Inugami no Takemi

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Profile

Race
Eastern Hyur

Age
40

Alias
Howaito Riri (the White Lily)

Citizenship
Hingan

Rank
Now Ronin, but is heir to an ancestral samurai lineage

Sword
A inherited katana named Kazegafuku (The wind is blowing), forged by the blacksmith Kanesada. The intricate design of its blade enhances aetherial conductivity. The scabbard itself can be used as a weapon and conductivity for "ki", and is especially attuned to the wind aspect.

Armor
A white myochin old-fashioned and traditionnal garb, a symbol of his former samurai status

Clan
Inugami, an ancestral clan from Koshu, which is now fading into oblivion

Distinctive Marks
A Clan tatoo on the right cheek

Alignment
A mirror of the Auspice of the Dog

Avatar name OOC
Le Pacificateur@Malboro (Crystal)

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Background

Takemi was a samurai before he could even fill his lungs with air for the first time. His bloodline originating from the first western clans, he grew up with rigid codes and traditions to follow. His education was a token of the old hingan ways, and his mind was shaped to honour the ancestral teachings of Iaijutsu.

Takemi's childhood was a happy childhood, despite his heavily disciplined training. He had loving parents, and the pride of being heir to a samurai lineage. Such pride weighted on his shoulders even as a child, his mind filled with dreams of glory and hopes of recognition. For many years did he try his best to master the Hingan sword-fighting style, but nearly brushed the true mastery of the old ways for the first ten years of his pupil life.

When Garlemald invaded Othard for the first time, refugees from Nagxia seeked help and were not so easily offered any. Catching wind of the overgrowing shadow of the Garlean Empire over their lands, the Clan decided to extend a helping hand, and took refugees under their wings. And thus the very young Takemi met an 11 years old Nagxian girl they called Meifeng. Like him, she was born with a sword in hand; but unlike him all she ever knew was war. He saw the emptiness in her eyes, and offered compassion. But her tales on the garleans fueled his anger instead. Such anger, such sadness, young Takemi did not know how to harness - and he turned to the Auspice for guidance.

When Garlemald invaded Othard for the second time, Takemi was barely a teenager. Despite his desires to seek retribution for Meifeng's sufferings, he followed his Lord's command to remain in Kugane. He was not deemed ready for such a battle, even more at such a young age. Many Clan members volunteered to give assistance to their neighbours in Doma, compelled by honour to refuse the Bakufu's motion of neutrality. It all turned into a nightmare when Garlemald won the war, and Lord Kien surrendered. Many were captured, like Meifeng and her relatives. Some died during the conflict. But in the end, the Clan was almost wiped out by the defeat.

The weakened Inugami Clan was now divided. The leading figures wisely advised to back off, retreat within the safety of Kugane's walls. They spoke of neutrality, they spoke of how greatly the Clan already suffered, and how little they could offer the refugees from Nagxia, Doma and beyond. At the harbor, tales of fire and steel spreaded, hearsays of disohonour and shameful capitulation. It was but a river away, Takemi thought, and sometimes, as the rising sun painted the waters with shades of blood, all he could hear was the distant cries carried by the wind. Perhaps this was but his own heart.

Those of the Clan who helped in Doma were never to be found again. Their names, engraved in a stone, so they would be remembered as their family prayed to the Auspice. Prayers of protection for the livings. Prayers of Retribution for the deads. But the old ways were disrespected. The heir of the Clan declared that they would renounce vengeance, and focus on their own survival. Takemi saw it as an insult to the Clan's former glory and to the Auspice. Ignoring the orders, he left for Doma, where he lived among the oppressed population, dedicating every day of his new life to bring kindness and support at his own level. Many times did he pray the Inugami. To guide his heart. To guide his hand.

During these twenty five years of oppression, Takemi grew close to the Liberation Front. The Clan slowly became an active supporter of the cause through Takemi's sense of abnegation and daily acts of bravery. At first, it was but small steps: helping in the rice fields, appeasing tensions, showing compassion... But then, the Liberation Front approached him, and those small steps became strides to sabotage and night raids. When finally the war broke and Lord Hien returned to drive off the garleans, Takemi felt like his Clan has redeemed itself to the eyes of the Auspice. Eventually, his Lord saw in his rebellious act a true form of loyalty. Takemi was forgiven, and the Lord expressed his gratitude by giving resources to the reconstruction efforts.

