A mound of earth rising above the ground in hill like fashion, surrounded by the unmarked graves of hundreds of thousands from the times of the warring clans. It is here in these countless burrowed tunnels that the rats make their home. Those seeking to enter these grounds will find it wise to make their trips in a timely manner for the air and earth is heavy with disease. Even a single small cut in these lands is guaranteed to cause an infection to those not already used to the lands of endless filth.
Those the rats here are numerous there is but a single dominant clan that has since taken up control of all others. A name whispered in hushed tones among the populace, The Mumei Clan. Theirs is a way of constant war and dedication to their family, so much so they give everything they have to it. Even forgetting their own name. It has only been recently that the rats have opened themselves up to signing contracts with humans and many assume it to be their lust for battle never truly being stated. None can say for certain, but it is clear that their ferocity on the battlefield makes them a worthy ally.
Way of the Rat: While all animal sages are meant to work tandem with their animal, it is the rats that take this trait one step further. While in sage mode and while any rat is summoned, if any summon hits one of their techniques successfully then the sage may immediately follow up with one of their own attacks. This follow up is considered unblockable if the first lands.
Ratโs Elements: Earth, Wind
Current Sages: 1. 2. 3.
Summoners:
Mechanic Definitions
Combo: combo is the art mixing abilities together to enhance or support their effects. While any ninja can accomplish this it is the rats that have perfected the art. Below certain abilities in this list there will be a combo that adds additional effects and differing prerequisites. These prerequisites must be met before the jutsu can gain these extra effects and must be done by either another summon with the use of pact tactics, or by the summoner themselves. Unless a combo states otherwise in it's description it cannot be combo'd without assistance.
Posted: Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:44 pm
โฐโฐโฐ Barnabas : The Unnamed Rank D | Chakra: 400 | Stamina: 200 Str: 0 | Spd: 4 | Agi: 0 | End: 0 Slightly smaller than a newborn baby Barnabas is often treated as the pack lackey of the group. As with all rats that are apart of the clan it is customary to give your birth name to it in order to receive a new one. Barnabas however, has yet to go under the Bloodied test, and thus he remains apart of the unnamed. Forever seeking ways to prove himself and his devotion. He is an easily won, if not morally questionable friend.
Ability:Pack Tactics: The greatest strength of the rats is not their power alone, but rather the ability to work together to take down a foe no matter how deadly the odds. This ability amplifies this characteristic a hundred fold in the sense that no matter which summing you call upon, all will be ready to defend. At any time during combat the rat using this ability may instantly unsummon themselves and resummon another from the list. This ability does not consume an activation and unless stated another technique, teleports the second rat in the same position as the previous one left in.
โฐ Dirty Money | Rank D | Cost: Chakra Digging through dirt, alleyways, and anywhere else that the unsavory traffic through, Barnabas is able to scrounge up to a C-rank mission's worth of ryo for his summoner.
โฐ Scavenge | Rank D | Cost: Chakra Doing the grunt work has taught Barnabas a lot of things, mostly useless things, but things none the less! By scavenging bits from across the battlefield he is able to piece together trash armor for either himself, the summoner, or other summons. This armor is treated as light armor and takes damage first before an animal's natural armor.
โฐ Mad Dash! | Rank C | Cost: Complex Barnabas may not be bloodied yet but he is far from useless in combat. In a mad dash, he is able to send chakra to his feet and move at unbelievable speeds though this comes at the expense of power. While this jutsu is paid for as if C-rank, it's base speed is treated as A-rank while it's base power is treated as only E-rank. This is before stat applications. Combo: When used in combination with any other rat abilities, the attack that follows may replace this one in the queue order causing an example as in the one below:
Barnabas attacks > Attack cannot or is not blocked > Pack Tactics used > Attack that follows is thus unblockable (treated as if it was launched and not blocked in the previous post)
โฐโฐโฐ Festertooth Rank C | Chakra: 650 | Stamina: 350 Str: 0 | Spd: 0 | Agi: 6 | End: 0 The only rat in the summons that is actually the size of a normal rat, Festertooth's prowess lies Noticing his size but in his extraordinarily filthy nature. Diseased, mangey, and covered in puss-filled ulcers, it is no mystery just where he earned his name. Although usually standoffish and irritable he has a soft spot for rancid trash and corpses that is easily exploited by those wishing to contract with him.
