Entranceway Application

[honorabledogfather]

Name: Kitten
DW username: n/a
E-Mail: kittenfaisoverlord@gmail.com
IM: Kittenfais #8561 (Discord) or SextaEspadaGrimmjow (Skype), though the latter is not always on.
Plurk: Grimmkitty

Other Characters: n/a

Character Name: The Inu no Taishou (No canon name. If one is absolutely required, then the scrapped but once intended name "Touga" will work!)
Series: InuYasha
Timeline: Post-Death
Canon Resource Link: The Inu no Taishou on the InuYasha wiki! As a note, the wiki is only semi-reliable and includes filler arcs such as the Panther Devas, anything pertaining to Hyouga/Menomaru (1st movie) and anything pertaining to Takemaru or Sou'unga (3rd movie). These subjects are not a solid part of my canon since they are, in fact, filler.


Character History: With no given name, the Inu no Taishou (Dog General) is referred to only by title, rank, or his relationship to whoever he is spoken about (Master, father, and varying degrees of reverence/respect). Equally mysterious is his age and most exploits at a younger age, though what is not mysterious is the fact that he is a Greater Dog Demon (Inu Daiyoukai) and that he commands much respect. His beginnings are not spoken of; the series mainly focuses on the Taishou’s legendary strength. It can be inferred that he is many centuries old, perhaps several millennia, given how old of a youkai he appears to be. Sesshoumaru, his son of (supposedly/approximately) five hundred years still has the youthful appearance of a man in his early twenties. The Inu no Taishou, by comparison, appears to be in his mid to late forties. Not only does this speak of his wizened age, but of his ability to survive in a dangerous time period where demons and humans are constantly at war with one another and themselves.


In the world of InuYasha, more powerful youkai with established reputations seem more likely to wear more lavish clothing, more distinct armor and carry themselves with a much higher sense of etiquette. This means that the Taishou, wearing clothing that like his son Sesshoumaru, stands out among most other youkai and commands attention. Like any other youkai, he had his own set territory to which he laid claim, which can be inferred to include the plains of Musashi, given that he has defended this area from Ryuukotsusei's attacks. On the whole, it has been surmised that his claim included several western provinces, but his "rule" was likely based only on territorial disputes and shows of power, which youkai are quite taken to.

At his peak, the Taishou gained many allies, some uniquely talented. One of these allies was Toto-sai, the demon swordsmith with a capricious nature who rarely did work for individuals he didn't respect. He also made other connections, such as with the demon tree Bokusenou, the demon flea Myouga, and Housenki, a demon comprised of adamant (or diamond) who created for him a black pearl serving as his tomb once he passed on.

In addition, he did have two lovers: Sesshoumaru's mother (equally unnamed in the series) and the daughter of a lord, Izayoi. His relationship with Sesshoumaru's mother did not end in an entirely negative situation, as she does speak fondly of him and merely regards his attachment to humanity as a "strange habit." With her, he conceived his first son and likely one of the most powerful demons in the series, Sesshoumaru. An undetermined point of time after this, he chose to court a human woman and fell deeply in love with her. Enough that he left his prior mate and, despite knowing the stigma that revolved around such an action, had a half-breed child with Izayoi. This, of course, is where the third movie fills in some blanks rather unsuccessfully with the source material, and where I usually take some liberties, so here goes.

The third movie posits that the day Inuyasha was born, his father died. The manga translations however, paint a different scenario, in which the Inu no Taishou died while Inuyasha was indeed young, but not during the half-breed's infancy. Inuyasha references in vol 2 of the manga that he doesn't know much about his father, but never does he mention not knowing him. For the part of this application, I do not choose to hold the third movie up as full canon, and mostly only take appearance reference from it (the manga-ka did design him for that film) and as previously stated, I omit any mention of the third sword, Sou'unga".

With all this information as a set up, the Inu no Taishou's life can be more easily chronicled.

