Clockwork Ninjas
Corporeal Forces: 1 Strength:
1 Agility: 3
Ethereal Forces: 4 Intelligence:
8 Precision: 8
Elements:
Senses: Darkness (Primary) and Tech: Machines (Secondary)
Affinities: Obscurement (moderate), Puissance
(moderate)
Skills: Artistry/1 (varies), Dodge/3,
Dream-Shaping/5, Emote/1, Enchant/1, 'Fighting'/5, Large Weapon/3 (Katana),
Move Silently/3, Ranged Weapon/3 (Shuriken), Tracking/1
Songs: Artifacts (Ethereal/1), Darkness
(Ethereal/1), Form (Ethereal/2), Machines (Ethereal/1)
Dread: Public failure to complete a commission/4 (2
points/level)
Image: A humanoid dressed in traditional ninja garb:
an occasional glimpse of bamboo or metal can be seen at wrist, ankle and waist. Only the eyes can be seen through the cloth
mask that covers the face, and then only when the Clockwork Ninja chooses
(usually just before an attack). There
is sometimes a faint sound of gears moving and a steady tick.
Clockwork Ninjas date almost from the beginning of
the August Co-Prosperity Collective's alliance with Nybbas. The seminal ethereal (usually styled the
Clockwork Master) came from the dreams of a late 19th century Japanese
inventor-craftsman: it was able to stabilize itself and went on to an
illustrious career as one of the Collective's most effective assassins. Its 'descendants' have continued the
tradition.
Clockwork Ninjas are interesting in that new ones
are created through what can be best described as 'voluntary assumption'. A likely spirit of either Darkness or
Machines (usually the former) may after a rigorous set of tests choose to join
the Clockwork Ninja 'clan': the Clockwork Master will gift the spirit with
either a katana or shuriken created from a combination of its own life-force
and that of an existing Clockwork Ninja.
Once accepted, the weapon will quickly transform the spirit into a
Clockwork Ninja. The procedure is
wearying to the Clockwork Master (and sometimes fatal to the Clockwork Ninja
donor), so it is not often done: there are always more petitioners than slots
available.
The average Clockwork Ninja is an interesting study
in mysticism and hardheaded practicality.
They value stoicism, self-discipline and loyalty, but are often
vulnerable to a suitably grand gesture.
The procedure that creates new Clockwork Ninjas does not necessarily
result in major personality changes, so they can be a varied lot (although it
can be difficult to tell). Clockwork
Ninjas are also not particularly evil creatures: indeed, some are quite decent
entities. However, they are extremely
loyal to the Clockwork Master, the Clockwork Ninja clan and the August
Co-Prosperity Collective, in that order.
The clan supports itself by acting as assassins, mercenaries and
emissaries for the Collective: they will follow their contracts to the
letter. This, coupled with their
generally enhanced abilities, make them very feared adversaries, which is often
all the Collective needs for them to be.
The Clockwork Master is like its 'children', only more
so. It is a primal spirit (although of
which Element is open to interested debate), possesses at least 9 Forces and is
rumored to have killed both angels and demons in single combat. These days it rarely leaves the Collective's
Domain, but is rumored to have the most interesting visitors at times...