Rae Nanahara

Rae Nanahara [H:七原 玲] (Family name directly translated as 'Seven fields', first name clear; brilliant; sweetly ringing (as the tinklings of jade), pronounced 'Rei') is an active member of the Vanguard Sanctum and an agent of the Emerald Trust merchant company. Though she had determined to escape the drudgery of shipping schedules and other assorted paperwork of her merchant life by taking a furlough, delegating her duties and joining the Sanctum, she finds it hard to completely sever herself from her old responsibilities, and still obliges her employees' requests more than she would like. She currently assists the Sanctum with her crafting expertise.

Appearance
Though she doesn't usually mention it, Rae is of mixed Raen Au'ra and Wildwood Elezen heritage. However, without the scales of her mother or pointed ears of her father, she phenotypically passes almost perfectly for a midlander Hyur, save for her below average height and vestigial limbal rings, which give her the brilliant jade irises that are her namesake. Most distinct at a distance is her bright auburn hair, which she keeps curled but usually loose. Though her attire varies with the season, prevailing fashion (she keeps herself updated on prominent Ul'dahn and Hingan trends) and her whims, Rae usually favours a comfortable yet fashionable chemisette or blouse, paired with a short skirt or pair of shorts, long travelers' boots and a simple cap. Beyond that, her wardrobe is expansive, with an outfit for every occasion, as befits a reasonably prosperous merchant scion participating in the polite society of the large commercial metropoles of Ul'dah and Kugane.

Personality
The merchant world has been the primary influence on Rae's personality. Spending most of her career between Ul'dah, Limsa Lominsa and Kugane quickly taught the young Rae to adapt to the cities' different cultures, so much so that she feels out of place in all of them. Coming off as polite, charming and intelligent yet unobstrusive have been important traits that have allowed her to do well as an agent of a small, reasonably prosperous but low-profile merchant company dealing primarily with customers from the Ul'dahn and Hingan elite. Yet beneath her well-manicured exterior is a somewhat distant young woman who feels quite lost in the hustle and bustle of the world she grew up in. Alone, she is melancholic and brooding, often keeping her cards close to her chest. Unable to fully embrace amorality but caught up in the excess and cynicism associated with high society and yet needing to leverage that knowledge to fulfill one's responsibilities has taken a slow toll on her, building up emotional tension that often only finds incomplete release in a haze of alcoholic beverage. Her relationship to authority stands somewhere in between that of hierarchical Hingan society and the generally more egalitarian Eorzean norm, depending on context and her level of inebriation. To those friends and authority figures she is genuinely fond of however, she is affectionate to, even if she continues to guard her closest secrets more out of habit than intent.

Background
U/C

Canon Classes

 * Machinist – Rae's ability to handle a firearm was born of a short but intensive apprenticeship with a Limsan machinist, following which, she continued to develop her own skills in conjunction with furthering her metallurgical craft.
 * Botanist/Alchemist – The Emerald Trust's main business is in alchemical and botanical produce, and naturally, Rae's main expertise is in those fields. Gathering expeditions, though now rare for Rae, remain one of her respites from her work in the big cities.
 * Blacksmith/Armorer/Carpenter – The Emerald Trust maintains a number of side-investments to hedge against sudden financial disaster, the most prominent of which is the furniture trade between East and West and arms, as such, Rae has picked up the trades necessary for expert assessments of quality.
 * Miner/Fisher/Goldsmith/Culinarian/Leatherworker/Weaver – Working as a merchant demands that one have at least a dilettante understanding of a wide variety of fields, with a good enough eye to avoid (at least as far as possible) being hoodwinked by conmen. While Rae cannot be considered an expert in any of these fields, she can be counted upon for the odd bit of knowledge or practical skill. She is however, currently working on her cooking and fishing skills, taking genuine pleasure in those hobbies.

Gallery
U/C