Khara Kagon

Khara Kagon
Khara of the Black Waltz
Gender	Female
Race	Au Ra
Clan	Xaela
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Place of Birth	The Nhaama Desert
Guardian	Menphina, the Lover
Nameday	17th Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon (Age: Unknown)
Occupation	Black Mage
Pronunciation	"ḤA-ra Ka-GON"

Exiled from her tribe, this fallen udgan wields the power of destruction against the shadowless men known as Ascians.

Khara Kagon is a member of the Kagon Tribe of Auri Xaela living in exile. A devout udgan of the Dusk Mother Nhaama and gifted thaumaturge, Khara took an active role in attempting to ward off the advances of the Dotharl tribe.

Under the advice of a mysterious figure clad in a black cloak and mask, she attempted to summon creatures of the void to slaughter her enemies, going so far as to desecrate the dead in her efforts. Ultimately, she lost control of these creatures, resulting in the deaths of several of her own tribesmen.

For her transgressions, Khara was stripped and exiled, forced to walk the desert sands in the light of the sun. Khara survived, however, and eventually found her way to Eorzea. There, she discovered a soul crystal that would allow her to unlock the destructive magicks of Mhach. Now she intends to use her art to both subjugate and combat voidsent, and to garner sufficient magical power to avenge herself against the shadowless figures known as Ascians.

Appearance

Even compared to the diminutive frames and statures of the average Auri female, Khara is a short, waifish woman. She has youthful features with scarcely a stray line or wrinkle on her soft, pale face. Though slender, her figure noticeably flares at the hips. The distinctive dark blue scales of the Xaela tribe cover her body around her collarbone, cheeks, forehead, hips, biceps, calves, and the backs of her hands. A long, scaly, blue tail extends from above her round rear, three spines protruding near the base. A pair of large, aural horns extend from the sides of her head.

Like most members of the Kagon tribe, Khara's skin is uncharacteristically pale despite the desert environment from which she hails, owing to the clan's religious practice of never walking in the light of day. Large, bright, yellow eyes stare at her surroundings, often going long periods without blinking. Unlike most Au Ra, her limbal rings are pitch black; they absorb light rather than reflect it and do not glow.

The Au Ra's lips glisten with dark blue lipstick. Sharply clawed nails extend from her slender fingers, giving her a vicious appearance. Her short hair is a dark, shiny midnight blue, matching her lips and nails, as well as the majority of her wardrobe. The frontal fringe is cut straight at brow-level, and her sidelocks fall to shoulder-length, ending in points. Her hair is soft to the touch and seems to be well-washed.

Outfits Casual Wear: Despite hailing from a nocturnal tribe, Khara is an insomniac and is typically as active during the day as she is at night. From roughly the sixth bell to the eighteenth bell of any given sun, she cloaks herself in clothes that conceal her entire body from head to toe. At night, she prefers far more casual, often revealing clothing including a taffeta shawl, a bluefly yukata, a gryphonskin breastguard and pantalettes, or a Far Eastern togi. By her varied wardrobe, it's clear that she has an eye for fashion and takes great pride in her appearance. In fact, Khara takes great pride in herself as a servant of the Dusk Mother and an accomplished black mage. It was pride in her intelligence and her ambitious nature that led to her past disgrace. Sorcerer's Attire and Unfinished Stardust Rod: This set of Sorcerer's Attire was purchased from Rowena's House of Splendors. Khara bartered for her garments, trading them to Kakalan the Diamond Forge of Rowena's House of Splendors in exchange for antique armors she acquired during her travels. This vintage raiment is a design based on the Wizard's Attire worn by the black mages of Mhach. Khara favors this attire, as it provides full protection from the sun during the day. As her religion forbids her from walking in the sun, the design of the petasos is, in her opinion, truly a blessing. Faithfully recreated, the vanya silk and cashmere fleece of the garments are further reinforced with saurian and alchemically-treated hippogryph leathers. The garb is shot through with hex-spun mythril, an innovation that gives away this seemingly-innocent piece of clothing as the invest for summoning creatures from the void—that otherworldly plane which makes sport of the sanity of man. The stave Khara wields bears the distinct appearance of a legendary Stardust Rod, much like those crafted by the sorceress Shatotto during the Fifth Astral Era. Though it lacks the glow of its legendary counterpart, it is no less dangerous a weapon in the hands of a mistress of the black. Using a darksteel scepter infused with materia base, Khara's stave was shaped using the mineral alumina procured from the belly of a chimera. At its core is a true Stardust Rod, albeit one ravaged by three millennia in the Yafaem Saltmoor. The sorcerous staff was fashioned from remnants of a star ripped from its course by destructive magic. Death's Handmaiden was one of Shatotto's epithets, and despite the ravages of age, her relics live up to that dark reputation.

