Xhosa Tauzeh

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Ul'dah-transparent.png Xhosa Tauzeh
Xhoprofile.png
"This is my dream."
The Dreamer
Gender Female
Race Miqo'te
Clan Keeper of the Moon
Citizenship Ul'dah
Religion Menphina, the Lover
Age 29
Nameday 10th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon, 1552
Height/Weight 4 fulms 9 ilms, 109 ponz
Occupation Master Alchemist, Advanced Arcanist
Server Balmung

Xhosa Tauzeh is easily summarized as a paragon of eloquence and courtesy. Tactful and genuine, this miqo'te is perpetually poised regardless of her environment, never raising so much as her voice out of temper. For all appearances, one who does not know her might assume she is of some more pristine background based only on her manner of conduct. This, however, cannot be further from the truth.

ASSUMED DECEASED


Character

General


Given Name: Xhosa Tauzeh [Shay-oh-sah|Ta-oo-zeh]: She often refers to herself as 'Xhosa Tau'; dropping the last syllable of her surname to reflect the disconnect she maintains with her roots.

Aliases/Nicknames: Ashling [Ash-ling]: The name used during her extended period of time as a courtesan. 'Ash' refers to her grey skintone, while 'ling' was affixed as a sort of ironic endearment.

Hydrangea [Hai-drayn-gee-ah]: The stagename she used after founding and operating L'Atelier des Fleurs, an entertainment troupe in Thanalan. This name is no longer used.

Current Residence: None

Marital Status: Single

Sexuality: Pansexual (Discriminates based on an individual's personality rather than gender or race.)

Religion: A devout follower of Menphina the Lover

Appearance

(Merchant Garb)
Height: 4 fulms, 9 ilms - petite in her own tribe as a child, her premature physical maturity led to a somewhat stunted stature.

Weight: 109 ponz - a relatively voluptuous figure that has lost a bit of its excess fat in favor of underlying muscle.

Body: Her diminutive stature is the thing many might notice first about Xhosa. She stands only a foot and a half taller than the tallest Lalafell, her height restricted during her growth by the premature blossoming of her body. Life as a trained courtesan was 'kind' to this miqo'te's overall physique. While her neck and limbs retain the length and grace of her family, easy living and unprocessed hereditary traits have rendered her body supple.
An ample bosom and a plush posterior are key traits, but there is a noticeable amount of excess meat around the shoulders, thighs, and waist for this miqo'te. A naturally long abdomen provides something of a saving grace, reducing what might have been rolls of fat from the midsection and creating a more traditional wasp waist. Learned in the arts of entertaining and most importantly the traditional dances popular amongst the Ul'dahn people, Xhosa boasted muscle in the arms, shoulders, midsection, and legs beneath the curves, rendering her much hardier compared to true noblewomen with similar body types. In recent moons, taking up a physical discipline and its training has reduced some of the excess fat in exchange for muscle concentrated in core and limbs.
The miqo'te's tail and ears are particularly expressive, in stark contrast to her face and body language. Often the three extremities are in motion, flicking, twitching, or turning at the first sign of change in her environment or to reflect the her emotional state.

Complexion: The Keeper's unique coloration earned her the the moniker 'Ashling' when she concluded her 'official' training at the age of twelve cycles. The creamy grey skin is cool to the eye and, thus, surprisingly warm to the touch. The palette itself is silken and unmarred save for no small number of cosmetic and congenital patterns, tattoos, paints, and a single beauty mark beneath her left eye.
Xhosa's interest in salves and balms amongst other things have led her to creating any number of natural skin and hair care solutions. While these are used to keep her skin soft, they are also scented-- enhancing her sweet but not cloying jasmine and lavender aroma so that it can be detected by even the weaker olfactory senses while not being off-putting to her kin.

  • 'Birthmarks': One on each side of the forehead (white-grey), two on each cheek (white-grey), beauty mark beneath the left eye.
  • 'Tattoos': One tear-drop shaped mark in the center of the forehead (black), tattooed eyeliner (black), geometric runes that range from the arms to the legs, traversing over the back and from collarbone to pelvis. These are often indiscernible unless they are activated.
  • 'Facial Paint': Lips (commonly blue), eyelids (commonly white).