Ability:Pack Tactics: The greatest strength of the rats is not their power alone, but rather the ability to work together to take down a foe no matter how deadly the odds. This ability amplifies this characteristic a hundredfold in the sense that no matter which summing you call upon, all will be ready to defend. At any time during combat, the rat using this ability may instantly unsummon themselves and resummon another from the list. This ability does not consume an activation and unless stated another technique, teleports the second rat in the same position as the previous one left in.
โฐ Pustulent Clone | Rank C | Cost: Chakra Festertooth summons forth a multitude of diseased rat clones (up to four peruse) that explode on contact or from an E-ranked outside source. These explosions deal no damage themselves but create a cloud of disease that infects the target. Each clone applies a separate disease infection (starting at tier-one) and for each clone that bursts itself on the target, raises the disease tier by one, up to four. Successful applications past tier-four instead further increase the strength loss by [1] and the cost of all techniques by [5]. Combo: Using Pack Tactics does not desummon Festertooth's clones. Instead, they burst themselves on the follow-up attack in order to allow it to apply a stage of disease equal to its rank in power. This can circumvent the normal one clone = one stage restrictions, encouraging combos. (When used in conjunction with Palefur's abilities it is the possessed abilities that gain this disease for spiritual and normal clone application rate for physical).
โฐ Burrow | Rank C | Cost: Chakra Festertooth rapidly tunnels under the earth hiding from foes. At any time either Festertooth or his clones may erupt from any location from the ground. Burrows may be made any size and are permanent structures on the battlefield. Attacks that come from the ground in this manner act as if the target were under tier-two blindness. Combo: When Festertooth is summoned, his replacement may choose to be summoned in one of the burrows created among the battlefield. This allows for blindness to be applied to the combo'd attack.
โฐ Deceitful Schemes | Rank B | Cost: Chakra The most dangerous ability in Festertooth's arsenal is his ability to erase his presence, though not in the traditional sense. Instead of blocking sensory/doujutsu from picking up or seeing his chakra signature, he may change it's the location to appear to come from anyplace else on the battlefield. This does not create a physical appearance, however, so it is commonly used with either his clones, leading one to believe his clones are actually him or after he has burrowed underground to look as if he is in a place underground where he isn't. This ability is especially potent as it does not interfere with the anti-jamming sensor abilities of the opponent.
โฐโฐโฐ Palefur Rank B | Chakra: 800 | Stamina: 800 Str: 0 | Spd: 0 | Agi: 6 | End: 6 Standing around five feet tall, Palefur is easily marked by his snow-white fur and is seen as the resident mystic. Very little is done without consulting his fortune-telling bones first. Although much of his words are vague and end up causing more trouble than they are worth, he is the only one Ink Eyes truly respects as an equal and the two can often be found discussing matters amongst the foggy air of a shisha pipe. Those summoners who meet him for the first time would do well to respect his opinion the same as the wisest elder, for he may not look it, there are many a whispered tales from the young ones that Palefur has been around since the clans founding and that he will be around for long after.
Ability:Pack Tactics: The greatest strength of the rats is not their power alone, but rather the ability to work together to take down a foe no matter how deadly the odds. This ability amplifies this characteristic a hundred fold in the sense that no matter which summing you call upon, all will be ready to defend. At any time during combat the rat using this ability may instantly unsummon themselves and resummon another from the list. This ability does not consume an activation and unless stated another technique, teleports the second rat in the same position as the previous one left in.
โฐ Peculiar Art: Physical Possession | Rank B | Cost: Chakra Palefur summons a spirit of one of the great ancient ancestors to seek out and posses the body of a target chosen by him. If successful Palefur may control the movements (Not chakra molding) of the target for a single post. Simple and complex techniques that are used against the spirit result in an automatic possession, requiring a spiritual level of defense. As this is a possession and not an alteration of the chakra network, kai is unable to free a target.
