Fantasy Tale of Nakashigata - Character Sign-Up

[Chordling]

Tales of Nakashigata -- Character Sign-Up

Please read the full lore section and character sheet form prior to character creation. Don't be afraid to ask questions! You are welcome to dress your CS with BBCode as long as it is not distracting and that it includes all of the fields indicated below. (Replace any parenthesis with your character's information.) No more than two characters are allowed per player, please. Thank you!

(Optional portrait. Drawn face claims preferred.)

Full Name: (Surname, Given Name)
Nickname: (Optional)
Age: (Must be at least 18)
Gender: (Required)
Region: (Required)

Appearance: (Please describe your character's physical appearance. Minimum of a few paragraphs.)
Personality: (Please describe your character's personality and morals. Minimum of a few paragraphs.)

Background: (Please describe highlights from your character's upbringing. Minimum of a few paragraphs.)

Why did your character join the military academy?
(Please tell us why your character was enrolled in the NNDA. Minimum of a few sentences.)


The following questions should not appear on your CS but it would be appreciated if you thought about the answers.
What are your character's thoughts and feelings towards the Imperial family and to the land's military?
What does your character think about the prohibition over advanced weapons and technology?
What are some things your character will do to worship the dragons?

 

[Chordling]

NNDA Student Roster

Shirai Hoshiko

Miura Kiku

Matsumoto Toratetsu

Ashikaga Shinjo

Hasegawa Rika

Kidera Tokurai

??? Hiro

??? Yumiko

??? Akira

School of Science

School of Science

Military Program

School of Humanities

School of Defense

Military Program

???

???

Military Program

Lake and Shrine of the Koi

Lake and Shrine of the Crane

Lake and Shrine of the Sword

Lake and Shrine of the Crane

Lake and Shrine of the Sword

Lake and Shrine of the Koi

???

???

???

Kaerri

Pepsionne

StormWolf

dr xenon

Arcanist

Purr

NPC

NPC

NPC

 

[Kaerri]

Painting by Ikenaga Yasunari (title unknown)

Full Name: Shirai Hoshiko (白井 星子)
Nickname: Hoshi (mostly used by the elders in her family)
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Region: Lake and Shrine of the Koi

Appearance:
Hoshiko is of average height and slender build. She's somewhat athletic because of her interest in kyudo (Japanese archery) and fondness for long walks, though not anyone's image of a warrior. She has a sweet oval face and soft, rounded features, the most notable of which are her warm brown eyes, which are usually lowered due to her shyness. Her long black hair is usually kept tied in a very practical knot at the back of her head, with a pair of sticks thrust through the knot to hold it in place. For formal occasions, she uses gilded hairsticks with strings of tiny carved glass fish or flowers pending from the upper ends of the sticks; for everyday use, she prefers silver, unornamented hairsticks.

When not in her school uniform, Hoshiko tends to wear light-colored kimono patterned in darker colors with darker solid-colored skirts (much like pictured here or here, but differently-colored and -patterned), with tall, sturdy boots. Her favorite outfit is a short kimono in ivory, patterned with indigo waves and burgundy koi, with a skirt in matching burgundy or dark indigo; others are cream with bright orange koi and dark orange skirt, pale mint green with deep blue chrysanthemums and deep blue skirt, and wisteria-purple with sea-green waves and spirals and darker purple skirt. The waves and koi remind her of home, both comfort and inspiration. She also has appropriately-colored loose trousers such as are pictured in the first link, but prefers skirts for their femininity.

There are two things she almost always has on her person: her flute, kept in a long, slim leather pouch lined with felt that hangs from her obi as other women might hang their fans; and a small jeweler's toolkit (something like what I keep in my clarinet case for quick repairs, but for more generalized tinkering) in her skirt or trouser pocket.

Personality:
Very intelligent, but quiet, shy, and reserved, Hoshiko can easily be mistaken as standoffish by those who don't know her well - which is most, unless particular effort is made on one side or the other. She prefers books to people, largely because the books don't insist on holding a "proper" conversation, nor do they get angry when she's forgotten some detail or other about them. She has an excellent memory for facts and figures, but less so for people, making her even more uncomfortable in social situations. Hesitant about asking questions in class, except when her interest is strong enough to overcome her diffidence, she does manage to answer any directed at her, though whenever she gets the answer wrong her ensuing discomfiture generally makes her even quieter the rest of the day. On the other hand, if she can't bring herself to ask for clarification in class, she always seeks the answer elsewhere, usually in books. Remaining in ignorance, she believes, is worse than anything, and when she can't find the answers on her own, sooner or later she psyches herself up to ask her instructors. Rarely does she try consulting her fellow students, not just from the belief that they probably don't know more than she does (they're all students together, after all) but also because she hasn't formed any real connection to them that would help her push past her habitual reserve. She feels rather out of place most of the time, but encourages herself by thinking of the academy as her waterfall, and herself as the koi who will someday reach the top and become the confident dragon she wishes she was.

Though joining the School of Science to study physics, she still has an intense interest in archery and her bamboo shinobue flute, and if her class schedule for a particular period doesn't permit her to take classes in either, she frequently spends her own time in private practice -- very private, in the case of the flute, as she tries to find very out-of-the-way spots, preferably hidden somewhere in a park. Distance from her residence doesn't bother her when selecting her practice locations, as she rather enjoys long walks, and would rather be alone and have to run to make it back on time than be subject to potential audiences.

