Ko'Akechi

--IC Information—

Character name: Ko'Akechi

Race: Ca’liar (Medium Build)

Age: 54

Gender: Male

Character Description: Akechi stands at 6’2 with slitted yellow feline eyes. He is of a strong build with firm shoulders and a muscular figure. His fur is a color and pattern of that of a wild cat in design, with browns covering most of his body, but patches of white mixed in, such as across his chest and around his face. His body has faint accents of black and an orangish red in streaks across it in various places. His hair is on the longer side, but did not venture past his shoulders, with an often shaggy appearance when not given the chance to properly tend to it. It was a darker brown, almost black, and had streaks of a brown of a similar but darker shade than the fur on his body mixed with hints of white and the same reddish orange from his body.

He holds himself tall with a sense of purpose, typically avoiding too much eye contact when not necessary but still notable observant of his surroundings, though when addressed or his attention is demanded by someone this changes completely to total focus on the person in question he is addressing. His eyes reflect a serious, determined, and focused gaze that at times hint towards a softer side when more relaxed.

Character Occupation: Soldier and novice smith

Character Personality/Traits: Akechi is a man of honor, even when he has been tested and forced to bend the rules of honor against his greater desires. This has left him somewhat changed, questioning if his way of honor is flawed. A dilemma he faces today, ultimately trying to keep to the lessons he was taught growing up. Despite this internal struggle, he presents himself as a man of principles and discipline, but also one of kindness and understanding.

He can be hardened and harsh but just as much enjoys getting to know the people around him and serving his people, friends, clan, family, and allies to the best of his ability. He is quick to defend those in need when he is capable, and due to his honor bound nature he is quick to repay debts and return kindnesses shown to him. He otherwise keeps a calm demeanor when possible, not quick to anger, but one of great wrath should one bring him to that point.

Backstory:

Akechi is born to the Vomos Clan during the later end of their years, the tribe is dying, war bringing them to their brink. They chose to side with the empire with the other clans, but the years of war have left it a shadow of its former state. He is taught from a young age to do battle, as war was what the clan had known best. And at the age of only 14, just old enough to stand in a battle, he was granted armor. Nothing flashy or as full as what Samurai adorned, something seen more on foot soldiers, which was in the end all he was. He was also provided a blade and a spear, and when the time came he’d have to stand in battle alongside his fellows.

His clan was few, the war had taken a toll on them, but he was considered a blessing thanks to his ability to cast earth magic. Even as mundane as it was, it could prove to be a skill valuable to them should they survive this war.

Unfortunately that day would not come, up against insurmountable odds, his clan found themselves outnumbered and enclosed by the rebel forces. Led by a warrior monk, the enemy offered them the chance to surrender. But they refused, and so he stood alongside his clan in the face of certain defeat, and in a one sided battle they were utterly defeated. All but himself, as far as he is aware that is, are wiped out. With two arrows in his chest he is left for dead. However, luck finds him as he is recovered by peasants who lived near where the battle had taken place, and had come to clear the battlefield of corpses and collect and resources that had been left behind. They then found him still breathing. Taking pity on him, they decide to bring him back to their village where he is nursed back to health.

He makes a full recovery slowly thanks to this, but is devastated to learn that none of his clan survived the battle beyond himself, as far as they were aware. And so, in gratitude for saving him he remains with the village for some months aiding them where he could while regaining his strength.

He learned that this village was one which was loyal to the empire, and with his entire family and clan believed to be killed off, and the civil war still sweeping his homeland, he decided to visit the Ishi Clan which oversaw the village once their lord returned from the battlefront. The elder of the village introduced him to the clan lord, and in this meeting, Akechi volunteered to work for the clan in the fight against the rebels.

While Akechi himself was young, the lord Ta’Jubei, head of clan Ishi, acknowledged his experience as well as his magic potential, and agreed to let Akechi join his clan’s fight for the empire as a soldier in their ranks. He was provided the tools of a footsoldier once more, and accompanied the lord with his soldiers and samurai when they departed back once more.

Akechi went on to fight bravely alongside his new lord. And after a time, he came to distinguish himself as a natural and accomplished warrior. He came to adopt the strong honor based lifestyle of his master’s clan, and how they’d conduct combat in the open field. He found great inspiration in his lord and strove to prove himself every chance he could manage.

He went on to fight and survive many battles, some closer than others but he always managed to pull through despite his wounds. Impressed by his loyalty and tenacity his lord Ta’Jubei formally adopted Ichi into the clan, and gave him the honorific title of Ko in honor of his ability as a warrior. He was granted the armor of a samurai, and went on to continue to serve his clan until the civil war came to an end while the clan itself, in return for its loyalty during the civil war, was granted a sizable estate in one of the major coastal cities.

The bulk of the clan's main house relocated to this estate, while Akechi and others took to travelling and visiting the villages their clan helped managed, returning to the same village that had saved him in his youth some many years ago to help with their efforts in rebuilding.

Even in times of peace he was still vigilant and loyally served his new clan, finding a new sense of purpose for his life. In the absence of war, he busied himself with his training and mediation, practicing the arts, writing haiku, and trying to find joys in the simple things in life after a life of war.

He found some enjoyment in taking up the work of a smith later on, as mundane as it was it was a practical trade he could apply during times when there was no fighting to be done, working with those who wrought weapons for their clan’s soldiers and tools for their villages.

It was perhaps odd for one such as himself to take up such a laborious job as a now notably distinguished member of a clan, but he found the work to bring him some peace of mind and steadied his running thoughts. It was in its own way a form of meditation. Though Einar was not a place known for its lengthy peace times, and soon the need for warriors was upon them once more, this time overseas in Acaedia.

