Art by DrGriswald

CURRENT ALIAS: Tiergan Vashir. (V'siha'a Ashir, Savage Lion)
RACE & CLAN: Miqo'te. Mixed Heritage (Sun/Moon)
NATIONALITY: Ala Mhigan
OCCUPATION: Mercenary. Former Gladiator
HEIGHT: 6 fulms 1 ilm.
GENDER: Male
PRONOUNS: He/Him
AGE: Late-twenties, Early Thirties.
ORIENTATION: Pansexual. Polyamorous. (But rarely interested.)

APPEARANCE & DISPOSITION
At first meeting, Tiergan can be polite, but distant if not cold. He is a mercenary to a fault: large, heavily scarred, and heavily armored with a tendency towards finishing jobs quickly and efficiently. His hair is long and white, falling past the waist and occasionally tied back. His expression is initially an impassive mask that strains to give away little, but breaks easily when provoked into rage, grief, or other fierce emotions.In the midst of battle, there is a frenetic energy to his movements, a thinly restrained brutality that he is ever keeping in check. That intensity sometimes lingers in his stare long after combat has ended, or slips in during highly charged situations, like a tempest simmering beneath a sheet of frost.With enough time and patience, one can catch a glimpse of the man he likely would have been were it not for the fall of his homeland and everything that came after. The vicious, battle-hardened shell presented on the surface gives way to someone warmer, softer, more humorous, and open. There is a raw, fragile vulnerability he reveals to only a rare few, in safe places with eyes lowered and in hushed tones - guarding it like a trembling bird held carefully in rough, calloused hands.

FAMILYV'rahn Nunh (Father) - Sun Seeker Mage. Cheerful, light-hearted, and absolutely in love with all things magic, V'rahn was a tall, slender, elaborately dressed beanpole of a man, who was an extremely doting father, loving husband, and had enough magical prowess to light an army aflame.Martially focused and hailing from the mountains of Gyr Albania, V'rahn's tribe maintained a strong affiliation with the city-state of Ala Mhigo, producing many warriors and monks. The tribe had a long-standing tradition of sending the first-born children of the Nunh to train with the Fists of Rhalgr, but V'rahn's skills had always lay with his great magical prowess.After escaping from the Temple numerous times to learn arcane arts from local mages, V'rahn successfully negotiated with the tribe elders and was granted permission to travel the world, learning what magic he could in exchange for sharing his knowledge with any fledgling mages in the clan. Upon falling in love and starting a family of his own, V'rahn cheekily took on the last name 'Nunh'. Both Siha and V'rahn vanished during the Fall of Ala Mhigo and are presumed dead.Siha Ashir (Mother) - Moon Keeper Warrior. Betrayed by her own brother and exiled from the Shroud. Siha was a wise, powerful, and charismatic leader amongst her people, one of the three that guided the warrior caste of her clan. Upon her exile, she traveled to nearby Ala Mhigo to gain friends and allies for her future return, while still maintaining a complicated web of connections that allowed her to keep tabs upon her clan and ensure their safety even from afar.Though she had many lovers and suitors in Ala Mhigo, the one she gave her heart to was V'rahn (much to V'rahn's surprise and delight, and the confusion of everyone else.) She was a terrifyingly powerful warrior, known not just for the unique battle magic she employed in combat, but the day she challenged all of the warriors of the V-Tribe for V'rahn's right to father children and form a small "branch" V-Tribe in the heart of Ala Mhigo - and won. Both Siha and V'rahn vanished during the Fall of Ala Mhigo and are presumed dead.Lurial Vashir (Sister) - Tiergan's elder sister by a year. Inheriting her mother's sharp cunning and her father's vast magical proficiency, Lurial was taken in by criminal elements after the Fall of Ala Mhigo and groomed to be the assassin and right hand of a powerful Ul'dahn crime lord. Upon learning of her brother's survival however, she swiftly orchestrated her departure from her employer's side, while setting up the series of events that would eventually lead to her brother's freedom.She now works primarily as an information broker and beneath the hood is expanding a vast network of her own that rides the line between legal and illegal, to establish her own power against a former employer that very insistently would like her to return.