As suits one from a traditional family, Hoshiko tries to uphold the traditional values, particularly honor, duty, family, harmony, and politeness, as well as her home region's particular values of education and perseverance. Despite not being particular friends with any of her fellows, she sees her classmates as a sort of family, albeit one she has trouble making casual conversation with. Her shyness is a large part of her visible personality, but she does have a strong will of her own where her values are concerned, even if she doesn't entirely realize it herself. That will is what brought her to the academy and keeps her here, determined to do her best and make her family proud.

Background:
The Shirai family are very traditionally minded, and very proud of their region. Each member is expected to mindfully maintain the region's standards of education and perseverance, and a well-rounded education at that. The elders try to avoid forcing their children into studies they dislike, but no one is permitted to focus entirely on one field -- each must choose at least one field of academics, of athletics, and of arts, to maintain a proper spiritual balance. That said, Shirai men tend towards the military and "hard" sciences, and the women towards the arts and "soft" sciences, and so Hoshiko at first tried to force herself into what she thought was her proper role in school, though the only "feminine" subject she did well in was music. From early childhood, she had had a secret delight in taking mechanical items apart, seeing how they worked, and putting them back together. All sorts of items, from her own wind-up music box, to the small clock she'd been given for her tenth birthday, to her father's newly-imported stylographic pen -- and that last caused trouble and notice at last, because she couldn't get it to seal properly afterwards, and and when her father discovered it now leaked ink all over his documents, he at once began to demand who had toyed with the expensive item. Embarrassed and ashamed, but refusing to allow anyone else to be blamed for what she had done, Hoshiko confessed her guilt, much to her father's surprise. A family conference followed, which she found very uncomfortable, not least because she was the focus of all eyes and attention, but the end result was her admitting her preference towards mechanical studies, as well as kyudo, which had nothing at all to do with the pen, but having let one truth spill from her mouth, she couldn't keep the other from following it. Her elders choosing to encourage her in these rather than push her into more feminine studies. She comforted herself with the fact that she also enjoyed the shinobue flute, even if her interest in it included its construction as well as playing it. With her true vocation revealed and encouraged, Hoshiko was soon doing very well in school, well enough that her parents began to consider sending her to the Nakashigata National Defense Academy. It was a prospect that rather frightened her, if truth be told (which she didn't, not daring to disappoint them). Kyudo was, for her, more of a hobby than an ambition, and she would much rather be a professional engineer/designer than a soldier. And of course there was her excessive shyness to consider; being so far from home, among so many strangers, for the purpose of training to be a leader in her community -- the thought frequently sent her to the waterfall, to meditate on the koi's bravery and persistence and find encouragement for herself in its success. After all, she couldn't disappoint her family, and perhaps the adversity was what she needed to overcome her flaws. She hoped so, at least.


Why did your character join the military academy?
Despite her hesitation about applying, Hoshiko wants very much to be the best engineer designer she can, and feels it her duty to serve Nakashigata and the Lake and Shrine of the Koi in whatever way she can. She hopes being among so many strangers will help her mature as a person as well, though so far she's only drawn further into her shell (except in class).

Spoiler: Shinobue flute music

 

[Dizmason Eternus X]

Full Name: Mortival Synth.
Nickname: Syn.
Age: 18.
Gender: Male.
Region: Lake and Shrine of the Sword.

Appearance:
Synth's appearance foreshadows many underlying secrets. His outfit; a construct of light silky robes circulating the chest and shoulders, however leaving his abdominal and a fair percentage of his collar nude. The entirety of his attire was light in build, the aesthetical design was peculiar to the Mortival household, ornamented with a number of sigils and handwritten Nakashigatian letters that describe the story of their lineage.

Robes were white and gold, tailored to match medieval Nakashigatian clothing with a resemblance to the middle eastern cultures of Nakashigata. They matched with his long blonde hair, dark honey eyes, and fairly tan skin tone. He was 170cm tall, lean athletic build, weighing approximately 74kg.


Personality:

Rational.
Synth came from a sophisticated household. Fair to say, he was one of the people who would think a dozen times with their heads rather than act according to sentiment. He's often viewed as a cold-hearted entity due to how he keeps an optimistic front when making nerve-wracking decisions. Although, this made him glitter and shine in the eyes of the Elders of his family.

Blunt.
His choice of words was always straightforward, sometimes the receiving end would appreciate it, and most often he is faced with resentment, especially from empathetic individuals.

Nomadic.
Since he was a child, Synth sought to roam for knowledge and direct answers to his wonders. One can call him relentless, but it can't be helped.

Background:
The evening of a scarlet day Synth witnessed a bizarre horizon, a natural phenomenon where the sunset was soaking in mushy clouds, a scenery he's never seen before. He was about 8 years old around then, wearing light outfits as he preferred. Due to the Shrine's location in coordination with his household, Synth would need to circulate around the lake in order to watch the sunset. However, the way home would be long and dark, very dangerous for a fragile weak boy.

His first time to witness the phenomenon was from the rooftop of his family's residence. One year later, the phenomenon occurred again, and Synth was eager to view it up close. However, he didn't try because a rational mindset like his allowed him to be patient. The boy turned 10 years of age, and the Elders decided to escort him to the annual ceremony held near the Sword Shrine. He wasn't really interested in the beginning, ceremonies were a waste of time, he thought.
'Why would we celebrate the old and obsolete past, when we can focus on discovering the horizon and what's beyond.'

What caught Synth's interest that day was one occurrence, people were allowed to enter the Shrine!
From his observation, people from a given rank or position in the military were allowed to enter the Shrine. And then it struck him if he can become one of those with enough prestige… He can enter the shrine and reach for the horizon he's been longing for.


Why did your character join the military academy?
The NNDA was but a stepping stone for Synth, he was a person with ambition. His ambition was to be granted permission of entering the Sword Shrine, and graduating NNDA was one ticket into achieving that.

