Welcome to Gaia! ::

Name: Yumiko
*Nickname: Yumi
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Rank of Royalty: N/A
*Military Rank: N/A (daughter of a Samurai -Deceased)
Nation: Vatra
Marital Status: Single
Species: Human/Elemental

**Note** It is hard to classify Elemental's as 'Magical' beings as Elemental's can firstly only control the assigned element they were born with. They are to be considered simply as humans highly in tuned with their own assigned element. With this, elemental's can achieve great feats with their element. Elemental's are also therefore NOT immortal.

**Note** A magical being (ex. the elves) that have 'magic in their blood' simply means a being that has a much higher success rate in having their chants, brews, spells, work VS a human.

Physical Appearance: Please see signature Image.
*Note: With honey brown eye's instead of Golden eye's for the sake of this Rp.
- Height: 5'10
- Weight: 132lbs
- Hair: Black, thigh length
- Eyes: Honey Brown.
-Skin: The color of over creamed coffee. Horizontal scar across the bridge of her nose

Personality: Born with a silver tongue it seemed she was blessed with uncanny persuasiveness. Coy and cunning it's really no wonder how she would make an excellent thief! In her heart of hearts she is innocent when things really matter. She is strong and honorable but not without her faults. Her unusual training makes her a jack of all trades and as toxic as some of her best brews. Yumiko is strategic, a deep thinker and plotter. Be careful of this sly fox. She may just end up stealing more than just your valuables.

- Character Flaws: Stubborn, Blunt, paranoid (of men, relationships - which has caused her to build up a wall), Too Independent (has issues accepting help), Defiant, sometimes likes to play devils advocate, Can be spiteful, Enjoys danger ( and is a thrill seeker ).

Biography:

Childhood –
+ Yumiko cannot recall much of her days before the age of Eleven. She does have some memories of loving moments with her mother (step mother). She has some memories of light training with her father as well.
+She began training at an Okiya as a shikomi-san when she was ten.

Teen Years –
+ When her parents died at the age of eleven she was left in the care of her Grandfather (fathers father) to which she underwent training. She continued her training with her Okiya as a minarai and then as a Maiko all in the hopes of maintaining lady like qualities.
+ She was sent to a place known as 'The hall of virtues of war' at about the age of twelve once a week. Located in the high mountain guized behind a Shrine, It was here that she was taught martial arts and energy focusing.

Young Adult -
+ At the age of eighteen she quit attending etiquette classes having chosen to focus and dedicated herself to being a 'sword-singer'.
+ She started to train as a Miko. She had her heart set in becoming a Miko (Shrine Maiden) at the 'Hall of Virtue of War'.

Present Day –
+ Yumiko currently runs an alchemy shop called 'crystal point' Apothecary.
+ She continues her practice as a sword-singer.
+ Works at the shrine on weekends.

*Element: Fire
*Elemental Abilities: (these are abilities pertaining to your characters element. Basically areas they specialize in)

Kasai Tamashī (Fire soul)(Close Range) - Placing or throwing down the ofuda upon something causes that something to be set on fire


Shageki (shooting)(fire)(long distance) - A flaming flying arrow that takes the shape of a phoenix. Upon impact it engulfs it's target in flames for 20 seconds before dissipating.


Tentai shīrudo (Celestial Shield)(Defensive) - A flame shield (on self only) that lasts the duration of a single hit.


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Class: Sword-Singer ( a Type of Shamanistic Paladin that deals in energy work ) A small division among the Atra people's, many are unfamiliar with what exactly a sword singer is. Thusly people try to steer clear from them. The focus of one's energy and the use of ones energy to accomplish great feats is not considered "Magic". No more than electricity is considered to be "Magic". The Sword singers adopted these practices from the peoples of the Eastern cultures. It is influenced from practices like: Chakra work and Reiki.

Special Abilities to your Class:
- Combat (Martial arts): sword singers are known for being beyond exceptional in combat and their swordsmanship.
+ Fortified Agility

- Spirit (Energy work): With the touch of the hands one can 'push or pull' energy be it residual or live (ie. A stone, animal, or living being)

**Note** - Sword Singers cannot see or draw energy from the dead. They cannot control or bend light, sound, molecules, atoms, etc. They also have a distinct limit as to how much (or what type) energy they can both output and input, as they basically act like a conduit, before being in danger.
Negative effects include but are not restricted to: blacking out, nerve damage, optical and neurological damage with the worst being death.

- The Junction: Is an ability where Combat and Spirit meet. One can channel their energy into their affinity weapon to increase it's power. Hit's from this blade cause physical damage as well as damage to ones Stamina.

**Note** Ansei (Master Sword Singers) can perform higher levels of 'The Junction' By which they can form a weapon from their own spirit! It is said that attacks from that type of weapon are near unstoppable. Attacks drain the opponents life force exponentially causing quickened death, paralysis, or unconsciousness.

Occupation: Yumiko is a type of Alchemist. She owns a shop called 'crystal point Apothecary' selling tinctures, potions, charms, and crystals. Yumi is also a practicing Miko. (shrine maiden).

