Character Name:
Kakita Sojiro
Clan:
Crane
School:
Kakita Bushi
Profession:
Assistant Sensei at the Kakita Academy, Chui in the Crane army (currently on extended leave unless needed).
Rings:
Earth:
3
Water:
1
Air:
4
Fire:
5
Void:
3
Appearance:
Slightly taller than average, with a lean, wiry frame from years spent training and teaching at the Kakita dueling academy. His hair is black with a white streak through it on the right side, and he wears it long and well kept, sometimes braided (particularly for combat) The white streak is always braided with a jade bead on the end holding the braid together, even if the rest of his hair is down. He bears scars from intense training and multiple duels with various opponents on his body, but they are rarely seen aside from those on his hands, which are difficult to hide. His eyes are mismatched - the left is blue like his fathers, his right is green like his mothers.
He prefers to dress in blues and blacks as opposed to the typical teal of his clan, and avoids the white hair dye at all costs.
Age:
26
Distinctive Marks and Items:
His Daisho, obtained during his travels, is a custom creation designed to merge his training in Iaijitsu and the Niten style together and is actually a pair of katana as opposed to a katana and wakizashi. Forged from Aobushi steel, the blades have a deep blue hue. The saya of the second katana is fused the the left side and slightly below the first katana's saya - tsuka of the outside katana sits just below the tsuka of the inside katana. Neither sword has a tsuba - the main reason for the scarring on his hands. This unique design allows him to grip the fused saya in his left hand for proper Iaijitsu technique, but should his first strike miss or be blocked, he can immediately slide his left hand up the saya to the tsuka of the second katana and launch another attack, a saka-te style slash.
Many people have commented about his apparent lack of a wakizashi and the meaning behind it. Sojiro does in fact have a wakizashi, it is just rarely worn outside of formal events.
He is often seen with a beaten up biwa slung over his shoulder. Although the instrument has seen rough days from travel and use, it is well loved and cared for despite it's "character marks", and still holds a tune remarkably well.
Family:
Mirumoto Oyumi, mother. Kakita Imura, father.
Spouse:
None
Attitude/Personality:
Sojiro tends to be laid back in most day-to-day encounters. He much prefers the saki house to court, although he is not uncomfortable in more formal settings - although he may make those around him uncomfortable. He has a bit of a temper but it is usually under control.
History:
Born from the marriage of a Dragon clan Samurai (Mirumoto Oyumi) and a Crane clan Iaijitsu master (Kakita Imura), Sojiro has benefited from being the child of two warriors. He excels at Iaijitsu, but is also well versed in the Dragon's Niten style. His father was well known at court and as well versed in politics and diplomacy as he was with the katana, and his eldest son spent his childhood either at various Crane courts or in the Kakita Dojo. While his mother's tendency towards enigmatic answers and riddles frustrated his father on a regular basis, sometimes leading to the settling of marital spats with boken in the courtyard of their estate, their marriage was nonetheless a good one, and Sojiro has managed to combine the two approaches well when mingling with the assorted courtiers of the various clans - a blend of razor sharp wit, keen intelligence, and a lifetime of watching court intrigue has given him the tools he needs to deal with court games competently, although he often chooses not to - Sojiro is quite capable of being startlingly blunt and direct at times, particularly when his honor is called into question or his clan is faced with a threat.
He is certainly not above insulting a courtier or diplomat when he feels the need to do so, a trait that has caused him troubles in the past.
Sojiro spent equal amounts of time in the Crane and Dragon lands growing up, and was close to his extended family on both his mother and father's side. When he was young, he met a girl from the Phoenix clan on the border between Phoenix and Dragon lands while his father was at court, and they played together often - meaning that Sojiro teased her mercilessly, even setting her hair on fire at one point. Then puberty kicked in, and suddenly he wasn't teasing her anymore
At 16, his parents arranged their marriage and he traveled to the Phoenix lands to learn to become her Yojimbo, as she was Shugenja. During his time there, something happened that he refuses to discuss. All most people outside his immediate family know is that his betrothed was killed and he was badly injured. He recovered in the Dragon lands both mentally and physically due to his injuries being too severe for travel, and eventually returned to his homeland wiser, with a bitter hatred of all things tainted or related to Maho and trained properly in the Niten technique. Niten training not only increased his understanding of combat in general, but it also revealed to him certain flaws in the Iaijitsu style he cherishes, and he returned to the academy to assist in the training of young Crane Bushi, imparting his new understanding of Iaijitsu's strengths and weaknesses to a new generation. He intends to one day open a dojo that teaches his new style, which he has named Yaiba No Arashi (storm of blades). He moved out of his family's estate and claims residence in Tsuma city, very close to the Kakita Academy. His experiences abroad have made him a regular at court much like his late father, and has also led him to be placed in command of a small group of Bushi during certain military actions as a Chui. His ability to perceive the hidden meanings in the Dragon clan's famous riddles have earned him equal measures of respect, wariness, and affection from that clan, and his repeated verbal (and at times, physical) dueling with Scorpion emissaries at court have earned him equal amounts of animosity and appreciation from them. Although he can function well in court, after his return home he has lost patience with many of the courtisans and their games, and often his attitude in court is closer to that of a Crab or Unicorn than a Crane.
When he returned from his travels, Sojiro bore a white streak through the front of his jet black hair on the right side of his face, as well as new scars that looked to be caused more by burns than by blades. When questioned about it, he is uncharacteristically silent about the matter, and his demeanor takes on a sadness that is unusual for him. He never answer these questions, and many rumors swirl about his unique appearance, his refusal to dye his hair white, and the death of his betrothed. Perhaps the Phoenix clan knows more about this issue...