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CHARACTER BASICS
NAME: X'Niko Tia ("Niko", affectionately)
AGE: 25
GENDER: Male
SEXUALITY: Bisexual
RACE: Miqo'te, Seekers of the Sun
HOMELAND: Gyr Abania
JOB CLASS: Noncombatant
OTHER CLASSES: BSM / ARM / CUL
PERSONALITY IN A NUTSHELL Timorous down-to-earth deadpan snarker realist. Also one of the most talented blacksmiths on the face of the star, with a considerably more affable personality than Gerolt.
SUMMARY Niko's life is one best characterized as the "found out" half of the phrase "fucked around and found out". In a bid to try and oust the Garlean occupation of their tribal homelands, Niko and his best friend X'asti sought first to install Niko as nunh of the tribe (which would have allowed him to change their policy on rebellion); when that failed, they hatched a plan to summon a primal form of Azeyma and simply go ham on killing the imperialist presence instead. Unfortunately, being that Niko is not possessed of the Echo or any blessings of light, this plan resulted in him becoming super tempered as a result — a status which he has only recently escaped from, courtesy of the Scions and the cure achieved in 5.4. Unfortunately, lifting the tempering influence was the easy part; putting his life back together, and figuring out who he is in the aftermath, is a much more difficult journey.
AGE: 25
GENDER: Male
SEXUALITY: Bisexual
RACE: Miqo'te, Seekers of the Sun
HOMELAND: Gyr Abania
JOB CLASS: Noncombatant
OTHER CLASSES: BSM / ARM / CUL
TEMPERED ERA
• Born and raised in Gyr Abania, in an offshoot of the X tribe that practiced a policy of appeasement with the encroaching Garlean presence, including ceding lands for military installments and allowing tribe members to be conscripted into the imperial army.
• Learned metalworking alongside his childhood friend X'asti under the tutelage of the Ananta, who were similarly situated in exchanging capitulation for peace; where X'asti had more of an eye for the delicate work of goldsmithing, Niko excelled in blacksmithing and armorcraft.
• This was also their first exposure to primals, given the Ananta's worship of Lakshmi.
• With X'asti, eventually sought to change their tribe's policy of appeasement by challenging the current nunh of their tribe for primacy; unfortunately, the tribe's sentiments were heavily entrenched in maintaining their fragile peace rather than risking rebellion, and Niko's challenge failed miserably with few if any backers for his ideas.
• Switched tactics to Plan B for eliminating the Garlean presence in their region: acquiring enough crystals to perform a primal summons and get Azeyma to kick the shit out of the Garleans for them.
• Tempered during said primal summons gone horribly wrong on his tribal lands in Gyr Abania, chronologically sometime between the Ifrit and Titan summons in ARR. Like Ysayle and Shiva, his friend X'asti summoned a version of Azeyma into her own body; also like Ysayle, X'asti was protected from the fallout because of her as-yet-undiscovered Echo.
• Niko was the only survivor of this tragic summons; the rest of his tribe were also tempered and either killed in the ensuant chaos or put down by the aid that eventually arrived, seeing it as a mercy as no cure for tempering existed at that time.
• Fled Gyr Abania in X'asti's care and crossed the border into the East Shroud, then later traveled south to take up hiding in Buscarron's Druthers while X'asti desperately sought therapies (and ultimately, a cure) for his condition.
• Eventually moved to Ishgard in the immediate aftermath of the Dragonsong War, where X'asti established a permanent clinic for treatment and rehabilitation of the tempered, both from primal summons and also Ishgardians turned by the consumption of dragon blood during the war.
• Was the most promising candidate in response to X'asti's experimental therapies, which involved helping the tempered anchor a sense of self and identity through exposure to things they had been attached to prior to their affliction.
• In Niko's case, this meant a whole lot of blacksmithing.
• Experienced setbacks when exposed to sunlight for too long; though the overcast weather and weak northern sun in Ishgard helped at mitigating some of the obsession, Niko remained susceptible to the sun's influence and could often become lost and preoccupied with staring up into it for long intervals, if not interrupted and collected.
• Would also sometimes follow visitors to the clinic around incessantly, waiting for them to set down their weapons so that he could repair or sharpen them.
• Remained largely nonverbal (though he does have memories of his tempered period) until 5.4, when G'raha Tia and Alisaie's work finding a cure eventually lifted his tempering altogether — a result that far surpassed what anyone would have expected, given the length and depth of his tempering.
• The success of his restoration against such significant odds was largely credited to X'asti's therapies and consistent work at keeping him anchored to certain facets of his identity (largely, blacksmithing) until a cure could be found.
• This therapy, however, was not without its ramifications, and still created the necessity of a lengthy rehabilitation process to relearn how to be a functioning member of society.
• Learned metalworking alongside his childhood friend X'asti under the tutelage of the Ananta, who were similarly situated in exchanging capitulation for peace; where X'asti had more of an eye for the delicate work of goldsmithing, Niko excelled in blacksmithing and armorcraft.
• This was also their first exposure to primals, given the Ananta's worship of Lakshmi.
