Azami Ozu

The girl who would become Azami, Lady of Scrolls grew up in the Kawabe Province. Her father was in the military while her mother studied soratami lore. Her parents were often busy with their work and had little time for either her or her brother. Azami was fascinated with her mother’s magical texts and would often take them and read them by the river, though her mother had forbidden her from reading them. On one of these occasion, the girl was visited by a river spirit who she assumed to be a Great Kami. The spirit offered her knowledge at the price of 'everything'.

A year or so later, Azami’s mother fell into the river and nearly drowned. She fell ill and the healers and jushi could not save her. Azami was supposed to tend her mother but spent moer time in the library. Within a month, she had died. After this event, Azami’s father sent her and her mother’s library to the Minamo School. Azami tried and failed to mourn the loss of her mother. It was the kami’s will.

Etsumi Urano became Azami’s close friend at Minamo School. She studied the bo and a variety of magic. Azami convinced her friend one day to go with her to Kitanosu Temple to find ancient hidden scrolls. This temple was within nezumi territory but Azami was confident they could sneak in and out with their magic. She was wrong and in their flight, Etsumi fell into quicksand. Azami chose to save the scrolls instead of her friend. It was the kami’s will.

Atsuko Shimazaki, the head of the library, became Azami’s rival within Minamo School. Azami made an overture of truce and hosted a private picnic for the two of them. Atsuko remained acerbic however and Azami served her poisonous mushrooms. Azami herself consumed only a enough to maker herself ill, but Atsuko was killed by the poison after a long and painful illness. All thought it a mistake. It was the kami's will.

Eventually, Azami became the head librarian of the greatest library in Kamigawa at the Minamo School.

The kami war had begun and one day, kami hunters brought back the river spirit Azami had spoken to as a child. She studied the creature and came to realize that it hand no great powers and had not shaped her life. She was responsible for the deaths of her mother, friend and rival and for her successes as well. Azami was vexed at having be deluded all her life, but did not mourn the dead.

Source: Everything by Gwendolyn Kestrel