Background/History: The exact origins of the monster-hunting woman who calls her self "Kanu" are shrouded in mystery and speculation. She arrived in Tokyo without much fanfare or notice, staying to the shadows and deep back alleys of the city, known only from quick glimpses and rumor. Her few public appearances have all involved her battling some great evil—usually in the form of o-bakemono or yokai of some sort or another. Afterwards she's spoken few words to the press, police, or other parties, often leaping away to vanish as quickly as she'd appeared. Mystics who have been on hand to witness her in combat have all reported Kanu is "dripping" with magic and her tai-dao is heavily enchanted—presumably as a "ghost-cutting" blade.
For those in the know, the truth is just as strange as any fiction cooked up in the doujin and/or tabloid press. Kanu is a shih, one of a dozen or so mystically powered warriors sent out to preserve the karmic balance of the world. Drawn from around the world and a wide range of races and nationalities, the shih are charged with defending mankind from the predatations of the supernatural—and, if need be, the supernatural from man. Bathed (literally) in an alchemical mixture, the shih are all imbued with some measure of superhuman strength, agility, endurance, and durability. Armed with enchanted weapons and the skills to use them, they exist apart from most of mankind, keeping their own counsel as they carry out their rather lonely missions.
Personality/Motivation: Kanu is a woman of few words, who lets her actions speak for her. She has her mission, and means to see it done. Thus her outlook on life is in many ways deadly serious—unlike some of her fellow shih, she has not taken up with the traditional temperament of the "demon queller," in which good food, good drink, women, and song fill the idle hours in between bouts of deadly combat with various supernatural nightmares. For her, there is no downtime. If she's not hunting, she's training, and if she's not training, she's resting, and for her even rest is often a good time to do something constructive, such as repairing her clothing, or seeing to her weapons.
Quote: "Leave now and I shall show you mercy. Stay, and my blade will not."
Powers/Tactics: As with most shih, Kanu is stronger, faster, and tougher than any normal human. In fact, she seems to be nigh on invulnerable, and has emerged from a number of battles without on a mark on her (her clothing on the other hand...). In combat she primarily fights with the Hui Chen Tai-Dao (usually translated to mean "The Sword of Ash and Dust"), an enchanted tai-do, using both the blade and the shaft to defeat her enemies. The Sword of Ash and Dust has the power to destroy otherwise intangible ghosts and similar supernatural entities, and can stop attacks against its wielder (and anyone near) simply by being held forcefully out in front of its owner. If swung in a downward arc, the Sword will apparently grow in size, flashing out to cut a swath through massed crowds and the like.
Kanu tends to fight aggressively, counting on her invulnerability to see her through a battle. She will use the blade and shaft equally, often spinning the Sword of Dust and Ash about her body to gain moment for a blow. If unarmed, she will use her jujutsu skills to tackle an opponent, concentrating on Legsweeps, Slams, and Strikes. When tracking a target, Kanu likes to keep up high, traveling along rooftops and the like before jumping down to the attack. Her sense of balance is virtually perfect, allowing her run along railings, fences, telephone wires, and the like, and granting her a great deal of tactical flexibility.
Appearance: Standing a statuesque 5' 9" with ankle-length hair, Kanu has an athletically voluptuous figure that tends to be emphasized by her choice of "costume" (or lack thereof). She normally dresses in ankle-high tabi boots, knee-high socks, a pleated skirt, and a school student's middy blouse. In many cases, the skirt and blouse are hand-me-downs and/or cast offs, and tend to be far too short for her frame. Cynics say she's an exhibitionist, her fans say she's simply recycling old clothes, and a select few see it as a satirical commentary on the "schoolgirl as victim" theme so common in hentai.
Designer's Notes: As with Passeridae, Kanu was created to go along with an accompanying picture. In this case, Kanu is the name of the character depicted—she's from Battle Vixens/Ikki Tousen. For some reason, I hit on the idea of making her a ghost-busting monster hunter—one of my favorite anime/manga archetypes—and went to town. The concept of the "shih" was freely adapted from White Wolf's Demon Hunter X, which had some interesting ideas in it (and some neat monster-hunter powers). At 400 points she's a bit powerful, but since she works mainly alone, often outnumbered, I figure that's okay. You can easily downpower her by getting rid of her Jujutsu, dropping her PD and ED from 25 to a "mere" 15, dropping her BODY, PRE, and SPD, and giving her either +2 with HTH or simply +2 with her naginatajutsu. If you want to add anything to her, I suggest 1 point of Life Support (200 year lifespan), and some WFs with Common Melee Weapons and Common Martial Arts Melee Weapons.
(Character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)