Karasu Ryuu is a player character created by Samuel and adopted by Hollander on 28 February 2024.

Preferred Plots:

1. Seventh Fleet: Laments Of The Ghost in YE 35.
2. The plot taking place aboard the YSS Yukika II in YE 46.

Build and Skin Color: Ryuu's build is compact, with a somewhat below-average height, and tanned skin.

Eyes and Facial Features: The Karasu clan features Ryuu inherited from his family include a sharp chin, high cheekbones, and (with the advent of the NH body upgrades) harsh, avian yellow eyes. He would be considered handsome, even if he might look a little prideful in the way he keeps his chin raised just slightly.

Hair Color and Style: Ryuu's hair is black in color, and worn long, with curls along the length. He usually brings it back in a tight bun or ponytail. Ryuu follows the facial hair stylings of the male line of his clan by maintaining a thin circle beard and an accompanying mustache.

Personality: Ryuu is a thinker; a man who takes his time finding the best path. In his younger years he was prideful both in himself and in his family, but time, defeats and failures have tempered that ego. He still thinks highly of Clan Karasu and Clan Motoyoshi, and of course the Empire, but his inflated sense of self-importance has been deflated.

He is a professional, valuing expressions of rank and duty, and he strives to embody Imperial values, and the values of his Clan.Ryuu is a formal and polite individual, and he prefers to remain business-like while on duty.

He remains an introvert at heart, though he can play the social 'game' for many hours at a time before needing a quiet recharge. When events occur outside of his structured control, he reacts better than he did in his youth; still, he struggles sometimes with unexpected situations. When he is confused or when the honor of his person, Clan or Empire are threatened, Ryuu still tends to respond with anger.

• Likes: Swords, Samurai, Kyoto, Family, Loyalty, Competition, Puzzles of all shapes and sizes.
• Dislikes: Disloyalty, disrespect, slights against his honor, losing, being reminded of his station.
• Goals: To serve his family and gain honor.

Karasu Main Family

Born third in line to becoming Family Head, Ryuu was originally meant to become part of the Karasu Samurai. As part of the main family, however, Ryuu was left with the decision on whether to dedicate his life as a privileged Samurai within his clan, or to become a Clan politician. As an active and driven child, he elected for the path of the Samurai, learning the way of the sword, bow, and traditional Naginata. He trained on a Karasu estate north of Kyoto, Yamatai, but was frequently moved about all across the planet, sheltered from the the various conflicts and struggles of the Empire. He was upgraded to a NH-22C Yamataian body when it became available, and later to a Minkan body.

As Ryuu neared the age of thirteen, when the nature of his service to the Clan would be cemented, Ryuu's family circumstances changed significantly. His father and head of the clan, Karasu Sora, adopted into the family a boy named Aidan, and the act offended many members of the Clan, including Ryuu's own siblings. Aidan was five years older than the eldest child, placing him first in line to inherit the leadership of Clan Karasu. Karasu Sora's Clan mistress, Rena, remained silent in public about Aidan's nature, though rumors suggested Aidan was a bastard love-child whom Sora legitimized in violation of his mistress' wishes. Knocked down a rung in the ladder of inheritance, the eldest Karasu daughters Aryll and Leillwyn convinced their younger brother Ryuu to develop a rivalry with this newly-adopted Karasu heir; Ryuu was drawn inexorably into their schemes. He made it a point to one-up his elder adopted brother in skill and in accomplishments. From swordplay to education and even to the point of allowing himself to be outright used by others, Ryuu invested himself fully in dragging Karasu Aidan down.

To defend Aidan from what had become a campaign of familial sabotage, Sora arranged for the now-18-years-old Ryuu to become a marriage prospect with the Motoyoshi Clan, intending for him to be married into the Motoyoshi and adopt their clan name, leaving his own behind. This would remove Ryuu's constant challenges to Aidan, and some involved in Clan politics correctly identified the maneuver to be a political death sentence for Ryuu due to the then-recent drama revolving around the Motoyoshi and the formation of the United Outer Colonies). Ryuu, in service to his clan, obediently followed his father's direction, and made himself available to the Yamatai no Motoyoshi according to his father's wishes.

As a means of assessing Karasu Ryuu as a marriage prospect, and to test his skills and values, Ryuu was maneuvered into joining a special mission managed by the Motoyoshi in YE 35. Ryuu successfully passed an interview onboard the YSS Densetsu for a special mission which was led by Taisho Ketsurui-Motoyoshi Katsuko. He served with quiet and capable skill for a year on the YSS Densetsu before transferring to other ships in the Seventh Fleet.

It wasn't long after that first year of service that a suitable match was made; Motoyoshi Renho, a Minkan who was eight years his senior, and a Star Army Technician. Renho had suffered a difficult divorce in YE 30 when her then-husband abandoned her to join the developing United Outer Colonies. She was already a gruff and grumpy woman, and the divorce only exacerbated those traits. Nonetheless, when the marriage was arranged, Ryuu applied himself to get to know her. It was not easy. They served aboard the same ship for many months while first engaged; Ryuu respected her space, but still endeavored to connect with her. Renho saw Ryuu as a preening, discarded noble, which was not an incorrect assessment at the time. Gradually, she came to accept the necessities of the marriage, and found that she sympathized with Ryuu's difficult circumstances. It was Renho who helped Ryuu understand the machinations and schemes of his sisters, and how they had selfishly manipulated him into rejecting and despising Aidan who had become part of his family. She helped him grow and mature, and he helped her to open up her own feelings again. They would serve on separate ships for a time, then reunite at Starbases, or arrange for service on the same ship again. They completed their engagement period and married in YE 38, and were quite happily married for two years, planning on having a child together in perhaps four more years.

