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[Calibur]

Contents

Sound Projects (I & II)

Nunchaku no Jutsu

NPC Profiles

Cloud Unity Squad

[Calibur]

The Shindou Clan
Silent Instruments of Hidden Sound

Philosophy

Mantra

Still the body and the mind will speak,
Quiet the mind and the soul will speak,
Silence the soul and the world will speak,
And I will listen.

Religion

Traditions

Culture/Appearance

History

In the days of Old Hidden Sound, the Eight Strings were a band of elite hunters whose exceptional mastery of the war bow was nearly overshadowed by their reputation as prodigal musicians all. These chakra-gifted men and women had tuned their senses to such a degree that they believed they could detect the frequencies of all things, or Universal Resonance. Their unity, renown and enterprising spirits led to the founding of a clan that built upon their reverence for these hidden sounds, transforming a belief into a religion and enshrining their practices within the sacred ceremonies of their descendants, the Shindou.

Eighty years ago, the Great Wars all but wiped out the clan, forcing the sole surviving branch family to find safety in anonymity. For decades, the clan acted as mercenary archers to feudal lords, moving nomadically under the leadership of Shindou Madoka and, later, his eldest daughter Mayumi. It was Mayumi and her son Takehiko who, fearing for their family, which had narrowly escaped decimation by bandits and ronin on several occasions, thought to channel their religious rites into a formidable martial art to complement their dominant use of the bow.

Takehiko, who fathered two sons, Shinonome and Tetsuji, continued this endeavour even after his wife, mother, father and aunt were slaughtered by ronin who attacked the refugee camp the had called home at one time. Though his was a clan of survivors, that fateful night never lost its maddening grip on his heart. When his boys were old enough to fend for themselves, he left to track down the ronin and avenge his family. He never returned. As the last two surviving members of the once hundred-strong Shindou clan, Shinonome and his younger brother Tetsuji were left to continue the self-imposed exile their great-grandfather had begun, protecting their clan heritage at all costs.

However, unlike their predecessors, the two young men did not believe in hiding who they were or isolating themselves from all potential allies. They wanted to trust again. When the Seijuu called, they answered, and were among the first Nomads to bear the mark of the Eighth Note. Shinonome was then one of the first of the new Seishi hand-picked to go out into the world and act as Kaigen’s eyes and ears. Tasked with operating undercover in the Lightning Country, his Eighth Note surgically removed, Shinonome rose from unknown status to a role of prominence.

Tetsuji remained the named inheritor of the clan, years later solidifying his place among the Sound Nomads with a kunoichi bride named Kotone. The pair’s son, Akira, was born not long after Shinonome had earned the rank of special envoy within Hidden Cloud, which afforded him the ability to return home. He did not return, viewing his position too crucial to jeopardise. There were other agents of Kaigen's at play whose identities were kept on a need-to-know basis, any one of which would have alerted his superiors to a suspected transgression in a bid to elevate their own position.

Notable Members

Shindou Takehiko
Shindou Tetsuji
Shindou Akira
Shindou Shinonome

Battle Applications

Sousouken (Hybrid Taijutsu)

Survivors

[Calibur]

Inspired by Taido, Tai Ji Quan, Panzer Kunst, Wing Chun and Kyudo.

Sumuken
Resonating Fist

A—Stamina
B—Speed
C—Strength
D—Control
E—Power

Stage I - The Enthusiast
Requirements: Stamina 5, Speed 3
Bonus: +5 Stamina, +4 Speed
Special Techniques: Control 2, Power 2

Stage II - The Apprentice
Requirements: Stamina 8, Speed 6, Control 6
Bonus: +5 Stamina, +4 Speed
Special Techniques: Control 4, Power 4

Stage III - The War Artisan
Requirements: Stamina 12, Speed 8, Control 8
Bonus: +5 Stamina, +4 Speed
Special Techniques: Control 7, Power 7, Reserves 6

Stage IV - The Warrior
Requirements: Stamina 17, Speed 14, Strength 12, Control 14
Bonus: +5 Stamina, +4 Speed
Special Techniques: Control 10, Power 10, Reserves 8

Stage V - The High Warrior
Requirements: Stamina 22, Speed 19, Strength 15, Control 16
Bonus: +5 Stamina, +4 Speed
Special Techniques: Control 15, Power 15, Reserves 13

Stage VI - The Master
Requirements: Stamina 30, Speed 24, Strength 21, Control 20, Power 16
Bonus: +5 Stamina, +4 Speed
Special Techniques: Control 19, Power 19, Reserves 18

Stage VII - The Elder
Requirements: Stamina 39, Speed 33, Strength 27, Control 24, Power 20
Bonus: +5 Stamina, +4 Speed
Special Techniques: Control 26, Power 25, Reserves 24

[Calibur]