HOOKSFresh Wounds, Old Scars - Tiergan's past and current lifestyle have left him with many old injuries that still ache and many, many new ones that need mending. Healers are always in need, no matter how wary he may initially be.Aetheric Mysteries - Tiergan always appears to be on the search for strange and unusual artifacts for reasons unknown - particularly ones that seem to have bizarre effects on the world around them. If asked directly, the mercenary appears to be hunting down fragments of something very old and very dangerous.Blackroot Rose - Tiergan struggles with the lingering side effects of being forced to consume Blackroot Rose leaves over an extended period long ago and sometimes seeks help to manage the symptoms. "Leaves of the blackroot rose are known to cause horrible visions and induce extreme fits of violence."Voice from the Wood - The aetherically sensitive might feel strange and uneasy in Tiergan's presence. It is as though he is being watched by something beyond the trees, something silent, powerful, and terribly terribly ancient - and it is impacting his judgment.As a hapless mercenary who spent most of his life in cities, he is seeking warding talismans or advice from anyone much more familiar with the Shroud.Liberty or Death - Tiergan feels kinship with fellow Ala Mhigans and Ala Mhigan refugees. He grew up in the Lochs in Ala Mhigo proper, was trapped behind Baelsar's Wall after the city fell, and then "provided a valuable opportunity" by Garlean soldiers to become a gladiator under contract to an Ul'dahn crime lord.Later, well into his adulthood, he joined the Resistance shortly after Baelsar's Wall fell, working as a liaison between the Resistance and the 1st Fleet, 9th Levy of the Maelstrom.He may recognize Ala Mhigans who spent time trapped behind Baelsar's Wall when he was a child, Ala Mhigan refugees in Thanalan, or anyone in the Ala Mhigan Resistance.Lions of the Coliseum - A gladiator or anyone affiliated with the gladiator's guild would recognize Tiergan as a fellow gladiator who was successful on the Bloodsands under the gladiator name "Savage Lion" - though he seemed to have suddenly stopped appearing several years ago.Slaver Slaughter - There is word in Ul'dah's dark underbelly that certain illicit slaving caravans in the Thanalan area have been badly disrupted recently. Harassed, brutalized, mercilessly slaughtered, the caravans have been forced to spend excessive amounts of gil establishing entirely new routes, because of a mad miqo'te no one can seem to kill.The Weapon of the Blacksands - Anyone with ties to the Ul'dahn criminal underground might have seen Tiergan fighting in the 'Blacksands' or other illegal fighting pits not sanctioned by the Sultanate.If they frequented them often enough or had deep enough ties to the criminal world, they would also know he was gladiator-slave owned by a powerful criminal lord who goes by the name Aleksandre Faustus, but whose true identity appears to be a closely guarded secret.Faustus is known to appear as a different person almost every time, with two or three favorites, which has led people to believe that every "Aleksandre Faustus" they meet is actually a proxy.Under contract to Aleksandre, Tiergan was given many jobs and tasks that extended beyond working as a gladiator, serving as everything from bodyguard to trained killer and everything in-between until the day he managed to successfully escape.

