Ujin's Past Up to PresentTL;DR: She left her home to become a paladin, and in doing so left her mother behind. When the end of times seemed to unleash on Thavnair, she attempted to return home to save her mother. Unfortunately, she was never found and assumed dead. Ujin spent months riddled with guilt and locking away her emotions from others until she made a friend, Valljan, who inspired her to fill her life with joy once again.* ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ * ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ * * ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ * ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ ** ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ * ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ * * ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ * ‧⨯ .⁺ ✦ *A life soon to be riddled with guilt begins in the vast eastern steppe, in a hunting tribe of Xaela. Ujin was only a toddler when her mother whisked her away to Thavnair, hoping to find a better life there away from the constant challenges life on the steppe produced. Leaving her father behind, Ujin’s mother raised her to love their world and to value living in peace. Ujin was told tales of the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother that had birthed her people, though her mother was keen to honor both figures rather than one over the other.
Ujin loved her life right outside of Radz-at-Han, growing up alongside her dearest friends and exploring the lush landscape beside them everyday. Her teens were filled with days at the beach, or studying with her classmates in the small classes meant to teach the essentials of knowledge.
Unfortunately for her mother, Ujin grew to want to learn how to fight. She repeated on and on about how it was merely for defensive purposes, never for offense. She wanted to ensure that she could always be protected, or even protect those around her. Another Au Ra who had served as a guard in Radz-at-Han had grown close to Ujin’s mother, and offered to teach Ujin everything he knew. As he was a paladin, Ujin surely picked up the sword and shield and absorbed as much of his knowledge as she could. He told her stories of Ul’dah, home of the Gladiators’ Guild, which sparked her mind with thoughts of venturing out of Thavnair. This frightened her mother who had hoped to always keep an eye on her daughter, especially seeing that she had tried her hardest to tear her away from violence as a child. Once Ujin began to mention the thought of visiting the Gladiator’s Guild, her mother took her sword and shield and locked them away. This tore a rift in their relationship as both women couldn’t understand the hopes of the other. Ujin had met her age of maturity and felt that she was old enough to make her own decisions, which caused her to follow through with the next step in her life.
She tore open the chest in which her mother had hidden away her weapons, gleeful to feel their weight in her grasp once again. As her mother was out in Radz-at-Han, Ujin took this opportunity to flee with whatever of her possessions and gil she could carry.
_ _ _After a long journey that required her to learn plenty about both aether travel and airships, Ujin was just beginning to get her bearings on the world at large. She had met countless strangers, tried so much new food, and found a deep love for the different teas she had the opportunity to sip on during her rest-stops.
Upon arriving in Ul’dah, she was taken aback by the grandeur of the city and the market street that reminded her of Radz-at-Han. She sought out the Gladiator’s Guild, finally able to demonstrate her skills that she had learned back at home. Ever welcoming, they gladly took her in and taught her more as she progressed in her role and was well on her way to becoming a true paladin.
Her nights were spent at the Quicksand alongside other adventurous folk who loved to share their tales with her. This was her main way of learning about the world beyond, before eventually being able to travel elsewhere to continue her journey._ _ _Ujin grew strong, becoming a defensive tool for whoever chose to party up with her on their adventures. She took to venturing out and finding those who needed a strong body on their side in order to conquer tough challenges.
What she didn’t know is what was happening back at home in Thavnair. It was as if hell had opened in the sky, monsters and destruction raining down on the nation. Ujin caught word of this far too late from a traveler spouting the intense story in the Quicksands, and this sent her on a journey home.
Upon her arrival, she immediately searched for her mother. She encountered these monsters, like none she had seen before. She quickly laid them to rest, watching them crumble and then vanish into the air. As she approached her village, there was little left of it. She scoured the rubble for any sign of her mother, yet none could be found.
Guilt wrapped her mind as she questioned her choices. She should have stayed. She should have listened to her mother. Even if her mother wouldn’t have let her fight, they could have at least died together. Her mother had sacrificed so much.
