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Mostly resembling her mother in both stature and cultural identity, Yuel possesses slender features with a strong jaw and wide, upturned eyes. As is the tradition of her maternal family from the Yanxian highlands, her lightly freckled cheeks are adorned with faint gold tattoos. Despite her lack of interest in excelling at physical combat, Yuel gives into her vanity and keeps her body lean and toned. She focuses most of her muscle training on her core and legs for the semblance of agility.
Her father gifted her with deep obsidian hair that shines violet in the right lighting. Her ears are slightly pointed, but hardly noticeable unless one focuses in on them and catches her when she is not covering them with a hat or some sort of ornamentation. She spends time in the mornings meticulously applying winged eyeliner and dusting vivid maroon eyeshadow under her eyes which sometimes makes her appear sleepless or corpsey. Depending on her mood, she may darken her lips to a dusky burgundy as well. Her right eye has a gold hue with a hint of emerald, the other a deep scarlet tone. She is known for shamelessly holding eye contact and her expressions and mannerisms can get quite animated
Scars & Markings: She has few, if any, noticeable scars. All acquired from her love of heights and overzealous acrobatics. Most are shallow and can be spotted painted along her shins and ankles. She is hesitant to show these to others, though she admires those with scars.
When she is able, she travels to Coerthas to traverse the snow-capped mountains, leading to a meager compilation of scars from reckless-based injuries.
Voice: Yuel possesses her mother’s resonant sing-song voice but with a deeper, sharp flow in her intonation. She has a subtle regionally Yanxian accent and dialect, but hyper-corrects it when meeting new people. Her tone is typically reserved and calculated until she is comfortable.
Clothing: Her manner of dress is overstated and formal, but never apparently so. Every piece she wears holds a deep meaning to her and she spends a great deal of time and attention on her style. One will often catch her in deep reds or greenish-blues accompanied by golden accents. Customarily, she conceals a dagger under her clothing for personal protection, though, she isn't particularly adept in using it. Recently, she has been fortunate enough to travel to various cities across Hydaelyn and has adopted an extensive collection of fabrics and garments. Her wardrobe grows so rapidly, she is plagued by the paradox of storing such a considerable collection. She cannot find it in her heart to let go of any of her garments, leaving her guilty of hoarding apparel and accessories from her travels.
Yuel may come off as aloof upon meeting her. She has a whimsical way of carrying and expressing herself. She is unaware of how to be vulnerable so she tends to be quite calculated and cunning under her obscure facades. At her core, she is a softhearted idealist and carries a delicate idealism which she conceals under her sarcasm and astute disposition. Yuel is fond of fine dry wines, but is blissfully unaware of her low alcohol tolerance. Though such an occurrence is rare, should she pass her limit, she either becomes a staunch revolutionary and ceaselessly rants about politics and her favorite authors, or a histrionic character who sloppily recites poetry or bombastic tales from history which may or may not be true. Overall though, she is reserved and selective around others.
Ascending even the highest elevated fields in Yanxia, bordering the sunlit steppes, a modest community of no more than 90 individuals resided. The members chose to remain secluded in the rigid shelter of the mountains of Yanxia. Known by few as a tribe with origins spanning decades, traversed by almost no one (given the harsh conditions and protective/reclusive nature of the community).
One such brave visitor happened to be a gawky anthropologist highborn of Ishgard with intentions of documenting their unique traditions and culture. Youthful and naïve, he found himself utterly captivated by the colorful rituals and art, throwing his life at their feet in mercy only to witness it. The leader of the community aggressively refused his request to document them, however, everyone has their price and this Ishgardian scholar had too much wealth for his own wellbeing. The Elezen, Ruvienne, was granted the opportunity to stay with the community in exchange for a hefty stipend which went towards funding the journey for and acquisition of livestock, and other goods not locally available.
Ruvienne remained with the mountain clan while working on his ethnography as applied to his own cultural theories. The clan prided themselves in their emphasis on spirituality and the arts. Similar to Domans, though not entirely equal, they believed spirits (neither good, nor evil) roamed the planet and manipulated life on it in accordance with their individual character traits and goals. To call upon specific spirits, ritual dances, songs, and shamanic ceremonies were performed.