Nunchaku no Jutsu

A: Strength
B: Speed
C: Stamina
D: Tactics
E: Willpower

Style Basis: Iaijutsu/Weapon
Style Requirements: Nunchaku (Single/Dual)

Style History:

Nunchaku, or nunchucks, are primarily used for self-defence, particularly in gaining the upper hand against multiple opponents. Some say that they began as rice flails converted to weapons by farmers in a time of revolution; others that they were uniquely invented to circumvent the legislation that barred deposed aristocrats from bearing traditional arms. Whatever the reality, both explanations depict a weapon of necessity and practicality; a weapon valued for its capacity to turn the tide in nearly any skirmish with its speed, force and unpredictability. Although at a perceived disadvantage when facing a single swordsman or spearman, or any weapon user with a longer reach, nunchaku adepts are trained to parry, block, strike, bash, stab, immobilise, disarm and confuse their opponent, and ultimately seek to control the rhythm of each confrontation.

Weapon Information:

Nunchaku consist of two equally-sized rods (around the length of the user’s forearm from the crease in their elbow to the crease of their knuckles) with circular or octagonal ends, connected by a rope (himo) or chain (kusari) that should be long enough for the user to hold across the flat of their palm with a few centimetres to spare. Typically, the sticks will be crafted from strong, flexible woods that have been hardened under mud for several years then finely sanded and stained for preservation, although metal is a popular alternative, with optional accessories like telescoping handles and concealed or retractable blades. Yet even with a standard pair of nunchaku, depending on how they are swung, the resulting blunt force trauma can be devastating. The user’s shoulder, elbow and wrist, coupled with the nunchaku cord, provide up to four turning points with which to generate incredible torque and concussive power for such a lightweight weapon.

Training Methods:

Nunchaku no Jutsu is considered a form of Iron Body Training for its capacity to toughen up its practitioners. Unlike a spear, which usually obeys its user, nunchaku have the potential to bite back. But in this art, getting hit by accident is just another way to learn, sampling one’s own medicine to better avoid self-harm in future and to grasp just how much damage one can dispense. Meanwhile, daily training with even basic spins will result in the repeated intentional striking of the user’s sides, arms, ribs and inner legs with their own nunchaku, not to mention a constant rotation of the core, the forearms, wrists, elbows and shoulders. This results in the conditioning of a physique prepared to get struck but also ready to strike back, armed with improved coordination, hand quickness and posture. This is why there is simply no better way to train than to use the weapon itself.


Stage I
Requirements: 4 Strength, 4 Speed
Bonus: +5 Strength, +4 Speed
Specials: 2 Tactics, 2 Willpower

Holding the nunchaku between the centre and upper parts of the handle permits the greatest control over the velocity and weight of the weapon. A wide, split stance, meanwhile, garners power through the legs and ensures the user remains ready to move at a moment’s notice. The nunchaku is only as devastating as the power generated by the body, and its reach is limited. The student must relax their muscles but not their posture so as to unleash the ‘chucks maximum potential. Stiffness will result in jerky movements, delays and certain defeat. Hand control, practical swings and direct lines of attack are therefore ingrained by performing hundreds of repetitions each time an offensive or defensive technique is trained.

At this stage, these Core Techniques comprise the first set of ‘Soft Strikes’ which, in a smacking fashion, are intended to connect laterally and vertically with the hard parts of the opponent: the skull, the elbows and the knees, creating high, middle and low zones of attack.

• I: Kaiten (Spin) is achieved by swinging the nunchaku from side to side, rebounding the eye of the nunchaku rod (where the cord is attached) off the muscles of the back at either end of the arc, and varying the extension of their arm, to produce everything from a tight to a wide lateral motion.
• II: Kiru (Cut) consists of a sharp downward swing to kill the momentum and whip the striking stick back up to rebound off the triceps (marginally increasing the return speed). If the user’s stance happens to be square (feet in line rather than in a front/back split) then the momentum kill is replaced by a rebound against the inner thigh.

Transitioning between spins and cuts is achieved with a flourish of the wrist at the point where the two swings would intersect. By the time the student graduates to Stage II of their training, they should be able to perform this shift in momentum with the same control that they apply to either technique in isolation, and with either hand. Ambidexterity is promoted from the first, as well as instinctive precision. If even the 199th practice swing of 200 is flawed, the student must begin again.

It is strongly advised that combat be avoided wherever possible. The Core Techniques are still only intended for physical, mental and synaptic conditioning at this point. But should an initiate find themselves in a fight, they will not be without options, having received instruction in simple evasive footwork and body positioning, known as Tai Sabaki, as well as the fundamentals of blocking with the nunchaku.

