When you arrive at Dojo, you choose an avatar. The Apprentice, the Monk, the Ronin, the Sage — characters with a feel, not playing-style presets that secretly change how the game works. We want to be clear about that, because in a lot of games "pick your type" quietly means "pick your stats."
Your avatar does not change your cards, your odds, or what's correct in a spot. It's who you are at the table, not how you have to play.
The part that's actually interesting
Your avatar carries a mood, and the mood moves with your form. When you're sharp and climbing, it shifts to an ascending state. When the run is hard, it settles into something quieter. It's a small, honest signal — a way of showing where you are right now without a single stat or number on screen.
Everyone at the table sees what kind of game you're bringing today.
That's the whole appeal. Heads-up poker is intimate; it's just you and one other person. The avatar gives that exchange a face and a temperature without pretending to be a mechanic.
What it isn't
It isn't pay-to-win — you can't buy an edge. It isn't a skill tree. It isn't a stand-in for strategy. If we ever caught the avatar layer leaking into the actual game balance, we'd consider that a bug, not a feature.
You get assigned one to start, and you can change it any time in your profile. Pick the one that feels like you. Let it grow with your form. Then go play.