Tasakeru/Characters

List of the characters in Tasakeru and their associated tropes. Contains spoilers.

'''This page is under construction, and Needs Wiki Magic Love. Please add to it if you think of tropes that should be here!'''

Hanami
""My name is Hanami, and I'm not who you think I am.""

An 18-year-old female squirrel with no last name. As the story begins, she's the newest Outcast. She wears an unusual flower in her hair. This flower has the magical ability to grow almost any plant instantly, in any shape she wants. Hanami was exiled because magic is forbidden by her species' religious views.

Tropes associated with Hanami include:
 * Apologizes a Lot
 * Berserk Button:
 * Blue Eyes
 * Country Mouse: Of sorts.
 * Dark and Troubled Past:
 * Flower in Her Hair
 * Fragile Flower
 * Friendless Background
 * Green Thumb: Hanami's signature ability. Interestingly, she likes conventional, non-magical gardening too.
 * Hair of Gold
 * The Heart
 * The Ingenue
 * Innocent Flower Girl:
 * Meaningful Name: Named after the Japanese flower-viewing festival.
 * Reed Richards Is Useless: Totally averted. She's a critical source of food for the Outcasts.
 * Romance Genre Heroines: The Nurturer/The Waif
 * Running Gag: Never letting Faun forget the Big Lie.
 * Sacred First Kiss: Hers with Zero was stolen in probably the worst and most traumatic way possible
 * The Woobie: Hanami's life has pretty much sucked ever since she found the Mage Flower.
 * Romance Genre Heroines: The Nurturer/The Waif
 * Running Gag: Never letting Faun forget the Big Lie.
 * Sacred First Kiss: Hers with Zero was stolen in probably the worst and most traumatic way possible
 * The Woobie: Hanami's life has pretty much sucked ever since she found the Mage Flower.
 * The Woobie: Hanami's life has pretty much sucked ever since she found the Mage Flower.

Zeromaru "Zero" Takaichi
""BANZAI!""

A male squirrel, 22 years old. He was once a Samurai and is now a Ronin, due to abandoning his service at age thirteen. He always wears black and carries a battered old family sword. He's the only Outcast with family back in the city, a younger sister with some health issues.

Tropes associated with Zero include:
 * Attack Attack Attack: Zero's usual battle plan. It tends to be rather ineffective.
 * Big Brother Instinct
 * Child Samurai
 * Dark and Troubled Past: The Week of Blood incident.
 * The Hero
 * Katanas Are Just Better: Averted. Zero does carry a katana, but it's old and weatherbeaten
 * Meaningful Name: "Zeromaru" means "zero zero".
 * Noodle Incident: The fact that Hanami knows about his fills him with panic.
 * Romance Genre Heroes: A combination of the Lost Soul, the Swashbuckler, and the Warrior.
 * Ronin
 * Samurai: Was in training as one, until Survivors Guilt drove him to run away.
 * Tranquil Fury: When Attack Attack Attack fails, he'll sometimes switch into this state.
 * Troubled but Cute
 * Survivors Guilt: The Week of Blood incident. Seventeen people died and many more were injured, including every one of Zero's brothers-in-arms. He was the only one to be completely unharmed.
 * Ronin
 * Samurai: Was in training as one, until Survivors Guilt drove him to run away.
 * Tranquil Fury: When Attack Attack Attack fails, he'll sometimes switch into this state.
 * Troubled but Cute
 * Survivors Guilt: The Week of Blood incident. Seventeen people died and many more were injured, including every one of Zero's brothers-in-arms. He was the only one to be completely unharmed.

Faun Reinaka
""I don't like to think of it as 'stealing'... more like 'borrowing by surprise.'""

A vixen in both senses of the word, nineteen years old. She's clever, she's beautiful, and she knows it. Faun is an expert thief, she doesn't steal so much for survival as for pleasure. One of her hobbies is making her own trick grenades.