• First Block requires the user to place the nunchaku in front of them with a hand on either stick, held perpendicular to the ground, the cord pulled taut between them. The cord, which can be thrust in any direction, is intended to catch the oncoming ‘soft strikes’ of blunt weaponry, and the chopping motions made by arms and legs. Students quickly learn which attacks to block and which to avoid.

Stage II
Requirements: 7 Strength, 7 Speed, 6 Tactics
Bonus: +5 Strength, +4 Speed
Specials: 4 Tactics, 4 Willpower

Those students who one day hope to taunt their every opponent with dazzling displays have been misinformed: Nunchaku no Jutsu is not a juggler’s art but a survivor’s art. The user must hit hard and hit fast, crushing as many obstacles as quickly as possible and keeping their opponent off balance at all times. Those who fail to grasp this might advance to Stage II but will rarely progress further.

Visualisation of an opponent is now included in practice swings, targeting specific areas of the body and varying directionality even more. The student will develop new ways of transitioning between techniques by learning to catch the attacking stick by the ribs as it is twirled over the triceps or across the body. From this position, the student is far more unpredictable in timing and directing their next swing. For instance, the next strike might be a spin, a cut or even a diagonal motion, which now becomes a viable option.

• III: Shison (Descendant) consists of a downward figure eight with the nunchaku held in front of the body and controlled primarily by the wrist. The arm assumes more of a warding length, but this is not a defensive technique. Rather, as the student grows in confidence, they will learn to vary the distance of these diagonal swings from their body just as they did for spins and cuts, as well as their angle of attack.
• VI: Senzo (Ascendant) is the reverse, requiring a different energy to contain its upward figure eight pattern. Switching between these two Core Techniques can be achieved by rebounding off either the inner thigh or the triceps.

These additions require even greater levels of control and purposeful visualisation, aiming for a point at more advanced stages at when these cease to become conscious choices. Trust in one’s skills becomes a matter of muscle memory, and training with a variety of nunchaku lengths is now recommended as each will affect the power, speed, extension and safe contact point of each swing. With opponents in mind, the student can also begin to experiment with ways of altering the trajectory of attacks by introducing new Tai Sabaki movements. Tireless practice in their grounded stance has produced legs steady but ready to spring or fold at a moment’s notice.

Regular Technique: Great Whip
Leaping forward as they fully extend their arm in a vertical or diagonal strike, the user can generate a powerful finishing blow before killing momentum and withdrawing the nunchaku.

Regular Technique: Reverse Snake Cross
Twisting their body and bending their knees as they perform a lateral or diagonal strike, the user catches the striking stick in a crouch and unwinds suddenly with a rising strike.

As directionality in offence improves, so does the need to protect oneself more readily.

• Second Block will see the user hold their sticks in a lateral line of defence, pulling the cord taut. This barrier can be snapped to the left, right, above or below, at whichever angle they require; it offers the most coverage but, like its predecessor, still makes the cord more vulnerable to severing, unless using nunchaku connected by a chain. Students who know they will be doing a lot of blocking should prepare accordingly.

Stage III
Requirements: 10 Strength, 10 Speed, 8 Tactics
Bonus: +5 Strength, +4 Speed
Specials: 7 Tactics, 7 Willpower, 6 Intelligence

Once the student shows reliable skill and can demonstrate clean transitions between spins, cuts, and figure eights, they are introduced to pre-arranged sequences of attacks and blocks that can be practised with a sparring partner, preferably welding a bo staff. From this point, the nunchaku user should aim to train at a disadvantage as this will better emulate realistic conditions now that the restriction on combat has been lifted. Hand speed and conditioning, as well as whole body conditioning and posture will have improved noticeably, aspects which are well utilised as unarmed and acrobatic techniques are added to the repertoire.

New Core Techniques encompass ‘Hard Strikes’, which are used to stab at the soft parts of the opponent, such as the face or neck, midsection and groin, each falling into high, middle and low zones. Even at this stage, the base of a nunchaku stick is dangerous enough to cut an opponent’s face open, chip teeth or wind them with a gut shot.

• V: Chiratsuki (Flicker) is achieved by catching the striking stick under the armpit and pulling the cord taut. From this chambered position, the student will flick their hand forward and whip the striking stick in a tight circle to catch it under the arm again. A flicker can be snapped any number of times, and in any number of directions, high, low, inside or outside.
• VI: Ikari (Fury) comprises all techniques that can be accomplished with either the hand gripping both halves of the nunchaku (chambering the weapon) or with the free hand. As a force multiplier, holding the sticks adds extra power to a straight jab with that hand, while the length of the sticks will broaden the chance of catching an opponent. In this position, the bases can be used to stab like a knife, or the corded/chained ends used in hooks. At early stages, Fury is used singly or in simple one-two combinations, akin to a brawl or street fight.

