Daiyu

Daiyu, the Enigmatic Crescent is a member of the Talon Regime's Tannin Jaegers. Other than Elpis, she's considered one of the more mysterious of the team from a vague history. Few people were able to find out she was raised by monks in a village decimated by Ultfinites with abnormal Synchro-Gears controlled by a man that Daiyu is looking for.

- Personality -

Daiyu is a former exorcist who trained under the guidance of monks in a secluded temple. She learned to be introspective and focus on her inner peace, which sometimes makes her appear distant. Preferring strong emotional connections for those who truly deserve them rather than simply allies. She is not afraid to use violence if necessary, and often acts brutally against her enemies. Having a bossy demeanor. She struggles to express herself and her feelings, especially towards Ritsueto, whom she secretly admires. Though she understands the circumstances surrounding the Talon Regime to be against the Abyssal Empire.

Daiyu is not easily impressed or excited by anything, and she tends to dismiss or ignore what she considers trivial or irrelevant. She is very perceptive and thoughtful, always analyzing and questioning everything around her due to her spacious nature. She doesn't want to leave anyone behind or face death alone, but she has trouble asking for help. Wanting to be independent and self-reliant, but also longing for companionship and understanding. She communicates in a sign language, but she can perfectly understand spoken English, even when it is complex or nuanced. Sometimes using facial cues to get out of touchy subjects.

Daiyu proves herself to be well receptive, listening carefully to what others say. She cares deeply about the survival and well-being of herself and others, even if she doesn't show it. She likes to sneak out at night, exploring the world and looking for answers about life. She also loves rice cakes and mochi, especially if they have medicinal ingredients that can heal her scars. Daiyu thinks that Devil Hunters are stupid and reckless, as they depend on money instead of spirituality.

- Relationships -

• Elpis: Daiyu and Elpis have a simple relationship that is mostly based on mutual respect and cooperation. Daiyu sees Elpis as a potential ally, but also as a person with his own values. She respects his determination and constant pursuit of wisdom, but she also sees how he has a rigid worldview out of fear and limitations. She tries to understand him and his motives, but she can sometimes find him incomprehensible. Listening well to his opinions, but she also shares her own and tries to find common ground. She feels a friendship with him, but she doesn't expect anything more from him or herself.

• Lyra: Daiyu's interactions and Lyra are held on the basis of learning one another. Daiyu often criticizes Lyra's views and decisions, yet admires her sincerity. She holds respect to Lyra's authority unlike Lightstreak with Elpis, but she feels Lyra's decisions could affect her as a person. Especially with how Lyra's conditioned by Lucius. Daiyu herself doesn't want to be feel the same forced lifestyle she had before, thus prefers to carry her own weight.

• Lightstreak: TBA

• Daibo: Daiyu often ignores Daibo, hoping that he would learn from his mistakes and grow up. She doesn't appreciate his constant chatter and his attempts to make her laugh or smile, which she considers annoying and disrespectful. She thinks that he is too easily influenced by others and that he doesn't have a clear sense of purpose or identity. Daiyu and Daibo have moments where they show respect and care for each other, even if they don't always express it verbally. Daiyu protects Daibo from harm and teaches him valuable lessons about life and combat. They sometimes argue or fight, but they also apologize or forgive each other. They sometimes disagree or clash, but they also cooperate or compromise with each other. In order to help the Talon Regime's ambitions more, Daibo and Daiyu must learn how to communicate better and how to trust each other more.

• Coraline: TBA

• Seirya: Daiyu and Seirya have a close bond that goes beyond friendship. Seirya is one of the few people who can approach Daiyu without fear, and he always tries to make her laugh and smile. He sees the potential in Daiyu, and he encourages her to pursue her dreams and passions. He also mediates between Daiyu and Daibo as the strong but well-thinking one to keep them in line. Daiyu appreciates Seirya's company, and she enjoys his lively spirit. She also feels safe and cared for by him, seeing that he's more than how he appears from an outwards glance.

• Larasu: TBA

• Gerda: TBA

- History - Past -

Daiyu's birth was a result of a forbidden ritual that combined the herbal mixture of a moon rabbit, a mythical creature that could manipulate the tides, and a human who was sacrificed to appease the people she belonged to and to prevent the spread of the Tidal Cataclysm. Before the moon rabbit was forcefully returned to her homeland. The ritual was performed using a link, passing down to multiple mortal generations. However, the ritual was misunderstood by the people as a heinous crime, and Daiyu was banished from her homeland. She found refuge in a monastery, where she learned the ways of the monks and zealously honed her skills in combat and meditation. She adapted to their culture and traditions, but never forgot her own roots and heritage. Daiyu lived an unorthodox childhood, reading from a book of legends that inspired her to return to her original home. She often escaped to the forest, where she felt closer to nature and her ancestors.