 

[Pepsionne]

Full Name: Miura, Kiku
Nickname: Kiki (Only those very close to her)
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Region: Lake and Shrine of the Crane

Appearance: Kiku inherited a tall, elegant frame from her mother, who many in the Crane region have dubbed the hidden beauty of the Miura garden. Kiku’s most prominent feature, which she inherited from her father, are her thick, studious brows and curious grey gaze. The rest of her features seem softened in comparison. Kiku wears her dark hair down, but when experimenting or interacting in society she pins a portion of it up to keep it from getting in her way. Kiku wears layers of soft, breathable robes. She is typically drawn to patterns of flowers and beautiful insects to tie back to her family’s profession of gardening. Kiku prefers fabrics of black, blue or a combination of the two.

Personality: Kiku is bright and observant. Her curiosity usually gets the better of her, leading her down rabbit holes and long nights full of research. She is a very open minded individual, finding pleasure and happiness in learning of different perspectives and approaches to knowledge. When speaking about topics that she has a deep well of knowledge in and finds to be of great interest, she has a bad habit of talking fast and rambling into off shoot topics that only make sense to her. It is very easy to amuse and capture her interest. She has a short temper when it comes to her work; if something isn’t making sense or going right, her frustration can be incendiary. To make her frustration even worse, Kiku is a perfectionist. Until something works exactly as she intended it, she will obsess over it until she gets it right.

Background: The Miura family is well known in the Lake and Shrine of the Crane for their beautiful, sprawling gardens full of rare flowers and medicinal herbs. It is a frequent destination for those visiting the region, either to stop and admire the curated beauty her family works hard to maintain, or to seek out their handcrafted medicinal remedies.
While her siblings enthusiastically followed around her mother, who maintained the beauty of the flowers in the garden and interacted with guests, Kiku preferred spending the majority of her time in her father’s study. She would watch him research, experiment and craft the many medicinal remedies sold to the public. The science behind the plants’ properties and the results when mixed in various combinations fascinated her. Although forced to also garner a well trained background in growing and maintaining numerous different flora, Kiku was most skilled in that which she was most interested in, herbalism.
As she grew older, Kiku’s involvement grew more and more until she was running the research and development of their herbalist business, with her father learning from her. A society belle through and through, Kiku’s mother frequently hinted at her desire for Kiku to follow in her footsteps and involve herself in the social world of the region. In an effort to please her mother’s desires, Kiku split her time between working with her father and involving herself in polite society.

Why did your character join the military academy?
Kiku heard tales of the high level research being done in the School of Science at the NNDA. She begged her father to let her go, as she had quickly surpassed his knowledge in herbalism yet felt as though she was just barely scratching the surface. She hopes to uncover even more secrets from the natural world.

 

[StormWolf]

Full Name: Matsumoto Toratetsu

Nickname: Tora, Sanzoku (Princely Cub) among family, Brass Tiger (tournament moniker)

Age: 24

Gender: Male, He/Him.

Region: Lake and Shrine of the Sword, Golden Tiger Clan Province

Appearance: Toratetsu was known around the Academy as the Brass Tiger, not only for the hue of his garb or the crest of his clan, but for his tiger-green eyes and his smile. For his very countenance. Tall and supple with muscle, with a light bronze-hued complexion given only by Crane-Region contry blood, Toratetsu carries himself with the predatory languidness of a big cat; relaxed, but able to spring into explosive violence at the drop of a pin. He is hirsute for a Nakashigata man, with hair on his arms and chest, giving him something of a wild, rugged and untamable allure. Toratetsu has his share of pale scars across his tempered body, the most noticeable across the bridge of his nose, as well as one splitting his right eyebrow and his chin. Toratetsu's hair is a deep, rich brown with the faintest flashes of cinnamon-red and flaxen gold when the light hits it just right. In accordance with Academy dress code, he remains clean-shaven.

When Toratetsu joined the Academy, he was an awkwardly proportioned boy - lanky with large hands and knees. In his first year and a half, however, he filled out with steely muscle. At the beenning of the current year, the Academy physicians measured him at 1 Ken, 2 Sun (6'2"], and weighed in at 25 Kan, [~200 lbs]. For some time, he was the bane of Academy quartermasters as he continued to outgrow his uniforms every few months. Now that he has plateaued, Toratetsu commonly wears the expectant uniform when attending academic matters, however at formal functions he will wear a linen tunic, burgundy kimono and matching gold-embroidered silk haori. His hakama is inversely modestly colored in a deep sable and with hardly discernible wave-patterns in the weave, while his obi sash invokes the sense of a tiger's pelt.

Personality: Fire, Earth, and Water. The Fire is his passion, his ferocity. He is passionate about his work, the honor and glory inherent in his position and in the elevations it provides his family and clan. This passion is what puts a spring in his step and the neigh-perpetual smile on his lips - a tigerish thing to match that glowing ferocity in his eyes. Earth is his grounded beliefs in his oaths and his code; the bonds of station, family, faith, and fellowship. Water for his adaptability, and his capacity to think on his feet and go with the flow.

These together are what made him a fine choice at the Academy, tenaciously loyal yet capable of thinking individually. Trained as a warrior as much as a courtier, such mannerisms allow him a wide spectrum of pressure points to apply politically; attacking, evading, and defending much like he would in combat. As is expected of a samurai in service to the emperor, Toratetsu carries himself with poise, stoicism, and grace. His eyes, however - those fiery eyes - are the first to betray him when passions rise. Without this calm demeanor and the demands of discipline and social strata, Toratetsu has a fearsome temper, often destructive in its outlets. Academy custodians have replaced many paper doors, porcelain jars, and silvered mirrors with a mum word.

