Kiyoshi Masa's page

Kiyoshi was born within a small village on the edge of the Ninth Province. The Masa Clan, once nobles of the Divine Emperor, rebelled and fought against the Empire during the war to subjugate the Devilblooded neighbors that they have come to know and trust. For their betrayal, only the children were spared from execution and the Masa Clan was ousted from power and shamed. Living their lives as peasants amongst the ruined villages within the Ninth Province, the Masa name had become synonymous with dishonor.

Kiyoshi was raised alongside the Devilblooded, a few having even became his cousin. The lords looked down upon his kin and kindred and, despite his family’s repentant nature, vented their callous nature upon them. When he came across his sister being attacked by the lord’s children, he leapt in without thinking and fought them off. Despite saving his sister from other possible savage acts, he had placed himself in the crosshairs of the local lord.

When the Lord’s men came, they dragged Kiyoshi out of his home and in front of the Lord’s eldest son. When he demanded that Kiyoshi apologize, the young boy refused. When he cracked over the back of his neck with his sheathed blade, the boy still refused. They beat him in front of the village, who begged the stubborn boy to just apologize and swallow his pride. When they believed the boy beaten down and turned to leave, there was a stinging pain upon the samurai’s ankle. Kiyoshi had stood and grabbed a piece of bamboo before striking the man with a fierce and defiant look in his eyes.

Kiyoshi shouted that the man was not worthy of the title of lord or of samurai, that he had failed in his duty, and that he would never bend a knee to the cowardice of a tyrant. When the samurai came and struck with speed, drawing his blade with a look of hatred in his eyes, his blade shattered upon the edge of the uchigatana that intercepted the man’s attack. A quick skirmish was had, the samurai’s weapons being shattered followed by their side-weapons, before their broken armor fell from their bruised and battered bodies. The man introduced himself as Soft-Voiced Tsutomo, one of the legendary swordsmen. His attention brought a change in regime, a kinder and softer noble family taking control of their small province.

Kiyoshi was offered a chance to change his station in life and was taken in by the quiet swordsman. Years of training passed until Tsutomo finally felt his student was ready to wield the legendary blade known as Peacebringer. Retiring to live the life as a peaceful hermit, Kiyoshi has spent the last few years travelling the lands and helping bring justice and peace to the oppressed and desperate.

Kiyoshi is a friendly sort, known for his laissez-faire attitude and his constant ability to find the silver lining in a situation. He prefers to nap wherever he can, preferably after a good cup of sake and with a woman beside him in bed. However, when combat starts, his demeanor shifts and he wears the mask of the jeering oni designed for him by his best friend from his home village. His almost baby-face demeanor fades away and is replaced with a fierce determination.

Kiyoshi loves to chat about nothing at all, finding cheap meals wherever he can get them (preferably with someone else paying for him), and daydream underneath the clouds in a nice field. Injustice and tyranny will erode that carefree demeanor and push him to satisfy his need to bring justice to the wicked. He prefers to destroy his enemy’s ability to fight, breaking their weapons and armor until they surrender and will listen to reason. Against those who trained their bodies to kill, capable of magic, or terrible beasts, Kiyoshi will reluctantly strike to kill.

Kiyoshi stands just shy of six feet tall with a lithe, muscular form that showcases strength, endurance, and agility. His hair is a shaggy, messy black mop upon his head with tired, lackadaisical eyes. Hardened from years of training, his body carries numerous, small scars from blades, fangs, and claws. He usually is wearing a dark set of four-mirrored armor that is colored a mixture of black with gold accenting. His weapon, Peacebringer, is a large, black uchigatana that seems almost pitted and damaged. Upon looking upon it, the weapon is made of adamantine and the jagged markings and markings are purposeful upon the intricate blade.

Peacebringer was a uchigatana that was crafted from adamantine and was one of the first legendary weapons forged. It was made to dissuade the violent and destructive from pursuing the Sword of Kings, capable of destroying armor, weapons, and more in the pursuit of maintaining peace throughout the realm.

Those that have wielded its blade were known for their peaceful intentions and that tradition continues, the blade passing from one who dreams of kindness and peace to another. It is the counter to the weapon’s destructive capabilities, which could be terribly abused in the wrong hands. From Yoshiro the Black Bear, Soft-Voice Tsutomo, and countless others, Kiyoshi carries the proud lineage of the peaceful, caring swordsman ever forward.