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A Flurry of Shows Emaku “The Method” Okuda Appearance: -Valeria Owens, Local style reporter Emaku Okuda is a 6’2” human in his early thirties. His dark chocolate skin is smooth and the tone travels uniformly over his whole body. His figure is very athletic and fit, though compared to many heroes he may be a bit of the small side even though he is far from weak. Emaku’s face is clean cut to the point of being a piece of art. He could quite easily be called a “baby face,” with soft, rounded features that do not match his toned body very well. His hair is extremely short as it is cut twice weekly to maintain the proper length. The shape of his hairline is carefully sculpted, leaving an expertly groomed patch of fuzz on top of his head. With eyebrows plucked for an attractive shape, plain, medium size nose that neither enhances nor distracts from his enchanting face and dark, almost wispy lips, Emaku has the features of a prince or other important noble. Generally, Emaku dresses in low brow styles, but insists on high-end materials and tailoring. While he may be wearing a tunic and breeches like most other peasants, his tunic will have masterwork stitching and be composed of imported silk. His breeches will be fitted to his features, custom hemmed and made from the same silk. The tunics will normally be worn open at the top, to show off a chiseled, hairless chest and the sleeves will be rolled up to show his muscular arms. With this ensemble, he wears a single-strapped green velvet bag over his shoulder, which obviously has no place in the hands of a peasant. While this gaudy accessory looks to be fragile, it is actually quite sturdy and extremely well made like everything else Emaku uses. Demeanor: Emaku is not an evil person by any means, but he is certainly not a nice person. The self-assured air that he carries immediately strikes an observant viewer as pretentious. Emaku does not speak to people he does not know, blatantly ignoring them or waving the away. If someone is important enough to talk to him, they will be quickly greeted with general rudeness and be talked down to as an inferior. The station of who Emaku is talking to is really irrelevant. The person could be the man who works at the general store or the richest noble in town. Either way, Emaku treats them the same. He often refers to people as “pretender” or “poser” in casual conservation, particularly to their face. He never appears to be hiding anything and rarely holds things back, but on the same note he rarely bothers talking to people long enough to reveal anything anyway. Those who get to know Emaku on a business level quickly learn that the cold exterior is not merely a façade for the public. Emaku is a complete perfectionist, expecting people to perform flawlessly and on his schedule. This of course applies to himself as well, though he always seems to live up to his completely unreasonable standards. Small talk simply does not exist with him. Everything he says is about the work at hand and it is usually a direct question or a criticism. An awkward fact about Emaku’s personality is that even though he comes off as practically inhuman, he carries immense authority in his voice. Every syllable he utters sounds well considered and earnest and his posture and gestures convey his intentions precisely. His words leave no room for arguing and simply being near him is somewhat discomforting. While no one considers him a friend and some loathe him, everyone has an opinion on him, as he simply cannot be ignored. Everything Emaku does is filled with certainty and because of this and his power, people tend to do what he says, whether they like it or not. As a method actor, Emaku spends long periods of time in his characters. During these times, his personality varies as distinctly as his selection of parts. On the set, one thing remains constant: as he “is” the character that the play is about, he knows best. Period. He does tremendous amounts of research in order to understand his part so that he is able to feel every emotion of his characters and think every thought coursing through their minds. While remaining in character Emaku remains even more aloof than ever, staying sequestered in his home, going through the daily routine of his part. History: Strangely, at least to everyone else, this was when Emaku hit the wall. Classes on military theory, the political maneuvering of both the students and the retired officers who taught the classes, all bored Emaku and he never bothered to attempt to excel at them. For a while, Emaku slid by, until he grew fed up with the whole system and beat another student to a bloody pulp when he attempted to befriend Emaku. This may have been the right decision, as the only reason he even made the overture was to get closer to the favor of Emaku’s father. That very favor was not enough to keep Emaku’s position as a future officer intact. He was kicked out of the training, though the invitation to remain enlisted was extended due to his otherwise exemplary record, performance and pedigree. Emaku told his family he would take it, but decided to leave and strike out on his own. At the age of thirteen he was his own man. One of the difficulties that immediately presented itself was that Emaku hated talking to people. He didn’t mind talking at people or listening to people, but actual conversation was so loose and pointless. He craved structure in his life and after a few weeks of loathsome random jobs in construction, dealing with bosses and co-workers, Emaku caught wind of a lifestyle that appealed to him: the monastery life. The structure, the lack of drunken half-orcs picking fights with him because he happened to be serving as the bar back and his eyes glanced over a woman that the half-orc was considering attempting to approach, all the things he wanted in a place to live. He didn’t mind the lack of worldly possessions, the grueling physical training