Tsuru Kurokawa

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[edit] Details Personality Relationships Rumors Gallery OOC Notes GENERAL INFORMATION Once a shrine maiden in service to the Ruby Princess, this disgraced member of the palace court beneath the sea has set out for Eorzean shores, hoping to find acceptance among those less bound by traditions. APPEARANCE Small and unassuming in stature, this Raen woman stands utterly straight-backed with a face schooled into an expression of sober contemplation. The whole thing is at odds with, or perhaps meant to diminish the soft, youthful features of her face. Her long, straight hair is styled differently by the day into various braids or tails with small ornaments woven into the plaits, but the vivid crimson appears to be an unnatural hue, as if achieved through dyes or some other alchemical means. Her ivory auri scales only subtly contrast with her complexion, which is a faint undertone of something violet beneath its white. Her eyes, too, are a striking crimson color with only the faintest hint of silvery liminal rings around both. Where most Raen women tend towards the naturally waifish, she has a bit of muscular tone to her build, and her movements are precise in a way that speaks of some past discipline requiring constant practice. She usually dresses in the fashions akin to that of Kugane folk, dark robes or tunics embroidered with tiny leaves or flowers. Since arriving on western shores she's taken a liking to anything black with metal embellishments, for both its novelty to her eyes and the aesthetically pleasing contrasts. Though this, too, shifts around day to day, she's most often seen wearing some carefully applied cosmetic paints, whether it's reddened lips, dark-lined eyes or a symbol on the brow. Aspects That Stand Out: ■ Always dressed from neck to knee, but too... ornate to be "modest". ■ Carries macabre-looking amulets on her person (not very intimidating to adventuresome sorts, but it worries the smallfolk). ■ Baby-faced but trying to look larger and more intimidating like a grouchy bird. PERSONALITY Tsuru is, at first blush, a strange bundle of discomfiting elements wrapped in a veil of gentle mannerisms -- she plays the part of "Othardian Witch" perhaps a little better than she intends. She's refined in speech and movement, but makes no efforts to hide her sometimes morbid pursuits, and has a wickedly (though eloquently) barbed retort at the ready for foolish or churlish comments directed at her. But to those who come seeking her services or her knowledge with an earnest intent and an open mind, she displays a practiced, generous hospitality carried from her days at court -- more than one curious Eorzean seeking "the mystic's" insights over whether the Othardian trinket they'd found was junk or treasure has crossed her doorstep expecting to pay in firstborn children and departed, dumbfounded, with an appraisal in one hand and a good-fortune charm in the other. To those rare few who can work past her thorny exterior of reservations about others, she is both more animated and less threatening both, peeling away some of her formality in addition to her general standoffish demeanor to reveal a fiery, opinionated young woman with a deeply sentimental streak. Her heartstrings are easily plucked by the pain of loved ones, or the helpless and innocent, oftentimes to her annoyance as she tends to believe that the pangs of empathy are what made her "weak" in her past dealings. Since she is so hesitant to openly discuss her many, many Feelings(tm), they are channeled into the little curios she gathers around her living space and lining her pockets, each one wrapped up in the story of a happy or profound memory. L I K E S ■ Tactile pleasures (the boring kind). Some people are touchers, particularly those with rushed and fretful minds, with a worry-stone tucked in their pockets or a perpetual unfinished knitting project stuffed in their bag. Tsuru's hands will seek out a watery length of silk cloth, a braided cord, or a symmetrically scalloped seashell without much of a conscious thought. This is great for finding appreciation in life's small yet poignant meanings, but terrible for getting into fights with wary merchants in the bazaar. Thank the kami or whoever else that she's reasonably dexterous and hasn't broken anything priceless YET. Give her time. ■ Steppe cuisine. One of her favorite discoveries of the broader world, the rich and painfully spicy fare made by her distant Xaela kin. Tsuru will forget to eat for long stints when focused on whatever current pursuit has her obsessive mind held fast, but when she does make it a point to let loose, she especially loves the more decadent foods made by land-dwellers. ■ Hopeless cases. You might not think it to look at someone who spends time collecting