"There is no purpose in fear, for the Bright Lord illuminates my way forward. I must simply do what is right, and keep what I love safe. That is my family's way through this world."
History[]
Hailing from an abandoned nest village near the hidden city of Saishu, the young Tengu was discovered half starved and covered in blood by an exiled scholar of the Chishiki clan at the age of five. The kindly man took him in, and raised him as a son despite the poor reputation given to most Tengu. All Taicho could remember was his own given name, and that men bearing a skull shaped fly killed everyone in his village, then cursed them with undeath. The scholar, named Chishiki Kenjin, knew of the fiends quite well. Within the hour, Taicho was given the family name 'Bloodfeather' so that he would never forget where he came from.
Kenjin taught Taicho everything he knew about survival in the harsh environment of the Briccan wilderness. He also instilled in Taicho a fiery passion for understanding the many religions of the world, however the goddess that Taicho was inevitably drawn towards was Pharasma. His path down this road started upon the discovery of a vivid birthmark on his back, what practically looked like a tattoo of a spiraling comet, the symbol of The Grey Lady. While he held a healthy respect for most Good religions, above all he learned whatever he could of her. Kenjin quickly saw his potential as an Inquisitor, his fervent passion and dedication to get the task done regardless of how dirty his hands had to get, as long as it was for the greater good.
Kenjin made sure to train him in the use of the sword and bow, something all able bodied men of Saishu were renowned for in the small villages that knew of their existence. He imparted upon him the language of Sheng, the slowly fading tongue of a lost continent, which Taicho learned with natural ease. Along with these lessons were stories of the glories of the Chishiki Emperor, and the beauties that filled the culture of Sheng before the tyrannical Oni-Emperor corrupted the Kuchiku rebellion, turning what was already treachery into blasphemy and desecration of all they held dear. Kenjin made sure that Taicho was given a seething hatred of the Void, and all the horrendous creatures that sought to destroy the peace of Oustomia. Taicho vowed to purge the land of wickedness, and make sure that people could be born into a world of peace so that they could one day die happily at home surrounded by their family, watched over every step of the way by the Mother of Souls.
He apprenticed to the age of 21 with Kenjin, until the wise and kind man had become an elderly wise and kind man. Kenjin told him to go, that he was ready to face the trials that life would present him, to never let anyone look down on him because of his feathers, and to seek out powerful and loyal allies to assist him in driving back the wicked darkness, for no mortal could ever hope to defeat the Oni-Emperor or the gods and goddesses of Evil while venturing alone. Matured by age, and tempered by survival, Taicho set forth to begin his journey, first heading towards the great city of Haven. He heard tales of the heroes which dwelled thereabouts.
Taicho recently became a member of the Hunter's Guild in Haven, deciding he needed to find a way to increase his strength while gaining funds in order to properly be of service to the good city that took him in and gave him a purpose in defending its people. This would give him the freedom to practice his craft in difficult challenges while also providing a source of gold. Being paid to hunt down troublesome monsters and villains seemed like the most logical course of action for him.
Update: He went from a humble investigator to the high priest of a city state that teleported its entire population to a different planet in the course of a few months. That was a whirlwind for the bird, but he soon found himself ensconced with trials and tribulations. Of particular concern to the bird was the overwhelming amount of powerful necromancers and liches present. There were several standouts, but that one that proved to be too much for the Tengu was the father of necromancy, Maloglash. In a cruel turn of events, when Taicho was moving his flying cathedral dedicated to the Lady of Bones to an allied city so that he and the worshippers of Pharasma who accompanied him could assist in the reconstruction efforts following a devastating attack.
Maloglash's forces struck while they were far out over the open ocean, swarms of flying undead abominations darkening the skies around them. A magical storm obstructed the cathedral's progress, and from the swirling winds the monsters attacked. Taicho and his faithful fought back with everything they had, certainly inflicting more than they lost, but for every one of them that fell, another was added to the enemy's ranks. They were inevitably overwhelmed, far away from aid. The magical stones used to keep the cathedral afloat were destroyed one by one, causing it to begin to plummet into the sea. A particularly powerful group of dread liches were sent to ensure Taicho himself could do nothing to protect all he cared for.
Though he felt desperately, managing to obliterate several of them with holy power, he, like all of his people, fell to the cruel and brutal power of the undead. Seeking to inflict the sort of pain upon such a staunch enemy that mere death could possibly cause, Maloglash had instructed them to spare his life. They instead inflicted him with a powerful curse...a curse causing him to relive the deaths of all of his loved ones, all of his friends, and all of those who trusted him to keep them safe over and over in a fever ridden dream for eternity. The last thing his waking mind viewed, an image that haunts his sleep to this day, was his home and place of worship falling from the sky as his friends and allies perished by the thousands against an enemy he had sworn to destroy.