Face: Like her body, this miqo'te's face leans towards plump rather than angular. Heart-shaped with naturally high cheekbones, what might have been finely sculpted angles have been made round with careful feeding and skin conditioning. Hers is not unlovely by any means, her coloration, birth markings, and cosmetic alterations largely seen as exotic, especially around Thanalan. Large, almond-shaped pools fringed with deep blue lashes are perpetually half-lidded when the woman is comfortable. Naturally, her left is a deep cobalt blue, the right a pale shimmering silver due to a relatively rare strain of heterochromia within her pure Keeper bloodline; in recent times, however, she has imbibed an elixir that transmuted her eyes a deep crimson hue. This is purely for aesthetics and the previous side-effect of deceased vision has since been corrected. Her slender eyebrows help to relay her sometimes muted facial expressions, thin and well-manicured above her eyes.
Cheeks naturally flushed with vitality are round enough to draw the eye but not so cherubic as to make her child-like. Her lips are full, her cupid's bow pronounced, and often the broad petals are well glossed a deep navy blue or black to draw attention while she is speaking. Altogether hers is an elegant visage, somewhere between maternal and sultry and very rarely, if ever, contorted in rage.
Like many of her kind, Xhosa sports elongated canines and very white teeth. Unlike many of her kind she goes to lengths to keep the contortion of her lips reserved at any given time to hide the fangs. Not since her childhood has this miqo'te ever bared her teeth out of aggression or fear, preferring to ignore their existence whenever possible.

Hair: Like her skin, her hair is meticulously well maintained. Grown out again and originally coarse, years of thorough brushing and conditioning have left her tresses silken and unable to hold even the hint of a curl in spite of the tightest knots or braids. The color of her natural hair from a distance is what drew the attention of her kidnappers and subsequent 'madame'. Her hair is a midnight blue, nearly black except in direct light-- but a severe case of poliosis previously rendered the forelock a vivid, snowy white from birth.
Specific concoctions of dyes made from different pigments and blended in oil is often used to perfectly recolor hair and fur. Many might notice she frequently changes the color and style of her hair, a preference given her interest in aesthetics and alchemy.

Fashion: After purchasing her own freedom then spending some time working with her previous clients for ungarnished profit, Xhosa has forgone many of the more revealing articles of clothing she had become used to in favor of a slightly more conservative style. While any embarrassment of her nude body has been eradicated over her lifetime, her preference for the more concealing articles of clothing is undeniably tied to her history as a glorified call-girl. In her mind, respectable individuals conceal their bodies in public.
While she does prefer her blouses and robes to be fitted in the bodice, long, heavy sleeves and high collars are her favored part of any good garment. Softer, lighter fabrics such as linen or silk are often worn and very rarely does she don garments with boning to alter her shape. As the petite female rarely initiates skin to skin contact for personal reasons, she favors gloves in public, often made of leather to fit her delicate hands. Likewise, she wears soft-soled boots more often than not, foregoing heels except in situations that require them. While her clothes may be heavily embroidered and rich to the eye, garments are always undeniably comfortable to her.
Earrings and intricate neck-pieces are articles that she is rarely seen without. A single, elegant white-gold collar outfitted with a beautiful blue gem acts as the symbol of her engagement with Jael'li. Likewise, permanent white-gold clasps crafted to match her hair clasp can always be found on either of her slender ears. Always, she wears a heavy cuff of some sort about three-quarters of the way down her luxurious tail. This aides in refining her balance; a familiar weight that she has grown accustomed to over many cycles.
Aside from these, Xhosa will wear the occasional fine chain or earring, carefully matching each article to her choice of dress for any given evening.
Recently: Xhosa looks a touch thinner than she did before, worn and exhausted as though she has suffered enough that even her glamours cannot wholly conceal the worst of it.

