Ikarike Sen no Joseki
Jewel-of-the-Tiger

Adren of the Shadow Lords
Chujo Hakken of Clan Joseki
Gibbous Moon of the Rakurai
Lantern of the Emerald Sentinels
Emerald Bear of the Court of Bamboo Talons
Steel Minister of Commerce & the Protectorate

Description


Homid: ~Nobility so rarely takes such a puissant identity anymore. Ikarike Sen, son of Clan Joseki, demonstrates such compelling resolution that surely he must descend from the samurai of old. The middle-aged Japanese man does not stand particularly tall, but he commands a broad-shouldered build and well-muscled physique. Though his dark hair recedes and reveals the wrinkles of his time, Sen appears to still be in his prime. His definitive and confident presence finds its focal point in those piercing brown eyes. Sen makes even more of a statement with his tasteful if basic method of dress. He favors expensive suits in conservative colors, often with gold cuff links or tie clips. With such noble poise and elegance, it's no wonder that Sen adjures so many loyal followers.~

OOC: Appearance 2; Pure Breed 1; Glory 6, Virtue 5, Wisdom 5

Glabro: ~When adopting this "barbaric" shape, Sen grows massive and powerfully and visibly, muscled, beyond the typicality of any weight lifter. The Hakken tears his suit at the seams, heaving with fury and deadly intent. Brown eyes now gleam more yellow. His hair darkens and seems more profuse at his balled knuckles. His lips are parted with unspoken words, baring sharper teeth and vicious purpose.~

OOC: Appearance 1; Pure Breed 1; Glory 6, Virtue 5, Wisdom 5

Crinos: ~All elegance is long gone now once Sen takes the dreaded war-form of the Hakken. Towering over nine feet and layered in thick black fur revealing streaks of aging gray, Sen is a lupine monster of slavering, monstrous whim. Demonic gold eyes glare at all in sight as if everyone was prey. Cruel black claws curl vehemently, matching in deadliness the bone-white maw of teeth that fills his keen muzzle. An air of savagery pales the bravest soldier and turns the stomachs of heroes. Jewel-of-the-Tiger appears to be a juggernaut of bestial fury. With antique but effective brass-burnished armor set upon his torso, mystically fit to this wolf-man shape, Sen certainly appears to be an unstoppable monster of war.~

OOC: Appearance 0; Pure Breed 1; Delirium; Glory 6, Virtue 5, Wisdom 5

Hispo: ~This terrible great wolf is what the Crinos Sen devolves into next. Nearly the size of a horse, the Hispo hunter proves to be a lean and ferocious predator. Unrelenting and swift, Sen offers only a baleful yellow gaze. His bristling coat of black fur is streaked with grays, but the werewolf does not seem to have slowed or weakened at all. He's still coming…~

OOC: Appearance 0; Pure Breed 1; Glory 6, Virtue 5, Wisdom 5

Lupus: ~The flip side of Sen's humanity, and perhaps his truest face, this eerie black wolf is a large specimen. Fleet-footed, tireless, and strong, this black wolf leads the pack. Keen ears and wet nose and purposeful yellow eyes never seem to lose track of the trail. Even disguised in this instinctual shape, Sen knows just what he wants and where he's going to get it.~

OOC: Appearance 2; Pure Breed 1; Glory 6, Virtue 5, Wisdom 5

"Opportunity must be seized."

History


Youth

Sen brought light and happiness to the lives of his parents when he was born in 1963. Ikarike Taiji and Hideko were aware Kinfolk to the Hakken werewolves in Kyoto. Taiji, in fact, was a "respectable" yoyimbo in the Joseki family of yakuza Hakken mobsters. Sen's birth was marked with a full gibbous auspice and so he was marked with the Baptism of Fire. He would one day change and exceed even his father, for Sen was a Trueborn werewolf. He was brought up relatively normally, however, away from the crime syndicate as much as possible. Sure, Sen saw his clan when they gathered for special events. He liked having such a large extended family; all those relatives sure made his birthdays fun!

The Ikarike family possessed a lovely suburban home in the surrounding neighborhoods of the imperial city. But Sen only lived there half the time. The other half, he dwelled in the city proper with his parents, while his father attended business. Sen attended private school. Though he knew what he was and would probably become, the reality of Hakken was just hinted at through bedtime stories his mother would tell. Those tales no doubt inspired his daydream fancies of being a ferocious werewolf and caused him to occasionally growl in his sleep. Indeed, Sen saw himself as a merciless predator, a beast that commanded respect and fear.

This reflected in his social interactions in his youth. Sen proved to be a natural leader among his pals. His bad temper, however, inflicted a lot of schoolyard fights and hallway conflicts between Sen and classmates. Fortunately, his parents tempered their lupine child. Though wealthy, Sen was not spoiled. His father made sure he understood that he would have to work for the really nice things in life, like fast cars and cool clothes. And both his parents raised him with a strong moral background through a syncretionist religious view that combined Buddhism, Shintoism, and the "Gaiaism" of the Hakken. It wasn't until Sen reached his later teens that he was permitted to learn more about the "business" at his father's heels.

