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Description



     t h e r a v e n
astral tracker | shards tracker | favor tracker

"You men are all the same
Macho but cheap
A load of wimpy unfaithfuls
So predictable. No, I'm not sure that you deserve me
You're lucky to be loved
You should say 'thank you' to me."

B a s i c
  Name: Mateusz Arias

  Nickname(s): Teu, Shithead, Edgelord

  Age: 34

  Gender: Cis Male

  Type: Unicorn

  Orientation: Pansexual/polyamorous (very strict about relationships)
Zodiac: --

  Herd Affiliation: Breim
Location: Sterling

  Rank: Militia
Talents: --

Items: None

P h y s i c al
Build: Fun size
Height: 14.1 hh

Breed: An idiot

Coat color: Blood bay

Eye color: Black and white heterochromia

Teke color: Red

Other: Zebra marble horns/hooves

Accessories: Piercings, hair dye, collar

P e r s o n a l i t y
| level-headed | perceptive | reticent | cocky | sharp-tongued | broody |

   Level-headed - calm and sensible
  Teu is probably one of the most chill you can meet when it comes to an Aodhian. His life as a smuggler also forced him to be as unproblematic as possible. In sticky situations, he had to be able to have some mental stability to avoid consequences. He learned from younger years that letting emotions and instinct get the best of you, you were bound to be thrown at the bottom of the food chain in the cities. There are rare moments where he does snap, however, and in these cases it is best to stay out of his way.

   Perceptive - having or showing sensitive insight
Being both smuggler by day, courtesan by night, there was a lot of interacting with many different types of people. Because of this, he had to be very self-aware of others. He was naturally skilled at detecting changes in peoples' behaviors, but it was only refined further as he grew older, now able to simply look at a client or smuggled slave and detect how they are feeling and how they would rather feel. This, of course, is very useful in both fields of work.

   Reticent - not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily
He is about as distant as it gets when it comes to his true colors. He rarely expresses himself, and when he does it is done in small bursts - a twitch here and there, tossing a glance, a word or phrase he typically wouldn't say in such a situation. He does talk about his interests, idealizations, and is very vocal about his opinion on others' actions (when they have nothing to do with him, that is). But other than that, if he is feeling anything remotely over-emotional, he puts up his walls again with crude humor and a quirky attitude. Occasionally this is helpful, preventing him from getting exploited in his work, or revealing what he does in the daytime.

   Cocky - boldly or brashly self-confident
Mateusz likes to think that he is very capable of what he does. In smuggling, he takes a lot of risks, often barely getting out of trouble either by sheer luck, or his experience. In the courtesan area, this is a great thing to have for many clients. He knows how to rope them in (though he usually prefers the ones looking for a bit of a different night out than those looking for a perfect plaything). Ever since joining The Pearl though, he's been laying low, really only coming up when he is called for.

   Sharp-tongued - (of a person) given to using cutting, harsh, or critical language
He is... an asshole. He bites back, especially at people he doesn't like. And considering his job, he often has the more harsh feelings towards the nobels. Teu is pretty good at hiding it, though will often show a bit of passive-aggressiveness towards a slave-owning nobel, unless they have proven to be vital caretakers of them. Anytime he catches a particularly asshole-ish nobel, he often says a very light, but snide remark about their treatment towards the other equine. Most of these remarks sound more like he is shunning the slave-owner for their mistreatment, though he almost never slips up about his true feelings about the people he helps.

   Broody - thoughtful and unhappy
Emo. Very, very emo. He thinks, and he thinks a lot. When he's working, when he's drifting off to sleep, even when he's simply running an errand. He's thinking about the world, his people, himself. And a lot of this turns into over-thinking, often to the point where he is noticeably moody (though during his courtesan work he is as happy as a clam). He gets particularly broody when his feelings are hurt, as childish as that sounds. Anything remotely racist, derogatory, or simply judgmental he can get a little broody. Especially when he is told he did a 'mediocre' job.

Theme song: Chase Holfelder - Animal
Moral Alignment: Chaotic Asshole
Aesthetic: --
Playlist: --
Voice claim: Paul Van Haver

R e l a t i o n s h i p s
Mother: Q'era | unicorn | deceased

Father: Anlion | unicorn| unknown

Siblings: none

S/O: these two nasties
Romantic preferences: Bitchy but realistic, likes a sassy partner. Prefers feminine built males with a challenging personality.
Intimate preferences: Prefers a dominant partner/partners, though does like to switch things up from time to time. Likes to be completely controlled, and those who are determined. (Note he is a bratty sub and a stubborn dom, needs someone to counteract them)

Children: Sofi | pegasus | NPC | alive

  Extended family: unknown

Connections:
      Sarim | Frenemies-with-benefits - A courtesan he had had a rather heated relationship with, on both ends of the spectrum. The pair rarely got along at The Pearl unless they were in the sheets, their dynamic clashing until then. After his leave to Breim, Mateusz cut all contact with Sarim.

