Pipino Pino

profile

Gender	Female
Height	2' 10"
Weight	43 ponze
Age	36
Birthday	7th Sun of the 1st Astral Moon
Occupation	Traveling artist, hostess and accountant at the Hearth from Home
Job / class	Gunner
Citizenship	Ul'dahn
Alignment	Neutral Good
Hobbies / Skills	Art (painting, drawing, portraiture, print-making, design, calligraphy), music (piano and singing), ballroom dancing, marksmanship
Orientation	Pan-romantic Asexual
Handedness	Ambidextrous, tends to favor the left

Pipino is a Dunesfolk Lalafell born and raised in the high society of Monetarist Ul'dah. She was born into fortune and privilege and once added to her coin purse and status through her artistic services to Ul'dah's Monetarist elite. The bulk of her work was made up of portraiture and landscape painting for private collections, a practice she had begun to find oppressive due to her inability to choose her own subjects to paint. She was conflicted with how little this art contributed to society and how she was simply participating in and supporting the Monetarist machine, feeling frustrated at how powerless she was to leave a legacy of lasting change in her situation.Pipino's conservatively-minded, Monetarist parents placed many pressures on her to toe the line of social and familial propriety, requiring her to follow a rigid set of rules and demands, including arranged marriage, to continue benefiting from the family's status and wealth. These familial circumstances and her social position required that Pipino do her duty to Monetarist interests as well, but her disgust at some of the more egregious actions of the Monetarists and their use of the Brass Blades had need of an outlet. From the privacy and shelter of a private art studio, Pipino crafted and installed provocative resistance art in secret within the streets of Ul'dah on sites where unjust Brass Blade activity had occurred. She did this on a weekly basis to attempt to uplift and shape the hope of the lower classes, while endeavoring to change the minds of the more offensive Monetarists, while also repaying the debt she felt she owed to society by leaving gil as a calling card.However, the more she stepped out of the Monetarist world, the more her second, secret life expanded. Some of that world held a rewarding life of love, beauty, and wanderlust. Some of it held the dangerous consequences of decisions made in her naivete which continue to haunt her in the form of an enigmatic man who demands and holds her loyalty. This secret life grew and her parents took note, forcing her to make the choice to disinherit herself from her family's wealth and free herself from their reign over her choices for good. While still adjusting to this estrangement and sudden change in station, she walks on, endeavoring to find the life she never had the chance to live and delighting in all of its newfound beauty.

backstory

Pipino was born with silver spoon upon her lips, servants to keep her clean, her room tidy, her whims satisfied, and endless wealth to keep her at the top of social standing. Her jeweler father, Pipiyena Sasayena, and her fashion designer mother, Nonomi Nomi, spared no expense in making sure their daughter had every advantage in life. Private tutors instilled in her not only reading, writing, history, art, music, and numeracy, but the values of Monetarist Ul'dah.As she passed into her teens, her parents invited her to shadow them as they conducted their business in the Sapphire Avenue Exchange. The sights were equal parts fascinating and horrifying. The amount of people in the Exchange, many of whom were larger than her, and the majority of which were certainly less well-off than her, panicked her. Without any sense of street smarts about her, she hesitated while navigating a crowd and before she realized it, had lost track of where her parents had gone. Having never faced any period of loneliness, need, helplessness, or ignorance, it wasn't long before she had retreated to an alcove to hide and began to cry. She was frightened of everyone around her and was afraid to navigate her way back to safety for fear she would be robbed or harmed.It was then that a young Hyur girl of approximately eight years saw her and immediately tugged on her mother's guiding hand. The mother paused in her progress and turned toward her daughter, and to the young Lalafell. Though Pipino would never surmise as such, the wise mother knew exactly what type of trouble this girl could be in for if left alone in these markets. Her heart raced, for she also was wise enough to know the risks that she may face as well. She offered a kind word to Pipino, as well as a warm hand, and offered to take her to her home, a small tent outside of the city's walls that housed a grand total of six individuals - a father, mother, three sons, and one daughter.She was taken care of by the family as the mother left to inform a member of the Immortal Flames or Brass Blades, whomever she could find first, as to Pipino's whereabouts. However, while the mother was away, a group of Brass Blades had already been commissioned with finding Pipino, and find her swiftly they did. Despite Pipino being safe and sound, the thirst of her parents for punishment for what they perceived as a kidnapping would not be slaked. Their justice was purchased with gold and the blood of a mother of four hungry parasites shining upon a brass blade, and all was well.Except it wasn't. Pipino would never forget how kind the family was, how all they wanted to do was help. How the family was hardworking and resourceful and through her small time with them, had heard of what bad luck and misfortune they had experienced. They were educated and learned, had traveled, and knew of the vastness of the world. She began to think that maybe these people were not all she had been told. Perhaps they too had the capacity to be great leaders, scholars, chirurgeons, artisans, dancers, orators, priests -- whatever they wanted to be. There was nothing that she could do at her young age and her station to rectify the horror of what she had wrought. But she would remember, and she would dedicate what she could of herself to change her world for the better, to try and make amends for the lives her ignorance had destroyed.While Pipino currently still believes in the principles of Monetarist rule and that those who are able to attain and manage a large amount of wealth are truly the most wise, she also believes that the Monetarists and Syndicate need to learn to see the smallfolk for the potential they hold to enliven society. Even a small fraction of the wealth of the Syndicate directed toward aid projects would help Ul'dah toward a path of peace and prosperity. It is with this goal in mind that she picks up her brush on to create hope and understanding where there is none.

