Heie Matsuya's page

HP: 11
AC: 15; Touch 10; Flat-footed 15
Saves: Fort 3; Ref 0; Will 0
BAB +1
CMB: 5
CMD: 15
Special Abilities/Class Abilities
Order of the Ronin
Ronin Challenge 1/day
Iaijutsu Strike
Resolve
Demon Slayer (Regional)
Second Chance
Heart of the Fields [Profession: Soldier]
Feats
Skill Focus: Knowledge (Planes)
Power Attack
Equipment
Katana
Kikko Armor
Gear
Fighter Kit
Skills
Bluff: 1
Climb: 1
Diplomacy: 1
Disguise: 1
Intimidate: 1
Knowledge [Planes]: 4
Perception: 1
Profession [Soldier]: 4
Survival: 4
Swim: 1

Heie Matsuya was born too a humble farming family on the island of Titan's End (located about 100 miles west of Sandpoint). He spent most of his childhood working the fields that provided his families meager living. Unfortunately the island was arid and unforgiving, leading Heie's family to find themselves in a state of perpetual poverty.

At the age of 17 Heie, as the first and only child of his family, was drafted into the army of the local Daimyo, becoming a soldier of the House of the Broken Moon. Years of hard labor had toughened Heie's body and that, coupled with what seemed like a natural affinity for the arts of war, made him stand out amongst his fellow foot soldiers. Meanwhile, Heie served his duty with unquestioning loyalty. At first he had resented having been forcefully separated from his family and bound to military service. He soon found however that his pension as a soldier was fa beyond anything he had ever earned in his days as a farmer. He was able to provide a comfortable lifestyle for himself as well as his family. In his eyes this was more than worth giving up his simple life as a farmer.

Four years passed and Heie was given the chance to rejoin the army, but this time in the position of samurai rather than that of a foot soldier. He jumped at the opportunity, the title of samurai came with both prestige and wealth that would normally have taken him years to earn through normal means. Once again Heie proved to be an ideal candidate for soldiering and he along with two others who had proved exceptional, Yuki Shizukawa and Ashin Sako, where selected to become new retainers of the Daimyo's personal cadre. His training from that point on became monumentally more difficult, more difficult than anything Heie had ever done before. During the experience he bonded closely with his fellow classmates Yuki and Ashin. Yuki became like a brother to him and the two quickly grew inseparable. Meanwhile a bitter rivalry grew between Heie and Ashin, she had come from a long line of samurais and was aghast at the idea that a lowly farmer like Heie could rise to such a position. Ashin was always looking down on Heie, and Yuki by extension, and she took every opportunity to cause him to fail. This made Heie push even harder and he quickly immersed himself completely in his training.

Four years passed again and the three were called before the Daimyo himself. Through thick and thin the three samurai had proven to be the most promising new stock in years and the Daimyo wished to recognize them as such. It was time for their final test, their initiation trial, and if they succeeded the Daimyo himself would personally sanctify them as members of his elite warriors. Their task was simple: a small hamlet within the Daimyos territory had refused to pay their lord homage and had attempted to incite a rebellion. Though their forces had already been crushed, the Daimyo needed his samurai to travel there in his stead to once again placate the remaining villagers. To do so the Daimyo ordered the execution of the instigators of the rebellion who had been located and captured, to show that disloyalty had consequences. So the three traveled to the hamlet, though they were unprepared for what they would be facing.

Waiting for them in the center of the village was an impromptu stage on which sat a man, a woman, and three young children all bound and gagged. Standing before them an old man who was apparently the village elder spoke in a solemn tone, those on the stage had been convicted of treason and were to be executed. All of them. The three samurai stood silently and a chill shot down Heie's spine. From behind Ashin shook him, reminding him why they were there. Slowly Heie began to walk towards the stage, each step landing seemed thunderous compared to the silence of the crowd. They stare intently as the three walk through the crowd towards the stage, there are no words that could have been said to relieve those oppressive eyes. They reach the stairs, there the elder is waiting, his gaze looking for something, anything on the samurais face. But there is nothing, and when the samurai reach the top of the steps the elder is broken. Ashin steps to the front of the stage and addresses the crowd. She speaks of honor, duty, and loyalty, and though she speaks with fervor her words merely wash over a sea of hollow faces. She signals for Heie and Yuki to begin the execution. Heie slowly draws his blade, in the distance storm clouds gather. Yuki shakes his head, he won't be a part of this. He looks at Heie with longing, beseeching him to stop as well, but he sees only cold, dead eyes. He jumps off the stage and pushes through the crowd, they part effortlessly before him. Back on the stage Ashin shouts after the fleeing samurai, calling him a coward and a traitor. She grows frustrated and gives chase, determined to punish him for embarrassing the name of the samurai.

Now only Heie stands on the stage, hope slowly begins to infect the crowd. Heie only looks at the figure knelt before him. The mother, her hands bleeding from the ropes, tears streaming down her face as she looks back at him. He slowly raises his sword, the mother collapses into a pile and the color drains from the crowds faces. He holds the blade above his head, light glints off the blade as the clouds choke out the last of the sun above. He brings his sword down with all his might.

