Qarajin Borlaaq
| Qarajin Borlaaq | |
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| Gender | Female |
| Race | Au Ra |
| Clan | Xaela |
| Citizenship | None |
| Age | 25 |
| Occupation | Hunter, Sell-Sword |
| Orientation | Bisexual |
| Marital Status | Unwed (reserved/non-romantic RP only) |
GENERAL INFORMATION
QARAJIN BORLAAQ (Pronunciation: KAR-ah-jin), is a recent immigrant from the Orthardian Steppe where her tribe, the Borlaaq, have roamed for centuries. Rather than escaping oppression or seeking glory, her one and only wish is to return to her people. However, such simple a wish isn't as easily afforded as boarding a ship bound for Orthard.
Qarajin is cursed that none might learn her true name, or they should be doomed to die by the turn of the moon. She will give fake names, or none at all, depending on the need for a name. But most commonly, she will use the name that she borrows from a fallen Miqo'te comrade with whom she was partnered for a suicide mission during her first job as a sell-sword. R'dema Ahadashim.
APPEARANCE
At a glance: Qarajin appears, as first glance, to be little more than an amateur adventurer in her late teens to early twenties (Auri women retain their youthfulness fairly late into their age), though she is considerably farther from home than most Eorzean adventuring types. She is rather tall for an Auri.
Build: Athletic, svelte. As a result, she is small-chested (but not flat-chested). She has no qualms about this.
Skin: Her skin is dark earthen brown, and her scales the usual Xaelic blue-black.
Hair: Her hair is usually dyed dark blue with whatever natural means she can dye it. Though having been unable to find the means to do so since her arrival in Eorzea, it is turning streaked with lighter blues.
Eyes: Her eyes are of two colors; her more visible eye on her right side is a rich brown, and the left is white, but not from blindness. She often keeps this eye covered by her hair.
Clothing/Armor: Qarajin will most often be seen in looser natural fabrics that lend themselves to maneuverability and less so to defense. Her most-worn outfits are of linens and leathers, but she will dress for the weather.
PERSONALITY
Restless. Curious. Guilty. Qarajin has a hard time sitting still. With her homeland far behind her and her mind constantly working, she will make every effort to keep herself busy. She will often wander, as she has never truly broken her childhood habit of exploring against all advice. This helps her to know an area better, as well as to help her absorb more of Eorzean culture and language. Her curiosity and desire to learn is closely-related to her restlessness, and she will ask as many questions as her limited Eorzean vocabulary will allow to better understand this new realm and its denizens. Eorzea's varied and vibrant culture has been eye-opening to her, and she counters strange new fascinations and lifestyles all the time, most of which she is quite ready and willing to accept. She still keeps her tribal values close to her heart: Friends are as family, and their enemies, hers. She is never above sharing a meal, a drink, or splitting a reward. However, she still suffers from a large weight upon her heart and longs for home, and it is quite visible in her expression when she speaks of her tribe. She believes her hands to be steeped in innocent blood, and often questions whether or not she deserves to return.
Linguistic Fluency: Jin is fully fluent in the Borlaaq & Iriq dialects of the Xaelic tongue. She will often mutter phrases or curses in Xaelic. She also converses quite easily with Dazkar Xaelas and some of the smaller nearby tribes despite varying accents. (Dialogue in Xaelic will be indicated with "<>") Most Xaela Auri will have have little trouble understanding her. Since there is very little written word in Xaelic culture, she can sketch crude hieroglyphs, but cannot write in a Xaelic language.
Her Eorzean fluency level is quite low, being able to only speak in short, simple sentences. For the most part, she will point and make gestures to try to establish her intentions. She knows basic greetings, “yes”, “no”, basic pronouns and names for everyday objects, numbers, and colors. Sentence construction and conjugation are still a bit hard for her, and she tends to fill in the blanks with Xaelic words when she does no know their Eorzean translation. She will pick up on language rather quickly and take great interest in the art of calligraphy and writing, though she is currently illiterate.
