Karaki Crystalis

Karaki Crystalis
The Avenger
Gender	Male
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	Seekers of the Sun
Citizenship	None
Age	28
Height	Tall (5 fulms, 8 ilms)
Weight	Lithely built (150 ponz)
Profession	Vagabond
Patron Deity	The Mother Crystal
Server	Balmung

Appearance

Karaki is a tall (approximately 5'8") Miqo'te male with dark chocolate skin and bluish-silver hair that has a faint luminescent quality to it. His eyes are similarly colored, bluish-silver, and are also luminescent, particularly vivid in the dark. His dark skin has barely discernable markings that are obvious signs of being descended from the same hunting tribes that ventured to Eorzea and settled down, becoming known as the Seekers of the Sun.

His lithely muscular build is that of a runner, though there can be no mistake there is a fighter in him as well. Curiously, he is devoid of any hair other than that on the top of his head, a trait he claims to be common among his people. Perhaps equally curious is his complete lack of any scars or blemishes, despite his hard lifestyle and history.

For those who can discern aether, depending on the senses that govern this ability, he will seem to radiate aether. The visually perceptive, for instance, might see a bright glow inside and around him. They may have experienced similar with persons or creatures who have been immersed in a large quantity of aether, though most develop strange mutations (see MSQ).

History

Karaki hails from a small island off the coast of the continent of Ilsabard. His people had settled there during the great migration, having become enamored with a spring that flowed even in the harsh cold of the Age of Endless Frost, granting warmth and life to a people struggling in the midst of those times. As they basked in the warm waters, they could hear a voice, speaking to them, comforting them.

The spring went on to become center to their lives. His people dismissed their ancient traditions, even the naming conventions of the tribe, to become one family, with one mother. The Mother Crystal, its presence felt in their every day life, drinking from and bathing in the waters of the spring, became a divine presence, a maternal god.

When the Garlean Empire began its expansion, one of the first targets was the small island, with its primitive people. The spring, a deep well of aetheric energy, was its first target. The small population of Miqo'te would only serve to bolster their ranks by a very tiny fraction. The spring, however, would provide a great boost to its ceruleum production, and pave the way for its invasions of the other nearby nations.

Karaki was pressed into service and sent to another front, far from his homeland, the first of many attempts to strip away any desire to rebel or take revenge against the Empire. They never could quash it all, but for a time, he fought for the Empire, obeying the orders given to him, and even helped them to conquer other nations as his own homeland had been conquered.

He has never been sure what brought it to an end. One case of insubordination too many, preserving a life he was meant to end, or simply being so very different from those who grew to enjoy serving the Empire that he was pushed aside. It was certainly not through any direct action of his own, an act of rebellion after waiting and preparing for so long. No, when it came, it was a complete surprise.

One moment he was out on patrol, tasked with accompanying an entirely new unit who seemed at once to ignore him completely and yet also watch him like a hawk. The next, they had turned on him, their weapons coming to bear and a magitek Reaper descending on him. It took every bit of training he had to get away, and he has been on the run ever since, a target that has gotten more than a few dark-skinned Miqo'te in Eorzea killed out of turn for simply bearing a similarity.

Recent History

While he claims to have no knowledge of why the Garleans turned on him, any that are interrogated about him would reveal that he was nothing but trouble from the moment he was forcibly drafted. He had managed to worm his way into many different areas that he was not meant to go, managing to take lessons with some Doman Shadows -- ninjas who betrayed their homeland to work for the invaders -- and even managed to get some impromptu lessons from Garlean engineers.

He had been reprimanded repeatedly for wasting military resources in what he called "recreation". This mainly consisted of pitting Vanguard mechs against one another, some with heavily modified weaponry, in mainly one-on-one battles. The fact that he encouraged betting was of a lesser concern. It should be noted that he managed to coerce his superiors behind closed doors to drop the charges against him, though those individuals have since been dealt with and his pursuers have been alerted to his tricks.

It is also believed that he has managed to collect a large amount of confidential information from his superiors. It is unclear how much of this could compromise operations in the Eorzean theater, but they are not about to take chances, which is the primary reason why there is a reward on his head.

Personality

Karaki possess some personality traits that are common to the Seekers of the Sun in Eorzea. He is rash and impulsive, with almost no brain-to-mouth filter, speaking his mind to any who will listen, and some who will not.

Those in the Garlean ranks generally regarded him as cold, seemingly distant from any real emotion except anger. However, those he has encountered in Eorzea would be confused by this depiction, as he has demonstrated he is fully capable of wide range of emotions, though also anger.

If possible, he prefers to keep to the back of any large social gathering, using his various talents to go unnoticed. He likes to observe and record, rather than integrate into any conversations, but he can if he needs to, faking any enthusiasm he requires. He is at his best one-on-one or in small social gatherings.