In particular, Ren (Yuel's mother), the leader’s youngest daughter, an elegant yet feisty midlander, found herself in the position of the highest-esteemed traditional dancer. Allegedly, shaman elders chose her as a protector, destined to keep the tribe from danger before she even left the womb. Following years of rigorous training in song and dance, she was called upon every morning to reign in protective spirits with her intricate dances and operatic melodies.
Perhaps she never truly summoned spirits, though she undoubtedly enchanted Ruvienne, not with her artistic talents, but with her intense and spirited personality. They spent most nights together, sharing stories and personal outlooks by a fire. What Ruvienne had intended to be a six month stay, stretched for three years, and the two had grown inseparable.
Overtime, Yanxia transformed into an impoverished and hostile environment. Overdue as it was, even the highest points of the region fell to corruption. Contentious individuals (unaffiliated to Garlemald, as the nation never scouted the area) sought to invade the community for personal gain. The tribes greatest fighters were falling to their aggressors and their numbers were rapidly dwindling. Paralleling their newfound hardships, Ren discovered she was carrying Ruvienne‘s child. Seen as a negative omen by many in the tribe, the leader had no choice but to cast Ruvienne out of the clan permanently. Ren herself wondered if their romantic union angered the spirits and afflicted her family. The hopelessly enamoured elezen pleaded with Ren to escape with him before the situation worsened.
Fiercely loyal to her family, Ren was appalled by his request and threatened to fight him off herself. With a heavy heart, he returned to Ishgard after years of estrangement. Not without sending a band of well paid mercenaries to block anyone from venturing up the mountain, however. Following his removal, the clan celebrated a new period of peace and appeasement of the spirits.
Before an assembly of delighted faces, Yuel was born. According to the elders, her spirit was melded with the darkness of her father and the graciousness of her mother. A combination they considered favorable, despite their vilification of her father. As was customary of the group, Yuel was raised by everyone in the tribe and given only a first name. She was taught the tribe’s traditional dances and beliefs.
Prior to sunrise, she was expected to perform dances beside her mother, Once the light peaked through the leaves, she was free to wander on her own. Shamanistic salves and poisons fascinated Yuel. Occasionally, the shamans would indulge her curiosities and teach her how to utilize the resources around her. When the sun reached its brightest point, together with her peers, she was trained in combat. She preferred archery as she found power in mastering her environment and using distance and agility as her primary weapons. Soon after the moonlight traced the ground, she witnessed divine ceremonies performed by the elders. She relished in studying the elaborate attire, dedicated to each activity.
Displacement in Kugane
Yuel’s fortuitous years of adolescence came to a halt suddenly when an ensemble of impetuous Hingan traders paraded through the tribe’s fighters with the heads of mercenaries at their backs. They slaughtered the elderly, captured the able bodied to be sold off as laborers, and detained the artists to be traded as performers. Ren and Yuel were sold to a wealthy Hingan family of theater owners in Kugane. The family aspired to hold weekly shows of rare exotic performances; such were Ren and Yuel’s talents needed. Contrary to common portrayals of servitude, the family treated them with as much respect as one who put a price on their lives could give. The family encouraged them to maintain their traditional culture, even if just for personal profit.
The dance performance rapidly grew in popularity and went from weekly to nightly. Ren, Yuel, and other dancers/musicians were expected to perform their pieces before an audience of wealthy patrons. Though performing her culture for others made her uncomfortable, Ren’s heart ached for those of her family who were murdered or sent off as cogs. She vowed to live in their name, not only for vengeance, but to aid those alienated and forced into similar situations around the city, of which there was no shortage. Every night, Yuel watched her mother perform as the toxic bitterness and resentment clouded her eyes. Overtime, Ren strategically organized an underground collective of alienated people in the city. They sought refuge in a lowbrow teahouse belonging to a new accomplice of Ren’s. From that point forward, their affairs were planned and followed through under the guise of the teahouse.
