Narumi Otsuka

[Whispers of the Delirium]

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Vital Information

Name at Birth: Narumi
Current Alias: Narumi Otsuka
Race & Clan: Au Ra / Mixed Heritage (Raen, Xaela)
Nameday: 1st Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon
Gender: Female
Age: Twenty-two
Sexual Orientation: Pansexual
Marital Status: Single



Other Statistics

Nationality: Othard
Residence: The Mist, Limsa Lominsa
Occupation: Unemployed
Patron Deity The Dusk Mother
Height: 5.2 fulms
Weight: 105 ponze
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral



Personality

Likes:


-Resting Beneath the Stars. During the day, Narumi was confined to the yurts of the tribe to ensure her safety from the Xaela, who openly detested the Raen child. However, under the cover of darkness, she would escape to the outskirts of the camp and lay in the open fields beneath the starry sky. This was her only escape until she was taken by the Dotharl tribe and even that afforded freedom was taken from her.
-Reading. Though not the most adept scholar, Narumi was taught at a young age by her mother how to read using rudimentary tools found around the camp. Though she kept this skill carefully hidden at the behest of her mother, she rekindled the love of reading after escaping the Dotharl tribe in honor of her mother.
-Chocobos. Shortly after arriving in the city of Gridania, she found employ at a small chocobo farm in Bentbranch Meadows. Narumi found the company of these beasts to be a respite from other beings. This attachment has continued even as she left the farm and continued her adventures in Eorzea.
-Flying. After so many years enclosed in a small space, being out in mid-air was liberating. For the first time and every time thereafter, flying has brought a breath-taking smile to her usually haunted features.
-Nature. Narumi is often a quiet, reserved creature with a habit for solitude. Being surrounded by nature and feeling its presence envelop and consume her makes her feel at peace and whole.



Dislikes:



-Heavy Crowds. In general, people make Narumi feel uncomfortable. However, take one and make it many and that uncomfortable feeling gives rise to hysteria. She will slip away if three becomes a crowd.
-Dogs. Usually a lover of wildlife, Narumi has a certain disdain for dogs. Her previous Master, Arslan Dotharl, kept hounds in his employ. He would make her watch as he doted on them and fed them fine, succulent meats that would never grace her rumbling, empty stomach. The hatred was irrational, but continues to the current day.
-Au Ra. Suffering at the hands of the Xaela, she has come to have a fervent hatred of anything Au Ra. Though she remembers her mother fondly, she still detests the Raen for never leaving their isolated home to rescue her.
-Confronting Her Flaws. Though probably a common trait among most people, Narumi has made it an art to avoid the conversations that confront her flaws.
-Loss of Control. She feels that she has to constantly be in control of her emotions and responses. To that effect, Narumi is careful to speak out of turn or do anything reckless to endanger her self-control, such as excessive drinking or drugs.


Motivation:



-A Sense of Belonging. Despite the cruelty and adversity she faced as a captor of the Qerel and Dotharl tribes, Narumi was a part of the clans and belonged to them. After leaving Othard, she has felt a keen sense of loneliness and loss. Despite enjoying solitude at times, she seeks to be a part of something greater.
-Employment. Though she had a brief employment with a small farm in the Black Shroud, Narumi has set out to discover herself and to establish a foothold in society as a contributing member. Currently, she works odd jobs throughout Eorzea until she finds something more lasting and suitable.



Strength:



-Loyal. Though wary of contact with others, once befriended Narumi is an ever loyal companion that will risk anything for those that she loves and cares for.
-Patient. It took over a year for Arslan Dotharl to die of a poison that slowly consumed his body and shut down his organs. Narumi didn't mind.
-Cunning. A stark contrast to the black-scaled Xaela, she was both an outcast and a rare commodity among her captors. She became adept at avoiding their advances, and became quick-witted and sharp-tongued.
-Intelligent. Narumi is a creature of intellect. She consumes knowledge with a voracious appetite and will stop at nothing to advance herself.



