Bakku

Bakku is a tall, broad samurai mostly known for a near-permanent scowl and a general avoidance of socialization. However, those who speak with him soon learn that this is all a shallow misconception at best.

Bakku is content to be shy, he is as soft-hearted and trustworthy as they come, offering an ear for strangers and friends alike - as well as a friendly blade to spar with. He is equipped with a veritable arsenal of domestic skills from tailoring to housekeeping, but is a notoriously poor cook. Despite his skill in combat, he is most likely to get along with children.

## Introduction:

When you first find Bakku in the pre-amble before a chapter, he is riddled in injuries, on death's door but vowing vengeance on Nohr. The army takes him in, unable to leave a fellow Hoshidan to die. Much later Bakku appears mid-battle, and if he survives the chapter he is recruited automatically.

## Common Knowledge History

Bakku claims that he and his sister were ambushed near Nohr's border. His sister and their beast stones were stolen from him after a long, arduous battle. He also claims he can still transform, though he warns that its an uncontrolled transformation and only ends when he becomes unconscious. Its not a hard thing to do, seeing as a colossal squid out of water slowly crushes itself to death.

While Bakku remains fiercely loyal to his captured charge and grieves her absence, he remains loyal to the army. He swears to liberate her, as she's the heiress to the family.

## Full History:

Bakku lived a rather regular life as a child in coastal hoshido - that is, until his sister was born. Once he was 10 years old he began to train to be a samurai, his clan had a notoriously intense training method and it encompassed his life. He learned fast and was a promising student, well on his way to being a royal retainer - the clan elders often spoke of how well he took to the brutal training methods. To this day he still has the scars from pain-tolerance training, and though they look gruesome and undoubtedly hurt to attain, he is fond of them and is quick to ease onlookers that they are much less scary than they seem.

However, he was taking his first steps into teenhood when the faceless blew through their tiny island settlement. Bakku was off training at the time and returned to a empty house with slashed walls, not a body to be found, but all the blood still smeared and spattered. The distant wailing of a toddler brought him over. Grabbing the babe and the beast stone attuned to her, Bakku knew they would undoubtedly return to finish the job, and fled his home.

Since then, Bakku has raised Doe all on his own, giving him an emotional depth that other samurai deeply lack. Now the last two in their clan, he became her retainer, adviser, care-taker, historian, and one-man army. Despite his heavy load he continued his training in many other clans and settlements, often those still vying for his clan's favor, and grew to appreciate the many cultures in Hoshido. Due to Doe and Bakku being the last living squid clan members, they agreed to forge a new future for their family.

Until this point, Bakku was expected to become king, but Doe took the mantle from him and is now primed to be the first empress of their people.

Life, it seemed, was okay. Bakku and Doe traveled the countryside vanquishing the faceless and protecting others. Together they found those worthy of their clan and sent them to start a new life in their ruined nation, and slowly but surely the people there prospered. Through miracle alone, those born on the island were gifted by the sea and gained a beast form in the shape of a kraken, and their culture began to thrive once more.

However, war waited for no man, and soon Nohr and Hoshido were at war. The first battle was held as Bakku and Doe were travelling between city-states, and a Nohrian patrol took the opportunity and ambushed them.

Determined to not lose his family again, Bakku fought with everything he had in order to survive, and the battle waged long through the day and Bakku ended up using everything he had in his arsenal - including his beast form. Though there was no water to support him, he raged against the platoon until he succumbed to his own crushing weight. On the brink of death with stars dotting the reddened sky, Doe fought valiantly to protect him, but alone against a tide of enemies she couldn't hold them off long. Bakku watched as she was hauled away, the Nohrians not having the decency to give him the solace of death.

Bakku lay on the ground for days. Holding on in the off chance that he could recover and find vengeance. And though his wounds were badly infected by the time Corrin's army found him, he ended up making a full recovery. At first people would not refer to him as a samurai, expecting him to drop the class after losing his charge, but Bakku took great offence to that. He was grieving and angry, a lifetime of hatred and mistreatment by the other nation's hands fueled him.

As first impressions go, as you can see Bakku's was poor. The nicest folk were the ones to see him first and they were the ones he burned the most, the rougher members got hold of his misattributed reputation and treated him likewise.

However, as the pain became less fresh Bakku returned to his usual self and stopped trying to make amends with those who wouldn't listen. Now he doesn't care much of what others think of him, for if they really cared or truly mattered, they would speak with him.

## In Battle:

Bakku has surprisingly bulky growth, actual stat gain being more spread out towards the upper levels making him a late bloomer. He has access to plenty of classes and heartseals into Myrmidon, giving him Vantage.

Mostly used as a back-unit for the excellent bonuses he imparts, it shouldn't be forgotten that he can be built into a tank or striker as a front-unit. Ironically, pairing him with a younger flier instead of Doe proves to be a powerful tactic.

### Personal Skill: Warden

Description: Trained from birth to protect children.

Effect: +3 to all stats when paired with a younger unit. +5 if its Doe.

Bakku's personal skill is Warden, despite the description it will activate if the unit is even a day under his age. This makes him an excellent unit for pair-ups, as young units typically suffer from low hp and defenses. This skill is best used once Bakku is reclassed into a knight or has healer support.

While paired with Doe their skills compliment one another, making Doe into nothing short of a murder machine with their additionally powerful pair-up bonuses - rivaled only by the bonuses he gives his s-rank partner. While this is the intent of the skill, Doe does not have the longevity that other potential partners have.

## Support Prompts:

* Samurai are an odd bunch, often found entrenched in their ways - but toy making isn't exactly a common training method for them. Bakku is missing some materials, though, and could use some help.

* Bakku notices that your unit is s-ranked with another, he muses with them about family matters before the topic lands on his own family. Slowly, Bakku opens up about his family and what it was like while he was with them.
* In the middle of battle Bakku sees your unit buckle, and dashes in to take a blow for them - despite being total strangers. Afterwards Bakku struggles with the injury, which helps your unit weasel out why he did it.
* In the barracks after battle Bakku is removing his armor, and he compliments your unit on their fighting ability. Your unit spots a thatching of scars all over Bakku’s back as he removes his armor. Bakku isn't as tight-lipped as expected.
* The obligatory food-related support revolves around the unique dishes of the squid clan and how absolutely terrible Bakku is at preparing them. Perhaps a better cook could do them justice?