Desta'li Afolayan

Desta'li Afolayan
The Black Cat
Gender	Male
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	Keepers of the Moon
Citizenship	N/A
Age	16
Height	5'2"
Weight	120 ponz
Profession	Thief/Assassin
Patron Deity	None
Server	Balmung

Desta'li Afolayan, more commonly known as The Black Cat in the regions within the Black Shroud, is a Miqo'te Keeper of the Moon.

Appearance

Desta'li is a rather short Miqo'te, standing at a mere 5 fulms and 2 ilms and weighing in at approximately 120 ponz. His jet black hair and equally dark skin stands out amongst many other Miqo'te, even other Keepers of the Moon. In addition to his size, his childish features make it easy for just about anyone to mistake him for being much younger than he is, which he helps along with an innocent act. For those with a sharper eye, however, his well-toned athletic build and the way he moves can give away that he is much more than he appears.

History

For the residents of the Black Shroud, Desta'li is nothing more than a boy who showed up one day five years ago and has since made a home for himself wherever he wishes to at the time, preying on the gullible and those newly come to the region. Though none have been able to prove it, it is rumored that he has also taken work as an assassin on several occasions, using his apparent youth and innocence to get past guards and the like to get to his target.

His history naturally goes back much further than that, born as the third son to Desta Afolayan. He was truly the runt of the litter, with a skin and hair color that had his mother scratching her head. Every one of his brothers and sisters came out with lighter skin and hair, and much more average in terms of size.

Quickly learning that he would forever be smaller than most, he learned to use his size to his advantage, focusing on speed and maneuverability, as well as a bit cleverness and acting, to win out over his larger siblings. He was not against faking an injury or crying to make them lower their guard, though he was clever enough not to use it often enough that they would begin to dismiss it. He would also frequently use these things to get out of work as well.

When his family passed through Gridania in the wake of the fiery cataclysm, Desta'li was approached by a Lalafell that offered him a unique opportunity. In exchange for a small service, the Lalafell would pay him, knowing that his family was in dire straits at the time. He completed the task well ahead of schedule and received a large bonus in thanks.

He continues to visit his family regularly at their mostly permanent camp in the Black Shroud, but mainly only stops in to drop off part of his pay before he is off again. Though they have heard of his exploits, only his mother has ever chastised him for it.

Personality

Desta'li is an energetic and spontaneous boy with a skewed morality. He thinks nothing of stealing from others, or taking another's life, but he has been known to turn down jobs for unclear reasons. In truth, he has a good heart, better than most others he works with. He turns down jobs that take from those who already have little, for instance, and refuses to kill others for petty reasons. He has even been known to kill an employer who lies about the reason. All in all, he has proven to be rather unpredictable.

His ability to act out different roles, such as his innocent child act, makes it difficult to pinpoint any traits of his real personality. However, it is believed that he shows his real self between jobs when there is no reason to act. In these moments, he acts much older than he is, with a pessimistic and cynical attitude.

Affiliations

Desta'li is known to associate with thieves in the city of Gridania, though it is unknown if he belongs to any sort of guild. He frequents the shop of a Lalafell fence and information broker calling himself Matchstick.

Characteristics

• Nicknames: Dest, Destiny
• Age: 16
  • Nameday: ??
• Gender: Male
  • Sexuality: Unknown
  • Marital Status: Single
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Height: 5 fulms, 2 ilms
• Weight: Around 120 ponz
• Body: Thin and lanky but with the well-honed musculature of a runner and climber
• Hair: Relatively short black hair with red dyed-in highlights
• Eyes: Reddish Brown
• Skin: Black with innate skin markings

Likes

• Acting
• Breaking & Entering
• Picking Pockets
• Practical Jokes
• Money

Dislikes

• Religious Types
• Dishonesty
• Pettiness
• Pure and Righteous Types

Strengths

• Stealthy: Desta'li has no problems going unseen when he wants to, either through actually hiding or simply blending in with a crowd. Nobody looks for a kid to be someone suspicious usually. His footsteps and other movements are usually silent, as well.
• Thief: There is no lock he cannot pick, no guard he cannot slip past. Unless magic is involved.
• Clever: He has little trouble with most problems, whether they are physical or merely intellectual. And if he cannot figure out the answer, he will certainly find a way around it.

Other Notes

Religion

While Desta'li will claim to believe in the Twelve, he is in no way religious. He also dislikes anyone who wears their faith on their sleeve, denounces things in the name of some god, or claims that whatever good they experience is because some god willed it so.

Rumors

• He is commonly believed to be an orphan, which awards him some degree of mercy from quite a few guards and old ladies.
• His perceived innocence also awards him some mercy from guards who discover him to be working for Matchstick, the middleman. After all, they can only be taking advantage of him.