Yukiko

Example

“
*Something*
”
— Yukiko.
**Yukiko** is a Half-Elf Druid and Sorcerer participating in Honorbound, a quest for vengeance.

## Description

### Appearance

Yukiko’s features bordered on vampiric even before her transformation. Her jet black hair contrasts against her skin, which is an almost shining white, though she often uses paint to conceal this. Thin yet steady, she stands tall, straight and still, such that she often has to look down to meet others’ eyes, and this combined with her tendency to quietness and neutral expressions can make her quite intimidating. She generally dresses simply and lets her hair billow freely, such that when dark falls and the wind blows to conceal her, she can take on all the semblance of a ghost.

### Personality

Naturally stoic and reserved, Yukiko conserves both her words and motions, making it difficult to tell her true feelings and granting the illusion of impassivity. In truth, she is constantly taking in her surroundings – the rustle of the wind, the heat of falling light, the clatter of footsteps – hoping to be able to feel them as she once did. Though this no longer borders on connection, her perceptiveness still gives her a keen insight into those around her, to ‘find their place’ as it were. Such generally goes unrealized by others given her bearing, and she is not above taking advantage of said misconception to further her goals. That being said, she tends to be reactionary rather than proactive: while she can certainly act independently, she requires an external purpose first. This makes her an effective follower of Lord Keno, and is her strongest bond to him. She may doubt her own place, but she knows he has given her one, and she will treasure it and do her part as long as she can.

## Biography

### Background

At a glance, few would suspect Yukiko Mochizuki of vampirism, as she maintains many of the trappings of her former calling, looking and acting the part of a priestess despite being a member of a race that thinks little of gods or spirits. Indeed, she was born to a long line of miko, and like her mother, Fuyuko, her grandmother, Hoshiko, and many Mochizukis before them, she would grow up to serve as a shrine maiden at the foothills of the Tsuki-no-Ryote. These are twin peaks, the Hands of the Moon, so named for their year-round snow and their orientation which allows the moon to sweep between them. The winds here were treacherous, readily leading travelers astray, but not the Mochizukis, who just as often served as guides as they did priests. They wove about the snowbanks and even seemed to channel the winds besides them, maintaining a keen sense for the wandering mists and creatures. This they claimed this to be a blessing of a spirit of sky and snow – the yuki-onna Tsukiakari, to whom the shrine was dedicated – a spirit who had mothered them and bound them to this place by blood. This was a bond the young Yukiko cultivated – about her every living thing had its place, and so too did people, not least of all herself. It may well have kept her on the mountains for the rest of her days, were they not forcibly upset at the cusp of her adulthood.

Come her seventeenth winter, strange tracks appeared during her walks. First it was merely lightly packed snow and broken branches, signs of former passerbies, but when she encountered bodies of hibernating creatures dug-out and left to be snowed on, she knew these were no mere travelers. Using a white cloak and flurrying winds to conceal herself, she was able to trace these steps to a cave, which echoed faintly of rapturous chanting. Those were many voices, too many for her or her family to take on by themselves, and so they sent word to their lord requesting aid.

What they did not expect was for the lord to arrive in person. Lord Keno, he identified himself, standing firm in the sleet with but a few trusted men, a presence worthy of far larger retinue. The intruders, he explained, were vampires and heretics, calling upon forbidden gods – Shaisho-no-Hanta, the First Hunter, Chi-no-Tegumi, the Bloodletter, and many others beside. Most likely they’d sought the mountains not just as a refuge, but as a spiritual center for the yuki-onna, drawing upon its darker aspects of draining chill to feed their rituals. Thus far they had evaded Lord Keno by skirting about settlements and staying light-footed to remain one step ahead, but now with the mountain cold to corner them, he had a chance to eliminate them once and for all. As the person to find the hideout, Yukiko volunteered to serve as guide, hence did she first enter the Matsushiros’ service.

Once more the snow hid their approach, and at the cave mouth, the force split in two – one group to take on the heretics, the other to guard the cave entrance should they try to flee. The first charged in and for a split second overpowered the cultists, but when a rush of flames howled inside something drove Yukiko to intervene, and by her grace did she channel the wind from the cave mouth into the battleground, sparing the fighters. For a few moments the wind shuddered, yanked from her control, but the shrine maiden stood firm and regained her footing, that the warriors could battle once more. The next step, however, was not so easily countered; one moment, Yukiko was directing the wind, the next something stepped out and grabbed her by the throat, pulling her through mist into the snow.

Of the cultists’ mages, one had her now. Bleeding, but triumphant, he claimed the mountain was his to command, and if she were to challenge him he would take her and the power of the yuki-onna from her. She raised her hands but fangs were upon her, second by second she could feel herself slipping. In desperation, she could only think to turn back the mage’s power upon him. She bit him, drawing his blood, and in that second of surprise she repeated the same words she had heard from him, forcing them back into the mountain. Aghast, the figure tried to draw them back out, but too late; his companions fallen, one sword strike was enough to part him from the girl. He was chained and bound, to be taken back to Shinsei Castle for interrogation, for the battle was won. The cultists now lay slain.

