Ioan Hunter
 Ioan Hunter
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| Gender | Male |
| Race | Hyur (Mixed) |
| Clan | Unknown |
| Citizenship | Gridanian |
| Age | Early to Mid Twenties |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Occupation | Beast Hunter |
| Height/Weight | 6'4" (193cm) / 220lbs (86.2kg) |
| Orientation | Unknown |
| Relatives |
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Contents
Basic Info
Ioan (pronounced: /YOH-an HUHN-tur/) (25th Sun of the 5th Umbral Moon) is a Hyur, born under very unusual circumstances. If asked, he may tell the tale of how his soul was pieced together by the Elementals themselves, just after his birth. He is known for his striking blue eye, caused by the aether forced into his body as an infant to give him life. His skills as a beast hunter, as well as a lumberman are well known, and he is trusted by many butchers and carpenters to do trustworthy work, as well as townsfolk and Levemetes who trust him to kill sizable monsters and beasts. He is also known to be very perceptive of people's natures, almost supernaturally so.
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Appearance & Personality
Ioan is too tall to look like a normal midlander, but too short and soft-featured to look like a highlander, but that isn't the first thing people see. The first thing many notice, as well as comment on, are his abnormal eyes. His natural eye, untouched by Aether, is a bright brown, like his father's, but his other eye is a brilliant blue, the same color as the Crystals themselves. His skin is a rich tan, and his hair is a deep auburn. He stands as straight as he can, though there have been days where people have noticed him limp or slump. He either looks entirely fine, or very pale and weak. Some say he gets catches the wind the wrong way too often for it to be normal.
His personality is quite simple in nature; Stoic, calm, and thoughtful. He doesn't speak all that much, but is brutally honest when he does. He isn't the type to beat around the bush, and will make his intentions clear from the beginning. He tends to see things as black and white at first, but is open to debate and enlightenment on certain issues. However, despite his rough edges, which may be attributed to him having been raised in Gridania, he is a devoted individual who will do whatever is needed of him from honest folk.
As one grows to know him, they may find a less confident, more worried side of him. He does not like many knowing about his true afflictions, or how often they really come about. He refuses to let himself look weak in front of those he looks up to, as well as those he feels a need to protect. Unfortunately, this often leads him to self-exhaustion and stubborn denial of health problems.
Biography
Building a Soul in the Shroud
Yvette Crane, a Midlander Hyur and a proficient Conjurer, had left her home of Ul'Dah behind her after marrying a Highlander, Beron Hunter. They traveled to the land of Gridania, where Yvette could further study the Elementals of the Shroud. Even while with child, she traveled deep into the forests to observe the Elementals peacefully. Toward the end of her pregnancy, she made what she'd promised Beron would be her last trip to the forests, this time to seek blessings from the Elementals she had grown fond of. Upon reaching the circle of brush and stones she often came to, far from any other people, she sat to watch them and pray. Before she could grow deep in thought, however, she was riddled with the sudden pain of labor. She screamed for help, but it fell only upon the ears of wildlife and nature. She saw glimmers of the Elementals drawing near her. She knew the beauty of these powerful beings, but she also knew the danger, and knew not which she would face. As they grew nearer and nearer, she feared she would only see the latter, until she noticed they were forming around her in a protective barrier, scaring away any dangerous wildlife. They remained there, protecting her from the lurking dangers in the forest as she fought through the long and difficult labor, which lasted for nearly eleven hours.
Finally, her son was born, but with no life in his body. She held him close, crying and sobbing. She pleaded to the Elementals, swearing her service to them forever if they would grant her child life. The Elementals agreed, in their own way, and gathered stray fragments of life in the aether, piecing it together to form a soul for the lifeless child. As his soul was built from the spirit of the forest, itself, he finally opened his eyes, one a brilliant, shining blue, and bellowed his first cry.
The Great Freyette Crecentiaux
Though he was alive, Ioan had to fight his way through many bouts of severe aether sickness throughout his childhood. He would have such furious bouts of nausea, fever, and aches that he would be bedridden for weeks, and in his dreams, he would see fragments of terrors, or moments of death. The sickness was slowly killing his body, and maddening his mind. Desperate to find any way to help their son, Yvette and Beron turned to the conjurers. They found a solution through deep attunement, a form of nigh-coma like meditation in the depths of nature.
