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Description

The Shinto Princess and her loyal feline companion, the Nine-Tailed Quantum Neko-chan-kun.

For those of you who can't read through Red Hakamas, read on. (Though if you don't want too much detail, just reading "Quick Backstory" and "Additional Development Notation" should sum it up nicely.)

Quick Backstory:
The Shinto Princess belongs the Superior Order of the Gilded Crysanthemum, a sect of Shinto priests and priestesses that are descended from the very bloodlines of the Japanese Emperor himself. This shrine maiden's delicate virgin exterior conceals a warrior within, for the Shinto Princess is not only limited to tasks pertaining to the balance of the spiritual plane.

Fighting Styles:
Given her imperial lineage and her training as a miko have schooled her in the arts of self-defense, the Shinto Princess is a master of two very different combat variants:
~Ganryu
~Shinto Muso-Ryu
Details for the two styles are as follows.

Ganryu
The Monohoshi Zao (Or "Drying Pole", simply because it is the length of a laundry drying pole) is an ancient relic from the coffers of the Japanese Imperium itself. This ridiculously-long straight-edged nodachi forged by Bizen Nagamitsu is the legendary weapon that Musashi Miyamoto's greatest rival was famed to have used as his weapon of choice. The Princess, upon her bestowment of the infamous weapon, schooled under Sasaki Kojiro's Ganryu and achieved mastery of the style at a young age, much to the surprise of her imperial instructors. She is exceptionally adept with the Tsubame Gaeshi Swallow Reversal technique made famous by her original Sensei, but because of its lethality, under only the most dire of circumstances will the Princess draw her sword.

Shinto Muso-Ryu
In addition to her swords mastery, the Shinto priests responsible for the Princess training in the spiritual matters of the Jinja-shinto (Shrine Shinto) also taught her the Shinto Muso-Ryu quarterstaff jojutsu developed by Muso Gonnosuke. This art, now perfected, has become the orthodox means of martial defense in the Superior Order of the Gilded Chrysanthemum. The length of the Drying Pole permits the Princess to treat the blade (when sheathed) as a quarterstaff, so the Princess is able to alternate between this style and Ganryu as her needs see fit. In a choice between the two styles, the Shinto Muso-Ryu is the Princess's preferred mode of combat.

Current Alignment:
Due to the majority of her Order going into hiding during the feudal uprisings, the Shinto Princess has found solace in the Gokiburi-gumi, where she ministers to their spiritual needs ( in exchange for "Protection" from rival imperial houses). The Princess, while officially a member of this yakuza organization, does not participate in its criminal activities for religious reasons. But when it comes to defending the G-G's home turf, the Princess is no stranger to a challenge. Consider her part of the defensive line, if you will.

Preferred Terms of Engagement:
The Princess prefers open environments, and dislikes enclosed spaces. This is due to the length of her weapon being unsuited to close-quarters combat, so when she is not accompanied by a member of the Gokiburi-gumi, she can usually be found practicing calligraphy in an open-air courtyard, or maintaining the small Shinto shrine she stewards. Battles requiring engagement at a distance are her strong-suit, because using a combination of both her martial techniques protects the Princess from the majority of projectile weaponry and long-reach melee styles.

The Nine-tailed Quantum Neko-chan-kun:
A rare imperial breed of feline, the Quantum Neko accompanies the Shinto Princess wherever she goes. Use in combat? Plausible, but unlikely. Practical application? Unknown. Purpose for existence?

The Superior Order of the Gilded Crysanthemum:
While formally an Order of the Jinja-shinto religion, the Superior Order of the Gilded Chrysanthemum is privy to what precious little remains of the Imperium's treasury. Scattered about these stores are weapon caches containing some of the more renowned weapons of legend. While some of these weapons were crafted and wielded by famed warriors (such as Musashi's double bokken), other more sacred artifacts such as the Ame-no-nuhoko naginata and the Kusanagi blade are rumored to be hidden among the caches as well. The more adept of the Order, in rare occassions, are granted full use of a weapon of their choice, which is how the Princess came to claim the Monohoshi Zao. Additionally, the Order is not limited to only the weapons of Empire: priceless imperial regalia such as the Yasakani no magatama necklace can be found amidst the Imperial treasures.

Additional Development Notation:
There is a surprising deficit of Shrine Maidens, Shinto Priestesses, or Miko in the Samurai Dueler's League. So, with that in mind I decided to help the idea along, only with an Imperial twist. And while the Princess may be schooled in two entirely different fighting styles, she prefers to use her quarterstaff training to subdue her opponents. The Swallow Reversal is only to be used as an extreme "finisher" in the most desperate of situations. It is not, I repeat, NOT a common sight. It's rare enough to see her draw her blade, much less use this technique at all.

Additionally, most of the references to historical figures, fighting styles, the weapon, and tradition are based on Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi epic. It's a freaking LONG book. But damn, was it worth the read, and I recommend it. You'll understand a lot more who Sasaki Kojiro was, as well as the origins of the Monohoshi Zao, for instance. And Muso Gonnosuke's quarterstaff fighting style.

The Nine-tailed Quantum Neko-chan-kun serves the all-important role of "imperial mascot". Don't think too hard on that, really. The excessive honoriffics are there to poke fun at traditional Japanese samurai anime, where honorrifics run rampant, translated in the worst possible ways in their respective english dubs. Needless to say, you'll be fighting the Princess, not this silly fellow.

With all that said and done:
SDL, say hello to your Princess.

Au revoir, mon ami,
The Clockwork Gentleman

P.S.~ If you're really that slow in catching the pun, I'll give you a hint. Shinto Priestess. Shinto Princess. Think about it.

P.P.S.~ Her neck is f***ing unbreakable now. B****.

