Khaze'to Zhwan

Khaze'to Zhwan
Damned Poacher
Gender	Male
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	Keeper of the Moon
Citizenship	Loosely Gridanian
Pronunciation	Ka-Zeh-to Zwan
Age	34
Nameday	21st of the 3rd Astral moon 1543
Current Residence	Nowhere permanent, Family lives deep in the Northern Shroud
Relationship Status	Single
Orientation	Heterosexual

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Appearance

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 150-180 ponze

Build: Large and broad, quite muscular after a life hunting in the Twelveswood.

Skin Color: Blue-Grey

Eye Color: A deep golden yellow

Hair Color: Black with streaks of grey, the tips of his ears are covered in soft sable hair.

Hair Style: Tied back in a tight knot

General Clothing Style: Well fitted and functional is the order of the day, he wears long supple leather boots, finger-less gloves and a light hardened leather top with bone inlay for protection. Khaze'to picked up an odd habit during his days hunting in the Twelveswood. He carved a mask from wood in imitation of the Wood- Wailers rarely taking it off whilst in public and only with those he trusts. Because of this many have not actually seen his face.

Voice: Soft and deep, generally Khaze'to speaks in a quiet voice but can be loud when he needs to be.

Personality

Initially quiet and reticent, Khaze'to can come across as a little stand-offish and introverted, especially in big groups. This has led to him being somewhat of a loner and stick close to people he knows, However once he feels comfortable it doesn't take long till he is chatting away to whom ever he pleases. He is generally laid back and likes to take things as they come and is generally happy to follow someones lead but if the situation demands it he can leap into action and take control. He is quietly confident in the skills he has acquired and has no desire or need to prove him self to others, because of this he is resistant to criticism, more so from new acquaintances. His family mean the world to Khaze'to and he is very loyal. Khaze'to has one very obvious personality trait in that he constantly wears a wooden stained mask. This has caused others in the past to view him with suspicion as he refuses to remove the mask around those he does not know or trust. Whilst he knows people will react like this again he stubbornly refuses to remove it with out good cause.

A wanderlust has risen in Khaze'to in recent years. When he was younger he was content to stay with his family and had no desire to leave the woods he called home. When he might have wanted to escape the confines of the woods he was forced to stay and lead his family. Now, however, he is free and has an urge to keep moving and seek out new vistas and peoples. Always, he must know what is over the next hill or around the next bend in the road, to the extent that he will get distracted by new sights, almost forgetting whatever task is at hand.

Like many Miqo'te Khaze'to prays to Menphina, the Lover as his primary deity but has a deep and constant respect for the elementals of his home woods, more often than not will make a small prayer asking for their blessing. He is also in the habit of leaving small offerings to the elementals after a successful hunt.

Likes: 1 2 3 4 5

Dislikes: 1 2 3 4 5

Fears: 1 2 3 4 5

Strengths: 1 2 3 4 5

Weaknessses: 1 2 3 4 5

Favorite Places: 1 2 3 4 5

Skills and Abilities

Khaze'to has a range of skills common to anyone used to making their livelihood away from civilization. He knows how to survive in the Twelveswood, what foods to eat, where to hunt and what to avoid. He has knowledge of different creatures habits and how to stalk them, sentient or otherwise. Able to slip through the dappled shadows of the undergrowth silently he is a consummate tracker and hunter. Living and hunting in the Twelveswood his entire life has taught him how to identify and mimic the natural noises of the local wildlife. His Knowledge of the plants that fill the undergrowth is passable and the ability to make healing salves antidotes is basic at best. He is skilled with the re-curve bow and he can land a hit on a moving target from three hundred yards but his preferred weapon is a light spear. Able to be thrown like a javelin or wielded for close quarters fighting, its versatility and ease of construction have aided Khaze'to on more than one occasion.