As stated, the Taishou took a portion of western provinces as his territory during the Sengoku period of Japan, and was known to cavort as an enormous spectral dog, a picture of which is provided in the second volume of the manga. The time is hard to place, but his death can be chronicled back at least 50-100 years, depending on how quickly or slowly Inuyasha would have aged and taking into account his time sealed to the Goshinboku tree. And given the fact that pure, high-class youkai age slowly and he looks to be in his mid to late forties, it can be assumed that he is quite old.

During his prime, he was respected and feared by the demons of Japan, enough that seeing his sons draws up memories of the old general amongst old enemies, and that his former friends and allies do work to assist his sons in their endeavors. This includes the combined efforts of the elder youkai Myouga, Bokusenou, and Toto-sai assisting in bequeathing the swords to Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru as per his cryptic instructions. Myouga in particular speaks fondly of his "lord," and despite streaks of cowardice, does everything he can to assist the Taishou's youngest on his path to growing stronger.

As for his enemies, the Taishou has had to prove his strength more than once, and has soundly defeated youkai such as Shishinki. Even in his battle against Ryuukotsusei he proved successful, not by killing but by sealing the demon with one of his fangs before succumbing to the wounds inflicted by the dragon youkai. Even after dying, the Taishou's legacy was carried on by his sons, with Sesshoumaru slaying the disfigured Shishinki to elevate his sword's power, and Inuyasha proceeding to strengthen his sword and birthright, Tessaiga, and become a powerful (half) demon to surpass his own father and defeat Ryuukotsusei. Throughout the manga, the Inu no Taishou's relationships and far-reaching intentions prove extremely critical to the storyline. For example, it is because of his foresight in believing Inuyasha would have trouble managing his demon blood that the Tessaiga was bequeathed to him in order to surpress murderous tendencies and protect the half-demon. Conversely, it is because of his wisdom and intention to teach Sesshoumaru compassion that he left him the Tenseiga, a sword of healing. He even arranged it so that the location of his grave and Tetsusaiga was hidden in Inuyasha's eye, showing great foresight on the Taishou's part as he knew his eldest son would try to usurp the younger's birthright.

For better or for worse, his lessons to his sons were not the kindest. In order to strip Sesshoumaru of his obsession with Inuyasha's inheritance, he gave the bloodthirsty youkai a sword that could not cut, forced him to learn compassion, and groomed Sesshoumaru's mastery of a reforged Tenseiga and its offensive technique only for that same attack to then be added to Inuyasha's repertoire. The brothers fought almost endlessly until their father's intentions became clear, showing them both compassion and assuring that they grew to surpass him by relinquishing their obsessions and cruelty. It's quite a lot to put together before you even died, and have it all play out just right. But in the end, Sesshoumaru is left with his own sword, and Inuyasha is given a blade to protect those he cares about.


Abilities/Special Powers:
Accomplished Swordsman: The Taishou is presumed to be a powerful swordsman, showcased in the third movie when he broke through Takemaru's defenses. He has no issue with using either of the swords created from his fangs, it seems; effortlessly he can slay the minions of the underworld to bring Izayoi back to life, and he doesn’t hesitate to unleash a Kaze no Kizu with Tetsusaiga when laying siege upon Takemaru’s castle (again, these events are only used for descriptive purposes as I omit filler).

Inhuman Strength: Like his sons, the Taishou can be assumed to have immense physical strength. The best example of his abilities would most likely come from his sons’ examples, and of course his own legends. Sesshoumaru is easily able to carry objects larger than himself with little to no struggle, and it can be assumed that the Taishou is no exception. He isn’t known as the Great Dog Demon for nothing.

Speed: When attacking Takemaru’s castle, the Taishou displayed great speed, even while being mortally injured. He manages to dodge or knock away most of his assailants' arrows, and has the speed to avoid injury from an ordinary human. When not injured, it can be assumed that he is just as fast as a full-blooded Inu Daioukai (the only canon and practical example, again, being Sesshoumaru).

