Glitchy Aster
A lalafell who seems relatively normal at a glance... but that fact is quite literally only skin-deep.
Basic Info
Name: Glitchy AsterRace: Dunesfolk LalafellAge: Mid 40sGender: He/himSexuality: Aromantic AsexualLikes: Sweets, causing chaos, most varieties of magic, showing off, books, alchemy, cookingDislikes: Red magic, white magic, people who flaunt their height over himGlitchy is on the smaller side for a lalafell, only standing at 3'0". His white hair is usually bound up in a loose braid and he has light blue blush marks that stand out against his pale skin.He also has more monstrous features, usually hidden by a magical glamour. His nails are wicked claws, his teeth are sharp and pointed like a shark's, and he has demonic wings, all features caused by him playing host to a voidsent.As far as his personality goes, he knows how to pretend to be a pleasant, polite little thing when he has to be. However, that sweetness masks a scheming mind that almost desperately searches for ways to acquire more power, no matter the cost... though he might act genuinely mellow if he happens to feel safe, but that's a rarity for him.
Backstory
Glitchy hails from the continent of Meracydia, where he grew up and studied the arcane arts. However, after committing a crime in his early 30s, he was forced to flee from his homeland, taking refuge on a merchant ship returning to Limsa Lominsa. During the lengthy journey there, he began the process of learning Eorzean (when he wasn't being miserably seasick, that is). It was an even bumpier landing for him, however, as the Calamity had infused Eorzea with far more aether than he was accustomed to. After suffering his way through a bout of aether sickness, he managed to grow used to the massive amounts of aether in this new land.After recuperating, he wandered for the most part, picking up whatever odd jobs he could with his limited Eorzean, mainly ones involving getting materials from monsters. His travels took him to the thaumaturge's guild in Ul'dah, where he used his arcane knowledge to quickly learn thamaturgy and, later, black magic. There, he took on further jobs, graduating to hunting down bounties on criminals. During one such task, his foe got the better of him and slashed his throat open before he could finish his incantation. He likely would have bled out then and there, but a passing healer managed to fix him up after his mark left him for dead. However, he ended up with an ugly scar on his throat that he now often covers up with a scarf, high-collared robe, or magical glamour.Now scarred, without a home in a foreign land, and still technically on the run from anyone who would care to look for him, he finally divested himself of his old Meracydian identity, taking on his current name as he turned his focus to something that he knew would ensure his safety.Power.Acquiring the power he desired would take time. In the meantime, he required a home, one that felt safer than the Thaumaturge's Guild. After some searching around, he joined a crafter's guild. At first, he simply provided materials from slain monsters. Not being the talkative type after what happened to him, it took him a while to warm up to the other members, but he did after some time and started taking part in the actual crafting aspect of the guild by honing his cooking skills and learning alchemy from an older member.All the while, he kept his eyes open for anything that would serve to boost his magical powers, whether it be a new staff to focus his aether through or a dusty old tome that a merchant was selling for an exorbitant price. However, whether it be from these actions of his or some other, hidden pull, he unintentionally drew the attention of a power to rival his own.
Voidsent
One night, after falling asleep in his room at the guildhouse, he was kidnapped and whisked away to the seedy underbelly of Ul'dah. There, in an underground tunnel branching off an alleyway, he awoke to find himself in the custody of a cult, held under thrall of a voidsent. The only surviving member that he could see approached him and revealed themself to be the current host of the voidsent they were worshipping.But not for long.The cultist collapsed as they transferred the voidsent to what it chose as its new vessel-Glitchy. Though he attempted to fight it off, it burrowed into him and attempted to smother his will beneath a dreamlike fascimile of happier times in his homeland. While the ruse fooled him for a time, he eventually fought through it and returned to consciousness.However, his body had changed while he was away from it. Teeth had grown sharp, fingernails had lengthened to claws, his blue eyes had turned a sickly purple, and he had grown bat-like wings for flight. Beneath the surface, the voidsent had feasted on him, hollowing him out and ensuring he was completely dependent on it just to continue living.He struck an uneasy bargain with it; he would provide it more aether and it would allow him to continue living and even bolster his own magic to boot. They've both grown in power since then, allowing Glitchy to turn into a more monstrous, sinuous voidsent form if need be (even if said need is simply reaching higher up on a bookshelf).
Present Day
In present day, Glitchy lives with a guildmate, Soreas Lennart, finding himself too anxious around the guildhouse to remain there after what happened to him. There, he manages The Apothecafe in between experiments with cooking, alchemy, and his own still-growing magical powers. He's even managed to form a glamour around himself to hide the transformative changes brought about by the voidsent. For now, things are rather peaceful for him.But there's always potential danger for creatures like himself. And Glitchy knows a surefire way to avoid being threatened by said dangers.Simply grow to be more powerful than they are.
RP Hooks
Given how he's aroace, Glitchy is off the table for romantic and/or sexual relationships of any kind. That being said, I do prefer rping darker subject matters anyway and not much is out of my comfort zone. I just ask that you communicate if you want anything like major injuries, death, those sorts of permanent things to happen (and I will of course communicate as well if it happens to come to that).While his accent is mostly Limsan, there's still a hint of his Meracydian upbringing in it that would sound exotic to most Eorzeans.Attuned to aether? Have a good deal of magical aptitude? Then you might be able to see past Glitchy's glamour or at least sense that something unhealthy is going on with his aether.When he's expecting being touched, he feels normal to most, though especially perceptive folk may notice his skin has a bit more give to it than it should, feeling akin to an especially firm water bed. Unexpected touches make this feeling much more obvious, betraying something not quite right beneath his skin...He's always on the hunt for magical artifacts or books that might aid him in growing more powerful, so if you have access to those things, he might pay you a visit.He's a skilled black mage, so he's certainly one to talk to in matters of magic.He's a good cook and is a sucker for sweets, so offering him some is bound to get on his good side. While not quite his specialties, he's also decent at weaving and alchemy.Magitek and things of that nature hate him and he certainly lives up to his name if he happens to come into contact with them; his aether tends to make them go haywire in various ways when touching them.He's the owner of The Apothecafe so dropping by during open hours offers you a chance to chit-chat with him.
