Brief Backstory

Born in the misty mountains of Southern Yanxia, Qiucheng once called the nation of Doma home. It was in the quiet village of Longfeng that he learned of Hydaelyn's bounties under the tutelage of his older sister, Qiuyue. He learned of the planet's ores, rocks, jewels, and gemstones—finding the value of everything from the most precious jade to the feeblest pebbles.After losing his sister in a fierce bandit raid, Qiucheng decided to travel the world. In Kugane, he learned the art of music from bards near and far. In Thavnair, Qiucheng studied dance among the prodigies of Radz-at-Han, developing reflexes as keen as his eye for trinkets. There, he learned the tales of a long forgotten race known as the Jumi, becoming something of an expert on their history.Those who speak with Qiucheng long enough learn of his curious quest: to find a priceless treasure, a jasper stone carved in the shape of an anatomical heart, known as the Heart of the Harvest Moon. Some collectors believe it is no mere jasper stone, but rather the living heart of a Jumi, making it all the more precious to unscrupulous jewelers, alchemists, and mages.

[Note: The Jumi are adapted from Square-Enix's Legend of Mana for a FFXIV setting in the same vein as the NieR series.]

The Race of Friendship

"Before the Endless Frost of the Fifth Umbral Calamity, the Jumi were once called the race of friendship. Their tears held the power of life itself, possessing magic capable of healing properties rivaling even the most powerful conjurings of the white magi of Amdapor. They were once the great, immortal healers in times long past. Now, they are but whispers, hunted to extinction for the magic their hearts possessed."
Chronicles of the Jumi, Chapter I

The Jumi are a seemingly humanoid race, grown and born from the earth rather than through reproduction, resembling hyurs in most respects. However, they do not appear to age past adulthood and their hearts are made from precious minerals—known as their “core”. Their cores are intertwined with their physical and mental health. A Jumi with a damaged core may be weakened or develop a split personality, and removing a Jumi's core from its body will inevitably kill it. Potions and other alchemical items have no effect on Jumi. Jumi must rely on magic to heal. As a trade off, they are immune to various poisons and paralyzing concoctions. Damage to a Jumi’s core requires the tears of another Jumi to heal them.Many Jumi will have hair and eyes that match their core’s color. They are also unconsciously, compulsively drawn to the color, often adopting it in their apparel and other aesthetics. Jumi names are often self-selected mononyms that reflect their core’s color or composition. For example, a Jumi with an emerald core might be known as Viridio or Esmeralda; one with a ruby core might be known as Rosa or Ruben.The Jumi have been hunted to near extinction. Many seek out their cores as precious gemstones that can be used for jewelry without the need for dangerous mining. Mages seek out the hearts of Jumi for their powerful magical and healing properties. As each core holds a life force within it, each core is imbued with more magic than ordinary, naturally occurring minerals or materia. Jumi have also been hunted for their tears. Jumi tears are the most potent ingredient for powerful healing elixirs, ones that are capable of healing even serious, near-death injuries and seemingly incurable ailments. While it's said that the Jumi once gave their tears willingly to the other races of Hydaelyn as a show of friendship and solidarity, after jewel-hunters began killing them, the Jumi isolated themselves and went into hiding. Even today, they are known by the derogatory term “dirt” or “dirt people”.

The Teardrop Crystal

"It's well known among the populace that if you cry for the Jumi, you will turn to stone, but few are aware that the Jumi possess the same power to cure a victim from their petrified state using tears of their own."
Curses of the Fourth Astral Era, Chapter XI

In the past, few people would stand to defend a Jumi as they are known to carry a horrible curse: any who shed a tear for them will turn to stone. It is said that this form of petrification cannot be cured through gold needles, soft potions, or white magic. The only cure is the reciprocal tears of a Jumi. Few Jumi exist to provide such a cure and even fewer still possess the ability to cry. Due to this curse's potency and the lack of resources to cure it, the very existence of Jumi was wiped from most libraries, save for the tomes preserved by the nobility of Radz-at-Han.

The City of Flickering Destruction

"The Jumi are incapable of reproducing as we do. Their creation is the result of their hearts being formed in the bosom of Hydaelyn. Their bodies form themselves from the magic of their core. And it is said among the Jumi that, once awakened, an 'infant' Jumi is instinctively drawn to Etansel."
Chronicles of the Jumi, Chapter VIII

In the Fourth Astral Era, there stood a towering city known as Etansel, the home of the Jumi. It was known among the hyur and elezen as the Bejeweled City, its namesake from the glimmering boulders of precious stone that decorated its towering buildings. Some academics believe the city's now gleamless ruins are buried somewhere beneath the enormous Giantsgall reserves of Thavnair, but few are certain of its fate.In its glorious past, the city of Etansel had a class system referred to as the Strata. At the top is the Stratum of the Clarius. This is a Jumi whose core is flawless and perfect and is the symbol of the entire Jumi race. Following the Clarius is the Lucidia, a royalty class with near-perfect cores who have authority over all other Jumi, and the Half-Lucidia who have limited authority above the rest of the Jumi. At the very bottom is the Stratum of the Clods, these Jumi have clouded and imperfect cores.After the city's destruction by jewel-hunters and magi before the Sixth Umbral Calamity, the Jumi began depleting themselves of the magic properties that allowed them to cry, heal, and restore one another in the hopes that it would save them from detection. The result was that the majority of the Jumi could no longer cry. Those who could still cry were forced to become the Clarius and would slowly deplete their lifeforce as healing tears in a hopeless attempt to save the entire race from extinction. Those few who survived split themselves into pairs consisting of warrior "Knights," who could no longer cry, and "Guardians," who still retained the magic to heal, each protecting one another in a world that would otherwise see their hearts turned to magic tools, alchemical catalysts, or even jewelry.

An Auracite by Any Other Name

Recent advances in Garlean excavations have managed to uncover ancient Allagan research into the nature and magical properties of Jumi's cores. It's been discovered that the Jumi cores aren't simply made from gemstones as originally believed, but are actually a form of auracite with physical properties of gemstones. Current theories among those who study the Jumi abound. One of the more popular theories is that the race are auracites that actually possess sentience and perhaps even a soul.Having the properties of auracite, the core of a Jumi has the potential for extremely powerful magic. History has shown that auracite could be used for a number of purposes ranging from calling forth a primal, destroying an Ascian, or even powering a war mecha Weapon.

Perfectly ordinary country dancer

Qiucheng's apparel and name make his Yanxian origins quite obvious. However, his dance moves and skill with ranged weapons stand out to any who are familiar with the dance troupes of Thavnair. Perhaps you're the curious type looking to learn more about life in the East. Or perhaps you're from the Far East yourself and looking for someone to connect with over some shared nostalgia.

I prefer the term "treasure hunting"

Versed in ancient lore and extremely knowledgeable about various precious stones and treasures as well as the lore behind them, Qiucheng would make a valuable guide or companion to adventurers seeking riches. Likewise, his search for such items would mean he's bound to come across black market dealers and other less than legal means of obtaining valuables.

Remember that we once lived

Curious to learn more about the Jumi? Or perhaps you'd like to help bring them back from the brink? There's no authority more well-read on their history than Qiucheng.

Want to know how I got these scars?

Qiucheng has some distinctive features, including a prominent scar on his lip and a blue dragon tattoo on the side of his face. He also always seems to be wearing a ring of Xaela origin. Scars, tattoos, and keepsakes often carry their own unique stories.

Are you not entertained?

Qiucheng is a master dancer and an amateur musician. He enjoys performing for private parties and crowds. He's available for events or to perform at venues.