#gaki's could be... bees. my god

[laikaflash]

Remember when I said the Soul Archive site had a page's worth of info on the Fu-Ma clan? Well, here it is. I actually recreated that table at the bottom for my notes, and while I could make a version of it that would be readable here, I wanted to go into more detail than that would allow, so I present...

A Condensed Overview of the Fu-Ma Clan

(Including the kanji because I think it's neat. Usually, their names are written in katakana.)

Who is who:

Toki (斗鬼): Clan leader and despot for most of the story. Taki's adoptive father and mentor. His long-standing grudge against his rival Hachibei fed into his eventual madness, which was not helped by the sword Mekki-Maru's power. His weapons of choice are a sword cane and smokescreens. Created the Yasunobe faction to act as his enforcers. Literally became a demon, much to his downfall at Taki's hand.

Nki (雲忌): By far the most enigmatic one. Rarely seen in the village and never goes without a cloth mask over their head. Weapon of choice is unknown, but can apparently make their opponents' heads explode. Seems to be a survivor of the original Manji clan, per New Legends of Project Soul.

Taki (多喜): The roster's resident demon huntress herself. One of very few ninjas to master both demon-sealing and sword-smithing. Any more and a good chunk of this post would just be her story.

Hachibei (八兵衛): One of the clan's most respected ninjas, next only to Toki for a time. He stole the kodachi Mekki-Maru from Toki and lived in hiding with his daughter Chie. A master at stealth; his weapons of choice are a sword cane and shuriken. He's part of the Urabe faction, whose job is to monitor the leader and assassinate him if he becomes a danger to the clan, which also bars him from taking over.

Chie (千恵): Hachibei's daughter and Taki's childhood friend. She was mute for years owing to the trauma of witnessing her mother's murder. Fled the clan with her father, fell in love with Li Long, and narrowly survived an attempt on her life by one of Toki's assassins. The webpage specifies neither fighting style nor weapons for her, but according to NLoPS, her talents lie in spiritual power rather than in direct combat. She eventually returned to the Fu-Ma with her son Riki, and succeeded Toki as leader.

Elder Enkai (焔界老人): Head of the Inobe (blacksmith faction). He taught Taki how to forge her own magic blades. He's a stickler for the clan's traditions. While he was an old friend of Hachibei, he can't accept him going rogue. The same goes for Taki. His weapons of choice are gunpowder, a fire pot, and a hammer.

Shuki (朱基): Head of the Fujibe (demon-sealing faction) for most of the story. Former student of Hachibei. Described as young for his title of elder, even though SC6 showed him with gray hair (maybe he went prematurely gray, I dunno). He's normally cool-headed, though his temper tended to flare up around Toki's right-hand man Geki (more on him below). He's also secretly a member of the Urabe. His weapon of choice is a kodachi (kagekiri in SC6). Lover of Juju, which led to his death by Arahabaki between SC4 and SC5, as the Fu-Ma's inaction after she went missing enraged him.

Fuki (布季): Publicly, she's a member of the Inobe and expert with hidden weapons (namely cat claws, kunai, and shuriken), though she prefers to make defensive equipment. Secretly another Urabe member. Mother of twins Kiki and Chiki and a mother figure to Shuki and other younger Fu-Ma members. According to the old Fu-Ma relationship chart on Soul Archive, she and Hachibei used to be in love with each other in their youth. Secretly, she's also an Urabe member, but she hesitant to act as she was outmatched by Toki. By SC5, she trains the younger Fujibe members.

Juju (樹寿): Fujibe member and lover of Shuki. Interestingly, her techniques of choice are listed as "terrain manipulation" (地形操作) and "psychological bewitchment" (心理的幻惑); I really wish I could say more on those. Her weapons of choice were a kogatana (presumably a short sword) and traps (or snares). The only other thing to note is that she was the first one sent after Arahabaki, who possessed her and forced her to kill Shuki and many other ninjas before Taki, unable to seal the demon, resorted to killing her.

Rekki (列輝): Shuki's successor as head of the Fujibe. He was like a little brother to Shuki. By SC5, he's in love with Kiki and hostile to Natsu (presumably, he's not over what happened to Shuki). He specializes in throwing techniques and his weapons of choice are described as boomerang-like objects.

Kiki (嬉紀): Fujibe member; Fuki's eldest daughter; twin to Chiki. Her weapon of choice is (checks notes)... described as a "small animal flute". Her fighting style... sounds like she specializes in summoning small animals (namely squirrels). I'm not making this up. Also, the old SC Fu-Ma relationship chart mentioned that she and Chiki studied under Enkai. She and Chiki were like younger sisters to Shuki.

Chiki (稚紀): Fujibe member; Fuki's youngest daughter; twin to Kiki. She also specializes in some sort of magic flute, but this one apparently controls small plants (mainly vines). No, I didn't make that up either. By SC5, she and Kiki are each other's enemies for some reason. Maybe the sibling rivalry was there all along.

