Tessa Jalloh
All i ever wanted was a life i was
 Formerly of an Island tribe far to the west across the Indigo Deep, Tessa arrived in Eorzea during the sixth astral era, though that time is lost to her. She was taken during the battle of Cartenaeu. Her unit destroyed, fine men and women of Ul'dah's immortal flames, tasked with felling the void beast Atmos. It devoured her, and trapped her within the void. This hellish plane of existence, long lost to overwhelming darkness; claimed her mind. Over five years she lost the gift of speech, and found her memory destroyed. She even recalls the cold embrace of her own death, along with a light the guided her back to Hydaelyn. When she was set free, she was alone, unsure if she truly escaped, or if this was another of the Void's shifting horrors. The Twelveswood looked so different. It took a great deal of effort, but Tessa was able to form a new identity. She rediscovered friends from before the calamity. She took up the art of long-knives, and trained with a Doman refugee in Revenant’s toll. Armed with her new abilities as a Shinobi, she now worked for The Twin Adders, as a covert operative sent to carry out missions ranging from Intelligence gathering, to target assassination. This lasted three years, before her cover was lost during an investigation, and she gave up the way of the shinobi in favor of the swordsmanship of the Hingan Samurai and transferred into the Twin Adder’s Diplomatic service as a field agent. She runs a Café in Lavender Beds, where she sells bismarck quality food, her staff offer hostess services for her customers; Along with a special, more carnal side menu.
Aspects That Stand Out:
-NSFW Reference: click show text.- Show text
The End of days was coming, Emperor Xande had done the unthinkable, an alliance with the void itself. The crystal tower repurposed into his own personal ark to survive the coming calamity he himself had wrought. The world was shaking itself apart, the empire that had withstood for generations was going to be destroyed if action was not taken now. Lucilla, a young Allagan woman of the conquered Othard region, had taken up such charge alongside many others. This would be the final day, for Xande, or for themselves. It had been a mistake to clone the emperor, to bring him back to rule over the Empire and restore it. He was mad. But their rebellion met a terrible fate. Xande was prepared for intruders, the Labyrinth of the ancients was filled with creatures and fallen heroes repurposed as his private guard. The resistance was torn apart in hours, and few were able to make it into Syrcus Tower itself. When Acheron, the resistance’s mightiest, fell under Xande’s control, Lucilla knew it was the end. She made one desperate strike out at Xande himself and was struck down by the emperor of eld. She, like many whom had stood against him, were to fuel his immortality. Cloud of Darkness, his fell mistress whom he had struck bargain with, relished in the capture of new souls for her world of darkness. Lucilla amongst them. Lost to the void for thousands of years. But then there was a call to her formless spirit… a child of Hydaelyn, lost in another calamity thousands of years after…
Tessa's mission was one of great importance, with Dalamud beating overhead, it's nature as the world's cataclysm revealed, she was sent out to the aetheryte camps in search of the Primal Atomos. A cavernous maw, linking this realm to the void, bringing with it terrible beasts and demons to ravage the land. Even should Dalamud be stopped, to let this beast go unchecked would be tantamount to extinction regardless. Her company was eight men strong, she at the lead, by now a Flame Lieutenant within the immortal flames of Ul'dah. They rode by chocobo, making for whatever aetheryte was disturbed. Their normal Blue a blazing orange, giving off a terrible energy that made all who touched it sick to their stomachs. Especially so for Tessa, whom felt a near kinship with the malevolent energy. She had an unusual connection to umbral magics and the void and had volunteered to seek and slay Atomos, to close off the void for good... or at least for as long as it took for the primal to be re-summoned. Throughout the land, for days at a time, little rest and their food supplies spent. They arrived in Mor Dhona. Atomos had been drawn by the energy of the aetheryte there, corrupted by Dalamud, by meteor. The charge was sounded, and her group made into battle. Demons swarmed the area as they, paladin, monk, white mage, warrior, Bard, Dragoon, and two black mages, leapt to the fray. It was like lightning, and the battle was over in less than a minute. The monk fell first, sacrificing himself to absorb a spell that would surely have slain the white mage. The warrior second, cut down as he battled two demons, their twin blades knocking his heavy axe from balance. The dragoon was next, the bard, a black mage. The remaining three were able to cut a path, Tessa's shield keeping them from harm as best she was able, blood in her lung, her armor pierced by the broken blade of a demon. A blood rage dulling the pain enough to allow her one final charge. She abandoned the two mages to their fates, and they valiantly held back the tide whilst she closed on Atomos. Her blade was about to bite deep, but above them she heard a cracking, Dalamud. From within it a great wyrm burst forth, sowing terrible destruction immediately, her last visions of Eorzea was a shard coming down at her, before she was swept away in a sudden wind. a Darkness enveloping her. It was darkness, a terrible stretching darkness, with flashes of places