Yasumi Sakara
| Yasumi Sakara | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Toby Selwyn |
| Information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Occupation | Novice |
| Affiliation | The Grey Tower |
| Nationality | Arafellin |
Yasumi Sakara is an Arafellin Novice of the Grey Tower.
Description
Of middle height with dark eyes and long dark hair, usually braided and woven with silver bells, Yasumi is pleasant to look at but would not stand out in a crowd. She is proud, as are most Borderlanders, but also understands how appearances can affect perceptions and knows how to use what she has, and what she doesn’t have, to great effect.
She is determined and ambitious, and part of her craves authority and respect. She is not as ostentatiously upper class as some of the nobility, but she does hold the perceptions and opinions typical to her station. She does not tolerate insubordination, whatever the relative situation, and is a stickler for hierarchy. Of course, hierarchy is not always objective.
Biography
Yasumi Sakara's story is a simple one. She was born into a family of higher than middling nobility, the fifth child of seven. Her family's primary estates were located within a day's ride from the Arafellin capital and her upbringing was as comfortable as afforded by the conditions of the Borderlands. The harsh climate and proximity of the encroaching Blight would never allow the lifestyle held by those native to the warmer and typically safer southern nations, but Borderlanders are often said to be born wrapped in furs with sword in hand, and adaptability is the key to survival.
The Sakara family's station and wealth were derived from a history of military service, so her eldest sibling, the only brother, was enrolled in the army at the age of 16. He spent two years in officer training before being sent to patrol the border with the Blight. Nine days into his service he was killed in a brief skirmish; not by the tainted weapon of a minion of the Dark One, but by the worn, chipped blade of a shepherd who mistook Sakara's patrol for a band of Trollocs when they happened upon him in the descending twilight. The youth's demise was not considered a waste, and his family was not ashamed at the manner of his death; they were proud that he had fulfilled his duty, and knew his soul would be rewoven into the Pattern.
They grieved, of course, but life must go on. Yasumi's eldest sister, Maturi, became heir to their father's titles, and was taught the finer points of estate and wealth management, the basics of which all the Sakara children received as part of their education. It was when Maturi became Lady Maturi, Head of House Sakara, at the age of 24 and Lord Sakara retired to enjoy the last years of his life that it became clear to Yasumi that she must make some decisions. It would not be entirely accurate to say she was hungry for power, but her ambitions were greater than becoming and remaining fourth in line to her family's estates; as her elder siblings were all sisters, and therefore unlikely to find themselves in direct military conflicts, the chances of all three falling foul of Death's touch before Maturi could produce an heir were slim. If Yasumi did not want to be married off into another family – and, aged 18, she did not – she would have to choose another path.
It was obvious, really. Aes Sedai have long been held in high esteem throughout the Borderlands, and the Sakaras' beliefs were no different in this respect. There was no need to convince Maturi that Yasumi would bring honour to the House should she be raised Aes Sedai, and it took little effort to organise the guard that would escort Yasumi to the Grey Tower. The girl found herself travelling south almost before she'd accepted the decision she had made and its consequences.
Of course, whether Yasumi would test true for the ability to channel remained to be seen, but optimism was ever one of her attributes.
Career History
- Novice
