From an Imperial Shadow called Kasasagi to a Doman noblewoman named Omori Kaya, she's worn and discarded names like so many outfits over the years. Now, she has finally been given a true name of Ferthur Venator. But who is she?

"... Who ARE you???"

Full name: Ferthur VenatorAliases: Kasasagi, Omori Kaya, and a variety of names she's given to others when they've stubbornly tried to find out who she really is, or names they've given her when she's stubbornly refused.Gender: Cis femaleRace: XaelaAge: “A lady never reveals her age.” (adult)Nameday: 32nd Sun of the 3rd Astral MoonLanguages: Doman, Common Eorzean, Garlean (though unlikely to use that last one)Occupation: Not getting caught.Alignment: Chaotic NeutralOrientation: Heterosexual | Demisexual | Monogamous (Taken)Partner: Eligos VenatorCurrent Residence: The Omori Clan estate, DomaPHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICSHair: Platinum blonde, and quite long. Usually worn up, or braided.Eyes: Slitted goldSkin: Pale with black scalesBody type: AthleticThough she’s not a true master of the shinobi arts, she is her mother’s daughter. Her training began at the age of four, and it’s still evident in the way she moves, observes, and behaves. Others who are similarly trained would likely notice it easily, while those who aren’t will likely write it off as simply a dancer’s posture, or the poise of nobility, depending on the context in which they meet.She carries herself with controlled dignity, and moves (or refuses to) deliberately, as if she expects each action to be read for significance, and takes great care not to reveal too much unintentionally. Though, in the very rare instances when she lets down her guard, this facade can fade away, revealing a woman who is equally likely to start engaging in extremely risky behavior or bursting into spontaneous dance.AccessoriesGenerally hidden beneath her clothing, a necklace holds two objects that never leave her person: a greyish-white soulstone glamoured to look like a simple moonstone pendant and a plain silver ring too large for any of her own fingers.ApparelClothing is about the only thing Ferthur actively collects. She uses her clothing and appearance as a way to intentionally influence the way others perceive her. Honestly this woman's closet looks like the back room of a theatre. She most frequently wears black and/or white, and occasionally red. She often subconsciously chooses to wear red "for luck" when she's about to do something extremely risky or dangerous, even though she'll say she's not superstitious.BACKGROUNDPlace of Birth: DomaParents: As far as she knows, a samurai named Masanari and an Imperial Shadow named Harue. Ferthur has never known Masanari, as her mother told her she was still less than a year old when he disappeared. Unbeknownst to Ferthur, the truth is that she is a Fae changeling. Harue took on guardianship of the newly born Fae child as part of a bargain, and told to keep her alive but never name her. Years later, Harue was captured and turned into a Garlean biomech horror. Harue never told Ferthur what she was before her capture, and Ferthur was forced to kill her mother to free her from torment.Upbringing: Raised solely by her mother, the only other family she has known were her mother’s shinobi associates. Her mother did whatever was deemed necessary for their safety and survival, including cooperating with Garlemald’s previous control over Doma.PERSONALITYHer demeanor ranges from formal and businesslike toward strangers, to a chaotic and mischievous streak around those she decides she likes… or just if she wants to put someone off balance. She’s capricious, evasive, and will avoid giving out any kind of name unless she’s cornered into it. She is extremely difficult to pin down, and rarely connects with others easily. While she’ll take intentional risks with people that might make it seem like she trusts them, she doesn’t actually trust often.She is, however, oddly honest and most of her deception involves the simple tactic of giving out only partial information that others can easily misinterpret. The expectations of others are like a veil she can hide behind, to slip easily into places unconfronted. She is also quite the shinobi, and will (sometimes quite abruptly) fake a specific personality as a misdirection tactic to get out of a potentially bad situation.Ferthur was trained to avoid attachments to anyone or anything she couldn't take with her if she had to disappear entirely at a moment's notice. This can make her seem cold and distant to some. Beneath the surface, however, she feels everything perhaps far too much, watches everyone with the wariness of someone who knows all too well what people are capable of, and deeply craves the connections to others she doesn’t seem to be able to form easily. She’s always searching for the few who can see the world the way she does- as something equally beautiful as it is deadly, meant to be lived in, not just endured.Whether it’s love, hate, or simple curiosity, she has obsessive tendencies and isn’t likely to let go of anything easily. She is extremely spiteful if someone pisses her off. She won't willingly let anyone know