#Puppeteer Sample: Ayame (綾女)

Contents

"When my fingers move, Kazami moves."

#1st Dan — Girl Who Moves Dolls

#Scent

A young puppeteer from a wandering puppet troupe. She enlarged the small puppet Kazami (風) to human size and controls it directly. Her body is frail, but Kazami is strong. She says little and observes much.

#Background — How the Adventure Began

Ayame grew up in a wandering puppet troupe. Her parents entrusted her to the troupe when she was five and left. She never learned why. The troupe leader taught Ayame puppetry. Before turning fifteen, she was the troupe's chief operator.

The troupe dissolved when Ayame was seventeen. The leader died of illness, and the remaining members scattered. What remained to Ayame was the small puppet she had controlled with the most affection, Kazami, and a few puppet-theater tools. She redesigned Kazami at human size: a structure that could apply small theatrical movements to real combat. Wooden frame, iron joints, protective leather. Glass beads for eyes. Finally, twelve core points where her own strings could connect.

Her first field combat was accidental. While wandering with Kazami on her back, she encountered bandits on a mountain road. When Ayame stood Kazami up, the bandits hesitated. She moved her fingers, Kazami moved, and the dagger hidden in Kazami's hand stabbed three bandits. The rest fled. That night, Ayame lay beside Kazami and thought for the first time, "I am not alone."

#Law

Ayame — Puppeteer 1st dan
Wounds 3(3+Physique 0), Defense 10(no armor, body), Energy 12(10+Finesse 2)
Courage-1, Finesse+2, Physique+0, Wisdom+1, Presence+0, Fate+1
Background: Wanderer | Heart: No Heart

Weapons: none (body is noncombat)

Puppet Kazami (individual unit):

Wounds 2, Defense 12, puppet blade
Weapon: puppet blade (Puppet Horizontal Slash/Thrust 2 Energy)

Control Contract: the puppet has 0 Energy of its own. The puppeteer executes puppet techniques through 0 Energy ([Kata]) control actions, each limited to once per round and together limited to 2 per actor per round. The puppeteer pays the Energy costs printed in the technique table. Puppets cannot receive Energy transfers, squad orders, Overall Command, or squad tactics.

Maneuver List (body basis):

Source	Maneuver	Type	Energy	Limit
Trait	War of Strings	aptitude	—	place 1 puppet, Wounds 2/Defense 12/Domination +1, string range 2 zones
Control action	Puppet Horizontal Slash	technique(puppet)	2 (spent by puppeteer)	2d10+Wisdom+Swordsmanship >= Defense, 1 Wound
Control action	Puppet Defense	technique(puppet)	reserve 1/improvise 2	2d10+Finesse >= enemy attack, puppet hit negated
Background	Drifter's Intuition	aptitude	—	—
General	Lucky One	aptitude	—	—

Typical Breath: body in Rear Zone → Puppet Horizontal Slash(2) + Puppet Defense reserve(1) = 3. When using a puppet technique, the body stays still.

#5th Dan — War of Threads

#Scent

She strengthened Kazami and learned Multiple Puppets, the technique of placing two puppets in different zones and alternating control each breath. The body is still frail, but the puppets moving from her fingertips now pressure divided parts of the battlefield.

#Background — How She Came This Far

After 1st dan, Ayame volunteered for special Kagura Domain missions for three years. They were mainly hostage rescues and scouting. Kazami specialized in Outside Zone/Flank Zone entry and could fit even through spaces the size of a house window. In the second year, Ayame completed her second puppet, Uzume (宇受賣). It was built to throw daggers at range. With that, Multiple Puppets operation was completed.

In the third year, during a hostage rescue mission, Ayame saved one young girl. The girl looked at Kazami without fear and said, "The doll is pretty." At that moment, Ayame understood for the first time that her weapon could also be beauty. After that, she began placing masks on Kazami's exterior. It was a ritual before battle.

Around this time, Ayame met the autonomous automaton Ichi. Ichi analyzed Kazami and said, "This design is precise. But it has no will of its own." Ayame answered, "The will is mine. That is what a puppeteer is." Ichi thought for a long time and only said, "I see."

