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Tazugane Saishu, The Burned Crane - @Deadbeatwalking
Ueda Ryou, The Pugnacious Monk - @Didgeridont
Kuromizu Mimichi, The Valley Serpent - @McMolly
Akiyama Kagura, The Red-Feathered Hatchling - @Jay Kalton
Okano Uzuki, The Lone Pine - @NuttsnBolts
Soyokaze Saiyuri, The Gentle Lily - @Inkarnate
Gyusha Daisuke, The Great Ox - @Sloth

M i m i c h i

Name:

Kuromizu Mimichi (formerly Kitamura Mimichi), Serpent of the Valley

_{黒-"Kuro" meaning "black" and 水-"Mizu" meaning "water."
海-"Mi" meaning "sea" and 道-"Michi" meaning "path."}

Age:

35

Totem:

Snake

Appearance:

Mimichi has always possessed a sort of youthful androgeny. She is too sharp in the joints to be considered strictly feminine, and too rounded elsewise to be called a man. Her face–unadorned–gives no hint either way. Long hair would have once given her away, but wild foxtails and messy buns are not uncommon among fighting men, nor are they with her.

She stands at average height for her age, with the kind of lean muscle expected of a woman training since youth. Though she lacks bulk, one could almost tell from her posture alone--straight, with a shell of former pride to it--that she'd spent her life in service to a lord.

Her attire could be described as “formally practical” or perhaps “ceremonially dutiful.” Toughened yet flowing cloth laid under cured guards about her limbs, never clunky or restrictive but never quite casual either.

Personality

Once, Mimichi was a brash, hot-headed girl fueled by a competitive nature and an eagerness to serve the ruling family of her home. Later, through a dutiful friendship and eventual marriage to the heir, these fires were tempered by the virtues of combat and second-hand politics.

Patience, key to the philosophies of the Serpents and the court alike, is engrained into her. Though no longer given to meditation, Mimichi boasts a level of self-control one might expect of a monk. As such, her approach to most things on and off the battlefield is steady and tactical.

However, beneath Mimichi’s subdued nature is an eroded sense of duty, an understanding reached during the treacherous collapse of the Lorro Valley: loyalty–true loyalty–is without bounds. Sometimes, for the sake of what and who you love, heinous sacrifices must be made and retribution must be forgotten.

Strengths

Serpent of the Lorro Valley:
Hailing from a long line of retainers loyal to the daimyo of the Lorro Valley, known as the Serpents of Lorro, Mimichi is a viciously weathered and experienced warrior. Her weapon of choice, the naginata, has long been among the Serpents’ icons, and as such she wields it like an extension of herself. The Serpents utilized an outwardly simple combative style, utilizing the naginata's reach to keep enemies at bay and retaliate with swift pokes or cuts, but they have always molded to a single combat philosophy: Patience. As such, she is a keen observer, able to weave nimbly around opponents, studying their movements until faced with the opportunity to go on the offensive.

Venomous:
Aside the naginata, the Serpents’ namesake also derives from their affinity for poisons, and habit for coating their weapons with them. The Lorro, being a lush and plentiful valley, lent its resources to the study of toxicology, which became a founding block of the Serpents’ teachings. Mimichi is able to concoct a variety of elixirs–few of which bear any properties beneficial to long-term health–as well as trace poison through things like smell, taste, and symptoms.

Motherly Disposition:
Though separated from her daughter for over a year since they fled the ruined valley, Mimichi raised the girl almost entirely on her own. She understands children, but she also understands what it means to teach, how to nurture, and how to convey meaningful things in simple ways.

Politically Minded:
She saw little of her husband in the last years of their marriage, but her years as his body guard taught her many things extending beyond combat. She accompanied him to court, met many nobles, and learned how to navigate the political landscape as she would any other battlefield. Later, when her daughter was poised to become Lady of the valley, she was prepared for the brutal cruelty that would befall her. Now branded a traitor to the empire, Mimichi cannot–and truly never did–consider herself a politician, but she’s taken measures to ensure she would not be so easily ensnared in the many traps the field holds.

Weaknesses

Wanted Woman:
Mimichi finds herself entangled in the conspiracy surrounding the fall of the Lorro Valley. Blamed for the murder of her husband, the former daimyo Hiroyuki Kitamura, as well as the kidnapping of her daughter, Yuna, there was a brief time following the siege’s conclusion that Mimichi could hardly step into a town without being assailed by imperial soldiers and headhunters. Though the pressure to bring her in has since slackened, and though the young heiress herself–now living with her uncle–attests that her mother in fact saved her from the siege, the warrant and price on Mimichi remains.

