Yuushiro Kagami
Staff Note: This character (and his theme) are no longer played.
| Rael van Cyndros | |
|---|---|
| 300px | |
| Placeholder Pending Commission | |
| IC Information | |
| Full Name: | Rael van Cyndros |
| Aliases: | Striker Aurum |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age/Birthdate: | 19 (??? AY) |
| Height: | 6'2" |
| Hair Colour: | Golden Blonde |
| Eye Colour: | Blue |
| Astrological Sign: | Dragon |
| Blood Type: | Magic |
| Friend Food: | Bravely Prepared Meals |
| Enemy Food: | Cowardly Packaged Food |
| Reputation: | Last King of Anoria |
| Dossier | |
| Organization: | Unaffiliated |
| Position: | Guardian Hero |
| School: | None |
| OOC Information | |
| Voice Actor: | Takahiro Sakurai |
| Source: | Original Theme |
| Player: | Sirusavi |
| Yuushiro Kagami | |
|---|---|
| 300px | |
| Placeholder Pending Commission | |
| IC Information | |
| Full Name: | Yuushiro Kagami |
| Aliases: | None |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age/Birthdate: | 16 (Aug 24, 1997) |
| Height: | 5'11" |
| Hair Colour: | Brown |
| Eye Colour: | Brown |
| Astrological Sign: | Virgo |
| Blood Type: | AB |
| Friend Food: | Tempura |
| Enemy Food: | Natto |
| Reputation: | Unremarkable Student |
| Dossier | |
| Organization: | Unaffiliated |
| Position: | Average Teenager |
| School: | Juuban (Grade 10) |
| OOC Information | |
| Voice Actor: | Kishō Taniyama |
| Source: | Original Theme |
| Player: | Sirusavi |
Contents
Quote
"Why have I got to be the one to do this?!"
Profile
Yuushiro Kagami is an average student with average grades. He enjoys hanging out with his friends, day-dreaming about girls and has no aspirations higher than continuing to coast through the easygoing life laid out before him. Unfortunately, he also happens to be a Knight Striker-a human host for a magical warrior of ancient times. His alter ego is none other than Rael van Cyndros, the last King of a once-great realm. United by circumstance and ordained by fate, the pact-bound pair must work together to defend Tokyo from the unseen forces of evil while searching for the lost artifacts of Rael's people, lest they fall into the wrong hands.
Background Information
Golden Age of Anoria
- The Kingdom of Anoria is founded by survivors of the Silver Millennium in the wake of the Dark Fall.
- Hoping to avoid the perceived mistakes of the previous era, the city's founders invest their most powerful magics into the land itself, hoping to achieve lasting permanence by tying themselves to material creation.
- As a result, artifice and craftsmanship becomes the basis of Anorian magic rather than spells and summons. As tales of the wonders of Anorian artifice spread it becomes known as the Shining Kingdom.
- The rise of the Sankt Kaiser and other dark forces brings conflict shortly after a brief enlightened age. The architects of Anoria create the ritual of sealing as a last-ditch effort to save the Kingdom should it fall, and create the order of Knight Strikers to protect the Kingdom's borders.
Fall of Anoria
- After several centuries of thriving ingenuity, the capacity to use magic has become scarce in Anoria's people. Many techniques and knowledge have been lost for lack of no one to pass them on to, and the city thrives rests greatly on the laurels of its past wonders rather than the creation of new ones. Centuries of conflict with various foes have also pushed back the borders of the Kingdom significantly.
- Rael van Cyndros is born as the crown prince to the ruling King and Queen. It becomes readily apparent that he possesses the highest degree of magic affinity than has been witnessed in the royal line for several generations.
- The King and Queen are both killed in an assassination attempt that nearly rends the Kingdom asunder. Rael restores order by taking up the royal sword Eterne and uniting the people once more with a rousing speech, ascending to throne at the untested age of eighteen.
- Despite misgivings from senior advisors, the so-called 'Boy King' leads a string of impressive military victories that reclaim much of the land Anoria had last over the years and restored many borders to their former strength. The Knight Strikers are re-vitalized, and for a time it seems the country's dire fortunes are about to be reversed.
