Character Descriptions

[Ryoshun Ume]

Name: Ryoshun Ume
Gender: Female
Clan: Bat
Age: 22
Height: 5'8"
Build: Thin
Hair: Dark brown
Eyes: Brown
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Courtier/Crafter/Artisan/Performer

Ume is a quiet, calm, yet friendly young woman. She proves an interesting dichotomy in that she's an open, and expressive artist and Courtier, yet most of the time otherwise is very introverted. Just at home in her garden or tailoring by herself as in court, Ume is many different things at once, yet none on its own. This has led her to being one of the public faces of an otherwise quite introverted and introspective clan in the end.

Ume takes good care of her appearance, making certain to wear clean, soothing colored clothes and taking special care with her hair and makeup. Her hair is almost always up in a loose tail, and she enjoys wearing simple earrings that match and compliment her clothes.

Hooks
- Any sort of craft, art, or performance skill can bring an interesting conversation.
- If you're sitting out of any sort of physical competition, you'll find her sitting out next to you.
- Like plants? So does she.
- Need something commissioned? Ume can likely help.
- Want to hear a story? Trade you.
- She's a diplomat you know.

[Wu Zhe]

Age: 19
Gender: Male
Height: 5'6"
Build: Sturdy
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown

Wu Zhe was not born into the Wu but was the son of a tribal chief who had their lands taken by another clan and nearly where forced to move outside of Rokugan before the Wu offered them hospitality. Not wanting to go further north and risk losing more of their of their people during the journey the offer was accepted. It took a couple of year for what was remaining of the tribe to acclimate to their new condition but the Wu proved patient and let them settle at their own pace. This show of respect and trust ended up working well with the tribe's people and soon they incorporated well enough with the rest of villages the family watched over.



Zhe was young when his people were forced out of their ancestral homes but he remembers the hardship of the journey and will not forget the second chance his people were offered. While he's trained in the Wu's school, Zhe is still functionally a cattle rancher and a dairy farmer. In an effort to repay the Wu he began trying to learn the various peasant ways the people of the Wu in an effort to unite the various methods of farming and raising cattle.



This requiered a lot of travel and conciliation but the efforts began to bear fruit. These efforts were also recognised by the Wu who believed the young man might make a good diplomat. While the young man did grow some of the skills required, the more efined aspects still escapes him and the expulsion of his tribe from their former lands might incur suspicion amongst those with a less forgiving view.

Also: Shu the Red Panda

[Yoshitsune Chizu]

Yoshitsune Chizu
Clan: Crab
Age: 18
Occupation: Bushi
Marital Status: Single
Gender: Female
Height: 6’
Build: Sturdy
Hair: Black, straight
Eyes: Dark

A tall, muscular young woman with pleasing features, Chizu is among the first children born to the Yoshitsune family to reach adulthood. Having gained a little diplomatic experience negotiating a peace agreement with the northern tribes, followed with a stay in the Dragon provinces over the winter of year 24, Chizu seemed a good candidate to send with the Crab delegation to the Imperial Court.

Hooks:

• Chizu spent last winter in the Dragon mountains. Perhaps you might’ve met her there?
• Chizu is curious about the new courtly arts and fashions being developed by other clans for display in the Imperial Court. Perhaps that’s something you know about?
• The Crab Clan could always use friends among the other clans. Perhaps you might want to be one of them?

[Hisomu Fumi]

Hisomu Fumi
Faction: Spider Clan
Age: early 20s
Gender: Female
Height: 5'3"
Build: a little curvy for the average bushi
Hair: Black, often styled up
Eyes: dark brown
Occupation: seeker of knowledge
Marital Status: single

Fumi has spent the entirety of her 20 years in Spider lands. So far, she has progressed well in her study of medicine and a few other subjects. The spider sent her along in hopes of gathering information about any ailments or injuries and how they were handled.

Fumi's always curious and eager to talk to new people, and is often taking notes on just about everything. Sometimes, she becomes distant during conversations as though something is distracting her.

