The Players

[Isawa Tanshin]

Name: Isawa Tanshin
Age: 16
Hair: Black, long, single braid.
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'1"
Build: Slight, but strong.

Tanshin has a rather strong build with large, rough hands. It seems a bit odd for a person who comes from the Isawa, let alone one who entreats with kami. His robes are simple, yet appropriate to his station as a shugenja he does not carry a wakizashi though he is entitled to one. His manner is reminiscent of a monk, though his head remains unshaved, and he walks with a sturdy staff.

Hooks

- He has a liking for spicy pork dishes, common to the heimin of the Phoenix lands.
- It is said that during his training, he spent much of his time at Shinsei Seido
- He has gained a reputation among the heimin for rendering aid to those in need

[Iuchi Prashant]

Name: Iuchi Prashant
Age: 16
Hair: Dark brown, a bit messy
Eyes: Dark brown
Height: 5'9" (175cm)
Build: Willowy but resilient.

Prashant has grown a fair bit, and seems now considerably more fit than when he went to Hirosaka one year ago. His lessons with the Kitsuki Investigator and Monk in Hirosaka, and afterwards through letters, led him to place even more importance on a physical training, and particularly Martial Arts, as a complement to his mental and spiritual pursuits - and the results are evident, even if he is still a bit on the slim side. His calm, friendly but determined gaze is still pretty much unchanged, and he may be a bit more decisive, but is still serene and reflexive, often preferring to think before acting. His friendly, easygoing nature and openness to new people and experiences are also unchanged, and his time in the Ruby Dojo made Prash less uncertain about Rokugani manners. That said, he is still very much interested in and respectful of his Tegensai heritage, and also other cultures from the Burning Sands and along the Sand Road. In fact, as known to some of his closest friends and acquaintances from Hirosaka, he is fluent in the language of the Tegensai, and he has mentioned lessons on another foreign language during the last year to some friends in letters. As he has mentioned to his friends among the Unicorn, and possibly to some others in correspondence, he has hopes of becoming a spiritual or academic envoy to the Burning Sands, or possibly a spiritual advisor after his official gempukku, and he expects knowing the ways and tongues of the Burning Sands will be an important part of that - something other Rokugani may not understand so well...

Unlike some of his peers, he and his family don't seem to have done much in the way of negotiations for an engagement. When he does get involved in conversations related to that, he sometimes flushes and gets a bit flustered... What that means is anybody's guess, although some of his friends from Hirosaka might have an idea.

His dark brown hair is kept at short to medium length, often slightly messy and fluttering about on the wind, and he's still usually clad in simple, functional purple and grey garments. His well-worn copy of the Tao and his amulet satchel are still trusted companions, and he sometimes wears simple ornaments, mostly made of natural materials. He also usually carries a stone with the kanji of a cup as a memento from Hirosaka, and whenever he travels he carries with him a finely crafted Go set with one odd stone standing out from the others - more like a beatiful stone one might find somewhere than one actually crafted.

Besides his increased focus on martial arts, during his time back at his Dojo the Iuchi has worked as much as ever on spiritual matters and the Tao, and received some lessons from Brotherhood Monks. He also completed his training on the use of Amulets to ask the spirits for their gifts, being now a full-fledged Meishodo Master. As expected of a Unicorn Shugenja, he has also received training on how to tend to wounds on the battlefield, and is now as comfortable on the saddle as most Bushi from the clan of the wind. In fact, as his clansmates may have commented with others in letters, the Iuchi was the (astonished) winner of the last Naadam's Horse Race, although of course he had no chance against Moto Ichiro in the Wrestling and Archery events.

The last year also saw his closeness to his other clansmates who were in the Ruby Dojo grow even more, with correspondence and their time together during the Naadam and on other few occasions making up for the physical distance. His relationship with the Miya Cartographer who was in the experiment has also grown closer. The Iuchi is eager to meeting these and other of the friends he met in Hirosaka in Tsume for the Topaz Championship.

[Matsu Qiang]

Over the past year, Matsu Qiang has grown into a strapping young man, having gained several centimeters in height and a powerful build. The extra training at the Hirosaka school agreed with him, and the young Lion excelled in his remaining studies at the Matsu swordsmanship school. But between a recent death in the family and immense pressure from his parents to do well at the tournament, Qiang has become rather reserved and moody in temperament.

