... Middleman Database.
...
... Log In: Watchdog
... Password: ************
...
... Password Accepted.
...
... Query: File #R9500.
...
... File #R9500 Loaded.
...
Subject's Name: Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai
Subject's Alias: Setter Blackpaw.
Sex: Male.
Race: Hengeyokai.
Age: Unknown (Looks to be in his mid-twenties, estimating him to be 150-200).
Height: 5'0.
Weight: 111 lbs.
Hair: Honey blonde.
Eyes: Violet.
Special Characteristics: Numerous tattoos in hengeyokai writing ("Fur and Claw / Steel and Flame").
Typical Garb: Setter wears many outfits, but he favors revealing hengeyokai styled garbs.
Status: Alive.
Combat Assessment:
Setter is a master of disguise; hiding his magic as martial prowess in many instances. His style has foundations in Wu-Jen magic, but he has quickly adapted and made it his own style over the course of his life. He was quick to adapt to Genesis technology as well; he prefers the use of an assault rifle as his default weapon. Setter's magic is meant to confuse, daze, and hinder his opponents. He is also a healer; possessing a majestic arcane spell that can instantly mend wounds. Setter is quite adaptable on and off the field; a jack of all trades and an incredible asset in a team and as a solo operative.
However, his defining characteristic is a unique SEED called Providence. Through diving into his memories as well as tracking down information sources, I was able to ascertain the nature of this SEED. Unlike a typical SEED, it does not grant Setter the ability and skills of a Freediver. Rather, it acts as a general enhancement; inputting and outputting information and streamlining everything the hengeyokai does.
In terms of combat applications, Providence is fully aware of Setter's skills and populates those as a list of applications which it can then run. At the speed of thought, Providence can read Setter's intent in a situation and execute his will at the correct time and in the correct way. Although the end effect of Setter's attacks are always the same, Providence allows him to disguise the nature of his spell as an unarmed attack or a gunshot. The enemy would be able to observe this normally, however, Setter is able to convincingly play the part--using his own theatrics to misdirect and disguise Providence's magic as physical effects.
In terms of body control, Providence can manipulate the state of Setter's brain, the way his body moves, and the way he reacts to stimuli. This is where Setter gets his battle readiness and practiced combat stance from. It also allows Setter to maintain a thoughtful and calm demeanor even in high-stress situations. As far as I can tell, Providence does not have complete regulatory control over Setter's body, so high-level involuntary reactions such as shock can override Providence.
Electronic countermeasures have been installed into Providence as a passive application. It is meant to combat Freedivers. Providence will actively attempt to stop Freedivers, but when it fails, it will record the event using Setter's memory and sensory information in order to give Setter a reliable memory of the event. This allows Setter to understand what transpired while he was under the control of the Freediver as well as relevant information that might have been unintentionally forgotten. In rare circumstances, I have seen Setter act normally while being controlled externally as long as he acted within the parameters of the command thanks to Providence.
Lastly, Providence provides limited synchronization as it has been designed to be a closed system. For instance, Providence cannot access the internet, cell phone networks, radio signals, or other kinds of wireless actions. This limits the access external sources can have on Providence. Setter's brain is still capable of being hacked, but Providence is generally protected from such actions. The synchronization aspect of Providence comes into play by access technology, magical items, and other equipment used by Setter. This is primarily for information purposes as it allows Providence to have a 'user guide' for operating Setter and the equipment he has access to. This synchronization allows for the most efficient method possible to be used in Setter's action. This allows Setter, who is a hengeyokai raised in a limited technological environment, to quickly pick up and use new technology.
Skill Assessment:
Setter's main attributes are his charisma and dexterity. Through his upbringing and training, is an expert diplomat and liar. He is quite perceptive of his environment and has keen insight into the behavior of others. Over the course of his life, he has become educated in the arcane arts (Wu Jen magic specifically) and possesses above average endurance. He is a jack of all trades; having picked up little proficiencies here and there in many other skills as well as a library of knowledge. Setter makes for an excellent leader and party face due to his charisma and polite behavior.
Setter's weaknesses include an addiction to pain killers (a side effect of long lasting wounds from the dwarven cartel hit, more on that later) as well as his dependence upon Providence. As seen when an EMP was used against Athena, Setter had a hard time recovering from the incident until Providence rebooted itself. Setter used to be capable without Providence, but he became much more efficient with its use. It is ultimately a calculated risk for Setter.