โฐ Peculiar Art: Spiritual Possession | Rank B | Cost: Chakra Palefur summons spirit of one of the ancient ancestors to seek out and posses a chakra based ninjutsu. Techniques this rank and below result in an automatic possession and allows Palefur to then control the jutsu's direction. As this is a possession and not an alteration of the chakra network, kai is unable to free a target.
โฐ Peculiar Art: Tales of the Past | Rank A | Cost: Chakra By far Palefur's most bizarre and least understood ability. The rat starts off by speaking on a long-forgotten tongue, after his incantation is he then able to temporarily rewrite the past of an object he touches as long it is within a believable extent. For example, It wouldn't possible to rewrite the history of stone into lightning, but it is possible that the earth used by another person happened to be by an underground lake and caused it to absorb moisture, which in turn lowered its melting point enough to give it an elemental weakness to fire. The power of this jutsu is not to be underestimated even as it carries a few drawbacks. The first being that Palefur must have perfect concentration during its use, along with uninterrupted physical contact, meaning it cannot be used against an attack that is already happening. Secondly, while it is not a genjutsu it may still be dispelled by the use of a B-ranked Kai (This kai does not consume an activation from the opponent). As opposed to Palefur's other abilities. Combo: It is possible for Palefur to use this ability to reshape his summoner. This has the same limitations and releasing methods as listed above but allows the user to reshape their soul, to a believable level, and change out one or both of their classes. These classes only provide slot benefits meaning no disciplines, and can only be of the four nonspecialized classes (Nin, Tai, Buki, and Gen). While altered the user lacks access to their original disciplines. Chosen "new" techniques and classes should be mentioned in a spoiler to be easily referenced.
โฐโฐโฐ Marrow Gnawer Rank A | Chakra: 1000 | Stamina: 800 Str: 6 | Spd: 6 | Agi: 2 | End: 0 As with most rats, Marrow Gnawer is no larger than a human, but do not let that fool you. He did not rise to his rank of Second Bloodied by showing anything less than an absolute cunning and merciless nature. In many way his is much like Ink Eyes herself albeit more cruel. Marrow Gnawer carries with him a known reputation for breaking the spirits of his enemies on the field of war and he revels in it. Afterall, the more others fear him the easier it is to break them before the fighting even begins, and thus, save the lives of his own subordinates. In this way he can be considered quite pragmatic, denouncing the use of a moral compass and encouraging only that which will get you through the night.
Ability:Pack Tactics: The greatest strength of the rats is not their power alone, but rather the ability to work together to take down a foe no matter how deadly the odds. This ability amplifies this characteristic a hundred fold in the sense that no matter which summing you call upon, all will be ready to defend. At any time during combat the rat using this ability may instantly unsummon themselves and resummon another from the list. This ability does not consume an activation and unless stated another technique, teleports the second rat in the same position as the previous one left in.
โฐ Black Chain Dance | Rank A | Cost: Chakra His most well known move, Marrow Gnawer will use chakra to create a never ending chain from his body with a blade at the end of it that resembles a kusarigama. These chains are flexible in that they may be used as either a collision based ninjutsu or can wrap around the target to entrap them. If successfully trapped the target must wait a post before being able to pay the rank of the technique in order to free themselves. These chains only prevent movement of the area wrapped in them, meaning if your arms are trapped your legs may still move. These chains may be 'unhooked' from his body at night cost and each use last until it is destroyed.
โฐ Black Fog | Rank A | Cost: Chakra A black fog spills from the eyes, mouth, and nostrils of Marrow Gnawer in a terrifying display meant to dishearten his enemies. This fog covers an area of fifty by fifty feet and makes it incredibly difficult to see within its boundaries (Tier Three Blindness). As he moves the fog moves with him so that Marrow Gnawer is always in its center. Is dispersed by an equal strength technique Marrow Gnawer is able to call it back to his for half it's cost. Last for five posts. Combo: When used with Black Chain Dance Marrow Gnawer is able to alter to creation point of any of his chains to come from any angle within the smoke.
โฐ Shadow Flight | Rank X (useable up to S) | Cost: Chakra Using a chakra enhanced movement, Marrow Gnawer will pay the cost of an incoming technique in order to dodge it at the last second. Combo: If followed up by a Pack Tactics the replacing summon comes in moving at the same speed, outrunning anything equal rank or lower.
