Amedee Delacroix

Amédée Delacroix
Gender	Male
Race	Elezen
Clan	Duskwight
Citizenship	Ul'dahn
Server	Balmung
Place of Birth	North Shroud
Guardian	Nald'thal, The Traders
Nameday	Date 10/12 (Age: 20)
Marital Status	Engaged
Occupation	Thaumaturge, Rogue, Gambler

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"Nothing’s worth wagering unless you can’t bear to lose it. Put yourself in Fate’s hands." —Amédée Delacroix

At A Glance

Tall, dark and brooding, Amédée is every Duskwight stereotype rolled into one young, vicious package. A firebrand at heart, his years of training at the Ossuary in Ul'dah have honed his natural talent for aetheric manipulation. Never is he without a knife tucked away under the layers of fine suits and exquisite robes no vagabond his age ought to be able to afford. He's often seen in the company of a tall, blond Wildwood old enough to be his father.

If he isn't fighting, he's getting high, and if he's not getting high, he's looking for a better way to do it. He makes no secret of his various addictions-- wine, moko, somnus, "Blue", violence-- and if he takes a liking to someone, he might even share. It's not uncommon for him to ask probing questions about the personal lives of strangers, and in the right mood he'll get downright philosophical about the most mundane activities. Amédée doesn't have many friends, but he knows quite a lot of people-- particularly those associated with the Ul'dah underworld.

It may be remnants of juvenile bravado which keeps him from backing down, but Amédée just can't bring himself to deny a challenge-- or to submit to existing powers that be. Said powers are tempted by the cards Amédée recently stole from Ishgard's Athenaeum Astrologicum-- while by no means a proper astrologian, his dabblings are not without their consequences. During his rare moments alone, he can often be found propped against a wall somewhere staring at the sky.

Injury is par for the course. His body is layered with bruises, particularly around his neck and wrists. A name, stained red, is gouged across his chest. The scars on his face are pale with age and one through his right eye is particularly deep.

Appearance

Height: 6'2"

Build: Small, sleek. Possessed of wiry strength.

Complexion: Distinctly grey. Pale enough that veins show through the skin.

Hair: Ink black.

Eyes: Amber-yellow. Partially blind in the right eye.

Voice: Light, resonant, young. Learned monotony; tends to deliver questions as statements.

Clothing Style: Dresses like he still needs to blend in with Black Shroud shadows. Prefers layered robes, thin gloves, tall boots, and suits straight out of Haukke Manor.

Laterality: Right-dominant.

Tastes

Favorites

• Color: Indigo
• Food: Rare steak
• Drinks: Absurdly expensive wine.
• Scent: Winter campfire
• Place: Coerthas, Last Prayer, Church of Saint Adama Landama, Thal's Respite

Goals

• Power.
• Mastery of black magic.
• To learn the language of the stars.
• To rain fire and brimstone down on generally everyone.

Religion

Servant of Nald'thal with heavy emphasis on fate's hand in the balance of affairs, the fairness of chance, and Halonic principles of ethics in which justice is defined by those with the power to enforce their ideals. Views the worship of other deities as effectively part of the "ultimate scale" and tends to tolerate, justify, and encourage atrocity in the interest of this balance. Exposure to Ishgardian zealotry has inspired reverence and fear; regards the Fury as a deity worth honoring due to the extremes to which her followers will go in her name.

Amédée has a strict code of personal ethics to which he adheres at all costs. Although his behavior may seem outwardly erratic, he never acts without purpose. It's worth doubting his given motives if they seem too superficial.

"...And the path to light shall be lit by dark." —Ancient Prophecy

Alignment

Chaotic Neutral

Personality

Flaws

• Addict
• Short-tempered
• Oblivious
• Unrefined
• Abusive
• Racist
• Fatalistic
• Sulky
• Limited literacy; only basic working knowledge of written language. He will go to ridiculous lengths to conceal this.

Fears

• Commitment
• Death
• Large bodies of water
• Dependency
• Halonic Inquisitors
• Motherly figures

Talents

• Excellent singing voice. Picked up quite a few songs from his vagabond brother and travelers in the Shroud.
• Charismatic when the necessity arises.
• Ridiculous tolerance for mind-altering substances.

Intelligence

No formal education; academic ignorant. Tends to deal in abstractions at the expense of details. Being "home-schooled" by a family of cave-dwelling duskwight has resulted in a very narrow professional skill set. Recent training at the Arzzaneth Ossuary in Ul'dah has complimented base instincts with the dangerous specifics of black magic and expanded his knowledge of urban social conduct.

