Dance of Falling Petals
Protector of the Gardens Tigon Chono Delbe
Dance of Falling Petals is a member of the Thousand Blades, tasked forever with maintaining and defending their private garden. While this position may seem beneath an immortal samurai, Dance of Falling Petals actually sees more combat than most mission-tasked Blades, and the Blades temple garden is a place of spiritual significance to the organization. Dance of Falling Petals is one of the only Blades that continues the ancient practice of passing on the sword to a worthy heir, killing themselves in the process. The current Dance of Falling Petals is one of the youngest active Blades. Each master of the sword always refers to themselves as multiple people from the moment they pick up the Blade, the vessel for the collected memories of a family line stretching back ten thousand years, specifically the Delbe family, which can trace it's roots back to old Gemai. Traditionally, the Blade passes from father to daughter, then from mother to son. There have been exactly 400 Dance of Falling Petals to date, and this sword is one of the only ones to have never gone longer than a single month between masters.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Though all Blades have the ability to control their physical fitness to some extent, the current Dance of Falling Petals spent their entire life training to be worthy of the sword, and as such is in what the Empire classifies as "extraordinary physical condition for military performance".
Special abilities
The sword grants it's master the ability to conjure spiraling columns of peach blossom petals that age those that get caught in the vortex. They also have the ability to commune with and make deals with kami, nature spirits, that can be called to the aid of the samurai in times of great need. In addition, Dance of Falling Petals has a stronger connection with their past lives than most other Blades, believing themselves to be a combined entity of all the masters of the sword, and is able to draw on their collective wisdom and experience at a moment's notice.
Apparel & Accessories
Like all Blades, Dance of Falling Petals prefers to wear the Blades uniform most of the time, a black silk shirt under a read sash bearing the Imperial dragon seal in gold. They wear multiple piercings in their ears, nose, and eyebrows made of hollow crystals that have been filled with small shavings of peach wood, an ancient familial practice believed to ward off evil spirits and attune the wearer with beneficial nature spirits. When off-duty, Dance wears traditional Gemaite garb.
Specialized Equipment
The sword Dance of Falling Petals appears as a standard Blades katana, but the blade is enchanted with mystic ink that holds the birth names of each previous master of the sword, the name presented changes based on a number of factors but most notably when the sword is telepathically communicating with the current master. The sword changes it's mental voice based on which previous master it most aligns with what ideas it is communicating. It has the ability to transform into a Skaldoran recurve bow or a curved saber and sparring dagger. Dance of Falling Petals also makes use of the standard Blades ō-yoroi armor enchanted to be resistant to damage and carries a variety of magic potions in an extradimensional bag, as well as a pouch of poisoned throwing stars.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Tigon Delbe was born to the previous Dance of Falling Petals, and like most of his family was raised on the Blades temple grounds. Destined to become the next Dance, he trained in the way of the samurai and the art of tending the Blades garden until his sixteenth birthday, when he was deemed fit to take up the sword, at which point he assisted his mother's ritual seppuku ceremony and became Dance of Falling Petals. By special dispensation and long-standing tradition, they skipped Blades training entirely.
Education
The current incarnation of Dance of Falling Petals is only trained in Blades rituals and training and the maintenance of the Blades garden. They are new to the sword, and have not yet been able to accrue the vast knowledge that an extended lifespan grants.
Morality & Philosophy
Dance of Falling Petals believes in a cosmic balance and predestination- things that happen are generally meant to happen, and one cannot force a person or object to become something they are not. Dance of Falling Petals believes that unless someone is directly and immediately interfering with their goal, they have no right to interfere in turn.
Taboos
An insult to the family is the gravest sort to Dance. They refuse to engage in such things themselves, and become angry when comrades use such juvenile barbs against even the gravest enemy.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
To defend the Blades Temple, to maintain it's garden, and to preserve the bloodline and traditions of the Delbe family.
Likes & Dislikes
Dance of Falling Petals finds serenity in gardening and meditation in this incarnation, taking great pride in their personal garden of rare teas. They enjoy debating philosophy with their fellow Blades, and often invite visiting dignitaries on tours of the public areas of the temple if they agree to discuss the subject afterwards.
Wealth & Financial state
Dance of Falling Petals owns a personal estate on temple grounds, as well as Illiria's largest collection of Gemaite artifacts. They tend to horde the Blades stipend, only rarely making investments, and retains no staff in favor of maintaining their small home themself.
Alignment
True Neutral
Current Location
Species
Ethnicity
Other Ethnicities/Cultures
Date of Birth
4th of Revelor
Year of Birth
1430 EK
15 Years old
Circumstances of Birth
Only child of the previous Dance of Falling Petals and a Kwai bard
Birthplace
The Temple of the Blades
Children
Current Residence
The Temple of the Blades
Pronouns
They/Them
Gender
Male
Eyes
Gray
Hair
Short black hair worn in a mohawk
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Tawny
Height
6' 4"
Quotes & Catchphrases
"You stand at a crossroads of destiny. The left path is one where you defeat me. The right path is one where I defeat you. Would you care to test the gods, or would you prefer to have a cup of tea and leave this place?"
Belief/Deity
Blue Sky
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Comments