Kaze (Kazeshini)

“This one is even less than the breeze that flattens the grass in its passing.”

Kaze is my attempt at creating a ninja in DragonStorm.

Characteristics

Kaze is a female Ebony Elf Nightfighter Dragon of the Blackwind clan and an Unarmed Master. Kaze may use all Universal, Elf, Valarian and Blackwind aces and anchors. Kaze has the Flaws Denial and Fear of Rats. Kaze also has the Traits Shadowborn and Nightwalker.

Physical Description

Race: Ebony Elf
Height: 5’ 4”
Weight: 112 lbs
Eyes: Silver
Hair: Black hair cut short
Complexion: Dull black
Attire: Unremarkable mottled dark grey clothing with concealed hood and mask.
Description: Unassuming, downright self-effacing and totally unselfconscious, that’s Kaze. Kaze was raised to be silent and obedient to Kaze’s superiors and silent and totally efficient when performing Kaze’s duties. Kaze really knows nothing else although Kaze is beginning to learn.
Possessions: Clawed gloves, pouch full of throwing darts, potion pouch, greaves, miscellaneous equipment.

Notes

Kaze is a slight, spare Ebony Elf dragon with dull black skin and hair, and silver eyes.

Kaze’s Background is Nightfighter, a select profession with stealth and combat advantages (sounds like a ninja to me.) Kaze has two Traits that assist in this: Shadowborn, which gives a bonus to Stealth and decreased cost for the Nightvision anchor, but since the Nightfighter background already grants that for free, the latter is of little help, and Night Walker, which gives advantages to all non-combat activities (like stealth) at night with a disadvantage for the same activities during the day.

Kaze is of the Blackwind Clan bloodline, which also adds to Stealth contest rolls and quickness. The banished and thought extinct clan is known now for its devotion to secrecy.

Kaze is initiated into the shamanistic rites, all the better for Kaze to honor the ancestral spirits. In addition, it is a very practical choice among the three schools of magic: besides providing healing magic, which all schools do, it provides the Spirit Walk spell which is just so ninja-like and the Spirit Strike spell which allows one attack to ignore all defenses.

Kaze is one of the few characters in the local campaign who actively speaks the language of Penglai, the language of Kaze’s master, who himself refused to learn any other language, as the language of the ancients was more than sufficient for him. That, of course, required Kaze to act as his interpreter on many occasions.

Kaze is trained herbalist, all the better to manufacture poisons and antidotes.

Kaze refuses most every weapon except for those in which Kaze was extensively trained, being weapons unfamiliar to most of Grandilar. Kaze prefers unarmed combat, wearing a pair of clawed gauntlets that also assist in climbing, and carries a pouch of darts strapped to Kaze’s back for long-range killing.

Kaze has two failings. First off, Kaze is terrified of rats (Flaw: Fear of Rats) of any and all sizes: Kaze’s master would torment Kaze with them as punishment. Secondly, Kaze denies (Flaw: Denial) any being kind of shapeshifter, even though it is apparent to anyone who knows how to look: Kaze’s master always belittled Kaze, telling Kaze that Kaze will never be so honored.

Kaze is also highly respectful of dragons of any kind, to the point of almost outright worshiping them. What will happen when Kaze discovers Kaze’s draconic heritage is yet to be determined.

Kaze’s Story

Kaze was sold as a young child to an ancient master of the martial arts and other subtle arts, the descendant of a long line of masters who emigrated to the continent from the land of Penglai centuries ago. Kaze’s master was growing old and wanted one last student to carry on his legacy, and so trained Kaze as his own child, which is to say, harshly and brutally. Part of the reason for Kaze’s master’s brutality is that Kaze is an Ebony Elf while Kaze’s master was human. However, being naturally black skinned and haired was considered an advantage for Kaze’s profession by the old master.

Secrets

Kaze is female, but always refers to herself in third person and rarely acknowledges her sex at all. Kaze is slender, almost boyish in stature so it easy to mistake her for male. Curiously enough, though, Kaze has been trained in infiltration and disguise, with special training as a geisha or courtesan.

Kaze’s full name is Kazeshini but Kaze only uses that name when actually performing a mission or assignment.

Notes

“Kaze” is Japanese for “wind” and “shini” is Japanese for “death” so “kazeshini” is Japanese for “wind of death”. It is also the name of the Zanpakuto (soul weapon) of Shūhei Hisagi, 9^th Division lieutenant of the 13 Squads of the Shinigami from the manga and animé series “Bleach”. For Kaze, it means “death comes on silent feet”.