Nariko Haikumo
"Seeks-The-Sunbane"
Corvus of the Corax
Silver Master of the Hunt
Tengu of the Nine Stars Ring
Mirror of the Razor Edge of the Jade Spear
Ethereal Phantom of the Court of Bamboo Talons
Description
Homid: ~Nariko stands there, a paradox to all assumptions. The young Japanese woman appears to be in her early to mid-20s, but her petite, gentle face bears the features of a much older and wiser lady. Whatever her age, she remains in superb physical condition, evidently from constant training from youth. She stands approximately 5'6" and packed with tense muscle and sinew, weighing about 130 pounds or less. Silken ebony is drawn back into a ponytail, slung over her shoulder and reaching mid-back. A long streak down the side was dyed neon red...don't ask. Sharp brown eyes regard her surroundings with casual caution, knowing that if she never makes a big issue about her environment, it won't make a big issue out of her. Despite her attentiveness and athletic physique, she does not "prowl like a predator". Indeed, she tends to be a tad nerve-ridden, and she is often found with a cigarette dangling from her lips. Her head often quirks at the oddest angles as she regards something she finds interesting. Nariko is most often found wearing an overcoat or duster -- sometimes leather and sometimes polyester, sometimes black and sometimes not -- even in the summer months. Beneath, she sports low-top, matte-black hiking boots, black trousers tucked into those boots, and a ribbed, black cotton T-shirt. A leather rucksack is typically slung over her shoulder as she wanders through her surroundings, mindful.~
OOC: Appearance 4 (pleasing); Glory 7, Virtue 8, Wisdom 10
Crinos: ~Though she retains her height and weight, she changes appearance completely. All artificial cosmetics -- clothing, shoes, et cetera -- vanish, except one streak of pink on her head. The rest of her body becomes rich, onyx feathers and tense sinew. Her arms become wings, her legs end with bird-like claws, and her head is that of a giant bird-woman -- black, beady eyes and a sharp, yellow beak. She is normally tensed up and ready to fight in the so-called Rara Avis -- be prepared for vicious hisses and whooshing wings. In fact, just get away!~
OOC: Appearance 0; Reduced Delirium; Glory 7, Virtue 8, Wisdom 10
Corvid: ~Nariko simply adores her natural form. It consists of a big, black bird with a keen, bright-eyed gaze. Like most other ravens, she prefers to stay in the heights and out-of-sight. Most of the time, if you see her, she's dive-bombin' yer best friend.~
OOC: Appearance 4 (pleasing); Glory 7, Virtue 8, Wisdom 10
"(sings) Do you see what I see?"
History
Youth
Nariko was hatched in the summer of 1991. Right from the beginning, the young raven proved to be a handful for her doting parents. The father was also the "spirit-donor" all Corax require, while the mother was a cheerful raven who nested with hundreds of other such birds at the mysterious, secret Gray Clouds Temple. This hidden temple is tucked away secretly in the mountains of Hokkaido and is home to a secret training base for the Tengu and their private army of human goblin slayers. Many fierce and wise Tengu have come from that Temple or were even born there. Nariko was the gossip of the year. As an unChanged bird, she was erratic, bizarre, and excessively curious.
First Change & Tutelage
When she underwent the First Change at the end of that year, during the stress of being chased by her elders from whom she had innocently borrowed a magic ring at the same time of an extremely violent thunderstorm, she only got worse. Nerve-ridden with excessive energy, Nariko wouldn't shut up. And it wasn't so much that she talked a lot -- all Tengu do -- but that she couldn't figure out how to do it right sometimes. Her logic somehow got skewed, and her sentences were often put together in the wrong order. That is an issue she has to do this day and as Corvid breed, regardless of her form, she is very much the nosy, blabbermouth raven.
Early Years
But she was no bird-brain. Nariko learned all the dirty combat tricks taught at the temple. She attended her just-as-loose-lipped elders and learned all they had to offer -- even when they weren't actually teaching. The first four years of her new life were spent in this secluded temple, studying all there was to study. It is because there was so much to learn at the Temple that Nariko did not give in to wanderlust and take wing across the whole continent. She learned all about the shen. She explored the local Yang Worlds. Nariko became a very knowledgeable Tengu and even helped fight the occasional demons that strayed too near the Temple's location.
But the time came for Nariko to seek her place elsewhere. The Temple was a place to teach and learn, not lay about, and she had learned all she could there. So at last, after tearful good-byes, Nariko left to see the rest of Japan. She visited Beast-Courts that dotted the archipelago, acquainted and annoyed Hakken and Kitsune, and spied on gaki and shinta. Within three years, Nariko grew bored with Japan. Most of the Courts already had Tengu scouts and she could not find her place in her homeland. She left for mainland Asia, visiting the besieged Courts of Korea and the ancient lands of China.
At last in China, Nariko found a niche for herself. She settled down in the Court of Sun-Pearls near Changan, along the Yangtze River. The Zhong Lung dominated this Court, and included such notables as Hei Lungren and Mountain Storm. Although the Court had many warriors and were in need for more, they had no true scouts or spies. Locked in a bitter Low War with the local Kuei-jin over the use of dragon lines, it was clear that the hengeyokai needed an advantage over their enemies before the ambient ch'i energies were corrupted by the shed blood. Nariko provided that key -- her successful scouting uncovered a secret meeting of several of the war Wu. The hengeyokai descended like angry hornets and smashed the Kuei-jin opposition. The Jade Court was forced to admit defeat and the Mandarins crawled back to their philosophies, grumbling in irritation. Nariko was accorded much renown and vaunted good-naturedly for her erratic humility at its awarding. "I was just in the right place at the right time", she told her fellow beast-folk -- and that was the truth.