They traversed the city in white masks and worked towards bringing justice to all who stood to dehumanize others. As righteous as their cause seemed, Yuel distanced herself from what she found to be at times morally grey. Though, she took part in, and exceeded at, several espionage and con missions of people she found to be especially abhorrent. She would use her charm to befriend and gain the trust of people she deemed as unforgiving and then, either lead them to the capable fighters in their group, or poison them herself. On several occasions, she even dabbled in the hypnotic techniques she learned from the shamans in order to gain information or even money from her targets.
Sleepless but filled with the inspiration from the changes, however small, they were making around Kugane, Yuel and Ren continued to perform every night. Eventually, it was brought to the attention of the head of their Hingan proprietors that Yuel had come of age and there was some interest from patrons to wed her. Seizing the opportunity, the theater owners auctioned her off to the highest bidder. Yuel was to be a fine exotic prize for an aged Bakufu official’s son.
Personal Renaissance
Ren considered the auctioning off of her daughter to be her final moments playing along with the theater owner’s reprehensible behavior. She wore the most charming of grins and suggested she craft a wedding gown for the event. Ren had a long yellow gown made in the traditional form of her family. The dress was more functional than it was a heartfelt gesture. Inside the lining of the rope used as a belt, Yuel found a paste which smelled of home. A fatal poison used to coat arrows which the shamans of her community would concoct to aid in their protection. Ren sharpened the gold points of her ceremonial headdress and coated them with the toxic paste the night before Yuel was to be wed. Ren walked Yuel through their plan and left her with words of encouragement emphasizing that one cannot fight for everyone, but for themselves and those they love and hold dear. If any words resonated with Yuel most, it was those.
Alas, the hour she was to be wed arrived and Yuel was overtaken by confidence as she entered the gaudy venue. The groom-to-be appeared incredibly nervous; he was fully covered in intricate ornamentation and beads of sweat gleamed on his forehead. Yuel thought to herself that he looked mostly innocent and frightened, she was unsure if she could follow through with her mother’s plan. When he recited his vows, his voice trembled with passion as he spoke of being moved by her performances.
“It would bring me the greatest joy if she were to perform for me every passing day.”
Those were his last words as Yuel meekly jabbed a coated gold piece into his abdomen. She watched silently, almost cathartically, as he struggled to breathe. The act ushered in chaos. Ren and her vigilante group slaughtered the boy’s family and friends at the ceremony as Yuel watched in horror, bemoaned by the murder of possible innocents. Yuel and the collective fled to their teahouse refuge where they confined themselves, only leaving with their masks on. Rumors spread and a bounty was placed on Yuel’s head, as many believed she executed the entire slaughter herself. She paid no mind to the allegations and continued to wander around Kugane with careless determination. Yuel, irresponsibly not wearing her disguise, was picking up fabrics for a fashion project when a patrician recognized her and reported her to authorities. She was immediately detained and taken to a local court the following day. Ren appeared, maskless, and offered herself up as the sole malefactor in the murder. She riled up the jury with theatrical allegations of finding joy in the slaughter. Ren was immediately sentenced to death and dragged to a chamber for one night before her execution.
Ruthlessly, Yuel convinced the guards to allow her to see her mother one last time. Ren was smiling and gave a quiet and eloquent speech of how well she lived and grew to fight for those in her heart. With an uncharacteristic jitter in her voice, she paused, handed Yuel a lock of her hair, and proceeded to request that Yuel find her father in Ishgard. She ordered her not to apologize on her behalf for she had no regrets, but to let him know she selfishly found herself dreaming of him as time passed. Yuel was taken aback by her mother’s unexpected request but vowed to honor it. She was forcibly removed and received news that Ren passed later that night. Yuel found unusual solace in her gesture of taking agency over her own life, even in the end. After several nights of internal restlessness, Yuel found two affluent travelers who agreed to take her back with them to Ishgard. When asked of her profession, she proudly stated she was a foreign couturiere (though it had only been a personal hobby and she had no idea how to sew, only how to collect vintage clothing and repurpose them). She learned the word from her mother as she taught her some words of the Ishgardian dialect Ren had learned from Ruvienne.