HUNTING. There's no thrill like the thrill of the hunt, and Qarajin's background has made her an adept hunter. PEOPLE WATCHING. Be it on city streets, across the room, or two bar stools away, Jin enjoys leaning about people though good old-fashioned eavesdropping. DRINKING. There's nothing better to unwind like an ale or heady wine, and Jin drinks alot. A GOOD MEAL. Especially steak. Give the girl a meal, and you'll have won over a friend in no time flat. |
SELF-IMPORTANCE. Jin believes there's nothing worse than someone who thinks themselves more valuable than others. BRIGHT LIGHT. Unnaturally bright light, that is. Be it magic or technology, if it hurts her head, she will doubtless complain. BETRAYAL. And who wouldn't? Jin find this to be one of the single most damning things a man or woman can do. QUIET. Quiet means peace to some, but to Jin, it means unrest and unease. TOUCHING HER HORNS/TAIL. Don't touch 'em, or you're liable for an angry Xaela. |
LOYALTY. Once her trust is earned, it not easily lost. RESOLVE. A driving force in desperate times. PERCEPTION. Jin is hawk-eyed from years of stalking wild prey. COMPASSION. A golden heart for all. |
INNOCENT BLOOD. Those that know of the plague that swept her tribe will know her heart is heavy with guilt for the young girls who perished at the mercy of Jin's curse. A MOTHER'S LOVE. Jin's well-respected mother is a hero to her, but hardly the mother she needed during her youth. NAÏVETÉ. Jin's limited knowledge of Eorzea will be her downfall. A CERTAIN RAEN. Jin's walls collapse when Gerhaz is in close range. HEIGHTS. Jin is absolutely terrified of great heights. Often to the point of nausea. |
CURRENT INVENTORY
This is a list of the items that Qarajin currently is keeping on her person. Feel free to use this information if it comes up logically in the course of RP, such as pickpocketing, a search, etc.
Last Updated: DATE.
ITEM: ...
ITEM: ...
ITEM: ...
ITEM: ...
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Voice: Auri Female #10.
Singing Voice Claim: [WWW.URL.COM Link Text].
COMBAT & WEAPONRY
LNC: Qarajin’s main weapon is the halberd or spear, having learned to wield polearms from a young age. That said, the Borlaaq seldom encountered hostiles, and most of her combat experience has come from hunting creatures for pelts and food. She is quite a skilled javelin hurler, and can lethally hit a small target from ~20 yalms (60 meters--Let’s be real here. Those weapons are heavy and the in-game skill doesn’t even have a range that great. Olympic female javelin throwers have reached upwards of 70 meters, so she’s no slouch). Her training has continued with her introduction to Kaim, who has served as her mentor.
PUG: While growing as a huntress honed her polearm affinity, she also learned a small amount of hand-to-hand combat as a part of her training. The occasional breakout of a fight between her tribeswomen also gave rise to the need for an effective, yet non-leathal martial skill.
MRD: Qarajin also has some axe training, which is customary for the protective Matrons to learn while they have the title of Attendent. Since her grooming was cut short, she does not have the same skill with an axe as she does with a polearm.
DRG: She has not yet obtained a soulstone, but she is being trained by a Malaguld Raen summoner named Gyosei who was dragoon years ago.
A spear made of carved wood that was gifted to her when she reached nine winters. It has since been lost on her first assignment from the Adventurers' Guild. (Game Skin: Ox Tongue) |
A halberd given to her by her roommate, Anyah Unsjin, shortly after signing on with the Amatu Trading Guild. (Game Skin: Cobalt Halberd) |
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EXPERIENCE LOG
- Black Morbol (Ongoing - with Keian Geauvaire) : Colbalt Halberd. After having accidentally taken on a hunt that was proving to be far about her abilities, Jin enlisted the help of a Miqo'te Scholar named Keian Geauvaire in order for both to survive and escape the gigantic plant monster ravaging the Tangle outside of Mor Dhona.
- Garlean Camp Guards (Ongoing - with Sydrian Lionheart) : Stolen Garlean Lance Jin spent two days in the Garleans' encampment, locked in a cage while she was starved to break her spirit before being used as a slave laborer or consigned soldier. Two guards intended to make her their toy for a boring guardshift, and were interrupted by the company of Sydrian Lionheart, an anti-Garlean force, who killed the guards and helped Jin escape the camp while it was raided. Sydrian was slain by his own men during the fray, and Jin seeks to bring him back from the dead so that she can fulfill her promise of reward in exchange for her freedom.
BACKSTORY
“Borlaaq: A tribe of all women. While breeding with men from other tribes is allowed, if a male is born into the tribe, he is given up within a year of birth.” - FFXIV Wiki
Qarajin used to lead a life relatively unremarkable to the average Borlaaq woman of her stature. Since her youth, she had been groomed to take a seat of power within the tribe beside her mother, Temujin, as one of the tribes Matrons. She had been trained as a huntress for the tribe and wielded a polearm since her ninth winter, becoming a markedly good hunter through Temujin's guidance and the competitive nature of the Borlaaq tribeswomen. Qarajin herself became quite prideful in her skills, having outmatched most of her peers in her ability to run down even the largest monsters by herself.
