Name: Toshi
Species: Leopard
Gender: Male
Seishi: Tamahome
Personality: Though he radiates an aura of power and ferocity, Toshi is actually a very gentle ketsu. Because he lived with Kishuku and his family for nearly two years, the leopard learned how to be very careful around humans (especially young children) and has even picked up an affinity for play wrestling from them. Thus, he isn't quite as aggressive as most people would believe--he loves a good fight but has no reason to pick them mindlessly. When he does fight, he does so quickly and cleanly, using lethal attacks only when either his life or the life of someone close to him is in danger. Toshi sees life as a challenge and dives into everything with a good amount of optimism, seeing experience as the important idea to take away from an event. He usually tries to watch out for Kishuku, knowing his Seishi's limits and vices (particularly that of money) and keeps him from getting in over his head. He does have a short temper and is rather reserved in a group, but he manages to make up for those small shortcomings through his courage and integrity.
Picture: http://www.lioncrusher.com/imagearchive/leopard/Leopard_22.jpg
Young Toshi: http://www.lioncrusher.com/imagearchive/leopard/Leopard_26.jpg
Bondmate: Sou Kishuku
Age/Gender: 17/M
Seishi Talent: Kishuku has the ability to master any martial arts skill within a very short period of time. His fighting expertise is legendary--there are few people who can best him in straight hand-to-hand combat. He can use weapons but has no extra adeptness with them.
Personality: LOVES okane. However, that doesn't mean he's greedy. Since his family is so poor and his father's too ill to support the family, Kishuku is the literal breadwinner and needs the money for them. For the last 5 years, he's been out earning money and taking care of all his siblings. Thus, it's become a rather ingrained trait that he looks for okane so that his family won't go hungry. Among other things, he's also incredibly dutiful and dedicated to those things he's made part of his family, an example being Shun'u. Though he and the bandit fight like a cat and dog, if push came to shove Kishuku would do anything for his brother Warrior. Like his ketsu, he's also pretty quiet but keeps things bottled up inside, resulting in sometimes pushing even Toshi away. He enjoys fighting a bit more than Toshi, probably because his usual way of earning okane is by fighting those of questionable intent. When fighting he generally prefers to do so as a human because his Seishi talent makes him so much more skilled than most fighters, but that doesn't mean he's any less skilled in a ketsu-form battle.
Leopard as a Totem: Leopard teaches patterns of chaos, movement in darkness without fear, self-empowerment, shape shifting, psychic sight, and to trust our inner voice. They also teach us agility, strength, ability to stalk truth, the power of silence, and the power of patience. Spotted skin symbolizes the stars in the night sky; the animal symbolizes the force that lives within mountains giving them their transformative and volcanic power.
Leopards are excellent at stalking prey. They are silent and inconspicuous hunters and are able to move in and out of situations without being seen. This invisibility allows them to observe every situation they encounter with clarity. Leopard medicine people have strong intuitive abilities. Learning to trust and respond to their inner instincts is part of their life lesson. They are also highly sensitive and need to pay attention to what they feel and then respond accordingly. Caressing touch in various forms is important for those who hold this medicine.
As with all cats, the whiskers of the leopard have specialized sensory hairs that can register very small changes in air pressure enabling them to avoid objects whilst moving around in the dark. Whiskers are also used to establish the position of prey and locate the exact position for the killing bite. Because leopards kill by biting the back of the neck and do not attack their prey from the front, those with leopard energy often have difficulty confronting conflict head on. Sometimes this can be beneficial and at other times harmful. Learning how to conquer conflict in a balanced way is part of what the Leopard teaches.
The leopard's huge strength, powerful limbs, and neck muscles enable it to carry its kill (often a full grown antelope or young giraffe) to higher places in trees to keep it away from other animals. Those with this medicine have strong bodies but need to remember to release pent-up anger, frustrations and other emotions, or physical health issues related to the limbs and the skeleton could occur. When Leopard energy is contained within and not expressed outwardly arthritic type conditions can develop.
Those with this totem would benefit by imitating the leopard in its movements. Any form of dance, tai chi or rhythmic practice would be beneficial. Because the leopard is a strong and powerful jumper it can show us how to leap over obstacles efficiently and gracefully. They are masters at negotiating their environment and will continually serve to encourage that master ship in those who hold this totem.
