User:Azukinhaara
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Xhiki’a “Azuki” Nhaara Born to a ferocious clan of Miqo’te in the Yanxian mountains, Azuki is adventurous by birthright. He currently is a mercenary who takes too many jobs & quests without pay, out of a kind and easily swindled heart--and partially by accident.
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◈Appearance
Azuki has boyishly good looks, with canined smiles that can fluster the average stranger. Ever since starting his impromptu career as an adventurer, Azuki went from toned to Pretty Buff™, and he continues his training routines to maintain it and strengthen himself. Two red tattoos on either side of his face are a clear marks of Shen’s Blessing, the Nhaara tribe’s traditional tattoos.
His tail is rather large, like the rest of him it seems. It has spots on it like a snow leopard’s, and it is just over half his height in length, as well as bulky. The mountain life of the Nhaara tribe affected how their tails evolved, with the biggest, longest tails making it easiest to balance in their rocky environment.
◈Clothing
He seems to favor fitting clothing and shirts with low necklines. This is entirely unintentionally hot as hell on him.
Other than that, Azuki generally prefers comfortable clothing that he can move easily in, and likes things that are edgy, in a middle school fascination way.
◈Combat
At the start of his adventure, Azuki is the equivalent of a level 20 Dark Knight with the ability to use Darkside already, but with very little control over it, unable to maintain it for longer than thirty seconds. His ability with Darkside and the dark arts has always been weaker than his physical poweress. Magic is complex already, and in particular dark magic requires mental fortitude on top of skill. Given his somewhat indeterminate principles, Azuki finds the dark arts difficult to master without risking it consuming him. Things only get harder when his Shen’s Mark¹ is involved, causing Azuki to take an abnormally long time to get a hold of many Dark Knight magicks. His soulstone helps, but he still has difficulty gleaning much from its aether.
Growing up on the mountains, Azuki is accustomed to putting mobility and balance over defense. For a tank, his armor is relatively light, and since he has a hard time with magic, his defensive skills are meager, but he can deal a high amount of damage. Translation: he’s an idiotic “what’s grit” DRK, and the D stands for DPS.
¹See: Nhaara Clan for more details
Shen’s Mark has similar functions to a soulstone, but instead of having a separate object that contains the aether, Summit cats have it permanently threaded into their aether. In Azuki’s case, all of the Dark Knight soulstone’s aether “interferes” with his embedded mark. While it isn’t impossible for him to use both effectively (even simultaneously), it would take a large amount of control and experience to do so.
◈Misc
- Given his (perilous) immigration from Yanxia to Ishgard, Azuki speaks Eorzean with a Doman accent. He certainly sounds foreign, if he didn’t already look the part. His voice tends to carry across the room, and worse is that he is usually unaware of it.
- Azuki has a twin sister named Anmitsu; she’s a trans girl and went by Xhiki’to and really wanted something that she could identify with better, but was also tentative to come out about it. Azuki told her that maybe they could both go by nicknames, so people wouldn’t think much of it! They picked the names because they had azuki with anmitsu the first time they visited Kugane, since the two foods complement each other really well.
- Lalafell are rare to see around Yanxia and Ishgard, so when Azuki saw one for the first time in Mor Dhona, he thought they were little nature spirits, or, well, something...
◈General
Azuki is incredibly amiable, and his willingness to help generally earns the sometimes begrudging fondness of others wherever he goes. While Azuki takes many jobs pro bono, those who he helps generally at least try to reward him with food or odd knick-knacks. And since he tries his hardest to keep all the gifts he receives, Azuki winds up with strange junk in his inventory-- and on occasion, rare or useful items.
Depending on who you ask, however, Azuki’s exuberant behavior can either be endearing or tiring. He meets most challenges in an almost blithe manner, and it can land him in unintended trouble. His attention is incredibly short as well, and he loses focus easily; however, with some guidance (sometimes just taking the form of a level-headed friend), Azuki is motivated to do things at 500% output.
On the surface level, Azuki comes off as self-assured, but his motivations for doing anything that he ever does is always fraught with ambiguity
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◈From Yanxia to Ishgard
The Nhaara tribe, of all mountainous Miqo’te, is small in number, but fiercer than any other: they value strength above all else, or how could they sit upon their thrones in the sky? Their loyalty to the Doman resistance against Garlemald at the time of Lord Kaien’s rule was not to be reckoned with, but ultimately led to the tribe’s demise.