By some odd stroke of fate, he was preserved that day not by the wicked spells of the liches, but by a single other survivor of the massacre. A female Tengu by the name of Kira had seen her leader be struck down, and had promptly leapt from the skies in pursuit of his motionless body, hoping beyond hope that he could be saved. Through purely indomitable will, she managed to find him in the churning waves of the sea below before he had sunk out of reach, and miraculously dragged him to a small, uninhabited island. She was no wizard capable of teleportation, nor was she a powerful cleric capable of breaking the curse placed on Taicho. She simply did what she could, keeping him clean, fed, and safe as she prayed for his return.
Taicho writhed in his sleep for years even after Maloglash's defeat, the curse's magic holding on to continue to torture his very soul. His will proved strong, however, strong enough not to descend into madness despite the horrors he lived through day in and day out. Eventually...the curse's effects weakened, and he awoke to find himself in a world devoid of Maloglash, the city he had called his own, many of his friends, and the very motivation that had drove him to that point, his beloved goddess Pharasma. For the longest time, his greatest wish had been to stand before her judgment seat and be asked to join her service in her own realm, but that possibility was lost to him. He struggled to bring himself out of the depths of despair he found himself in.
Kira proved to be a light in that darkness. She had tended to him faithfully with no help and no promise that he would ever awaken, and yet she was waiting for him when he finally broke free. She gently explained to him what had happened, where he was, what she had done for him. It was not long after that they were wed, though only the creatures of the island bore witness to the union. With the last of the divine energy Pharasma had given him to empower him in her service, Taicho carried Kira and himself away from that island to the mainland where he found a simple occupation as a hunter to provide for their needs and help take his mind off of his losses. During this time where they lived humbly off of the land in a small coastal village, Kira conceived two children, beautiful daughters they named Hitomi and Hiro after some legendary Shengese heroes.
He didn't find out for certain that Pharasma was completely gone until he finally decided he'd spent enough time dilly dallying. He couldn't bare the weight on his conscience of not getting back into the fight, and so he traveled to the cities he could remember in search of answers. The first person he spoke to was an extremely cold warrior in Jiyu, who bluntly informed him that Pharasma had been slain and was replaced by none other than his friend and comrade Hikari...as well as a hated enemy that had been too powerful for him to overcome throughout his life, Tae'lana. He was wroth with anger, both at himself and at the world. He searched for days, trying to find some cause worth dedicating his life to once more.
He was eventually pointed to none other than the son of Pharasma, Enoch. Carrying on the absolute balance that was represented by his mother, the godling instructed him to move on, sending him to the realm of the Bright Lord so that he could resume his passion, protecting the living against the forces of the undead. Taicho was awed by the splendor and the fervor with which the followers of the Golden King lived their lives. The fire in each and every one of their eyes' resonated deeply with the zeal Taicho carried in his heart at all times. When he finally stood before the throne of the Soulfire God, he was ready to pledge his allegiance.
Little did Taicho know, the being before him had once been a friend of his that had been turned into a foul lich...in an ironic twist, the Bright Lord brought the very act of mercy that had been shown to him all those years ago into question, when Taicho decided not to destroy him in his former life as soon as he found out that he had become one of the hated undead. Taicho swore he would never show such weakness again, and so the Bright Lord accepted him into his service, giving him a new title, Taicho the Lightbringer. With that Taicho was transformed, the birthmark of spiraling grey feathers that had caused him to be believed to be a herald of Pharasma falling away, replaced by a glowing reminder of the oath he had made, a blazing sun comprised of white and gold feathers right in the center of his chest.
Emerging from the Bright Lord's heavenly realm into the capital city of his empire, Strauv, Taicho quickly made his way to any who would hear him, eventually ending up as a member of the Morningstar Brigade that battled the hordes of undead wherever they reared their ugly heads. Most recently, he had been asked by Kokrat Warbrew, to become his councilor and join him in Lebenreich's expedition to a newly discovered planet, Iakresh. Taicho accepted, and began making his preparations to move his young family to this new planet, and embark on a grand new adventure!
Appearance[]
Taicho is very tall for a Tengu, who normally only grow to five and a half feet. His six feet height is made all the more odd by his slim body, thinner even than most elves. His eyes are red like blood, perhaps stained by the blood of his family that was spilled before him as a child. His feathers are all black as night, and if the need arises he is able to hide well in the shadows without the use of a cloak. He is always well groomed despite preferring to sleep in a tree rather than in a bed like most folk.
When Taicho chooses clothing, he always chooses brown or black coloring, preferring a drabness that doesn't attract attention to him. It didn't take him long to discover that merely being a Tengu was more than enough to draw trouble his way. His typical attire consists of a traveling cloak and warm undergarments, a satchel for his few possessions, his trusty katana Tsukawashi at his side, and his favorite bow Shinsoku resting across his back.
