- "I refuse to run! I refuse to die!"
- ―Nekura Manji Keibatsu, during the Seventh Great Jedi War
Epis Manji Keibatsu Sadow is an esteemed member of Clan Naga Sadow (and has been since his first day in the Brotherhood) and a Carnifex of the Antei Combat Centre. He was also recently made a Son of Sadow for his devotion to his Clan. He is the second eldest son of the Keibatsu family, and as such is considered a feudal lord on his homeworld of Kyataru. Manji is fiercely loyal to those he holds allegiance to; he will fight for Clan Naga Sadow, the Keibatsu family and the Brotherhood until his death, and will risk his own life to ensure that no harm comes to either. However, this is balanced by his arrogant contempt for those he considers to be beneath him; he bears no love for the other Clans of the Brotherhood, and considers them to be vastly inferior to Naga Sadow and to himself.
Physical Appearance
Manji is somewhat of an enigma physically- he does not appear to have huge, bulging muscles and yet possesses a curious inner strength which is usually more than enough to overpower those he faces. He has been described as "lean and wiry" and "scrawny", but only by those who have not faced him in combat.
One of Manji's most noticeable physical features is the eyepatch across his right eye. Beneath the patch, a long downward scar runs across his eyeball, rendering his right eye useless- the wound was gained during a battle with the current Combat Master and Supreme Champion of the Antei Combat Centre, Dalthid, which took place at the climax of the K'hamar'an incident. However, despite the wound, Manji emerged from the battle technically victorious once he was restored in the bacta tanks- possessed temporarily by dark spirits, the Combat Master plummeted to his death, before Manji killed himself in order to stop the spirits seizing him.
Manji has been asked why he does not simply have the scar healed by medical technology, or why he does not heal it himself with the use of the Force. His response is as follows:
- "I remember readin' somewhere that y'can't heal a scar which the owner feels a strong attraction to, whatever that means... basically, I ain't getting rid of this since it reminds me of that victory, and of how close I came to succumbing to 'otherworldly forces'. And besides, it makes people overconfident. They think I'm helpless with only one eye, then I butcher 'em."
- ―Nekura Manji Keibatsu, shortly after the conclusion of the K'hamar'an incident.
The Epis' only other distinct physical feature is that of his clothing, an ancient silk dress-style garment from his homeworld of Kyataru called a kimono. Manji has several kimono, tailored for him on Kyataru- one is jet black with his personal crest on the back, one is also jet black but ornamented with silver cloth on the lapels, and the other is divided exactly between silver and black- one sleeve is silver, the other black, one side of the body black, the other side silver.
He wears the kimono almost constantly, only substituting it for his formal robes when decorum demands it. However, when exploring the frozen wastelands of his adopted home on Tarthos, Manji will often modify the kimono with some other traditional clothes of his homeworld- a pair of baggy, pleated trousers known as hakama that are lined with tauntaun fur and an overcoat known as a jinbaori which is also lined with fur to keep out the harsh arctic winds.
Character History
Youth
Life on Kyataru
Nekura Manji Keibatsu at age 16
- "That child... there is a dragon within him."
- ―Motoyasu Yoshio, retainer to the Keibatsu in 12 ABY
Nekura Manji was born to Koji Masurao and Mariko Yukimitsu, the lord and lady of the powerful Keibatsu family on the backwater planet of Kyataru. The Keibatsu held dominion over the entire planet and reigned as warlords until the year 15 ABY. The second son of the Keibatsu family, Manji will ascend to the position of Patriarch and lord of the family after his elder brother Musashi Daraku (more commonly known as Muz Ashen).
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 cocky and free-spirited Manji became angry with the structured, formal nature of his life as the son and heir of a powerful samurai (member of the Kyataran warrior class). Because Manji's elder brother Musashi had been taken away by Eojin Quon-Shen to train as a Jedi, Manji was in the process of being groomed to become the heir of the family once he reached the appropriate age. However, despite his noble birth, the young warrior was distinctly un-aristocratic; he much preferred exploring the landscape of Kyataru and practicing his martial skills to studying how he would have to one day rule his people. In time, Manji became upset with the caste structure of his homeworld, which held him above those who were considered his social inferiors and meant that he was not allowed to socialise with anybody not born into the warrior class.