Hooks:
*Fumi spent time studying under Mai the smith for a while and decently knowledgeable about armor and weapons before settling into her study of medicine.
*Ever visit Spider lands?
*Need patched up or have any old battle scars?

[Shinjo Ryoko]

Shinjo Ryōko (量子)
Clan: Ki-Rin
Age: Late Teens
Occupation: Shugenja
Marital Status: Single
Gender: Female
Height: 5'8"
Build: Lithe
Hair: Purple
Eyes: Purple

Ryōko is a weirdo. A fair, well-born loonie, but still. You can call her a mystic, a prophetess, a seer, an enlightened priest if you're generous but in the end you still need a big leap of faith to assume that whatever she's saying about the world around you makes any sense. And she's saying a lot. In fact, she's preaching with fervency as if everything depended on people actually understanding her. And yet you kind of know she's not making it all up, and that's disconcerting. The ethereal aura accompanying her feels real, even intimidating at times, what hardly surprises given her otherworldly parentage: a ki-rin and a dragon. In fact one can easily trace the features she takes after both Shinjo and Koyama in equal measure. Ryoko is mercurial yet headstrong, sensitive yet driven, kind yet menacing. It also seems their parenting influences have crisscrossed in her for she is capable of both compassionate politeness and... foul-mouthed defiance.

Not much is known about her in the wider Empire, a strange thing for a scion of a Kami. A middle child, she might have been once groomed for alliances and marriage but it's hard to tell whether it's still the case as it hasn't been something Shinjo has been advertising. She has just recently emerged from relative obscurity, having spent a good part of her life studying with the Bat. She's known to have recently travelled across the northern Empire, most notably Dragon and Spider lands... preaching. Down here, her agenda is probably the same.

Her fashion choices may mystify as she often chooses garments that are... sleeveless and thus bare her arms and don't hide the marks from being a practitioner of magic.This can also be taken for a statement about honesty and intention, or is just a practical solution for keeping cuts clean and handshakes natural. Her colours are those that... don't exist, or rather they don't exist in the light of this world and your mind is inventing them to cope with the incomprehensible. Think if you've ever seen pink or purple on a rainbow.

Ryōko is accompanied by a black, yellow-eyed cat who she calls Shourido. The cat is there when you look at him, but is he when you don't?

[Wh'rr'kk]

Name: Wh'rr'kk
Faction: Nezumi
Gender: Male
Age: 5?
Height 5'5"
Hair: Motley
Eyes: Beady
Occupation: Ambassador?

The creature before you stands five and a half feet tall, with a long nose and beady little eyes. It's fur is a kaleidoscope of swirls, blue, grey, brown, green, black and white and competing with each other like the floor of a painter's studio. He is garbed in a loose pinkish haori covered with cherry blossoms, and a little red courtier's cap settled between his ears. His tail is adorned with various rings, jewels and netsuke, glittering in the light as it swings behind him. He carries a bedroll, hankyu and quiver upon his back and walks boldly on two legs.

[Jiyo Ayumu]

Name: Jiyo Ayumu
Birth name: Ayumu
Former tribe: Isawa
Faction: Imperial
Gender: Male
Build: Emaciated
Age: Late 30s
Marital status: Single
Occupation: Teacher


Technically a soldier of Shiba, technically a veteran of the campaign against the Shadowlands, Ayumu did not put his weaponry to much use through the last decade, instead devoting himself to the Emperor's educational program. He has been traveling the land to help with the instruction of the next generation of civil servants, teaching the letters, the numbers and a bit of history and geography to the promising youth. The Imperial libraries aren't going to man themselves after all.

As far as people remember, Ayumu has always seem kind of sickly, way too bony and with discolored patches of skin, and being more or less splashed with acid as part of an incident with a monster only made things worse. Some corpses are probably more fresh looking than him. As impressive to the eye as it may be, his physical condition doesn't seem to affect his daily duties, and he himself brushes it off as a mere memento of direr times.