When it comes to crafts Khaze'to has a number of skills at his fingertips, he has a working knowledge of basic leathercraft taught to him by his grandfather over the years. However he is no master craftsman and his work is rough and serviceable, able to do the job needed but no more. His ability to carve wood is limited to ornamental work and he can produce works of both high quality and beauty. Khaze'to is able to fish with line and pole and can skin, gut and cook his kills with skill, using local herbs and spices to flavor the dishes. Selling his wears in the settlements of the Twelveswood has given Khaze'to a bit of a silver tongue when it comes to trading, at least when it comes to the goods hes used to handling.

History

Learning the trails

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Born in the year 1543 of the sixth astral era, Khaze'to's early life was one of little hardship, playing and exploring in the Twelveswood with his brother and three sisters, listening to stories on the knees of older family members and dreaming of the day when he can go hunting with his mother and father. On his tenth name day he was gifted his first bow and spear by his parents, great gifts that meant he was growing up. Khaze'to had only played at hunting before, prowling and stalking his siblings under that shade of the great trees. His life changed from that day, as he was no longer playing with sticks but learning how to support and protect his family. His mother, Khaze Zhwan, taught him how to hold the spear and place his feet so he was ready to thrust and dodge at a moment's notice. His father Okhi'a Epocan instructed him in the way of the short bow, how to sight an arrow and hit a moving target at 300 yalms. Basic leathercraft was taught by his grandfather, a skilled tradesman in his time, but now weak in the body. Under his careful eye Khaze'to made his first set of hunting gear. His eldest sister Tyakha taught him to cook the fish that he and his brother Khaze'a caught. The training was hard, but effective, with Khaze'to picking up the skills needed quickly. At thirteen he was brought along on his first true family hunt and was given the honor of leaving the offerings for the elementals as he has been shown. Eventually Khaze'to was off hunting by himself, roaming further and staying away from the camp for longer on each excursion.

It was on one of these trips at the age of fourteen that he first came across the wood-wailers. He had heard stories, of course, about the other races that also lived in the Twelveswood and had even met a few now and then when his family met with traveling tradesmen who would trade pelts, meat and potions and salves for certain luxuries unavailable in the woods. However, he had been told to stay clear of the masked guardians of the forest towns when out hunting and not be seen lest they take him for a poacher. As he was trailing an antelope the sound of voices ahead caught his attention. Antelope forgotten for now he slowly made his way towards the voices, using every trick he knew to move quietly and unnoticed. He came across a group of three wood-wailers; two Hyur and one Elezen stood around the body of a Ixali. This was another race that Khaze'to had heard about in stories but never in a good way. Wanting to get a closer look and overcome with curiosity, Khaze'to forgot one of the basic rules of tracking and moving unseen: don't step on dry sticks. A sudden crack and the wood wailers heads snapped round to where he was concealed. Moving as quickly as a startled Miqo'te can, Khaze'to was blindly running away, holding onto his quiver and bow to stop it from rattling. When he was far enough to be sure he was not being followed, he allowed himself to slow down and catch his breath. Despite the shock of seeing one of the monsters from his uncle's tales, and nearly being discovered by the wood-wailers, one thing stuck in Khaze'to's mind eye: the masks that they wore. Khaze'to had never seen anything quite like it and was taken aback at how beautiful and ornamental they were. They certainly had never been described as such in the stories. Khaze'to started walking back towards the camp when he suddenly remembered the antelope he had been tracking. Cursing as he realized he would be returning empty handed, he turned to home. After telling his story to the family, Khaze'to lay on his bed and thought about those masks. Different patterns appeared before his eyes full of intricate details and delicate carvings. The images slowly passed in front of him as he lay there and he resolved to learn how to carve one for himself.

First love, a new trade and death in the family

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The next six years of Khaze'to's life went by relatively quickly, he learned who to trade with when they came to camp and who to turn away. Occasionally he ventured into the outlying settlements of the Twelveswood and learned of the many different races first hand. His first dalliance occurred during one of these visits when he was fifteen, A beautiful Seeker of the Sun with hair of liquid gold staying at the local inn caught his eye. She was a year older than he and accepted his gifts and bumbling compliments with kind smiles. The courtship lasted a fortnight and they spent ever more time together and eventually she reciprocated his feelings. The romance, whilst sweet as honey, only lasted four moons. One day she received a letter from family back in the west. She was to travel home immediately, and whilst Khaze'to begged her to stay, she only smiled and kissed him before leaving on the very next coach. While there have been other lovers in the years since, he still remembers the girl with the sun kissed hair.

