RENSHAI

By Kris Thomson (iceheart@idirect.com)

Description

Springing from the series "The Last Renshai" (The Last Renshai, The Western Wizard, Child of Thunder) by Mickey Zucher Riechart, the Renshai are a warrior Kith. Brought up on the concepts of the glory of honor, and the beauty of a spinning blade this is a kith who from birth deal with activity centering around weapons of one sort or another, preferably ones that have sharp blades.

Life is the Dance and Honor, the Dance is Death to those we oppose, Honor is our salvation. Without Honor the Dance is meaningless forms and we are nothing.

We (as a Kith) come from a nordic background, way back when the Gods lived and acted as part of our lives. We didn't know about the other Kithain back then and in fact we've been sleeping for a long time; the world is not as we remember it. When last we walked the Earth we had no "Technology" and the people had honor, this world is not the one we loved. Now we face the hardships of being as ghosts unseen by many. Adjusting is not without it's price, but we work and it will come.

The Renshai believe that they are not a 'new' kith; in fact they don't believe they're really a kith at all. They believe they're a race of people from before technology who were saved by their God's magic. So far as they're concerned Fae Magick is all well and good, as a gift from the Gods, not because they're Fae. Most of their history deals with the stories of great battles and heroes dying in battle, omitted from this treatise for brevity's sake.

The Clan comes first; all Renshai know that they are a small group and helping one of their own is of paramount importance. Next comes the other Fae, who are seen as other creatures favoured by the Gods, because if the Gods say fit to save them, how could mortals do less?

Appearance

In appearance the Renshai are not so very different from Humans, except for a tendency to slim builds and athlectic/dexterous movement. The difference comes mainly in coloration.

Seelie Renshai are perfect examples of the Stereotypical Sweedish/Nordic good looks with blond/red hair and blue eyes. Tanned skin is also the norm.

Unseelie Renshai are extremely rare and only appear after some sort of life-shattering event, but they undergo a severe change in appearance, suddenly becoming albinos. Pure white skin and hair and red eyes are the norm here.

Seemings

Childling: The stories say that Renshai have a blade in their hands before they can walk, and in many cases this is true. Renshai spend their time as childlings learning the Dance, and practising. Renshai are at this point filled with the desire to leap about, twist, turn and carry on as if they were olympic athletes. Even young Renshai are determined to train, but they spend more time making the Dance a game than a serious matter. Youthful and exuberant, a young Renshai leaping is one of those beautiful things that you always have to stop and watch.

Wilder: Getting older, these Renshai are more determined. They've begun to lose the sheer joy of combat and concentrate on the competitive aspects of the Dance. Knowing that you are Dancing for joy, and Dancing so that you're the best are very different things. You're more intensely physical, spending as much time training as Dancing

Grump

Death in Battle. It has to come to that. Dying of old age is succumbing to Banality and without Honor. The only Good Death is one where your enemies (or friends of necessary) take you down in combat. If you don't die the good death you have no way to achieve Valhalla (Their version of Arcadia).

Lifestyles

Battle is the Way. Renshai have very little connection with the real world but when they do they take on teaching positions mainly: marine close combat instructors, Kendo instructors, fencing, anything using blades. As you can see there is little in the way of a market for their skills in each city, so they are more prominent where there is a large oriental (or martial art wielding) population.

Affinity

Due to their reliance on their own physical persona's and their belief that magic in combat is dishonorable, the Renshai have never devoloped an affinity.

Birthrights

Battle Grace: The battle is the Dance and the Dance is life.. Renshai are particularily suited to this existence, embodying both grace (Dexterity +1 even if it takes you to 6) and beauty (appearance +1 to a maximum of 5). When a Renshai is engaged in any kind of combat (including practise) anyone must make a willpower roll (diff. 6) to engage the Renshai. This reflects the sheer grace (and inherent deadlieness) that the Renshai embody.

Gods' Favour: Modi, son of Sif and Thor is a god often called upon by the Renshai in battle. A Renshai who calls Modi's name at the top of his voice (no whispering) each time he is attacked gains a type of battle fury, wherein he suffers no wound penalties until he reaches the state of Crippled, at which point he suffers full penalties. This lasts only for the duration of combat. A Renshai who's wounded won't suffer the -2 dice penalty while he's in combat, but when he tries to get on his horse when the battle's over he might have problems.

Frailties

Honorable Mein: Honor is all, and Skill is Honor. One must at all times exhibit one's skill. This manifests in several ways. Even the Unseelie follow these rules to the letter (if not the intent).
1. Never use a projectile weapon ever. Always use some sort of weapon that shows how skilled you are (hands/feet, daggers, swords are all fine). Things like poison though are disallowed by all Seelie and many Unseelie Renshai. Yes, admittedly, it does take skill to get that first cut in to infect them with the poison, but then the poison does the work not you...

2. Never wear Armour. Armour shows that you are too slow to dodge/parry, and that shows a lack of skill. Instead, take the time to learn to dodge, parry or soak.
3. Never fight a defenseless opponent (but don't assume that no weapon means no defense)

Outlook

Fae in General: They are worth protecting, but not of us. We are not like them; we are from the past, they were created recently by the Gods, while we were sleeping.

Boggans: These are ones you can trust with the upkeep of your lodge so long as you have no secrets you wish to keep.

Eshu : Their stories immortalize the hero; we can make new stories for them to spread. Nockers: Their 'chimerical' swords are the best, but you must stand over them to make sure their 'enhancements' don't destroy the usefulness of your weapon.

Pooka: They amuse the Childers; leave them to it, and trust not what they say. Redcaps: They are without Honor.

Satyr: They lose sight of the importance of anything but their parties and they do not understand our Honor; but they are amusing companions.

Sidhe: We have always dealt with Honor with the Nobility. Some are worth defending, while others are best avoided.

Sluagh: Why? They skulk in the darkness and attack from behind with the weapons of cowards. They are not worth our notice.

Trolls: These come closest of the new races to understanding our Honor, and they could be our best allies.