Revision [202]
This is an old revision of CharacterKiasu made by BaxilDragon on 2006-12-19 23:50:39.
Characters: Kiasu
Ownership
- Creator: BaxilDragon
- Availability: Limited - See character notes
Basic Biography
Insert drawings or link to drawings here.
Birth Name: UnknownSpecies: Unicorn
- TheriType: Furry
- First change: Unknown
- Openly theri?: Only uses theri form
Physical Description
"Directly in the center of the wide wooden bridge ... was a pure white were-unicorn -- two-legged, standing upright, leaning on the railing, staring at the rushing water below him contemplatively through deep black eyes. He was, as the others had said, dressed in samurai garb -- baggy black coat covering a white kimono and heavy light grey skirt that didn't quite extend all the way down to his knees. A sturdy, pearled horn spiraled above his head through a fine, silky mane that spilled down over his back. The scabbards of a pair of swords poked at the coat from inside, mounted at his belt." - StoryRandomEncounter
Public Backstory
Reports of Kiasu doing anything other than winning magical duels are next to unknown. His history is similarly elusive. He never talks about himself, other than providing his name as he starts the duel.
Hundreds of people have tried to research this odd samurai and find out who he was pre-Changes. These leads inevitably turn into dead ends: Both magical and conventional investigation turns up a blank slate. One of the most notable conspiracy theories points out Kiasu's similarity to a role-playing character named Bao Jian from a pre-Changes online forum, but: a) this similarity is mostly of the "they're both anthro-unicorn samurais" variety, and b) Bao Jian's player, Jay Jones, at first tried to claim he'd changed into Bao; finally publically admitted Bao Jian wasn't real about a week after the Changes; and then committed suicide. Police reports back this up and show nothing suspicious.
Some mages swear that Kiasu's the gatekeeper for a cabal of Secret Masters who rule the world; others insist he's just a very strange and powerful mage looking for his equal. Dozens of other theories abound, and evidence for any of them is tenuous at best.
Fame and Visibility
Magical skill: Unearthly
- Magical tradition: Unknown
- Group/circle/coven: None known
- Personal spellcasting style: Raw and direct; almost subconscious. Has never been seen to perform an actual ritual.
Magical History
Completely unknown. Mages generally find it inconceivable that Kiasu could have achieved such power on his own, but any group that trained him would have other mages of equal skill and similar method, and these people don't seem to exist. This is one of the biggest factors feeding the theories of ancient artifacts, dark bargains, or sweeping conspiracies.
Magic Use Notes
Besides having unearthly raw power, Kiasu also seems to have unearthly control. Almost every mage that has fought him reports the following: They prepare their defenses; he raises an arm; his attack rips through their wards like a sledgehammer through paper; their world goes white; and they wake up on the ground alone, with no damage to themselves or the surrounding area. If his opponent immediately goes on the offensive, he shrugs it off casually and then takes them down as above.
A very few highly trained and well-prepared mages have managed to deflect his first attack, but no matter what they try in the few seconds they've earned, he never shows signs of fatigue and his defenses never waver.
He has displayed chilling mastery of raw energy shaping (this is how he wins fights, after all); teleportation, even after the 1997 accidents (there are well-established sightings where he couldn't have gotten between the locations in any other way); and some sort of second sight that gives him almost omniscient awareness of his immediate surroundings. He seems to have intimate knowledge of the mage community's gossip despite his isolation. Perhaps this explains why he seems to know at a glance whether people are mages (which is supposed to be flatly impossible, and would earn him untold fortunes if he shared the secret).
Any of these alone would make him formidable and give him a solid reputation among other mages. Their cumulative effect would make his existence an obvious fabrication if it weren't for the fact that so many mages swear up and down to have been on the receiving end of his power.
Fame and Visibility
Level of fame: Legendary among mages worldwide; only slight exposure in the broader media, who don't really appreciate the implications of what he can do.
- Reputation: A hot topic of debate among mages. Is he a man? A god? A force of nature? The only thing most mages agree on is that nobody has beaten him in a duel -- or that those who are able to do so have other reasons to stay quiet.
- Well-known quotes: The only thing he ever says -- "I am Kiasu. I challenge you to a magical duel."
Locations: Unknown - can show up anywhere and everywhere. About the only reliable method that mages have found to attract him is to start bragging about having beaten him in a duel. If you keep that up, he will show up when you least expect it and prove you wrong. Painfully.
TTU Events
- Pivotal role in: None
- Minor role in: None
Story Appearances
The following 6 page(s) belong to CharacterKiasuAvailabilityCategories ["Availability" Categories] |
CharacterRandall [Characters: Randall] |
MagicalSkillCategories [Categories for Magical Skill] |
StoriesInProgress [Upcoming Works] |
StoryOnTheEdge [Stories: On The Edge] |
StoryRandomEncounter [Stories: Random Encounter] |
//need hack to filter these down to just stories -b
Notes
Once he's beaten a mage, he will generally ignore them, unless they start claiming they won the duel. In which case the second beating is either public or painful. One mage who ignored this warning and kept insisting he won subsequently disappeared in what appeared to be a teleportation accident, although there's no evidence this is anything beyond coincidence.
Meta-Knowledge
If you use this character in your story, it should be as a force of nature. He doesn't interact with his targets beyond the formal introduction, and doesn't even seem to notice non-mages. While he is capable of taking on whole groups at once, his usual method is to target mages one by one.
BaxilDragon is writing stories that offer more insight into Kiasu's history, powers, and goals.
Trivia
The word "Kiasu" is Singlish (Singaporean slang): WikiPedia:Kiasu.Feedback
Add questions or feedback about this character in the comments section.
CategoryCharacters