Behavior

Voice: Her voice is easily a smooth contralto, both when speaking or singing. Luxurious and deep, there is a perpetual lilt to her speaking that has a tendency to disarm others the longer a conversation goes on. Even while involved in a rather uncouth conversation, her words are melodious in nature, tending to gild even the harshest insults. While her dancing is by no means particularly superb, her singing on the other hand can be rather difficult to ignore. Vocalizing without lyrics is her specialty, though she does have a repetoire of poetic songs at her disposal. It is easy for her, in singing, to relay a certain feeling, whether warming or somber, to an audience. Similarly, in speaking, she has very little difficulty giving her words more impact with her careful selection of tone rather than volume.

Demeanor: The Keeper is a soft-spoken but confident individual. The same air of composure that she carries herself with permeates her being to as near the core as possible without rendering her entirely stoic. Her expressions are muted as well as her immediate body language, giving the impression of almost flawless calm.
While she has been confused in the past as coming from some adoptive noble bearing or perhaps some particularly cultured Keeper tribe, Xhosa is neither. She is merely adaptive, always listening closely to the tones and watching the body language of others and changing what she can to afflict her immediate company with a sense of peace.
As many other Keepers, Xhosa has something of a reticent nature, often not truly showing what, if anything, she is truly feeling within the recesses of her mind. Many are lulled into a sense of security and acceptance with the female, no small part of this played by her lack of emotional investment in petty ordeals, derisive gossip, or rivalries. The warmth in her voice and the lack of patronizing behavior helps to relay her otherwise genuine nature. Very rarely has the woman resorted to manipulation or excessive flattery to twist another's opinion of her in her favor. Ever tactful, she retains her own integrity by investing very little personal desire in others, always keeping them at arms' length and avoiding betraying her acquaintances by almost any means.

Quirks: Aside from the rather expressive nature of her ears and tail, Xhosa has very few noteworthy quirks. One is that she enjoys exercising her senses, particularly her keen sense of smell. Sweet and salty smells are her favorites, though even sour and pungently spicy odors can draw her attention for some time. In situations where curious smells are present, she tends to adopt a curious expression, flaring her nostrils as she works to identify the source and cause. Spice stalls, perfume shops, and botanist vendors are often frequented by the woman and one of her absolute favorite gifts is something with a lovely scent.
Another easily noticed quirk is that she has a deeply rooted affection for fatty foods and drinks. Her primary is heavy cream, sour or sweet, which she can drink almost unnatural quantities of over a long sitting, especially when particular types of floral tea are present. The level of richness her body has been trained to tolerate might render any healthy individual sick to their stomach. Cakes, fatty meats, or even less elegant meat pies and sausages are foods she seeks out when hungry and she makes little effort to hide the amounts she eats.
Only her dainty conduct when presented with food can give the impression that the miqo'te does not eat much-- but simply by paying attention to how thoroughly the woman will clean two or three plates in a single sitting will one notice that she has something of an eating disorder. The cause for this quirk began when she was young, in order to combat her naturally high metabolism. Even now, if Xhosa were to go more than a few suns without eating, her body would become substantially leaner with very little effort otherwise.
Always, Xhosa has a habit of smelling boughten drinks and foods before drinking, and more often than not, adding any number of drops from the assorted bottles she carries before ingesting them.
The miqo'te's final oddity is her aversion to some other miqo'te, specifically male Seekers of the Sun and other female Keepers. While she has never expressed her reasoning and does not show much sign of discomfort save for her furry appendages becoming suddenly inanimate, clearly Xhosa has some reservations about these individuals.

Intelligence: This miqo'te is well-educated by most standards, though she no where near approaches the level of intelligence of some of the more proficient scholars. Xhosa concentrates on her knowledge and experience with people, and to some lesser extent, animals most times. Her ability to weave herself through virtually any social setting without upsetting the waters is well-honed, giving her all the necessary skills of a fine diplomat and certainly fulfilling all the necessary bartering skills of a business woman in Ul'dah. A life spent toying with numbers in her mind has revealed its use in her innate understanding of arcanima. Practically, her ability to manipulate the arcane has advanced almost absurdly in a short period of time.
Blending geometric catalysts with her extensive knowledge of alchemy and potion (or poison) craft, has offered her many new concoctions with much more concentrated results. While she is far more invested in brewing, transmutation has become a new area of interest for her as well as permanent amplification and alteration by use of permanent catalysts.
Similarly, her knowledge of plants is fairly extensive, though not complete by any means. Always she is interested to hear from other alchemists and botanists about plants she has encountered several times, learning new uses for the same types of vegetation she is well acquainted with. Her passion for flora is rivaled only by her love for creating different elixirs and brews, even poisons, especially for use by those who still work as prostitutes and courtesans.