Lastly, from time to time, Setter is bombarded by visions of spirits; whether these are true spirits harassing him or figments of his imagination is unknown to me. I plan on using the information I've collected on the matter and consulting with someone more knowledgeable in primal magic.
Background:
Through my interactions with him, through my information gathering, and from diving into his memories upon his agreement to work with the Middleman, I have learned the following about Setter Blackpaw...
Setter Blackpaw is the assumed identity of the dog hengeyokai known as Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai. He was born to Fujiwara Mukuro (mother) and Sato Hajime (father). Mukuro took the Sato surname upon marriage. Setter's memories suggest that his parents lived in Musashi when they were children, but the hengeyokai's turtle island is a can of worms I don't want to touch.
His mother's clan (Fujiwara) were well-respected practitioners of Wu-Jen magic. The eldest female of the family would be the head of the house as well as a head priestess dedicated to their deity: the Dragon. Males in the Fujiwara clan were reported to be caretakers while younger females were priestesses with lesser responsibilities.
His father's clan (Sato) is actually a splinter of the Fujiwara clan. The Sato clan is a subservient house to the Fujiwara. The Sato clan dedicated themselves to archiving history and protecting their parent clan at all costs. Setter's parents took up the roles expected of their houses with his mother becoming a wu-jen while his father was a historian.
Setter's parents were traditionalists within their culture and as such, insisted that Setter spend the first 100 years of life in his animal form. This cultural practice is meant to give the hengeyokai a robust set of experience to build upon after coming of age. I find that many of the city-henge have outgrown this tradition, but it is still largely practiced in caravans.
Setter grew up with his parents in the Kasai Caravan, a well known caravan that toured around Ezra. For the first hundred years of his life, Setter spent the majority of his time in animal form (roughly 2/3rds). However, the other third of the time, Setter spent in his hybrid form as he worked for the Kasai Yakuza. The Kasai Yakuza is run by Daichi, a hengeyokai crane that is well respected and feared. Setter declined promotions within the Yakuza in order to prevent his parents from learning of his activities.
After becoming 100, Setter was raised directly by his parents for a few years. He became capable of shapeshifting and educated in basic skills, hengeyokai culture, and wu-jen magic. A few years later, it seems that Setter left his home life and began working for the Kasai Yakuza on a permanent basis. At that point in his life, Setter largely works for the Yakuza during the day while moonlighting in the caravan brothel.
Within the next decade of Setter's life, he has obtained enough recognition within the Yakuza to be given authority over a small group of initiates. Setter's name starts to gain some notice at this time among mercenaries group--I have mentions of his reputation dating around this time. Things continue to proceed this way for several decades for Setter. He leads successful missions, he trains recruits, and ultimately garners the full attention of Daichi.
At that point, Daichi decided to form a runner team with Setter as the leader. This team operates for roughly thirty years with some of the members switching out on occasion, but largely, they're identified as the same core team from their beginning all the way to their end. Setter develops very close bonds with his team. The team operates efficiently and ends up leading the Kasai Caravan into a prosperous time. Setter uses his wealth and resources during this time to commission his unique SEED: Providence.
The last mission that his team went on would ultimately be the reason Setter sought out the Middleman, and me by association. Unknown to Setter, Daichi had made a deal to capture acquire a dragonborn by the name of Servius Axius. This dragonborn was a rare specimen, but he was also a high profile serial killer. Formerly, Servius had been a psychologist under the employment of Genesis.
Setter's job was to transport his cargo (Servius) to a secretive client of Daichi's. However, due to turf wars between the Kasai Yakuza and the Winged Serpents (a dwarven cartel), Setter never managed to finish the job. A dwarven cartel hit team (the Bronzeknuckle brothers) used intel given to them by Genesis to hit Setter's team in mid-transport.
Genesis had given the Winged Serpents the intel through their little spiderweb. You see, Lukas Baer (first class ROGUE agent) had put out a call for all unique specimens (like dragonborn) for Project Rebirth (an attempt to clone and create old creatures and monsters). His ally, Gwen Morrisson, helped Baer out by informing her agent, Leonhardt Nacht, what specimens were required. Nacht somehow discovered Daichi's intel on the route his team would take to transport their cargo. Upon learning that, Nacht fed the intel to the Winged Serpents.
