Hikaru Gado

> We could try to be more manipulative, but I doubt that will be to your liking.
>
> Hikaru Gado, to Dio Caster

## Statistics

### Aliases:

Hikaru, Fifth Son, Firefly, Higanbana (pejorative), Ruru, Samurai

### Race:

Kitsunehengeyokai (Technically 3/4's Human, 1/4 Hengeyokai)

## DND Stats

### CHA:

18 (+4)

Hikaru Gado is a character played by Jacoby Jones in the New World of Zhalt campaign. He is a zealous Crawdad noble from the Jade Empire whose magical potential has rendered him sickly his entire life.

## Appearance

As is his nature as a shapeshifter, his appearance is highly variable.

In his mostly human guise, Hikaru is towering man of gaunt build with muted pink hair and piercing pink eyes. His long hair hangs mostly untamed in the form of wild bangs and ponytails kept in strands by ribbons. He can manifest fox-like bright pink ears and tail, alongside other more subtle features indicating his heritage.

While he is only technically one-quarter Hengeyokai (on his mother's side), the over abundance of magic since 'The Calamity' has made him develop the same as a full-blooded Hengeyokai.

Extremely thin, even for a member of his race, Hikaru's appears visibly sickly and physically weak. He walks with a notable limp and his breathing is always companion to a low rattling rasp.

He prefers to dress in the style's traditional to women with a preference woman's dresses and religious wear. If the situation requires he dress in 'masculine' fashion, he prefers simple Jadean-style noble dresswear. He rarely ever found without his subdued cane, his gohei, his kagura suzu, and his prayer beads.

Hikaru is also capable of appearing as bright pink, but otherwise normal, Japanese Red Fox.

## Personality

Appearances & decor are important to Hikaru; naturally, his personality hides under layers of masks and falsehoods, only some of which are intentional on his part. Each of these little disguises make up the genuine person underneath, yet if pressed Hikaru would likely struggle to identify the difference between long-running lies and what remains of his true self.

He presents himself as a well-mannered, well-spoken,

Like other kitsunehengeyokai, he is curious. In his case, this is to a fault, often putting himself out on a limb because he wants to know something simply for the sake of knowing it. He often justifies this behaviour a strategic in nature, although it is far more compulsive in nature.

## Relationships

### Friends

**Kojin**

Besides his mom, Kojin was Hikaru’s main-caretaker for the later half of his life. A traveller from the Shadowlands, Kojin arrived in the Crawdad lands in search of employment as an agricultural worker. She was hired to tend the gardens around the estate Hikaru was quarantined too. After a while, she would make her way up the hierarchy, becoming Hikaru’s secondary care-taker and a good friend. Hikaru finds their maternal & 'colourful' attitude a valuable perspective.

**Chima**

A date set-up by Kyoko with a Ōkamihengeyokai that didn’t fully pan out, Chima is an ambitious person. He does have a solid friendship with Hikaru although he is primarily out for himself and everyone else second. Hikaru is aware of these faults, but doesn’t have a lot of friends to be too picky about the loyalty of this one. Chima offers worldly advice, as he was widely travelled within the Jade Empire. Hikaru takes most of his advice with a grain of salt, mostly because he is well aware of Chima’s ulterior motives. Kaminari and especially Kojin do not like Chima.

**Kaminari**

The most recent addition to Hikaru’s retinue, she was found by a Gado scouting party into the Shadowlands a few years ago. A very pious woman, she is a strict pacifist despite her size and strength. Hikaru found her useful for carrying along his things (as he is very weak) and good for theological discussion. Hikaru enjoys her company and finds her skills essential for his travels, as walking is rather strenuous for him.

### Family

Above all else, including himself, Hikaru is devoted to his family. There is little that could dissuade him from doing anything and everything for their sake, at any personal expense. While he doesn't necessarily have the best relationship with everyone who shares his blood, even the most strained link by blood holds great importance to him.

**Hung Gado**

Hikaru idolises his father as an exemplar of what a man of the Gado lineage should represent. His great strength made Hikaru’s sickly nature and feeble body even more of an embarrassment within the court; while Hung would never mention that fact to his son, the rumours and whispers have left Hikaru feeling that his existence made his father’s life more difficult than it needed to be. When he had opportunities to visit Hikaru, he was very kind and loving. He would usually avoid discussing politics or fighting with Hikaru; for the most part, he helped him through light drills and exercises, so Hikaru would know how to defend himself. Hikaru mourns his death every day, offering prayers to his memory each morning. His passing made Hikaru’s continued shameful presence in the Crawdad lands far more difficult, encouraging him to leave to not further burden his family.