The two happily married Elezen husbands who so graciously agreed to include her on their expensive journey to Ishgard, did so in exchange for Yuel’s supposed fashion expertise. She was to style them for important balls and events as they wished to dawn foreign garments from their travels. Yuel quietly revered the elezen men as she kept on her unaffected face throughout the trip.
The Pillars
Her first impression of Ishgard was that she found the city to be overwhelmingly bleak and hideous, though she kept her thoughts to herself and praised the city endlessly. Showing unrelenting kindness, the travelers excitedly toured Yuel through their city. She asked pointed questions in hopes of finding her father to every soul she came into contact with. The travelers temporarily housed her at their estate and loved to hear tales from her unusual childhood. Yuel did not fully trust them, but felt comfort in sharing such profound memories of hers without worry of ulterior motives or aggression from them. She relished in their touching stories of defending their city and of how they met and fell in love.
After several moons with them, and the search for her father proving fruitless, she began to attend high-class events with the couple, as their foreign guest and stylist. At long last, she was approached by a bedraggled Elezen who claimed he had received word from various individuals in his social circle that a young foreigner was searching for an anthropologist scholar who had several cultural theories published and specialized in minority groups in the Far East. Shocked, she recognized parts of herself in his sharp features. Only a few moments lingered before his sly facial expression grew heavy with bewilderment, as he pieced together who she may be. Unable to look her in the eyes, the Elezen gathered himself and implored her to follow him to his personal library. Upon entering, he mumbled to himself and tore books off the shelf, lodging them at the floor. Yuel questioned what her mother ever saw in him, clearly unable to contain himself, yet maintaining an emotionless face. In his seemingly controlled panic, his voice raced of tales from her home in a time before she existed. She would have left right then as she is not fond of these wild displays of emotion, if not for her mother’s final request. Noting his ring, she impulsively asked about his wife. He explained, as if it were a remorseful confession, that he was married with two young children there but only out of a sense of duty. Flustered, he exclaimed that he only ever loved Ren and would have dropped everything and stayed with her if not for her request. Having come to the conclusion that her father is a passive coward, Yuel left her mother’s hair on his desk and rushed out, skipping over Ren’s elegant speech.
Merely a few days passed from their initial meeting before Ruvienne sought out and approached Yuel during one of her commissioned couture projects for a masquerade. He appeared as an entirely different person, calm and calculating as well as nearly impossible to read. A person Yuel could admire. In the most tranquil of voices, he casually expressed a desire to denounce his current life and live as her father, despite the consequences. At that, Yuel chuckled and rejected his offer, assuring him she had already been doing well for herself in Ishgard and exclaiming he could help her in other ways without needing to leave two children and a wife in a nefarious situation.
Ruvienne proposed that she become his pupil of cultural studies, only so she could improve her sensitivities and understanding of self-expression through fashion and its connection to the psychosocial mind. A lengthy uncomfortable pause followed. He adroitly added, “I married for duty, bore children for legacy, but your mother perpetually held my heart. You were born of our love but I will do anything in my power to honor your wishes, even if doing so requires I hide my truths so you can own yours.” Though she felt she should have been moved by his words, she honestly was not but gladly took the offer.
Present
Yuel eventually chose to adopt her mother’s first name, Ren, as her own surname though it was customary to take on a father’s name as a surname in her tribe.
She styles clients under her created persona, Neige D’or. Yuel's obsession with costume and disguise comes as a subconscious reply to her mother's downfall sprouting from Yuel's inability to hide her own identity. Internally, she projects her fixation with disguise onto Neige as a persona and takes costume, even if just for performance or entertainment, seriously and with all her heart.
Yuel reveres her paternal grandmother, Myrtane. Ruvienne fearfully introduced Yuel to his mother as his pupil though she crassly dismissed him and welcomed her granddaughter with fierce warmth and sincerity she had never experienced elsewhere. Yuel had also never met such a free-spirited and comical being. She and Myrtane would stay up late drinking fine wine and making jokes about Myrtane's late husbands/lovers, the poor fashion choices of people they knew, and theatre. Myrtane was a well known theatre performer of her time which inspired Yuel to pick up storytelling through performance as a personal passion. Additionally, her grandmother gifts her rare ornamentation or fabrics upon every visit. The gifts include: dragonhide one of Myrtane's admirers left for her, her vintage burgundy hat from youth, precious stones, and more, all of which Yuel has delicately fashioned into garments. Yuel may never admit it, but much of her present-day personality is an internalized rehash of her grandmother's. No person has influenced and helped her grow more than her grandmother Myrtane.
