Zha'li Vael
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| Zha'li Vael | |
| |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Miqo'te |
| Clan | Keeper of the Moon |
| Citizenship | Unaffiliated |
| Server | Balmung |
| Primary Linkshell | The Whispered Spiral |
| RPC Username | Imsey |
Contents
Appearance
- Name: Zha'li Vael
- Height: Zha'li is tall for a Miqo'te, typical of his tribe.
- Build: His build is naturally fit and athletic.
- Hair: Deep black with light green highlights, usually braided with beads and tied out of the way.
- Eyes: Light orange.
- Skintone: Dark.
- Markings: The twin tribal markings on his face match the pigment color of his eyes, a typical trait in his family. He also wears bright blue face paint, typical of Keeper custom.
History
He'd thought the commotion came from a wounded chocobo, frantic to escape the trap of some idiotic hunter. When a young and yet untested Zha'li rushed forward to free the creature, what he found instead was a story. A story on the tongue of a wandering Hyur who would nudge his life in a direction he hadn't expected...
- Youngest son and last child of the tribe matriarch, Zha'li's childhood was spent around fire pits and lore. The Vael tribe has always kept stories, for all tales are precious to them. Simple children's stories, cautionary tales, adventures both true or embellished... all are welcomed and held close within the tribe, preserved not through text but through words. Though they are reclusive like most Keepers, it is not uncommon for them to simply request a tale as payment for aiding those they might come across, be it unprepared traveler or adventurer alike.
- Tribal custom trains all children in both the hunt and simple mending, all learning at least the basics of first aid and salve making. For Zha'li, who displayed a sensitivity to the voices of the Elementals at an early age, his lessons fell mostly to the tribe shaman. It was her guidance and training that kept the youth from losing his own identity beneath the will and emotions of the forest. Though the Elementals would always be a loud presence in his life, Zha'li was taught to understand the line between his desires and those outside himself.
- It was later, when he'd grown enough to take on his own solitary night hunts, that a new thread was introduced to his fate. The sound of a great commotion had driven off much of what he'd planned to hunt that night, and upon closer inspection Zha'li was rather shocked to come upon a thrashing chocobo. Always rather fond of the birds (well, to put it very lightly), the impulsive youth rushed over to assist it. It was an unwelcome surprise to discover that the chocobo was not alone, and that the commotion caused was in an attempt to free its Hyur companion from a hunter's trap.
- Though the 'wood held nothing but suspicion and mistrust for this man, he helped the Hyur out... for the chocobo's sake.
- The encounter didn't end there, however, the Hyur thanking Zha'li profusely for his help while also requesting aide and a place to rest while he healed. Before the young Miqo'to could ask the stranger for his tribe's customary payment, a wry smile hit the man's lips. "I'll pay you with a story," was his simple response, surprising Zha'li. One wild story became two though, and one night became weeks. Without effort the Hyur had charmed the young Miqo'te, and many nights Zha'li should have spent hunting were spent instead curled up against the chocobo's flank, listening and laughing to the impossible seeming tales that spewed from the man's lips.
- Without warning the Hyur left one morning, his camp empty that evening when Zha'li returned. Though the Shroud seemed more at ease with the man gone, Zha'li couldn't help but feel abandoned. If not for a small chocobo feather trinket and a simple note that even Zha'li could read left behind, the youth might have tried to forget the incident altogether. Instead, the invitation to seek the Hyur out for more tales burned in the back of his mind. Though the shaman would disagree, Zha'li couldn't help but feel seeking this man out again was part of the purpose the Shroud had for him, part of the reason he would not inherit the role of tribe shaman.
- In the wake of the Calamity, Zha'li knew it was time for him to leave his tribe's territory. Part of him simply refused to remain secluded, when the world he knew mostly from stories alone had come so close to ruin. Part of him also wished to seek out the Hyur, wondering if the man still lived. More than anything, however, the Elementals themselves seemed to urge him to go. Frightened and in pain, the 'wood would make of him their eyes and ears beyond their reach, watching for danger and anything that might bring further harm.
