Arvan Khoer
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Arvan Khoer "... I have got to eat." A highly efficient delivery Au Ra. Transports everything in confidence, from the pet dogs of your sworn enemies* to rare odds and ends from the cadavers of primals**. * The scope of her services do not extend to the elimination of political rivals. ** Your requests will be fulfilled anon. No questions asked.
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About
Arvan is a Xaela denizen of Aldenard, originally hailing from the Tumet tribe. Having failed its rite of passage at the vulnerable age of 10, she remains consigned to her meaningless placeholder name arvankhoër, which translates to the number 'twelve'. Over the course of her life, interaction with Eorzeans would have the syllables in her name evenly split in such a way as to form a given name and surname - Arvan Khoer.
Carrying out most of her work in Coerthas, she is an (un)popular presence within Ishgard who earned herself the right to walk its streets unbothered by unwittingly saving the life of an Inquisitor in the past. A subject of persecution within the Holy See proper, she remains relatively sought-after by merchants and taxidermists who elect the clandestine pursuit of precious pelts and rare game. Unemotional towards her work environment, she can only be chanced upon in Ishgard once every 3 or 4 moons, but in recent years seems to have frequented the Coerthan central highlands, lending labor to the front lines of defense against dravanian hordes. It is unclear at whose behest she does so, having no known connections to the Ishgardian service. Due to her absence in other habitable areas, it is commonly thought that during these times she seeks dwelling within Xelphatol, or in the pit of Witchdrop. (Neither of these is accurate.)
'Blessed' with odd titles from associates (ex. 'courier woman', 'aevisbane', and the more derogatory 'scalekin',) she is known to occasionally join forces with journeying adventurers for a short-lived pack hunt. Though in no manner affiliated with Ishgard's chivalric Order of the Knights Dragoon, her spear-hunting techniques appear to bear close resemblance to those employed by its members.
Recently charged on suspicion of heresy within the domain of Ishgard, with an added count of contempt of the court after forgetting to attend her hearing, she was subject to a trial by combat. She seems to have come away from this experience no worse for wear.
Clothing
Arvan weathers the extreme cold of Calamity-impacted Coerthas by wearing a thick glacial coat, and in environments of mild or warmer weather, an ornate outfit paired with sandals and shorts to minimize encumbrance on her legs for ease of movement. A pair of sheathed knives, one for gutting and another for butchering, are always bound to her thigh, never used for anything but field dressing. She also prefers to keep the particularly dense scales on her neck concealed by turtleneck-type clothing to avoid drawing more attention than necessary.
Only when tasked with hunting dravanians, Spoken, and large beastkin is Arvan ever seen donning a proper suit of armor. It has been denounced as causing her to bear 'too much resemblance to an aevis' especially with her tail visible, but to all intents and purposes keeps her well-guarded. When necessary, she hides the striking glare of her irises, which has caused unrest among some of those witness to them, behind a sturdy steel eye-mask.
Voice
Arvan's voice can be referenced from that of Margaret (voiced by Michelle Ann Dunphy.)
Quirks
- Capable of eating like an animal going into hibernation. Though her appetite is satiable, her stomach is still as mysterious as the Void. Those familiar tend to find amusement in the reactions of others being initiated to the sheer amount Arvan can consume.
- Has a distinct speech pattern, often using odd and somewhat goofy formality that has also served to keep her out of trouble. As she is illiterate and still communicates by translating words from her mother language in her head, her word use can be somewhat stiff.
- Prone to staring if she finds something appealing about you (typically a piece of armor or jewelry,) but her 'resting bitch face' tends to create misunderstandings. Her admiration of someone is always pure, never misguided.