finger-bones of dead sages and treating human affection with all the receptiveness of an angry porcupine, but Tsuru's well of emotional empathy, however mangled by her own experiences, runs deep -- in this case for small children, kicked and mangy alley-cats, or anything generally helpless and wretched that had no say in how it got there. She is notoriously stubborn about forgiving or feeling sympathetic for someone who consciously put themselves in trouble, or who ought to have known better, and because this is so very subjective, one might have a hard time reconciling how hard-hearted she may sound in one situation and downright nurturing in the next. D I S L I K E S ■ Human touch. Eye-rollingly ironic for someone whose hands wander to any and all pleasant textures within reach, Tsuru is mistrustful of nearly all human touch and recoils like a street-dog, prepared to snap at the offending hand. Depending on how grabby a hand, she may skip directly to the snapping. Children and inebriated ladies get a free pass to collide with her person and/or grab her long curtain of hair as is needed, for they are both precious tiny fawns who don't know any better. "Professionals" of the evening persuasion or anyone working their charms for tips in the local drinking establishment, too, are exempt from her irrational ire -- at least one knows upfront what they're about. ■ Courtly Performances. Not quite a dislike -- Tsuru has a complicated, or maybe just a fickle love-hate relationship with the trappings of her former courtly life. She was (and in many ways is still) talented in both courtier duties and the ceremonial arts of the shrine for which she was originally trained, including recitation of poems and tales, how to converse and advise while navigating the delicate structures of hierarchy, and various ceremonial pageants (ritual purification through chants, dance and the recitation of magical formulae), even how to assemble the elaborate trappings of courtly dress. She enjoys these despite no longer revering the kami as a true devotee because she was and is good at what she does, and there is a certain mindless relief of going through the old motions. However, reenacting the past can conjure up both good and painful memories. She doesn't shy away from acting this part when it's called for, but only the most deeply intuitive or mind-reading individuals can sense how much it might pain her in the moment. H O B B I E S ■ Eorzean Tourism.She's experiencing a wider world now, and the shine hasn't quite worn off. Market rows, theaters, and workshops can still absorb her attentions. Sorry in advance for her way-too-curious fingers touching the merchandise, though you have her solemn vow not to go around prodding any wandering actor's troupes. ■ The Art of Prettifying. The one Eorzean attitude Tsuru cannot fathom nor can she abide, is that spending time and artistry on things like hair and cosmetics is the stuff of frivolous or vain young women. Not only is this sort of thing terribly important at court, but there is a relaxing, meditative quality to the application of the various tints and tinctures, not to mention the calm of braiding or arranging those pounds of hair the nobility favors. Someone please befriend this poor prickly lizard so she can give you a makeover applied with all the intensity and gravity of a doctor performing surgery, I implore thee S T R E N G T H S ■ Passionate. The root of some of her finer qualities and more than one of her worst, Tsuru has a heart deeply affected by the world, and though it's changed her from wide-eyed, gullible waif to thorny secret-keeper, she has never stopped caring about her causes. This was, until recently, poured into the love and approval of the Stillwater Court of the Raen that dismissed her, and must now be diverted elsewhere. ■ Relentless. Tsuru is stubborn once she's set to a task despite its obstacles, and reasonably crafty about it, which makes her not only hard to dissuade but also more patient than most folk afflicted with the decisiveness of an aging mule. As a sort of by-product of this tenacity, she is often quite unshakable in the face of danger -- her deep-seeded fears tend towards the emotional space and not the physical. ■ Loyal. Tsuru does not commit herself to abstract ideals, but to individuals (though this is not always a conscious realization). Once someone has gained her trust she is as dutiful (and discreet) an ally as one could ask for. ■ Esoteric Education. Though reasonably schooled in typical palace-Raen cultural standards like art, literature and history, Tsuru spent the last several years being tutored on the supernatural -- at first in how to revere it and offer it supplication, and gradually in how to manipulate it to her own ends as she went further into the occult teachings of her mentor. Even