Desta'li Afolayan

Desta'li Afolayan
The Black Cat
Gender	Male
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	Keepers of the Moon
Citizenship	Gridania
Age	16
Namesday	?
Patron Deity	None
Orientation	Undecided
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Thief/Assassin

Biographical

Name

Full Name: Desta'li Afolayan

Nicknames: The Black Cat, Destiny, Dest

Pronunciation: Dez-ta-lee Aph-o-lion

Appearance

Height: ~5'2"

Weight: ~120 ponz

Body: Thin and lanky but with the well-honed musculature of a runner and climber

Hair: Relatively short black hair with red dyed-in highlights

Eyes: Reddish brown

Skin: Black

Clothing: He tends toward ragged clothing typical of a street urchin, but also has plenty of nice, clean clothes and even some leather armor

Marks: Typical skin markings

History

For the residents of the Black Shroud, Desta'li is nothing more than a boy who showed up one day five years ago and has since made a home for himself wherever he wishes to at the time, preying on the gullible and those newly come to the region. Though none have been able to prove it, it is rumored that he has also taken work as an assassin on several occasions, using his apparent youth and innocence to get past guards and the like to get to his target.

His history naturally goes back much further than that, born as the third son to Desta Afolayan. He was truly the runt of the litter, with a skin and hair color that had his mother scratching her head. Every one of his brothers and sisters came out with lighter skin and hair, and much more average in terms of size.

Quickly learning that he would forever be smaller than most, he learned to use his size to his advantage, focusing on speed and maneuverability, as well as a bit cleverness and acting, to win out over his larger siblings. He was not against faking an injury or crying to make them lower their guard, though he was clever enough not to use it often enough that they would begin to dismiss it. He would also frequently use these things to get out of work as well.

When his family passed through Gridania in the wake of the fiery cataclysm, Desta'li was approached by a Lalafell that offered him a unique opportunity. In exchange for a small service, the Lalafell would pay him, knowing that his family was in dire straits at the time. He completed the task well ahead of schedule and received a large bonus in thanks. After his family had settled nearby, he returned, having taken a liking to the jobs the little man had in store for him and the nice payout they earn him.

He continues to visit his family regularly at their mostly permanent camp in the Black Shroud, but mainly only stops in to drop off part of his pay before he is off again. Though they have heard of his exploits, only his mother has ever chastised him for it, but none have seen fit to try to correct him. In fact, they seem happy to have him doing something he enjoys doing, especially if it is away from them.

Traits

Areas of Expertise

Martial: One-handed Weapons (High), Archery (High) Crafts: Goldsmith (Low) Other: Pickpocketing (High), Lockpicking (High), Stealth (High),

Strengths

• Stealthy: Desta'li has no problems going unseen when he wants to, either through actually hiding or simply blending in with a crowd. Nobody looks for a kid to be someone suspicious usually. His footsteps and other movements are usually silent, as well.
• Thief: There is no lock he cannot pick, no guard he cannot slip past. Unless magic is involved.
• Clever: He has little trouble with most problems, whether they are physical or merely intellectual. And if he cannot figure out the answer, he will certainly find a way around it.

Weaknesses

• Easily Distracted: Desta'li has the unfortunate habit of becoming distracted by "shinies". This can be particularly troublesome when he goes into a house looking for a specific item but gets distracted by a random sparkle. Of course, shinies can be more than jewels and gold, and may include an interesting animal, a good-looking individual, or a curious sound.

Likes

• Acting
• Breaking & Entering
• Picking Pockets
• Practical Jokes
• Money

Dislikes

• Religious Types
• Dishonesty
• Pettiness
• Pure and Righteous Types

Personality

Desta'li is an energetic and spontaneous boy with a skewed morality. He thinks nothing of stealing from others, or taking another's life, but he has been known to turn down jobs for unclear reasons. In truth, he has a good heart, better than most others he works with. He turns down jobs that take from those who already have little, for instance, and refuses to kill others for petty reasons. He has even been known to kill an employer who lies about the reason. All in all, he has proven to be rather unpredictable.

His ability to act out different roles, such as his innocent child act, makes it difficult to pinpoint any traits of his real personality. However, it is believed that he shows his real self between jobs when there is no reason to act. In these moments, he acts much older than he is, with a pessimistic and cynical attitude.

Relationships

Family

• Father:

• Mother:

• Siblings:

• Other:

Friends

• Matchstick ((NPC)) - A Lalafell fence and information broker who owns a shop in the Gridanian outskirts. Though known to authorities, he is difficult to pen down and never has any evidence on him, though they continue to try to catch him in the act. Desta'li frequents his shop, both to fence any stolen goods he has picked up and to take on jobs from the encoded ledger Matchstick has hidden amongst his wares.

Other Notes

The Rumor Mill Common Rumors (Easily overheard): "That poor boy. He never seems to catch a break. He showed up here years ago, with no family to speak of, and does odd jobs to get by. It breaks the heart to see such a sweet boy having such a hard time." ~ Random Old Lady "The guards are always hassling the poor boy, accusing him of such horrible things. They call him a thief when he has never taken anything from anyone I know, and is always happy to help someone. Why, I constantly see him showing a new arrival around town without asking anything in return. The nerve of those guards." ~ Random Old Lady Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear): "I've caught him doing a job for Matchstick once or twice. Petty crimes. I could take him in, but that wouldn't hurt Matchstick, who'd only find another kid to take advantage of. Better to let him go so he can get a bite to eat with whatever meager award he gets from that scum." ~ Random Guard "Dest? The Black Cat? Ha! Those are two different people, my friend. Desta'li is just a poor street rat. The Black Cat's a notorious thief and murderer. You really should be careful with those baseless accusations. You'll end up with an old biddy hitting you with their purse. They love the little rat." ~ Random Guard Rare Rumors (Very difficult to overhear): "The Black Cat? I hear he was trained by an assassin's guild in Ul'dah but was chased here when he failed a job." ~ Random Thug "I hired him once. I dropped off the details where I was told and by the time I got back to the shop, there was a note there saying the job was done. He's that good." ~ Random Merchant PC Rumors (Player created rumors--feel free to add your own!):

Miscellaneous Info Links: OOC Notes: I thieved bits and pieces of other peoples' layouts to make mine, so if you see something of yours, feel free to be honored. I have acknowledged your genius and it now graces my pages. I, in turn, feel honored to host your greatness upon my pages.