Honorless:
The carnage of the siege and the shame brought by Mimichi’s conviction utterly ruined the Serpents of Lorro Valley. The guilt of the bloody swathe she carved in her escape with Yuna combined, weighed heavy enough to break many of her virtues. None would trust a woman condemned of such crimes, and perhaps that is rightly so. The codes of honor, the vows to protect those in need, and the loyalty to her allies, these things have all gone from her. She acts in her own interests, and even in the company of others, one can never be sure if her plans and suggestions truly consider everyone’s wellbeing.

Nostalgic:
Mimichi is haunted by the loss of her old life. Often she will see her husband still in the edges of her waking vision, or hear him call out to her in the peaking bustle of a busy street. The greatest ache, though, is that for her daughter, Yuna. The heiress resides with Mimichi’s brother, and a daimyo more powerful than Hiroyuki had ever been, she is still gone under the protection of the Empire. There is little, if nothing, Mimichi would not do to see her daughter again, she is her crux. As well, while she may not consider herself as loyal to the emperor any longer, she always keeps an ear to the ground for news of Yuna’s new home, and any threats that may be encroaching upon it.

Venomless:
A wide understanding and skill in toxicology is wonderful when surrounded by a variety of plant life. However, it is currently difficult for Mimichi to obtain the ingredients needed for the more potent poisons of the Serpents. Being a wanted criminal makes navigating more renowned markets difficult, and the smaller farms rarely carry the herbs she requires. As a result, her current collection consists mostly of petty toxins, unfit to adorn her weapon, if prime for meager tasks.

N A M E:
Akiyama Kagura, The Red-Feathered Hatchling
_{Akiyama (秋山) - "aki" (秋) meaning "autumn", and "yama" (山) meaning "mountain"
Kagura (神楽) - meaning "God-entertainment"}

A G E:
18

T O T E M:
Eagle

A P P E A R A N C E:
With a head of dark scarlet hair and eyes the colour of orange autumn leaves, Kagura is not so easy to miss in a crowd. She is a hunter by background and it certainly shows, her build being much more muscular and athletic than most women her age. But being only eighteen years old, Kagura's face remains more youthful and child-like, resembling that of a typical fifteen-year-old girl instead of a young adult woman.

Kagura dresses simply and practically, wearing a dark grey shirt and large brown pants bound to her waist by a thick rope. To blend in with her usual forest environments, Kagura may wear a long, dark green cloak, especially when the nights become unbearably cold. As long she can run around without getting caught in a forest's foliage, any sort of clothing should do.

P E R S O N A L I T Y:
A clear representation of the unusual colour of her hair, Kagura is a confident and adventurous individual who's youthful flame blazes with endless passion and energy. The girl is certainly no pushover, having a hair-trigger temper and excessive pride in her monstrous physical strength and experiences as a born-and-bred hunter. Her burning competitive spirit can be some what expected for a person her age, and a challenge rarely goes unaccepted when she's involved. The girl is reckless, yes, but when you've grown up running after deers and running away from wild bears, it's hard to forget the undeniable exhilaration of near-death encounters and successful chases. Kagura does not have the inability to remain quiet and patient for periods of time, however; when you're out hunting for food, the only thing you can do is be quiet and patient. And she's been practising that for years.

Although generally boisterous and constantly assertive, Kagura's history as a hunter who survived off the resources of the Tsukishima forests has hardened her into the fiercely independent and brutally honest girl she is today. Her childish ignorance and pride are aspects of her personality that lead to the most conflict between other people, and her short temper only fuels the anger she feels when she is met with harsh opposition. Kagura likes to think she's strong. Kagura wants people to think she's strong. She won't ask for help, she won't cry in front of others, Kagura just wasn't raised that way. When you're out in the wilderness alone, the only person you can turn to is yourself. And to survive in the wilderness alone, you must be mentally prepared to rely on yourself.

S T R E N G T H S:
• A Hunter's Skill: To survive, Kagura hunts, and has been doing so for the past fourteen years of her life. Her frightening strength, seemingly endless amounts of stamina and astounding speed assures no wild deer escapes her sight, and her accuracy with a bow and arrow can guarantee some sort of meaty meal for the next day. Although she is still young, Kagura's strength as a hunter cannot be denied.

• A Hunter's Instinct: While her physical capabilities are quite impressive, Kagura's heightened senses can also be of high praise. Her acute sense of hearing makes it difficult for the slightest whispers to go unnoticed, and her sense of smell is so strong that the scent of most incenses can give her a terrible headache.

