Hoshi

Hoshi was an inhabitant of the island of Yamatai and a Daughter of the Sun at some point during the Kamakura period(c. 1185-1333 CE). She was to take part in the Ascension ceremony, but she committed suicide rather than go through with the ritual.

Background
Hoshi was the daughter of Hiiro and Kokoro. At some point, she came to the Sun Queen's attention and was named a Daughter of the Sun, a handmaiden to Queen Himiko. Her status through Yamatai's society would earn her family both great respect and honor.

Priestess of the Sun Queen
As a Daughter of the Sun, Hoshi was taught languages, etiquette, history and warfare, which were all the skills she would need to rule Yamatai one day if she were to become Queen Himiko's successor. She was given everything she desired and more, but she intuitively sensed that something was very wrong. Far from feeling honored, she felt unease towards the Sun Queen, despite the Queen's attention and love towards her.

As Queen Himiko began to grow old, the unease Hoshi felt towards her intensified. The Sun Queen would soon have to choose a successor, and Hoshi feared that it would be her, as she had become Queen Himiko's favourite. As such, the Sun Queen kept Hoshi close to her and doted on her more than the other preistesses. Hoshi was unsettled by the development. Her sense of foreboding grew, and she dreaded the time when the Sun Queen would choose her successor. When Himiko chose her, her unease grew even more, amplified by Himiko's demeanor upon looking at her from thenceforth, as if Himiko were gazing upon her own reflection. She dreaded the coming Ascansion ritual.

Death
Finally, theough unrevealed circumstances, Hoshi discovered the truth: the Ascension ritual would actually transfer Himiko's soul into her body, destroying her own soul, in effect killing her, and allowing Himiko to continue her rule, essentially living again in a fresh, young body. It became clear to her that this had in fact been the fate of all Himiko's chosen "successors", and would continue with every chosen priestess after her. Horrified, Hoshi resolved to sacrifice herself in order to end what she called Himiko's "twisted evil". Himiko's Stormguard General was tasked with escorting Hoshi to the Assention ritual. Stealing his dagger, Hoshi climbed the stairs to the Chamber of the Sun on the night of the ritual, feigning compliance and readiness. However, upon ascending, she stabbed herself to death. This left the ritual incomplete, trapping Himiko in a decaying body. As a result, Himiko's rage cursed the island, and the Stormguard General committed Sepukku to atone for his failure.

Hoshi: Answering the Call
Today I am Hoshi, daughter of Hiiro and Kokoro. Tomorrow, I will be Hoshi, Daughter of the Sun. The Queen has spoken and I was given the robes. Every girl in every village dreams of this honor. Mother cannot stop crying and father is beaming with pride. I have never seen him smile so much.

This greatest of honors will raise my family to the heights of Yamatai society. We will want for nothing. And someday the Sun Queen may even choose me to take her place.

And yet... I cannot deny my feelings. At first I dismissed them as simple nerves, but the unease has grown within me. I could never refuse the call, to do so would invite ruin to my family. But I am frightened of my Queen.

Lara's Thoughts
This is an excerpt from the ancient diary of Hoshi, a young Priestess of the Sun. Interesting... she feared her own queen.

Hoshi: At Her Side
I want for nothing now. As a Priestess of the Sun Queen, I stand above all others in her court. I am being instructed in languages, eitquette, history, warfare - all the skills needed to rule.

And the Queen has been like a mother to me. Warm, attentive, loving. But it all feels false, like some kind of performance. When I talk to the other Priestesses, I sense disquiet. Some of them feel as I do, perhaps all of them. But why? What is it that we all fear?

Lara's Thoughts
This is fascinating. Hoshi describes her daily routine as a priestess, but something wasn't quite right.

Hoshi: In Her Image
The Sun Queen grows old. Soon she will choose her successor. I fear it will be me. I am now her favorite. She dotes on me, calls me her precious first daughter. Like a doll, she always keeps me close to her, brushing my hair, dressing me in her favorite clothes. It unsettles me beyond words.

But more disturbing, she constantly gazes upon my features as if... as if she's looking at her own reflection.

Lara's Thoughts
Priestess Hoshi seems frightened in this diary. She's beginning to suspect she will be chosen as the new Sun Queen.

Hoshi: An End
I have no choice now but to meet my fate. Tonight I climb the stairs to the Chamber of the Sun. But I will never submit to the ritual - I will not emerge Queen. None will ever believe what I now know to be the truth. A twisted evil beyond imagining lives within the Sun Queen. An evil that hungers for more than just the land and seas of Yamatai. This madness cannot continue!

So I go to the chamber, armed with the stolen dagger of her Stormguard General. By the time he realizes what I have done, it will be too late. For the sake of Yamatai, and all the priestesses that would follow me... I must die.

Lara's Thoughts
Hoshi faced a terrible choice. I feel as though I am following her path. But what choices will I be forced to make?