First Change

Thus, it was exposure to this illegitimate lifestyle that provoked Sen's First Change in 1980. Sen picked a fight with the wrong guy: an older teenager who was an initiate into a rival yakuza family. One day after school, the older thugs jumped and beat the crap out of Sen. But they didn't get far after that. Sen Raged that moment, exerting his predatory dominance, and springing on the assailants in Crinos. The youths were shredded. Sen fled the scene and calmed down in an alley. The Joseki repressed news of the event to upkeep the Veil.

Sen was immediately tugged out of school. The local clan elder and oyabun, Shoji Satoshi, removed Sen from his family home and placed him in the heart of the Sept of the Satin Spears, based in the outskirts of Kyoto. The werewolf cub was placed under the guidance of the Philodox, Kubota Takihito. From this older Hakken, Sen learned all about the Litany of the Garou, the secret society of the werewolves, how to control his shapeshifting, how to use reflective surfaces to cross over and visit the spirit world, and how to fight as both man or wolf (or the monster in between). Kubota-san also warned Sen of the shen: the various supernatural species out there besides the Hakken. In fact, the thugs Sen slaughtered in his frenzy were employees of a rival gang that the gaki -- vampires -- controlled. They would want retribution and justice, since the two families were struggling under an uneasy truce at that time.

Indeed, to avoid a war between the clans, Sen would have to answer for the deaths in the form of a duel with one of the vampire's champions. Shoji-oyabun warned that he needed time to complete his initial mentorship and the Kuei-jin honorably agreed. Several months later, Kubota-san informed Sen that he would have to win this duel as his Rite of Passage into adulthood. The young Galliard met Kanaya Akira in a ceremonial ring. Members of both families observed. Sen was told beforehand that Akira was an experienced hin and this would not be an easy match. But werewolves were physically superior to vampires naturally, so Sen had the upper hand…if he didn't underestimate his enemy. And Sen didn't. He treated Akira as the worst foe he might ever face and fought to kill.

In the process, Sen was badly wounded. But he demonstrated Hakken savagery well. His great strength and ferocity shattered Akira's bravery after enough lucky blows that told worse than the vampire expected. The Devil Tiger backed down and the duel was decided. War was averted (for now). In honor of his victory, and in mockery of his undead enemy, Sen took the deed name "Jewel-of-the-Tiger". Then all Sen had to do, after his injuries were healed and he had some time to catch his breath, was recite the Litany. He knew the laws well enough and passed that test without fail. Finally, Sen had to donate some of investment money his father set up as a trust fund to properly "buy his way" into the business. Once accepted, his family's ancestral honor, a suit of fetish armor, was given to Sen in addition to the daisho swords crafted personally for this new Hakken.

Patience of the Predator

And for the next fifteen years, Ikarike Sen served the Joseki Clan admirably and faithfully. He worked his way from the ground up. Sen began as a basic yakuza soldier, keeping security tabs on his older brothers and the Sept protectorates. Though ferocious and cunning, Sen always conducted himself with propriety and honor. Unfortunately, only a few years after he First Changed, another young Hakken joined the clan. Hotaka Nibori was an ambitious and competitive Philodox who disliked Sen's aggressive methods. Often paired together in security and street operations due to their similar age, Nibori actively worked against Sen's reputation by denouncing his zeal as dangerous to Tribal interests. Sen killed enemies too readily, Nibori argued, and the elders too often listened.

Despite Sen's growing skills, his progress within society slowed remarkably. Eventually, Sen outgrew the duties of a common soldier and became a specialist of sorts. He dealt specifically with problems that shen foes presented: Daityas, gaki, technomancy-wielding shinta were all common problems for the Hakken. Ikarike Sen became both a feared and respected name on the streets of Kyoto and the annals of the local spirit world. But his Rage seemed to work against him within Garou society, for he suffered minor punishments over the years. Sen even tried to temper his fury by completing an academic education and then pursuing poetry (haiku especially).

But it made no difference until 1995 when he was finally eligible to challenge for the Rank of Wasarau (Fostern). It only took fifteen damn years! Sen challenged his old mentor, Kubota-san. The older Philodox granted Sen's wish and demanded an artistic display befitting a Galliard's service. Sen had a week. He spent that time writing and practicing an original speech that was designed to inspire heroics and sacrifice in bleaker times. The speech heralded back to ancient heroes of bedtime stories and to a glorious future the bright and strong must seize. He girded himself in his ancestral armor for effect and delivered the speech with that zeal Hotaka-san constantly chided. The elders were impressed and praised Sen's dedication. The Galliard was given the rank he sought.

Midnight War

On top of that, Sen received a promotion within the affairs of the yakuza, too. He became a lieutenant to the bosses, leading men through daily affairs…or into battle. While Sen continued to serve loyally and well, he secretly craved more success. After so many years, he deserved it after all! Sen expressed his ambitions through war-like haiku but otherwise kept his hunger to himself.