• A Hunter's Hand: A carrier of a spear, a bow and arrow and four hunting knives, Kagura shows some skill as an improvisational combatant. Her knowledge of the bow had been passed down by her father, her skill with a knife had been honed by slaughtering wild boar for a living, and the 'techniques' she claims to know and be able to perform with a spear are so vague that it's clear she has not had any formal training with the weapon at all. Nevertheless, Kagura's efficiency with these weapons shouldn't be underestimated, because what she lacks in formal training she makes up for with raw power and sheer will.

W E A K N E S S E S:
• A Hunter's Pride: Excessive pride plagues Kagura's personality, and it takes quite a lot to prevent her from walking a self destructive path. She is not one that takes even the slightest bit of doubt or criticism easily, and her belief that she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and others is certainly a problem.

• A Hunter's Hostility: Although it was her father who had taught her the ways of the Akiyama hunters, it was the forest who had truly nurtured and disciplined Kagura. No place is entirely safe and everything seems like it's out to hurt you, so it's either escape or deal with the threat; killing humans is not something Kagura supports, but when the situation calls for it, she's not exactly against it either. The forest is harsh and the forest is cruel — if it means you can live to see brighter days, take the chance without hesitation.

• A Hunter's Ignorance: Kagura had no need for reading and writing in her younger years, and it shows. She cannot read very well and her handwriting is actually quite atrocious, though she is far too embarrassed and arrogant to admit it. She always makes the excuse that reading and writing isn't going to be much help when she's hunting down wild pheasants for dinner.

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_{N A M E}

Soyokaze Saiyuri
_{Soyokaze, from Japanese 素世 (soyo) meaning "gentle, light" and 風 (kaze) meaning "wind"
Saiyuri, from Japanese 小 (sa) meaning "small" and 百合 (yuri) meaning "lily".}

_{A G E}

17

_{T O T E M}

Wolf

_{A P P E A R A N C E}

With long black hair with no fancy bindings outside from a simple white strand of cloth, Saiyuri most certainly seems the atypical shrine maiden. Standing at five foot three, Saiyuri is taller than some but generally still shorter than the average male. Beholden to soft features, Saiyuri does not look like a warrior though she does not have the physique of a pampered princess either—a testament to long days doing tasks to the temple in quivering cold and swelling heat. Bearing the look of a shrine maiden with a ornate white and blue gown, Saiyuri rarely interrupts her devotion which allows her some space from bandit overlords and overzealous samurai alike due to the condition of the world.

_{P E R S O N A L I T Y}

Fated for destiny, Saiyuri has always had a cloud hanging over her that created a lingering feelings of fear but in spite of it has driven herself to not be defined by it. Saiyuri refuses to let the shadow of fate will her to have a dark disposition on life— a fact that is apparent from her optimism, sincerity, compassion, and faith. As such she is rather quick to make connections to people and create long-lasting relationships thus showing the world that the realm’s descent into madness doesn’t define your own personal soul and serves to be an inspiration and idol for others to look to when times seem the most bleak.

_{S T R E N G T H S}

Disciple: In addition to priests and priestesses, the Soyokaze descend from ronin who saw it fit to serve the people and protect them from evil rather than submit entirely to imperial overlords. What this means to Saiyuri is the fact that she has been trained and given her clan's ancestral sword in earnest. Her skill with such is surprisingly adept in the style of the Soyokaze and in pure conjecture could match a samurai of similar age and experience.

Open Palmed: Saiyuri is educated in the martial art of Opunken due to the skill having some ancestral significance among her ancestors as well as their philosophies. Whilst not as adept as a monk or sage she has been taught to defend others beyond drawing her sword thus this skill serves as a supplementary utility. If she were to face a true martial artist she would be beaten without issue.

Pacifist: Saiyuri believes that the path of the open palm is better than that is the closed fist and as such only draws her blade in extreme cases where she deems it necessary. This can make her seen as naïve or easy to manipulate by some, but generally, this is more commendable than those who draw first blood first. However you take it, Saiyuri tries to be an arbiter over all else and will not see it sound to engage into combat immediately.

Shrine Maiden: Saiyuri has led her entire life as a spiritual priestess and has been educated in the ways of a shrine maiden including spiritual rites, ancient chants, and the knowledge of how to deal with the spirits themselves; but given spiritual incursion is a rare thing for society (or was) it is not something she’s had to do in great measure. Nonetheless, it would be wise to consider this skillset a useful utility given the circumstances the people of Tsukishima find themselves dealing with.

_{W E A K N E S S E S}

Charitable: Saiyuri represents honor, kindness, and generosity; a fact that has been used against her since she started her pilgrimage. She gives what she has eagerly and seeks to mend others suffering even if it will hamper her own well-being.

