Fated Ronin

Basic Outline: The Fated Ronin is what happens when the Dutiful Samurai's cause is not taken away, but curdled before his eyes. The Fated Ronin watched his purpose turn against what that purpose was pledged to defend. The Dutiful Samurai chose his cause because it was a worthy cause, the Fated Ronin, watched that cause betray itself. The Fated Ronin is now on a mission to find the honor that he lost when his cause betrayed him. He looks like a shell of the Dutiful Samurai, and where the Dutiful Samurai fought as though he were unafraid of death, the Fated Ronin fights as though his already dead.

Good Examples- Malcolm Reynolds (Joss Whedon's "Fierfly"), King Leonidas ("300"), D'artangon (Man in the Iron Mask)

Motiviation: The Fated Ronin wants to find redemption for his honor, because life is nothing without honor. The Fated Ronin is a Dutiful Samurai who was betrayed by his cause or master, and who is feels that this betrayal makes a lie of his service to that cause. This has left his life without meaning. The Fated Ronin feels empty and perceives that he has lost value and honor as a result. This emptiness drives the Fated Ronin to seek out noble, but dangerous (hopefully suicidal) quests in an attempt to either regain his honor or die trying. Because the Fated Ronin devoted his life to his cause, he feels that his life ended when he was betrayed and thus has no qualms about leaping into certain death. It would at least be an honorable death for a good reason in his mind.

The Fated Ronin will be helpful tot he party, because of his desperate need to regain his honor and prove his worth. He may however, be a burden to the party in some ways as well, because his team is unlikely to approve of his attempts to die honorably. The Fated Ronin will likely get along best with the Dark Anti-Hero and the Cynical Veteran who both understand his pain, even if they never talk about it.

Sample Description for this character (feel free to print this off).

Description: You have watched everything that you believe in turn against you and those that you were pledged to defend. You dedicated yourself to a worthy cause, a worthy master, and watched that cause betray itself. This beterayal makes a lie of your service, leaving your life without meaning or honor. Your life now tastes like ash in your mouth. Everything that you worked for is gone. All of your honor has been wasted in the service of a life. Your soul and passion have been snuffed out like a candle, leaving only a cold empty void within you. This emptiness is what drives you on, to either regain your honor or die trying. Where once you fought as though you were unafraid of death, now you fight as though you are already dead.