But where she pleased Temujin in following her training, Qarajin annoyed her mother greatly in having become an insatiably curious wanderess after years of a strict upbringing. She would slip out of the tribe's seasonal grounds fairly often to spy on neighboring tribes like the Iriq, the Dazkar, and occasionally the more hostile tribes in the area. Having grown up with little to no contact with men, the Iriq tribe interested her in particular, and the thought of one of them being her mother's /rumored son/ especially intrigued her.
She'd only been caught once by a young Iriq man her age, who had been equally curious about the Borlaaq. Enkhaju Iriq was also Borlaaq-born, and had been given up to the Iriq shaman as his adopted son long before he could remember. He knew his mother's name, but not her face, and would sit at the edges of the Borlaaq grounds to look for her. Though both were wary of the other at first, they became fast friends over their common hobby, and shirked their responsibilities together on a regular basis for several passing winters.
Qarajin learned that most Iriq have little love for the Borlaaq, despite their unspoken truce and the continued tradition for the Borlaaq's male offspring to be handed off to the Iriq. The Borlaaq themselves had a certain condescension towards the Iriq that she had been all but unaware of until she began to befriend Enkhaju. Both Qarajin and Enkhaju revealed their apprehension about the longevity of the Borlaaq and Iriq's unsteady relationship, especially in regards to the Borlaaq's increasing self-seclusion. Qarajin tried to explain that a Borlaaq's chief concern was the tribe, but Enkhaju countered, explaining that all of their requests for aid in the past few years had been declined with little to no explanation from the Borlaaq Matrons.
Meanwhile, the rise of the new Garlean emperor and recent destruction of Doma had propagated rumors through the Steppe that Garlemald would soon turn their eyes upon Xaela lands, and the Imperial grip on Othard would only continue to tighten until all Xaela had been slain or "recruited". When an Imperial airship touched down not far from their hideaway, Qarajin wanted to spy on them to confirm these rumors. Despite his warnings not to, she headed off to find the landing site and Enkhaju followed reluctantly, ready to use what magic he knew in case of the worst.
Keen as her senses were, Qarajin had little experience in true covert maneuvers, and even less so against trained military personnel. She had moved in too close too quickly, and realized it all too late as Garlean scouts made their approach towards her ill-chosen hiding place among rock formations that commonly dotted the southern part of the Steppe. She stood to run before they got too close, but a Sagittarius had anticipated her and readied to fire. Enkhaju reacted quickly, running forward to cast a simple but effective protection spell that shielded her from the oncoming arrow and knocked it off course. In doing so, he drew attention to himself. The Sagittarius was quick to put another arrow to his bowstring, this one aimed for the Iriq.
Qarajin was powerless to protect her friend from the arrow that pierced his neck and felled him, but as fate would have it, they were not the only ones who had witnessed the airship’s landing. Iriq warriors charged past them to intercept the small scouting party. The Garleans were overwhelmed and quickly put down, but Enkhaju had already passed to the dismay of Qarajin and his tribemates there to witness his fall. Devastated and shaking still, Qarajin was brought back to the Iriq tribe with the warriors, her friend’s body carried with them so that they might give him his last rites.
Among those that came to meet them was the Iriq shaman, Enkhaju’s adoptive father and mentor, who had cared for him since he was brought to the village. The warriors bid Qarajin retell why the shaman’s son lie dead, and so distraught was he to learn of her overconfident behavior that he brandished his staff at her, weaving a powerful magic as he summoned a white light to him. Words uttered, dark and thunderous, spoke:
The summoned light coiled and struck out at Qarajin like a snake, striking her eye and blinding her temporarily as she cried out and covered her face. She knew then that she had been given a ‘vash’ti saa’--a curse mark. The shaman ordered her to be brought back to the Borlaaq tribe as she fought the burning in her eye and struggled against the Iriq warriors who had escorted her all the way to the Matrons’ yurt, where the nine women took Qarajin and dismissed their visitors.
Deeply saddened and now bearing a mark of shame, Qarajin briefed her leaders on what had taken place. While the Borlaaq did not normally take stock in threats, they were highly superstitious. All nine Matrons, including her mother, Temujin, agreed that keeping her in the tribe was too great a risk, and that if she was not exiled, her name would become a weapon used to turn Borlaaq against Borlaaq. They advised her to seek passage to Eorzea, where the Empire’s claws had not yet completely sunk, and find a way to break her curse. Until then, she would be banned from her tribe.
RECENT HISTORY
02/??/16 - First steps on Eorzean soil.