And when the time came for soldiers to be sent to Acaedia, he was quick to volunteer to join with other members of his new clan to sail overseas. However the war in the harsh jungle lands is not what he expected. His concepts of combat and honor are tested as he is forced to use more unconventional, and somewhat less honorable ways of facing their enemies, leading himself to question his beliefs and suffer the pains of being forced to divert from his code when no other options were possible. Furthermore, he frequently questioned the true intentions of them being there, the enemies they were sent to eliminate sometimes even being the Avalti they were supposedly sent to liberate. But, perhaps they were traitors, or those joining with the witches. No matter the reason, he told would steel himself and his loyalty to the empire to see that whatever mission he was given to carry out was completed as best as he could manage, putting his faith in a higher wisdom than his own.

The war went on, land was harsh, and the enemies they came to face as it continued were even harsher, beasts and witches and eventually later mercenaries from overseas battered their forces. Even with the extreme tactics employed by them the war was ultimately lost in the end, moreover, the war was lost with the great dishonor of their leader selling their homeland to the Yokai for power, a land which he had fought so long to bring peace to. Despite this, and the betrayal he and his people faced, he still believed in the empire and his homeland, it was all he had, and he could not let the actions of one man shatter his faith. But even he was left shaken by the events that took place on that island, more than happy to put it to his back once the fighting was done.

After the war came to an end, he returned to Einar, not wishing to deviate from his code of combat again, he is presented with an even greater threat as Yokai begin to appear across their country, bringing a new war. And when pitted against the likes of Yokai and their minions he as well as his fellow warriors are left lacking again in his strength and capability. Forced to employ less than honorable tactics once more he accepts this is simply how war is now, but moreover, when against Yokai, such methods are likely excusable one could argue.

Their strength and abilities were insurmountable in his eyes, they lacked the means to bring many down without the use of rare resources which ultimately only made it more manageable at best in the end but did not offer a full solution. In the end their victories against the Yokai are few and in between. As time goes on the war with the Yokai has no clear end in sight, with more land being lost to the constant fighting and stories retelling some of the horrible accounts of Yokai befalling villages, he volunteers to travel to the distant land of Saphriel on a mission to further his own ability, as well as study how they fight Yokai adjacent creatures in their lands, and acquire more tools to aid in fighting them back in Einar.

He knew little of Saphriel at first, only that it was the distant land they’d had encounters with before, a place of strange creatures, powerful warriors, and their own savage wars. It was also the country that had influenced the result of their own civil war many years prior, as well as the homeland of the mercenary band that had given them trouble during their Acadian campaign.

In preparation for his trip, he is permitted to learn the common tongue of that realm as well as provided a rather basic run down of the recent events that the empire was aware of or at least willing to share with him that had taken place within the Saphriel kingdom.

After many months of preparation, he is sent to the fortress in Acaedia, where he was then to be sent to Saphriel via another ship located on the island after some additional preparation time at the fortress. The route he’d be taking to the kingdom would be through a Saphriel ship, a route other Ca’liar fleeing the empire sometimes took. His armor and equipment is taken from him and he is provided the basics for travel, generic clothing, and a mundane aged blade for himself. While not intentionally posing as a refugee or anything else of the sort, he is also not actively looking to draw attention to himself either.

It was here at the Aceadian fortress that he was reunited with Ko’Kraver, a childhood friend from his youth, though more prominently a surviving member of his original clan. This was a surprise to the both of them as they had assumed themselves each the last member of the clan. The two take the chance to catch up on their missed history, Ko’Akechi leaving out some of his encounters in the past, namely the details of why he was going to Saphriel. Particularly after learning his lost clansman was currently leaving their empire behind while he himself was venturing there on a mission for the empire, simply telling him that he was heading there to learn things he couldn’t in their homeland.

It was around this time winter began to set in, not a strange occurrence but it did seem oddly cold for the tropical island. From there the duo departed for and arrived in the Saphriel lands during the first year of the long winter, Ko’Akechi focused mostly on learning the way things worked here and keeping his head down while he got his bearings, allowing his clansman to do as he pleased, as long as it did not hinder himself or cause him trouble.

The winter proved difficult, as it continued to stretch on and on to his surprise and frustration, and made for an inopportune time for their arrival, their first couple years in the new land being quite harsh, forcing him to rely on the generosity of others, the local kingdom, or his own skills as a hunter, as limited as those were, to find food for himself and Ko'Kraver. Many long nights were spent camping in the cold as they travelled, and during the particularly harsh months they'd have to take to sheltering in larger cities or towns, doing odd jobs when he could manage.

Thankfully, thanks to the efforts of those who took overseas on a journey to see the winter put to an end, spring finally returned, making life a bit easier on Akechi who was finally settling into the new country. Though he still struggles with some concepts, he begins his journey to learn more about the country and further himself properly.

Other/Extra: (Images, notes, etc.) A straw hat

Magic Biography:

Please describe the magic system, including its limitations in your own words:

Magic is cast by by channeling ones magic through an object known as a trinket. The strength of this magic and the type of magic is based on the type and strength of the trinket. There are several limitations, such as said casting level, as well as the time it takes to train your magical strength, and the risks of overcasting. 

Each race has a different number of aspects, an aspect being a primary magic focus for your character, allowing them to pass medium levels. Some races, such as dark elves have no aspects. Should one overuse or abuse magic beyond their limits, it can risk overcasting. This ranges from nosebleeds, headaches, passing out, to actual death.

Please describe how you would use a weak trinket with your characters first/only aspect:

Using a weak trinket of earth, one could perform simple rudimentary acts of distortion of earth such disturbing or lightly moving small stones or dirt across surfaces on the ground.