Geki (激): One of many heads of the Yasunobe, Toki's right-hand man, and an arrogant slimeball. A battoujutsu user who wields a kodachi carried in a scabbard that creates a wave of wind that slices his foes (and shuriken, incidentally). He was sent after Taki to steal Rekki-maru. Quite literally a different beast in SC Legends.

Doki (努鬼): One of Geki's subordinates. A big dude with a massive hammer (Great Maul in SC6). The Fu-Ma relationship chart in NLoPS lists him as one of the "purged" Yasunobe members.

Gaki (蛾鬼): One of Geki's subordinates. Also another odd flute user; his fighting technique is described as "using insects". The Soul Archive site and the SC6 library mention him as one of Geki's party searching for Taki, but I sure didn't see him in her Soul Chronicle.

Kashizuku (渦雫): One of Geki's subordinates. He specializes in swimming, diving techniques, and wields a tantou and chains. He's not accounted for by SC5.

Suuhaku (嵩狛): One of Geki's subordinates. He's a specialist of hidden weapons, namely kunai, kogatana, shuriken, and needles. Listed as "purged" in NLoPS.

Ryokko (緑胡): One of Geki's subordinates. She specializes in mixing and using poisons by way of powders, traps, her body (nails, teeth; etc.), snakes(!), and daggers. Not accounted for by SC5.

Yamikaze (闇風): One of Geki's subordinates. His fighting style is described simply as "fast running techniques (basically not fighting)" and he wields a kodachi. NLoPS lists him as exiled from the clan. By SC5, he has a son(?) named Okiwari (沖割), who trains under Hachibei.

Isurugi (石動): One of the Yasunobe heads. Once exiled from the clan for employing a vengeful spirit he was supposed to have banished, but Toki pardoned him. What's more, he seems to ignore Toki's orders at times. Listed as exiled in NLoPS and in a secret alliance with a Fujibe member Hosen (or Housen: 泡閃). However, in Sc6, Taki seemingly killed him...? His "This body has outgrown its usefulness" line implies he could possess another body.

Niime (弐依芽) and Miime (魅依芽): Seemingly a pair of twin girls, but they're actually vengeful spirits bound to human forms controlled by Isurugi. Niime on the webpage is described as specializing in curses and taijutsu (broadly, empty-handed combat); SC6 shows her wielding Megalodon elbow blades. Miime, according to the webpage, specializes in curses and paralyzing the senses; SC6 shows her wielding the Steel on Steel ring blade.

Maki (摩希): One of the Yasunobe heads. She specializes both seduction and martial arts, and poison needles. Noted to be one of the few who doesn't abuse her authority, but she's just as merciless as the rest of his minions. Also, she's suspicious of Isurugi. She's not accounted for by SC5, but in the new timeline, she gets killed trying to assassinate Taki.

Harugake (春掛): One of Maki's subordinates. He specializes in what I think is a bird-summoning flute and he also uses shuriken. Fate unknown.

Shouensai (翔円斎): One of Maki's subordinates. His weapon of choice is a kusarigama (chain-sickle) attached to an oil cloth, and he also specializes in fire techniques and hypnotism. Fate unknown.

Kazuki (伽月): One of Maki's subordinates. She specializes in seduction and hypnotism. Her weapon of choice is a kusarifundō (a sort of chain with a counterweight). Listed as "purged" in NLoPS.

Kotonashi (言無): One of the Yasunobe heads. A former student of Hachibei and second only to him in stealth; his goal is to show he has surpassed his former master by killing him. He also has the greatest skill in ranged weapons such as bows, blowguns, kunai, shuriken, etc. Noted to be exceptionally cruel, though his subordinates seem to admire him. As the kanji in his name implies ("No Words"), he is quite taciturn. He and his subordinates were sent to hunt down Li Long. His fate is unknown.

Saiha (彩葉): One of Kotonashi's subordinates. Interestingly, her fighting style involves a huge mechanical prosthetic arm and leg. Presumably, her "iron nails" are the on the hand, though the word "tsume" (爪) can also mean "hook" or "claw". The "iron lump/ingot" (鉄塊) is probably the leg. Dammit, she sounds cool and we never see her! Anyway, her fate is unknown.

Iki (威貴): One of Kotonashi's subordinates. He's a unique one in his weaponization of sound, using flute and bell to inflict "paralysis by high and low frequency sounds". He also uses smokescreens and a kogatana. Fate unknown.

Hijirine (聖音): Uniquely, her weapons are "thread that slices, her own hair; kunai attached to a thread". Man, Kotonashi really did pick some interesting ones... Again, her fate is unknown.

For all Toki's minions whose fates are unknown by SC5 at most, just use your imagination. For my purposes, they're presumed gone by at least 1590.

I think I'll go over the ones only mentioned in New Legends of Project Soul another day. It would be shorter. *collapses*