As a promising future samurai, the Imperial nakodo have made plans for an arranged marriage between Qiang and a young woman of the Imperial families. Although his parents have told him this is considered a great honor, when Qiang really thinks about it, he doesn’t have any feelings for this high-born girl that he’s never met. It doesn’t matter, he tells himself. Sometimes he believes it.

[Ikoma Nijiro]

Name: Ikoma Nijiro
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Height: 5'5”
Build: Muscular, but not overly large.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Appearance:
Nijiro is a quiet young man, unlike the Ikoma family manner. Last to speak, Last to drink, but first to laugh and never fights, unless someone started it. His clothes seem to be a bit big on him, being baggy in a few places. He does not have the full samurai topknot yet, but does wear his hair in a manner that would suggest that he is ready to assume it when the time comes. He keeps his face cleanshaven, perhaps hiding the fact that his facial hair hasn't quite grown in yet. He has a ready smile that reaches his eyes.

His build is hidden underneath his clothing for the most part, but his hands aren't delicate like most courtiers throughout the empire. He holds himself with contemplation, and does not know how he will do at the Topaz Championship.

Hooks:
-- He will often be found in the morning near the edges of the camp, walking aimlessly.
-- He is often seen with his brother, Ikoma Eichiro and often looks lost without his older twin.
-- Rumor says that his family is somewhat wealthy, yet as the younger he does not show any wealth of his own.

[Ide Hazrat]

Name: Ide Hazrat
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Height: 172 cm (5’7”)
Build: Athletic but lean
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Gray

Saigo are city samurai. Goshi are countryside samurai. If there is a word for a backwoods samurai, that is what Hazrat would be called, for he is clearly from some remote edge of the Empire. His blond hair indicates mixed ancestry in his past, he often wears Ujik fashions, and he is never without his colorful turban. While it is clear from looking at him that he has traveled in foreign lands, he does not seem to have spent much time in large cities, for he often walks around with a look of bewildered wonderment on his face. A lover of lore and stories, he frequently carries a text or journal with him and is quick to ask questions about whatever strikes him as interesting or unfamiliar.

Hooks:
- Looks, behaves, and dresses oddly. If you are interested in foreign cultures and those who have traveled abroad, a conversation with him could be illuminating. If you are hostile towards foreigners and those who emulate them, a conflict with him could be cathartic.
- Seems to be a bit of a country bumpkin, and there’s a good chance he could use some help handling himself in a big city like Tsuma. Or, depending on your outlook, maybe he just deserves some ridicule.
- Extremely interested in events like tea ceremonies, duels, performances, and such. If there’s something unique scheduled to occur or happening currently, he’s likely to be hanging around the edges and watching.
- Likes reading, and will probably ask to borrow any text he sees in the possession of others.

[Doji Hiroyuki]

Name: Doji Hiroyuki
Age: 16
Height: A little on the short side
Hair: White
Eyes: Blue
Build:Thinner than he should be

Background

A Doji through and through, Doji Hiroyuki has always been a dutiful scion of his clan. Suffering from poor health from a young age, Hiroyuki wilted under even the most basic lessons of war and combat, and was quickly given to the courtiers of Shizuka Toshi. There, he took to intrigue like a fish to water. Determined to serve his clan in the best - and only - way that he could, Hiroyuki focused his efforts on honing his courtly skills, turning them into tools as sharp in the halls of illustrious courts as blades on the battlefield. After completing his gempuku, a rigorous trial emulating the harrowing conditions of the Winter Court, Hiroyuki now travels to Tsuma to lend his skills to the Crane in the Topaz Championship and claim glory for his clan.

[Utaku Nesrin]

Name: Utaku Nesrin
Age: 15
Hair: Black
Eyes: Wide and Brown
Height: 5'7"
Build: Healthy

Nesrin is the friend who will probably get you into trouble. Nothing dishonorable, mind you, just...perhaps not quite in keeping with the spirit of any rules, while sticking to the letter. A year back on the plains, training with her sisters-and with Tabudai-have improved her skills and deepened her commitment to the ethos of the Battle Maidens. She's gained depths of endurance she hadn't guessed at, having never seen them tested before, but after such trials, she is even more likely to jump straight in to assist, knowing that she can withstand the possible consequences.