without delving into use of her strange abilities, she's quite capable of providing, or finding, knowledge on ancient Eastern relics, rituals, and lesser and greater (kami) spirits, either by research or by having the proper connections. W E A K N E S S E S ■ Reckless. Self explanatory and reflected in how she's readily taken up various "arts" that require the shedding of her own blood. ■ Vengeful. A firm believer in the "perhaps not tomorrow, but eventually" form of retribution, Tsuru will not try to get back at anyone for stepping on the hem of her dress, but she will readily take matters into her own hands for serious offense, gleefully bypassing law enforcement. ■ Blinded by Love. Regardless of romantic, platonic, or worshipful, Tsuru still has a blind spot for anyone close to her heart, often making her miss or explain away danger signs -- despite having fallen into this trap significantly once before, for those in her inner circle she is quite vulnerable to being manipulated. M O T I V A T I O N S ■ When redemption is out of reach, validation will do - The naive girl Tsuru vows never to be again would yearn for the Palace Court to simply realize they'd ejected their princess' most loyal attendant, take her back into the fold and restore her rightful status, but today she has no such illusions. Though it's still more of a subconscious twinge than a thought at the forefront, she's looking for a new cause to pledge herself to, where the things she's become won't all be for naught. ■ Morbid curiosity - Having already delved into supernatural dealings forbidden in her native culture under the wing of her own personal bad influence, Tsuru is interested in the magical dealings of both the east and west with little concern for the tenets of tradition. She's liable to cross some Eorzean scholars straight away and end up befriending others as a result, not to mention even scratching the surface of the whole voidsent debacle. (Due to OOC preferences though, she'll probably end up categorizing them as out of her depth for a good long time, if not indefinitely.) RELATIONSHIP STATUS LEGEND ♥ Family – ♥ Involved – ♥ Romantic – ♥ Platonic – ♥ Physical – ♦ Friend – ★ Acquaintance – $ Business – ✝ Deceased – ✔ Positive – ✖ Negative – ● Neutral – � Unsure FAMILY Person Name, relationship. ( ) - Title. Character's Thoughts: " ." Description of their relationship. NON-FAMILY Person Name, relationship. ( ) - Title. Character's Thoughts: " ." Description of their relationship. RUMORS N P C Some of these rumors are untrue, speculation, or are greatly exaggerated. ◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely! ■ "I've no idea where she hails from, except the Far East obviously. They wear such fanciful clothes, it can be hard to tell a baker from a noble to my eyes... she watched the other tables like a hawk for a while, left me a pretty bit of extra coin when she left. The Domans coming off the same ship were giving her a bit of a wide berth like she'd spit in their morning oatmeal, though, not sure what that's about." --Curious Waitress at the Drowned Wench ■ "The auri girl staying at the inn is supposed to be some manner o' fortune-teller. She won't get any business with that attitude, mind you, because every young lass lining up to ask 'er if they'd find true love this year? Or even just a lucky color? She sent 'em off before they could even finish asking!" --Annoyed Horizon resident ◢ Uncommon Rumors - A little more difficult to hear. Use sparingly or ask first! ■ "Ah yes, Miss Kurokawa was a great help in identifying the properties of a lovely bauble we picked up on an expedition in Yanxia. My apprentice refused to stop staring into it or let any of us take it away from him! Turns out some bitter old sorcerer must have enchanted his favorite jewel before he died so nobody else could ever lay a hand on it, and Safa would have starved to death just making eyes at the thing all day and night. Only took her a bell or so to unravel the mess... Safa was deeply grateful to have his wits back, though Miss Kurokawa had some rather pointed questions about how he could be so reckless to go around touching strange things in a grave. Still, bewitched beggars can't be choosers, eh?" --Limsan Treasure Hunter ◢ Rare Rumors - Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using! ■ "I heard she served at the temple in Shisui of the Violet Tides, before the great tragedy befell it. If she was cast out only a moon after the evil was expelled by those outsiders, well... it's more than a touch suspicious she had something to do with it all." --Sui-no-Sato villager ■ "Nobody loved her more than Shirotama, they were inseparable. To think that we would lose Shirotama in the that hellish attack... the Kami are cruel to have let the wrong one perish." --Shisui Palace Courtier P C Feel free