Alt-Onin War - Character Creation

The default player character for the Alt-Onin War campaign is a masterless samurai heading west to Kyoto, to seek service with one of the factions in the fight that everyone knows is coming. The characters will be either experienced or powerful, as you like. You may be young (high attributes) or old (lots of skills), depending on how you build your characters. You may be from very minor families or you might actually be related to the Imperial family. All of you will be samurai initially, though I might allow someone with a very strong concept to play something outside this mold. 

Character concepts with supernatural abilities, like Onmyoji, Shinto Priests, or Buddhist Clerics, will need to pass a thorough examination of the player's familiarity with the tropes and specifics involved in such an unconventional PC.  

Points: 250pts, -40pts disads, -5pts quirks.

Samurai Mandatory Skills (1pt each at least): Area Knowledge (Home Region), Bow, Broadsword, Judo, Karate, Knife, Riding (Equine), Savoir-Faire (High Society), Spear, Stealth, Tactics, Two-Handed Sword 

Samurai Mandatory Advantages: Status 1 (Ronin)

Samurai Mandatory Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Sengoku Bushi) -10 for a proper honorable sort, or Code of Honor (Ronin) -5 and Reputation -1 (Unsavory Ronin) -5 for a scruffy troublemaker. 

Typical Armor of Alt-Onin Era

Starting Kit: Personal Basics, Katana, Wakizashi, Tanto, and a Corselet (DR-4, chest), 2d6 x $100 in copper and silver coins; 

Choice of one of:

• Helmet (DR-7) and Armored Sleeves (DR-3)
• Bow and Arrows (25)
• Spear
• Naginata 

Twenty Questions and a Picture

You can answer the following questions on a Google doc, and then submit the link in "Comments". Also, you need to find or produce a character illustration. Doing so is mandatory, but doing so gets you an extra ten points to spend on whatever you like. 

1. Why is your character a masterless samurai on the road?

2. How would you describe your character?

3. What is the character's professional emphasis?

4. What is your character's family like?

5. What is your character's main motivation?

6. Who is the one person your character trusts most?

7. What is your character's greatest strength? Greatest weakness?

8. What does your character think of bushido?

9. What is your character's own opinion of her clan?

10. Does the character have any prejudices?

11. Is your character married?

12. To whom does your character owe the most loyalty?

13. What are your character's favorite (and least favorite) things?

14. Does your character have any recurring mannerisms?

15. What about your character's psychology?

16. How would your character handle an insubordinate servant?

17. How would your character's parents describe him?

18. What are your character's highest ambitions?

19. How religious is your character?

20. If you could, what advice would you give your character?