![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
❀ character info
   My clothes being all white is a good thing. When they get dyed red during battle, I look like a crane, don't I? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Surprises are essential in life. If everything goes according to how it's planned, the heart will die earlier. BACKGROUNDThe true history is pretty complicated and contradictory because of how old it is but this is the version canon more or less runs with which mixes legend with historical fact. Tsurumaru is a tsukumogami-- a minor kami of a tool. Specifically, he's the spirit of a sword. Forged in the Heian Era, the sword was (and still is) considered to be incredibly beautiful. He was first given to a child lord named Adachi Sadayasu. The child was caught up in a political struggle and met a tragic end that would deeply affect Tsurumaru. The Adachi clan were vassals that served the ruling regent family, the Hojo Clan. The Hojo had many enemies and often looked out for their best interests by taking out any clan that they perceived as a threat. The Adachi had pledged their loyalty to the Hojo and were one of the last powerful clans remaining. The Adachi and Hojo were close and even connected by marriage. The Hojo regent died and his son, Hojo Sadatoki, became the new ruler. However, Sadatoki was just a child at the time. To guide him until he came of age, two representatives from two clans were chosen to help him: Yasumori from the Adachi clan and Yoritsuna from the Taira clan. However, the Taira and Adachi had come to despise each other and were often in conflict with each other. Yasunori was related to Sadatoki by blood and received a high promotion in the government. He used his position to enact reforms and to greatly increase the influence of the regency (which would set the foundation for the future shogunate system). This greatly restricted the power of the vassal families, including the Taira. The Taira grew resentful and claimed the Adachi were using their position of influence over the young Hojo ruler to usurp their rule. Because Yoritsuna's reforms had restricted much of the noble class, the rest of the court gradually turned against the Adachi. All of this reached a climax when the Hojo clan authorized the execution of the Adachi clan. According to legend, it was a quiet winter's morning when Yoritsuna grew anxious. Feeling that something was amiss at court, he gathered his retainers and went to the Hojo estate. When he arrived at the Hojo estate, he was ambushed and killed along with his men. The clash was violent and the shogun's estate was burned down. From there, the shogun's forces moved to attach the Adachi estate. The entire Adachi family along with 500 of their followers were killed. Among them was Tsurumaru's master, Adachi Sadayasu. He was 14 years old. Tsurumaru was buried as a treasure along with the boy but the sword was so beautiful, the grave was disturbed and the blade stolen. The blade was gifted to a young lord-- Hojo Sadatoki, the regent who had authorized the murder of the Adachi. Thus Tsurumaru Kuninaga became the treasure of his master's killer. Tsurumaru served the Hojo family. The Hojo family grew in power and amassed more enemies whom they would kill. Perhaps fittingly, one of their victims became the very family that had spread the rumor that had gotten his first family killed-- the Taira. Tsurumaru stayed with the Hojo family for only a short time. Sadatoki's son, Takatoki, was the last shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate and he committed suicide along with the rest of his family to avoid capture. Takatoki's son, Tokiyuki, tried to reclaim power but was killed by Ashikaga Takauji. The Ashikaga established the new Muromachi Ashikaga Shogunate. As the victor, he claimed the Hojo clan's estates and treasures which included Tsurumaru. Once again, he found himself in the hands of his master's murderer but perhaps their end was deserved. Thus, Tsurumaru's early history is marked by tragedy and misfortune which would shape his spirit. He remained with the Ashikaga family for a time, being passed down for some years before disappearing from history only to resurface in the ownership of Oda Nobunaga. It's thought that before coming into Nobunaga's possession, Tsurumaru was in a shrine but confiscated by Nobunaga. Nobunaga gifted the sword to a loyal retainer shortly after. The retainer was said to have passed Tsurumaru onto his son who went to fight at the Battle of Sekigahara. He was defeated in battle and the sword went missing once again. Tsurumaru resurfaced at the Fuji no Mori shrine in Kyoto. What was meant to be a resting place was once again disturbed when a merchant family, the Honami, found the sword. Taken by its beauty and recognizing its true value, they convinced the shrine to sell them the sword for a fraction