During this time, however, Takemi made himself an enemy. One of the refugee, raised by the Clan a long time ago, joined the Liberation Front alongside him. So happy was he to see that Meifeng had survived all these years, that she escaped the garleans and went back to assist those who sheltered her! Only to stab them in the back. She led the imperials to the capture of "doman rebels" and carried out executions of their families publicly. Cold-blooded executions of the same people who shielded her when she was but a kid. Even today, the memories of the little girl with empty eyes haunts him: had his compassion to her been a mistake...?

After the 7th astral era, the last leader of the Clan passed away without heirs, and with him officially died the Inugami Clan. Takemi went back to Hingashi to make amends and honour the dead. The war was over, but left the lands and hearts deeply scarred. Now without a master, yet carrying the dying hope of rising the Clan from its ashes, Takemi decided to bury his sword under the guard of the Auspice. If he were to rebuild the Clan, then he must first rebuild his soul.

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Inugami Clan

History
The Clan's roots can be tracked back to three millenia, forged on the island of Koshu, and vassals to the first western emperors. They adopted the name Inugami as a show of their faith towards the Auspice of the Dog, whom they still worship today.

During the Age of Blood and Strife, they sided with the eastern imperial heir. Through a game of alliances and strategic battles, they reinforced their wealth and status in Hingashi. Their feats in combat earned them a reputation of fierce warriors, and their old traditions made a great difference in battle compared to the newer Clans which raised during the conflicts.

As the new Emperor's power was shaken during the Age of Blood and Strife, the Inugami Clan, like every other, was forced to face countless feuds. They remained loyal to the Emperor, and were granted many privileges for doing so, which only led to more conflicts with rival clans, perpetrating an endless loop of retribution.

When the Mitsurugi Bakufu was instaured, the Inugami Clan saw their power being dramatically reduced, and their sphere of influence considerably lessened. The Clan was divided between those who embraced the era of peace, and those who could not walk back from the age of chaos and blood. Weakened by internal conflicts, the Clan answered betrayals by perpetrating gruesome traditions of revenge, turning to the Auspice for help.

When Garlemald first invaded Othard, the Clan was among the first to travel beyond the Ruby Sea and help the refugees no matter where they hailed from. Some of them were brought into the Clan and raised by their codes. During the second invasion, however, the Clan was once more divided. Refugees from the first invasion convinced many of its members that defending Doma was the righteous path, and they left to take arms against the Garleans despite the neutral stance adopted by their homeland Hingashi.

Their honour was rewarded by a crual defeat. The Clan suffered greatly from Lord Kien's surrender. When Doma fell, so did the Inugami Clan, and few survived the garleans retaliations.

The survivors decided to remain true to their reputation, and were fueled by the desire to restaure their Clan to its former glory. During the twenty five years of garlean occupation, they involved themselves with the Doman Liberation Front, until the 7th astral era. When, finally, the age of oppression ended with the XIIth Legion's defeat, the Clan decided to focus their efforts in the Doman reconstruction. Unfortunately, the last heir died soon after the Doman Enclave's first progress. The Clan had no one left fit to lead it, and Takemi thus burried his sword.

Faith
Every member of the Inugami Clan worship the Auspice of the Dog, Inugami. It is very much advised to bring offerings of food to the Auspice's altars, especially when seeking its blessings.

Children of the Clan receive a puppy after their adulthood ceremony. It is said that the dog mirrors his owner's heart. The loyalty of the member is measured by the loyalty of the dog to their master.

It is not unheard of that, when greatly offended, the Inugami Clan performs ancient yet crual traditions to curse their ennemies and condemn them to be haunted by the Auspice until drove mad. Such traditions, however, are carried out in absolute secrecy.

Traditions
Every members of the Clan have a tatoo on their right cheek with hingan symbols meaning "Inugami". It is said that the tatoo is a symbol of faith, and is believed to bring the Auspice's protection.(More to come)
Codes
Do not fear Death, but fear an Empty LifeDo not bite the hand that feeds, but tear off the one that betraysVirtue and Compassion guide your actionsA sword without spirit is only a swordYour sword weights as much as your heart

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Rumours

Last updated: 03.13.2020
Some of these rumors are untrue, speculation, or are greatly exaggerated.

