Appearance

Physical Description

Very tall for a Fox, but with the characteristic litheness and slender build of his kin. He is clearly built for speed and agility rather than power or intimidation.

Body Features

Besides his uncommon height, Takuma has the same features of all fox-kind, although he would say his white-tipped tail is particularly luxuriant and impressive. He could probably convince you it was too...

Facial Features

With emerald green eyes, vibrant red and white fur and the striking bone structure produced by generations of noble breeding, Takuma is an undeniably handsome creature, capable of dashingly cavalier grin.

Identifying Characteristics

Physically, aside from his height, and beauty, Takuma is the quintessential Akinowan Fox, although his green eyes are much brighter than most.

Physical quirks

As a con-man, Takuma works hard to adopt rolls and personas, so has smothered most of his "original" quirks beneath layers of fake identities. His natural accent, however, tends to resurface during moments of intense stress, or while in solitude.

Apparel & Accessories

Takuma is dressed head to toe in a mixture of practical travelling gear and gaudy finery, that, to the untrained eye, might even pass as genuinely impressive. To the more attentive and affluent, however, his attire of brightly dyed fabrics and "exotic" costumes are cheap pantomime garbs, crudely stitched together like a vulture dressed as a peacock.

Specialized Equipment

Takuma tends to wear a wide-brimmed Akinowan straw hat, and a battered leather travelling coat he has had for many years to protect the "finery" underneath. He is also easily identified by his bull-drawn cart of wares with the colorful words: "Takuma's Travelling Trove" proudly daubed on the side.
 
He also carries two unusual daggers he calls "Lullaby" and "Shriek". Lullaby appears to be a bladed length of metal with leather wrapped around the lower half to make a handle, while Shriek is the hilt of a katana, ending in a jagged, broken steel spike several inches after the blade starts from the guard.

Special abilities

Takuma's physical abilities are far from remarkable, aside from his mastery of dagger combat. A life on the road has led him to piece together a less than honorable fighting style all of his own, one littered with dirty tricks and cheap shots to secure immediate advantages over an unsuspecting opponent.
 
Furthermore, he has an uncanny ability to escape from dangerous situations via daring, reckless and often downright improbable means.

Mentality

Personal history

Takuma was a gregarious youth, his natural charm and impetuousness making him a lightning rod for adventure among his hordes of lower class friends. Takuma reveled in their admiration, while they delighted in the thrill of brotherhood with a "noble" so far above their station. This symbiotic relationship characterized Takuma's childhood, as he fed off the adoration and expectations of his friends to attempt greater feats of audacity, ultimately cementing Takuma's hunger for attention and belief that only reckless heroics will earn him respect.
 
The death of his father, Takuma's role-model in every way, was a complete betrayal of his world view. Takuma realized that no matter how adored you were by the public, all it took was one plausible, false accusation and a little bit of hardship for your "friends" to become a lynch mob, baying for blood, all their previous loyalty forgotten.
 
Rage at this betrayal turned to contempt, not just for the citizens of his home town, but for the "common folk" as an entity; an entity Takuma has dedicated his life to taking petty revenge upon one scammed peasant at a time, taking petty revenge for their betrayal of his father by betraying their trust in return with a fake smile and empty promises of his own.

Education

Takuma was well educated as the child of a lesser noble, but his impetuous nature made him selective about the subjects he applied himself to. The fine arts of court etiquette and noble tradition were thus neglected in favor of more passionate subjects: music, lore, fencing and debate.
 
None the less, Takuma is perfectly literate and numerate, even if this education is much less well rounded and polished than the average noble.

Employment

Realizing quickly he needed money to survive after abandoning his home, he first became a troubadour, using his musical talent and broad knowledge of ancient history, ballads and poems to delight and amuse crowds for coin.
 
When this proved insufficient to meet Takuma's lordly tastes, he became a merchant, "upselling" cheap trinkets to naïve commoners as "relics" or rare artefacts, and satisfying his irrational grudge at the same time.
 
Takuma also discovered a love of science on his travels - a subject that had never held his interest until all restraints were removed and he was allowed free reign to tinker, experiment and brew potions and chemicals by himself. Alchemy has become a monetized hobby for him, where scamming and performance are his real passions.

Accomplishments & Achievements

Teaching himself alchemy to the level where he can concoct potions, acids and advanced chemical compounds without the aid of formal tuition is certainly remarkable, although Takuma would not consider it so.
 
His survival, alone, on the road and mastery of his daggers are also quite impressive.

Failures & Embarrassments

There have been many, as with any performance artist: forgotten words, dud notes, songs and tales met with roaring silence or jeers.
 
Yet Takuma is seldom haunted by these failures, convinced as he is that commoners are treacherous vermin whose approval he toys with and exploits, rather than cultivates.

Mental Trauma

The death of his father, and the sight of the people he'd dedicated his life to faithfully serving, jeering and cursing his name like he was the most detestable of criminals, haunts Takuma to this day.
 
It has led to a deep rooted prejudice against all common folk: where other Lords might feel smug superiority or pity, Takuma feels raw, unadulterated contempt, and a belief that any of them would act the same way his former serf would have, given the chance.

Intellectual Characteristics

Takuma fancies himself an authority on every subject, by virtue of the fact that his charisma and persuasiveness often convinces people he knows more than he lets on, or is a more reliable source on any given subject than they are. This commonly manifests itself as arrogance and a patronizing tone he cannot help but adopt.
 