Upon reaching the age of 13, Manji decided that he'd had enough of this, and managed to steal a ship from the hangar of Kuroshin castle, obviously without the permission of his parents. Leaving Kyataru with a couple of thousand credits and his weapons, Manji set out to find his own way in the galaxy.
The young warrior quickly managed to get into trouble, engaging in various duels and bar room brawls fuelled by his impetuous temper and inbuilt sense of superiority, and amassing quite a few scars across his face and upper body. However, the Keibatsu soon managed to find some purpose, finding employment on the notorious blockade runner Broken Wing under the bounty hunter Arctur Usan. He took part in various deals, even helping to run an illegal shipment of spice past a squadron of the Autocthonian Navy under the command of Muz Ashen Keibatsu, although neither knew of the other's presence.
Fall To The Dark Side
- "You gotta have a home, kid. Somewhere to rest your head when every law enforcement group in the galaxy is after you."
- ―Bounty Hunter Arctur Usan, 17 ABY.
Soon, a homesick longing began to take root in Manji's mind- he longed to see the beautiful scenery of Kyataru once more and return to the places he had left as an impetuous youth. When Manji returned to Kyataru in a ship borrowed from Arctur Usan, his parents greeted him with open arms, and for several days the young Keibatsu knew inner peace. Then tragedy struck. Manji was studying his swordsmanship up in the ruined courtyard of Kuroshin keep when a group of Jedi (including Claudius Tang'va and the Nautolan Jedi Ayln'ohn) came to the Keibatsu estate to force Koji to sell a cortosis mine that had been uncovered on the Keibatsu lands. Koji refused point-blank, and the young and foolhardy Jedi responded with violence, resulting in the massacre that made most Kyatarans believe that the Keibatsu bloodline had been completely extinguished.
Manji's arrival at the Keibatsu estate was too late to save his parents, but not late enough to miss the tragedy. The trauma of the event unlocked the latent Force potential within the young Keibatsu, leading him to brutally murder one Jedi in an explosion of rage and slice open the belly of another. Then Manji dived into the flames, hearing the cries of his youngest sister. The Jedi left, not knowing that the young warrior had found his sibling and dragged her into one of the secret chambers below the house, waiting for the flames to die down before emerging. A heavy rainstorm began to beat down the flames, allowing Manji to come back up to the surface. Filled with anger at the Jedi, Nekura Manji vowed revenge, unaware that even at this early stage he was embracing the Dark Side.
Leaving his youngest sister behind with some friends of the Keibatsu family, Manji went back to his ship and left Kyataru once again with the intention of finding out just what kind of power the tragedy had unlocked within him- and possibly slaughtering some more Jedi along the way to make them pay for his loss.
The Brotherhood
First Contact
- "I sense the Dark Side in you, child."
- ―Headmaster Kaiann Yetaru Entar, 18 ABY.
It took him two years, but at the age of 20, Manji eventually managed to locate some answers. In a grimy cantina on Nar Shaddaa, after being plied with enough credits, a hooded, robed figure told him about a mysterious group called 'The Dark Brotherhood'. However, the figure claimed that he didn't know where the Brotherhood was based, except that it was near a great concentration of Dark Side power. Manji could not squeeze any more information out of the figure, and so decided on a time-consuming course of action; using his basic, elementary Force powers, he would search known locations where there was a strong residue of the Dark Side in the hope of finding this 'Brotherhood'.
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. Before he could attempt to navigate the Shroud, which would probably have proven fatal due to his rudimentary piloting skills, Manji's small ship was intercepted by a huge cruiser on patrol duty. Stepping out of the shuttle as it came to rest in the hangar of the M/CRV Palantir, Nekura Manji came face-to-face with an imposing figure in sweeping black robes- Kaiann Yetaru Entar, The Headmaster of the Shadow Academy.
