Chotan Torgud

From RPC Library
Revision as of 17:45, 5 May 2020 by Gespenst (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
[edit]
Ul'dah-transparent.png Chotan Torgud
Chotan.jpg
Gender Futanari
Race Au Ra
Clan Xaela
Citizenship Ul'dah
Marital Status Single
Occupation Dancer
Patron Deity Menphina
Age 21
Orientation Homosexual
"General Aldynn, this is a great honor but I must confess I don't have any attire suitable to attend an audience with her Grace the Sultana."
"Hmm. I don't think it's unfair to say that it is obvious that you are a stranger to our lands, do you perchance have access to the traditional garb of your people? That would suffice."
"It would? Very well, if you are certain..."

The Torgud tribe: This desert tribe does not wear any clothes, choosing instead to cover their bodies almost entirely in a white paint created from mud, lime, and bone meal. The paint helps to reflect the relentless desert sun.

Death

The midsummer sun was struggling to creep over the horizon on the steppe at the back of the four hundred warriors of the Torgud tribe who had lined themselves along a rise in the plain. Four hundred naked bodies glistening in the early morning heat, it was already oppressively hot. Four hundred warriors Chortan mused I've never seen so many warriors of our tribe in one place at one time. It was necessary, the Dotharl raiding bands had been attacking outlying groups of their tribe for weeks. Now, finally, they had brought them to battle. They were clearly outnumbered and while the Dotharl were terrible foes they couldn't hope to beat the Torgud warriors. They would attack eventually anyway, they always did.

The Torgud were in no hurry to meet them however, they held the top of the rise and were more than happy to stay there. Let the Dotharl come and break themselves on their shield-wall. If they tried to leave they could fetch their horses from where they were picketed and ride them down one at a time. As always the Torgud had dismounted to fight their similarly horseless foes. They would stand together on that hill and like that the whole world could not overrun them.

Chotan looked over at her partners in the shield-wall, Nergui to her right glared at her and pointedly avoided her gaze. The older woman disliked her intensely. Most of her peers disliked or distrusted her, she was the freak, the demon child or whatever other ideas their parents had whipped up in their heads and passed down to their children. Her body marked her out as something other and it's hard to hide your body when you don't have any clothes. If it hadn't been for the elders of the tribe she would have probably been left to die long ago.

For the third time since she'd risen she checked to make sure the sword belt draped over her hips was still secure, her eyes sliding over the portentous body part, busying herself with the buckles of her belt to distract herself form thinking about Nergui's hateful glare. The elders had been convinced that she was a sign from the Dusk Mother. Quite what her birth had been meant to portend they couldn't say but they had been clear, no harm was to come to her, she was not to suffer any wilful neglect. So she'd grown in the normal way, learned to fight in a normal way, all while completely alone except for the elders who had saved her from a terrible fate. She'd had few friends but two dozen grandparents who had been dear companions and teachers to the young Au Ra. But the gentle elders of her youth were all too quickly being replaced by the distrustful adults who had recoiled at the sight of her all those years ago. I suppose I'll soon lose my place among my tribe. The prospect saddened her but she'd understood it was inevitable since she'd been old enough to comprehend death and was resigned to her fate. One day she would be cast out of her tribe.

She looked again over the shield wall, they stood side-by-side their round shields and outstretched spears marked a line that the disorganised Dotharl could never cross, they knew that with a bone-deep certainty. A murmur started somewhere in the middle of the wall, a few moments later the news had passed down the line: riders. The thunder of horses hooves could be heard now from behind them. Reinforcements? Now? Why are they riding so close to the lines? Our horses aren't bred for war, they'll panic. She turned her head and her heart froze in her breast. She recognised the characteristic high saddle bows of the Goro. There must have been more than five score riders moving towards their position.

"Don't panic," Nergui chided, "The Goro are our allies."

"Allies we didn't send for." Chotan added unconvinced.

Moments later a light hunting arrow shot from one of the Goro's bows pierced the shoulder of Nergui's lover Ogul dropping her from her place in the wall.

"Mercenaries?!" someone shouted. It made sense. The Goro tribe was more than twice their size, food was scarce right now, the Goro would rather die than slaughter any horse for food. It would not have been impossible to buy the services of a handful of fighters. In an instant the panicked Torgud warriors spun on their heels to face the new threat, raising shields and spears. The riders had no luck on their first pass they didn't even try to attack with their long lances, wheeling at the last moment and throwing javelins ineffectively at the Torgud shield wall.