Khaze'to also retained his desire to carve a mask for himself in imitation of the ones worn by the wood-wailers and so he spent some time with the local carpenters and learned how to shape wood to a basic degree. They taught him how to choose a good piece of wood, looking at the grain and the shape before carving begins, and before long he was getting the basic shape that he wanted. Next he was shown how to refine his carving technique to produce the fine engravings he desired. He also learned the method to stain the wood in a bright array of colours. He carved many designs and variations, though he was never happy with how they turned out, simply stating that they didn't match the design in his head. Never-the-less, his discarded masks soon caught the eye of others and people started asking him to design and carve masks for them. He never accepted payment, saying that creating the mask was in itself reward.

It was around this time that Khaze'to's youngest sister Kinra had really taken to exploring the areas around the camp, She had a curious soul and would go of on small jaunts where she said she "talked to the woods" The family humoured her and Khaze'to would often trail her from a distance, always unseen, to make sure she never came to harm. It was on one of these adventures that she first managed to slip away from Khaze'to. He was trailing behind lazily, keeping half an eye on her when some birds shot from the undergrowth ahead of him and he looked up, startled. In those few brief seconds Kinra had managed to slip away and disappear from sight. Heading for where he had last seen her he cast his eyes over the trees, aware that whatever had startled the birds would still be close. Suddenly, a high pitched scream of terror and pain followed by a loud grunting breaking the silence of the forest and Khaze'to runs forward, headless of the danger. Crashing through the bushes Khaze'to comes face first with the back end of a large boar, who was snuffling at a small shape on the ground in front of it. There was Kinra, lying on the floor with blood down her front and over her face, one hand held to her left eye and the other, however futile was attempting to ward off the great beast. As intent on its prize as it was, the giant pig never noticed Khaze'to behind it, allowing him to slip around to the side and with one thrust insert his spear into the beasts throat, causing it to reel backwards and thrash violently. Thrusting again Khaze'to tore into the pigs belly, disemboweling the huge boar. As it dropped to the floor Khaze'to pulled back for one more thrust, impaling it through the eye, dispatching the animal. Letting go of his spear, he dashed to Kinra's side, kneeling to examine her. Making soft sounds of comfort Khaze'to pulled her hand away and tried not to let the horror show on his face. The boars tusks had caught her across the cheek and crest of her head. She would never see out of that eye again. Lifting her gently he carried her back to the camp where her wounds were cleaned and dressed and she could rest. After a few weeks she was eventually back on her feet and running around again as if nothing had ever happened.

Despite learning a new craft and falling in love, Khaze'to did not neglect to practice with the re-curve bow and light spear and continued to improve his skills. He was a crucial member of the group when the family went on hunts, as no one could move quite as quickly or quietly. His skill with the bow would never match his sister Tyakha's and his thrust was not as strong as his brother Khaze'a's but his abilities to track and trail were second to none. He learned how to fight, and not just hunt, when his family's new neighbors arrived. A tribe of Ixali had decided to settle close enough that encounters between the two groups would happen fairly regularly. It was during one such fight, in his nineteenth year, that his father Okhi'a took a deep wound in the leg from an Ixali blade. Khaze'to felled four Ixali whilst standing over Okhi'a to protect him from further blows. Khaze'a and Tyakha continued to rain blows down on the survivors, until the Ixel fled the scene, at which point Khaze'to and Khemi'a were able to carry their father back home. His wound was cleaned and a poultice was applied before being bound with clean cloth. It would be of no use, however, as Okhi'a was taken by fever and died six days later.