Basic Info Date of Birth: 17th Sun of the 1st Umbral Moon, Year Unknown, Sixth Astral Era Height: Short (4'9") Weight: Skinny (88 Ponze) Complexion: Pale Hair: Short, Bobbed, Dark Blue Eyes: Yellow, the left eye is a lighter shade and lacks a limbal ring. Particular Traits: Rarely blinks. Large canine teeth. Fulm-long tongue. Clawed fingernails and toenails. Burn scars on back. Voice: Soft, sultry, seductive. Clothing Style: Covered completely during daylight; casual or revealing clothing at night. Laterality: Left-Handed

Preferences

Likes ■ Prayer and religious rites. ■ Practicing magecraft. ■ Singing and dancing. ■ Learning new skills. ■ Flirting. ■ Scaring people. ■ Cold, windy nights. ■ Dark, cool, dry places. ■ Caverns and basements. ■ Bitter foods.

Dislikes ■ Sunlight. ■ Hot, humid places. ■ Disrespect and mockery. ■ Sour foods. ■ Being caught in a lie. ■ The Oronir and Dotharl tribes. ■ Ishgardians. ■ Voidsent summoners. ■ Ascians.

Favorites ■ Food: Boodog ■ Drink: Suutei tsai ■ Colours: Midnight Blue ■ Place: Lake Silvertear ■ Festival: All Saints' Wake

Other ■ Alignment: Chaotic Neutral ■ Vices: Lying, Promiscuity ■ Religion: Nhaama, the Dusk Mother ■ Goal: Unknown.

Personality

Flaws ■ Pride ■ Vanity ■ Lust ■ Lack of Empathy

Fears ■ Death ■ Sunlight

Talents ■ Innately gifted in thaumaturgy. ■ Able to lie without a physical tell. ■ Beautiful singing voice. ■ Able to learn languages at an impressive speed.

Tropes ■ Consummate Liar ■ Creepy Good ■ Cute Little Fangs ■ Dark Is Not Evil ■ Dissonant Serenity ■ The Hedonist ■ Nightmare Fetishist ■ Overly Long Tongue ■ Lack of Empathy ■ Lady of Black Magic ■ Nun Too Holy ■ The Penance ■ Too Kinky to Torture ■ Vain Sorceress ■ Well-Intentioned Extremist

Intelligence Khara is a swift learner and taught herself to speak the common tongue, and read and write in Eorzean script.

Quirks Khara often goes long periods without sleep, and seldom blinks her large, yellow eyes. She has a habit of licking her lips and humming before speaking. Additionally, she uses nosisms (referring to herself as "we," "us," or "our") and refers to others in the third person ("he," "she," or "it") rather than using second person pronouns.

Comparisons Final Fantasy Characters: Ultimecia Other Game Characters: Midna (The Legend of Zelda), Tharja (Fire Emblem), Rhajat (Fire Emblem) Anime Characters: Caster (Fate/stay Night)

Abilities and Skills

Personal ■ Skilled at aetherial manipulation. ■ Fast learner, adaptive.

Weapons ■ Thaumaturge's Arms

Magic ■ Thaumaturgy ■ Black Magic

Crafting ■ Alchemy

Family and Relationships

Family ■ Kagon Tribe

Friends and Acquaintances ■

Enemies ■ Ascians ■ Lambs of Dalamud ■ Voidsent

Affiliations

■ Adventurers' Guild

■ Thaumaturges' Guild

■ The Inn at Journey's Head

Rumors

Note: This section is editable by anyone. Just keep in mind that the rumors here may be both true or false.