Romance/Religion: Xhosa's views on romance and her religious philosophies are deeply entwined. Though she was raised without any particular focus on her patron goddess, during her cycles she has done her own research and adopted her own individual view of how to worship the Lover. To her, physical acts and love are not mutually exclusive; likewise, romantic love and platonic love rarely ever overlap. Perhaps due to the need for some psychological coping stratagem for her prior work, she feels that the use of her body to prove her love for someone is superfluous. Love for friends or family, for those who have such luxuries, can be divided among any number of individuals and grow into something inspiring and strong. But the true love of one's soul is one decided before birth, one that is vastly different. There can be many instances where one feels indebted or physically attracted to someone who is not their soul mate but Xhosa feels that such relationships inevitably crumble with time. She once stated that she has never fallen in love with another, nor has she ever loved another as a friend. Finally, both these disheartening circumstances have changed, broadening her view of love in its different facets.

Talents

General

Skills: One of 'Ashling's primary skills is her olfactory sense in conjunction with her familiarity with a wide range of plant oils and toxins. While these same skills make her a formidable creator of scents, she is also an able short-range tracker and poison-identifier. Though there are several dangerous extracts from nature that lack detectable odors, those that do she can commonly recognize. While she might note distant smoke or even be able to catalog the individual musk of different acquaintances even beneath strong artificial aromas, he abilities are perhaps just beneath those of a true beast. While she plays at being able to 'smell' fear or lust, Xhosa is incapable of these feats.

Business: Despite her previous occupation as a successful courtesan, the Keeper has a strict stance against using sexuality to her advantage against individuals of the opposite, or even same, sex. Although she has a tendency to remain gracious in the face of the most persistent individuals, she will almost always turn down their more base proposals.
After a relapse into her work as a courtesan for her own safety following her release from 'captivity', Xhosa made an effort to join the EFTC (Eorzean Free Trading Company). That effort having gone awry, she, instead, invested her inheritance from Albine of L'Atelier de Albine and her accrued funds into a new business bearing the likewise inherited name of the private group she was once involved in. L'Atelier des Fleurs was a personal project for her, in which many of her new acquaintances are employed or contracted through. Since, she has donated this to Paradyme Capellago, a Midlander whom she feels some maternal favor towards.
Previously, Xhosa reaped a profit from her other investments while she pursued alchemical and arcane research. Her time with the Vylbrand Academy was short-lived and rarely recalled; shortly after her separation with Jael'li Erisha'an, she had been rumored to have returned yet again to her life as a courtesan. During that period, she disappeared completely, only to return more than half a year later in a much more grave state than she had been before. Her current occupation outside freelance alchemy is unknown, as is her place of residence.

Combat/Magical Proficiency: Before, the Keeper never had a reason to learn combat as she often hired security to protect her. With a mate that lived and breathed martial arts, Xhosa has surrendered herself to an interest to improve her physical condition and learn self-defense. Despite their separation, she maintains her practice. Her style is fluid, an art that manipulates the momentum of others while offering few committed attacks. With little desire for blood lust, she has a hard time going on the offensive, and treats her own efforts as more of a discipline-building exercise than a true method of self-defense. She often relies on clawed gauntlets or karambit.
Her ability to run short distances at a decent speed is easily overshadowed by the feats of stamina and speed many of miqo'te are capable of. Her vision in direct or bright light is weak while her night vision might be an onz keener than the average Midlander, it is not superior by any means.
After taking up self-defense in the physical sense, the Keeper has also begun to involve herself in arcanist-work to a lesser extent. This began for multiple reasons, all of which aimed to improve her lifestyle either by offering forms of healing to her paid protectors or employees when necessary or by further imbuing any and all of her alchemic concoctions. Her knowledge is constantly deepening at a rapid pace, the promises of knowledge and new arts to be created a fearsome addiction in her. Simulating spells from other schools of magic, enhancing or altering the physical body through permanent geometric catalysts, and her research into her theory of aetheric resonance virtually dominate her attention.