recent developments

Pipino has found herself employing a handful of adventurers to escort her in her travels to help expand her artistic trade into the nearby city-states, however, under their influence, she has found herself experiencing pangs of wanderlust and curiosity about the wider world. She has begun to see Ul'dah as a prison, and while she enjoys the luxury her life affords her, she is plagued with wonder as to whether living as she currently is is enough.One of these adventurers, a soldier in the Immortal Flames, caught her in her acts of vandalism. As a result and believing she could do good, he offered to train her to fight so that she may keep herself safe should she run into trouble during her missions. Under his tutelage, she began to work in basic martial skills and daggers, and most recently, with firearms. In addition to her art, Pipino practices these skills in secret and now carries a pistol with her at all times.Pipino has met a Garlean Machinist who she has offered to provide monetary support to in exchange for lessons in marksmanship. They train twice weekly and she often practices her techniques at the Wash, since she cannot practice marksmanship indoors. This woman has become a fierce protector.She has been spending a lot of time avoiding her parents and social responsibilities within Monetarist society in favor of other escapist pursuits, which has not gone unnoticed. She feels as though she is under more pressure to behave as she is expected, but she cannot bring herself to devote herself fully to things she does not feel passionate about at the present moment.She has fallen in love with someone, but the match is unable to be formalized due to social circumstances in their lives and his being married. The relationship is beautiful and loving She is still at the mercy of her parents' threats to find her an arranged match, but her prospects for a marriage of love wane by the day.She experienced an extremely traumatic incident that has left her mentally vulnerable and scarred. She has violent nightmares as of late and lives her life in constant anxiety, afraid that a powerful man whom she believes to be trying to manipulate her will come for her and cause her to do something she regrets.

RP hooks

Education in basic adventuring / survival skills
Questing
Artistic assignments - will take commissions for portraiture, landscape painting, and calligraphy. Will travel outside Ul'dah
Artistic exploration - music, poetry, dancing
Ul'dahn internal conflicts - refugees/smallfolk needing assistance, political flare ups, protests, and especially actions taken against Brass Blades
Open to dark/mature story-driven plots
Interested in exploring control of her aether
Looking for opportunities to serve and give back to society in some way
Feel free to suggest anything else! I especially welcome any RP that takes Pino out of the Quicksand and into the world.

gallery

WRITINGS

This page contains links to standalone fiction and background information relating to Pipino's life and development.
These are scenarios that cannot happen in live RP, but are things that are necessary to understanding her full story.

OOC INFORMATION

Server: Coeurl / Crystal Data Center
Open to in-game or Discord RP. Tells and walk-up RP sessions are welcome!
RP Tag = In character
Background in competitive creative writing and semi-literate to advanced literate paragraph RP.
Tabletop experience (DnD and Monster of the Week)
No ERP - Romantic stuations are fine as are light sexual themes, but Pipino will not respond to sexual advances from those she is not close with very positively and will also not actively pursue sexual interactions. Any sexual situations that do arise will be carried out as a "fade to black" moment at my discretion and summarized OOC.
Non-sexual mature and dark themes are in bounds as Pipino is an adult in age, thematic content, and maturity.

Prompts

Character prompt questions answered via Discord communities.