โฐโฐโฐ Ink Eyes Rank S | Chakra: 1600 | Stamina: 800 Str: 0 | Spd: 2 | Agi: 6 | End: 6 Standing just under six foot and clad in bits of scavenged armor resembling a ninja. Ink Eyes is a famed veteran of over a thousand wars, Ink Eyes earned her name due to her eyes lacking any sort of pupils. Instead her sclera a deep black that completely takes over the entire eye. Story has it that during the hundred year war of the rat clans, before Ink Eyes lead her followers to glory, that she lured the leaders of several different clans into a trap where she single-handedly slaughtered them all in one fell swoop. Pleased with the violent massacre of her enemies, demons arose to grant her powers beyond comprehension. Using the blood from those who had fallen, they stained her eyes with it turning them pitch black.
Whether this tale holds any merit will likely never truly be known, however it wasn't much long after this tale began to grow in popularity that Ink Eyes's clan started to dominate the war. Through her merciless cunning even those believed be far superior either strength or numbers wise were cut done until only one remains. Unfortunately victory offers no peace to the survivors, and now years later after the war it's effects can clearly be seen on the rat's enigmatic leader. The paranoia of securing the safety of her people still dictates much of her decisions driving her obsessively onward. Those who seek to sign a contract with her must beware to choose their words carefully least they be seen as a threat.
Ability:Pack Tactics: The greatest strength of the rats is not their power alone, but rather the ability to work together to take down a foe no matter how deadly the odds. This ability amplifies this characteristic a hundred fold in the sense that no matter which summing you call upon, all will be ready to defend. At any time during combat the rat using this ability may instantly unsummon themselves and resummon another from the list. This ability does not consume an activation and unless stated another technique, teleports the second rat in the same position as the previous one left in.
โฐย Black Art: Gaze of the Demon Category: Enchantment Rank: S Primary: Chakra Additional Senses: n/a Base Duration: 5 posts Upkeep: 80 Chakra Trigger: Noticing Ink Eyes in any form. (i.e. chakra sense, normal vision, doujutsu, etc). Source: Emotion Manipulation Status Effect: N/A Description: Any time after noticing her presence Ink Eyes may place the target under a genjutsu casing them to witness a black aura envelop the rat kunoichi. From this aura, a feeling of intense mental pressure grips the target as they stare helplessly into her terrible black eyes. Marks resembling a fuuninjutsu, not unlike that of the curse marks, spread across the body and cause complete paralysis for as long as they under the genjutsu. Because this paralysis is mental and not physical, it cannot be overcome in the usual way and requires the use of kai to regain functionality.
โฐ Black Art: Bloody Assassination | Rank S+ | Cost: Chakra Drawing from her back a pair of katana's Ink Eyes will blur from sight and reappear within striking distance of the target. Lashing out with dual katana's Ink Eyes will execute a double cut with both blades. Though the speed of this jutsu happens at an S+ rank it's power is only that of a average S rank. Combo: If the first attack is unblocked or not evaded all rats are immediately summoned for an all out attack on the target that cannot be blocked or interrupted after the first part of this attack. Each of the summons will attack the target dealing their ranked amount of damage in a descending manner. This makes the total damage of this ability as follows: S, S, A, B, C, D.
Sumika had long ago been introduced to the concept of summoning animals. Jay and Jeon, as she recalled, had summoned the damnable monkeys. The puppeteer had entertained the idea, but it seemed, well, somewhat unfitting. She needed something a little bit less... dignified? Serious? There was a word out there that would describe it perfectly, but she didn't care to wrack her brain for it, even if it was somewhere in there. No, the monkeys' history and sense of self importance wouldn't fit. Instead she was here in the sage lands to seek out something far more interesting.
Rats. Or, perhaps, it was more accurate to say that she'd come out here to investigate if they were real after a drunken hustler had attempted to sell her a map to this place, then immediately fallen asleep, arm outstretched, offering Sumika an opportunity that really was too good to be true. One five fingered discount later and here she was, trudging through, well, a graveyard. "Bit much, ain't it?" She said to no one in particular. Well, she had meant it for no one in particular, but it seemed the words had found something. Or someone? A voice chirped up in response. "What's that supposed to mean, eh?"