A death in such a small tight knit family always hits home hard. khaze'to's mother, shaken by the death of her mate, retreated from her position of leadership in the group and so the mantle of leadership fell on the shoulders of Tyakha, her oldest daughter. Tyakha attempted to lead her family well, and things went smoothly for the first three months, but the responsibility thrust upon her and having to be keep up a show of strength took its toll. Around that time, the three cities started receiving a wave of new arrivals. The urge to escape and the pressure of leadership caused her to pack her bags one night and run to Gridania. Khemi'a, always so devoted to his big sister, followed at her heels, leaving Khaze'to and his two younger sisters alone with an increasingly infirm grandfather and a mourning widow.

Khaze'to found himself responsible for his family, an unusual situation for a male Keeper of the Moon. His mother had become cold and withdrawn, she took part in the hunting and boarder skirmishes with the Ixali and fought with a fury Khaze'to didn't recognise but when it came to family matters she could not be drawn from her silence. His grandfather, in his twilight years was unable to hunt and would sit in the camp but he had lost the use of his eyes in recent months and so Khaze'to's youngest sisters Nashu and Kinra took turns to look after him and going on the family hunts. This situation carried on for about seven moons before their grandfather K'sheyna passed away in his sleep. The loss of such a constant part of the family makeup so soon after loosing Okhi'a was a major blow to the family, especially given Tyakha and Khaze'a leaving the family with no word. The remaining siblings, not wanting to be further splintered by events drew closer together. It would be another year till a sense of normalcy settled upon the family.

Wandering siblings, acceptance and new arrivals

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A year of adjusting to a much reduced hunting group and hunger as the game became scarce due to the encroachment of the Ixali. Eventually Khaze'to and his family were forced to leave, packing their supplies and essentials they turned their backs on the clearing his grandparents had made home. Using his knowledge of the surrounding Keeper tribes and other settlements Khaze'to led them on a journey through the Twelveswood. They traveled for a long time, from one good clearing to another. A prime location would be discovered just before the family was chased away by Wood Wailers decrying them as poachers and other Miqo'te tribes not wanting new rivals in their territory. As they traveled north into more rugged and upland terrain the hunting grounds became sparse. Eventually they found an area of the Twelveswood they could settle and make home. They were far from the bounds of the wood wailers and the closest Keeper tribes were unlikely to give them trouble.

It had been two years since they had broken camp and started walking north and now they just wanted a chance to make a life for themselves. Of all the family Khaze'to was the only one to really miss the chance to leave the deep forest and visit the settlements of Elezen and Hyur. In his wanderings to learn the land and scout out prey Khaze'to would wander further and further, sometimes not coming back for weeks at a time. He got to know the tribes of the surrounding area over time these Northern woods felt like home to Khaze'to and the Zhwan family, They would meet with other tribes and trade for items from the south, certain luxuries that had been unavailable to them on their two year march. Khaze remained unchanged and would stay in camp. The three Zhwan children looked after her as best they could.

The Northern tribes took to their new neighbors as quickly as the Southern ones had chased them away. The fact that they carried Seeker blood didn't deter them at all, in fact it was quite the opposite with the Seeker eyes of Nasha and their mother Khaze receiving many compliments. The much depleted Zhwan family settled into a new period of peace and relative prosperity. Suitors started to turn up for Nasha and Kinra in the Zhwan Camp carrying gifts for both the family and the sister that the hopeful desired. After turning down a number of likely suitors Nasha chose a mate, a young Keeper called Masha'to of the Tayuun tribe who was a master of spear fishing. It wasn't long before Nasha was with child. Despite a number of suitors vying for Kinra's attentions she just flirted with them but would never let them get too close.

Just under a year later sounds of crying could be heard resonating from the Zhwan camp, Not the voice of one new born but two. As the family gathered around the smiling but exhausted new mother and the twins wrapped in cloth, Khaze, drawn to the noise pushes through the group to kneel at the side of the cot. She slowly reaches towards the twins with tears running down her cheeks. To Khaze'to it seemed as if the crying had brought his mother back into the world of the living. She looked around at her children with eyes as if she hadn't seen them in years and in truth she hadn't. That night a party was held as celebrated the arrival of the twins and the return of their mother.

