Kaida

Full name: Iga Kaida

Pronunciation: Ee-ga Ky-duh

Name meaning: Little Dragon

Race: Japanese

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 2“

Hair: Black

Eyes: Black

Age: 15

Languages (spoken): Japanese, English

Languages (written): Japanese, limited English

Katana and/or Shōtō (close, potency 3, bleeding)

Usually no armor, just clothing. A kimono or combat jinbē, which is lighter and easier to move in. She also wears a yukata, usually during the summer.

Hairpins (black or red)

Fue (flute, she usually has this on her person)

Clan: Iga clan (shinobi clan) - This is a proud and noble clan that primarily provides shinobi for hire. They have extended their influence outside of Japan and are undertaking political machinations around the world. Kaida is not a noble of this house, but comes from a long line that has served the house in many ways. She wishes to continue this tradition. Kaida is nearing the age to be married and has had many arguments with her parents and clan wise men against wanting to do so.

Lineage - From the infamous line of Anchin and Kiyohime. In short, Anchin was a Shugendō monk who fell in love with Kiyohime, a house mistress. She became pregnant, and he rejected her. She was very angry and transformed into a great serpent or dragon and pursued Anchin to his home shrine. There he hid in a bell but was found and killed by Kiyohime. When she gave birth it was a son, who was taken away to be raised by clan Iga. For a thousand years only a single male was born into this line until Kaida. The line has served clan Iga as near-noble warriors.

Geisha - Kaida isn't a traditional geisha although she has received the training of one since the age of 6. The Iga clan has close ties to the regional geisha district, or hanamachi (flower town) where the daughters of the clan train in culture and languages. Kaida learned english here along with becoming skilled in traditional dance, music, singing and poetry. She knows how to play the shamisen (3-string instrument) and fue (flute).

Kunoichi - Trained as a female shinobi (kunoichi) in the arts of espionage and sabotage. Her training regarding assassination has not been completed. Clan Iga has trained Kaida and has plans to use her in their further employ and machinations around the world.

Kuji-in - Tied closely to her shugendō religion and practiced and taught in secret by her shinobi sensei's, Kuji-in is a collection of syllables, mudras, mantras and hand signals that help focus energy and produce magical capabilities.

Bloodline/Reputation: Pureblood and cursed - Kaida is a pure blooded human. Her parents were both human but through the male lineage, many years back, there is rumoured to be demon blood mixed in. She hates when this is brought up and tries to steer the conversation away. Kaida is the first female born to this bloodline in almost a thousand years and the ill-reputation of being cursed follows her around.

Reputation: Entertainer - In London, where Kaida has spent little time, she is only really known for her geisha arts, performing song and dance for local lords and ladies on behalf of the Iga clans connections.

Affinity: Pride - Being the first girl born in a long line of male ninjitsu warriors, Kaida is prideful and doesn't want to be relegated to that of “just a girl”. She wants to win and throws herself into the things that she does, which often causes her anger to rise. The show of anger from a female is frowned upon in Japanese culture and she often battles against this struggle between internal and external.

Affinity: Mochi - Kaida LOVES mochi and misses it very much as the British people have no idea how to create the lovely dessert.