TV Tropes

• The Fatalist- Because everything is determined, everything that occurs is justified.
• Black and White Insanity- It really is that simple.
• Functional Addict- "I don't function despite addiction; I function because of it."
• Thicker Than Water- If your name is Delacroix then congratulations, you've just won the most obnoxiously protective relative-- whether you're actually related or not.
• Conditioned to Accept Horror- Moral realism, i.e. "might makes right".
• Misery Builds Character- Pain is just weakness leaving the body!
• Interplay of Sex And Violence- What better way to bend them over than to beat them?
• Property of Love- Good luck getting him to admit it.
• Mind Game Ship- Mindfuckery is a two-way street.

Abilities and Skills

"Unto thy black command darkness shall bend." —Ancient Prophecy

Blow it up, ask questions later.

Personal

• Survivalist; give him a knife and a loincloth, drop him in the woods, and he will do just fine.
• Archer; in spite of (or perhaps because of) the injury to his right eye, he maintains decent accuracy with a longbow.

Weapons

• Tall staff with a skeletal, draconian head at the top. Manipulation of aether is more potent with this.
• Gridanian longbow and a quiver large enough to hold forty arrows. Rarely carried.
• A slender Doman knife usually hidden on his person.
• A good, plain sword used for training.
• A Zweihander.

Magic

• Proficient in black magic, particularly fire-based spells and afflictions.
• Knows a handful of white magic, mainly weak healing spells.
• Applies principles of thaumaturgy to swordplay; enchanted strikes make up for what he lacks in raw strength.
• Dabbling in astrology sometimes results in accidents of fate-- a lucky streak here, a narrow miss there.

Crafting

• Amateur weaver. He can sew a button and put two pieces of cloth together. Maybe hem something. Poorly.

Family and Relationships

Relatives

• Lucas Delacroix (Brother), a capable businessman, but more interested in the ladies than profits. Works as a mercenary for Ul'dahn merchants.
• Inés Delacroix (Sister), stoic and deadly with a lance, disappeared shortly before the Calamity.
• Simone and André Delacroix (parents), cave-dwelling and clannish small-time bandits, perished in the Calamity.

Allies

• Julien Fortier: Fiance and financer, Julien allows Amédée to want for nothing. It is from this ex-Temple Knight's (often violent) lessons that he has refined his sense of morality, propriety, and fate. Julien didn't just hang the sun in the sky-- he embodies it. Amédée regards himself as the necessary shadow cast by this brightest of stars. However, given their abusive, seesaw teeter between sweetness and savagery, their relationship may end up destroying what goodness is left between them. That Amédée cannot picture himself without Julien is his greatest obstacle to embracing his feelings for him-- admissions given with painstaking deliberation. Wounds are mended one stitch at a time.
• Jetei Kha: Amédée is deeply envious of Jetei's raw physical power. His empathy for the Xaela's tribal, animalistic nature is the reason Amédée antagonizes him so vengefully-- he believes Jetei is more than he allows himself to become, and ought not to bow for anyone who cannot properly command him. Given time, the two could become good friends.
• Alta Ugund: The ex-fiance of his former gambling boss, Alta is the closest thing he has to family since his own perished in the Calamity. He respects her prowess with a lance, her loyalty, her humor, and her willingness to cut loose those who cut her down. Amédée's empathy for the little Xaela girl shows itself as public protectiveness and private tenderness.
• Orin Kai: A flirtatious ex-consort with an endless supply of fancy drugs for Amédée's pleasure-- for a price, of course. While generally amicable despite Amédée's antagonism, a recent altercation left Orin with a knife in his gut and reason to beware one of his best customers. Amédée doesn't have anything against Orin, but he doesn't know the Raen very well except that he runs with a crew which includes Kersch Schwarzer, Sephirah Eruafnor, and Vevekera Lelekera.
• Kersch Schwarzer: Amédée liked Kersch better when he could still order him around. The tall, stoic Xaela was among the first of the mercenaries paid to make poor Jetei Kha's life hell, and sometimes Amédée entertains the thought of putting Kersch to work again. These days, Kersch seems to have his hands full keeping Orin and Sephirah's leashes from getting tangled.
• Sephirah Eruafnor: A vicious Raen whose bloodlust Amédée respects and exploits. Sephirah was paid to fight Jetei Kha to the death, and when he failed to follow through, Amédée's opinion of the Raen has never risen quite as high as before. However, Sephirah's unspoken understanding of the language of violence has proven his most redeeming quality in Amédée's eyes.
• Vevekera Lelekera: A young prodigy of arcanamia, Vevekera's even temper and sharp wit engaged Amédée first in a series of gambling matches, but it is the lalafell's deeply personal, void-convoluted plight which keeps the Duskwight close. Amédée respects Vevekera's power, seeking to protect it even as he schemes to use it. Vevekera, like Alta, is family to him. Recently, Vevekera has become a teacher of arcanamia and, more importantly, discipline.
• Sui Eclair: A small, tenacious little Raen girl too innocent for her own good, Amédée's interest in her hinged on getting back at his ex-boss. However, the scheme to ruin her has abruptly petered out since her relationship to his ex-boss seems to have fallen through. These days, corrupting her purity serves more as a pastime than a goal.
• Hisayuki Kisaragi: A Doman consort and distributor of opium tea, Hisayuki was also a member of the gambling ring Amédée belonged to. The gentle Raen seems to enjoy Amédée's vulgarity and even allows him to crash, incoherently high, on his couch. Hisayuki's ennui was easy to sympathize with.
• Cicero Fortescue: A tall Wildwood equal parts businessman and doctor, Cicero suffered nasty injuries during his first meeting with Amédée. To avoid future altercations, Cicero has wisely agreed to indulge Amédée's addiction via a particular brand of aetheric high applied with a surgeon's finesse.
• Leodaire Beltardois: An Ishgardian dandy with a dark chip on his shoulder; Amédée once meant to exploit the noble's connections to furnish his own ends, but now remains more intrigued by the darkness rooted in the Wildwood's mind.