02/??/16 - Recruited for the failed mission to Castrum Occidens, where she meets and subsequently loses her first Eorzean friend, R'dema. Story
03/??/16 - Began taking jobs for the Adventuers' Guild under a false name, such as retrieving venom from the cobras native to the Silvertear Falls shores and hunting things that art are waaay out of her league. Story
05/14/16 - Joined the Amatu Trading Guild. (And gets really drunk.) Story
08/07/16 - Taken in as the second student by Gyosei Malaguld for Dragoon training.
08/12/16 - Captured by Garleans and rescued by Sydrian Lionheart, who was slain during the fighting.
THE CURSED NAME
In simpler terms, if one hears the name "Qarajin" name spoken aloud, they will die of mysterious circumstances at the new moon.
In Xaela mythology there is a strong spiritual connection between one's name, and one's aether. When one calls a name, it is not the body they summon, but the soul inhabiting it, making the call of a name a sort 'pull' to another person through the universal aether, or the Lifestream. We feel this pull in the form of words spoken, a touch, be it kind or ungentle, in meaningful glances, and even in the subtler senses. The ringing of one's ears, or the inexplicable tingle when one simply knows they are being watched. It is this pull and flow that the Xaela shamans dedicate their lives to studying and observing.
Knowing this, the Iriq shaman cursed her name, but did not curse the name itself. Only when used in reference to Qarajin herself will the curse take a new victim, meaning that others that happen to bear the name Qarajin will not doom those they meet--only Qarajin of the Borlaaq tribe will. Oft has it been questioned why doesn't simply go by a nickname, and the answer is simple Xaela superstition. Qarajin and the Borlaaq Matrons fear that even invoking part of he cursed name will bring the curse down on someone, and have no intention of testing this theory. Also worth of query is the Borlaaq shaman herself, and why she does not aid Qarajin. It is beyond her power to mend a curse that has affected someone's very aether. While she may heal physical wounds and summon the elements on her command, she cannot purify a malignancy in the very soul. It is not unlike a sickness that afflicts not the body, but the aether that sustains it.
This illness of the soul has a physical manifestation in the form of Qarajin's now-white left eye. This curse mark is called a 'vash'ti saa' in Xaelic, and is not unlike a certain Midlander and a certain Miqo'te in the Main Story whose eyes became devoid of color after their travels through the Lifestream.
THE MOON DARKENS
Qarajin has accidentally slipped and told you her true name, dooming you to death by the next new moon. What should you expect?
Well, that's mostly up to you! In the interest of keeping things interesting and creative, I have left the "effects" of the curse fairly loose. Those more sensitive to the ebb and flow of aether, namely Disciples of Magic, will almost certainly feel an unending sense of dread and paranoia as their soul is called back to the Aetherial Sea prematurely. They may also begin to feel their grasp on the control of aether and the elements slip as the moon wanes. Disciples of War may begin to lose their ability to channel their aether. Focusing will be increasingly difficult and their endurance will quickly suffer. Anyone affected by the curse may feel faint, sickly, and frail as the last few days approach, and be near unable to keep themselves standing without assistance until they finally collapse, and their aether is ultimately called back to the aetherial sea.
CURSE BREAKER
That's another open-ended question, meant to make stories more interesting! You can get your character out of it in any way that seems fitting to you! Aether/magic shenanigans? Perfect. Deals with voidsent? Works for me! Maybe your character doesn't survive, and is brought back somehow. It's all up to how you want to play it. I prefer to discuss it beforehand, that was everything makes sense while the story goes on!
RELATIONSHIPS
| ♥ Romantic Attraction – ♥ Physical Attraction – ♥ Platonic Love – $ Business – ❖ Deceased – ✔ Positive – ✖ Negative – ● Neutral – 🔃 Unsure – 🔒 Trust |
FAMILY & TRIBE
These are mostly backstory-related relationships.
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NON-FAMILY
Listed here are the non-family characters, both PC and NPC, that Qarajin has interacted with enough or in such a way for HER to form a real opinion about them. Please don't take personal offense if your character isn't listed here, or how the interaction or relationship is described. It isn't that I dislike your character or our RP. I just tend to only add these as necessary for those who make a real impact on Qarajin, and descriptions are purely based upon in character experiences and opinions!
Last Update... 08/14/16
* An asterisks denotes that Qarajin doesn't know the individual's true name.
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RUMORS
- "She looks innocent enough. Naught but a small-time lancer in search of a decent wage, I reckon. Didn't seem to understand a damned thing she was asked, though." -- Quicksand Regular.