Servius was captured and taken back to the Serpent's base in Babylon. The majority of Setter's team was killed in the hit; only Setter and one other member of his team survived. Both of them were gravely wounded. The Kasai Caravan took a hit to their reputation, lost their most valuable team, and lost business in one fell swoop.
Setter's teammate ultimately retired--too beaten physically and mentally to continue on. Setter on the other hand decided to pursue revenge. Setter used the incident to disappear off the map, so to say. After recuperating, he declared his surviving teammate his final client. He spent the next year developing a new life and tracking down information on the Bronzeknuckle Brothers. By using the Man With No Name (a popular resource for people looking to start new lives), Setter Blackpaw was officially born, and he sought out the Middleman for information...
Runner History:
After learning the truth of who Setter Blackpaw was, I knew that he would be a valuable asset. Setter had the leadership and social skills to assist several established Runner teams. He bounced from team to team. Through unfortunate circumstances, his second team was killed in action. Despite this, Setter was able to complete the mission by delivering the cargo to the client.
Having recently come into a Runner team that had similar interests as Blackpaw, I assigned him to work with the team of Roan, Kembu, Del, and Managirl. In the last mission for that team, Setter was capable of keeping the finicky client (Rickenato) happy and was able to make some tactful moves behind the scenes to keep all parties happy regarding Pandora's Box; a delicate situation that I knew Setter was right for.
Setter has developed positive connections within his latest group. He is particularly close to Roan, though he attempts to drive the best results and encourages all of his teammates. Kembu's inflexible morality sometimes puts the swordsman at odds with Setter. Angel Mauer's recent addition to the group as given Setter someone he can count on.
Motivations:
At this point in his life, Setter is primarily motivated by revenge. He plans to use the knowledge that the Middleman has equipped him to hunt down the targets responsible for destroying his old life. Past motivations are a bit murky. Setter clearly desired recognition and respect, though he seemed to enjoy his lifestyle. Setter has motivation beyond revenge as it is likely that he has a fallout plan to start a new identity after he gets his revenge against the Winged Serpents. I imagine he longs for the life he was forced to leave behind. Luckily for hengeyokai, they are long lived, and he has plenty of time to start his life over again.
My ultimate analysis is this: Setter is not a king, but a kingmaker.
END REPORT
WD
Picture is credited to the artist Rukis.
...
... Log In: Watchdog
... Password: ************
...
... Password Accepted.
...
... Query: File #R9500.
...
... File #R9500 Loaded.
...
Subject's Name: Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai
Subject's Alias: Setter Blackpaw.
Sex: Male.
Race: Hengeyokai.
Age: Unknown (Looks to be in his mid-twenties, estimating him to be 150-200).
Height: 5'0.
Weight: 111 lbs.
Hair: Honey blonde.
Eyes: Violet.
Special Characteristics: Numerous tattoos in hengeyokai writing ("Fur and Claw / Steel and Flame").
Typical Garb: Setter wears many outfits, but he favors revealing hengeyokai styled garbs.
Status: Alive.
Combat Assessment:
Setter is a master of disguise; hiding his magic as martial prowess in many instances. His style has foundations in Wu-Jen magic, but he has quickly adapted and made it his own style over the course of his life. He was quick to adapt to Genesis technology as well; he prefers the use of an assault rifle as his default weapon. Setter's magic is meant to confuse, daze, and hinder his opponents. He is also a healer; possessing a majestic arcane spell that can instantly mend wounds. Setter is quite adaptable on and off the field; a jack of all trades and an incredible asset in a team and as a solo operative.
However, his defining characteristic is a unique SEED called Providence. Through diving into his memories as well as tracking down information sources, I was able to ascertain the nature of this SEED. Unlike a typical SEED, it does not grant Setter the ability and skills of a Freediver. Rather, it acts as a general enhancement; inputting and outputting information and streamlining everything the hengeyokai does.
In terms of combat applications, Providence is fully aware of Setter's skills and populates those as a list of applications which it can then run. At the speed of thought, Providence can read Setter's intent in a situation and execute his will at the correct time and in the correct way. Although the end effect of Setter's attacks are always the same, Providence allows him to disguise the nature of his spell as an unarmed attack or a gunshot. The enemy would be able to observe this normally, however, Setter is able to convincingly play the part--using his own theatrics to misdirect and disguise Providence's magic as physical effects.