Acquaintances

• S'khai Nunh: S'khai was a common figure back when the gambling ring was going strong, always ready with a vulgar tongue and careless swagger for a bloody, near-death fight. Amédée remembers him most fondly when the Seeker's elbows were crushed under his knees as the Duskwight beat his face to pulp. To Amédée, S'khai represents the kind of self-destruction aimless chaos can become, but despite their antagonistic relationship, he doesn't bear S'khai personally any ill will.
• Braeya Vilheim: A lovely, mysterious Roegadyn whose presence is somewhere between motherly and sensual. Amédée doesn't mind her, but likes her best when he catches her off guard.
• Yachiyo Kaisuri: An Auri dealer, among the first Amédée encountered in Ul'dah. She first introduced him to Blue, which Julien has since replicated. She is rumored to be dead.
• Atette Calort: A sharp-tongued Duskwight dealer-- think voodoo and witchcraft, home-brewed tonics and finely tuned toxins. Amédée liked her because she wouldn't put up with his bullshit, though she sided with Julien too often for him to stomach telling her. She hasn't been seen since the gambling ring dissolved, and Amédée believes she is dead.

Antagonists

• Flynt Reddard: A man-boy bent on goals too lofty for Amédée ever to take seriously-- he liked him better when he was the small-time, unrepentant, hands-dirty type of leader. Because he'd once given the man his loyalty, Amédée refuses to let Flynt sweep his dirty past under the rug.
• Ranirus Crithalos: The silent, sulky, spotted miqo'te is a curious presence-- sometimes a gambler, a customer, a supplier, ally, opponent, and backstabber. More recently, Ranirus saved Amédée's life after the Duskwight lost a fight with a swordsman twice his size. The result is an awkward brand of truce.
• Telos Stormheart: The Midlander is vaguely related to Teld're Eska'aldren, but Amédée doesn't know how. He just knows the pleasure the boy takes in fighting the Duskwight borders on obscene. Amédée is convinced Telos wants to use him for something, but he isn't inclined to find out for what.
• Khojin Arulaq: A Xaela woman who first approached him after he'd lost a fight to a defender of the miqo'te he'd tried to mug, Amédée associates her commanding presence with imminent conflict and his favorite doctor, Cicero. Khojin once gave him a job, but Amédée can't remember why he failed to follow through.
• Z'beexu Vhoz: The miqo'te he'd tried to mug. Amédée knows her as Bee, the nickname he's heard her friends use, and enjoys picking on her when there's no one else to antagonize. Z'beexu seems to have taken it to heart, challenging him to a formal duel just outside Ul'dah to satisfy her fury. Amédée is vaguely suspicious of her motives, however-- recently, she's come to his defense, demanding his attentions in return for her help.
• Tyo'li Tayuun: A fellow addict and brawler, Tyo'li was a peripheral figure-- a shadow at the edge of the gambling ring, an occasional opponent-- until very recently. The older Keeper has more in common with Amédée than the latter can tolerate, and the former's relationship to Julien is the worst of the thorns in Amédée's side.