In truth he is more of a jack-of-all trades, except when it comes to the arts and history.

Morality & Philosophy

Hyper-capitalist: its a dog-eat-dog world.
 
He also believes loyalty and stupidity go hand-in-hand, and that devotion is just another type of scam, one its important to be on the right end of.
 
That said, he's not completely heartless, and can be moved to help those in need out of pity, if not compassion, provided it poses minimal risk to himself, or a chance of profit.

person.sexuality

Heterosexual - he lost his virginity to a servant girl he enjoyed a brief but passionate courtship with, before she turned on his father with the rest of the town.
 
Takuma is now something of a Lothario - he delights in seduction and the "thrill of the chase", but true romantic attachment eludes him as long as his inherent disdain and prejudice holds sway in his heart, which is ironic, for one who sings about love as much as him...

person.gender_identity

Male, although he is not above dressing as a woman to play a role in a performance, and he has a convincing falsetto

Taboos

His home town - he wants nothing to do with that fetid cess-pool of treachery, and has never once entertained the idea of returning to assume the position he was born to inherit

Known Languages

The common Ardan tongue. His high Ardan is rudimentary and out of practice.

Personality

Motivation

Money, money and more money
 
A desire to punish and rob the lower classes in retribution for their perceived treachery
 
To a lesser degree, a growing sense of loyalty to Martin as a genuinely heroic figure, as well as a meal ticket to the good life and a slight fear of Magden....

Quotes & Catchphrases

"Announcing his Royal Highness, Martin Leondric Lexel Mithimanian Leongling, Prince of Callic!"

Savvies & Ineptitudes

Savvies - performance, haggling, persuasion, street smarts, romance and seduction, escape, cooking on an open fire
 
Ineptitudes - gambling and games, quitting while he's ahead, swimming

Likes & Dislikes

Likes: Attention, music, poetry, stories, myths and legends, money, the open road, adventure, excitement, debate, wild honey, open fires, mead
 
Dislikes: Commoners, naivety, responsibility, debt (personal and financial), fair fights, brawling, injustice, pretense, fine dining, high society

Virtues & Personality perks

Bravery - While this is more to do with his belief in his own invincibility, Takuma will regularly put himself in harms way, either for others or for profit
Ingenuity - Takuma will often seek unconventional, and often ingenious solutions to problems
Showmanship - Why be a backing performer when you can steal the whole show?
Eloquence - Takuma loves the sound of his own voice, and loves to try and talk things over

Vices & Personality flaws

Prejudice - he struggles to forgive and be forgiven
Arrogance - Takuma is a complete narcissist, believing himself more intelligent and more competent than anyone around him
Recklessness - Takuma has never properly realized that he is mortal, and that someday there may come a time when the consequences of his actions can't be talked around or run away from.
Mercenary - As far as Takuma is concerned, everyone has a price, himself included, and sometimes its depressingly low

Personality Quirks

Oddly, Takuma is really bad at swimming, to the point of being afraid of water deeper than a bucket or small stream
 
His high class accent slips into a more low-class variant he picked up from his childhood in times of stress
 
Deeply cares for his reliable old bull, Amber

Hygiene

For an animal that spends so much time on the road, Takuma does employ a high degree of attention to his appearance, and hygiene is a factor. He regularly washes both himself and his clothes, using home-brewed disinfectants and soaps he creates via alchemy

Social

Birthplace

Akinowa

Current Residence

The open road

Contacts & Relations

Anders the innkeeper (broken pot and board I owe him for)
 
Captain Strongspear and 1st Mate Nixon of the Herald
 
Jin-Li - cousin of the douchebag Marquis, a handmaiden of the Shogun, snow leopardess, Martin's crush
 
Hoshio - a boatman we left a leongrim deposit with for his boat

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Heir to ...... village
"The Ronin"

Wealth & Financial state

Limited, as Takuma recently invested his savings in a new wagonload of alchemy supplies and tat to sell

Family Ties

None - father committed hara-kiri, mother died of some illness or other while he was young. No siblings or significant relationships with other relatives

Religious Views

Believes in the gods but only because its easier than not. He likes to be able to blaspheme and have someone to blame when things go wrong/pray to desperately when he needs help
 
Has honestly never had the time to think about it in more detail

Social Aptitude

Takuma is a social butterfly, gregarious and outgoing to a fault, he relishes social contact of all kinds, from bawdy taverns to the thrill of musical performance and the cut-and-thrust of debate.
 
His time on the road, however, has somewhat dulled his (already flakey) knowledge of the etiquette and manners of high society, so he is much more at home among the lower classes he needs and reviles.

Mannerisms

Has a habit of idly strumming his guitar or talking to Amber while driving the cart - habits he has picked up to fend off the creeping loneliness of a life of peddling and scamming others
 
He also has a way of speaking that makes him come across as incredibly arrogant, even when he's not trying to

Hobbies & Pets

Amber the Bull - his elderly, reliable cart-bull
 
His hobbies include alchemical experimentation and the brewing of potions
 
He also enjoys collecting oddities, practicing music and song and reading about ancient history and myths

Speech

Primarily eloquent and well spoken, without a hint of his native Akinowan accent, unless he is flustered or in a state of adrenalin-high, in which case his "real" voice slips out: a much cruder, slang-ridden bastardisation of various different dialects he picked up from years in the gutters and sleazy dive bars of the open road.