Ryou Takaramono

|BASICS|
Name: Ryou Takaramono
Age: 24
Birthplace: Vermillion City
Current Residence: None
Rank: Bender
Occupation: Treasure hunter, merchant, and metalsmith
Element: Firebender Sub: Lightningbender
Pets: Jirra: Kangaroohound
Weapons: Souen: An oversized sword which is the only possession that Ryou would never sell. The blade is double-edged and measured at 5 foot 2 inches long. The blade is measured at 8 inches from edge to edge, and at it's thickest it is a full 2 inches thick. Despite the size of the blade, it was forged from titanium, making it durable, lightweight, and resistant to corrosion. The hilt has no hand guard, and the cross guard, it has the words 'Death to heaven' etched into it. The handle is a full foot and a half long and is bound in tough leather which insulates it. The only part of the handle that is not covered by this leather is a 4 inch section directly behind the cross guard which Ryou has exposed to allow him to heat the blade using his firebending. At the end of the hilt is a counterweight which places the center of gravity of the weapon at the middle of the hilt, which makes it significantly easier to wield the weapon despite it's size and weight. The weapon weighs a full 85 pounds, making it difficult to wield. It is only his extensive experience that allows him to use the weapon with expertise.

Blacksmith's hammer: A standard forging hammer used for shaping heated metal. With this, Ryou can also use this hammer to test hardness and the composition of various metals.

|OPTIONAL|
Birthday: June 13
Blood type: AB+
Hobbies: Cooking, metalworking, haggling.
Quirks: Extremely tickelish, hates tomatoes, has a fear of bees.
Family: (Your characters family members)
Character Theme: Diamonds and Gold - Tom Waits

|APPEARANCE|
Hair: Medium length auburn hair which has a tendency to be messy and stick up.
Eyes: Green
Height: 6'1
Clothes: Ryou wears a sleeveless blue denim shirt lined with silk. Over this he wears a thick brown jacket which is covered and lined with pockets, both obvious and concealed, where Ryou keeps all sorts of knick knacks. The jacket is designed to resist high temperatures. Around his left arm he wears an armband with characters for "Fortune Hunter" which he designed himself. Another signature item that Ryou keeps with him at all times is an engraved gold coin on a leather band.

Around his waist, Ryou wears a leather brace held tight by leather belts. This brave helps stabilize the muscles of his core helping him handle the weight of his sword more easily. His pants are loose-fitting and made from tanned leather. The loose design of the pants allows for a surprising range of movement. Around the waist is a sling that allows Ryou to hang his sword around his waist.
Skin: Ryou's skin is very evenly tanned. The skin on his hands and arms is scarred and very calloused from his work with heated metal. His hands are rough and have collected enough callouses that he can handle a white hot piece of metal for a brief time without pain.
Body Type: Ryou has a very lean build, but his body is all muscle. His arms are particularly
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[size=18]|CHARACTERISTICS|
[size=11]Personality: Ryou is a sardonic wandering merchant who would rather spend time ripping off ambitious travelers than sharing in their delusions of grandeur. He has learned to look after himself and is both independent and self-sufficient, qualities which are vital for somebody looking to make it in the world on their own. This does not mean that he isolates himself from people; far from it. He values people that are useful to him and trustworthy, and it takes time for him to consider a person a friend. He is cool-headed and well spoken, qualities that serve him well as a salesperson.
Personal Strengths:
-Independent
-Intelligent
-Calm and collected
-Resourceful
-Creative
Personal Weaknesses:
-Skeptical
-Sarcastic
-Greedy
-Slow to trust others
Hamartia: His lack of faith in other people.
Personal Hero:
Dreams and Ambitions: To be rich, powerful, and above all, rich.

Likes:
-Treasure
-Working with metal
-Good arguments
-Bargaining
-Good food

Dislikes:
-Bees
-People that are egotistical and naive
-Cold tea
-People that want their money back
-New technology

Brief History: Ryou was born into a family of esteemed weaponsmiths originally from Tengu Island. His father and mother moved soon after a factory was built in their hometown. Though the conflict with the Dark Phoenic had been resolved years ago, production of new weapons and technology had not ceased. Rumor was that people were often forced into labor for the factories, and Sagashi, Ryou's father figured that as a laborer that worked with metal, he would be sought out. After fleeing the island with their 2 year-old son, Sagashi and his wife Yoshika fled to Omashu.

Ryou grew up in the prosperous city, and about as soon as he was 8, he began to help his father in his shop, making weapons and all kinds of metal objects. His father had never been able to afford a forge of his own, so he rented a clay hut and used firebending to heat the metal to shape it. Ryou learned firebending from his father instead of going to school, which his family couldn't really afford. He learned to read, write, and do math from his mother when she caught him and home schooled him.

Ryou began to actually work in the shop when he was 12. His firebending had progressed to the point that he could relieve some of the work from his father by contributing his own streams of fire to the makeshift forge. At this point, his father decided that it was time that Ryou could begin to learn to use some of the weapons he was learning to make. Sagashi had been a capable warrior with a number of weapons, but his specialty was with his own sword; a massive weapon over 6 feet long altogether. Ryou chose to follow in his father's footsteps and teach himself the same weapon.

For 9 long years, Ryou learned the skills necessary to become a master of crafting metal. He studied diligently, learning to adeptly craft objects ranging from jewelry, to tools, to complex weapons. At the same time, his strength and skill with the sword surpassed that of his father. It was at that time that he learned of Ullondor. A traveling merchant came through Omashu telling tales of the New Land. It was difficult to enter the country and even harder to travel through with the mounting tensions, but Ryou made up his mind to attempt to find the mysterious new land. He was convinced that this was the place where he could make his fortune. With that, he packed his things and told his parents he was leaving. He would search for a way to reach Ullondor and would return to them when he had made a name for himself. As a parting gift, his father gave Ryou his prized sword, Souen. Since then, Ryou has been hunting for some way to get to Ullondor, trading his own creations for words and rumors on the direction of the New Land.

Approved