Name: Shosuro Zhiko (alias Shosuro Reiko)
Female Ninja 8
Level: 8
Experience 28,001
Hair: Black
Eyes Grey, Green in some light
Height: 4’10"
Weight 86 lb (!)
Age: 25
Str: 8 -1 (0 points)
Dex: 14 +2 (6 points)
Con: 14 +2 (6 points)
Int: 17 +3 (8 points, +1 at 4th & 8th level)
Wis: 10 +0 (2 points)
Cha: 14 +2 (6 points)
Clan: Scorpion
Honor: 1.0
Glory: 1.0
Languages: Low Rokugani, High Rokugani
HD: 8d6 + 16
Hit points: 57
Armor Class 18 (+2 Dex, +2 Ninja Dodge, +4 Armor)
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 ft
Void points: 0
BAB: +8 / +3
-Melee: +7 / +2
-Ranged: +10 / +5
Saves
-Fortitude: +5 [+7] (3 base + 2 Con + 2 Item)
-Reflex: +8 [+10] (6 base + 2 Dex + 2 Item)
-Will: +3 [+5] (3 base + 0 Wis + 2 Item)
Feats
-Kharmic Tie: Ancestor feat
-Versatility (Iaijustu Focus, Sense Motive): 1st level feat
-Quickdraw: 3rd level feat
-Armor Focus (Padded): 6th level feat
Skills (44 Ninja + 8 Human + 21 Int + 1 Language = 74)
-Bluff: +17 (11 ranks + 2 Cha + 2 Kharmic Tie + 2 Benten)
-Climb: +4 [+6] (5 ranks + -1 Str + 2 Item)
-Decipher Script: +4 (1 ranks + 3 Int)
-Diplomacy: +15 (5 ranks + 2 Cha + 2 Kharmic Tie + 2 Benten + 4 Synergy)
-Disguise: +9 [+11] (1 ranks + 2 Cha + 2 Kharmic Tie + 2 Benten + 2 Synergy + 2 Item)
-Escape Artist: +3 (1 ranks + 2 Dex)
-Forgery: +4 (1 ranks + 3 Int)
-Hide: +7 [+17] (5 ranks + 2 Dex + 10 Item)
-Iaijutsu Focus: +17 [+21] (11 ranks + 2 Cha + 2 Kharmic Tie + 2 Benten + 4 Item)
-Innuendo (receiving): +1 (1 ranks + 0 Wis)
-Innuendo (sending): +3 (1 ranks + 0 Wis + 2 Synergy)
-Knowledge (Nobility): -2 (1 ranks + 1 Int – 2 Colorblind - 2 Bad Sight)
-Mimic: +7 (1 ranks + 2 Cha + 2 Kharmic Tie + 2 Benten)
-Move Silent: +7 [+17] (5 ranks + 2 Dex + 10 Item)
-Poison: +15 (11 ranks + 3 Int + 1 Family)
-Read Lips: +4 (1 ranks + 3 Int)
-Sense Motive: +15 (5 ranks + 0 Wis )
-Tumble: +11 (9 ranks + 2 Dex)
Class Abilities
-Sneak Attack: +4d6 damage vs. flanked or flat-footed opponent.
-Poison Use: Never poisons herself when appling poisons.
-Ninja Dodge: +2 Dodge Bonus, may be split among two targets, only when no armor check penalty.
-Uncanny Dodge (x2): Retain Dexterity bonus to AC when flat-footed, cannot be flanked.
-Speed of Darkness: Add Intelligence modifier to Initiaive checks.
-Shadow Run: +10' movement speed if no armor check penalty.
Equipment (28,000 gp total value)
-Katana +1, Focus (3040 gp)
-Padded Armor +1, Shadowed, Silent Moves (8155 gp)
-Tabi of Speed (8000 gp)
-Haori of Resistance +2 (4000 gp)
-Sleep Arrow x1 (132 gp)
-Crafted Poisons: Snake Venom x2, Cobra Toxin x2, Fuantei Shi, Jellyfish Sting (800 gp)
-Potions: Path to Inner Peace I x4, Protection vs Honor, Spider Climb x2, Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Darkvision (1550 gp)
-Talismans: Bone Shield (Sanctuary), Frightened Crane (Expeditious Retreat) x2, Makeup kit (Change Self) x2, Shadow mask (Know the shadows) x2, Golden leaf (Pass Without Trace) x2, Paper umbrella (Obscuring Mist), and one Mirrored mask (Invisibility), Black Fan (+10 Diplomacy). (950 gp)
-Yumi Composite Shortbow (75 gp)
-Quiver w/ 20 Arrows (3 gp)
-Chain (5 gp)
-Shuriken x4 (4 gp)
-Hairpin Knives (4 gp)
-Garote (2 gp)
-Caltrops x10 (10 gp)
-100' Silk Rope (20 gp)
-Climbing Kit (50 gp)
-Disguise Kit (50 gp)
-Masterwork Sculpture by Crane Sculptor (500 gp)
-Complex Puzzle Box, Masterwork (200 gp)
-Masterwork Tea Service (100 gp)
-Pair of Matching Jade Amulets (50 gp x2)
-Exceptional Tea, 10 packages (10 gp x 10)
-Local Scorpion Spices, 10 servings (2 gp x 10)
-Pony, war-trained, w/ tack, riding saddle, & saddlebags (114 gp)
-30 koku, 20 bu
Ancestors
-Bayushi (Feat): You are descended from Bayushi, the first Scorpion, whose love for his daughter proved his final downfall. You get a +2 bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks. You have a kharmic tie to another character. You may detect the direction of this character if he or she is alive, on the same plane, and you succeed at an Intuit Direction check against DC 15 (or a Wisdom check if you do not have the skill). A failure on this check gives no information. You may retry once per round as a standard action.