**Chieko "Mitsuki" Gado**

The biggest influence on Hikaru is his mother. When he was born in such a damaged state, she took on most of the duties of helping him recover, insisting she do it over the servants. She also insisted that Hikaru’s other siblings come visit him from time to time, finding activities and exercises that he could participate in without feeling left out. When he got a bit older, she would retell some of the stories of her youth to him, describing her childhood and how she ended up with Hung. Hikaru became enraptured by these tales, committing each one to memory. With her blessing and encouragement, Hikaru began seeking out what in the world would make him truly happy; she would repeat to him often that all she wants from him is to live in whatever way makes him most happy. She was very supportive of his decision to integrate his magic talents into dance, learning the art of kagura. She was also the main force that gave him enough confidence to finally leave his homeland and seek out what the world had to offer.

**Takeo Gado**

The most mature of his siblings, Takedo takes his responsibilities of being the eldest very seriously. Hikaru has a great deal of respect for Takeo and feels much more at peace with his situation knowing that Takeo continually proves his parents can produce someone that their society would see as valuable. When Takeo did have time to visit Hikaru, he was always very doting; they would often discuss the more serious topics their father would avoid discussing with Hikaru.

**Sho Gado**

Sho was very adventurous, even as a child. When he visited Hikaru, he would encourage him to take small trips outside to show him something interesting or cool he found around the estate. Sho was the first of Hikaru’s siblings to fully leave the nest, setting off as a performer to travel the Orient. When he would return from his many voyages, he would bring gifts to Hikaru and regale him of all the strange and wondrous things he had seen. Sho’s influence on Hikaru helped drive him into the kagura as his medium for focusing his divine-sorcerous potential. Hikaru hopes that one day, he may run into his brother and have himself some stories to tell his brother of the wondrous sights he had seen.

**Tatsuo & Toshio Gado**

The twins are the most combat focused of Hikaru’s family. Being pretty close in age to the twins, Hikaru spent a lot of time with them when he was younger. The pair is jovial and lively, teaching Hikaru a great deal about battle tactics through direct lessons and playing a great deal of Go together. Of his siblings, Hikaru believes the twins are the most likely to one day have rule over the clan, considering they are the most dedicated to fighting as an art form.

**Kyoko Gado**

Hikaru’s most frequent visitor, besides his mother, Kyoko has been Hikaru’s closest friend and confidant. Hikaru’s interest in activities more often pursued by women in his society (shrine kagura, fashion, weaving, singing, etc.) is partially due to the large amount of time they spent together. Her love of gossip also rubbed off on her younger brother. Her natural confidence and eloquence helped inspire both Hikaru’s genuine view of self, but also his persona. As of late, she has also been playing matchmaker for Hikaru, especially if her dates with them hadn’t been up to her standards. Hikaru will miss her company most of all.

**Momo Gado**

Momo has a great deal of respect and love for Hikaru. She admires his opinion and often visits him to seek out his advice on a wide variety of subjects. She feels inferior to Kyoko, as she lacks her natural grace and confidence, so she finds Hikaru a much more approachable option for advice. Hikaru likes feeling useful and knowledgeable, even though he knows that his other siblings would probably offer more actionable advice. Nonetheless, Hikaru endeavors to always make himself available whenever she needs some advice, whether or not he thinks he is any good at giving it.

**Katsumi Gado**

Katsumi sees Hikaru as a weakling who needs to be shielded from the outside world. They are spiteful that they feel like the elder relative to Hikaru because of his condition. He usually gives Hikaru a hard time, worsening his self image. Hikaru does love him, but he feels a lot better that he will no longer be at home where he knows his presence is deeply upsetting to Katsumi.

**Tetsu Gado**

Due to his developed condition that had been cured before Hikaru was born, Tetsu is the only other member of the Gado clan that often frequents Hikaru. His extreme kindness inspired Hikaru’s belief that the damaged should stick out for one another. They would spend lots of time together reading, going for gentle walks, and discussing remedies and possible treatments Tetsu had heard about.