      Jasmine | Mutuals(?) - Knows her by face and has talked with her occasionally, mostly through Sarim.

  Reid | Mentor - The first Kawaru to have taken him in, Reid had shown immediate interest in Teu's story. After weeks of dragging it out of him, the other had opened up as well. Eventually the flaxen took Mateusz under his metaphoric wing, and continues to teach the stallion the Kawaru ways.

      Caivarus | boyfriend - After the two Sterlingers were abruptly thrown into Nariah, the pair were quick to latch onto each other as the only source of comfort in the new, Umare area. Now Teu lets them settle in one of the spare bedrooms of his (Reid's) house. He is unsure about Caius, having not seen him much but is quite allured by him. He is still a bit bewildered by Varus, but is quick to adjust to his rather skittish behavior. Also has a flaming crush on them but will never (ever) admit it.
      Brynjar | Current parter - An abrupt meeting and some rather rebound-related incidents, Teu managed to get himself all caught up with the smith. While his genuine affection is rare, he still does (kind of) care about Bryn, despite his affections lying elsewhere.


R e l i g i o n
Patron god(s): Kinda Ignacio, Digend

Blessing(s): None

Teu was raised by parents who believed solely in Ignacio. They praised the sun and decorated the boy in items fit for a child of the fire god. But Mateusz didn't really grow an attachment to praising the gods.

As he grew older, more independent, he began to grow a disliking toward them. He couldn't deny their existence - their blessings were scattered over Hireath. He found that the gods were, essentially, complete assholes. They threw their children into a world to live, and then to die. To boost their egos, perhaps, with their worship. Nonetheless he does favor Ignacio, more so for his interesting appearance and his fascinating children.

After his big move, he had come across many followers of Digend, learning about the god more and more as he grew closer to Sirith. It hardly took much to get him comfortable with her ideals, and while he doesn't worship her necessarily, he wouldn't hesitate to bow before the god if she were to show up.

H i s t o r y

  The beginning: Teu was born between a wannabe dam and a mysterious sire, where both lacked the luxurious families that seemed to be so important to their culture. Both were avid worshipers of Ignacio, and prayed to no end that the baby would be born with a blessing from the god of the sun. His mother, an ex-courtesan, and father, a seafaring merchant (or so everyone believes), had somehow ended up with the devil baby that was Mateusz, instead of the blessed angel they prayed for.
His mother was desperate to make her way up the ladder, coming from a family who owned a few vineyards in Opulence. In an attempt to make her way to nobility, she stole a large portion of money from her father and ran off to Haven. It seemed that whatever plans she had had, failed, though, and after only six months of being in the city, she quickly ran dry of money. Completely broke and alone, Q'era ended up marrying one of her regular clients, who had been visiting the town for several months. She was unsure what he had been doing in Haven, but didn't dare question it. All she knew was that he had money, and he would take care of her.
From there, Anlion took Q'era to his home in Valore. It was upon their arrival that Q'era discovered she was carrying a child. Then on, the prayers began. And they didn't cease until the colt was born, eyes dark as night with a coat of molten rock.

Adolescence: Mateusz was a bit of a fireball as a youngster. He was well-educated and well-groomed, but the wild look in his eyes never left. He was quiet and idle, but he always had a look of adventure on his features. Perhaps it was this, that caught his father's attention.
While his mother stayed home and tended to her own duties, Anlion introduced Teu to smuggling. It started off small, of course. How could one trust a child with such a detrimental secret? Little things, like taking the young boy around the docks, teaching him how to be sneaky and stoic. This shaped the boy into a wonderful liar, until his mother began catching onto the repetitive fibs. A mothers intuition never fails, and Teu was later forced to stay with her while his father went out of the house.
From there he grew bored, and often he would wreck havoc upon the household until his mom put her hoof down. And usually, the punishments were typically an hour in time-out, or being forced into silence for a day. Whatever it was, Teu eventually grew to be at peace with these punishments. As soon as he did so, he grew a little more careful with his actions, but rarely cared about the consequences.

