PC List

Kasuga Seitouna · **Posted:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:17 pm

Kasuga Seitouna
Clan: Tortoise
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Married: No
Occupation: Yes
Height: Average
Build: On the wiry side of average
Eyes: Brown
Skin: Shows he's been out in the sun a fair bit when it was out--and has tattoos as would be expected from a sailor
Hair: Typically typical, if perhaps on the short side

Heir to a cadet branch of the kizoku lineage, privileged and a bit spoiled because of it, Seitouna distinguished himself early on in his schooling by demonstrating a clear affinity for the core teachings of his Family's school. He didn’t do badly with sea-craft, either, though he did not have the overt facility with it that he did with more courtly activities, or with the talent for writing that he has been encouraged to develop. Of course, doing the research for some of that writing has led Seitouna to be a bit more easily plied than might be hoped.

For one thing, the Kasuga can always use more friends, and cultivating them is serious business. For another, there is an opportunity here to forge better connections among the Minor Clans. The Tortoise do have access to any number of markets, after all, as well as certain Imperial permissions that could do much to help some of the smaller, struggling groups…

Story Hooks

Seitouna is an aspiring writer. Perhaps you've read him? Perhaps you like to read and/or write?
Need a pair of eyes and ears that can look and listen where most samurai wouldn't? Seitouna might be able to do you a favor, yeah.
Need a friend? So does Seitouna!

Akodo Touki · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 8:17 pm **Posts:** 628

Akodo Touki
Clan: Lion
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Marital Status: Widower
Occupation: Bushi
Height: 5'8"
Build: Trained warrior
Eyes: Very dark olive
Hair: Black, carefully cut and secured

Description: Touki is a very well put-together Akodo in his early twenties. He is always clean-shaven, and his gear is, while clearly well-used, is also clearly well-maintained, and kept to a practical standard. His features are strong and sharp, with prominent jaw and cheekbones. His expression is usually serious, and his speech monotone. He jokes perhaps slightly more and smiles slightly less than the average Lion, and he is always very blandly polite.

He tends to dress in functional kimonos in Lion brown and gold, fashionable, but slightly out of date, and perhaps a little narrow in the shoulders.

History: Touki was an up and coming young samurai, whose career was briefly thrown off course by the untimely death of his wife. After a brief incident of punching an abbot, he accepted his superior's reprimand, seems to have sorted himself out, and returned to his duties, performing quite well, but just short of exceptionally well. He was stationed in Toshi no Omoidoso during the winter court there.

Hooks:
*Were you also at Toshi no Omoidoso during the winter? You might have seen Touki guarding... or heard him play the flute! He does that outside, sometimes
*Did you know his wife? She was a shugenja, died about two years ago, on the day when shugenja across the Empire were stricken. If you did... damnit, don't drain my void points!
*Touki visits the temple and the dojo most days. Like clockwork. Does Rokugan have clocks? Probably not
*Despite being rather laconic, Touki actually likes talking. And listening. Especially listening. Tell him about your interests!
*Does all this seem like bullshit to you? Like, everything?

Hiruma Yoichi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:08 pm **Posts:** 71

Hiruma Yoichi
Clan: Crab
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Married: Yes, unfortunately
Occupation: Scout
Height: Average
Build: Moderately muscled
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black, unkempt, and wilder than a Bayushi courtesan

Hiruma Yoichi is a vibrant and rather outspoken Crab, barely containing either his excitement or his contempt, depending on which of the two he's inclined to be feeling. Outwardly friendly whenever possible, it's not uncommon for him to take a large swig of his bottle of Shochu with a loud "Ya-haaa" before offering it to anyone nearby. Any suggestions towards using a cup or offering a drink before partaking in one himself seem to fall on deaf ears.

Yoichi chose his name, "first son", as a reminder of his three older brothers, among whom Yoichi is the first, and only, to pass his gempukku ceremony. The vibrant crab evades discussion of this situation as often as possible, usually coupled with copious amounts of Shochu.

Yoichi is married to "some conniving little Mantis woman" who, according to him, weasled her way into a more honorable clan only to make his life away from the darkened lands equally tainted by Jigoku. If any word of his wife being nearby comes up, expect a Yoichi to immediately vanish without so much as a goodbye. He'll tolerate her presence as far as his duties as a husband require him to and not an inch further.

Yoichi perpetually carries his traveling pack and yumi with him, always with a quick statement that his lord could require him to pack up and move at a moment's notice. He will respect any place that requires him to surrender his weapons, but always keeps one foot in the door, so to speak, just in case he has to rush off to a mission or avoid his harpy of a wife.

