the KAGEYAMA LINEAGE has a long history of vision wielders, warriors, blacksmiths, government officials, teachers — all masters of their respective fields, and all heavily tied to the growth and development of inazuma city. tobio’s grandfather ran the most renowed archery school in inazuma, and arguably the most successful in the entirety of teyvat.
his mother, kageyama kiku, holds a respectable position in the bakufu as an official, making the TENSHUKAKU their home. her unwavering, loyal service provided the kageyamas an exemption from the vision hunt decree with a condition: they were to work solely to fulfill baal’s demands, and required strict permission to use their god-given powers. kageyama kazuyo, tobio’s grandfather, deemed such restrictions to be vile and meaningless. he has taught tobio to free himself from the shackles of fate, and to never let anyone keep him from chasing his ambitions, whether that were his family or a god.
kazuyo’s unwillingness to work for raiden shogun resulted in an inevitable, permanent demotion from his position in the school of archery, as well as another unknown punishment. he hasn’t been seen anywhere since. while tobio shares his grandfather’s longing for freedom, he also has his mother’s wits. making an enemy out of a government is foolish, naive, if the option to use and take advantage of them exists. tobio has always been extremely intelligent, choosing to apply his knowledge to protect his HOMELAND in his own way.
his father, kageyama shoichi, passed down a great deal of his SMITHING knowledge to his son. shoichi still lives in tenshukaku along with kiku, making weapons to the military under the surveillance of baal. kageyama miwa, tobio’s sister, gave up her vision and traveled to mondstadt to sell tea, a risky business in the tumultuous land of freedom and wine, but reigned successful nonetheless.
BGM: shadow of the sun - max elto.
though he no longer lingers in inazuma city, tobio roams the surrounding islands freely, always protecting it from the lurking dangers and keeping tabs on the electro archon, the bakufu and his family — like a watchdog casting his vigilant gaze from the shadows, interfering only when necessary. the purging of tobio’s vision was a CRAFTED LIE, one of his grandfather’s last efforts before his abrupt disappearance. such memory is haunting, filling the younger with regret… and with hopes that his grandfather is still alive. somehow, somewhere.
most of his income is obtained through bounties and crystal mining, as well as commissions from the adventurer’s guild in liyue. although his main weapon consists of an AMOS’ BOW and its blue pyro arrows, tobio has no issues wielding the heaviest of claymores, nor the most intricate of catalysts. shoichi and kiku demanded only the best from their own blood — to live a life of greatness, to master all that is at his disposal, to hone his potential to its fullest. while his parents gave him an armor of skills, kazuyo gave him a heart.
‘ you train like a machine built for war, yet you refuse to kill for glory. ’
there’s no pride in manslaughter. no matter how bloodstained his clan’s history, tobio would never fall prey to its sharp claws, no matter how much the demons inside him crave the piercing of human flesh, he would never kill to satisfy them. there’s no redemption for anyone who has taken a life. despite this, tobio remains strong in his resolve, and pays his respects even when slaying the ones teyvat labels as MONSTERS. inconspicuous empathy lies within ocean hues, overseeing every island through lenses of benevolence, never fully apparent but always present.
‘ it’s really easy being strong enough to kill in order to protect. any dumbass can do that. i want to be strong enough to protect without killing. that’s something only the strongest can do, and that’s what i’ll be. ’
his brain stores a perfect map of every corner of his homeland — and anything he has seen, his arrow can reach. from underneath the sakura tree that sits atop narukami island, tobio dreams of the day inazuma will no longer be tormented by fear. he rules the outlands, silent like a bird of prey… and mighty like a KING.
‘ your pyro, shining in a lapis lazuli blue, may seem cold and void of life, yet it is the warmest and strongest of all. ’
i’m in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
where i belong, there’s something coming on
no more waitin’, times are changin’
and there’s something coming on.
