Robert Bryne (Shinigami)

Shinigami

Name: Robert Bryne

Age: Real Age: 480 / Appears: Early twenties.

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 200 lbs.

Gender: Male

Personality: Robert is a very level headed man and a gentleman of the first rank. In a social setting he is charming, kind and noble. When in combat, he is fearless and noble. He exudes strength at all time. Inside however he fears that he can only bring pain to those who stay near him. As a result of this, he feels the need to struggle to protect everyone, many times taking unnecessary risks in order to keep his friends from having to expose themselves to danger.

Appearance:

Robert is tall and thin with wiry muscles. His long red-gold hair is well taken care of and accentuates a handsome chiseled face. He has perfect posture and in most company he is always on alert and poised.

Sealed Zanpakutō : Robert's sealed Zanpakuto is exactly like his blade in life: A heron-marked blade with a blue hilt. It is a curved blade, but not a katana.


Each character gets 60 skill points to assign to either:

Spirit power: 10

Speed: 15

Intelligence: 10

Fighting skill: 25


History/Background: Robert Bryne was born in a little village. His father was a farmer and his mother was a beautiful woman he had met while traveling far from home. At the age of four, his mother died of a bad flu that had been going around. In those days, medical attention simply wasn't what it became in the future.

As he grew older, Robert grew restless. He felt he was meant for better things then what he was experiencing in his life. At the age of 14, he finally told his father of his restlessness. Surprisingly enough, he just smiled and brought his son into his room where he pulled out a chest. He told his son a story of how he had left home when he was younger, eager for adventure and wide eyed to see the world.

His eyes grew sad as he told his son of the day that he won the spectacular sword he pulled from the chest. A heron marked blade, the surest sign of a master swordsman. Less than a hundred in the entire world. He told Robert to stay at home with him for three more years while he taught him the sword and that he would give him the blade once he was worthy to wear it.

As his father expected, the boy took to the sword as easily as he had, and actually even better. It seemed like he was made for the art of swordsmanship and by the time the three years was over, Robert truly had nothing more to learn from the old man. Roberts father sent him off with supplies, the precious sword, and an introduction to a captain in his nation's army.

With the introduction, Robert was given the position of an officer right off. It seemed his father was well known and respected, and the fact that Robert was a sword master helped also. Over the next few years, Robert lived in relative peace. This didn't last forever, however.

At about 23, war broke out. Robert began to fight. For 40 years the war raged on, and by the time it was over, Robert had fought in and survived hundreds of battles, and was now a captain himself. He had earned several medals and was ready to retire to a life of peace. Robert spent his last days a wealthy man, having saved almost all of his wages from a 40 year tour. For his valorous actions, he was given a small title of nobility and he spent his remaining years climbing the social ladder and teaching the sons of other aristocrats about the sword.

Robert died peacefully in his sleep at the age of 93 and began his new life as a spirit in soul society. The Rukongai was rough and dingy and a huge sprawling city, not at all what he was used to. He spent his second childhood simply looking for places to be alone to practice his swordsmanship. Soon after his 300th birthday, he decided that he was ready. He applied to the Shinigami academy and shocked everyone at his level of skill with a sword. Inside of the academy, his instructors were also amazed at how easily he grasped Zanjutsu and Kido.

All in all, Robert found the walls of the academy and the future possibility of the Seireitei to be just what the doctor ordered. He would soon be in the same position as in life. A warrior of unsurpassed ability.

Rp sample:
The glove laid on the floor and Robert's eyes were wide. Was the boy insane!? What could this possibly accomplish but his death!? He asked as much, "What are you thinking, boy!? You're no match for me. Don't think that you can kill me because of my age. You're not ready to hold a heron-mark!" He was terrified! He didn't want to kill his student, and he knew that if they fought he wouldn't be able to hold back. 40 years of full pitched war removed hesitation from one's fighting. He had already hurt several of the students with the wooden blades without meaning too because of that very problem. This would be real and his opponent, while a talented student, was no match for a true veteran.

The boy's face couldn't have looked more stuck up. He felt that the old man couldn't beat him... "Look old man. I'm your best student and I've beaten you in spars plenty of times. You're slow alright, and a slow warrior doesn't deserve a heron-mark." With this, the boy drew his sword... His real steel... Nobles... He sighed. He would have to make an example of the boy. It was truly sad. The boy was right about being his best student. He was wrong about the spars. He had allowed the boy to win. The purpose of the fights at this stage was to teach him to identify openings and he'd done rather well. He apparently didn't realize that the openings were placed there on purpose.

He looked at the boy and drew his sword. "Understand that you didn't win those spars because I wasn't strong enough. You won them because the point of the lesson was for you to win. I left openings specifically to teach you to find them. You won't beat me. I'll give you one last chance to back down. Give it another year or so and you might be ready to challenge me. Right now though, you're just not ready. I don't want to have to kill you..." The sadness was obvious in his voice and many of the students who had formed a circle around the two began to back away.

Robert's sword raised into a defensive stance and he waited. His student was still predictable and still rash. He charged forward with a completely offensive sword form. Robert easily deflected each strike of the blade, watching carefully for an opening. Of course, there were many, but he didn't want to kill the boy if it could be avoided. He tried and tried to watch, but soon it became apparent that continuing to just defend with nothing else happening was not a good strategy. The boy began to cut him. They were all very small, but they would add up if he didn't counter soon. Tears filled his eyes. He'd managed to avoid killing for 13 years of teaching and now he'd have to kill a boy. He felt his old instincts began to take over and knew that if he wanted to survive this fight he'd have to let them.

The young man slashed down, and his blade caught it at an angle as he stepped forward, sending the blade ricocheting to the left as he moved along his right. The blade cut down as he stepped past the boy and then spun and stabbed him through the back as though he were sheathing the blade in his body. He pulled the blade out and grabbed his cleaning cloth, working on the blade as tears ran down his face. He hadn't wanted to kill the boy... Didn't he get that!? He walked away sad, tossing his bloodied cloth onto the boys face as he sheathed his blade.