Nonya Maru
Lady Nonya Maru (a.k.a. 'Azure Fox')
Nonya Maru, otherwise known as simply 'Ms. Nonya' or Maru, is an esteemed merchant of the Nonya clan of Solvesian merchants. She has made a name for herself, carving out a reputation in her large family for being one of the more dependable merchants. No matter what, if you ask Nonya Maru for an item and provide a sizeable 'fee' she will obtain said item no matter what means. (Which has made her quite popular with the seedier side of society)
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Maru is quite tall in comparison to others her age and gender, standing at 5'11". Overall she is almost excessively skinny, some going as far to wonder if she is somehow malnourished, giving herself the aura of an alley cat.
Body Features
She has a long scar on her back, along her spine. Despite being a frequent traveler outside of the generally colder Solvesian climate she has remained quite pale, almost ghostly. On her left shoulder blade is a tattoo of the Nonya family's crest, as well as a fox's face in blue ink.
Facial Features
Most first time clients tend to point out Maru's eyes as one of her most defining features. Ice blue, they seem to have lost the light of life in them long ago, and as such many tend to misjudge her as inherently shady or distrustful from their discomfort. She often has dark bags that she covers with makeup. There is a beauty mark just under her right eye.
Identifying Characteristics
Maru has a few tattoos and scars that she covers with her kimono, in difficult areas to cover up otherwise. She tends to appear more lifeless than those around her.
Physical quirks
When unobserved by people she walks with a slight hunch, owing to her long hours of leaning over a workbench or carrying a merchant's heavy backpack. Many have noted that she walks too quietly, surprising people she doesn't mean to sneak up on.
Special abilities
Maru is able to speak with the dead, a gift she has had from birth. As such, she has an uncanny instinct to detecting places of great tragedy or people who have had tragedy happen to them.
Apparel & Accessories
Her kimono is tailor fit to have as many secret pockets possible, alongside personal enhancements such as zippers and even tiny holes to 'lock' them. She wears a small pair of spectacles or goggles when working with documents or her artificer projects. During quests she dons her custom Infiltrator model Arcane Armor and Goggles of Night. Generally she wears the armor underneath her kimono when traveling, adjusting the various components in a way that doesn't change her silhouette.
Specialized Equipment
She is specialized in the crafts of an artificer and the tools of a thief, deftly being able to work with a screwdriver and hammer as well as she can a lock pick. Additionally she has a working knowledge of other artisans tools such as an alchemists set. Maru can wield most common weapons, armor, and even firearms.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Maru was born to a peasant mother and a samurai father, their names long abandoned by Maru herself. When Maru was only five years old, her father perished in a skirmish for his honor working under a local lord of the duchy.
Following her father's demise, her mother was quickly unable to repay debts and when speaking with a visiting merchant offered to sell her only daughter for food and money. The merchant, a Nonya, accepted the deal and brought Maru back to his clan to be raised within the family. The merchant's mother, Lady Nozomi, accepted Maru into the clan as many of her other step-siblings had similar backgrounds; many orphans who were offered a new chance at life.
Thus began her training as a merchant, specializing in the crafts of an artificer, and her rise in reputation.
Gender Identity
Maru considers herself female with she/her pronouns, but has had thoughts of experimenting with they/them.
Sexuality
Maru is bisexual with a preference for women.
Education
Under the Nonya family Maru was taught to read, write, and especially be able to do complicated sets of math in order to properly form contracts and budgets. Starting at the age of 12, like her other step-siblings, she was encouraged to learn a specialization in any of the many schools. She would eventually settle on being an artificer and while learning from a tutor for a few months she has mostly remained self-taught.
Employment
She is a merchant under the Nonya clan, having a legal license with her duchy's guild of commerce to transport and obtain a variety of different goods across the Solveisian border.
During her adolescence she was taught to be a book keeper for her elder siblings, assisting them in organizing their contracts and keeping accurate accounts of available supplies and stock.
