Keaira Twinning
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KEAIRA TWINNING has served as a scrivener, a scholar, a collector, and researcher, and mercenary, since leaving behind her life as an Ossuary thaumaturgist, and an Immortal Flames soldier. She remains a soldier at heart, and much of her personal life is guided by philosophies she established after her discharge from the Immortal Flames. She keeps personal feelings and admissions to herself, save for those few that she trusts enough with them. Often, she believes herself undeserving of her own desires and wants, and will 'protect' those she cares for from even hearing them.
Keaira's style of dress is focused more on utility than flair; function over aesthetic. Though she certainly looks after herself, the varied nature of her work's demands will find her in everything from robes to leather. After the recent loss of her right eye, she will not be seen in public without an eyepatch. Her hair is mostly worn short and kept away from her face, but recently, she's begin experimenting with different styles; a preference for aesthetic that has come around with her own sense of self-value. Well versed in thaumaturgy, she carries small, fulm-length focus somewhere on her person at all times. After her discharge from the Immortal Flames, she began taking up more practical methods of combat, and has collected a wide arsenal of firearms that she keeps in immaculate repair. The most recent development in her study and focus has brought her to astromancy, and she can often be found experimenting with her starglobe.
Haunted. Hopeful. Committed. Twinning was born with synesthesia, and though it often affects her perspectives and emotions, she rarely speaks of it, for risk of being treated poorly. She has also suffered from severe flashbacks since her service in the Immortal Flames, a problem that she is constantly seeking remedies for. This aside, Keaira is an optimistic person, and those she places a significant amount of trust in are likely privy to her excessively romantic heart. She has hard-earned philosophies tied to her own beliefs, many of them stemming from her longstanding faith in the Twelve, and a keen regard for the pursuit of beautiful things. Her enemies will find a relentless and cunning opponent. Business interests will find her shrewd and pragmatic. Friends and comrades will find someone that cares immensely for their well-being.
This is a list of the items that Keaira currently is keeping on her person. Feel free to use this information if it comes up logically in the course of RP, such as pickpocketing, a search, etc. Last Updated: 11/19/2015
Face Claim: To be determined :) Body Claim: Anna Torv [1] Voice Claim: Anna Torv [2]
Twinning's reserve of equipment is both vast and specific. Her several years spent in study at the Arrzaneth Ossuary have given her a keen, focused command of her own aether, though she rarely utilizes her thaumaturgy in combat, any longer. Time spent in the Immortal Flames saw her trained in basic hand-to-hand techniques as well; though she hasn't expanded this training, she has honed it down to a precision. Most often, Keaira employs her arsenal of firearms, utilizing a specific piece for the particular demands of various missions. She rarely travels anywhere unarmed, but also rarely makes effort to escalate any situation into violence. As much as she's a student of history, she's a student of combat, and enjoys training.
Here is a list of recent and/or notable fights, roleplay scenes, etc. that Twinning has been a part of. This list is by no means all inclusive, and serves more as a general reference as to what she's been up to.
Keaira Twinning was born in an outlying settlement of Ul'dah, in the Thanalan deserts. Her mother, Joselyn Twinning, died during Keaira's birth due to complications in her pregnancy, leaving her as the sole daughter alongside three older brothers. Her father, Lowell, has since held an unshakable resentment of Keaira for 'killing the woman that he loved.' Her brothers, both young and impressionable, almost naturally attached themselves to the same ill feelings. She quickly became accustomed to being lonely; because of her family, it's a feeling that's become almost natural to her. That she was born with synesthesia, something which few in her life, still, have been able to (or willing) to understand, only served to isolate her view of the world even further. Some many years before she was born, Lowell had established his name as an exceptional jeweler and goldsmith within the regions surrounding Ul'dah, and Joselyn's death proved the final spark that determined his moving the family business to the city itself. There, it managed to flourish, but very little of the family's wealth was dedicated to Keaira's upbringing, apart from what was needed to keep her clothed and healthy. The neglect didn't stop her from growing, however; jealous of her older brothers, she took what means she needed to learn how to read, whether that meant risky pestering of merchants and tradesmen in Ul'dah, or stealing her brothers' coveted volumes. While Keaira was busy raising herself, Lowell remarried, adding a new wife, Mirielda, and a brother, Albert, to the already sizeable family that cared little for her. The young girl remained an outlier to most things that she was involved in. Stories of magick, adventure, and war fueled her interest in the realm's history. Though she hardly possessed the knowledge to discern fantasy from reality and legend from actual history, this voracious interest was much of what kept her from succumbing to the squalor, crime, and misfortune that still befalls much of the realm's neglected youth. All the while, the unyielding distance, distrust, and resentment fostered by her father continued to colour her perception of family and love.