Common Rumors - Easily overheard
"The White Lily? He is such a kind-hearted soul. He spent a lot of time helping at the Enclave, and he never asked anything in return. I heard he was quite fond of green tea and flowers, so maybe we could repay his kindness with tea and fragrances?"- A doman lady at the Enclave.

Uncommon Rumors - A little more difficult to hear.
"I heard the man was heir to a very old samurai bloodline. Every so often, there is a youngling begging him to teach him the ancient hingan ways. I thought they were talking about tea brewing... until I saw Inugami-san using a bamboo stick to disarm a very insistant fellow!"- a hingan merchant at Kugane

Rare Rumors - Very rarely overheard.
"The man hold a deep grudge against the garleans. Had you seen all the things they did during the occupation, you'd probably feel the same. But...there's a gleam in his eyes...and these tales from the worshippers of Inugami...the ones about vengeance and retribution? I don't know if the tales are true, but I wouldn't want to find out."- A Doman Front Liberation veteran, at the Doman Enclave

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OOC and Hooks

Player Notes
Hello, I am a european player, therefore I split my time between Chaos and Crystal DCs, with alt characters I only use for RP. Due to my time-zone (GMT+1), meeting for RP may require some time to work around schedules, but I am always available on discord!

Personal RP Limits
I am a chill player interested in co-creating fantastic storylines and in depth characters development. I rarely DM events but it is something I can do, and I also offer to NPC. I like my life drama-free, so if you start OOC arguments you'll never see me again.

I will play pretty much everything with a preference for dark mature RPs, inter-personnal conflicts, psychological dilemmas and character relationship building.

I won't play any themes around rapes and pregnancy. Please respect my boundaries.

Character Lore Adherence
I abide by the lore and try my best to respect the background of the game. I usually read a lot before taking IC decisions and I like to keep myself informed on everything revolving around my characters' themes.
I am not perfect, so if you are a lore nerd I'll gladly accept your constructive feedback to refine my characters' background and roleplay.

As a matter of fact, I am slightly elitist and will avoid playing with players who makes 0 effort to stick with the lore. I also consider myself neutral in the balance of realistic playstyle and high fantasy: I am usually flexible as long as you don't play OP high fantasy characters for the sake of "winning".

RP Hooks for Eastern characters
You are a Clan leader and you seek a samurai to build a strong, loyal and deep relationship,You were part of the Doman Liberation Front and fought alongside him,You were oppresed in Doma by the garlean forces and he helped you somehow,You are part of an old samurai caste and you value traditions,You dream of becoming a worthy samurai and you seek his advises,You want to become his pupil,You were betrothed to him but he left you behind to help the Domans. Perhaps he didn't even know you existed.You are an artist or a philosopher and you want a pupil or a patron,You are a priest and he regularly comes see you to pray the Inugami Auspice,You are a member of a rival clan and you perpetuate an eternal conflict,You want to measure your skills to his but Takemi seems to have put his sword aside,You were a refugee and Takemi sheltered you after the first garlean invasions,
Happy to discuss other options.


RP Hooks for Imperial characters
Takemi fought against you at some point during the past twenty five years,You carried out executions or did something particularly gruesome that led Takemi to seek retribution for himself or someone else.

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Martial Style

Hingan Samurai
As a master swordsman of the purest tradition, Takemi followed the school of Iaijutsu for more than twenty years.
Through intense discipline and training, Takemi is thus able to draw "ki" (aether) and channel it through his blade. As aether build up, it only takes one strike to release a deadly blow when the blade is drawn. As a matter of fact, Takemi's techniques are greatly focused on agility and defensive moves, so that he would draw his sword only once: to end the fight.

Doman Influence
Helping the Doman meant that Takemi also learnt from their particular swordfighting techniques. The beauty and elegance of the hingan dance he mastered was strongly influenced by the pragmatism of the doman style during the age of garlean oppression. By necessity did Takemi developped more agressive techniques, using his scabbard not only to deflect strikes but to break arm or leg bones before using Hissatsu techniques.

Personnal Style
After the Doman liberation, Takemi put aside his sword and dedicated his life to rebuild his soul. Deeming that his sword was weighting too much, like his heart, he buried it at the feet of the Inugami Auspice altar, somewhere in Othard. Elevating his mind through kindness, Arts and Philosophy would help him refining his sword mastery, and achieve the feat of using a sword to protect life, and not sow death.