A taught nomad and lone wolf, Arvan often has trouble with forming close bonds and maintaining kinships. Confident only with self-preservation, she nonetheless strives to better her own strengths in order to extend protection to those of whom have requested it, as well as the precious few close to her heart. One restrictive yet well-founded insecurity of hers is the fear of becoming a burden due to her own shortcomings. Not nearly as stern as she tends to come off as, she is possessed of a tolerant and open mind, seeking understanding of all things novel and unfamiliar. At times, she demonstrates thoughtfulness with the most unexpected of approaches. Once self-effacing to a fault, Arvan is slowly learning to celebrate her triumphs - though there remains a rare impish and childish quality to her that she may never grow out of.
It is her hardiness and bravery make her comfortable with solitude. Rarely obvious is how easily affected she is on the emotional front, though a tendency to miss social cues can also have her failing to read situations as is appropriate of most. Additionally, her general oblivion towards the confidence people vest in her contributes to untimely absences when her strengths are required of her. Despite her muted kindness, she has few heroic qualities, being somewhat unreliable as an '11th hour hero'.
She can exhibit 'territorial' behavior on rare occasion, being stubbornly watchful of those who accept her. Her competitive retaliation can come as a surprise to any and all that dares insult the pride of her and hers. Prone to stalking and striking when least anticipated, the scale of damage caused by her acts of vengeance can sometimes be exaggerated to a comical extent.
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Prior to the Rite (Childhood)
Born to a matriarch and a respected horseman of the Tumet clan, Arvan is a pure-blooded Xaela. As a child, the condition of Arvan's health was constantly dictated by her unmanageable metabolic levels, which led to a near-constant need for the upkeep of energy. Though it was an ongoing debate within the family whether she posed a liability on the amount of labor that went into securing resources, Arvan was still able to contribute to hunting and gathering under the careful supervision of her older brother, Zarga. Blind to the reluctant affection of her parents, she was instead the pride of Zarga, who believed her unnatural appetite to be that of an 'aspiring champion'.
This faith alone was not enough to help her triumph the Tumet tribe's rite of passage. With puberty looming and her control over her raging metabolic processes still pitiful, the day Arvan was bound by rope to a tree and made to fight free would have seen the last sunset of her life - had it not been for Zarga. He, who had his own grievances with their parents, slew their mother on the very same night before cutting Arvan free.
Rescued from dehydration and starvation, Arvan found herself thrust into the surreal world of becoming the prey of her own kind. Joined by Shaar, an outsider who had been raised by the Tumet as their own, the three fled north towards the mountains under the pursuit of their father, who would stop at nothing to have their blood for the blood shed at home. With little time to lose and still less opportunity to compose herself as food became scarce within the icy mountains, Arvan proved herself dead weight and quickly fell ill, unable to acclimatize herself to the stark change of environment. With their father still hot on their trail, Zarga and Shaar were forced to light a campfire within a cave and leave her behind, hoping the best.
Strangely enough, it was within some hours that the boys returned with food, fresh meat, in tow. Drifting in and out of consciousness, Arvan gratefully fed, and woke up two days later to both Zarga and Shaar still at her side, looking no worse for wear. It would not be until much later in her life that she would be given straight answers as to why they were finally free from her father's pursuit, or why they were even being pursued in the first place. Accepting the orphaned life, Arvan spent the following 7 years of her life drifting the Azim steppes under the care of her saviors.
After the Rite
Following adolescence, Arvan developed an uncanny physical strength that seemed to challenge the amount of food she ate. Conveniently, each of the three children became a champion of hunting in their own right. With the coordination of the increasingly twisted and violent Zarga's leadership and Shaar's flair for strategy, the trio resorted to a capricious lifestyle of survival by assimilating into small tribes kind enough to accept them, only to turn upon them eventually through vicious marauding.
Two instances of repeating this lifestyle proved intolerable for Arvan and even Shaar, who had become Zarga's blood brother. Loyal as they were to his strength and leadership, no longer did he demonstrate the same devotion towards them, disregarding Arvan's safety over the utility of her strength and terrorizing any shows of disobedience. During the third attempt to take advantage of a yet another small group of Xaelas, the trio found themselves unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire of a clash between the large Jhungid and Kharlu tribes, with Zarga in the very midst of it. It was during this event that Shaar would back Arvan and himself from the fray, deciding it was best for her to wash her hands of the potential detriment that was her last real family.