Weakness:



-Mistrustful. After suffering at the hands of her own kind and watching her mother go through the same, Narumi is a wounded animal that avoids close contact with people. If backed into a corner, her bark becomes a vicious bite.
-Taciturn. She is often withdrawn and difficult to connect with.
-Expressing Herself.[/color] In a world where her opinions did not matter, she never learned to express her feelings. They are often bottled and set aside until she is consumed with them and breaks down.
-Physical Contact. After her childhood with the Qerel tribe, she was captured by the eldest son of the Dotharl Chieftain. Arslan, a cold and cruel man, taught her how to serve other tribe members. Raen were not particularly loved among the Xaela, and her servitude was often abused as others used their position to humiliate and torture her for being different. Now, she shies away from physical contact with even those that she trusts.



Quirks:



-Eye Contact. Part habit, part survival instinct, Nurami will avoid eye contact with most people. She feels that she is making herself smaller and less noticed by not meeting another person's eyes. It is also a tactic to hide any emotion that may betray her true feelings towards the other being and the situation at hand.
-Detachment. Unless you've had the chance to become friends with Narumi, she can be distant and withdrawn when responding to new stimuli.



Appearance


Narumi has a small, petite build that is copper-skinned with a delicate pattern of cream-colored scales. White hair curls around the curve of her face, where soft lips of pink are often poised in a distant frown. Her eyes are luminous pools hidden behind a far-away facade. When looked at, those eyes are downcast and timid, but emotions stir in their depths when gazes turn away. She stands meek and withdrawn around others, but alone she can be seen laughing and smiling as the interacts with nature and wildlife.
Traditionally, Narumi wears a white tunic and breeches with leather linings and copper ornamentation. Her hands and feet are covered with thick leather that are adorned in a similar matching fashion. She is normally conservative and covers as much flesh as possible – a tactic learned from her years in servitude to the Dotharl tribe to avoid notice.



Combat & Weaponry


Narumi has never been formally trained as a fighter and is considered a non-combatant.


History


Kaede Akiudo was an Auri Raen merchant traveling from the far reaches of Othard to trade with the Xaela tribe Kha. Her caravan was intercepted by the Qerel tribe, who killed the Raen and took their supplies. However, when one of the Xaela named Nugai looked upon Kaede, he saw a treasure more valuable than any baubles or hides.

Kaede entered a life of nomadic servitude that day, obeying Nugai out of fear of his anger and lust. She bore a child from the union called Narumi, so named after the sounds of the sea that she missed so dearly from her home. For many years, Kaede hid the child from the brunt of the tribes' anger and distaste by keeping her hidden inside the yurts during the daytime. At night, Narumi would spend her freedom prowling the camp and foraging for herself.
As Narumi neared her 13th year, the Dotharl tribe swept into the camp after several hunting parties had departed for supplies. The remaining warriors were slaughtered as they raided the group and took what they wanted. In a distant tent, treasure more valuable than any baubles and hides rested. Kaede was no match for the sword that knocked her away from her daughter, a small mirror of her younger self that was taken years ago. One look at the girl and the warrior took Narumi and left. They departed for the camp, which lay many yalms away.

Raised as a slave under the rule of the Chieftain's eldest son Arslan, Narumi eventually found her freedom by her 19th season after poisoning her Master for over a year. At his passing, she left the camp while the tribe mourned and performed the last rites for their beloved warrior. It took several moons, but with bloodied feet and a triumphant grin, she found herself facing Gridania as a free woman.


Childhood:

The Qerel Tribe

After Kaede was captured by the Qerel tribe, she was ruled by a warrior named Nugai. Though she was not often treated with kindness, she was a trophy for her lord and it was ensured that she had no marks or bruises that would damage her fair complexion. She remained ostracized, except in the case of Nubai, who remained close to her when he was in camp. After several seasons, it was assumed that Kaede was barren. However, by her fourth year of captivity, she bore her first and only child: Narumi.

Narumi had inherited her father's dusky flesh and white eyes, though her fair scales cast her out as an outsider. She was often treated with the same disregard as her mother, though her mixed heritage garnered open hostility at times from the tribe. During the day, she spent hours at her mother's knee learning the basics of literacy and arithmetic that Kaede had learned as a merchant. However, at night she would sneak out of the yurt under the cover of darkness to lay beneath the sky. Though the Raen typically favored the Dawn Father, Narumi felt the pull of the Dusk Mother in her heart as she gazed up at that star-laden expanse. She lived for the night and the freedom it afforded her.