Khaze refused to take back responsibility of the family and instead would stand to give advice to Nasha as the new tribal leader. Years went by as the tribe prospered once again. The twins, Urha and Rhela, grew fast and filled a once quiet clearing with laughter as only children can. Soon Nasha was pregnant once more and before long little Nasha'a was crying to be fed and the twins had a little baby brother. Khaze'to found himself wandering further afield once again, his feet carrying him south on every excursion despite the happiness at the camp. He often wondered what had happened to Tyakha and Khaze'a, They hadn't been seen or heard from in nine years. He also found himself wanting to see the wider world but when his mind traveled down this route he told him self every time, not yet.

A fallen moon and a new world

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All of this would change however as the red moon Dalamud started to fill the sky with its baleful light. The tribes of the Northern Twelveswood took the ever growing moon as a omen of great evil. Word traveled north with the caravans of traders of increasing violence in the south. Luckily for Khaze'to and his family the violence of battle never came to interrupt life in their new home. Only once in Khaze'to's rangings did he come across signs of these invaders, a convoy of soldiers in outlandish armour traveling through the forest, following the river with airships flying overhead. Khaze'to watched from the cover of the forest as giant creations of metal, straight from his day-terrors stomped past, ground shaking with every footfall. No longer a small boy and with no dry sticks to break, Khaze'to remained undetected. After the men had passed and the dust settled he reminded himself to breathe and he turned to walk towards the mountains and home.

A year passed with no further sightings in the Twelveswoods and news was that the conflict to the South was coming to a head. Rumor was that open war would be upon the land and the grand companies were reforming. Dalamud had grown increasingly large, threatening to engulf the sky in red flames. One night when Khaze'to was out hunting, the eerie red light of the moon illuminating every nook and cranny, a strange feeling crept over him. he was stood in a small clearing on a hill when a rumbling in the air made him look about until suddenly he realised what was wrong, he looked up quickly at the moon, half shrouded in cloud that has become so everyday he had all but forgotten it. The air shimmered and Khaze'to felt like he could see the crimson orb actually moving, the shadows dancing in the light. A sudden deafening boom filled the sky and chunks of flaming rock flew from the in all directions. As they crashed around him Khaze'to rushed for cover but not before he glanced a massive demon emerging from the moon, bellowing in unnatural fury and rage. As he approached the treeline a flying missile of splintered rock caught him across the back of the head and he knew no more.

Khaze'to awoke to find himself under under a blanket of fallen leaves and freshly flung dirt and a noon day sun. Groaning he attempted to push himself to his feet and found that he was only bruised, making a sign of thanks to Menphina he collected his thoughts and looked around. The sky looked oddly empty without its raging red eye, though it still glowed crimson from both distant and not so distant fires. There was no sign of the monster for which Khaze'to gave more words of thanks. He looked around, getting his bearings before making for home at a quick jog.

As he reached camp he saw his family huts in shambles, a large boulder having made its way through both sides of the food store. His youngest sister Kinra ran up to see if he was okay. Apparently showers of rock had fallen quite close to the camp and the family had been worried about his not returning after the moons destruction. Thankfully no one was injured however they were all understandably on edge and the children had been terrified, however like most children they had eventually fallen back into a dreamless sleep in their mothers arms. Khaze'to greeted his family and assured them that he was fine before laying down his gear, setting himself to repairing the huts damaged in the night alongside Masha'to.

A week later as everything settle back to a facade of normalcy, Khaze'to was sat in the sun cleaning and repairing some old leather gear that had become damaged. His mother walked over to him, his fathers old bow and quiver in her hands. He looked up and put the leather to one side and moved over so she could sit. Khaze talked to him for a while about his recent journeys and excursions into the twelves woods, they talked about the changing world and the luck to find a place away from the violence. All the while it seemed like Khaze was skirting around some topic she didn't want to start, never looking at him fully in the face.

Contacts

Family

Grandfather: K'sheyna Nunh

Status: Deceased

A Nunh of the Hipparion tribe, K'sheyna was exiled from the tribe after being challenged for a breeding position, after wondering Eorzia he met Shami Zhwan whilst wondering the Twelveswood. A connection formed between them and soon Shami was heavy with child. After Shami died soon after giving birth to their daughter K'sheyna decided to name her in the Keeper of the Moon style in honour of his mate. An accomplished hunter and leather worker, he taught these skills to his daughter and would often go into the local settlement to trade. He stayed with his new family and lived long enough to see his grandchildren grow into mighty hunters.