Inexperienced: Saiyuri has not been on her pilgrimage for very long and being as young as she is attracts a lot of trouble; sometimes more trouble than she’s able to handle. Despite her strong sense of idealistic morality she has trouble dealing with situations when they get tough and while she believes she can bear the consequences of her involvement sometimes her inexperience makes her feel unequipped to help on a larger scale.

Overzealous: Despite being a patient pacifist there are times when the situation requires her to enforce her brand of justice. Once Saiyuri draws her sword from its sheath she believes there is only one way it is going to return to it and that is the punishment and defeat of either her or her enemy. A trait that caused her to get imprisoned in the first place.

Prophetic Fate: Ever since Saiyuri was young she has been running from a prophetic fate that has haunted her and even with her being far from home the whispers of her sorrows, loves, loss, and death still pursue her at every turn.

_{T H E M E}

“Whirlwind”

Name

Gyusha Daisuke
牛車 大輔 - Great Helper of the Ox Cart

_{Gyusha, from 牛 (Gyū) meaning "cow, ox, cattle" and 車 (sha) meaning "vehicle"
Daisuke, from 大 (dai) meaning "big, great" and 輔 (suke) meaning "help"}

Age

19

Totem

Ox

Appearance

As his name implies, Daisuke is an uncommonly large young man, both in stature and in sheer virility. Standing a head taller than even other samurai he's met and trained with, Daisuke dwarfs most if not all the common people of Tsukishima, and one would be hard pressed to lose track of him in a crowd even if he were to duck. That's without the added giveaway of his wild, shoulder length mane of brown hair, which he rarely (if ever) seems to tie up into a ponytail.

Many years of the rigorous training expected of a warrior have left Daisuke's muscles well toned, with arms as wide across as small tree trunks and something of a barrel chest. His face is similarly fierce at first glance, with a pug nose, noticeable Adam's apple and a strong jawbone. Daisuke retains the omnipresent black eyes endemic of Tsukishima as a whole and garbs himself in the browns and grays trademarked by his home prefecture. If it isn't one of his weapons or his armor, however, one can expect Daisuke's attire to be nearly as disheveled as its owner.

Personality

Daisuke is a simple man. Too simple, some would say. 'Lacking refinement' seems to be the most often complaint from his contemporaries in the samurai class. Prone to walking the streets of his home village and spending hours simply drinking tea and conversing with other patrons in a tea-house, one cannot say Daisuke isn't personable. Truly, the Gyusha heir seems to enjoy mingling with the commoners in his village more than he does training in his family's dojo. This is not to say Daisuke is a homebody. Quite the opposite. A large reason he wants to enter into a warrior's pilgrimage is not only to see the rest of his home prefecture, but to explore Tsukishima itself. See the sights, eat the food, meet the people. Maybe knock around a couple of uppity samurai or two.

Strengths

Raw Power: A common saying amongst the townspeople of Ushimura is that Daisuke has the strength to wrestle an oni. While this is an exaggeration to say the least, the young samurai certainly is a force to be reckoned with, thanks in no small part to his rigorous training at the hands of his father Tamotsu in their family's traditional art of (name here).

Kanabojutsu: While still taught the rudimentary techniques of the iconic daishō, the samurai of Wagyu prefecture specialize in the use of the kanabo club, and it goes without saying that Daisuke is no exception. The Gyusha school teaches its practitioners to use pure overwhelming force in the face of adversity. 'There is no defense so absolute that a truly determined opponent cannot break through it.' is a popular tenet of the style, and it certainly shows on the battlefield. Daisuke's kanabo is made from heavy wood with iron spikes and studs on one end. As with everything else about Daisuke, his weapon is larger than standard, standing nearly as tall as he is.

Lovable Lug: Despite his education and the general attitude of most samurai, Daisuke seems to have a way of connecting with the everyday man and woman of Tsukishima. Some of his peers would tell you that Daisuke acts beneath his station (I suck at phrasing things and will come back to this later)

Weaknesses

Bullheaded Honor: When a homie commits he commits ya feel me?

Oafish Demeanor: He hits his head on doorways because not Japan is a bunch of short people ya dig?

Philogynist: Like many young men, Daisuke has a certain weakness for women. While not an outright lech, the heir of the Gyusha has been known to leap into action to valiantly defend a woman's honor in an izakaya or generously donate his own coin to a traveling widow on more than one occasion. Whether he's unknowingly allowing himself to get duped or simply has an unmatched empathy towards the fairer sex is anyone's guess.