- Unfortunately, Rael's reign lasts only a year before a treacherous plot nearly destroyed the realm. The Dark Sorceror, a long-time enemy of the Kingdom, is rumored to have turned Rael's Queen and one of his best knights against him, the latter leading him into an ambush while the former removed the powerful barriers the repelled invaders from Anoria's capital.
- With the city invaded and held against him as a threat, Rael defies the enemy by falling on Eterne's blade, invoking the ritual of sealing and shifting the entire capital, its people and all Anoria's magical power to a higher dimension where they shall be safe from harm. Rael's soul is sealed within Eterne to be called forth if the city shall ever require protection from the outside world again, and all the artifacts are scattered across a distant land (see: Japan), hidden away in mundane forms.
- With the entrances to the city now unknown and hidden, The Dark Sorceror enters a long slumber, leaving his servants behind to hunt for any Anorian artifact should it surface.
Modern Age
- Arnolf Granai, a Midchildan mage and archaeologist, is the foremost researcher on the late Anorian Kingdom. The Sealed Kingdom's trail eventually leads him to Earth, where he meets and falls in love with Himiko Kagami. He settles down but continues his personal research, eventually becoming employed by Tokyo University as a Professor.
- Yuushiro Kagami is born in 1997. Arnolf locates an old key he believes may be Eterne in its sealed form, but has much more research to do before he confirms. He begins to leave on frequent trips back to Midchilda under the guise of research expeditions around this time.
- In 2005, Arnolf has a breakthrough and manages to partially awaken Eterne. Unfortunately, this alerts the servants of the Sorceror, who proceed to hunt him ruthlessly. He eludes them and returns to Earth, believing it to be safe. While out with Yuu for the night, he learns one of them has managed to follow him. As he managed to temporarily re-seal Eterne in it's mundane form he entrusts the key to Yuu, telling him to go to the basement should he ever be in peril. He is killed and his death ruled a wild animal attack by the police.
- Eight years late Eterne begins to react to Yuushiro as he grows older, once again bringing the Sorceror's hound-like servants out of the woodwork. Chased by one, Yuu manages to make it to the basement, activating the spell his father had completed before his death. Eterne is completely awakened, and the spirit of Rael van Cyndros offers Yuu a contract to become his mortal host protect their mutual realms. Yuu accepts to save his mother and sister, who were being threatened by the monster.
MUSH Opening
- The future has yet to be told..!
Personality
Yuushiro
Yuu is someone you might characterize as "aggressively normal". He gets average grades, isn't particularly popular and his family is of modestly comfortable means. He doesn't like to get involved in situations he thinks could be too troublesome and is particularly adept at seeing these twists of fate coming a mile away thanks to a consummate diet of tv, anime and manga and their attendant tropes. His aversion to getting involved can border on what some might call cowardice, but Yuu would state that it is simply rational self-preservation: A person like him has no business behaving like someone who's the main character of a story where everything works out in the end. He knows painfully well that life isn't actually like that, and refuses to delude himself otherwise by engaging in needlessly risky behavior.
His honest, abrasive assessment of such situations can often put him in conflict against the sort of person who thinks heroes, princes and the like are figure worthy of emulation, but he still has a few close friends he enjoys doing normal teenager things with (Because really, how many teens sit around talking about justice and punishing evil all the time?). Although his senior year is getting closer, Yuu hasn't given much thought towards what he wants to do or where he'd like go, preferring to enjoy his lazy, carefree days in the hope that they'll somehow last forever. He's aware that the world has many problems and is quite used to hearing about them from bright-eyed, fellow students deadset on fixing them, but this is something he also considers foolish. The problems of the world are too massive for any one person to have hope of resolving, and most of those problems have nothing to do with them anyways. People should just be happy they were lucky enough to be born in a nice, quiet part of the world where nothing spectacular happens and let it be.
There is more than typical teenage self-centeredness at the heart of Yuu's cynicism. His father's death and the circumstances surrounding it made a lasting impression on him, chief among it the fact that the world isn't fair and owes you nothing. Accordingly, Yuu feels he owes the world nothing right back. But more than the world he blames himself for being weak, for being scared and for being able to do nothing but run away when his Father was in danger.
