Owari Asagao

## Appearance

**Hair**: Black

**Skin**: pale

**Eyes**: hazel

**Height**: 5’4”

**Weight**: 130

**Markings**/**Noticeable** **Features**: mole below her right eye.

## Abilities

dedicated surgeon, educated in herbal remedies and antidotes. Proficient in knives and anatomy.

## History

Lauded for their medical knowledge and development of alchemical solutions and traditional medicines the Owari have established them-selves as a long time house of nobility. The current head of the Owari is Owari Seijiro, master and teacher to many promising doctors. The Owari clan steeped in tradition Asagao’s mother and father had an arranged marriage they are happy enough as a couple Seijiro being a stern hardworking man who’s soul focus on the advancing and upholding the philosophy of homeopathic medicine. Owari Kimiko is the matron of the household a poised woman and ever the hostess she makes their home welcoming in contrast to the sterile atmosphere of her father’s school.

Asagao has an older sister Tsubaki Owari she is married to her father’s head student. As the family is patriarchal, with only daughters the Owari’s have adopted through marriage Ibisaki Gaiho now Owari Gaihoi to be their next head. Tsubaki is more like their father, cold, but was trained to be the lady of the Clan house and the nuances of that position. She did not inherit the skills of a healer. The pair has two sons which more than pleases Seijiro.

Asagao twenty-seven and widowed twice over some would say she is a cursed woman. Named after the morning glories that bloomed outside her mother’s chamber, Asagao meant “fleeting love.” Others would whisper and spread rumors that she poisoned each of her husband’s on their wedding bed explaining their mysterious deaths. The truth was just as sinister, though not her doing.

Her first husband was an arrangement between families her husband’s family merchant traders and longtime allies of the Owari. He was kind and doting and in time their marriage would have been a loving one. Sadly he soon became ill after the ceremony and never woke symptoms of a failed heart.

After a period of mourning Asagao was again set up with a new marital candidate who did not even make it to the ceremony illness befalling him shortly after the courtship. He was a spoiled lord-ling a third son of a newer clan showing promise with their business in trade with the main lands. This suitor was handsy and demanded her attention especially once he grew more ill pulling her away from her tutelage. When he passed even sooner than the last, his family was outraged demanded recompense public apology and the rumors began to grow as it was whispered in the courts that Asagao was a black widow or cursed bride.

Only recently had her family been able to clear such atrocious claims Asagao had spent the last year in deep study and meditation resolving herself to her work. The Owari Clan itself maintained their reputation by a thread and hired many to investigate the strange deaths of Asagao’s two husbands. Bringing to light the suspicion that an apprentice of the Owari had been poisoning the young brides suitors. Before one shouts affair from the rooftops, this was not the course of her tale, in fact the man had little love for any of his master’s family.

Seijiro Owari was not known to be a doting teacher. Ever the hardened master he expected nothing but perfection from his apprentices. He would often work them hard and late into the evenings only for them to be awoken early to hunt for ingredient animal, herbal, and mineral. The components needed for their medical tinctures were to be of only the highest quality and his students would have to be meticulous in their harvesting or else be sent away. This wore on the apprentice and slowly a disdain would grow.

The man confessed to his crimes when caught, the tale tragic as he couldn’t get past the fact that he had manifested the slights of his master within his own mind as an excuse for being lazy. He was beheaded before the public with a public confession, the justice hardly enough for either of the families poorly affected by his twisted actions. Though it did put some fears to rest the lingering scars on the Owari’s reputation.

Asagao now spends herdays apprenticed to her brother in-law the court healer.