Shika Tsuneko

Shika Tsuneko was a Speardancer of the Deer Clan.

First Spear
Shika Tsuneko held the title of First Spear amongst her clan's bushi, a master of the yari and who led her fellow speardancers into battle in times of war. She spent most of her time serving her clan daimyō Shika Renji, who sent Tsuneko on the most difficult missions, confident in her ability to succeed. When not among her fellow Deer, she often masqueraded as a simple messenger, affected an air of naïve confusion and innocence to mask her considerable competence. However, she was genuinely good-hearted, and except when her duties called on her to kill, she tried to avoid dealing lasting harm to her opponents.

Mission
Tsuneko began to protect the poet Mirumoto Amano whose works were enjoyed by both a Lion and a Unicorn general. This shared interest could facilitate peaceful negotiations by drawing both to the same poetry reading. The Scorpion magistrate Shosuro Mokusei, who was operating outside of his jurisdiction, abducted the poet. Tsuneko was injured when she defended her charge, and fled to find assistance. A group of samurai stumbled on Tsuneko, and aided her, despite Mokusei claimed that the poet was a criminal who had key information about the murder of the Scorpion's lord. 