A shout came out from down the line, "Two ranks! Two ranks!" The meaning of the shout was lost on most of the warriors and came too late besides because at that moment the Dotharl rained down sling bullets and arrows on their exposed backs, breaking bones and piercing flesh. Panic set in among the warriors, they turned first from one threat and then to the other, unable to interpose their large shields at all the threats they were at risk from both.

And then the horse riders were upon them. They crashed through the line killing any of the warriors who had turned their backs, trampling their corpses. The battle line quickly degenerated into a chaotic melee, some of the less skilled riders had been mobbed and pulled from their horses or pierced with spears but most of the Goro tribe were too skilled on horseback to fall so easily. The fight would only last until the Dothral mob reached them, once that happened it would all be over. How did we underestimate them this badly?

Whipping her head around she saw a scruffy horseman bearing down on Nergui, his spear aimed between her bare shoulders. Chotan took two quick steps and thrust her own spear towards the rider, it pierced his bare leg, she felt the spear tip bite into his bone before he rode away jerking the spear out of her arms. Bent low over his horses neck he passed withing ilms of Nergui who spared her a brief shocked look before returning to the melee. Chotan began to lay about herself with her sword to little avail.

"Pull back! Back!" Someone cried but there was nowhere to pull back to. They'll have overridden the rear guard before they fell on us. Without horses how can we escape?

Those that could began to break away from the fighting, first individually, then dozens at a time. Before long it was a full rout. Chotan felt someone grab her sword arm and pull, she reared back, intending to strike her assailant with her shield when she recognized Nergui and heard her bellowing.

"We have to go!"

After a long moment she nodded.


"Why aren't they following us?" Ozbeg asked, not for the first time, as their group comprised mostly of members of Chotan's own village ran from the battle.

"Why would they?" Chotan replied breathing heavily "They want to raid our settlements not pillage our corpses. They've already got more weapons than they can carry - and probably our horses too."

"They'll be moving on to the villages?" Nergui asked in a small voice.

"We've got to get home." Chotan said in confirmation.


They ran for the entire day and well into the night, the one man who hadn't been from their village had splintered off around noon and struck out on his own. As night fell they stumbled into the lee of a giant boulder and collapsed there. They had covered less than half the distance to their home but they could move no more that day, their naked bodies were streaked with dirt and they were shivering with exhaustion. They set no watch but drifted off together into an uneasy sleep.

Chotan woke with a start, something heavy had landed on her driving the air from her lungs. Someone had planted his knee on her back pinning her to the dirt other hands were binding her ankles and wrists.

She coughed and spluttered, her eyes were bleary and she was half blinded even by the feeble dawn light.

She wanted to to struggle and scream and demand an explanation but she couldn't stand there was a fully grown au ra man kneeling on her spine. Her hands were already bound and she was pretty sure she knew what was going on, although she hadn't seen it coming so soon. She could see Nergui standing in front of her, she had a look of abject misery on her face, her eyes were red and there was a bruise forming on her cheek, barely visible under her ruined face paint.

Spitting Chotan kicked out violently, her heel connected with someone's jaw and they hit the dirt with a thump. Someone else kicked her in the ribs and she fell still trying to catch her breath. She was able to speak again by the time her breath returned to her.

"Really? What in the seven hells are you trying to achieve? You could have just told me to leave." The foreign curse caught their attention and added a guttural edge to her condemnation. "It's not like I'd have begged to stay!"

"You're a demon, sent to destroy us, that much is clear. We can't just let you go, we can't very well lead you back to our families after the doom you visited upon us. We should have done away with you long ago!" It was Ozbeg. Of all the people to do me in, it was that shitty coward? They must have been really rattled if he managed to talk them into anything.

"It sounds like you can't take any chances then!" Chotan spat. "Better finish me off now before I poison your water, barbecue your sheep, bribe your horses and teach your women what a good lay feels like!" Her voice was wild from pent up rage and dripping with venom. Her eyes bored holes into Ozbeg's retreating back but he didn't respond.