or the repressively structured schedule. Most who observe the lifestyle of the members of the order will classify it as both decadent and grueling. The monastery is filled with beautiful paintings and has displays with all styles of sculpture. Beautiful music is almost always playing through the halls and the windows not only look over the natural beauty of the land, but also the meticulously maintained gardens which house plants that by rights should not be able to grow in the cool, high altitude conditions. The smells of the place are also divine, as the fragment flowers from outdoors combine with the exotic cuisine inside. Every meal is of extremely high quality and presentation. The dishes spans dozens of culinary styles and each is prepared as if by a master chef from a five star restaurant. This atmosphere of luxury and beauty is countered by watching the residents of the Endless Dream working. As they train, they often repeat the same motion hundreds of times, punishing themselves for minor imperfections of form that the untrained eye cannot hope to see. All members is forced to pass a rigorous exam where their mastery of motion and control are scrutinized for both consistency and aesthetics. Likewise, all activities and arts produced at the monastery must meet exacting standards based on the traditions of the Endless Dream. All of this is done in order to follow the ideals of the Endless Dream: that beauty is the highest virtue in life and true beauty can only be expressed through perfection of the artistic process. Each member of the order begins with learning the basic tenants of martial arts, honing the process of the moving the body before they chose a specific form which they seek mastery over. Some remain martial artists and travel the world looking to find new challenges and techniques test heir skill against, but most choose to mold the world around them. Cooks, painters, sculptors (who work in many different media), gardeners, writers, architects, carpenters, weaponsmiths, potters and even fashion designers of high talent have been produced by the monastery and are known for their detail oriented styles and high levels of organization. On rare occasion, members of the Endless Dream have become musicians and dancers or other types performing artists. They have met with varied success, often failing to be able to form a rapport with their audience due to their aloof perfectionist standards or join in the social circles that surround these professions. Through mind numbing repetition, Emaku quickly became a master of the physical tenants of the Endless Dream. The philosophy of beauty was much less important to him than the actual effort and perfection of motion required to achieve the beauty. Emaku made no friends within the order, but many of the other monks, both neophytes and masters alike, had a profound respect for his dedication to the physical form and physical expression. He returned any offers of focused apprenticeship with cold rejections. Graduation into a full member of the order came fast for him, as he easily passed the physical trials and managed to scrape by the mental tasks using little more than force of will. The life of an Endless Dreamer revolved around developing an art to the point of perfection. However, Emaku, who loved the structure and physicality of being a monk had little love for most of the common forms of expression. The abstraction of painting and sculpture annoyed him with his earnest and upfront approach to life. The verbal expression of singing and writing were far from his strong suit. For months, Emaku wandered the monastery grounds aimlessly. In order to earn his keep, he sold himself as a mercenary, a guard or hireling. This career also could not keep his interest. Not until his random hiring made him a noble's bodyguard did he find his calling. The noble went to a play and on stage Emaku saw an imperfect performance that gave him insight to the purest expression of physical art. Acting. After deflecting an arrow intended to assassinate the noble he was protecting and safely escorting him home, Emaku knew what beauty he could express through the perfection of his body. Unfortunately, breaking into acting is never easy, particularly for someone with no social contacts and an attitude that drives people away. Emaku continued mercenary work to pay the bills, while he sought out both a school of acting and a chance to break into the business. He had no success at either, so began self-training. Attending busy nights at popular taverns, Emaku began studying people. He listened to how they talked. He watched how they reacted. He studied them methodically. And then he tried to mimic them and while this presented an excellent imitation, it did not capture everything. Emaku was unable to portray them with perfect honesty, because he did not understand the “why” behind anything. In order to become the perfect actor, he would have to completely understand the subject. As Emaku’s adventuring skills improved and jobs became more lucrative, he began using his money to build up a small library as well as purchase a decent home in a metropolis’s entertainment district. In between work, which he loathed, he began doing biographical studies. He researched the lives of interesting people and began learning how they developed and formed theories on the “whys” that boggled him. The break into acting came on a chance hiring. Verno Rockford hired Emaku to serve as a bodyguard for him while he attended a painting exhibition. Verno had become aware of Emaku’s acting aspirations and sought to use this to gain the favor and services of Emaku for his organization. Emaku was cold as always to Verno, performing his duties efficiently, but without respect for his employer, until Verno informed Emaku that he was a producer of many plays and could get him an audition. Emaku accepted the audition and received his first acting role as a secondary character due to it. Emaku