to add your own rumors to this section. ◢ Player Character Rumors - Some of these are more rare than others! ■ "Rumor." — Rumormonger. Artwork Screenshots ಌ OOC NOTES ಌ OOC INFORMATION Player Note I like sea turtles and pangolins :D Personal RP Limits I am pretty relaxed about RP preferences and I don't mind being flexible on lore -- it's more important to me that something fits the group's comfort zone for a mutually enjoyable writing sesh than being rules-lawyer perfect. Occasionally more far-fetched stuff may not mesh with my character concepts, and that's ok too, you do you. ■ I will play Quick walkups or long-term storylines, though discord is easier for the latter while my schedule is a little bit erratic. I don't mind cute fluff, or angstydark (by the Twelve, look at this child I just made) and I enjoy other people's chance to shine in the spotlight in either of these, too, so long as nobody is powergaming anyone else into the ground. Tsuru has the ability to pick up on how other character's personal items were recently used, or snippets of their overall history, but all of this information is based on the other player's consent only. Mysterious ritual powers are mysterious, after all, and not a perfect lens of truth-seeing. ■ I won't play I am not looking for ERP in my RP, and while obviously I made a character that dabbles in dark themes and violence, I'm not interested in anything that smacks of torture-porn or abuse for its own sake. Disclaimer Little Tidbits. ■ On Powers: Tsuru has been trained in, and gained experience with a number of mystic "arts" that are decidedly dark and often dangerous, however she's not any sort of super-assassin or much of a warrior of any sort. This means in one-on-one confrontations against someone who is experienced, she's going to be a weak combatant (though she fights angry and dirty and will hurt herself to inflict harm using her magicks if necessary). Where she's more capable is in working in secret to hinder, control, or bypass an opposing force, or in augmenting battle-experienced allies through more subtle means. While she's practiced in her "arts" of psychometry, curse work and enchantments, she's had very little reason to use what she's been taught about binding lesser kami, so it remains to be seen if she can pull it off in a real-world scenario. ■ Courtly Art of the Blade: Tsuru has been trained in self-defense using a short blade, as would be expected of a young Raen serving in an important role at court. In-game Tsuru is a samurai only because I did not want to level another THM/ACN, ICly her sword would be more daggerly :V CHARACTER TIDBITS Potential Plot Hooks Tsuru is easy to hook into plots revolving around her former life at court with other Raen, though they may want nothing to do with her because she is a scheming witch allied with darkness or a gullible backwater hick who was tricked into helping an Ascian, depending on who one asks -- and members of the court are obviously both rare and extremely tight-lipped about the workings of their inner circle. More often she is a good contact for those interested in investigating occult dealings, mystery artifacts of a magical nature, or looking to undo hexes, curses, or supernatural ailments and illnesses. She doesn't advertise that she can inflict these ailments in turn -- but she can be convinced to dole out these services for someone who gains her trust and loyalty. ■ Uncurse my shield so I can learn Ultima. Tsuru is something of a niche scholar when it comes to Eastern artifacts, magickal and non, as these implements are how her mentor trained her to exert her strange abilities -- ranging from casting or breaking curses, to animating lifeless little objects, to siphoning courage into someone, plucked from some ancient memory -- is attached to Tsuru's focus objects in some way, and she's read a great deal on which things contain these secrets and how they were created. When book knowledge won't do, she's able to sense general psychic impressions emanating from "significant" objects (not living things or the generalized land itself, that's geomancy) -- though it would likely baffle all but the most dedicated listeners to hear how vague and poetic this idea of "significant" is. Obviously this makes her a good contact for those seeking a bit of forensic aid, though she has nowhere near the omniscience of something like the Echo, it has its uses, whether it be for purposes of appraisal, or crime-investigating, or curiosity. ■ Connections in the West. Shamed and exiled from court, Tsuru is seeking acceptance in what she hopes is the more forgiving land of Eorzea, away from the judgmental -- or worse, pitying -- eyes of those who removed her. Thankfully she's found the new land to be both exciting and intriguing, possibly due to the sheltered upbringing provided by