As I write this, it’s cold and rainy here, and I don’t feel very well. I’m tired, and a little sad, and frustrated. This day needs some awesome….so let’s talk about ninjas!
Specifically, I’d like to show some of the inner workings or, and mindset behind Tenma Kage. P’s player had a concept in mind for two ninjas, the last of their clan, on a quest to retrieve a powerful amulet. It’s an idea I understand she had in mind for quite a while, and got finalized during a time where we were considering new plots/pairings that we could do together. She pitched just the basic framework to me, and gave me free rein to design my character.
I knew I wanted a ninja who was just a little bit different. I could’ve made him a swordsman, or a consummate martial artist, but one of the aspects of ninjitsu that had always intrigued me the most was the mysticism that comes with it. I decided Tenma would be a ‘shadow mage’, a ninja trained in the use of shadow, and negative energy. His magic isn’t inherently evil, though it is ‘dark’ and undeniably creepy at times. Before I delve into his motivations, personality, and his relationship with his partner, I’d like to take a moment to discuss how I envision his magic working.
(I adapted my concept partially from D&D, which I recognize makes me a geek/dork/nerd. Meh, I’m cool with it. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever been called.)
Tenma takes his power from the ‘Shadowlands’, a dark, twisted reflection of the ‘real’ world. It’s a place of eternal, endless power, but it slowly destroys and withers anything that touches it. Tenma’s magic taps that realm, and uses him as a conduit, achieving the result he wants. However, due to its negative effects, practitioners of shadow magic age more rapidly than normal. Tenma appears ten years older than he actually is, and before he died, Tenma’s master looked absolutely ancient. Through the use of certain spells or items, Tenma can enter the Shadowlands physically, though not for more than a couple hours.
He’s a very grim, bleak individual, largely due to his association with the Shadowlands and its power. He’s all business, wholly devoted to their mission and to his partner, and he’ll destroy anyone or anything that threatens either. Their mission is his top priority, not just because he wants to restore the honor to their clan’s memory, or because the Mizuchi is too dangerous to be allowed in the world, but because in his eyes, any future he may have with Kodachi must wait until the job is done.
Aside from his lost love, Akiko, Kodachi is the only other person to see a softer side of him. He truly does love her and respect her skills, though her teasing remarks irritate him. He recognizes that they’re a part of her nature, so he doesn’t complain overmuch. He secretly enjoys showing her real compassion and tenderness, knowing that they’re rarely seen by kunoichi. At the same time, their mission is always foremost in his mind, and he would abandon her to save it if need be.
To me, he’s one of my most fearsome characters, not just because of his power, but because he won’t indulge in pretense or posturing. If he enters into a fight, he’s utterly silent aside from his guttural chanting. He’s ruthless, determined, and implacable. I’m not entirely sure what P’s player has in store for them, but Tenma’s ready for it.
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