C'laude Rahna

As a leader of a mercantile company operating closed-cycle trade between Eorzea and the Near East, C'laude is a regular fixture in the major city-states, particularly Ishgard. Verdant Wind's reach extends from Ishgard to Ul'dah's Green Breeze Café. He is always on the lookout for new connections, lucrative opportunities, or simply interesting gossip to file away for later.

Sent to represent Radz-At-Han's interests in the frozen land of Ishgard, C'laude is a point of contact for any Hannish soul feeling the cold. For Ishgardians, he is the man to see about the soaring price of spices. Make your troubles his - it's his job, after all.

An outsider navigating the insular world of Ishgardian nobility, C'laude is a frequent subject of drawing-room rumors. He carries the perceived danger of foreign interests and the very real temptation of foreign luxuries. A strange concoction, indeed.

His position allows him to meet people with needs and people with means. If you are in a spot of trouble, his company might just find a way to solve it.

As an indulgence, he enjoys a good hunt. He can sometimes be met in Sagolii, Coerthas or Peaks - tracking something with some fight to it. Besides the focus on the chase itself, he always has time to trade news from the city-states for a local's knowledge of the land.

He has a well-known love for board games and puzzles. He is known to frequent certain taverns with a portable board, looking for an opponent who can provide a mental challenge.

Those sensitive to aether might notice an odd imbalance—most of what he absorbs binds immediately to his body, leaving almost none to fuel spellcasting. He couldn't work more than simple magic if he tried. And he tried. • If your character has medical proficiency, they will also recognize this symptom as a sign of an uncommon hereditary malady.

A young Miqo'te girl lives in his household, of barely six summers. He's fiercely protective of her. Those who ask politely are told she's family. Those who pry learn nothing. The company workers might know more.

He moves like someone who learned young that danger wears many faces. A certain caution, a set of reflexes—habits he doesn't bother explaining. Someone with a keen eye might recognize the tells.

He has an academic interest in rare fungi and poisons—collecting them, studying them. He's happy to discuss taxonomy or trade. Why the interest? He smiles and changes the subject.

C'laude is always on the lookout for the next alchemical novelty to fill a niche in Eorzea that the Syndicate has overlooked. If you've got a rare reagent, an unstable formula, or a lead on a forgotten recipe, he's willing to pay for a sample and a story.

• [Plotting required.] He stands out even among the arrogant merchants of Ul'dah. Few wear their purses so openly, in opulent brocade bags of golden thread and silk. The jingle of coins tempts. The attitude grates. Why not take a chance? He's either the boldest fool in Ul'dah—or he's looking for someone bold enough to try.

• [Plotting required.] You don't build an enterprise without making enemies. Rowena is a named rival — anyone looking to undermine her might find a friend in him. Conversely, someone might find it worth their while to muddy the waters for this man. • [Opposition might be acting in interests of Rowena, Syndicate and any other such parties, including his Hannish rivals, your own organization, etc.]

• [Plotting required. Best for characters connected to Hannish nobility or those with reason to investigate.] The Radja family endured misfortune — a daughter lost to the sea, an heir to aquatic monsters. Then, an ailing patriarch plucked a boy out of nowhere, named him grandson and heir. With the patriarch now gone, the new head of the family navigates the aftermath of his predecessor's decline. Rumors about his origins float through social circles—curious nobles might dig, gossips might whisper.