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ARTWORK BY OTHERS

DrGriswald

Jimengay || Huntspeak || Lyndztanica

Embersign || Foxlike || Erion Makuo

Ashlen Hart || Saren Stone || Nnamier

Kelley Harris

Clan Ashir

Long ago, a clan of Moon Keepers were forced into the deepest heart of the Shroud by ever expanding nations, raging war, and encroaching tribes. Desperate and struggling to survive, they forged a pact with the Elementals: In exchange for learning how to live and prosper within the darkness of the Wood, Clan Ashir agreed to guard a terrifyingly otherworldly entity, keeping it forever locked in dormant, never-ending slumber.Armed with the knowledge imparted to them by the forest, the Ashir crafted many rituals and traditions created to both maintain their survival in the deepwoods and to remain the ever watchful guardians of a beast they must keep in stasis for all eternity. Their power is drawn from nature, forged through bonds of blood, promises to the earth, ties to spirits of the Wood, and dreams whispered by ancient ancestors.Unfortunately, the Ashir soon learned the creature they guarded was not as dormant as it seemed. Every generation or so, the being would passively reach out while dreaming, unconsciously delving into minds and speaking with members of the clan. The first person who Heard the creature was often the most vulnerable to its sway, utterly overwhelmed as it spoke in a language without words, with a presence and force beyond all thought and crushing in its scope. It would flood the mortal mind with knowledge and power, granting them the ability to advance the strength of the Ashir for decades to come - but at great cost to one’s sanity.If left alone to listen to the slumbering beast, the Keeper unfortunate enough to hear the entity’s message would eventually lose their mind, filled with the repeated, unrelenting compulsion to visit the Burl - the prison where the creature sleeps - where they would inevitably disappear. After, the entity would grow calmer and quieter for several years, much more easily held in check.As time rolled on, the Ashir clan gradually split into two rival factions: one that believed that by allowing the sacrifice of a few, they could vastly improve and bolster the lives of many, empowering the clan as a whole and making them even more effective as guardians of the Burl. The other strongly feels that offering up lives of their kin to the very beast they are working to keep dormant is a foolish, dangerous path no matter how immensely powerful the clan could become because of it.

CLan Houses

Clan houses are traditionally determined by the phase of the moon on the day of one's birth, but the roles are not set in stone and any Keeper is free to develop skills that truly speak to them, changing houses at any time. Each house is ruled by a 'house lord' - a powerful spirit of the forest that is thought to offer guidance and protection.The full clan leadership consists of a council made up of three leaders chosen amongst each of the five houses that join together and make decisions for the whole.

House of the New Moon
Keepers of this house are known to wander the world to acquire new tools, gain new insights, and learn all they can of the outside world, before returning to the clan with what they've learned. Members of this house often wind up as wanderers, vagrants, merchants, adventurers, roving bards, or scholars of worldly knowledge eager to travel the world.

House of the Crescent
Hearers, Shaman, Elders, and Lorekeepers. The Crescent are the keepers of tradition, spiritual knowledge, magic, and ritual, carefully maintaining all they know and imparting it to the rest of the clan. They perform all important religious ceremonies and are great practitioners of magic. Some are said to have the power to foresee calamitous events before they occur. They are the minders of the soul and the spiritual realm.

House of the Half Moon
Tacticians, politicians, judges, peacekeepers. These shrewd, cunning minds were born to lead, using their cleverness, wit, and diplomacy to maintain peace amongst the clan and those outside of it. They ensure the keeping of balance, clan law, and function as the other half of the coin to the Crescent as the minders of the physical realm.

House of the Gibbous
Builders, craftsmen, farmers, bakers, musicians, creators, dancers, entertainers, and artisans - this house is one of creativity and creation, creating all that might be needed by the clan, whether it be for art and enrichment or survival and necessity.

House of the Full Moon
Hunters, warriors, soldiers - these are the Keepers legendary for their skill in battle. Ashir warriors practice a particular kind of battle-magic born from their blood-bonds to the earth and tempered by emotion. The gift empowers weapons and physical strength, but can warp, twist, and damage the body if not given utilized properly.