In a hasty attempt to save Azuki and his twin from being captured, Azuki’s father Sahran’ya had them stow away on an airship to from Kugane to Ishgard, in hopes that they could travel from Coerthas to The Shroud, where Sahran’ya’s family is from.
That plan never followed through, however. When the twins arrive in Ishgard, they could barely communicate with the people there, and surviving the Dravinian onslaught in the Brumes was all they could do for a while. It would take Azuki and Anmitsu nearly dying of starvation, injuries, and cold before a mysterious adventurer scooped the kits up from the Brumes to the safety of Stephanivien’s Skysteel Manufactory; they worked to keep a roof under their heads, and were treated almost normally there, despite being outsiders and Ishgardians being famously xenophobic.
Years pass, and they spent it working under Stephanivien. The Shroud felt so dreadfully unknown-- their father did not tell them exactly where their relatives are, and only gave Anmitsu a bracelet that could serve as proof to Sahran’ya’s family that they were indeed his children. There wasn’t much to go on, and in a way Anmitsu and Azuki felt like they owed Stephanivien for aiding them.
Azuki spent years working as an errand boy as well as helping with shipments to and from the Manufactory. It was a tedious task (he had to learn to read Eorzean for it), but it brought him to such amazing, foreign lands from the exotic jungles of the Dravanian Forelands to the breathtaking heights of the Sea of Clouds. He hoped to visit these places on his own terms, somehow, someday.
◈A Dark Mystery
Over the years, Azuki wanted so badly to find the mysterious adventurer who had saved his and his sister’s lives. The incident was not so much a unique one: he was starving, stole a meagre amount of food, and the knights took that chance to cut him down, as if to teach him a lesson. With all the commotion of Azuki putting up a fight but ultimately bleeding on the cobblestone, and Anmitsu screaming for help, the adventurer came to their aid and took care of the knights.
The only thing Azuki found out, in his “investigations”--being kind of a cute bothersome type to the clientele and the employees at the Forgotten Knight before getting swept out of its doors--was that the adventurer wielded a greatsword and kept their face hidden at all times. He hoped that, upon finding them, that they would teach Azuki how to fight like they did--with abilities and strength far beyond anything Azuki had ever seen! It wasn’t until one of his rounds to the Forgotten Knight one day that Azuki recognized his hero on the streets-- as a corpse in some back alley of the Brumes.
Before Azuki knew how to react, he had a strange stone in his hand, pulsating with an energy that terrified him, but also told him that this was his right. Shortly after, he heard voices and visions, memories perhaps, that were not his own. While Azuki didn’t know why he experienced these, he knew somehow he had insight to the past of his former hero!
Azuki’s fervent search for answers led him to activity and issues that were beyond his understanding and scope, and he soon wound up involved in grave matters. Entangling the likes of a high house noble named Sebastian, Azuki stirred up trouble with the wrong Ishgardians; the strings pulled behind the scenes made it impossible for Azuki and Seb to convict those responsible. Soon, Azuki found himself and his new companion in a trial by battle.
They survived of course, by the skin of their teeth. Azuki had yet to figure out how his soulstone worked--Seb told him that what he had was a soulstone in the first place--and lacked the knowledge to wield a greatsword. At least Sebastian, a paladin, had enough experience to cover the both of them. However, despite surviving their trial, they were still exiled from Ishgard on account of espionage and heresy (the latter on Azuki’s part); it was only Sebastian’s noble status that saved them from being executed.
It was outside the Gates of Judgement, in the bleak landscape of Coerthas, where Azuki haphazardly began his life as an adventurer.
◈Timeline
A Realm Reborn: Around this time Azuki is still in Ishgard, acting as an errand boy for the Skysteel Manufactory. Near the end of this expac’s events, Azuki finds Fray’s soulstone.
Heavensward: Azuki gets exiled from Ishgard not too soon after MSQ WoL retreats to Coerthas. He officially begins his journey in Mor Dhona.
During this time, he has all sorts of adventures [see how open-ended I’m leaving this?] and travels all over Eorzea. When the events leading up to the slaying of Thordan occur, Azuki and Sebastian manage to clear their names by exposing the corruption in Sebastian’s family. They are allowed entry back into Ishgard afterwards and given accolades for their deeds.