Story Hooks

Matsu Kōgyoku · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:36 pm **Posts:** 368

Matsu Kōgyoku (皇極)
Clan: Lion
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Marital Status: Betrothed to Bayushi Yukinaga
Occupation: Bushi, Magistrate
Height: 5'7"
Build: Lean
Eyes: Dark
Hair: Dark Brown

Appearance:
Adult. Healthy. Strong. No adornment in clothes. Only functional grooming. She's all honour. Focused gaze, reserved expressions. You know what she accentuates in her looks? Being a samurai.

Habits:

Daily ritual purification
Honourable service
Speaking the truth in the face, albeit softly
Foretelling weather with an old wound
Dismissing praise, denying own credit, accepting responsibility, leading by example
Snuffing out illicit commerce

Record:

Veteran of the War of Burned Wings
Established law enforcer and judge in the northeast Lion provinces
Involved in putting down revolts, hunting fugitives and containing plagues
Conducted crackdowns on suspicious commerce in coastal areas
A returned spirit is her ancestor and namesake from 2nd century
Politically betrothed to a junshin Scorpion, and happy with it

Nagiko · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:07 pm **Posts:** 310

Description

Not much is known about Nagiko, besides that she is a young female from the minor Mantis clan. She could be considered attractive and tends to favor traditional rokugani feminine cultural norms accepted throughout the empire. She favors extravagant, expensive, elegant, light and fit kimono in pink-ish tones, which she is not shy to, sometimes, show a bit of skin. She is amiable and get along with other people. Sometimes she also push the 'limits' of what is considered 'appropriate' behavior in regards to the personal boundaries of samurai, getting a bit too close. She doesn't mind though.

Her fan is richly decorated, and a piece of art on its own.

She carries daisho, but her main weapon is a rather uncommon shikomizue, also known as jotō, or staff-sword. It fulfills the same as a normal katana, but her sword lacks the tsuba guard. She also carries light armor when it is appropiate.

Name: Nakigo
Gender: Female
Faction: Mantis
Age: Late teens
Height: 1.67 m| 5' 6''
Ocupation: Courtier, kinda. It's complicated. Ask her, she will not bite you!
Marital Status: Ask her, she will not bite you!
Hair: Raven Black
Eye Color: Light Brown

Hooks:

She is a Mantis. She comes from some far away islands, that should be interesting!
She is comely. Don't be shy, come and talk to her!
She likes the arts and she has a natural predisposition towards them. Maybe you like them just like her?
She carries daisho and likes practicing with swords!
Purrrr

Kasuga Asakuro · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:13 am **Posts:** 274

Kasuga Asakuro

Sex: Male
Clan: Tortoise
Occupation: Courtier... possibly some "other things"
Marital Status: Married to Kasuga (Otomo) Yukari
Age: 21
Height: 5'10"
Build: Average
Hair: Long and unkempt, black/brown
Eyes: Brown

Background: Prior to the Imperial Winter Court of 755 at Kyuden Agasha, not much was known about Kasuga Asakuro except that he was a relatively minor courtier and merchant-patron of the Tortoise Clan operating around Otosan Uchi and the surrounding hub villages. His name did not start coming up in rumors and gossip around the Imperial City until roughly two year ago - before that, it seemed as if the young man either did not exist or relatively few people, if anyone, could remember him being involved in anything of note beyond having had his gempukku ceremony some handful of years ago. As other Tortoise had similar "disappearances" concerning the "where" and "when" questions of their lives, Asakuro's own background and whereabouts may have be connected to the fairly-recent activities of his clanmates.

Since then, however, Asakuro has become more well-known inside and outside of his clan. During the span of Winter Court, the Tortoise worked with the Mantis to bring an end to the sea battles hampering trade for both clans, gained status through official appointment to the position of Imperial Peafowl Supervisor, and fostered good relations with the clan's cousins in the Imperial Families which lead to his eventual marriage to an Imperial maiden, Otomo Yukari. With the money and prestige of his position - and some small level of protection from the Purge due in part to his wife's familial connections - Asakuro spent a year and a half constructing and filling the Imperial Menagerie, a grand complex close to both the Imperial Capital and the traditional Kasuga strongholds where the Emperor, his family, and other high-level Imperials and important officials can view flora and fauna from all across the Emerald Empire. The complex is also home to Mojaku, the Imperial Peafowl, and also has a spot for Someisa the Tortoise should her family consent in the future to having her moved from her current home. When on the roads of the Empire, the Tortoise has been known to frequent various markets where creatures both common and exotic are on display, always on the lookout for yet another creature to bring into the Menagerie for the enjoyment of all comers.