fo what it was truly worth. The family sold the practically stolen sword to the Date clan in Sendai. Purchased legally, the sword became a proper treasure of the Date family who were said to care greatly for their family treasures. It's the Date family that has one of the most well-documented mentionings of Tsurumaru Kuninaga in the form of maintenance records. Recognizing the sword's value, they refurbished it, restoring it to its original beauty and even renamed the sword "Rindou." But perhaps the most considerate thing the Date family did for Tsurumaru was gifting him to the imperial family without a drop of blood being spilled. With the imperial family, Tsurumaru finally found peace in the imperial collection where he still remains today. ... This is the version of history canon rolls with, at least! The sword is so old and was passed around for so long, it's hard to separate legend from fact at times. In the year 2205, humanity faces an unspecified crisis and the past is in danger of being rewritten by time traveling corrupt spirits. To combat them, the Japanese Government hires saniwa (sages) to summon the spirits of famous swords to send back in time to preserve history. PERSONALITYTsurumaru is a character with several layers. He's a beautiful sword that manifested beautifully and he knows it. The confidence that comes from it combined with his appearance makes him look very refined and graceful and it wouldn't be a wrong impression. He speaks with a certain confidence and grace and carries himself elegantly in a way that is reassuringly calm for his allies. Even in the middle of what seems like a hopeless battle or when his friends are reacting enthusiastically, he keeps his calm. This is often the first impression of Tsurumaru but it's only one of his many sides. His other side becomes obvious the moment he opens his mouth. He teases the player the moment he appears and while he still maintains that cool demeanor, he hints at a more playful side… that really comes out once you get to know him. Across canon, he's described as a serial menace. His troublesome nature comes from his belief that you can die from boredom and it is the most miserable way to die. Therefore, he needs interesting things to happen so he can live a fulfilling life. It doesn't help that he's also over a thousand years old by the time he's summoned and therefore, he needs some surprises to pass the years away. He has a silly and playful side. Whether he's stuffing marshmallows into someone's mouth just to see how many they can fit (without their consent) or digging pitfalls in the garden for people to stumble into, he's just here to have a good time. Despite being known for his beauty and being very proud of that reputation, he's not above gag fashion because he finds it silly and fun. It's important to note that, for the most part, his pranks are harmless! He's not a malicious person and he really is just trying to have some good fun. Of course, that doesn't stop others from getting annoyed with and even trying to put him in his place. Regardless, he always comes back because like a crane, he's enduring whether you like it or not. His whimsical spirit sometimes gives way to actual capriciousness, though. It's most evident when battles are involved. While he calmly reassures his allies, he also casually revels in being stained with blood and killing his enemies. He's named after the crane which is a white bird with a red crown. He believes that unless he is stained red with blood from battle, he cannot truly live up to his name. He's a sword with a history of war and bloodshed so he's comfortable on the battlefield. The same experience and calmness that makes him a reliable ally can also make him seem chilling and detached. His more distant nature also shows itself outside the battlefield at times. As a sword with a long and troubled history, he has his fair share of problems. For the most part, he seems fine but he isn't very open with certain parts of his history. When he speaks of it, he usually sticks to the facts but every now and then, his feelings on certain matters slip out and they aren't the most pleasant ones. One example is when he mentions his long history to the player. He neutrally remarks that he's been passed down many times through out the years and that is proof of how renowned he is. In the next breath, however, he casually mentions his dislike for thieves and robbers which is a reference to his troubled history of being stolen from places that are considered sacred like graces and shrines. One shouldn't let his deeper and more distant nature detract from the fact that at the end of the day, he's a friendly and caring spirit. Having encountered many people in his long years, he's very observant. He can tell when his allies are troubled and for the most part, he maintains a hands off approach, letting those characters