Q'linn Tia

Bio

“… hm? Oh, I'm so sorry - so wrapped up I hardly saw you there! How can I help?”

Though he'll eternally deny any similarities with such a feline, Q'linn is possessed of a boundless curiosity that has seen him to all corners of Eorzea and made him a patchwork of all he has found. Craftsmanship is the name of his game, fond of picking up a new trade or skill in its local stylings everywhere he travels, resulting in a man with a wide pool of knowledge and talents for nearly every situation.

Though rarely eager to hurl himself into a fray, the culmination of Q'linn's travels have left him with a varied and formidable arsenal of mostly his own creations - firearms, explosives, gunblades and combat tools to name a few. In addition to a wide selection of firearms, he favours the use of traps and machina to distract or overwhelm a potential danger.

Extensive use of his aetherotransformer has also slightly aspected Q'linn's personal aether towards the element of lightning; the side effect is a boon in a personal resistance to electricity, and a greater potency against creatures aspected to water, though in turn renders him vulnerable to the earth-aspected attacks employed by many seedkin and scalekin.

History

Adolescence

”The Puk tribe, yes, the little winged scalekin. Quick and cunning things; there’s worse namesakes. It’s been an age since- yes, yes I know there’s no “Q” in it, that’s not how it works…”

Born in 1553 6AE to the Puk tribe of Gyr Abania, as the third son of Q'tahmo Nunh and Q'loyi Ufi, Q'linn was offered starkly few paths in life: one day usurp his father or brothers as the new Nunh, serve the tribe forevermore as a Tia, or depart for the Fringes to start a new tribe of his own. In only his tenth summer he picked a fourth option, stealing away in the dead of night to see what new future he could forge for himself in the wider world. Though hardly the strongest of his family, he had a quickness and cunning to him that saw him well to his destination: the capital city of Ala Mhigo.

“No, I wasn't ready for Ala Mhigo at all. Our tribe was quite remote, see; we'd heard of Garlemald, of course, but never strayed close enough to see just what the occupation was like. Without Zari I'd never have gotten as far as I did… don't tell her I said that, it'll only go to her head.”

The boy arrived in a city deep in the yoke of Imperial rule, six years since the Black Wolf seized the nation in the wake of Theodoric's overthrow.

(7th Calamity 1572, Q'linn 18/19)

(ARR 1577, Q'linn 23/24)

Equipment

“Oh, you know. Just a few odds and ends I keep about - for emergencies.”

(Anything in spoiler tags only exists in Q'linn's main canon, where he is one of the Warriors of Light. Click and drag over the blacked-out text to reveal it.)

Aetherotransformer. Q'linn's gateway into machinistry, gifted to him by Stephanivian de Hallienarte. Worn on the hip, the device absorbs Q'linn's personal aether and aligns it to a pure lightning aspect that powers most of his magitek equipment. It also has storage space for ammunition, tools, or any other number of things Q'linn may need in the field.

Deathlocke Lux. The zenith of the evolving weapon that served as Locke's cocoon, and bestowed its name in kind. This semi-automatic rifle is compact and versatile, making use of aetheric cartridges to aspect shots with elemental properties; lightning can subdue nonlethally and overload machina, fire makes short work of obstacles and seedkin, and strong enough water can topple even the largest of beasts.

Ferdinand. Wind crystal-pressurised cartridges in place of firesand allow this double-barreled firearm to deliver an incredible amount of force at immediate range. This early iteration of Deathlocke Lux's evolution was remade by Q'linn as a separate armament for its unique design.

Dreadwyrm. A rotary grenade launcher incorporating Allagan technology, salvaged from the ruins of Dalamud. In addition to firing normal magitek grenades over a medium range, its custom “wildfire” explosives cling to targets and douse them in bombfish oil before igniting on a delay or remote trigger.

Artemis II. When the time calls for a precise, finishing blow, Q'linn's high-powered sniper rifle is capable of tearing through even the thickest armour or hide. Effective in a skirmish at a range of fifty yalms, or hundreds more with the proper preparations, a target can be picked off the field before they even saw what was coming.

