Yu Die (雨蝶)

Eager to please in her first life, and still as starved for validation in her new one. Tends to be conscious of how ghastly she looks, so she takes great pains to appear 'as fresh as a peach'. Despite the advantages granted by her undead form, she rejects it and wishes to become a normal human again.

Yu Die grew up in a loving home, with two adventurer fathers who also acted as her teachers and closest confidantes. The were both generally well-liked, although one of her fathers constantly get into trouble by picking up fights with the pampered members of the upper class. 

Tragedy struck when a disaster left the two with no choice but to sacrifice themselves to save their hometown. They became local heroes at the cost of their lives. The townspeople were nothing but kind to Yu Die in the aftermath. However, she could also tell that there was an unspoken sentiment that they expected her to be an adventurer to honor her parents' legacy. A few months later, Yu Die ended up being the de facto leader of a party comprised of people as inexperienced as her. Bold and a little bit too over their heads, they took a dangerous bounty clearly not meant for newbies. When they got cornered by a rampaging beast, Yu Die stayed behind to let them escape. Her last thoughts were: 'I'm glad it was me'.

About a few hours later, a vagrant easily disposes said monster with a mere flick of a hand. He ignores Yu Die's unmoving figure at first, but then takes her back to his place after observing her strange condition. This vagrant elf is actually quite notorious in the pugilist world, the kind that is "wanted dead or alive" and "kill on sight". He is a misanthrope who makes it clear from the start that he only saved Yu Die because she is an interesting case study. Since Yu Die needed almost a year to adjust to her body's new state, the elf becomes Yu Die's informal master, much to the latter's chagrin.

Even with this strange relationship, Yu Die came to view the elf as a brotherly figure. They're most at loggerheads with each other whenever she expresses her desire to find a way to reverse her condition. Her master is of the mind that she should just withdraw from worldly affairs and continue her training with him. Over and over, Yu Die has rejected this idea. Finally, he gives her an ultimatum: vow to never speak of being human ever again, or cut off ties with him forever. To Yu Die, the choice is obvious but painful. The next day, she packs up and leaves, determined to forge her own path.

A character I am now exclusively playing for a friend's East Asian-inspired homebrew setting. She started off as a bit of a joke since I was looking for Chinese names and trying to see if I can find a spark. The name Yu Die on the list immediately stood out; after all, if read by someone more used to the English language, it can come off as "you die". I thought this was funny, so I immediately brainstormed what race and class would fit such a character. At that time, the new UA featuring gothic races has just been publicly released. And as if the stars were aligned, I also chanced upon an adopt of a design which featured a butterfly motif... perfect for a character whose name means "butterfly in the rain"! The more I looked at the design, the more I could envision a monk-in-training. So I took my chance and got on a bidding war just so I can get my hands on the adopt! When all was said and done, even I was surprised at how much I ended up digging Yu Die's whole concept. Right now though, she is in a place where the undead are considered an abomination. By the laws of that land, she will have to be executed on the spot... so do your best to become a proper human again, Yu Die!