White Cedar 側柏

Character age:

Somewhere between 300-500 human years,

Character gender:

Male

Offsite roleplay:

This doll's character is not available for offsite roleplay.

[ Backstory ]
White Cedar, Chinese name 側柏 (Ce Bai), is a spirit of the Oriental Arborvitae or Oriental White Cedar. He lived in a remote forest in China as a spirit of the forest. His physical spirit form is that of half-human half-ram, though he has no relation to the ram of the Heavenly Gate Race. White Cedar lived a quiet life amongst the trees and animals away from human civilization for a few hundred years.

However, during the 11th century, cruel, greedy merchants set White Cedar's forest ablaze and rounded up spirits they could sell to wealthy men like the daimyou, shogunate, or even the emperor. White Cedar was especially desirable because he was the spirit of a Ce Bai, a tree associated with longevity and immortality in Buddhism. It was rumored that drinking the blood of such spirits would grant the drinker 1000 more years of life. He was then sold to Japanese pirates. This was during the Kamakura period when Japanese pirates were one of the biggest problems for both China and Japan, especially since Japan was a seafaring country.

Once White Cedar reached Japanese shores, the pirates sold him to shady Japanese merchants. They planned to then sell him to a wealthy daimyou who had offered a hefty sum of money to anyone that could help him gain longevity. While the merchants traveled to the next city on foot, they were attacked by bandits for their merchant wares. The bandits shot arrows at the merchants and by some luck, one of them was the one that held White Cedar's rope. During the chaos, White Cedar ran off into the forest, though severely weakened by this time. He eventually collapsed in the middle of the forest and lay unconscious for several days until he was found by a shikigami, a spirit familiar. The shikigami led its owner, an itako by the name of Setsuna (刹那).

Setsuna took White Cedar back to her shrine and nursed White Cedar for several weeks before he opened his eyes, and another few months before he was back at full health. However, White Cedar could not return back to his home in China for several reasons. First, his forest had been burned down. Though nature is resilient and would eventually grow back, it would take several years before the forest was habitable again. Second, during this time the Mongols had started to invade Japan. This was the year 1274. The seas were far too dangerous because of both Japanese pirates and invading Mongol ships. Many ports had started to close because of the high risk of danger.

Setsuna asked White Cedar to stay with her until it was safe to go back again. He would be safe as her aide, as as she was a highly respected itako, no one would question his sudden appearance. Furthermore, as itakos were blind, it was understandable that they would have aides. He would only have to maintain human form when in public, though he could reveal his spirit form in private. He would be safe from others who would do him harm for profit and greed. Gentle White Cedar, having become attached to the kind itako, agreed and became Setsuna's personal aide.

[ Now ]
Though White Cedar was never contracted, he, in every other respect, her familiar. He helps her bathe, dress, clean, and prepare the shrine for rituals. He is unsure of whether he wishes to return to China when the seas are safe once more. He is comfortable and happy being by Setsuna's side. He is also highly concerned for Setsuna's deteriorating health. Based on the type of spirit White Cedar is, his spiritual powers are limited. Though it is true that drinking all of his blood would grant mortals longevity, he is still a young kami and has yet to develop powers beyond mild healing and plant growth. He has devoted himself to finding a cure for Setsuna's illness.

White Cedar 側柏

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