Profile
Takayama Ryō
About
Ryō is a descendant of the blue oni and a skillful swordsman from Inazuma who currently travels the land of Teyvat. He mostly wanders around nature or rural areas and rarely sets foot into bigger cities, or generally places with many people. He swiftly moves from place to place, like a cool breeze during a summer night; and even though his stays are always rather short-timed, he catches every little beautiful detail of the region and remembers them so he can tell about them to whoever happens to sit at the campfire with him.
Design
Notes
- His horns are naturally white but he paints them blue to represent the blue oni tribe. He paints the markings on his body and face for the same reason.
- Due to his oni heritage, his ears are pointy, his fingernails also grow pointy and have a naturally dark color. His lower canines are long and sharp and his pupils have a diamond shape.
- He generally has a strong physique thanks to his oni blood. Besides walking and climbing a lot, he doesn't do any kind of sports.
- His hair in the back is braided and reaches to his waist.
Personality
Ryō's personality can be generally described in 4 words: calm and collected but also stubborn and cheeky. He is not very talkative and comes off as somewhat reserved at first glance, however, he is actually quite selfless and whenever someone needs a helping hand, he's the right person to ask. He could also be described as a "gentle giant". It takes a while to genuinely make him angry and he will only draw his sword when there's a serious threat. When you get to know him and he opens up a little more, you'll notice the slightly cheeky side of his personality. He likes to tease whenever he feels like it and is comfortable around you. Though, getting to that point will take a while.
Likes
Sweets
He won't admit it, but he's an absolute sweet tooth. If he ever happens to pass through a city, you'll definitely find him at one of the candy stalls at least once.
Warm summer nights
Nothing goes over lying on a blanket in a big grass field at night, listening to crickets and looking up at the stars while the temperature is just right, not too warm, not too cold, and there's a light breeze brushing your skin. In moments like these, the world seems a little more peaceful.
Liyue's opera
Ryō once happened to pass by one of Yun Jin's performances while passing through Liyue. He was so astonished, he approached her after the show to personally tell her how much he liked it. Since that day, Ryō stops by the opera whenever he happens to be around.
Hilichurls
Ryō passes many of the Hilichurl camps during his travels and it's no secret that they also attacked him a few times. After learning a little bit of their language from a little girl he met in Mondstadt, he was able to tell the hilichurls that he means no harm and could prevent any more attacks. He likes to watch them from time to time. He thinks they're funny little guys.
Dislikes
Boars
He used to sleep on the ground until one day he woke up surrounded by boars who started eating his coat. From that day on he proceeded to sleep in trees.
Fatui
It's not the organization itself but rather some of its members Ryō dislikes. He was captured by them once because they thought he was spying on them. They let him go after he gave them an hour-long lecture on politeness and manners. Since that day Ryō gives them the side-eye.
Ants and little flying bugs
You're not safe from them if you don't have a tent. Whether you're on the ground or on a tree. Be ready to get bitten.
Overprized candy
No further explanation needed.
Moodboard
Voicelines
About Mora
“I don't really concern myself with Mora. What I need is a place to sleep and food; both can be found in the wild. No need to spend Mora for that. Besides, if I really need some, I always have a little bag filled with Mora with me... and if I don't have any... I'll always find a way to get my hands on Mora... so no need to worry about me.”
About traveling
“I never have any specific destination in mind. I go where my feet take me, wherever I feel like wanting to be the most. No matter how much you think you've seen everything, there will always be new things to discover and learn... isn't that amazing?”
About Itto
“I only heard about him once when I was passing through Inazuma city, the Tenryou Commission was looking for him. I also heard that he is a descendant of the crimson oni. I can't help but be curious about how he stands in terms of our tribe's pact. I wonder if he has abandoned it or still lives by it.”
About Takuya
“He's another blue oni you say? That means we're far relatives. It's good to know that there are still a few other members of our tribe out there. Maybe I should introduce myself to him next time I’m visiting Inazuma again.”
Backstory
Ryo was born in Inazuma, in a little house near Chinju Forest. His family lived a secluded life, away from humans due to the pact between the two oni clans. Only his father (who is a human) had a job and sometimes made his way to the neighboring villages to buy food and other supplies. Even though they lived in relatively poor conditions, Ryo still had a great childhood and spent most of his time playing in Chinju Forest, alone or with the local tanuki. His mother taught him about the oni's history, their principles, and the pact between both oni tribes. The older Ryo got, the more his curiosity grew about humans and he often walked near the villages, observing the people from a safe distance. He wanted to learn more about them but still keep his distance since he didn't want to break the pact and also keep the comfort he found in living a secluded life.