she's their enemy, however. If it's just an annoyance, she'll get even by stealing from or playing pranks on them to amuse herself. If she's truly angry, she'll play nicely on the surface while working to undermine and destroy them utterly. She's not above engaging in arson. She tries to avoid killing anyone who doesn't deserve it, though.WEAPONS AND TACTICSWits, smoke and mirrors, misdirection…theft. She hides her shinobi training and her weapons out of habit more often than not. When she does carry weapons openly, it's generally a pair of katanas.While competent with her shinobi arts, she'd likely be easily defeated by a true master of martial arts when it comes to pure blade skill. Her adult life has seen her focus shifting far more into the arcane. Most of her arcane skills are not battle magic, however, so she avoids direct confrontation as much as possible. She tries to avoid anyone even knowing she's their enemy at all until it's already too late.She also knows that one can only be so much, do so much, be so many places at once. True strength lies in having allies and connections you can rely on. Over the past few years she has developed a deep bond with Eligos Venator: a contract mercenary with a reputation for being ruthless and amoral. If someone is truly a danger to Ferthur, Eligos is going to make himself their problem as well.LIKES- Watching people do things that require specialized skill, or that they're very good at.- Trying/learning new things.- Music, dancing. She’s often wished she could play an instrument, but has never learned to.- Traveling to anywhere with a spectacular view or vibrant culture. Learning about said cultures. Disappearing into them at least briefly.- Trying new foods, as long as it wasn’t previously a sentient being or horrifying monster.- Just about any kind of tea.- Things (people?) that go really, really fast... or fly. She might be a bit of an adrenaline junky.DISLIKES- Anyone who traps others or takes away their self agency.- People who think getting drunk is the best kind of fun to be had.- Addictive drugs, and those who sell them.- Being forced to do anything, or feeling not in control over her own life.- Insincerity, being lied to. (Oh, the irony.)HOBBIES- Information gathering, reading damn near everything (especially the fine print).- Collecting small, easily transportable items (generally clothing or jewelry) in local styles from each new place she visits. She may not even keep them, but she likes finding them!- Do breaking and entering and theft count as a hobbies?- Dance, and learning new ones.- Obsessively studying a specific soulstone in her possession.

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I have a strong preference for utilizing at least some type of story element to bring characters together. I'm not a fan of random one-off meetings with no basis for further interaction.In addition to the hooks below, I'm of course open to brainstorming other connections, past associations, or jumping into your existing plot!The Omori Estate
The Omori family of Doma profited greatly from cooperating with Imperial control. Their mines provided rare ores central to certain Garlean research projects, and the Omori family profited in both wealth and status. The other old noble families did not forget. Harue had bided her time, prioritizing survival in her role as an Imperial Shadow. The chaos of the battle for Doma's liberation provided all the cover they needed to wipe out the Omori clan and the retainers loyal enough to fight to the death. The Clan's only survivor was a young woman named Kaya, who had been traveling at the time of the battle, and feared her own assassination too much to return to Doma. The estate stood seemingly empty for over a year. No one knew who put the wards in place that barred entry; no one particularly wanted to step foot in such a cursed place anyway. When the Omori Estate suddenly appeared to be occupied again the following winter, speculation ran rampant. Had the young lady finally found the courage to reclaim her home? Or was this some white spectre of vengeance, a risen Blasphemy stalking the halls? Who, or what, is in that house?Lord of the Iida clan, Masaharu [NPC] intends to find out. However, no matter what his suspicions might be, he cannot attack another clan's house under the watchful eye of Lord Hien, who has been trying to rebuild Doma and its government. Such actions would likely result in harsh recriminations against any clan undermining political stability for what would be seen as personal gain.The Keys Auction House
