Deep within the forests of Hingashi lies a village known as Hayashi, founded during the Age of Blood - a millennia-long war of succession between the most powerful Hingan clans - when a number of smaller clans sought refuge after the conflict drove them from their homes. Their solace would come in the form of an ancient wood, unknown and untouched under the protection of the kodama - tree spirits, almost akin to kami in nature. The clans formed a pact with the kodama, and were granted permission to shelter within the forest and share in its boons, so long as they lived in harmony with it. In an act of devotion to the woods, the clans adopted new surnames taken from species of trees within it - such as Hinoki, Sakura, Akamatsu, and Katsura. With many amongst the clans already of the agricultural or botanical persuasions, the new settlement quickly thrived.

When the Age of Blood came to an end centuries later and an era of peace was ushered in, the residents of Hayashi remained reluctant to engage with their neighbors, preferring their established self-sufficiency. Eventually, however, they would slowly make contact with other villages and open trade negotations, and the sheer quality of Hayashi's exported goods secured them a place in the nation's markets - and foreign ones, once their goods reached the port city of Kugane.

Kouta was born some twenty-four summers ago to the Katsura clan of Hayashi. Like all children in the village, Kouta was trained in the art of botany from an early age, proving adept identifying and tending to all of nature's gifts. She developed a special interest in floristry, often disappearing from her parent's watchful gaze only to be found sitting by a flowerbed, captivated by the colorful hues of the petals. She took to wearing floral hairpins, and learned the language of flowers to match them to her moods and gift to her fellow villagers. As she grew older, Kouta was taught how to swing an axe and in that, too, she excelled. With her discerning eyes and calculated swings, Kouta could fell a tree faster than any of her peers - and even some of her elders. She wielded her hatchet as if it were an extension of herself. She would often spend the early morning out gathering fresh ingredients for the day's meals, sunlight cascading through the canopy to illuminate the perfect find. While she grew familiar with the recipes and was skilled at preparing the ingredients she brought home, Kouta avoided the stove proper due to mild pyrophobia - not entirely unreasonable, considering her environment's affinity for flammability - that persists to this day.

As time wore on, Kouta found herself growing disallusioned with her environment - while she adored being out in nature, the familiarity of the forest she'd known all her life left her wanting to see what lay beyond the treeline. Fortune struck when, after becoming of age, her parents allowed her to join the next caravan to the trading port of Kugane to assist with the selling of goods.

Upon arrival, Kouta found herself in awe of the city. The sight of the seaport and the endless horizon beyond it, the sound of people in every direction, and the smell of freshly cooked street food at the markets was nearly overwhelming - but she was hooked. This one trip wouldn't do; she would have to come back, again and again - and this was only one small part of the world she'd seen so little off. To think what else lay across the sea... not to mention what botanical wonders were waiting to be discovered.During her trip, Kouta found herself distracted at one point by the charming smile of a Xaela woman who was performing card tricks for passerby and offering to read their fortunes. For a reasonablesum of gil, the woman drew her a card called the Chariot, said to represent journey and ambition. The Au Ra bade Kouta to keep it, and Kouta left Kugane with a card in hand and her mind buzzing.

Kouta's return home would be brief. The topic of leaving home proved difficult to raise with her family, and she left Hayashi with the weight of argument on her shoulders... yet certain the path she was on was the right one. She sold what harvest she had brought for coin until she could secure various odd jobs - including porter, teahouse server, and groundskeeper - enjoying the breath of fresh air that was Kugane until she saved enough to purchase passage to the far-flung realm known as Eorzea, continuing her journey from there.

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