PCs

[Ikoma Yuiko]

Name: Ikoma Yuiko
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Omoidasu
Age: 18
Height: 5'7"/170cm
Build: Athletic and toned
Hair: Dark brown, mid-back length
Eyes: Light brown

Never too far from a dish of good sake, Yuiko is a finely trained and honed Lion machine for turning fine alcoholic beverages and raucous living into grand stories: ones that, naturally, come out all the better for the teller having been in the thick of it all!

A true daughter of Ikoma, one with the proper - if distant - pedigree to prove it, Yuiko comes to the competition fresh off a tour as an attaché to the staff of a senior officer in one of the Lion's many armies. Though kept away from the hottest fighting, Yuiko was kept close enough at hand to properly records the glorious goings-on for posterity and retelling. For her skill and diligence at this work, she was awarded the opportunity to accompany her superior to court and so properly retell their glorious deeds for the edification and approval of the great and good.

With her former boss having secured something of a promotion for deeds on the battlefield (especially ones so richly regaled in the retelling), a letter of recommendation and a release to participate at this event was only just. Perhaps here, Yuiko would come across new stories to tell and make some new ones of her own.


Hooks:

- Yuiko has a trained athleticism uncommon in your average courtier. Fancy a workout?

- Stay a while and listen! Yuiko's got stories, plenty of stories, and she's hardly boring to listen to unlike some other storytellers...

- Ikoma Yuiko has very strong opinions about each and every sake house she's visited and she's visited many of them.

- Surprisingly enough, Yuiko's a deft hand at poultices, unguents, liniments, bandages, needle, and thread. She helped out at the field hospitals of her clan on campaign as well as having had to take care of herself after a wild night at the sake house got, perhaps, too wild.

[Doji Yoshino]

Name: Doji Yoshino
Occupation: Courtier
Age: 21
Marital Status: Single
Gender: Female
Height: 5'4"
Build: Slender
Hair: Black and long with an eye covering fringe. Often tied up
Eyes: Very dark blue

Yoshino is apparently a Doji maiden, but she looks more like a Yasuki than a Crane. Her hair is kept its natural black and often simply tied up. Her clothes are expensive, yes, but the colour palette is more muted than the usual shining sky blue her kin wear. Even her eyes are a darker, more sombre colour than the mesmerizing azure hues so often seen amongst the Crane. Perhaps this is why there are rumours she is shunned by the majority of her family and even that she was loudly religiously reprimanded by brave Sohei monks. Is she an ill behaved black sheep? Is she cursed? Some might even suspect she's some bastard child of a samurai and a peasant. She has no trouble talking about commerce, economics and the value of things after all. If that wasn't a sign of peasant heritage to a Crane, then what would be? She has no immediate family among the Doji either, which is surely suspicious.

On the other hand her behaviour is more explainable if compared to most Crab, especially the Yasuki. She even somewhat comes across as one. If she were a little more martial, a bit more cut throat or a pinch more crafty.... maybe. Maybe she could pass herself off as one. However, she displays Crane Mon and there is only ever a Doji Mon over her heart on her inner kimono. The truth is that she does have hints of Lady Doji's descendants about herself. Yes, she can be short in conversation, even morbid, but her dry humour is still an attempt at humour. Still an attempt to engage with others. She's rarely outright rude to anyone. In fact, most of her cutting remarks are reserved only for herself. Like other Doji and Kakita she is very sincere, cultured and artistic. More than others she is loyal and hard working. When she is at ease and encouraged to sing or tell a story her whole demeanour can change. Her usual impassive voice is replaced by something altogether more vivacious and enchanting. What could have been... her Crane ancestry is more likely than Crab when these details and her slender build are considered. She is certainly more the Daidoji warrior that became jaded on the Wall than a Hida turned into a princess after time spent in Kyuden Kakita. This makes some sense, as she has travelled from Crab lands to this competition. She is said to work in Yasuki Yashiki and Shiro Kaotsuki no Higashi attending to minor matters as part of the Crane ambassadorial delegation. How she ended up apparently studying with the Crab and learning their ways is more an unknown, along with how she ended up invited to the Sapphire gathering at all.

She cannot be said to be famous or breathtakingly beautiful unlike some of the other competitors. She also dresses in a less flamboyant style and presents herself with humility. This means she is easily overlooked. Other Doji might prefer it that way. Yoshino alone knows what caused her family to be ostracised and why she is so deadpan. In the past she was not like this. Those precious few that know her well would say that even if she isn't her once animated self, at least she isn't the broken shell she was when that event happened. That she's on the road to recovery and, with any luck, some measure of contentment. Maybe she'll take another step in that direction during her stay here? Of course, being a pessimist these days, if Yoshino was asked about any of this she'd certainly insist that calm moments happen before a storm.

Hooks:
• Did you train among the Doji courtiers? Perhaps you knew her as a student or saw the change that occurred in her and among the sensei in regards to her close to her gempukku?
• Are you a Crab or do you visit them? You may have met her in Crab lands or be aware of those Crab that took her under their wing.
• Have you ever been involved with many documents? Yoshino is a competent scribe that writes a great deal of letters, records agreements in writing and captures notes on behalf of her Clan. You may have come across these or a missive penned by her hand.
• Ever visited Crane lands? Yoshino returns sometimes, including over winter when more important Crane make the journey to see the Crab, so you may have encountered her.
• Singers, story tellers, lovers of the written or spoken word: Yoshino is a card carrying member. She likes to listen to stories and to read.
• Introverted? Yoshino is too. Maybe we can be a little awkward and grumpy together? At least she'll make you tea.

[Moshi Tatsuya]

Name: Moshi Tatsuya
Gender: Male
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Merchant-Cartographer
Age: 20
Height: 5'10"/179cm
Build: Long and lean
Hair: Vaguely-golden brown, always somewhat disheveled
Eyes: Chestnut brown

Though a Yasuki-trained Moshi is far too uncommon to be stereotyped as anything, Moshi Tatsuya is perhaps exactly what a Rokugani samurai would assume happens when a son of the Valley of Sun is sent to be trained by the empire's preeminent merchants. The young Mantis certainly has the diligence and self-assurance typical to all members of the Moshi family, but being neither female nor a shugenja left Tatsuya in his youth with few ways to distinguish himself. But being an oddity among the Yasuki, who already have a somewhat complicated relationship with other samurai, has given Tatsuya plenty of room to be who he chooses - within the confines of his duty to the Yasuki and Moshi.

Tatsuya doesn't talk about and rarely has interaction with other Moshi. His master, Yoritomo Tomodachi, sees that most of the wealth Tatsuya generates ends up in the hands of one of Tatsuya's cousins back in the Valley of Sun, financing improvements to various structures and needs.


Hooks:

- the stern-looking Moshi is still a salesman, first and foremost. Want something? Need something? Tatsuya knows a guy.

- curious about the Valley of Sun? If you ask, be prepared for Tatsuya to glare and then just walk off.

- catching him unawares? Perhaps there's some in-progress origami he's hastily trying to hide as he realizes you're there.