Orochi
Contents
Appearance & Personality
Misaki is of normal height, standing about five foot ten. Generally, her black hair is kept in a neat style, unless it happens to fall into disarray during combat. Her piercing green eyes are focused, often glaring at her opponents. Should one catch a glimpse of her hands unwrapped, you could see that they are apparently made of cracked, living jade, shaped exactly like human hands. However, catching her without her hands covered while in her civilian identity is a difficult task.
While out of costume, Misaki tends to wear darker colors, shades of red and black are her favorites. Her hands, as mentioned, are also always wrapped up in a swathe of silver cloth to hide the distinct appearance of her hands beneath. In costume, Misaki wears an ornate, stylized draconic mask to hide her identity. Her costume is composed of dull colors, magenta, black and teal, and her hands stand exposed for ease of use. Black cargo pants hang on her hips, leading down to tabi wrapped around her feet.
Misaki is a somber person. While not grim or asocial, she does prefer to work with, and spend most of her time, by herself. Orochi can sometimes come across as distant, something that she doesn't necessarily mind.
History
Born in Tokyo, Japan, Misaki was raised in a mixed culture household. Her mother was an American journalist that had moved to Japan, and her father was a native businessman. Her life was relatively mundane, growing up, going to school, making friends. She was never incredibly popular at school, but she got along well enough with most of the other students. Her grades were average, and for the most part, she was relatively happy with her life.
That is, of course, until her parents decided to let her come along with them on a business trip to Hong Kong. In the bustling, busy streets, young Misaki was separated from her mother and father. Despite the pressing bunches of people, she was relatively unworried about the situation - she had a cell phone, she knew their number. All she had to do was find a place out of the crowd, call them, and just wait for them to pick her back up. The nearest place she could find to duck into was an old antiques shop - full of old, dusty artifacts of bygone years. The proprietor was nowhere in sight, and as Misaki carefully closed the door behind her, one of her feet caught on the old rug beneath her. She fell, pinwheeling her arms as she let out a sharp scream - before she managed to brace herself after dunking both hands into a deep basin filled with a brackish water.
Almost instantly, the water drained, feeling like it was sinking into her skin. Before too long, the basin was empty, and her hands were mysteriously dry. Shaken and afraid, Misaki hurriedly called her parents with trembling fingers, waiting just outside the store until they came and picked her up. Despite her protests, she received a firm tongue lashing from both her mother and father, and was forced to remain close by, holding one of their hands, for the rest of the trip. By the time they headed back home a few days later, Misaki was almost certain she was losing feeling in her hands.
- "It was a terrifying feeling, losing all sense in my hands. It was like a dull ache was swallowing everything. Sometimes, I still wake up with cold sweats, remembering each of those days." - Orochi
As a matter of fact, she was. Slowly, starting beneath her fingernails, her skin and bones were turning into jade. Doctors were baffled by the odd green tinge to her skin, from her hands to mid-forearm. Each passing day grew worse and worse as she lost tactile sense in her hands. By her eleventh birthday, her hands were entirely composed of living, albeit nerveless, jade. Her parents were terrified of the change, and forced her to cover her hands up. While initially sharing in her parent's sentiments, Misaki eventually started to sneak out late at night to fight crime - after all, she had bona fide superpowers, now!
Shamballah, the City of Lotuses
In order to keep herself in fit and fighting shape for her nightly excursions, Misaki enrolled at a local martial arts dojo. Using this training, she started to get bolder and bolder in her crimefighting, taking on even greater threats and even starting to do battle with supervillains. Of course, she couldn't keep this secret for long, and eventually Misaki's parents discovered her superheroic antics. While initially angry and upset about her deception, they both finally relented and allowed her to continue. While by no means incredibly popular, Misaki, acting as Jade, had a decently sized following. As news started to spread, the government of China finally discovered where their wayward artifact went.
In response, they sent three warriors to retrieve the Fists: Yan Wei, the Lordly Grandmaster at Arms and Foo Dog. Using potent tracking magic to locate Jade as she recklessly used the artifact, the three of them surprised her in the midst of breaking up a gang gathering. She soon found herself entirely outclassed by the three seasoned warriors, and at a definite risk of losing her life. Thankfully, the battle drew attention from other Japanese superheroes, who intervened in the fight. The combined forces of the Japanese heroes drove off the three, who vowed to return and claim the Fists for China.
