The Book Of Fire/Boxer
THE TENEBROUS BOXER AT THE SHATTERED GATES
OTHER NAMES: Longarm Hermit, The Mendicant Fist, Ironfaced Lama, The Drifting Thunder, Thousand-Hand Pugilist, Sagacious Abbot of the Final Abode
HISTORY: All of the Underworld is rightly terrified of the First and Foresaken Lion. But even terror may be terrorized, and if any could strike fear into such an unliving heart, it would be The Boxer...
In life, he was among the mightiest of Solars, not in the waging of large-scale war, but in hand-to-hand contests of duels. In his first incarnation, his was the hand that first slew a Primordial, and he was one of the only two Solars to do so without a Circle. His final incarnation was as the eldest and greatest of the monastic Diamond Brotherhood, and he was one of the few to perfect the Conquering Sun's Fist style. It was he who stood without Malfeas and dared the Yozis with their freedom if they would but spar with him. They declined.
He went relatively peacefully into death, but his noble spirit was unprepared for the endless torment that followed. He would have accepted the Neverborn's offer of unlife and power sooner, had they not been too nightmare-wrapped and intimidated to speak with him...
But the offer was finally made and accepted. Casting his honored name aside, he became a tool for those he had help destroy, although not an easily managable one. Since then, he has simply walked throughout the Deadlands, seemingly ignoring the conquest of Stygia, the Great Contagion and anything to do with the destruction of all that is, and if this is against the orders of the master he already slew once before, none try to persuade him otherwise.
Now, he walks the land (becoming perhaps the most widely traveled Deathlord in existence) to learn new martial arts styles and to meet his match in single combat. He has a longstanding challenge to both The First and Forsaken Lion and The Bishop, whose masters will not allow them to accept. He recalls the greatest of the Sidereal martial artists, and longs to test the mightiest of their number. The Walker's Lunar mate was almost as puissant in the martial ways as he was in life, and if she still lives, then she must now be a fearsome beast indeed. The Boxer also believes that the holder of his former shard now strides Creation, and if this young martial artist meets his Lunar mate and gains instruction from her or his old Sidereal advisor, then perhaps he will be worth fighting...
The Gray Walker appears as an 8-foot tall, massive Southern man dressed in a plain, ragged martial arts uniform, with the Old Realm character for "Unconquered" mockingly branded on the back. He is unshod and his massive hands and feet are wrapped with animate bandages. He has a lion's mane of unruly red hair, gathered into a topknot for battle, and his fierce eyes burn from his broad features.
THE BOXER'S DOMAIN: Just as there are an untold number of dojos and martial arts societies in the skinlands, so there are also an unlimited number among the denizens of the deadlands. Of these Underworld dojos, the most renowned and exclusive is a large monastery called the Abode of Final Rest in the middle of a bleak plain somewhere in the Southern Underworld. Here, Heroic Ghosts endlessly practice their forms and spar within its advanced training facilities and rings, seeking to forge their corpuses and Arcanoi into deadly weapons. Any living who should turn up on these hallowed grounds are politely, but firmly, turned away.
Which is fortunate for them, for the monastery is actually the Citadel for the Boxer. Unlike most such sites, it has little in the way of defenses, and needs little. First of all, there is little enough here to protect. Secondly, the skill and power of the dead monks is more than enough to repel most of the Underworlds' threats. And should they fail, there are always the other guests to deal with...
In the last five years, the rule against the living has been given an exception. Deathknights are allowed by the word of the Boxer himself, so long as they leave their rivalries outside and dedicate themselves earnestly to improving their martial skills while residing. And if they *must* spy and conspire while resting, the Ironfaced Lama doesn't care, as he has little to hide (Indeed, the Boxer is rarely even present. Most of the time, he wanders the Labyrinth, wrestling Hekatetonhires and the like. When he does show up, he normally meditates in his rock garden, or quietly watches the sparring, sometimes speaking up to offer penetrating criticism or advice).
Abyssal Exalted may come here to learn and trade styles of Celestial and Terrestrial level, including such Abyssal variants as Ashen Scorpion, Ghost-Tiger, and Twin Tongues of Pyreflame Styles. Ever since the Abyssals starting training here, the Green Lady has been known to occasionally show up, although she simply smirks and says little. So far, none of the Deathknights' taunts have been able to move her to take the floor and give them a *real* demonstration of skill...