  Teenager: His teenage years shaped him into more of what his is today - quick-thinking, subtle, and observant. Around the time he was 13, Teu began dabbling more in the field of work his father did yet again. But instead of taking him out-on-the-town like he did so before, Anlion instead chose to incorporate Teu into the perfect smuggler. Showing any form of affection towards anything could be exploited. He needed to know how to sneak around the law, make convincing arguments, notice little details, and most importantly how to communicate with people.
  By the time he was 15, he was beginning to shape into his father's image. But as winter approached that year, his father had gone out to sea once more. It was a usual trip, one he claimed was for exporting goods. Of course, Teu knew he would be risking his life out at sea to get a few labor slaves out of the cities and to the land of Sedo. But it was this trip that seemed to be his last. Anlion fell to the waves of Cascade, and it is assumed that he is deceased.
Teu did as he was taught - he didn't express his grief for the loss of his father, and instead helped support his small family. They were able to easily survive off of what Anlion had left them, but the funds could only support them for a few years. Just before he turned 18, he stepped into the work of a courtesan. Of course, it had been illegal, but he was desperate to provide for his shrinking family. He picked up a few clients, usually by lying through his teeth about his age. Once he did turn of age, he was ready to step out of the shadows in his field of work. He started talking with friends of his father's, getting accustomed to the smuggling tunnels and how everything worked.
While he learned how to smuggle an equine out of the country, he was also getting more comfortable with his side job as a private courtesan. He favored one mare in particular, though. Their visits were often frequent and lengthy, though they spent much of that time out of bed. It was no surprise to anyone but him that a small little filly came out of the young teens' relationship. The mare left him, though, taking the girl with her. Be it from embarrassment, shame, or simply no longer wanting the stallion in her life, she was gone, and nowhere to be found. To this day he frequently talks about his 'dear Sofi' when in an intoxicated state.

Adulthood/Current: As an adult, he continued his work in both fields, with another hidden job on the side (one designated for dirtier work than his already-scandalous careers were). He lived a stable life, eventually moving out on his own after his mother passed. He developed a lot of experience in smuggling and in courtship, maintaining a young appearance as he grew older. Most of the money he earns, though, is put into savings, hoping to eventually give them to his daughter, whenever he would see her again.
It was his ability to save, that made him stop working as a

private courtesan, and begin work at The Pearl later after it was rebuilt. He spends a little less time smuggling at the moment, as he is still trying to balance both worlds without drawing attention to himself. Until then, he remains a new face.

