TOOTH&
NAIL

    WHO
Yul Qestir is an original character set in the world of FFXIV. He's based on the Crystal DC on Malboro.    WHAT
Yul is a mature, horror-leaning character who's story deals with heavy themes like torture and abuse. He also features repurposed elements of the FFXIV main story quest that may be considered spoilers for those who haven't finished the side and raid content through Shadowbringers.    HOW
Yul works best with characters that are morally ambiguous or involved in the more complicated social and/or political elements of the XIV plot. He's less sword-and-sorcery and more human drama in terms of genre.For these reasons, I won't use Yul in any circumstances involving players who are under 21.

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DETAILS

.       BASICS full name  Ryosen Tsuguri
 also known as  Yul Qestir, The Beast Of Werlyt date of birth  Fourth Day of the Second Umbral Moon (April 4)
 age  38 gender  Cis Male
 pronouns  He/him
 orientation  "Gay" (largely undefined) occupation  Fighter, monster hunter, amateur knitter
 species  Raen Au Ra.       BACKGROUND birthplace  Werlyt, Ilsabard
 current home  Ishgard
 language(s) Common, standard sign language, Steppe sign language, Hingan, some Garlean parents  Deceased
 siblings  Only child
 other family  He's considered an "honorary" Qestir, though he hasn't returned to the Steppe in some time partner  Porsche Cato

.       APPEARANCE hair  black/grey, and poorly buzzed (he cuts it himself)
 eyes  garnet
 height  7'8'' (he'll say he's shorter)
 build  Big, bulky. Yul's body is less 'body builder' and more 'power lifter'. He's built like a fridge.
 dominant hand  equally bad with both scars  Too many to list
 other remarkable features  Yul's teeth have been filed down into sharp points and more than several of them have been replaced with metal prosthetics, giving his mouth the appearance of a particularly mangled bear trap. His tongue has been surgically severed, leaving only a small stump. Note: This is a Blue Tongued Raen love zone. Yul's tongue stump, and mouth are all blue..       PSYCHOLOGY character traits  Level-headed, empathetic, altruistic, soft-hearted, shy, deferential, unassertive, reserved likes  Vegetables, soft things, warm places, swimming, art and poetry, the taste of raw meat
 dislikes  The smell of ceruleum, altered states of any kind, doctors and medical practices, the taste of raw meat
 fears & phobias  Being caught or kept captive, Varro, being drugged, losing control, medical procedures and most forms of healing. mbti  INFP
 moral alignment  True neutral

STATS

.       BRAIN intelligence  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 communication  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 charisma  ⬤〇〇〇〇
 humor  ⬤⬤⬤⬤〇
 spirituality  〇〇〇〇〇
 literacy  〇〇〇〇〇
 anxiety  ⬤⬤⬤〇〇
 passion  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 confidence  ⬤〇〇〇〇
 affection  ⬤⬤⬤⬤〇
 empathy  ⬤⬤⬤〇〇

.       BODY
 aggression  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 patience  ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
 stamina  ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
 speed  〇〇〇〇〇
 combat  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 pain tolerance  ⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
 dexterity  〇〇〇〇〇
 stealth  〇〇〇〇〇.       SKILLS
 luck  ⬤〇〇〇〇
 mediation  ⬤⬤⬤⬤〇
 persuasion  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 cooking  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 street smarts  ⬤⬤〇〇〇
 book smarts  ⬤〇〇〇〇
 tech savvy  〇〇〇〇〇
 handicrafts  ⬤⬤〇〇〇

A former Garlean prisoner, tortured and trained as a sort of sentient attack dog by war criminal Valens van Varro, Yul has, unsurprisingly, been through a lot.His experience as Varro's personal pet project left him mutilated and near completely mute after his tongue was surgically removed. His body, well honed for violence, is marred with the effects of both abuse and neglect.Now, with the empire in decline, Yul has finally found his freedom through both luck and bloodshed, escaping Werlyt to the Azim Steppe where he adopted a new name and identity with the Qestir tribe.Physically, Yul is massive and imposing, looking every part the hulking brute he was conditioned to be, but in public, Yul does his best to be polite and unobtrusive. He doesn't like to throw his weight around unless he has to.

Important Notes: Because Yul is physically mute, he communicates solely with expressions, gestures, and sign language. He can read and write (sort of), but not very well at all after captivity resulted in some pretty extensive brain damage -- his penmanship is awful and he largely can't spell -- so he feels deeply embarrassed to try, especially in front of strangers. He prefers to let his actions do the talking if it can be helped. However, because his vocal cords are still intact, he can speak and produce sounds if he has to. It doesn't sound very pretty and is difficult, it's not his favorite.Recently, however, Porsche developed a special Magitek bit he can use which will read his signing and translate it out loud for him.