Accomplishments & Achievements
Compared to certain members of her family she has kept her ties with the criminal underworld under wraps creating a double sided reputation for being a trustworthy merchant for both criminals and do-gooders alike.
She has made a number of weapons deals in her family's name, providing even the Leviathan with stocks of armor and weapons among other things.
Failures & Embarrassments
Her social life has remained quite stagnant despite her travels and many clients, her step siblings making sly remarks about how she has a million gold pieces for every friend she has (generally having none she can account for at one time.)
During a test run following an experiment with her arcane armor several of her armor's fail safes were mistakenly disabled leading to a surge of power. The experiment was an attempt in making the armor's power source sleeker as well as protecting it from damage in combat by spreading the circuits along points on her back. The power source however was accidentally overloaded, causing her back to be burned and leaving a scar leading up and down her entire spine.
Mental Trauma
Growing up as a child she had to learn to keep her ability to listen to the dead a secret, especially encouraged by her original parents. Still, hiding it has lead her to being desensitized to death and tragedy as she often had to ignore the cries of the wailing dead in order to move on with her life.
Her father's reckless pursuit of honor and his oath to a lord getting him killed despite having a family to care for has lead Maru to become disillusioned with the idea of loyalty to a cause, aside from family. She tends to have a mistrust to classes that have a cultural perception of selflessness and lack of ulterior motives, such as Paladins and Clerics.
Intellectual Characteristics
Maru has a strong sense of integrity towards deals, especially ones with similarly well-known figures of society. Still, she can be dishonest with the quality of certain items especially when recognizing that she has the high ground in arrangements. Still, if a customer manages to realize they've been outplayed then she is willing to negotiate and even compensate them for misdoings.
Morality & Philosophy
Maru has a strong sense of fair trade and is willing to bargain with even the worst of society as long as they uphold their portion of the deal.
She has a mildly hypocritical dislike of dishonest people, especially mistrustful of other lords and ladies as she isn't willing to be used as a political tool.
Taboos
Due to her travels and experiences she tends to have little in way of taboos, sometimes even excusing murder if she can understand the reasoning for it.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Her goals are most of the time financially motivated as she tries to leave emotions out of professional matters. All she wants is to be recognized for her talents and bring more prestige to the Nonya name.
Savvies & Ineptitudes
She's quite a good cook, able to make food for herself quite easily and regularly. The problem only arises when cooking for other people as she tends to over or under estimate usage of things such as spices to try and fit a person's palate.
While being able to manipulate tools and sneak quite well her flexibility and dexterity is nothing to write home about, being rather clumsy when not working or on quest.
Outside of being a professional and charismatic salesman she is otherwise incredibly socially inept especially in a more casual setting.
Likes & Dislikes
Maru has a personal preference for the color blue and oversized clothing. Not picky about food, she tends to avoid luxuries in order to maximize her profits. She has a particular fondness for the lyre, and enjoys wine.
Despite being a bit on the loner side socially she actually prefers the loudness of places and people as quieter places force her to pay attention to the voices of the dead.
To her, there is nothing worse than leaving past agreements unfulfilled.
Virtues & Personality perks
She is fiercely loyal to her family and can be trusted fulfill a deal once made.
Vices & Personality flaws
She can be blunt, insensitive, and very protective of her personal life. This sometimes lead to awkward situations if someone attempts to learn more about her through conversation as she has no hesitation in forming an emotional wall with people. Due to her desensitized nature from being able to speak to the dead she can be rather rude when addressing the deceased.
Personality Quirks
Sometimes in order to drown out the voices of others she talks to herself to focus her mind. While mostly being confident in her perception she often double checks her pockets and inventory to assure she hasn't been stolen from, a habit from dealing with criminals.
Hygiene
Maru is meticulous in keeping clean as clean equipment ensures no malfunction during critical points in time. Plus, she has to keep up appearances so even in battle she carries a piece of cloth specifically for cleaning off blood (if she uses her blade at all, sometimes evisceration of the enemy results in less mess.)