  Mateusz worked well within Aodh. He considered it his home, though he felt that its people were twisted, a thorn digging deep into the beautiful herd's side. The capitalistic society was brutal, though he would rarely feel its wrath in his own luxury. It fueled his passion for what he did - smuggling.
  Perhaps it was this hatred for them, though, that caused him to step into neutral territory during one of his smuggling escapades. Normally, he would help move slaves from their final holding house in Valore, to the underground tunnels where they would be taken off to the Vagabonds by another smuggler. Instead, he took the role of that task, taking the two slaves he had just rescued through the winding tunnels and out near Onea. He was pushed over the edge with his frustrations.
  This trip was cut abruptly short, though, as he was approached by a cultist halfway through the journey. She spoke proudly, cocky, and Teu could tell that she was toying with him. But then she began to speak of her god, the chaotic being, Digend. He had heard of the name before, spoken on the tongues of Vagabonds he had met in his days of smuggling. He had learned a bit about them, as the god seemed to fit right up his alley. Change? Chaos? Hatred for your own herd? Check, check, and check.
  Teu unwillingly allowed her to take the slaves, seeing no other way out. What she was to do with them he wasn't sure. Perhaps she would have mercy for them, and integrate them into her cult. But the thought of their blood being shed for the sake of their god didn't worry him, either. That alone terrified him.
When he returned to Valore after only three weeks of being away, something had changed. His dreams were filled with darkness, insomnia claiming him and he began to act erratically. Clients at The Pearl were admittedly concerned, his vicious behavior a fright. Eventually, he stopped showing up to work, left alone in his home with a growing beast, hungry for something he couldn't quite name.
After a month, something broke. A sudden bout of violence overcame him, and he attacked a friend of his, leaving them blind in one eye. No remorse passed over him, but the poor victim of his attack couldn't find it in them to report him. They had noticed something was wrong, lack of sleep they simply told themselves. They claimed it was an accident, but Teu could no longer remain in the city. He stated that he was dangerous, the competitive nature of its people seeming to awaken something evil within.
  He discarded almost all of his belongings, bringing with him a scarf to help him through the cold of the north. He ran into a few cult members, though they stood alone. After several calm talks, they reluctantly left him be, but not after leaving another imprint on him.
It was at the point when he reached the border of Sirith, where the forest broke onto the vast plains that he realized he had taken a... very wrong turn. His goal was to find the cultist he had met some months ago, up by Onea. But he must have gotten sidetracked, or gone down the wrong path. He decided to venture through, anyways. He was running severely low on food, grazing like a cow to keep him sustained. If he could find a village or something, he could replenish his resources and maybe get some directions back to Onea.
  But before he could find one, he was met with a gaping skylight. He had been wandering the fields for a little less than a week, and had discovered signs of equine-life on a trail leading southeast. Teu had eagerly followed it, but it seemed to cut to a dead end. A river rolled over it, and he chose to find a bridge to potentially cross it.
Without any interaction, his wild thoughts had seemed to settle, only leaving destructive ones to fester in the back of his mind. When he crouched along the edge of the massive opening in the ground, he heard life. He called into the cavern, his voice raspy and weak from misuse. He gained no response from the depths, but he didn't lose hope. Was this the mysterious herd he had heard of as a colt? The underground Breim? Something in him seemed to settle, leaving him serene and joyous at the thought of discovering them.
  He sat beside the skylight until nighttime, regularly calling down. What he had initially thought was simply a cavern underground, he soon realized it was a blooming city. It wasn't as extravagant as he thought it would be, the houses seeming poorly constructed and the streets bland. This surely wasn't the great capital, he had read of in his books, but he had no clue what this place was. He was curious, and he longed to quell the innocent wonderment.
  In the darkness, he started throwing rocks down below, calling to grab anyone's attention. He was on the verge of giving up, giving a final passive look down, when he was met with a very-irked pegasus staring up at him, less than twenty feet below. Teu was shocked into stillness, seeing the Breimian glaring at him, just out of reach. He sputtered a greeting, suddenly embarrassed in the other's presence.
  Apparently, in his attempt to grab someone's attention, he had struck the poor guy with a rock he had thrown mid-flight, sending him crashing into a tent. Teu was confronted, the wary other asking oddly-personal questions over a serious of what felt like hours. Teu approached himself as a Vagabond, speaking falsely of his history (he was very much aware that Breim and Aodh didn't get along, and was worried his origin would risk rejection). After opening up, the pegasus seemed surprisingly welcoming, if you could count no longer glaring at Teu as welcoming. Timidly, Teu asked for a chance of entry. The winged equine didn't respond, and disappeared back into the cavern.
  Now with a spark of hope, Teu remained by the skylight for the remainder of the night. He tied his scarf to a rock nearby while he ventured around the area in case the pegasus came back. When he returned, there was a bit of food lying by the clothing item, and the feather plucked from the wing of the befriended Breimian resting alongside it.
  It was another day before Teu saw him again. He had explained the situation - he was talking with the Arisen, the leader of his district in Sterling, about allowing Teu into the city. Two days passed before he came back with an answer - he would either be accepted as an Outsider, or sent away to return to wherever he had come from.

  Chapter 7: Mateusz had been walking through the streets of Sterling, on his usual morning stroll to get his legs stretched out before the crowd arrived. But it had been rudely interrupted, as when he stepped toward the teleportation pad, he was thrown far beyond what he knew. Nariah.
After a few minutes of standing in bewilderment, Teu stumbled upon the shaking kirin, Caivarus, another supposed Kawaru that had been abruptly transported to the Umare city.
Using the bit of money he had, he purchased a map, found a retired Warden who directed them toward Sterling. In the midst of the night, he slipped away with Caivarus in hopes of returning to the Kawaru. After a few days of traveling down the main path, they stumbled across a small party that had come from Sterling, heading to Nariah to deliver a message from the Arisen. After some convincing, Teu managed to get the Kawaru-turned Warden to lead him and his cloaked friend back to Sterling in secrecy.

Chapter 8: Teu, with Caivarus at his side, went on a rescue mission to grab Yozora and Arges from the Umare prison. In a fit of the mission's failure, Teu ran after Arges and ended up with a nasty gash on his shoulder. He headed home with a severely injured Yozora, irritated and angry with the reckless behavior from the Kawaru that day.

A few nights after his injury, he confesses his feelings for Caivarus and the two have a good Bonding Moment. After the underground is wrenched from its hold and Sterling is lifted into the sky, he joins the Militia, hoping to never repeat the same events from that failed rescue mission again.

F u n F a c t s
- Masochistic but still lovely
- Actually hates the color gold but it makes him look fancy
- Secretly artistic, enjoys painting and makeup
- Lowkey alcoholic - often drinks when he broods.
- He is every kind of drunk there is, depending on how much and what he is drinking
- Says 'feck' instead of fuck when he is salty
- Rolls his r's cause he's an idiot, but others seem to like it so he never rid of the habit
- Has probably killed someone

Description



     t h e r a v e n
astral tracker | shards tracker | favor tracker

"You men are all the same
Macho but cheap
A load of wimpy unfaithfuls
So predictable. No, I'm not sure that you deserve me
You're lucky to be loved
You should say 'thank you' to me."