resolve their issues for themselves. But sometimes, he becomes involved to help clear the air some. One example of this is when one of his close allies is having a conflict with the other, Tsurumaru notices that others are troubled. While he leaves the conflicting characters alone, he addresses the others by acknowledging and giving updates on the problem and most notably, he tries to cheer up the one who is most stressed. For the latter, however, he does it so casually and effectively, only those closest to Tsurumaru realize he'd actually done it on purpose. A big part of Tsurumaru's personality stems from his namesake— the crane. He's attached to the crane as a symbol and he makes constant references to it. When he talks about his appearance, he compares himself to the crane. When he fights, he mentions the blood making him look like a crane. There are also more subtle references that he doesn't state but others mention. He's said to be reliable— the crane is a symbol of consistency. Others make references to his very old age which also refers to the crane being said to live a thousand years. Another thing that comes up is his devotion and loyalty to those he cares for. They say even if he doesn't understand a mission, he trusts the saniwa and the assigned leaders without argument. He's also willing to throw himself into dangerous situations without hesitating if it means protecting his allies. In the end, he considers it worth it if his friends are safe and he'll laugh off any damage that happens to him. Lastly, while he's cool, reliable, friendly, and all of the above… he's a little spoiled. He's used to being a treasured sword and so he hates dirty work. If the player assigns him to stable duty, he goes along with it but mutters the entire time. If you make him work in the fields, he laughs at first but when he comes back, it's very obvious he didn't like it and he calls it stupid work. It's implied he's not good at field duty because he dislikes getting dirty and he needs to be bullied into working or else he'll just make trouble instead. ABILITIESSPIRIT SENSE: Being a spirit, he's naturally sensitive to other spirit things. It isn't anything specific and it's all pretty vague. It's pretty limited to being able to sense that something might not be completely ordinary, if spirits are gathered/gathering in a certain place, and being able to tell if they're good or bad. TRUE FORM: As a sword tsukumogami, his true form is his sword, Tsurumaru Kuninaga. His physical well-being is directly linked to his sword. If it's in good condition, his mood is better, his appearance is nicer, and he is stronger. If it's damaged, he's hurt. If it breaks, he dies. HUMAN FORM: His human form is his secondary form. It's not particularly special-- it still needs to rest and eat and it's implied he can still get sick so he needs to take care of it. But his body is stronger than the average human, physical injuries (not correlating with damage to his sword) will heal quicker, his stamina is higher, his endurance is greater, and he can generally do some anime physics nonsense like leaping high and doing extraordinary moves. COMBAT: He's naturally skilled with a sword. He's portrayed in canon as being very strong, able to cut down multiple enemies at once and deal heavy damage. SAKURA FUBUKI: When his condition is at it's best, cherry blossoms appear around him. This also means he can fight much better. Typically this happens when he fights just the right amount or if he's feeling some sort of strong, positive emotion. SPIRIT SHENANIGANS: Can maybe sense other spirits? Or maybe it's only limited to evil ones? Can also become an evil spirit if certain conditions are met. How can there be 6 versions of canon and this not be clearly stated in a single one of them. INVENTORY→Tsurumaru Kuninaga. His sword! It's a tachi sword so slightly longer than a typical sword but not quite a long sword. Strong but because of its range, it's no good for combat in closed spaces.  The sword is considered one of the most well preserved swords from the Heian era and one of Japan's most beautiful swords today. It's often compared to Mikazuki Munechika, one of the Tenka-Goken swords, because Tsurumaru's smith is believed to have been a disciple of Munechika's. Tsurumaru is a sword that has belonged to and was treasured by many famous shogun and families such as the Hojo, Ashikaga, Oda, Date, and finally, the imperial family. Appearance wise, sword experts praise the sword for it's beauty, technique, and a graceful, elegant, and delicate shape. The saya/sheath and tsuka/handle are all white with gold fastenings. You can also see the version they use in the musical here. →Default outfit. It's actually... his only outfit because his casual outfit is just his regular outfit without guards and his cloak, oops. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
