Jhae'li Vyen

Jhae'li Vyen
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	Keepers of the Moon
Citizenship	Unaffiliated

Character

Appearance

A 5'4" thing that's still young enough to grow, mid to late teens at a glance with pale lavender eyes and white, lanky hair. A scar that is still fresh crosses his right cheek. He loves to wear jewelry, when he can get it and keep it. His clothes are worn, torn and humble, but he looks upon finer outfits worn by the more fortunate with intense longing. Those blue violet silks spied on a dancer in the markets? Maybe someday...

Behavior

Skittish until comfortable. Particularly when uneasy, Jhae'li prefers to be in high places to survey his surroundings or enclosed, small places. Goes to great lengths to keep clean using the public fountains in spite of threat of scolding or kicking. Affectionate when he takes a liking to someone, but doesn't always have the best judgement in his likings... or lovings, for that matter. His affections seem to lean towards men and he treats most females with a chaste deference. After an incident that left a scar on his face, he will beg rather than ever steal and is obedient towards any he perceives as authority.

Jhae'li is pricklier in mood the hotter it is and seeks shelter from the sun, which for now is a large crate on top of more crates on Pearl Lane. Though time out of the Shroud softened the culture shock and sense of awe and confusion at every mundane facet of city life, residual ignorance and naivete remains.

History

The Shroud

What Son doesn't look forward to that night? It was my first. We woke with the stars, blindfolded with only the scent in our nose and a sack in our hand to hunt the blossoms that I know now are the brightest blue in all the Shroud. We will return with as many as our nose could find. Father hasn't taught me all the Secrets yet, but I know it has something to do with Menphina's night where we are to dance while She was large and full for our Sisters. It was my first. My Brothers always said I was so small. The smallest. That maybe our Mother was tired by the time I came out. I was afraid none of the Mothers would ever choose me for the Sisters. If I could find more blossoms than them all and wear the costume of the brightest blue at the dance...

If I could have found...

We never returned. "Menphina will see if you cheat," the Mothers told us before we left. I didn't take off the blindfold. It was my first night outside the village as Me and not Us, but the Shroud was part of me. Such joy when I sniffed my first blossom. It was as if every gnat awake that night sang for me as I ran for it. Through the night, I could stop when I wanted, but I wanted as many as there were stars. One for every Mother and Sister. Until my sack was weighted and couldn't carry more.

I didn't take off the blindfold when the gnats stopped singing. It was a buzz. Remember a.. buzzing and it wasn't the gnats. It was so far and hard to hear, but there was something about it. It could be one of the Secrets, I figured. Trying to make me scared, test me. I wouldn't take off the blindfold. Didn't take it off when the buzzing grew louder and closer until it was all around me and the ground rumbled under my feet and the Shroud was shaking and it began to scream.

It screamed and I ran until the ground was wet. Such sounds I've never heard and never want to hear again. I knew Mine would never and could never do such a thing. When I took it off, there was the Rootslake with such ripples and waves I've never seen before and I felt as if I was being chased, so I ran. A small log, upraised and half lodged in the mud. A tight fit, but enough for me and a sack of blossoms.

The sun may have woke and the moon may have slept while I was in that log. The moon may have been awake for a very long time by the time I dared come out. Could not smell the blossoms or hear the gnats sing. Just flies, fire and blood. The trail to my family was lined with Ixal feathers. The sun came and gone, taking it all as far as I could sniff out. The blossoms are buried near the Rootslake, one for every Mother and Sister.

The Mines

The Sons are not taught the way of the hunt like the Sisters. We are too few to risk, so the Sisters bring meat. I was so hungry. When Others saw me, they would shake their weapons. "Poacher!" they would yell. Didn't know what that meant at the time. Didn't even have a knife until I found one in that funny smelling Elezen's tent. So, most of the time I hid with the bitter blessing that whatever had happened pushed the bugs out of their holes. Maybe I could have lived off them longer, but I was cold, tired. Scared. The Shroud used to be a part of me, but now it just brings memories of what's gone for good. I left my family's name behind me, over and beyond the lake.

It's frightening at first, getting used to nothing close around you and nothing above you. Almost enough to run back. Didn't like how hard the ground was. Nowhere comfortable to sleep. Far too hot. Don't remember much. I didn't run back because my legs didn't let me. Mr. Vyen found me in a bush on the side of the path, either trying to sleep or die. Not much difference under that sun.

"...could be useful." Heard his voice before I saw him, then went back to sleep. Woke after who knows how many passings of the moon and I don't know where I was. In some... wagon. With the man with black hair and dark skin who would become a New Father and allow me into a New Family. That's what he said. All I needed to do was to help him. He would give me meat and a place to hide from the sun. He didn't shake weapons at me or call me "Poacher." The meat he gave me wasn't as good as the antelope the Sisters would bring, but it was good enough after all those bugs. More than good enough and I wanted to help his family to repay his kindness. Didn't want to be alone.

All I had to do was work in some caves to hunt rocks. That terrible sun couldn't reach me in the caves, which suited me well. I found out that the Others needed a lot more fires to see than I did, nor could they fit where I could. I worked with who became my New Brother. Yawning Pit. So many of the Others were huge, bigger than anyone I've seen. Sometimes, they would shove me and pull my tail. I don't think they realized how much that hurts. Sons in my Old Family were nothing like those I meet now. Yawning Pit told me I needed to start defending myself. They say he used to be a... gladiator? One night, he brought a sword down deep in the caves where we worked together, but away from the others. He taught me, over many, many moons when we weren't working or sleeping. He is old, so big and so different, but I loved him and still do.

I wish I knew where he is now. I'm in... Ul'dah, now. Something happened in the caves, like something happened in the Shroud. There was so much smoke, I didn't see what happened, but Yawning Pit put me on his shoulder and we both made it out alive, so I know he's out there somewhere. The last night with him, Mr. Vyen was in his wagon for a very long time and it smelled like wine. "It's over!" he yelled over and over and I'm grateful he was breaking wood and glass instead of any of us. Was only able to sleep with Pit's hand on one of my ear's and the other against his belly to listen to his snore.

He left a note and that sword behind. Couldn't read the note, but one of the Others (one who never pulled my tail) told me to take it to the... Coliz Eam? We all had to leave the caves. Mr. Vyan said he had no gil for me, but that he was so pleased with my work that he would erase my debt for the meat, the clothes and the tools I had to use and the ride to the city. I thanked him for his kindness and didn't want to leave him, but he told me that it's the way of his people that the Son must leave the Father and prove himself by surviving without his help. I hope I didn't show how frightened I was when he dropped me off on a trail made of bricks with such unfamiliar scents and so many people. As many as stars in the sky, it seemed. And never seen such buildings. Hope he didn't see how scared I was. Want to make him proud. And to find Pit.

Ul'Dah...

This is where the world cracks wide open. Intimidated by rough gladiators more than twice his size and spurned by the merchants, the little Miqo'te claims the alleyways as his territory, a crate as home and an aged lady of the night for company. Meat would be scarce for those who have no taste for rats, but the competition is fierce amongst those who do. Pit is nowhere to be found, but that funny smelling Elezen is, along with a strange Hyur with hair of fire. Menphina is here, even where the sun burns most fierce. As long as he can land on his feet, this chapter won't be the last.