Tropes associated with Faun include:
 * Action Girl: She's perfectly willing to stuff a grenade in your face if you get on her bad side.
 * Armed Legs
 * Badass Bandolier: The "boom belt".
 * Bottle Fairy
 * Dark and Troubled Past: Sensing a pattern here?
 * Embarrassing First Name: Don't call her "Faunelle".
 * Ensemble Darkhorse: By far the most popular character in the series.
 * Hair Decorations: the red bow in her hair.
 * Fantastic Racism: Faun is rather prone to racial stereotyping and slurs.
 * Fiery Redhead
 * The Gadfly
 * Gargle Blaster: Faun's favorite drink, Dead God Firewater, is blood-red and causes fainting in lightweights from the fumes alone.
 * Green Eyed Red Head
 * The Lancer
 * Kleptomaniac Hero
 * Ms. Fanservice: The boom belt is the only thing she wears over her chest.
 * Not a Morning Person
 * The Nicknamer: She has nicknames for everyone.
 * Romance Genre Heroines: A combination of the Crusader, the Seductress, and the Free Spirit.
 * Shameless Fanservice Girl
 * Miss Swears A Lot: Almost all of the profanity seen in the series thus far comes from Faun.
 * Stuff Blowing Up
 * Stripperiffic
 * Throw Down the Bomblet
 * Trick Bomb: She has an entire arsenal of them.
 * Use Your Head: She gives a Glasgow Kiss to an amorous male in Book 1.
 * Trick Bomb: She has an entire arsenal of them.
 * Use Your Head: She gives a Glasgow Kiss to an amorous male in Book 1.

Ashpaw Longstripe
"[to Faun] "The pursuit of knowledge is never a joke... except, perhaps, in your case.""

A badger, twenty-eight years old. The oldest of the group, having been in exile for twelve years. Ashpaw is a Gentle Giant, an avid reader whose den houses a small library on all kinds of subjects. He doesn't much like to fight, but when it's necessary he has a very large morning star to do the job.

Tropes associated with Ashpaw include:
 * Badass Bookworm: Straddles the line between this and Gentle Giant. His den houses an overstuffed library on subjects from everything from fairy tales to architecture... and also a massive forge where he makes his own weapons.
 * The Big Guy: Huge compared to the other Outcasts, he's well over six feet tall.
 * Dark and Troubled Past: Again, though his was less traumatic than most.
 * Epic Flail
 * Gentle Giant
 * Martial Pacifist
 * Mr. Exposition: In both the dialogue and the entries from his book, The Past, the Present, and What Lies Beyond.
 * My Species Doth Protest Too Much:
 * The Obi-Wan
 * Proud Scholar Race Guy: Type 1.
 * The Smart Guy
 * The Smart Guy

Drake Who Walks Alone
"Ares: "What are you?!"

Drake: "Damned.""

A really, really old white wolf who has lived in Tasakeru for longer than anyone can remember. He helps out the Outcasts from time to time, when he feels like it. Drake was formerly part of the Silver Order, but the circumstances surrounding his exile are extremely murky...

Tropes associated with Drake include:
 * Dark and Troubled Past: Like you couldn't guess.
 * Flat Earth Atheist: He believes the Gods have abandoned him, so he has abandoned the Gods
 * Grumpy Bear: To the point that Faun's nickname for him is "Grumpy".
 * Noodle Incident: So far, he's the only one not to have his backstory revealed.
 * Thirteen Is Unlucky: Squad 13, his old unit, was disbanded after something called the chimatsuri. No-one but the Grand Mistress knows the details.
 * Unperson: Despite being the first wolf in the history of the Silver Order, there is no official record of his existence or his squad's.
 * Thirteen Is Unlucky: Squad 13, his old unit, was disbanded after something called the chimatsuri. No-one but the Grand Mistress knows the details.
 * Unperson: Despite being the first wolf in the history of the Silver Order, there is no official record of his existence or his squad's.

Naole Takaichi
"Naole: "You don't have to look after me all the time..."

Zero: "I know. That doesn't mean I'll stop.""

Zero's little sister who still lives in Shinboku. Sixteen years old. She has mild anemia, but refuses to be treated differently because of it, and often gets seriously annoyed with Zero's overprotectiveness. She works as an apprentice healer for the Silver Order.

Tropes associated with Naole include:
 * Don't You Dare Pity Me: A mild case of this.
 * Ill Girl: Her anemia occasionally causes dizzy spells.
 * Hazel Eyes
 * Japanese Honorifics: She calls Zero onii-chan, and he calls her imoto-chan.
 * Plucky Girl: She hates having attention called to her anemia, and tries to downplay it at every opportunity.
 * Tomboy: Of sorts.
 * Tomboy: Of sorts.

Legion
A hybrid of all eight sentient species, created by Stalker using Blood Magic. Legion was intended to be the first of a breed of SuperSoldiers, but he emerged mute, hunchbacked, and covered in open sores. Stalker promptly rejected him, and intended to have him kill Naole... but Legion also lacked any sort of predatory instinct. Naole befriended him almost immediately, and the two escaped the Black Rose Tower together.