Rediscovering the Keibatsu
- "Liar! You were one of them, weren’t you? You were there! You helped kill my family!"
- ―Manji to Muz Ashen, 19 ABY.
Manji's LightsaberAfter passing the initial tests at the Shadow Academy, Nekura Manji was initiated into the Brotherhood and assigned to the Krath House Marka Ragnos of Naga Sadow. During the next eight months, the young Keibatsu worked hard at ascending the ranks, and became involved in the Antei Combat Centre as a combatant, honing his martial prowess. As he attained the rank of Jedi Hunter, however, his life was changed forever.
Manji and a companion and comrade of his in Marka Ragnos, Muz Ashen, were sent on a routine mission against a New Republic freighter. On board were three Jedi, including a student of Eojin Quon-Shen who recognised Muz. Shortly after Manji, Muz and their comrades Kali Desdemona and Keiran defeated the Jedi, Manji discovered that not every member of his family had been killed by the Jedi. Muz discovered the truth of his lineage in a datapad held by Eojin's student, which corroborated his possession of a ring that Manji remembered his father wearing. Manji and Muz Ashen were brothers.
Shortly after this Manji and Muz both faced their Knight Trials, becoming Dark Jedi Knights. In recognition of their achievements and their work for their House, they were appointed as Tetrarchs of the Avatars of Death and the Night Hawks respectively.
Soon another link in Manji's 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.
The Sixth Great Jedi War
- "I'll never give up, old man. You'll have to shatter every bone in my body to stop me from fighting."
- ―Manji to Dalthid during the Sixth Great Jedi War, 21 ABY.
The original Star Chamber was unearthed on Antei, leading to the reawakening of the ancient Sith Lord Okemi and the beginning of the Sixth Great Jedi War. As Tetrarch of the Avatars of Death Phyle, Manji fought bravely in the conflict as he led his phyle against the corrupted members of other Clans who sought to attack Naga Sadow under the influence of Okemi. As a reward for his services to his House and Clan, Nekura Manji Keibatsu was promoted to Krath Priest and elevated to the rank of Aedile of Marka Ragnos as his brother Muz Ashen was appointed to the position of Quaestor. This began a period of great prosperity for House Marka Ragnos; the two brothers worked together closely, and Marka Ragnos flourished under their command.
The K'hamar'an Incident
- "I am the son of Koji Masurao Keibatsu, you will... not... turn me!!"
- ―Manji during the culmination of the K'hamar'an Incident, 22 ABY.
Many valuable texts and artifacts were stolen from the Brotherhood by members of the mysterious K'hamar'an cult, prompting the Krath High Priestess to lead many of the Krath order to the homeworld of the K'hamar'ans in order to retrieve the artifacts. During the conflict many in the Brotherhood came under the influence of the K'hamar'ans and began to fight their fellow Dark Jedi, leading to many vicious duels. Manji distinguished himself by defeating all who stood against him during the incident, including the then Combat Master Dalthid, whom he defeated before the Stennes could be fully possessed by K'hamar'an spirits, but not before receiving a long slash across his right eye. This was one of many duels that Manji had fought against the Stennes, but only the second one from which he had emerged victorious, his struggles against the brutal fighting style of the Stennes instrumental in shaping him into an instrument of combat.
The Rise
File:3415-warbanner.gifManji's Warbanner
- "Now, shishi suishou... the beatings will commence."
- ―Muz Ashen to the Crystal Lion, 23 ABY.
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 without shame. 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. Under his leadership and with the guidance of his brother from the Clan Summit, the House continued to prosper for the ten months that Manji spent as Quaestor.
However, 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, deciding to concentrate on his other positions in the Brotherhood- Guardsman of the Grand Master's Royal Guard, Magistrate to the new Herald Muz Keibatsu Sadow and Trainer and Combatant in the Antei Combat Centre.
Liberation
- "The Keibatsu? Stupid fool. That name is illegal, and you know it."
- ―Oshima, Kyataran swordsmith, 24 ABY.
