(no subject)

[wanderinglost]

[Ibakha is the Warrior of Light, the Warrior of Darkness, the Wanderer, the Eikon-Slayer, the Godhunter, the hero.

She's also a feral dumbass. But her time in Norvrandt has been good for her, in a way. She's grown, she's become wiser. No longer only concerned with fighting, she's become calmer, and more rational. She's willing to fight to protect others now, fighting to save lives wherever possible, and often where impossible. She's become kinder, more willing to help, more selfless... But she's still a jerk and likes teasing people, and values her freedom above all else.

Physically, she's just shy of five feet tall, carries a sword that looks more like a sharp slab of iron with a stick on the end, a weathered crystal on her opposite hip, and is a Xaela Au Ra. What that means is she has black scales all over, horns instead of ears, a reptilian tail, and odd rings in her eyes. Currently, she keeps one eye covered by a blindfold-style bandanna. A decent look at her.]

The Jamjar Option

[Ibakha is a wanderer, and is known to use her teleportation abilities frequently. Attuned to Aetherytes, she can cast herself into the streams of aether and arrive at her intended destination... Or she can miss. Sometimes, she can end up in the wrong place, and sometimes she might get pulled into a jamjar setting. Maybe yours! Name the game, and you'll have... an irate lizard-girl with a sword in hand stalking around in a fury.]

You. Explain this immediately.

[She's. Pointing the sword at you.

At least it seems to be less of a 'answer or I kill you' point and more a 'i have a sword in my pointing hand so I'm using it to indicate you' point. I'm sure that helps, right?]

The Reverse-Jamjar Option

[People from other worlds ending up in Eorzea is nothing new. It's happened often enough that Ibakha's started to develop a routine for it. Find them, find out where they think they should be, drag them to the nearest city.

Which means, when you come to, you may find yourself staring down an angry Ahriman or five. Fortunately, that's what the Warrior of Light is for, and Ibakha swoops in fairly quickly to dispatch them.

No, seriously, swoops in. As in falls from high above to smash one, and then makes short work of the rest.]

Are you all right?

The XIV Option

[If you're another native to this world, however, you might find Ibakha in worse places. She may be in the Azim Steppe, looking in on her clansmen in Dotharl Khaa. She may be in Ul'dah, attempting to pick a fight with that blue mage boy or searching for a certain Miqo'te. She may be in Limsa Lominsa, where she came for a bar brawl but unfortunately her reputation precedes her, and now everyone's on their best behavior.

Where are you? Ibakha is the Wanderer. She has in every lifetime wandered the world, and this one is no different. There is no place Ibakha will not explore, so she can be anywhere.]

The Wildcard Option

[If you have a different idea, drop it in here! Also if you want to do Shadowbringers spoilers in a thread, tell me and I will write up a custom toplevel that can be minimized so people who don't want spoilers can avoid it.]

Comments

[diviirtissement]

[Motherfucker I am in Il Mheg what are you doing here?

I mean, aside from making yourself fairy bait. Ros is just...going to stand back and watch how you deal with another round of Beaver Shenanigans.

Ros is a dick.]

[wanderinglost]

[I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCOUNT

Ibakha handles the pixie shenanigans with.... some level of grace, anyway. And by that I mean she's basically calling Feo Ul to get an explanation of literally anything that happens, because fairytown operates on weird rules.

Though after a bit, she's going to turn her head back towards Ros.]

Do you intend to but watch?

[diviirtissement]

Was there aught for me to have done? I had thought you able to handle children.

[The thing is, while Ros is essentially Ren and shares memories enough that she could take over due to [shenanigans], she is a different person, and she, well. She has a storied history with the fae. She's learned to deal with them almost out of spite.

And she likes kids. She never did get to see very many, in Farrow, but she does like kids...]

[wanderinglost]

[Ibakha, however, does not like children. She's never been good with them and doesn't know how to act around them. In small doses, she can smile and play along, but the fae? Absolutely not.]

Children, certainly. Ageless beings of another world are difficult, unless it is my sword that will handle them.

[diviirtissement]

They are nothing but children at heart. [A beat.] Children with unfathomable magical power, I'll admit. But still children. If your impulse is to solve that at swordpoint, remind me never to ask you to look after any of my own.

[wanderinglost]

Children who seek to trap us forever and turn travelers to trees.

Have you not noticed these leafmen? Were it not for Feo Ul, we were like to join them.

[diviirtissement]

You were.

[Placidly.]

[wanderinglost]

[She rolls her eyes.]

Aye, if that pleases you.

[That said, she will at least kneel by the nearest leafman and offer a prayer.]

[diviirtissement]

[Prayers will do nothing to help that leafman and also that was trying to kill us last week, Ibakha. Ros just shrugs and goes back to what she was doing, which appears to be making ittybitty flower crowns for the faeries.

...okay yeah maybe she would have been just fine.]

[thaumewturge]

[What Miqo'te? Rhel sees no Miqo'te.

That's a lie, she heard that Ibakha was in town from Subetei after he returned from some errands and that means only one thing.

Rhel informs the guild that she won't be in today and heads out to find the Au Ra before she herself is found. When she spots Ibakha, Rhel wastes no time in aiming a low powered Blizzard at her tail.

Payback! Sorta! Honestly, Rhel's just been bored thanks to being more or less on bedrest after the bullshit that was Doma Castle and giving a friend a little nippy hello is the most excitement she's allowed herself in weeks.]