"Come back here!" she screamed trying to follow him, shuffling along the ground as best she was able, whichever one of her former kin had tied her arms and legs had done an excellent job under the circumstances she realised. "Finish it you coward. You can't have thrown away all your weapons along with your pride can you?! Bash my head in with a rock! D-don't you- don't you dare walk away from me!" she sobbed collapsing on the dirt.

"...Don't leave me."

"Come on." Ozbeg called through gritted teeth to the rest of the group. In an odd, detached way she noticed that Ozbeg was carrying her sword under his arm. She wondered vaguely who had taken her shield.

Nergui glared at Ozbeg as he left looking back at Chotan's battered form with something approaching despair. She stormed over to him and angrily ripped Chotan's sword out of his arms and heaved it in her life-long enemy's direction. Chotan watched dully as it arced towards her landing ten feet away, point down in the loosely packed earth. It wobbled there for a moment before falling over. Nergui looked like she wanted to say something but eventually just closed her mouth again.

"Come on." Ozbeg repeated flatly. "Let's go."

Chotan watched their retreating backs until they vanished from view.


"Hey, hey, hey! Have you heard? There's a trader from Thavan... Thav..."

"Thavnair, dummy!"

The children of the group were abuzz. An exotic beautiful woman, an elezen, wearing clothing had come to the village looking to trade for the odd jade stones that the group had found the summer before. They'd been slowly trading them away a few at a time ever since. This new woman had offered to trade all of the remaining stones for the weapons that she had brought on the back of her bird drawn wagon.

The elders had gone to their tent to discuss the proposition, the jade had proven extremely useful object of trade over the last few seasons and they'd given it liberally all over in exchange for all manner of products but good steel weapons were vanishingly rare in this arid land. Soon enough the children were shooed off by their parents who were worried that they would bother the strange woman which left her bemused and completely alone in the centre of the village. She'd been rather entertained by the children's fascination of her.

As was so often the case no one had paid any mind to Chotan and she stood alone, starring at the strange woman.

"Aren't you hot?" She eventually asked in a clear bright voice startling the elezen woman from her reverie.

"Well yes, little miss." There'd been a little catch in her voice as she took the young girl's appearance in but she covered for her hesitation well she made sure to hold a bright friendly smile on her face to put the girl at her ease. "But I'd be hot no matter what I was wearing."

Chotan flushed, at 13 years of age she was starting to become instantly recognisable to strangers as a woman albeit a strange one. Her curiosity overcame her hesitation. This was the first time she'd seen someone who wasn't a Torgud for many years.

"Are you really from Thavnare?" she asked hesitantly. The woman smiling broadly hopped up on the back step of her cart and took a seat on the ledge above the back wheel. She patted the space beside her inviting the girl to sit.

"No miss, I'm not. My clothes are, I thought they'd be suitable for the heat but alas... I'm from a place called Thanalan." Chotan stared back blankly. "In Aldenard. ...in Eorzea? Hold on, let me get a map."

The two talked for hours while the elders slowly deliberated and everyone else dutifully ignored the stranger. The merchant told the girl about the vast trading house she worked for, the East Aldenard Trading company and the great glittering city of Ul'dah. Chotan for her part peppered the woman with endless questions, barely taking the time to process one answer before asking the next. Eventually she fell very quiet before asking the question that had been plaguing her thoughts since she had sat down.

"Don't you think I'm weird?" she asked quietly.

"Your body you mean?" a nod "No, not especially." Chotan's eyes shot open and her gaze snapped up.

"What?" The woman shrugged. "It's not that unusual, at least in my neck of the woods, spend any time in the adventurer's guild in ul'dah and you'll start to see. I'd guess about one in every ten women who come through there have a body like yours."

"I don't believe you." Chotan replied flatly. She didn't think to ask how the woman could tell what the adventurer's bodies were like.

The woman laughed brightly but then fell silent as the wizened elders emerged from their tent, deliberations evidently finished. She hoped down from the cart and couldn't help but noticed they moved rather stiffly, their eyes somewhat puffy.

"Looks like I've got work to do little miss..."

She eventually allowed the elders to purchase the contents of her cart, despite trying to appear aloof they were desperate to get a hold of the contents, but only on the condition that one of better quality swords be given to the young girl who had been the only one in the whole village who had been kind enough to keep her company while the elders had napped through the afternoon. Shamefaced they had agreed readily.