and people she had never met before suddenly appearing and populating the emptiness, only to vanish and be replaced by another. The expanse was endless. The void between all things. At first, she sought to leave it, find a way out. But she soon found that to be impossible, she couldn't escape, her way was closed for now, the only hint to escape was a light that would breach the darkness briefly but never within her reach. It didn't take long for it to overwhelm her, the overwhelming darkness and umbral aether that poisoned her mind and body. She fell into instinct. The only way for her to survive. she hid, she ran, she stayed away from people and places. She stayed hidden from beasts, demons, villains, heroes, life and death. She fell, wether it was a lesser or greater demon she wasn’t sure, but she was certain that she had been struck down, and yet awoke. A new persona took shape, a new mind that whilst feral, knew what she needed to do. She knows nothing more of her time within the void, only that one day a light enveloped her, and she left it.... What for her had felt like a lifetime of isolation, insanity, and fear within an endless realm of darkness, had been but five years to Eorzea, which had rebuilt itself following the decimation at Dalamud and Bahamut's hands...
What for her had felt like a lifetime of isolation, insanity, and fear within an endless realm of darkness, had been but five years to Eorzea, which had rebuilt itself following the decimation at Dalamud and Bahamut's hands… Her initial return to the realm was not a happy one, still trapped within the insanity of her experiences, she lived in the new twelveswood as a hermit, shying from interacting with any she saw passing through the boughs for fear that they were simply more voidal demons taking the shape of lost souls. This came to a head four months hence, when reports of her poaching for survival had come to the seedseers via commune with the elementals. Due to the swirling voidal energies that had stained her, they had been incapable of rending her with their ‘green wrath’, and after short deliberation, a squad of wood wailers were sent to apprehend her. This did not go as initially planned however, with tessa grasping the shattered remains of her former paladin blade as a makeshift dagger, she lashed out at those who came for her. Hearing not the meaning in their words she sought to slay them and make retreat, claiming the lives of three and taking many arrows before she was subdued and taken to see recompense for her actions. She was placed into secure care, deemed insane and pitied by the Elder seedseer. Though the danger she posed was recognised, and she was only to receive visitors outside of her ‘room’. Whom could speak with her via a barred window opening. It was thanks to news of her spreading to those serving in the grand companies of eorzea that she was finally released into the care of her former lover before the calamity. Iingaate. The pair had been inseperable once and thanks to her military accolades she was able to prove the girl’s identity. Regaining the gift of speech through Iingaate’s efforts to restore her sanity, and the expert linguistic teachings of Kailee Ivacus. She would remain a student of Kailee, exchanging with her knowledge of languages, as Tessa had only been able to speak the native tongue of Rhidan Island. It was through this exchange that Tessa once again learned to speak the Hyuran common tongue, though very broken and heavily accented at first. Following this, she was reintroduced to those she had once known as family, though strangers to her now they welcomed her with open arms and gave her a place to call home within the Mist in la noscea, and employment within their free company, The celestial forge. It was here that she rediscovered a love for the culinary arts, and whilst experimenting with ingredients to create meals for her fellow company members found herself quickly seen as the company chef. With this official posting she was sponsored to undertake the somewhat expensive Culinarian’s guild ranking test at the Bismarck in Limsa Lominsa proper. Passing and being marked a two star chef, Tessa was overjoyed and took pride in this accomplishment. With the permission of the company’s leader, she founded a business of her own based within their company building. Café Jalloh. The Café served a dual purpose, a place for her to further refine her culinary prowess and simultaniously gain greater comfort in her ability to speak, with patrons from all around the realm she found herself quickly learning a more reasonable and nuanced vocabulary, as well as picking up a few vocal habits that rather clashed with Kailee’s sense of proper speech. By day, Chef Tessa would serve in the Cafe, by night, she would train with the martial focussed side of the Celestial Forge’s ranks to regain her ability with sword and shield, that she might better defend herself and those she called friend. This took surprisingly little time, as the more she practiced, the more her muscles remembered the familiar weight of a blade in them. Given this returned vigor, she made travel back into the twelveswood, to make amends for her crimes against them, even pardoned. She pledged her blade and shield to the service of the Order of the Twin Adder, whom accepted her into their ranks on a simple condition. A third of her earnings would be paid in reparation to the families of the wailers she had killed. She readily agreed to the terms, and with paperwork being provided of her prior service within the Immortal Flames five years ago, she was accepted with the rank of Corporal.
