Kaguya

Kaguya (かぐや) is a new character in Warriors Orochi 3. She is based on Kaguyahime from the Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Before her playable appearance, subtle homages to her and her story were included as Treasure in previous titles.

Role in Game
A resident of the mystic realm, Kaguya magically descends to the dimensional world to offer respite to the tired warriors. She appears before Ma Chao, Hanbei and Sima Zhao during their struggle against Hydra to offer them a chance to revert the original, disastrous timeline. Throughout the game's story, the coalition relies on her time traveling abilities to send members to the past, future, and present to save their comrades in the dimensional realm. She personally helps the coalition save Odawara Castle and aids the chase for Da Ji at Nanzhong. During her time spent beside the coalition, Kaguya learns about humanity and believes in their strengths.

While she obliges to their requests to alter the timeline repeatedly, Kaguya is acutely aware that the repercussions of time travel inadvertently speeds the dimensional world's ruin. Even so the immortal has faith in humanity and helps them in their goal of eradicating Hydra. Once Orochi X's death triggers the world's end, Kaguya joins her powers with the other immortals to save humanity and send them back to their proper time. Knowing that they would not remember her, she bids her friends a fond farewell.

Development
Since Kaguya's origins date to the Heian period, the producer stated that she was designed to reflect the era's form of aesthetics. He noted that the development team struggled to keep her as a Heian beauty with a contemporary face and physique. Her twelve layer robe was cut short into a mini-skirt-like bottom to be in touch with the action genre.

Personality
Sheltered yet benign, Kaguya is a quiet immortal who is attuned to the mystical realm. She has a deep understanding of the supernatural phenomenons within the dimensional realm and occasionally speaks ancient incantations aloud. Unlike other immortals, Kaguya feels she should serve humanity and never assumes herself to be stronger or superior to them. She feels honored to be near them and admires their surprising strengths. While she is puzzled by many of humanity's actions, Kaguya eventually understands them and thinks dearly of her friendship with them. Humble in her conduct, she often complements others with polite respect.

Kai and Sun Shang Xiang help her understand humans on an intimate level. Both ladies act friendly to her on a casual level, teaching her humanity's mercy and quirks. The former even gives her the adoring nickname "Kagu-chin" (かぐちん), something which Kaguya feels uncomfortable to hear. Her mystic roots shine through in her conversations with Taigong Wang and Susano'o.

Character Symbolism
All of Kaguya's normal weapons are objects which are mentioned throughout Japanese mythology and have been worshiped since ancient times. Sakaki, also known as the Japanese cleyera, is thought to be a holy plant within Shintoism in which a god may reside. A branch from the tree separates mortals from deities, yet also acts as a physical bridge for them to connect to one another. It is often seen in shrines as a protective charm. Its distant cousin Japanese eurya, or Hisakaki, acts as her second level weapon. Due to their similar appearances both plants carry the same religious symbolism, except the eurya grows in the western islands unlike the cleyera in the east. The eurya's flowers are also used in the language of the flowers, representing a flower to appease the gods.

Her third level weapon is named after an evergreen banana tree. Within Japan, it is regarded as holy tree which is said to house the spirit of a god. It predates the cleyera's rite for the claim as it's argued to have been mentioned briefly during Amenouzume's dance to coax Amaterasu from her cave. The dancing goddess either used a branch of the tree or danced on top of it. Kaguya's fourth level weapon is mentioned within mythology the moment Amaterasu curiously peaked from the cave. A deity known as Futodama presented Ihotsu no Masakaki to her. The evergreen tree branch was adorned by the Yata-no-Kagami and magatama gems. The presentation of Ihotsu no Masakaki is thought to be the earliest mention of the tamagushi ritual.

Kaguya's second unique set of weapons tie her to the moon. Her first weapon mentions rice cakes which are made during the full moon to celebrate the Moon Viewing Festival. China uses it celebrate Chang'e while Japan's religious reasons for the festivities are to pray for a bountiful harvest. Both countries celebrate the festival on the August 15th, which is the same archaic date Kaguyahime left the mortal realm for the moon. Her second weapon is named after the shadow of the rabbit on the full moon. Since rice cakes are mentioned in her previous weapon, it's probable that the rabbit could have made them.

Voice Actors

 * Yuki Makishima - Japanese voice

Ground Moveset

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Horse Moveset

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Japanese Folklore
Once upon a time, there lived an elderly couple near a bamboo forest. The husband is commonly known as Old Man who Cuts Bamboo (竹取翁, Taketori no Okina), but his given name was Sanuki no Miyatsuko (讃岐造). His wife is unnamed and merely called Old Woman (嫗, Ouna) within the tale. The Old Man was cutting one day when he spotted a strange, glowing stock of bamboo. Out of curiosity, he chopped it down and was surprised to find an infant girl inside. Taking the orphan home, the elderly couple raised the baby as though it were their own. Each day afterwards, the glowing bamboo stock kept spouting gold coins for the family. With these coins, the woodcutter and his family became wealthy. They called their fortuitous child, Mimurodoihebe-no-Akita (御室戸斎部の秋田), in honor of the area she was found.