In more recent history, Asakuro was one of the Tortoise Clan guests at the marriage of whom is now Sparrow Clan Champion Suzume Jento with Suzume Chou. Through all the chaos and confusion surrounding events before, during, and after the ceremonies in Sparrow lands, rumors abound that Jento counts the Imperial Peafowl Supervisor among one of his friends, though the truth of the matter and how such a bond might come into being if true was much murkier. Blackmail? Enemies in common? A need fulfilled in one direction or another? Many ideas, though none could quite say.

Description: Kasuga Asakuro is tall without being overly large and of fairly typical build - he is no strongman but he is not a skinny twig of a person either. Though his long hair is generally unkempt in appearance, by contrast his facial hair is immaculately clean and trimmed with precision and care. His hands have a certain rough appearance to them as if he has already done much with them despite his fairly young age; the tops of his hands have a few scars, though they are all minor in appearance. On a typical day, Asakuro can be found wearing extravagantly-designed courtly clothing that generally depicts waves of water, sea life, and other ocean-related imagery alongside his clan and school mons. If his sleeves are rolled up or his outer layers of clothing are removed for some reason, ocean-themed tattoos can also be seen on his upper arms and elsewhere.

Story Hooks!

Present at the wedding of Seppun (now Suzume) Jento and Suzume Chou? Want to talk about events in Sparrow lands since? Consider this one interested in the going-ons of a fellow Minor Clan!
Interested in animals? Have you spent any time training one? Let's share tips!
Call yourself a merchant-patron? Have some shiny stuff to share or sell? Do I have some business for you perhaps...!
Have wealth and taste? Let's chat of wealthy and tasty things!
Games? Why, I trade letters... and criticisms!
Married to an Imperial? Are an Imperial? Spend time in Otosan Uchi or the Hub Villages? Perhaps we've crossed paths in some way shape or form...

Kodama · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 7:17 pm **Posts:** 404

Kodama
Faction: Brotherhood, Thousand Fortunes, Monk of Reichin, Fortune of Heroes
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Marital Status: Brotherhood Monk
Occupation: Monk
Height: 5'7"
Build: Lean, Missing Right Arm
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Dark Brown

Kodama is more of a listener than a street corner monk expounding the deeds of Shinsei or the needs of the Fortunes. He wouldn't be out of place in a Ryoko Owari gambling den, well, other than his garb and more recent practiced demeanor.

Likely, samurai notice his missing right arm first; for it'll never carry a weapon again.
Warriors will note he often stands or kneels where he can see a majority of exits, courtiers likely the ink stains on the hem of his sleeve. Other monks? He's rough, but he's been taught, likely at a backwoods shrine or temple somewhere.

Art by @Kijiart

Story Hooks
• Hare? You might vaguely recognize him depending on how long you've been in the clan.
• Visited Hare lands? He's one of the monks at the Shrine of the Fortune of Heroes, the former founder of the clan.
• Sages/pilgrimage aficionados? He has spent a bit of time visiting shrines to heroes from across the Empire.
• Locals? He spent much of the winter studying at the Shrine of Remembrance.
• Shugenja? He has some water spirits that follow him around...

Isawa Hachi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:42 am **Posts:** 401

Name: Isawa Hachi
Clan: Phoenix
Sex: Male
Age: 26
Height: 5’9”
Build: Thin, sickly. Formerly: Toned
Hair: Black.
Eyes: Brown.
Marital Status: Unmarried
Occupation: Shugenja and Scribe.

Isawa Hachi was born a child with a bright future ahead of him. Born the grandchild of a Master (Isawa Tomio), and showing early affinity to both Earth and Water, he seemed to have everything going for him. He had only just managed to complete his gempukku, when his Grandfather, seeking an assistant, named him a Tensai far too early. This began his bad reputation.

A short time later, as he struggled to learn all he needed to truly earn the title of Tensai, his grandfather died. This significantly lowered the influence his personal family could swing. Which lead to issues, as he tried to find ways to get to the scrolls he needed to learn. To the Earth Acolytes and other high ranking Earth shugenja, his name was mud; they wouldn't talk to him. He managed to get an interview with an up and coming Water acolyte, however, which proved beneficial - one Isawa Daiko. She used him as one of her lovers, and he was young enough, and naïve enough, to consider himself blessed.

However, as he rode her kimono-tails, his name just became worse and worse to the other shugenja of the Phoenix. The newest Master of Earth had no connection to him, or his personal family, and his influence among the Earth Acolytes waned even further.