Yet Yukiko lay cooling, she knew soon to join them. Lord Keno looked upon her, impressed by her initiative and fortitude, and thus made her an offer. He could offer her a second life, as a vampire, if she would abide by the code that the Shogunate required of all its highest members. Yukiko agreed to more – for letting her save her home and granting her life, she would serve him. Thus did she pass away, and when next she awoke, she rose in the sanctum of Shinsei, reborn as something new.

The awakening was a tortuous experience for both sides, but not for the usual reasons. Yukiko did not arise with the ravenous hunger normally characterizing new vampires, and indeed, she rarely seems to feed at all. Yet worse for the young vampire was the feeling of detachment. Though the winds still answered her, their movement seemed coerced, forced by her own will rather than accommodating her presence. Other magics came from within her, as she found thoughts turn to fire and dark, bursting from her fingertips, a power that was certainly of her flesh independent of her surroundings. Had this always been a part of her, roused only after death, or another gift of Lord Keno’s offering? Or, darker still, had she perhaps taken it from the cultist in those few drops of blood she’d drawn, robbing him as he’d intended to rob her?

With the Shinsei’s mages to train her – Aryasu and Akai especially – and some unspeakable sense, Yukiko learned to give this power form, but the more she controlled it the more distant she felt. Many days she tried to suppress it, to feel the wind alongside her, and one of those days the dark rebounded and grew to engulf her. Black mist surrounded her, darkness impenetrable even to her mentors, yet she could see just fine. No, more than fine, wherever she concentrated she found herself, and when at last she tried to unbind the dark within her, it swam within her flesh. When Yukiko emerged and dispelled the shadow, she still could not be seen.

These capabilities have proven enormously useful, and Yukiko has served Lord Keno as both scout and spy. Her unassuming face and votary background allow her to walk in plain sight to make her approach, vanishing from view to carry out what must be done, and slipping away magically immediately thereafter. She has assisted him in tracking down other members of the cult that saw her death, and has occasionally acted as his intermediary when dealing with local priests. Despite the general disdain for religion, he has allowed her to visit her home shrine on occasion, and for this and his support she is eternally grateful. However, much as her family welcomes her, even in undeath, she still feels disjoint. Her Lord has given her purpose, and she plays a small part in upholding the will and honor of his family, but as she relies more and more on power she does not understand, she wonders, just what is her place now?

## Character Information

### Abilities

#### Vampire (Aberrant Blood)

* **Ability Score Increase:** Two abilities of your choice (Strength, Constitution) increase by a score of 2, up to 18.
* **Darkvision:** You gain Darkvision to 120ft. This replaces and does not stack with prior Darkvision, if you have it.
* **Shadow Nature:** You are immune to necrotic damage and have resistance to poison damage.
* **Undead Nature:** You are both humanoid and undead. You require neither food, water, sleep, or air to survive. You are immune to being charmed and frightened.
* **Blood Pool:** Your sanguine resources are modeled as the "blood pool," which has a max HP of 25. Your blood pool recovers to its max during a long rest.
* **Unnatural Biology:** You have vulnerability to radiant damage. You are neither healed nor damaged by conventional healing potions and spells.
* **Beings of Corruption:** The purity of precious metals, such as silver, has a negative effect on your corrupt form. You have vulnerability to damage from such weapons.
* **Sunlight Sensitivity:** When in direct sunlight, you have disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. This is true even if you are hooded.
* **Bite:** As an attack, perform an attack roll (STR or DEX) against an enemy within 5 ft. You are proficient in this attack. On a hit, roll the bite damage (1d6) plus your ability modifier. The target loses that amount of HP, and you add that amount to your blood pool. You may bite but once per turn.
* **Abyssal Ties:** The overhead on your caloric uptake is fueled by strange and unknowable forces. You do not require blood to sustain your vampiric status, and you require less than other vampires for resting. You may only engage in a short rest by consuming 10 mL of blood and resting for one hour. The same is true for a long rest, but a long rest requires 40 mL of blood and 8 hours. A long rest replenishes your blood pool.
* **Mutable Traits:** You can rapidly shift your form for additional flexibility in many dangerous situations. Each effect depletes 10 HP from your blood pool and lasts for 10 minutes, unless otherwise indicated:
	+ You can operate in direct sunlight without disadvantage on attacks, saves, and checks.
	+ Critical attacks against you deal normal damage instead of critical damage.
	+ You can grow additional eyes to receive a 360 view of your surroundings. Add your PB twice to your passive wisdom and any Perception checks you make. Also, flanking does not affect you.

