Karilan Black

• Background
• Organizations
• Hooks

Keeper of birds, socialite, and your friend from the word hello

Gender: Female
Orientation: Asexual
Race: Mithra/Miqote
Age: "Older"
Origin: Windurst, Vana'diel
Residence: A small estate for House Black in Ishgard. Holds warehouse property in Uldah.
Appearance: A slim woman with gentle feline features. Typically bundled in woolen attire to survive the cold of Coerthas or dressed in layers if she plans to travel. Since she remains covered much of the time, it's only on rare occasions when she's dressed for a visit to the bathhouse that evidence of her martial background is even visible.
Skills/Abilities: Actively works wherever she's needed as a combat healer, though also displays martial ability from days long passed. Always carries a simple dagger with her, often concealed if carrying it openly would be frowned upon.
Personality: Karilan is warm and friendly to everyone she meets, extending an offer of friendship as readily as a baked good. She is inquisitive, her interest instantly ignited when someone begins talking passionately about something. She does not shy away from talking about herself if asked, but rarely steps into the spotlight, preferring to set the stage for others instead.
Dislikes: Rudeness. Hot spices. Fishy smells.

By Lominsan standards the afternoon might have been described as a touch on the chilly side but for Karilan, who was used to Coertan cold fronts, she felt it was comfortably balmy. The Miqote woman turned her face up to the wind, relishing in the sweet meadow scent that swept over the hills, this being remarkably favorable over the fishy smell that often rolled in from the Rhotan Sea. She would miss this uniquely warm breeze, but none would ever pull this truth from her lips.A soft sigh escaped those lips, the forlorn feeling causing her to glance again at the folded parchment she carried. Her heels clicked their way across the uneven stonework toward home.Home.Soon enough, it wouldn't be that at all. This had been her home almost from the moment she'd first arrived on the docks of Limsa Lominsa, a fleeing criminal from far across the sea. At the time, she hadn't thought she'd ever have a home again but Jacke had other plans for the stray, too keen an eye to let her talents go to waste.Soon enough, this wouldn't be her home any longer. Soon enough, Ishgard would be her home. What might he think of that?The question drifted around her mind until the lift lurched to a stop and brought her to the door of the loft he'd given her. The question fluttered but never landed on any imagined answer. An iron key fit the lock and a reassuring click of security left the door free to swing open.First off was her pommed hat, then her fur lined silk gloves, and finally her velvet boots. All trademarks of the aristocrat she'd become. What might he think of that?Her feet swayed her into the kitchenette; her movements automatic as she reached for the milk, the leaves, a pot, and a small jar of thick syrup. Before long, her customary cup of Ishgardian brew was ready, and still the question remained unanswered.Lingering at the counter for a moment as ingredients were put away, the Miqote's golden gaze passed over the other jars stored on the shelf. They were gifts from an associate, one she hadn't worked with in years, but the gifts themselves were significant in their continued friendship. Each jar held a different sauce - the very best to adorn a sandwich, her friend always insisted. Oh, if only her bright-eyed entrepreneurial partner knew that the sandwiches she was served were the recipes of a cut throat scoundrel. The two did seem to share the same vehement passion for sandwiches, but the same could not be said of Karilan, who pushed her culinary skills beyond breaded treasures and into an untold number of domains. Still, she smiled at the jars, for they marked a beginning.Carrying her tea cup across the apartment, Karilan found her way to the couch and sank into it. Her eyes bore holes into the upholstery as she found the site of a different beginning. Regardless of the fact the white leather had been replaced, she could still envision the deep red bloodstain that once flooded the cushion. The shock of the situation gripped her heart merely by recalling it."They ain't 'bout 'ta lend daddles where I stuck my nob," Jacke had said when he brushed off her insistent suggestion that she call on the guards when he stumbled in all bloodied. It wasn't as if a job had gone sideways, he'd told her, in fact it had gone perfectly well, aside from him going alone and ending up in such a sorry state.Unwilling to fight his refusal, she did her best to patch him up and sat at his side during the long, tense hours when he'd lost consciousness from blood loss.His eyes were just as warm as they'd always been when he finally woke and found her anxiously waiting."You still want outta the dance, dove? Think we whiddled a way," he'd said once he'd seen the evidence of her work on his wounds. "Try your fams at chirurgie?"It was as if he'd given her the moon. Despite how good she'd been at it, the rogue's life just wasn't for her. Every mission out on the high seas with Captain Dahlia Black sent her home with cloudy look in her eyes. Every caravan trip to monitor the alleys of Uldah left her spirit dusty. Every cut, every kill; it bit into her soul no matter how necessary the work was. After years of hiding and fleeing, Jacke gave her the freedom she couldn’t ever steal.For a time while she studied conjury, Gridania became her sanctuary, and the gaps where she didn't see Jacke and V'kebbe grew longer. This Lominsan loft was still her rightful home in his eyes, and she was welcomed back to it when her work as a battle medic carried her across the sea once again. He always said it was hers, but she knew soon it wouldn't be. She couldn't yet be sure if she was ready to give it up, or if he was.Karilan slipped off the white leather couch and gently rested her tea cup on the wooden floor. She tugged the couch cushion loose and shuffled it off to the side. From the waistband of her skirt came a slim knife that she always carried. Her life may have changed, but some habits never would. With it, she pried up the supporting board for the cushion and popped it up to reveal the hidden chamber within.There, folded neatly and secret from the world, was the dark garb of the Black Cat Bandit, as both Jacke and her pirate sister had playfully dubbed her.Setting the thief’s blade down next to her china tea cup, she reached into the secret chest to raise the jacket, shaking out the material to release what dust had gathered. The leather reinforced cloth had been repaired so many times, beaten as it was from countless knife fights. Her fingers fumbled along the jerkin until they found a gap in the fabric and she drew out the wooden coin stored there.
On the surface was a crudely carved "B", it's angles jagged and rough, and to the left were a few parallel lines which made little sense beyond being decoration. She turned the coin in her fingers until she was looking at a poor rendition of cat ears and whiskers.Whittled by Jacke himself and worthless to anyone else, this coin was valued as a single favor for the one and only Black Cat Bandit. Ten long years the coin had waited to be used.She was going to need a ship to carry this couch and all her furniture to Ishgard.What might he think of that?home - organizations - details