*Weapon(s): (any weapons your character has
- Katana (Her affinity weapon as a sword singer)
- Ofuda's ( This is normally used defensively as it is usually a charm,ward, or scripture that brings protection. )
- THROWING KNIVES or her SAIS
- Bow (usually only uses this for hunting and target practicing)
- Yari

* *Note** - Yumiko can use most bladed weapons: single, two handed, daggers, yari's, and short swords. She can also use bows.
She is not as good with heavy blunt weapons: Hammers (war hammers), Maces, Battle axes, etc.

*Talent(s): (any special talents otherwise unlisted)
- As a Miko Yumiko can see energy/aura of the living by tapping into a viewing mode known to her people as CHI SPARK. This is accomplished by a simple chant. It is not a constant thing but rather something can be "turned off and on at will". It has xray like qualities as it is described as looking like flesh, bone and muscle removed to leave a figure of shimmering, lit up veins. These glowing bodies can be detected through walls, floors, doors. For the moment at a short distance in range.

-As a Miko and Sword Singer she is "sensitive" and can have prophetic dreams at random. This is an uncontrolled ability.

- Having trained as a Maiko she is also an excellent entertainer skill in singing, dancing, tea making, Biwa and Shamisen. She is well versed in calligraphy and poetry as well.

**Note** It should be noted that Yumiko doesn't like to inform people about this particular fact about herself (that she was a practicing Maiko before and up to the age of 18. It is due to the fact that most wrongfully associate Geisha's and it's levels with prostitution.

*Pet(s): (any pets your character has)
- N/A
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*Other Information We should know: (anything else that was not listed above but it important for your character)

+ Trouble has a way of following her around due to the rumored accumulated wares she has and because of the people she privately associates with.

+ Yumiko is the daughter of A Samurai. She seems to have disdain for the Samurai and the military due to her father. This is the cause of her defiance and dislike for authority of any kind.

+ Her family's crest and totem is the Phoenix. Within her family history people have been chosen to carry, serve and protect the power of the phoenix. These chosen people were called "Phoenix Riders" by the sword singers. Yumiko has been chosen for this task but does not yet know it. Nor has this even happened in story yet either.

Jubei belonged to a long descending line of Samurai known as the Yamamoto clan. The clan taught the way to Samurai prospects. The Miyagi and Yamamoto clans had bloody history and the Miyagi clan's leader Sakuma, wanted Jubei's high ranking position. Sakuma thought that Jubei's way of teaching was ridiculous and should not be taught to future soldiers. Sakuma was not aware that Jubei had a daughter, a daughter that had been hidden away in the wardrobe the night he and his gang stormed the Yamamoto house.

I was eleven when terror first reared its ugly face in my life. This event would cause so much trauma to my young mind that it nearly wiped out all of my memory. It would seem that life began for me after the age of eleven.

A clan known as the Miyagi's had come to our home seeking blood. It seemed to me at the time that the dispute was over money (which is later revealed that it was not). My mother hid me in the wardrobe. Guess she had a feeling that things were going to get ugly. A fight broke out and spilled into the room in which I was hidden. I witnessed through the cracks of that wardrobe my mother being raped before my father as they restrained him. One of Sakuma's croonies was responsible for that one.Then they murdered my father before my mother and took her away. That was all Sakuma. I do not know how long I sat there staring, non-blinking at my fathers bloodied corpse but when I found my courage to move, I fled to the country side where my grandfather lived. - Yumiko Yamamoto

After than time both Yumiko and her grandfather moved to a different region of the lands. At the age of twelve Yumiko did attend the 'Hall of Virtues of war' like planned. She would attend classes once a week while continuing her journey as a Maiko (in a new Okiya of course). And it was learned that Yumiko did possess the ability handed down to her through her families generations.

Some people were chosen in life to receive the gift of being able to tap into hidden energies. Some of hese people could tap into the element in which they were born with. These people came to be known as Vatra and were later labelled by outsiders as "elementals". Others could tap into the energies within themselves or others around them, able to push or pull said energy, manipulating it. If you were suspected of possessing such gifts you went to a place called 'The hall of virtues of war' to find out. There, there were many people of various ages, male and female. While one was trained in both aspects, some people were either one or the other. That is Vatra or sword singers. Very few moved on for special training because they were capable of doing both

Sword singers would begin either as "Brothers of the blade" or as "Maidens of the spirit sword". They were trained by three masters known to have achieved Ansei. They were known as "Saints of the sword". They were old and yet incredibly powerful said to be capable of great feats.

As Vatra we were the warriors, lovers and worshippers to the God of war Hachiman. The destined purpose was to aid Hachiman in the balance of existence.

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Order of the Hall of Virtues of War



After Six years had passed when Yumiko turned Eighteen she decided to quit her pursuit in becoming a Geisha. She never did achieve the rank of Geisha as she quit before her Mizuage ceremony. She decided to dedicate all of her time and energy to being a sword singer. Two more years after that when Yumiko turned twenty she became a full fledged sword singer. It is something that she keeps practice with even up until now. Yumiko does not yet know about the Rider she is to become. Her grandfather has not yet told her. Whenever she asks him questions he replies with: "When the time is right everything will come to light".