Tonawawtan Outrider

 Growing up in Yyasulani,   Tekawte's childhood was entirely upended when a devastating accident took his father and left Tekawte, his younger sister, and his mother to fend for themselves. With little more to their name than their family home and their nearly nonexistent wealth, the Wanzih'pya family leaned heavily on the tight-knit bonds of their community in Nakwiihto'aippeh, the settlement in which they lived. Making ends meet meant grueling work,   leaving Tekawte subject to the demands of an exploitative child labor mogul whose 'jobs' consisted of dubiously legal smuggling and heist operations, oftentimes leading to the endangerment and even death of the children working for him. After an incident during a job left Tekawte with a nearly fatal injury and a fractured friendship, however, the youth went on to chase other, more rewarding opportunities for work. With his eyes set on a new path in life,   Tekawte began officially training with Vipers shortly after falling in love with Uushana, a Shetona woman who had personally seen to his recovery following the incident and had spent the last few years as a friend and hunting companion to him. After spending four years in the mountains with fellow Vipers honing in on his swordsmanship expertise, Tekawte returned to work in the Yyasulani and Shaaloani regions, hunting dangerous marks to protect smaller settlements like his home. The ongoing feud with his ex-best friend   continued to rage on as the years crawled by, both men refusing to speak civilly to one another, causing all sorts of trouble and very nearly getting each other killed. But for all of their anger, neither man seemed willing to make the killing blow.

 Everything would end up in upheaval again,   however, as the mysterious dome that dropped over Yyasulani took Tekawte's entire family, Uushana, and his entire home away from him. After weeks spent in despair in his desperate search, Tekawte would only find a mother gone, a sister who had completely forgotten about him, and the woman he wished to marry with a new life and a new family, happily without him. Reeling in grief, Tekawte has made his way to Eorzea in search for new purpose and work, only to find familiarity in an unexpected place...

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 ⚔ A Turali Tonawawta.  
Individuals from Tural may easily recognize Tekawte's accent and name as native to the New World. ⚔ An experienced Viper.  
As more and more Vipers migrate to Eorzea looking for work after the upheaval of Turali government and geography, other Vipers may identify Tekawte for his twinblades, familiar types of scars, or may have even encountered Tekawte during training when he was a youth. He is a remarkable tracker, and has trained himself to have an unusually heightened sense of smell, for a Tonawawtan. ⚔ Prickly upon arrival.  
Tekawte's demeanor is outwardly standoffish and aloof, bordering on downright unapproachable. Despite warm, brown eyes and something of a resting 'kind' face, he can be immensely difficult to connect with on a deeper-than-surface level. ⚔ Solution 9.  
For reasons that might not be immediately obvious to anyone but himself, Tekawte is openly and outwardly hostile towards visitors from Solution 9 and folks with visible regulators. At best, he will outright ignore people from Solution 9. At worst, he will become aggressive.

Vitals

 NAME    Tekawte Wanzih'pya (Teh-KAW-teh Wahn-ZIH-pyah) NICKNAME/ALIAS    Teka, Antelope, Big Guy, Tiger AGE    Freshly 30 DATE OF BIRTH    14th Sun of the 6th Astral Moon // November 13 GENDER & PRONOUNS    Male, He/Him RACE/ETHNICITY    Hyur / Tonawawtan BIRTHPLACE   Nakwiihto'aippeh, Yyasulani, Xak Tural STATUS   Single

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PHYSICAL

 HEIGHT    6'3'' (191 cm) FITNESS   High physical fitness. Heavier build. Functional muscle. NOTABLE TRAITS   Heavily scarred body indicates a long campaign of hunting, consistent with claw marks made by beasts and monsters of all shapes and size. Higher-than-average amount of facial and body hair. A large, prominent nose. No piercings or tattoos. Hairstyle is of natural color and is low maintenance, choppy, and looks to be frequently cut by an untrained hand. Clothing is often worn down, and of muted earthen colors. SCENT PROFILE   The smell of weathered leather and oil clings to his clothes. Occasionally wears a sagebrush cologne. But for the most part, smells like Man and Sweat.

