Name: Saya Tanzo
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Race: Kitsune
Appearance: She stands at about five feet with fair skin and long, snow-white hair tied into a ponytail. She has a fit, lean frame, and always walks with a strong posture. She has bright blue eyes, and the ears and tail of an arctic fox. Due to her northern origins, her race is most comfortable wearing thick furs, but Kado village has a temperate climate and is often too warm for this to be practical. So, she usually compromises culture with practicality, wearing a fur vest and boots, with light cotton undergarments. She also has several scars about her body that suggest she has seen quite a bit of fighting.
Occupation: Guardian and Envoy
Skills: Master swordsman and martial artist. Heightened senses. Good at survival and navigation.
Powers: Minor ice manipulation. She can manipulate any ice or snow that is already present to a small extent, but she generally uses this ability to form ice blades on her arms.
Inventory: Her katana, “Junkojuro.” It is a simple unadorned blade in a black unadorned sheath. Clearly, this blade was made strictly for combat. She also carries an assortment of first aid supplies, including basic medicinal herbs and bandages.
History: The Tanzo family was split in its decision to retreat from the hardships in the north. Half of them believed that with enough perseverance, they would see an end to the gods’ cruelty and restore peace to their lands; the other half saw it as a lost cause and sought a better life. This half of the Tanzo family became one of the earlier families to find Kado village and settle down there.
Saya was born in Kado village, and she was praised by her teacher as a sweet and clever girl, but her true aptitude was with the sword. From a young age, she began devotedly practicing her family’s own martial art and by the time she had come of age she was among the best fighters in the village. She was readily accepted into the Guardians, but she felt that her skills could be used for more than just keeping peace in an already peaceful place.
Eventually, she decided to become an envoy, one who regularly leaves the village and leads wanders to the haven of Kado village. She takes requests from villagers to find family or friends in the outside world and invite them to the village, or bring some portion of their remains back to the village for a proper burial. This career choice has pitted her up against all manner of ferocious beasts, and it has clearly taken its toll on her. Nowadays, she acts cold and distant, even to those she cares about, and is no longer the sweet girl the village remembers her being. Upon her last return, she decided that she would make one more excursion to the north to try and convince the rest of the Tanzo family to come to Kado village, and after that she wants to settle down and lead a peaceful life.
Point of Interest: Kado Cemetery – On the southern edge of the village, there is a tranquil plot of land, cleared out by the villagers not long after Kado was founded. Tombstones of varying styles poke out of the flat, grassy earth, marking the remains of the dearly departed of Kado village. Most stones bear a name and a brief epitaph, but a few blank tombstones dot the outskirts of the cemetery. Saya made these humble resting places for those who she witnessed fall to the cruelty of the gods. These poor souls had no family left to care for them, or their bodies were mauled beyond all recognition. Perhaps their spirits will at least find some peace here.
* * *
Name: Tetsuo Takashi. Sometimes just called “Chef.”
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Appearance: A scruffy-looking young man with slicked back red hair and brown eyes. He is of average height, and always seems to be radiating vitality (he gives credit to the spices. He usually seems to have a relaxed demeanor about him, even when he’s fighting. Whenever he is not in his chef’s garb, he wears a plain tunic and slacks, claiming that since he puts so much style in the presentation of his food that he doesn’t have time for fashion.
Occupation: Guardian and Chef
Skills: Cooking, particularly spicy food. Master at wielding knives, both in cooking and combat. A damn good brawler too.
Powers: Some say his cooking ability is magical.
Inventory: A pair of knives and plenty of spices.
History: The Takashi family has only been in Kado Village for about 12 years, seeking a peaceful life like so many others, but their restaurant has made them very popular among the villagers. Tetsuo’s parents and three siblings all help out around the restaurant, but Tetsuo is clearly the best chef out of all of them.
Tetsuo’s father would hear nothing about him using his “ridiculous knife tricks” to help the guardians, and kept his son busy beyond belief to try to bury that reckless brawler that was dying to come out. However, he had the support of his siblings, and his mother, so Tetsuo finally made a compromise with his father: he would be free to do what he liked on his spare time, but the restaurant would always come first.
Now, Tetsuo’s reputation as best chef is well established, so the Cajun Catfish sees most of its business when Tetsuo is around anyway.
Point of Interest: The Cajun Catfish – Tetsuo’s restaurant is the most popular place to dine in Kado village… for those that can handle the flavor. The place has a bright and exciting atmosphere with plenty of windows to keep the place lit during the day, and plenty of torches to keep it lit at night. Tetsuo sees to it that there is always some form of entertainment going on, whether it be a pretty girl he hired to sing, or his own dangerous knife-juggling stunts. What keeps the customers coming back, though, are the unrivaled dishes he creates that can make even the toughest, burliest man sweat from the heat. While he does offer mild dishes “for the kids,” it has become a rite of passage for many youngsters to eat on of his infamous stuffed peppers, said to be the spiciest food in the world.
* * *
Name: Garoth Brightwing
Age: 11
Gender: Male
Race: Shifter
Appearance: Garoth is just a tad small for his age, but he makes up for that with his proud and courageous stature. His most prominent feature is his piercing golden eyes, which would probably look terrifying on a full-grown man, but on a boy his age somehow manage to come across as cute (which he hates being called). He has short black hair, and usually wears a white shirt with a black vest and dark brown pants. If he must wear shoes, he prefers wearing sandals since they are nice and open.
Occupation: Student
Skills: Keen eyesight, able to read fine print across long distances. He aspires to be a strong fighter, but is still only just blossoming in that respect.
Powers: Can transform into a griffon, though he’s still learning to control this ability.
Inventory: A dull wooden sword (since his grandfather won’t let him have a real one), and some white chalky pebbles that he keeps in the pockets of his vest.
History: The Brightwings were known outside of the village as some of the bravest warriors to stand against the gods. This bravery nearly brought them to extinction, though. When Garoth’s parents died in battle, his grandfather heeded their last wishes and brought their only son somewhere safe. Garoth and his grandfather have only been in the village for a few years, and most people that have been settled in the village know little about their reputation.
Garoth relishes every story that he manages to squeeze out of his grandfather, though, and is extremely proud of his bloodline, often to a fault. He is often bored in school, preferring to experience things rather than read about them. His grandfather wants him to take up craftsmanship, as the keen eyesight of the Brightwings gives them a fine attention to detail, but Garoth is more interested in becoming a great warrior like his parents and only has eyes for the Guardians. He often attends the events at Full Moon Quarry, watching the fighters with keen interest and pining for they day when they’ll let him join in.
Point of Interest: Bull’s Eye Cliff – Not far away from Bluestone Creek, there is a small cliff that seemed to be of no use. Garoth changed all that one day when he decided his throwing exercises were more important than his arithmetic exercises. So, with a bit of chalk that he found, he drew a little target and began pelting the cliff with those white chalky pebbles from a distance to see how good his aim was. This activity caught on, and since then, villagers have carved an array of proper targets into the cliff and smoothed it out to make it an excellent spot for recreational or competitive target practice.