Xihba Curo

クロジバ

xihba curo.
huntress from kugane
crystal. balmung. est.

"it's not a question of can or can't.
there are some things in life you just do."

we had a choice to see the truth,
but we let ourselves be convinced otherwise.

"words aren't the only way to tell someone how you feel."

ooc/guide

Call me sydney.
Lover of all things Final Fantasy
Extroverted Raider and Roleplayer
Art is beautiful. I love stories.

WU/T

ooc/ic
mare

Friendly
I prefer tells to get my attention
Serial AFKer
I can disappear for a time. Don't be alarmed.
I will be honest if I don't have time.
I generally don't give out my discord, but if we're trying to schedule something, you may ask.
Serial AFKer applies to discord too.

I am not Xihba. I simply wear her as a mask.
Her views do not reflect my own.
If you can't separate the two, we're done.
Mare is not essential, but will heavily improve interactions with Xihba.
It's available on request.

d/m/rp

erp

I'm a lover of grimdark.
Dark and mature is my preference.
Xihba's been to hell and back and isn't done yet.
I'm a "yes, and" roleplayer.
There are hard limits, but you're unlikely to reach them.
Consent to darkness does not mean consent to sexuality.
Please be respectful of the person behind the girl.

18+ only
No Lalafells
Yes, Hrothgars are fine.
Dominant in most cases.
Ask for consent.

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ギルドカード

Love, you are the road I walk alone.

  name.    Xihba Curo.
  age.    35.
  race.    Au Ra Xaela.
  birthday / nameday     17th Sun of the 5th Umbral moon.
  astrological sign / guarding deity.     Libra/Nophica.
  gender.     Female
  pronouns.     she/her
  sexuality.     Bisexual

  height.     5'2''
  weight.     125 ponze.
  hair color.     blonde, strawberry to golden.
  eye color.     lavender, but with a bright glow
  skin tone.     tan, sun-kissed, tawny.
  notable features.     tattoos across her body, a deep horizontal scar on her stomach as if she had been cut open, sharply shaped horns

  job occupation.    Huntress, Gunbreaker
  place of origin.     Bozja, from the south near Gangos
  home.    Technically Kugane, but her connections give her plenty of homes elsewhere.
  affiliation.     Clan Centurio
  family.     Perished in the Bozja Incident
  marital status.     single.

  d&d alignment.     Neutral
  mbti.     ENTJ.
  likes.     hunting, fishing, cooking, politics and philosophy, tactics
  dislikes.     Abuse of power, sitting still, sweet foods.
  virtues.     heroic, self-sacrificing, passionate, meritocratic
  flaws.     a streak of cruelty, somewhat dishonest (although this is getting better!), impatient.

the endless night I keep dreaming of

personality.
Usually confident in almost any situation, Xihba is mostly a no-nonsense huntress. An extensive life of violence and fighting has left her hardened, outside of the soft spots she bears for specific people. Though distrustful, and often obfuscating the truth, she nonetheless remains an extroverted soul, interested in people and the things they say, and in spite of her hard past or perhaps because of it, believes anyone can be saved with a little bit of forgiveness.

A renowned huntress. Anyone in the know of the world of monster hunting in the Far East would have heard the name Xihba Curo, especially if they're connected to Clan Centurio.
Stomach scar. While many outfits don't show it, Xihba has a noticeable scar on her stomach. The deep gash implies being run through by a blade. Sometimes she will subconsciously bring a hand to her stomach.
Bozjan Xaela. Xihba is born and raised Bozjan, and her accent makes that apparent. Despite this, she's surprisingly knowledgeable of the Steppe where her ancestors came from.
Garlean stance When Xihba fights, her stance is highly reminiscent of the Garlean style with some mixture of Bozjan techniques.

Two heartbeats out of sync with one another.

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history.

Spoilers ahead
All of this can be found ICly,
but is not required knowledge.
However, Xihba has a long history,
and I wish to share it here.
Read at your leisure and enjoyment.

LORE : early life.
Fisher, Bozjan, Soldier, Imperial

To understand how Xihba became the woman she is today, it's important to look back to how she grew up, to see what shaped her. Born 20 years after Bozja's conquering to the Empire, Bozja was a fully integrated province of Garlemald, and Xihba grew up the daughter of poor fishers in a remote village in southern Bozja.Seeing how her family struggled to take care of themselves and the other people in their small home, Xihba, like most children under Imperial occupation, was also subjected to the propaganda of the Garlean military. The promise of citizenship for 20 years of service made Xihba feel she had a way to help her family, and the other Bozjans.Headstrong, and talented with a blade, in spite of the protests of her mother and the concern of her father, she set off at the young age of 13 to join the Imperial military, where she was assigned to the newly formed XIVth Imperial Legion, right in the middle of its war with Ala Mhigo.

