Portrait of Hyun

Hyun'sae Baek

modern black mage, scholar of mhach and the void, seeker of ever greater power

About

chibi drawing of hyun looking sullen

name Hyun'sae Baek (pron. hyoon-say beck / 백현세)
nickname Hyun
tribe Keeper of the Moon
patron deity Menphina
job adventurer, researcher, arcane expert, thaumaturge, healer, Scholar of Mhach, the Void, and immortality (Black Mage/Scholar)
age 19 in ARR, 29 in DT
nameday 19th Sun, 5th Umbral Moon (Libra)
height 5'5"
build slim, soft/leanPhysical features
Hyun is a small-statured miqo'te with the cool-toned skin of the deep-Shroud villages. He has stripes on his fur that extend to his cheeks. His ears are long with wispy tips, and his tail is short and thick almost like that of a Hrothgar's. He has extensive aetherburn scars, jagged and stripe-shaped, spiraling from his fingers all the way up to above his elbows from overuse of magic.Black magic and extended contact with the void have caused his hair to shift from its original pink to purple, and "stain" the tips blood red. He wears his head in an undercut with the length flipped to one side. He generally wears sharp and fitted black clothing and high heels for outings, but opts for comfortable layers or light stretchy fabrics when deep in his studies.Personality
Hyun is a terribly harsh judge and quite capable of cruel words, but he chooses his battles carefully. When advantageous or opportune, he can be boldly flirty. He has streaks of narcissism and a superiority complex born of defensiveness, as he was a "bad apple" in his youth, and therefore hates imperatives from others. Outside of those moments, he has a bored and tired affectation. He enjoys gossip and others' drama, as well as pranks and an immature sense of humor; Mutual snickering over these can make him form fast, albeit shallow, friendships with others. On the flip side, he is a determined and tenacious researcher and takes his colleagues in the field quite seriously. Convincing him to explain himself or share his secrets is a long game.+ determined, confident, protective, studious, cunning tactician, rational/calm under stress
- self-serving, vain, easily annoyed, prideful, dislikes physical exertion, verbally rude, TOO HORNY

sketch of hyun sitting in a chair feeling uncomfortable

Story

Hyun'sae came from a fairly typical matriarchal Keeper of the Moon village. They made their living in the fringes of the Black Shroud that bordered on politically tumultuous Gyr Abanian lands, with a strong local imperial presence. One of many sons and daughters, Hyun'sae never fit in with their hunting lifestyle and did little outside maintaining his small-scale social life. As a Keeper of the Moon, he was expected to leave the village when he came of age, but felt no motivation, earning the ire of his family. Likewise, he grew weary of his sour family relationship.He finally found a spark of direction when he became curious about thaumaturgy. In a lightning decision, he made ready and set out for Ul'dah, determined to study amongst other students of the craft. He left his family on admittedly shaky terms; He wasn't the most popular and hardly said goodbye. Hyun was his mother's name, which he adopted as a nickname after leaving home.

chibi drawing of hyun looking sullen

Shortly after arriving in Ul'dah, Hyun won a small fortune at the Gold Saucer! It was nothing like the truly wealthy of Ul'dah, but enough for him to live quite comfortably. He got himself a modest home (great for trysts) and decided to take his studies to the field, working as a specialized adventurer while he delved into what would be his lifelong research on black magic, Mhachi and Nymian history, the Void and voidsent, and, eventually, the pursuit of immortality. After meeting the fellow black mage Lalai, he took black magic farther than his colleagues would advise.

chibi drawing of hyun celebrating when he wins the gil lottery

After winning enough repute to gain easy airship access thanks to the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, his studies of Mhach then led him to collaborate with the marauder Alka Zolka in Limsa Lominsa.Years of research and travel later, he went on to visit Sharlayan and submit (a legally cleaned up version of) his research to the Studium in order to receive his Mark of the Sages.Though Hyun is initially reluctant to take on more responsibilities as a Scion of the Seventh Dawn, he finds some motivation in his bitterness toward the Garlean Empire, inspiring him to fight alongside the Scions for their larger goals. As the Scions' problems become much greater than the Empire, Hyun finds himself ready and willing to protect those he considers his new family.

hyun showing off his mark of the sages after presenting his research in sharlayan.