Is your character religious? If so, what gods do they worship and why?
Pipino is not very religious, but feels a genuine sentimentality toward Nald'Thal due to their presence in art around the city, and is perhaps a little superstitious about keeping some traditions to them to make sure the money keeps flowing.Does your character have family?
Pipino lives with her parents, who are artisans. She is not close with them due to them always focusing on business, and she too devotes a lot of her time to her job, and her resistance art. She pretends to have more business than she does to her parents. They are very strict, and she always looks for excuses to not be home with them to avoid interactions, and will sometimes spend nights in her art studio to maintain the illusion of travel. She does take advantage of their bankroll.Has your character met any important people?
Pipino has met the members of the Syndicate and has painted the portraits of several of them, namely Lord Lolorito, whom she highly respects. She is terrified of Godbert Manderville and has never looked him in the eye despite being in his presence several times. She has not met the Sultana and would refuse to paint her portrait if asked, but she has seen her in person. Pipino regularly bumps elbows with high society in Ul'dah, but she does not take pride in networking and tries to make less important connections as they are high maintenance and take away too much of her time.What does a typical day look like in your character's life?
Pipino usually wakes up at home in her family's Ul'dahn estate by her personal servant, typically by sunlight from just opened curtains. Her servant is a good friend of hers, but she still holds her at arm's length. They chat as she helps her get ready in the morning, brushing her hair and styling it. By the time she finishes, breakfast is ready and waiting, still hot in the large dining room. She eats alone and typically reads while eating. As soon as breakfast is done, she leaves to accomplish any business for the day, which typically is just working in her studio, but sometimes requires meetings with Lolorito or other subordinates of his. She finishes her work in the evening and then stays out of the house, hanging out in her studio if she wants to stay in, or attending only the most important of social engagements. Lately she has been staying in and training per Aardvael's regimen. Once or twice a week, she waits until night falls and she leaves to deploy her resistance art, before sneaking back to her studio to fall asleep. On a regular night, she returns home quite late to avoid spending time with her family.What is your character's most prized possession?
Despite having the capacity to purchase just about anything, Pipino lives quite a minimalist life. She owns mostly basic necessities - of course they are ornate and fancy. Her most prized possession is her set of brushes, imported long ago from Othard and carefully maintained. She inherited them from her painting instructor when she graduated from his tutelage, and she views them as an extension of herself and as her only way to exert power over her circumstances. They are her keys to travel, freedom, and expression and are invaluable.Does your character have any future aspirations or goals and are they trying to achieve them?
Pipino really would like to achieve a life where she can travel more and spread her art as far as she can. She has always been concerned about the idea of leaving a legacy of some kind. Aside from artistic endeavors, she wants to make some kind of difference in the hearts of the Syndicate and the Monetarists in regards to the use of the Brass Blades, and hopes that her art will be a vehicle for that change.How does your character attempt to cure their hiccups?
She stretches her arms over her head while taking a deep breath, then holds her breath with her arms still raised until she can't hold it anymore.What are your character's favorite foods?
Pipino does not like heavy foods, so foods that come in smaller portions and lighter options throughout the day are preferable. She loves egg-based dishes and nuts so that she can get protein without eating a bunch of meat. She likes mint leaves and mint candies, and also loves fruit when she's craving sweet things, but is pretty picky about how fresh it is since she is used to getting the best. Her favorite fruit are apples! Finally, she loves hot drinks, especially when they involve mint! Give this girl a good cocoa, tea, or coffee and she will be in absolute heaven.After a long day's worth of work, what does your character do to unwind?
She takes a warm candlelit herbal bath, usually falling asleep in there. Her servants know to check on her on those days so she doesn't drown and often gets put to bed after she zonks. She's a very heavy sleeper once she's out!How does your character usually treat themselves after sustaining various injuries such as cuts, dislocations, and broken bones?
Pipino has never been majorly injured, so needless to say, it would be huge shock and she would need a lot of help. She would probably just scream and cry and not do anything and beg for help if she was not in shock.Does your character have any prejudices and preconceptions about people? What are they and why? Are they aware of these biases, if so, what do they think of them?
Pipino has many prejudices, most of which are based on appearances. If you look shabby or dirty, or behave wildly outside of social norms, she has a tendency to mark you as irrelevant or not worth her time and effort upon first impression, shutting herself away and never opening up to you. If you make a good first impression, however, she will be willing to listen to any story you tell with interest and compassion. She has issues with trusting Brass Blades and the Monetarists who employ them, as well as individuals who seem to have imbalanced lives focused too much on violence and battle, seeing them as hard-headed and unwilling to use their intellect to solve problems. She does not associate with those she deems uneducated without good reason.

music

voice

Lauren McCrostie

Pipino pino