Ebon Yxi

Name: Ebon Yxi

Race: Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te

Profession: Currently: Magitek Engineer. Formerly: Sellsword, Poacher.

Classes: Magitek Fencer (OOC: RDM), Dark Knight, Machinist

Age: Mid 30s equivalent.

Weight: Roughly 160ish pounds.

Height: 5'6"

Relationship: Yusentei Ejinn (her mate)

Status: Deceased (???)

Physical Description:

Ebon Yxi is a somewhat intimidating, tall miqo'te female with a history of being both brutal and cruel in her pursuit of power and fortune. A former matron of a small cluster of Keepers, Ebon stands some five and a half feet tall, with ashen grey skin, black and red hair (formerly frosted), and somewhat piercing, bright violet eyes (reports remark that they 'were' blue, and the few rare Keepers who may have met her some twenty years ago would say they were hazel.). Bright white scars frame her face, looking much akin to claws cradling her cheeks, with a curious, somewhat malevolent looking tattoo on her forehead.

Ebon keeps her fangs sharpened, as if not gnawing on things to keep them dangerous would dull them. Fingernails are slightly long and also kept slightly sharp. They are immaculately cared for, but are notably very durable and just as dangerous as they appear, tapering off to razor sharp 'surgeon's' points. The miqo'te ex-matron is extremely vain, showing no scarring save the stigma of exile branded on her cheeks.

Yxi wears small bony studs in her ears taken from some unknown prey in the past. Due to her history, some suspect they are actually the bones of a slain moogle, though this is unconfirmed. Jewelry was formerly sparse, but has been amassed over time. Adornments also tend to be magical, the miqo'te prefering effective wear over simple glamour and dazzle. She has, however, been known to take a fancy to elemental crystals being worn on her person, deaspected.

One of the most noteworthy details about the miqo'te, Ebon's body has amassed notable clusters of thick, black, non-translucent crystals akin to scales in both function and shape. Often visible in fine, thin patches between her scars, somewhat thick around her neck, and at the corners of her eyes, these shiny black scales lend her face a somewhat more sinister cast than it normally features. A VERY close observation may note that some of these scales can be seen under fur near the base of her tail and ears, and possibly along the back of her head. On the few occasions that she is found out of her armor, thick patches can be found at her elbows, shoulders, knees, heels, hips, chest region, and lend her hands and feet a clawed appearance in their length and shape. Inquiries into these recent changes result in aggravated and dismissive responses.

Those particularly sensitive to aetheric disturbances or fluctuations may be unnerved by a slightly chilly feeling directly in Ebon's personal space, as well as unprompted strange tingling. Despite looking, in many ways, savage, there is an unsettling air of refinement about the woman, and she seems notably more aware of how 'the world around her works' compared to the typical Eorzean.

Current Situation: Found dead in a particularly grisly manner off the side of the road in Western Thanalan by an imperial scouting party. Magitek and most of the remains of her corpse have been retrieved. Black fragments of strange crystal can still be found on rare occasion amongst the brush along the side of the road. One with a particularly keen sense of aetheric flow would find the area feels 'barren' much akin to the Burn, plants in the immediate area struggling to survive. It is only a small patch of ground, but it would feel particularly disorienting and nauseating.

Personality and History:

Ebon's personality tends to be extremely cold and objective oriented when dealing with outsiders, seeing people as, quite honestly, meat to be used and thrown aside when it has outlived its worth. For those few that have proven themselves, show particularly fanatical devotion, or have otherwise earned her rare endearment, however, Yxi would sacrifice the world to see them grow. While still somewhat cold and callous when administering instruction, she becomes more of a mother than a tyrant.

It is this quality that gave way to the former poacher's history. Operating out of the North Shroud so that she had a quick escape to Coerthas for her clan if needed, Ebon was not particularly content with simply hunting wild game and turning monetary profits once she took over her small clan of moon cats. Her poaching was not entirely aggressive, the Keeper trying to get a feel for the variety of magic creatures had to offer and trying to figure out how to incorporate it into her, and her family's, own power base. She often ate the remains of the creatures she slew, even if they were not particularly healthy, and otherwise tried to leech power from her targets.

For this reason, (and the relentless encroachment of Gridania and the Adders...) she tended to aggressively pursue the most dangerous creatures she could find... or adventurers, if she happened to hear of any particularly engaging or powerful ones. Not exactly bound by honor, she was not above using a pack mentality to take them down and acquire magical artifacts or the like. Unbeknownst to her pack, she ALSO was not above eating them as long as they were not miqo'te.

When the Ascians began to turn the beastmen of the Shroud towards the summoning of primals, Yxi took notice of the heightened interest in crystals. Curious about the strange activity, she was not above using torture and other means to persuade the beastmen to talk. Initially, she thought to gather up crystals and summon her own primal as well, but, naturally, it was not that simple and the effort proved fruitless, as well as dangerous when she took note of how beastmen brought under a primal's influence lost their minds. ...It was at this point she decided to change tactics.