Name: Genrou
Species: Red wolf
Gender: Male
Seishi: Tasuki
Personality: Genrou and Shun'u are polar ends of their bond. As excitable, hotheaded, and temperamental as Shun'u is, Genrou is calm, thoughtful, and good-natured. The wolf would much rather think things through before barreling headfirst into possible danger, a trait that has kept Shun'u alive on more than one occasion. Due to his wild canid roots, Genrou does not have any problems with fighting, but he only does so when the need arises. Like many other wolves, he would much rather growl and avoid a straight-up conflict if possible. He's very wise and knowledgeable, willing to impart said wisdom on anyone ready to listen, but he also understands that sometimes things have to learned through experience--the hard way. He takes his responsibility as a ketsu extremely seriously, resulting in the fact that he doesn't have much of a sense of humor. He's also a bit of a worrywart (having been traumatized for life due to Shun'u's repeated antics), and has the tendency to fuss and worry over not only Shun but also the other Seishi of the group when they're injured or unwell. They appreciate it even if they don't say anything and Genrou knows it.
Picture: http://wildwnc.org/af/images/redwolf1.jpg
Young Genrou and Shun'u: http://www.lioncrusher.com/imagearchive/wolfpix/Wolf_073.jpg
Bondmate: Kou Shun'u
Age/Gender: 17/M
Seishi Talent: Shun'u can move with superhuman speed, having once reached a top speed of 40 mph (for comparison, rabbits run 35 mph and elks hit 45 mph). Because of it, he can react faster and quicker than his opponents in most combat encounters. He is also skilled with a tessen, the iron fan that releases an inferno when he says a specific chant.
Personality: Fiery Shun'u lives for action. As a bandit he was always leading the most dangerous raids and taking the worst chances, so now that he's been called as a Chosen Seishi those tendencies have carried over to where he leaps before looking more often than not. He'll battle and brawl every chance he gets, loving the rush it gives him and the chance it gives him to increase his proficiency, but Genrou sees it as a good thing. Without the release of his energy through fighting, Shun'u is more than likely to set half of Konan ablaze with his temper and the tessen--both of which he's not reserved about using. He'll tease and taunt everyone he knows (meaning not even Saihitei is safe) but he does it in good humor; it's his way of showing affection without actually getting "mushy.” Extremely honorable and chivalrous, Shun'u hides an intelligent and sensitive spirit behind his brash personality--something that few people have ever come to see. His loyalties are hard to earn but once they have been given he will defend his friends and those he loves to his death. Though he, Ryuuen, and Kishuku brawl on a regular basis he has found himself growing very close to the other men, and he's very often found watching over Doukun in a very older-brother fashion.
Red Wolf as a Totem: It is said that at the door of each of the Four Winds, a wolf keeps silent vigil, each bringing change to the life of those who walk the Good Red Road and with the change, a lesson unique to that wind. The individual who has been blessed to have Red Wolf walk beside him as their Totem can expect a life blessed with abundant change and, hence, tremendous growth, as this is the Wolf that stands at the Southern Gate. Growth is often initiated for the Red Wolf with unexpected events catapulting the Red Soul into action. He does not assess the change in logical, controlled movements, rather he approaches these changes with instinctual timing and instantaneous decisions that lead him exactly to where he needs to be.
If Red Wolf Soul can tap into his ability to elicit positive change and growth in this life, then the full potential of his ability to create positive change will be manifested. The individual with the Soul of Red Wolf is one who is profoundly compassionate, sensitive to the pain of others and will do anything within their ability to alleviate suffering. One of the greatest challenges of one who has Red Wolf Totem, is to learn that true compassion comes from knowing when to assist another, and when to draw back enough that the one they are assisting can walk the path on their own.
Red Wolf Totem walks with one who operates from an innocent heart, and thus the individual blessed with this Totem is either born with an instinctual innocence, or they have come into this lifetime with one of their key lessons being that of maintaining, or re-kindling, innocence. This is where they facilitate their primary role of Teacher, to teach others the humbleness of Innocence, the gift of belief and trust. Yet in order for the Teacher to impart his knowledge and wisdom, he must first walk through the experience himself in full awareness and facing his own personal truths. To do so and then embrace others free of judgment for the betrayals that may have gone before, to come back to himself with belief that all will be exactly as it is meant to be, is the returning home to himself, it is the return to his own Innocence.
