Genji

Jesus Christ, let's just make a thankless job more thankless. The staff already volunteers to do all the work that goes into running the site, deals with drama, and doesn't get paid for any of it. If all someone's asking for is a little recognition or something to sweeten the deal because they've been feeling drained or like they want to quit, isn't that better than losing one of the cogs in the machine? It's not like they're breaking the game in any way, and at least they're not embezzling taxpayer dollars or using their power to screw over members who aren't staff. It's Thanks

Level 11 220/220 HP 22 Energy 1h Curved Sword skills Rank 1 [x1 Stun] Fell Crescent (4 Energy) - The user charges at a high speed at the opponent and makes one strong uppercut, stunning the opponent. [x2] Rage Blow (2 Energy) - The user makes one heavy blow, cleaving into the opponents chest.

"They're positively my favorite," he retorted sarcastically as the arachnid chased the blonde woman from its lair and into the open. She activated her hate skill like clockwork, almost like she had been in this situation hundreds of times before. Genji ripped the scimitar from his hip and crouched low, looking for any sign of an opening. "How did you know?" It skittered along the bath and raked at her with large, furry mandables and gripped as hard as it could manage with both forelegs. Still, Lessa was able to wrestle away from the most dangerous of bites. The Spider was not so for

"Oh, no," he laughed and held up his hand, index finger and thumb spaced narrowly apart. "You know what they say about Asian men. Big expectations, small delivery. I'm sure those pants suit you far better than I, Miss Lessa." Kotarou appreciated her desire to keep the mood light, and decided to deviate to one of the few social contingencies he actually had- telling inappropriate jokes at appropriate intervals. In Aincrad, he had never lost anyone to death. It was not the same as the real life equivalent, though the two were certainly entwined. Some people in the world, you never got

"I never understand how people think that," Kotarou laughed, "sure, it seemed easy for them to fly right in after the Ring was vanquished in Mount Doom, but prior to that, Sauron's power still held absolute sway within the confines of his domain. If they had tried to fly in while the Ring still existed, they would have been assailed by hellish storms and freaks of creatures conjured for the sole purpose of their destruction." This was the part where people's jaws slacked and their stared at Genji screaming "neeeeeeeerd!" Who else but the silver haired freak would read the Silmarillion more tha

"Really?" he asked, a poignant expression on his face. "Sorry I asked." He could scarce tell at times if Lessa said things simply to make fun of them, or if the hair brained scheme was actually feasible somewhere in that mind of hers. "If we get mounts, though," he added with a more easygoing look melting through the snowy visage, "I don't think I'd mind a large Eagle, like in the Lord of the Rings." They rounded a rock face that sloped more steeply for a moment and Genji kept close to the wall, uncertain of his footing. After he sidled against the mountain for a few steps, the path widen

"You keep talking about dragons," Genji thrust a finger in her direction in warning, "but what happens when we actually run into something like that? I barely did anything to a goblin on wolfback, I'm not too keen on facing down firebreathers just yet." Genji took a step past Lessa to glance over and assess the damage done by the obscure impact. "I wonder what could have caused this, though," he said on a more serious note. "If it were a dragon, no doubt we would have seen more traces. This was agile, and stealthy." He crouched to get a better look, and noticed indentation marks that

"Woah there," Genji said hurriedly as he stuffed his blade away and rushed to Lessa's side. He took her by the wrist and pulled her away from the edge, out of danger of falling. She probably wasn't in any such danger in the first place, but it was more useful than trying to help the woman fight. He proved almost worthless to stand next to her, the mighty swings of her two handed sword easily dwarfing any amount he had managed to deal. "Nice work," he commented, trying not to sound discouraged as he congratulated her on the victory. "I didn't get a chance to see whatever caused this w

"Watch the edge," Genji called out in warning. "That's a nasty fall, and the ground is uneven." He knew Lessa was more keenly aware than anyone about her surroundings, but it paid to remind people of things in these situations. More undamaged path lay just a stone's throw ahead, so she could utilize that if she moved carefully. Another loud shriek tore through the heavens, and Genji glared skyward at high alert. If something was up there and wanted to take them by surprise, it had a golden opportunity. He saw something like a shadow fall over one of the clouds, but nothing else moved alon

Unlike creatures from lower from levels of Aincrad, the meeting visage of this creature seemed more methodical, and infinitely more violent. Lessa strode forward with confidence and her body took on a green glow for a moment as she readied some ability, and the raider charged. The feral mount snarled and spat as it raked out at the blonde woman as if to bat her aside and take its rider in for the kill on Genji. Unfortunately for the raider, the strange light that permeated Lessa ripped its focus away. The Goblin realized less quickly than its companion and faltered slightly as they veered

