Dogwood Blossoms: Character Outline
I've had a few people ask for a character breakdown for Dogwood Blossoms. I will continue to update this outline as characters are revealed in the comic. I'll also put here the little background stories about Sesshoumaru's children that don't fit in the comic narrative.
This outline is a supplement to the comic and therefore contains SPOILERS. It's best if you read the comic and then read this for a few more fun details. :)
The Wives and Children of Seiken Sesshoumaru
from Dogwood Blossoms, by Purplerebecca
(last updated July 12, 2008, with Ch. 3: E-hon)
1st Incarnation - Rin
1540 - 1628 A.D.
Born Rin in rural Japan, has 3 hanyou children.
-1st Daughter, Tsukiko [Moonchild] (1561 - 1866) - Serene and elegant, and much like her father
With Tsukiko's features being almost full youkai, Sesshoumaru was able to arrange a very prosperous marriage for her with an inuyoukai clan to the North. It wasn't until her brother Koichi visited her in her new home that it was revealed that she was being scorned and mistreated by her new family and abused by her husband. Koichi and Sesshoumaru came in power to take her out of her miserable situation, and in the ensuing battle, her husband and much of his clan were destroyed. Tsukiko returned to her father's house with her small son, Gengetsu [Magic Moon], and served as female head of the household whenever Sesshoumaru was without a wife.
Because of Tsukiko's negative experience, Sesshoumaru was thereafter extremely careful and often reluctant when arranging marriages for his children.
-1st Son, Koichi [Shining First Son] (1565 - 1925) - Sesshoumaru's dutiful first son
Koichi took his heirship seriously and was Sesshoumaru's second his entire life. He accepted an arranged marriage with a full inuyoukai lady from Sesshoumaru's mother's clan, and his eldest son, Kenji [Intelligent Ruler], is Sesshoumaru's official heir to leadership of the Seiken clan.
Eventually, Koichi's wife chafed from being second lady to Sesshoumaru's wives and daughters, and left to set up her own household.
- 2nd Daughter, Inuhana [Dogflower] (1570 - ) - Frisky little puppy
Inuhana was Sesshoumaru's first wild child. She spent her life flitting between her father's home and running in the wild having adventures. She always chose her own mates--at various times she had puppies with a powerful mountain dog, and later had a serious fling with an oni (much to her family's chagrin).
2nd Incarnation - Suzu
1648 - 1738 A.D.
Born Suzu [Bell] in rural Japan, she has 4 hanyou children.
- 2nd Son, Tetsumaru [Perfect Iron] (1666 - ) - Pewter-haired Master Swordsmith
Trained by Toutousai, married a Fire-youkai great-niece of Toutousai's. Eldest son Hiken [Fire Dog].
- 3rd Daughter, Inuonna [Dog Woman] (1668 - ) - Dog shifter
Inuonna had the ability to freely shift between dog form and human form, except during menstruation (her time of weakness) when she would be stuck as a human. She married humans throughout her life. She found Tian-Ren in China.
- 3rd Son, known as Yatsufusa [Eight Spots or Tassels] (1672 - ) - Forever Ronin
Father of the Hakkenshi [Eight Dog Warriors]. Yatsufusa was a free spirit, an ever wandering warrior. He is most well known for his tragic love affair with Fuse-hime of the Satomi. Cursed by a witch, he was stuck in the form of a dog except on the night of the full moon. He was adopted by the noble Satomi family as a pet, fell in love with the daughter of the house, and managed to get her married to him, despite the handicap of his form. She was very surprised to find out her doggy husband was half-human, and they had a litter of 8 boys. Sadly, the rest of her relations didn't understand what was going on, and attacked Yatsufusa. In the attack, Yatsufusa was seriously injured and Fuse-hime was killed. Their children were adopted by various families and grew up knowing very little of their origins. They did, however, become great warriors. Their story was pasteurized, altered, and embroidered by Kyokutei Bakin in his Hakkenden novels in the 1800's. Sesshoumaru was just glad his family name wasn't mentioned anywhere in the novels.
- 4th Daughter, Otomo [Jewel Woman] (1678 - )
Otomo married a jewel-youkai in her youth and has had a quite comfortable life with him. They moved to Africa in the 1950's and own several profitable diamond mines.
3rd Incarnation - Shen Tian-Ren
1763 - 1858 A.D.
Known as the "Chinese Princess", Tian-Ren [Benevolent Heavens] was actually the daughter of a rich Han Chinese nobleman. After she was located by Inuonna in China, Sesshoumaru had a difficult time convincing her family to give her in marriage to a strange foriegner who was going to take her away into a strange land.
- 4th Son, Youken [Magic Dog] (1781) - Great talents in magic.
- 5th Daughter, Inuhime [Dog Princess] (1783 - 1789)
Died at 6 after a few too many childhood accidents. At her final death, she had wandered into a vicious youkai's lair and was devoured. Sesshoumaru destroyed the youkai, but it was too late for Inuhime.
- 5th Son, Genken [War Dog] (1786 - 1944) - Black-haired twin to Inuhoozuki
- 6th Daughter, Inuhoozuki [Black Nightshade] (1786 - ) - Black-haired twin to Genken
- 7th Daughter, Aiinuko [Loved Dog Child] (1789 - ) - Born in the form of a dog
Youken developed his magic specifically to help her, and afterword expanded the wealth of the family through his specialized products.
- 6th Son, Inuhiko [Dog Boy] (1800 - )
4th Incarnation - Chao Jia-lin
1883 - 1910 A.D.
Jia-lin was Taiwanese of Chinese descent and was 19 when Sesshoumaru located her in Tiawan. After he rescued her from a tribe of attacking aboriginal headhunters, he had little trouble bringing her back to Japan as his bride.