Six moons passed, in which time Corporal Jalloh’s selfless dedication to the Twin Adder had earned her promotion to the rank of Serpent Sergeant 2nd class. With this came new responsibilities. And as such, she was dispatched to the recently rebuilt hamlet of Revenant’s toll, in the crystalline wastes of Mor Dhona. The intent of her travel there was quite simple, due to the proximity to Gridania and the recent refusal of Doman refugees from the far east, she was to determine if Revenant’s toll was a safe location for them to be settled, or if it would cause difficulty for the forest nation. She was able to report quite happily that the hamlet had grown well under the labor of the Domans and many adventurers working with the realm spanning Adventurer’s guild. To the relief of her superiors. It was here, that she met an elderly Doman whom she assisted with simple tasks for the day. He was quiet, incredibly reserved and secretive. And offered no word of his past to her. To her folly she chose to press him with questions of the east, of what had happened and why his people had fled. For her troubles she was expelled from his home and told not to return, and would have indeed had it not been for the man’s son deciding that casting a young woman out in the dead of night after she had rendered a kindness was not befitting of a Shinobi of Doma. This slip in judgement sparked interest that Tessa had not expected, and more questions came in rapid succession. Weary, the old man welcomed her back into his home. Demanded that were she to hear his tale she would ‘make some damned tea, and take off those dirty boots’. The son taught her how to prepare Doman tea, which would quickly become a favourite, and sat down to hear their family’s woes. He introduced himself properly as Hageshī Kazeto, a shinobi of Doma whom had fought in the uprisings. And told her the tale of Doma’s fall to the empire, and the betrayal of his fellow Shinobi by those they had called brothers. He himself was lamed by garlean shot, taking his leg from the knee down. Were it not for Lady yugiri, none of the refugees would have made it away from their home to journey for succor. It eventually brought them to Eorzea, and finally to Revenant’s toll where they settled. Kazeto’s son working as a labourer to help with the construction of the township, whilst he himself is tended to often by chirurgeons and lives a quiet and humbled life. Tessa was moved by this tale. And returned the following day, and the next, to assist the elderly Doman in chores around his home. In exchange he would teach her recipes of his home that she would then prepare for him and his son. Though she would pester constantly that he teach her how to fight like the shinobi had, and would be refused each time. His reasons were sound, shinobi had betrayed their home and turned on their brothers. Shinobi had allowed the empire to crush the uprising. Were he to teach a foreigner their ways he would be no better than those he held rancor for. Though everyone has their limits. It took but another two months, as Tessa would spend a great deal of time in Mor Dhona in order to ask the man for training. He relented, if nothing else but to shut her up. Her training began. He began with form, regularly cracking her knuckles with the saya of his weapon for mistakes. And having her travel to far off locales to meditate under the punishing force of waterfalls to strengthen her connection with the spirits of the elements. Before she knew it, a year had passed. And she was finally able to call herself shinobi. She took up twin Wakizashi, passed down to her by her sensei, as he himself would never wield them again. And she brought these skills to the Twin Adder, requesting jobs befitting these abilities. She got her wish, and was promoted to chief serpent sergeant, and assigned to an intelligence branch.