Okadu’s Theatrical Resume (Selected Plays) The Dungeon of Transmuter Marrow, Transmuter Marrow (Still in production) Verno later stamped out a more formal deal with Emaku: he would continue to get him into plays and ensure him a decent salary if he served as his courier and enforcer. Emaku accepted the position and though he hates working for Verno, he has found true happiness in the theater scene. Just about every local and even foreign director and playwright who passes through the city absolutely loathes working with Emaku, but his talent for acting is absolutely amazing. The audiences love him and he has become the most famous actor in the city and is known from word of mouth to many people (particularly those in the art scene) all over the continent. This popularity has made his relationships with people even worse. In order to avoid the publicity, Emaku often asks Verno for extra work. While this usually involves dealing with people, the shock of having a famous actor collecting their debts is more interesting for him than dealing with mindless fans attempting to talk to him about how wonderful an actor he is. The consummate professional, Emaku is always improving his craft in order to achieve the perfection of the art form, not to please the masses. Emaku Okadu in the World: Charges were dropped in the Okuda assault case. Devon Sheridan, 34, who earlier this week accused actor Emaku Okadu, 32, best known to his fans as ‘The Method” of brutally smashing his nose and cheekbone with is bare hands, than throwing him through an oak table at the Greasy Goblin Tavern, withdrew his complaint without explanation. Sheridan is a merchant ship captain in town negotiating a trade with local business owners. After an altercation at the Greasy Goblin, Sheridan required multiple curative spells to fix a broken nose and repair a fractured cheekbone. Witnesses say that the sea captain approached the privacy- seeking actor who was sitting with producer and art patron Verno Rockford. Words were exchanged and Sheridan screamed moments before the table that Okadu had been sitting at split in half as Sheridan’s body passed through it. While it seems doubtful that anything other than Okadu could have caused the injury and damage, witnesses all claim that they did not see the actor touch the captain. Emaku Okadu did not comment on this report. -Kendal Mafeous Public opinion on Emaku ranges widely. Everyone in the theater scene knows who he is and while almost all respect his acting and his work ethic, they also despise him as a person. Emaku believes (often rightly) that he understands the craft better than anyone else in the production and tells others involved how to do their jobs. Even though working with Emaku usually means good pay, most resent him anyway. Within the theater-going scene, Emaku is considered an eccentric and a fantastic actor, two things that are commonly related. A small minority of these people holds some resentment towards him. These people may have been cruelly snubbed by Emaku or may have been too enthusiastic about approaching the actor. On multiple occasions Emaku has slugged a fan for violating his privacy or personal space, but nothing has come from these events other than a black eye and a lost fan. Most upper and merchant class citizens have heard of Emaku and he has a reputation as an excellent performer and many adore his celebrity. The local news printers like to write about him and the people generally want to know about the mysterious actor. The lower classes look at him as they look at most rich celebrities: with admiration or jealousy. Most have never seen him, but have heard about him. The criminal element has mixed feelings about Emaku. He is an enforcer for Verno Rockford, so often his reputation is hinged upon his master’s, but individually, Emaku is known as a fair, but humorless worker. His status with Verno is fairly well known amongst the criminal community, but not the extent. The hottest bachelor around lives a mystery life. The ever controversial actor Emaku Okuda is known for his attitude, his drive and his amazing fashion sensibilities, not to mention his gorgeous face and sleek bod. He isn’t known for his relationships with the ladies, however, and one has to wonder why. Some might speculate that the man has no interest in women, but his commitment to defining masculine fashion says otherwise. So, we need to wonder, who is this mystery woman and why does he keep her a secret? Could Emaku be consorting with an actress? Or maybe a more powerful being has become enamored by his craft? Do nymphs and angels enjoy the theater? - Valeria Owens, Local style reporter Not liking the public life, Emaku Okuda prefers to spend free time at home or doing research. He dedicates two hours a day to physical training without fail and if he has a light schedule passes the extra time extending this training, perhaps perfecting a new combat technique. Outside of his work for Verno and the plays he performs in, Emaku has no social life to speak of. While he has some interest in women, the high ideals of the Endless Dream always prevent him from pursuing any relationship. He finds the women in the theater community shallow and the women who flock to his fame vacant, needing his celebrity to fill the void in their lives. Emaku’s plays currently all work under the same format. The play has a limited, two week engage at a high-end theater. This short run serves two purposes. First, the demand created allows for inflated ticket prices. Second, it frees up Emaku as he stays in character for the entire time period he is acting in his play, including when he is off stage. His criminal employers can’t use him if he’s staying in a character, so they keep the duration of his plays short. Gather Information, Knowledge (local) & Bardic Knowledge DCs: Gather Information Knowledge Local Bardic Knowledge (Can be used to find any of the above information at the same DC or the following) Verno Rockford: Emaku is the ideal choice to serve as an enforcer and bodyguard for Verno. His fame and status within the theater community gives Emaku an excellent excuse to accompany Verno to most legitimate events. His speed allows him to handle jobs quickly and his fame offers him a blanket of protection from retribution. Anyone who would attempt to remove Emaku would have to deal with the very public investigation of a celebrity going missing. While Verno is well known amongst the art and criminal communities, Emaku is famous, a quality that is extremely useful. Verno holds his position through his contacts and allies. Most ended up in his service the same way Emaku did, needing a favor. Verno is well known for paying employees generously and treating them with respect, so many small time thugs come to him for work. Verno rarely uses his personal resources, preferring to hire out help from others, both to help keep himself clean and to renew the bonds of trust with his contacts. This said, Verno has a personal transmuter (human, level 5) in his service to assist disguises, which he makes use of frequently when meeting new contacts or untrustworthy ones. The transmuter can also use combative magic if need be. Other people that Verno can call in to handle problems range widely. Corrupt guards and low level criminals all owe service to Verno, but other more major personalities in the city may either owe favors to Verno or are being extorted by him. Using Emaku: If you are playing in a political or intrigue oriented campaign, Verno Rockford or a similar character can function well as a villain. The party may be trying to topple his criminal enterprise or another criminal in the city and need to go through Verno (and thus Emaku) at some point. While Emaku is not very sociable, his fame and charisma give him plenty of clout to limit the opportunities to directly engage them. The PCs cannot simply kill the famous actor without the entire city knowing about it. Indeed, finding a way to deal with such an influential figure presents an interesting challenge. Verno Rockford ties Emaku to the theater scene, but need not serve as a villain, merely a linking figure. Indeed, if the real villain is linked to the art community, Verno Rockford can be completely removed if desired. If you are playing a more “down and dirty” style of campaign, than Emaku will probably not see much use working for Verno. Instead, Verno, in order to curry favor with another criminal, may have leant Emaku’s services to someone else. While Emaku hates this type of work, his ties to the theater require him to do so in order to follow his passion. Any sort of criminal villain who may need a bodyguard, enforcer or simply a famous face can use Emaku. Before using Emaku, it is extremely important to play up on his fame. A Dungeons and Dragons™ theater actor’s fame is certainly limited compared to a modern day movie star, but he should still be a well known figure. The exposition of Emaku should begin second hand. The player characters should overhear someone talking about his excellent performance. They may read the newspaper and see a review of one of his plays, or one of the pieces from sample articles spread throughout the entry. They may see a painting of him decorating an advertisement outside of a theater. Giving the character some life before the player characters meet him helps to establish the sense of fame. If the characters watch a play with Emaku, be sure to emphasize his ability. By taking 10, Emaku scores a 31 on his Perform check, which qualifies as a phenomenal performance. He is known for his ability to “be” the character and has an extremely raw edge to his acting. He never looks like he is acting, he simply looks like whatever he is attempting to portray. A sample scene from a play can be used to create contrast: when acting Emaku appears to be full of life and often emotional, but off stage he is completely cold and disinterested in the world around him. Many things about this character might be considered distinguishing features. Emaku’s look is very different from others. His smooth dark skin and baby face, coupled with his common, but tasteful fashion sense are unmistakable. His fame is also a distinguishing feature. If Emaku’s fame is built up, the mere fact that he is a famous actor works on its own as something that sets him apart. Lastly, Emaku’s fighting style is strikingly different. Refer to the “Combat Strategy” section below for details. Lower level campaigns will use him more as a scenery piece or social obstacle. Emaku’s rich background and fame means the player characters may have heard of him and even have seen his performances. The actor’s ties to the criminal element mean that whether the party is fighting criminals or are criminals themselves, at some point they will stumble upon Emaku and have to deal with him in some fashion. A few scattered incidents aside, Emaku prefers to handle problems without violence, using his connections to Verno or simply his clout to get rid of others. Mid-level parties may directly combat Emaku. He is not a particularly powerful combatant, but he has access to plenty of thugs. Again, if they do manage to kill him, they will face serious consequences due to his criminal connections and fame. High-level parties have nothing to fear from Emaku’s combat prowess. In order to account for this, Emaku can again be used simply as a social obstacle or he can be advanced in monk to a higher level. At any level, Emaku is strong willed, stubborn and generally a jerk. The party will find it almost impossible to talk to him. He lives his art and while he has no emotional attachment to the criminals he works for, he is protective of these connections as they are the only bridge he has yet to burn within the theater community. For no reason will he fight to the death, but up to that point he will serve any one he is working for loyally, though usually with numerous complaints and a bad attitude. Although