Something was in the wind. Gathering their newly discovered family about them, Muz and Manji decided to lead an expedition to their home of Kyataru, with the intention of liberating it from those who had taken advantage of their long absence- most notably the warlord Nagahide, who had set himself up as the rightful ruler of the planet. Following a long, grueling campaign based out of the ruined fortress Kuroshin, the Keibatsu regained control of their ancestral home- Nagahide was slain brutally by Musashi. The dragon had come back from the dead, and the people of Kyataru rejoiced as the Keibatsu spread the wealth of Nagahide's vast coffers around to improve the infrastructure of the planet. However, before the family could truly set to ruling Kyataru, they were called back to Clan Naga Sadow.
The Seventh Great Jedi War
- "Brothers... end this conflict."
- ―Manji to Shimura and Macron, 25 ABY.
The Brotherhood was split between two opposing factions as the machinations of Jaac Cotelin, a clone of the Grand Master, spurred a full-blown civil war that merely built upon previous tensions between the Clans. Manji fought alongside the others of his Clan in the name of the 'Crimson' faction, which put him and Naga Sadow at odds with one of the Clan's most well-known members, Shadow Hand Xanos Zorrixor. The Keibatsu fought proudly for Naga Sadow, eager to display his strength in the name of the Clan and to further his own honour through battle with the enemies of Naga Sadow. Once again, Manji stood undefeated in battle, his skills firmly honed by his time in the halls of the Combat Centre.
The Yuuzhan Vong Threat
- "Who the frack do these alien scrag-ends think they are?"
- ―Nekura Manji following the Yuuzhan Vong Incursion, 27 ABY.
The growing threat of the Yuuzhan Vong finally manifested itself against the Brotherhood while all the Clans were clustered together on Antei for a Brotherhood-wide awards ceremony. The fleets of the Brotherhood were smashed and shattered by the fury of the Vong approach. The conflict was particularly brutal for Manji, as news came through that Muz had been on board the Vae Victus, and had been either killed or captured by the Yuuzhan Vong. In addition, his nephew (and Muz's son) Sanjuro Keibatsu had also been listed as captured, presumed dead. The Clans retreated from Antei, and while it was later revealed that Muz and Sanjuro were both alive, the helpless fury that Manji had felt upon believing them dead did not go away completely.
Dyrra Skye, 30 ABY
Man of the Wave
- "I've been in this place too long. I figure it's time to start wanderin' again."
- ―Manji, 28 ABY.
Shortly after Naga Sadow had returned to the Orian system to lick it's wounds in the aftermath of the Yuuzhan Vong incursion, Manji felt something stirring within his breast; both a longing for his homeworld of Kyataru and a longing for the distant galaxies which he had not yet explored. After contacting his superiors in the Brotherhood to inform them of his desire to take a leave of absence, Manji spent several months at home on Kyataru before setting off into the Outer Rim, to take a pilgrimage of training.
Coincidence brought the Epis back to Tarthos as the two houses of Clan Naga Sadow clashed in what became known as the Orian Uprising. Shocked by the infighting between members of the Clan, Manji worked tirelessly with the rest of his House to restore peace to the Clan and to drive out those who had threatened Naga Sadow. His work done, the Epis retreated back to Kyataru to spend some more time at his home estates, still not fully willing or able to return to the Brotherhood.
The Return
- "You're ugly and your breath smells like bantha farts, you nerf-herding son of a rancor!"
- ―Dyrra Skye, 30 ABY.
A year passed as Manji remained at home on Kyataru. Then, one day, a chance encounter with a brash young girl in a tavern located in downtown Inazawa, the capital city of Kyataru, reminded the Epis of his time with the Brotherhood. Instantly, a flood of memories possessed him, taking him back to the time when he'd first joined the Brotherhood, arrogant and self-confident. The experience filled him with renewed vigour, and Manji felt a flood of happiness as he realised his purpose.
