(10/9/09: Added experience)
(2/19/10: Added experience)
(4/30/10: Added experience)
Name: Kakita "Hakuchouko" Hayase
Clan: Crane
School: Kakita Bushi
Rank: 2
Insight: 150
Glory: 1.5
Honor: 3.8
Status: 1
Experience Earned: 50
Experience Spent: 50
Earth: 3 (Stamina: 3, Willpower: 3)
Water: 2 (Strength: 3, Perception: 3)
Fire: 2 (Agility: 3, Intelligence: 2)
Air: 2 (Reflexes: 3, Awareness: 2)
Void: 2
Skills
Etiquette: 2
Iaijutsu: 3 (Hayase gets a free Focus on duels.)
Kenjutsu: 1 (Katana)
Kyujutsu: 1
Meditation: 1
Lore (History): 3
Spears: 4
Artisan (Ikebana): 1
Calligraphy: 1
Battle: 3
Athletics: 2
Defense: 3
Craft (Weaponsmithing): 1
Games: 1
Lore (Shadowlands): 1
Investigation: 1
Advantages
Inheritance (+8) – Hayase has inherited her grandmother's yari. She gains 1k0 when using it with her Polearms skill and a free raise for non-combat situations involving spears.
Large (+3) – Hayase shows her Crab blood in her stature. At 6'2", she stands eye-level with the larger Crabs and towers over most Crane. Her target numbers for social situations increase by 5. She gains +1k0 for melee attacks.
Disadvantages
Doubt: Etiquette (-4) – Hayase suffers in social situations, due to an adolescence filled with gawkiness and many taunts at her size. She must make two raises to succeed at this skill. (1 Experience Point spent towards removing this Disadvantage)
Driven (-3): Hayase is driven to prove herself to be a "proper" Crane, despite her size and supposed clumsiness.
Heritage
Distinguished Ancestor: Battle Veteran: Battle of the Sleeping River - +1 Rank in Lore (Shadowlands)
Kakita Bushi School
Way of the Crane: Add twice Iaijutsu rank to all Initiative rolls. May use Iaijutsu in place of Kenjutsu when using a Katana. May Focus an additional time during iaijutsu duel.
Equipment
Light Armor (+5 TN to be hit, +5 to Athletics and Stealth TNs)
Helmet
Katana (3k2)
Wakizashi (2k2)
Yumi (Strength: 3, 300' range)
10 Willow Leaf Arrows (2k2)
5 Flesh Cutter Arrows (2k3)
3 Armor Piercer Arrows (1k2)
2 Humming Bulb (0k1)
Grandmother's Yari (2k2; 1k2 if thrown; 3k3 if wielder is mounted)
Tanto
Kimono and Sandals
Traveling Pack (Chopsticks, Sake Cup, Miniature Shogi Set, Week's Supply of Rations, Whetstone, Fan, Tatami, Blanket, Spare kimono and sandals, Hairpins)
Flint and steel
Bottle of Fine Sake
Spare Sake Cup
4 Candles
Copy of Kakita's The Sword
Daisho Stand
Hakama, Two Pair
1 koku, 4 bu, 9 zeni
Physical Description
Kakita Hayase stands 6', 2", having inherited the size of her grandmother's family, the Hida. Likewise, she is agile and full of grace (although she does not see it), having inherited the litheness of her grandfather's family, the Kakita. Her hair is dark and straight, tied back in a samurai-ko's topknot when she is in battle, and pinned up in a style that she mastered only through careful and regular practice and which is nowhere near the intricate and elegant artistry of which other Crane women are capable (or so she thinks). Her complexion is similar to that of the Daidoji, darkened slightly from drilling long and hard in the dojo and outdoors, but not as tanned as the Mantis or Crab, and nowhere near as pale and beautiful as Doji and Kakita women (or so she thinks). Crabs may be reminded of Hida O-Ushi when they see her.
Hayase's armor is lightweight and lacquered the traditional sky blue and white of her clan. She wears a kabuto when in battle, but does not wear a mempo. The only piece of her kit that is not the colors of the crane is the finely made yari that she carries. Its shaft is dark grey, both with long use and the natural color of the wood. While made in the Daidoji style, there is a small maker's mark on the tang of the head that shows it to have been made by a Kaiu weaponsmith. Hayase has tied a streamer of blue silk to the haft, just below the head.