His time in the Shiba tribe, where he worked as a tailor, could as well have been a different life after so many years. It wouldn't be exaggerated to say the world has changed several times since he was born. And the whirlwind of change shows no sign of slowing down.

Hooks:

• Been a bit of everywhere as part of his duty, including some glimpses of the lands beyond the southern border of the Empire.
• De facto scholar with vast knowledge of varied subjects, from growing up rice to Nezumi cloth-making.
• Always eager to help, with little concern if this is a duty appropriate to his station or not.

[Ryoshun Yua]

Name: Ryoshun Rua
Gender: Female
Clan: Bat
Height: 5'1"
Build: Small, but sturdy
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Age: 20
Marital status: Single

Small, and somewhat plain, with a tendency to dress quite simply, Rua is used to being overlooked. The young Bat Clan priestess and smith has the marks of both her professions in healing cuts, incidental burn scars, and hands that are calloused from the forge and sturdy rather than elegant. Jet black hair is harsh against heat-darkened skin, and is braided back in intricate patterns of warding and luck that some might recognize (Ayakashi). There's nothing strange about her eyes at first glance, but it can be disconcerting, the way they look at you without really focusing on you sometimes, or glance aside to track something unseen for a bit.

Her weapons are certainly not masterpieces, but they are well-made, with the simple elegance their maker lacks forged into the smooth sweep of each blade and tsuba depicting a very stylized bat. She is obviously still coming into having a recognizable personal style.

Another blade is always tucked into a small sheath at her belt. Too small to be a weapon, the grip is wound with thin dyed strips of leather in intricate patterns that are echoed in dye and embossing on the sheath.

[Hantei Genji]

Name: Hantei Genji
Clan: Stag
Age: 17 (Born Year 7)
Occupation: Heir, bushi
Marital Status: Bachelor, for any offers, please talk to Kinsen
Gender: Male
Height: 6’2”
Build: Lithe
Hair: Black
Eyes: Gold
Complexion: Tanned

Genji is a spitting image of his father, or at least the resemblance is uncanny. Not much of his mother is evident in his features, except for his eyes. The young man seems to carry the responsibility of the world on his shoulders, all the while carrying a soft smile on his lips, though it doesn't always touch his eyes.

He's usually wearing fine clothes, though obviously not with the latest fashion in mind, more practicality then pompousness. Dressed in his clan colors, of course, he wears a daisho by his side at all times.

Hooks:
- Interested in bushido, and the arts? Genji is trying his hand at poetry!
- Training, sparring and other martial pursuits are of interest to the young man!
- He likes meeting new people all the time. His future job is gonna be managing people. People are great!

[Hantei Kinsen]

Name: Hantei Kinsen 判定金線
Clan: Stag
Age: Young
Occupation: Champion's wife, bushi
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Female
Height: 5'10"
Build: Strong-Athletic
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Gold
Complexion: Tanned

The woman named as golden lines got her name from the color of her sun bathed hair. Her skin shows she's endured some harsh winters in her childhood. She's really tall and quite beautiful. Long and sturdy legs. Firm torso and endowing silhouette. Nimble and and strong arms. Nails often painted in red. She dresses properly for her status, and does so fittingly, even with her fierce amazon-like frame due her ancestry.

Many tell the tales of how the Beast Bride killed the Noriaki Chieftain in ritual combat and freed the tribe from their barbarious ways to join the enlightenment of the Kami. Blessed by both Bishamon and Benten, Kinsen dared to request Hantei into marriage. Considering her deeds and motivations, he accepted. Her once gray eyes turned into bright gold, as the brightness of Tengoku from his touch lit up Kinsen's soul.

After brokering peace with the Nezumi and aiding her husband Hantei in saving his Lost Brother, Kinsen secluded herself to raise her children, Genji, and the young girl named Kazoku.

Some ill tongues may still say the Beast Bride of the Noriaki can indeed turn into a wild beast and devour young people's hearts, but those are immoral and outdated rumors.

