Kakita Kiyoko's page

38/38
Healthy 10
Nicked (+3 TN) 14
Grazed (+5 TN) 18
Hurt (+10 TN) 22
Injured (+15 TN) 26
Crippled (+20 TN) 30
Down (+40 TN) 34
Out 38

Kakita Kiyoko is the only daughter and middle child of Kakita Kiyoshi and Kakita Eriri, a pair of bushi employed as low-ranking magistrates in the port of Mura Sabishii Toshi.

Though her parents have led relatively peaceful lives, she comes from a line of bushi who often spend years of their lives on musha shugyo, warrior-pilgrimages, acting as knights-errant and wandering troubleshooters. Her grandfather Kiyoto was the previous generation of the family to be a shugyosha, and he wielded a sacred Kakita katana called 零天星野 (Reitenseiya), or "Starless Night." A few short years before Kiyoko came of age, he himself fell in battle against honorless bandits led by a powerful oni, though he defeated the oni and many of the bandits. In an unusual move, Reitenseiya was passed on to Kiyoko. Long regarded as an iaijutsu prodigy, her Sensei sensed a great deal of potential in the young Kakita swordswoman, and this seemed to guide her father's decision. Even so, her oniisan Jin seemed to resent being passed over for his imouto, especially since he won every single sparring match between the siblings--the only thing preventing a more permanent rift between them was their younger brother, Muzan.

For all of her gifts in the Way of the warrior, Kiyoko was not without her flaws. Single-minded to a fault, she came to prefer the company of others only on the sparring mat, believing that a warrior's heart was only truly revealed through her blade. Outside of the dojo, Kiyoko saw that social masks were in abundant supply, and she herself came to excel at squelching any displays of emotion. In contrast to her skill with a blade, she always had difficulty with the nuances of social life in Rokugan, and nowhere was this more apparent than in the intricacies of the tea ceremony. The first time she attempted it for her Sensei, she was so nervous that she almost dropped his cup. The tongue-lashing she received so contrasted with the praise heaped upon her as a prodigy with the katana that it shattered her confidence in performing the nuanced ritual.

Recently, her Sensei has concluded that the time for her gempukku ceremony is at hand, and Kiyoko was chosen to be a representative of the Crane clan and Kakita family at the upcoming Topaz Championship in Tsuma. Culminating in an iaijutsu duel, Kiyoko hopes that victory at the Topaz Championship will vindicate her inheritance of Reitenseiya in her brother's eyes--as well as provide further opportunities to hone her skills on her quest to become a Kenshinzen, one of the iaijutsu masters of the Crane clan.

40 XP + 10 (Disadvantages)

Advantages:
Sacred Weapon ("Reitenseiya," Kakita Blade) - 5 points
Great Destiny - 5 points
Prodigy - 12 points

Disadvantages:
Antisocial - 2 points
Driven - 2 points
Insensitive - 2 points
Doubt (Tea Ceremony) - 4 points

Raise Void from 2 to 3 - 18 points

Skills:
Raise Artisan: Poetry to 1 - 1 point
Raise Athletics to 1 - 1 point
Raise Battle to 1 - 1 point
Raise Calligraphy to 1 - 1 point
Raise Iaijutsu from 1 to 2 - 2 points
Raise Investigation to 1 - 1 point
Raise Jujutsu to 1 - 1 point
Raise Lore (Bushido) to 1 - point
Raise Meditation to 1 - 1 point

Kiyoko's family tree through the past ten generations:

Kakita Kiyohisa/Kakita Saya
Kakita Takamori/Kakita Ayame
Kakita Keiji/Kakita Tomiko
Kakita Sanzo/Kakita Kaida
Kakita Keiki/Kakita Misako
Kakita Kiyomori/Kakita Kaya
Kakita Tomoyuki/Kakita Honoka
Kakita Kiyoto/Kakita Akane
Kakita Kiyoshi/Kakita Eriri
Kakita Kiyoko (older brother Kakita Jin, younger brother Kakita Muzan)

Previous wielders of Reitenseiya:

Kakita Kiyohisa
Kakita Takamori
Kakita Sanzo
Kakita Kiyomori
Kakita Kiyoto
(Current wielder: Kakita Kiyoko)

1d10 ⇒ 5
1d10 ⇒ 10

"0 Your ancestor saved an Asahina Fetish Master from a serious social mishap. In thanks she gave your family a fetish (chosen by the GM) which has since been passed down to you."

GM allowed Kiyoko to have the following instead:
"7-0 Your ancestor fought in one of the famous battles of his time, and his courageous deeds are still celebrated in the Crane Clan. You gain 0.5 Glory and a free Rank in either Battle or a Weapon Skill of your choice." Chose Kenjutsu.