While disliking Arvan in the past, Shaar had grown to develop a strong brotherly, almost paternal instinct after witnessing Zarga's gradual disregard of her. Taking care to discover a better environment for Arvan's upbringing near the borders of Xaela lands, where contact with non-Au Ra was possible, he ground away in peace at teaching her self-sustenance and management of her metabolism. It was during this time that they met a wandering bard, whose interest in Arvan's remarkable prowess for spear-hunting would be caught, and who would suggest she come under the tutelage of an acquaintance of his in Eorzea. Recognizing that she may have better uses for her strength but unable to decide such a thing for her, Shaar ultimately would not deny Arvan's request to cross the sea and see the west for herself.
Life in Eorzea
Arvan first set foot upon Eorzean territory on her 17th nameday, arriving some moons into the grim wake of the Calamity. Finding few welcomes in the land she had heard many tales about, she pushed west towards Coerthas in search of a combat instructor introduced by the traveler she had met back in Othard. Though it was originally intended for her to fall under the care of this contact, misconceptions regarding the Au Ra bearing draconic heritage made her tenancy unwelcome. It was not without a hunger that she left in search of greener pastures, as the 'artistry' of the Ishgardian dragoons' fighting style hooked her fascination. All attempts to shake free of her interest, the instructor would later realize, would prove futile.
Displaced but fearless, armed with the necessary skills to provide for herself, Arvan chose to migrate throughout the Eorzean city-states in the spirit of wanderlust. Amid their slow scramble to re-piece the integrity of the region from the outreach of the Battle of Carteneau, she showed neutrality towards the circumstances with her hermitic lifestyle. It was on occasion that she became a conversation topic among some civilians who would bear witness to her beast-slaying, or an errand she would run, though she would carry on abruptly, uncomfortable with the idea of garnering attention. In the recent couple of years, she has elected to situate herself more permanently within Gridania and, oddly enough, Coerthas, as if coming full circle.
She has also recently re-united with Shaar who, at her earnest plea, revealed the full story to her severance from the Tumet clan. Though grateful to him for all he has done, the two no longer stay together.
Present ❧
COMMON RUMORS(easy to overhear)
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MODERATE RUMORS(moderately difficult to overhear)
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RARE RUMORS(very difficult or rarely overheard)
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PC RUMORS(rumors from the characters of other players)
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♥ Romantic Interest ♡ Platonic Love ▲ Good Standing ▼ Poor Standing
♥ - Tsukimi Mizuno: A Doman Raen who is close to her in age. Arvan's love for her is subdued and expressed from a respectful distance, as if Tsukimi might be fragile to her touch. Misunderstandings have been caused among outsiders as Arvan chooses to address Tsukimi as 'my Lady' in public, leading many to assume Arvan's relation to her is one of servitude.
♡ - Zarga Khoerdugaar: The reason why Arvan never lacked for familial love as a child. Whether he lived or perished in Othard remains unknown, but Arvan's instinct suggests the former to be the case. Despite his vices, she has decided not to detest him, although she does wish to be able to meet with him once more.
♡ - Shaar Jhungid: One of the current reasons why Arvan does not lack for familial love. As one who helped save her life twice in the past through immoral means, he recently confessed the truth behind both her parents' death after reuniting with her in Eorzea. Having considered all of the good he had done - and seems to continue to do - for her since her separation from Zarga, Arvan chose to carry on adoring him as a brother. They are not without their differences, as she recognizes his guarded and somewhat manipulative nature which might inconvenience Arvan's acquaintances, even if he seems to only want the best for her.
Notes ❧
!!!NOTES
In-Game ❧
!!!IN-GAME-NOTES
Outgoing Links ❧
!!!OUTGOING LINKS
| Template | Bancroft Gairn |
| Layout reference | D'lyhhia Lhuil |
| Other fiddling | Misik'a Rahsi |
