Mai Seori's page

+2 to one score (int)
medium size
speed 30
extra skill rank each level
extra feat
languages: common, tian, draconic

proficient with simple and martial weapons, plus katana, naginata, wakizashi, all armor, and non-tower shields
challenge 1/day
iaijutsu strike 1d6--full-round action, -4 AC for one turn, strike challenged foe for extra damage.
order: blue rose (peace and diplomacy)
resolve 1/day

HP: 10
AC: 10+3+1

BAB: 1

melee: 3
ranged: 4
CMB: 1+2=3
CMD: 10+1+2+3: 16

SAVES:
fort 2
ref 3
will 1

HONOR: 16

bluff 1+3+2=6
climb
craft(calligraphy) 1+3+1=5
diplomacy 1+3+2=6
handle animal
intimidate
knowledge(history) 1+3+1=5
knowledge(nobility) 1+3+1=5
profession
ride
sense motive 1+3+1+1=6
swim

suspicious: +1 to sense motive, always class skill
extremely fashionable: +1 to bluff, diplomacy, intimidate while wearing 150GP of clothing/jewelry and clean.

1: improved initiative
bonus: combat expertise

Blessing of Earth: +1 CON and +1 natural AC. 1/day, when reduced below 1 HP, stay at 1 HP and gain temporary HP equal to HDx3.

8GP
katana
kikko armor
explorer's outfit
eyeglasses
pathfinder's kit
includes:
backpack
bedroll
belt pouch
clay mug
dagger
2 fishhooks
flint and steel
sewing needles
signal whistle
50 ft. string
50 ft. thread
waterskin
7 day's trail rations
whetstone

Seori spent her early childhood years blissfully ignorant of her heritage, her surroundings, and her family's rocky situation. Her mother and father found each other in the midst of upheaval, revolution, and familial disputes, falling in love. However, as with any two people who are steeped in tradition do, they both tried to assert themselves with regard to which direction Seori's upbringing should go. Her mother insisted that she be taught calligraphy, diplomacy, and be educated on the finer points of culture to represent her mother's proud nation. Her father believed that she should be schooled in the ways of the warrior, learned in the art of the sword, in order to fight for her people and her honor. What she was not told, however, was that they were not even from the same region of Tian, and had in fact been on opposing sides of their family's conflicts, with very contradicting traditions and goals. It meant that, no matter her upbringing and accomplishments, it was likely that she would always be known as an outsider in the Tian provinces, due to her "impure" blood.

In the end, they could not agree, and despite their bond, the subject always left them inflamed and enraged at each other beyond all reason. As a small child, Seori never understood, but as her formative years continued, she began to grasp the basics of the dispute, and noticed that, together, they were happy and joyful, but when they spoke of her, they always fought. She understood that they wanted to teach her many great things, but that they were could not agree on what. Eventually, she came up with a surprising solution: She ran away. She left only a letter that promised to make them both proud.

How a child before her teens survived the path to the twilight monastery, alone and unequipped, no one is quite sure; most suspect that the kami and the gods were guiding her. When she arrived, she found a masked man welcoming her, saying he had been expecting her for some time. Though she could not see his face, she was almost certain he was smiling.

Life at the monastery was a breath of fresh air for Seori. With no one to argue over her future, she found she was able to accomplish so more much in her training and her studies. She found particular intrigue at the similarities between the pen of fine lettering and the blade of fine swordsmanship. Though she was not inclined to harm her sparring partners, she did find a particular exhilaration in the graceful dance of two blades. Just as the delicate swipes of the pen gave birth to beautiful words, the agile dance of the sword gave rise to a resonant rhythm.

During her studies, she also came to learn of another lesson lost on her feuding parents: the code of the samurai. There was something intriguing, romantic, and inspiring about the tales of honor, noble sacrifice, and codes of discipline that guided these warriors through history. In her times sparring with the Samurai who stood guard over the monastery, she came to find kinship in one in particular. Kakita Ryuji, A man who, like her, was somewhat out of place in the Tian culture, but held it in high regard. His skill with a sword brought her many lessons, and his knowledge of his old order inspired Seori. they were warriors who sought to never draw their swords, instead using their words and minds to resolve the disharmony of the world. Though she had no way of formally joining this order, she pressed Ryuji for his knowledge and understanding of their codes, their edicts, and their philosophy, and she delighted in how naturally it seemed to fit with her own views. She resolved to one day seek out this order firsthand.

Seori has also begun to question her heritage as she discovers inconsistencies about her family and what she has been told. Her eyes would suggest she is of auspicious lineage, yet she was kept from the public eye as a child. Her combination of physical traits, natural talent, and the opportunity for such an educated upbringing would have left her with a very real chance to advance to nobility, even in the most rigid portions of Tian society, and her unique features even suggest she might be descended from the dragons so often revered in her history. Why then, despite their love for each other and for her, were her parents so torn, and so angry? The more she comes to know about her life, the less sense things make.

Regardless of her suspicions, Seori has resolved to uphold all she has been given, and maintain her promise to make her parents proud. She has spent much of her youth polishing her skills as a swordswoman, and seeks the perfection of her diplomatic art, hoping that she may calm the storm that is the Tian empire, uncover the truth behind her dissonant family, and heal the rift that her existence has caused between two soul mates.

Like much of Tian society, Seori Stands with dignity in her short and lithe frame, and her dark hair frames her tanned face when left free to fall over her shoulders. What puzzles most Tian natives, however, is her odd mixture of features. A streak of white strands run through her hair, and she leaves this lock free even when she ties her hair in some way. Her eyes have sometimes been described as smooth ground amethysts, and even in times of the greatest duress, they never seem to show agitation. The combination of unusual colors leaves her ancestry sometimes ostracized, sometimes revered, but always in question.

When training, Seori keeps her manner of dress austere and practical, with simple robes, gi, and hakama appropriate for training and meditation. When the occasion rises, however, she spares no effort to transform from a simple student to a memorable vision of color and shape. She complements her violet eyes and the white strand of hair with stunning manners of dress of silver, sky blue, and gold, and she keeps her sword in pristine condition and sharpness in anticipation of the need to be presentable.