Hooks
- Are you single? I am sure you'll be interested in meeting the handsome Shining Prince of the Stag.
- Are you "different" from other people? Her golden eyes and bright hair surely doesn't look all that normal.
- Do you enjoy fine clothes? Kinsen is very interested in knowing more about different fashions.


WIP Sneak Peek - Battle-Ready Kimono by Jiyo Ayumu

[Isawa Kyosei]

Name: Isawa Kyosei
Clan: Imperial
Age: 45 Winters as this one ends.
Sex: Male
Occupation: Shugenja/Mine overseer/Trader
Height: 5'8
Build: Blocky
Hair: Black - a little gray starting to show in the temples.
Eyes: Brown
Status: Married to the daughter of Isawa Ouno.

Once a mine worker for the Isawa Tribe, Kyosei was discovered to have had the ability to call upon the Kami when the mine collapsed, and he used his own blood to keep the roof from crushing himself and two others. When he and the others were brought out, he was given to Ouno, brother of the Tribe leader, to train.

He was eventually acknowledged by Ouno to be proficient with the magics of Earth, Fire, and a little water, and then betrothed to Ouno's daughter. He has advanced as well in the matter of mine-work, and now governs the very mine he was once almost killed in.

He was sent by Ouno to investigate what the rumors are saying about these bright beings that fell, not as a tribal representative, but Ouno's own representative. He is also to keep an eye out for trade possibilities, particularly if he can find a good site for a mine here. Sadly, he found few trade possibilities, and also that he was not too fond of most of the Kami. Shiba seemed acceptable, and Hantei has his points, but several of the others aren't to his taste.

Since returning, he has been married, had his wife give birth to 4 babes, 3 of which managed to survive the harsh Isawa winters, and studied the strange stones he found on his journey. He still carries around parts of it, including the big piece, which he continues to work on to this day.

He went on the Heaven-Fell expedition as a method of gaining a favor from Reiko, and a few others, to be used later. After all, if they succeed, a god will owe him - how many can truly say that? He has, from that expedition, gained some appreciation for Shinjo and the former Fu Leng. He also became closer to Jiyo Sora, and Jin.

From them, and with some help, he convinced the Isawa to join in the Library exchange, and then to join the Empire. He did not garner any personal power from that - in some ways seeming to step away from the center of the Courts. But, he has helped a little. He also has been known to be called by a new nickname - Granite. The source isn't known to most, but is presumed to have something to do with his mine.

Of late, he has been traveling more and more. Sometimes trading, sometimes leading scouting expeditions for more trade goods. Occasionally he present a (very poorly drawn) map for consideration.

[Kuu]

Occupation: Monk / Calligrapher
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'6"
Build: Sturdy
Marital Status: Unmarried

A relatively plain man, Kuu makes up for this with his beautiful penmanship in an era when such a thing is not common. While his clothing does appear to be quite plain, it is covered in words and phrases written using nearly unparalleled calligraphy. He has the trained body of a young warrior and the creative mind of an artist. While he is a follower of the ways built around the ideals of Shinsei, he is also a devout fortunist as well, regularly praying to the heavens and visiting shrines and temples to the gods. He has a great respect for the Kami and the samurai they have molded in their image, but he knows he is not one of them.

[Bayushi Kogi]

Name: Bayushi Kogi (倍勇士こぎ)
Clan: Scorpion
Age: 20-ish
Gender: Female
Height: 5’5”
Build: Delicate
Hair: Dark and thick; when visible, finely coiffed
Eyes: Dark end of brown
Occupation: Scorpion emissary
Marital status: Unattached


Capsule Description:
Bayushi Kogi is rather more noticeable for her mode of dress than for any particular physical characteristics. That’s largely because the former is such that you can’t see much of the latter—she is swallowed up literally head to toe in fine silk, dyed in those deep reds that can only be achieved using alchemical tricks with exotic snails and insects. Above robes in the voluminous, multilayered ‘Tengoku’ style popularized by Lady Doji, Kogi wears—always—some sort of opaque or mostly-opaque scarf or veil concealing the lower half of her face. Sometimes her veils set off some sort of refined coiffure secured with polished hairpins; other days they drape over her head so that she appears to blend, from any distance, into a vaguely person-shaped waterfall of silk with eyes. Talking to a person whose face is half-concealed can be a little strange if you're not accustomed to it yet.