As time passed, and her interests moved on, he wasn't someone skilled enough to keep around, and she looked for a place to put him that wouldn't cause him to turn against her, but not be close enough to press her. And, she found it, loaning him to Isawa Arya as one of the scribes. He did continue to show his luck - never being present at one of the events resulting in the deaths of those scribes present.

He was one of those that, after returning to Daiko's train, was on duty when a young monk presented himself to the Council. Those that disliked Hachi, however, made sure that his name never got mentioned higher, and not known to the Council. Once he figured this out, he then spent a night in prayer and reflection. When the dawn broke, he presented a petition to the Council to allow him to go on a pilgrimage in the Empire, to visit Temples and Shrines, of all sorts, important or those that are focused on Earth. They granted this request, and gave him papers for travel, which he has been doing ever since.

The events at Kyuden Suzume, where he took a deep blow from a water kansen, along with later spending all his power and energy raising a pure Jade stone for the shrine of Reichin, have left him a shattered man, physically. He never fully recovered from the illness he suffered that winter, and has lost full use of his lungs.

He managed to make it to Toshi no Omoidoso, where he found the Temple to be relaxing, and even somewhat helpful. While he was there, events in the land seemed to fly by, leaving him reeling.

Those that met him before would have trouble recognizing him, as he has lost weight, gained an unhealthy pallor, and a troubling cough. Nothing the monks or shugenja seems able to cure it.

Hooks:

Are you a Phoenix, or a Shugenja? Perhaps you've heard of the 'Mud' tensai.
His yumi-e box (writing kit) is one of the finest you have ever seen.
Religious? A shugenja or monk? He's on a pilgrimage.
While not of high status himself, he knows quite a few Phoenix that are or were.
He is an Earth tensai, and his training has reached that level.
He enjoys debating theology. Or, really, listening to others debate it.
Connected to Water? So is he! (In more ways than one)
Need a backbeat to a ceremony? Or even just some random playing? He's begun training on the drums.
Have you visited the Shrine to Reichin, Fortune of Heroes? He had some impact in its final form.

Isawa Tomomi · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:07 pm **Posts:** 93

PC: Isawa Tomomi
Clan: Phoenix
Sex: Female
Age: 42
Height: 5'3
Build: Sturdy
Hair: Deepest Brown shot with silver
Eyes: Brown
Marital status: Widowed
Occupation: Historian

Tomomi looks like someone's well-preserved grandma; one whose skin is fashionably translucent, except where the ink stains her fingers. Lots of time spent indoors poring over scrolls will have that effect. Rich brown hair has begun to show silver, and is kept in a tidy, simple bun most of the time. She dresses simply, in the traditional reds and golds of her clan, with makeup similarly simple for what would not usually be a major court. Somewhat unusually, her fan hangs from a white silk cord, the small symbol of her widowhood kept beyond any required mourning period.

She moves with the confidence of someone sure of her station and place, with none of the infirmity that might send others her age to a monastery. It's obvious that she hasn't led a bushi's life of accumulating aches and old injuries.

After spending the summer conducting research in the surrounding villages, Tomomi planned to winter in Toshi no Omoidoso. It would be relaxing, visiting the shrines, taking notes for some kind of treatise comparing the change in administration style under Lion rule, reading a lot. Instead, the world has gotten very interesting in every sense of 'may you live in interesting times.' After a bit of hyperventilating and some calming tea, she went out to pick up extra ink and paper; there was going to be a lot more to record than she'd expected.

Are you...
-Someone who spent the winter here? It's not a large town, we've probably met, at least in passing.
-Someone who fled here from the Winter Court? Tomomi would dearly like to record your impressions of the event for posterity.
-Someone with an interest in historical etiquette and some of the truly fascinating changes in tradition over time? You may have read an academic scroll Tomomi's authored.
-A frequent visitor to the town's temples? We'll likely cross paths.
-Someone who feels that the ancestors are perfectly justified in usurping the rule and will of their living descendants? We'll likely cross something else...probably wits, unless you're the type who knifes old ladies who disagree with you.

Shosuro Sara · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:50 pm **Posts:** 689

Shosuro Sara
Clan: Scorpion
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Marital Status: Fashionable single
Occupation: Actress (STAR ACTRESS)
Height: 5'6"
Build: Lithe
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black and long

Description:
Sara-chan is a classic Scorpion beauty, and she does not hide it behind fancy masks, favoring the simpler fashion of her family. In her kimono and accessories, she leans towards extravagance when not in-role. On the stage though, she dresses as the role requires, even if that is a burlap sack (see her as Bitter Monk #3 in 'Shinshei goes to Otosan Uchi).