PERSONAL

 VIRTUES & THEIR DETRIMENTS  
- Protective // to a fault
- Courageous // reckless
- Self-Reliant // low social & self care skills
- Perserverance // can't stop, won't stop
- Good at Masking // emotionally unintelligent VICES & THEIR BENEFITS  
- resentful // Motivated by Spite
- short-tempered // Quick to Action
- violent // Unyielding Protector
- trusting to a fault // Willing to Collaborate
- relapsing alcoholic. LIKES  Fruit, especially melon. Cornbread. Vanilla & jasmine. Chickens (as pets). Stargazing. Hunting. Birdwatching. Tattoos. Carpentry & woodwork. Thunderstorms. DISLIKES  Floral perfumes applied too thickly, most of all lavender. Excessively spicy food. Sounds of manufactured explosions, such as gunshots or fireworks. Tattoos of names. Low pressure showers.

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 (REAL LIFE EQUIVALENT) ASTROLOGY   
☀︎ Scorpio || ☾ Aries || ⇗ Sagittarius☀︎Intensely driven. Deeply loyal. Ferociously protective.☾ Impulsive. Short fuse. Fiercely passionate.⇗Adventurous. Independent. Bold.

IMPORTANT NOTES

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Musical Inspiration

 DIG DOWN (ACOUSTIC GOSPEL) — MUSE   LO/HI — THE BLACK KEYS   SUMMER NIGHTS — SIAMÉS   FREE ANIMAL — FOREIGN AIR  

 KATEKKA SOKOPEHYEN    —  Tekawte's former childhood best friend, to whom he refers to as 'little brother' in the Tonawawtan language, despite no shared blood or hearth between them. And—as far as Tekawte is aware—the sole survivor from Nakwiihto'aippeh unaffected by the Dome Incident. With their infamous feud lasting a decade or longer, it has been a difficult journey to reconnect to the man with whom he had fought for so long. However, as they have both realized that all they have left of Nakwiihto'aippeh is each other, their bond has become so profound and protective that neither can imagine a world without the other. They are entirely inseparable—without one there cannot be the other.

 "Z"    —  While their first meeting showed Z a glimpse of Tekawte at his most vulnerable—haunted by grief and hardened by the weight of his losses—the two still managed to forge an uneasy connection. Their respective temperance in sharp juxtaposition to one another, Tekawte finds getting along with Z difficult and sometimes outright confusing, and an active practice of gentle mindfulness: almost like befriending a stray animal. But to care for another person is to meet them where they are, and Tekawte does his best to foster his friendship with Z with care and tenderness.

 DEVRIM NABUDIS    —  An unexpectedly sentimental encounter between strangers had turned out to be something of a serendipitous meeting. Without meaning to, Devrim shook loose a meaningful memory from Tekawte that happened to get the both on the topic of the cultural food staples of their respective homelands. Later, Tekawte would find out that Devrim is living a mere few doors away from himself and Katekka. What's more is that the man works for their mutual eccentric Viera employer. Now, the two of them have made fast friends with their similar experiences and value in their respective cultures.

 RAVEN VALE    —  Tekawte's temperamental, eccentric, and whipcord sharp employer. While Raven's main focus has been Katekka, who they have been assisting with recovery from a severe injury, Tekawte has been hired by them to work as their personal gleaner and botanist in order to make up the cost of their medical services to Katekka. With good pay and the promise of continued help for Tekawte's closest companion, Tekawte has come to respect and grow fond of the Viera's presences—albeit with just a touch of fear.

 ELEKSANDER CIRILLO    —  A wealthy Sharlayan Astromancer who Tekawte fondly regards as 'insufferable' and 'prissy', Eleksander became a friend to Tekawte after deeply impacting the way he views the citizen populace of oppressive societies. It is thanks to Eleksander's (who Tekawte teasingly calls 'Sandy') insight into the nuances of society after unspeakable tragedy and war that prevented Tekawte from harming Iris, a mutual friend and Alexandrian. Tekawte deeply respects Sandy, and harbors an immense affection for the scholar for his generosity, kind demeanor, and gentleness—and not to mention, his unconditional patience and understanding with Katekka.

 IRIS    —  Perhaps Tekawte's most controversial relationship yet, and the first and only Alexandrian that he has befriended. His friendship to Iris is a fragile one, ever teetering on the edge of breaking entirely. After accidentally saving their life during a choking incident, and upon finding out where Iris originated, Tekawte publicly ousted and accosted them for what he perceives as crimes against Xak Tural. However, when Iris met Tekawte's rage with patience and understanding, they were able to calm him and come to a mutual, albeit delicate understanding. Due to the levin-addled painter's health issues, Tekawte has formed something of a protective bond with them.

  To be continued...    —  To be continued...

  To be continued...    —  To be continued...

  To be continued...    —  To be continued...