One of the strongest consequences of her forcibly isolated upbringing was a strong sense to prove herself capable. No greater opportunity arose before her coming of age, and her quick acceptance into the Arrzaneth Ossuary at the age of fourteen. Keaira was a bold student, ever seeking a balance between appeasing her own need for knowledge and pleasing those in authority, around her. What she had never received from her family, she found in her instructors within the Ossuary. Her innately abundant aether was quickly harnessed as she was instructed in the history, tradition, and use of thaumaturgy. Attuning herself to astral and umbral aspects was a task not met with hesitance or worry, but sheer eagerness. Throughout her years of study, the endless libraries finally began to sate the her long-kindled curiosities about the realm's history. At seventeen years of age, Keaira was finally confronted with the prospect of genuine romance; until this point, such advances were either entirely unwanted, or looked upon as something 'not meant for her.' The outlook was, eventually, only further cemented as the courtship developed. Her suitor spent only a moon pursuing her before proposing that they Bond. Reluctantly envious of the man's wealth (as well as his own prior education within the Ossuary's halls), she accepted. The entire ordeal only amounted to a three-moon departure from her studies, as the man's abusive tendencies and utter reliance upon wealth that he'd done nothing himself to acquire drove all adoration from her. The Bond was annulled, and Keaira returned to the Ossuary.
That Keaira excelled at thaumaturgy was a bit of knowledge that found its way to the Hall of Flames, and not long after her return following the annulment, she was offered a military position, pending the required training. With a fresh opportunity to prove herself ahead, said training was only a repetition of the speed and eagerness which with she took to her early studies at the Ossuary. The prospect of killing men wasn't met with joy, but the camaraderie that she found in her squad, and the widespread, venomous outlook towards Garlemald made training to do so much easier. Serving as a Flame Mage, she rose quickly through the ranks after several maneuvers against the Empire, as well as more local threats, such as the Amalj'aa and their tempered. Her service plateaued when she became a Corporal and was stationed with a reconnaissance and special operations squad accustomed to working on the front lines of Eorzea's defense against Garlemald. It was with these men and women that her knowledge and determination found its calling. She learned exceptional amounts about survival in the wilds, stealth, and the handling and dismantling of the enemy's magitek. On the eve of the Battle of Carteneau, her squad was ordered to remain near the rear of the engagement, for the eventual cleanup and counterstrikes that were sure to follow the combat, no matter the outcome. The squad's resentment of these orders won out, but before they could reach the front lines, Dalamud erupted and drove the battlefield--and the realm--into chaos. Continued combat against the Empire after the Battle of Carteneau allowed Keaira's unit amply more time in the field, dispatching stray and scouting units of Garlean soldiers throughout Thanalan and its borders. The losses suffered by the Flames left the Grand Company stretched thin, forced to appropriate its more specialized soldiers to a wider range of duties. Thus, the unit was eventually taken directly from its military work and put to a manhunt. Maisenta Brooks, wanted in Ul'dah for more than two dozen murders, had garnered enough attention from her acts that the Flames were forced to take exorbitant action against her. It was also the mission that would see Twinning's service ended. The unit pursued Brooks deep into southern Thanalan, where she was attempting to escape with a merchant caravan. Upon reaching the caravan, however, events took a turn towards horrible. A trap utilizing several of the merchants in the caravan, as well as Amalj'aa, saw Keaira's unit decimated. Her Chief Sergeant, the leader of their unit, was killed by a traitor in their very midst--Spiral Crocus, someone whom Keaira had considered a very close comrade. Though she would later lie about it when the mission was reviewed by her superiors, she witnessed two privates from her unit escaping the combat. Left for dead, Keaira barely managed to escape the grisly end suffered by the rest of those few men and women she had served with for much of her career. In lieu of Brooks' escape, and the lack of provable details surrounding the demise of a renowned Flames unit, the Grand Company avoided public dismay by accusing Keaira of treason; a charge which they were unable to entirely prove. Her time with the Flames ended with a dishonorable discharge, and further isolation from her family than she had known, even as a child.