What was happening? Rain begins to fall on the stage.

Heie had always tried to be a good person, valuing life above all things. A sickening thud echoes across the stage.

His ideals, his warrior's spirit, all screamed from within him to stop. Below him his katana is embedded deep within the father, who lay slumped over the collapsed form of his wife.

Another voice roars from inside, one of hatred and fury. Keep going. He pulls out his blade and kicks the body of the father aside, it rolls off the stage into the mud.

Why did he feel so angry? He strikes out again at the mother, this time his blow finds its mark.

Why is he killing these people? Heie turns to the children, a member of the crowd jumps on the stage and attempts to intervene, they are cut down.

Why not? Thunder crashes in the distance, a dark shadows engulfs the childrens cowering forms.

Below the stage the crowd is screaming, yelling, pleading for him to stop. They clamor about in the mud in the hopes of stopping him, but to no avail. Blood mixes with the rain and runs off the stage, Heie falls to his knees, his sword held weakly in his hands. The crowd has gone into an uproar crying out for retribution, they assault the stage. Behind them Ashin returns, having lost Yuki in the heavy rain. Seeing the commotion she drew her weapon and waded into the crowd, slaying all those within reach. Those who tried to flee became trapped in the mud and were cut down before they could escape. Within minutes most if not all of the hamlet had been killed.

When they returned to the Daimyo to report the incident he was not frustrated by their actions. Rather he was most pleased with the outcome, and though he may have lost a traitorous samurai in the process, he gained two new loyal warriors. Those words cut like daggers into Heie's side, what warrior would strike down a helpless family? Heie was haunted by the events at the hamlet, they had left a black scar on his mind and soul. He couldn't eat or sleep, when he walked the streets people would whisper behind his back calling him "The Butcher of Titan's End". Dark clouds swirled in his head and conflicted with his sense of righteousness. Hate clashed with regret, anger with sorrow, and the conflict was tearing his very soul apart. Though he continued to go about his normal duties he did so as a ghost, not a samurai.

Ashin saw this and was infuriated: not only was Heie squandering the praise of the Daimyo but he was also stealing her limelight. She had been at the hamlet as well, she had been the one who had cut down so many traitorous scum, she was the one who had been truly loyal to the Daimyo. But did they give her praise in the streets? No. Did they speak to her with fear in their eyes and respect in their words? No. Did they even know she had been there? No. All anyone ever mentioned were stories about "The Butcher of Titan's End", once again she had been outshined by her rival.

Weeks passed in this way and Ashin continued to fall to the wayside as the Daimyo gave more and more attention to Heie. He was told that he showed great promise as a samurai, and that one day his actions would be legendary. The Daimyo had obviously taken quite the liking to Heie and had decided to make him one of the guards in his court. From then on Heie would be one of the samurai who were to remain at their lords side, deterring any would be assassins from their machinations.

So it was that one night a familiar face burst in upon the court. Instantly Heie recognized the figure of Yuki standing in the doorway, though his visage had grown grave since the two had last met. Without words he drew his blade and rushed at the Daimyo. Instantly Heie reacted placing himself, weapon drawn, between his friend and his master. Yuki continued his assault unhindered and the Daimyo watched the two with a mischievous grin. Heie was frozen in place, ready to slay his friend should he come within reach. He drew his sword back as anger rose from deep within him. Suddenly he stopped as if frozen. Inside his head, beyond the swirling miasma of hatred and fury, came a small voice. It was the last shred of his ideals, the only remaining piece of who he had used to be. It spoke and he listened. It bade him to stay his blade and he did. Yuki moved past him and struck at the Daimyo. Steel met flesh and black blood poured from a deep gash in the Daimyos chest. From around the court other samurai were already rushing to the aid of their master. Yuki grabbed the frozen Heie by the arm and dragged him outside, behind them a group of vengeful warriors were giving chase.

The two ran as fast as they could and managed to lose their pursuers for the few precious moments necessary for them to duck into an ally. There they stopped for a few moments while Yuki explained that they had to leave the island quickly, for the Daimyo's soldiers were bound to find them eventually. They ran once again, this time towards the harbor. Along the way Yuki hastily explained that after he had left the hamlet he had come to discover that the Daimyo was no mere human. Rather, he was a demon that had used powerful magics to change his shape and implant himself at the head of the House of the Broken Moon. He had been using his position to spread his influence over the samurai of the island, causing them to become more carnal and vicious with each passing day. They would make the perfect soldiers in his demonic armies, skilled warriors fueled by only their most primal instincts. Heie was a victim of the same plot. A seed of hatred had been planted in his mind the very day he had been drafted into the Daimyo's ranks. Throughout his entire training he was simply being molded into the perfect warrior. His anger and violence had been magnified over time while any signs of compassion, mercy, or empathy had slowly been stripped away.