• With X'asti, eventually sought to change their tribe's policy of appeasement by challenging the current nunh of their tribe for primacy; unfortunately, the tribe's sentiments were heavily entrenched in maintaining their fragile peace rather than risking rebellion, and Niko's challenge failed miserably with few if any backers for his ideas.
• Switched tactics to Plan B for eliminating the Garlean presence in their region: acquiring enough crystals to perform a primal summons and get Azeyma to kick the shit out of the Garleans for them.
• Tempered during said primal summons gone horribly wrong on his tribal lands in Gyr Abania, chronologically sometime between the Ifrit and Titan summons in ARR. Like Ysayle and Shiva, his friend X'asti summoned a version of Azeyma into her own body; also like Ysayle, X'asti was protected from the fallout because of her as-yet-undiscovered Echo.
• Niko was the only survivor of this tragic summons; the rest of his tribe were also tempered and either killed in the ensuant chaos or put down by the aid that eventually arrived, seeing it as a mercy as no cure for tempering existed at that time.
• Fled Gyr Abania in X'asti's care and crossed the border into the East Shroud, then later traveled south to take up hiding in Buscarron's Druthers while X'asti desperately sought therapies (and ultimately, a cure) for his condition.
• Eventually moved to Ishgard in the immediate aftermath of the Dragonsong War, where X'asti established a permanent clinic for treatment and rehabilitation of the tempered, both from primal summons and also Ishgardians turned by the consumption of dragon blood during the war.
• Was the most promising candidate in response to X'asti's experimental therapies, which involved helping the tempered anchor a sense of self and identity through exposure to things they had been attached to prior to their affliction.
• In Niko's case, this meant a whole lot of blacksmithing.
• Experienced setbacks when exposed to sunlight for too long; though the overcast weather and weak northern sun in Ishgard helped at mitigating some of the obsession, Niko remained susceptible to the sun's influence and could often become lost and preoccupied with staring up into it for long intervals, if not interrupted and collected.
• Would also sometimes follow visitors to the clinic around incessantly, waiting for them to set down their weapons so that he could repair or sharpen them.
• Remained largely nonverbal (though he does have memories of his tempered period) until 5.4, when G'raha Tia and Alisaie's work finding a cure eventually lifted his tempering altogether — a result that far surpassed what anyone would have expected, given the length and depth of his tempering.
• The success of his restoration against such significant odds was largely credited to X'asti's therapies and consistent work at keeping him anchored to certain facets of his identity (largely, blacksmithing) until a cure could be found.
• This therapy, however, was not without its ramifications, and still created the necessity of a lengthy rehabilitation process to relearn how to be a functioning member of society.
TURALI ERA
• Spent most of the Endwalker era in Thavnair at the Great Work or in Radz-at-Han; while X'asti worked with Nidhana and the alchemists on various Final Days-related projects, Niko spent time smithing for the Radiant Host and visiting Mehryde's Meyhane, where he gradually began relearning everyday social skills and interactions.
• Traveled to Sharlayan and then later Tural when the opportunity to visit the New World arose, again with X'asti in tow, as she believed that the travel and change of scenery would be good for the purposes of furthering his rehabilitation and reentry into society.
• Experienced his first feelings of romantic interest upon meeting Koana on the docks shortly before Ihuykatumu; this proceeded to scare the shit out of him from being unable to immediately distinguish between "thinking a boy is cute" and being tempered by said individual.
• Found the environment of Earthenshire comforting due to the similarities between his own prior tempering therapy and the Moblins' interactions with their potsworn — specifically, the "we do everything while you just sit and craft all day" part.
• Befriended a Moblin named Briqbrok who, due to a terrible misunderstanding amidst the Feast of Pots, temporarily became his helphand (and he her potsworn).
• Was liberated from his unintentional conscription into Forever Craftsman™ duties by Koana, Thancred, and Urianger, and ultimately traveled with them awhile before reuniting with X'asti and Wuk Lamat's group.
• Eventually returned to Tuliyollal, where he became immediately enamored with the various craftspeople at Wachumeqimeqi; though he has good relationships with all of them, he is closest with Uvlo of Shunye's Apothecary and Rral Soj of XRral Soj Metalwares, the latter of whom he took a job with.
• Briqbrok eventually turned up to Wachumeqimeqi, wanting to reunite and continue helping him, albeit in a less rigid capacity than that of the helphands and potsworn of Earthenshire.
• Consequently, he has done the BSM/ARM/GSM Wachumeqimeqi deliveries questline!
• Was in Tuliyollal during the Alexandrian invasion; largely spent his time protecting the residents of Wachumeqimeqi but did venture out briefly with Uvlo to attempt to aid and rescue survivors.
• In the course of this rescue mission, inadvertently became SurrogateDad Nunh to a bunch of baby Mamool Ja who had been separated from their parents in the chaos and took responsibility for caring for them until their families could be found.
• Remained in Tuliyollal to help aid the defense of the city, again largely through weapon repair and other blacksmithing efforts; this is how he eventually met Kemakka and Zekowa of Shaaloani and assisted in providing them with real actual bullets and not just some fucking rubber nonsense.