What is known:
Shosuro Sara is part of the Tasihou Hikari (Fading Lights) theatre troupe, under the direction of the esteemed Shosuro Satoshi. Sara has been part of the troupe for two years now, and finally got the leading role for the first time. She was ready to play at Winter Court, but before the play could start, the Emperor was suddenly killed by...the Emperor? It was all very confusing, especially with all the running away and not dying. Now sara is in Lion lands, fuming at the injustice of Winter Court, where the Son of Heaven was murdered AND she did not even get to play in front of all the important personages of the Empire!

Hooks:
- Do you like acting? She loves acting! And will happily correct your errors
- Besides ACTING, she is also a fan of other arts, and she is good at all of them (of course)
- Sara is a Ryoko Owari native, though she was just out of town when it burned down
- An avid reader of pillowbooks, ARE YOU TOO?

Hida Shiko · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 6:07 pm **Posts:** 42

Hida Shiko
Clan: Crab
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Marital Status: Widowed
Occupation: Bushi
Height: 5'8
Build: Strong
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Red

Appearance and Personality:

Shiko's most striking feature is her natural red hair, a color she insists isn't as uncommon among the Crab as people; even other Crab; tend to think. Looking past that, people will see a young bushi with the developed physique and posture of a warrior who'se seen more combat than most samurai will face in a life-time.

Public History:

Shiko had served on the Wall ever since her gempukku, until she suddenly embarked on a Musha Shugyo for reasons unknown. Crab samurai who served on the wall during that time might've heard various rumors about the reasons, ranging from her being the recipient of a powerful curse to shadowlands taint. Whatever the reason was, she showed up a year later in 577, at Kyuden Agasha, a ronin whose role in taking out a large group of forest killers was apparently sufficiently impressive to earn her admittance to the winter court that played host to the emperor himself.

When court ended, she returned to Crab lands and retook her family name. However, rumors and suspicions remained. While none of her fellow samurai questioned her skill, loyalty, or sense of duty; there were those who doubted her reliability. Whether their doubt is well placed or not, In the eyes of many she has yet to prove herself. She was stationed on the wall again, but despite a number of exploratory attacks made against her section, she and others of her unit were rotated out and assigned as reinforcements to the coalition forces sent to deal with the Naga in the Shinomen.

She left the war with the reputation of a hero, and yet more murmers among the other Crab about her reliability and sanity. Returning for a brief stint on the wall again, she soon left for Dragon Lands once more in order to help Hida Satori popularize his latest play. She even acted in it for a while, but only until someone more suited for the role was found.

Passing by Ryoko Owari on her way home, Shiko found herself caught up in the events surrounding the city's succession crisis. It's difficult for those who weren't there to know fact from fiction; chaotic as things were. There are plenty of rumors of dark artifacts, rebellion, murder, and plenty of questions as to who was involved with what. What *is* known, to those that care to know, is that afterwards a certain former Scorpion and a surprisingly awkward Shiko were seen together both in the Imperial capital and Kyuden Hida.

She attended a wedding at Kyuden Suzume together with her new husband, Hida Sozen; only for disaster to strike. Her husband was slain by an assassin, a loss that had left the Crab warrior a little more dead to the world when she returned Crab Lands.

The Saravya · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 10:30 am **Posts:** 99

Name: The Saravya
Gender: Female
Clan: Tausha's Legion
Marital Status: Single
Age: ??
Height: 5'1", with an extra 10' of tail
Build: Strong
Hair: Long, loose, wavy, black
Eyes: Yellow-gold

The Saravya cuts an elegant figure, with a slim, subtly muscular torso transitioning smoothly into a long, powerful tail. Her scales are a mellow grey-blue with black stripes across her back and around her tail, resembling a type of venomous sea snake from near the Mantis Islands. Piercing golden yellow eyes are framed by black markings and long-wavy hair mostly worn down, but pulled back for combat and work.

She wears sturdy, serviceable clothing, mostly to protect herself or to pad her armor rather than out of any sense of obligation toward Rokugani social mores. In general, she seems understand the need to function within Rokugani society without any interest in getting directly involved in it. She speaks entirely without prevarication, direct and effusive in both compliment and criticism. Her etiquette leaves something to be desired, but after an incident in Crab lands, she’s at least learned how to not start too many arguments or accidentally insult anyone enough to be removed from anywhere.