As a black mage, Hyun treads along the threshold of experimental and forbidden magicks. He engages in dark deals with voidsent, ever maintaining the upper hand with cunning negotiation around their contractual nature. Using the techniques of Nymian scholars, he summons a faerie partner named Visc (pron. "viss"), sharing his link to the void with her and warping her appearance. He delves into the history and language of Mhach.His tenacious pursuit of power frequently puts him in danger; he is willing to risk much to obtain it. His overburning and even corruption of his own aether makes gradual, irreversible, and visible changes to his body. It seems only his closest allies can keep him in check.

drawing of hyun with his forearms bleeding due to excessive aether burning through his system.

extra facts:
• he doesn't often laugh loudly, but he laughs hardest at others' expense or crude humor.
• he had a shallow relationship with his blood relatives; he could return if he wished, but is not terribly sad about leaving.
• although Hyun is his mother's name, he doesn't mind it as a nickname because he (secretly) looks up to her--unless in front of other Keepers.
• his tribe was very matriarchal; some patriarchal parts of eorzean society baffle him. he sometimes feels a sense of empowerment in being treated in a more feminine way.
• he's mostly proud of his body image but is sensitive about a couple of things...
• (as a Scion) his Echo power manifests in the form of not just visions, but also a strange sort of "luck" that seems to guide his life's trajectory through opportunity.
• his hair is chin length but cuts it when he is about 25 (in SHB).

relationships & affiliations

Taka (co-WoL story)
On his various jobs, he meets a boisterous, unusually short-statured auri man named Tatakai. Their frequent cooperation seems like mere coincidence until they run into each other again in Limsa Lominsa, where the energetic Tatakai is a rising star among the marauders. Though their personalities (and energy levels) grate against each other, the two find they make a good team, and form a partnership of sorts. Over time, his partnership with Taka develops into one that he intends to maintain. He struggles with staying faithful for a rocky first year of their relationship, until a long separation from Taka makes him realize he can return that commitment after all. The two even begin pulling others into their romantic entanglements on occasion, crushing some fans' expectations of them.
Hyun comes to see Taka as a soulmate whom he is rather bored without.

Elyssia
Friends and colleagues in the study of the void and being hot bitches.

Apollo
Would use that man like a handkerchief if he could get his paws on him, but he's always too busy.

The Gold Saucer
Previous Cactpot winner!

The Studium
Proud alumnus of Mhachi and Nymian history and the Void.

Relationships as WoL
Lalai: The one to introduce Hyun to black magic.
Y'shtola: Highly respects her as a colleague. A little intimidated but would never admit it.
Alphinaud: Self-proclaimed rival since they were teens, and maybe a small mutual crush.
Alka Zolka: Source for research on Nym.

u/c

Contact

send a tell in game to Hyun'sae Baek
See contact info on my hub carrd.

Format
Click to read on my OC hub carrd.Lore
In his main universe, Hyun is one of two Warriors of Light, following the main scenario quests.
This carrd has been adapted such that Hyun is a non-WoL Scion/adventurer, for compatibility purposes. I'm not too strict about it and I'm happy with having semi-AUs or having our characters just cameo in each other's worlds.Shipping
Hyun is in a semi-open monogamous relationship in his co-WoL canon. He used to be quite promiscuous, so past flings (most likely sexual and not romantic) are possible. New ones would be short-term and probably involve Hyun's partner.
Shipping in an AU is also fine!
Friendship or some kind of working relationship would be easy to work out, just ask!

Hooks & Connections
Professional Academic: Hyun doesn't have the most amiable personality, but is competent in schools of magic, aetherology, realm politics, and battle strategy. One could easily find themself working alongside Hyun in their capacity as Scions, adventurers, or students.
Fuckboy Emeritus: Alas, Hyun's golden days of sexual conquest are over, with the amount of work he’s taken on. But that doesn't mean he's stopped flirting, and it certainly doesn't erase what (or who) he's done in the past. Nowadays, he and his partner partake in hookups on less common occasions.
Unlikely Mr. Moneybags: Hyun won the lottery, and although he doesn't look like the typical wealthy Ul'dahn, he can spend a lot of coin without batting a lash if he wishes. On such occasions, merchants, bartenders, and neighbors of his Goblet house or apartment can't help but notice.

Others:
• Hyun is a lifelong student of several topics, and has working proficiency in general magics, aetherology, realm politics, and battle strategy.
• Hyun is also a healer. He can be convinced to assist in a medical emergency. He completed his own faerie summoning in the Nymian way, so some may meet his fae companion, Visc.
• He has a lasting resentment of imperials due to their frequent conflicts in his home region. Hyun suspects the disappearance and assumed death of his younger brother when he was a teen was their doing, but he never talks about it.
• Hyun has a side project studying the great serpent of Tural (or Ronka).
• Hyun doesn't talk much about his immortality research, but he has no intention of dying and may resort to questionable methods. Of course, he is careful with whom he discusses black magic and other forbidden topics.
• Hyun likes to travel, try interesting new foods, and shop.
• Hyun can often be found goofing off with his boyfriend, Taka. They sometimes team up flirting with a desirable target, or ruining people's day with their PDA.
• Schadenfreude is an excellent icebreaker.

doodle of hyun with the great serpent of ronka in his hands, about to bite it like a burger.

Important note: Please bear in mind that I am not my characters. Sometimes I use my characters and art to express myself, but at the end of the day, they are fictional. Anything your character does, I will also consider fictional. So please consider our feelings/actions as completely separate.