Advantages
-Benten’s Blessing (3): People are attracted to you. It may be your looks or your charm, or it may be both. You just have that certain "something." Whenever you make a Charisma based skill check, you may add +2 to the die roll.
-Luck (9): You may re-roll three unsuccessful rolls during a session.
Disadvantages
-Bad Sight (2): With this disadvantage, the PC is at –2 for all sight-based skills checks, such as Spot, Search and Knowledge: Nobility (when trying to recognize a clan or family mon).
-Chemical Dependency (3): This character is addicted to opium. She needs to feed her addiction on regular intervals or suffer –5 subdual for every day that he goes without her drug of choice.
-Colorblind (1): Some samurai have eyes that are paler than most of Rokugan's natives, and sometimes this causes colorblindness. The Colorblind character can see colors as shades of gray, but cannot tell the difference between shades. This results in –2 to all Knowledge: Nobility checks when trying to recognize a clan or family mon.
-Phobia: Oni (4): Every time you encounter your phobia, all rolls you make are at a -4 penalty. You may spend a Void Point to avoid this penalty for a single action.
-Small (3): You are below average height and weight. Your weapon is counted as one size category smaller when calculating damage.
-Wrath of the Kami (Fire) (3): There is something about you that the spirits of Rokugan do not like. Perhaps your soul was born unclean, your ancestors wish to show their disfavor of you, or you have offended them in some way. In any case, the kami of the Empire go out of their way to harm you when they are directed to do so by a shugenja. Any time a fire spell is cast to harm or hinder you directly, it is cast as if the caster were 2 levels higher.
Personality
Shosuro Zhiko has something to prove... a reaction to the combination of her small size, upbringing, and the mistrust that others show to Scorpions. This desire for dominance conceals a more needy and approval-seeking interior, which she struggles to suppress. She tends to be slightly unsubtle for a Scorpion, but can still outthink the average samurai. Her solutions to problems tend to be brutal, effective, and permanent. She strongly values the "Scorpion bushido" code, and is offended when others dismiss her commitment or loyalty.
Background
Publically, Shosuro Zhiko is a merchant for the Scorpion clan, dealing with matters of money which more honorable Samurai would disdain. Few believe this is the extent of her skills.
Shosuro Zhiko is also an expert duellist, but she carries her katana in social environments. She is especially known for her non-threatening demeanor, and the lethality of her cut, which strikes men down like lightning. Those who are easily fooled believe this is her purpose: to lure the complacent or foolish into insulting the Scorpion when they assume themselves to be safe, so that they may be challenged and eliminated. Like all good lies, this bears some trace of truth.
For the more knowledgable, Zhiko is clearly a weapon. She acts for whose who are more subtle, and more concealed, eliminating threats without exposing the hand of the Scorpion or upsetting delicate covers. She does not confine herself to public confrontations, nor to violence, being capable of eliminating threats diplomatically, through stealth, or guile, or poison. Those who underestimate the Scorpion find themselves stung, and like all good lies, this one bears more than passing resemblance to the truth.
Only the those trusted implcitly know the deeper truth: Zhiko epitomizes the twin Scorpion virtues of open duplicity and total loyalty. She is the blatant lie, the simple deception which alludes to depth, the unexpected lunge when a feint was expected. Aroru trusts her implcitly, because only he realizes how uncomplicated she truly is. Like all good lies, this one is composed entirely of the truth.
History
There are several incidents of note in Zhiko's history which lead her to her current level of skill.
Her first task for the Shosuro was intended to serve as a distraction. She was told to attack and kill an enemy noble, but above all, not to be caught. When it became clear that she would not be able to complete her mission, she committed one of the greatest sins of the Rokugani: she intentionally started a fire. Fire is rarely used by criminals in a land where entire villages of paper houses stand close by one another. It is too indiscriminate. Zhiku surely knew that she would likely be killed for such an act, even if she escaped. Many people died in the resulting fire, but the noble died. So did the heir the Scorpions wanted in his place. To the surprise of many, Shosuro was not executed: her loyalty impressed her masters, and they allowed her to live, 'though she still bears the marks of their "education" on the dangers of fire to this day. The Scorpion eventually forgave her. It is unlikely the kami ever will.
Zhiko has also travelled the lands of many clans, including the mountains which form the only border between Scorpion and Lion lands. It was here, near a mountain lake, that she encountered a vicious Oni. The encounter is best not recounted, for it nearly shattered her mind, and cost the life of the young red-haired monk she had been assigned to follow.
She fled back to Ryoko Owari, where she lost herself for a short time in the opium dens. It was only when a group of firemen attempted to use her addiction to force her to plot against her family that she came out of this self-imposed retirement. Her masters are well aware of her addiction, but she has never allowed it to be used as leverage against the Scorpion. Thus, they leave well enough alone, cataloging it as one more way of keeping control of her loyalty.
It may seem that Zhiko's life is overburdened with great tragedies, but this is the irony fate has in store for her. Zhiko leads a life of nearly charmed luck in her everyday activities, balanced by the occasional tragedy. In this life, perhaps, she may come to learn the value of the little things.