When it comes to what's important to him, Yuu won't run away. His friends, his family, his casual, lazy life. He may not be willing to stick his neck out for strangers, but he dearly doesn't want to lose anyone else important to him, and it's in the defense of those precious few that the teen can suddenly find himself willing to act against type, complain as he might. The depths to which he's willing to go are great and frightening, even to himself. It led him to make a pact with a spirit he barely knew and hadn't even believed in hours ago, now caught up in events beyond his control.
Yuu's somewhat resentful about that. Now that the danger to his family is out of the way, he find Rael's constant presence in his head and insistence on protecting Tokyo a very resentful state of affairs, finding the ancient king the apotheosis of all the bone-headed ideals he's ever mocked. Yet for all their vaunted differences, there was one brillian moment in which the two were united in purpose and aim.
Struggle as he might against it, Yuu just might begin to see what this hero business is all about.
Rael
Rael van Cyndros is the very essence of knightly honor, valor and decorum. He was born, steeped and raised in a culture that held those deeds paramount alongside the service of Kingship to which he was destined. At the same time, Rael had the misfortune to see those ideals one by one betrayed over the course of his life, renewing his kingdom with resolve and dedication to his ideals only to see it all crumble before him like so much dust in the wind. He bears the burden of one who unfailingly made all the 'right' decisions, yet saw nothing for it. Even so, there is no one Rael blames more for the fall of Anoria than himself. As King, he refuses to pass responsibility on to anyone else, holding his failure to live up to expectations alone as the binding reason for Anoria's fall and its present state. Thus, he sees his fate as the Guardian of the sealed city as an appropriate and just sentence for his actions, determined to serve justly with honor he feels he has left. He takes the defense of Anoria extremely seriously, but is also compelled to intervene even in situations that do not concern the welfare of the lost city directly, ever mindful of a Knight's duties to protect the weak and defenseless.
Despite the burdens he carries, the ancient King unfailingly conducts himself with a calm, reassuring demeanor that rarely fails in the face of battle, though he is known to display a sort of sporting camradering against an honorable foe. He is capable of displaying kindness, warmth and compassion, especially to the numerous young women he encounters fighting so earnestly with all their hearts. Although they are not his subjects, he sees all such warriors as something of a kindred soul, and deems it fit to try and lead by example. His attitude is somewhat different at the more mature variety: Due to the betrayal of his Queen Rael has a deep and abiding mistrust of older women who use magic, considering them sorceresses and witches of doubtful aims. It's one of the few areas where the King's humanizing imperfections shine through.
Rael's insistence on doing the 'right' thing can often bring him into conflict with Yuu, who's way is to naturally seek the easy path and get by where he can. His uncompromising, unfailingly certain nature often leaves him to be seen as someone who is 'too perfect' and can't possibly understand the lives and choices of normal people. The truth is that Rael understands all too well how people fail to live up to their own expectations, seeing himself as the hallmark example, bringing one to the paradox that lies at the heart of Rael: Unable to do what feels is right, despite knowing how it all once turned out. In effect, he continues to punish himself as an unworthy King.
But even the unworthy can possess pride. Rael's intolerance for evil and misdeeds remain, as well as his respect and appreciation for the camraderie of any fellow knights who rally to his side in the defense of their kingdom, meting justice and judge them to those that would oppose and betray himself. Although he finds his human host non-ideal in several respect, he's infinitely more patient with Yuu than Yuu is with he. He suspects, perhaps, that there was some reason he was summoned by this boy in particular, and the heart of a true knight may lurk within him yet, however deeply buried.
Overall
Yuu and Rael seem like polar opposites at a glance, but there a few things that bind them closely together in ways they (Or least Yuu) don't yet realize. Principal among them is the tragedy they have suffered in their lives and their deep and abiding guilt over it, combined with their mutual resolution to defend what is left to them at any cost. Furthermore, Yuu's somewhat sarcastic exterior masks the heart of someone who genuinely wants to do good, even if they may complain about along the way, a pure-hearted kind of earnestness that finds a mirror in Rael.
