User:Khenbish Nergui
| Khenbish Nergui | |
 "I don’t need to be reminded that we’re up to our heads in dark water. I just want you to remember that we’re the gods-damned sharks." | |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Au Ra |
| Clan | Xaela |
| Citizenship | Unaffiliated |
| Age | 24 |
| Guardian | Thalik, the Scholar |
| Namesday | 15th Sun of the 6th Astral Moon (November 14th) |
| Real Name | Koray Khalid |
Contents
Character
♦ General
Khenbish Nergui (an alias for Koray Khalid) is an Au Ra hailing from Othard.
♦ Appearance
Koray is a tall, well built, man with messy dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Half-Raen and half Xaela, he bears only one limbal ring in his right eye; the other he keeps hidden behind his bangs. Though he strives to avoid attention, he has an air of casual elegance in the way he carries himself and his mannerisms, a trait that contrasts his generally sharp and jagged features. He is good at appearing at-ease, though if one watches closely, they'll see that he often looks tired in a way sleep can't fix.
It's worth nothing that by au ra standards, he's actually on the short side, but au ra are a particularly tall race.
♦ Behaviour
Koray is a loner by nature. Due to his past, he believes that people should rely on themselves, and tends to avoid drawing attention if he can. Because of his carefully stoic demeanor, people often perceive him as cold and focused, but his pragmatism and strong sense of honor ensures that he never shirks from what he considers duty; though he is distant, he would not easily abandon a comrade.
Before the events of the Doma Rebellion, Koray was much less shy with words. When negotiating with other clans, he engaged in games of wits and words so proficient and discreet they outwitted the detection of Raen and Xaela alike. He was unafraid to be daring and assertive-- to use cunning in a realm where oftentimes violence ruled; his wit and his frustratingly silver tongue were far more lethal than his battle prowess would ever be. However, the same audacity that made him such a natural leader also went hand in hand with arrogance, and this, along with his general stubbornness, led to his downfall.
When he gets to know someone, he's somewhat closer to his 'older self'.
History
Koray’s father, Hiraku, was a Raen who had left Doma to educate the Xaela on the dangers the Garlean Empire; specifically, he sought their assistance in rebelling against the Garleans when the opportune moment arrived. He met with many tribes-- some more open to his words than others-- until the dangers of the Othardian Steppe led him to the river-dwelling Ejinn. They granted him sanctuary, allowing him to travel in their number and speak with the tribes they came in contact with. In exchange, he accepted marriage to the khan of the tribe, a woman by the name of Kahina who found his antics amusing.
Koray was thus born into the Ejinn tribe, first son to his father and second to his mother. Because she was a khan—as were her predecessors—Koray was of a noble background; the marriage further served to validate his birth, making him, rather than his half-elder-brother Dervis, the rightful heir to the tribal rule. This higher social standing also made it easier to solicit help and eventually consolidate members of various tribes into his own.
He grew up with a unique view of the chaos amongst the various Xaela tribes due to his father's presence. Marriages were used to solidify temporary alliances, but politics among the groups were harsh; tribal warfar, thievery, raids, and general corruption pushed everyone apart, and the looming menace of the Garlean Empire threatening their traditions did nothing to help tension. Because of his personal experiences involving these things, Hiraku took care to teach about the need for alliances.
At ten years of age, Koray was delivered to the family of his future wife-- a girl by the name of Feray; he was to live among the Qalli until he reached a marriageable age. His mother feared the news scouts brought that the Dotharl were following the rivers-- in particular because her heir was just learning how to fight-- and so had made arrangements for his safety. Hot-headed and young, Koray was displeased, but his father assured him that it was important for a good leader to learn about the people around him, and so he agreed to leave.
For three years he lived amongst the Qalli, and to his surprise he enjoyed it. Their unique method of communication, their land-based way of life, fascinated and delighted him-- even the fiancee he had been so childishly determined to hate found her way into his heart over time. Those years were perhaps his happiest. Then his father arrived with word that his mother had been killed in a battle with the Dotharl, and that Dervis had taken over as khan. When Hiraku had asserted the heir's right to rule, the Ejinn refused to be led by someone so young, and instead chose to chase him out-- leaving him abandoned and without protection.
Such a sleight demanded action, and so Koray chose to leave the Qalli-- with the bold decision of allowing himself to be captured. The idea was to kill his brother once he got inside-- something that his father protested, both due to the sheer callousness of the act, and due to the utter lack of planning. His certainty that Koray's hot-headed nature would lead to his downfall did nothing to deter his son; he left regardless, only taking a small force upon Feray's request.
As his father had predicted, getting captured was easy, escaping was not. However, Koray's firm belief that not everyone in the tribe would accept his brother also held true; he escaped imprisonment with the help of a sympathetic guard, and in a coup that was both strategic and lucky, succeeded in killing Dervis. He chose however, not to take his place as the leader of a tribe that so easily betrayed him; taking those who had remained loyal, he left them to their fate. From there, the Khalid tribe was formed, and they traveled across the Othardian steppe, making alliances with whatever groups were willing to hear their word. Their numbers grew as their reputation did. Despite their swiftly growing size however, they never attacked other tribes unless in retaliation; in raids, Koray made the unique decision of dividing the wealth amongst those who had done well, while also refusing to take slaves or kill those who could not fight. The rapid growth and open leadership made the tribe into a vibrant mix of most others, and it seemed their success could only continue.
When whispers came about a rebellion centered in Doma against the Garlean empire, the decision to join and fight seemed natural. They were organized, motivated, and the timing was right; victory seemed all but assured. Koray was determined to succeed where others who had fought against the empire had failed, and solidify his clan's reputation as a force to be reckoned with.
But the rebellion failed, and defeat was crushing.
Many who participated were killed. Others were taken prisoners of war. In the chaos of it all, much was lost. Koray never saw his wife or his father again, and those of his tribe who had survived were forced to choose between fleeing across the sea to Eorzea, or returning to the Steppe to live in the shadows. He chose to cross the sea and shed his tribal name as an ode to his guilt, instead taking on the name Khenbish Nergui-- a name that essentially means 'no one'. Though he missed his home, he vowed never to return until he regained his honor.
★ Recent RP events ★
Tendencies
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♦ Related Images
Relationships
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♦ Footnotes
The name Khenbish means 'Nobody', while Nergui means 'no name'.
The name Koray means 'ember moon', while Khalid means 'to last forever' or 'eternal'
Author Notes
Please note that the history written here is an overview of the important points to understanding the character. I kept things vague because the lore on the Au Ra is vague, but just the same, Always feel free to message me if you have any questions or concerns about my portrayal!
Also, if you'd like to see some general writing samples, please click here!
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