Personality
Hayase is a woman that has been raised to think she is clumsy and ugly. Compared to the delicate features of Doji women and the agility of her Kakita cousins, a tall woman like her could easily be seen as less graceful, especially during the confusing and rapidly changing period of adolescent growth spurts. In fact, she possesses an strength and grace born of her ancestry and the potential for exotic beauty for which many legendary samurai-ko are known. Not that Hayase is aware of it, or that she will believe without much proof.
After years of being called "ugly," "clumsy," and other, even crueller, nicknames, Hayase has a low self-esteem. She knows she is a good warrior, but she doubts her ability outside of immediate combat. If she must talk to more than two or three people, her voice drops in volume, she stammers and pauses, her face reddens, and her eyes drop to a space about three inches in front of her. Ironically, if she is ordered to report or make an opinion based on tactical information, she will speak directly. It is only in court or when trying to perform casual conversation that she loses all confidence.
Because of all this, and because of the disappointment that her mother and the other women of her family have expressed concerning her, Hayase has sworn before her ancestors that she will become a "proper" Crane, no matter what it takes. In her mind, this equates to the ideal image of the Kakita or Doji samurai, although if she is shown the truth about herself, she may remember that the Daidoji are also "proper" Crane, and that even the greatest Kakita duellists are not always the ideal paragons of virtue.
Background
Hayase is the second daughter of Kakita Zuikaku and Kakita Tomoe. Ziekaku's mother was of the Hida family, and her strength of body and will made him and his siblings broader than many of their fellow Kakita, but no larger. Hayase was not so lucky; although she was born at an unremarkable size, she began to grow at an early age. By the time she was 10, she was as tall as her father, and by the time she reached her gempekku, she was taller than any other samurai that passed with her. During early adolescence, she was constantly outgrowing her clothes, causing her mother and aunts to work frantically to adjust her clothing. On more than one occasion, she would wear one of her brothers' kimonos to class, simply because it was the only thing that would fit. In addition, her rapid increase in size and strength made her clumsy and unsure of her self in class.
At the same time, her older sister, Haruko, had been establishing herself as a graduate of the Doji Courtier School. Her sister inherited more of their mother's looks (although she demonstrated a surprising strength of grip for a demure Crane woman), and many members of the family and clan felt that Haruko was destined to further the goals of the clan for many years. When compared to this, Hayase's clumsiness and size were judged a disappointment.
Hayase's mother never said anything to her about this, and her father never felt it was an issue, but many of the girls her age and Haruko's friends made it quite clear in their treatment of her. It was one of Haruko's classmates who coined the nickname "Gachouko" ("Goose Girl") for Hayase, comparing her to the awkward, noisy birds that Crane peasants raised. Hayase was crushed by the clever words of the courtiers-in-training, and Haruko found her later, weeping in the grass near the drill fields of the Kakita Academy. Hoping to cheer her, Haruko told Hayase that the other girl got the nickname wrong, that she meant to say "Hakuchouko" ("Swan Girl"), because swans were as ungainly on land as they were graceful in the water. Since Hayase's strength made her a good swimmer, the nickname fit her better, and Haruko made sure that it was what the other girls called Hayase. They never knew that Hayase also understood that swans were fierce fighters. She took the nickname to heart in training, using her strength to her advantage in combat.
When she passed her gempekku, it was a close thing. The Crane put much stock in etiquette, and many years of clumsiness and insults had made her unsure of herself when in court. However, she had learned to use her fan to hide many faux pas, and her skill at arms made up for her dubious skills at etiquette. Her knowledge of history and her love of the quiet art of ikebana also helped. As a gift, Zuikaku gave her the yari that his mother had carried. A Crab weapon, it had been made in the style of the Daidoji's favorite weapons, and his mother had used it for many years in her service as a samurai of the Crane clan. None of Zuikaku's generation had had much luck with it, since it was proportioned for a larger Crab, but Hayase was tall enough to wield it without difficulty. It is her most prized possession, even if it isn't a "proper" weapon for a Kakita. (No one has told her this, and if someone did so, she would gladly meet them in a duel for the honor of her grandmother.)