P.P.P.S. ~ Ignore that last comment. 8D

Description

The Shinto Princess and her loyal feline companion, the Nine-Tailed Quantum Neko-chan-kun.

For those of you who can't read through Red Hakamas, read on. (Though if you don't want too much detail, just reading "Quick Backstory" and "Additional Development Notation" should sum it up nicely.)

Quick Backstory:
The Shinto Princess belongs the Superior Order of the Gilded Crysanthemum, a sect of Shinto priests and priestesses that are descended from the very bloodlines of the Japanese Emperor himself. This shrine maiden's delicate virgin exterior conceals a warrior within, for the Shinto Princess is not only limited to tasks pertaining to the balance of the spiritual plane.

Fighting Styles:
Given her imperial lineage and her training as a miko have schooled her in the arts of self-defense, the Shinto Princess is a master of two very different combat variants:
~Ganryu
~Shinto Muso-Ryu
Details for the two styles are as follows.

Ganryu
The Monohoshi Zao (Or "Drying Pole", simply because it is the length of a laundry drying pole) is an ancient relic from the coffers of the Japanese Imperium itself. This ridiculously-long straight-edged nodachi forged by Bizen Nagamitsu is the legendary weapon that Musashi Miyamoto's greatest rival was famed to have used as his weapon of choice. The Princess, upon her bestowment of the infamous weapon, schooled under Sasaki Kojiro's Ganryu and achieved mastery of the style at a young age, much to the surprise of her imperial instructors. She is exceptionally adept with the Tsubame Gaeshi Swallow Reversal technique made famous by her original Sensei, but because of its lethality, under only the most dire of circumstances will the Princess draw her sword.

Shinto Muso-Ryu
In addition to her swords mastery, the Shinto priests responsible for the Princess training in the spiritual matters of the Jinja-shinto (Shrine Shinto) also taught her the Shinto Muso-Ryu quarterstaff jojutsu developed by Muso Gonnosuke. This art, now perfected, has become the orthodox means of martial defense in the Superior Order of the Gilded Chrysanthemum. The length of the Drying Pole permits the Princess to treat the blade (when sheathed) as a quarterstaff, so the Princess is able to alternate between this style and Ganryu as her needs see fit. In a choice between the two styles, the Shinto Muso-Ryu is the Princess's preferred mode of combat.

Current Alignment:
Due to the majority of her Order going into hiding during the feudal uprisings, the Shinto Princess has found solace in the Gokiburi-gumi, where she ministers to their spiritual needs ( in exchange for "Protection" from rival imperial houses). The Princess, while officially a member of this yakuza organization, does not participate in its criminal activities for religious reasons. But when it comes to defending the G-G's home turf, the Princess is no stranger to a challenge. Consider her part of the defensive line, if you will.

Preferred Terms of Engagement:
The Princess prefers open environments, and dislikes enclosed spaces. This is due to the length of her weapon being unsuited to close-quarters combat, so when she is not accompanied by a member of the Gokiburi-gumi, she can usually be found practicing calligraphy in an open-air courtyard, or maintaining the small Shinto shrine she stewards. Battles requiring engagement at a distance are her strong-suit, because using a combination of both her martial techniques protects the Princess from the majority of projectile weaponry and long-reach melee styles.

The Nine-tailed Quantum Neko-chan-kun:
A rare imperial breed of feline, the Quantum Neko accompanies the Shinto Princess wherever she goes. Use in combat? Plausible, but unlikely. Practical application? Unknown. Purpose for existence?

The Superior Order of the Gilded Crysanthemum:
While formally an Order of the Jinja-shinto religion, the Superior Order of the Gilded Chrysanthemum is privy to what precious little remains of the Imperium's treasury. Scattered about these stores are weapon caches containing some of the more renowned weapons of legend. While some of these weapons were crafted and wielded by famed warriors (such as Musashi's double bokken), other more sacred artifacts such as the Ame-no-nuhoko naginata and the Kusanagi blade are rumored to be hidden among the caches as well. The more adept of the Order, in rare occassions, are granted full use of a weapon of their choice, which is how the Princess came to claim the Monohoshi Zao. Additionally, the Order is not limited to only the weapons of Empire: priceless imperial regalia such as the Yasakani no magatama necklace can be found amidst the Imperial treasures.

Additional Development Notation:
There is a surprising deficit of Shrine Maidens, Shinto Priestesses, or Miko in the Samurai Dueler's League. So, with that in mind I decided to help the idea along, only with an Imperial twist. And while the Princess may be schooled in two entirely different fighting styles, she prefers to use her quarterstaff training to subdue her opponents. The Swallow Reversal is only to be used as an extreme "finisher" in the most desperate of situations. It is not, I repeat, NOT a common sight. It's rare enough to see her draw her blade, much less use this technique at all.

Additionally, most of the references to historical figures, fighting styles, the weapon, and tradition are based on Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi epic. It's a freaking LONG book. But damn, was it worth the read, and I recommend it. You'll understand a lot more who Sasaki Kojiro was, as well as the origins of the Monohoshi Zao, for instance. And Muso Gonnosuke's quarterstaff fighting style.

The Nine-tailed Quantum Neko-chan-kun serves the all-important role of "imperial mascot". Don't think too hard on that, really. The excessive honoriffics are there to poke fun at traditional Japanese samurai anime, where honorrifics run rampant, translated in the worst possible ways in their respective english dubs. Needless to say, you'll be fighting the Princess, not this silly fellow.

With all that said and done:
SDL, say hello to your Princess.

Au revoir, mon ami,
The Clockwork Gentleman

P.S.~ If you're really that slow in catching the pun, I'll give you a hint. Shinto Priestess. Shinto Princess. Think about it.

P.P.S.~ Her neck is f***ing unbreakable now. B****.

P.P.P.S. ~ Ignore that last comment. 8D