Though she may have spent three years masquerading as Lady Omori after her mother assassinated the clan and gave her own daughter the name to hide her true identity, Ferthur knew she wouldn't be able to keep up the ruse forever. Nor did she want to.The untimely death of Alexander Keys, a forward-thinking entrepreneur with several businesses bearing the Keys name, provided a quite timely opportunity for Ferthur to take her ill-gotten gains and invest in a future that was more than smoke and mirrors. With both of his children too young to take over, and his widow having no head for business nor a desire to take over his empire herself, it was decided that the majority of his businesses should be sold before they inevitably failed from lack of leadership. After all, his family would live in luxury off the interest alone until the children were old enough to decide what ventures they wished to undertake with the fortune their father had amassed.So it was that Ferthur Venator became more than just another name. She now owns the Keys Auction House [ Think Sotheby's but in FFXIV ] -- an international marketplace of art, luxury, and real estate. Keys offers auction services to those wishing to buy or sell, as well as valuations and facilitating private sales. With its headquarters in Kugane, Keys also maintains offices and locations across Eorzea and the Far East. Of course, no small amount of sensational gossip surrounds the fact that no one knew who this woman was before she suddenly appeared and purchased the high profile business. Some, however, do recognize the name of her partner and seem quite unwilling to pursue the matter.Garak's Clothiers
[Yes this is a DS9 reference.] This tailor shop is run by Garak himself [NPC], a retired shinobi turned tailor. Charming, and with a sense of humor that favors twisting words and playing on double meanings, this aging xaela is as known for spinning tall tales as he is for his skill as a couture tailor. Some might suspect that this former spy isn't really retired. Others insist he never was one, and his tales are a purely fictional pastime, as well as a way to entertain customers. Either way, Ferthur seems to visit this shop quite frequently... perhaps too frequently. Does anyone really need that much clothing? Is she like one of those people who are so rich they never wear an item of clothing more than once? Or do her visits serve some other purpose? (Ferthur uses Garak's as a kind of post office box to leave and receive messages without needing to give the Omori Estate as her address.)The Not-so-Noble people of Doma
Ferthur has been secretly supporting a street gang called the Snake Blood. As their intentionally edgy name suggests, they're primarly made up of teens and young adults whose families were torn apart by conscription and war. They've banded together in their own kind of found family, and do what it takes to survive. Ferthur pays them to act as information gatherers, and occasionally to acquire things. She's formed an unlikely friendship with their leader Hansuke, and strongly discourages him from reaching toward more destructive forms of income, such as drug sales.The Liberation Front
Ferthur's mother Harue was a shinobi and an Imperial Shadow who secretly worked as part of the Liberation Front. If you were a part of that secret Doman Liberation Front, you might have known how fiercely this woman protected her daughter. Those few her mother trusted were basically family.- - -The last dregs of ceruleum in the city had long since burned out, or perhaps been salvaged and sold by the latest breed of refugee: Garlean soldiers that had managed to avoid capture or execution in the wake of Doma’s liberation, but now had no means to return home nor anything to return to even if they had. Street lamps that once shone with blue-tinted light now served as poles to be strung with festive lanterns. Technology retrofitted onto the city’s ancient architecture now clung lifelessly to the stone, bereft of fuel.Though ceruleum heating was arguably superior to charcoal braziers, pride and hate saw to it that the systems had been largely ignored where they had not been dismantled, and anyone left clinging to Garlean-made conveniences for the sake of comfort was quickly vilified or shunned by their neighbors. Pulling down the magitek infrastructure didn’t take precedence over rebuilding their homes and businesses however, and the defunct ceruleum pipe system still formed a convenient rooftop network for traversing the city, provided one’s balance was up to the task. The city’s thieves had been making fearless use of it for years now, and the pipes bore coded markings at every hub declaring territories as well as which buildings’ owners had paid for protection by whom.She felt a kinship with this city, and all it had become, but it wasn’t because she had been born here. Everything her mother had done, beyond what was necessary for their survival, had been for this city and its people. Everything Ferthur had done, though, had been for her mother. Overlooking the city now, she wished she could tell her that they’d won. It seemed like such a childish impulse to wish she had someone to be proud of her. She’d knocked down a kingpin, killed Fane lux Verinus, become more than she ever thought possible, and witnessed the fall of Garlemald. She wanted her mother to see that she was strong enough now to bear the consequences of being named, that come what may she would survive. She wanted to tell her that the dark paths they’d walked together had been worth it, that she had seen it through to the end. But now she was gone. Instead, having accomplished all of these things, Ferthur sat on cold, indifferent clay tiles… like a little girl who missed her mother.Whatever she did next, it would have to be for herself.

