Haien Okeya
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Haien Okeya (Pronunciation: Hi-yen Oh-kay-yuh), is an auri mercenary and bodyguard who sells his spear to those who can afford it. In his spare time he enjoys spearfishing and swimming, and in general prefers areas with water over those with none.
Standing at 7'2" tall, Haien is on the strong side even for an Au Ra. As with most Raen, a pattern of lightly-colored scales can be found across much of his body. While on a job, his natural resting expression is a stern one; one cultivated to dissuade fights before they can start. He tends to keep his blonde hair tied back in a loose ponytail with his bangs loose, though due to his lack of concern for looking proper, one can frequently see stray wisps of hair sticking out from the rest. His attire is vaguely reminiscent of the Shisui Palace uniform that he used to wear, though he has adopted the Eorzean custom of wearing pants, as the Kohakama he had worn previously garnered too much attention.
From a young age, Haien was proud to be the product of a long line of guards. Like many other children of guards, he spent his formative years preparing for his eventual life as a guard -- something he was proud to look forward to. When he was finally old enough to undertake the formal training, it surprised no one that he was the strongest and fastest of the adolescents gathered. What DID take Haien by surprise was how narrow the margin was between him and the other frontrunner behind him; Rino. While Haien had a clear advantage, Rino was close behind, and the two spent most of their free time together, spurring each other on in a friendly rivalry. Their instructor was quick to notice and encourage this friendship, often assigning them the same duties and responsibilities. Their ability to spur each other on allowed them to complete training early, and in fact, both Haien and Rino were made fully-fledged guards on the same sun, in the same ceremony -- a full six moons before the rest of the trainees. Two moons later, the two were on a routine patrol when disaster struck. A giant plesiosaur of monstrous size emerged from the depths, attacking both Haien and Rino. The two fought fiercely with everything they had, but eventually Rino was critically injured. Spurred on by the desperation to save his friend, Haien finally managed to wound the creature, causing it to retreat into the depths from whence it came. Although Haien rushed Rino back to the palace as quickly as he could, there was little that could be done, and Rino succumbed to his injuries soon after. Haien was devastated, and he fled the palace, swimming away in no particular direction, driven half mad by a combination of grief and shame.
The next few suns were difficult for Haien, as he struggled with both his emotions and his basic needs for survival. He soon learned that his skill with a spear could be used not only for combat, but also for catching the fish he relied upon as his primary source of nourishment. Haien quickly lost track of the passage of time, his every waking moment focused on the refinement of his spearfishing techniques, or on busy work designed to keep his mind off recent events he couldn't quite deal with yet. The longer he avoided the subject in waking bells, however, the worse his nightmares became. It didn't take long before he could barely close his eyes without seeing Rino's decaying corpse, which in turn drove away Haien's appetite. Starving and delirious from lack of sleep, Haien began to hallucinate. As he neared the brink of death, the hallucinations took the shape of his parents, scolding him for throwing away the inheritance, the legacy they had trusted him with. He tried to turn away, only to run face first into Rino, who urged Haien to forgive himself; to move on and live a life they could both be proud of. It was this final hallucination that spurred Haien into gear. Despite how weak he had become, he managed to spear several fish, consuming them raw, for he had not the strength to do otherwise. That done, he slept, dreaming of his friends and family urging him to move forward once more. This encouragement set him on a new path; to kill the giant plesiosaur and avenge Rino. He spent the next few years training further, pushing his every limit, both physically and mentally. Much of his time was spent on isolation, with occasional visits to the Blue Kojin of Tamamizu for trading purposes. Some time later, word traveled of an event that had been held in Isari, in which many giant plesiosaurs had been slain in the name of preserving a local variety of fish. Haien left for Isari immediately, hoping to gather tips and techniques to kill his own demon. Once there, he was horrified to find that the beast had already been slain; the scar he'd left years prior and its remarkable size left there no question that it was the same creature.
Left without a purpose, Haien returned once more to isolation, until one day, by chance, he happened upon a young Raen child far outside the boundaries of Sui-no-Sato, who had become lost and disoriented. Haien helped the child back, though he stayed clear of the border himself, only getting the child far enough to ensure they would make it home safely. Saving the child made Haien realize that, while he would not return to his old life, he could still honor his ancestors and lineage; he could serve as a guard, even if the Palace and Ruby Princess were no longer options. It was with this goal in mind he ventured to Kugane, where he spent his meager savings commissioning a set of uniforms similar to those he had worn as a guard, with a few changes to better fit his new life. Fortunately for Haien, bodyguard services were in high demand, and his skill in combat and dedication to his clients set him apart from the average mercenary adventurer. Soon enough, Haien found himself nearly swimming with clients, however one in particular bid higher than the rest, hiring Haien on as a protector for an overseas voyage. The trip was mostly uneventful, though Haien found the ship's workings and crew fascinating, and did what he could to help out -- something his wealthy patron encouraged, as she enjoyed watching him work. By the time the ship reached the harbor of Limsa Lominsa, however, Haien had grown weary of his patron's advances, and the two came to the joint decision not to renew his contract.
A stranger in a new land, Haien shoved aside his discomfort to focus on the practicalities of his situation, quickly starting to establish contacts, spread word of his services, and generally market himself in any reasonable way he could.
These are mostly backstory-related relationships, be they blood-related family otherwise.
Listed here are the non-family PC characters that Haien has interacted with enough or in such a way for him 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 Haien, and descriptions are purely based upon in character experiences and opinions! Last Update... March 6th, 2016. * An asterisks denotes that Haien doesn't know the individual's true name.
◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely!
◢ Uncommon Rumors - A little more difficult to hear. Use sparingly or ask first!
◢ Rare Rumors - Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using!
◢ Near-Impossible Rumors - You really need to know the right people for these, and we’d have to work something out in advance for a reason for you to know.
◢ Player Character Rumors - Feel free to add rumors of your own!
I fully admit to being bad at coming up with ideas. If you can think of something that's not on this list, please, by all means bring it to my attention and we can hammer out the specifics.
I am a mid-20’s man living with his cat in the mid-western United States on a sleep schedule that only some sort of crazed psychic would be able to predict. I enjoy music that's older than I am, food that's terrible for me, and games that are far nerdier than I can reliably claim to be. I have a fondness for bad puns, though I’m rarely witty enough to make them myself. My humour tends to be of the self-deprecating variety, though occasionally it’ll flip completely and I’ll joke about how totally amazing I am. Please do understand that I do not take either extreme seriously, and it’s just my (poor) sense of humour. I also tend to joke around in what I’ve been told is a flirty way, as I have a fairly blue sense of humour. Please know that no matter how many ♥s or winky faces I send you, it’s still just me messing around, and I am not looking for a romantic relationship. If this behavior (or anything else I do, really) makes you uncomfortable, please do let me know, and I’ll endeavor to cease immediately.
Overall, I'm pretty chill as far as guidelines go. It is very, very hard to offend me, so don’t worry too much about it. Still, for the sake of making sure everyone's on the same page here, let me make a few mentions in particular:
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