Tendencies

Likes

Aromas
Plants
Jewelry
Sweets/Fatty Foods
Psychology
Alchemy
Arcanima (Practical and Theory)
Teas

Dislikes

Nunhs
Rudeness
Paranoia (Recently discovered)
Vegetables
Excessive Exercise (Though she will do it)

Hobbies/Talents

Singing (Contralto)
Dancing (Belly-dancing)
Painting (Body-paint as well as canvas work)
Diplomacy (Languages included)
Alchemy (Master Brewer/Intermediate Transmuter)
Martial Combat (Unarmed/Blades/Claws)
Arcanima (Spell casting/Healing)


Other

Favourite Food/Drink: Honey Berry Milk-Cake/Sweetened Heavy Cream or Sweet Thanalan Tea
Favourite Creatures: Mandragoria
Least Favourite Food: Vegetables
Least Favourite Creature: Opo-opo


Relationships

Family

Her origins are mostly unknown to her. While she retained the knowledge of her own name after being abducted around her fifth namesday, the names of the rest of her family has been worn from her mind over the cycles. Devoid of any desire to connect to her birthright or discover familial ties lost, Xhosa considers herself to be a sole and prospective matriarch of sorts, able to take on whomever she would like as a mate without concerns about establishing a good reputation or 'territory' to speak of.


Player Character Standings


Romantic Interest     Sexual Desire     Platonic/Familial Love      Good Standing     Neutral Standing     Poor Standing


(Xhosa and Jael'li)


Jael'li Erisha'an: Xhosa's previous mate. She has lost contact with him and does not ask after him; implying that the end of their relationship may have been a difficult one.


Zenzi Vela: The Madam-Director of the Eorzean Free Trading Company with whom Xhosa is now close friendsp. Over their time together, the Keeper has give in to maternal and, more, matriarchal instincts to shepherd the older woman through her insecurities. In doing this, there has been no small amount of doubt and suspicion in the opinions of others, but the Keeper keeps on with the intent of seeing the other miqo'te flourish from her introverted, stern personality into something more confident and beautiful.


D'arca Ovraen: A male Seeker for whom Xhosa oddly feels no discomfort. This may likely be related to his manicured charisma and social etiquette; traits she finds rare in the males she's met from the Seeker clan, but which are otherwise also difficult to find even in other races outside her profession. While she enjoyed talking to him and still has a fair opinion of him, she does not seek him out. If asked, she explains that she imagines he is quite busy.


Warren Castille: A Highlander Hyur whom Xhosa feels some strong platonic attachment towards. Over the course of their still budding friendship, she has witnessed the man go through many trials. She seeks to offer comfort, concerned over how he feels the Lover and the Wanderer may have forsaken him. His willingness to endure pain and hardship is something she hopes to see him temper down, but until then, she is compelled to guide him towards faith in those two deities if nothing else. She has not spoken to him in nearly a season.


Ha'uruh Nunh: Another young Seeker male towards whom Xhosa feels no strong discomfort. She considers him stubborn, so much so that his chivalrous nature drives him to self-harm. Her concern for him is immense, compounded by Warren's attachment and feelings for the young miqo'te. While they both often praise her and at least in jest it has been implied by spectators that Howl may have some romantic interest in her, the Keeper seems disinclined to truly inquire into the matter, writing it off as misinterpreted youthful enthusiasm. She has not spoken with him in nearly a season.


Renae Lecuyer: Xhosa's live-in assistant and close friend. The woman was somewhat abrasive upon first meeting, though over time through a nurtured friendship and trust, the two have grown close. Renae knows a great many of Xhosa's secrets and remains a close confidant. In turn, Xhosa strives to help her in all ways, not the least of which, by supplying her with a steady income and a home to stay in.


Haru Qwey: A Keeper of the Moon female who showed great desire to become close friends with Xhosa. While they did come close to a close, sisterly bond, being beaten twice by Haru and seeing her conduct before around her mate has left the aspiring matriarch with an unshakably bitter taste. She loves her still, though for now she is allowing her instinctive rage at being beaten die to embers before approaching her again.