Biography

The Exile

Born in the desolate Nhaama Desert located to the west of the fertile Azim Steppe, Khara would never know the man who sired her, nor the woman who bore her, both perishing ere their child formed her first memory. Instead, she was taken in by the udgan of the Kagon tribe, who would become as a grandmother to the girl. Even from a young age, Khara showed a talent for magic, and used her gift for manipulating aether to play mischievous pranks in pursuit of others' attention.

Khara grew under the nurturing tutelage of her guardian, memorizing the oral traditions and histories of the Dusk Mother, Nhaama. She learned to perform rites for birth, marriage, and death, and used her gifts in magic to spread word of her goddess as a vessel for her. Having only just come of age when her "emee" passed away, she succeeded her as the tribe's new udgan. Her talent and knowledge soon garnered the attention she'd so desperately craved, and helped fill the void left by her beloved mentor.

Shortly after Khara became udgan, the Kagon tribe entered a conflict with the Dotharl tribe. Attacked by Dotharli warriors seeking to lay claim to the oasis to which they'd laid claim, they quickly lost several tribesmen in their raids, and Khara performed more funerary rites with each passing night.

When all her magical boons and potions had failed and she could do naught but pray to her Mother for salvation, she was approached by a foreigner. While initially hesitant to trust this masked man, he offered a way to deliver her people, catching her ego by recognizing her talent for magic, and she hearkened to his words.

Through specific rites involving blood and the corpses of her fallen tribesmen, he explained, she could summon forth beings of incredible power. Khara first identified these creatures as "tngri," a Xaela word roughly equating to "gods." Though wary of these creatures, she accepted the dangers that they might protect the Kagon from the Dotharl and secure victory in their war. Not only was she certain of her abilities as an udgan, she aspired to a position of greatness, and the power that such creatures could give her appealed to her.

So naked was her vanity, her lust for power, that she was simple for the Ascian to manipulate.

On the night of a blood moon, forty and four Voidsent of various kinds arose from the bodies and body parts of dead Kagon tribesmen, their fallen mounts, and members of their herd she slaughtered in sacrifice. Fell Ahriman and succubi, horrific soulflayers and taurii, dreaded anchag and arch demons, a cavalcade of voidsent descended upon the battlefield.

But Khara made a grave miscalculation. Though her Voidsent attacked the Dotharli warriors, once the enemy retreated from the battlefield the monsters broke free of her control and set their sights on the Kagon tribe. For bells on end, the fighting continued until, at last, the Kagon stood alone upon bloodied sands of their once-beautiful, moonlit oasis.

As dawn drew nearer, Khara was brought before her tribe's khan to answer for defiling the corpses of her tribesmen and summoning hells-spawned creatures responsible for the deaths of her own. Khara could do naught but beg forgiveness and mercy. It was decreed that she would no longer have a place among her tribe. She was forced to walk out into the east, where the rising sun would forever mark her for her wickedness.

Arrzaneth Ossuary

Hiding her appearance, Khara lived as a beggar in Ul'dah.

As her skin would burn easily under the harsh desert sun, she hid in caverns and sacrificed her left eye to summon and bind a lesser voidsent Ahriman to her vision to scout during the day. She survived near-starvation and dehydration by finding a Mierqid cache in the desert, allowing her to make her way to the steppe.

Fortune smiled upon Khara. A group of Xaela refugees fleeing Garlean occupation discovered her and helped nurse her back to health. Khara joined them on their journey, a flight from Othard to the relative safety of Eorzea.

After five years of travel, the refugees arrived in Aldenard. They found the fields of Coerthas to their liking, only to be attacked by ignorant Ishgardians who mistook them for the progeny of dragons. Khara fled during the massacre to follow, wounded and bleeding with the Ishgardians in pursuit. She threw herself into the White Maiden, and the current carried her downstream to safety.

