Yogo Hatsumi

Backstory
Not much has yet been discovered about this strange young woman. It is known that she is the Grand-niece of Bayushi Atsuki, although whether or not this means the Imperial Spymaster has Yogo blood (and thusly, the curse) remains to be seen.

Hino wears a featureless, porcelain death mask upon her face, very similar to that which is placed upon the faces of the dead just before they are cremated. In fact, the edges of her mask seems to bare the dark marks of scorching...

It is also known by Shosuro Momonjii (through afterglow confession) that Hino was forced to kill her "practice charge," causing her to fail her first Gempukku. The circumstances of this event are not yet known, and Hino is not willing to speak of them. Although she bears something approaching interest (although perhaps curiosity is a better term) for Momonjii, she harbors an deep resevoir of naked hatred for Shosuro Shuchong, who shamed her terribly at the Topaz Championship by ending their duel with a Kharmic Strike.

The Topaz Championship
Yogo Hino was permitted to attend the Topaz Championship as a late entry thanks to her relationship with Bayushi Atsuki, her grand-uncle. Unknown to all but one of the PCs, Hino has failed two Gempukkus before this one. As she wryly expressed, "I have heard it said that the third time is the charm."

The Yogo Curse
Long ago, when the Empire was new, during the first war against Fu Leng, Asako Yogo, husband and beloved of Lady Asako herself, discovered a way to break the power of Maho using the magic of the Kami. An expert on wards, Asako Yogo destroyed the barriers protecting a corrupted stronghold and won a great victory against the Shadowlands. It was his cunning and mastery of magic that secured the southern penninsula from a massive Shadowlands attack, allowing the Empire the reprieve it needed to gather the Seven Thunders to turn the tide of the war. Yogo was considered one of the Empire's greatest heroes.

However, Fu Leng himself had been in command of the defeated army, and he witnessed his defeat at the hands of this warrior priest. Before his retreat, drawing upon the powers of Jigoku, Fu Leng cursed Yogo and his entire line to be forever haunted by the corrupting influence of Jigoku. Yogo was cursed to betray the thing he most loved.

The curse became a source of great shame for Yogo, and it was impossible to break. Worse, it would be carried through his bloodline, so anyone whose blood could be traced to him would also be cursed to betray that which they loved. Despairing, Yogo planned to take his own life, but at the last moment he was offered fealty by Bayushi himself. If he would found his own family, then the bloodline could be traced, and Bayushi could freely give Yogo purpose, for Yogo's hatred of Bayushi was well-known. And so Asako Yogo left his family and became the founder of the Yogo Family, a grim man haunted by the demons of his own mind.

To this day, the Yogo are cursed to betray that which they love the most. The Yogo Curse enacts itself only once, and although many never perceive it, every Yogo knows when their curse been fulfilled. The longer it takes to fulfill the curse, or the more a Yogo tries to prevent it, the worse the result turns out to be. Yogo who fulfill their curse early in life are considered to be blessed, and it is a cause for celebration.

The Yogo cannot willingly bring about their curse, as to do so invites misfortune upon the family. The only choice is to continue along life's path, ever wary of what the future holds. The Yogo, as consequence, are careful not to love anything if it can be helped. Cold, quiet, and withdrawn, forbidden to marry into the Clan and always looked upon with suspicion, the Yogo contemplate their bitter lot in life in dark silence.

Personality
Yogo Hino is INTP - Rational Temperament, Architect Type

Hino is quiet, cold, and brooding. No warmth flashes in her eyes, and she rarely smiles. She does not talk unless provoked, and even then she keeps her replies as short and quiet as possible. Many others consider her to be very strange, even threatening, and she radiates a sort of disturbing contenence. Even under duress, she is errily calm and collected. Her default expression is a slight frown, when it shows from behind her sheer white mask of porcelain. When something does provoke her to smile, it is not a pleasant expression, looking wolfish and somehow hungry instead. Perhaps the most terrifying of all is the unbridled fury she can be lost to when Hino is sorely pressed or disgraced. It is rarely witnessed, but is savage enough that her slight frame seems to suddenly contain the strength of a Hida bushi.

Something is distinctly "off" about this woman. It is as if she is completely incapable of any pleasant expression or mode. She doesn't glance, she stares. She doesn't laugh, she cackles. She doesn't hum, she growls. She accepts no warmth and offers none in return.

She is very typical of the Yogo, indeed.

Hino is practical and pragmatic to the extreme, lacking in social graces. The most efficient way to achieve a task is the best way, in her mind, and Bushido concerns her little. Only Duty matters to her, Duty and results. She is unimpressed and unintimidated by credentials, social position, or the regard of others. She does not consider consequences, prefering to deal with them as they come along. She is highly intelligent and sarcastic, a distinct jaded tone in every word she speaks.

Hino does not seek company, nor does she offer it. Nor does she drive others away... she simply tolerates the presence of others with mild distain. She is more likely to criticize than to instruct, often in a clever way. She is capable of working beside a group, but it is difficult to get her to participate on the same level. Her quiet nature, her pramatic views, and her straightforward replies make her appear unfriendly and cold, and so she alienates teammates very easily.

She is not incapable of opening up or growing close to someone else. She is simply guarded against it, as if ever-waiting for something terrible to come of it, should it come to pass...

Meta
Insight Rank 1 Bayushi Bushi 1

Hino is a damage-heavy build of the Bayushi Bushi school, built for fast DPS and little else. She hits first and she hits to disable. As a Yojimbo, her highest skills are Defense, Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu, and Sincerity. Her highest ring is Fire, but she also has high Reflexes.

Hino is best at utterly slaughtering enemies. Her only role in combat is unleashing terrible and unwavering attacks upon her targets. It is best to simply point her in a particular direction and then let her go to work. Of the NPCs that are available to accompany the party, she inflicts the most damage, and she performs the most consistantly in combat. She has little in the way of teamwork-related abilities, but as a clear-thinking bushi, she has little that can dissuade her from her attack.

If the party requires serious DPS, Hino would be a good choice. She's also good for a laugh, now and again.