Yoshihiro Sugikawa

Born the first and only son to Yoshinaga Sugikawa, Yoshihiro would spend countless hours training to be a suitable heir to the Sugikawa family. Had it not been for his upbringing surrounded by his sisters, he may have even turned out to be a prime example of what a Samurai should be. Instead of the stern and strict attitude of your usual Samurai, Yoshihiro would often be caught expressing himself openly. Smiling and laughing at a moments notice, in face the boy may never be considered a Samurai had it not been for his martial prowess. While not wholly accustomed to the art of the lance, Yoshihiro was a prodigy in the way of the bow and blade. His natural talent with the bow especially shocked many retainers, and he would make for an excellent politician for the people with his outgoing nature. Before the boy had reached adulthood, he was already admired by his people.   Early in his life, he would be given his first challenge as a Samurai's son. Him and his father ventured out into the outskirts of Kogane to stay the night at a 'haunted' inn. For the most part, the venture seemed to bare no fruit. The inn was run by a very sweet couple, along with their daughter who was around his age. At first, Yoshihiro felt sorry for the family, noting the tension in the air, and how fast they'd scramble to meet his father's demands. His father kept a stern and straightforward expression through the entire encounter, however Yoshihiro could tell his father was not at all comfortable causing such a ruckus. Before they would leave, Yoshihiro would make one last round about the INN to ensure there was nothing wrong with it.   Before he made it far, he was enchanted by the beautiful sound of someone plucking away on a shamisen. Following the sound, Yoshihiro found none other than the Innkeeper's daughter plucking away on the strings. Yoshihiro watched and listened through the song, the music pulling him away from his duties for just a few moments. After the song was finished, his gaze met the her's and time seemed to slow for him. The girl had perfect skin, smooth beautiful hair, and beautiful golden eyes. While he was young, and clearly didn't understand it, this was the day Yoshihiro fell for the girl from the inn. The girl seemed shocked to see him, her question pulled him from his daydreaming. He shook his head to snap himself out of his trance and introduced himself, attempting to strike up a conversation. While Yoshihiro's father and him had planned to leave that morning, they wound up staying until the evening, if only because Yoshihiro refused to leave until he had gotten to know the girl. By the end of the visit, the two were fast friends. Yoshihiro would later invite the girl, Ginko, over for several visits to Kogane Castle.   Once Yoshihiro had reached his late adolescence, he was sent on several missions often disappearing for weeks at a time to quell dissent and take care of bandits with several of his family's retainers. He would become famous for ending disputes and stopping bandits without drawing his blade, though this didn't mean he was kept from it. When he took his first life Yoshihiro refused to leave the castle for a week, regretting that he couldn't keep the man from attempting to assault him. After a time however, these deaths would become more and more common. With the sparks from the Shogun's death finally igniting into flames, the civil war had erupted and many ex samurai had fallen into banditry. Yoshihiro would try to offer these Ronin new lives under Sugikawan rule, but many refused to join the Sugikawa clan out of spite for staying neutral in the war.