S A I Y U R I
“Weapons are ominous tools. They are not the noble ruler’s tools. One only uses them when they cannot avoid it.”
Soyokaze Saiyuri, The Disciple of Shujinkō
A G E
17
T O T E M
Wolf
A P P E A R A N C E
With long black hair with no fancy bindings outside from a simple white strand of cloth, Saiyuri most certainly seems the atypical shrine maiden. Standing at five foot three, Saiyuri is taller than some but generally still shorter than the average male. Beholden to soft features, Saiyuri does not look like a warrior though she does not have the physique of a pampered princess either— a testament to long days doing tasks to the temple in quivering cold and swelling heat. Bearing the look of a shrine maiden with a ornate white and red gown, Saiyuri rarely interrupts her devotion which allows her some space from bandit overlords and overzealous samurai alike due to the condition of the world.
P E R S O N A L I T Y
Fated for destiny, Saiyuri has always had a cloud hanging over her that created a lingering feelings of fear but in spite of it has driven herself to not be defined by it. Saiyuri refuses to let the shadow of fate will her to have a dark disposition on life— a fact that is apparent from her optimism, sincerity, compassion, and faith. As such she is rather quick to make connections to people and create long-lasting relationships thus showing the world that the realm’s descent into madness doesn’t define your own personal soul and serves to be an inspiration and idol for others to look to when times seem the most bleak.
H I S T O R Y
Born seventeen years ago to a large temple in the rural countryside known as Soyokawa within the Akatsuki Prefecture, Saiyuri was born the daughter of the main branch of the Soyokaze clan. A life of spirituality, guardianship, and legacy would be one she would come to understand. During her childhood Saiyuri was told of a prophetic dawn that would define her destiny— a fate of shadows, love, loss, and inevitable death. Such a prophecy frightened her and despite respecting her parents’ wishes often wondered if she should end her life prematurely before such a thing could ever become true. But somehow, she didn’t succumb to her sadness even at a precious age; reasons unknown why, but she changed her disposition to live for hope and defy definition rather than unquestioningly follow some cryptic words written several centuries ago. Saiyuri then devoted herself fully to her training and responsibilities as a Shrine Maiden as she looked forward to the knowledge that would come with the texts and the wisdom that would come through experience.
Brought into a special chamber in the shrine, Saiyuri’s father would explain to her that it was time to begin her journey from Soyokawa to do as he had done in his youth. However, while the journey would be a dangerous one and one she would have to go alone it was here that he explained to her that the responsibility that she inherited as per her being the only surviving child of the main branch of the clan— the ancestral sword of their dynasty, a sword that was said to be one that had purified uneasy spirits as well as safeguarded innocence, and a blade that was hers by right of birth. Whilst Saiyuri saw that the time had come to embark from her previous duties to greater responsibilities and begin her pilgrimage she was not sure if she deserved the right of inherited such a precious and sacred item. After much discussion with her father, mother, and other mentors she realized that despite her misgivings that the blade had protected others in times of strife before and it sitting in Soyokawa would be a disservice to it thus relenting on carrying the weapon during her pilgrimage. The next morning Saiyuri left home on her pilgrimage with a weapon that had been the most important relic of her clan’s history; she promised to live up to expectations but not any idea of fate or destiny.
Saiyuri then began travelling the rural paths of Tsukishima for several weeks, her pilgrimage taking her beyond the borders of the prefecture where she was born and thus introduced to the insidious nature of her fellow Tsukinese. Whilst wearing the vestements of a shrine maiden she found herself secure in operating in Tsukishima as she exponentially deeper into the heartlands of her nation as she sought to operate as those from Soyokawa had done so for hundreds upon hundreds of years. She found her presence most often tolerated or succinctly ignored once she was far from her birth prefecture though this did not mean Saiyuri was free to do as she pleased. Eventually Saiyuri would come upon a situation where she found herself between an innocent man of low birth and a corrupt magistrate— a situation that would escalate quickly when he ordered his men to punish the man’s family as consequence; failing to be an arbiter between the two parties led Saiyuri to draw her sword against the men she saw as little more than braggart immoral thugs. The effects of her siding against the immoral forces in the holding led Saiyuri to be pursued by the authorities which eventually led to her capture and imprisonment.
S T R E N G T H S & W E A K N E S S E S
✗ Charitable: Saiyuri represents honor, kindness, and generosity— a fact that has been used against her since she started her pilgrimage. She gives what she has eagerly and seeks to mend others suffering even if it will hamper her own well-being.
✓ Disciple: In addition to priests and priestesses, the Soyokaze descend from ronin who saw it fit to serve the people and protect them from evil rather than submit entirely to imperial overlords. What this means to Saiyuri is the fact that she has been trained and given her clan's ancestral sword in earnest. Her skill with such is surprisingly adept in the style of the Soyokaze and in pure conjecture could match a samurai of similar age and experience.
✗ Inexperienced: Saiyuri has not been on her pilgrimage for very long and being as young as she is attracts a lot of trouble; sometimes more trouble than she’s able to handle. Despite her strong sense of idealistic morality she has trouble dealing with situations when they get tough and while she believes she can bear the consequences of her involvement sometimes her inexperience makes her feel unequipped to help on a larger scale.
✓ Open Palmed: Saiyuri is educated in the martial art of Opunken due to the skill having some ancestral significance among her ancestors as well as their philosophies. Whilst not as adept as a monk or sage she has been taught to defend others beyond drawing her sword thus this skill serves as a supplementary utility. If she were to face a true martial artist she would be beaten without issue.
✗ Overzealous: Despite being a patient pacifist there are times when the situation requires her to enforce her brand of justice. Once Saiyuri draws her sword from its sheath she believes there is only one way it is going to return to it and that is the punishment and defeat of either her or her enemy. A trait that caused her to get imprisoned in the first place.
✓ Pacifist: Saiyuri believes that the path of the open palm is better than that is the closed fist and as such only draws her blade in extreme cases where she deems it necessary. This can make her seen as naïve or easy to manipulate by some, but generally this is more commendable than those who draw first blood first— however you take it, Saiyuri tries to be an arbiter over all else and will not see it sound to engage into combat immediately.
✗ Prophetic Fate: Ever since Saiyuri was young she has been running from a prophetic fate that has haunted her and even with her being far from home the whispers of her sorrows, loves, loss, and death still pursue her at every turn.
✓ Shrine Maiden: Saiyuri has led her entire life as a spiritual priestess and has been educated in the ways of a shrine maiden including spiritual rites, ancient chants, and the knowledge of how to deal with the spirits themselves; but given spiritual incursion is a rare thing upon society (or was) it is not something she’s had to do in great measure. Nonetheless it would be wise to consider this skillset a useful utility given the circumstances the people of Tsukishima find themselves dealing with.
L I K E S & D I S L I K E S
✓ Martial Arts
✓ Nature
✓ Philosophy
✓ Rice
✓ Scripture
✓ Tea
✗ Apathy
✗ Conflict
✗ Greed
✗ Sake
✗ Stealing
✗ Unnecessary Violence
T H E M E
Member
Dae,
mickilennial,
ArkmageddonCat,
Captain Uni,
Lemons,
Kuro,
Asura