B a s i c
  Name: Mateusz Arias

  Nickname(s): Teu, Shithead, Edgelord

  Age: 34

  Gender: Cis Male

  Type: Unicorn

  Orientation: Pansexual/polyamorous (very strict about relationships)
Zodiac: --

  Herd Affiliation: Breim
Location: Sterling

  Rank: Militia
Talents: --

Items: None

P h y s i c al
Build: Fun size
Height: 14.1 hh

Breed: An idiot

Coat color: Blood bay

Eye color: Black and white heterochromia

Teke color: Red

Other: Zebra marble horns/hooves

Accessories: Piercings, hair dye, collar

P e r s o n a l i t y
| level-headed | perceptive | reticent | cocky | sharp-tongued | broody |

   Level-headed - calm and sensible
  Teu is probably one of the most chill you can meet when it comes to an Aodhian. His life as a smuggler also forced him to be as unproblematic as possible. In sticky situations, he had to be able to have some mental stability to avoid consequences. He learned from younger years that letting emotions and instinct get the best of you, you were bound to be thrown at the bottom of the food chain in the cities. There are rare moments where he does snap, however, and in these cases it is best to stay out of his way.

   Perceptive - having or showing sensitive insight
Being both smuggler by day, courtesan by night, there was a lot of interacting with many different types of people. Because of this, he had to be very self-aware of others. He was naturally skilled at detecting changes in peoples' behaviors, but it was only refined further as he grew older, now able to simply look at a client or smuggled slave and detect how they are feeling and how they would rather feel. This, of course, is very useful in both fields of work.

   Reticent - not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily
He is about as distant as it gets when it comes to his true colors. He rarely expresses himself, and when he does it is done in small bursts - a twitch here and there, tossing a glance, a word or phrase he typically wouldn't say in such a situation. He does talk about his interests, idealizations, and is very vocal about his opinion on others' actions (when they have nothing to do with him, that is). But other than that, if he is feeling anything remotely over-emotional, he puts up his walls again with crude humor and a quirky attitude. Occasionally this is helpful, preventing him from getting exploited in his work, or revealing what he does in the daytime.

   Cocky - boldly or brashly self-confident
Mateusz likes to think that he is very capable of what he does. In smuggling, he takes a lot of risks, often barely getting out of trouble either by sheer luck, or his experience. In the courtesan area, this is a great thing to have for many clients. He knows how to rope them in (though he usually prefers the ones looking for a bit of a different night out than those looking for a perfect plaything). Ever since joining The Pearl though, he's been laying low, really only coming up when he is called for.

   Sharp-tongued - (of a person) given to using cutting, harsh, or critical language
He is... an asshole. He bites back, especially at people he doesn't like. And considering his job, he often has the more harsh feelings towards the nobels. Teu is pretty good at hiding it, though will often show a bit of passive-aggressiveness towards a slave-owning nobel, unless they have proven to be vital caretakers of them. Anytime he catches a particularly asshole-ish nobel, he often says a very light, but snide remark about their treatment towards the other equine. Most of these remarks sound more like he is shunning the slave-owner for their mistreatment, though he almost never slips up about his true feelings about the people he helps.

   Broody - thoughtful and unhappy
Emo. Very, very emo. He thinks, and he thinks a lot. When he's working, when he's drifting off to sleep, even when he's simply running an errand. He's thinking about the world, his people, himself. And a lot of this turns into over-thinking, often to the point where he is noticeably moody (though during his courtesan work he is as happy as a clam). He gets particularly broody when his feelings are hurt, as childish as that sounds. Anything remotely racist, derogatory, or simply judgmental he can get a little broody. Especially when he is told he did a 'mediocre' job.

Theme song: Chase Holfelder - Animal
Moral Alignment: Chaotic Asshole
Aesthetic: --
Playlist: --
Voice claim: Paul Van Haver

R e l a t i o n s h i p s
Mother: Q'era | unicorn | deceased

Father: Anlion | unicorn| unknown

Siblings: none

S/O: these two nasties
Romantic preferences: Bitchy but realistic, likes a sassy partner. Prefers feminine built males with a challenging personality.
Intimate preferences: Prefers a dominant partner/partners, though does like to switch things up from time to time. Likes to be completely controlled, and those who are determined. (Note he is a bratty sub and a stubborn dom, needs someone to counteract them)

Children: Sofi | pegasus | NPC | alive

  Extended family: unknown

Connections:
      Sarim | Frenemies-with-benefits - A courtesan he had had a rather heated relationship with, on both ends of the spectrum. The pair rarely got along at The Pearl unless they were in the sheets, their dynamic clashing until then. After his leave to Breim, Mateusz cut all contact with Sarim.