This inferno of anger is seeded in resentment and fear. For all of Tora's swagger, charm, and skill, he will whither before his father's disapproval. The chain of command is his bond and fetter, resenting those who lord over him, but unable to break the behavior that has been conditioned into him. Every Sensei commands the same dedication, the opiate reaction of high praise, and the scalding lash of reprimand. Toratetsu was raised to never settle for second-best, and being anything but the apex predator is anathema.

To share his insecurities and anxieties is to share weakness, to make oneself vulnerable, and to suffer thy people thy weakness. By Kurusu-sama's lessons, a lord of the Matsumoto family must be as a stone pillar, uncompromising and unyielding as a mountain to the winds that would seek to bow it. With siblings set against each other in such a manner, each was isolated, trained to be self-sufficient, and to never impart trust to those who have not earned it. It is a lonely and corrosive creed.

When the burden of duty and expectation grow too heavy to bear, Toratetsu seeks solace in meditation, haiku, and tea ceremonies... at least publicly. He is loathe to admit that wine eases the tension from his broad back far better than any recreation deemed acceptable by a bushi.

Background: Toratetsu is a scion of a once-great clan long bereft of favor, their clan banner and the families beneath it bearing the smut of dishonor brought about by the fall of the Tiger Warlords over a century ago. The name Matsumoto no longer means what it used to, the implications of such caused Toratetsu's grandfather to wallow in his wine until his liver burst. Toratetsu's father, Matsumoto Kurusu, was tempered by the tribulations that broke his father before him, making a name for himself in the culling of the bandit epidemic in their province. It was coarse, bloody work, but such is the inglorious duty of a regional magistrate. Still, the Matsumoto family could only do so much in their present status.

During the winter courts of the Imperial courts, Kurusu arranged a political marriage with Ayame Chizuki of the Heron Clan, hailed from the Crane Region. This opened up a strictly guarded trade artery from the Crane Region to the Sword Region through which rice, grain, and livestock could easily travel. Both families and their clans flourished.

It was into this newfound wealth and stoked ambition that Toratatsu was born.

One of seven children, there was never a shortage of competition within the Matsumoto manor. Kurusu was a man possessed by ambition, sparing praise only for the truly remarkable, each of his scions groomed to need that praise as much as food or air. It was an unethical practice, Chizuki knew, but it was necessary. She was as much Tiger as she was Crane, and what mother wouldn’t wish a higher station for her children?

In this climate, Toratetsu was forged. From the age of four, he had been trained in the arts and academic works of the greatest scholars and philosophers, as well as equestrian arts, falconry, and the bow. By six, he began his tutelage in martial arts and warfare, from single combat with the sword to battle tactics.. His peers were his siblings, and only one could sit beside mother and father come supper.

He was taught to persevere through hardship, through loss. To never cow to it, to never surrender to despair. The Golden Tiger Clan has always had the honor of their history as famed Bushi, and it was expected for Toratetsu to carry himself as such.

Why did your character join the military academy?

To elevate his family name, his clan, and to prove himself to his parents. Actively seeking a place as a Yojimbo to the Imperial High Court, a general, or even War Minister. If Toratetsu succeeds, he will achieve the greatest aspirations his family could have hoped, and have earned the right as Family Head and Clan Daimyo. Should Tora fail, there are six other siblings who bear the Matsumoto name. A failure will not be missed.
His primary field of study is swordsmanship in the Military Program, having dedicated the first four years of is study at the Academy to the School of Defense.
Through his time at the Academy, he has taken electives from the Humanities School, focusing on politics and law. The free hours have grown narrow since he started the intensive Military Program, pushing his Humanities studies to the wayside for the most part.

Spoiler: Notes

If another player wants to roll up one of Toratetsu's siblings, just be sure to ask
GM otherwise has free reign with the Matsumoto Family and Golden Tiger Clan

 

[dr xenon]

Full Name: Ashikaga Shinjo
Nickname: Kanja - to family
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Region: Lake and Shrine of the Crane

Appearance:
If not for his bearing Ashikaga Shinjo would be wholly unremarkable.

His hair was of an average black sheen and cut in the style popular among NNDA students from families of certain means, which is to say just long enough and shaggy enough to avoid correction by the proctors, and pulled back in a casual pony tail from which occasional strands would spring to obscure the face. His face was not unpleasant to look upon, and bore only a small scar upon his jaw just below his right ear to distinguish him from other equally handsome young men. His eyes would perhaps be called romantic by a poet, friendly by a merchant, and soft by a sword master, yet despite that they were also quite discerning to the chagrin of his siblings whenever the play of his youth had turned mischievous and few tricks of ambush escaped his notice.

Of his clothes let it be said that he could dress the part no matter the occasion. Not due to a surfeit of outfits, but due a natural ability to mix and match what he did have to fit into whatever the setting demanded. His natural inclination was towards the colors and cuts of his region, with an affinity toward loose trousers and jackets. The only fault of his personal style might be his insistence on wearing footwear more suitable for a farm than a city street. Other than that, there was little to distinguish him from any number of like-aged youths at the academy.

Yet, there was something about the set of his shoulders and the easy yet deliberate way he walked across a room, leaned against a tree, moved from sitting to standing, or even arose from his bed spoke of fluid grace and underlying strength. This then, is where the martially inclined would recognize the student of the Gentle Ways and nod knowingly.


Personality:
Shinjo is inquisitive and friendly. He loves a puzzle and hates a liar. His devotion to the Emperor and Empire escapes introspection.

