Yukihana

Kae was not bred to be a geisha like most women from her reputable okiya. Instead, she was bonded to the house as a child. Kae was born in a very advanced world and transported back in time because she was believed to be a "destined one," born to stop the virus plaguing the world before it became the epidemic that spawned the Vampire Wars in later years due to her immunity. However, when Kae was sent back, she was de-aged as well. She arrived as a babe and was immediately taken in by a reputable okiya because of her unique looks. Interestingly, Kae was viewed as a prodigy, but in truth she had retained all her educational memories from her true time and age.

Kae graduated from shikomi (servant) to minarai (watching apprentice) at 15. She took to this stage of training very well, gaining attention from numerous full fledged Geisha who clamored to be her onee-san (representative older sister) and started learning new skills at a minarai-jaya (tea house) by okaa-san (proprietress) Mariko Yoshida. As she learned familiar games and skills from her previous life, her full memories cam rushing back. The situation was exacerbated when the tea house employed a vampiric geisha (changed by the virus) named Yuriko Oyama.

After a short period of time her final of training began, and she was called a Maiko (literally "dance girl"). Yuriko chose Kae as her little sister and Kae was torn between her love of her present life and her obligations to the future. She was given the name Yukihana, embracing the rumors and superstitions jealous little girls whispered. Yukihana, or Snow Flower, took pride in being the mysterious "Yuki Onna the Snow Woman".

The only memories Yukihana has not had returned to her are the memories prior to her current age in the future. In other words, she knows her mission and its importance, but does not know who employed her, where her skills come from, or how to get home.

Hanamachi, Yoshida's okiya and minarai-jaya, Oyama-nee-san

The Vampires

Although she is still too young and untrained, Yukihana refuses to undergo the Mizuage ("coming of age" ceremony) and so cannot become full geisha. Nor will she take a lover.

Kotodama refers to the Japanese belief that mystical powers dwell in words and names. Yukihana is not a "snow woman" as she might have you believe. No, she is a Kotodama user. The soul, the power of language has always been interesting to her. Written and spoken words and now she has discovered in her second life that she can bring those words to life. In her future, Kae was a mutant, able to warp reality. However in her new life she has unwittingly bound her powers to words in order to understand what was happening to her.

• Liars: Yukihana always makes everyone promise their word to her by saying "Ukehi?" Which means promise, or trial by pledge. This forces the promise to be kept, overriding free will. She usually only invokes this "curse" when she suspects a liar. Unearthly.

• Yuki-Onna: This is something she really plays up, using her powers to make her look like a Snow Woman. The legend: Yuki-onna appears on snowy nights as a tall, beautiful woman with long hair. Her inhumanly pale or even transparent skin makes her blend into the snowy landscape. Despite her inhuman beauty, her eyes can strike terror into mortals. She floats across the snow, leaving no footprints (in fact, some tales say she has no feet, a feature of many Japanese ghosts), and she can transform into a cloud of mist or snow if threatened. Words used to represent this fearsome creature of legend: "Snow", "Float", "Blizzard", "Glow", "Mist"

• Power Simulation: Unearthly, allows the wielder to produce any spell effect of up to Un rank, effectively making the wielder a quasi-sorcerer supreme.

NAME: Yukihana
AGE: 17
STRENGTHS: Maiko: Acrobatics, Espionage, Fashion, Hair Styling, Make Up, Disguise, Shamisen, Dancing, Conversation, Games, Literature, Poetry, Shakuhachi. Future: Martial Arts, Stealth, Espionage, Oriental Weapons
WEAKNESSES: Torn between lives, loses voice if she uses "big words"
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STATS
AGILITY: Remarkable
STRENGTH: Good
ENDURANCE: Excellent
REASON: Excellent
INTUITION: Excellent
PSYCHE: Typical
SPEED: Excellent
POPULARITY: Remarkable
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DICE
PHYSICAL ATTACK: 1d8 Good
PHYSICAL DEFENSE: 1d8 Good (chance to counter with spell)
ENERGY ATTACK: None
ENERGY DEFENSE: 1d8 Good
PSYCHIC ATTACK: None
PSYCHIC DEFENSE: 1d6 Typical
OTHER ABILITIES:
See "Powers" section
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WEAPONS