What one can see: thin, nimble hands with neat fingernails; dark eyes and well-cared-for skin accented with discreet and exactingly-applied cosmetics; a light but not particularly athletic sort of gait.

Her voice is neither especially rough nor especially sweet, and neither high nor low pitched. It’s kept from total average-ness by a harder, determined edge that may at times make it sound a little deeper than it really is.

Kogi is not a long-term resident of the imperial capital; she’s just here in Lady Shosuro's train, for the wedding and some other small matters on behalf of Lord Bayushi’s family.


Conversation Seeds

• Kogi is an accomplished physician and herbalist, particularly interested in expanding her knowledge of the Empire’s materia medica.
• Enjoys reading pretty much anything. Perhaps you’d like to swap?
• A tea fancier, she dabbles in all parts of the tea-making process, from the actual steeping of tea to the craft of picking and preparing tea leaves.
• Somewhat knowledgeable about matters of trade and commerce. If you had dealings with Bayushi’s followers at some point in the past few years, it’s possible she could have been among your opposite numbers.
• Only an indifferently talented musician (she plays the koto), but dedicated to improving her skills.
• No, seriously, what on earth is up with those veils? Does she ever take them off? What a weirdo.

[Hisomu Ayeka]

Name: Hisomu Ayeka
Clan: Spider
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Height: 5’6”
Build: thin, but athletic
Hair: thick, long, and dark
Eyes: brown
Occupation: Attache to Hisomu Matsu, swordswoman
Marital status: Unmarried


Capsule Description:
Hisomu Ayeka is a relatively tall woman, though still dwarfed by her Senpai, Matsu. She is thin, though her hands show calluses that indicate one who has spent much time training with the sword. She carries a stoic smile, always polite but rarely delving into completely genuine: one must pick a topic that she truly finds intriguing to get her to break her On.

She dresses in fine silks, especially for this court, and is near always seen in a jingasa that holds a sheer silk veil. This often makes her look just a bit less threatening than she may otherwise truly be: but perhaps that is somewhat intentional.

Still, to hear her speak is to hear someone who has carefully curated the art of conversation. Her voice is pleasant, though not musical, and her tone is charming and friendly.

Though her star is rising, she is still a relatively unknown person. She is here because it is where Matsu is. And she has sometimes been heard asking the location of one Hisomu Kanna.

Hooks

• Is very interested in swordsmanship, especially in regards to different ways of using the relatively new katana.
• Enjoys fashion. Are you also a fashionista?
• Is very excited to meet all of these new clan samurai! Are you from a clan? Let's talk about the differences in how we have been brought up and our lands!

[Anjing Sagara]

Anjing Sagara
Clan: Crab
Age: 30
Occupation: Shugenja
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Female
Height: 5’7"
Build: Burly and strong
Hair: Long, Black, tide in a knot at the back of her head, except for her long bangs
Eyes: Light blue

Physical Appearance
Sagara is a mature woman with a strong and dominant presence. She doesn´t have the the height of her brothers and sisters in the crab clan, but se still conservers their muscular, burly built. She would probably look like a pretty woman, or she would have in her youth, had it not been for the scar that covers most of the right side of her face. She always wears dark colored clothing that contrast strongly with her fair skin, a characteristic that has not changed from living in the north mountains of the Empire.

Backstory
Sagara was raised in a small village in the mountains in the south of the Empire. She was raised by her father, the chief of the small village, as well as by the village people. As the only one with the ability to speak to the kami, she was the one in charge of the temple and serving the kami of the mountain. But everything changed when the kami fell from the skies, especially in the south. When the creatures south of the border fled from their homes the rampaged everything in their way. One of these was Sagara´s home village. They set fire to the place and only Sagara survived the hell, with a scar that would remind her of the great loss. She only had one place to go, and that was down the mountain where she found the Crab clan being built. With a same mindset as the growing clan, she was accepted amongst. Since then she has served the clans purpose even though her strong will and opinionated mind has sometimes been a source of head butts with superiors.

