Mate Sam Bellamy

Sam Bellamy / Kokoro Saito
Mate
Ninja

Carousin': 2
Plunderin': 3
Swashbucklin': 4
Wenchin': 3

Background

Raise a glass, me jolly lads, to the greatest crew what sailed the Seven Seas! Led by Captain "Red" Ned Morris, th' rouges and scallywags manning the Jolly Rancher are the finest, the fiercest, and the most shipshape crew in all of creation. Yer exploits are known th' world over, bringing the crew fame an' enough gold to keep you well for a bunch of scurvy seahands. And now you're nearly at th' end of your quest for the Blood Jewel, ye can feel it! Worth thousands of dubloons, ye think it would keep the crew for at least ten years. In celebration of yer continued good fortune, Capt'n Morris has declared tonight a revel, an' while work t' find the Jewel is welcome, this is a night for rum and tobacco. The Capt'n has left the plannin' to his First Mate Nathaniel Teach for the night. So here's t' the Jolly Rancher and her crew; any landlubber or bilge rat what doesn't give you quarter will end up prayin' they be given th' chance t' walk the plank rather than cross ye!

. . . all right, that's enough. Whew! If you can keep that up, no one will be the wiser.

You are Kokoro Saito, the last remaining member of the Mantis Clan. Your clan is the spiritual clan, most known for its exceptional inventiveness, creativity and cosmic understanding. Sadly, the Mantis were wiped out a decade ago in the Clan Wars. There are rumors that your clan's destruction was due to the Crane Clan, but rumors are only that.

In fact, it is possible that you are the only ninja now left alive.

You are a recent addition to the crew. After the Clan Wars you wandered wherever kamisama indicated, living something of a monastic life. Everything you consumed was either found and prepared by you or provided through the generosity of others. You dressed simply and you lived simply. Life was not always easy, but it was simple. And then, one night after eating some mushrooms you had slightly misjudged that you found the answer.

The Clan Wars, while tragic, were necessary. The clans were becoming stagnant, too entrenched in their petty worldly politics that they were forgetting what brought them honor. Without this purge, forward movement would not be possible. Every beginning needs an end before it.

This beginning is the Age of the Dragon. A change of this degree would allow for a new clan to be founded, wiser and swifter and stronger than ever before. Its ability to survive hardship would be incomparable; you had considered the possibility that the new kami seated at its spiritual center would be a phoenix for just that reason. But no, the signs have shown it to you. It will be the Dragon Clan.

Since then, things have gone well. The proud words your captain uses to fire up your crew aren't far from the truth. The crew is first rate, and they live and eat well because of it. The ship is in tip-top shape. Your hearties get along as well as any pirate crew, and work as smartly as a well-oiled machine. Other crews you've run across have either given you quarter or been no real trouble, increasing your bounty and occasionally your crew through recruit.

And the crew is interesting. So many of them, and so different. Like in any group, there is a great opportunity to change. Finding those who seek change and assisting them in this task would certainly help bring change to yourself, and if those changes are done out of compassion, good luck in your quest.

And then there's the matter of the Blood Jewel. Worth thousands of dubloons to the proper buyer, the gold it would garner could secure the crew's future for a decade or put you up for life. But that's not your reason for wanting it. Rumor has it that the Blood Jewel is no jewel at all, but a dragon's egg. If this were the case, and if it were fertilized, secreting it away and having it hatch might be your only chance to keep the ninja clans from dying out entirely. For a ninja clan to be successful it needs to have a powerful kami (or spirit) at the heart of its spiritual focus, and what would be more powerful than a dragon? It would mean creating an entirely new ninja clan from scratch, but there may be few enough ninjas that there would be no one to argue with you over it. If it does turn out to be a dragon's egg, you hope to keep it for yourself. And if that means using your ninja skills, you'll do it, though doing so in public would make it obvious that you're a ninja and possibly draw the attention of others who know of your clans. It is unknown whether that would be a good or bad idea.

But tonight is a night of carousing, a hard-earned reward for your work. As is the Captain's right, he has chosen to spend the night enjoying himself rather than keeping the crew in order, handing over that task to his First Mate, Nathaniel Teach. This doesn't mean that he won't make the final decisions on any important matters, of course, especially about the Blood Jewel. For now, however, we eat, we drink and make merry! Three cheers for the Jolly Rancher and her crew!

Who You Know

• Edward Blackfellow, Second Mate - He is like those who led themselves to purge due to binding himself to the material things.
• Calico - The ship's (supposedly talking) cat. Animals are to be respected.
• Grace Duguay, Helmsman - Light like a rainbow.
• Flintlock Jack, Master Gunner - A summer sunrise, brimming with heat.
• Pele Giggs, Boatswain - He reminds you of nothing natural.
• Stede Hawthorne, Quartermaster - As steady as stone beneath your feet.
• Kate Highwater, Sailing Master - Complex and emotional, as shifting as a thunderstorm.
• Thomas Kidd, Cook - Warm and nourishing.
• Siofra O'Malley, Cooper - Twirling through the air like a sakura petal.
• Lady Charlotte Marlow - A polished stone in which one sees one's own reflection.
• Tully Morgan, Lookout - Strong yet supple, she bends when she needs to.
• "Red" Ned Morris, Captain - Straight as an arrow.
• Mary Rackham, Carpenter - She is a solitary animal for now, but may not wish to be.
• Bloody Christian Read, Surgeon - The hale and hearty; healing and enjoyment of the physical are not so separated.
• Nathaniel Teach, First Mate - His thoughts are made of knowledge from countless others. One wonders what his thoughts are, as it is clear that he has them.

Abilities

• Bequeath Void - During combat, you may point at someone and use this special ability. If you do not lose to anyone directly challenging you in Rock Paper Scissors, one item of your choosing will be teleported away from that target to a place or person of the GM's whim. You do not need to beat the target in Rock Paper Scissors to achieve this unless they are directly challenging you. This ability may only be used two times per game.
• Spirit Sense - After five minutes of conversation with someone you may ask them a riddle, koan or other question of the universe. If he or she gives you any answer at all, you may use this ability to sense something about their spirit. See a GM to use. This power may be used in concert with others; feel free to ask the GM if it is an appropriate circumstance.
• Zen - You are good at helping others calm down and find their center. This ability is primarily roleplayed and cannot be enforced, but is generally successful. See a GM if you need adjudication.

Items

• Clan Medallion - A clay pendant in the shape of a wedge with the Japanese symbol for Void impressed.