Iki Kurusu

> "My name is Iki Kurusu of the Tosei Lung. Have you seen this man?"
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>

> **- Iki to the Fellers**
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>

Emperor Iki Kurusu

Wrath

The Brigadiers (mentioned only)

Unnamed mother

Unnamed wife

Merek Kurusu (son)

**Iki Kurusu** is a party member of the Fellers in The Lost Mines of Phandelver. He also appears as an NPC in The Deathless. He has also had a non-canon appearance in The Wild Sheep Chase. He is the adoptive brother of Kazu Kurusu.

Iki is a fighter that specializes in dual-wielding weapons. It was also revealed in The Deathless that he has the capability to transform into a dragon at will. He is a capable warrior who will to crush those who stand in his way to power and despises those below him. Whether this is his true personality or Wrath's is unknown.

## Appearance

In The Lost Mines of Phandelver, Iki is a young man of average height and build. He has long black hair tied back and brown eyes. He is dressed in red brigandine armour and wears a cloak with the Tosei Lung emblem depicted on it.

In The Deathless, Iki has aged and now has slightly greying hair. Because Iki is now the Emperor, he now wears a more intricately designed red and gold brigandine armour along with a gold crown. He still wears the same cloak, only now it is integrated into his armour as opposed to simply being tied around his neck.

## Abilities and Powers

* **Wrath -** A supernatural entity that took control of Iki many years ago. This allowed Iki to have access to multiple abilities.
	+ **Dragon form -** Iki can transform into a large red dragon at will
	+ **Strength -** Iki now has supernatural levels of strength.

## Backstory

Iki Kurusu was born in Shou Lung to Tai Kurusu, who at the time was Shou Lung's Battlemaster and leader of the Tosei Lung. Along with his adoptive brother, Kazu Kurusu, the two were raised to become the Emperor's personal guard.

The two were taught and trained in the traditional methods of Shou combat. While Kazu excelled, Iki was looked down upon by his father and was repeatedly told he wouldn't amount to anything. The constant feeling of being incompetent slowly drove Iki to resent Kazu. These bitter feelings allowed the spirit of Wrath to choose Iki as it's new host, granting Iki supernatural powers.

Iki attempted to murder both Kazu and his father in their home with his newfound powers, allowing him to take the form of a dragon. Tai Kurusu was killed in the fight but Kazu narrowly escaped, believing Iki was dead after he lost control in his dragon form, causing the building to collapse on top of him followed by a burst of magical energy.

Miraculously, Iki survived and took over as the leader of the Tosei Lung, claiming Kazu was a traitor who murdered their father and must be stopped at all costs. As a result of this, Kazu was forced to flee Shou Lung, hiding in nations overseas.

## The Lost Mines of Phandelver

Realizing Kazu had fled overseas, Iki decided to pursue him. His search was fruitless and he returned home after a few months of searching.

## The Deathless

Battling Kazu for the first time in years, Iki also revealed himself to now be the emperor of Shou Lung. Kazu managed to defeat Iki and encased him in chains that prevented him from fully utilizing the potential of Wrath.

## After The Deathless

Kazu left the adventuring party early and returned to Shou Lung along with Iki, now in chains to prevent him from utilizing the power of Wrath. Proving that Iki is under the control of Wrath, Kazu was able to clear his name in the death of his father. Kazu would go on to live a peaceful and tranquil life but the same could not be said of Iki.

Although he was able to be cleansed of Wrath's influence, his involvement with Wrath left a permanent stain on his legacy. Maintaining the title of Emperor, Iki worked diligently to rule justly and mend the fractures he caused within the kingdom. However, the people of Shou Lung regarded him with a mixture of suspicion and disdain. His attempts to rebuild trust were met with skepticism, and whispers of his past misdeeds echoed through the halls of the imperial court.

Iki and Kazu would attempt multiple times throughout the years to rekindle their brotherly friendship. While the two held a mutual respect for one another, too much had changed for both men to become brothers once again.

## The Brigaders

While he did not make an appearance in person, Iki was mentioned by Robo Kazu and it is believed his equipment is currently in the Imperial Palace.

## Waterdeep: Dragon Heist

Iki is the father of Merek Kurusu, a party member of the Fellers in Waterdeep Dragon Heist.

## Trivia

* His favourite animal is a scorpion.
* Iki is loosely based off of Akira Nishikiyama from the *Yakuza* games.