The war in Ala Mhigo, combined with Legatus Gaius van Baelsar's firm belief in meritocracy, proved to be beneficial to Xihba's early military career. She was a strong soldier and a natural leader, and in the two years between her joining the service and the fall of Ala Mhigo, she rocketed up the ranks.During the ensuing age of calm, the newly promoted optio Xihba pyr Curo was given an Imperial education. Her outstanding marks in spite of her heritage infuriated the purebloods, but caught the eye of van Baelsar, who personally promoted her to Centurion and gifted her her first gunblade.A short five years after the fall of Ala Mhigo, the XIVth Legion was ready to start its campaign on the rest of Eorzea in the famous Battle of Silvertear Skies. No one could have expected the host of dragons that descended on the Agrius, but Xihba's quick-thinking allowed her to save countless Garlean lives. In the end, despite the failure of the advance, Xihba was promoted to Xihba rem Curo, Pilus Prior of the XIVth legion.

LORE : The Bozja Incident.
Can love bloom
on the battlefield?

During the construction of Baelsar's Wall at Castrum Oriens, Xihba found herself selected for a special mission. The Bozjan resistance was proving to be a nuisance to Garlean ambitions in the city surrounding Bozja Citadel. Those ambitions were those of Nael van Darnus and Midas nan Garland, the architects of Project Meteor. A lunar transmitter was to be constructed in the citadel. The Bozjan resistance, believing it to be a weapon, had made that the target of their battles.Ultimately, Imperial intelligence decided Bozjans were needed to infiltrate the most notorious of the cells, and Xihba was chosen for the mission. Fully immersed in the propaganda of the Empire, Xihba took on the mission, and found herself taking on the role of a hot-headed resistance member. As quickly as she rose through the ranks of the Garlean military, she proved just as capable of a leader for the resistance. Despite the suspicions of her loyalties, she was entrusted with the plans of the Bozjan Resistance.None were more suspicious of her than a certain charismatic leader, a Hrothgar woman by the name of Yeva Venkasch. Despite the two butting heads throughout Xihba's work, the two grew to respect each other's ability and eventually an attraction formed.

Unfortunately, Xihba had placed duty before her feelings. Even in the whirlwind romance of the secret Imperial and the brave resistance leader, Xihba betrayed the resistance at the eleventh hour. Yeva and her cell were taken to Castrum Lacus Litore for an execution. Xihba followed to try and reduce the sentence, not wanting her lover to die.The fateful day chosen for their execution would both save and doom both of them. The activation of the lunar transmitter caused the infamous Bozja Incident, the destruction of Bozja Citadel and surrounding city, and the lives of thousands turned to ash within a heartbeat.The castrum, located on top of a mountain and forged of steel and iron, provided enough safety to prevent its inhabitants, including Xihba and Yeva, from perishing in the flames. The ensuing chaos allowed the Hrothgar to escape, Xihba unwilling to betray her lover a second time. Forced to turn their back on each other, they fled, and the civilians killed shook Xihba's faith in the Empire. So, she ran away from it all. Her love, her doubt, everything as she fled east in a stolen manacutter.

LORE : Birth of a Huntress.
A promise to my ancestors
and to those who paid the price.

Crash landing in the desert west of the Azim Steppe, by a miracle, Xihba didn't die, being pulled into a cave by the Uyagir tribe. A combination of not knowing the local language and the events of Bozja Incident caused her to stay silent from culture shock. It led to an misunderstanding that she might have been Qestir, and she was guided to Reunion from there.The resulting journey caused Xihba to meet many different tribes, and experience a world less controlled by the Garleans. The next five years were a lesson in self-discovery as she took the role of Qestiri warrior, working as a huntress and an assassin for the various tribes, earning the name Tseren of the Qestir.Near the tail end of these years, she met monster hunters from Clan Centurio. Seeing her talent with a gunblade, they asked her to join them, the Clan making a pop-up village to deal with reports of new large monsters and wyverns appearing on the Steppe from beyond the Tail Mountains.

It was her camaraderie with these hunters that started Xihba's healing process at last. As they fought together, saving tribes and villages from monsters, she began to face the weight of what happened in Bozja.In time, Xihba made a journey to Bardam's Mettle. Following the footsteps of the legendary hero, her pilgrimage filled her with Xaelic pride in her ancestors. In the Voiceless Muse, she made a promise to save people until she had saved as many as had perished in the flames of Bozja.It was in that moment, Xihba rem Curo and Tseren of the Qestir became Xihba Curo, the Huntress of Clan Centurio, and she joined the Clan and moved to the city of Kugane, granted citizenship through some strings pulled.

