Description
Here we have the lovely Delilah, Seijyukenshi of Lacerta, a Kunoichi and the main protagonist of her own story Shinobi X (cross).
Since Delilah here is an MC nd Ninjas are popular (and rightfully so, they’re awesome. Way better than pirates and Spartans. Change my mind) I wanted to try something a little different for her and go for a “Modern Ninja” look for her, like a cross between traditional Ninja and Special Forces.
The weapon she wields are my variation of the Kama, an actual weapon still used in Martial Arts today. At first I was gonna give her a Kusarigama but I didn’t like the way the chain looked so I did a little research and settled on the Kama instead.
The Lizard is an important motif for her character since she is the Seijyukenshi of Lacerta, the Lizard. Her Seijyū is the Agemo, a Chameleon spirit from Yoruba Lore. Why Yoruba when she's Japanese? Well, Delilah's biological mother, Crystal, who died a year after giving birth to Delilah is an African-American who joined the Hanzaki Daimyōjin clan. More info on that later.
As a Ninja she comes with a Mask that you can find HERE
But she’s not all about her Ninja Way. In fact, she has plans of retiring from the life and pursuing a career as an R&B Singer. Believe it or not she has a nice set of pipes. Before that can happen, however, she must complete her hero's journey, which will pit her against many familiar faces.
I really enjoyed creating her and I hope you do too!
Delilah Mieko Katō
Age: 35
Height: 5’ 4”
Weight: 145 lbs.
Birthday: December 10th 1987
Birthplace: New York City, U.S.A.
Occupation: Shinobi for Celestia Foundation, Belly Dancer/Instructor (side hustle) R&B Singer (aspiring)
Combat Specialty: Hanzaki-ryu Ninjutsu (includes Jiu-jutsu, Aikido, Weapon Arts and any number of supernatural techniques (Genjutsu, etc.)), Agemo no Kama (Scythes), Umbrakinesis
Favorite Food(s): Pizza (esp. New York Style), French Fries, Ice Cream, Takoyaki, Udon, Tonkatsu (recent favorites from her years in Japan)
Likes: Hip-Hop and R&B, Video Games (esp. Fighting from her days at the old Chinatown Fair), Anime/Manga, American Comics, Martial Arts, Reptiles, Belly Dancing (she’s actually quite good at this)
Dislikes: Dubstep/Techno, cats, science (she was almost held back due to failing Physical Science), Sci-Fi
Short Bio: Born in New York’s Upper Manhattan, Delilah is a first-generation Japanese-American. Though she and her brother, Toku Japan Captain Hidenori Nagata (AKA Kiryu Rider), had normal childhoods, thier parents, Eiji Katō and Mieko Nagata , have a backstory pulled straight from an Anime. Ironically, while Eiji and Mieko tried their best to distance their children from this background, it would play a huge role in their lives—Delilah’s in particular.
The family’s tale begins in the mountains of rural Kumamoto Prefecture. While nowadays Toku Japan is viewed as Japan’s sole protector against far-out threats such as Yōkai and other beasties and ghosts; in the remote past that duty fell to the Hanzaki and Kiryū Clans, two of the many Jyūzoku, or "Beast Clans" in English, spread throughout Japan. Both clans were founded by fantastic beasts, Hanzaki Daimyōjin, a deified Japanese Giant Salamander and Kiryū, a dragon with gleaming gold scales. Equally impressive are the clans’ reputatation. From antiquity to the early 20th Century these two clans were revered and respected by thier fellow Jyūzoku and throughout the country for their demon-slaying prowess. Initally, the clans were rivals but an alliance was made when the infamous Shūten Dōji rampaged through Japan during the Heian Period, decimating the populations of both clans. During the Warring States both clans remained neutral despite being courted by many warlords, choosing instead to serve the populace at large. This turned out to be a sound strategy, keeping them out of trouble and allowing them to thrive from the Edo Period onward. During and after World War II, however, the clans’ influence waned as Japan focused less on the supernatural and more on rebuilding thier country. Today, Toku Sentai has largely overshadowed the clans, though they often consult and even hire members from both sides.