Verad Bellveil: A charismatic merchant who distributes dubious goods. The Keeper met him in Ul'dah where he presented his usual sales pitch. Impressed by his straightforward and honest approach to business, she bought his inventory of burned books for use, and since, has invested a steady amount in whatever stock he can procure that is worth the gil she mails. She trusts him in business and while she feels some desire to ease his financial debt, his resolute stance on repaying what he owes on his own is one of many things she appreciates about him. His willingness to listen to her ramble about aetheric theory is another likable quality.





History

Past


While Xhosa remembers very little by way of names from her childhood, she does know that she was raised by her parents in the Shroud. While two of her maternal aunts, one quite young, the other with child, also lived in their home she has so little recollection of them that she cannot even recall their distinguishing characteristics. Her father was a feminine, beautiful man who remained in their home to take care of their children while his mate and her sisters acted as poachers both for profit and for food. While they had been 'burdened' with two young sons before whom his mate had taken a great fondness to, Xhosa's father had eyes only for her soon after her birth.

One of her few recollections of him besides his dusky-grey face, heart-shaped and framed with short, midnight blue hair, is his scent. Jasmines and warm spices followed her father where ever he wandered, never far from their small hut nestled in the forest. Only once did he make the mistake of removing Xhosa from the sling in which he carried her, setting her on the grass to play while he collected herbs for their pre-morning meal. Unbeknownst to him, he had caught the eye of what appeared to be traveling merchants while passing through Bentbranch Meadows, both Dunesfolk lalafell hailing from Ul'dah. They followed him for quite some distance from the community, unerring in their patience. Once he was thoroughly consumed by his work and his young daughter had strayed to the very edge of the clearing, the pair launched into action.

Snatching the girl so quickly that her father heard only one cry, they set out at a remarkable pace. Distraught, the male Keeper gave chase, managing to follow for perhaps a quarter bell before the swift kidnappers eluded him. For moons he and his family searched every nook and cranny of the forests and even strayed to the very outskirts of Gridania where they knew they would not be welcomed. To this day, unbeknownst to her, Xhosa's father mourns for her, refusing to give his mate another child until his kit is found.

The Dunesfolk pair, notorious kidnappers in the employ of slavers, managed to carry the kit an outstanding distance from her home despite her struggles. While they had no intention of inflicting harm on her to silence her fearful wailing, they did cover her mouth and nose with a sweet-smelling rag, saturated in a substance much like chloroform. When she awoke the next sun, they had already taken her as far as Thanalan, and some time after that, she was brought directly to Ul'dah. After a thorough scrubbing and redressing, the young Keeper spent a single night with a number of other young children being looked over by strangers, most of whom were unusually well-dressed women. One particularly lovely individual strayed back to her, time and again, looking her over and feeling her hair and skin. Inspecting her in turn, the young girl noted that she was am Elezen, finding later that she was, in fact, of Wildwood stock rather than Duskwight. This potential, and in fact final, buyer was tall and slender, covered from brow to foot in the palest ivory skin Xhosa had or would even know. Long, snow white tresses were loosely wound, fastened with all manner of decorative pins and combs. Lovely as she was, with lips and eyes pained a deep crimson to contrast her naturally pale colors, Albine, as the Elezen was known, was a distant business woman. Never did she invest emotionally in the few young girls she purchased, nor did she waste much time with praise.

Madame Albine had been a courtesan herself, freed by her own coin and working privately to make a profit off other unfortunate women from similar backgrounds. Her skills were traditional for the region and the madame, herself, was almost supernaturally methodical in her tutoring. From the age of five to her twelfth namesday, Xhosa, renamed 'Ashling', was not even seen by a potential client while she trained, singing daily, being brushed and perfumed. She spent most of the time learning to read and write then pouring over manuals that related to the mannerisms of individuals from different races. After learning her natural singing ability, it was by Albine's direction that her focus remained on that skill though she was taught many of the local dances, stories, and musical instruments. Two years were spent merely in the company of the younger clients of Albine's other 'projects' following them while they went about their daily lives to watch their interactions. Throughout the developmental process, the slender, light-boned miqo'te was weaned onto eating outrageously rich foods in large quantities. At first the change to pastries and dairy products from fish and lean meat made the child violently ill. Over time, however, she was conditioned to not only eat but enjoy such good, periodically starved to add a psychological attachment to eating. The sheer quantity of her diet managed to combat her naturally high metabolism, softening and plumping her body over the cycles. Still, she eats much the same way, either unwilling or unable to transfer to a healthier eating schedule and still she keeps her curvaceous form.