      Jasmine | Mutuals(?) - Knows her by face and has talked with her occasionally, mostly through Sarim.

  Reid | Mentor - The first Kawaru to have taken him in, Reid had shown immediate interest in Teu's story. After weeks of dragging it out of him, the other had opened up as well. Eventually the flaxen took Mateusz under his metaphoric wing, and continues to teach the stallion the Kawaru ways.

      Caivarus | boyfriend - After the two Sterlingers were abruptly thrown into Nariah, the pair were quick to latch onto each other as the only source of comfort in the new, Umare area. Now Teu lets them settle in one of the spare bedrooms of his (Reid's) house. He is unsure about Caius, having not seen him much but is quite allured by him. He is still a bit bewildered by Varus, but is quick to adjust to his rather skittish behavior. Also has a flaming crush on them but will never (ever) admit it.
      Brynjar | Current parter - An abrupt meeting and some rather rebound-related incidents, Teu managed to get himself all caught up with the smith. While his genuine affection is rare, he still does (kind of) care about Bryn, despite his affections lying elsewhere.


R e l i g i o n
Patron god(s): Kinda Ignacio, Digend

Blessing(s): None

Teu was raised by parents who believed solely in Ignacio. They praised the sun and decorated the boy in items fit for a child of the fire god. But Mateusz didn't really grow an attachment to praising the gods.

As he grew older, more independent, he began to grow a disliking toward them. He couldn't deny their existence - their blessings were scattered over Hireath. He found that the gods were, essentially, complete assholes. They threw their children into a world to live, and then to die. To boost their egos, perhaps, with their worship. Nonetheless he does favor Ignacio, more so for his interesting appearance and his fascinating children.

After his big move, he had come across many followers of Digend, learning about the god more and more as he grew closer to Sirith. It hardly took much to get him comfortable with her ideals, and while he doesn't worship her necessarily, he wouldn't hesitate to bow before the god if she were to show up.

H i s t o r y

  The beginning: Teu was born between a wannabe dam and a mysterious sire, where both lacked the luxurious families that seemed to be so important to their culture. Both were avid worshipers of Ignacio, and prayed to no end that the baby would be born with a blessing from the god of the sun. His mother, an ex-courtesan, and father, a seafaring merchant (or so everyone believes), had somehow ended up with the devil baby that was Mateusz, instead of the blessed angel they prayed for.
His mother was desperate to make her way up the ladder, coming from a family who owned a few vineyards in Opulence. In an attempt to make her way to nobility, she stole a large portion of money from her father and ran off to Haven. It seemed that whatever plans she had had, failed, though, and after only six months of being in the city, she quickly ran dry of money. Completely broke and alone, Q'era ended up marrying one of her regular clients, who had been visiting the town for several months. She was unsure what he had been doing in Haven, but didn't dare question it. All she knew was that he had money, and he would take care of her.
From there, Anlion took Q'era to his home in Valore. It was upon their arrival that Q'era discovered she was carrying a child. Then on, the prayers began. And they didn't cease until the colt was born, eyes dark as night with a coat of molten rock.

Adolescence: Mateusz was a bit of a fireball as a youngster. He was well-educated and well-groomed, but the wild look in his eyes never left. He was quiet and idle, but he always had a look of adventure on his features. Perhaps it was this, that caught his father's attention.
While his mother stayed home and tended to her own duties, Anlion introduced Teu to smuggling. It started off small, of course. How could one trust a child with such a detrimental secret? Little things, like taking the young boy around the docks, teaching him how to be sneaky and stoic. This shaped the boy into a wonderful liar, until his mother began catching onto the repetitive fibs. A mothers intuition never fails, and Teu was later forced to stay with her while his father went out of the house.
From there he grew bored, and often he would wreck havoc upon the household until his mom put her hoof down. And usually, the punishments were typically an hour in time-out, or being forced into silence for a day. Whatever it was, Teu eventually grew to be at peace with these punishments. As soon as he did so, he grew a little more careful with his actions, but rarely cared about the consequences.