Ruvienne has since sent Yuel on several field studies across Hydaelyn to document cultural phenomenon, while applying his holistic approach to record.
Sporadically, she does feel inspired to utilize her skills in espionage and deception when she feels justice was not achieved. She is highly selective of the jobs she accepts, and will not move forward unless she is certain the individual she is defrauding is irredeemable in her eyes. For these assignments, she wears her late mother’s white mask and goes by various aliases depending on the client.
Rarely, she performs her own form of vigilante justice when she feels nobody else has or will. Such acts do not always involve killing. She is known to blackmail others or expose them to the public herself. Assassination is the last resort.
Mostly, Yuel is found overdressed and lounging at various teahouses enjoying their selection of teas while reading or taking notes on her next project.
Yuel has amassed several skills as well as certain ineptitudes throughout her life (( ♠ Leave an ask here or in-game mail for requests)):
Stylist and Portraitist
Under the moniker, Neige D'or, Yuel utilizes a persona full of pageantry and brazen theatrics to guide those closer to their personal fashion enlightenment. Less glamorously, though only slightly, she also offers the service of styling a disguise for those who need to shield their identity. Styling a client, whether for entertainment or delinquency, involves listening to personal stories and backgrounds in order to withdraw the cornerstone of their essence and apply it to an ensemble best suited to them or their cause. She finds what she needs in the subtext of their tales, rather than the substance, using a technique she learned from her cultural psychology professor in Ishgard.
Yuel welcomes those who seek to hide their identities through fashion, if and only if, she finds their cause justifiable. She is not easily fooled, but a few individuals have successfully deceived her into believing their stories of revolution only to use her services to inhumanely oppress or harm others. She is wary of such deception.
Theatre Performer and Dancer
Greatly influenced by her grandmother and past tragedienne, Myrtane, Yuel is currently undergoing training in theatre arts, specializing in tragic or melodramatic roles; A stark contrast to her imperturbable demeanor. She finds the art of storytelling through performance deeply rewarding and adores sharing it with others.
Recently, despite her unfavorable history with it, Yuel picked up dancing again as a hobby and a way to clear her mind meditatively. She often practices in harsh weather conditions and rough environments to improve her self-discipline. Dance is sacred to her and she takes it seriously, sometimes teaching others if they are interested in training with her. She believes in order for it to be authentic, the dance must be truthful and empowering. Her training involves extensive self-reflection.
Masked Vigilante
Yuel can be hired for ventures involving guerrilla justice where the system has failed. She employs several methods acquired after years of working under her mother in Kugane. The work can span from reconnaissance to deception for information.
She is capable of utilizing special tonics that may bring out the truth in others (usually alcohol, but she never tells her clients this). Additionally, she attempts to create ritual balms akin to the ones the elders of her late maternal family would make that had variable results. On occasion, the balms would place her target in a trance, throw them into a vivid dream/vision, or merely intoxicate them.
♠ She carries out such pursuits in complete secrecy and asks that her clients use a code name for themselves and for her. She meets in one of two obscure locations of her choice in either Ishgard or Kugane. Though, she is inclined to dramaturgy and selects scenic heights and extravagant costumes to conduct her business at the expense of security.
♠ She is constantly recruiting trusted associates to pursue some of these daunting endeavors.
Archery
Yuel fares poorly in any kind of physical contest, especially close combat. Briefly in her youth, she was taught the basics of archery, though she abandoned the art and only revisited it recently. She admires archery for the beauty in the manipulation of the earth and the target over practicality.
She had a dainty ornamented bow specially crafted for her by a dear friend which inspired her return to the field. She makes up for her physical ineptitude with her perception and discerning nature, though she is easily blindsided by those more experienced.
♠ She is currently searching for a mentor in combat technique to study and learn from.
Color Key
♥ In A Relationship: Romantically involved with this character.