If Yxi couldn't have her own primal, then perhaps she could use the strength of another's. Knowing the woods were shared with moogles, Yxi began a campaign to terrorize and threaten the existence of the generally peaceful creatures. Being in direct conflict with Gridania and most of the people within it, Yxi stretched out her reach to the other portions of the Shroud to make herself hard to track, and her campaign was fairly short, involving the destruction of several small moogle villages as well as the loss of many of the notably male members of her clan, whom she apparently had no regard for.

Driving the moogles to summon their primal took a while and filled the peaceful creatures with a deep sadness, as Yxi was the one driving her little clan, who were becoming progressively appalled at what they were committing to. Members died, some left, some denounced Yxi, but not before King Mog laid waste to many of them. Yxi did earn her primal crystal... which she filed down and consumed with unknown results, but at the cost of her tribe, which, naturally, exiled and reviled her despite her attempts to share the 'treasure' of their efforts.

Yxi vanished, and did not resurface until after the Cataclysm, seeming to have considered her ways and her efforts. She feels somewhat betrayed by her own people, but she also recognizes that she was far too callous in her pursuit of strength and growth. Lying low and unknown by the majority of Gridanians, the miqo'te is working from the ground up to re-establish herself, though her poaching days are likely far from over.

As it turns out, Ebonyxi's poaching days have not come to an end in the least. Over time, she settled into the Limsa Lominsan community as a pirate, rogue, archer, and more, working as a mysterious woman simply called 'The Ebon Lance' aboard various pirate and merchant ships that she knew adhered to the 'Code.' She remained apart from the crews, and did not care for payment, but would go out of her way to leap to and attack vessels harboring traitors or Code-breakers. Likewise, she was known for leaping clean off the ship to go after particularly exotic sea-faring game, and had kept a sharp eye out for returning summons of Leviathan, as well, whose scales and bone she greatly prized and tried to involve in all of her personal weapon and armor crafting.

Ebon is still a wanted woman in Gridania, and likely will remain so for a few generations to come. She actively avoids getting close to the city... though it is believed she STILL returns to the Shroud on occasion to poach. There is a rumor that she has actually served as an airship captain for a passing free company, though details seem to be vague. It is also known that she has used airships for some of her more ambitious poaching exploits, and does not have any discernable fear of heights, judging by tales of her leaping from ship to beast.

She now serves as the owner and operator of a magitek design lab operating out of the Goblet. It is small and focuses on simple projects like handheld weaponry, mammets, and other such inventions, but it is clear that larger projects are also underway as pieces of magitek armor are sometimes seen in the yard. A security field guards the door, and at times the actual yard is concealed by a 'glam field.' However, Ebon is also known for operating out of the Goblet alongside her mate, her reunited sister, Mira Yxi, retainer Michitoshi Fukiku, smugglers, and various field scouts and agents. The group at times roam to display magitek and findings elsewhere, venturing as far as Othard (where they endeavour to visit the Steppes and visit her family in law, the Ejinn tribe.).

Reports:

Shroud Area: All Adders and Gridanian agents with enough influence to know should know that Ebon is still active and still a threat to the resident beastfolk of the Shroud. She is considered kill on sight if encountered in the Shroud, and has been known to kill Adders, gridanians, and other combatants without warning.

La Noscea Area: Reports simply state that Ebon has been notably particularly skillful and helpful in putting down the threat of the resummoned Leviathan on several occasions, now, as well as bringing to justice several rogue traitors and pirates. While her methods are frowned upon, it seems like the issue is being treated like a trivial matter that is largely ignored, and some reports make it clear that Ebon is considered somewhat of a hero, though not entirely reliable in her timing.

Thanalan Area: Ebon was noted to have been working alongside criminal syndicates in the area, but abruptly abandoned such relations with a sudden flight to Coerthas. Her visage has taken on a distinct twist that is best related to a 'behemoth,' and calling her such results in a wicked grin almost all the time.

Ishgard: Ebon can be found here regularly, where it seems the miqo'te has taken up training from Ishgardians in her use of the greatsword, lance, and bow. ...It is believed she is responsible for dispatching some of the local dragonkin, but there is no proof of this.

Following travels outside of Eorzea or on the fringes, a magitek specialist team named Magitek Recon Survey Support (MRSS) has been observed and occasionally skirmished with analyzing the aether in the wake of Ebon. They tend to be a few days late on arrival, and reports have very recently ceased (as of 8/21/18). Mostly due to Ebon's own infiltration, corruption, and eventual assimilation of the squad, a branch of specialized engineers and scientists serving under the remnants of the XIIth legion. She is known as Ebon lux Yxi to many of these cohorts (and the Garlean Empire, to clarify.).

-Spoiler Warning- https://www.deviantart.com/purrversion/art/Ebon-Yxi-s-Exile-754559015