The garlean incursion into Eorzea was thwarted, in no small part to the efforts of the grand companies performing myriad tasks to occupy forces in their own territories whilst the vaunted Warrior of Light, a hero famed within the realm carried the battle to the Legatus Gaius Van Baelsar’s doorstep. Tessa however, was constantly fielded on sabotage and scouting missions to retrieve intelligence on garlean operations, it was during this that she discovered something she perhaps would have been better not to. Details of a recovered project from before the calamity, a project by a third party organization within Garlemald investigating the ancient and lost knowledge of Allag regarding techniques to clone and augment individuals. She discovered through this document that she, along with ‘a number’ of assets were noted as ‘successes’ of the process, though only six of those assets had been recovered by the empire, and incorporated into the ranks of the legions. All six had images aside their names and positions. All six faces were her own. She kept it a secret, she held it close to the chest and chose not to report it to her superiors. Further investigation was in order to discover just what was going on, and why she was involved. The investigation kept her occupied for a number of weeks, with only a short time of rest, during which she took the oath of eternal bond with Iingaate, whom had supported her throughout her time back within Eorzea. Shortly thereafter, Iingaate travelled to a far off locale, the details of which were required to be kept a secret, even from Tessa. She unfortunately never saw her again.
Her investigation continued, as she uncovered various documents and details of what was known as Project: Falsum Vitae. She was able to recover records and testing transcripts, revealing to her that she herself was a clone of a young adventurer whom had travelled from the west. Similarly, she found notation of intended project parameters. She had been intended as a sleeper cell agent in Eorzea, planned to be activated to make invasion of Ul’dah easier. However, for reasons unknown, she was lost on a field exercise, and was not able to be recovered. Shortly thereafter, Garlean soldiers found the facility in shambles, destroyed from inside and almost all research materials missing. Project: Falsum Vitae was deemed unrecoverable, and all remaining clone assets were reassigned for Garlean Shadow training, to be fielded in infiltration and information gathering roles. A report from one of these cloned shadows reported on Tessa’s arrival within the twelveswood, reporting a ‘faulty asset seem harrying wood wailers. That had been two years ago. If she was being watched all this time, then she would need to take steps to protect herself during this investigation. She didn’t have time to allow the reality of her situation to sink in, she was a clone, but she was one of many. It came down upon her a week later, and she confided in a close friend what she had discovered. That friend had been a loyal customer in her cafe, and had grown close since Iingaate’s vanishment, her name was Philnia. And unbeknownst to Tessa at the time, the young woman was smitten with the shinobi. She helped her to come to terms with what she was, and assisted her in making subtle but important changes to her appearance. Her eyes were magically altered from their natural green to a lavender hue, her hair was darkened to a shadowy purple and all of the scars upon her body were lessened until invisible to the untrained eye. She took pause from her investigation to perform tasks with the Celestial Forge, whom were amping up their more military projects, in preparing a prototype scouting airship based upon the recently mass produced Manacutter personal airship designs. She and two others were to monitor the scout ship’s test flight from on chocobo’s wings. The test flight was going well, all systems running within parameters, until the flight roused the attention of an unexpected beast. A meracydian dragon bearing an allagan control collar. Likely one of the many that had been trapped within the remnants of Dalamud. It streaked the skies and struck the airship, forcing an emergency landing. Tessa took immediate action with the assistance of Evi Polevhia, They leapt from their chocobo, falling down onto the back of the dragon. Whilst Tessa wrestled it’s wings and forced it to plummet, Evi set to attempting to use her magiteck prowess to gain control over the collar it wore. It worked, in a manner of speaking. The allagan control collar was reverted to factory defaulted settings, and sought out a master to bind itself to, scanning the pair with a grid of blue aetheric light. The dragon halted it’s thrashing, and the collar chirped in success. The soul of Lucilla, reborn as Tessa, had been detected and the shinobi was designated the dragon’s master. She named the beast Ryu. After the divine dragon of Eastern lore, Shinryu. The thousands of years of servitude had left the creature with little sentience, acting like a small pup and following simple commands. It bore her through the skies upon it’s back, and allowed her to take to new heights she had not seen before. With Philnia’s assistance, she investigated the recently revealed sky bound ruins of Azys Lla, taking to their aetherochemical research facility to seek answers about her cloned body. Whilst not Garlean, surely Allagan facilities would offer greater insight into the processes the Empire had attempted to unlock. She did indeed, find information. Though the same process that had bound Ryu to her service, she was able to find record of a Garlean soldier by the name of Lucilla, along with her complete record, including her ‘betrayal’ of Emperor Xande, and her execution during the calamity that had ended their star spanning dominion. The importance of this information was lost on her until further probing into the terminals and drones of the floating isles revealed that within Tessa was a soulstone of Allagan origin, cracked and exposed to outside aether. The drones calculated a 99.8% likelihood that the stone contained two aetheric signatures within it, the remnants of Tessa’s own aether, making a paltry 24% of the readings and the greater portion identified as Lucilla. With that, Tessa was able to piece together what had happened to her within the Void upon the day of the 7th Umbral Calamity. She had died, and her soul had merged with the lost aether of the Allagan Lucilla. Together they had been reborn anew, and had escaped the confines of the void to Hydaelyn once more as a new being in this cloned form. It seemed she owed some manner of thanks to project: Falsum Vitae. Thanks to being artificial to begin with, she had survived the impossible and been granted another chance at life. It was a hollow feeling.