- 7th Son, Shichiro [Seventh Son] (1903 - )
- 8th Daughter, Mihoe [Howling Beauty] (1910 - )
This outline is a supplement to the comic and therefore contains SPOILERS. It's best if you read the comic and then read this for a few more fun details. :)
The Wives and Children of Seiken Sesshoumaru
from Dogwood Blossoms, by Purplerebecca
(last updated July 12, 2008, with Ch. 3: E-hon)
1st Incarnation - Rin
1540 - 1628 A.D.
Born Rin in rural Japan, has 3 hanyou children.
-1st Daughter, Tsukiko [Moonchild] (1561 - 1866) - Serene and elegant, and much like her father
With Tsukiko's features being almost full youkai, Sesshoumaru was able to arrange a very prosperous marriage for her with an inuyoukai clan to the North. It wasn't until her brother Koichi visited her in her new home that it was revealed that she was being scorned and mistreated by her new family and abused by her husband. Koichi and Sesshoumaru came in power to take her out of her miserable situation, and in the ensuing battle, her husband and much of his clan were destroyed. Tsukiko returned to her father's house with her small son, Gengetsu [Magic Moon], and served as female head of the household whenever Sesshoumaru was without a wife.
Because of Tsukiko's negative experience, Sesshoumaru was thereafter extremely careful and often reluctant when arranging marriages for his children.
-1st Son, Koichi [Shining First Son] (1565 - 1925) - Sesshoumaru's dutiful first son
Koichi took his heirship seriously and was Sesshoumaru's second his entire life. He accepted an arranged marriage with a full inuyoukai lady from Sesshoumaru's mother's clan, and his eldest son, Kenji [Intelligent Ruler], is Sesshoumaru's official heir to leadership of the Seiken clan.
Eventually, Koichi's wife chafed from being second lady to Sesshoumaru's wives and daughters, and left to set up her own household.
- 2nd Daughter, Inuhana [Dogflower] (1570 - ) - Frisky little puppy
Inuhana was Sesshoumaru's first wild child. She spent her life flitting between her father's home and running in the wild having adventures. She always chose her own mates--at various times she had puppies with a powerful mountain dog, and later had a serious fling with an oni (much to her family's chagrin).
2nd Incarnation - Suzu
1648 - 1738 A.D.
Born Suzu [Bell] in rural Japan, she has 4 hanyou children.
- 2nd Son, Tetsumaru [Perfect Iron] (1666 - ) - Pewter-haired Master Swordsmith
Trained by Toutousai, married a Fire-youkai great-niece of Toutousai's. Eldest son Hiken [Fire Dog].
- 3rd Daughter, Inuonna [Dog Woman] (1668 - ) - Dog shifter
Inuonna had the ability to freely shift between dog form and human form, except during menstruation (her time of weakness) when she would be stuck as a human. She married humans throughout her life. She found Tian-Ren in China.
- 3rd Son, known as Yatsufusa [Eight Spots or Tassels] (1672 - ) - Forever Ronin
Father of the Hakkenshi [Eight Dog Warriors]. Yatsufusa was a free spirit, an ever wandering warrior. He is most well known for his tragic love affair with Fuse-hime of the Satomi. Cursed by a witch, he was stuck in the form of a dog except on the night of the full moon. He was adopted by the noble Satomi family as a pet, fell in love with the daughter of the house, and managed to get her married to him, despite the handicap of his form. She was very surprised to find out her doggy husband was half-human, and they had a litter of 8 boys. Sadly, the rest of her relations didn't understand what was going on, and attacked Yatsufusa. In the attack, Yatsufusa was seriously injured and Fuse-hime was killed. Their children were adopted by various families and grew up knowing very little of their origins. They did, however, become great warriors. Their story was pasteurized, altered, and embroidered by Kyokutei Bakin in his Hakkenden novels in the 1800's. Sesshoumaru was just glad his family name wasn't mentioned anywhere in the novels.
- 4th Daughter, Otomo [Jewel Woman] (1678 - )
Otomo married a jewel-youkai in her youth and has had a quite comfortable life with him. They moved to Africa in the 1950's and own several profitable diamond mines.
3rd Incarnation - Shen Tian-Ren
1763 - 1858 A.D.
Known as the "Chinese Princess", Tian-Ren [Benevolent Heavens] was actually the daughter of a rich Han Chinese nobleman. After she was located by Inuonna in China, Sesshoumaru had a difficult time convincing her family to give her in marriage to a strange foriegner who was going to take her away into a strange land.
- 4th Son, Youken [Magic Dog] (1781) - Great talents in magic.
- 5th Daughter, Inuhime [Dog Princess] (1783 - 1789)
Died at 6 after a few too many childhood accidents. At her final death, she had wandered into a vicious youkai's lair and was devoured. Sesshoumaru destroyed the youkai, but it was too late for Inuhime.
- 5th Son, Genken [War Dog] (1786 - 1944) - Black-haired twin to Inuhoozuki
- 6th Daughter, Inuhoozuki [Black Nightshade] (1786 - ) - Black-haired twin to Genken
- 7th Daughter, Aiinuko [Loved Dog Child] (1789 - ) - Born in the form of a dog
Youken developed his magic specifically to help her, and afterword expanded the wealth of the family through his specialized products.
- 6th Son, Inuhiko [Dog Boy] (1800 - )
4th Incarnation - Chao Jia-lin
1883 - 1910 A.D.
Jia-lin was Taiwanese of Chinese descent and was 19 when Sesshoumaru located her in Tiawan. After he rescued her from a tribe of attacking aboriginal headhunters, he had little trouble bringing her back to Japan as his bride.
- 7th Son, Shichiro [Seventh Son] (1903 - )
- 8th Daughter, Mihoe [Howling Beauty] (1910 - )