Affiliations and Known Associates

• Deitrych Brownlowe - A curious young man who gave him a place to stay when he found his way to the Eorzean mainland, who barely batted an eye at his uniform. In exchange for this and other services rendered to him, Karaki refined some of the young man's training in the arts of stealth and even showed him some tricks he picked up from a Domani Shadow.
• L'yhta Mahre - While they may have gotten off on the wrong foot, Karaki hopes to mend the bridge and get closer to her. He has found out that they share something of a connection and he hopes this will allow them to develop a friendship.
• Clalaris Sil Laris - Unfortunately, being a Lalafell, it was inevitable for the two to clash. Her disregard for personal space and his rude attitude and tendency to call her rat-girl did not help matters. Both of them may have taken steps to smooth out this rocky start, but as nothing is likely to change for either of them, there may be more rocky roads ahead.
• Eamont Desormaux - The Voice of Mysterium and one of the first people to sit down and really talk to him, Eamont has proven to be interesting so far. Karaki is not entirely sure what to make of him or how to treat him. His tribal history has him leaning toward a somewhat subservient attitude, but with Eamont's insistence that this is not the proper way to treat him, he is gradually leaning away from it. Slowly.
• Sazhi'to Bajhiri - Another Wizard in the Tower. He was one of the first to listen to his stories about his tribe and not react badly. Not only that, he attempted to correct Karaki's misunderstandings and give him pointers about life in Eorzea.

Characteristics

• Nicknames: N/A
• Age: 28
  • Nameday:
• Gender: Male
  • Sexuality: Polyamorous Bisexual
  • Marital Status: Single
• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral/Unprincipled
• Height: 5'8"
• Weight: 150 ponz
• Body: Lithely muscular, runner's build
• Hair: Luminescent bluish-silver
• Eyes: Luminescent bluish-silver
• Skin: Dark chocolate with black facial markings
• Clothing: Perhaps a remnant of his tribal origins, he prefers to wear as little clothing as possible, even in public. He does accept the necessity of armor and specialty clothing for certain tasks, but fails to understand the importance of clothing for simple social acceptance.

Likes

• Conflicts (mainly from an outside perspective but is not against joining in the fight)
• Conversation (once again, from an outside perspective)
• Discovering new things, as he is a foreigner in these strange lands
• Teasing these Eorzeans about foreign concepts that may or may not be true

Dislikes

• Interrogations about his past or his work with the Garleans
• Nonsense discussions about the Eorzean gods, or attempts to convert him
• People attempting to give him nicknames or shorten his name

Areas of Expertise

• Martial: One-Handed Blades, Dual-Wielding, Lances, Magitek Weapons, Hand-to-Hand
  • Karaki is particularly talented with dual-wielded one-handed blades, though due to his time with the Garleans, they were frequently a type of gunblade. By the same token, his use of a lance is largely focused on the bayonet-equipped rifles used by the infantry, but he can make do with a standard Eorzean lance. He is passingly skilled at hand-to-hand, as well.
• Crafting: Various
  • Karaki has dabbled in various crafts, from cooking to trying to fashion his own equipment, but his only real interest lies in magitek weaponry. Knowing how to disassemble, reassemble, and do field repairs on your weapons is a necessity in the Garlean military, but he has gone a step further, working to understand exactly how they work and how they can be adapted to work without raping the planet in the production of ceruleum.
• Other: Stealth, Aetherial Camouflage, Doman Mudra, Criminal Skills
  • Karaki, having worked with Doman Shadows, is capable of utilizing their Aetherial Camouflage to blend into his surroundings and utilize internal aether, or chakra, to form the techniques they call Mudra. Even without it, however, he is talented at moving about unseen in a variety of environments. His criminal skills are also quite high, as he is quite capable of picking locks and pockets. He also regularly takes jobs to either plant or steal documents, information, or various other goods.

Strengths

• Physically Adept: His lithely muscular frame grants him a surprising amount of physical strength, agility, and stamina. He has repeatedly proven his ability to outrun his fellow soldiers, even in full armor, and overpower the predominantly Hyur troops in hand-to-hand combat.
• Deceitful: His deceptive nature provides a number of benefits, with allies and enemies alike. Bluffing, at its most simple, has gotten him out of more scrapes than he can count. Quick thinking and quick talking aid in this greatly.

Weaknesses

• Pessimistic: Having seen so much bad in his life, he finds it difficult to see the good. Going into any situation, he assumes the worst, as it is usually what occurs. Should things turn out different, at least he will not be disappointed.
• Aggravating: He has managed to aggravate or enrage just about everyone he meets. This is in part due to being a stranger in a strange land, though it mostly has to do with the fact that he believes his way to be the best way and that others should be able to see that and fall in line.

Other Notes

• As a natural wellspring of aether, the spring in his homeland has produced many unusual effects that would likely be difficult to replicate through artificial means. High levels of internal aether, or chakra as it is known in the east, the luminescent hair and eyes, and the lack of body hair are some of the changes wrought by this. While his senses of smell and hearing are roughly the equivalent of any other Miqo'te, his vision appears to be enhanced, as he can see with normal acuity even in complete darkness. This is balanced out by the fact that his luminescent hair and eyes are visible to others in that darkness, even if nothing else is.