“'Pre'-Imperial, make sure to stress that part. For all its evils Garlemald certainly made some impressive armaments, though I more than understand the stigma; most probably expect a weapon like this to shoot them in the back…”

Pre-Imperial Garlean Revolver. Any Doman bladesmith will claim that weaponmaking is one of the highest arts; their words are proven well by this lovingly restored artefact of Garlean history. A four-shot cylinder with a shortened barrel and none of the magitek accents common to arms made at the Empire's height, its simplicitly makes it an effective backup weapon that Q'linn keeps close at hand even when far from a battlefield.

Lightbringer. [6.2] In preparation for his expedition into the Void, Q'linn began work on this purely aetheric firearm - perhaps the first of its kind to come in such a compact form. The weapon is powered by the last Crystal of Light, the final remnant of Hydalaen's power, firing a focused beam of Light-aspected aether in place of bullets. The weapon was rushed to completion as the Warriors of Light went into battle with the archfiend Barbariccia, and proves especially potent against the Darkness-suffused voidsent. The weapon's use is limited, however, recharged by an infusion of Light that Q'linn cannot produce on his own.

Flash Powder. When exposed to an intense heat, powdered manganese responds with a sudden flash of bright light; when combined with explosive blackpowder and sealed in the shell of a magitek grenade, the result is a potent disorienting explosive favoured by the freedom fighters of the Ala Mhigan Resistance. Q'linn learned the recipe during his thieving days, and since then has been a reliable tool in both his and Nozari's arsenals.

“Hey! Just ‘equipment,’ am I? More like a work of art!"

Locke. Resentment of their classification aside, Locke (they/them) is a spirit of pure anima Q'linn helped nurture through an evolving weapon. The spirit currently resides in the mammet never far from Q'linn's side, styled after the sylphs of the Twelveswood; the gentle gilding around its plates and crystal wings from its back show it to be the product of impressive goldsmithing, evoking images of a delicate ballerina at strong odds with their personality. Fiery, excitable and short-tempered, there are few things Locke appreciates so much as a weapon they consider as much a masterwork as themselves. Most of Q'linn's magitek is designed to accomodate the spirit by incorporating shards of the anima's original soulstone, making Locke able to shed their current form and “pilot” vehicles and machina in a manner akin to a voidsent's possession. [YoRHa] Q'linn's skill with machina could not even approach the lifelike “androids” he encountered on the First, nor fully replicate the advanced technology 2B and 9S wielded. He was, however, able to salvage and reverse-engineer one of their support drones - a “pod” - and use its components to outfit Locke with the ability to disperse restorative aether via a battery of earth crystals. Combined with the anima's spiritual nature, the pair can now take to combat as an effective tactician and healer pair.

Automaton Queen. Towering over its creator at a full eight fulms, this armoured mammet strikes an imposing figure on the battlefield. As Locke's primary “combat platform”, roller blades integrated into its feet allow for swift deployment and engagement of the enemy. Heavy limbs and a pressurised pile bunker atop its shoulder make the Queen an immediate threat, a perfect diversion for Q'linn to plot and execute his strategy.

Aetherometer. [5.0] Though the Light has long since been purged from his body, its lingering effects have left Q'linn with a permenant shadow-blindness in his remaining eye; his ability to see in darkness is slightly worse now than an average hyur's, never mind the heightened vision of miqo'te he once had. Y'shtola made a gift of her old aetherometer, a Sharlayan device to measure the level and flow of aether, that Q'linn has since modified to accommodate his disability with settings for multiple fields of vision; darkvision, aethersight and thermal imaging, among others.

Grappling Claw. Mounted on a reinforced gauntlet, this hooked claw is bound to a wire that lets it be fired and retracted at a distance of ten yalms. Given a solid anchor, this device allows the wearer to traverse great heights and impassable terrain… assuming they have the mounting that stops the arm from being pulled free of its socket.