After she reached maturity, Xhosa began the life of a professional courtesan, available only to individuals who had both the means to afford her and the social connections to even know of Madame Albine's select group of girls. If asked, she will plainly state that in truth, much of her time with clients was spent rubbing knots from muscles, feeding or emotionally soothing an individual, or simply sitting by as an attractive conversation piece. Around the age of fifteen she had her first 'true' client, a middle-aged Midlander by the name of Rhysen Fairwater, seeing her at least twice every moon for a decade. In the extent of her life she has had no more than fifty different clients, which compared to those working in a brothel is widely considered to be a ridiculously small number. Repeat customers, of which perhaps three quarters of her whole clientele body consisted of, earned her madame a sizable fortune. The Keeper received gifts of clothing or jewelry and large sums of coin herself from those men and women who particularly favored her. Enough that, with much planning and frugal spending, that on her twenty-first namesday, a year after the Calamity (which she survived wholly intact if not a bit more emotionally stable for not having lost any loved ones she was aware of), she purchased her own freedom with the amount she'd accrued in addition to a bit of pressure from one of her closest friends and clients, Rhysen. Once free, she lived with him for a time, carefully hidden from his many employees, and to this day Xhosa is unsure of what his line of business was.

Current



Free from Albine's harsh schedules, the miqo'te courtesan changed her routine to one more natural, sleeping largely during the day and waking up only after the sun had begun to set. Despite how many clients this might have lost her, in a short time Xhosa managed to afford a rather rich apartment for herself, taking advantage of the lower costs following the lingering aftermath of the Calamity. In four cycles she accumulated enough ungarnished profit to live comfortably into old age. While she saw no cause to celebrate, Rhysen insisted that it was mandatory and pushed aside his schedule for the rest of the evening. While they were sharing a pre-dawn meal, the Midlander broke out into a fit of spasms, virtually foaming at the mouth. Though she left him long enough to search for any of his staff, his home was suspiciously empty. By the time she'd returned to check on him, the man locked his jaw on his own tongue. This, she stated to the officials who arrived, was not the cause of his death. It must have been some form of poison, though she could not identify what. The 'investigators' as they called themselves did not even bother holding her as a suspect-- so quickly did they lose interest in the death in the suns following that Xhosa felt certain they must have been bought off. Nevertheless, she went on with her life without shedding a tear, making no effort to discover the true culprit.

Instead, the Keeper turned as far from that world as she possibly could despite the fortune such a lifestyle promised her for yet some length of time. In the past two or three moons Xhosa has purchased all of the proper documentation required to peddle her wares in the city, though often this is done from her own home. Her attempts to break relations with her clients were met with mixed responses. Some were glad to see her risen above her previous status. Others were disappointed when she made it clear she would not be accepting any further approaches. Only one, whom she refuses to name, responded violently. When he officially proposed that 'Ashling' become his mistress, even offering to continue to supplement the income from her apothecary/perfumer business, her polite refusal elicited a rage in him that she did not expect. While he did not strike her, he did swear that she would never peddle her wares to 'decent' people in Ul'dah so long as her mind on the matter did not change.

The trouble has since been dealt with but other issues continue to arise. Although legally, Ul'dah considers Xhosa Tauzeh to be dead and has issued a certificate of death while relinquishing her holdings to her assigned heir(s), she has recently made contact with a handful of her former acquaintances. She is very much alive though she no longer has access to any of her legal documentation.