Social
Contacts & Relations
Among her most important contacts first and foremost are her step-siblings, some of whom she is closer to than others. Her mother, Nozomi, keeps in touch with her through letters when she has the time but Maru avoids sending many back in fear of inconveniencing her.
Growing up as childhood friends, she once considered Elina Brightworth her closest confidant. Though that was the past, and from a falling out she remains quite rude to the tiefling, hiding any... lingering feelings. Still, when the opportunity is available she will contact her if the message were important.
She has several trusted clients and contacts, one of them being the Captain of the Leviathan himself, Kestus.
Family Ties
Within the Nonya family all children pledge loyalty to the matriarch, Lady Nozomi. One tier down are the two natural born children to the matriarch, Honoka, and Hajime.
All the adopted children follow, their importance varying by age and experience though their titles are generally non-competitive as they are all encouraged to diversify their careers and skills early in life.
Maru has a fairly close relationship with most of her family, writing to and responding to correspondence when required of her. She is especially close to her brother Atlas, a similarly adopted child, he was the merchant to which her original mother had sold her to. Atlas was the one to recommend to Lady Nozomi to adopt the young Maru. She remains protective of him as in her eyes, if it weren't for him she would not have been able to join the family.
Religious Views
She has no particular spiritual or religious loyalty to a particular god, obviously she is aware there is an afterlife as the dead who speak to her do not shut up about returning or passing onto it.
Social Aptitude
Maru is experienced with formal events and parties, and is able to hold her own in conversation as long as it remains professional. Her social ineptness only shows when in casual settings where it is more likely a personal question will be asked of her.
Mannerisms
Maru is sneaky, even when genuinely not meaning to be. Unless in a place where noticing those in the room is an important skill to have she is often unseen unless meaning to be seen. Other than that, she is usually well versed and polite though can be eccentric when performing her artificer work.
Hobbies & Pets
She has a bird that is cared for on the Nonya estate named Efrideet.
When free time is available she is usually sketching up new designs for an invention or some other project or experiment.
Speech
Maru tries to have a very clear and concise way of speaking in order to be understood though may purposefully become confusing in order to oversell a product.
Wealth & Financial state
Maru is well off, having both her personal funds as a merchant and the collective wealth of the Nonya family. By tradition she is required to send a portion of all sales to be added to the family's treasury in support of the matriarch, usually every three months or so.
The enigmatic Nonya Maru! Charismatic, trustworthy, a merchant's merchant who has everything you need or to get what you need. She assures you, there is no greater merchant under her family's name, aside from her mother of course! (Now, how about a deal?)
View Character Profile
Alignment
Neutral Evil
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Known mostly as Ms. Nonya Maru, or Lady Nonya.
As part of a family tradition she was given the moniker of 'Azure Fox', her mother and elder siblings sometimes referring to her as 'pup'.
Age
23
Birthplace
Solveis
Children
Current Residence
The Nonya Estate, though currently traveling.
Gender
Female
Eyes
Ice blue
Hair
Black
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
5'11"
Quotes & Catchphrases
'Hoiya~! Nonya Maru here~"
"Shall we make a deal?"
"Elina Brightworth is a bitch ass motherfu-"
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In a Solvesian village, long forgotten to Maru’s mind, was a girl, no older than five years old. She is hungry, and her mother is sick. Her father has been dead for little less than a year but he leaves them nothing. She has little in her head aside from the wit she inherited from birth and the skills she picks up from watching other street rats. When a caravan of merchants enters her village, she uses the opportunity she is given. She steals a golden trinket from off the belt of a boy, barely twelve, but the ‘leader’ of the merchants despite this. His devastated cries barely reach Maru before she’s already taking off into the crowd, on her way back home.
But they meet again, just before Maru can tell her mother about her prize, when the boy takes her away. She yells for her mother’s help but her mother doesn’t say anything to her only daughter, only watching as they guide her back to their carriages and away from her home.
Maru doesn’t even notice that their home is now stocked with much more than what they had that morning.
The boy is named Atlas, she is told on the carriage ride away. She still hides the watch from him. He was an orphan, but he was brought into the Nonya family.