Update: Taicho, even after over a decade of adventuring, still prefers to wear his tarnished old traveler's cloak. It is now covered in countless patches and stitches. The Tengu is still tall and gangly, having spent years in recovery after atrophying under a nightmarish cursed sleep. He now shows more of his chest, leaving his equally humble gambeson beneath unbuttoned enough to reveal the freshly burnished pattern of a blazing sun, made in white and gold feathers, to be seen by all. He carries with him a sacred long spear made by the finest smiths in Lebenreich and blessed by their high priests, which he uses to strike down all of the enemies of the Bright Lord that cross his path. His once favored weapons now carry with them too many painful memories, and lie as ornamentation in a personally constructed memorial to Pharasma.
Personality[]
Taicho is normally somber and silent, not one for rowdy celebrations or drink filled evenings. However, when questioned on something he is passionate about, he has no hesitation in giving a verbose answer. He may come off as high strung, off the wall, or occasionally downright puritanical, all accurate descriptions that arose from his upbringing with a warrior scholar surviving in the forests. He is more comfortable traversing unexplored territory with a single companion than traipsing through a city with a large group, however the first large settlement he ever saw on the inside was Rike, which was a very rude awakening towards the importance of staying with company. Since then, he has learned to spend more time surrounded by people than surrounded by trees. Some may call him a recovering loner, or simply socially awkward. Either way, he is not easily offended by such harmless judgments. He is more than ready to bring about the justice and purity of his goddess when faced with any form of monster that would enslave the lives of men, or raise the dead. He has a knack for languages, and a knack for understanding why people do the things they do. He is not easily taken off guard, usually because he doesn't lower his guard. He is certainly in the position to make new friends once he arrives in the city of Haven, and once a bond is formed, he is the kind to stick closer than a brother. Every person who would fight by his side is family in his mind.
Update: Taicho has had a long time to mature and develop. He is now a capable leader through years of experience, and wields his zeal as a honed weapon rather than a raw inferno. Having a wife and children has taught him much of self-control and restraint. He is just as capable of giving a gentle caress as he is of impaling a vampire through the heart in a fit of righteous fury. He strives to keep himself in check, believing that a balanced approach to all things, driven by faith, and tempered by love, will help him make the right choices, and do a much better job of protecting his new treasures, his wife and daughters. That said, he has also learned how important it is to sit back and enjoy the present more than he had in his youth. Watching his daughters run around in their back yard is far more fulfilling to him than spending endless nights on the campaign trail hunting his enemies. He is a very loving and devoted husband, a caring and encouraging father, and a true friend that will look out for the wellbeing of those that trust him even more so than his own.
Friends[]
Gannon - A grey catfolk who has recently become a friend of Taicho, aiding him in his detective work for the city of Haven. He is called Mr. Grey by Taicho as a matter of secrecy. It seems that Gannon has a romantic interest in him.
Song - A tiefling alchemist who playfully teases Taicho, and is generally helpful and encouraging whenever the need arises. She allows him the use of her potion shop as a headquarters during serious investigations.
Update:
Duke Kokrat Warbrew - An Iroran craftsman, this enterprising Dwarf was inspired to travel to the new world of Iakresh and build his own kingdom with assistance from Lebenreich. He invited Taicho to join him in this endeavor, and the two became fast friends.
Duchess Trixie Warbrew - The wife of Kokrat, Trixie is an Iroran priestess, and serves as the high priestess of the forming nation that her husband is leading. Trixie's calm and balanced nature made her very easy to get along with for Taicho.
Erielle - Taicho found this poor girl lost and about to be arrested in the streets of Lebenreich. Having mercy on her because of her innocence, Taicho took her under his wing, both metaphorically and literally upon occassion, to keep her safe and to teach her how to live in a way that would be happier for her in the long run. She was a guest at his home for some time, and he cares for her like one of his own daughters.
Enemies[]
Any necromancers or vile beings are liable to be attacked on sight, from the front, of course, unless a very good reason is given not to.
Update: Those who consider the Bright Lord and enemy can go ahead and add Taicho to their list of people to expect to be attacked by.
Aspirations[]
Taicho has several dreams. He would love to assist his master and father in returning to Shengming de Yaolan, and cleansing it of the Onis that plague it like vermin. He wishes to avenge his family, although he cannot remember their faces. Annihilating every occurrence of the skull shaped fly is the thought that haunts his sleep. Using cunning and wit, rather than physical force, he seeks to unite all that is good to bring the hammer of righteousness down upon the heads of all evil doers, starting with one heretic at a time.
Update: Having made it to Shengming, the ancestral home of his master being reclaimed and the rightful rules put into place, Taicho had accomplished his original dream when he set out to go adventure. He made a new dream, a world where the undead no longer could claim any place as a safe haven, and this is still the goal he had as a servant of the Bright Lord. He looks forward to descending from their warships upon the enemy, and spreading holy fire across their kingdoms.