Initially, Azuki stays in Ishgard to see off Stephanivien and the rest of the workers at the Manufactory before heading out again, but he bumps into some unfamiliar faces at The Forgotten Knight-- a tall, brooding Au’ra dark knight, and a solemn blonde elezen girl. A rather interesting series of events follow.
Azuki fought during Nidhogg’s attack on the Holy See.
Stormblood: After aiding the Ishgardians post-Dravinian conflict, Azuki sets off for Doma. It isn’t a safe journey by any means, given the political tension in the region, but due to events in his Dark Knight communes (with Sidurgu’s help), he wanted to go to his old home-- to face his past and, hopefully, become stronger for it.
◈Overview
The Nhaara Clan is located on a cluster of the tallest mountains in Yanxia. On these mountains are rich veins of crystals, a boon that many Nhaaras attributed to their right to migrate here in the first place. Even though they are a ways from other villages like Namai, the Keepers of the Summit have always engaged with outsiders. It was perhaps out of necessity, as produce and herbs were difficult to grow in the mountains, but over time they fostered a friendly relationship with their neighbors.
The Keepers of the Summit differ from the Keepers of the Moon and Seekers of the Sun on a physical & behavioral level. They are crepuscular in nature, active only around twilight and dawn. On average, they are quite large for Miqo’te, with heights ranging from 5’6” to 6’0”, and tails that are thick and over half their heights in length. Similarly to Moon cats, Summit cats operate under a matriarchy. The strongest warrior in their clan would be given the Nhaara title, acting as leader and representative of Shen Nhaara; the rest of the clan did not necessarily have the Nhaara “last name.”
When the Garleans invaded and took over Doma, the Summit cats were highly against it and fought fervently in the resistance. With Xhiki Nhaara’s leadership, they developed a more extreme faction after targeted attacks on Summit cats led to extreme losses. Eventually, the clan was attacked via a Garlean airship raid when Zenos came to Doma. The mountains they called home were toppled, and most members captured and executed.
◈So the Tale Goes
According to clan elders, the Summit clan migrated to Yanxia from Merycidia eons ago, and they survived and persevered with the help of one miqo’te named Shen Nhaara, who led them to their current tribe settlement. Shen possessed the power of the echo, granting her abilities that the original tribe members believed were the signs of a deity.
They ventured into the Yanxian mountains to escape a horrible storm, and when they went deep into it, they realized there was a large deposit of Crystals in the many tunnels of that mountain. A valuable resource, and a perfect place to establish a settlement. Shen would die not too long after- but before she did, it is said that she passed on to the rest of the tribe members her strength, which manifested itself in the form of aetheric markings on their faces.
The remaining members dedicated a shrine to her - a shrine located on the summit of the mountain - and every several years, new tribe members would make their journey up the mountain to pay their respects and receive Shen’s blessing.
◈Shen’s Mark
Shen’s Mark refers to the markings that every full-fledged warrior of the Nhaara tribe possesses. Marks are mostly unique, with some that may have shared similarities. It is always a deep red color.
How the mark necessarily affects a warrior’s fighting skills is unknown to tribe members, just accepted, but there is a more technical explanation to it. The marks essentially act as soulstones, just in a different form. They contain the aetheric “memory” of Shen and her abilities, and each user can develop these skills uniquely over time.
However, these marks differ from soulstones in that a portion of Shen’s aether is permanently threaded tribe member’s aether, acting as a catalyst for Shenkai.
◈Shenkai
Every tattooed warrior of the Nhaara tribe possesses the ability to harness something called shenkai: it unlocks hidden potential in the warrior’s aether and allows them to use skills they may not normally be able to use, or give them heightened strengths. When the warrior realizes how to utilize Shen’s aether, they are able to resonate with it and increase both the amount and strength of their own aether.
In reaction to their aether change, warriors’ face marks will also change and form different patterns, reverting to the original marks after the effects of shenkai wear off. It can be used for an extended amount of time. (A bit like a “stance” like i.e. Deliverance / Darkside / Sword Oath)
There are side effects to utilizing Shen’s blessing- her aether itself does not cause damage, but when the user’s aether resonates with it for too long, their aether may permanently change, as Shen’s blessing does drastically “shape” aether. Again, this may not be detrimental, but there are those who become consumed by their aether, because their physical forms are unable to bear the stress. It is, altogether, a rather unnatural process.