Affiliations

• Arzzaneth Ossuary in Ul'dah, Thaumaturge's Guild
• Diabolos' Due Dice Ring (Ex-member)
• Ul'dahn underworld

Set the Tone

• Stumble Then Rise On Some Awkward Morning- Hypnotic.
• First Vision
• Sora- (Headcanon) Elezen lullaby inspired by Shiva's sacrifice (or heresy, depending) and the resultant war with the dragons. Likely commonly known.
• Retaliate
• By And Down

Rumors

Note: This section is editable by anyone. If you'd like to add a rumor, please stay in character.

• "Some people say that he's out of control, that I should leash him up. I say those people need to mind their own fucking business and keep their hands to themselves before I take them." - Julien Fortier

• "Amedee? A rather sneaky mage. I hope the pasty fool didn't waste my damn blunt. " - Orenji Kharn

History

"...Light to envelop and absorb evil. Light to show you destruction and guide you to righteousness. The light is the key. Take it into you, where it will forever burn bright." —Lalai

Name and Lifestyle

Current Residence

Shares apartments in Mists with Julien Fortier.

Before Dalamud's Fall

Birth and childhood (0-10)

Raised in North Shroud caves to protect the family and cultivate self-sufficiency, his upbringing was colored by clannish bias and distinct disregard for those too weak to carry their weight. His draconian mother evinced love in harsh lessons; his father was a remote figure whose approval could never be won, yet whose commands required unflinching obedience. His sister, the eldest, learned her mother's calculated brutality and her father's frigidity; she was an excellent hunter of beast and men alike. His brother, the middle-child, made up for mediocrity as a warrior with roguish guile and a head for professional exploitation. Amédée, the youngest, admired his sister, despised his brother, and fought to deserve a place at his father's side.

Amédée carries his family's bias against miqo'te, Wildwood and Gridanians, while preferring the company of Duskwight no matter how reprehensible they are.

Teen Years

Amédée learned archery at a young age and remained a lethal hunter until a knife fight with a Keeper huntress ruined his perfect vision. After that, he covered his parents from the trees to ensure their small raids went smoothly, capitalizing on his diminutive size to stay well out of sight. Forays into Gridania were rare and typically made by his older siblings, so he saw little of civilization beyond adventurer's camps and the tribal life of the caves.

Some nights, as dawn threatened the edge of the sky, he would practice drawing the aether from the rich flora and fauna of the Shroud, convinced that if he could siphon enough of it, he would become strong enough to earn the approval of his family. He practiced spells-- conjury, arcanamia, even a bit of thaumaturgy-- from the diagrams in the books left by the victims of their raids. He taught himself basic literacy from these texts, but most works are too complex for him to read.

After Dalamud's Fall

Adulthood

Amédée found himself in Ul'dah at his brother Lucas' invitation shortly after the Calamity collapsed their family's caves. Seduced by the power of black magic after witnessing a display in the sands just outside the city, he decided to join the Thaumaturge's Guild and threw himself into his studies-- and into the worship of Ul'dah's patron deity, Nald'thal. The rituals of prayer and practice lent structure to his life and he thrived, developing his natural talent for thaumaturgy at a breakneck pace. Despite the garish climate of the desert and the stone walls hemming him in, Amédée never felt more free.

Ul'dah allowed him to indulge every vice imaginable-- drinking, smoking, gambling, whoring, dabbling in the stuff passed in hushed whispers down the darkest of the city's alleys. Nothing was off-limits, everything belonged to him.

A Realm Reborn (Present, 23)

A series of lost bets found Amédée in the employ of the Diabolos' Due Dice Ring and engaged to an Ishgardian Temple Knight with an interesting sense of propriety. After the abrupt dissolution of the gang, Amédée, ruled by an aimless brand of self-destruction, split his time between starting shit in Ul'dah alleys and drinking his weight in wine on the bottom floor of Ishgard's Forgotten Knight. But the Weaver would not allow him to end his life, no matter how many fights he started, no matter how vicious his opponents. Revelation struck at the edge of Witchdrop and he turned away without stepping over the precipice-- only to enter the space between dreams and reality, a world in which his lover was convinced he was dead, about which Amédée can recall nothing but the terror of Vevekera's curse.

Something throbs in the undertow, impatient, ready to show its teeth again. Enemies lurk in lean, dark bodies, clad in Dravanian scales. Amédée is bent on leaving Thal nothing but the ashes of those responsible for orchestrating Julien's worst nightmare.

• For more details, please visit his blog.