Legacy of Ida Murasaki

[TheOriginalFive]

Character Introduction

Ida Murasaki

“I’d sooner turn my back on the world than let it betray me.”
- Cao Cao (paraphrased)

Death By Glamour

Full Name: Ida Murasaki
Birthdate: 11 Icereign
Birthplace: Drolund
Birthsign: Fool

Appearance

Age: 30
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 113 pounds
Eyes: Greenish-gray
Hair: Straight black
Skin: Relatively pallid
Handedness: Right
Posture: An obvious theatrical swagger, where she swings her limbs out.
Hygiene: Everything on Ida is neat as a pin unless she has been out on an excursion.
Scent: Ambergris cologne on occasion.

Physical Description: A tall thin woman who looks like a guy at first glance.

Personality

General Health: Decent health
Profession: Former bartender, currently a mercenary layabout
Faction Affiliation: Jahandar’s Lapidary
Languages: Common Decusian, Yultish, very little Collatian
Accent: A gruff ambiguous one
Roleplay Tools: A cocktail notebook and a bottle of ambergris cologne from her parting gift after leaving the saloon

Hobbies: Exploring, admiring artwork, watching theatre acts.
Habits: Usually prefers to rest in her own room reading and reflecting.

Personality Description: Paradoxically both duplicitous and straightforward, Ida is sharp tongued and witty. She usually prefers to keep her mouth shut, however. She keeps to herself except for Jahandar’s general company.

History: Born the illegitimate child of a prelate in the Midlands, Ida was about to be legally acknowledged some months after her 15th birthday, before one of her cousins succumbed to the Torment. An astute maid of the family whisked Ida off before the panicked mob turned on each other, but she never saw her beloved uncle again.

The train she was pushed onto took her to the outskirts of Redholme, but in the general panic of escape, she didn’t have enough to prove she could enter Redholme proper. She ended up in the refugee camps instead, and as fate would have it, ran into Jahandar and Ikashev that winter.

When she was a young adult, she managed to find work as a bartender in an upscale saloon belonging to a branch of the parish she was once supposed to be part of. As a result, she didn’t initially appear close to the rest of the Satrapy.

She tells anyone that asks an abridged version of what happened, but acts as if her uncle died peacefully and she left on her own terms. If one was to try looking for the Murasaki parish, they wouldn’t have any luck as it’s a pseudonym.

Strengths: Loyal, strong-willed
Weaknesses: Extreme sceptic, prone to underestimating the danger she faces as a result

Governing Virtue: Valour
Governing Throne: Chaos

[TheOriginalFive]

The Beginning

“What’s your name?”

“Ida…”

“Ida what?”

“Ida Murasaki.”

That was what I told the fellows I’d tag along with to the First Coast, when I was a young girl. Being sheltered before then, I didn’t know if it was right. Though I had little else after being sent away on a summer evening.

That fateful evening, instead of being formally acknowledged as part of a family and getting the perks of my birthright, I had to leave and discard everything that I was before. Boy’s clothes, a swagger, a gruff act, they were all what I took on over the years to truly become Ida.

We became roughed up by the long winding road to the First Province.

I’ve recently started keeping a journal of my thoughts, besides the cocktail notes (that I kept) and a Collatian phrase book (that I didn’t keep, they were still under my bed at the saloon in Redholme).

[TheOriginalFive]

Wondrous Wares

“What do you mean the rats fell in love with the cook?”

When Jahandar said he would delve into the sewers with several others to rescue Viola Wandren, I found it hard to believe. With all the talk about talking rats, much less them all madly in love with one person.

“That makes no sense! Why would rats fall in love with-”

“They’re simple creatures, Ida.”

“So, their love is from a simple place, then.”

Perhaps in another time, I’d have the chance to savour life in a simple place. Jahandar continued outlining his rough plan, with suggestions on what I ought to do if the worst came to pass.

“Yes. I strongly advise you not to fight them in the open.”

“Please be careful,” I said, having heard of how he was set upon the first time around.

“If anything happens, stay close and in the Bistro.”

“Got it.”

I stayed above ground as he asked, and hoped that Jahandar was successful in his endeavour. To my great relief, he was. Francis Model wrote all about it in one of the papers, too.

[TheOriginalFive]

The Darkest Night

Videos:
Teaser - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw3GsHSg56o
Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JnJbCMg1vc
Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTVmHDbZzso
Part 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtKGRCTtoac
Finale - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lynPy0sqCcw

“Why’s everyone looking at me like that? Jahandar, why were you crying?”

“Because I thought you were lost, Ida! We saw just a pile of ash in the theatre.”

It was when Anslem taunted us by having a banshee take centre stage in Old Town, then locking all the doors behind us. I vividly remember being knocked out, before seeing Jahandar and company being chased out of town by an angry mob of Whitecloaks.

But when I mentioned it to the others after that, they saw it differently. Like Jahandar feared I was dead. That was strange, but I knew better than to question it too much, lest we be suspected of heresy in general.

Eventually, along with several others from the Fort, I helped put Anslem back in the box. It wasn’t a perfect packing, sadly.