Tessa was able to come to terms with her unique nature, and having come to be very close to Philnia throughout her endeavors, she began a steady relationship with her. The pair moving in together within the Lavender Beds, where Tessa reopened her cafe. The larger space allowed her to create a more expanded business, her Café upon the top floor, and a doman themed spa in the basement, beside which she and Philnia lived in a humble apartment room all their own. She took a period of leave from the Twin Adders to focus on her personal affairs, and following the announcement of Philnia becoming pregnant, a scenario that indeed brought question upon question to Tessa, she chose to step down from the Celestial Forge. Six months into their relationship, Tessa chose to take that further step. She propose the eternal bond to Philnia, and they were married only a short time later. Following this, Tessa chose to enrol within the Free company that Philnia held employment within, that she might take over some of her duties whilst she was resting pregnant, and eventually, once their child was born, the two would be able to serve together. She did fair little within the company initially, spending greater time doting on her pregnant partner and running her Cafe in the lavender beds to provide a solid foundation to raise their child. She grew close to those within the company, treating them as something of a surrogate family, and when the time came, Merida Jalloh was born to smiling faces and many to care for her. Lillith Cale, the company’s leader, had been a close friend of Philnia long before Tessa had joined the company, and the archer was chosen immediately to act as their child’s Babysitter. As well as someone the somewhat clueless shinobi could turn to regarding everything to do with raising a child. She began to run various jobs with the company, every couple of weeks another mission and another stipend of extra gil for her and her family. She grew closer to the company with every victory, until one particular mission caused something of a Rift. Meta Xi, a dragoon of ishgard, and stalwart ally had come into a torn conflict of duties. He was ordered to bring another member of the free company to stand trial for voidal magicks. He abducted him from his home in the lavender beds, heavily wounding Lillith whom stood in his defense, and resulted in the razing of the man’s home in thaumaturgical flame. Her allegiances aligned well, as a recently promoted lieutenant in the twin adder, she was able to bring that authority with her in investigating the allegations against her fellow dragon. It brought her and her compariots to western coerthas, where they discovered a hidden dungeon, and uncovered evidence that the tribunal itself was covering up the abduction and murder of many ishgardian citizenry, a fact that the accused had also overheard before his abduction took place. Clearly, there was something to this. And though they could not prove him innocent, they could cast doubt on the allegations themselves. With Quin already in ishgard standing in defense at the trial, the other members of dragon army made speed to arrive. They split into two groups, one lead by Lillith occupied Meta in combat, as he had been ordered to bar their way. Whilst the other were to steal into the tribunal via a hidden passageway. They were harried at every turn by guards set to prevent approach, but were able thanks to a masked individual to convince them to let them through toward the Vault. This path passed by the hidden passage they sought, and as soon as they drew close enough, Tessa made a desperate rush through. Using her uniform and rank, she took on the role of envoy. Unfortunately shattering her ability as a covert operative in the process. However, thanks to the ruse, supported by Quin and U’shtola, they were able to present their evidence and reveal that the tribunal member whom had brought forth the charges was infact guilty of conspiracy and murder. All charges were dropped, and Artoiroux was set free with full pardon. Meta was released from his service as a Dragoon. And the Company weighed their judgement upon him for his betrayal. His reasons were understood, the man owed a life’s debt to ishgard and revealed he was a man of Othard, having lost his home to the garleans, and his family to the dragonsong war, only ishgard had given him succor and honed his skills. This was his past, and his future would be to make right with those whom had once called him friend. Tessa held no malice toward him, if anyone could appreciate second chances, it was her...