  Teenager: His teenage years shaped him into more of what his is today - quick-thinking, subtle, and observant. Around the time he was 13, Teu began dabbling more in the field of work his father did yet again. But instead of taking him out-on-the-town like he did so before, Anlion instead chose to incorporate Teu into the perfect smuggler. Showing any form of affection towards anything could be exploited. He needed to know how to sneak around the law, make convincing arguments, notice little details, and most importantly how to communicate with people.
  By the time he was 15, he was beginning to shape into his father's image. But as winter approached that year, his father had gone out to sea once more. It was a usual trip, one he claimed was for exporting goods. Of course, Teu knew he would be risking his life out at sea to get a few labor slaves out of the cities and to the land of Sedo. But it was this trip that seemed to be his last. Anlion fell to the waves of Cascade, and it is assumed that he is deceased.
Teu did as he was taught - he didn't express his grief for the loss of his father, and instead helped support his small family. They were able to easily survive off of what Anlion had left them, but the funds could only support them for a few years. Just before he turned 18, he stepped into the work of a courtesan. Of course, it had been illegal, but he was desperate to provide for his shrinking family. He picked up a few clients, usually by lying through his teeth about his age. Once he did turn of age, he was ready to step out of the shadows in his field of work. He started talking with friends of his father's, getting accustomed to the smuggling tunnels and how everything worked.
While he learned how to smuggle an equine out of the country, he was also getting more comfortable with his side job as a private courtesan. He favored one mare in particular, though. Their visits were often frequent and lengthy, though they spent much of that time out of bed. It was no surprise to anyone but him that a small little filly came out of the young teens' relationship. The mare left him, though, taking the girl with her. Be it from embarrassment, shame, or simply no longer wanting the stallion in her life, she was gone, and nowhere to be found. To this day he frequently talks about his 'dear Sofi' when in an intoxicated state.

Adulthood/Current: As an adult, he continued his work in both fields, with another hidden job on the side (one designated for dirtier work than his already-scandalous careers were). He lived a stable life, eventually moving out on his own after his mother passed. He developed a lot of experience in smuggling and in courtship, maintaining a young appearance as he grew older. Most of the money he earns, though, is put into savings, hoping to eventually give them to his daughter, whenever he would see her again.
It was his ability to save, that made him stop working as a

private courtesan, and begin work at The Pearl later after it was rebuilt. He spends a little less time smuggling at the moment, as he is still trying to balance both worlds without drawing attention to himself. Until then, he remains a new face.