To better train this ability for the non-magic inclined child, they made an agreement with the Lancers Guild, a brotherhood of well disciplined warriors, well versed in the ways of deep attunement, and through the guild, Ioan was introduced to the Dragoon, Freyette Crecentia. The training would not be easy, they were warned, as Freyette was known to be extraordinarily tough on students, several of which refused to go under any further training from her due to the difficulty. Ioan, through his years rigorous training under the grizzled battle matron, learned the ways of deep attunemnt, and with it, turned his aether sickness into a great strength with new found supernatural abilities.
Eventually, Freyette found Ioan impressive and proficient enough to take him on as an apprentice in her career of beast hunting. She had three simple rules: Hunt what is needed, not what is wanted. ; Only kill a beast who is unable to be tamed or sent elsewhere. ; Never, never poach.
The Loss of a Mentor
For nearly five years, Freyette and Ioan hunted together, banishing or killing dangerous beasts who threatened the safety of Gridanian citizens. They traveled all over the shroud, serving the people of the land well. Until one day, when they were hired to track and heard a large group of wild boar for breeding and domestication. During their work, Freyette found signs of poaching, and skilled poaching at that. She recognized the poacher's fine work with a lance by the trademark gashes on each cheek of the beasts, and even knew his name. Ludoioux Garamond. He was a member of a band of Dragoons Freyette lead ten years before. He had been the one who lead to their downfall, betraying them to the enemy for a reward of gold and immunity.
She forced Ioan to remain behind with his guild, leaving to track the fellow Dragoon down on her own. When several days passed without her return, Ioan set out on his own to find her, and offer what help he could, despite the wishes of the Lancer's guild. He finally found her a day later, but moments to late. He witnessed the very moment she was struck down by her old teammate, who was in the process of trying to steal a baby behemoth from its mother, which he'd freshly killed. Enraged, Ioan rushed in to attack, but was quickly defeated and severely injured. Garamond decided to mark him. One gash on each cheek. Before he could land his killing blow, however, the Lancers Guild showed up in support, forcing Garamond to retreat, without his prize of a baby behemoth, or his pride of a kill.
Ioan awoke in Gridania several days later, and was told that Garamond was killed to prevent him leaving to find him again. The baby behemoth they rescued had refused to leave his bedside, and Ioan decided to keep her, naming her after his mentor, Freyette.
Recent Events
- ● Ioan ran across a strange Miqo'te Paladin, with white hair and heterochromia. He was injured, and rather stubborn about seeking help. Ioan kept him company for a while, trying to convince him to find a place to rest, but the Keeper seemed content with where he was. Still the company lead to a little conversation, and before he left, Ioan sensed his soul, and the great power and pain it held. He'd be able to sense it in a crowd anywhere, with how strong it was.
- ● Ioan was in the Shroud when a spritely young Miqo'te named Mar'khas started a fight in the bar Ioan was relaxing in. Somehow, not even he really recalls why, Ioan ended up on Mar'Khas' side, fighting until they'd won the battle. They were kicked out of the bar to cool off, with perhaps the aid of some water, but Mar'khas seemed satisfied. Ioan was not.
Abilites
Aether Abilities
Due to his soul having been put together by the Elementals themselves, Ioan has developed certain abilities and weaknesses.
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Miscellaneous
- Theme Songs: Balto - Yasunori Mitsuda & Yoshitaka Hirota / Corridors of Time - Yasunori Mitsuda / The Road Most Traveled - Jeremy Soule
- TV Tropes: Deadpan Snarker / Blade on a Stick / Submissive Badass / Friendless Background / The Heart / Beware the Nice Ones (Toward Friends) / Detect Evil / Last Name Basis / Honor Before Reason / Red Headed Hero / Glass Canon
- Additional Trivia:
- ■ Ioan is left handed.
- ■ Ioan has a habit of chewing his lips.
- ■ He usually hates crowded places.
- ■ His favorite time of year is spring, when the most is growing.
Don't believe everything you hear. (Feel free to add your own rumors under PC!) ◢ Common Rumors (Easily overheard)
◢ Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)
◢ Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)
◢ PC Rumors (Rumors from the character's of other players)
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Gallery
Ioan in the South Shroud
Ioan in Old Gridania
Footnotes
- Template by Bancroft Gairn
