Takako Shimizu

Takako Shimizu was a samurai in the town of Aru in Wa in the 1770s on the Wa Calendar.

Description
Aged in her late 20s, she was quite attractive and moved with grace and fluidness.

Personality
Takako was considered the model of a perfect female samurai. She had a keen intellect and wit, as well as a lively nature.

Relationship
Takako was the niece of the daimyo of Aru Province, Benju Matsutomo, and was one of the members of his court.

Abilities
Although she lacked the time to train, Takako advanced well as a samurai and specialized in the katana. She also proficient in horsemanship, calligraphy, origami, and poetry.

Possessions
Despite her training, Takako didn't own her own katana, though she did keep a knife hidden in her obi. She never donned any armor. She had a room in the daimyo's Donjon in the Castle District of Aru, where she stored a variety of clothes and kept a small brazier burning aromatic woods day and night.

History
In high summer of, before the upcoming Ceremony of the Three Thousand Steps, Takako, Benju, various local nobility, and a group of adventurers hired by the daimyo gathered one evening on the vantage point on the hill north of Aru, beside the Shining Temple of Bishamon. The evening was ruined when the temple's great brass bell broke as the hour was rung.

Around that time, Takako may have become attracted to one of the more charismatic male adventurers, if any qualified. In her best calligraphy, she would write an invitation to "view the sunset with me atop the Shining Temple" and signed it "An Ardent Admirer", and sent it via a messenger. However, this would lead to complications. If the adventurer didn't return Takako's affections, or didn't even come to the tryst, then she would grow angry and claim to others he was "trifling with her affections", hurting his reputation. But if the adventurer did, then Benju would learn that he was "shaming" his niece and order him to break it off, which would cause to Takako grow angry and make claims anyway. There was, it seemed, no escaping this.