Powers and Abilities
Yuushiro
- Fast Healing: Due to his pact boon with Rael Yuu heals much more quickly from wounds than is normal. This makes him far hardier than the average human being, allowing him to bounce back from injuries that otherwise might be seriously debilitating or, in some cases, fatal. It doesn't make him any stronger per se, but he can take a surprising level of abuse and keep going.
- Linker Core: Thanks to his half midchildan heritage by way of his father, Yuu is one of the comparatively few people on Earth to be born with a Linker Core. He is unaware of this fact, and his magical potential has been thoroughly unexploited. However, it's presence compensates somewhat for his less-than-ideal parameters as a Knight Striker host, allowing Rael to draw on more power than he might otherwise be able to at this time.
Rael
- Magic Resistance: Rael possesses an innate resistance to magic that is well-suited to enduring barrages of spells the close the distance with anyone who would try to keep him at range, forcing them into the melee range he excels at.
- Mana Burst: Rael is also capable compressing and storing mana to aid in powerful bursts of speed and crushing blows with his sword when more power is needed. Beyond some special attacks that harness Eterne's affinity for holy/light aspected energy, Rael is not much of ranged fighter and feels most comfortable in close melee combat.
- Purification: Eterne is the light undying, and possesses the ability to purify objects and individuals who have been tainted by darkness. This is most applicable to Anorian artifacts that have been corrupted and turned people into demons, but it may also work in other situations. It can only turn that which has been unwillingly turned over to darkness-those who have consciously chosen to turn away from the light cannot be saved by Eterne alone.
- Divine Right of Kings: As King, Rael is capable of bestowing certain boons and blessings on others. Though most of these are minor and impermanent, he is capable of 'Knighting' those allies who have proven themselves time and time again and establishing a mental link that is active regardless of which form he is in. Such allies can be summoned to his side through the power of the boon, and provided they consent.
- Magic Radar: General magic sense BS.
Relationships
Yuushirou
- Himiko Kagami: Yuu cares for his Mom deeply, especially with how she raised him and his sister all by herself after their father died. Although she strives to present the image of the perfect 'Yamato Nadeshiko' on the surface, Yuu is well aware of how terrifying she can be when angry. He does his best to do his housework, pay attention to his studies and keep everything in the house as balance as possible to avoid her going off the deep end.
- Aya Kagami: The younger Kagami sibling has reached that precarious age where little girls stop being cute and start being rebellious, frustrating little wads of emotions you can't hope to reason with. At least, that's how it is for most people. Yuu has managed to adapt to his sister's changing attitude with aplomb and panache, getting quite a few laughs out of teasing her with the knowledge that she used to wet the bed whenever she tries to act too deep and serious. Her tantrums may not be pretty, but Yuu can't help but look at her and see that baby sister he'd do anything to keep safe.
- Arnolf Granai: Late Husband to Himiko and Father of Aya and Yuushiro (They took their mother's name because Japan), he was someone Yuu deeply admired. His death affected Yuu strongly at his young age and prompted him to try and mature quickly to take his father's place, discarding youthful notions of heroism and righteouness to embrace what he perceived as the 'reality' of the adult world where there are no such things. The fact that his Father was actually right about many things has led Yuu to try and investigate who Arnolf really was more closely, starting with the placed called 'Mid-childa' he is supposedly from and just what he was trying to accomplish by searching for Anoria.
- High School Buds: Yuu has at least two close friends in high school that he's known from a young age: Taro Nakajima and Daisuke Kusagawa. They are true bro-tier pals who have in common with Yuu the qualities of liking video games, manga and not having a girlfriend. Most of their time is spent at arcades or hanging out at restaurants and being teenagers. Between the two, Taro is more of talker but a physical pushover while Daisuke is tougher but quiet. Yuu is something in between them both, so the three have made a good pair since they were kids. While they have their flaws, he wouldn't hesitate to back either up.