Nariko Haikumo (she adopted that surname in honor of her birthplace, as it translates to "Gray Clouds") remained with the Court of Sun-Pearls for a few more years. During her service here, she was responsible for detecting the hives of bakemono and other Yomi. But most of all, she was recognized for her unwavering opposition to the Kuei-jin. Although the Cathayans of the Jade Court are mostly philosophers and sages, they are as greedy for Chi and Dragon Nests as the next vampire, and it was known that they would never let that lost Low War be forgotten. She uncovered the ambitions of the so-called Bamboo Princes and brought her mightier brethren crashing down on the plotting Running Monkeys. Through her dedicated opposition to these ancient, demonic foes, the Zhong Lung bestowed the deed name "Seeks-The-Sunbane" upon her. Of course, if the Zhong Lung knew how effective a spy she really was, they probably would have locked their doors and sealed the Gauntlet a bit more effectively. Since they didn't, it's clear as far as Nariko's concerned that they wanted her to watch their sacred rites.
And the truth be known, Nariko was not an anti-vampire fanatic herself. However, she found herself at times growing enraged at their very presence. That's when Heaven's Fire makes herself known. A shrewd Tengu vehemently opposed to the undead hundreds of years ago, she takes every opportunity to take over her descendant's mind and body to wreak havoc. Nariko has learned to exert caution when among vampires. Her reaction were she to meet Kin-jin is unpredictable, and this particular past life makes the Tengu seem that much more erratic.
Still, for the years she served the Middle Dragons in China, she was indispensable. As time went on, however, she felt a calling to go elsewhere. Wanderlust was again touching the renowned but young Tengu. When two new wereravens joined the Court, she took the opportunity to take wing. Although her saurian cousins were say to see her go, they lavished her with praise and laurels, all of which she humbly accepted (except a pretty silver pendant, which she zealously protects to this day) and returned many gifts of her own.
Recent Years
Having already seen most of Zhongguo, Nariko decided to go West. And why not? Some of the Sunset Corax came East! So she got on a ship (although the Court offered to pay for a plane ticket, she resolutely stated that she would not fly except on her own two wings) and soon arrived in Vancouver. She visited with the North American Corax for a short time before heading south. In California...she almost went insane with the number of Kin-jin in the cities, and flew east. She found herself fluttering down into Little Asia, Kansas City, and linked up to the Court of Infinite Ages, where stood her fellow hengeyokai. Within, she decided to take up the role of a teacher in the Ministry of Education. She spent a great deal of time at study as well as scouting throughout the district. She witnessed many a strange event. When the Court of Infinite Ages fell apart, she hopped right back into the saddle in the Court of Bamboo Talons. And above all, she continues to explore and study to learn even more. After all, there are lots of interesting things happening here!
Past Life
Nariko's connection to past lives has been heavily influenced -- indeed, dominated by -- Heaven's Fire, the notorious and psychopathic vampire-hunting Tengu. Heaven's Fire lived two hundred years ago and made a special point about baking gaki who wandered too far off the beaten path (that is, those that crossed her path). When outnumbered or outclassed, Heaven's Fire had no compunctions about running (err, flying) away and summoning Hakken to do the butchery for her. Heaven's Fire made it a special goal to learn all there was to know about the Hungry Dead and tell everyone else in Japan. Naturally, this sort of extreme life-style caught up with the Tengu, when her illogical Rages and secret-spilling beak finally got Koga assassins called on her head. She was slain by a poisoned gold dart after 20 glorious years. And now Nariko has to live with the psycho in her head trying to get out and go back to stomping the undead. The Western Kin-jin pose a new irritant to Heaven's Fire, who insures any of Nariko's attempt to tap into ancestors gets her instead. Consequently, Nariko doesn't bother much, and focuses on other shen and lore for sanity's sake!
Murder
Nariko belongs to the Nine Stars Ring Murder, or shizu, which is directly connected to the Beast-Court of Bamboo Talons. This Murder was formed (originally) with Koyuki and Kosuke Sonada, and not long later included the Kin, Yukio Haikumo. The Murder's purpose? To exchange martial lore of all sorts and to improve one another's understanding of the Hidden World and the climatic battle approaching with the Sixth Age.
Fetishes
Corvid's Favor
Level: 1
Gnosis: 2
Origin: From one of her own feathers and rituals, Nariko empowered this fetish in late summer of 2002.
Description: The Corvid's Favor is simply a small (head) raven feather with a human hair entwined around its length. Both the feather and hair belonged to Nariko. She almost always wears the Favor tied into her hair like a barrette.
Effects: 1) use Corvid form-only Gifts in Homid
Activation: Simply wearing the fetish allows it to be activated at will.
Weakness
Candle in the Wind
Nariko just can't figure out what exactly she wants to do with her life. She has many talents and a good head on her shoulders. But after several years, she still has no driving purpose. The Sixth Age may dawn before she realizes how to put her abilities to their greatest use. Nariko fears that most of all -- not the turning of the Wheel, but its turning before she is ready to face the music.
Likelihood of Corruption
Average.
The Tengu flutters aimlessly. If she doesn't pick a goal to fill her life, an enterprising Yama King might decide to do it for her... Of course, she is small fry. Most powerful demons who could easily corrupt her wouldn't bother. But the lesser demons who might try would be hard-pressed to deceive the clever and insightful wereraven. But the risk is there.
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