Nao Kurokawa (直 黒川)'s Questionnaire

The Mōri Clan (毛利氏) is based in Yokohama, Japan, the largest port city in the nation and second largest city overall. Its port not only facilitate the clan's maritime duties (such as shipping goods, managing cargo and warehouses, etc.), but also its more illicit dealings (foreign smuggling, storing illegal goods, etc.) with their yakuza syndicate (The Nagare no Kai / 流れの会). Born into this side of the clan, Nao has lived here for most of his life, and continues to stay and operate as a broker for the clan.

Nao's home is on the outskirts of the city, further away from its heart and closer to the dockyards. It is a rather out of the way, compact apartment complex that he doesn't stay in too frequently due to his job. It is dimly lit, decorated with a random assortment of trinkets and goods, and overall quite the dingy place.

Nao works as a black market broker for the Mōri Clan's underground yakuza syndicate, the Nagare no Kai. As a broker, he facilitates the various dealings the clan makes for its criminal activities-- predominantly when it comes to exporting foreign/illegal goods, but also handling a number of other negotiations/business dealings. The money he makes from his work/commission fees are enough for him to get by and live stably, though not enough to afford anything extravagant. He usually spends his money towards his personal hobbies and indulgences, such as splurging on food, collecting rare trinkets, and generally exploring/enjoying the city life.

Experiencing the power struggles, illicit dealings, and corruption that exists between criminal syndicates, noble sorcerer clans, and people as a whole, Nao has learned two things firsthand: that control and authority is everything, and that death comes even for those that have everything. With this morbid curiosity and innate need for power in mind, Nao's ambition is to ultimately conquer death itself, taking total control of both the living and the deceased so that he may establish his own underworld. There's little, if anything, that would be too far in Nao's eyes in terms of achieving this ambition-- certainly not exploiting or killing people. Dying themself may very well be something necessary to attain full control over death, and if that's the case, then so be it.

One year ago, Nao was tasked to mediate a particularly high-profile dealing in regards to artifacts within the occult black market. During the dealing, things took a sharp turn when the buyer attempted to betray Nao and the seller. This led to a violent confrontation that ultimately left everyone except Nao dead, with Nao on the brink of death. In the aftermath of the chaos, Nao stumbled across the true target of the deal: a drenched, ancient tome possessing immense, necromantic cursed energy-- The Drowned Ledger. Drawn to its secrets and potential, Nao ended up claiming it as their own, and has since worked towards unraveling its contents to realize and understand its power.

The Mōri Clan (毛利氏): A secondary sorcerer clan that predominantly deals in maritime duties, such as managing dockyards, shipping goods, etc. They also invest into a few miscellaneous fields, such as traditional cultural entertainment, real estate, and high profile funeral services. Off the books, they run the Nagare no Kai (流れの会), a powerful yakuza syndicate specializing in foreign dealings/exports. The leader of the clan is Daisuke Mōri, an older man with a strong sense of pride and powerful manipulation/tsunami themed abilities. The son and heir is named Kazuki Mōri, who shares a similar sense of pride/ego.

Yayoi Mizushima: A Grade 3 Sorcerer for the Mōri Clan who also operates as a seasoned criminal fixer. She was responsible for raising Nao as a surrogate parental figure, teaching them how to live in the shadows. Their relationship is complex, defined by a mix of tough love and calculated distance. Her abilities are primarily mist/fog related.

Nao was born into the criminal underworld, an outsider with no memory of their true parents or origins. They were taken in and raised by a figure named Yayoi Mishima, a seasoned fixer for the Nagare no Kai yakuza syndicate. Though they never shared a true familial bond, Yayoi served as a surrogate parental figure for Nao at an early age, and later on, as a mentor and senior ally. As such, Nao's childhood (and life overall) was spent like a ghost's, constantly slipping through the cracks of society and shifting between fake identities to avoid notice. Their education was a mix of attending different schools under different aliases and picking up the skills necessary to survive in their environment. Under Yayoi's tutelage, Nao learned to use their wits, cunning, and charm to always act natural, making sure to fit in and put up an easygoing front wherever they found themselves.

Nao hasn't been in love with anyone before. They rarely had the opportunity to befriend anyone for long growing up due to their circumstances, always shifting between different personas and aliases to fit in and continue living as a ghost. Moreover, their life as a criminal has exposed them to the harsh realities of the world, warping their ability to truly bond and connect with other people. However, through witnessing these things and living this life, Nao has developed a strange degree of love towards two things in particular-- a morbid curiosity towards death, and an insatiable desire for power over others.