With improved striking ability comes the need to cross the field of battle more effectively to mete out destruction. Tai Sabaki becomes more aggressive and determined as the user learns to walk steadily forwards and back during each combination: stepping; halting; changing direction; advancing to create pressure on one’s opponent or retreating when it is the more practical option. By chambering their ‘chucks, the practitioner will also find it easier to introduce basic acrobatics into their flow, and a number of these, like ground-based rolls, one-handed cartwheels and twirling leaps, form a staple of sparring sequences.

Regular Technique: First Strike
While the sticks are held chambered in one hand, the user can surprise their opponents with a bursting upwards strike to the chin, unfurling the nunchaku to its full length.

Regular Technique: Scorpion Fist
Immediately after a connecting vertical cut, the user chambers the weapon and leaps into close quarters to deliver a force multiplied punch to the gut then lift the nunchaku suddenly, stabbing the exposed soft tissue under the chin.

• Third Block is performed by chambering the sticks and gripping them near the base to use their short but sturdy lengths like a baton. This is usually a dangerous course of action, as there is no guard to prevent a blade sliding toward the hand, but this can often be remedied by performing the block with an inverted grip (near the top). It is best used when there is little room to manoeuvre.

Stage IV
Requirements: 16 Strength, 16 Speed, 11 Stamina, 14 Tactics
Bonus: +5 Strength, +4 Speed
Specials: 10 Tactics, 10 Willpower, 8 Intelligence

Stage V
Requirements: 20 Strength, 20 Speed, 16 Stamina, 16 Tactics
Bonus: +5 Strength, +4 Speed
Specials: 15 Tactics, 15 Willpower, 13 Intelligence

Stage VI
Requirements: 26 Strength, 26 Speed, 23 Stamina, 20 Tactics, 16 Willpower
Bonus: +5 Strength, +4 Speed
Specials: 19 Tactics, 19 Willpower, 18 Intelligence

Stage VII
Requirements: 34 Strength, 34 Speed, 31 Stamina, 25 Tactics, 19 Willpower
Bonus: +5 Strength, +4 Speed
Specials: 26 Tactics, 25 Willpower, 24 Intelligence

[Calibur]

NPC Characters

Mori Souto

[The Finders’ Keeper]

Age: 46
Sex: Male
Height: 6'2"
Country/Village: Formerly Kaze no Kuni / Sunagakure
Rank: Jounin
Missing-Nin Rank: A

Nindo; "Way of the Ninja": What's mine is mine, and what's yours will shortly be mine.

Souto has been at large for over ten years, but in that time has never left Kaze no Kuni. He broke with his shinobi contract to KAZE when an internal investigation unearthed his policy of stealing and purveying the items from his crime scenes that he deemed too valuable for the evidence locker. After evading arrest, however, his business only grew, along with a following of cut-throat acolytes, and he has operated with impunity for the last seven years out of an ancient thieves’ den within striking distance of the Hidden Village, hidden from all public records by a partner in high places. He is about as vicious and self-serving as they come, having no need to hide his true nature before his men. Indeed, his ability to disguise his actions was, at one point, as impenetrable as the night. His motivations, on the other hand, remain as clear as day.

Techniques:

• [???]
• [???]
• [???]
• [???]
• [???]
• [???]

[Calibur]

Unity Squad 080

Squad Roles

Squad Dynamics

Squad Story Hooks

Saionji Miwa



"How's it looking, Sparks?"

[Highwire]

Age: 19
Archetype: Assassin
Shinobi Rank: Chuunin
Military Rank: Corporal
Division: Intelligence - Investigator

Nindo; "Way of the Ninja": "A good ninja possesses her own spirit. A great ninja, the spirit of her friends."

About:

Techniques:

• Yatama no Shikaku: Assassin’s Projectile
• Futoumeisei Gai Nai No: Those Lacking Opacity
• Cloud Genjutsu
• Global Ninjutsu

Ingakankei Akihiro



"Fighting pose, huh? Alright, I got one."

[Beast Mode]

Age: 18
Archetype: Berserker
Shinobi Rank: Chuunin
Military Rank: Corporal
Division: Combat - Shock Trooper

Nindo; "Way of the Ninja": "I've got this."

About:

Techniques:

• Global Ninjutsu
• Ingakankei Clan Weapon Taijutsu
• Mugenru-pu: Infinite Loop
• Yajuu No Houkou: Roar of the Beast

Yamane Ren



"Get that thing out of my face, Kagero."

[Shrike]

Age: 18
Archetype: Maven
Shinobi Rank: Chuunin
Military Rank: Corporal
Division: Engineering - Field Mechanic

Nindo; "Way of the Ninja": "I can either build things up or break them down. Which do you want?"

About:

Techniques:

• Raiton: Lightning Release
• Cloud Gadgeteering
• Yomi no Buyou: Dance of the Underworld
• Madoiken: Illusion Fist