Kagekaze
Kagekaze (kah-geh-kah-zeh, meaning shadow wind)[1] is a character in the Cyberpunk universe.
Appearance
As an FBC, Kagekaze was desrcibed to look like any other Eclipse borg, though he occasionally wore a faceplate customized to resemble a grinning Japanese demon mask.[1]
Biography
Early life - 2021
Kagekaze was the patriarch of one of the two remaining true ninja clans in Japan. When he committed seppuku to atone for the failure of a favorite child, he was not permitted to die completely. The CEO of the Arasaka Corporation, Kei, ordered Kagekaze's brain to be preserved and installed into a full body conversion. During his therapy and readjustment period, Kagekaze embraced the totality of zen in an attempt to retain control over his sanity after being turned into a machine. This proved successful, and Kagekaze became notorious for being one of the saner full-borgs employed by Arasaka; he was not prone to irrationally, disobedience, or the "god complex" that usually took hold over most FBCs. Instead, Kagekaze considered the ninja he once was to be dead and cremated, with the new opportunity he was given being merely a shadow-life, existing as a spirit in a mechanical netsuke to continue serving his daimyo, Saburo Arasaka.
Ever since his conversion, working with Kagekaze was similar to working under a monastic martial arts master, noting perceived mistakes and offering corrections, occasionally favoring co-workers by offering instructions, liberally peppered with zen wisdom.
During the early 2020s, Kagekaze was temporarily sent to the Benkei Island Training Facility, were he would teach students techniques focusing on remaining as invisible as possible, tagging along with the trainees as a ghost and revealing himself when most appropriate.[1]
2022 - 2023
In 2022, during the Fourth Corporate War, Kei Arasaka assigned Haruko Kanawa to lead a covert operations team, which included Kagekaze. The group was sent to a number of missions around the world, with the borg's interactions with the rest of the team being professional, except for Mitsuko Taida and Haruko. Kagekaze was from the same clan as Mitsi, and acted as a protective uncle towards her. With Haruko, he regarded her as a ninja-wannabe; despite respecting her leadership, he addressed her as a kawaii samachan, roughly translated to cute lil' boss lady, though he simply did this to ruffle her feathers.[1] When the war became hot, Haruko was withdrawn from the team to work for Kei personally.[2]
Members of the Arasaka covert operations team could have participated in the 2023 defense of Night City's Arasaka Towers against a Militech assault that ended up with the Night City Holocaust.[2]
Stats & Equipment
| Stats | Source(s): Firestorm Stormfront (p.113) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INT | 9 | REF | 13 | DEX | — | TECH | 6 | COOL | 10 |
| ATTR | N/A | LUCK | 4 | MA | 13 | BODY | 12 | EMP | 8/4 |
| Skills | Combat Sense/Nindo 9, Aikido 7, PanzerFaust 5, Athletics 7, Awareness/Notice 9, Basic Tech 3, Cybertech 3, Driving 4, Education & General Knowledge 6, Electronics 2, Electronic Security 6, Expert: Poisons 5, Fencing 5, First Aid 5, Handgun 6, Heavy Weapons 4, Hide/Evade 8, Interrogation 5, Intimidate 4, Languages (Japanese (Native), English 6, German 4), Melee 6, Motorcycle 4, Pick Lock 7, Rifle 3, Shadow/Track 8, Stealth 10, Submachine Gun 5, Teaching 7 | ||||||||
| Cyberware | FBC Body (Eclipse frame, Dummy Facemask, Kiroshi Dodgeball) | ||||||||
| Gear | Kagekaze does not carry any equipment that he can't conceal within his legs (each has a 2x2"x6 compartment). If pressed, he will carry an external gun, but this interferes with his Chameleon Covering and ECM Generator | ||||||||
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 SEVILE, A. Firestorm Stormfront. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1997. (pp.113,122)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 ACKERMAN-GRAY, D. Firestorm Shockwave. Berkeley, CA, R. Talsorian Games, 1997. (p.138)