HISTORY

Growing up in occupied Werlyt, Yul was raised hearing whispers of stories about heroes who cast off the yolk of tyrants and led their people to freedom.He believed, with all all the earnestness of youth, that he could be one of them. But the revolution he attempted to start against the Garleans was over before it could really begin, and he found himself the prisoner of imperial engineer Valens van Varro who knew exactly how to make an example of a would-be traitor.Yul was tortured mercilessly, conditioned with the brute force of one who was training a fighting dog rather than a POW -- and that was exactly how he was kept.For years, he was reduced to nothing more than a weapon to be used against dissenters against both Garlemald as a whole and Varro himself, the vanity project of a mad man who saw himself slighted by his peers.Yul was stripped of his name, his autonomy, and eventually his voice, after an escape attempt landed him too close to exposure for Varro's comfort. He had his tongue surgically removed, silencing him permanently.It wasn't until a fortuitous and unexpected event -- the collapse of the Weapon program and the return of Gaius van Baelsar -- that Yul was given an opportunity to free himself once and for all, even if that freedom meant death.With no money, shelter, way to communicate, wracked with withdrawal from the experimental drugs Varro kept him on, Yul wandered and eventually found himself almost literally washing up in the Azem Steppe. Thankfully, this was a fortuitous accident. The Qestir tribe taught him sign language, their customs, and allowed him to assume a new identity for, presumably, the start of a new life.

TRIVIA

hooks

    GUARD DOG
He doesn't look like it, but Yul is actually a deeply soft hearted and protective guy. He can, and will, step in whenever he sees any sort of injustice going on, having somehow completely avoided the cynicism that one might assume would stem from his less-than-pleasant experiences. If your character is in need of a hand, maybe Yul will reach out.    NEEDLE, THREAD
Yul learned a number of tradecrafts while he was with the Qestir, and has grown very fond of them. He's by no means a master, but he'd love to be taught any new skills, especially if they involve needle-work or sewing, which he's particularly fond of. While he is very shy, and often very embarrassed by his own lack of dexterity, he would love to be shown new ways make things.    THE EMPEROR'S DEAD
Recent events have given Yul some complicated feelings about Garlean refugees. In the past, he refused to acknowledge any Garlean citizen as anything more than a war criminal or outright villain. Now, however, as the Empire's collapse echoes throughout Eorzea, and as he learns more and more about the way life in Garlemald world for average citizens, he's not so sure. It's a sore subject, best broached with caution.    PROFESSIONAL AMATEUR
Yul is thrilled to learn new skills, whatever they may be, especially if they're non-violent in nature. He's not very good at things that require much dexterity, but is almost always game to give it a shot (if a little shy at the start). Tea, mixology, painting, sculpting, juggling, dancing, tarot reading -- he'll give anything a try at least once.

    PIT FIGHTER
One of the first things Yul learned when striking out on his own was that he'd need money to survive. He's happy to put himself through the proverbial meat grinder to earn it, if he has to. He's gained something of a reputation in circles where blood sport is common--perhaps the Beast of Werlyt is something you've heard of?    GARDENER
Yul is a vegetarian these days, less by choice and more by necessity, but this has given him an interest in gardening and plants. He's not very good at it, and even less good at actually preparing the food he grows, but he loves to learn. If you've got something to say about seeds and soil, he'll be excited to listen.    WERLYT, BEFORE
Yul feels a deep nostalgia for his homeland, despite having only a scant few memories of it after so many years away. If your character is connected to Werlyt, either pre or post occupation, Yul would be interested to hear what they have to say.    ART LOVER
Yul is not a very cultured man by any stretch, but he feels a deep appreciation for fine art and literature -- the only problem is that he himself can't really read. This means he'll often try to make time to see live performances or hear poetry readings when he can, though he'll typically spend his time in the back or far away from the crowd to ensure he isn't obtrusive or too obviously out of place. Maybe you've seen him lurking around, because despite his best efforts he is kind of hard to miss.    MONSTER HUNTER
Recently, Yul has become quite taken with the Hunt, taking bills from various clans more for fun than profit. He's largely solo in this, but still excited to talk to fellow hunting enthusiasts if they present themselves. He's also become increasingly invested in exploration of ruins like the various Deep Dungeons around Eorzea. You know how some high energy dogs need to go apeshit at dog parks? This is that for him.