[i]have mercy on me[/i] - [b]Name:[/b] [i]Akira 'Chiryo' Kouki [ あきら][/i] [b]Gender:[/b] [i]Male[/i] [b]Age:[/b] [i]16[/i] [hider=--BEHOLD!-] [img]http://i.imgur.com/M7BNyau.jpg?1[/img] Having grown up in a religious department- yet surrounded by the rowdiest folk of his village, his style is that of an unusual priest-to-be. Chiryo wears his hair in a ponytail to prevent it from hugging his face during the midst of battle or when he is out on apprentice errands, however lets his bangs flow loose. Closely adapted to his culture, he is usually seen out donning a traditional yukata, with the exception of a pair of black leather boots to enhance mobility if ever he is caught in the middle of a dispute. The unique choice of wardrobe never seemed to bother him, much to the distress of his family- as Chiryo firmly believes that his faith shan't intermingle with his outward appearance. Chiryo stands at 6'1", with a slightly-above average figure that he never had the chance to flaunt, due to the unappealing boxiness of his traditional gown. Under all that tradition however, lies a slim body that boasts a regular cross-fit routine- as he believes apart from being spiritually strong in mind and heart, he should also be able to protect the one and only vessel given to him by Yakushi. Eyes, to him, are a brief entrance to one's soul. As a result, he treasures his own deeply, much to the point that he considers them the focal point of his facial make-up. With a striking mix of grey and viridian- his parents would often tell him that if a glance could kill, his own would cleanly slice through any adversary like a newly-forged, brandished blade. Miniature bells are attached to the longer strands of his bangs and around the hems of his garment. [s]One would call this a terrible stealth approach, but[/s] Chiryo thinks of it as a way to enhance his [s]already stale[/s] keen fashion sense. [/hider] [hider=-KUSAIGANO AND A LITTLE HISTORY] Planted on the furthest possible South edge of the map; the little village of Kusaigano, wedged in-between dense forests and mountains alike, remained obscure and irrelevant until the golem brigade attacked. Little is known about its directions or how to get there, not that it really mattered to anyone from the outside either way. Kusaigano did have a specialty, despite its obscurity- it harbored the teachings of white magic and trained priests to fight in battle. - The greatest and most notable feature of Kusaigano, was its strong faith and devotion to their goddess; Yakushi. Believed to be the beginning to their peoples' magical hereditary, her image reigned supreme. Whatever reason these townsfolk had to fight for, she would be the main catalyst. Many, many centuries ago, Yakushi was once a battle-scarred general. She reigned all the lands with her fully-devoted army in search of conquest and fulfillment, and her image had intimidated thousands... until her life had taken an ill-fated turn. Fatally wounded by her very blade, wielded by one of her own warriors, she laid frail as the blood spewed forth from her body and blessed the ground she died upon. Yakushi's men had vanquished the traitorous murderer after the event to exact vengeance. They then allowed their commander's body to be selectively devoured by the birds that gathered at a mass all around, as a means to provide transportation and sight for Yakushi's spirit from the afterlife, as the birds made their way around the land. A prayer was offered to their commander to watch over them just like that. What was left of her army at this point, only had stories to share and shrines to commend their once well-known leader. This grew into something more over centuries and soon enough, people began altering and changing her stories. The most recent ones had the biggest influence on the leftover army men's children, and their children's children, and their children's children's children- so on. They circled through generations, and the influence became bigger and stronger. To sum it all up, one who was once an ordinary military leader had become a goddess in their eyes. They believed such was so, as the ground the great Goddess had died upon had harnessed such an energy that without proper words to describe, surged through these townsfolks' veins and thus began the era of battle-priests. The first encounter with such power was merely an accident, wherein a grieving man's desperation had fully cured his son's fatal wounds by just a touch; and that was where their faith, religion and tradition was born- in order to honor the great Yakushi and her blessings. Many shrine priests and maidens were bred from birth, but not all. Some of the villagers were late-bloomers in terms of magical capability and natural prowess; as in, the magical potential levels varied from person to person, but entirely depended on who was closest to the bloodline of Yakushi's descendants. Master priests and teachers were assigned according to their hierarchy, for the good of teaching the late and coming generations the best of their abilities. Schools were built specifically for this purpose, and shrine priests usually took their students out on field trips to learn combat, enhance stamina and of course: educate them on how to harness the power of Yakushi through their devotion, for the good of themselves and others alike. The little village survived on its own resources, with no particular need for trade goods or anything of the like. Blessed with bountiful forestry to bear fruit and herbs, with a beautiful spring clearing just outside the village gates, the townsfolk managed on that. They strictly forbid themselves from consuming meat, as they believe that would mean disrespecting their Goddess after having been eaten by natural wildlife herself. [/hider] [hider=-CHIRYO'S BACKGROUND-] Born an only child to a bloodline that harbored high magical potential, Chiryo was one of those lucky enough offered to be taken in by the High Priest of Kusaigano, not to the surprise of his parents. Right from his birth he had an evanescent, white aura that surrounded his miniature body that signified small amounts of leaking magical energy, as a result of having an abnormal amount inside him already. Chiryo was the pride of the family, and as a result he was sick and tired of being taken out every now and again to be shown off by his parents to the other townspeople. Inside his home however, his parents were more strict than ever. He detested them for that, as the years went by. Slowly realizing that his parents would never be satisfied with the way he was, even with that much amount of magical power flowing through his being, he moved out at the age of 15 into the welcoming abode of the village's High Priest. Much to his surprise, his parents, upset at first, had officially allowed Chiryo to stay with the Head. To this day he still believes that they only let him, in order to show their son off even more. As a result of this awkward upbringing, he had learned to be humble and patient. He managed to build a very close relationship with his former Master, even growing to love him as a relative. He was given the nickname "Chiryo" because of the fact that his Master thought 'Akira' was a tad too feminine for him. [s]His long hair was enough.[/s] Chiryo was taught the values of respect, patience and endurance through his Master's teachings and was extremely grateful for it. After a year of living with his Master, Chiryo had almost possessed the power of a fully-fledged battle priest, and skills that could cure any wound that didn't require any magic at all. He was a mere week away from his final test until the mysterious stone golems had invaded the village while he was out for a few hours collecting ingredients to make spare medicine for his village folk. [/hider] [hider=-MY ASPIRATIONS-] After the tragedy of Kusaigano, Chiryo would travel the world after of the reason of his hometown's destruction. To avenge his people, his master and fill the void in his being. While traversing the map, he would learn bits and pieces about himself and his power that he nor anyone ever knew about, and for that reason I will be leaving some parts out here for the mystery that will be unraveled later on as the plot progresses. He will learn more about values, morals will change and his attitude towards his faith will waver every now and then. I'm planning on interesting ways to execute his journey of vengeance while staying completely devoted to his Goddess, as I think this would be a tricky balance to manage. Also, I realized there is a possibility that Chiryo won't necessarily be given the role of a white magician later on, so I would also like to see how his Master's teachings would aid him along the way, all the while he attempts to try out other magics. Yay for challenges! [/hider]