He discovered many kinds of books and collected them over several years until he came across a book about Teyvat, its cities, and various cultures. It fascinated him like nothing else ever did. Ryo wanted to see the world and learn about all the different regions and cultures Teyvat had to offer. As he grew older, he learned the skills he needed to survive in the wild on his own. One day, he packed everything he needed, said goodbye to his family, and made his way into the world. To this day, Ryo wanders around Teyvat, mostly keeping his distance from civilization, but still sets foot in the cities and villages out of pure curiosity, mostly at night when there are not many people around. He doesn't strictly avoid humans anymore as he used to, in fact, he did make a few friends along the way actually, but he still prefers to travel on his own, especially while keeping the age-old pact and principles of his tribe in mind, which he takes a lot of pride in.
His lifestyle
He is aware that most people would rather settle somewhere and live among others, but he enjoys this lifestyle of his quite a lot. He has found happiness and peace in it and it makes him feel free. Besides these personal reasons, he has never experienced anything else. He grew up secluded from human civilization, this is his normality, and this has never changed. He admits, spending time with humans can be great fun and he has learned a lot from them, and he'll always look forward to participating in any kind of activity with them. But he just can't help but feel a yearning for distance. He can't tell why he feels this way... may it be the pact between the tribes that he has somewhat internalized, or may it be the pride he takes in being part of the blue oni tribe and carrying on with their principles... He will no longer question his feelings and desires concerning this matter. In terms of his travels, he really just wants to see the world and learn about different cultures.
His cryo vision
The story of how Ryō got his vision is one of the rather less exciting stories, it doesn’t include an epic fight or the devastating loss of a loved one. Ryō got his vision when he was about 9 years old. Around that time the only human he has ever interacted with was his father. Ryō obviously knew there were other humans, but he has only seen them from a distance and never talked to them. He also knew about the oni pact from his mother and that he should stay away from humans. However, one day curiosity got the best of the 9-year-old oni, as he saw two children from the nearby village playing on a grass field next to Chinju Forest. He watched them from behind a tree until one of the children noticed him and called for him. Instead of running away, Ryō came forth and introduced himself with a fake name. As the kids asked him about his horns, Ryō just said he likes to dress up as an oni sometimes and walk around the forest. The children didn’t question it at all and even suggested to play a game, where all of them pretended to be onis and roam the land. The three kids played for hours until the sun was about to set and the two children from the village had to leave. Ryō had the fun of his life and enjoyed every second. As he waved his new friends goodbye and turned around to go back home, a shining vision appeared in front of him. Totally in awe, he held it in his hands and carefully examined it (he had no idea what visions are at that moment). His parents weren’t really happy when Ryō told them that he approached the villagers since they explicitly told him not to, though, they were glad he didn’t tell them who he really was. Ryō also showed them what popped up in front of him and asked his parents what it was. It left both of his parents speechless, especially his father who was still working for the Tenryou Commission at that point and still executed the Shogun’s orders in the vision hunt decree. However, they told him what exactly it was and that he should always keep it close and hidden under any circumstance.
Trivia
- The reason he wears his mask is that he simply wants to hide his oni features during his travels. He wants the people to think he's just a random guy with a mask who's passing by. Whenever he's not traveling or just resting, he takes it off.
- The little bells on his hairbands don't have any balls in them because the constant jingling got on his nerves. They're solely an accessory.
- He enjoys observing things. May it be hilichurls, people, animals, clouds, or solely leaves dancing in the wind. It's soothing to him.
- His mom got him his sword.
Relationships
Takayama Yūna
Ryō's mother has always been a role model for him, not only when it comes to living by the oni's pact, but also when it comes to her personality. She always seems calm and collected and knows what to do in tricky situations. Ryō always admired that and wanted to be exactly like her. He learned many valuable things about life from her and they both still have a close relationship, even though they barely get to see each other nowadays.
Lev Morozov
Like his mother, Ryō always looked up to his dad. He might've been a little strict sometimes and didn't let as many things slide, but nonetheless, Ryō viewed his father as a strong soldier and hero who would protect his loved ones with all he got (which he actually did). Through him, Ryō caught an interest in sword-fighting and even learned his first sword-fighting techniques from his father. They also still have a close relationship.
The Traveler
Ryō considers the Traveler to be a close friend of his. They traveled together for a while, shared many stories with each other, and talked about the things close to their hearts. Ryō learned many things about humans from the Traveler... and also about all the different kinds of food in Teyvat. Ryō prefers to travel on his own, but he actually wouldn't mind spending some more time with the Traveler on his journey.