It is believed that every blade contains the soul of he who forged it, and he who wields it in equal part, and that a blade used with blackness in a warrior's heart will corrupt the soul of the blade to curse it with a vicious hunger for death. Such was the blade of Sikso Rhambui, whom used it to slaughter and cut a path of fury through all whom stood in her way. However, seeing the corruption in herself and the weapon she bore, it was sealed away. There to remain until a worthy successor was found. An honorable soul that could direct that fury and purify the intent of the blade. It was so that a young miqo'te girl, whom took up the art of swordplay was trained by the once bloodthirsty fighter. And on the day that her instruction was complete, the blade was presented to her. Tessa would hold it in high regard, full intending to find a master of this unusual eastern weapon whom could teach her to use it. But this would not come to pass, as the calamity came and claimed the realm. The sword was shattered, and it's will was sealed in cracked and broken steel. Tessa had survived, of course, returning to hydaelyn from the clutches of the void a changed woman, with no memories of the time before. And through all that has happened to her recently in the employ of Dragon Army, she has determined that the way of the shinobi will no longer serve her or her allies.
She sought out a bladesmith, searching throughout the realm until finally she met a surviving daughter of the Tokiyaiba family of othard. She entrusted the blade to her, and with the help of her fianceé had the weapon restored. This new smithing has brought balance to the blade, it's blood lust now channeled in the form of a keen edge that heavily resists edge damage. Though the former rancor within the weapon still manifests itself, picking up on the voidal energies that stains Tessa's aether and eliciting a violent response to voidal creatures that is very hard for her to resist. In honour of the teacher she could no longer remember, she gave this weapon a new name. 忘れられた戦士の剣 - Wasure rareta senshi no ken The sword of the Forgotten warrior…
With the aid of myriad battle manuals from the east, and the assistance of Meta Xi, a man humbled and changed since the trial of Artoiroux, Tessa was finally able to take up the blade she had restored. Now armed with Wasure rareta senshi no ken, a mouthful she has since chosen to shorten merely to 忘れ刀 (Wasuretō), meaning ‘Forgotten Sword’, she trains in the art of the Samurai. With the port of Kugane, the sole port in Hingashi allowing foreigners to enter, she has travelled to see more of the far east, the former home of Lucilla, whom’s soul resides reborn within her. The preparation of her former Sensei could not possibly have given her full understanding of the faraway lands and it’s customs, and already she finds herself learning more of the customs she has attempted to practice these past four years.
Tessa is often friendly, coming to know people well enough to be comfortable in their presence within minutes, and making decisions about whether she likes them or not in the same time span. Shy and reserved in most things normally, it's only when wine is poured down her throat that she really lets completely loose, with devastating results. She becomes an incredulous flirt, not knowing any boundary and pushing them every single step, baring herself often enough to gain a poor reputation as a bad drunk. She was ashamed of the large scar she once bore upon her back, and wore clothing often that hid it. Having become rid of the mark on her body, however. She now finds a new confidence in herself, helped along by her wife’s praise and affection. She prefers precision in battle, seeking the most effective way to utterly annihilate her enemy with the least amount of strikes, thus she won’t play around, each attack will aim to kill.
Tessa is trained in the arts of the shinobi, and is gaining great ability with the art of the Samurai. With these two schools of battle together, she tries to utilise some ninjutsu to enhance her katana's edge in conflict, to mixed results.
Weapons of Choice
Below is useful tidbits should you ever be interested in trying to attack/spar with Tessa. Please note that I am always open to Battle and violence and am not beyond having my character sport an injury for days to weeks on end. However! Permanent damage needs to be spoken about prior in vivid detail/discussion before anything will ever occur IC. Death is off the table unless i personally have brought it up as an option, but you might likely brutalise her to the point that she's helpless.
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