MICHURU (Power Level 10)
Real Name: Michuru (Himura) Bradshaw
Height / Weight: 6’3” / 200 lbs.
Hair / Eyes: Grey-Brown / Grey-Blue (glowing white)
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois (May 17, 1980)
First Appearance: Vindicators #601
Biography: Born to a Japanese mother, Michuru never met his father. As a child, when he asked his mother about the man she fell hopelessly in love with, he was told that Sam White was an intelligent, charming young man with snow-white hair and an easy-going smile. In some sense, her inherited much of his father’s character. As a young man, Michuru proved himself to be a polymath. More so, the young man had an empathy with those around him unseen in his age. Despite the traits his mother saw the boy’s father shinning through… she failed to see his smile.
Michuru seldom smiled. Growing up in northern Illinois, he was taught martial arts and archaic mannerisms by his grandparents. A respectful young man, he quietly accepted his mother’s new husband and his adoption. As much as he loathed to lose the name that tied him to the Himura legacy, Michuru put up no fight as he became a Bradshaw. Like many other battles in his life, Michuru quietly surrendered without a fight.
His mother often said that she worried for him, but it was the boy’s grandfather, Kazuko Himura who told her that perhaps Michuru had simply not found something he felt worth fighting for.
It was when the boy was twelve that he found his reason to fight. He watched as Patrick Reilloc tormented some of the chubbier boys in their class- putting his own natural athleticism to pulverizing them one day on the walk home. Michuru leapt forward, using the movements his grandfather had taught him to protect the young boys. His kenjutsu and aikido served him well… but Patrick’s brute strength allowed his punches to count for more than the youth’s graceful movements. A rage built up in the normally calm Michuru and then… flames engulfed Patrick.
The inferno ravaged the boy’s flesh and Michuru hurried to try and help his opponent. He tackled the blazing boy to the earth and beat out the flames; still, the damage had been done. Covered in burns, Patrick told anyone who would listen what happened. Many assumed the obvious… Michuru Bradshaw was a Neo-Sapien and worse: he was a danger to everyone around him.
The Department of SPB Affairs heard of Michuru’s plight and took him under their care. Over time, Michuru had learned that his powers stemmed from the emotions he experienced. With anger came an explosive ability to manipulate flames. When he was happy he could command the wind and when he was sad the earth moved at his will. His normal mood- the disturbingly calm persona he perpetually displayed –allowed him to alter the very flow of water. Looking to teach him control, the Department had Michuru study under the Vindicators IV, the closest to elementals as the Department had access to. Still, the metamorphs were perplexed as to what they could teach him and Michuru progressed little.
When the Vindicators disbanded, only one remained- Rosa Freeman, the Vindicator known as Onyx, had served under the leadership of the Aurelius. The maiden attack by the Order of Chaos commanded her to go into action however, issued the assistance of a teenaged Michuru for her backup. The boy’s combat expertise was of some help, though his wild, emotionally-influenced abilities left him unable to truly help against the villains. Injured in combat, the duo was saved by a young Brian Hart. Passing by the battle, the young man used his own transfer powers to drain some of the abilities of the villains and use against them.
Michuru’s life in danger, Brian led the duo to an asylum where his sister was kept. Siphoning her abilities, he healed Michuru’s wounds and agreed to join the Vindicators’ battle. Michuru was instead given charge to protect Brian’s sister- Brian began to use his powers to combine Michuru’s elemental abilities with Bridget’s healing powers, giving Onyx an effective teammate.
For years, Michuru’s purpose seemed limited to helping the catatonic girl along on their missions- keeping the pair close enough to Siphon should he need their abilities. However, Michuru began to reach out to his distressed teammate and brought her out of her stupor. Before long, Bridget’s soul began to repair itself and the two began a romantic relationship. They left adolescence and entered their twenties, becoming more of a staple on the Vindicators VII than merely food for Siphon’s abilities. The two dispatched villains on their own, without the aid of their teammates, and slowly but surely the respect the others had for the pair grew.
It was on September 8, 2001, that the fairy tale came to an end. The Jorgenson’s own marital problems came to a head, culminating with Richard’s attempt to kill his wife (after revealing he had been posing as Atlas for months). Moments before her death, Sylvia body swapped and entered her husband’s body. Richard’s mind died with her body, leaving her trapped as the Chimera. Overtaken by the injuries she herself had inflected, she sought out Bio for help and inexperienced in the powers of Atlas, she caused Bridget’s death.
