Yu

About

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   A generous way to describe Yu would be perhaps 'keen', or 'sharp'.... but more realistically, 'mean' or 'opportunistic' would be a good fit. Mostly carefree, Yu seems to think a bit too highly of themself, wandering without much care to "see what's out there". Woe be to any group of travelers who decide to let them tag along, because the art of aura manipulation is their main field of study, and they won't hesitate to practice on you by subtly turning your party against each other until you're all but coming to blows....

   When not starting trouble across the countryside, Yu can sometimes be found back home in the mountains, where they help out their mentor Velrune with the tavern and inn that Yu grew up in. They're a fine enough waiter but don't expect them to be nice to you!


History

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   The Dorena family is the tail of an archaic line of mystics, once deeply involved among the highest levels. Nowadays.... well, you couldn't tell just by looking at them. The lifelong training needed to make a master auric manipulator just sort of, fell off, leaving the previous generation without any sort of training at all. But Yu's parents felt the obligation to at least try to preserve what had once been the foundation of the Dorena name--so when they learned of Velrune Fernwill, a classically trained mystic far to the north, they eagerly set up a correspondence.

   It's not easy to leave your kit in the care of another, but it was immediate from their first in-person introduction that Yu recognized in Vel something they were capable of themself. It wasn't easy to explain to a five year old how exactly their family history worked, but here was someone who could wax and wane their aura in a beautifully accurate version of the clumsy skill Yu had stumbled into, and the kit was keen enough to chase that that they were able to part with their family. Letters would be exchanged, of course (in fact Yu still writes their parents regularly to this day), and a few visits a year would allow for catching up, but for the most part it was now Yu and their new mentor in their training seclusion.

   Okay, maybe 'seclusion' was generous. The fact was that Velrune was no elder themself, and keeping this kit fed and warm cost money. Rather than the traditional backwoods domicile, Yu would find themself scampering around the Bellflower inn and tavern, doing their best not to be underpaw as Vel worked the restaurant in exchange for pay and some tokens off of a rented room. As they got older, the little apprentice began helping out themself, a cheery little face to take your order and do their best not to spill your drink all over you.

   But, the path of the mystic was not forgotten in the fray. Velrune's training was thorough, and their patience as a teacher ran deep. Yu took to their lessons readily, sharpening their auric reflexes and practicing turning the emotions of unsuspecting guests in the restaurant. Something about this newfound power seemed to get to Yu's head, however. Where Vel had taken the lessons of humility easily in their youth, those lessons didn't catch so well in stubborn Yu's mind. There were a lot of terse words exchanged after a notable fight broke out in the courtyard of the inn, Yu watching smugly from the sidelines as the disquieted guests turned on each other, teeth and claws bared. Surely this sort of influence was a critical part of the mystic's legacy, right? What could be so wrong about trying it out?

   Despite Velrune's best efforts, Yu would drift further and further from their side. The culmination would be the cursed jar--a silver thing, four blue eyes staring coldly back, icy to the touch even as Yu displayed it in their paws to their mentor and refused to say where exactly they found it. Surely, they reasoned, if anyone could take on a demon, it would be a mystic with the self-discipline to manage hosting it. The subject had always been a fascination for Yu, a glimpse into a world of the Ancients, some ethereal thing further back in history than any curio could hope to peer. But Vel staunchly disagreed. It was a stupid choice at best--one they argued about viciously, a dizzying war of auras between their charged words, until Yu made an emphatic gesture that accidentally sent the jar tumbling.

   For all their disagreements, Yu would never forget the white-hot fear of watching their beloved mentor be engulfed in blackness. They did their best to be helpful as Velrune settled into the chilling reality of a life with possession, quietly attending to their mentor's needs and slinking away as soon as they were done. When Velrune tricked the bulk of the nanite swarm into a jar for Yu to hide, cutting off the AI from its own resources, Yu did their part without question, running for days to find a hiding place beyond even the sun's eye. It was the least they could do. And not long after they returned, they decided that perhaps it was time to strike out on their own for real.

   Yu quite enjoys having the freedom to travel. It's been a fascinating journey for them so far, mostly because they get to experiment freely again but also for the sheer liberation. They do still return home--mostly to work holidays, since the tavern gets quite crowded--but looking into the blank eyes of their mentor seems to clam them up a bit. Maybe it's for the better they're apart.


Design + Notes

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• bead was upgraded later in life, as Yu wanted something that could "fuck you up real good".
• wears extremely simple clothes, partly because of a lack of materialism and partly because they like things that are easy to shift in.
• forehead mark is a slim blue rectangle.
• ears are attached higher on the head than the average curio.
• having few to no markings is considered a sign of a naturally clear and focused aura.
• likes having money to spend but isn't terribly interested in material goods, so it's usually blown on food and accommodations.
• prefers causing trouble, but can be convinced to actually be a helpful mystic if you're in need of some auric adjustment.
• has a hard time making genuine friends due to their spiky exterior.