Photo by Jonas Vesterlund

Traditions

GUARDIAN TREES
Every twenty years, a member of the Crescent caste who has been preparing, purifying, and undergoing a series of ritual since birth is sacrificed to the Wood. They are willingly offered up and transformed on the day of their 20th birthday into a living piece of the forest - a tree with crimson leaves or ivory leaves and alabaster bark with talismans encircled around the trunk. They stand vigil over Ashir territory and are particularly numerous near the Burl where the dormant entity sleeps. Seeing one is a clear sign that one has strayed into Ashir territory and must turn back.Each tree bleeds crimson when cut, and does not always appear in the same place twice. One can sometimes see a figure in the snarl of the bark. Their roots are tightly connected and when Hearers listen, they can sometimes hear the Guardian Trees speak as an assembly of minds or in terrifying, perfect unison. Though few have seen the trees attack, it is known they will viciously hunt and eviscerate those who have angered the forest or those that mean to endanger either the Ashir or the Burl.Intruders marked with heavy Wood Sin will sometimes be caught and bled upon the roots of Guardian Trees to sustain them and empower them, brought there by Ashir Hunters if the forest has found them wanting.

TALISMANS
The Ashir have their own laws, traditions, and rituals designed to prevent Woodsin and avoid harm to the Shroud that are different from that of Gridania. This often causes conflict when Ashir clansfolk come in contact with Gridanian Wailers who see them as violating Gridanian law and harming the Wood.Instead of masks, the Ashir each create a unique, personal talisman for appeasing the Elementals that they carry upon their person at all times. The Ashir firmly believe that each talisman must unique because each individual’s soul is unique and thus so too is their Woodsin. They firmly believe the Elementals see not the surface of the body, but the appearance of one’s soul.The talisman are often made of things belonging to the Wood itself such as bone, wood, plants, flowers, stone, etc. They vary in size, shape, and use. For one, it might be made into the shape of an earring. For another, it might be a small rolled-up tapestry. For another, it might come in the shape of a bracelet or a token tied firmly to the waist.The creation of the talisman involves period of communion with the Wood, which guides the creator to various items that are personal and unique for their charm. The talismans can shatter from overuse and it is considered best to begin work upon the next one when you begin seeing the initial signs of breakdown.'Generic’ versions of the talismans that all look the same and used for short-term protection in emergencies, but they are significantly less effective and do not last long.

HORNS / ANTLERS
On rare occasions, members of the Ashir will manifest horns or antlers, seen as a gift from the Elementals and symbolic of their deep tie with the Wood. Unlike the Padjali of Gridania, the appearance of these antlers are usually brief and impermanent in comparison, often tied to important rituals, ceremonies, and periods of great abundance or turmoil.Their arrival usually marks a massive swell of power and ability in the Keeper who bears them, but the horns and their associated power wither the moment they leave the Shroud, and sometimes even when they leave the Ashir's immediate territory. It is said this is because the Ashir's pact and all the power they hold was specifically to guard the creature of the Burl. Thus there is no reason for the blessing to exist outside of Wood or Ashir lands.Stories of Ashir clan members leaving the Black Shroud with this gift in tact are exceedingly rare, but do exist and often centered around periods of immense strife and struggle. Despite the Ashir's dislike for Gridania, they will offer Padjali some level of respect, knowing the importance of what their horns mean.

Art by Masahiro Sawada

The Beast Who Slumbers

THE BURL
The gnarled prison of the Beast who Slumbers. Seated in one of the deepest, darkest parts of the Black Shroud, the Burl resembles a truly colossal, massive knot of wood, bloated and covered in moss, with twisting snarls that almost resemble the faces of people when one steps too close or looks too long. There is a ragged dark tear on one side that serves as a gate, flanked and sealed by gnarled, warped variations of Guardian Trees.The entirety of the Burl, especially its opening, are all but covered and encrusted in ritual items, runes, talismans, and wards - to the point there is a noticeable difference in air pressure and quality as you draw closer. The closer you move, the more you feel weighed down, oppression thick in the atmosphere until every breath feels like you are breathing in water or sap.Every generation or so, the creature within begins to display more and more activity, straining the wards, and it passively reaches out, communicating even while dormant to the mind of one of the Ashir.One sign that a person has been chosen, is a glittering incandescent gold aether that flows like a channel to the target, filling the marked individual with power and awakening latent abilities. They grow more and more powerful, flourishing the more they listen. However, in later stages, the power burns far too strong, and the individual's mind deteriorates as they grow more and more in strength. Horns or antlers eventually sprout from their brow, able to remain there even if the Keeper attempts to flee the Shroud - something none have been able to successfully do, because of the powerful compulsion to draw closer and closer to the Burl.