"Clairvoyance," he murmured indignantly as the woman blazed the trail ahead. "Hardly, I was just commenting on-" His words stopped short when she informed him that she would summon her familiar. He lacked the wit of his traveling partner, so quick responses were never his strong suit. Lessa did not seem to fault him for it. No sooner had she mentioned it, the wolf bounded from the immaterial and to the swordswoman's side, a proud companion by all rights. Genji gave a soft sigh. "Of course, that's fine," he said at last. "The more the merrier." He picked his pace up and fell into ste

She spoke of the rich history of his country, and his fingers tensed as though he had improperly plucked the string of a koto. His face twisted slightly into a scowl, and he recalled how much drastic change the people had undergone in just two hundred years. Innovation, and to a greater degree, movement into the future were the selling points of the Japanese people. That had not always held true. It almost made him bitter to hear a foreigner speak of tradition, especially with regard to his people. Most people did not share his love for the distant past, and moreover, he was often chided

http://www.sao-rpg.com/topic/15336-genji/ Col- 2000 T1 Materials- 5 @Shark Revised, thank you!

"Mmmm," Genji iterated. There was a hint of dryness in it, and his eyes reflected a hollow look that betrayed his thoughts on the matter. "No matter the culture, or how rich the history, society sees fit to tear it down in the name of progress." There was much to be said on the topic, especially in his experience, but the youth relented. There were more important things to contribute right now than angst about the wax and wane of cultures. "It sounds like you take your studies very seriously," the golden eyed boy praised with a smile. "I just know these things because I've lived them all

"Tatami," he explained as they drew closer to the mats that adorned the floor in front of the statues, "these mats are meant for long prayers and ascetic meditation. You sit seiza," he instructed as he dropped to his knees before the statue that said "Vinaya," then placed both hands on his hips. "They say that spirits talk to people, sometimes, during that meditative state- that those closest to the Buddha can clear their minds of life's struggles and listen with clarity." Genji stood upright and laughed. "It's hardly the religion of the people anymore, but Buddhism and Shintoism were bot

"It doesn't seem like there's any way to trigger an event with him," Genji observed. "At least, if there is a way, we haven't sufficiently fulfilled all the criteria for it." Aincrad gave standard quests, but the truly monolithic tasks were completed without player's guides and directions. If there were something to this, and a quest chain was involved, it would become clear with time. Genji glanced back toward the path, then around the Temple. "Maybe we should explore more?" he suggested, one hand on the scabbard of his curved sword. "There may be a clue somewhere on the Temple grounds,

"That's what I was afraid of," Genji whispered to himself as he sauntered over to where the ancient groundskeeper tended to his rock garden. Rhythmic swirls in the sand characterized a gentle, flowing movement that the elder man maintained over a long period of time. Zen was an art to those who the Buddhist philosophy, and the intrinsic peace it allowed them to feel was something others rarely got to experience. Kotarou felt something of that showcased in this display, which was oddly unnerving. "To think, something like this... here. The old man turned his gaze toward Genji and two brigh

"I appreciate the help," he smiled awkwardly as Lessa talked about how he was too low a level for the area, and then pointedly evaded giving any answer about whether or not he would have gone on his own otherwise. There was something about the intrigue of Aincrad, the unseen, unexplored side of the massive, alternate reality they were trapped inside- that compelled him. Perhaps, he thought, it compelled all of them. There were many motivated only by the desire to advance, to see the end and their lives on the other side again. Others found comfort in adjustment to this new life. Fo

More to the point, if we sell a product with a singular merit, we're not selling for retention. It's well and good we have a dynamic system that involves grinding, quests, and boss battles, but this is a roleplaying site. What sort of events and things do we have that set us apart from other sites of the same genre? Realistically, we're trying to compete on the merit of having an ingenious combat system and not much else. This is in no way an attack on that system, nor is it an attempt to do away with it What I want is more, real, impactful story that fosters character growth in mor

I think we need a stronger emphasis on story, character building, and investing in our toons more than just numbers, skill points, and items. Sure, those things can endear someone to the invaluable time they've invested, but there's so much more to roleplaying than the combat monkey aspect. We should explore that direction, and give people more chances to actually build this world of Aincrad we've been sloughing through for some 22 floors without ever really exploring.

Profile Username: Genji Real name: Kotarou Yamata Age: 22 Gender: Male Height: 5'9" About: History/personality Admit it. When you were young, you daydreamed about being a hero, or someone who everyone else looked up to. You wanted to be famous and well-liked, and you wanted there to be nothing bad to say about you. As you got older, you threw away that fantasy because you knew that the world we live in isn't all sunshine and rainbows, and people don't become heroes in everyday life. It takes something special, in a dangerous situation to earn that honor. Kotarou was born thr