#Law

Ayame — Puppeteer 5th dan
Wounds 4(3+Physique 1), Defense 11(light armor), Energy 13(10+Finesse 3)
Courage-1, Finesse+3, Physique+1, Wisdom+1, Presence+0, Fate+1
Background: Wanderer Route A (Bonds of Travel) | Heart: Compassion (Way of Emptiness — hostage-rescue experience)
School: none (Puppeteer independent)

Puppets × 2:

Kazami (melee type): Wounds 3, Defense 13, puppet blade, thrust 2 Energy
Uzume (ranged type): Wounds 3, Defense 13, thrown dagger 2 Energy (range adjacent zone)

Additional Maneuvers (body):

Source	Maneuver	Type	Energy	Limit
3rd dan	Puppet Enhancement	aptitude	—	puppet Wounds 3, Defense 13, Domination +2
5th dan	Multiple Puppets	aptitude	—	operate 2 puppets at once, place them in different zones, control only 1 per breath
Background 5th dan	Summon Ally	aptitude	—	a different Minion-grade NPC ally joins each combat

Typical Breath: body in Rear Zone → Kazami Puppet Thrust(2) + Puppet Defense reserve(1) = 3. On the next breath, switch control to Uzume.

#10th Dan (Tatsujin) — "Master of Ten Thousand Machines Ayame"

#Scent

One of the few puppeteers in the realm to reach the state of operating five puppets at the same time. The body sits in the rear, while the puppets range across the battlefield. Who is Ayame? Perhaps everything touched by her strings.

Renown Title: Master of Ten Thousand Machines.

#Background — How She Earned the Renown Title

Ayame's legend was completed in the infiltration of a Hannyakai workshop. When infiltrating the workshop with Kage and Enku, Ayame kept her body Outside and sent only Kazami and Uzume inside. She was in a forest 0.5 ri away from the workshop, eyes closed. Sharing Kazami's sight, she drew a map of the workshop interior in her mind and transmitted the structure to Kage and Enku in real time.

During that mission, Kazami was destroyed once, and Uzume was badly damaged as well. But Ayame survived because her body was safe. After the mission, restoring Kazami took two months. Looking at the restored Kazami, Ayame murmured, "You came back." Kazami could not answer, but Ayame believed the silence was an answer.

After receiving the Renown Title Master of Ten Thousand Machines, Ayame became able to operate five puppets at the same time and command three puppets in one breath. In the process, the masterwork puppet Ayatsuri-hime came into her hands. At that moment, Ayame asked for the first time, "How many of these fingertips are still me?" There is no answer yet.

#Law

Ayame — Puppeteer Tatsujin
Wounds 5(3+Physique 1+Tough 1), Defense 12(masterwork protective gear), Energy 13(10+Finesse 3)
Courage-1, Finesse+3, Physique+1, Wisdom+3, Presence+0, Fate+2
Background: Wanderer Route A (9th dan: Friends Across Sengoku)
Heart: Compassion (complete)
Renown Title: Master of Ten Thousand Machines (Class Capstone)

Puppet Operation (maximum 5, representative 3):

Kazami: Wounds 5, Defense 15, masterwork puppet blade
Uzume: Wounds 5, Defense 15, ranged technique (range 2 zones)
Ayatsuri-hime: Wounds 5, Defense 15, Autonomous Action(1/combat, independent Energy 8 for 1 round)

Additional Maneuvers:

Source	Maneuver	Type	Limit
7th dan	Master's Strings	aptitude	unlimited string range, place puppets anywhere, up to 2 puppet techniques per breath
9th dan	Myriad Machines and Forms	aptitude	operate 3 puppets at once, control up to 2 per breath, 2 puppet techniques
Background 9th dan	Friends Across Sengoku	aptitude	summon 2 Elite-grade NPC allies at once
10th dan	Puppeteer's Secret	aptitude	when a puppet is destroyed, its attacker takes 2 Wounds and becomes Defenseless instead of feedback hitting the puppeteer
Renown Title	Master of Ten Thousand Machines	aptitude+Kata	operate 5 puppets at once, command 3 puppets in one breath, gain Ayatsuri-hime automatically, 1/round

"Five fingertips move. All of them are — my hands."