Out of Character

Hello, I'm Tiergan's player!I am a 35+ year old Asian American over on the Eastern Timezone. I am on the Balmung Server in the Crystal Data Center. OOC, I prefer to be called Tier/Tiergan as well. I enjoy big, sprawling, epic plots and like running group events.I primarily do all serious RP in game. While I would love to RP in Discord, my ADHD brain makes me notoriously bad at it, so I have stopped trying. (Alas!) I do write casual little back and forth snippets in Discord every once, but don't expect me to sustain anything outside the game.I don't feel comfortable RPing with anyone younger than 21 even if it's strictly platonic. I'm sure you're rad, I'm just old.I have chronic health conditions that sometimes cause me to get zapped of energy and have a full time job, so I occasionally run into periods where my RP time is limited, but if that's all okay with you, feel free to keep reading!

My Favorite RP Topics are...

- Horror, Occult, Spooky RP. This is my fucking jam. If you RP a lot of spooky, occult, eldritch horror or anything along those lines, hit me up. If Tiergan as a character seems like an odd fit for this, it's because I intentionally wanted to RP a character that would be poorly equipped to deal with problems he can't solve by simply stabbing them.
- Found Families, Deep Platonic Bonds, Bromances, the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP. I am a huge nerd for the found-family dynamic of dysfunctional nerds who really care about each other. Tiergan has and will mentally adopt people as his secret mother/father/sister/brother/relative if he likes you enough. He's just making up for all the years without family.
- Long-term, epic plot-driven RP.
- Angsty, feelsy RP. I drink deep from my cup of sweet, sweet angst.
- Tension or Conflict RP. I am absolutely down to be your enemy, frenemy, or rival. A good strong conflict can help build great stories. I’m also very willing for Tiergan to lose and be defeated at times VS being the hero that always 'wins'. Just expect plentiful OOC communication, because I feel like that’s important for this kind of dynamic.
- Mysticism, Spiritualism, Ancient Magics. It’s something Tiergan has no familiarity with, but also just beginning to struggle with, so naturally it is a ton of fun seeing his reactions.
- Any RP where Tiergan is forced to grow and develop, or feels utterly tiny and overwhelmed by the sheer scope of what he’s facing and has to muscle through the chaos of his own emotions. Listen, it builds character ok.

I am cool with...

- Darker themed scenarios, but anything that could be an obvious trigger should be discussed beforehand. If I realise I don't feel comfortable with something that I thought I was cool with in the middle of RP, I will speak up!
- Character conflicts, rivalries, villainous characters! - I don't mind Tiergan having conflicts with folks, losing to others, or winding up in the most terrible and unfortunate situations getting tangled with the wrong folks. However, I do want to have strong OOC communication and an OOC friendship with folks I do this with, just so I'm sure both of us are always having fun.

I am not cool with..

I have zero interest in RPing with someone whose primary interest in Tiergan is Romance RP. I like Romance RP and I don't mind it. But I've had a lot of people get very weird with it and use it for wish fulfullment, which is not my jam. I also feel like RP just gets kinda boring if the RP is purely just about one thing.If I consider RPing romance with anyone at all, it will most likely be with a player where if we took the RP romance away, we would still be intensely interested in RPing with one another. If having a purely platonic relationship with Tiergan causes you to completely lose interest in RPing with me, then alas - it is probably not meant to be.

Going through Revision!