Chotan woke, still bound in the desert. The sun was climbing towards noon and she was not in the best shape.

"Thal's... rotten... thrice dammned... balls." She grunted, willing stiff muscles to pull herself over towards where her sword lay on the sand. A stream of foreign curse words accompanied her every movement. Through dint of considerable effort and swearing she managed to pick up her sword in her teeth and lodge the cross guard in the sand. With every muscle burning she managed to cut her hands free of her bonds, her wrists had been rubbed red by the rough rope. Her hands free she began to unpick the knots tying her ankles together, she coiled the rope around her shoulders and made her way unsteadily to her feet.

The tracks of her clanmates were still visible in the sand leading to the north. Leading home. Even if I follow them they're probably already... She turn and headed resolutely to the east.

On the second day, after travelling from minor oasis to minor oasis she encountered an armed caravan of Qestir travelling out of Reunion. They eagerly gave her supplies after examining her sorry state, enough food for several days and a pair of water skins. She added the ragged rope to the simple pack they had given her and headed off in the tracks they had left. They had been characteristically unhelpful when asked for directions.

She travelled in this way for several weeks. The food lasted her until she reached the great grasslands of the Azim Steppe where it became easier to forage for food, she croseed the Steppe cautiously avoiding people as much as possible. She knew from rumours that the Dotharl has a presence in the area. She didn't breath easy until she reached the boarders of Yanxia.

Navigating the One River basin proved to be it's own challenge. She began travelling at night after the first man she'd met had screamed and ran, she looked quite frightful at this point only streaky patches of paint remained on her body, her hair was dishevelled and she had a wild look in her eyes, the second man she met had tried to kiss her and she wasn't sure which had disturbed her more.

After several nighttime marches she had reached the edge of the ruby sea. She sat at the edge of the sea, up to her waist in the sea foam as the breakers crashed around her. The One River had been one thing but this... this was beyond anything she could comprehend. There was a way across the sea and then on and on to her destination but the enormity of the journey had stunned her.

I've got to see it for myself. This place where people like me are perfectly normal... even if it's not real I... I have to keep moving.

She strode determinedly into the pirate lair. The Ruby Price... Eyes followed her. She made her way over to the master of a boat that looked like it was about to leave. She held out her sword in as unthreatening manner as possible.

"Would you trade me this sword for passage to Kugane?" She asked. "...and some clothes. Any kind will do."

"And some coin besides." The ships master said speculatively, examining the sword. "This is a fine sword, although it's take a beating lately by the looks of things. You have any idea what a sword like this is worth?"

"Some idea, yes." She said, her voice thick with emotion as she rubbed at long healed welts on her wrists.

"Everything really... And more. But now... I've got places to be."

General

Appearance

Personality

She is pragmatic, straight forward and earnest but while she might never let on her feelings are easily hurt.

Likes

  • Warm days. She has heard of snow but refuses to believe that anywhere could ever be that cold or that anyone would choose to live anywhere where it could happen.

Dislikes

  • All forms of clothing, especially armor. While she acknowledges the necessity of wearing armor and will use it she does so unwillingly.
  • Her own body. Her unique body made her an outsider to her peers.

Hobbies/Talents

  • Unusually skilled with a sword for one of her people but relatively poor with a spear - the preferred weapon of her tribe.

Other


Common Rumors

Moderate Rumors

Rare Rumors

PC Rumors

Youth

  • Chotan was born in early spring to members of the Torgud tribe. A unique birth defect rendered her a pariah and her parents abandoned her at a young age to the care of the tribal elders who insisted that she was a sign from god and should be protected until the meaning of her birth was made clear.

Adulthood

  • Separated from her tribe after a disastrous battle Chotan wandered the world before becoming a gladiator in Ul'dah.

Present

  • After accidentally rendering a service to the Crown of Ul'dah she began a career as an adventurer and began to explore the rest of Eorzea.
  • If you want a conversation starter mention what she's wearing, she's bound to have something to say about it.
  • Alternatively mention seeing her working as a gladiatrix, she's retired now but she'd be enthusiastic to meet someone who saw her matches.

This Template was created by Deirdre Ta'ea and then modified into tabs by Unnamed Mercenary