Pantera Boots. [Omega] These knee-high sabatons appear to the eye as little more than a piece of armour, but in truth incoporate technology deployed inside the Deltascape by Nero tol Scaeva. The anti-gravity gimbal invented by the engineer was capable of levitating objects fulms above the ground regardless of weight; having been “misplaced” since that adventure, the Pantera Boots exert that same gravitational force in small, focused pulses to propel the wearer great distances or ease the impact of a harsh landing. Though despite Q'linn's efforts, they have yet to match the aerobatic feats of the Azure Dragoon.

Simone. A hefty piece of machinery brought only for difficult engagements, “Simone” is a modular heavy weapons platform with a bevy of attachments to fit multiple combat scenarios. Including a repurposed excavation drill, a repeating crossbow, a flamethrower, a high-pressure armormelt spray and even an airship anchor for grounding cloudkin and aircraft, Simone can transform Q'linn from a skilled shootist into the bane of entire Garlean deployments.

Fists of the Fiend. These paired magitek gauntlets were concieved of as a construction tool, using internal cartridges of earth crystals to enhance the wielder's physical strength. With an infusion of wind and the proper training, however, they can also prove potent weapons in hand-to-hand combat; during the Ala Mhigan Revolution, Q'linn's training with the Pugilists of Ul'dah and a survivor of the Fists of Rhalgr let him take to war like a monk of old. Collapsable design allows them to be worn as simple bracers when not in use. [6.0] At the furthest edge of the universe, these gauntlets clashed against the exiled prince of Garlemald and his ferocious voidsent. The might mustered and wear incurred in the duel has destroyed the weapons beyond the point of repair.

Mergenar. During his travels across Eorzea, a Bozjan mercenary taught Q'linn of the unique weapons employed by the knights of Queen Gunnhildr; taken as ever by his curiosity, the conclusion of his training was marked by the forging of this gunblade. A heated filament allows the sword to cut steel, with the cartridges in its cylinder capable of triggering small-scale explosions on impact.

Malthus. A second-generation gunblade, inspired by images of ancient weapons recovered from the Bozjan Front. A secondary revolver chamber contains diluted ceruleum and an ignition striker, allowing the blade to be coated and set aflame.

Artist's Staff. [6.2] During the former Scions' expedition into the Thirteenth, a world saturated in Darkness, Q'linn was greeted by what felt like a blank canvas. With the ambient aether like that of the other reflections long since consumed, and what remains in astral aspect and conductive to change, the Stone of Azem at last responded to his wish to reclaim his predecessor's art of Creation. Darkness poured into a solid shape, a staff wreathed in shadow, taking its final form as… a paintbrush. An interpretation of Q'linn's wish in the most literal sense. Despite its unorthodox manifestation, he bears this new arm with pride in his quest to rediscover the magic of the Ancients through the palette of the pictomancer. Though just as he relies on Darkness as the paint to his brush, he finds himself unable to use his magics in places too strong with Light.

[Sorrows of Werlyt] G-Warrior. Employed by the Garlond Ironworks to combat Garlemald's revived Weapon project, this salvaged and refurbished warmachina of Allag remains just as potent as when it wrought destruction in that empire's name. Should the time ever come when this weapon need be used again, Q'linn is eager and ready to hop back into the pilot's seat; armed with a sword of pure aether, flight-capable thrusters, self-repair functions and a devestating cannon recovered from the Ultima Weapon, this machina is capable of destruction like no other. Though hopefully, this star never sees that day.

Vehicles (all WoL-canon only)

“Well, I do a bit of travelling here and there - perfectly normal to want a few ways to get around.” "And the cannons? The beautiful, beautiful cannons?" “Ah… best to always be prepared?”

Manacutter. As a member of the Skysteel Manufactory, Q’linn lent his aid to Biggs and Wedge of the Garlond Ironworks to build the first wave of these single-person airships. Designed to help the Warriors of Light break through the wind barrier that surrounded Nidhogg’s lair, the ship’s speed and maneuverability saw its adoption by the Temple Knights as a scouting vessel after the end of the Dragonsong War.

Falcon. Improving on the design of the manacutter with an aetheric-powered jet engine, the Falcon was a personal experiment by Wedge that has achieved the highest recorded top speed in a single-person airship. When that test flight resulted in a crash, Q’linn was gifted the only produced model in exchange for helping with the repairs and hiding the expenses from Jesse.