Rumours

Common Rumours (Easily overheard)
"She is one of my finest customers! Always steady with a good eye for the merchandise-- she pays well, even if she will leave with most of my stock in a day." - Ul'dahn Merchant
"Eating so much seems to have done something for her cooking skills. She uses a lot of herbs, however, for one who claims to hate them." - Artisan Culinarian
"I hear that one is a pureblood Keeper-- Seekers of the Sun are far more common around these parts. Every time I see one talking to her, she seems to shy away. Especially from the men." - Tavern Bouncer
"You know, she looks like a kind lass, but that smile ends at her lips. It gets to be a bit disconcerting after you realize it-- I wonder if she's after something in particular?" - Bartender
"Her-- she has a man now, right? Or is he a bodyguard? The one with the dark skin and the red hair... Well, they both look like criminals to me." - Snooty Housewife
Moderate Rumours (Moderately difficult to overhear)
"Ah, yes, Lady Ashling once saved our humble establishment on several occasions with her natural 'preventatives'. No children in this brothel, I can guarantee that! Though I hear down at the Courtesans' Guild that she finally closed up her accounts. I wonder why..." - Dunesfolk Madame
"Her grasp on the intricacies of Arcanima is... inspiring. Frightful, really. She went from knowing virtually nothing to concocting her own theories. One of my favorite students, though... sometimes I worry I allowed her to learn too much too quickly."- Master Scholar
"I know she used ta be somethin' of a call-girl once, but I've seen the men 'round here try to gloss her up with sweet-talk and gil... They always end up disappointed in the end but the brutish ones, 'specially, ain't even ornery 'bout her turnin' 'em down." - Alehouse Wench
"Have you ever heard her sing? The woman needs no words, merely the rise and fall of her voice like the ocean beneath Menphina's smile is enough to sink into your very marrow. Perhaps she would consider becoming a bard..." - Wandering Minstrel
Rare Rumours (Very difficult or rarely overheard)
"I have afforded that lovely creature only once in my lifetime. A courtesan, mind you, not one of these listless prostitutes that roam the streets like shambling undead. Ah, but her price was quite lofty and I hear she no longer engages in such 'work'." - Self-made Merchant
"She w-was purchased... for me you know... for m-my eighteenth n-namesday... She... She spent all night singing to me, j-just smoothing her fingers over m-my forehead... She reminds me... She reminds m-me of my m-mother..." Nervous Heir
"Ever a friend to those soiled doves, she is. A friend to the wolves amongst this flock as well. A poison for every occasion, and some of the most devastating you can imagine-- No matter how far she goes, always I can rely on her to send me my orders." - Blade for Hire
"One of her wealthy patrons died in her arms that last night. So far as we could tell the old man had been afflicted by a bad spirit or some kind of blockage in his brain... bit right through his own tongue. Strange how she stuck around until they took the body away." -Investigating Brass Blade


PC Rumours (Feel free to add IC rumors.)
"She will go to great lengths for those she cares about. Don't mind the rumors." - Warren Castille
"Basically the personification of the word 'lady' - and if you disagree, you and I'll need to go have a word." - Ha'uruh Nunh

Artwork

(Under construction)

Annotations

  • I selected the name 'Xhosa Tau' after searching for several names of African origin. The name translates, so far as I've read, to 'Sweet Lion'.
  • Xhosa is legitimately nocturnal-- I treat night time in time with my night time which begins at ten o'clock Eastern Standard Time.
  • In my mind, Xhosa is a glorified house-cat of sorts. She is not a character built for ERP or comedy, but one intended to explore a different side of the potential for miqo'tes.
  • Xhosa is currently uninvolved. I'm happy to allow a potential romance to bud where it may and prefer to maintain OOC understandings with the character's player, but I am -not- interested in an OOC relationship outside friendship.
Xhosa's Theme Song: 'Dark Waltz' - Hayley Westenra
We are the lucky ones
We shine like a thousand suns
When all of the colour runs together
I'll keep you company
In one glorious harmony
Waltzing with destiny forever
Dance me into the night
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Turning me into the light
Time dances whirling past
I gaze through the looking glass
And feel just beyond my grasp is heaven
Sacred geometry
Where movement is poetry
Visions of you and me forever
Dance me into the night
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Turning me into the light
Dance me into the night
Underneath the moon shining so bright
Let the dark waltz begin
Oh let me wheel - let me spin
Let it take me again
Turning me into the light