Hooks:
Sagara is a Shugenja of Earth
Sagara enjoys carving and sculpting in her free time, a physical representation of molding the earth kami without using magic.
Even though she isn´t a bushi, she can manage herself with heavy weapons

[Chai Kotsume]

Chai Kotsume (茶移 小爪)
Faction: Ki-rin
Former tribe: Daikawa
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 5" (165 cm)
Build: Athletic and Sturdy
Hair: Pitch-black, shortish (shoulder-length say) and flowing
Eyes: Hazel
Occupation: Riverside Guardian and Yoriki and Animal trainer for the Chai family. Currently in the Capital to bring a message from Chaihime and others in the family about issues in the lands close to the Great Western River
Marital status: Single (one could say “married to otters”… but not literally!)

An average-sized, sun-tanned, sturdy girl with flowing pitch-black hair and hazel-eyes, Kotsume is a study in contrasts in many regards. Energetic and somewhat stubborn, but sometimes airheaded; usually direct and practical, but her eyes sometimes get lost in what seems to be spaces between worlds. She holds on to ways that are traditional to her but seem odd to many in the burgeoning Empire. And she’s a guardian and yoriki, dealing with what are ultimately human matters – but it doesn’t take long to realise she’s more at ease among nature and animals than among people.

This last part will not be known to most, but there is one more, important split related to her. Born among a tribe who formerly made its home along the margins of the Great Western River (i.e. Three Sides River in canon), the Daikawa, as a child she’s seen her family, and her tribe, split in two as her father joined the kami Akodo, taking with him her older brother and her twin sister – the latter now known as Akodo Kawauso. She doesn’t often speak about that, but holding on to many of the Daikawa’s traditions 8 years after the other half of the tribe joined Shinjo, and trying to keep at least some contact across the margins of the river as she grew up and even as an adult are eloquent as to how she feels about this split.

Like an increasing number of people in the Ki-rin, she knows her way around horses – although she’s probably not as good a rider as some might expect. In fact, she has a greater connection to other animals – otters, as her name might suggest. Taking after her mother's lessons and traditions, Kotsume's learned how to train these animals to carry out a variety of tasks - especially fishing and hunting. She has three "otter siblings", as she usually calls them. Two of those, Saen ("Left margin") and Uen ("Left margin"), are remarkably well-trained and almost always by her side, while one, Chuuen ("Middle margin"), is still a cub and is currently being trained by her. In fact, even when riding she’ll often be seen carrying her siblings in a basket tied to the saddle or to her back. Saen, a female, is dark brown, almost black, with black spots in the face and lighter marks in the back and belly, while Uen, a male, is light brown with some darker spots and white marks in the face and belly. The cub Chuuen is also female, and has the colour of walnut, with some lighter and darker shades in its back and a light tawny belly.

Kotsume usually values actions much more than flattering talk. 'Words are just words', she says. She does realise they may be important, especially in the more formal settings she’s still starting to get the hang of... but she simply values actions (and intentions) much more than words – whether true or false ones. And she seems to imagine, or hope, others will as well…. As a flip side to that, she is very much an optimist, and often trusts that people's intentions are the best unless she's got very good reason not to.

As a humble “Riverside guardian and yoriki”, the young Ki-rin girl is most likely one of the least important people spending the winter in the Imperial Palace. But those who ask will find out she did come here to bring some issues forward to the court – issues dealing precisely with the lands along the Great Western River’s margins, at the request of Chaihime-dono and other important members of the Chai. Whether the animal-loving river girl will be able to bring that properly to those who might do something about it is anyone’s guess…

