[Japan-inspired] Tale of Kunoichi-san

She is a nameless kunoichi (female ninja) tasked with protecting a poor fishing village. No one knows where she's from; only that she had been wandering the land with her master for as long as she could remember. One night during a raging storm, the ship that carried her and her master capsized. Ever since they were rescued by the villagers, they have been staying here to repay the favor. Kunoichi fought against beasts and bandits to protect the village's peace. Ten years have passed and her master has breathed his last, soon will be the time for the kunoichi to make her travel and reclaim her destiny.

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I didn't expect to have another Asia-inspired outfit so soon!!! This time, I borrow a lot of Japanese elements, specifically the dressing of shinobi/kunoichi during the Sengoku (Warring States). For a kunoichi, dressing light, but strategically well-armored is essential. I love how the Viper armor not only has the right length but also a piece of triangular metal chest guards similar to the attire of Japanese bow practitioners. For the "armor" part, Ascalonian Shoulders did the job splendidly: It provides a good-sized plated piece which dyes wonderfully and continuous the armor part on the right arm. Determination headband and Honor of the Waves arm guards strikes the right balance for the whole look. For the bottom part, I had had multiple favorite sketches for which leggings-and-boots combo to choose but ultimately picked the Leystone leggings and Sneakthief sandals. The sandal is a striking resemblance to the Geta (japanese sandals) and the lower part of the leggings can work as the Tabi (japanese split socks) - both are a direct reference to the Japanese theme. For the weapons, Belinda's greatsword is cool, but my character is a thief, so a short katana would have been perfect. Instead, her main weapons are the Bo Staff and Shortbow. The Bo shows off the nimble animation really well, and a good match for the theme. Occasinally, the Kunoichi would throw shurikens or small daggers at her enemies. Here I use Usoko's Needle whose skin is the Sai daggers used by Okinawan martial artists.

Color wise, I kept the palette relatively mute and realistic. The deep red slash black evokes the color of Japanese enameled wares and brown is used for where soft leather is expected. The metal part was dyed with Iron or Steel color.