She originally came to find a solution to a malady her people currently lack a fix for, but ended up in the middle of the situation here. Despite the cultural clashes, she’s ready to defend the people around her.

Hooks:

Have you been to Crab or Piranha lands recently? We might have met.
She has a lot of pride in her people – she’s always up for talking about them.
The Saravya is passionate and opinionated, and always down for a debate.
She loves the water and can often be found there. That or the warmest place she has access to.

Bayushi Sukekage · **Joined:** Fri Apr 03, 2020 10:41 pm **Posts:** 194

Name: Bayushi Sukekage
Clan: Scorpion
Sex: Male
Age: 30
Height: 5’8”
Build: Athletic
Hair: Black, top-knot
Eyes: Hazel
Marital Status: Widower
Occupation: Diplomat

Sukekage is a rather unassuming sort - not blending into the background, but not one of the great Scorpion beauties or powerful personalities. He dresses the part of the diplomat, but maintains a quieter, more approachable demeanor. The years and their toll on him are beginning to show with a touch of grey at the temples, which he seems uninterested in concealing. All in all, he comes across as world-weary, but good-natured.

He comes late to the junshin game, having abandoned the depths of dishonor in memory of his late wife, Magimi (formerly a Hare), who died in childbirth, taking what would have been a first child with her. Since that time he has maintained something resembling social respectability, despite being shipped around from court to court by a series of irritated senior ambassadors. Now, at Toshi no Omoidoso, he's been left more or less to his own devices, retaining his diplomatic credentials but far from the shady schemes of senior Scorpion...

Hooks:
Hare samurai may be relatives of Sukekage's late wife, or may have met the couple during his initial posting at Shiro Usagi.

Sukekage's rather unsuccessful tour of the courts has taken him into the lands of the Crab, Crane, and Phoenix, and courtiers from those clans may have taken note of a lone Scorpion who's trying to be better than the reputation of his clan.

Bayushi Setsuna · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:17 am **Posts:** 201

Bayushi Setsuna

Clan: Scorpion
Gender: ???
Age: ???
Marital Status: Unwed
Occupation: Bushi
Height: 5'6"
Build: Androgynous
Eyes: Brown?
Hair: Black, messily short

Description
As is tradition among the Scorpion, Setsuna seems to thrive on confusing others. Their appearance is a mix of masculine and feminine. They are on the taller side for a woman yet shorter for a man. There is little to speak of in terms of curves yet they are willowy. Baggy clothing further adds to confusion . Their posture switches from feminine to masculine poses on the fly. Even their voice lies between, though that is helped by the muffling of their mask, an item they frequently switch to add to confusion.

Clothing choices are utilitarian and obviously Scorpion in appearance. After all, there is little fooling someone when wearing a mask. However, they sometimes enjoy wearing a green haori to pair with their jitte. Though there is no obvious mark of the Emerald Magistrates, it does add yet one more layer of duplicity.

What is Known (TN 40 Heraldry)
Even those who know of Setsuna are unsure of their true identity. What they are known for, though, is their general knack for avoiding danger in a fight. There had been rumors of this androgynous warrior never being struck in their life.

However, a certain Lion warrior managed to land the blow. Setsuna fell back into obscurity and anybody who knows this individual knows that they are planning on besting their rival at any cost.

Beyond that, there are rumors that Setsuna is truly an unlucky soul, that even their practice bout with their rival was the fate of some cruel spirits.

Story Hooks

Though Setsuna exchanges masks on a regular basis, how many androgynous Scorpion could there be?
Are you ingrained in the alliance between the Scorpion and the Lion? That is how Setsuna met their fated rival.
Perhaps you've been witness to tragedy striking Setsuna at the wrong time, perhaps even been dragged into it.

Isawa Miwako · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 7:21 am **Posts:** 590

Isawa Miwako
Sex: Female
Clan: Phoenix
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Tensai
Age: 20
Height: 5'6"
Build: Wiry
Hair: Red
Eyes: Pale Blue

Isawa Miwako remains something of an enigma. As one of the water tensai of the Phoenix, she has served her clan capably and loyally. She goes wherever she is commanded without complaint, performing her duty quickly and efficiently. These attributes, combined with her combination of skills, served Miwako well in the Shinomen Mori. She is still young and still learning, but possesses the potential to ascend quickly through the ranks of the Phoenix. All that holds her back are whatever secrets she has kept hidden from her peers.