Hooks

• Do you like animals? Do you like OTTERS? She’ll be happy to present you to her ‘furry siblings’, and they may show some of their tricks if you’re lucky!
• Do you like working and travelling outdoors and often has a hard time staying inside for long? Let’s enjoy the cold together!
• Do you feel a connection to spirits? Especially animal spirits? You probably feel a strong wild nature in her…
• Do you like fishing? That’s her bread and butter, let’s talk and catch some fish together!
• Still holding on to traditions of one of the old tribes? Has your tribe been split between different clans? We might have something to talk about…
• Do you have a twin? Kotsume has a twin. And misses her. And is thrilled that they ended up getting stuck here for the winter together! Anyway, if you want to talk about twin things, she'll probably have something to say too!
• Have you lived on the riverside? Do you like rivers? Do you miss taking a dip in cold, running waters? She's a proud river girl and will probably be for life.

[Saru Takurou]

Saru Takurou 匠朗
"匠" is artisan.
"朗" is cheerfulness.


Clan: Dragon Clan
Former Tribe: ??????
Age: something between 20 and 25
Gender: Male
Height: 5'7"
Build: Wiry
Hair: Midnight-black, shoulder-long
Eyes: dark brown
Occupation: Samurai? Artisan?, Cook/Storyteller


Takurou doesn't remember much from his childhood, which, in terms of how he arrived at Great Fall, is perhaps better.

When he was a small child, he arrived at the gates tired, exhausted, and nearly starving. At that time, he had apparently panicked and told of fires and monsters attacking his village, but where this village was or what these "monsters" were, he had not been able to explain.
The people who found Takurou took care of the boy as best they could. It took several days for the debilitated boy to get back on his feet.
Despite the care they gave him, they could not heal all wounds Takurou had suffered, especially the mental ones. Takurou suffers from an irrational fear of the dark, whether this is due to his escape from his home village or the horrible, prophetic nightmares that accompany him since then, we do not know.
When he was well enough to walk on his own, he tried to return to his village with a few residents of Great Falls, without success.
Either the village had disappeared from the face of the earth, or he could not find his way back. He was devastated, all the people he knew until then were gone, and he was alone.

However, Takurou was taken in by the people of Great Falls. Apparently the lady of the village, Togashi Saruko, had issued a decree making the village a safe haven for orphans like Takurou.
In the years to come, Takurou was able to flourish in Great Falls. The incredible generosity he received from Lady Saruko inspired him to somehow do the same. He began helping in the kitchens and picking up stories at every turn to tell to others to somehow help, amuse, or inspire them. This, of course, did not go down and was noticed one day by Lady Saruko herself. He could still remember the fateful day as if it had been yesterday. It was a day like any other: Takurou was cooking food for the younger oprhans and telling stories when Lady Saruko came to visit them. She just sat down with them, listened and tasted from the simple meal Takurou had prepared. She sat there for quite a while, and before she left, she announced that Takurou should come to the dojo the next day. What exactly the high lady saw in Takurou, he can not answer, even today.

But he dutifully went to the dojo, and in the years to come, became quite a passable cook and was appointed a samurai after his gempukku.

He still struggles with his fear and nightmares, especially when they become true. He doesn't know to whom he should talk about it, who would believe him? Especially when he can't tell prophecy from nightmare?

He still does not fully understand the whole samurai thing, but tries to behave according to his "status", even if it is difficult for him.
It is important to him to repay the generosity of Lady Saruko and not to disgrace her.
Others would describe Takurou as warm, folksy, and empathetic. He tries to help others with his stories when they need cheering up or advice and is always up for a good time.

[Hisomu Matsu]

Name: Hisomu Matsu
Clan: Spider
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Height: 6'8"
Build: Amazonian
Hair: Raven black, long, usually kept in a long ponytail.
Eyes: Coal-black
Occupation: Warrior and Guard
Marital status: Unmarried

Capsule Description:
The daughter of an old bandit lord, she has the physicality of someone raised in that harsh life, even if tempered by the new age. Strong and athletic, the woman is quiet, yet prone to a temper when provoked. A working knowledge of every weapon, and a dedicated focus to the sword and the heavy spear, Matsu views herself as to what all Samurai should strive to be. Consumate warriors, dedicated to protecting their clans.

