The Owner
The owner of the Hēi Māo used to be one Lady Kadako Nekoyama; a renowned fortuneteller hailing from the Far East. While she had run the establishment for some time, a certain incident occurred and she subsequently disappeared from the public eye altogether.After some time, the doors to the establishment opened once more – now under new management. Claiming to be the lady’s distant relative, Kada Katzenberg takes the helm as the heir apparent to the fortunetelling tea house.Besides being a fortuneteller in training, his travels and exploits as a mercenary do provide him a wealth of stories from lands near and far, as well as considerable martial prowess. Although he is a Keeper of the Moon Miqo’te, his eyes seem to tell a different story. Though, it’s hard for one to discern this whenever he has his glasses on.
The Manager
An adventurer and mercenary by trade, Ayer Kahjaa has donned yet another hat in the form of being the Hēi Māo's manager and main chef. Having started simply part-timing as a waitress while she and Kada were dating, she eventually received her promotion when their staff roster unexpectedly grew. She is quite pleased with this, though, since it means that she can spend a bit more time tinkering with the recipes left behind by the late proprietress.Ayer enjoys chatting with customers, and is often caught between being impressed and concerned that her husband seems to have a penchant for attracting the oddest characters to the teahouse. Regardless, she is remarkably hard to fluster. When you're married to the reincarnation of the incarnation of Hellfire itself, you tend to suspend your disbelief somewhat easily.
The Waitress
Larder Manager(?)
A fledgling adventurer and Disciple of the Azure Dragon school of Yanxian swordsmanship, Chuii Chewy is the Hēi Māo's self-professed Larder Manager (read: part-time waitress). Initially starting out as a humble customer with a particular appreciation for Ayer's delicious noodles, the ever-hungry Lalafellin swordswoman has, in recent times, brokered a deal with the proprietor that seems to involve her being paid through Ayer's much-admired noodle recipe in exchange for her work as a full-time noodle advocate (read: part-time waitress) at the establishment.Single-minded, easily distracted, and always, always hungry, she is as close as one can get to the physical embodiment of all the chaos that goes on during the Hēi Māo's opening hours. Whether it's talking about that one time she fought a Yanxian tiger, or espousing the virtues of the rich noodle broth Ayer serves, Chuii brings her unique brand of distracted energy to any interaction - one customer at a time. The Twelve can only wonder how long this silly Lalafell will remain in the Hēi Māo's employ...
The Waiter
A lone wanderer from Ilsabard and courier. Alistair Crowe often travelled around the world in search of secrets or just to enjoy the local festivities. However, it wasn’t until he went to the Hēi Māo that he began delving into Far Eastern mysticism and became quite interested in the topic, much to the owner’s chagrin. He was eventually offered a position as a part-time waiter, and accepted in hopes that he would be able to learn more things about the world and also, perhaps, get to meet interesting people.
The Serial Part-Timer
Calia Balor, a former gladiator and now freelance adventurer, happened upon the Hēi Māo after having been kidnapped by the Witch of Yanxia, Maja and escaped. Notoriously short on money and known for sticking her nose into things she should probably not get involved in, she wished to see what other sort or meetings and (mis)adventures the Hēi Māo had to offer. Hence, she decided to start working there.
The Waiter, Part Deux
A ronin from Hingashi who stumbled upon the Hēi Māo during his travels to Eorzea. Yuuto comes off as a very talkative and boisterous fellow. He sees the world for what it is and never really questions it. He can be seen often cleaning the dishes and serving tea. His calm demeanour hides a whirling storm underneath. He can often be spotted meditating in the.This Miqo’te is also prideful about Yanxian or Hingan cuisine, classing them as a cut above Eorzean cuisine. Please, DO NOT mention Ishgardian Rock Salt to him, he will throw a chair at you.