Eiji, Delilah’s father, was the current head of the Kiryū Clan while Mieko, her mother, was the current head of the Hanzaki Clan. They were first introduced in the 1970’s by their parents with the intention of marrying and further solidifying the unity of both Clans. While Eiji and Mieko accomplished this by marrying in 1980, the birth of Hidenori brought a sudden shift in Meiko’s outlook. Though proud of her rich family legacy, baby Hidenori made her realize that she and her family lived in a very small world with little freedom career-wise. Mieko wanted more out of life for her son. When she tried to convince Eiji he was vehemently against leaving this life, the only one he knew, behind. Eventually, however, Meiko won him over.
So, in 1982, with the blessings of their Clan Elders, the young family went west to New York City to give Hidenori a more free life. Mieko got a job as a secretary in Manhattan while Eiji opened a Dojo in the Bronx. The Kato Family got off to a rocky start, what with the record violence thanks to the crack epidemic of the 1980’s surging through NYC and the nation as a whole. But thanks to the family’s grit, perseverance and a little luck, it all paid off as the Katō upgraded to nicer apartment in Upper Manhattan in 1985. Almost two years later in December of 1987, they welcomed their secondborn, a baby girl, into the world. The girl was named “Delilah” by Meiko, who had converted to Christianity after leaving the Hanzaki clan. Eiji, who had long wanted a daughter, suddenly began to feel the way Mieko did when Hidenori was born and wanted nothing but the best for his little girl.
Like her mother and brother, Delilah took to her hometown very well despite being painfully shy as a child. As expected, her family did their part to help Delilah out of her shell. Eiji, a nature lover, took Deliliah to Central Park (the only part of New York City that he actually likes) and on Camping trips in Upstate New York while Meiko would take her out to explore the city and take in her surroundings. Hidenori, meanwhile, would take his little sister with him to Chinatown Fair, a video arcade famous for its competitive fighting games scene from the 90’s all the way to 2011. Though Delilah didn’t win many matches, her experiences at Chinatown Fair did help her out of her shell and start her love affair with Video Games; a love that continues to this day. But, by far, the biggest influence on Delilah came from the Martial Arts. While both Eiji and Mieko wanted to distance their children from the lives they led back in Japan, Martial Arts was one aspect that they actually encouraged. After all, self-defense is an important skill, particularly for a young girl in 1990’s New York City. Delilah took to Martial Arts very quickly, even more so than her older brother, starting from her first lessons at five years old. As an Umbrakinetic, she was a natural with her mother’s Hanzaki-ryu, a style based around Ninjutsu that balances realistic strikes, holds, and weapon play with more supernatural abilities.
Fast forward to today where Delilah is a confident, intelligent and strong woman and skilled Martial Artist. She is still largely introverted, sometimes a little shy; with a bit of a sarcastic bent to her but that’s just a result of her growing pains. After all, life in a big city, especially one of the biggest, can be (and was at times) hard on a quiet, sensitive girl like Delilah. But she still holds kindness in her heart and sensitivity thanks to her family, especially her mother, who taught her to love and forgive even those who transgress.
This teaching will be put to the test in the biggest way as Delilah, Hidenori and Eiji seek out the Vietnamese assassin Lizbeth My Phuong , who murdered Mieko in Manhattan back in 2008. This act dealt a particularly heavy blow to the Kato Family as Mieko was the glue of the family and the one who encouraged Eiji to leave Japan and give their children the freedom they enjoy. Though she knows deep in her heart that her mother would be against it, Delilah is determined to avenge Mieko by bringing to bear the fiercest techniques of Hanzaki-ryu against Lizbeth.
What Delilah and her father and brother don’t realize, however, is that their journey is more complicated than they know, much more, and will bring them in conflict with figures such as Anubis , Lord of the Dead, and the deadly Neo Egyptian Empire.
More info coming soon!
NOTE: HeroMachine was merely the vehicle for my character's creation. All characters I post are thought up, created and belong to ME.