Senses: As a dog demon, he is gifted with a powerful sense of smell and a great sense of hearing as well. In addition, he has decent night vision, and demon instincts. These can be of detriment as well, however; such strong senses can be used against him if someone thinks to use strong-smelling substances as a weapon. His many years of existence have likely tempered him with the ability to deal with such inconveniences…but all the same. It’s inconvenient.

Immunity: As a powerful demon, the Inu no Taishou most likely cannot be felled by usual methods of purification. This is a trait shared by most strong youkai in the series, who are more resistant to purification, sometimes even if they prove to have good intentions. It’s subjective ability.

Regeneration: Due to his demonic ability, the Taishou is granted a powerful healing factor. Injuries that might incapacitate a human wouldn’t affect him for long. Unfortunately, if he doesn’t tend to any potentially lethal injuries, he can still die. All demons, while almost essentially immortal in aging, can still be killed by grievous injury.

Demon Form: The Taishou has a human form which he seems to favor for convenience, but when it comes down to it, he’s a dog, and is therefore able to transform into one. Over time he seems to have mastered varying states of transformation, as he is depicted across canon in different forms and sizes (in the third movie, he is a large, spectral dog with a furred mane similar to the cape he wears in human form, while in the demon graveyard, he appears to be a mix of the two, wearing human armor but retaining the features of a dog, particularly around the head). As I play him, he can even transform into what almost appears as a normal dog and blend in easily, save for red eyes and facial markings.

Semi-Immortality: Despite his advanced age, the Taishou has the appearance of a middle-aged man, and ages differently from humans. However, he can be killed like any demon in the Sengoku Era, or...any dragon. Even any human. Ryukotsusei the dragon youkai was the one who injured him to the point of death.

Clothes/Armor: The dog demons never seem to change their outfits, and despite specialized armor and how many times that, for example, Sesshoumaru’s armor has been broken, it always seems to come back like new. Presumably, the armor and clothing is linked to their demonic aura, and repairs itself based on the demon’s own power, so he doesn't need a tailor or a smith to fix his things.


Third-Person Sample: The Inu no Taishou is far too old to be seized by thoughts of self-doubt when it comes to his own appearance. Far, far too old. And yet, as he sees the looks he gets from others, he considers that perhaps his clothing provides as much of a culture shock as he is experiencing just by being exposed to so many amazing things.

Though while he was just intrigued by everything, he couldn't help but wonder if they were intrigued by him...or off-put.

So, as he was wont to do, the youkai decided he was going to test something.

Humans enjoyed the company of domesticated dogs. What would they think of a seemingly domesticated animal roaming the Mansion halls without owner or real purpose? He turned a corner, slipping out of sight of anyone and choosing that moment to manipulate his youki; his demonic energy. It reshaped him, reformed him with a bright glow until suddenly, he was built close to the ground, still big for an animal like this. But all fur, tufts, and soft floppy ears.

Claws clicked on the floor quietly as the Taishou stepped back into the open, his maw slightly parted and tongue running out in soft, rhythmic panting.

Do you like dogs, Wonderland?

Because the next person who comes across this hulking beast is going to get a casual muzzle-poke, and the impossibly fluffy tail it boasts is going to wag rapidly in pleasant appeasement.

First-Person Sample: [The instant the video cuts on, there's a wonderful view of...an armored chestplate?]

Oh...no, that isn't right.

[A few moments later, the view corrects, slowly and uncertainly panning upward to reveal the broadcaster's face--and it's very little wonder he was having trouble. It's the Inu no Taishou, and given the state of his attire (never mind who had already met him), he definitely isn't used to this level of technology.]

Ah! There we are. Forgive me a quick test with this device; I'm afraid I have little familiarity with such constructs, but as I understand it, this is how the majority communicates? It seems quite complex, but ingenious!

Humans are such interesting creatures.

[He says it with a smile, then after a few moments, realizes that he's not offering much conversation.]

At any rate, hello everyone. I am the Inu no Taishou, or at least that is how I was known at home. It is very nice to make your acquaintances. I very much hope we can all meet properly in person. Until that point...I will continue experimenting with this form of contact.