Taking the girl with him, Manji flew back to Tarthos to resume active service in the name of Clan Naga Sadow and the Dark Brotherhood. Soon, the Epis discovered that he would have many chances to prove his loyalty and to showcase the fruits of his long 'warrior's pilgrimage' through the Outer Rim as the Brotherhood moved to reclaim their fortresses and holdings on Antei, which had been taken by the Yuuzhan Vong in 27 ABY.
Unification
- "Keibatsu..? Tell me, Keibatsu... do you know a man named Eojin Quon-Shen?""
- ―Jedi Master Ayln'ohn, 30 ABY.
Jedi Master Ayln'ohn, 30 ABY
The reclamation of Antei began smoothly than had been expected; poised to face off against an overwhelming Yuuzhan Vong force, the Clans of the Brotherhood and the Dark Council were surprised to find the Vong dead and an ancient Jedi Master occupying the Iron Throne, supported by vast armies of droids. Swiftly adapting to their opponent's forces, the Clans fought their way to the surface of Antei and began to lay beachheads, seeking to take the planet back piece by piece. Manji was among the first of Clan Naga Sadow to touch down on Antei, supporting the forces of the Iron Throne in securing their landing zone. To do this, the Epis and his apprentice Dyrra joined a small group of commandos led by Macron Sadow and Malisane de Ath in infiltrating a droid control bunker. By destroying the equipment in the bunker, they shut off the local signal for the droids attacking the landing zone, allowing the forces of the Iron Throne to secure the area.
Shortly afterwards, the group moved south to help defend Forward Operating Base Spear against an approaching column of droid armoured units. The battle was long and hard, but Naga Sadow prevailed, the droids finally destroyed with the arrival of forces from Clan Taldryan. As Manji and his apprentice accompanied Naga Sadow's forces to their rendezvous with forces from Clan Scholae Palatinae, the Epis agreed to head out into the Shadowlands with Dyrra to try and capture a Jedi, in order to obtain intelligence from the enemy.
Unfortunately, the Jedi that they encountered had played an integral part in the Keibatsu's history; the Nautolan, named Ayln'ohn, had been one of the Jedi sent to assassinate Manji's parents by Eojin Quon-Shen. Driven wild with fury by the news, Manji attacked the Jedi- only to be defeated and humiliated by the saberwork of the Lightsider. Ayln'ohn disappeared into the darkness of the Shadowlands, full of remorse; it is presumed that he left the planet without incident. When he was healed from the serious injuries he sustained by Macron, Manji seemed completely unlike his usual self- his defeat at the hands of Ayln'ohn seemed to have broken him, his irrepressible spirit crushed.
While the Epis slowly returned to his usual self as he and the other Dark Jedi of Naga Sadow headed south to defend the Hall of Immortals against the iconoclasm of the Jedi, and eventually defeated the revived spirit of Darth Vexatus and the Jedi that he had possessed, a lingering sense of his failure remained to haunt him as a constant blemish on his pride.
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 has also served as a Guardsman in the Grand Master's Royal Guard, and was made a Guard Captain under Commander of the Guard Khobai Wrathraven, helping to revitalise the image of the Grand Master's Royal Guard. Manji also briefly served as a Magistrate to Herald Muz Ashen.
Weaponry
- Custom lightsaber styled after a katana, created by Muz Ashen Keibatsu- one of the very first sabers that the Herald created.
- A set of swords (daisho) created by the renowned Kyataran swordsmith Kunisada.
- A strange circular blade named Mito-no-Kami shaped liked a handcuff, designed to snap shut around people's necks and sever them cleanly.
- Ryuujin and Tora, two curved short swords with extra blades curving outwards near the hilt, designed to halt an opponent's sword then snap it.
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.
- Some of the bladed weapons Manji uses are also taken from the series- the Mito-no-Kami blade is originally used by the character Giichi, and the Ryuujin and Tora blades are used by the main character.
- Recently Manji has begun to show signs of slight schizophrenia- although his condition is nowhere near as serious as that of his brother Muz, it does mean that he will switch between a cheerful, optimismic mindset, a brooding, depressed mindset and a murderously violent mindset swiftly and suddenly.
Positions Held