Zinogre Blademaster

Before it was Yakai, before it was called the Dawnlands, the wilds of eastern Peltas were often referred to by another name - the Land of Beasts. Its landscapes provided ample home for all manner of creatures, from the shape-shifting kitsune to the mischievous fire-monkey and from the majestic star bear to the hungering grovewolf. While centuries of war and urbanization have disturbed much of its delicate ecosystem, the people of Yakai still attempt to live in harmony with their land's original inhabitants where possible. This attitude is displayed no more clearly than by the Moju. These trackers migrate alongside many of Yakai's various species, seeking to protect them from poachers and unscrupulous hunters, and warn homesteads and farms that dangerous beasts may soon be upon them. Born on one of the Moju's many migration patrols, Haru was a gifted trapper. Her parents boasted that she made her first snare before she could walk, and that when she did, her tiny footfalls barely made a sound. A lucky boon as Haru never stayed still, constantly ranging beyond the limits of her clan's patrol to observe the movements of beasts who had also strayed from the path. After spending her entire childhood on the move, Haru's patrol eventually settled in a small hamlet on the winding Opal River. On a routine survey on the edges of the hamlet's farms, Haru noticed someone had meddled with her traps. After following the trail of disarmed traps, she caught a small figure looming over one in a shady grove. What Haru saw was a cat standing on its hindlegs, tinkering with her creation. Curiosity overriding her fear, Haru hailed the creature. It praised Haru for her ingenuity, claiming that her traps were unlike anything it had seen made by the master hunters from its own world. The cat laughed, responding that it wasn't some forest god or magical spirit, but a Palico - a being who was investigating traces of a monster from its own world: a Zinogre. Fearing that this monster may disturb the delicate animal migration paths, or turn its ire towards her hamlet, Haru offered to lend her blades to help the Palico. The creature told her that while sufficient for dealing with small animals, Haru's blades and current array of traps would be no match for this monster. Struck by inspiration, it rooted around in its bag and pulled out a detailed tome full of instructions on not only how to defeat such a beast, but suggestions of equipment needed to do so. Haru bundled the manual and the Palico in her arms and raced home, electrified by the thought of this grand challenge. She barged into the local forge, terrifying its elderly smith with tales of talking cats and monsters from another world. She presented the Palico's manual to the smith and they set about the work, crafting for Haru a set of blades that could pierce the hide of her mysterious prey. After a restless night's sleep, Haru and the Palico set out, following the ancient migration paths that Haru's patrol had guarded for centuries. The hunt that followed became immortalized in the Song of the Lightning Dancer by local lyricists - with them singing of Haru weaving through bolts of electricity and her blades glistening like the moon as she fought the monster. All that's truly known about the battle is Haru's victory - and the crackling armor and blades she now proudly sports.