- "Everyone who searches for power, without exception, searches for battle. Do you fight in order to become more powerful? Or do you want more power so you can fight?"
- ―Shi Long
Shi Long, formerly known as Tsainetomo Keibatsu, is a member of Naga Sadow, an Apostate of Sadow and former Consul of Clan Naga Sadow.
Appearance/Personality
Shi is the physical epitome of an accomplished warrior whose skill with the blade borders on the superlative. His is a strength uncommon to most in the Brotherhood, and his years of martial training lends him a fluidity that belies his power. Shi is happiest when in battle; those who have fought alongside him have reported him acting as if he's having the time of his life. His usual approach is to wade headlong into a fight, especially with those who appear to be more powerful or skilled than he; considered reckless by many, Shi’s actions are a direct result of choosing to revel in any given moment, giving little to no thought for the long-term future.
In reality, Shi is a shrewd fighter, and only seeks to test and improve his skills with fighters who are his equal or better. He will often look upon lower-ranked Journeymen and other less-skilled combatants with a measure of detachment, as they would prove no challenge to him.
His skin is a sun-darkened bronze, a product of both genetics and environment, being of Korunnai and Kyataran stock and growing up on a harsh, desert world. For a long time, hair was probably his most distinguishing feature, growing impossibly long and flowing seemingly with a life of its own. Shi has now taken to wearing it in locks, each tipped with electrum clips.
DJB Facts
History
Shi’s career in the Dark Jedi Brotherhood before the year 35 ABY can be compared to most any leaders’, punctuated by an atypical rise through the ranking structure and leadership castes, serving as BTL, Aedile, Quaestor, and Proconsul before his tenure as Quaestor of the then House Naga Sadow saw him entering his most formative years to date.
Shi had always been known by his service: to his family, to his Clan as leader and Son, and to the DB in general. It was with that same attitude that had him act as Quaestor to unify the Sadowans’ effort and might to convince, through their collective actions, the Dark Council to issue a Charter of Clanship. The Summit at the time eagerly accepted, and Shi was elevated to the position of 1st Consul of the newly reformed Clan Naga Sadow.
However, events preceding and taking place after GJW X found Shi no longer serving Naga Sadow but the Clan that had seen just as meteoric a rise to prominence: Arcona.
It is unknown if Shi is counted as one of Clan Naga Sadow’s greatest heroes, or one of her deadlier enemies. It should be noted that Shi recognizes no sovereignty save that of his own...adherence to this code has run him afoul of many a Brotherhood House officiant and lower-tier Dark Council member alike.
As Shi believes that Titles and Ranks are given by and to Men who are content to be defined by others, he does not recognize them, excepting for Grand Masters; he is irreverent, but no one’s fool. When addressing others, he’ll typically use their last names.
Philosophy
Shi Long had always been one to Serve, for Service’s Sake until events left him feeling as if the years fighting for the glory of others had been largely ignored. In the wake of the CNS’ actions against him leading to his exile and the subsequent and conspicuous absence of any aid from his Family, he feels largely justified in his change in mindset. Shi has learned now that the greatest service is the service to himself in his quest for martial and physical perfection.
During his time in self-imposed exile, he outwardly devolved from a staunch ‘Clan-first’ stance to one of self-improvement, as prescribed by the Doctrines of Ferran, and of Alaiedon before him. Shi has had little time for anything else excepting perfecting his martial skills, and it is that drive to be the best that has somehow healed his fragmented mind.
Shi had heretofore been known as a tactical-genius, with a cold and business-like affectation, displaying little to no emotion. However, his meditations have revealed that mindset for what it was: a set of controls designed to fragment his mind and keep him from realizing his true potential. Now, he only reverts to the earlier mindset when training; his current disposition would be what some would call the polar opposite of what they remember.
Shi Long now only lives for fighting, reveling in the immediacy of the moment and relishing the sensations that come with it; the more personal the duel, and the stronger the opponent, the better. Shi believes that the most truthful, purest moments of his life have come when his blade crosses another; freed from the machinations of politics and grovelling that comes with currying favor, Shi’s fulfillment is at that most vulnerable, naked of moments when all of one's preparation comes to bear in a life-or-death circumstance.