Maru has a mother, she tells him.
No, Atlas tells her, you don’t.
She stopped being her mother the moment she sold her to the Nonya family. At least that’s what Maru would tell you now.
But she doesn’t believe him, not until they’re half way to Solis, getting into a strange horseless carriage, and she is treated to the first sights of the world outside of her village. To a hot meal after all this time.
She doesn’t believe him, not until he offers her a deal.
A deal she cannot refuse.
Earlier in the week, Maru had only wanted her father back, food, and love from her mother.
Now all she wanted, at the age of five, was a family.
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While the strange blocky buildings of Solis intimidated her at first nothing could have prepared Maru for the center of the Nonya headquarters. Of similar material to the other ‘conkreete’ buildings the only difference was the familiar architecture of the building- it reminded her of the lord’s castle just a few miles out of her village, only bigger. The horseless carriage kept on down the sleek road until it stopped at what Maru perceived as the center, a towering building painted in beautiful maroons, blacks, and gold. Despite it being the most familiar of all the bleak buildings seen thus far, it gave off an aura of dread that was more palpable than ever before.
Atlas opened the door to the horseless carriage and reached out a hand to help her out but she scuttled past him and out of his reach. She was still carefully keeping the golden ‘woch’ tucked away in her sleeve out of view.
Grumbling to himself he waved to the other merchants, giving them orders for a moment before placing a hand on Maru’s shoulder, leading her towards the towering building.
“Just… keep quiet, I’ll do my best to convince her but..” He shook his out as if he was dislodging the thought, “No, I’ll convince her. Just stay by me and bow, you know how to bow, right?”
Maru nodded, keeping her eyes facing forward toward where Atlas was guiding her out of anxiety. Everything in the building was bright and beautiful but the lights were starting to overwhelm her and all the garish beauty only blended together as she stumbled forward. Even the voices in her head, quietly mumbled in awe at the opulence around them.
She only vaguely registered the long stretches of hallway they navigated before coming to a huge set of dark wooden doors that Maru only noticed once they were in danger of running straight into them. Emblazoned with huge golden door knockers she watched as Atlas lifted one and knocked them against the doors, the sound echoing through the whole chamber.
There was a muffled voice, Maru could only imagine how loud it would have actually been if heard without the huge doors in front of them to quiet them. Atlas with both hands pushed the two doors open and they entered a humorously small chamber. It was similar to the long hallways they had already been walking down, only now lining close to the walls were trinkets even larger and shinier than the one Maru held in her sleeve. They were enclosed in huge see-through boxes, as if made of giant windows.
Aside from them were huge men, even bigger than the samurai she saw accompanying Atlas and his caravan into her village. These men were dressed in the full regal dress of their status compared to the light leather that those had worn, their menpō face masks gave them the impression they would come over and eat Maru just from her presence alone. They looked like the devils in the stories her father would tell her.
But none of them moved as Maru and Atlas shuffled down the long hallway-like room, not until they approached the end, when they slowly marched to enclose them as if denying their escape from behind.
Maru momentarily looked back to witness this before focusing again towards the end of the chamber where a regal looking woman sat upon an elevated platform, aside her standing was a man dressed like the lord of Maru’s village back home. Compared to him however they seemed too calm, not giving her the sneering look usually present on fancy nobles that made Maru feel as though she were beneath them.
“Mother Nozomi, I’ve returned from the Solveis trip as requested.” Atlas spoke, finally letting go of Maru’s shoulder and moving beside her. She watched as he bowed and almost tripped over herself following his example. She looked up again at the regal lady but her expression hadn’t changed, in fact she was barely even regarding her anymore.
Instead she was looking at Atlas, gesturing for him to stop his bow, “I am glad you are in good health, dear Atlas. I was just informed by your brother here that you ran into trouble with thieves on your way home. Ideally there were no complications with that?”
Atlas’ posture went rigid as he rose, “Not exactly, mother, we… were unable to recover an item of importance. The golden pocket watch meant to be gifted to you from the Lord of the Grand Duchy was lost. It was my fault, I believed that holding it personally would safeguard it from theft.”