he is cold and aloof, there are avenues for the player characters to work with Emaku on a diplomatic level. The most straightforward is if the players produce high end theater or have connections with those who do. However, this is probably not likely in the average party. A different angle would be if the party contains an exceptional female character. Emaku does not normally relate to women because they are generally unworthy (much like men, plants and animals). A mid- to high-level player character may have the credentials necessary to attract his fancy. His first priority is aesthetics (i.e. hotness), but martial competence, talent and wit are also all highly important. As a rule, Emaku’s interest will probably fade over the period of a week as the player character cannot hope to fill his overwhelmingly high standards, but in this time the character may be able to drain him of information. Other diplomatic avenues may include a challenge in acting or nonlethal unarmed martial combat, offering services to keep reporters and fans away from him or indirectly hiring him through Verno or another criminal organization. Lying to Emaku about contacts in theater or criminal organizations is doomed to fail: he is meticulous when it comes to his work and his obsession. He has a wealth of information in the fields and his clout enables him to uncover most deceptions. When Emaku is performing, he stays in character even after leaving the theater. As such, a second personality for him will be determined by what performance he is in at the time. While this may make him easier to deal with, his persona will not possess any of the knowledge the characters seek to obtain, as he will only give information his persona would have access to. The only times Emaku will break character is if his boss contacts him for a job or his life is in eminent danger. Combat Strategy: When fighting alone and in a dangerous fight, Emaku always attempts to keep in one on one fighting. He attempts to use Jump and Tumble to get into positions where physical obstacles prevent flanking. As he is practically always in a city, this is usually relatively easy. If there is any possibility of escape, he will take it. When on a mission, however, Emaku refuses to flee unless his own death is imminent. If he is acting as a bodyguard for Verno or another personality, Emaku uses defensive fighting to stall the enemy or brutally attacks one character so the others might beg to mercy. When doing other forms of missions, he will usually be with others, so his tactics depends on who he is with. The main thing to remember is that Emaku places himself first and generally thinks of everyone else as incompetent at doing anything that he is good at. The key thing about using Emaku in combat is not what he is doing, but describing how he is doing it. The Endless Dream combat style emphasizes form and flair over all else. While he still chooses his actions based on effectiveness, the way in which he accomplishes them needs to show his raw style. As a rule, I would suggest spending double the amount of time describing Emaku’s actions that you do for others. If you generally don’t describe actions or do very little description, I would recommend at least twelve seconds. Here are some examples: Stunning Blow (hit) versus a Humanoid: “As his hips spin clockwise, two open palms appear out of nowhere, exploding into your character’s chest. The hands of these two palms are aligned perfectly, resting exactly parallel to one another. As the arms come across the twisting body, these limbs are positioned in vastly different alignment. Should careful inspection be taken, the bends of the elbows combined with the shape of the torso create for one moment a perfect diamond that disappears as Emaku turns to face another adversary. All that is left is the air that was knocked from your character’s lungs lingering in awe for his perfect form.” Notes from the Author: Emaku’s equipment is of higher value than an NPC of his level normally has. Emaku is a rich actor and connected to criminal organizations. He spends his money to better his position as a goon, as that is he maintains his acting career. This extra equipment should not raise his CR, as he still has less than a PC would of his level would. For those unfamiliar with the term, method acting is a school of acting where the actor tries to identify with the individual personality of the specific character being portrayed, so as to provide a realistic rendering of the character's role. At the extreme end of this school, the actor stays in character even off stage. Some contemporary examples of this extreme style of method acting are Vigo Mortanson and Daniel Day-Lewis. Emaku is made to be played in a major city. All that he needs to function, however, is a theater and a criminal organization. Even the criminal organization can be altered to a single individual (or small body of individuals) of great influence. Verno Rockford is given as an example villain, but if your campaign already has an organization or individual in mind, he is non-essential to the entry or can even serve as a secondary or supplemental villain. Verno Rockford is not described in any sort of detail. He should be able to blend into the racial majority and upper social class of the city he is in. A level 10 character with a mixture aristocrat and expert levels should suffice. Intelligence should be his highest stat, followed by Charisma and Wisdom. His skills should reflect those that are important in the city, although Knowledge (Local), Gather Information, Diplomacy and Bluff are vital for him. You may be wondering, “Why is a method actor a level 12 monk?” He began his Monk training at 13 and is now 32. Over these nineteen years he has spent a good portion of his time doing progressively riskier jobs for his bosses, many of them completely alone. He has had ample time to gain this experience and plenty of opportunity thanks to his skills. |
