Name:
Mirumoto Gensai
Clan:
Dragon
School:
Mirumoto Bushi
Physical Details:
With a muscular physique as sturdy as an oak and nearly as tall in stature, there are few Rokugani except those more commonly found among the mighty warrior families of the Crab that would rival Gensai in such things; an unsurprising fact when one is made aware of his mother's Hida heritage and her similarly imposing height a testament to this fact.
The rigorous hardships commonplace in a ronin's life and travels have hardened the young man, making him appear slightly older than he actually is. His shaggy black hair is kept fairly short, and a solemn expression is often set deeply across his stubbled and angular face. As expected of a
shugyōsha, Gensai's apparel is bereft of any mon or crests that would tie him to any specific Clan or Family. The only distinguishing mark to be found on his clothes is a crest of his own design, a bellflower he claims represents the sincerity behind his commitment towards fulfilling the goals of his Pilgrimage.
Publicly Known Advantages / Disadvantages:
Large, Social Disadvantage (Ronin -
Musha Shugyō)
History:
Amidst a Clan suffering from an inexplicably perilous decline in birthrates in recent times, perhaps as a punishment from the Great Fortune of Fertility herself, Kisshōten, it was understandably bewildering to those privy to such ominous concerns that the union between Mirumoto Shuzen and Hida Tomoe had been conspicuously exempt from this perceived curse and instead blessed with five healthy children.
Born the middle child, Gensai, known as Genmaru prior to his gempukku, grew up with neither the heavy burden of expectations and responsibilities placed upon the shoulders of his older siblings or the fond adoration received by his younger kin. Consequently this nurtured a wild and rebellious streak within Gensai that would follow him well into his late adolescence. Running around and playing with children below his station, an unsavory preference for red meats (especially “mountain tuna”), disrespectful behavior towards his elders, and slacking off in his lessons at the dojo were but a handful of the litany of issues that highlighted Genmaru’s impetuous attitude. Despite his parents and siblings love for Genmaru, the strain brought on by his antics frustrated them to no end, and some feared that such deplorable actions would inevitably bring great shame upon himself and his family.
The only person that seemed able to command a great deal of respect and admiration from this wayward scion was a venerable retainer and close friend of the family, a tattooed man by the name of Togashi Masahide. Masahide recognized the underlying problems that fueled Genmaru’s unruliness and offered to mentor the boy in an effort to curb these tendencies. Genmaru, who’d become more than well acquainted to the lash of a bamboo rod by his previous tutors, was surprised to find no such punitive measures forthcoming from the kindly
ise zumi. Instead through sage guidance and patient remonstrations, Masahide had succeeded in teaching the young Genmaru to rein in his more unseemly manners and the boy in turn established a genuine rapport with the one mentor that treated him with benevolent kindness, seeing in him untapped potential where others saw only a shameful and embarrassing disappointment.
Unfortunately these habits would resurface in the most untimely manner a year after Genmaru’s
gempukku. The newly named Gensai, in recognition of his entry into adulthood and all the responsibilities that his newly acquired position entailed, was invited to attend a minor Court gathering at the personal request of his father. The events that followed at what was intended to be a simple function culminated in a scandal with Gensai as the primary culprit. So egregious was the breach in etiquette that only a duel to the death or
seppuku could wipe away such dishonor.
No one could anticipate however that the young bushi’s life would be spared in exchange for Masahide’s, who quietly proffered his own life in his former student’s stead as atonement for failing in his duties as a sensei and gravely remind Gensai of his obligations. His own desperate pleas ignored by his stricken father and his mentor, Gensai could only watch on in barely restrained anguish as the man that he was honored to call friend sacrificed himself for his sake, and for the first time the fledgling samurai truly grasped that his insolence begat dire consequences.
A year spent in mourning and deep introspection would pass before Gensai unexpectedly requested permission from the provincial daimyo to depart on a
Musha Shugyō. Despite initial misgivings from family and fellow peers, those who had been observant of the young man noted a dramatic shift in his formerly headstrong disposition. Recognizing this as not an idle appeal but instead an earnestly driven claim, the petition was eventually made with the prerequisite testimony of one of Gensai’s former sensei to reinforce its chance for approval.
Several months have passed since the request was granted and the somber departure from his home, family, and clan that followed. As one might expect the path of a ronin has proven to be an undeniably arduous one, but it is a path that Gensai does not regret traveling upon. Instead he has embraced the pilgrimage with a stoic dedication borne from a genuine aspiration towards self-improvement among other sincerely honorable motives.
Image:
''At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.'' - Lao-Tzu