In terms of body control, Providence can manipulate the state of Setter's brain, the way his body moves, and the way he reacts to stimuli. This is where Setter gets his battle readiness and practiced combat stance from. It also allows Setter to maintain a thoughtful and calm demeanor even in high-stress situations. As far as I can tell, Providence does not have complete regulatory control over Setter's body, so high-level involuntary reactions such as shock can override Providence.
Electronic countermeasures have been installed into Providence as a passive application. It is meant to combat Freedivers. Providence will actively attempt to stop Freedivers, but when it fails, it will record the event using Setter's memory and sensory information in order to give Setter a reliable memory of the event. This allows Setter to understand what transpired while he was under the control of the Freediver as well as relevant information that might have been unintentionally forgotten. In rare circumstances, I have seen Setter act normally while being controlled externally as long as he acted within the parameters of the command thanks to Providence.
Lastly, Providence provides limited synchronization as it has been designed to be a closed system. For instance, Providence cannot access the internet, cell phone networks, radio signals, or other kinds of wireless actions. This limits the access external sources can have on Providence. Setter's brain is still capable of being hacked, but Providence is generally protected from such actions. The synchronization aspect of Providence comes into play by access technology, magical items, and other equipment used by Setter. This is primarily for information purposes as it allows Providence to have a 'user guide' for operating Setter and the equipment he has access to. This synchronization allows for the most efficient method possible to be used in Setter's action. This allows Setter, who is a hengeyokai raised in a limited technological environment, to quickly pick up and use new technology.
Skill Assessment:
Setter's main attributes are his charisma and dexterity. Through his upbringing and training, is an expert diplomat and liar. He is quite perceptive of his environment and has keen insight into the behavior of others. Over the course of his life, he has become educated in the arcane arts (Wu Jen magic specifically) and possesses above average endurance. He is a jack of all trades; having picked up little proficiencies here and there in many other skills as well as a library of knowledge. Setter makes for an excellent leader and party face due to his charisma and polite behavior.
Setter's weaknesses include an addiction to pain killers (a side effect of long lasting wounds from the dwarven cartel hit, more on that later) as well as his dependence upon Providence. As seen when an EMP was used against Athena, Setter had a hard time recovering from the incident until Providence rebooted itself. Setter used to be capable without Providence, but he became much more efficient with its use. It is ultimately a calculated risk for Setter.
Lastly, from time to time, Setter is bombarded by visions of spirits; whether these are true spirits harassing him or figments of his imagination is unknown to me. I plan on using the information I've collected on the matter and consulting with someone more knowledgeable in primal magic.
Background:
Through my interactions with him, through my information gathering, and from diving into his memories upon his agreement to work with the Middleman, I have learned the following about Setter Blackpaw...
Setter Blackpaw is the assumed identity of the dog hengeyokai known as Sato Shinsetsu no Kasai. He was born to Fujiwara Mukuro (mother) and Sato Hajime (father). Mukuro took the Sato surname upon marriage. Setter's memories suggest that his parents lived in Musashi when they were children, but the hengeyokai's turtle island is a can of worms I don't want to touch.
His mother's clan (Fujiwara) were well-respected practitioners of Wu-Jen magic. The eldest female of the family would be the head of the house as well as a head priestess dedicated to their deity: the Dragon. Males in the Fujiwara clan were reported to be caretakers while younger females were priestesses with lesser responsibilities.
His father's clan (Sato) is actually a splinter of the Fujiwara clan. The Sato clan is a subservient house to the Fujiwara. The Sato clan dedicated themselves to archiving history and protecting their parent clan at all costs. Setter's parents took up the roles expected of their houses with his mother becoming a wu-jen while his father was a historian.
Setter's parents were traditionalists within their culture and as such, insisted that Setter spend the first 100 years of life in his animal form. This cultural practice is meant to give the hengeyokai a robust set of experience to build upon after coming of age. I find that many of the city-henge have outgrown this tradition, but it is still largely practiced in caravans.
Setter grew up with his parents in the Kasai Caravan, a well known caravan that toured around Ezra. For the first hundred years of his life, Setter spent the majority of his time in animal form (roughly 2/3rds). However, the other third of the time, Setter spent in his hybrid form as he worked for the Kasai Yakuza. The Kasai Yakuza is run by Daichi, a hengeyokai crane that is well respected and feared. Setter declined promotions within the Yakuza in order to prevent his parents from learning of his activities.