THE BOXER'S PANOPLY: While he possesses a great many Artifacts and Hearthstones, The Longarm Hermit does not rely upon them, and mainly creates or secures them for theoretical purposes or as gifts for his Deathknights (whom he also cautions against growing dependent on such aids). Most of them are focussed on the martial arts, such as Seven Leaping Dragons Hearthstones and Perfected Kata Bracers (of the various Magical Materials). The Boxers' one concession is his uniform, the Gi of Unlimited Protection, which doubles the Soak of normal Silken Armor and can also act as Demon Embracing Robes (using his bandages instead of sleeves).
THE BOXER'S TACTICS: The Boxer is not quite the oldest or most powerful of the Deathlords, although he is arguably the deadliest in personal combat. He has all the powers, Charms and Spells available to all Deathlords, but prefers to rely on his unparalleled skills and almost limitless Martial Arts Charms and Combos.
He has mastered virtually every Terrestrial and Celestial style published, although he prefers to use a combination of Abyssal Hero, Hungry Ghost and Laughing Wounds Styles (the last he learned from The Lover personally, at some secret cost only they know). He is unable to practice the Holy Sun's Conquering Fist style, which frustrates him, and is most interested in seeing what The Bishop's new Gentle Embrace Style is like. He has mastered Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Style, and often uses its ultimate Form charm to adopt other Form charms simultaneously.
The Boxer is always pleased to find a technique that he does not know, but will rarely humble himself to properly learn it from another teacher. Instead, he uses the final secret technique of Hungry Ghost Style to literally devour the knowledge from its users. In this way, he has wiped out entire schools simply to complete his collection of their charms. Through this method, he has also mastered the Five Dragon Paths up to their Form charms, and he hungrily searches for more...
SERVANTS OF THE BOXER: The Boxer walked Creation, offering the Dark Exaltation to promising fighters who lay dying from injuries sustained in personal duels. Four have accepted, driven by their shame and rage to cast aside their pride and names, to gain everlasting life, power and revenge. He still seeks a fifth to complete the Circle he has named The Five Venoms, whom he has taught a new Celestial Martial Arts Style he has created, Unseen Malady Style.
The Mendicant Fist also walks the Underworld, seeking out challenges and prospects. If a ghostly fighter impresses him, then he will offer to make him an even greater fighter. Most accept, following him on his journeys for awhile, learning a monastic lifestyle while perfecting their skills under his harsh tutelage, before being left behind at the Monastery to hone their skills. He now has a sizable army of these fanatical Monks and Nuns to call upon, all Heroic Ghosts with many combat Arcanoi and mastery of at least one Supernatural Martial Art.
He can also call upon the loyalty of several Hekatonkhires that he has personally bested and bound to serve as mounts or weapons.
SERIES IDEAS: Every 100 years, trained Pyre Hawks deliver invitations to attend the Tournament of Bone Lotuses. The Queens and Princes of all the Nations of the Dead, including the Deathlords, travel to the Abode of Final Rest with their impressive entourages, to fill an enormous stadium that the Sagacious Abbot of the Abode necromantically calls into being. There, they watch the greatest fighters among the dead battle it out to determine the best of the best. Many send their champions against those of their neighbors, allowing the outcome to determine the fate of nations; others scout out impressive fighters for bodyguards or to lead their armies.
The time is drawing near for the next Tournament, but this will be the first time that Deathknights will compete. Unlike most things associated with the Monastery, the Tournament is open to all, even the living and the divine; but few in the skinlands have even heard of this contest, and they would not dare attend. But now that the Abyssal and Solar Exalted are in the world, anything can happen...
The stakes are great, as are the rewards. Among the ghosts, the winners get (in addition to much Face) the losers' Grave Goods, while the losers are Soulforged into weapons per the winners' specifications. Deathlords will place their wagers on how their Deathknights do, and doubtless each has their own unique reward or punishment for their minion's performances.
Throughout it all, The Boxer sits on his raised dias, sipping ghostflower tea, the black lion that is his Po dozing next to him, watching and waiting for one impressive enough to make him take the stage personally...