The horrific event triggered a new emotion in Michuru. Dead to all feeling, the true nature of his powers awoke and a hellfire beast took command of the Nephilim’s body. The beast ravaged and fought at the false Atlas, resulting in the mountain stronghold collapsing around them. Michuru clawed his way to the surface and to his friends, bringing Chimera’s unconscious body with him in the process. Michuru retained no memories of what happened- only the knowledge of his love’s death and great feelings of guilt for what had happened.
He took to wandering then, traveling the world, looking for respite from the terrible burdens that haunted him. At one point in his journeys he found himself in his ancestor’s home in Japan. There he met the Sanada Ten Brave- a clan of immortal shinobi led by the timeless Sanada Yukimura. It was in their company that Michuru first came into contact with the Imperial Regalia. The man recognized the power the artifacts possessed and opted to entrust them to the protection of numerous temples throughout the country.
NEW VINDICATORS: Radix Malorum Est Cupiditas – Eventually he returned to the United States and took a position as a teacher at the New Vindicators Academy of America. It was there that he was reunited with an old teammate- the young hero known as Rift. As Breanne Jordan, Rift carried a torch for her old friend- one that bordered on obsession. Unknown to Michuru, Rift recruited one of their students, Adonis Skraag, to help her construct an army… all with the intention of making him hers.
However, unknown to Rift, Michuru slowly began to find himself involved with their fellow educator, Doctor Natalie Styles, the former Vindicator known as Halogen. Not wanting to make a scandal of their relationship, the two opted to keep things quiet between them.
Michuru returned to Japan, following the news that two pieces of the Imperial Regalia had been stolen. He and his students teamed up with the Sanada Ten Brave in an attempt to stop the thief- only to fail. Sanada himself charged Michuru with finding the Regalia and with personally guarding them once in his possession.
Under Adonis’ influence, Stockholm touched Michuru, transforming his mindset into her own. Unfortunately, this meant that Michuru was no longer in control of his emotions (as another psyche was in command), resulting in the hellfire beast being unleashed. In the day that the beast rampaged through the city, it was estimated that 137,000 people lost their leaves amongst the chaos and destruction he caused. Ultimately, it was the sacrifice of Drew Jenkins that helped him regain his senses. Still, the news of Halogen’s death and the realization of what he had been responsible for drove Michuru once more to wanderings.
NEW VINDICATORS: Sic Semper Tyrannis – Michuru met up with his half-sister, Chienne Bedford, also distressed over learning of her Nephilim abilities. Realizing each other as a counter to what they could possibly become, the two formed into an alliance of sorts. They began to journey together, traveling to retrieve the remaining parts of the Imperial Regalia. In addition, Michuru has begun to teach his younger sibling about her powers and how to fight- training her in the same martial arts his grandfather trained him in.
NEW VINDICATORS: Absit Omen – In their wanderings, Michuru and Chienne began to discover more of the private war their father was waging with Abaddon and took it upon themselves to pick up his crusade. They learned of Chelsea Burke, a very powerful young woman who Abaddon believed the key to reviving Apocatastasis. With the help of the Aurelius, Doctor Steven White, the Wanderers were able to separate the girl into three parts- cutting her power drastically and then dividing the parts across the country.
However, two of the halves eventually rejoined and Terahertz struck down Coach Crag. In the wake of the hero’s death, Doctor Howell called the Wanderers back to New York and asked both to join the school. The two took positions with the New Vindicators Academy, though their tenure was destined to be short-lived.