She began to tremble, her body flickering with a gray flame. Suddenly, a Matanga man approached her, grabbing her by the shoulders and muttering reassurances. As their eyes met, Ujin’s guilt set in, but her overall emotion subsided. The gray flame stopped, and the Matanga let out a sigh of relief. They ventured together to Radz-at-Han, her hope still holding out that she would find her mother again.
She did however find another familiar face. The guard who had taught her his weapon skills ran to her, embracing her hard and sputtering an apology about her village and her mother. Hearing his words caused something inside her to break, yet she let none of it show. She had no questions to ask. She had no explanation to give for her leaving home. She only had the ability to blame herself for her mother’s fate._ _ _Once the calamity had finally subsided and Thavnair had found peace once again, Ujin ventured back into the world to roam like a wraithe. She floated from city to city, the original joy now sapped from her being. She feigned mute, hoping not to have to speak a word to anyone or else she may reveal to them her unforgivable acts.
It was months before she was able to speak to anyone. She had fought with the idea of laying her weapons to rest, a final gift to her late mother. She was wrecked with nightmares of watching her mother die, images of monsters tearing her apart as Ujin watched from the otherside of an invisible wall, unable to protect her.
She began not to sleep, choosing to stay up in taverns listening to other’s stories as she tried to forget her own. Her curiosity was drained. She cared for no one, only that they distracted her from her pain._ _ _Searching for tea houses to fill her time and mind, Ujin wandered into one that was rather full of business. The volume of the crowd would surely smother her thoughts. As she sat at her table sipping her tea, a Miqo’te man approached her. He had asked to sit at her table, seeing as the rest were taken by other parties. She obliged, hoping he was talkative and would rattle on enough that she wouldn’t have to speak much.
His name was Valljan, a kind natured miqo with a hell of a sweet tooth. And he asked too many questions, as if his curiosity could never be sated.“What kind of tea are you drinking?”
“Do you put sugar in it?”
“What about cream?”
“Want a piece of my cheesecake?”
“You’ve never had cheesecake before? Why not?!”
“Where are you from?”
“Wow, that's far! How’d you end up all the way in Gridania?”
“Why’d you leave Thavnair anyway?”Ujin quickly grew irritated with him, having half a mind to jump across the table and strangle him at this last question. She looked him in the eye, her rage brimming over. His ears flattened, and he broke their eye contact to stare down at the dessert dish he ordered.“I understand. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”Her rage paused as he picked up his fork and began eating, not another word coming from his lips. Satisfied with his end of questioning, Ujin returned to her tea as she watched the crowd of customers mingle and laugh with one another. She stood up to leave once she was finished, and once outside of the tea house she found that she had a shadow. That damn Miqo’te was still there.“I didn’t mean to upset you, miss. Is there a way I could make it up to you?”She refused, hoping that her rudeness would push him away. Rather, it seemed to entice him more. He followed her as she walked, though keeping a respectful distance. He offered to have her at his own cafe, covering her tab. Take her to other tea houses she likes. Anything to earn her forgiveness. She flipped around, finger meeting his chest as she pointed at him. She spat out how infuriating it was that he couldn’t accept that he pissed her off, and that it was fine if they never saw each other again. She watched as his ears flattened and he winced, as if her words had reached out to bite him. Ujin sensed something had happened to him. Maybe not similar to her own history, but something else. That hidden empathy within her bloomed once again. She shook her head as she finally accepted the offer to be taken to another tea house. Valljan’s ears wiggled along with his tail as he flashed her a smile, which finally won a chuckle from Ujin._ _ _With a friendship now in motion, Ujin has found a new purpose for her life. She has rekindled her joy in protecting others, though now she is much more selective of who. Her temper is still short if you push too hard about her past, but she can quickly be calmed when offered a cup of tea. She has found more friends and is able to live her life anew, venturing across Eorzea and beyond. Still forever moody and hardly wanting to sleep, she can be found often in tea houses on good days, and coffee shops on bad ones. Though she has her grumpy days, once you get her to laugh she will unwind and try to find peace with you.