House Black

Though not born of Ishgard, House Black gained traction during the Dragonson War when the Heads of House worked as healer and soldier both to defend the people they claimed kin even as foreigners.By the end of the war, rumors had circulated about the legitimacy of the House as records were easily scattered in the midst of turmoil in the city. The inquiries were set to rest and the House began to flourish, taking in all manner of unusual individuals looking to call the vigilant city home as well.The door is often open whether to friend or foe, and wanderers will likely find help from the resident's wards, allies, or the Lady Black herself.

Once stationed as a commercial warehouse, this lavish dining hall and conversational lounge sits in a quiet corner of Uldah's residential district. Elevating the city's earthy tones with a bounty of fragrant roses, heavenly stained glass imported from Ishgard, and a unique blend of flavors offered both from the proprietress's experience and her relationships with others, Crossroads serves as a physical representation of her influence.Here commoners, adventurers, and nobles come together to find their paths to friendship, growth, and other establishments eager to engage in their company.Though the polished hall always welcomes all, rumors state that when darkness falls, it's the neediest folks who find exactly what they need here...

Ishgard

Ever since serving in the Dragonsong War as a combat medic, Karilan had considered the cold city her chosen home. As the battles dwindled and long wounds healed, she laid her cards and conjury tools to rest, trading them for the instruments of creation and assisted with the much needed reconstruction of both city and civilization in the war-torn city.Over the years, her healing hand was called for across the lands, and with every request her footsteps followed, taking her across lands unknown. Always she found her way back home to the Forgotten Knight, where an inn room had practically become hers due to the frequency with which she rented the space.Her dedication to the illustrious city may not have earned her a place amid the gentry, but she gained the respect of some lesser houses and much of the common folk. After long days toiling in the Firmament district, Karilan was rewarded with a home of her own. Meager, but some standards, but secure enough to rest her head and spacious enough to offer similar comforts to those she took under her charge.

Uldah

Having first arrived to Eorzea by ship landing berth in Limsa Lominsa, Karilan had been convinced at the time that she would never walk in lands similar to her homeland again, but when her sly work sent her to the underbelly of the golden desert city, her perspective changed.This was a city ripe with conflict and opportunity, two things she was quite familiar with. At first keeping to the shadows, she observed the city's inner workings seeking to learn who here had power - real power - and who sought to make sure others never had any. Sometimes, they weren't even the same people.Carefully she established herself, first among the poor, and then among the merchants, but never with those who turned a blind eye to the obvious plight of the city. Securing a plot of land even as an outside, she cemented her positive reputation in the community by offering a bounty of hospitality, which did well to hide the rest of the business she held in Uldah.

OOC Details

Hello! I go by Kari in and out of character so I appreciate differentiation with brackets indicating OOC. Unless we're firmly in a whispered scene, I will generally assume all tells are OOC.My time table is wacky so you will often see me up at weird hours. I don't align well with any particular time zone, so don't expect to see me at the same times.I schedule my RP sessions pretty rigorously. Please don't be offended if I need to leave for another appointment. I will do my best to warn you of my time constraints.Want to talk with me or arrange a scene, even casually? Just send me a message and I'll do my very best to accommodate!Discord Kari#4342

Plot Hooks (in timeline order)

Events Planner - Whether organizing things from behind a desk, putting up posters around town, or shouting on a box in the middle of the courtyard, it's easy to recognize Karilan promoting one of the many passion projects of her friends and allies.Bird Buddy - Karilan is often seen with one bird or another fluttering somewhere near her or left in a tree outside when visiting other businesses. There are always bread crumbs left around House Black and Crossroads to attract more of them.Aspiring Chef - Though she favors Ishgardian cuisine, Karilan has been known to travel specifically to taste and learn a dish local to remote areas.Combat Medic - Karilan answers the call wherever a healer is needed, uniquely employing a wide range of medical techniques to fight whatever ailment she's up against.Black Cat Bandit - It's been some ten years since she sported black hair or the infamous name, but someone with a history of piracy might recognize the small dagger she often carries, perhaps even witnessed her skill with it. She'll deny any mention of this, of course.