Predator. The bulkier younger brother of the Reaper, this bipedal warmachina is equipped with powerful claws and heavy armor for use on Garlemald’s front lines. Q’linn salvaged this model from the Battle of Ala Mhigo and took its infamous lack of mobility as a personal challenge; it now boasts two heavy burst jets to leap across the battlefield, the Empire’s insignia sanded off and emblazoned with the crest of U5.

Sky Armor. Built with a similar mindset of “power over agility” to the Predator, this warmachina taken from the Battle of Baelsar’s Wall at least compensates with its capability for low-altitude flight. Q’linn finds that it makes an excellent mobile command post and, with a little improvement to its stability, a very convenient sniper’s nest.

Type III Slasher. This autonomous drone is styled more after a vilekin than forgekin, affording it greater maneuverability than other Garlean warmachina; units like this were often deployed in tight quarters and urban environments, leveraging the scythe-like forelimbs that give the unit its name. Stephanivian de Hallienarte was able to disable and seize several Slasher units during the march of the Ilsabard contingent, repurposed for use as patrol mounts by Hilda's Hounds after a round of modifications by the Manufactory: increased stability and on-board storage for machinist riders, as well as limited flight capabilities modelled after the Dravanian kongamato.

Ginga. [Shadowbringers] Meaning “silver fang” in the language of the pixies, what at first seems like a horse clad in plate armour is actually a creature of unknown origins with a hardened metallic exoskeleton. Q'linn believes the creature to be some hybrid of forgekin and sin eater, appearing to him after the first Lightwarden's defeat. It served as Q'linn's mount while he was stranded on the First, separated from his other vehicles; at Mt Gulg, as Q'linn was transformed into Thelema, Ginga fought at the Lightwarden's side against the Scions. Unable to speak, the steed's motives when it first appeared are still an unknown - did it act on base instinct, responding to the Light building within the miqo'te? Or was it somehow aware of the Lightwarden he would one day become? When the everlasting light was finally banished, the creature vanished into the Empty and has not been seen since.

Regalia. The schematics for this luxury magitek vehicle were gifted to Q’linn by Noctis, a crown prince from another star temporarily flung to distant Etheriys by unknown magics. With four seats, an open top and the ability to convert itself for air travel, it has quickly become U5’s main mode of transport. The original plans were powered by an unknown substance called “gasoline,” needing conversion to a more traditional ceruleum engine.

Garlond GL-II. For a single-manned option in casual travel, this two-wheeled vehicle represents the beginning of Garlond Ironworks' branching into civillian markets in the aftermath of the Final Days. A rugged frame and compact twin-bank ceruleum engine allow it to handle both urban and offroad environments with ease, proving greatly useful for travelling the wilds of Tural.

Rolling Tankard. [Shadowbringers] Q'linn spent months toiling alongside the dwarves of the First to begin production of these armoured combat vehicles, used to protect travellers from monsters and stray sin eaters in the aftermath of the Flood. Manned by three dwarves - or one mystel, given its size - the vehicle boasts armour thick enough to fend off most monsters, a potent crystal cannon and a renewable ethanol fuel source. Q'linn's only requested payment was a single one of the vehicles for his own use, transported back to the Source through no small effort.

Gabriel α. [Bozja] One of the most advanced weapons devised by Garlemald since the passing of Emperor Solus, Gabriel was a prototype model of flying armour capable of dynamic conversion on the battlefield. Q'linn battled the armour multiple times on the Bozjan Southern Front, and its pilot Dabog aan Inivsch - once a warrior of the Resistance, captured and rewired by the Garlean war machine. The two met one last time in the ruins of Garlemald, where Dabog had hidden since the Empire's collapse…

Vacuum Suit. [Endwalker] Born from a three-way collaboration of loporrit, Sharlayan and Garlean engineering, this towering bipedal machina was used in both construction and demolitions for the Cosmic Exploration Initiative. Gifted to Q'linn for his aid in the construction efforts, Locke takes a particular joy in piloting this machine due to its extreme size.

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