Warring States PC’s
The player characters in the Warring States Campaign are a motley crew.
Kodama no Gentaro Hidemoto
(Jason Spivey)
Kodama no Gentaro Hidemoto is a tall, stocky man often seen with a disheveled, slovenly appearance. He keeps his hair short, as wears the simplest of top-knots, and also wears a beard along his jawline and up his sideburns, without a mustache. Often drunk, he gives off an aura of pity to those who pay attention to him (as well as the stench of sake), but since he is rarely boisterous or disruptive when drunk, he often escapes much notice. He dresses in clothes of the poorest quality a Samurai would own, and often can be found quietly drinking off in some corner or sleeping off a drunken spell. Picture one of Mifume’s drunken samurai performances done very low key. Hidemoto has been seen sober only once recently, in a meeting with Mori Sadahiro. Those who have commented on it said that Hidemoto looked like wolf ready for the kill. After the meeting he chewed out aservant for some slight error, and within 10 minutes after leaving the hall, was drunk again, quietly mumbling to himself in some corner. Kodama Hidemoto’s armor is covered in decorative scales akin to scail mail armor, but the scales are colored randomly with shades of green, with some copper, silver and yellow. His legs and elements of his do are brown, and textured to resemble bark, to go with the scale "leaves." His Kabuto also has these scales, a set of deer antlers, and his mon, attached below. As an interesting aside, Kodama Hidemoto’s mon features a "tree" (like his armor), with a background that is the reverse of the Amako Clan’s mon.
Rinzan
(Kevin Blouin)
Rinzan is mid-thirties, and of medium build. He is obvious "former" kuge from both attire and reputation. Anyone who is reasonably literate(reads, not just capable of reading) may know of him. His reputation includes something about him coming from a reputable kuge household in Kyoto, but he abondoned that life for a life of poetry and religious contemplation (rumours and stories vary). Rinzan’s head is completely shaved like a monk’s. He generally wears fine Chinese silk kimonos of various shades of green. He equally enjoys solitude and pleasant company, and is gracious and generous to people of lower status. On the other hand, he has no trouble speaking his mind to those of superior status as well. This has led to many of the rumours and stories that attribute to his reputation. Daily, you will find him: a) reading; b) meditating (especially during sunrise/sunset); or c) praticing calligraphy and So (spear). His armor is laced in saffron yellow and adorned with a simple mon: the characters Rin (forest) and Zan (mountain) merged into one stylistic character (appearing as a forest on the mountain).
Mukai
Saneaki (Ray Dunn)
Being a friendly sort and prone to conversation, Mukai Saneaki will gladly show-off his bow of legend “Hanasu”, which is far better known than he, to anyone who asks. “Hanasu”, a seven-man bow, takes great concentration and inner peace to fire. Coming from a family of Archers, Saneaki aspires to the purest form of an archer, that of the Zen Archer. Currently, Saneaki is in search of a Zen Master who can teach him the skills and wisdom needed to progress on in this most honorable goal that will make him one with “Hanasu”. However, there resides an internal struggling with the concepts of Zen, as he does like social interaction, as well as some of the finer pleasures in life. As armour can get in the of effective archery, Saneaki prefers to wear a minimal set of darkly colored armour. This also gives him the advantage of using his Judo technique on opponents. As his father has always said, “The sword can not strike what is not there”. Saneaki works hard at following the family motto of Irounaku kanketsu “Complete Simplicity”, hoping to bring honor to his family and glory to himself in the years to come.
Kanzei
Akihiro (Scott McKinlay)
Akihiro is a younger son of a prominent Kuge figure in the Imperial court in Kyoto. His family was closer to the class’ martial origins than many Kuge and so he received extensive training in weapons in his youth. From an early age, however, Akihiro’s passion and talent was clearly in dealing with animals, particularly in the realm of horse riding. At the age of 22he accompanied a family-sponsored trading mission to China and promptly disappeared for more than two years. During this time he traveled extensively in Chinaand Mongolia. When he returned to Kyoto, the anger of his family was tempered by the fact that he brought back many valuable and status-lifting items such as Chinese scrolls. He also brought back a dozen purebred Mongolian horses, which he cleverly gifted to the head of the Mori clan. In return the Mori clan granted him land and a commission to breed horses for the clan. He has parleyed this business into a source of considerable wealth. He maintains a respectful yet distant relationship with his family in Kyoto. He has a wife if Kyoto, but he very rarely travels there and even when he does he often doesn’t visit her. He has no children with his wife. Akihiro is almost universally liked by his peers. He is very cheerful and always seems to have an ongoing party following him. He is extraordinarily generous and has a reputation as a playboy and for his refinement. He has a great fashion sense and has an ability to incorporate foreign elements, like Mongolian boots, into the latest Kyoto fashions to good effect. He is a competent warrior, but is justifiably famous as an amazing horseman and horse breeder. He often wagers on horseracing, and very few people can best him on a horse. Akihiro travels with two servants, an older man named Shinbei and a younger man named Taro. Shinbei attends to the needs of Akihiro while Taro is tasked with caring for Akihiro’s favorite horse, a Mongolian horse named Hayakaze (Swift Wind). He wears elaborate armor in red with yellow lacing. His clothing, weaponry and equipment are universally of expensive quality.
Ouchi
Harushige (Megan Bedford)
Onmyoji and swordsman, scion of the Ouchi Clan.
Shimizu
Akira (Brian Cooklish)
Shimizu Akira, young samurai, fresh out of several years of intensive training at the (to be determined) Ryu Dojo, where he was sent by his father to make him a proper samurai. He’s probably ridden in one or two minor skirmishes, but no full scale wars, so he has killed before. It’s also possible that he’s fought a few duels while away at the Dojo, since he is a hot-blooded young samurai after all. So now he’s skilled with a fairly exotic and distinctive weapon. This means he’ll stand out, which in turn means promotions and praise. So now Akira is back, and he managed to score a prestigious post as one of Mori Sadahiro’s personal retinue of samurai in the capital city of Yamaguchi, the seat of power for the Ouchi Clan. This is a major coup for both Akira and the Shimizu Clan.