• As of the end of Dawntrail, is still in Tuliyollal but uncertain whether he will stay there longterm, return to Eorzea, or continue further on his journey of self-discovery and rehabilitation.
• Traveled to Sharlayan and then later Tural when the opportunity to visit the New World arose, again with X'asti in tow, as she believed that the travel and change of scenery would be good for the purposes of furthering his rehabilitation and reentry into society.
DAWNTRAIL SPOILERS WITHIN.
• Experienced his first feelings of romantic interest upon meeting Koana on the docks shortly before Ihuykatumu; this proceeded to scare the shit out of him from being unable to immediately distinguish between "thinking a boy is cute" and being tempered by said individual.
• Found the environment of Earthenshire comforting due to the similarities between his own prior tempering therapy and the Moblins' interactions with their potsworn — specifically, the "we do everything while you just sit and craft all day" part.
• Befriended a Moblin named Briqbrok who, due to a terrible misunderstanding amidst the Feast of Pots, temporarily became his helphand (and he her potsworn).
• Was liberated from his unintentional conscription into Forever Craftsman™ duties by Koana, Thancred, and Urianger, and ultimately traveled with them awhile before reuniting with X'asti and Wuk Lamat's group.
• Eventually returned to Tuliyollal, where he became immediately enamored with the various craftspeople at Wachumeqimeqi; though he has good relationships with all of them, he is closest with Uvlo of Shunye's Apothecary and Rral Soj of XRral Soj Metalwares, the latter of whom he took a job with.
• Briqbrok eventually turned up to Wachumeqimeqi, wanting to reunite and continue helping him, albeit in a less rigid capacity than that of the helphands and potsworn of Earthenshire.
• Consequently, he has done the BSM/ARM/GSM Wachumeqimeqi deliveries questline!
• Was in Tuliyollal during the Alexandrian invasion; largely spent his time protecting the residents of Wachumeqimeqi but did venture out briefly with Uvlo to attempt to aid and rescue survivors.
• In the course of this rescue mission, inadvertently became Surrogate
• Remained in Tuliyollal to help aid the defense of the city, again largely through weapon repair and other blacksmithing efforts; this is how he eventually met Kemakka and Zekowa of Shaaloani and assisted in providing them with real actual bullets and not just some fucking rubber nonsense.
• As of the end of Dawntrail, is still in Tuliyollal but uncertain whether he will stay there longterm, return to Eorzea, or continue further on his journey of self-discovery and rehabilitation.
PERMISSIONS
BACKTAGGING: see misc. notes below
THREADJACKING: yes
FOURTHWALLING: no
MINDREADING: pm to ask first
TOUCHING: yes
SHIPPING: see misc. notes below
SMUT: pm to ask first
FIGHTING/INJURY: yes
DEATH: pm to ask first
THREAD PREFERENCES:
• Brackets preferred over prose, but either is fine.
• Present-tense preferred over past-tense, but either is fine.
• Tagging speed is typically daily with occasional boomeranging.
ON BACKTAGGING:
• I'm happy to continue tagging an existing thread so long as it continues to progress at a steady pace. Otherwise, I usually prefer to keep threads current and may drop older ones. Please feel free to PM me if you'd like to continue a thread, or start a new one in place of an existing one!
ON SHIPPING:
• Chemistry is my favorite aspect of shipping, so I generally like to let relationships build organically throughout the life of a thread. I will not assume romantic CR without prior discussion and agreement — but I'm certainly open to it if the characters hit it off or things gravitate in that direction!
• M/M and M/F both okay; however, I would prefer to discuss shipping with WOLs and FFXIV OCs OOCly and in advance so that we can make sure our expectations are in alignment!
THREAD IDEAS
GEN SCENARIOS
• He's a great blacksmith. You probably have a weapon. By all means, let him fix it for you.• Are you a resident of Ishgard or a frequent flyer at Mehryde's Meyhane? Quite possibly you've seen him around here or there. He's the odd withdrawn one who stares a little too much a little too long and doesn't say much, if he talks at all.
• Have you got thoughts or strong feelings about tempering? Been possessed by some sort of malevolent entity like an Ascian or a great wyrm? Experienced the feeling of being held prisoner in your own body in any capacity? Boy, is Niko the conversational partner for you.
SHIPPING SCENARIOS
• Extremely awkward dumb crushes all day long, please and thank you. Please help him navigate the new and unprecedented experience of "having a crush feels like being tempered because I keep thinking about you and can't stop (and that freaks me out)".• Cute slice-of-life dates! Having been an aether zombie for so long, Niko has largely forgotten a lot of the simpler joys in life, and could stand to be reintroduced to activities that aren't just his coping mechanisms.
• Hurt/comfort of any variety, physical or mental. Nothing hits the spot quite like fucking a lad up and enjoying the soft fallout and recovery of the aftermath.
AU SCENARIOS
• Watch this space for whenever I think of some AUs.▶ DEALER'S CHOICE
• Or if you've got an idea, hit me up!