling. Electric wall lamps extend from brass sconces, casting pale light on the room.

The far end, where the curtained windows are placed, lies a comfortable white futon. Hanging on the wall nearby is Kane's violin. Its empty case waits below on the gray macadam floor. On the other side of the futon opens a circular hole through the floor and foundation. It is always filled with dark, still water tapped from a natural, underground well. Its purpose is no doubt arcane. Otherwise, a large Oriental rug spans most of the ground, splashing crimson and gold on the room. In the east corner of the other end of the shed stands a card table built of fine cherry wood. Two imperial-styled chairs accompany. Facing the table on the west wall spans a large mirror with an octagonal gold frame. Along the same wall sits a stout dresser of cherry wood. Here Kane holds his keepsakes, some tools of his art, and spare clothing. Koyoniwa may not seem to be a very magical place at first glance. But Kane already burned his essence into its heart. Like Kane, Koyoniwa just seems to be where it's supposed to be. And what happens inside is what is meant to happen.~

OOC: Arcane 3

Significant Other


In Kane's search for the joss-touched, he came across this girl, Ichiro Misao, in fall of 2004. Though she was only a teen, the lusty mystick decided to seduce the girl. Once under his sway, he could investigate and research her strange component of joss much more easily. Of course, stealing her away from her life made things more difficult in some aspects. But the chaotic mentality of this mage insured he would try to keep her close regardless of practical concerns. Indeed, Kane was as seduced by Misao's innocent charms as she was by his mature ones. Their shared talent of the violin kept their lives filled with magic and music both.

Of course, Misao eventually grew up, and in 2008 she convinced Kane to let her go and live her life. What he didn't realize is that she was actually drawn away by her family back in Japan, who oversaw her First Change: she was Tengu! The wereraven still had left Kane's life...until she returned in 2011. However, she didn't fling herself into his arms, and their relationship sputtered back to life slowly. That was for the best.

Misao

Weakness
Devil's Luck


Kane is a gambling man. He exerts his influence over fate & fortune when he makes bets or plays slots. Indeed, any chances he takes are shifted in his favor by his spells and mere essence. This means he's often a winner. But he won't always win. One day, he'll become too reliant on his good luck, and it will fail him.

Likelihood of Corruption


Average.

Kane plays dangerous games with dangerous people. It will lead him into trouble, perhaps even spiritually.

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