Opportunity knocked in 1998 when rivalry with the gaki-controlled family came to a head. It started on the streets with clashes between low-level soldiers and hit men. The police intervened as much as they could, targeting the obvious street gangsters. But in the shadows, werewolves clashed bloodlessly with vampires. The battles lasted for three years, during which time Sen earned battle scars and a sterling reputation as both warrior and general. Unfortunately, the vampires were cunning and a blitz strike in 2001 ended with Shoji-oyabun's death. Sen rounded up the survivors and they enacted a terrible revenge on the undead. The daring and frenzied mission of vengeance killed many more noble and ferocious Hakken. But the gaki were beaten to a pulp and forced to surrender. Most fled, since they would have been executed (forced to commit seppuku in the morning sun). Either way, the Joseki Clan won.

And what a terrible price paid for the victory! Too many Hakken fell. The only way the Sept of Satin Spears would survive was to transform into a Beast-Court. Kubota-san led this initiative. They all had to take up the Great Burden and become hengeyokai, affiliating themselves with other shapeshifters across Japan. They opened the gates to their sacred caern to Tengu wereravens, Kitsune werefoxes, and even Nezumi wererats. Many hengeyokai joined and the Sept became a Court -- the Court of Silver Clouds. Despite the service he performed during that Midnight War, however, Sen was not suggested as the next oyabun of the Kyoto Joseki Clan. Instead, his old rival, Hotaka Nobiro, seemed eligible. Infuriated that his clanmate who long antagonized and held him back was poised to advance when he deserved it more, Sen took secret actions. Disguising it as an assassination by lingering vampire enemies, Sen put a sniper bullet of silver through Hotaka's brainpan. End of story.

With Hotaka out of the picture, Ikarike Sen was the natural choice for oyabun. Even Kubota Takihito supported this. But the Joseki elders elsewhere in Japan were not pleased with what happened to their important Kyoto interests. The Dragon Nest was now being shared with hengeyokai. The family's commercial endeavors were tattered. They saw no choice but to send Ikarike Sen and a handful of his most loyal yoyimbo overseas to oversee new Joseki interests in America. He earned his new title all the same, but would have to leave home. The Hakken left in the Court of Silver Clouds would have Kubota to guide them. To Kansas City's Little Asia Sen immigrated. He hoped to carve out a better name for himself here in this Coalition-bound Beast-Court and mixed-up criminal underworld.

Fetishes


Shinchuiyoroi
Level: 3
Gnosis: 7
Origin: This shirt of armor is an ancestral heirloom of the Ikarike family. Sen inherited it and put it to good use in every confrontation he expected (which was most of them). As to be expected, an Ancestor-spirit of the Joseki Clan inhabits the armor.
Description: This is a shirt of plate mail, with looser chain mesh protecting joints and other exposed areas, that boasts elaborate designs of tigers over the classic Japanese scaling of platelets. The armor is lighter than it appears, weighing less than 10 pounds, and seems burnished with a warm, golden hue. Hence, it became known as the Brass Armor (though it was crafted of steel).
Effects: 1) provide 3 soak dice of armor with only 1 die of Dexterity penalty; 2) repel all missile attacks more effectively
Activation: The armor must be donned properly (not hastily) and Sen must utter a low prayer to the Shinto gods as he fastens the mail.

Battle Scars


Class: Deep
Description: Long ugly-red slash
Location: Across the belly
Origin: A silver knife slash from his old rival
Effects: Aches when it's humid or weather is changing

Significant Other


Gojo Aizou was sent to Sen from Japan. They share the same clan, but her parents discovered they had raised a spoiled brat of a Kinfolk. After refusing to be mated to an "inferiorly bred" Hakken, to avoid any further unseemly events Aizou was sent to Sen. His job was twofold: take care of the young woman, and teach her some discipline. Sen honored the responsibility fully, and Aizou found herself in a roller coaster-like disposition in his household. One moment, he's slapping her around. The next, he's personally waiting on her hand and foot. One moment, he's forcing her to accept his affections. The next, he's shedding his blood to preserve her life. Aizou isn't sure what to expect. She isn't sure if she should love or hate this man. And for his part, the feelings are mutual…

Aizou learned that discipline with Sen, but it seemed too little, too late: a rival tong arrived to Little Asia and shot her dead just to get at her husband. He took revenge but she was gone. But not truly: in a rare but increasing example of the reach of Yomi Wan, Aizou returned from Hell, now one of the hated gaki. She had her Road Back to deal with, but she and Sen carefully reconnected and considered how best to proceed together.

Aizou

Weakness
Unbound Ambition


Ikarike Sen is ultimately an unscrupulous gangster. Bound by a code of honor only insofar as social acceptability demands, Sen will go as far as he can. He will do whatever it takes to succeed. Short of conspiring with Yomi, or diving into behaviors that are clearly of the Wyrm, Sen seethes with villainy. He's not one of those nice, heroic werewolfies your mommy told you about. Not at all.

Likelihood of Corruption


High.

As Garou, he's able (and willing) to Reach the Umbra and confront hostile, wicked Yomispawn on their own turf. Sen is at less danger from Banes and more from his own criminal behaviors. Though he does not break the Litany (much), he flaunts his freedom from human law. He indulges in what are, quite simply, immoral pursuits. He is at high risk for falling to the Corrupter.

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