Kaede Eriko - approved by Ranarath
Name: Kaede Eriko
Age: 14
Race: Human, Japanese
Sex: Female
Hair: Cropped short and black
Eyes: Watery grey-blue
Weight: 54 kg
Height: 5’ 3”
Weapon: Long, honey-coloured wooden staff adorned with a lumpy, uncut crystal at the tip.
Strengths: Kaede isn’t physically strong, but her intelligence and arcane skills are what make her stand out. Also, Kaede is scared of almost nothing.
Weakness: Kaede is the weakest person she knows. Her frustration at her physical abilities can overwhelm her at times – she tries so hard to improve them – which make her temperamental and moody. Also, she has a very soft spot for animals. Very soft.
Skills/Magic: Kaede channels natural energies through her body and turns it into solid things. The crystal at the top of her staff helps to control this power, as when unbridled it could destroy her. Kaede is very young, and understands little of the magic, but can do a few major spells that work very effectively.
Appearance: Kaede isn’t gorgeous, but her almond shaped eyes and creamy Asian skin add an attractive semblance to her appearance. Her short black hair is cut short, as to be out of her way, and involuntarily flicks up at the ends. Kaede’s small nose is countered by large lips and a sharp chin. Her small and plump (or as she likes to call herself, ‘petite’) frame holds almost no muscle, and allows her to be steady, which is useful for holding such a long staff, as light as it is. Kaede hates the tight kimono which her family encourages her to wear, and instead usually wears a breezy silk robe in the same style as the kimono, but much looser. Her favourite colour to wear is gold, and in that fashion wears gold jewelry too.
Personality: Kaede can get very angry at specific times, and is affected greatly by peer pressure. When she sees animals being abused, or when people tease her about her bodily weakness, Kaede sees red. This is very bad for the power she wields, because a part of it is directed by emotion, and a few choice bullies have run home with singed eyebrows. But her quick-to-anger nature is offset by a kind, intelligent and level-headed side that emerges in the direst of times. When Kaede is alone (as not to give people the impression she is weak by nature too), she steals away to the mountains to spend time with the wild animals, that seem to be attracted to her.
Biography: Kaede has never stood out much from the people her own age. Growing up in a traditional Japanese family in the heart of Hokkaidō, she grew accustomed to the cold climate and thusly isn’t bothered by cool weather. Her father used to lightly beat her and her three sisters when the played up, but loved them deeply all the time. It wasn’t uncommon for fathers to treat their children this way where Kaede came from. It didn’t change her love for her father either. She was the second youngest daughter of Hitoshi and Masumi Eriko.
The family was naturally wealthy, being one of the nobler houses of Japan. Hitoshi conducted the business of his land and the surrounding village in a large ikke, or house, in the middle of the village. The actual household Eriko was at the north tip of Hokkaidō, amongst the mountains. Kaede and her sisters Yukiko, Ume and Misaki used to play in the snow every day of winter and in the summer would visit the beautiful lake near the village. When Kaede turned ten, her father tried to send her to a form of a convent, to become a true Japanese lady. Young Kaede, who’d always hated tight kimonos and itchy make-up, threw a tantrum and blatantly refused to go.
This was the first time Kaede’s natural magic began to show. As her father picked her to put her in the carriage, heat exploded from the child’s small body, making her father yelp and drop her. Kaede scurried away in fear and anger, to the tip of her favourite mountain. Her youngest sister Misaki, who was eight at the time, followed her up the mountain and comforted her as she wept. Misaki had not seen the magical outburst.
Kaede was very confused at this time about her magical power. Her father had to go away on business for a few weeks, and Kaede used this time to explore the extents of her magic. Sometime during the week she found a staff lying in the snow outside her house. Kaede was mesmerized by the unusual crystal at the tip, albeit the fact that all her sister’s told her that it was ugly.
Before her father came home that week, Kaede decided that the life set out for her wasn’t what she wanted, and so took as much money as she could carry, clothes, and her staff and prepared to leave Hokkaidō. She said goodbye to all her sisters, who understood her reasons for leaving. Yukiko, eighteen at the time, told her that their mother would understand and promised to help Kaede out whenever she knew where the girl was.
Kaede made her way to Tokyo relying on her money, and once there found a magic-user like herself, named Nami. Nami taught her about her skills and provided a home for the girl.
Four years later, Kaede Eriko is trained enough to make her way in the world. She welcomes any challenge against her power…
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Thankyou for reading!