After the assassination of Senator Amy Bedford, Chienne left to help Lodestone fight her father and the two encountered Abaddon. Abaddon teleported Chienne across the world and Michuru left the school to bring her back. While the two were away, the school was raided by Operation: Black Box and the survivors fled into Canada- leaving Michuru and Chienne alone once more and with no means of contacting their comrades…
STR 14 (+2), DEX 12 (+1), CON 14 (+2), INT 14 (+2), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 12 (+1)
SKILLS: Concentration 4 (+4), Diplomacy 4 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 5 (+5), Language 1 (English [base]), Japanese), Notice 4 (+6), Profession (educator) 2 (+4), Sense Motive 4 (+6)
FEATS: Accurate Attack, Animal Empathy, Assessment, Attack Focus 4 (melee), Attack Specialization 2 (sword), Benefit 1 (Status [Vindicator]), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 4, Dodge Focus 4, Elusive Target, Equipment 3, Evasion 2, Grappling Finesse, Improved Block 5, Improved Defense 2, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative 2, Improved Pin, Improved Throw, Improved Trip, Inspire 3, Martial Artist 2 (Aikido, Kenjutsu), Martial Strike 3, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Sneak Attack 2, Taunt, Teamwork 2, Uncanny Dodge 1 (hearing)
POWERS: Hellfire Control 12 (white; Alternate Powers: Air Control 10 [Alternate Powers: Blast 10, Deflect 12 {slow projectiles}, Obscure 10 {visual}, Suffocate 6 {Extras: Range (Perception, +2)}], Earth Control 10 [Alternate Powers: Blast 10, Burrowing 10 {Extras: Range (+1)}, Create Object 6 {Power Feats: Precise; Extras: Duration (Continuous, +1)}, Snare 10], Fire Control 9 [Alternate Powers: Blast 9, Blast 6 {Extras: Explosion (+1)}, Dazzle 9 {visual}, Dazzle 9 {visual; Extras: Area (Burst, +1); Flaws: Range (Touch, -1)}, Ignite 6, Melt], Water Control 10 [Alternate Powers: Blast 10, Blast 6 {Extras: Alternate Save (Fortitude, +1), Current Control 10, Stun 6 {Extras: Range (Ranged, +1)]; Power Feats: Accurate 2; Drawbacks: Noticeable [white eyes, -1 point])
Equipment: cell phone, katana (+3 damage), leather jacket (+1 Toughness), motorcycle; 4 free equipment points
COMBAT: Attack +4 (+8 melee or hellfire control, +12 sword), Grapple +10, Damage +5, Defense +8 (+2 flat-footed), Knockback -3 (-1 flat-footed), Initiative +9
SAVES: Toughness +7 (+3 flat-footed), Fortitude +7, Reflex +6, Will +9
DRAWBACKS: Involuntary Transformation (hellfire beast, uncommon frequency, cannot resist, -4 points), Vulnerable (mithral, uncommon frequency, major intensity, -3 points)
Abilities 20 + Skills 6 (24 ranks) + Feats 56 + Powers 29 + Combat 16 + Saves 17 – Drawbacks 7 = 137 points
Michuru81 wrote:Michuru on Michuru
If you’re as big of a Final Fantasy fan as I am, then you know who Cid is. Well… meet my Cid. For eight years, Michuru has appeared in every campaign I’ve ever GMed. He is quintessential to my campaign worlds- to the point that I’ve become known for using him as a plot device of sorts. As such, my screen names have since begun to reflect my usage of this character- the reason why my handle here is shared with this fella.
There are generally themes- recurring elements –where Michuru is concerned. In terms of his character, he’s almost always a bastard in some way. It began with his original incarnation, Michuru Half-elven, a nod to Tanis of Dragonlance fame. It continued with Michuru Shinomori, Michuru Dryden, Michuru Karaethon, Michuru Cade, and Michuru Nightsong. Generally, the character is either estranged from his parents or ends up going to war against them. Michuru tends to be a klutz, but surprisingly gifted with a sword. Be it as a devoted defender in homebrewed D&D worlds or as a Shienaran soldier safeguarding the world from the Blight in the Wheel of Time games I ran.
Players experienced in trudging through my campaigns have come to learn that a favorite plot hook of mine is to convince the party that Michuru is one of the most untrustworthy pieces of filth in the universe… only to show them they’ve had the wrong guy. In the New Vindicators campaign, many of the rookie players were convinced Michuru was pulling the strings of behind the Affiliation; Lodestone’s player (a veteran amongst my groups) told them the gospel truth: “He likes to make you think it’s Michuru, when it’s really whoever you’ll least suspect.”
Michuru isn't the only character I recycle from world to world... Adonis and Chienne have appeared in numerous incarnations. Chienne has been the avatar of the Ragnarok and Adonis an overzealous paladin of Heironeous. They've also been dragon hunters and an old married couple. While they may change though, Michuru remains almost constant... Michuru is always the good guy, if a little on the dark and brooding side.