As the middle child of five Shinjo has learned that someone always has a more pressing need than him. This has taught him patience, to the point that his grandparents nicknamed him Kanja (patience) after he waited 3 hours to ask for help after his cousin's accident with an axe while chopping wood left his cousin short a few toes and Shinjo bleeding from where a wood splinter gouged into his hand.

While he is patient enough, once he sets his mind to something he is implacable and unflagging. As a child late Spring rains threatened the crops and all the adults, regardless of station where out digging ditches to divert the flow of water from certain fields. Shinjo lay awake into the small hours. Finally, he arose and roused the other children too small to dig. After a little while they trudged out into the fields with steaming pots of tea and porridge for all the diggers, Shinjo leading the procession like a general on the march.

Background:
The Ashikaga family can trace its origins and land holdings to the roots of the Lake and Shrine of the Crane region. While many Ashikaga have risen to prominence their name is so prevalent that it holds little influence in and of itself. Shinjo's own branch of the family tree has had Samurai, rich land owning farmers, successful merchants, and even regional advisors - but not from his generation, or his parents, or even his grandparents. He grew up neither poor nor rich, and as the third child in a large nuclear family knew that if he was to reach any sort of prominence he would have to leave home.
Being of a not-too-poor and somewhat influential family had small perks. Shinjo used to accompany his Uncle Reiku on matters of business. Here he saw the courts of law and investigators at practice and was fascinated. Men and women held other men's and women's lives and livelihoods in their hands, making life and death decisions based on judgement, evidence and hunches. When a murder case was dramatically decided when a magistrate's investigator dragged the alleged victim, kicking and screaming into the court Shinjo was impressed. Seeing his nephew's reaction Reiku managed to engage the investigator in a conversation over tea and by the end of that session Shinjo knew how he wanted to serve the Emperor.
These trips with his uncle also taught Shinjo the value of treating everyone - regardless of station - with respect and dignity. His uncle would engage servants and peasants in conversation - learning of bandit activity, the best places to buy seed corn, any number of business advantages. The same was true for people of equal or higher station, though Shinjo learned that what was important to someone of higher station was often of less immediate value than someone of lower station.

Why did your character join the military academy?
Shinjo sees the Academy as a way to gain the education and connections he will need to either become a Magistrate or work for one. He wants nothing more than to put his inquiring mind to work for the Emperor. He studies the Humanities for a base in Law and languages, and spends his time in martial training in Jiu Jitsu and Aikido.

 

[Arcanist]

葉室 泉
Hasegawa, Rika

Nickname: Ri-Ri
Age: 20
Gender: Female
Region: Lake and Shrine of the Sword

Appearance: Rika stands at a respectable 5'4 and has a muscular build that hides behind any fancy clothes of hers. To the common eye, perhaps she's not scary enough for some outsiders looking in at a possible Samurai, though, most Samurai she knew have been only slightly taller than her and were the most courageous and scary people she's ever met. Her small face and her dainty features often give the impression that she's younger or dainty, though, this proves not to be the case. Like most women of the Hasegawa clan, she has dark brown eyes, and her dark brown hair is either tied up or seperated into two pigtails as shown in the images above.

Colour in the Hasegawa clan bear great importance. Purple and red patterns are often found on those part of the Hasegawa clan, purple signifying femininity and their noble status, and red as their sign of strength and warrior prowess. Rika usually wears Kimonos of these patterns to more social or important events, but often tends to wear plainer colours and simpler clothing when it comes to training on her own or if she doesn't have anywhere she needs to be.

Personality: From a young age, Rika has always been known as a bright and excitable girl, feats that haven't changed ever since she grew into a woman. She's always up to try new oppurtunities. Bold and courageous, she doesn't back down from a fight or a tough situation, and she gives it everything she's got. She has the habit of perhaps jumping in without thinking far ahead enough, with her lack of calmness and stability something she needs to work on in terms of her Samurai training. Her spunkiness, though sometimes infectious, can sometimes have her come off as immature or childish to others. Rika has dreams of travelling further beyond her home and Nakashigata if she ever finds the oppurtunity, and being stuck in one place for too long often gives her a deep sense of cabin fever, even in a large town.

However, it should be known that Rika has a better work ethic than she did as a child. Earning her place in the Military Programme at the Academy was of immense importance to both her and her family, and so she wishes to work to keep her place here. Her discipline at the best of times may not to be the best, but she works hard, and she's determined to show that off and make sure that effort is being seen.

Rika, in many ways, tries her best to uphold her Bushido code, though, puts particular emphasis on Respect and Honesty. She doesn't see the need for others to be cruel to one another when it isn't needed, and though she's probably gotten up to trouble of her own in the past, she knows to admit her mistakes is better than hiding it, and she respects anyone who can be honest and do the same.

Background: Hailing from Clan Hasegawa, a family whose history features a long line of warriors of great renown, it was practically decided upon birth that Rika would follow in the footsteps of past and current warriors. The second eldest, she was always a fun-loving girl. She loved to prank or annoy her siblings, or go off exploring and missed several of her lessons with her academic tutor as a result of her avid curiosity. Rika was, and still is, a fiery and colourful personality, to be sure.

She showed promise with a katana from a young age. Lectures of how much of an important honour it is to be a samurai, to continue the legacy of the Samurai women was a key tradition in their family, etc. etc., had been instilled in her until she repeated each and every word without missing a beat. She got up every morning, trained until she was sure her legs and her arms would have fallen clean off, knowing that her mother would have settled for nothing less, and that if she as so lagged behind, her older sister and younger brother would have ran miles ahead of her in her training. Plus, she enjoyed the feel of the katana, how the fighting gave her such a rush.

