About Haru of Clan YoshiokaBackground:
Haru's family is known in Sandpoint as one of a number of Minkaian expatriates, like the Kaijutsus and others. They are artists and singers, paying homage to Shelyn primarily, though they also have a shrine to a minor deity, Daikitsu, that they brought from Minkai. The Yoshiokas are well-liked, but very private, even among Sandpoint's close-knit Tien community.
Certain clues could be found about the Yoshioka family, such as that shrine to Daikitsu, or the way they oppose fox hunting around Sandpoint. At this point, though, almost no one knows that they are actually kitsune, having left Minkai in the guise of humans, traveling with caravans across the Crown of the World, and making their way to Varisia, where their youngest daughter (Haru) was born. They practice shapechanging in private, and it is fortunate that infant Kitsune instinctively change shape with their parents, so that while her mother was in human form, she was too. As they grew, they taught her the importance of keeping the secret, and though she had a few accidents, she didn't give away the family trust. One day, as she was travelling with Shalelu in the forests, she lost control. When the young woman suddenly transformed into a humanoid fox, unconsciously taking the form as she tried to follow the trail of a hare, Shalelu said nothing at first. "Nice tail," the elf finally said after a few minutes. "Oh thank you, I try to keep it well-brushed every night... wait, what?" Haru looked down at herself, and gasped. "Uh... how did that happen?" she tried to bluff her way through the situation. Shalelu chuckled and put her finger to her lips, and Haru transformed back into her human form, red in the cheeks as the elf woman she revered laughed at her. Haru flashed back to the first time she met Shalelu: the time she got lost in the woods, at age 13. (Haru maintains to this day that she was not lost -- she knew exactly where she was the whole time, and it wasn't her fault that her parents didn't.) She had found a pond, crystal-clear, perfect for swimming, and yielded to the temptation: she disrobed, transformed, and went swimming in her fox form for quite a while before returning to the bank and transforming back, which dropped all the water from her fur, making it easier for her to dry off. While drying herself with her cloak, she heard a clearing of a throat across the pond, and spun around to see the enigmatic ranger sitting on a log. Haru blushed and covered herself as best she could with the cloak, but Shalelu made no comment on Haru's state of undress, and simply advised her to follow when she was ready. Conversation continued as the elf led the young lady out of the forest, and Haru told her how since her childhood she has felt called to the forests and fens, going a-rambling in the woods until her parents, terrified, came to find her. They scolded her, telling her of goblins and ghouls and worse in the woods, but she would only wait until their backs were turned to sneak out again. Shalelu grew somber, and told her that the only reason why the threats her parents warned her about hadn't found her was due to the efforts of people like herself, destroying threats to the community before they could become dire. Haru became subdued at that, but then asked, "So teach me to do what you do!" During her teen years, in between the lessons of art and music her parents insisted on, she went with the elf to the woods to learn tracking and survival. Now she had given up her family's secret to her mentor. But Shalelu proved a trustworthy friend, and never told anyone of their true heritage. Before long, the affection that had been growing in Haru's heart for the elf became something more. Personality and Appearance:
She is at times scatterbrained, but levelheaded. She takes each day as it comes, without worrying overmuch about the future. She laughs easily and often, speaks ill of few, and is quick to anger, but also quick to forgive.
Black hair and tanned skin combine with almond-shaped eyes and a lithe figure to give her a striking appearance. She often forgets to maintain it, though, leaving twigs and leaves in her hair and smudges of dirt on her face from long rambles in the woods with her beloved mentor. [spoiler=Character Sheet]Haru Yoshioka
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