Tianh Irothi

Tianh Irothi
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Gender	Female
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	Keeper of the Moon
Citizenship	N/A
Server	Balmung
Birthplace	Black Shroud
Occupation	Underground prizefighter, mercenary
Orientation	Bisexual

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Basic Info

Tianh a habitual drifter with ties to Gridania, Ul'dah, and Limsa Lominsa. Until recently, her most permanent base of operations was in Thanalan, but now that she's become involved with a shadowy organization based in the Lavender Beds, she spends much of her free time there. In additional to her work for the organization, she earns her keep by hiring herself out as a mercenary, messenger, and courier to clients all of Eorzea, and by competing in an illegal underground prizefighting ring in Ul'dah. Given her background as a bandit and poacher in the Black Shroud, however, she's not above working as a thief-for-hire if the price is right. She usually wields knives for mercenary work, but she actually prefers the intimacy and brutality of fist-fighting.

History

She grew up in a small community of Keepers of the Moon in the Black Shroud that was (and still is, as far as she knows) led by her mother, Mikha Irothi. The band of Miqo'te subsisted by poaching and stealing supplies and provisions from small villages and outposts, and therefore Tianh was taught how to hunt, kill, and steal from a very young age. She had a difficult relationship with her mother throughout childhood, and it became even more antagonistic as she entered early adulthood. Both women possessed strong personalities, and they each had a different vision for the future of their community. Tianh wanted to put an end to the uncertainty of their hand-to-mouth existence by integrating with - or at least, living on better terms with - the local Gridanians. Her reasons were entirely practical rather than moral or ethical - she wanted the security that peaceful relations with Gridania would give to her people. But Mikha insisted on keeping up the traditions of seclusion, poaching, and thieving. After an explosive fight with her mother that devolved into blows, Tianh was asked by her community to leave so as to put an end to the constant discord.

Tianh made her way to Gridiania first, but soon found that she was a bit too feral to fit into that peaceful and well-regulated society. So she traveled westward, and was eventually recruited by a member of a Limsa-based band of smugglers, thieves, and odd-jobs-men who called themselves the Sparrowhawks. Their leader was Benoit Chaumont, a silver-tongued rake, fastidious dandy, and quintessential chevalier d'industrie. He took an interest in the half-savage Miqo'te almost immediately and sought to civilize her, even as he took advantage of her capacity for violence. Under his tutelage, she learned better control. She learned to fight from a place of inner calm rather than rage or fear. And although she never acquired Benoit's talent for using honeyed words as weapons, she learned the value of negotiation and intrigue as alternatives to violence. (Also, somewhat incidentally, she learned to read and write, as these skills had not been considered important in her nomadic, forest-dwelling family.) Over time, her relationship with Benoit turned intimate. This was a mistake, as she should have foreseen given her knowledge of Benoit's character and tendencies. Their eventual falling-out generated a crisis in the ranks of the Sparrowhawks, and Tianh subsequently left the group, once again giving up her "family" for the sake of maintaining harmony.

With Limsa full of estranged allies and painful memories, Tianh began spending more and more of her time in Ul'dah, which had an abundance of work for mercenaries not hampered by too many scruples. She soon learned that Ul'dah was also home to an unsanctioned prizefighting ring organized by a group of merchants, and this seemed to her like a good way to add to her income. She supported herself in this way for a number of years, forging no permanent alliances and eschewing friendships and romantic entanglements. It was a less tumultuous lifestyle than she had enjoyed in Limsa Lominsa, but it was far lonelier. Over time, she began to think that the benefits of close relationships might outweigh the suffering they inevitably generated.

When she was finally offered another chance to be part of something greater than herself, she jumped at it. Now a new organization has her loyalty, and a new "family" has her devotion.

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Shroud, Tianh's true family still dwells. She has heard by word-of-mouth that they survived the Calamity, but she has not tried to contact them since they banished her over ten years ago.

Personality

Like many of her kind, Tianh is introverted and somewhat taciturn - at least until she feels comfortable with the people around her. She has led a solitary life since leaving her family, but that is starting to change now that she has joined up with a company of like-minded individuals. She is strong-willed, occasionally combative, frequently plagued by self-doubt, slow to trust, and quick to question the motives of others, but her occasional bursts of unreserved honesty and her self-deprecating wit save her from coming across as surly. She follows a system of ethics that, while internally consistent, doesn't particularly match up with socially accepted norms. What this tends to mean is that she walks the hazy borderlands between the criminal underworld and the law-abiding citizenry, making forays into each but never quite gaining recognition from either side. Fortunately, she makes up for some of her character defects and undesirable associations by being highly dependable. She's a fair judge of her own abilities, and has a reputation in Ul'dah for always finishing the jobs she takes on.

Appearance

Tianh is about medium height for a Miqo'te, and she's built on sturdier lines than most females of her species. Her skin is a soft blue-gray with darker gray markings, hair, and fur. She keeps her hair short, and doesn't bother with cosmetics other than to smudge a bit of charcoal over her eyelids for effect. (She thinks it makes her look more intimidating. This is debatable.) Her face bears several scars, the most prominent of which is above her left brow, and there is never a time when she doesn't have a nice collection of bruises and abrasions as well. She dislikes ornamentation and favors practical leather armor that is supple and comfortable enough to wear more-or-less continuously.

Affiliations

Former member of the Sparrowhawks of Limsa Lominsa. Current member of the Middle Men.

RP Notes

• Tianh's personality can make her a little unapproachable, but the way to her heart (or at least, the way to get her attention) is to offer her a job. She'll do a lot for the sake of gil, especially if she gets to cut or beat something or someone into submission in the process.
• She has both clients and enemies in Gridania, Limsa Lominsa, and Ul'dah (particularly the latter two), so your character might either know her already (maybe they did a job together? maybe they were both active in Limsa at the same time? maybe they exchanged blows in an alehouse brawl?), or know of her.
• Since Tianh only managed to acquire some sort of education as a young adult, she feels that she has a lot of time to make up for. When she can get her hands on a book, she'll read for hours at a stretch. She has a particular love of history. A character who is knowledgeable about Eorzean or Doman history might be a person of interest to her. She's also trying (not very successfully) to learn the Doman tongue.