The competitiveness in her family was a well-known one. At least with her younger brother, Hiroki, it was a friendly one, in which the two often made up new ways to trip the other up or messed around during training. With her eldest sister, Yui, it was far from the case. Serious and deadpan, she took her training seriously, and her rivalry with Rika was a fierce one. Rika wound her up something silly, and her sister often grew irritated with her. She had believed her sister's seriousness had been a result of her temperment - and chalked it up to her being born on one of the the most stormiest nights of the autumn season.

Rika would soon learn it wasn't just the case. In a sparring match between the two, a well calculated strike saw Rika fall, and hard. It would have been seen as a well-deserved victory on Yui's part, but the younger sister could see something behind the elder's eyes. A whirlpool of fury, something that made her very hands tremble when she looked down upon Rika. Rika, for once, feared her sister, for she saw the sproutings of jealousy in her. It made sense. She was the elder, a candidate for Matriarch of the Clan, a position of immense importance in their family. That didn't meant to say the title would be passed to her on birthright alone. If anything, Rika, who had grown up swinging a katana in her hand, could have been a possible candidate too.

But Rika refused to fight her for it. If that was what she so wanted, she could take it. For once, Rika backed down, receiving the message loud and clear. It dampened their relationship, but Rika could imagine it would have been far worse. So, instead, Rika sought to fly from Hasegawa nest and into the Military Programme at the Academy, much like her sister had, looking for the oppurtunity to travel, or perhaps, work further afield.

Why did your character join the military academy?
Tradition, as of late, has seen women of Clan Hasegawa enter the academy to further hone their training and reach the true potential as Samurai. To train further as a Samurai, with the possibility of serving under a greater lord or power, is a great honour to bestow upon the family. Rika, mind you, just wants the oppurtunity to explore and travel, a springboard she believes the academy can act as in doing just that, as well as escape the hostility her sister shows her in their home life.

 

[Life.]

Drawn by: Izfrusnckop on Deviantart​

Full Name: Koga, Akari
Nickname: Akko
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Region: Lake and Shrine of the Lotus

Appearance:
Slightly different from the average girl in her homeland, Akari was born with prominent brown hair and light brown eyes. She stands a little above the average height at 5'7" and has exercised her figure to be toned with subtle muscles on her arms and legs. Her attire are mostly neutral-toned clothes. She wears a white long-sleeved piece over her white top, a layered, flowing skirt that is functional for sparring, and a leather cloth wrapped around her waist underneath her belt.

Personality:
Driven by the desire for honor, Akari's tolerance to interact with others is quite slim. However, this does not mean she is against being a team player. While there is the need for individual honor, the young woman understands the necessity of teamwork--to play a part of a big scene. The difference for her though is that she will work hard towards the bigger roles. As her chance to fulfill one before was never in her grasp. With much discipline taught in her background, Akari understands the respect and experience that others higher in the totem pole have. Her ambition to strive for great things shows clearly on her dedication and studious behavior.

Humor, fun, and most positive emotions are constructs that Akari understands but does not feel often. A single word to really sum up Akari is that she is stoic. She hides her emotions and releases them in her activities or meditation. But sometimes anger is an emotion that is not so easy for her to control and she can become rude, explosive, or cold to others, depending on the situation and person. Her trust in others is fickle for the most part unless someone really stands out to her.

Akari has some positive qualities to her name though. She does care for others despite her hard shell, but she's one to give tough love. Her way of helping others could seem odd but she means well. Overall, she can seem tough on the outside but has a soft center deep, deep down inside of her.

Background:
Nanako and Akari, two girls born only three days apart in separate households. Upon first impressions, many held strong certainty that both children would be destined to become the chosen maidens. As babies, their beauties were incomparable to the rest. Both born with more hair than the average baby and both had dazzling light brown eyes. From far apart, it would be hard to not call them twins. But as the grew older, the differences became discernable. Akari always grew a little faster in height compared to Nanako. Nanako had shining, black hair while Akari had a unique, light brown color for hers. Akari had larger, sharper ears with a more angular structured head compared to Nanako's rounder, softer face and smaller ears. Both had their differences but together they were close in companionship. The Koga and Arai households were close in friendship, so with their daughters growing up like siblings, they were all settled on the idea for both of their daughters to become a part of the eight maidens. With all their dreams instilled on Akari and Nanako, the two felt the pressure, excitement, determination, and need to succeed. They were raised and pushed to the lifestyle of becoming a maiden. The young girls blinded with dreams.

Then came the fated day, one of the eight maidens was reaching the age of eighteen and Nanako and Akari were of the ripe age of 12. This meant that one of them was going to become the next maiden. The next day came and Nanako had disappeared from her home, the Arai household informing the Koga family of the great news. The next maiden for the Lake and Shrine of the Lotus was Arai, Nanako. This came as planned by the village. It was clear that if not both, then one was to be chosen as a maiden for sure. Akari was excited for her friend, but inside she couldn't help but feel envy. Both had been raised for the same goal, which birthed a friendly rivalry. But before Nanako left to live at the shrine, Akari promised to join her soon. "Don't keep me waiting." The last words Akari would ever hear from her friend.

Blinded by arrogance fed to her at the start of a young age, Akari felt confident she was going to the next maiden chosen. One year passed and then another, Akari grew older as time continued, the opportunity to become a maiden decreased by the day. Desperation to prove her worth clawed at Akari's mind, but the desire to be with Nanako burned her heart. The young girl never knew how much she depended on her friend. They had done everything together, but the day she left, a piece of heart had broke. Then came her 14th birthday, the final, big chance to become a maiden. While it wasn't till the age of the eighteen that a maiden was sacrificed, the chance to be chosen after the age of 14 dropped drastically. So Akari's last hope clung onto this day. Another maiden was to be sacrificed the week of Akari's birthday, and the girl anxiously waited. Her breath left her lips when she heard another girl's name chosen, then everything went blank for the rest of that day.