Miwako can be friendly and sociable and leaves a favorable impression on most she meets. Yet, even her closest friends have spoken of her being distant at times. When given the opportunity, she spends hours in meditation or in exploration of local forrests, as if in search of something lost. Some have said she spends more time with trees than with people. Others, however, whisper stories of Miwako arbitrarily disappearing into the night, into the arms of a lover, perhaps, or into the grasp of some other vice. The more unusual tales described her chasing animals through the forest, hunting the slower game with her bare hands. Rumors suggest she skinned a naga once or that she has an ability to command bees. Such accounts are dismissed as foolish gossip, of course.

Some glimpsed what lurked within her in the Shinomen Mori. Isawa Miwako is gifted, and cursed. The specifics are known only to her superiors and those who witnessed her actions during the war. However, it was after that time when whispers of the "Queen of Bees" and the "Naga Tailor" began to follow her. The stories don't bother her and she continues her duties, content with her place in the world. Many feel her husband is the source of her contentment

Isawa Somgai never talks about his past and shows complete devotion to his wife. The former Shiba married Miwako a few years ago, and has quickly helped bring her household into order. He has assisted her and guided her regarding her gifts and her curse, and has been constantly at her side. They've traveled across the Empire together,
dwelling in Dragon lands, while Miwako learned from the Togashi then visiting Crab lands and the Moon Drop Sake House, entrusted to Miwako by the Yasuki. They finally returned to Phoenix lands for this past winter. But, Miwako felt the need to visit the City of Rembrence as the new year began. The couple didn't expect the Imperial turmoil when they brought their newborn, Wagikashi, along.

Somgai (Husband)

Hida Goro · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 9:11 pm **Posts:** 67

Hida Goro
Clan: Crab
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Height: 6' 5"
Hair: Black; scraggly and unkempt unless tied back
Eyes: Dark Brown
Marital Status: Unmarried
Occupation: Yojimbo; Sumai

The hulk of a Crab known as Hida Goro is loud and brash - everything you'd expect a Crab to be and then some. Yojimbo to the (shudder) merchant, Yasuki Daisuke, Goro does his duty - but seems to only half have his heart in it. His real passion, it's clear, is sumai. How do you know? Don't worry - he'll tell you in his big, loud, and boisterous way, likely while drinking up any sake, shochu, or whatever else you have to offer.

Hooks:

Were you part of the final battle against Tsukoro at Shiro Hiruma? This large hulk of a crab was and he was swinging a club nearly as big as himself through the swarms of Oni - and occasionally bashing goblins in the face with his bare hands.
Were you here for Winter Court? Goro's been taking all comers on in sumai. Usually he comes out on top - and often loses his temper (gracefully, of course) when he doesn't.
Have you seen the giant wandering around? No, seriously - he's big, even compared to pretty much any Crab. He's apt to stick out like a sore thumb, likely after hitting his head off of something and just trying to play it off.

Doji Koushi · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:22 am **Posts:** 314

Doji Koushi

Clan: Crane
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Height: 5' 7"
Hair: White; long, but kept tied back.
Eyes: Blue
Marital Status: Engaged
Occupation: Doctor, Bushi

Koushi hails from Kyuden Doji, where since his gempukku he has been attached to the castle's medical staff as a journeyman surgeon. He attended this Winter Court on a fluke, when his superior was given leave to remain at Kyuden Doji to attend the birth of her son. He acquitted himself well, but was alarmed to find his name mentioned as a marital prospect in the clan's latest treaty with the Lion clan. The recent troubles with the Steel Chrystanthemum intervened on his initial meeting with his betrothed, and, shell-shocked by the enormity of the changes in his young life, he wandered south.

Hooks
*Did you attend winter court? If so, maybe you encountered the handsome young doctor during one of his go or kemari matches. Or, perhaps you have some knowledge of the fate of his betrothed, Akodo Akihino, who went missing during the chaos that ended the court.

*Perhaps you paid a visit to Kyuden Doji? Maybe even got sick or injured there? Koushi might have treated what ails you in his affable, but professional way.

Ikoma Sugimoto · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:05 am **Posts:** 132

Name: Ikoma Sugimoto
Clan: Lion
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Height: Middling
Build: Stocky
Hair: Magnificent, black shot through with grey
Eyes: Dark Brown
Marital Status: Happily Married
Occupation: Magistrate & Bushi

Blurb

Sugimoto is something of a cosmopolitan by Lion standards. He has no outstanding blood feuds with any other clans great or small nor does he have any lost loves or betrayals that require avenging. In fact, he's even been known to nod politely when he sees a Unicorn samurai. Truly, he is a font of compassion.