1. What clan does your character belong to?
A character's clan is their most defining characteristic because each clan has a well-established and distinct set of philosophies, prejudices, and ideals. Whether a character adheres to they stereotypes of his clan or breaks them, one way or the other they will prove very important to his personality.
Crane.

2. What family does your character belong to?
Just like a character's clan, a character's family is an especially important defining characteristic. The stereotypes of each clan are broad, but individual families within the clan have much more specific, detailed roles and attitudes that further define the identity of the clan and those who serve it.
Kakita.

3. Is your character a bushi, a shugenja, or a courtier?
Duty is an essential aspect of every samurai's life, and establishing exactly what manner of duty a character is obligated to perform is an important step in breathing life into him or her. Is the character a warrior and soldier, a priest and scholar, or a diplomat and politician?
Bushi.

4. How would others describe your character's appearance?
Every character should have a rough description in order to give him some sort of life when describing him to others. What is the character's most striking feature? Does his mood come through his appearance or is he inscrutable? Does he make others feel at ease, or make them uncomfortable?
Perpetually wearing a straight-faced mask, this young woman of Kakita blood brings to mind the beauty of a master's ice sculpture. Kiyoko is stoic and taciturn, rarely speaking more than necessary. Possessed of icy blue eyes and an equally icy demeanor, she wears her platinum hair in a chin-length layered bob. Slender, Kiyoko has the lithe and toned body of a kenshi or iaidoka, and the calloused hands to match. She has a distinctive beauty mark to the right of her chin.

5. What is your character's primary motivation?
Though all samurai are, in theory, solely devoted to fulfilling the wishes of their lord, most have their own goals as well. Some may be simple, such as maintaining the honor of your ancestors, while others may revolve around the recovery of a lost heirloom or the avenging of a slight to your family's honor.
Kiyoko wants to become a Kenshinzen, one of the Crane clan's masters of Iaijutsu.

6. Who is the person your character trusts most in the world?
characters should have some developed background in order to facilitate role-playing. This question not only includes the individual's identity, but how that person met the character, why they are so close, and other similar questions.
Her Sensei, a Kakita iaijutsu master.

7. What is your character's greatest strength and weakness?
Strengths are what others see as respectable or admirable in the character, while weaknesses are what he would struggle to hide from others, lest they look down upon him for his failures. What does the character regard as his strengths and weaknesses, and how does this differ from his actual abilities?
Kiyoko's strengths are her martial skills; her weakness is her ability to relate to others, especially on a social level. Her own personal self-awareness is also an area of weakness (see below). For her part, Kiyoko views her strengths as her martial skills, especially iaijutsu and kenjutsu; her weaknesses, she believes to be her courtly etiquette.

8. What does your character think of Bushido?
Although all samurai pay homage to the code, most Clans and families revere certain tenets over others. Which does the character consider the most important and which does he consider inconsequential? Do his views differ from those of his Clan?
Kiyoko thinks of herself as an honorable samurai who follows the code of Bushido. In practice, she frequently fails in the virtue of Compassion (Jin), especially where the opportunity to improve her iaijutsu and kenjutsu skills is concerned. This has led her Sensei to secretly regard her as a "bared blade," in need of guidance on the matter of when to strike with the sword, and not just how. If there is a virtue that she emphasizes, it is the virtue of Sincerity (Makoto)--a warrior's heart is made known by her deeds in battle, and Kiyoko intends to make her heart known to all who cross blades with her.

9. What is your character's opinion of his clan?
Of course all samurai are loyal and devoted servants of his Clan, but that does not mean they do not have their own opinions. Is the character a martial vassal of a pacifistic Clan? Or is he a pacifist in a society of warriors? does he disagree with the Clan's current enmities and alliances?
Kiyoko is proud to be a Crane, though she frequently finds herself questioning the more pacifistic and diplomatic interests of her kin. She finds herself much more drawn to the emphasis on iaijutsu of her own family, the Kakita.

10. Is your character married?
Marriage is a very important institution in the Empire of Rokugan. A samurai's spouse is responsible for managing the estate, and actually wields considerable political power depending upon the size of their holdings. Was the character's marriage arranged, or is he or she still betrothed? Is it someone the samurai has actually met, or a complete stranger? Is there a case of true love that will interfere with the wedding, or will the samurai embrace duty over the wants of the heart?
Kiyoko is neither married nor betrothed. In fact, she considers marriage to be a threat to her aspirations to become a Kenshinzen, thinking that marriage and childbirth would sideline her from her quest for perfection.

11. Does your character have any prejudices?
Most Clans are negatively predisposed against at least one other Clan, most often as a result of conflicts that have endured for decades or even centuries. Is the character one who readily subscribes to these prejudices or has he developed his own dislikes of other Clans, even allied Clans, based on his own experiences?
Kiyoko has a lot of prejudices. Despite falling outside of the most traditional roles herself, she views herself as an exception (if she is self-aware about the issue at all) and looks down on those in 'non-traditional' social circumstances. She looks down on gaijin, non-samurai, ronin, and many other things besides.