Hooks

• The little girl from the Seppun village, the adolescent who traveled to hell. She's all grown up. Stoic and strong, she sees her fate tied into the Empire itself.
• Rumor is she may be looking for a spouse of her own.

[Akodo Kawauso]

Name: Akodo Kawauso
Faction: Lion Clan
Former tribe: Daikawa
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 10" (178 cm)
Build: Athletic and Sturdy
Hair: Weathered black, shortish in front but with a long (often wrapped) ponytail.
Eyes: Hazel
Occupation: Bushi and frequent emissary of her father, Akodo Bantaro, headman (proto-governor?) of the Lion lands along the Great Western (Three Sides) River.
Marital status: Single

Appearance
Both tall and agile, Kawauso is able to wield spears with exceptional skill. For practical purposes on the frontier, this is a virtue, but her uncommon height is somewhat intimidating. Having trained with her father as a warrior even before Akodo's rule came to their lands, and influenced by her big brother's warrior bearing, it isn't easy for the athletic Lioness to be anything less than imposing, especially in polite settings.

In the outdoors she prefers looser hair styles and plain and highly functional clothing. For "fancy places" she'll often give some care to styling and wrapping her hair for maximum "presentability," but even in delicate settings she's loathe to wear fancy or overwrought clothing. In her mind the defense that a warrior should always be ready to serve is sufficient to justify simple garments even in court-type settings, although being in the imperial city will surely put that theory to the test.

Manner
Kawauso has struggled with some social skills. However, being an emissary for her father has given her some opportunity to learn of her difficulties and try to improve upon them. The results are a mixed bag, which clearly contrasts with her great physical prowess. But training with the Makime has also sharpened skills that would otherwise have languished on the western frontier, while giving strategy to her natural (and well practiced along the river and in the adjacent woods throughout her life) skill with spears. Perhaps the dominant theme to her behavior is starting from a staid, warrior bearing, being just patient enough to let talking to people have its chance, and if a situation draws out too long, there being an increasing likelihood that her natural impatience will bring matters to a head.

Plot hooks
Outdoors? Animals? Anything away from fancy people? Yes please.
Boats? Fishing? Using boats for fishing? Sounds like we could do some crafting!
Combat or hunting? Especially with spears? Especially with throwing them? Kawauso is sooo your girl.
Studying books or doing pretty things? Byeh, uh, do we have to?

[Ongaku Masanori]

Name: Ongaku Masanori
Affiliation: Imperial Families
Former Tribe: Takemori
Age: 31 (Appears ~20)
Gender: Male
Height: 5'11"
Build: Broad shouldered and angular
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Red-Brown
Marital Status: Single

Appearance: A man of somewhat unremarkable appearance, being neither tall nor short, neither muscular nor fat, neither gorgeous nor ugly, Masanori is the sort who might vanish into a crowd, if not for the twin curved horns sprouting from his brow, and the intense gaze which rests upon his face. Angular features, a sharp chin, strong nose, broad shoulders, and lopsided smile make his impression one which is somber and perhaps uncomfortably intense - yet it is then undercut by a gentle baritone voice and relaxed posture. His manner can in some ways mirror his appearance, both intense and recalcitrant, as if at odds with himself. Like most of his family, he is dressed in the traditional style of the Ongaku, though the patterns trended more toward imperial colors these days.

History: Masanori was once an Ongaku of the Takemori tribe, and folded into Imperial life quite smoothly when they were joined to the Imperial fold. In particular, he took to the duties of a scribe with great zeal, the art of reading and writing one which he picked up surprisingly quickly. His background is otherwise not much known, as an orphan his parentage was not readily apparent, nor the details of his youth, though like many half-ogres he aged slowly, only recently achieving the build of a man in his early 20s. He has proven a capable orator when reciting Imperial decree, and has spent the last few years splitting his time between carrying Imperial messages between clans and the family caravans, and working in the Imperial libraries to ensure they are up to date and accurate, thanks to his sharp memory for numerical details.