• His chocobo is an evil thing, frequently capturing his tail in its beak or nipping at his ears, no doubt due to it sensing that he lacks the Eorzean respect and love for the creatures. He does call it a horsebird and frequently suggests eating it for dinner, of course. Anyone who sees these interactions will likely understand why he has named it "Nemesis".

Naming

Eorzean Seekers of the Sun will likely be put off by his lack of a traditional name, but he will casually inform any that ask that none of his people had adopted a family name since olden times. They have always been one family, one tribe, so there has never been a need for family names and while similar names were passed down from one generation to the next, they were usually unique enough that no two names were exactly the same. His current surname is simply something he came up with on the fly, when it became necessary to supply one.

The tribal letters preceding the names of Eorzean Seekers of the Sun were a product of their immigration into Eorzea, and thus did not exist in the ancient times that Karaki's people broke off during the great migration. The original tribal names have also been lost to time.

Religion

Karaki does not understand the Eorzean fascination with gods. The Mother Crystal, known as Hydaelyn in these parts, has always been enough for his people. Though they may have lost the connection that the spring granted, he still holds her presence close. At times, he can even feel that connection without the presence of the spring, as if he carries something of her within himself at all times.

Quirks

Of all the races he has encountered across the length and breadth of Hydaelyn, he finds Lalafell to be the strangest and most disconcerting. He finds himself remaining on edge around the strange tiny creatures due to a belief that they are very similar to a type of ridge rat in his homeland that he identifies as having very large eyes, short snouts, with rotund bodies, a venomous bite, and a fat and lazy demeanor, while being completely inedible. He even finds the strange horsebirds of Eorzea to be less odd.

He is a very physical person. He is prone to hugging, petting, or otherwise touching even complete strangers if he feels the urge. If he does not touch someone, it is a sign that he is not happy with them for whatever reason, even if he does not let on otherwise. He may, however, react violently if someone he does not wish to touch tries to force it, perhaps by coming extremely close.

Equipment

Karaki lost most of his equipment escaping from his former allies, and his favored magitek gunblades were damaged. A lack of suitable parts and tools has forced him to temporarily take up more mundane weapons in the meantime.

He seems to have a limitless number of throwing knives on his person, which is often difficult to imagine since he wears so little clothing. This is due to them actually being a type of aetherial construct, created in the same manner as the larger windmill shuriken that he appears to whip out of thin air.

Rumors

Common rumors

• He has been occasionally heard calling his chocobo a "horsebird". This has made people wonder if he is from Doma, or simply spent some time there.
• The fact that his hair glows has been the source of numerous jokes in the places he frequents, such as using his head to find something in the dark. A merchant in Ul'dah is believed to have even attempted to shave him in the hopes of selling his glowing hair for a tidy profit.

Uncommon rumors

• A notice from Chief Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn to the Maelstrom and other officials in Limsa Lominsa has forbidden access to one Karaki Crystalis after a confrontation between the Admiral and the catboy. Unofficially, it has been reported that he tried to hug her and insisted that she needs "skinship". It is currently unclear what skinship is.

Rare rumors

• Those who frequent Garlean outposts, typically looting it for supplies or killing the occupants, may have noticed a wanted poster with the name "Karaki" and the picture of a miqo'te. The reward is low enough that few have given it much note.
• Perhaps an extension of the previous rumor, it is believed he escaped from a Garlean research facility, and his glowing hair and tail is a result of those experiments.
• A "glowy-headed catboy" has been implicated as the instigator in a near-fatal conflict between an Ul'dahn noble and his wife, due to a planted letter that suggested an affair with a tavern wench. It is speculated that another noble in the same business circles may have hired him to plant it.

What interrogated Garleans suggest

• They know of a Karaki and will agree that he fits the description, but the last name is new to them.
• They are fairly convinced that he was a Shadow, a group of specially selected troops trained by the Doman traitors. They suggest he has a reputation as a bloodthirsty killer, that most assassins on their side ensure that deaths look like accidents. Karaki, on the other hand, always made sure that his enemies knew he was coming and left them where they could be found.
• Contradictory to his reputation as a killer, he is known as the organizer of a gambling ring, pitting various heavily modified mechs, such as Reapers and Vanguards, against each other. It was very popular among the engineers, but the upper echelon eventually caught wind of it and shut it down. It is believed that Karaki took the fall for it, as the mastermind.
• They also suggest that he was reprimanded repeatedly for tinkering with various magitek projects.

What PCs are saying

• Karaki and I have a lot in common -- more than I'd have thought, you know? I like him, but! I wish he wouldn't be so mean sometimes... -- L'yhta Mahre

Known Haunts

• Former residence of Deitrych Brownlowe, connected to the Free Company house of Mysterium, the Ivory Tower. It is located somewhere in the Black Shroud, closer to the foothills of Coerthas. He has discovered that the doorway leads into the Tower when the lock is turned a certain way, where he shows up unannounced and, to some, completely unwelcome.
• Personal home of Eamont Desormaux in Lavender Beds. He occasionally pops in there unannounced, even though he was invited once before.