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OOC Information

Timezone: CST (GMT-6)In Game: Ferthur Venator, Balmung Server (Crystal DC)AvailabilityI make my own schedule, and only work 3 days per week. I can be available pretty much any time from 9 am to 10 pm CST, though I can't do in-game things on the days I work. Sadly, I seem to be a weird solar-powered human and I need to be awake during the day, so I'm not going to be able to start anything really late at night.I find scheduling RP to be convenient and helpful, but I am generally very flexible for spur-of-the-moment things as well!PreferencesThe following are only my personal preferences for interaction and RP, and everyone else is free to do whatever they like!Hard Pass on RP involving: rape, real-time abuse of my character, harm to children, graphic torture, bestiality, or hard core BDSM. No character death or dismemberment.- OOC communication is a priority for me. RP partners must be comfortable with OOC communication during RP for the purpose of questions, concerns, or even just amused commentary on the scene. I also prefer to be friends with my writing partners. It feels weird to me if we don't talk or do anything together OOC outside of RP.- Please do not ghost me. If we, the story, the scene, or the characters are simply not clicking for you, please just tell me so we can adjust or part ways. I won't get upset. This is supposed to be fun, after all. If you're the type to disappear and cease all communication whenever you're stressed by something, there's nothing wrong with that, but it's not a good fit for me personally.- I prefer a RP style that works with what is plausible within the scope of the lore. I’m open to creativity, as long as it makes sense. However, I avoid interaction with voidsent/sin eater/vampire/godlike player characters, WoL characters, canon MSQ characters, alternate timelines, or inserts from other universes.- Mature/dark/antagonistic RP will not be engaged in without the prior OOC discussion and consent of all involved. Also, I have a strong preference for using NPC characters for story arc villains rather than other OCs. That being said, I don't expect Ferthur to get along with everyone. Please discuss antagonistic RP with me OOC beforehand, and give me a heads up before starting a confrontational scene rather than ambushing me with it. There are certain times of year when I feel very emotionally fragile and I might not always be up for it.- This character is not available for ERP. Ferthur is happily in a committed relationship. Any attempts to engage this character in romantic or sexual encounters will result in failure. I have no interest in RPing cheating on her partner. This is a boundary, not a challenge to be overcome, and will be responded to with negative IC consequences.- While I write a character that is Doman because it makes the most sense for her origin, I do not know Japanese, and prefer to avoid the use of Japanese as an in character language substitute for Far Eastern characters. I'm also not looking to recreate an anime through FFXIV RP. While I have seen some, most references will probably be lost on me. I'm more of a fantasy/sci-fi nerd than an anime one. Sorry!- Ferthur is a modded character. I do have Mare, though I don't view it as a requirement for RP.About the WriterI have been RPing for 20+ years. I am comfortable with both in game or Discord RP (though I prefer Discord for flexibility), and anything from short, quick posts to multi para. I roleplay because I enjoy writing!From the number above, you can probably figure out that I'm quite a bit more than 20 years old. I will not RP with anyone under 21. I connect more easily with more mature writers, and honestly 30+ is ideal.I am not looking for an OOC romantic relationship.I do enjoy game content as well, and prefer company over doing so alone! That being said, I don't really have an interest in raiding these days.I probably spend way too much time decorating virtual houses, and love setting up RP locations! However, I do not take commissions.

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