Mariko

Name: Mariko
Race: Beastkind (rat)
Age: 35
Class: Fighter
Rank: C

Description:
Mariko is a 5ft7 fair-skinned ratgirl with brown hair and matching ears and tail. As she started training early on she also has a toned body. Though still a rumbustious child at heart, her equally brown eyes betray years of training and adventuring and have turned this into a 'let’s get things done' attitude. Although she is a fighter, she doesn’t want to be **** into the role of warrior or knight. Therefore, she selects her equipment in function of the mission at hand, allowing her to fulfill the role of either warrior or knight or even a mixture of the two, depending on the situation.

Biography:
Mariko is born in Muridia Town in the Rimwards border region with the Beastkind Nation. Muridia Town came to be as a stopping place for trade caravans and travelers on one of the roads connecting Bonsatu and Riledo. Someone with delusions of grandeur once tried to name it Muridia City. But most inhabitants just call it Muridia. Muridia has always been a mixed community. All the more now that the relationship between the two nations has been ameliorating. It was in this spirit of openness that the local adventurer trainer/weapon master was able to secure a masterclass for himself by a Beastkind sensei from the Beastkind Nation border region. Always a fan of the Beastkind Nation's martial arts, he can now teach his pupils the proper forms.

Mariko, as a rumbustious child, rather hung out with the boys than the girls of her age. She never did cross the line but was always to be found where the action was. As she grow older her parents considered it a good idea to have Mariko sign up with the local trainer. And was it indeed... She took to the training like a fish to water. She started learning some basic defense techniques which she could always use always to keep in shape. Next on the list was the Bo, a standard staff weapon. Mariko worked her way through the assortment of various staff weapons until she could prove she had mastered all of them by showing her sensei all the kata’s flawlessly. He then let her choose an edged weapon. For this, she chose the bastard sword because it had reasonable reach and could be handled both one and two-handed.

With the insistence of her trainer that she should get her awakening still burning in her mind, she prepared her equipment for the journey to the capital. As weapons she took a Bo, this classic staff weapon that could also double as a walking staff, and a bastard sword, a weapon she grows increasingly fond of. As for armor Mariko decided to go for a good full leather armor. At least that was how she planned it, until her trainer turned up with a chainmail shirt claiming his prime pupil should at least have some decent armor to start her off with. He also made her a promise that if things didn’t work out at the capital she could always return and become an assistant trainer. Thus as the day of her departure came around she said her goodbyes to her trainer, family and friends and joined a caravan to the capital.

When Mariko arrived at Riledo, she met two other Beastkind. Because it clicked between them they decided to stick together for the awakening ceremony. As a matter of fact, they still do to this day. The cat boy introduced himself as Tom and the fox girl as Jenny.

With the awakening ceremony completed, Mariko had become a C rank Fighter. When all 3 of them had their awakening, they decided to leave the entrance and the swarm of recruiters behind to discuss their results. But just before they left the grounds of the awakening site behind, they were intercepted by a Mouse Beastkind who seemed to come out of nowhere. She introduced herself as the head of the Kedamono’s Brigade and was recruiting. She talked with them for some time and presented her guild as one where they would already have a home, if they wanted.

While discussing this latest event they eventually ended up at the doorstep of a pub called “Inn the belly of the Beast”. The pub seemed to be patronized by Beastkind as well as humans. There they met a member of the Gryphon Knights who, over a drink, let them know that in his opinion the Kedamono’s Brigade was probably the best choice for a group of novice Beastkind adventurers like them. Their guild hall was also just down the road.

After signing up, Mariko got her own personalized red dagger and thus officially became a guild member of the Kedamono’s Brigade. One of the first things she did was write a letter to her parents and trainer that it all worked out at the capital. Later on, she would write a second letter proudly saying she was now the weapon mentor for the newly awakened guild members.

In time Mariko proved to be quite the fighter, able to stand toe-to-toe with Hiroki. As matter of fact, a practice fight between those two looks more like a dance than a fight with them dodging and blocking each other attack while searching for an opening to actually land an attack.

Until this day she can be regularly seen performing the kata’s her trainer thought her all those years ago to keep in shape.

Skills:
Skill 1: Thrill for combat – Mariko’s senses and reaction speed increases so she becomes capable of dodging, blocking and deflecting all incoming attacks
Skill 2: Riposte - Mariko quickly attacks an opponent, must be used after a fighter has deflected an attack
Skill 3: Focused strike - Mariko can target one place (on the body) to deliver a focused attack for increased damage
Skill 4: Endure - Mariko can withstand large amounts of physical pain

Equipment:
Bastard sword, when she got the [Focused Strike] skill she knew she got a devastating combo and thus it quickly became her favorite weapon with the Bo-staff as a close second. She usually wears chainmail. Depending on the mission at hand she also used a shield or Jo-staff. Red Tanto knife (functional but mostly ornamental)