From her 14th birthday and onward, Akari changed. She became more reserved, cold, but remained polite. The girl intensely focused on her studies and quietly obeyed whatever her parent's wishes were. In some aspect, she was a living doll. But at times, her emotions would pop. Anger being the main emotion to crack. She was destructive at times, taking her anger out on the servants or help of the household. With the need to control her emotional state, her parents decided to begin teaching her some martial arts. At first, she saw no use in partaking the activity until a mentor came along and literally smacked some sense into her. This particular instructor taught her a different way to gain honor for her family. By becoming a Samurai. While it was not entirely the same path she first took in her life, Akari decided that perhaps there was a reason she was not chosen as a maiden. So from the age of 16 up to her 18th birthday, Akari dedicated her life to the Samurai Code.

Akari grew and calmed some by the time her 18th birthday came, but this also meant that her one dear friend, Nanako, was also turning eighteen soon. This realization broke her. All this time she had simply kept the image of young Nanako in her mind. Akari never visited the shrine to see Nanako because she didn't want to face the truth of failing her. But as Akari stood there, watching the new maiden enter the shrine and the corpse of Nanako thrown into the lake she knew then that she was never going to be able to walk alongside her friend to take upon the highest honor in their land. She left her alone to take the part. She was never worthy for Nanako. A month after the ceremony, Akari knew she needed to move. Her mentor told her of Nakashigata National Defense Academy, a place where she can learn even more about becoming a Samurai. With nothing else tying her to her homeland, Akari enrolled into the School of Defense branch of NNDA to one day become an honorable warrior.

Why did your character join the military academy?
By not being chosen as a maiden for her land, Akari needed to find a way to gain honor for her family. Fortunately, her family found her a mentor that introduced her to the Samurai Code. After the ceremony of her best friend, Akari felt the need to leave. And with NNDA located on a different land with an opportunity for her to return home with tall shoulders and honor, Akari enrolled into NNDA.

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Two portraits

This but with pitch black hair, tanned skin, no magic, and no hoop earring. Just Koan doing his stuff with all of that monk nature-coolness. =)

(Image credit: The excellent Jun Tai Li at Artstation)

Koan during Weapon Forms competition last year at the NNDA Finals. "Hai!" =)

(Image credit: The talented Minh Duc at Steemit)

Full Name: Kidera Tokurai. (Toku = Silent. Rai = Thunder.)
Nickname: Koan ("riddle.")
Age: 24 years, 11 months.
Gender: Male
Region: Lake and Shrine of Koi

Appearance: Built like a swimmer, Koan is physically fit and while handsome, appears largely unaware of it. A little tall for his people, he is strong-limbed and without tattoos, though he has a few small scars which his school uniform mostly covers. As a fellow who has worked hard all of his life, he has earned every inch of his athletic physique. He possesses the tan skin and ruggedness of a young farmhand, yet upon closer inspection, his is a warrior's body.

He walks with confidence and a constant awareness of his surroundings like a person perhaps who has dwelt in dangerous wildernesses and uncertain scenes. His hair is bushy and thick. His eyes display a warmth and innocence probably unworthy of most people's ideal of what is "cool," but it does not bother him. To those who can sense such things, he has a great deal of ki (energy) in his being; a natural positive spirit which shines in his mannerisms.

The less clothing he wears, the more comfortable Koan is, especially when working out or swimming. The college uniform has taken him years to get used to, and sometimes he still makes mistakes as to how the obi is tied and so forth. He is much more comfortable in the loose-fitting robes of his origin. If you want to see him embarrassed, watch him trying to put on formal modern clothes!

Personality: In combat, he is in his natural element, be it in a competition on the mat or defending a poor geek whom he finds bullied in the college hallway, and if it lands him in front of his disciplinarians, so be it. He has the brain of a great fighter combined with a lifetime of humility, peacefulness, and wisdom. He takes his training very seriously. (To paraphrase the delightful Sir Ian McKellan), the only kind of fighting Koan likes "is the kind where no one gets hurt and no one gets angry." However, he is practical and is wiling to fight and even kill (and perhaps has) to avoid worse extremes, especially those involving innocent people and animals. These are not facts he advertises.

Koan prefers the company of the untracked green wilderness, calm lakeshores, wild animals, and decent people. Even years into it, he is still lost in the college atmosphere, struggling from one book to the next. He suffers from learning disabilities that impede his ability to read and comprehend, to handle his own emotions, and to sometimes correctly comprehend what the common Nakashigatan takes for granted. He is fully aware of these challenges. Instead of losing himself to illusion, self-deprecation, and pain, he perseveres in the spirit of Rui, the dragon of the Lake and Shrine of the Koi. He understands he might not get what he is after today, but that does not leave tomorrow out!

As a Koi monk, he is a lover of nature, knowledgeable of animals, plants, and marine life. Also a decent fisher and good cook, especially of seafood. These are things he loves. Koan seeks enlightenment and wisdom by living the martial way. Koan tries to be honest and to stand for justice. He respects those who are worthy of respect and goes out of his way to help those who honestly need it. He attempts loyalty and courtesy at every turn (especially to ladies and his elders).

Koan believes in dragons and in the kindness of people and animals, but he understands he still has a lot of growing to do. For him, enlightenment is not a destination, but a journey. He feels that to possess and train in skills that might help others is not enough - he wants to help others achieve their goals by improving their spirits, minds, and bodies. With this in mind, Koan is hoping to get his college diploma and join the School of Defense as a martial arts instructor so that in some small way, he may add more to Nakashigata than he takes.