Clearly, Misaki wouldn't last long at her current pace. One of the heroes, a man in an insect-themed outfit named Atlas, offered to share with her a secret: the location of the legendary Shamballah, a remote Tibetan monastery that could help her master the Fists. He warned her that the path would not be easy, and if she failed to gain entrance, the chances of death were very high. After discussing it with her parents, Misaki set out for the City of Lotuses.
- "He was right. It was a grueling process, even aided as I was by sherpas and fellow fortune seekers. I am convinced that I nearly died several times on my way up the mountainside. And the monks were...inhospitable, to say the least. But in the end, I prevailed - and I am thankful for it." - Orochi
Indeed, while it was not easy, Misaki eventually gained access to the City by her fifteenth year. And within the bowels of Mount Everest, she finally began to train in earnest to control what she now knew was a legendary Chinese weapon - the Yùlóng Quán, or Jade Dragon Fist. As one of the few female students of the Nine Wise Monks, she labored under the watchful eye of He Hsien-ku and her assistants, where she was taught the fundamentals of aiki-jūjutsu. Unlike many of the other students, she also had solitary training in the use of her specialized weapon, eventually being taught a style that tapped into her ability to construct eight arms of jade - Yamata no Orochi, from which she also drew the name she would go by later. When her physical strength reached it's peak, she began to refine the spirit; in time, this would lead her to developing the ability to shape her chi into searing hot flames, the Fire Style.
Time, however, flows oddly in Shamballah. While she labored and trained, she did not age. For eleven years, Misaki was fifteen years old. In time, her strength reached it's limit; for while she could push her young muscles to their limit, she could not progress beyond the cap of what a fifteen year old girl could reach. When even her spiritual refinement was reaching it's end, she resolved to leave Shamballah behind her, to age and live life in the open world once more. The insular environment of the City of Lotuses had, at long last, begun to chafe against her young mind. She wished to see her family and friends again, to return to being a part of the greater world. With a promise to her teachers that she would one day return, Misaki left Shamballah in 2009.
Tiger, Tiger
Unbeknownst to Misaki, the government of China had not remained idle during her eleven year lapse. A special section of Tiger Squad, known as the Shanghai Seven was formed. Led by a Chinese mystic, the Seven were given the order to find whoever had taken the Jade Fists - and to take them back by any means necessary. The tracking magics of the Seven were capable of finding Misaki whenever she used her powers, leading to several brutal battles between her and her hunters. Unwilling to keep endangering her parents and friends by remaining in Tokyo, Misaki caught a flight to the land of her mother - America. Hopefully there she could find help in fighting off her pursuers, who would no doubt eventually find her again.
- "I wasn't expecting such a reaction from Tiger Squad. I wasn't even aware that these...things were a legend, before I came to Shangri-La. But I'm not going to let them hack my hands off without a fight." - Orochi
Powers & Abilities
- Martial Arts Techniques:
- Yamata no Orochi (八岐の大蛇): Misaki's signature style involves the intricate blend of all eight of her jade arms working in unison. A twirling, whirling dervish of limbs swung in precise, controlled motions allows her to battle vast amounts of opponents at one time, as well as wield a variety of weapons. The style is taxing to use, as it requires extreme concentration on the part of the user in order to make sure that the cascade of limbs does not entangle itself on each other or any opponents. As such, most blows are short, powerful motions instead of elaborate sweeping strikes. An added benefit is that each hit has considerably more force behind it thanks to the composition of each limb - oftentimes, it is hard to block a hit from a user of the Orochi style. It is even harder to keep up a viable defense - there are simply too many possible angles of attack to defend against for long.
- Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (草薙の剣): By folding all eight of her jade palms over each other in front of her, Misaki can instead opt to unleash the eight-fold sword, Kusanagi. The blade takes the shape of a large double-edged straightblade, made of pure jade. The hilt and haft are of a darker shade, and appear to be merged with her eight palms, which are required to wield the weapon. Miskai does not, however, have very much sword training - so she wields Kusanagi with less grace and aptitude than she might something more familiar.
