Midori: Combat References, Stories & Token

Among lovers of music, a legend of the "Heavenly Maiden" is told.

That musician who wanders with her lyre comes and goes as she pleases—no one knows when or where her next performance will be. The performance is for no ordinary eyes; without an old patron to guide you, you cannot even pass through the door. No weapons or buddies allowed—guests must sit empty-handed. Each performance is but a single song, never the same twice, and once it ends, she leaves without encore.

Despite such elaborate rules, not a single soul complains. Once the melody begins, everyone instinctively quiets their restlessness, wishing only to feel that celestial music with body and soul, and etch such beauty into their eyes forever.

Countless have wished to drink with her, but no matter how esteemed the guest, she never shares a table with anyone. Over time, people came to call her the "Heavenly Maiden" Midori.

There once was a family renowned for their music, and Midori was universally acknowledged as its prodigy.

Just as Midori had settled into complacency, a monster shattered the family's peace. That night was her clan leader's birthday celebration. The monster, seemingly disturbed by the all-night music, stormed into the manor and rampaged—its massive wings knocked over the lanterns, setting the entire estate ablaze.

Young Midori hid in the shadows, trembling as she clutched a long sword that happened to have fallen beside her, praying the monster wouldn't notice her.

When the manor finally fell silent, the family's fate was sealed—nearly all the elders had either perished in the attack or lost the ability to perform, a blow too devastating for people who had devoted their entire lives to music; many never rose to lead again. Though Midori herself survived unscathed, grief crushed her dignity.

Later, an Adventurer who happened to pass through the village found Midori sitting in a daze, clutching her sword. He offered to spar with her. Unfamiliar with swordsmanship, she was defeated again and again. But seeing how lost she seemed, he took out his own instrument and played her a tune. That melody stirred something deep within her—her long-buried yearning for music—and light returned to her eyes.

"Can I swing a blade that splits the sky and play a tune that moves even stone as you do?"

"Once someone hears a sound that can move their very soul, the world becomes so much wider."

A thought that had never before crossed Midori's mind began to take root.

After leaving behind a letter declaring her resolve, Midori set off without hesitation, carrying only a few scores, a sword, and the simplest of belongings.

Following that Adventurer's advice, she walked from forests to valleys, from riverbanks to distant capes. She heard the voices of all things in the world, and met people of every kind.

Finally, one day, she encountered the Queen of the Land—an extremely wary Rathian. She had almost no experience facing monsters head-on, and the swordsmanship she'd practiced alone wasn't enough to match a Rathian. Midori failed to dodge its poisonous tail and was struck down.

Just as she thought that was the end, a great sword blocked the attack before her—a passing guild had come to her rescue.

Seeing this, the Rathian let out a long roar toward the sky, and as everyone froze from the sound, it spread its wings and flew off.

When she finally came to her senses, the members of the guild rushed to tend to her wounds, but the Rathian's final roar kept echoing in her ears.

She had found the sound that could move her very soul.

Later, Midori joined that guild, traveling and adventuring together with them.

She wove every sound she gathered along the journey into her melodies, crafting a musical style entirely her own, unlike any other. Her extraordinary music spread beyond the guild, and as they traveled the world, her fame grew ever wider. Meanwhile, Midori also honed her swordsmanship through countless battles, making her one of the party's finest fighters.

"Still, I haven't found another sound quite like that day—one that made my whole body tremble." She tightened her strings slightly, facing the very woman whose great sword had once shielded her—Freya, the leader of the guild.

"Then I suppose you'll just have to keep adventuring with us." Freya tucked tonight's concert ticket into her coat.