Background: Koan's mother, Aki, came to a monk monastery in the Lake and Shrine of the Koi, pregnant with Koan inside of her. She prayed to Rui and pleaded for the monks' help. After hearing her story, they welcomed her, especially as they were short a veterinarian and her offer of her skills was mutually beneficial. Leaving behind her former life, she swore the rest of her days to the service of Rui the dragon, wishing only that Rui would provide her baby a better, wiser life than the one she had lived. By the time Tokurai ("Quiet Thunder") was born, his mother had been a monk disciple for only a short time. Tokurai was raised as a monk, but even when he was small, they knew something was off. He daydreamed a little too much, was too emotional for a child his age, and had difficulty understanding the world outside of him. Thus, they gave him a nickname which seemed to fit him: Koan, which means riddle.

Koan loved life in the monastery! Every day provided challenges and rewards! Every season had surprises and every year, he grew and grew, closer to his dream of being a martial arts master and instructor. His dream was to be a kensai (weapon master). He trained often with bows of all kinds, melee weapons of every design he could get his hands on, but especially - unarmed combat! In Koan's view, the spirit feeds the mind, the mind feeds the body, the body performs. Every weapon, long or short, blunt or edged, is simply an extension of his own body and he treats his weapons just as well as he treats himself. He explored and practiced on raging shores, windy mountaintops, dark forests, chilly streams, anywhere there was nature.

Aki saw Koan's learning disabilities as a curse or spell of ill fortune from the dragons for the sin of her past. However, her warmhearted fellow monks saw unusual goodness and compassion in Koan. In their wisdom, they showed Aki that while her son had daily challenges, he was also blessed and gifted too. Together, they nurtured these traits in Koan at every opportunity. During years of training with the wise in the forests, mountains, pools, and beaches, Koan eventually grew into a strong young man, one his mother was and remains proud of. But outside the monastery, among his fellow human beings in the modern world with their odd culture and strange traditions, Koan found himself more lost than he could imagine.

He would become more lost than this soon.

One day, an entourage from a respected samurai family arrived at the monastery. They were looking for Aki and they found her. The emissary of the entourage explained to her that the Kidera family had known she was here all along and not to worry. The emissary advised that his lord, a proud-looking but haunted fellow whose time on this earth was sadly coming to an end, had sent him to invite Aki and her son to a very private dinner. They accepted gratefully. At that dinner, Koan learned that his mother was Saito Aki. Years ago, Aki had had an affair with the powerful and married samurai and scholar before them, Kidera Yoshihisa. Yoshihisa was now painfully suffering from an incurable, recurring mental disease that ravaged him. He believed his suffering had a purpose and that the spirits of the land were giving him enough time to do what he must instead of ending his life quickly and cutting his time short.

The accomplished warrior-scholar explained that he was there not only to see Aki one more time and meet Koan, but to fulfill a time-honored Kidera family tradition, one of the utmost importance. Yoshihisa explained that he could not die in peace until his ancestral tradition was upheld. The tradition was this - Yoshihisa, as head of his family, must see to it that all of his children could provide well for their own families before he departed. In today's world, this meant each of them earning a college diploma.

It was the first time young Koan had heard the word.

Why did your character join the military academy?
Yoshihisa explained that Koan was his last child. The rest of his gifted children had succeeded in this, but he had felt such guilt that Koan could not live the privileged life his brothers and sisters had enjoyed. Would Koan take up this precious duty for a family he had never known? Yoshihisa promised to pay for it all. Koan had but one question. It was for his mother. "Did you really love him?" His mother, filled with guilt, nodded deeply. "I still do," she replied. Koan learned then that Yoshihisa's marriage was an arranged matter. The love he and Aki shared could not be, this they knew. But they could not help but celebrate it together if only for a short time. Hence Aki becoming pregnant with Koan.

That was enough for Koan. In the spirit of Koi monks, Koan promised Aki and this stranger that he would help. Koan decided that when he was of age, he would leave the only home he had ever known. He would give up his personal nirvana, setting aside his own desires, so that a stranger whom his mother loved could pass from this life in peace.

The next morning, all of the monks were given word that Koan would be leaving the monastery. Leaving to become a college student! Some of them, like Aki, were not lifelong monks and they gathered to help educate him in scholastic matters. It was a long, hard road made rougher by his learning disabilities. Without their help, grateful Koan knew he would have never passed the entrance exams, but once there in college, he felt he would have to fend for himself. It might take years upon years, far longer than the modern student needed to pass, but what did Rui teach? Perseverance!

As his adventure with his fellow students begins, Koan is an accomplished martial artist and assistant instructor at the college. To the sorrow of some of his teammates and the delight of some of his competitors, this is Koan's last year at the college. The years have seen him grow in many ways. He is a champion and has made great use of his martial talents, eagerly earning titles for the college. Moreso, he has built a reputation for himself as being a kind person (and one who always repays those who help him crack books!). He tried to keep his learning disabilities to himself and one day it seemed as if he would fail college altogether, but a tutor, a friend of the Kidera family arrived, and brought him scholastically back to the level he needs to attain his diploma and his precious goal.

Koan needs to keep at it, but what does life have in store for him next? Will he succeed? For the sake of his father's soul, he must!

Koan's Five Pillars

Spoiler

Pillar: "Excellence in skill is the result of serious training."
Pillar: "Feel free to apply one matter of knowledge to any others." ("To know one thing is to know ten thousand." - Musashi Miyamoto)
Pillar: "Acts of compassion bring out the best in people."
Pillar: "Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment." (from Lao-Tzu)
Pillar: "Learning means changing."