- Aiki-jūjutsu (大東流合気柔術): Also known as Daitō-ryū, this particular style focuses more on reacting to attacks rather than going on the attack. It revolves around the concept of aiki, the act of harmonizing yourself with your opponent. In particular, aiki-jūjutsu focuses on grappling and joint-locks after unbalancing an attacking opponent. The favored style of her teacher, He Hsien-ku, Misaki was taught the fundamentals during her stay in Shamballah. She prefers to use this over her own personal style, as it does not alert the Seven to her position. In addition, it prevents her from accidentally brutalizing an opponent, as she reacts to their attacks instead of going in with her own. With almost eleven years of training in Daitō-ryū under her belt, Misaki is a formidable opponent for just about anyone.
- Kanabō-jutsu (金棒): The art of wielding the massive iron and oak clubs known as kanabō. Misaki took up learning how to wield the mighty weapons thanks to the inherent strength of her jade hands, which allow her to swing the devastating weapons with much more ease than a standard human. When she needs to go all out, or when she's not too concerned about injuring her opponents, she uses her kanabō as her primary weapon.
- Yamata no Orochi (八岐の大蛇): Misaki's signature style involves the intricate blend of all eight of her jade arms working in unison. A twirling, whirling dervish of limbs swung in precise, controlled motions allows her to battle vast amounts of opponents at one time, as well as wield a variety of weapons. The style is taxing to use, as it requires extreme concentration on the part of the user in order to make sure that the cascade of limbs does not entangle itself on each other or any opponents. As such, most blows are short, powerful motions instead of elaborate sweeping strikes. An added benefit is that each hit has considerably more force behind it thanks to the composition of each limb - oftentimes, it is hard to block a hit from a user of the Orochi style. It is even harder to keep up a viable defense - there are simply too many possible angles of attack to defend against for long.
- Chi Manipulation:
- Fire Style (火遁): Learned from one of the tutors of Shamballah, Misaki is capable of manipulating her natural chi reserves to create flames, which she can spit from her mouth. The art requires the use of hand seals, and is mostly useful for mid-to-long range combat. In using the hand seals, she superheats her chi within her stomach, then uses the hand signs to shape it into various attacks. In every case, she spews it from her mouth, often with her cheeks bulging to blast the energy outwards. In particular, she prefers to use two techniques: Immolating Dragon Bomb, which spews a large sphere of flame that sticks to whatever it touches; and Flame Shuriken, an art that launches various spinning discs of flame at her opponents.
- Artifacts:
- Yùlóng Quán (玉龙拳): The Jade Dragon Fist is an ancient Chinese artifact that turns the user's hands into living weapons. The jade can be reshaped in various weapons, from sword blades, axe-heads, claws, or all sorts of deadly constructs. Each user of the Jade Fist has developed a personal style to how they wield them, some created gigantic jade dragon constructs capable of breathing flame, others could fill the air with shrapnel emitted from their hands. Misaki can create six jade arms from her back, each one just as nimble and versatile as a normal human arm. Even if one is cut into pieces, with a bit of effort, Misaki can recreate the wounded limb with no damage to herself.
Weaknesses
- Only Human: Despite her jade accoutrements, Misaki is an entirely normal (well, relatively) girl. Her jade hands can be reshaped into shields, but she cannot cover her entire body. As such, bullets, swords, or really, any normal thing that would cause physical trauma to a human is just as effective on her.
- Hunted: The Shanghai Seven: Misaki is hunted by a special unit of the Tiger Squad. Whenever she uses her special weapon, they are alerted to her general location - and often immediately set out to retrieve their lost artifact.
- Chi Exhaustion: Many of Orochi's abilities rely on her chi in order to work. Overuse of these powers can drain her of chi, which in turn can prevent her from even lifting her jade arms - without her chi-boosted strength, she is incapable of wielding the heavy artifacts in combat.
Allies & Enemies
Enemies: The Shanghai Seven
Sorceror Yan Wei
Name: Yan Wei
Abilities: Celestial Dragon Sorcery
Rank: Team Leader
Thanks to pacts made with the Celestial Dragons, Yan Wei is an accomplished sorcerer in his own right. While not a powerhouse of magical energy, Yan Wei is very adept at support magic, and bolstering his teammates in combat. In the same vein, he is very adept at hindering his foes with hexes and other debilitating effects. When forced into actual combat, most of Yan Wei's spells invoke holy flames, which he emits from his mouth and hands.