After becoming 100, Setter was raised directly by his parents for a few years. He became capable of shapeshifting and educated in basic skills, hengeyokai culture, and wu-jen magic. A few years later, it seems that Setter left his home life and began working for the Kasai Yakuza on a permanent basis. At that point in his life, Setter largely works for the Yakuza during the day while moonlighting in the caravan brothel.
Within the next decade of Setter's life, he has obtained enough recognition within the Yakuza to be given authority over a small group of initiates. Setter's name starts to gain some notice at this time among mercenaries group--I have mentions of his reputation dating around this time. Things continue to proceed this way for several decades for Setter. He leads successful missions, he trains recruits, and ultimately garners the full attention of Daichi.
At that point, Daichi decided to form a runner team with Setter as the leader. This team operates for roughly thirty years with some of the members switching out on occasion, but largely, they're identified as the same core team from their beginning all the way to their end. Setter develops very close bonds with his team. The team operates efficiently and ends up leading the Kasai Caravan into a prosperous time. Setter uses his wealth and resources during this time to commission his unique SEED: Providence.
The last mission that his team went on would ultimately be the reason Setter sought out the Middleman, and me by association. Unknown to Setter, Daichi had made a deal to capture acquire a dragonborn by the name of Servius Axius. This dragonborn was a rare specimen, but he was also a high profile serial killer. Formerly, Servius had been a psychologist under the employment of Genesis.
Setter's job was to transport his cargo (Servius) to a secretive client of Daichi's. However, due to turf wars between the Kasai Yakuza and the Winged Serpents (a dwarven cartel), Setter never managed to finish the job. A dwarven cartel hit team (the Bronzeknuckle brothers) used intel given to them by Genesis to hit Setter's team in mid-transport.
Genesis had given the Winged Serpents the intel through their little spiderweb. You see, Lukas Baer (first class ROGUE agent) had put out a call for all unique specimens (like dragonborn) for Project Rebirth (an attempt to clone and create old creatures and monsters). His ally, Gwen Morrisson, helped Baer out by informing her agent, Leonhardt Nacht, what specimens were required. Nacht somehow discovered Daichi's intel on the route his team would take to transport their cargo. Upon learning that, Nacht fed the intel to the Winged Serpents.
Servius was captured and taken back to the Serpent's base in Babylon. The majority of Setter's team was killed in the hit; only Setter and one other member of his team survived. Both of them were gravely wounded. The Kasai Caravan took a hit to their reputation, lost their most valuable team, and lost business in one fell swoop.
Setter's teammate ultimately retired--too beaten physically and mentally to continue on. Setter on the other hand decided to pursue revenge. Setter used the incident to disappear off the map, so to say. After recuperating, he declared his surviving teammate his final client. He spent the next year developing a new life and tracking down information on the Bronzeknuckle Brothers. By using the Man With No Name (a popular resource for people looking to start new lives), Setter Blackpaw was officially born, and he sought out the Middleman for information...
Runner History:
After learning the truth of who Setter Blackpaw was, I knew that he would be a valuable asset. Setter had the leadership and social skills to assist several established Runner teams. He bounced from team to team. Through unfortunate circumstances, his second team was killed in action. Despite this, Setter was able to complete the mission by delivering the cargo to the client.
Having recently come into a Runner team that had similar interests as Blackpaw, I assigned him to work with the team of Roan, Kembu, Del, and Managirl. In the last mission for that team, Setter was capable of keeping the finicky client (Rickenato) happy and was able to make some tactful moves behind the scenes to keep all parties happy regarding Pandora's Box; a delicate situation that I knew Setter was right for.
Setter has developed positive connections within his latest group. He is particularly close to Roan, though he attempts to drive the best results and encourages all of his teammates. Kembu's inflexible morality sometimes puts the swordsman at odds with Setter. Angel Mauer's recent addition to the group as given Setter someone he can count on.
Motivations:
At this point in his life, Setter is primarily motivated by revenge. He plans to use the knowledge that the Middleman has equipped him to hunt down the targets responsible for destroying his old life. Past motivations are a bit murky. Setter clearly desired recognition and respect, though he seemed to enjoy his lifestyle. Setter has motivation beyond revenge as it is likely that he has a fallout plan to start a new identity after he gets his revenge against the Winged Serpents. I imagine he longs for the life he was forced to leave behind. Luckily for hengeyokai, they are long lived, and he has plenty of time to start his life over again.
My ultimate analysis is this: Setter is not a king, but a kingmaker.
END REPORT
WD
Picture is credited to the artist Rukis.
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