Maruyama Takahiro

Maruyama Takahiro is a young Human male and an Altus Agentis, meaning he is capable of manipulating the spirit-like Altum creatures to serve his desires. He was adopted by Oda Hideyo when Takahiro's parents brought him to her when he was a child. They discovered that he was "infected" by an altus which gave him the ability to become an Altus Agentis. Oda Hideyo raised him as his Master and even renamed him so that he could forget his past life. He is known to be brave, despite the ailments that plague his body - the cost of being an Altus Agentis. His is, however, often naï ve and quick to trust. He has a very close relationship to his Master but also a friendship with Hideyo's daughter Oda Yumiko-Ai.

Description
Description of Takahiro.

The Inner Altus
Originally named Kwok In-Su, Takahiro Maruyama was born in the town of Tersia in the Dark Zone of the Exterior Plane. It was first made aware that Kwok In-Su, or Takahiro, would become an Altus Agentis when he was just a boy of nine. He went missing from his parents home and a great search was made for him. He had ventured deep into the Tersian Woods - considered one of the most dangerous parts of the Dark Zone - where he was discovered by an Inner Altus, sometimes called "Parasetic Altus". These Inner Altus use up a physical being's physical form, taking energy and sustainance from it. However it also grants the person the ability to manipulate and even see the altum all around them.

When Kwok In-Su was eventually found he complained a great deal about the "ghosts" that bothered him. After many consultations from various medical and spiritual people a travelling healer arrived at their home. His name was Killian Hughes and though he was rude he was the only person who had a likely answer. He had met Oda Hideyo many years before and he suspected that the young Kwok In-Su was infected with an inner altum, thus he suggested that the family accompany him to the Oda Hermitage where Oda Hideyo, an Altus Agentis, lived.

After arriving at the Hermitage Oda Hideyo confirmed the diagnosis and informed the family that the process was irreversible. She requested that the boy be left in her care and that she would raise him as an Altus Agentis like herself. However she didn't want to confuse the boy or allow him to belief that he could leave her care - a poorly trained Agentis would be an incredibly dangerous person to unleash upon an unsuspecting civilian population. She agreed that she would one day reveal the family to Kwok In-Su when he was old enough and well-trained. Reluctantly agreeing to her terms the family left Kwok In-Su with Oda Hideyo. Oda decided it would be wise to rename the boy and gave him the family name "Maruyama" whilst the first name was the name of her dead husband Oda Takahiro.

Relationship with Master Hideyo
Being an Altus Agentis Oda Hideyo was a victim of body fatigue and gradual deterioration. Often she experienced pain in her joints and bones so she refrained from travel and expected her contacts to visit her at her Oda Hermitage. She had once been married to Oda Takahiro and had two daughters, Oda Yumiko-Ai and Oda Sei. Oda Takahiro had disappeared several years ago, when Oda Sei was less than a year old, and most suspect that he died on his journey - which he took to convert people to his religious beliefs. Since that time Hideyo had remained alone, raising her daughters. When she gave Maruyama Takahiro her former husband's name she had intended it to be symbollic of the 'son she never had', however she quickly realised that the relationship between Master and pupil in the art of Altus Agentis was very different than the relationship she had had with her own children. The boy was old enough to remember his former life and could only accept Hideyo as his Master, never as a true family.

As Takahiro grew into manhood Oda Hideyo was well aware of the changes developing between them. Her feelings of desire for the young man increased year-by-year and she often had to send Takahiro to train by himself so that she could distance herself and keep her feelings in check. However during a training session which meant that the two of them had to be submerged in water neither Hideyo, nor Takahiro were able to keep their desires in check and their relationship was suddenly a highly-charged sexual relationship. From the age of fifteen to sixteen Takahiro's relationship with his Master was filled with passionate nights and loving, longing gazes during the days.

In time Hideyo became aware of her daughter's, Oda Yumiko-Ai, shy feelings for Takahiro during one particular dinner and the middle-aged mother realised that she had been a fool and believed she had ruined the boy's life. She quickly became closed off towards him, though she would frequently lapse and allow him to meet with her at night. Eventually she decided she had to make him love another in order to keep him out of her own reach - so she started to encourage him to take trips and spend time with her daughter. Their affair had been a secret and none would ever know. Unfortunately Takahiro couldn't see Yumiko-Ai as anything but a good friend and he recognised his Master's attempts at manipulation. He knew he couldn't let go of his feelings for Hideyo but he, like Hideyo herself, cooled their relationship.

Skrai
This is when Takahiro meets Skrai. Aged 17.