Active
Lordly Grandmaster at Arms
Name: Huan Jianjun
Abilities: Weapon Mastery, Powered Frame
Rank: Field Leader
One of the foremost weapon masters in China, the Grandmaster at Arms wields a dao as his primary weapon. Other weapons that he is proficient with include the guan dao (a polearm variant of his sword), sanjiegun (triple-section staff) and the lujiao dao (crescent shaped knives). Besides his extreme talent in wielding various weapons, the Grandmaster also wears a suit of powered armor.
Active
The Iron Clad Judge
Name: Lei Xin
Abilities: The Iron Clad Suit
Rank: Heavy Assault
The Judge (or Tienanmen Tank) wears a hefty suit of powered armor that incases him in solid steel. On it's back are two railgun cannons, that can be used to fire hefty slugs of solid metal at his opponents. On his arms are two high-bore cannons, that have flamethrower attachments at the barrel in the event that crowd-clearing is required. The suit is slow, thanks to it's great weight and size, but the Judge provides the most destructive power for the Six.
Active
Yin & Yang
Name: Meili & Jiayi Fang
Abilities: Shaolin Kung Fu, Elemental Qi
Rank: Twin Battlers
Both Yin and Yang are practitioners of the art of Shaolin kung fu. They are particularly adept at combining their training to operate as a two-person unit instead of fighting by themselves, although both are quite capable of handling a variety of opponents on their own. Yin can use hand seals to manipulate her qi into various forms of lightning and electricity, while Yang can use hand seals to manipulate her qi into water emissions.
Active
Foo Dog
Name: Chen Qiang
Abilities: Lycanthropy
Rank: Feral Hunter
While Foo Dog was originally a normal human, the rise of his lycanthropic mutation caused him to slowly devolve into little more than an atavistic killing machine. His strength and speed are greatly increased over the human norm, and his natural regeneration allows him to return from almost any wound in a short amount of time. In addition, long, sharp claws have grown from his fingers and toes that allow him to rip and shred opponents to pieces.
Active
Technocrat
Name: Bai Guowei
Abilities: Gadgeteering, Super-Intelligence
Rank: Techxpert
The designer and leader of the Seven's drone armies, the Technocrat is a loyal servant to the People's Republic of China. Born with a superhuman intelligence and a desire to create, Bai Guowei was inducted into the Tiger Squad's ranks at a young age. Ever since then, he's worked tirelessly with any cadre he's been assigned, providing them with backup and new gadgets to help fight crime and bring peace.
Active
Enemies: The Zodiac
While Hi-Pan attempted to unite the Red Banner, New Purples, Maniacs, Cobra Lords and Black Aces, other sections of the Red Banner cult were formulating their own plans of domination. A good thing, as it turned out, as Hi-Pan and his Death Dragon were defeated by both the efforts of the MCPD and local superheroes. In light of his defeat and failure, a small section of the Cult rapidly came to the forefront. Better known amongst their fellows as The Zodiac, these loyalists had a devious plan in mind. By finding twelve people, each one representing an animal of the Zodiac, they could summon a ferocious beast from beyond the realm to lead them in victory over the heroes, and complete dominion over Westside. Unfortunately, the cult doesn't have enough people to match every animal - so their eyes have turned outwards...
Currently, the Zodiac is composed of: Monkey (their leader), Rat, Ox, Pig, Goat, Rooster and Rabbit.
Recent events have led to the Millennium City police finding the corpse of Keiji Zhang, better known as Snake, with his heart ripped out of his chest. Who the perpetrator is, or why they brutally killed the man, is still unknown. However, the Zodiac may now be forced to broaden their recruitment schemes...
Opinions
Thoughts/comments from Orochi's superhero peers go here!
Gallery
Orochi by Eryck Webb
Orochi by Royce Southerland
Orochi by Eric Guzman
the Lordly Grandmaster at Arms by Eryck Webb
Orochi vs Rooster & Rat by Zachula
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| Dire • Trinity • Manhunt • Sentinel • Force of July • Kitsunebi | ||
| Young Renegades • Frontiersmen • Gen Prime | ||