Tropes associated with Legion include:
 * Cute Little Fangs: inverted, he's got a huge set of chompers, but he's still more endearing than threatening.
 * Cute Mute: Legion can't speak, but Naole is teaching him a combination of sign language and lip-reading so he can communicate.
 * Embarrassing Nickname: "Freakshow", courtesy of Faun.
 * Eyes of Gold
 * Foe-Tossing Charge
 * Heinz Hybrid: Blood from each of the eight sentient species was used in his creation. He has a ferret's eyes, the musculature of a badger, the body shape of a wolf, an enormous tail from skunks and squirrels combined, the ears of a rabbit and a fox mixed, and a raccoon's markings.
 * Is It Something You Eat: [What 'lost?' Food?]
 * The Speechless

Aria
""What I see are the pathways, the many outcomes that are possible at any given moment. I see them stretching out before me in infinite lines like the roots of trees, ever-growing, ever-shifting as time decides its course...""

A half-wolf, half-fox seer whom Naole and Legion met in Tasakeru. Wolfoxes are treated as second-class citizens at best in Sankami, due to social taboos against crossbreeding, so Aria is used to being shunned by most people. Aria has a strange precognitive ability that allows her to see possibilities the future may hold; the key word there is may. Her visions are both a blessing and a curse, as she seldom is able to predict which of those possibilities will come to pass.

Tropes associated with Aria include:
 * Blessed With Suck or Cursed With Awesome: Her precognitive visions can be either of these.
 * For Want of a Nail: This is essentially her power.
 * Gray Eyes
 * The Quiet One
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair And Fur: She and all other wolfoxes have steel-blue fur and hair, as a result of a genetic fluke.
 * The Quiet One
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair And Fur: She and all other wolfoxes have steel-blue fur and hair, as a result of a genetic fluke.
 * You Gotta Have Blue Hair And Fur: She and all other wolfoxes have steel-blue fur and hair, as a result of a genetic fluke.

Lily
""Oh Hollis, I grow tired... When you return, may I find comfort in your arms...""

The current leader of the Silver Order, a religious sect and peacekeeping force that is the largest organized group in Sankami. Her family has run the Order since its inception, with the position being passed down from mother to daughter.

Tropes associated with Lily include:
 * Alternate Character Interpretation: Noble Paladin or A Nazi By Any Other Name? Half-bloods are expected to live in the worst conditions possible (permanent exile from birth until death) and wear Black Cloaks. More or less the Guildenstern (gold star) and all that nonsense. The author seems to be acknowledging this, she's on the slippery slope as of book six.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking.
 * Big Bad: Of Book VI
 * Good Is Not Nice: She tries to be nice, but she has no qualms about murdering the outcasts if they get out of hand.
 * Mama Bear
 * Good Is Not Nice: She tries to be nice, but she has no qualms about murdering the outcasts if they get out of hand.
 * Mama Bear

Nadeshiko
""Don't call me 'Little One!'""

A 14-year-old skunk female who is next in line for the leadership of the Silver Order. She is the tough-as-nails field commander of the Order's knights, and possesses a brilliant mind. Nadeshiko can come off as cold and aloof, but she is slowly opening up due to her friendship with Persephone. Her preferred weapon is a massive broadsword.

Tropes associated with Nadeshiko include:
 * A Day in The Limelight: Book 6, chapter 3.
 * Embarrassing Nickname: She hates being called "Little One" by Lily.
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: Probably the best with a BFS you're likely to see outside of Anime.
 * Good Is Not Nice: At least her mum makes made an effort. Nade's a bit of a dick.
 * Head Desk
 * Lady of War
 * Keigo: Her speech is usually very formal, due to the Order's protocol.
 * Teen Genius: She's considered very smart by Badger standards, which is apparently really saying something.
 * You Need to Get Laid: Suggested by Persephone in response to her depression over the Meaningful Funeral.
 * You Need to Get Laid: Suggested by Persephone in response to her depression over the Meaningful Funeral.
 * You Need to Get Laid: Suggested by Persephone in response to her depression over the Meaningful Funeral.

Persephone
""Please, if you ever need to talk about anything...""

A female rabbit, the first victim of Stalker. After Stalker's death she joined the Silver Order as a Healer, and is now Nadeshiko's closest friend.

Tropes associated with Persephone include:
 * Angst What Angst:
 * Ascended Extra: Persephone was originally only supposed to appear in Book III, with another rabbit filling her role in the story afterward.
 * Literal Minded
 * No Sense of Humor/Late to The Punchline: She's very logical and analytical, as with all rabbits, so she has trouble understanding when someone is making a joke.
 * No Sense of Humor/Late to The Punchline: She's very logical and analytical, as with all rabbits, so she has trouble understanding when someone is making a joke.

Benson and Virgil
Those Two Guys who are frequently seen at Faun's favorite tavern, the Fool's Rush Inn. Benson is a raccoon, and Virgil is a fox. Both are drunkards and perverts, but Faun always gets the better of them.