Shi has also decided to get away from the complexities inherent in the more ‘advanced’ styles of fighting; his months of exile forced him to strip all aspects of his life to their simplest components. As such, he finds the most direct courses of action to be the most effective. Shi will utilize his strength, speed and ferocity to end a fight as quickly as possible; if a fight is prolonged by circumstances beyond his control, or by the rare skilled opponent, then more’s the better.
Shi’s own talent is such that he will purposefully handicap himself, often dueling with his lightsaber one-handed in an effort to prolong the fight and his subsequent enjoyment. Very rarely will he place two-hands on his hilt, saving that power and skill curve for the most learned of enemies and dire of situations.
Because Shi has had little to no luck with apprentices (they either died during their training or were exposed as traitors), he has come to refuse the formal taking-on of an apprentice, believing that every man should advance according to their own will, merits and abilities. The closest he has had as an apprentice of late would be Teroch Erinos, but those familiar with them would categorize it as an 'uncle/nephew' type of relationship.
In a fight, Shi will not ask for any quarter, nor will any be given. Every encounter is an ultimate test; begging for both mercy and death will only earn his opponents contempt, as he himself feels that if he ‘loses’ a fight and his left alive, it was simply a matter of luck.
Shi Long, The Apostate
Dramatis Personae
Shi Long, once known as Tsainetomo Keibatsu, has ties with one of the most influential families within the Dark Brotherhood. This revered unit includes both the current Grandmaster and the Herald, and other notable members of the Brotherhood, whose bloodline gives them rights of succession to the Kyataran Throne, right after Muz Ashen. However, Shi’s link could be described as tenuous at best, as he hails from a divergent line rather than the body-proper. As such, he has learned to rely on his self-sufficiency to carve out his destiny, rather than attempting to curry favor by association.
As with any family, there are core similarities as well as differences between them all that define this particular relationship.
Members of the Long family - notably Shan Long and Xia Long - had taken a passing interest in Sai’s development, as if they were awaiting the fruits of their labors on Inos 42 to ripen. Their machinations have culminated in the emergence of Shi Long - the "Stone Dragon". It should be noted that an alternate translation of Shi is "death".
Shi Long - as Tsainetomo - had been named a Son of Sadow, the highest honorific that can be bestowed upon any Naga Sadowan, used to signify their unwavering loyalty to the Overlord, their fellow Sons and Daughters, and the Clan itself. Shi was arguably considered their Paragon by many within and without the assemblage. However, in light of recent events, his dedication to the august body can be called ‘questionable’, at best. The Overlord had to name him “Apostate”, as Trevarus Caerick and his apprentice, Xanos Zorrixor, before him. At his request, the pair, aided by Xia Long, completed a Rite designed to strip the enchanted blood of the Overlord from his system, as Shi believed at the time that the best way to help the Clan was to be removed, after a fashion, from the ties that had defined him for so long.
The ritual was a success, with the added side-effect of healing his splintered mind and allowing him more effective usage of his Force powers.
Shi has long had acquaintances within Arcona, most notably the deceased Sashar Arconae, his cloned son Teroch Erinos and the current Consul of Arcona, Marick Arconae. So, when Shi left Naga Sadow, it was natural for him to ply his blade in the cause of the Shadow Clan. Philosophically, Shi and Arcona are diametrically opposed; it is Shi’s respect for those who have shed blood with, and for, him that allowed him to lend Arcona his considerable skill.
The Apostate
The Apostate
- "I Have Awakened!"
- ―Tsainetomo, possessed by The Apostate
What Xia Long, Xanos Zorrixor and Trevarus Caerick begat on Inos 42 in the aforementioned rite violently birthed itself within Ludo Kressh’s Keep on Rhelg during the Dark Crusade. When Shi’s lust for battle reaches a fevered pitch his psyche is usurped by a force that can only be described as an Avatar of Strife. The Apostate is nigh uncontrollable, heeding neither order nor injury, and is only sated by gallons of blood and death and destruction as far as his eyes behold.
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Force Abilities
Shi Long has a natural affinity for the telekinetic spectrum of the Dark Side, including a preclusion to use Force Blast.
Shi’s Force-usage is largely rooted in the realm of what will aid him during a fight, making the spectrum of powers he’ll call upon typically relegated to those that boost his physical prowess and inflict the most direct harm to his opponent. However, his years of formalized training and distinguished service under Kyataran instructors and for Naga Sadow still allows him to retain some creativity with his entire Force Power repertoire.
