Kinoshita no Akihide

Kinoshita no Akihide, also known as Totaro, is the only living member of the Kinoshita Clan and the disposed prince of Jū-kinai. He is the son of the assassinated emperor, Kinoshita no Akihiko. He seeks to restore the alliance to its former glory and bring peace to the feuding clans. Happy-go-lucky and charismatic, he travels across the lands to petition the former allies and enemies of his father.

Name

Myōji – Kinoshita ('under the tree')

Yōmyō – Susumu ('go forward')

Nanori – Akihide (bright eminence')

Zokumyō – Totaro ('first son')

Physical Description

Identifying Characteristics

Totaro bears a long scar on the left side of his face that runs from his jawline up to just below the eye. It was gained during a duel with Furuyama no Shigenori in the year 570. Unusually, he keeps his hair cut short despite the tradition of noblemen wearing their hair long. This allows him to travel across Fusō incognito and without drawing attention to himself. It also reminds Totaro of his humble, carefree youth with his aunt in rural Washū.

Special abilities

Empathic; super human strength.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Born Susumu, official records of the prince's birth are incomplete and shrouded in mystery. The unmarried emperor, Akihiko, presented a newborn babe to his court in late summer of the year 555 and claimed the child was his son and heir. To the shock of the nation, he declared that the mother of his child was the kami Toyotama-hime. Though he had spoke the truth, the emperor's detractors and enemies believed him to be an arrogant liar, while others thought he had gone mad.

The young prince was born in the undersea palace of his divine grandfather, Unagami, and soon after delivered to his father on land by Toyotama-hime's younger sister.

As he grew, Susumu's resemblance to his father could not be denied, yet his unusual blue eyes convinced many that his mother truly was of divine origin. Noblemen and commonfolk all travelled to The Golden Cape in hope of a glimpse of the young prince.

Following the death of his father on the final day of 559, four year old Susumu fled the city and his homeland with a trusted retainer who brought him to the Nakatomi Clan for protection in Sakuchi. Their young leader, Tomoe, had Susumu taken to a remote village in southern Washū where he spent the next three years in the care of a woman named Tamayori, unaware that she was his maternal aunt. His happy, carefree days soon came to an end in 563 when he is brought back to Sakuchi and his formal education resumes. It is during this time in Tomoe's court that he first meets Hana, briefly becoming playmates.

However, his presence in the Nakatomi household caused tensions between clans, as the Hisoka, Shimamura, and Misaki families believed Tomoe and her allies were attempting to restore the Jū-kinai with Susumu as their puppet. After supressing a rebellion on the Tatsuhiro Plain, Furuyama no Sadanori agreed to take the young boy to the safety of his mountain home in Ittoyama. Loyal to the deceased emperor, Sadanori had Susumu learn swordplay and politics with his own sons. He quickly befriended the family's second son, Ryujiro with whom he was close in age.

In early 567, it was decided he would return to Sakuchi. He insisted on having his Genpuku ceremony at the age of twelve alongside Ryujiro before leaving. The young prince adopted the adult names 'Totaro' as his zokumyō and 'Akihide' as his nanori. By the time he reached to Nakatomi Castle, the news had arrived that Sadanori was dead. Totaro was devastated, and he would be further distraught when Furuyama no Mistuyori was also killed. 

Sexuality

Bisexual

Education

As the prince of Jū-kinai, his education began early in the former capital, with priests and academics guiding him. During his childhood travels, he spent time with the sons of different clan heads, joining them in their studies and learning swordsmanship. Though he disliked formal education, Totaro is particularly gifted in history.

Ethnicity

Yayoi

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Prince of Jū-kinai; Lord of Settsu

Age

20

Birthplace

Ryūgū-jō

Family

Kinoshita Clan

Current Residence

Sakuchi

Sex

Male

Eyes

Dark brown

Hair

Short, black

Height

175 cm

Aligned Organization

Kinoshita Clan