Daiyu had strains were etched into her skin during the forbidden ritual itself. The book's power surged through her body, leaving behind marks that glowed faintly with otherworldly energy in the form of a neo-gen. These scars were not just physical; they carried memories of ancient magic. Each scar told a story of sorrow, courage and unwavering determination. Daiyu believes that hidden within certain herbs and elixirs lies forgotten knowledge of a way to undo the consequences of that fateful ritual. Starting a ritual dance where she moved harmoniously with the waters of the night, searching for happiness and meaning. Seeking out ancient texts, consults wise sages, and experiments with concoctions in search of answers. She became a shrine maiden who used her book as a way of influence and spreading her beliefs, creating a clash between faiths due to the divine knowledge spread within it. Some saw it as heinous, others saw it as believable. Various families had their reputation drop tremendously when attempting to impress the moon rabbit, such as those who attempted to steal her secret in the past. People tried to push her away from the lifestyle that was closest to her roots in order to please the people, making her stuck in new traditions. She struggled within new traditional systems she was put into, and decided to conceal her origins in the monastery due to her raising theories of the world.

As the world teetered on the brink of World War X, Daiyu's interstellar contact unintentionally startled the elders of the moon, who thought the earth was declaring war. Determined to find her original home and uncover its secrets, Daiyu established connections and alliances. But fate had a different plan for Daiyu. Her homeland was ravaged by World War X, a global conflict that involved the use of Metagallions and Synchro-Gears, advanced weapons that could synchronize with the user's mind and body. She saw that the secrets she had been looking for had been either been tampered with or outright stolen. Daiyu witnessed the horrors of war firsthand, as her home was invaded by Ultfinites. Among them was a mysterious monk who wore a mask and wielded a deadly blade. Daiyu hated him with every fiber of her being, as he was her sworn enemy since childhood. He had always despised her for her existence and had tried to kill her several times. She swore to avenge her people and to destroy the source of the Synchro-Gears, vengefully staying near her home to attack those who trespass.

- Abilities/Neo-Gen (Jade Zeitgeist) -

Daiyu is a master of blending martial arts with her elemental enhancements, using her neo-gen, Zeitgeist, to connect with the eponymous Zeitgeist, a collective consciousness of all living beings bending the energy of moonlight. She can sense the emotions, thoughts, and intentions of her foes in a paranormal manner, and use them to her advantage. Conjuring manifestations for offense and defense such as illusions, barriers, etc through influencing the fortunes of individuals to bring about unexpected disasters or fortunate encounters. She practices a style of Aikido and Tai Chi that focuses on slow, graceful movements and redirection of force, allowing her to immobilize her enemies with ease. She keeps her balance within her obscure stance, seeking to confuse enemies with her motion. In addition to her martial skills, Daiyu wields multiple crescent-shaped sickles infused with lunar ore and iron sand. These sickles serve as both boomerangs and shurikens, creating devastating effects like seaquakes and moon-slices when thrown. Allowing her to physically mutilate opponents with a rippling effect. During the Onyx Moon's peak tides, their power is amplified. In defensive means, these sickles can turn into sealing barriers of solid moon rocks that can be launched as projectiles.

Daiyu's most powerful skills lie in is the Feather Ofuda Arts, which are theurgical magic charms that can channel various forces of her ancestry. These feathers expel aspects of herself or others that lie in their emotions, memories or abilities. She can write scripts and constancy binds on the feathers, which act as conduits. She can also use the feathers to expel aspects of herself or others, such as emotions, memories, or abilities. She can even access different forms of clairvoyance, such as clairgustance and psychic scanning. She can also alter her perception of time by focusing the blood on her eyes after receiving esp waves, detecting events from other times. However, this will cause a mental strain when used for too long, unlike someone with better perception such as Ritsueto.

- Gameplay and Moveset Plan -

• Daiyu's energy gauge consists of limited stocks of luck charms, that shimmer like moonlight. These charms hold the power to transform misfortune into fortune, turning bad items into better ones and activates supplementary moves that compliment when Daiyu's on the offense or defense through each of the charms being linked to a different moon phase that she slots through for different transformations. With her trusty hammer pestle, she affects enemies through spell cards increasing the rate of enemies to come in exchange for whatever cards she applies, boosting her points gained. But there's a twist: when Daiyu dies, a fine comes into play. When she respawns, her energy gauge remains restricted until she balances the scales by attacking her foes.
• Daiyu's attacks have a wind-up, working faster when countering attacks. Yet, there's no time for recovery; she dives back into battle with relentless movement. Her projectiles are very light, yet have a semi-explosive effect when thrown. Compensating for it with her throws that can catch enemies off guard but are limited. And then there are her two modes: one drains her energy gauge, granting her floaty movement and evasive maneuvers such as mid-air teleports. The other mode roots her in place, allowing her to accumulate energy through attacks as she waits patiently. These attacks can be input easily, allowing Daiyu to balance herself on a whim. However, she can't reach higher enemies, making her bad at any anti-air capabilities.
• Daiyu is able to see well in darker places and she is also lightweight, making her jumps reach somewhat high. As well as being able to run on water albeit not for a long time. 