Keaira made a vow to herself, to keep strong and move only upward after her discharge. Her time spent in the Ossuary and her dedication to history, coupled with her military experience and physical prowess allowed her a good deal of independence in her work, and it wasn't long before she found her niche as a private contractor in Ul'dah, specializing in retrieval and authentication of relics, tomes, and other historic artifacts. Surviving both Carteneau and the decimation of her Immortal Flames squad left her with a fresh sense of pragmatism, and most clients knew her foremost by her cutthroat demeanor, quick work, and brutal efficiency in whatever task she was set to; all of which, by her own choosing, kept her well clear of most chance of taking men's lives. Both the swiftness and pride in her work led her to a man named Fifiriya Susuriya, who hired Keaira to authenticate an artifact through the inspection of five separate collectors. She did so, traveling to each of their homes with the artifact in tow. She realized, too late, that Fifirya didn't require authentication at all; the artifact's enclosed voidsent remained in the homes of each collector she visited, and only once the job was completed did she realize the destruction she'd unwittingly wrought. The potency of the artifact revealed, Fifiriya used Twinning's own reputation--as well as the common knowledge of her family's business--to blackmail her into cleaning and burying the carnage she'd made herself responsible for, with flames and earth.
Burdened with the threat of blackmail and the weight of so many dead behind her, Keaira's optimistic drive finally shattered. Though she still remained absent from affection, especially physical, she took to drinking to calm her nerves. Her time in the Flames left her with a penchant for adrenaline-fueled activity at the risk of her own life, often the only thing besides alcohol that kept frayed nerves and flashbacks at bay. With her time in Ul'dah at an end, Keaira scrounged the sum of her profits together and bought a small flat for herself in Gridania. Though it came at great cost, it offered the seclusion she thought she needed. She told no one of it, and only returned to it as a respite from her continued, solitary work. Her jobs were varied, and no longer discriminated by their danger. Ranging across the realm--but staying widely clear of Thanalan, when possible--she took small pleasures in exercising her pursuit of historic and contemporary lore. When her clients and contacts eventually allowed her to leverage a position at Mealvaan's Gate (in spite of having only limited knowledge and practice in the Arcanum), she found herself situated financially well, too.
Her position at Maelvaan's Gate put her in Mor Dhona, playing liaison to the Sons of St. Coinach. It was through this posting that two fateful encounters occured; Keaira was first introduced to the Maelstrom Foreign Levy 81st Company, and placed within the crosshairs of Fifiriya Susuriya once more. In an unlikely alliance, she committed herself to helping bring the powerful villain down, after he had enacted vengeance upon the 81st in the form of having the company accused of treason. Its officership imprisoned, Keaira aided in a raid on Fifiriya's compound, during which the man was killed. More than just liberation for herself, the death of Fifiriya allowed Keaira the knowledge that her own poor choices could no longer be leveraged against her family. Though her hard-learned philosophies and long-kindled instincts urged her to run from the entrapment of new camaraderie, those few she'd grown close to urged her to stay. For better and for worse, 'stay' is what she decided was best.
Not long after submitting her name to the Maelstrom Foreign Levy 81st Company, her vision began to brighten. Keaira has resources to fuel her passions, and comrades eager to share in them. Her marksmanship has earned her a reputation, and her substantial combat and military experience revealed her a capable leader. Now a Lieutenant, she makes every effort she can to guide the members of her new home to safety, no matter the trial or danger they're up against. Those things that she once thought to deny herself for a lifetime--companionship, longing, love--have been placed back in her sights. Fate has placed her steps towards the study of astromancy, which she pursues with a philosophical passion correlating with her reverence for the Twelve. Those things that once haunted her still do, but never before has she had more help in combating them.
These are mostly backstory-related relationships.
Listed here are the non-family characters, both PC and NPC, that Keaira has interacted with enough or in such a way for her 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 Twinning, and descriptions are purely based upon in character experiences and opinions! Last Update... 11/19/2015. * An asterisks denotes that Keaira 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!
◢ Player Character Rumors - Feel free to add rumors of your own!
You are not permitted to re-use this artwork for your own characters or purposes, whether on Final Fantasy XIV or on other games, forums, etc.
Keaira has led a varied and diverse life, and those talents she's honed can be used on any number of fields or fronts. She has traveled throughout most of the known realm, and for much of her life, simply made a point of being wherever a given contract required her to be. That said, there are particular regions during particular times where it might have been possible for your character to have made a connection with her.
Hello there! My name is Tom, I'm 29 years old, and have been roleplaying off-and-on (mostly in MMOs) for several years. I'm an avid gamer, but also a foodie, photographer, and professional writer; thus, one must strike a balance! I enjoy great roleplay just as much as the rest of a game's content, and value an immersive experience that allows me to take part in everything offered!
I'm fairly laid back person, and generally feel that any established guidelines are capable of being bent in exceptional circumstances. 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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