Grandmother: Shami Zhwan

Status: Deceased

A member of the Zhwan tribe, Shami was already a skilled huntress when she met K'sheyna Nunh and was instantly attracted to this handsome Miqo'te. Ignoring her tribes traditions she flirted and eventually mated with the displaced Nunh. When the tribe found out she was cast out and refused her contact with her family. Shami and K'sheyna wondered the Twelveswood until they found a quite clearing away from the other Keeper tribes. it was on a beautiful night under a full moon when their daughter was brought into the world, this was seen as a good omen by Shami. Sadly she never really recovered after the birth and continued to weaken until she eventually passed away.

Mother: Khaze Zhwan

Status: Alive, acting as mentor to Nasha Zhwan

Was raised by K'sheyna to the best of his abilities however his experience raising children was limited. Because of this Khaze was a wild thing racing around the small territory that K'sheyna tried to hold, playing at being a great hunter. As she got older the play turned into real hunting alongside her father. He taught her the ways of the spear and she grew to be quite talented, learning how to use both heavier boar spears and those of a lighter construction designed for throwing. On one of these hunting trips they came across a young Miqo'te archer cornered by an enraged boar with a number of arrows peppering its hide. Khaze and her father soon felled the beast from behind and then went to check upon the young Keeper whose name was Okhi'a. It turned out he had a broken leg and some cracked ribs so they took him back to their camp. Khaze stayed close to his side whilst tending his wounds and a friendship was born. Okhi'a's wounds healed and he returned to his tribe but he would meet Khaze and they would go hunting on a regular basis. The friendship turned into a deeper affection and the two eventually became mates, with Okhi'a eventually coming to live with Khaze and her father.

Father: Okhi'a Epocan

Status: Deceased

Elder Sister: Tyakha Zhwan

Status: Missing from the world

Elder Brother: Khaze'a Zhwan

Status: Missing from the world

Younger Sister: Nasha Zhwan

Status: Alive and Leader of the family

Youngest Sister: Kinra Zhwan

Status: Alive

Kinra has always been a fidgety, active girl, her family complaining that she can't sit still for even five minutes. Although she had some skill with a bow she has a gentle heart, favoring the healing arts to the hunt. She has a a mocking side to her and a quick tongue, as ready to tease someone for being fooling as she is to heal after they injure themselves. A Runt among her family, when ever they tease her for her short stature she just grins like a loon and lets the words roll past her like water of a ducks back. She takes this approach to all aspects of life and is not easily phased by hardship. She is the youngest of the siblings family which has led her to be bold and over confident at times when she travels. Sadly this has often led her into dangerous waters and the wrong crowds. Such as the time she was wounded by the wild hog after going exploring when she was seven.

Niece: Urha Zhwan

Status: Alive

Niece: Rhela Zhwan

Status: Alive

Nephew: Nasha'a Zhwan

Status: Alive

Friends

Coming soon!

Affiliations

Disclaimer: Not quite happened IC.

Blue Skies Adventuring Company

Enemies

Coming soon!

Other Notes

You might know me from...

The Markets in Gridania, years of hunting and trading skins, pelts and meats has made the stalls a regular haunt.

Conversing with wood wailers in the city and settlements, Khaze'to first started making masks when he was just a young teen and his individualized masks are in great demand. He doesn't make as many these days however.

Rumors

• "I hear he never removes his mask because he's hiding some disgusting disfigurement."
• "Have you seen what he can do carving wood? It's amazing work, but they say he traded the souls of two of his siblings to get that talent."
• "You see that masked Miqo'te? Someone told me he can chase down and kill a Alpha Stag with just his bare claws!"

Credit

A lot of thanks to Xenedra Ambreaus and Mali Bloodscythe for putting up with my questions and helping with with the formating of the wiki.