- Rael van Cyndros: In the span of one day Rael managed to go from an unexpected savior Yuu was very grateful towards to a constant presence in the back of his head he really wish would shut up. Rael's insistence on Yuu fulfilling the duties and role he took on when he agreed to become a Knight Striker became old fast, made all the worse by the fact that it's impossible to give him the slip. Ignoring him has become a feat of supreme endurance, but Yuu is accepting that a certain things he has to do now and that some of them might even be protecting those important to him in a roundabout way. He still thinks Rael needs to lighten up, though.
- Kanata Shirahime: A seventh grader at Yuu's school. Although male, he has a very feminine appearance that seems give him a lot of unwanted attention. Yuu can strangely sympathize with that sort of thing, and tries to back him up where he can.
- Yukimi Amane: A girl in his class whom Yuu never particularly noticed until recently, kind of wishing he still didn't. She's rude, insulting and downright unpleasant to be around. Accidentally becoming a class rep alongside her is yet another nail in the coffin of Yuu's hopes for his sophomore year.
- Maron Kusakabe: Juuban's star rhythmic gymnast and another girl in Yuu's class. She seems alright, Yuu not knowing her very well aside from her chronic lateness to class and general symptoms of sleeplessness-traits he's begin to acquire himself lately.
- Kyouko Sakura: A seemingly homeless girl Yuu shared some of his ramen with in a Rael-driven fit of charity. The kind deed was appropriately punished when the girl followed him home and broke into his room at night, deciding she needed another place to sleep. Not quite able to bring himself to toss her out, Yuu has allowed the temporary use of the attic above his room so as to avoid detection by his Mom or sister. The agreement was for one night, but you know what they say about mice and cookies..
- Ren Aizawa: A former classmate of Yuu's who transferred to Infinity a while back. He happened to run into her in town one day and caught up a little bit. She seems to be doing well, at least..
Rael
- Yuushiro Kagami: Being that Yuu is the only true relation Rael has at the moment, Rael has much invested in trying to improve their relationship. He's repeatedly stressed to Yuu that a strong relationship between the them is essential to awakening the full abilites of a Knight Striker, but this seems to have improved things little. His attempts to put him on the knightly path serve only to meander their cause further, but he persists in his belief that proper guidance and correct actions will one day make Yuu a proper host. In short-he believes in the young man, at least partially because he has no other choice.
- Anoria: The sealed kingdom is Rael's entire rasion d'etre, his salvation and his curse. To serve eternally, he believes, is the only honor left to him after the ruin his reign brought to the shining city. Now Anoria and it's people slumber in preservation and in peace, and he will see to it they remain undisturbed.
- The Modern World: Things are clearly very different from when Rael last walked the Earth in mortal flesh, but he believes the values of Anoria are timeless and apply anywhere. He experiences most of modernity through Yuushirou's eyes, but is continually fascinated by what he learns. Most times he has too many pressing matters to attend to when summoned to appreciate the new world, but experiencing a taste of it may just be the key to the 'loosening up' Yuu desperately wishes he would do.
- Mami Tomoe: A young girl and puella magi Rael encountered while hunting a creature known as a witch. He was greatly impressed with combat prowess and cool-headed tactics, enough so that they have an understanding of mutual cooperation for Tokyo's protection.
- Homura Akemi: Conversely, the mysterious Homura has earned Rael's regard for completely different reasons. Her unexplained knowledge of his identity and purpose has intrigued him along with her curious abilities and unwavering resolve. The conviction in her eyes, at times, seems too familiar...
- Yukimi Amane: A classmate of Yuushiro's whom Rael happened to save from a shadow hound one night. He has not particular opinion of her as a civilian, but does find her ability to aggravate his host curious.
- Kanata Shirahime: The unknown silver-haired maiden cooperated with Rael in averting a potential disaster at Tomoeda theme park. He is not sure what fate befell her, but he hopes she is well.
- Signum: A fierce and capable warrior whom Rael briefly cooperated with in effort to stop a rampaging elemental in Tokyo. While not yet knowing her name and motivation he suspects her to be a fellow knight, wondering for what cause she would turn her blade against ostensible allies.
Soundtrack
- Yuu's Theme - The Reluctant Heroes, MPI
- Transformation/Rael's Theme - Birth of a Hero, Two Steps from Hell