Yuudai Yamano
The Captain of the Samurai Militia's Squad 042. He has a distinctive scar from one cheek to another across the bridge of his nose, and wears armor with a dragon motif as a mark of his rank.

Tropes associated with Yuudai include:
 * The Ace
 * Animal Motifs: His armor and helmet have a dragon design.
 * The Captain
 * Good Scars, Evil Scars
 * Meaningful Name:
 * Shadow Archetype:

N'Ktane
""Now then, I’ve broken your mate, I’ve broken your heart, and I’ve broken your sword. What else shall I break…?""

The Big Bad of Book I, N'Ktane was a sentient Giant Spider, implied to be the last one. She lived in an ancient cavern in Tasakeru and ruled over a Hive Mind of animalistic drone spiders, her children. The Outcasts first battled her when investigating her children's attacks on both the forest and Shinboku, and she and her children were killed when the cavern collapsed.

Tropes associated with N'Ktane include:
 * Giant Spider: With a more humanoid body than those of her children, see Spider People below.
 * Hive Queen
 * Mama Bear: Gets VERY angry when her children are harmed.
 * Mind Rape: She has inflicted mental torture on Zero, Hanami, and Faun.
 * Psychic Powers: Used primarily to control her hive, but she can also read the thoughts of others, inflict Mind Rape, cast convincing illusions, use telekenisis, and perform limited hypnosis.
 * Red Eyes Take Warning
 * Spider Person
 * Red Eyes Take Warning
 * Spider Person

Renubis
""I do not feel! I do not eat, or drink, or bleed! I never sleep, never tire, never breathe! What hope do any of you have against me? What hope does this world have?!""

An immortal jackal sorceror, Last of His Kind. Three thousand years ago, he worked in the court of the jackal's ruler, the Farao, and was assigned to create an immortality potion. After slaving away for a year, he completed the potion and took it for himself, seizing control of all of Sankami. His rule was short-lived, as a team of mages collapsed his throne room around him and buried him in a crypt, with only an enchanted mirror as a window to the outside world. Renubis was trapped there for the next three thousand years, while his entire race died out and was forgotten. It was Faun who broke into the crypt and broke the seal keeping him imprisoned, after which he tried to resume power again, with Faun as his mate.

Tropes associated with Renubis include:
 * Implacable Jackal: For all intents and purposes, he's completely invincible.
 * Last of His Kind
 * Living Relic
 * Mask of Power: He wears one based on an Egyptian headress, which conceals his eyes behind black, opaque slits.
 * Our Liches Are Different
 * Who Wants to Live Forever?: See the quote above. His immortality has essentially frozen his body in time as it was when he took the potion. He has no pulse or sense of touch, doesn't breathe, and can't eat or sleep.
 * Our Liches Are Different
 * Who Wants to Live Forever?: See the quote above. His immortality has essentially frozen his body in time as it was when he took the potion. He has no pulse or sense of touch, doesn't breathe, and can't eat or sleep.

Stalker
"Stalker: "A week ago... Something strange happened."

Persephone: "What was that?"

Stalker: "I died.""

Once a wolf named Ares of the Bladetail Pack. Exiled and stripped of his markings as a punishment for raping the females of his pack, he was sent to Tasakeru, where he set his sights on Hanami... Ares was savagely beaten and killed by Drake, but was brought Back From the Dead by the last of N'Ktane's children, which fused to him as a symbiote and revived them both. As something not quite alive and not quite dead, he renamed himself Stalker and began a plan to bring N'Ktane, his "mother", back to life.

Tropes associated with Stalker include:
 * Complete Monster
 * Composite Character: He has elements of Jason Voorhees (zombie mama's boy), Freddy Kreuger (huge claws on his fingertips), Mike Myers (off his rocker), and Venom (malevolent symbiote grants him spider-based superpowers).
 * Knight of Cerebus
 * Mook Horror Show
 * Our Zombies Are Different
 * Psychic Powers: Stalker inherited hypnotic vision and limited mind-reading from his fusion with the spider, but he has less control over his abilities than N'Ktane did.
 * Red Eyes Take Warning: The sclera of his eyes turned red after his transformation.
 * Sliding Scale of Undead Regeneration: level 2
 * The Symbiote
 * Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
 * Villain Song: He never does a song-and-dance number, but a Mad bard writes one for him.
 * Wolverine Claws
 * Your Soul Is Mine: His signature ability, which earns him the nickname "Soulsnatcher"
 * Wolverine Claws
 * Your Soul Is Mine: His signature ability, which earns him the nickname "Soulsnatcher"