[wanderinglost]

[So, the good news is, you got her, and she jumps, probably more alarmed than you've ever seen her.

The bad news is you now find out what what happens if someone uses Corps-a-Corps without a sword in hand. Which means you are, at very high speeds, being tackled and pinned to a wall.]

Such a cold greeting.

[thaumewturge]

Thal's motherswivvin' ba--

[Congratulations, you got Rhel to swear! She hits the wall with grunt and a wince.

She deserves this.]

Better a cold one than no greeting at all, especially in this heat!

[wanderinglost]

I had not taken you for the type to enjoy such a greeting.

[She grins, showing teeth.]

Then shall I return it?

[thaumewturge]

No. Last I checked, your sort of mage didn't have ice magic.

[wanderinglost]

I'm surprised at you. I thought you would know by now to not make assumptions about what I can't do.

And if ice fails... Perhaps you would prefer I heat things up?

[thaumewturge]

Not especially.

[Ibakha you still have her pinned to the wall. But Rhel smiles a bit.]

It's good to see you again, Ibakha.

[wanderinglost]

[yeah she does. 8D]

'T'is good to see you as well, though I would prefer a better place.

[fuck ul'dah]

[wanderersminuet]

[Though they were both more or less allies of/members of the scions, Manlin only vaguely knew Ibakha. Which was ironic, considering they'd walked many of the same paths, fought similar threats, and been involved in the same conflicts... but honestly, fate had only give her occasion to know of the Au Ra, not personally.

Ibakha might have had occassion to hear of Manlin from the other Scions as well. Basic information, that she was once a mercenary and member of the Lancer-turned-Archer's Guild before deciding to expand her horizons. A dedicated warrior to be sure, but one with a chip on her shoulder, who seemed not only headstrong, but overly private and with a difficulty to trust—more than likely due to her being on the receiving end of racial tensions in the forest nation.

But in any case, fate had drawn her to the Azim Steppe, not for any Scion business, but rather for a hunt she'd caught wind of Hingashi, of a feral beast terrorizing the country. She'd caught wind of Ibakha being in the area, and figured this sort of thing might require a guide. So, she's moving about Reunion, asking for and looking for an Au Ra meeting what she knows of her description.]

[wanderinglost]

[Ibakha is a wanderer. She never stays in one place long, and she never knows where she's going next. But arriving in Reunion on her way to swing by Dotharl Khaa, and she hears... Someone has been asking for her. Personally, even. And judging from the hushed whispers and general nervousness of those around Reunion, this person was either incredibly brave, or had no idea what Dotharls were like. Most of Reunion would have thought Manlin crazy for even thinking to ask for a Dotharl's help.

Still, eventually, Manlin will be walking about her business, when a knife buries itself by her foot. And the thrower is sitting atop one of the tents, legs dangling off, as she scrutinizes this new arrival.]

You are the one who has been seeking me?

[A Miqo'te means... Probably from Eorzea, not Orthard. So when she asks, she asks in Orthardian, just to test- Does this person have the Echo? Or are they a true traveler?

She may have heard of Manlin, of course, but that doesn't mean any of that stayed in her head.]

[wanderersminuet]

[Manlin's ears twitch when she hears the knife sailing through the air. Being an archer, she's experienced enough in picking up signs of projectiles, and with a Miqo'te's hearing, it's rather hard to take her by surprise in such a manner. Nevertheless, she gives Ibakha the courtesy of stopping suddenly, and not commenting on how she saw it coming.

The Miqo'te turns and looks up, hands on her hips.]

That'd be correct. I'm Manlin—Manlin Widlawhe. I'm a member of the Scions, and I've heard of you. You have quite a reputation, you know.

[wanderinglost]

You would not be the first to say that of me.

[She stretches, but remains seated above.]

What is your business with me?

[wanderersminuet]

I don't have any business with you, more an offer. [And with that, she crosses her arms.]

I'm here in pursuit of a mark. Damn beast's been terrorizing the country side, violating the territory of other predators... even causing trouble for the mighty Dotharl.

[If she had said that to Sadu, Manlin was sure that it would earn a sharp-tongued response and a threat of death from her, but she didn't know Ibakha well enough if that particular trait was shared by everyone of that clan. In any case, it was worth seeing if it would light any kind of fire in the woman before her.]

[wanderinglost]

[That gets a derisive stare, and she rolls backwards, before springing off to land down in front of Manlin.

...

Ibakha is very, very small.]

Were you to say such to Sadu, or any other of my clan, your tongue would soon leave your face. I know you speak naught but slander- Were any of my people to be 'troubled', we would handle the matters ourselves.

If you seek to impress me into going with your offer, then you've one more chance.

[wanderersminuet]

[Manlin titled her head to the side.]

I never said that they weren't handling the matter. I simply said that they hadn't managed to, just yet. I simply thought you might be interested in hunting a beast your own people had yet to take down.

[Her expression becomes more focused, her voice more earnest.]

Truthfully speaking, aside from the reward, I'm more interested in the public service. In Gridania, such tasks would often fall to my Guild, and I know from experience how disruptive beasts like this can be to the local wildlife. Even when I'm far from home, I feel this is a duty I should see through. But I'm also not naive enough to think I can do it alone.

[wanderinglost]

And it bothers you not that I am a traveler myself? I know little of the happenings of the Steppe. Scarcely more than you.

[This is one last test. She wants to see the reaction, what Manlin thinks and says, before she agrees.]