The Mist Viper clan is slowly rebuilding. Once a powerful clan of assassins and sorcerers, they had been hunted down by their rivals and almost destroyed. However, the elders who managed to escape hid well. Turning to alchemical processes to extend their lifespans, they abducted children and indoctrinated them to the clan, slowly and with great care the Mist Vipers returned to the world at large, working for petty lords and criminals they sought to restor their magical prowess. Over the centuries they have once agian achieved the lofty status of assassins, spys, and diviners to criminal powers and corrupt politicians. Recently, one of their alchemists found the secrets of the Eight Immortals. The complex and costly rituals would transform Eight loyal warriors into immortal superweapons. The Elders, seeing a chance for the clan to achieve even greater power, jumped at the chance. Eight promising initiates were chosen for the ritual and failed to survive. The project was shelved for a few decades after this as its expense had threatened the clan's survival for a second time. Then, as the Heisi period waned; the Elders tried again to create their immortal champions. Among those chosen, Hongo Tonomori was known as absolutely loyal and a champion warrior among his peers. As part of the ceremony he had to sacrifice what meant the most to him. With heavy heart, the love of his life offered herself as his sacrifice. Promising to care for her family, Tonomori himself had to end her life. Once the ritual was over, he felt his body burn. For a moment he felt he was going to die like the ones before him. But dying in service of his clan was an honorable way to die and he would again be reunited with his love. Then the burning stopped and Tonomori, now a gigantic man, standing almost ten feet tall, rose from his knees and swore loyalty to the elders of the clan. He was given the name Stone Serpent, the Embodiment of Strength. Since then he has transformed ten ninja into the Initiates of Stone, gifted of low level superhuman strength, they serve their leader with loyalty and honor. Stone Serpent rarely works with the other Eight Immortals as Blood Tiger upsets his sense of honor and self control. He will work with them when asked or commanded by the elders, of course. Tonomori is absolutely loyal to his clan, then his family whom he cares for deeply. He regrets not being able to marry his betrothed (she was sacrificed as part of his transformation); but watches over her brothers as if they were his children. Beyond this he enjoyes being a "Brick" and seeks out combat among his peers. His battles with the Yusoo's Tsuchi have been very destructive but also very enjoyable. He even admires Dragon of the Stars and Raiden for their combat prowess. An assassin, he kills often but he is no murderer. He thinks those who kill uneccessarily, or worse, out of a sense of entertainement or cruelty, to be beneath contempt. He has killed Initiates of Stone (his personal cadre of assassins) who show these tendancies. When he fights, unless his opponent has been targeted for assassination, he generally leaves them alive to challenge him again. "Your strength is impressive, but I am the Stone Serpent and you have no chance." although a trained acrobat, Stone Serpent disdains jumping around the battle field. He finds a worthy challenger and unleashes his might against them. He is as agile as an upper level professional athlete and has tremendous skill in hand to hand combat. His Bricktricks are geared for lower strength use (he can't go all out with them or he can't control them). The Eight Immortals are mere extensions of their defining attribute; Stone Serpent is the embodiment of Strength. He isn't the strongest brick in the world but with his marital arts, skills, and powers he is one of the most powerful fighters. If you'd like him to be less powerful drop his Str to 60 and the tricks to a 50 STR limit. Cut his Armor Plating to +15 or even +10 and lower his SPD to 4. If you want him to be even more of an exemplar for Strength; increase his STR to 90, his Tricks to 80 STR limit, and his SPD to 6. A massively tall and broad japanese man with long black hair (to his shoulders) in a topknot. His eyes are brown. He wears billowy black pants, a silk green sash, and nothing else. His body is covered with dull gray armor plating; the plate is organic yet appears very much like sectional armor. He has large "shoulder pads" and small organic spines at his shoulders and knees.