Igor Angura

Idughadai "Igor" Angura
Race	Au Ra
Clan	Xaela
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Nameday	10th Sun of the 5th Astral Moon
Guardian	Byregot, the Builder
Free Company	N/A
Occupation	Freelance Blacksmith

Basics

• Name: Idughadai Angura
• Nickname: Igor
• Age: Estimated somewhere in his 30s.
• Gender: Male
• Height: 7 fulms, 2 ilms
• Weight:
• Romantic Status: Wedded, by Ceremony of Eternal Bonding, to Sash'a Angura (née Nassau)
• Place of Birth: Othard
• Current Residence: Ul'dah
• Skills: Smithing, being elliptical.

Appearance

Being of the Angura clan, Igor is characteristically ruddy-skinned, his hair bearing much the same color, save for the occasional sun-bleached flecks here and there. His horns are black, as those of any Xaela, and quite long, extending back from his head at a slight curve and flanking his high-set ponytail. His face is handsome, albeit severe, and sports very thick scaling. Most striking, perhaps, are his eyes, their sclera forebodingly dark and both irises glowing bright gold. He is tall even for one of his kind, and very well-muscled on every part of his body, save for his long, narrow tail, which is barbed at the end.

History

Born some time between 1540 and 1550, Idughadai began life in the harsh environs of northeastern Othard, where the Angura clan made its home. Because of the rather severe nature of the territory, the Angura didn't come into contact with many of the other Xaela tribes very often, save for periods of famine that forced them further south and west. Around the age of five, Idughadai made contact with a rivaling clan for the first time, and became enthralled by the scent of blood and the thrill of war. Being as young as he was, he was not yet able to properly participate in battle, but even this tiny glimpse into the glory of war pushed Idughadai to learn to fight as soon as he was able.

At the age of eight, he fashioned his first axe, a mediocre little wedge that could do little more than splinter chunks of ice. While it wasn't much, it at least gave him the opportunity to practice his swing--and besides, his people were ever in need of ice they could melt into water. By ten, he'd made a superior weapon, something better suited to battle. As fortune had it, even, he was able to test the thing when a foolish band of Khatayin ventured far enough into Angura territory to spark a feud. Idughadai was nearly slain in the skirmish, but a quick swing of his axe cleaved the coward's head from his shoulders before he could bury his sword in the young one's chest.

Unfortunately, the tribe did suffer heavy losses before it managed to overcome the invading force, and this left it highly vulnerable in the coming months. Idughadai ever honed his axes, even kept his nails long and as sharp as claws, extra weapons to keep him safe in case another band arrived to ambush his people. Oddly, however, they saw very little conflict; in fact, according to some Angura scouts and salvagers, there were much greater concerns at hand. Apparently, an even greater struggle was on the horizon, with foreign invaders, equipped with weapons that could easily destroy entire islands, readying to forcefully subjugate Angura territory. They had already lain claim to much of the rest of Othard, according to word on the wind, and the Angura lands were next to be taken.

While these claims were only rumors, they struck enough fear into the tribe to create something of a schism among their number. When he was merely twelve, Idughadai, alongside his mother and some other younger folk from his tribe, fled the mountains for the sake of his own self-preservation.

Bartering away many of their important belongings for information and safety, they traveled as stowaways, recruiting the occasional fearful face from another tribe to join them. Indeed, the rumor of impending invasion had spread far, and many were growing quite frightened. By the time they neared the western shoreline, they numbered about thirty. By way of force, they managed to commandeer a Doman ship and took it out to sea, not truly sure where to go, but praying they would arrive safely someplace better.

The sea took the ship to Vylbrand, but its occupants suffered heavily in their journey. Disease and famine had taken their toll; Idughadai's mother had succumbed, as had many of the young ones. Their days ashore did not treat them much better; pirates were ever a threat, as were the Sahagin, and the refugees had very little with which to defend themselves. In the end, they ended up scattering between settlements, each one donning a guise to conceal themselves among the native Hyuran and Roegadyn populations.

Young Idughadai, shrouding himself in his mother's cloak, headed for Limsa Lominsa in the hope of integrating himself into civilization. Instead, he was forced to lay low, living in alleys and subsisting on scraps. Through his hardship, however, Idughadai was at least able to pick up on portions of the common Eorzean language, and he managed to perfect his axe well enough to be able to hunt for food of his own in the outskirts of town.

Raising money was tough, but Idughadai managed, eventually, to gather enough coin to pay for passage to the mainland, and he arrived in Aldenard with the hope of finding an easier life. The deserts of Thanalan, however, proved far less merciful than the plains of La Noscea, and Idughadai was forced to fall in with groups of traveling merchants or craven cutpurses just to survive as he made his way to Ul'dah. Somehow he muscled through the ordeal, and Ul'dah's gates were finally open to him, extending to Idughadai a promise of wealth.

Many, many years passed. Conflicts came and went, Calamity struck, and through it all, Idughadai learned. He served as apprentice to a Hellsguard blacksmith, gained a new moniker ("Igor," a shortening of the far more complex "Idughadai Angura," which his peers deemed a little too hard to pronounce, apparently), learned to speak the Eorzean language and to read and write a few words...and, finally, to open a smithy of his own.

Igor has made something of a name for himself with his forge, gaining lasting clients in the Brass Blades and Immortal Flames and even seeing customers from as far away as Coerthas. With the Doman refugees' arrival in Eorzea and the Au Ra becoming more commonplace, Igor has been able to cast off his cloak and bear his lineage proudly. Best of all, though, he's met someone who may very well have changed his life forever...

Personality

Igor is notoriously quiet and as cold as his steel. Beneath this hard exterior, however, is a gentle, passive soul that exists to serve. As the Eorzean language is not his first, he is always very thoughtful about his words and chooses them carefully. Even in battle, he is straight to the point while not being overly aggressive, always reading his opponents thoroughly before striking efficiently.

Trivia

• Seeing as how his arrival in Aldenard predates that of many Doman refugees, he's a little more familiar with the place than some other Au Ra might be. He's practically fluent in the common spoken tongue, but he still occasionally slips up grammatically.
• While not entirely illiterate, Igor is a very slow reader and cannot write Eorzean letters very easily. He cannot read his native language, despite speaking it fluently.
• He hates boats. Despises boats. Try to get him on one, and expect to be met with a lot of resistance.
• His instinct upon seeing most other Xaela, especially males, is to act with hostility. He's still sort of working on this. Old habits, however, die hard.
• He very much dislikes the heat, which is ironic, considering his chosen city-state of residence.
• On his person, at all times, Igor carries an ancestral pipe carved from a boar's tusk. This is a memento of his mother. Igor doesn't smoke it especially often, though he does quite fancy relaxing herbs, especially ones that remind him of home.