◈The Sizhilu
Sizhilu is a rite of passage ceremony that all coming of age members of the Nhaara tribe go through (if they want to become full-fledged Nhaara warriors). It is a spiritual as much as physical quest. The beginning of the journey varies in two ways: a path up along the outside of the mountain, or a cave entrance.
The trek up the mountain is easy to traverse, as youths have grown up in the hazardous conditions of their mountain home, but will lead to more encounters with large beasts, especially flying ones.
The cave entrance leads to a labyrinth of tunnels and caves that go all the way to the summit (there is only one correct path), making it extremely difficult to navigate and climb, but the monsters encountered are generally smaller and a bit weaker.
In addition to actually making it up the mountain, tribe members are meant to bring an offering of falling water. The falling water item is the “pure water” from the waterfall at the village, acquired before the trial begins. It goes through a purification ceremony that changes the properties of the water, giving it mysterious magical properties. At the shrine, the water has to be poured onto Shen’s grave.
When the water is poured, it reacts with the aether in Shen’s grave, and the trial-goer is “blessed” with Shen’s aether. Depending on how their journey unfolded, they receive different markings that reflect their experience. There are no consistent interpretations of the markings.
◈Misc
- Keepers of the Summit at some point diverged from Keepers of the Moon Miqo’te before migrating to Yanxia. This is why their naming conventions are retained (albeit their names are more derivative of Eastern names).
- Jobs/classes in the Nhaara clan are different than Eorzean standards. The ones that exist in the clan are: berserkers (warriors), sohei (they fight with bows, lances, or fists), and daoshi (a shaman healer). However, only two or three daoshi exist in the tribe at a time. Most Summit cats are not inclined towards magic; it could take up to a decade before a new daoshi successor/apprentice is selected.
- The Nhaara tribe warriors were heavily disciplined and followed strict routines that honed their skills and fighting. They speak similarly to “samurai,” and their speech is a bit distinguished/formal.
- Despite common misconception, not all Nhaara tribe members have the Nhaara surname as their ancestor does-- only the leader and her family are allowed to use the name officially, but all tribe members will refer to themselves as “of the Nhaara”
- Male members of the tribe do not leave when they come of age like their Moon cat counterparts.
- The mortality rate of Summit Miqo’te is relatively high, given their dangerous living conditions and fearlessness of battle. This keeps their population relatively low, around 40 members scattered across the mountain territory.
- The average age of Nhaara clan members is 24.
- There are now possibly many Keepers of the Summit Miqo’te scattered across the world, after fleeing Garlean forces.
- Some veteran Imperial soldiers who fought in Doma may recognize Shen’s Mark tattoos on sight if only because the Summit Miqo’te were notoriously fierce and possessed inhuman strength on the battlefield, despite their small numbers.
COMMON RUMORS(easy to overhear)
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MODERATE RUMORS(moderately difficult to overhear)
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RARE RUMORS(very difficult or rarely overheard)
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PC RUMORS(rumors from the characters of other players)
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♥ Romantic Interest ♡ Platonic Love ▲ Good Standing ▼ Poor Standing
As far as romantic history goes... there was one time Azuki made friends with a knight, Gabriel, stationed in the Sea of Clouds, while running shipments for the Stephanivien. Not really getting the hint that no self-respecting knight would get themselves assigned there, Azuki really admired Gabriel and wished he could spend his days in there. Flustered by Azuki’s unrestrained excitement, Gabriel eventually developed affections for him, and sought to live up to the amazing things that Azuki thought he did.
Eventually, Gabriel encountered a wild monster attack, and instead of fleeing he stood his ground. His reckless bravery cost him his life, and the next time Azuki came back to the Sea of Clouds, there was no friend to greet him. So. That’s as much “romance” as Azuki experienced, which.. I guess he straight up didn’t.
He loves his friends, though!
PCs
Misik’a Rahsi
Sebastian [Last name lol]
L’yuta Tia
Kai Masamune
NPCs
Fray Myste
Stephanivien Haillenarte
| Template | Bancroft Gairn |
| Layout reference | D'lyhhia Lhuil |
| Other fiddling | Misik'a Rahsi |