a life beneath the waves for most of her life. Moreover, despite her glaring character flaw -- being blinded by her idolization of those she holds in high esteem -- leading to her loss of her former position, her desire still lingers beneath her thorny exterior to be accepted and validated. ■ Evening Debauchery. Tsuru drinks to forget, and puts on no airs of sophistication about it -- when she is not bound by what she feels is duty and obligation, things she takes deadly seriously once committed, she is frequenting establishments where she can be surrounded by wine, women and song in that particular order. Those looking for late-night liaisons are often disappointed, however, as her ambition on these nights out is to lose herself in the bottom of her cup, not in someone else's arms. ■ Your Swordfighting Form is Bad and You Should Feel Bad. Tsuru has only perfunctory education in the use of arms (she can handle an eastern shortsword and knows the textbook-rote maneuvers), but relies on sometimes terribly ill-advised magical meddling to defend herself if attacked. Once this inevitably goes sideways for her, she will be very keen to find a talented swordsman to complete her education. ■ Kami and Other Health Hazards. Though it is unlikely to come up very often in Eorzea, land of the strange and predatory voidsent as the prime concern of those delving into aetheric and magical powers, Tsuru is formally trained in the binding and compulsion of those harmful spirits known to plague Easterners (from what I can gather these are distinct from kami. Perhaps more interesting to common folk is her general knowledge of these spirits or the local traditions, as scholars from east and west now excitedly mingle for the first time in many years, and Eorzean adventurers make their way abroad seeking their fortunes hunting down threats. Character Lore Adherence Here are some assumptions I've made in interpreting the lore, as ever you don't have to go along with anything that conflicts with your stuff, or that impedes the having of fun: ■ The court of the Violet Tides may rule over more undersea settlements than just one village (Sui-no-Sato), the same way Thanalan or La Noscea would likely have "offscreen" towns and populations. (Honestly I'm only pitching that she was born in a different hometown because the number of people who must have fled Sui-no-Sato after trendsetter Yugiri did it would end up being staggering ;3 for most purposes though, it's not super important) ■ The Palace was infiltrated and overrun by voidsent, but since it's unclear if the "malicious spirits" such as the kitsune bound in Kugane and voidsent are from the same origins, I'm assuming these are two different entities, and that the Palace Raen were unfamiliar with and thus completely blindsided by the Ascian-delivered voidsent. ■ I am rolling with some headcanons about what Eastern magicks might be like based on brief glimpses into Kugane geomancy. In this case, Tsu's powers are based loosely on the abilities of a D&D/Pathfinder archetype of a psychic occultist, drawing power from meaningful objects that have been touched by a greater power (Kami or magic or just lots of aether). Eorzeans might be more inclined to see this as simply an esoteric way to focus on channeling aether using beliefs and emotions, Domans and other Othardians more inclined to see this as blasphemous manipulation of the kami's powers residing in these vessels. Much like how we see Kyokuho flip out about sacrificial blood being used as a terrible way to power geomancy, Tsuru's taboo knowledge includes methods to augment magic through the use of shed blood instead of crystals -- in most cases, her own.

ಌ INFORMATION ಌ Name - Tsuru Kurokawa Race - Au Ra (Raen) Age - 24 Name Day - 10th Sun of the 5th Astral Moon Deity - Menphina ■ Alias: Kurokawa (distant, professional, good), Tsu (intimate, bad, what are you playing at, if you're looking for a weak spot she'll shiv you), Tsuru of the Darkened Currents (silly in-game style epithet) ■ Citizenship: Othardian ■ Occupation: Ex-shrine maiden, freelance advisor on all things (Eastern) occult, sin-eater ■ Hair color: Dyed aggressively to a deep red ■ Eye color: Red with silvery limbal rings ■ Complexion: White that once sneezed in the direction of lavender hues ■ Piercings: Multiple piercings along each cranial horn ■ Marks or tattoos: Intricate ritual scarring across the majority of her back, fully covered by day-to-day clothing ■ Alignment: Neutral, complicated ■ Key Items: Small ceremonial bone-knife, amulet fashioned from a fiendish-looking eye encased in resin ■ Favorite Food: takoyaki, anything from the steppe that's spicy and decadent, bubble chocolates ■ Favorite Drink: Steppe tea, Eorzean wine ■ Favorite Color: Gold, black, jade Template made by User:Abelia Kir Armiger and free for use!