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."
(2/19/10: Added experience)
(4/30/10: Added experience)
Name: Kakita "Hakuchouko" Hayase
Clan: Crane
School: Kakita Bushi
Rank: 2
Insight: 150
Glory: 1.5
Honor: 3.8
Status: 1
Experience Earned: 50
Experience Spent: 50
Earth: 3 (Stamina: 3, Willpower: 3)
Water: 2 (Strength: 3, Perception: 3)
Fire: 2 (Agility: 3, Intelligence: 2)
Air: 2 (Reflexes: 3, Awareness: 2)
Void: 2
Skills
Etiquette: 2
Iaijutsu: 3 (Hayase gets a free Focus on duels.)
Kenjutsu: 1 (Katana)
Kyujutsu: 1
Meditation: 1
Lore (History): 3
Spears: 4
Artisan (Ikebana): 1
Calligraphy: 1
Battle: 3
Athletics: 2
Defense: 3
Craft (Weaponsmithing): 1
Games: 1
Lore (Shadowlands): 1
Investigation: 1
Advantages
Inheritance (+8) – Hayase has inherited her grandmother's yari. She gains 1k0 when using it with her Polearms skill and a free raise for non-combat situations involving spears.
Large (+3) – Hayase shows her Crab blood in her stature. At 6'2", she stands eye-level with the larger Crabs and towers over most Crane. Her target numbers for social situations increase by 5. She gains +1k0 for melee attacks.
Disadvantages
Doubt: Etiquette (-4) – Hayase suffers in social situations, due to an adolescence filled with gawkiness and many taunts at her size. She must make two raises to succeed at this skill. (1 Experience Point spent towards removing this Disadvantage)
Driven (-3): Hayase is driven to prove herself to be a "proper" Crane, despite her size and supposed clumsiness.
Heritage
Distinguished Ancestor: Battle Veteran: Battle of the Sleeping River - +1 Rank in Lore (Shadowlands)
Kakita Bushi School
Way of the Crane: Add twice Iaijutsu rank to all Initiative rolls. May use Iaijutsu in place of Kenjutsu when using a Katana. May Focus an additional time during iaijutsu duel.
Equipment
Light Armor (+5 TN to be hit, +5 to Athletics and Stealth TNs)
Helmet
Katana (3k2)
Wakizashi (2k2)
Yumi (Strength: 3, 300' range)
10 Willow Leaf Arrows (2k2)
5 Flesh Cutter Arrows (2k3)
3 Armor Piercer Arrows (1k2)
2 Humming Bulb (0k1)
Grandmother's Yari (2k2; 1k2 if thrown; 3k3 if wielder is mounted)
Tanto
Kimono and Sandals
Traveling Pack (Chopsticks, Sake Cup, Miniature Shogi Set, Week's Supply of Rations, Whetstone, Fan, Tatami, Blanket, Spare kimono and sandals, Hairpins)
Flint and steel
Bottle of Fine Sake
Spare Sake Cup
4 Candles
Copy of Kakita's The Sword
Daisho Stand
Hakama, Two Pair
1 koku, 4 bu, 9 zeni
Physical Description
Kakita Hayase stands 6', 2", having inherited the size of her grandmother's family, the Hida. Likewise, she is agile and full of grace (although she does not see it), having inherited the litheness of her grandfather's family, the Kakita. Her hair is dark and straight, tied back in a samurai-ko's topknot when she is in battle, and pinned up in a style that she mastered only through careful and regular practice and which is nowhere near the intricate and elegant artistry of which other Crane women are capable (or so she thinks). Her complexion is similar to that of the Daidoji, darkened slightly from drilling long and hard in the dojo and outdoors, but not as tanned as the Mantis or Crab, and nowhere near as pale and beautiful as Doji and Kakita women (or so she thinks). Crabs may be reminded of Hida O-Ushi when they see her.
Hayase's armor is lightweight and lacquered the traditional sky blue and white of her clan. She wears a kabuto when in battle, but does not wear a mempo. The only piece of her kit that is not the colors of the crane is the finely made yari that she carries. Its shaft is dark grey, both with long use and the natural color of the wood. While made in the Daidoji style, there is a small maker's mark on the tang of the head that shows it to have been made by a Kaiu weaponsmith. Hayase has tied a streamer of blue silk to the haft, just below the head.