♥ Romantic Attraction: Romantically interested in this character.
♥ Sexual Attraction Physically interested in this character.
♥ Platonic Love/Family: Considers this person family.
♦ Friend: Considers this person her friend.
♦ Friendly Acquaintance: Considers this person mostly friendly, or as an ally.
● Good Standing: Has no specific feelings about this character, however they left a good impression.
● Neutral: Has no specific feelings about this character.
● Bad Standing: Has no specific feelings about this character, however they left a bad impression.
♠ Dislike: Doesn't consider this person a friend, and will talk if needed, but try to avoid them.
♠ Hate: Consider this person an annoyance, and will try to avoid them. Conflict can happen.
♠ Fear: Is terrified by this character, and will try to avoid them at all cost.
♠ Rivalry: Consider this person a rival, and will try to initiate conflict every time she gets to meet them.
♥ Family Member: This character is related by blood.
✔ Business: This character is either an employer, employee, or coworker.
✖ Deceased: This character has passed away.
?Hidden Feelings/Unknown: This character has one of all the color keys above, but she isn't fully aware of it yet.
"Before I met my grandmother, I was terrified of what it meant to own my truth and be myself. She taught me to embrace my peculiarities and never say sorry. She is proof that one can be fierce and aggressive while showing the deepest warmth to those they love. Mostly, she is the best dressed and most hilarious being I have ever met. People view her as many characters, but to me she is my dearest grandmother and mentor."
"A ruthless fighter at heart. Her passion and spirit continue to traverse Hydaelyn as magically and surreally as they had when she drew breath. I never truly knew my mother and I'm not sure if she or anyone else did either. She lived for her cause and I will always respect that. She taught me how to dance and how to survive and how to love. I honor her in everything I do."
"Complicated as it may be, Ruvienne is a supportive teacher and I am grateful for the opportunities he has granted me. He tries in the strangest of ways to be my father and I never know what to do with that. I often exclaim to myself that we are polar opposites. However, I find so much of him in who I am."
Other
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Some of these rumors are untrue, speculation, or are greatly exaggerated. Feel free to add your own rumors under the Player Character category!
NPC
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◢ Common Rumors -
■ "She comes to me for her little projects. Her attention to detail comes at a fault. She tips well, but never truly appears satisfied." -Freelancing Seamstress
■ "She thanked me and displayed a tender smile after I gifted her my finest sweet bread, but I could see right through her. She hated it. How could anyone dislike...my...sweet bread. You will have to excuse me now." - Cavalier Baker
◢ Uncommon Rumors -
■ "I heard she and her mother come from a tight-knit group that was completely wiped out. I don't buy it at all, most likely just a ruse to get people paying for their performances." -Skeptical theater owner in Kugane
■ "She fools not a single soul in this community with her classlessness, yet she walks around and speaks as if she has a say in our politics and society, having only arrived recently." - Local Ishgardian Matriarch
◢ Rare Rumors -
■ "If only you could have seen what I saw. Stay away from her. She befriended and conned my best friend, an honest trader, and watched the life leave his body after she poisoned him. Didn't even flinch. Listen, do not buy into her act. She thinks she has some righteous cause, but we're all just trying to make a living here." -Clean-cut Hingan Trader
■ "Ruvienne tells us all she is his student... I am truly appalled that anyone believes she is not his illegitimate... His poor wife, I recognize the anguish in her eyes every time she crosses paths with that mongrel. Breaks my heart... What of their children?" - Ishgardian Medic by the Scholasticate
Other
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◢ Player Character Rumors -Feel free to add rumors of your own!
■ I will play mature content and themes (violence, sexuality, drug / alcohol use) as long as they're logical in a plot-driven encounter. Coarse and excessive language. Temporary injury and incapacitation. Walk-up encounters.
■ Ask about long-term and/or permanent injury.
■ I won't play permanent character death or rape plots.
Disclaimer
■ If an aspect of RP makes you uncomfortable in a scene we're playing, please send me a /tell, letting me know. Communication is very important, more important than potentially keeping immersion.
Links Out
Links that lead off the wiki, but are technically relevant to the character.