But in YE 41, Renho's ship was reported destroyed in combat during the Kuvexian Invasion of YE 41.

Ryuu, serving on a separate ship and fighting the Kuvexians in a different region of the Kikyo Sector, was utterly devastated. He completed his tasks and he served his ship with no outward changes, but the young man's heart shriveled and withered in his chest. Renho had understood him, and had helped him to understand himself. Who was he, now, without her? Who was Ryuu without his foolish pride, or the Clan that had sent him away, or the wife who had guided him and taught him how to be good and real? When the YE 41 Invasion cooled, it was Karasu Aidan who reached out to his estranged brother Ryuu. The two men met, seeing each other for the first time in six years, and they reconciled. Ryuu talked about Renho. Aidan talked about his struggles with Ryuu's elder sisters, who still plotted and maneuvered for power. The two men pledged their loyalties to each other, forging a bond that would gradually wash away the stains on their hearts that had been formed out of jealousy and anxiety. Aidan was assuming more and more Clan leadership responsibilities from their father Sora who was considering retirement. Aidan vowed that he would not force Ryuu into any marriages against his wishes. Ryuu wished to continue serving, to see the Kuvexian War to its end at the very least. Healing started.

Beginning in early YE 42, Ryuu rededicated himself to his work, and to his own personal development in memory of his lost wife, Renho. He further perfected his craft of starship operation, and he earned leadership positions on various ships where he served as a bridge officer. He worked to keep his traditional martial talents honed, but time was a limited resource, and inevitably his skills in swordsmanship and archery declined as Ryuu studied starship operation and personnel management.When the Battle Of Glimmergold signaled the end of the Kuvexian War, Ryuu decided to remain in the Star Army, believing that he was making a significant difference in a universe that had seen fit to give him a great deal of good, even though he wasn't always wise enough to see it.

In YE 44.1 he accepted an offer of promotion to Shoi. Two years later, Ryuu was 29 in YE 46, and he was proud to have achieved his rank of Chui and to be selected as a Star Army First Officer aboard the YSS Yukika II in YE 46.2. He was aware of the distinguished reputation of Motoyoshi Tachiko who was taking up her first command of a starship, and he felt duty-bound to grant her the finest service he could provide.

Ryuu is familiar with basic radio operation and procedures and can make transmissions and receive transmissions through headsets, starships, power armor, and shuttles in both combat and non-combat conditions. He is fluent in Nepleslian, Trade and Yamataian. He can speak and write both correctly and efficiently and can write reports, fill forms, issue orders under fire, etc..

Ryuu is trained in the operation of Yamataian starships, and has personally served on a Yamato-Class Flagship, several Hayai-class Gunboats, one Izanagi-Class Dreadnought, and a number of smaller vessels like the Ke-T7 "Raccoon" Transport Shuttle.

Ryuu is capable of operating any equipment that has a computer system that uses the Kessaku OS, found on all Star Army starships. He is proficient in entering and/or searching for information.

Ryuu is educated in basic math, including algebra and Trigonometry. His education also extends into higher mathematics, including Calculus and Statistics.

As part of Ryuu's extensive education, he learned Yamatai's tumultuous history, and the history of the noble Clans before the Empire's advent. He also has some passing knowledge of Elysian, Nepleslian, and even a good chunk of Abwehran history.

Ryuu had his youth focused solely in education. Initially intended to become another Karasu Samurai, at least half of his education was physical. As such, he has twelve years of training in the art of the sword, the bow, the naginata traditional to his clan, and in Jiu-jitsu. In more recent years, his skills have become rusty, though he'd still outpace a novice.

Ryuu has supervised Starship Operation teams, and as a Bridge Officer, managed the work of various bridge stations.

Karasu Ryuu has the following items:

• Star Army Standard Issue Items (Spacy)
• 2 Thick black-dyed cotton Gis
• 3 Shinai
• 4 White Gi belts
• 1 Karasu Family Pin of gold
• 1 framed picture of his wife, Motoyoshi Renho, wearing grease-stained coveralls and waving a spanner in the air
• 1 Tamahagane-manufactured Katana (Advanced)
• 1 Tamahagane-manufactured Katana (Power Armor)

Karasu Ryuu is currently a Shoi Kohosei in the Star Army of Yamatai. He is also a member of the Karasu Clan, main family branch, providing him a moderate allowance.

• Created by Samuel, adopted by Hollander.¹⁾
• In the Seventh Fleet: Laments Of The Ghost plot aboard the YSS Densetsu, run by Andrew, Karasu Ryuu was only roleplayed during the '[Prelude] Group Interview' portion of the story back in January 2013.²⁾ At the end of February 2013, the original player made their last RP post with the character, and submitted a Life Events post indicating they were stepping away from the site.³⁾
• Given the fact that he was only RP'd a few times in the interview thread, I felt it most appropriate to have Ryuu serve on the Densetsu, but in the 'background', serving honorably but without any great distinction. This is meant to explain why he doesn't appear in any further threads in the plot.
• I, Hollander tried to maintain the original spirit of the character as they were designed. His physique, facial features, and general personality stuck around, with some growth and maturity taking place over the last decade of honorable service to Empire and Clan.
• All character history taking place after YE 35 is Hollander's original creation, and was not found in the character's original writeup.
• His text color is Teal: 008080