As Heie was trying to comprehend what he had just heard, the two reached the docks. Yuki directed Heie to a large fishing boat that belonged to his family. The two boarded the vessel as Yuki maneuvered it away from the pier. They made way into open waters and for a moment there was silence as the two held their breath. It was shattered by a flash of light and cloud of black smoke that appeared on their vessels deck. As the smoke cleared they saw two figures standing in its place. One was the Daimyo, the wound on his chest having healed completely. The other was Ashin who stood by her masters side. With a sadistic grin she drew out a bottle of Alchemist's Fire from within her armor. Before anyone can react she lets it fall from her grasp, the deck of the boat is immediately engulfed in flames. She draws her weapons and begins slowly walking towards her former allies. The light from the fire cast black shadows that danced across her face and caused her eyes to glow with glee. Yuki took a few steps back and looked about for a means of escape. Seeing none he did the one thing he could think of. With lightning speed and almost inhuman strength he grabbed Heie by his collar and lifted him from the deck. He looked one last time into his eyes:

"Brother..."

With a mighty heave Yuki cast Heie from the boat and into the sea below. The last thing Heie saw before hitting the waters was Yuki and Ashin locking blades with each other. Once under the waves the weight of his armor and weapon caused Heie to immediately sink. He tried with all his might to swim, but to no avail. As his vision grew black he saw only the fishing boat burning with a brilliant crimson glow on the surface.

Heie awoke on the Varisian coast, having washed up near the city of Sandpoint. He stumbled up the beach, his head swimming with confusion and nausea. He made his way to the town and used the few gold he had to find a place to stay for a few nights. Whether out of cowardice or stubbornness he did not take his own life as the samurai code dictated. He was now a Ronin: the master-less samurai. For the first time in his life he is without guidance, without a duty to follow, and without anyone to call master. But now, for the first time in his life, he is finally free to do what he knows is right.

Cardinal Sin: Wrath

Ronin Edicts:
1) Never give up, never give in.
2) Die worthy of having lived

Five pieces of character background:
1) Heie was not actually raised or trained in the arts of Demon hunting. It was only just recently that he began ding serious research into outsiders and their weaknesses.
2) Though he lived on a farm for a good portion of his life, Heie never really learned how to be an actual farmer. The land his family had was virtually useless for growing anything and mostly he just spent his time doing physical labor.
3) Heie may have escaped the influence of the Daimyo for now, but the damage has already been done. He now has to face a constant emotional battle between the good that he wants to do and the anger that is constantly held just below the surface. This makes him rash and quick to anger and may even put those around him in danger.
4) Heie is still trying to make sense of a few major life-changing revelations. He is convinced that he is nor a good person given the things that he has done. That being said, he hopes that even a bad guy may be able to do some good.
5) Heie has serious concerns about the people of Titan's End. Even before he knew of the Daimyo's he was worried about the state that the common folk of the island lived in. Now he has even more cause to worry, as the best case scenario is that they are all cannon fodder for a demonic samurai army.

Two goals as a character/player:
1) The Daimyo has to die, it's as simple as that. Heie feels like he won't ever be able to rest until he has made sure that that act is carried out.
2) As a player Heie presents an interesting opportunity. While he has the ability to develop full on That Guy syndrome, I would rather skirt that possibility in favor of balancing out his demonic influences with his righteous spirit.

Two secrets about my character one known, one unknown:
1) Heie has been heavily influenced by the Daimyo, resulting in a permanent taint on his mind and soul. It gives him the potential to tap into a deep well of primal power, but he will have to be careful not to let it overtake him.
2) Yuki was captured by the Daimyo and is currently still alive, albeit being tortured pretty viciously. Meanwhile Ashin has been sent to track down and retrieve Heie by any means necessary.

Provide three people that are close to the character:
1) Yuki Shizukawa: The closest friend the Heie has, practically his brother in all ways except birth. He is a young male human, approximately 3 years younger than Heie. Has a strong sense of right and wrong and always lets his instincts guide him. Usually tries to avoid violence if necessary, one of the very few people capable of calming Heie during a fit of rage.
2) Ashin Sako: Bitterly jealous of Heie, Ashin is determined to capture him and return him to her master to be properly disgraced. She feels that she is the true "Butcher of Titan's End" and is infuriated that someone as undeserving as Heie can hold such an honor. She has been fully corrupted by the Daimyo and fully accepts him as her master. She is young female kitsune. Youngest of the three samurai, she is only 21 years of age. The influence of the Daimyo has lent her to develop a considerable sadistic streak. In fact, it was a difficult choice for her to abandon the opportunity to torture Yuki and search for Heie.
3) The Daimyo of the House of the Broken Moon: Little is known about him or his origins. Few know of his true nature, and even fewer know the reasons for his actions. He appears as a middle aged human male. Most of his time is spent in his court where he lies casually indulging in a variety of carnal pleasures. He would rather pull the strings from behind the scenes than actually participate in real combat. The drama of mortal relationships brings him endless entertainment and the saga of Heie/Yuki/Ashin is proving to be a grand endeavor. Realistically though, he is unconcerned about the possible threat of a single rogue samurai and prefers to let his subordinates take care of it.

Three quirks/mannerisms:
1) Heie likes to chew wheat stems from time to time. It was a habit he picked up as a child that he never really let go of.
2) Heie's favorite food is fried pork with honey glaze over salted rice.
3) Heie tends to slouch when in public. It helps disguise his rather large frame and helps him blend into crowds.