Buddy, the Six-String Samurai

By Thunk

"I better find a new job. I'll never be a good King."

Attributes: Bod 6, Chi 0 (For 2), Mnd 5 (Cha 8), Ref 8

Skills: Rock and Roll 14, Driving 9, Martial Arts 14, Info/the King's Realm 9

Weapon Schticks: Symphony of Slaughter x2, Weapon Master (Katana), Signature Weapon ('57 six-string guitar), Untouchable (Plays his guitar)

Weapons: Katana 11, Guitar 11

In this timeline, the atom war with Russia ended all civilization in 1957. The southwest of what was the United States of America has been ruled during forty years by Elvis from his throne in Lost Vegas. When the King's death is announced, all the knights of rock and roll converge there to elect the new King.

Buddy was once the best guitarist and duelist in the whole kingdom, but he fell into alcoholism -after a dramatic event he never talks about. Nevertheless, he rose to this new challenge and undertook the long journey to Vegas to show everyone he was still the best candidate for the job. Buddy's journey across the Realm was hard, he had to fight numerous dangers, but he made it to the city.

What happened then? Did Buddy become the new King? I don't know, and neither does Buddy. He had just set foot on the Strip, when the whole world changed before his eyes. In a blink, the street was full of cars and huge floodlit hotels came out of nowhere. It was as if the war never occured. Unable to accept a world he had thought lost forever, the Six-String Samurai fled. He went to this strange underground realm he had discovered in his journeys.

With his guitarist and swordsman talents, Buddy hwas easily accepted by the peculiar rabble who lived in this "Netherworld", as they called the place. He became quite popular among the refugees from erased timelines, and he soon had his gang of disciples who baptised themselves the Katana Cats. Buddy also learned about the Secret War and the shifting of History, and he was told his world had in fact only existed for a few days -as the result of some big battle in Ukraine 1850.

The Samurai has lost a world and a crown, but he he has a new world now (probably not worse than the former) and crowns are out there, waiting for someone brave enough to conquer them. Buddy and the Katana Cats are willing to put their swords and guitars to good use as long as the pay is right. They defend settlements from raiders, escort travelers accross dangerous regions of the Inner Kingdom, and sometimes hunt down rogue abominations. They can be encountered working for every faction, as long as the mission is honorable -they'd never take on an elimination job, for instance. The only people they'll never cooperate with are the other posses of musician knights, such as the Three Mariachis (led by an Ascended defector), the Red Elvises (other refugees from Buddy's timeline) or the Leningrad Cowboys (a family of supernatural rockers).

Buddy is a man of few words -except of course when he sings- and he behaves not unlike a ronin of ancient Japan: proud and righteous, but often forced by harsh circumstances to act in a less than honorable way. When the remorse becomes too loud, he invariably tries to drown it in a bottle of whisky.

He dresses like a 50's rock singer: black suit with baggy trousers, tie and glasses. He wears his classic '57 guitar on his back, with the sheath of his sword taped to it.

Typical Katana Cat

"We gonna rock ya down, loser!"

Skills: Rock and Roll 7, Martial Arts 8, Intimidation 6, Martial Arts Weapons 9

A rag tag posse of DPs trying to look like rockers. They sport big shades (expensively traded at the bazaar), leather jackets and guitars or other instruments.