Personality
- Personality: Seeming relatively easy going compared to the brooding stereotype of the Keepers of the Moon, Zha'li is amiable to most conversation. He's one who would rather listen than speak, out of habit and a residual insecurity when dealing with those of other races. Kind at heart, Zha'li has an easy laugh for those who engage in jokes or light hearted banter, and patience around all manner of eccentric personalities. He is difficult to anger, though by no means impossible to disturb. Hurts and annoyances are kept close inside.
- There is a certain distance Zha'li feels around others, even those of his tribe. Though he is not overwhelmed by the thoughts and emotions he feels from the elementals, he's ever aware and listening for them. As a result of this, at times he may seem preoccupied, or even disinterested in the conversations of those around him. Still, for those who do earn his trust and attention, Zha'li is a loyal companion who can be depended upon. Possessed of an ever curious mind that seems to be bottomless when it comes to new lands and tales to explore, he's almost always willing to go on an adventure, even if the safety of such a venture is dubious.
- Religious Views: Reveres the Twelve and does hold Menphina in high regard as most Keepers of the Moon do. However, of late he's been honoring Althyk and Nymeia as well.
- His sensitivity to the will of the wood occasionally puts him at odds with outsiders, and though he often seeks solutions that will appease both sides, should the elementals grow too close to fury, he'll stand against allies to appease them.
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Skills & Weaknesses
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Goals
- Zha'li would love to some day become a chocobo breeder, though his instincts urge him not to settle into that just yet. It is an ever alluring prospect.
- It goes without saying that Zha'li hopes to find his Hyurian friend again. He keeps an ear and eye out for him always, eager to swap stories.
Relationships & Affiliations
- The traveling Hyur and his amazing chocobo
- Though at the time Zha'li thought nothing of the man's name, he's come to realize that his friend very well may be Garlean in origin. Even more curious about the man when he considers the 'wood's reaction (and the man's apparent familiarity with his tribe's custom), Zha'li wishes he had more than just a first name to go on.
- The Cute Things Protection Agency
- ((Linkshell)) Zha'li's tribe hunts under the blessing of the Twelveswood, hunting and taking only what they need, respecting the lives around them. To take the life of creatures smaller than you as prey is something he has come to terms with, however he has witnessed too much killing for the simple sake of sport and experience. Having a soft spot for small prey creatures (who are often cute creatures), he found himself in agreement with this group's ideals.
- The Whispered Spiral
- ((Linkshell, leader)) Zha'li helped form this secretive group when some of the tales he recalled hearing from the traveling Hyur started to overlap too much with new tales he was hearing as he made his travels outside of his tribe's territory. A bit of investigation into some of these strange rumors and events has opened his eyes to a phenomenon he cannot explain. Yet.
Quirks
- Zha'li has been sensitive to the voices of the elementals all of his life, and has a tendency to listen for them over those right in front of him at times.
- Zha'li has difficulty reading and writing, in part because of the importance and bias his tribe has for oral tradition. He is not illiterate, however he has never cared to learn beyond the basics, feeling something is often lost when confined to a written page.
The Vael Tribe
- The Vael tribe is lead by the Matriarch (Zha Vael), counseled as well by their Shaman (Mohg Dhalkhi). Every night on the full moon it is custom for the small and scattered tribe to come together to share and exchange stories. Though they freely gather stories from outsiders to add to their own, kept close within the tribe are a few sacred tales. These tales are guarded fiercely from outsiders, the tribe actively hunting any who might overhear them, or members who would betray the tribe and attempt to share them.
- Rare as it would be to hear this rumor, the sacred tales of the Vael tribe supposedly come from before the great migration. None outside the tribe know what these stories relate to. Though they live as devout servants of the Elementals of the Shroud now, the nature of these stories presents a less than benevolent side to the tribe's ancestors, and a purpose in migrating beyond simply following game.
OOC Information
- A lot of inspiration for Zha'li's abilities come from Sylphie and her mother of the Conjurer quest line. Had he been raised in Gridania and given formal conjury training, he likely would have been recommended to become a Hearer.
- I'm definitely willing to chat about Zha'li's tribe and their less than virtuous past should anyone be interested in joining it.
- Classes: Conjurer, Fisher, will likely dabble with all at some point
- Jobs: White Mage