Elder Meridians: Two occult sickles crafted from lunar ore and iron sand that sends waves of slashes. Having conductive waves of mana through a coating of silver on the ore that can make it harden like crystal. It's edge is shaped like a pestle, being good at shaping ingredients into mixtures. Which she often will do to help Elpis and Coraline with their gathered research material. It directs existing structure. Can work as grappling harpoons on walls and can be double-sided when energized, causing crystallization on them. Transmutes something off of her weapons. In quieter moments, Daiyu whispers to her sickles, feeling their pulse against her skin. Sensing that elders from the moon itself watched over her, their silent witness to a dance of blades.

• Daiyu's basic combo consists of 5 attacks involving swinging her weapon and throwing it in wide ranges, using light kicks with palm thrusts and finishing off with a slam. Pausing the combo while stationary causes it to temporarily extend into 2 more attacks that are slower. While pausing the combo while moving causes it to turn into rapid attacks.
• Charging projectiles causes Daiyu to summon boomerangs that home in on enemies
• A spinning wind-up that will grab enemies that try to attack Daiyu during it, leading to devastating damage
• Dodges from mid-air to deliver a heel slam from above when an enemy is about to attack
• Counters enemies with a downward palm thrust that counts as 2 hits
• Has a grounded grab where Daiyu grabs an enemy and spins them, potentially reflecting incoming projectiles as she throws them. This is upgraded in a spell card where Daiyu flips an enemy backward 6 times by repeatedly slamming them down with her legs.
• Repeating Daiyu's jump before reaching the ground causes her to maintain momentum (B-Hop)
• Daiyu can press and hold dodges and dashes to activate and charge. Releasing causes shadows to fill the area adding up damage.
• Hits multiple targets with her split kick
• Has arm swings that can be used for upward, mid-air, downward or angular attacks.
• Spins her sickles around herself to form a shield
• 2 quick stabs with her sickles while still keeping her space when stationary. This can be done as upward attacks when in mid-air.
• Has a stationary downward strike that's a precise pinwheel and can be done again as a reaching stab.
• Daiyu can swiftly wall-run on any ocassion
• Back-dashing with an attack while stationary sends a sickle clone in front of Daiyu to attack. However, this requires good placement to make sure the clone doesn't miss or spawn behind the enemy.
• Has a passive spell card that makes Daiyu's movement turn temporarily cloaked to enemies, allowing her to chain as much attacks as possible uninterrupted.
• Places down a lunar ofuda on the ground, catching enemies in with shadows attacking them
• Dashing twice before an attack allows Daiyu to phase through an opponent's attack using a lunar clone, but will cause her dash to be slower after. (Shadow's Paradox)
• When jumping, Daiyu performs somersaults as part of her aerial assault. Jumping after a dash enables Daiyu to reach great heights. She can also perform a back-dash jump.
• Her sickles can extend when held, giving her an advantage in close combat.
• When rapidly comboing an enemy, Daiyu unleashes a series of multiple jabs that having increasing damage.
• A precise attack where she hits an enemy's neck with the back of her hand.
• Has a mid-ranged low kick that can be used again for a raised kick
• Attacking out of a dash or jump, Daiyu performs a powerful flying kick. This can be aimed for mid-air.
• Has a heavy arm swing that launches herself and enemies into the air
• In mid-air, she deals light damage using an open-handed strike on both sides. During a mid-air combo, Daiyu has quick reflexes as she kicks the handles of her sickles. When finishing, she slams an enemy downward and can be held so that they recoil back to her.
• Can charge her weapon throw, catching enemies within it's range for multi-damage. This weapon throw can be done on enemies that are almost dead to toss them into other ones. Alternatively, Daiyu can control the direction of where her Elder Meridians go. (Crescent Flourish)
• After throwing her Meridians, Daiyu alters her stance for either offense or defense while the Meridians will freely fly on it's own hitting enemies before returning to her.
• A vertical hand swipe that can hit an average range above Daiyu
• Has a turning spin where Daiyu slams her sickles downward with her palms, creating a wave that emanates from both sides
• One of Daiyu's normal spell cards has her focus blood into her eyes to receive ESP Waves. Enhancing reflexes temporarily.

- Trivia -

Daiyu was originally based upon a joke character.

Daiyu's ethnicity was originally swapped between Japanese or Chinese before ultimately becoming a mixture of both.

Daiyu's hair was originally going to be much shorter, not including the stylized ponytail on top of her flower.

Daiyu has had multiple changes to her weaponry and abilities. From the potential neo-gen of sealing with ofuda to almost having biwa mixed with a pewter staff for a weapon. The biwa staff being scrapped due to Lyra's weapon already being close enough the idea.

Daiyu was originally an Armiger, until this was swapped with Coraline

For a short time it was almost debated if Daiyu was going to be a Vessel in a similar vein to Daiyu and Gerda. However, this idea was never fully realized.

Daiyu was almost going to have Aikido pants rather than her normal attire

- Gallery -