Personality
Hayase is a woman that has been raised to think she is clumsy and ugly. Compared to the delicate features of Doji women and the agility of her Kakita cousins, a tall woman like her could easily be seen as less graceful, especially during the confusing and rapidly changing period of adolescent growth spurts. In fact, she possesses an strength and grace born of her ancestry and the potential for exotic beauty for which many legendary samurai-ko are known. Not that Hayase is aware of it, or that she will believe without much proof.
After years of being called "ugly," "clumsy," and other, even crueller, nicknames, Hayase has a low self-esteem. She knows she is a good warrior, but she doubts her ability outside of immediate combat. If she must talk to more than two or three people, her voice drops in volume, she stammers and pauses, her face reddens, and her eyes drop to a space about three inches in front of her. Ironically, if she is ordered to report or make an opinion based on tactical information, she will speak directly. It is only in court or when trying to perform casual conversation that she loses all confidence.
Because of all this, and because of the disappointment that her mother and the other women of her family have expressed concerning her, Hayase has sworn before her ancestors that she will become a "proper" Crane, no matter what it takes. In her mind, this equates to the ideal image of the Kakita or Doji samurai, although if she is shown the truth about herself, she may remember that the Daidoji are also "proper" Crane, and that even the greatest Kakita duellists are not always the ideal paragons of virtue.
Background
Hayase is the second daughter of Kakita Zuikaku and Kakita Tomoe. Ziekaku's mother was of the Hida family, and her strength of body and will made him and his siblings broader than many of their fellow Kakita, but no larger. Hayase was not so lucky; although she was born at an unremarkable size, she began to grow at an early age. By the time she was 10, she was as tall as her father, and by the time she reached her gempekku, she was taller than any other samurai that passed with her. During early adolescence, she was constantly outgrowing her clothes, causing her mother and aunts to work frantically to adjust her clothing. On more than one occasion, she would wear one of her brothers' kimonos to class, simply because it was the only thing that would fit. In addition, her rapid increase in size and strength made her clumsy and unsure of her self in class.
At the same time, her older sister, Haruko, had been establishing herself as a graduate of the Doji Courtier School. Her sister inherited more of their mother's looks (although she demonstrated a surprising strength of grip for a demure Crane woman), and many members of the family and clan felt that Haruko was destined to further the goals of the clan for many years. When compared to this, Hayase's clumsiness and size were judged a disappointment.
Hayase's mother never said anything to her about this, and her father never felt it was an issue, but many of the girls her age and Haruko's friends made it quite clear in their treatment of her. It was one of Haruko's classmates who coined the nickname "Gachouko" ("Goose Girl") for Hayase, comparing her to the awkward, noisy birds that Crane peasants raised. Hayase was crushed by the clever words of the courtiers-in-training, and Haruko found her later, weeping in the grass near the drill fields of the Kakita Academy. Hoping to cheer her, Haruko told Hayase that the other girl got the nickname wrong, that she meant to say "Hakuchouko" ("Swan Girl"), because swans were as ungainly on land as they were graceful in the water. Since Hayase's strength made her a good swimmer, the nickname fit her better, and Haruko made sure that it was what the other girls called Hayase. They never knew that Hayase also understood that swans were fierce fighters. She took the nickname to heart in training, using her strength to her advantage in combat.
When she passed her gempekku, it was a close thing. The Crane put much stock in etiquette, and many years of clumsiness and insults had made her unsure of herself when in court. However, she had learned to use her fan to hide many faux pas, and her skill at arms made up for her dubious skills at etiquette. Her knowledge of history and her love of the quiet art of ikebana also helped. As a gift, Zuikaku gave her the yari that his mother had carried. A Crab weapon, it had been made in the style of the Daidoji's favorite weapons, and his mother had used it for many years in her service as a samurai of the Crane clan. None of Zuikaku's generation had had much luck with it, since it was proportioned for a larger Crab, but Hayase was tall enough to wield it without difficulty. It is her most prized possession, even if it isn't a "proper" weapon for a Kakita. (No one has told her this, and if someone did so, she would gladly meet them in a duel for the honor of her grandmother.)
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."