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Epis Nekura Manji Keibatsu is a member of Clan Naga Sadow, a Trainer in the Antei Combat Centre and a Guardsman of the Grand Master's Royal Guard.
Character History
Youth
Nekura Manji was born to a powerful samurai family on the backwater planet of Kyataru.
Throughout his early years, Manji was trained in the ways of the warrior- he learnt how to fight with swords, spears and naginata as well as how to ride and shoot. As he grew older, the free-spirited Manji became angry with the structured, formal nature of his life as the son and heir of a powerful samurai.
Upon reaching the age of 13, Nekura Manji decided that he'd had enough, and left the planet to find his own way in the galaxy.
Fall To The Dark Side
Two years of wandering and one year spent on a blockade runner later, Nekura Manji returned home to find that his family castle and hometown had been destroyed and all of his family slaughtered, seemingly by a group of Jedi.
Later, Manji discovered that this had been due to his family finding a vein of cortosis in their silver mine. When several Knights arrived from Coruscant to obtain the rights to the cortosis, Manji's father refused to sell, and decided to defend the mine against 'intruders'. The trauma of this event awoke the latent Force power within Nekura Manji, bringing it out into the open. Filled with righteous anger at the Jedi, Nekura Manji vowed revenge, unaware that even at this early stage he was embracing the Dark Side.
Amazed by his new 'magical' powers, Nekura Manji set out into the galaxy again to look for answers.
It took him 4 years, but Nekura Manji eventually managed to locate some answers. In a grimy cantina on Nar Shaddaa, a hooded, robed figure told him about a mysterious group called 'The Dark Brotherhood'. However, the figure claimed not to know where the Brotherhood was based- except that it was near a great concentration of Dark Side power. Using his basic, elementary Force powers, Nekura Manji tried to find such an area.
After several more months spent investigating sites of strong Dark Side power across the galaxy, Nekura Manji finally managed to find the entrance to the Antei system, the last location on his list. Entering the system, he was intercepted by a huge cruiser on patrol duty that pulled his small shuttle onboard. Stepping out of the shuttle, Nekura Manji came face-to-face with an imposing figure in sweeping black and gold robes- Jac Ae-Sequiera Cotelin Taldrya-Cantor, Deputy Grand Master of the Dark Brotherhood.
Rediscovering the Keibatsu
File:3415-warbanner.gifManji's Warbanner
Shortly after, Nekura Manji was initiated into the Brotherhood, into House Marka Ragnos of Naga Sadow. 8 months passed... then Manji discovered that not every member of his family had been killed by the Jedi. Another member of his house, Jedi Hunter Muz Ashen owned a duplicate of the ring that Manji remembered his father wearing. With this realisation came the revelation that he and Muz Ashen were actually brothers.
Shortly after this Manji and Muz were both promoted to the rank of Dark Jedi Knight and appointed as Tetrarchs of the Avatars of Death and the Night Hawks respectively.
Soon another link in Manjis family chain was revealed- during an expedition to investigate an archaelogical dig in the Shadowlands of Antei, Manji and Muz Ashen found a chamber filled with relics of their family-armour, swords, scrolls. The chamber also revealed the name of their ancestor, the mighty warlord Shinmen Nagahide Keibatsu.
Not long after this discovery, the Brotherhood fell to warring amongst itself. As Tetrarch of the Avatars of Death Phyle, Manji was instrumental in battling against the enemy clans. As a reward for his services, Nekura Manji Keibatsu was promoted to Krath Priest and elevated to the rank of Aedile of Marka Ragnos, upon the ascension of his brother Muz Ashen to the position of Quaestor.
The Rise
In the aftermath of the K'hamar'an attack, when the snows of Tarthos receded to reveal a tropical jungle, another life-changing event befell the two brothers. The Crystal Lion, symbol of their family, came to Tarthos to exterminate Muz Ashen as a traitor to the Keibatsu line. Confronting the beast in open battle, Muz defeated it and regained the honour to take up his birthright. From that day onwards, the Archpriest and Quaestor of Marka Ragnos became known as Muz Ashen Keibatsu.
Soon afterwards, Muz was called to Sepros to take up residence as the Proconsul of Naga Sadow, due to his excellent service to the Clan.
In his stead, Manji was appointed Quaestor of Marka Ragnos and vowed to take Marka Ragnos to new heights of glory and power.
As time passed, Manji began to feel the pressures of leadership and eventually stepped down from the position of Quaestor, taking up the position of Aedile under the new Quaestor, Kat Pridemore. Once Kat was comfortable in her new position, the Epis once again joined the rank and file of the Brotherhood, deciding to concentrate on his other positions in the Brotherhood- Guard Captain of the Grand Master's Royal Guard, Magistrate to the new Herald Muz Keibatsu Sadow and Trainer in the Antei Combat Centre.
Liberation
Manji's Lightsabre
Something was in the wind. Gathering their newly discovered family about them, Muz and Manji decided to lead an expedition to their home of Kyataro, with the intention of liberating it from those who had taken advantage of the Keibatsu's absence. Following a long, grueling campaign, the Keibatsu regained control of their ancestral home.
However, before they could set to ruling Kyataro, they were called back to Clan Naga Sadow to defend against the increasing tension between the Clans.
DJB Facts
Manji has served as a Tetrarch, Aedile and Quaestor within House Marka Ragnos of Clan Naga Sadow, and has been a long-serving staff member in the Antei Combat Centre as Operator, Judge and Trainer. He is also currently a Guardsman in the Grand Master's Royal Guard under Commander of the Guard Khobai Wrathraven.
Trivia
- Manji was the intellectual founder of the Keibatsu family, along with Muz Ashen Keibatsu.
- He has also documented a series of techniques for the sword style used by the family, entitled Kuroshin Ryu.
- Nekura Manji means, loosely translated from Japanese, 'Dark Sauvastika'- the sauvastika is a symbol used widely in Buddhism, which generally stands for night or magical practices.
- The inspiration for the character came from the graphic novel series 'Blade of the Immortal'- much of Manji's personality is also inspired by the 'street punk' attitude of the main character in that series, named Manji.
- One of the bladed weapons Manji uses is also taken from the series- the Mito-no-Kami blade is originally used by the character Giichi.