- "She takes a stroll 'round the Goblet every day. Seems quite content to be alone." -- Kindly Ul'Dahn Neighbor.
- "I seen her around often of late. Always snatchin' up the odd hunting jobs like she lives off 'em. Mayhap she does." -- Seventh Heaven Regular.
- "She was part of that mission what failed to infiltrate the Castrum jus' tah the northeast. Not many survived that ordeal, the way I hear it." -- Wineport Vinyeard Gardener.
- "That Xaela gal comes around to drink a pint at the Flying Shark fairly often since Gerhaz worked some magic on her shoulder a time ago. I think she's sweet on him. Poor gal ain't the only one..." -- Costa Del Sol Dancer.
- "She gave me a Miqo'te name when I asked... I'm not sure if she's confused, or if I should be calling the Brass Blades to have her arrested for murder and identity theft." -- Adventurers' Guild Clerk.
- "She's cursed. I overhead her talking about it to some other Xaela. Her name inn't R'dema either." -- Xaelic Translator and Ul'dahn Resident.
- "I knew her. I cannot speak her true name for fear of what strange death it may bring. She is banished for this curse."-- Xaela Immigrant.
- (Insert rumor here.) -- Rumor Author / Location
- (If you add a player rumor, please first copy and paste the above line of code to leave behind for the next person! Thanks!)
SCREENSHOTS
ARTWORK
You are not permitted to re-use this artwork for your own characters or purposes, whether on Final Fantasy XIV or on other games, forums, etc.
ROLEPLAY HOOKS
Here's a few plot hooks that are sure to start an interesting tale between Jin and your character! These are just suggestions, and I'm always open to more. Please suggest away!
- The Odd Job: Jin will accept most jobs--more fun if they go awry somehow!
- Tribal Relations: Are you a Borlaaq? You likely know Jin. Are you an Iriq? Now you have a reason not to like her. Are you a Dorthal with something to prove? Let's duke it out.
- You Look Like Your Mother: Father? Is that you? Or perhaps one of Mother's many 'friends'?
- Cursebreaker: Adept mages or Xaela shamans might be able to help Jin break the curse on her name.
- Employed: Are you looking for a greenhorn lancer to do your dirty work? Look no further!
ABOUT THE PLAYER
World: Balmung
Timezone: Central Standard Time (-6:00 UST)
Active Hours: Usually around 6pm-11pm CST (12am-5am Server Time) on weekdays. All day 8AM-11pm CST on most weekends.
Offline RP: Yes! There are a number of avenues I use, so just ask me!
Joined: December, 2015 (Still a nub. orz)
Qarajin is not meant to be a romantic character. I'm sorry if this is a disappointment, but I have her set up for a loving life with my real life boyfriend's character, Gerhaz. <3
Please correct me if my lore is wrong. I'm still relatively new to FFXIV
Ask about plot ideas! Planning an RP isn't ruining the surprise, it's just a setup! If you want to try something, let me know!
Real life comes first. This goes without saying, but if I am tied up in real life, I apologize! I will put my real life before my RP life.
It's supposed to be fun! I don't care how outlandish a story or character is as long as it works within the FFXIV universe. Making it believable is half the fun.
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GUIDELINES
I'm a pretty lax RPer and most things will fly, especially if the details are talked out beforehand. That said, there are a few things that I will absolutely not do or tolerate:
Play a Romance/ERP. As I stated before, Jin is not a romantic/erotic character. Arguing this point will not get you anything. Please understand and respect that.
Tolerate Meta/God Mode It's one thing if we agreed to an event happening to my/your character, but it's even better to give me the chance to dodge an attack or take the hit. If it really needs to be debated, we can always roll for it, but talking it out is preferred.
Tolerate Rude OOC Behavior If you don't like my character, don't like where the plot is going, or don't like me as an RPer, just say so and drop the story. It'll suck, but I'll live. Don't waste either of our time arguing.
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Be open to suggestions. Just ask OOC! Even mind control, drugging, and capture aren't out of bounds as long as they are discussed beforehand and will not be ERP devices. Using Fantasias for special events isn't out of the realm of possibility either!
Respond to you eventually. Chances are that if I haven't talked to you in a while, it's just because I need to be reminded, or because I'm too nervous to approach people first (this happens a lot--I worry that I'm annoying). Just message or /tell and let me respond in turn.
Try to contribute to your character's development as well! It takes two to RP and it wouldn't be fun if only one person's character was growing and changing. I'll read all the profile you can throw at me. I care about your precious OC/NPC bby too.
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OTHER LINKS
Tumblr Qarajin on Tumblr.
Lodestone Qarajin Borlaaq.