She washed up in the salt-drenched moor of Yafaem and found temporary shelter in an ancient ruin of Mhach, where she dressed her wounds. Within, she found the corpse of a long-dead mage, a purple crystal the likes of which she'd never seen before around the cadaver's neck. She took it for herself, though she knew not what its purpose was. She remained overnight, watching a starshower in the night's sky.

After leaving Yafaem, Khara came to the sultanate of Ul'dah, drawn to Thanalan partially due to its resemblance to her former home, and partially due to how different it was compared to her homeland. She lived as a beggar in the Ul'dahn backstreets, concealing her horns, scales, and tail in response to fearful looks and pejorative jeers from the local smallfolk.

Khara persevered, however. Though she did not speak the common tongue, and she could not read or write, she continued to practice her magicks. One day, a display of magic happened to draw the eye of Mumuepo the Beholden, who offered her employment in the Arrzaneth Ossuary. For many moons, she worked as an undertaker, delivering corpses in need of funerary rites to the Ossuary from around Thanalan, and disposing of the corpses of those too poor to pay for such treatment.

This paltry amount of gil would sustain Khara, but she decided that education would be the key to her salvation. She began to study the Eorzean language through the aged tomes of thaumaturgy in the Ossuary. Over the course of five years, she practiced her speech, painstakingly worked to communicate, and even devised the spelling of her own name. However, the archaic texts resulted in her developing a somewhat antiquated style of speech.

By 1567, Khara became fluent in the common tongue and approached guildmaster Mumuepo with her skill at memorizing and practicing the thaumaturgy she studied. Mumuepo agreed to grant her a higher position; no longer a corpse-gatherer, she became a full member of the Thaumaturges' Guild that she might take on more important tasks. In exchange, he asked that she relinquish the odd, purple stone she found in Yafaem to him, that he might study it before returning it to her.

Primarily, Khara was tasked with "vengeance orders," in which she would eliminate the creature or person responsible for the death of a wealthy patron of the Order of Nald'thal. Despite not believing in the Twelve, she liked the concept of accepting sin unto herself that another might pass onto the afterlife unburdened. She also performed tasks for the Alchemists' Guild at Frondale's Phrontistery, making use of her medicinal knowledge from her time as the Kagon tribe's udgan.

This became Khara's routine for the next five years, until the year 1572 of the Sixth Astral Era. As the era drew to its end, she found herself tasked with facing the Lambs of Dalamud doomsday cult, and helped ward off scores of voidsent spewed forth by the Atomos that appeared over aetheryte camps. During the Seventh Umbral Calamity, Khara used her magic to fight the fell creatures laying siege to the city-state. As the era drew to its end, debris from Dalamud struck the area near Milvaneth Sacrarium. Being in the impact radius, Khara fell unconscious and did not awaken for several days.

Taking the Black

Upon awakening from her slumber, Khara found the soul crystal returned to her possession. Mumuepo had been arrested, and thus had no further use for it. He only asked that his student forge her own path, stating in a short letter that the Ossuary could do little more to aid in her growth as a thaumaturge. She decided to keep the soul crystal on her possession and set upon her new course: the destruction of the shadowless men that first disgraced her.

Enlisting in the Adventurers' Guild, Khara spent the next five years roaming Eorzea in hopes of unlocking the secrets of the soul crystal. A return to the Yafaem Saltmoor with her newfound knowledge of Eorzean conventions helped her understand what she found to be a genuine Gem of Shatotto. With time, she grew in power, and levied her destructive powers against opponents such as the Lambs of Dalamud and Amalj'aa. All this in pursuit of the elusive "paragons," a term she knew all too well referred to the Ascians.

Khara first slew a black masked Ascian during her fifth year as an adventurer, using her magic to reduce any nearby bodies for its escape and laying a trap to gain the advantage over it. Even its summoning of a voidsent gargoyle did not avail it against Khara's newfound black magic and her Ahriman companion. She took the mask as a trophy, beginning a collection with the goal of obtaining forty and four masks, one for each corpse she defiled in her foolish youth.

Name Etymology Khara: A Mongolian female name meaning "black". Nicknames ■ Khara of the Black Waltz Current Residence Transient Gallery