[TheOriginalFive]

Much Ado Over Soup

(After the events of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJaSPyVZmZM )

“Stop it! Stop it, please! Constantine…”

“YOU stop waffling and get to the point!”

“You’re a puppet-master, damn you!”

“See here, brother, it’s all a misunderstanding. I am not blackmailing Drusilla…”

The first soup kitchen that we held in the Old Park was a modest success, although I missed half the apparent argument in the Bistro attending to the guests there. After I saw Bidukan and the Black Suns walk up to the Bistro, I followed suit.

I immediately stood behind Jahandar even as the others glared and shouted at him, so that I could bear witness. Ikashev looked on too. Unfortunately, I wasn’t privy to whatever Constantine was angry about, aside from something over Drusilla.

At any rate, Constantine was furious! Before Jahandar could explain himself, Constantine, Nola, and the Black Suns all ran after the former and chased him as well as Ikashev to the bank.

Adam threatened that I should stay out of people’s business before running after the angry mob, though I snuck past anyway and heard the aftermath.

The Whitecloaks were annoyed, and I didn’t see Jahandar nor Ikashev for some time afterwards.

[TheOriginalFive]

Of Chimneys and Chonks

“It seems everyone wants to look like a chimney!”

The tobacco craze swept the Fort, but I couldn’t stand it. It reminded me too much of Redholme’s smog.

Although, considering how Ikashev was often high as a kite and Jahandar shouldering all kinds of worries on the Bistro’s behalf, I shouldn’t be so hard on them.

Especially after Constantine first got angry with Jahandar and very nearly had the Black Suns chase him out of the Fort over Drusilla.

I designated myself as a sober agent in case they ever need it, though I wish that there was another sober head in the Bistro.

[TheOriginalFive]

The Immortal Machines

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlk82Ut9Bl0

“So you’ve got cat’s luck, eh?”

“I guess so. Always got out of danger with little more than a scratch or two.”

Mote was curious, and I always thought my luck was unusual. Seems like she also had a knack for getting out of danger. I had a confusing day at the mountain retreat.

Gryhun was so angry with the robo-preacher, I decided against slapping him for asking me to join his harem with Nola. In fact, he stormed off shortly after.

After we heard the preacher out, we set off to explore the upstairs complex.

They had quite the factory. I was a little sceptical of how they managed to build it right under everyone’s noses. Not to mention their claims of pulling down the sun.

Hard to believe all those stories of Decus’ miracles, even through a different lens.

[TheOriginalFive]

The Old Ways

“What was life like before Torment?”

“Better.”

“Really?” I asked Valentin. He’d told me that he was much older in age.

“Well, aside from the usual power struggles.”

We were standing by the fence in particularly cold winter air that day. Valentin was smoking, too.

“Where did you come from?” he asked. I got that a lot.

“Drolund,” I said, giving him the usual story of my uncle. “Plenty think I’m a westerner, though.”

“No surprise there, Drolund’s right at the border to the west.”

“I wish I had brought my phrase book,“ I said, shrugging. “Maybe I should ask one of you to teach me.”

Valentin merely nodded. I guessed it would probably be much later before I picked up enough Collatian to be in on the loop.

[TheOriginalFive]

Backstage Debut

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Kb4ruvbWk

“It's odd,I thought he'd show up here.”

“When'd you last see him?”

“About 8th Icereign.”

“Not being around a few days before his grand opening, and then the very day… Well, we'll see if he shows, but I think it's a little concerning.”

I leaned on the counter, hoping that Mote was right, and started polishing a glass idly.

“Now that I've said it, he'll likely make a grand and dramatic entrance right....”

I watched as Mote gestured to the Deputy Auditor and looked at the large double doors.

“Now!”

No, there wasn’t a big entrance from our big brother.

“Well, if he didn't take that cue, even I can't help him now, Avi.”

Punctuated only by the clacking of dice and clinking glasses, Kol worked on a bowl of chili. He told us that even Miss Wandren hasn’t seen a dish like it before, and that we should expect magnificent dishes from the dive bar in future.

Although the rest of the night passed without much commotion until Vera challenged the guests to drink from Kol’s special pail, I wondered where Jahandar went. It really wasn’t like him, nor Ikashev, to be absent when they’d been talking up the Bistro for months.

Kol was content with the proceedings, cooking a fine buffet for the guests, until Vera called out to either Jakell or a rickety old man, “I actually need to talk to Ida and Kol real fast. So sit back down!”

Then Vera looked at us.

“To the pillow fort, quick!”

[TheOriginalFive]

Missed the Stop

Kol and I quickly put our shoes on the shelf before sinking into the piles of pillows scattered around the large lounge upstairs. Vera looked very worried.

“You found Jahandar?” I asked.

“Yes. He’s not coming back. He got crushed in a mining accident.”

I remained silent, before laughing bitterly. The road ended for him.

“Jahandar, you ass; fancy missing the Bistro opening!”

“Is my contract over then?” Kol asked, mulling over his options.

Vera placated him. “No, no… You could stay on as a family,” she said.

And not having much elsewhere to go, I decided to stay on for the rest of the Satrapy.