Most of the Ikoma's attention has been focused inwards, on his family, on his clan, on the law. He has spent over two decades working his way up the ranks, first as a yoriki, then as a junior magistrate and now finally as a clan magistrate. If you ask around you'll hear his background is solid but unremarkable. He grinds his way to the conclusion of a case, no flights of fancy, no brilliant deductions, just methodical groundwork.

He has been blessed with 4 children and a happy union with Ikoma Toshiko (formerly one Asako Toshiko). She's all intellect and knowledge and sharpness. He's the quiet whetstone that keeps it honed (and does most of the mundane work, but that's the way he likes it.)

Now approaching the twilight of his life Sugimoto is a man on a mission to solve one last case, although he's realistic enough to know the odds of success are slim. Still, no Lion problem was ever solved by throwing one's hands up and walking away, except the Tao.

Hooks

Sugimoto has been a magistrate forever. If you've been on either side of the law in Lion land you might have come across him.
If you're particularly knowledgeable about the returned spirits, Sugimoto has an interest.
He's actually pretty friendly, most of the time. If you have a problem with the Lion Sugimoto will hear you out fairly.

Bayushi Yukinaga · **Joined:** Sat Apr 04, 2020 11:23 am **Posts:** 175

Sex: Male
Clan: Scorpion
Occupation: Gunso
Marital Status: Betrothed to Matsu Kogyoku
Age: 20
Height: 5'11"
Build: Athletic

Appearance:

Yukinaga looks like what most people imagine when they think of a scorpion bushi, beautiful, with striking features and a vaguely alluring air about him. Yuki was born naturally gifted physically, tall and strong with broad shoulders. His hard work and dedication have only improved his natural framework.

Yuki wears a mempo styled after a fanged and smiling red oni that covers the bottom half of his face though he is not as rigid about wearing it as some scorpion are, it will certainly be seen in any court setting, formal event, or battle.

Background:

Yukinaga was born to an honorable scorpion family and has followed in their footsteps. This honorable quality is seen as a positive by many but not viewed so favorably by his own clan for obvious reasons. Yuki is a gunso in the Scorpion army who has served in many conflicts but preformed most notably during the Crab siege of the Palace of Crimson Shadow where he stepped up to lead when his superior was killed. This was the first of many successful military ventures for the young scorpion who flourished in an army that was slowly changing to reflect that of the more honorable Lion clan. Yuki has always shown prodigious ability to the point where he completed his Gempukku a year early to the delight of his family.

Perhaps it is because of this sense of honor Yuki tries to live by that a Matsu family chose him to give a marriage offer to for their daughter. Yukinaga and Kogyoku have corresponded often in the time since their arranged betrothal and by all accounts the two are quite fond of each other and look forward to their wedding.

Yukinaga also has some siblings but none who have accomplished much of note as of yet.

The young Gunso has been described as gregarious and fun loving when not on the field or training. He enjoys a good game of Go in the gardens as much as a night out on the town with his men. But also holds himself to a very high standard to be an excellent role model sometimes to the point where others have remarked he is too hard on himself when he does err.

Hooks:

- Served on either side during the "War of Crossed Pincers?" There's a chance that you may have run into Yuki.

- Yukinaga starts most days at the dojo when possible, he'd love a new sparring partner or workout buddy.

- Do you like Go? Yuki is no pro but he enjoys a friendly game now and again.

- Do you know Kogyoku? Yukinaga is the betrothed that has been unable to meet her for so long.

- Yuki is a passable marksman perhaps you are as well and would like to share tips or go shooting together.

Yogo Aya · **Joined:** Sun Apr 05, 2020 12:42 am **Posts:** 719

Name: Yogo Aya
Gender: Female
Clan: Scorpion
Profession: Wardmaster
Martial Status: Single
Age: 19
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 56 kg
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black
Demeanor: Dismissive

Appearance: A young woman of the Scorpion clan, Aya is not particularly pretty, and while not overweight, she is certainly no delicate Doji maiden. As is fairly common for Yogo's she does not particularly give off a welcoming and friendly kind of vibe.

Hooks:

If you're looking for a friendly and delicate conversation....go to the tea house and ask for Doji-san, I've got no time for you.

No, I don't particularly care what your problem is, we've all got problems, go deal with it yourself.

Oh, you need to know how to kill something weird? Of course I know how to do that, but see the above point.

Am I single? Well, I've been called the Bride of Emma-O, so what do you think? Oh you don't? How utterly unsurprising.

You're with the Lion clan? Oh, I just LOVE the Lion clan. Why don't we go somewhere very private and you can quote half-remembered Leadership at me?

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