Fighting Disciplines
Shi Long is the product of fierce study under celebrated swordsman on his adoptive homeworld of Kyataru and within the Brotherhood, including but not limited to Manji Sadow. Further, his association with the Brotherhood has afforded him the opportunity to study forms, such as Kartranin and Shyarn-ado, that he normally might not have been exposed to. The result makes him a truly gifted savant of bladework.
These styles make perfect use of Shi’s increased strength, durability and agility. As he has transitioned from a ‘showy’ fighter to one who prefers the most brutally direct and efficient way to put down an opponent, these styles lend themselves perfectly to Shi’s newfound philosophy.
Weaponry
Shi Long's Lightsaber, 'Nenshogeru’
- "...the crystal began to spin faster now, Sai having accepted the Dark Side’s providence in selecting such a gem to power his weapon. The components, swirling about his seated form in twin oblate opposing orbits, flung themselves from their places and fitted themselves together in front of him, guided by an unseen hand. Finally, the casing slid shut around the adgean, and Saiketsu’s weapon was completed. He stood, snatching the hilt as it floated in midair and felt within for the activation stud with his ethereal senses. The coppery blade sprung from his fist for the first time within the cave, the screech and growl of it sounding once again like the utterances born of a dragon’s throat. The plasmic energies, though contained in their self-sustaining loop, fluctuated wildly, making the blade appear as if it were afire..."
- ―from the accounting of the construction of Shi Long’s lightsaber
Taken from the Kyataran, “Nenshogeru” loosely translates to “Searing Wind".
Shi returned his set of custom-batons to the Herald and he set about crafting a new hilt, mirroring the traditions of Cerean and Kyataran swordsmiths.
A Jedi is taught to lose all attachments to material possessions, including their lightsabers, but for Dark Jedi, the personalization evident across all strata of the Brotherhood of these personal weapons goes against that tenant. Taking that personalization to the next level, Shi Long’s dedication to his bladework has led him to view the blade as an extension of himself, and its completion signifies a metaphysical union between warrior and instrument.
The lightsaber utilizes four crystals; a shard of a Corusca gem and a Phond novae are set inside a Kasha focusing bezel, producing a fiercely burning blade with an orange hue. The bezel itself, used much in the manner of Cerean blademasters, gives Shi greater focus in battle, aiding in clearing distractions from his mind. The Adgean, mined from the vein on Inos 42, was chosen despite the tiniest of imperfections at its center; a jagged splinter within causes the blade to fluctuate wildly, giving it the appearance of having been set on fire.
Lightsaber Forms
Shi Long's strength and durability is advantageous in his application of this Form; he will use it to literally beat his opponents into submission, destroying both their ‘saber work and morale equally. His knowledge of the form is rivaled only by those in the Elder-class, and he can utilize it for defense as well as, if not better than any dedicated student of Soresu. He will rely on Shii-Cho for his primary offensive form, albeit one-handed. It takes a dire situation or a truly gifted opponent for Shi to utilize the two-handed techniques this form affords.
This style, with its concentration on impenetrable defense, grants Shi time to see openings in his opponents attacks that he will exploit with surety.
Shi Long has demonstrated proficiency in Makashi; the Duelist’s Form gives him a solid background in ‘saber to ‘saber combat.
When in the midst of a truly challenging fight, Shi will immerse himself into Juyo’s depths, fueled not by rage, but the utter enjoyment that he would find in facing a truly gifted opponent. In conjunction with his two-handed application of Shii-Cho, any opponent facing Shi excepting the most skilled in both the Way of the Blade and in the Force can be assured of a swift and inglorious end.
Custom Robes
Shi Long's RobesShi Long wears a half-set of Kyataran samurai's armor, consisting of only the breastplate and left shoulder pauldron. His body is a mass of wraps and bandages; as he is constantly fighting, he is also constantly on the mend from various wounds, tears and strains. His kama is a blend of various fabrics but mostly krayt-skin. He wears a well-worn leather holster on his right thigh.
Shi holds a view shared by others in the Brotherhood, where everything made available to a warrior should be used as a tool to get the job done. As such, he has taken to carrying the auto-repeater, and it has proven to be a valued addition to his arsenal.
Positions Held