Taken by the Dotharl

The freedom didn't last forever. As she aged, she could no longer hide behind objects around the camp or cover herself in the embrace of darkness to escape the attention of the other tribe members. She flowered into a shy, delicate young woman that remained in the tents to avoid the open disdain of the others. It was during one of these days that she lay with her head on Kaede's lap when there came a great commotion from outside the stead. People were screaming -- and then those screams would cut off, only to be replaced by other, louder ones that were more nearby. The flap of the tent parted and a tall, striking figure with alabaster skin and dark, piercing eyes stepped through. Kaede leapt to her feet, but fell to the floor when the hilt of his sword caught her temple in a stunning blow.

Narumi cowered, her eyes downcast in the hopes that she would be forgotten. However, the Xaela grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the yurt and into the camp, where members of the Qerel tribe lay bleeding and moaning as they begged for their lives. Warriors went through them, striking them with killing blows to silence their cries. She quickly surveyed the area, unable to find her father among the bodies before she was cast over the saddle of a large russet chocobo. He mounted the beast behind her, kicking his heels and shouting as the other members of his company mounted and followed.

It was nightfall by the time that the group made camp outside a rocky outcrop. Her capture pulled her from the steed and lowered her to the ground, where he took a moment to look her over with a satisfied grunt.

"I am Arslan," he explained, "and this is the Dotharl tribe."

Adulthood:

Growing Pains

Seeing that her skills as a servant were lacking, Arslan put her among the other servants until she reached her majority and was ready to undertake the actual training of her station in the clan: a slave. By the time Narumi had fully flowered, she was a plucked blossom among the tribe with Arslan's blessing. During this time, she learned to withdraw and find solace in solitary confinement when not in the presence of the Dotharl.

The company would often bring in spoils from their victories over the surrounding occupants of the steppes. Among these treasures were books, scrolls, and other materials that largely went unnoticed due to the lack of literacy in the camp. Narumi would seek out these items when she was left to her own devices and return them to their original spots before going back to her quarters. It was in these scrolls that she learned basic poisons and decided to use that knowledge against Master Arslan.

Freedom

The poison wasn't difficult to make, though the ingredients were interesting to obtain for someone who was either with someone or confined to her quarters. However, using the skill of stealth learned from her forays into the night during her tenure with the Qerel tribe, she was able to seek out the ingredients over the course of two moons in the valley to begin the first draught. Administering the finished product to Arslan was simple enough, for his love of food knew no bounds. To her surprise, he did not die after the first night.

She decided to continue harvesting the supplies and fed them to Arslan with each meal. He ate with the same voracity he always showed when food was before him, but as the weeks passed, small tells began to show that all was not right. It started in his right hand, which was creeping up her bare shoulder when it began to twitch. Arslan stared at his hand and frowned, then continued his advances as he dismissed it. However, she didn't discount it and was encouraged to continue the path she started on.

Several moons passed and Arslan grew weak and lost control of his functions. Finally, he was bed ridden and the tribe's shaman determined that he was dying -- though by what, nobody knew. On the day of his death, Narumi crept past the crowd performing the final rites over Arslan's emaciated body. She didn't stop or look back as she headed out into Othard and south towards the lands surrounding Gridania. She was a free woman.





Recent Events


None.




Romance


Narumi has never had a romantic partner, though she is capable of this interest. It has only been two years since she walked out of Othard, and she is still seeking her place in society.



Relationships


Affiliations:



-N/A



Character Connections:



-N/A



Family:



-Father: Nugai Qerel (unknown) - Xaela Au Ra - A short, stocky Au Ra with copper skin and black scales. He has a mane of ebon hair that curls over the tops of his shoulders. His eyes, a luminous white, are usually narrowed and calculating. Nugai is often described as a possessive, jealous man. He never raised his hand against his slave Kaede, though she was treated like chattel.
-Mother: Kaede Akiudo (unknown) - Raen Au Ra - Born in the far reaches of Othard, Kaede was well educated and went into the family business of being a merchant. She was on her way to trade with the Kha tribe, who often interacted with outside races. However, her caravan was raided and she was captured by Nugai. She bore one child, Narumi, who she loved and adored. She was last seen laying on the ground after being cast aside by a Dotharl warrior during a raid on the camp.



Relationships


Under construction.



Rumors


Common Rumors:
Uncommon Rumors:
Rare Rumors:
Player Character Rumors:




*** PARDON OUT DUST. THIS IS A CONSTANT WORK IN PROGRESS. ***