Her Moto parent's influence shows in her name and unfashionable deel, but there's no mistaking her for anything other than a nascent battle maiden. She still carries a sturdy stick where her blades will one day rest. Damn thing's come in handy an awful lot. There's a pin of gold in her hair, and a necklace of cinnabar and enameled silver around her neck. She has sturdy boots that make sense with Unicorn stirrups, and comes to the Tournament astride Tabudai, a sturdy bay with a blaze and a single white sock on a left hindfoot 'where the wind held him last before he came to be born'.

She's been writing letters over the past year, keeping contact with her erstwhile classmates and keeping her calligraphy in shape. Getting to compete with her friends at the Naadam was a fantastic chance to connect in person, even as it gave her a touch of hero-worshipping style crush on Utaku Ichiro's sister, Himeko, whose performance was *amazing.* Still, when asked about possible matches or rumors of them, she shrugs with a practiced casualness and, "well, it's not really up to me, is it?"

****************
If we hung out at all during training, Nesrin probably sent you a letter or three. Feel free to ask about them, down to making up what she might have written you about. "So what happened to that foal that was caught in the flash flood this spring?" "How's your aunt doing after her ex-lover crashed her wedding?" and so on.

Do you like horses? Because that is always a fantastic topic of conversation.

How about travel? Nesrin would love to hear about your favorite part of your own lands.

[Kaito Kai]

Name: Kaito Kai
Age: 15
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'5"
Build: Average

A year passed by like a dream. Kai grew taller, grew a year older, and grew stranger as the day of their - her - official gempukku approached. There may have been a modest little something of a ceremony back home, but official niceties demanded by officious clan members saw to it that final entry to adulthood would have to wait. To wait for Tsuma.

Kai didn't much care about the delay. She was by the side of a running stream when they came to tell her. Some ice had broken loose and floated past; seen, noticed, forgotten. She heard them. She may even have made sounds with her mouth in response. Something undefinable ached. To go to Tsuma.

A part of Kai ached to be in-between like this. A foot in each world. But that was how it had always been like this. A chrysalis had split and it felt in some ways like a prison. Had it always been like this? To answer in Tsuma.

[Mai]

Name: Mai
Age: 14
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Height: 5'7"

Background: Mai is a distant cousin of Yoritomo. Her brother is on his way to be the captain of his own ship at a very young age. Great things are expected of her. She has little doubt she will not disappoint.

And she hasn't so far. She came in *first during the experimental dojo. Her study since then has been successful. Though there is some concern among her Clan that she has taken such interest in battles and tactics. It would be great if she was a bushi. But she is a shugenja. She should focus her energies on being a navigator or a priestess.

Though some of the more pragmatic members of her Clan are starting to see the value in her ability.

*Technically. Which is good enough for her.

[Akodo Kichiro]

Name: Akodo Kichiro
Age: 16
Gender: Male
Height: 5'8"
Build: Slender
Hair: Black
Eyes: Light Brown


A notable feature to Kichiro is an especially hollow look in his eyes. Like a spirit half present in the moment and half constantly absorbed with his own thoughts: a dim spark of life guarded from others and ever focused on the objective ahead. The lessons of the Akodo preach ultimate control of oneself and Kichiro seems like someone that may have lost himself in those lessons. Yet past his distant and rather colorless disposition comes a sincerity to his greeting, a genuine concern for anyone else's well being and far less for his own. Although this young man was be forged into a proper warrior-scholar befitting his family name - to one day lead the legendary heroes of the Matsu, the brilliant minds of the Ikoma, and the ancestral wisdom of the Kitsu - it is by the bushido tenet of compassion that Kichiro's care extends out towards all samurai. That hollowed look in his eye acknowledges and dwells on the cruelty of this world and the ever ravenous nature of war... but holds a hope that all will meet their dharma and face life's hardships with honor in their hearts.

[Kitsuki Asahi]

Name: Kitsuki Asahi
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Height: 5'9"
Build: Muscular
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Aqua

Asahi seems like a typical Kitsuki, polite, quiet, studious, perceptive, inquisitive and competent with a blade. He was clearly trained to follow in his mother's footsteps, to become a courtier and, perhaps, a magistrate. The hammer he sometimes carries with him, however, is what most would notice, along with the calloused hands and burn scars. Asahi's father was an Agasha smith and the boy is proud to carry that legacy as well, often spending his time in the forge. While he can get lost in his work, Asahi is friendly and adventurous, eager to explore any mystery that might appear. He can be a bit clumsy, too, but that doesn't seem to bother him. He'll laugh off any embarrassment and move on quickly to whatever comes next.