Instead of the lady, the man standing next to her spoke, “Yes, well, mother agreed with my assessment that you were clearly unable to uphold the duties placed upon you. Your inexperience in leading a solo journey surely would’ve led to this outcome, so it was expected in one way or another.”
“Not to say you did not do a fine job completing the other objectives of your trip, but I cannot oversee the loss of such a gift. I believe I will need to reconsider sending you on further trips out of Solis after this.” Nozomi would continue from the man’s, Atlas’ brother’s, assessment.
“I-I understand mother.” Maru didn’t quite understand what was going on but she noticed that Atlas seemed upset, not quite on the verge of tears as when Maru first saw him after stealing the watch, but close.
“Now that that matter has been partially discussed, who is this child you have brought before me? Not one of the thieves, I presume?” Nozomi turned her attention to Maru now, the girl shifting from side to side from the sudden scrutiny. Not knowing what to do without Atlas’ instruction she bowed again.
“This… I encountered a woman on the return trip, she was very ill and refused to accept the charity I offered without providing payment in return. She… sold her daughter in return for supplies and medicine. Her name is Maru. I understand I have no right asking such a thing after failing in my mission to Solveis but I wanted to beg you to show her the same mercy you showed to me.” Atlas turned to look at Maru and nudged her from her bowing position, forcing her to look again into Nozomi’s eyes.
The lady looked her up and down and the same looming dread that Maru was familiar with returned, she looked disappointed, like her father, like the lord of her village, like her mother.
Voices that had stayed mostly silent during the trip having been drowned out by Maru’s anxiety now returned in full force, she could hear a dozen unhappy voices cursing the woman in front of her, the man next to her, there was a terrifying aura that emanated throughout the chamber. Maru was overwhelmed, she didn’t know what to do.
But Nozomi had already decided far ahead for her, addressing her son “I’m sorry Atlas, I do not see what usefulness this girl can provide to the family. Even though I asked nothing of you directly as you were a child, you were still able to give something… it would be unfair if I allowed her to stay.” She returned her gaze to Maru, “I’m deeply sorry child, the most I can provide for you is to return you to your mother… or the orphanage in the city, though I can hardly ask someone as young as you to decide your own fate.”
Maru could only stare at her, Atlas had promised she would be safe here- that she’d have a better mom than her real one. Not knowing what to do and just wanting the voices in her head to stop, she dropped to her knees and reached into her sleeve, pulling the hidden object within it out and into the air in offering.
The chamber stood silent for a hellishly long dozen of seconds. Maru dared not to look up, just holding out the watch, just barely noticing Atlas’ shocked movements to her side, shifting from one foot to the other as if he were about to take off running.
Finally the silence was broken by a loud, booming laugh. Coming from Lady Nozomi herself.
Maru slowly looked up and to the laughing woman, both Atlas at Maru’s side and her brother above looking confused and shocked.
“Well,” Nozomi finally said once the laughter had died down, “Isn’t this one crafty as a fox? Had you kept that hidden the entire trip here, little one?”
“Y-Yes miss.” Maru finally said, she still held the watch up, but now she got up from her knees and stumbled forward, onto the platform, and just before Lady Nozomi. She presented it forward again, to which Nozomi took it gently out of her hands.
“It is not very often that I rethink my opinion of people. But I see now that I have missed a crucial trait in you, people older than you do not have the skill to hide their true potential.” She looked at Maru and smiled, it reminded Maru of the fangs of a wolf.
“I do not usually make such rash decisions but I believe I speak for both my sons and me that I have clearly underestimated just what you can provide.” She suddenly made a move to stand from her kneeling position and stood, towering over Maru and placing a hand on her head, “Since you have so gracefully brought me this gift and have won the recommendation of one of my sons… I welcome you to the family, Nonya Maru.”
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There is a painting in Maru's room in the Nonya Estate. It is a fox, sitting upright and tall. In its teeth, a golden watch, hanging by a chain.
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