12. To whom does your character owe the most loyalty?
The simplest answer to this question would of course be "The Emperor," but very few samurai have the honor to serve the Son of Heaven directly, instead serving someone in a long chain of authority that could include the Emerald Champion, the Clan Champions, the family daimyo, the provincial governors, or even the local magistrate. Whom does the character serve immediately, and is that person the one to whom he is the most loyal?
Her loyalty belongs first to her parents, and then to her Sensei; only after that is she loyal to her daimyo.

13. What are your character's favorite and least favorite things?
This could address a wide variety of responses, including material possessions, activities, locations, or almost anything else that could spring to mind. Why does the character revere these things? What significance do they have to his history?
Kiyoko has a great love for cats. Although she loves cats (because they're cute, small, and furry), she hides this fact from casual observation as she believes that being seen to have a fondness for anything is to invite its exploitation as a weakness.

14. Does your character have any recurring mannerisms?
Since everyone tends to act according to the same protocol and etiquette, minor and inoffensive details of behavior tend to get noticed more frequently. Does the character chew his lip when he is nervous? Perhaps he has a unique greeting that he prefers to use. What does he do with his hands when nothing is going on?
Kiyoko's most frequently-occurring mannerism is the utterance of the 'word' "Mmn."

15. What about your character's emotions?
A true samurai is not supposed to show emotion, but no one is completely disciplined at all times, and everyone demonstrates some degree of emotion at one point or another. What emotion is the character most likely to display when the circumstances arise? What are the things that push him to the edge most easily, and which emotions are easiest for him to hold in check?
Around cats, the emotion Kiyoko is most likely to display is sheer joy. In any other circumstance, varying degrees of irritation, annoyance, and anger are the likely emotions to be displayed. Only around her closest friends does she offer a genuine smile, but the rarity of a full smile only makes it more obvious when she is happy--and how close to someone she is.

16. How would your character handle a subordinate's improper behavior?
The actions of a subordinate reflect the honor of his superior, and in such cases a superior has a considerable amount of leeway in dealing with a subordinate. Is the character the sort to demand the subordinate's seppuku over even a minor infraction (something that could get the character into significant trouble very quickly), or will he forgive the behavior and attempt to correct it?
Kiyoko is likely to overlook improper behavior. Even if she can teach her wayward, ignorant subordinate to avoid the same mistake again, she is likely to ignore social gaffes unless it was so egregious that it required an iaijutsu duel to resolve. If it came to that, she would expect total commitment from her opponent, and would go 'all-in' herself.

17. How would your character's parents describe him?
Devotion to one's parents is considered proper behavior for any samurai, but devotion can be offered without any real respect between a parent and child. Does the character have a proper relationship with his parents or are they estranged? Was the character's upbringing a source of joy or dismay for his parents? Are they still alive, or were they taken from the character at a younger age?
Kiyoko's parents would likely describe Kiyoko as a single-minded woman whom even they find hard to read. Nonetheless, she honors her parents, and especially seems fond in her own way of her father, Kiyoshi. It was Kiyoshi who took an enlightened view of Kiyoko training as a Kakita bushi herself, even when there were other elements in the family who disagreed with the decision--most notably, her oniisan, Kakita Jin. For their part, Kiyoshi and Eriri both dote on their only daughter, letting her have her way more often than not.

18. What is your character's highest ambition?
Desire is a sin, but ambition tempered by duty is considered acceptable among most in the samurai caste. Bushi often aspire to become military leaders, for example, while courtiers desire nothing more than to rule over others at influential courts. What is the character's ultimate goal and, perhaps more importantly, how far is he willing to go in order to accomplish it?
Kiyoko's highest ambition is to defeat one of the Crane clan's Kenshinzen, thus becoming a Kenshinzen herself. This ambition is the driving force in her life, and though she would not sacrifice her honor to obtain it, there are few things as important to her as this goal.

19. How religious is your character?
Among bushi and courtiers, levels of religious devotion vary widely. Shugenja are of course religious, but even among their ranks some are more reverent than others. Is the character one to offer frequent prayers and make trips to the temple, or has he dismissed the need for religion and instead embraced the rule of steel in his life?
Kiyoko is, much like the historical Musashi Miyamoto, the Rokugani equivalent of a deist. To paraphrase Musashi: "Pay reverence to the kami, but do not expect their help."

20. How will your character die?
This is a very important and intimidating question, but one that should be given consideration. Every samurai lives a few short feet from death, and death is a threat that can rear its head on any day of a samurai's entire life. What is the character's destiny? How will he meet his end when the time comes for him to join his ancestors, or to rejoin the universe as part of the Celestial Wheel?
Kiyoko will die on the dueling field, having finally found an opponent she could not match.