Sazaku Hayato

Abarenbou mask - A Noh mask shaped to the face of an attendant of Bushidai-ou, the type a sorcerer would wear. A gift from Sazaku's dead friend Jubei, it has mysterious powers that somehow repelled spirits.

Abilities:
Sude and Busou (including kyudo) expertise
Experienced Survival skills
Yagyu-style military tactic knowledge
iai mastery
Fluent in many languages, including: Vinar, Ngawi, Yagyu and Agean
Yagyu Agricultural knowledge

Character Description:
He's slightly taller than the average Yagyu and quite a bit faster. Despite his large frame that makes him look like the samurai he is rather than a spy or runner, he's as graceful on his feet as a professional song girl. Clean-shaven with dark hair and matching eyes, he looks imposing to be sure. He wears the traditional armor of the Yagyu samurai, styled dark blue to honor his parents. It offers heavy protection to the vital areas (chest and stomach) and covers the shoulders rather well. The red crest of shame is painted on the left shoulder, and the right is in bad shape. The armor hasn't seen a proper smith in quite some time. His bow is slung over his back with a belt quiver on his left and his dashio on his right (he's left-handed). Under his armor he wears his traditional black robes.

History:
The son of Ryoga and Midori Hayato. Ryoga was an expert farmer, making some of the finest rice in the land, while his mother served as a samurai. The eldest of three, younger sister named Sakura and his even younger brother named Asuma. Sakura and Asuma both enjoyed farming while Sazaku found it boring, so it fell upon him to honor his mother and become a samurai. He quickly proved to be a talented fighter, having trained with his mother before officially joining the army in the ways of yarijutsu and kyudo. Despite his lack of sword-training, which his mother disliked as she prefered naginatas, he much prefered the smaller weapons and quickly demonstrated his mastery with them, finishing second in his class. As a reward, his mother presented Sazaku with her dashio, showing his success at honoring her. By the age of 25 he was on the battlefield, even earning the nickname of 'the Blue Lightning', another reference to his mother who was 'the Blue War Goddess.' During a brief war in with a rebel daimyo he even managed to defeat a few enemy samurai in honorable duels, but was forced to flee from the wrath of 'the Black Devil' Neji Tukaraga, who was slain by an arrow barrage. His cowardice in battle revealed, Sazaku's own mother personally insisted that be bear the red crest and become a Ronin. He did so willingly, disgusted at his own actions. He was effectively a fugitive, and was on the run for the better part of year until he finally came to Vinar, seeking refuge with the Ibis clan. He became a sort of war consultant, but even his knowledge and abilities failed in the defence that cost the lives of Sinuhe Mentuhotep's brothers.