Sumika's brow tilted up on one side as she searched around, scanning about before finally finding the source of the words. A little rat perched on a grave marker, craning slightly in her direction. "Holy s**t, it's real? Huh! What's your deal, rat?" She asked, crossing her arms skeptically. Didn't look like a puppet, she could spot even the human ones of those. Could be some kinda jutsu, or a huckster's pet. Though it spoke a bit well for some random grifter's animal, and the animal would be worth more than that dumb map if was actually that advanced. You could run that drunkard's grift for years and not get close. "Ain't got no name, ain't got no deal." The rat chirped back. "No name? How's that work?"
Needless to say, Sumika found this all quite intriguing, and rats were, definitively, much more her speed. "Theys call me Barnabas, but I ain't take the test yet, so I only got the name what's me mom gave me." The puppeteer smirked. "I get that. I was supposed to take a test years ago, never did. Not letting that slow me down, you know." She was, of course, referring to the fairly standard assessment required to advance from Genin to Chuunin. "I'll prove myself to them, just you wait! No one's stopping Barnabas."
"Cool. Tell ya what Barnabas, you come with me, help me out, I'll help you get recognized by everyone else, yeah?" The little rat puzzled it over for what was, at least to Sumika, a rather concerning amount of time. Maybe it was the standing in a graveyard bit, or the little creature's dead silence as he ran the mental calculus as to whether or not any of this was worth his time. After what seemed like an eternity, his voice cut through the somber setting once more. "Deal, lady. Deal. You better hold up your end of the bargain though. I ain't got time to waste on someone who lacks that sight, as they say." And with that a scroll poofed in front of Sumika, ready and awaiting her signature. "I think the word you meant to say, was vision." The puppeteer added with a smirk before nipping the tip of her thumb and drawing it across the paper to set everything in stone.
"Not good enough!" A crack echoed across the graveyard a moment later as boss of all the rats smacked Sumika upside the head with a big stick. "Ah! What the ********> The puppeteer cried out, grabbing her head and doing a little dance. "What the hell did I tell you girl? I swear, I can't believe that little s**t let someone as weak as you sign the contract. You're gonna be a statue at this rate and I'll have to wait even longer." Ink Eyes said as she bopped Sumika on the head again, more softly this time around.
"I've been here for like a day and you just keep whacking me with a giant stick! You're supposed to be teaching me how to do cool stuff!" Sumika shouted back at the giant rat, gesturing in her direction wildly. "What's the point in learning cool stuff if it kills you! If you don't learn how to sit still, it'll literally be the death of you child." Sumika got another whack for her trouble, this time right on the elbow, and she bounced around in pain for a moment before flopping back down atop the rock she'd been meditating on and settling back in with a grumble.
[ Some Time Later ]
"I can't believe you managed to do the meditation stuff WHEN YOUR CHAKRA CONTROL IS THIS BAD!" The rat queen barked, stalking the stone that Sumika sat on. "You just said to gather it in myself you didn't say use it." The woman said, squinting incredulously at her rodent sensei while still maintaining the sign she was holding. "Look, you're gonna have to imagine being one with this place, being one with the rats, and channel this chakra into that, or you're just going to keep turning into stone." Sumika grumbled, but ultimately acquiesced to the suggestion and continued her training without protest this time.
[ Some Time Later ]
Sumika remained quiet, but no cracking of stick on skull came this time. Unaware to her, the puppeteer's features had subtly changed while she sat and meditated. When Sumika opened her eyes the world seemed a bit brighter. The eyes themselves, ink black like that of the rat who drew her name from them, were now ringed in a crimson read that spidered outwards as if it had flowed and coalesced into the puppeteer's eyes.
To say she felt powerful would be an understatement. Normally not physically adept, Sumika's energy surged in her and propelled her forward at a speed she previously couldn't have imagined. While she was probably a far cry from actually challenging Ink Eyes with her combat technique, the woman was more than capable of matching and exceeding what had been dished out to her during their earlier training. It was like someone had funneled Raiton into her veins and it was yearning to get out. Quite the nifty tool to have in the old back pocket.