In the span of three months, their daughter had fully grown to be a young maiden of surreal and pleasing beauty. All of the woodcutter's anxieties and sadness would fade away if he happened to glance at her. As she had her ceremony to adulthood, she was then named Nayotake-no-Kaguyahime (literally: Shimmering Princess of the Elastic Bamboo). The father chose to name her after bamboo since it was something he had always cherished within his life. The father treasured his daughter's company, and he wasn't willing to let her be married off to prying suitors (which he dubbed "dastardly devils" or "demons"). He even refused to allow their servants to gaze upon her or enter her room directly, their actions being separated by a screen at all times. However, eavesdroppers were aware of the woman's dazzling beauty and rumors of her became poetry and songs, which spread like wildfire across the land.

Thousands of men from both ends of the social ladder clamored to the woodcutter's pavilion, begging for her hand in marriage or even a peek at the beauty. The protective father would not allow it and insisted they stay outside his manor's gate. He would not offer them an ounce of hospitality and dared not to let them come close to the manor. Those without the will to continue their wait left to obtain the sleep, food, and comfort they had wanted. Only five remained and waited for days on end to see the maiden. Each man presided with a rank within the imperial court. Their names were Prince Ishizukuri, Prince Kuramochi, Minister of the Right Abe no Miushi, Major Counselor Ootomo no Miyuki, and Middle Counselor Ishisonokami Marotari.

The woodcutter couldn't chase away royalty and was at a loss. He went to his daughter and asked her to consider the prospect of marriage. Kaguyahime refused the gesture, stating that she would not marry without learning the depths of her suitor's will. She told her father that the five men should retrieve the following items to even have her consideration. These items were the stone begging bowl of Buddha, a jeweled branch from Mount Penglai, the legendary robe of the fire-rat of China, a colored jewel from a dragon's neck, and a cowrie born from a swallow. The father told the five suitors her challenge, and each departed to seek them. Though each had their own results from their journey, the five men ultimately failed to retrieve them or impress the maiden. She allowed none of them a glimpse of her figure, not even the fifth man who asked her to sing for him at his deathbed.

Upon learning of the fiasco from second hand messengers, the Emperor himself decided to see Kaguyahime. The woodcutter was overjoyed for he thought no other man in the world could be more suited for his daughter. He was happy to allow his Highness's admission, but Kaguyahime was not. When he was told to leave the manor, the Emperor secretly entered her room uninvited and was amazed by her stunning beauty. Kaguyahime responded by illuminating her body and vanishing before him. Impressed by her beauty and supernatural capabilities, the Emperor was in love and was content to return to his palace. To him, she was a rare woman he would never give up on. He constantly wrote longing poetry, songs, and letters to Kaguyahime, but his advances were never answered in kind.

Three years after the Emperor's visit, Kaguyahime began to gaze at the moon. On August 8th, she wept during the night. When her parents expressed their concern, she confessed that she was actually a person from the moon. On the fifteenth night, she was destined to return to her kind. Having made dear friends in the mortal realm, Kaguyahime felt nothing but sorrow at the thought of her return. Her loved ones and the Emperor acted quickly to defend her. An army of brave soldiers surrounded the manor in an attempt to drive off the Heavenly Beings, but she informed them that their weapons would be powerless against them. She confided her loving thoughts to them and her thanks to her parents.

On the promised night, the King of the Heavenly Realm and his entourage rode a cloud as they descended from the sky. The warriors completely lost their will to fight upon their entry, their mouths gaped open and their expressions vacant. Even those with their bows and arrows raised simply lowered them as the King passed by them. Setting foot within the manor grounds, the King called for the woodcutter, and the elderly man instantly obeyed. The Heavenly Being expressed gratitude for the man's generosity to the princess, stating that he was the one who rewarded the elderly man's good behavior with gold. He reasons the wealth the woodcutter obtained throughout the years was enough payment for housing Kaguyahime, who was sent to the human realm as punishment for an unspecified crime. He then summoned for Kaguyahime to join him back to the moon. The woodcutter wanted to voice his protest, but he was a mortal and not a divine entity; he was unable to even speak.

Kaguyahime obeyed the command to return and prepared for her departure. She had already written her farewell letters and was getting dressed. As she was given the box for her winged robe, a heavenly being thought she was feeling ill and offered a Medicine of Immortality for her. The princess quietly slipped the medicine within her letter and composed song for the Emperor. Once she donned the winged robe, her attachments for the mortal realm were erased completely. Resuming her role as a member of the Heavenly Realm, she rode the carriage to the moon and never returned.

The Emperor despaired upon reading her messages, weeping daily and refusing to eat or sleep. He asked for the mountain closest to heaven, asking to burn Kaguyahime's letter at the highest peak. He hoped his thoughts for her would mayhap reach the moon people. He also ordered the Medicine of Immortality to be burned for he thought the medicine would never alleviate the grief he felt. The story claims that this act was done at the top of Mount Fuji, "immortality" thus being the namesake of the mountain.

Trivia

 * Kaguyahime's birth is one of many fairy tales parodied within Garakutale.

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