#### Star Druid (3rd level)

* **Wild Shape:** Starting at 2nd level, you can use your action to magically assume the shape of a beast that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. Your druid level determines the beasts you can transform into, as shown in the Beast Shapes table. You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your druid level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. While you are transformed, the following rules apply:
	+ Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality, and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
	+ When you transform, you assume the beast's hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form, For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.
	+ You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, or prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell, such as Call Lightning, that you've already cast.
	+ You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can't use any of your special senses, such as darkvision, unless your new form also has that sense.
	+ You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.
* **Star Map:** At 2nd level, You've created a star chart as part of your heavenly studies. It is a Tiny object and can serve as a spellcasting focus for your druid spells. You determine its form by rolling on the Star Map table or by choosing one. While holding this map, you have these benefits:
	+ You know the Guidance cantrip.
	+ You have the Guiding Bolt spell prepared. It counts as a druid spell for you, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can have prepared.
	+ You can cast Guiding Bolt without expending a spell slot. You can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
	+ If you lose the map, you can perform a 1-hour ceremony to magically create a replacement. This ceremony can be performed during a short or long rest, and it destroys the previous map.
* **Starry Form:** At 2nd level, you gain the ability to harness constellations’ power to alter your form. As a bonus action, you can expend a use of your Wild Shape feature to take on a starry form, rather than transforming into a beast. While in your starry form, you retain your game statistics, but your body becomes luminous; your joints glimmer like stars, and glowing lines connect them as on a star chart. This form sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The form lasts for 10 minutes. It ends early if you dismiss it (no action required), are incapacitated, die, or use this feature again. Whenever you assume your starry form, choose which of the following constellations glimmers on your body; your choice gives you certain benefits while in the form:
	+ *Archer:* A constellation of an archer appears on you. When you activate this form, and as a bonus action on your subsequent turns while it lasts, you can make a ranged spell attack, hurling a luminous arrow that targets one creature within 60 feet of you. On a hit, the attack deals radiant damage equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier.
	+ *Chalice:* A constellation of a life-giving goblet appears on you. Whenever you cast a spell using a spell slot that restores hit points to a creature, you or another creature within 30 feet of you can regain hit points equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier.
	+ *Dragon:* A constellation of a wise dragon appears on you. When you make an Intelligence or a Wisdom check or a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell, you can treat a roll of 9 or lower on the d20 as a 10.

#### Shadow Sorcerer (4th level)

* **Strength of the Grave:** Your existence in a twilight state between life and death makes you difficult to defeat. When damage reduces you to 0 hit points, you can make a Charisma saving throw (DC 5 + the damage taken). On a success, you instead drop to 1 hit point. You can't use this feature if you are reduced to 0 hit points by radiant damage or by a critical hit. After the saving throw succeeds, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
* **Sorcery Points:** You have a number of sorcery points equal to your sorcerer level. You can never have more sorcery points than your sorcerer level. You regain all spent sorcery points when you finish a Long Rest.
* **Font of Magic:** You can use your sorcery points to gain additional spell slots, or sacrifice spell slots to gain additional sorcery points. You learn other ways to use your sorcery points as you reach higher levels:
	+ *Creating Spell Slots:* You can transform unexpended sorcery points into one spell slot as a bonus action on your turn. The Creating Spell Slots table shows the cost of creating a spell slot of a given level (1st level = 2, 2nd level = 3, 3rd level = 5, 4th level = 6, 5th level = 7). You can create spell slots no higher in level than 5th. The created spell slots vanish at the end of a long rest.
	+ *Converting a Spell Slot to Sorcery Points:* As a bonus action on your turn, you can expend one spell slot and gain a number of sorcery points equal to the slot's level.
* **Metamagic:** At 3rd level, you gain the ability to twist your spells to suit your needs. You gain two of the following Metamagic options of your choice. You gain another one at 10th and 17th level. You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless otherwise noted.
	+ *Quickened Spell:* When you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 action, you can spend 2 sorcery points to change the casting time to 1 bonus action for this casting.
	+ *Subtle Spell:* When you cast a spell, you can spend 1 sorcery point to cast it without any somatic or verbal components.
* **Eyes of the Dark:** When you reach 3rd level in this class, you learn the Darkness spell, which doesn't count against your number of sorcerer spells known. In addition, you can cast it by spending 2 sorcery points or by expending a spell slot. If you cast it with sorcery points, you can see through the darkness created by the spell.

#### Feats

* **War Caster:** You have practiced casting spells in the midst of combat, learning techniques that grant you the following benefits:
	+ You have advantage on Constitution saving throws that you make to maintain your concentration on a spell when you take damage.
	+ You can perform the somatic components of spells even when you have weapons or a shield in one or both hands.
	+ When a hostile creature's movement provokes an opportunity attack from you, you can use your reaction to cast a spell at the creature, rather than making an opportunity attack. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action and must target only that creature.

## Appendix

Honorbound PCs
Akai (Elf Sorcerer) · Kogen (Dwarf Fighter) · Murasaki (Human Monk) ·
Rurik (Dwarf Ranger) · **Yukiko** (Half-Elf Druid & Sorcerer)

 Eichiro (Saurian Fighter) · Kentaro (Human Monk) · Hase (Human Wizard) ·
Throndin (Dwarf Artificer)