Manji Keibatsu Sadow

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Epis Nekura Manji Keibatsu is a member of Clan Naga Sadow the current Aedile of House Marka Ragnos, a Trainer in the Antei Combat Centre and a Guardsman of the Grand Master's Royal Guard.

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."

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

Nekura Manji was born to a powerful family on the backwater planet of Kyataru- the Keibatsu family, who held dominion over the entire planet and reigned as warlords. The second son of the Keibatsu family, he will ascend to the position of 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). He became upset with the caste structure of his homeworld, which held him above those who were considered his social inferiors.

Upon reaching the age of 13, Nekura Manji decided that he'd had enough, and left the planet without the permission of his parents to find his own way in the galaxy.

The young samurai quickly managed to get into trouble, engaging in various duels and bar room brawls fuelled by his impetuous temper, 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 engaged in various deals, even helping to run illegal goods 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

Soon, a homesick longing began to take root in Manji's mind- he longed to see the beautiful scenery of Kyataru once more. However... 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

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Manji'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, 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

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 the Keibatsu's absence. Following a long, grueling campaign, the Keibatsu regained control of their ancestral home.

However, before they could set to ruling Kyataru, 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.

Weaponry

Custom lightsabre styled after a katana, created by Muz Ashen Keibatsu.
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.
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.
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.