  Mateusz worked well within Aodh. He considered it his home, though he felt that its people were twisted, a thorn digging deep into the beautiful herd's side. The capitalistic society was brutal, though he would rarely feel its wrath in his own luxury. It fueled his passion for what he did - smuggling.
  Perhaps it was this hatred for them, though, that caused him to step into neutral territory during one of his smuggling escapades. Normally, he would help move slaves from their final holding house in Valore, to the underground tunnels where they would be taken off to the Vagabonds by another smuggler. Instead, he took the role of that task, taking the two slaves he had just rescued through the winding tunnels and out near Onea. He was pushed over the edge with his frustrations.
  This trip was cut abruptly short, though, as he was approached by a cultist halfway through the journey. She spoke proudly, cocky, and Teu could tell that she was toying with him. But then she began to speak of her god, the chaotic being, Digend. He had heard of the name before, spoken on the tongues of Vagabonds he had met in his days of smuggling. He had learned a bit about them, as the god seemed to fit right up his alley. Change? Chaos? Hatred for your own herd? Check, check, and check.
  Teu unwillingly allowed her to take the slaves, seeing no other way out. What she was to do with them he wasn't sure. Perhaps she would have mercy for them, and integrate them into her cult. But the thought of their blood being shed for the sake of their god didn't worry him, either. That alone terrified him.
When he returned to Valore after only three weeks of being away, something had changed. His dreams were filled with darkness, insomnia claiming him and he began to act erratically. Clients at The Pearl were admittedly concerned, his vicious behavior a fright. Eventually, he stopped showing up to work, left alone in his home with a growing beast, hungry for something he couldn't quite name.
After a month, something broke. A sudden bout of violence overcame him, and he attacked a friend of his, leaving them blind in one eye. No remorse passed over him, but the poor victim of his attack couldn't find it in them to report him. They had noticed something was wrong, lack of sleep they simply told themselves. They claimed it was an accident, but Teu could no longer remain in the city. He stated that he was dangerous, the competitive nature of its people seeming to awaken something evil within.
  He discarded almost all of his belongings, bringing with him a scarf to help him through the cold of the north. He ran into a few cult members, though they stood alone. After several calm talks, they reluctantly left him be, but not after leaving another imprint on him.
It was at the point when he reached the border of Sirith, where the forest broke onto the vast plains that he realized he had taken a... very wrong turn. His goal was to find the cultist he had met some months ago, up by Onea. But he must have gotten sidetracked, or gone down the wrong path. He decided to venture through, anyways. He was running severely low on food, grazing like a cow to keep him sustained. If he could find a village or something, he could replenish his resources and maybe get some directions back to Onea.
  But before he could find one, he was met with a gaping skylight. He had been wandering the fields for a little less than a week, and had discovered signs of equine-life on a trail leading southeast. Teu had eagerly followed it, but it seemed to cut to a dead end. A river rolled over it, and he chose to find a bridge to potentially cross it.
Without any interaction, his wild thoughts had seemed to settle, only leaving destructive ones to fester in the back of his mind. When he crouched along the edge of the massive opening in the ground, he heard life. He called into the cavern, his voice raspy and weak from misuse. He gained no response from the depths, but he didn't lose hope. Was this the mysterious herd he had heard of as a colt? The underground Breim? Something in him seemed to settle, leaving him serene and joyous at the thought of discovering them.
  He sat beside the skylight until nighttime, regularly calling down. What he had initially thought was simply a cavern underground, he soon realized it was a blooming city. It wasn't as extravagant as he thought it would be, the houses seeming poorly constructed and the streets bland. This surely wasn't the great capital, he had read of in his books, but he had no clue what this place was. He was curious, and he longed to quell the innocent wonderment.
  In the darkness, he started throwing rocks down below, calling to grab anyone's attention. He was on the verge of giving up, giving a final passive look down, when he was met with a very-irked pegasus staring up at him, less than twenty feet below. Teu was shocked into stillness, seeing the Breimian glaring at him, just out of reach. He sputtered a greeting, suddenly embarrassed in the other's presence.
  Apparently, in his attempt to grab someone's attention, he had struck the poor guy with a rock he had thrown mid-flight, sending him crashing into a tent. Teu was confronted, the wary other asking oddly-personal questions over a serious of what felt like hours. Teu approached himself as a Vagabond, speaking falsely of his history (he was very much aware that Breim and Aodh didn't get along, and was worried his origin would risk rejection). After opening up, the pegasus seemed surprisingly welcoming, if you could count no longer glaring at Teu as welcoming. Timidly, Teu asked for a chance of entry. The winged equine didn't respond, and disappeared back into the cavern.
  Now with a spark of hope, Teu remained by the skylight for the remainder of the night. He tied his scarf to a rock nearby while he ventured around the area in case the pegasus came back. When he returned, there was a bit of food lying by the clothing item, and the feather plucked from the wing of the befriended Breimian resting alongside it.
  It was another day before Teu saw him again. He had explained the situation - he was talking with the Arisen, the leader of his district in Sterling, about allowing Teu into the city. Two days passed before he came back with an answer - he would either be accepted as an Outsider, or sent away to return to wherever he had come from.

  Chapter 7: Mateusz had been walking through the streets of Sterling, on his usual morning stroll to get his legs stretched out before the crowd arrived. But it had been rudely interrupted, as when he stepped toward the teleportation pad, he was thrown far beyond what he knew. Nariah.
After a few minutes of standing in bewilderment, Teu stumbled upon the shaking kirin, Caivarus, another supposed Kawaru that had been abruptly transported to the Umare city.
Using the bit of money he had, he purchased a map, found a retired Warden who directed them toward Sterling. In the midst of the night, he slipped away with Caivarus in hopes of returning to the Kawaru. After a few days of traveling down the main path, they stumbled across a small party that had come from Sterling, heading to Nariah to deliver a message from the Arisen. After some convincing, Teu managed to get the Kawaru-turned Warden to lead him and his cloaked friend back to Sterling in secrecy.

Chapter 8: Teu, with Caivarus at his side, went on a rescue mission to grab Yozora and Arges from the Umare prison. In a fit of the mission's failure, Teu ran after Arges and ended up with a nasty gash on his shoulder. He headed home with a severely injured Yozora, irritated and angry with the reckless behavior from the Kawaru that day.

A few nights after his injury, he confesses his feelings for Caivarus and the two have a good Bonding Moment. After the underground is wrenched from its hold and Sterling is lifted into the sky, he joins the Militia, hoping to never repeat the same events from that failed rescue mission again.

F u n F a c t s
- Masochistic but still lovely
- Actually hates the color gold but it makes him look fancy
- Secretly artistic, enjoys painting and makeup
- Lowkey alcoholic - often drinks when he broods.
- He is every kind of drunk there is, depending on how much and what he is drinking
- Says 'feck' instead of fuck when he is salty
- Rolls his r's cause he's an idiot, but others seem to like it so he never rid of the habit
- Has probably killed someone