Kobayashi no Hotaru
| Photo | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Photo by Kasjan Jaskólski Ivarson | ||||||||
| Information | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Order of Precedence | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Heraldry | ||||||||
 Purpure, the old kanji for "hotaru" and two bars in chief Or |
Centurion Kobayashi no Hotaru
Nickname(s): Hotaru, Firefly
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Offices:
- Local Offices Held
- Glaslyn Exchequer 2018 - 2021
- Glaslyn Deputy Exchequer 2021 - 2023
- Glaslyn Social Media Deputy 2022 - 2024
- Glaslyn Exchequer 2023 - 2025
- Kingdom Offices Held
- Cultural Deputy (East Asian Cultures) to Minister of Arts and Sciences 2023 - 2025
Persona History:
Hotaru was a peasant from a mountain village in the Tohoku region in the early Muromachi Era (mid 14th century). She was adopted on a whim by a court noblewoman from Kyoto who cleaned her up, dressed her in fine clothes and armor, and gave her a modicum of manners.
Interests:
- Armored Combat
- Pickling Vegetables
- Shield Painting
- Japanese religious beliefs and practices
- Japanese historical jewelry
- East Asian period games
Timeline of Activity:
Hotaru's introduction to the SCA was a Glaslyn practice and populace meeting in spring or summer of 2016. Though fairly confident she wanted to portray a Japanese persona, she encountered a rudely outspoken individual who said that people who played Japanese persona weren't taking the SCA seriously and they shouldn't do it. Hotaru decided that this Not Very Nice Person was wrong and she found her first goal: "I will be loudly Japanese," and was gifted her first set of Japanese garb by Alhdryð ceorlstrang.
Over the next few years she played locally, being exchequer or deputy exchequer of Glaslyn, and doing a little bit of Rapier combat while going to college. She spent the Plague deciding just exactly what she might want to do in the SCA now that she had graduated. After wavering back and forth between doing Rapier or Cut & Thrust, she decided on a whim to get authorized for Armored Combat for 2022's War of the Rams, since that's what her friends and significant others were doing. The fighting bug bit hard, and she started training and going to every tournament and war that she could.
In 2023 she became a Man at Arms to Sir Absolon of Hereford at Steppes Warlord, and then a Squire to the same a year and a day later at the same event.
In 2025 she became King's Champion to His Majesty Jean Paul de Sens III, and was inducted to the Order of the Centurions of the Sable Star shortly after.
- Words from Namron Protectorate and Coronation: "I'm home safe from Namron Protectorate & Coronation. I want to extend my most sincere gratitude to Their Majesties Jean Paul and Gilyan for a day that I will never forget, and to the Barony of Namron and Their Excellencies Isabella & Emma for hosting a wonderful event and coronation. I'm humbled and honored to have received the privilege of being King's Champion to His Majesty. I hope I can provide challenge on the field of war for those who might choose to face our King. I hope to be a staunch defender and loyal ally both on and off the field to His Majesty who has placed his trust in me. I'm looking forward to a fun six months at His Majesty's side and am looking back over a long history of people who held this position before me with a growing sense of understanding of the responsibilities. I hope to bring my all to the role and live up to those who came before me."
Hotaru fought in the Champion's Battle at Gulf War XXXIII and defeated the King's Champion of Trimaris. At the 2025 Winter Crown Tournament she was honored with the King's Blade of Chivalry by Sultan Creppin l'Ostriche III.
Populace Provided Information:
Hákon the Blacksmith
At Gulf Wars XXXIII, Hotaru was King's Champion to Jean Paul III, and was slated to be the first up in the Champion's Battle, against the King's Champion of Trimaris. So the first fight, for the first war point, on the first day, in front of everyone assembled. No pressure.
Before the war, she learned that their champion fought left-handed with sword and shield. She spent the week leading up to the war working on a strategy with His Grace Gabriel of Maccuswell who fights in a similar style. When the time for battle came, Hotaru stanced up as if to fight a right-handed fighter. Her friends amongst the chivalry and centurions around us all began talking to each other immediately, asking "why is she not switching to lefty?" "Did she forget to switch?" "Why isn't she switching?"
Hotaru began throwing high shots that were easily deflected by the Trimaris' champions shield, but she kept throwing them until he raised his shield just enough for her to throw a long crossbody shot at his left thigh. He dropped to his knees. While he put up a valiant effort, polearm versus sword from the ground is a tough contest to come back from - and as she won, Duke Gabriel is backslapping and grinning like an excited dad over their plan coming together exactly as they had practiced.
Notable Contributions or Accomplishments:
- King's Champion to HRM Jean-Paul de Sens
- Armored Combat Champion of the Barony of Raven's Fort, 2025
- Champion, Northkeep 'I Am No Man' Tournament, 2024
- Won the Steppes Warlord Newcomers' Tournament in a 23-round final
- Founder and first commander, Phoenix Company
- Teacher, "Glaive: the One True Weapon"
- Designed the 2025 Kingdom trailer wrap
Non-Armigerous Awards and Recognitions:
- Acorn of the Steppes (Twice!)
- Boar's Tusk of the Steppes
- Western Tower of Elfsea
Trivia:
After her first second-place finish in a tournament, someone told her "second place gets a cheesecake!" Now every second place finish results in complaints about never getting any of these promised cheesecakes.
Affiliations:
- Member, Wanderer's Hall
- Member, House of Halberd and Trident
- Squire to Sir Absolon of Hereford
- Phoenix Company
- Extended Family, La Tanière
Mundane Information:
Hotaru does professional graphic design as a side hustle.
In Case of Court:
Hotaru prefers to be surprised by awards, no warning is necessary. For significant awards or announcements, she greatly appreciates if her significant other, Hákon the Blacksmith, or her knight, Absolon of Hereford, are given a heads up.
