Once a proud member of the Crab Clan, Hida Tōtarō was a competent bushi stationed on the Kaiu Wall. He fought against the Shadowlands’ forces, earning respect from his peers, but a fateful injury during battle caused him immense physical pain that even the healers could not fully alleviate. While recovering in Ryoko Owari, he was introduced to opium to manage his pain.
Over time, the drug took over his life. Tōtarō became unreliable and erratic, shirking his duties and getting into debts with unsavory characters. His clan elders, appalled by his addiction and dishonor, disowned him, stripping him of his name and status. He was cast out as an eta, his identity erased, and the name Hida Tōtarō was no longer spoken.
He now lives as Hida Nibui ("Nibui" meaning "dull"), a shadow of his former self. He begs in the Leatherworkers Quarter of Ryoko Owari, doing menial tasks for the eta, scraping together enough coin for his next opium fix. Nibui’s past as a Crab Clan warrior has faded into distant memory, but in his rare moments of clarity, he still dreams of the Wall and the battles he fought there.