LORE : Expeditions to Yafaem.
A lesson
in the dangers of voidsent.

10 years passed. Dalamud fell. The Empire was being pushed back since the Ishgardians had made a truce with the dragons. Some time after the Battle of Ghimlyt Dark, Xihba met a scholar. Merely friends at first, sharing stories of war battles and hunts, the two's relationship blossomed into a romance. For a time, things seemed to be settling down for the veteran. Fate had other plans.The scholar was invested in the study of the void, seeking a way to cure those tainted by its dark magic without the death of the patron or the host. Hearing about the Void Ark floating in the Sea of Clouds, an expedition was planned to study the voidsent in the Mhachi coffins. Curiosity comes at a price however, the two lovers finding themselves possessed by voidsent who had broken free of their fetters. Those who would seek the cure to the curse found themselves instead cursed. A ticking timer as the voidsent slowly took over their body and soul.Slowly, the voidsent tried to break the minds of their prey, eating away at the scholar's memories while tempting the huntress with power unfathomable to her. Racing the clock and the growing hunger Xihba's voidsent was giving her, the scholar found an answer in the old city at Yafaem. There they found an answer among ancient ruins. Rumors of a stone that had the potential to free them from their possession. The Nullstone, and the last known location of the device, deep in the ancient city of Dun Scaith.

At the edge of reason, Xihba went with her lover to the city, as the memories of their time together slowly left the scholar's mind. They brought a bodyguard, the scholar starting to fear a woman she no longer recognized who was becoming more monstrous each day. Desperation took hold when a cat informed them that the Nullstone was no longer there, their last hope dashed.In that moment, Xihba turned on her lover, the voidsent taking hold and forcing her into combat with the bodyguard. At the end of the battle, Xihba found herself stabbed through the stomach by the guardian's blade. The pain brought clarity, and in a last resort, she used the power of the voidsent to rip the curse out of her lover. As she lay dying, the scholar remembering Xihba for who she was attempted a desperate spell, infuse Xihba with umbral light until the voidsent was eradicated from her soul.When she awoke weeks later, she was certain she had died, and in many ways, she was at the edge. Aether sickness with a strong tilt in her polarity towards a dangerous direction left her lethargic and weak, and at the top of the city where the voidsent had been ripped out of her, something new formed in the remains of Xihba's aether.

LORE : Twin Souls.
What is imitation? What is real?

Left behind in Dun Scaith, this amalgamation of voidsent and Xihba's aether emerged. In her weakened state, she should have been easy pickings in that hive of voidsent, and sure enough, a scavenger came to consume her: a cowardly and meek voidsent who went by the name of Alais.Unfortunately for Alais, this shadow of Xihba was not weak enough for her to take, the woman threatening to drain the creature dry. In desperation, the creature made a deal. A bond with the woman, telling her in Dun Scaith, she would need a friend.Lacking knowledge of how she arrived at Dun Scaith, and not knowing why her aether was so astrally tilted, the bond became something important for the shade. Despite their greedy natures, the two became allies in the darkness, looking out for each other and protecting each other. They fought and fought until they found a way out.

In Eorzea, however, this Xihba was quickly confused by the existence of her double, and when she found herself taking jobs she didn't remember, she was forced to take less lawful work. Assassinations, kidnappings, morality didn't concern her like it did her other half. She eventually grew to revel in her power over others.But she was lost. With no wars to fight, and desperately alone aside from her voidsent companion. It was by chance the two Xihba found themselves reunited, and immediately, they hated each other, each one seeing the other for the things they envied.Thanks to the help of a therapist, who had grown close to the pair, they were convinced to join and become one. That in the end, it would be a healthier outcome for the two of them. Thus did the twin souls become one new Xihba, one without aether sickness, one no longer alone, and possessing the lives of both of them to carry on the promise that she had made years ago.

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hooks.

look at this, my eyes.

hook one. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook two. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook three. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!

hook four. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook five. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook six. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!

hook seven. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook eight. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook nine. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!

hook ten. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook eleven. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!hook twelve. write out the premise of your hook / plot here! you can make it as long or as short as you need it to be! be vague, be detailed! whatever you want!

i squeeze myself into the frame you made.

this is someone else, not me.

these expressions — are they truth or lies?
who am i?