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Rufus Wightman

2017-08-05T09:16:33Z

Rufus Wightman:

{{Infobox-character
| name = Rufus Wightman
| image = Ruff_Picture_Crop.jpg
| imagewidth =
| caption =
| title =
| gender = Male
| citizenship = Ul'dah
| race = Hyur
| clan = Midlander
| stat_1 = Nameday
| stat_1_value = 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552
| stat_2 = Age
| stat_2_value = 27
| stat_3 = Guardian
| stat_3_value = [[Halone, the Fury]]
| stat_4 = Free Company
| stat_4_value = Jackal & Hide
| stat_5 = Profession
| stat_5_value = Dark Knight/Bounty Hunter
| stat_6 =
| stat_6_value =
}}

==Character==
===General===

===Appearance===

Rufus is a somewhat taller-than-average hyur male, standing at a proud six fulms, who sports fairly tanned skin, gifted by the sun-baked lands of Thanalan. He bears a set of striking grey eyes, usually appearing flat or cold in demeanour when coupled with the dark, heavy circles prevalent surrounding his eyes, spawned from many late or sleepless nights. On rare occasion, it can be observed that they icy grey of his eyes can be overcome with an orange-red haze. During such a time as this his personality seems to take a wild downturn, becoming outwardly angry and cynical. His hair is an oddity - an ever changing feature adorning his head. Sometimes long and dishevelled, sometimes short and well-kept, though the colour is one thing that generally stays the same - that of a deep, earthy brown. In addition, he has a few spurts of unchecked facial hair growth on his chin and, if too lazy to shave, upper lip - that generally gives him a more aged look. His facial features, once being surprisingly fair, have since begun to show signs of age and wear. This is particularly denoted in the large scar that occupies a fair section of his brow. A marking worthy of note, though it is unlikely to be seen as it is usually covered by gloves of some kind, is a mangled patch of skin on the back of his right hand. It would appear that the symbol of Halone was imprinted into the skin, likely through melting the flesh there with a heated object - likely a brand of some form.

To the common observer, the midlander stands respectably among his kin. Nearly as tall as what is regarded as the tallest of the clan. His difference from the rest comes in the form of the taut, battle-hardened musculature he bears, nearly coated in scars from head-to-toe coming in varying shapes and sizes. Slashing wounds. Animal bites. Burns. Nearly any kind of injury that leaves its mark could be found upon the man's form, the storied history of his flesh born by numerous years of rigorous combat training and dangerous jobs. It's clear to see, especially in casual dress, that the man's body has become a weapon in and of itself. His neck is thick, though not quite on the bullish side, as it leads down to his solid chest, a veritable edifice of flesh and muscle. His broad shoulders taper off, carrying his undoubtedly impressive arms, the muscles honed by the swinging of his favoured greatsword. His hips are as to be expected, framing his lower body perfectly, as his set of strong, athletic legs lay below. His knees - oh, his knees, don't even get me started - by far being the best feature on his body. The musculature of the joint sculpted to an almost Adonis-level of perfection, the likes of which has made many a comely maiden swoon at the grandiose sight to which they were truly unprepared.

===Personality===

Rufus, in the past, was generally quite a well-adjusted person. He bore a generally quite naive viewpoint on the world, actively seeking the good in any and all. He would often be found putting other's needs ahead of his own, more often than not to his own detriment. Those that associated with him would generally find him jovial in demeanour, almost always wearing a smile on his face. While he still retains some of his former self, and still holds many of the same values as before, such as protecting those he cares for, and seeking justice for those who cannot, his personality has come under drastic change as he began to explore the powers of darkness awakening within him. This is reflected in his much more fervent pursuit of justice, regardless of standing or stature. He firmly believes that if one does wrong, they should be held to account, no matter their station. He's found that adopting this philosophy works well for him, allowing him to combat obstacles seeking to rise from the murk of his past, while being able to forge ahead into the future.

In current times, Rufus's personality has taken some interesting turns. As a result of his dark side within him, he always strives to maintain an internal balance, so as to prevent himself from being overtaken. This causes him to sometimes act erratically, overcompensating in ways of comedy or drama in the hope that the people around him won't notice his struggle. In the odd case where his dark side does begin to show, his personality takes a huge turn downward, as he becomes an outwardly hostile and cynical person. These bursts don't tend to last long, and he often feels heavy amounts of guilt in the aftermath. He seeks to be as little of a burden on those he cares for as possible, rarely bringing his own problems to them, while readily wanting to accept their own burdens to shoulder. He seems to undervalue himself in a way, often internally criticizing himself for misguided attempts at socializing, or becoming mildly paranoid that he has somehow damaged a friendship. This serves as a point of internal conflict with the members of his Company, whom he knows do not trust him entirely, largely as a result of the darkness within him.

==History/Timeline==
Rufus, born on the 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552 of the 6th Astral Era, was given life in Ul'dah to a pair of loving parents. Selene and Drystan Mercer. All throughout his childhood, Rufus was told his mother died giving birth to him. This, however, was false information. Selene mercer was a renowned Bloodsands fighter, who went by the moniker 'The Iron Wolf of Ul'dah'. She won many fights in her time, but as she and Drystan decided to settle down and start a family, she hung up her gladiatorial belt in favor of being a housewife. This didn't sit too well with some of Ul'dah's more... unfavorable types. The monetarists, to be specific. She had become a gambling icon, and if she couldn't fight, people couldn't bet on her to win those fights. A plot was hatched for the night of Rufus's birth. The plan? To abduct the baby Rufus and blackmail Selene into fighting once more. Under cover of darkness, a band of monetarists found the infant Rufus, and did indeed steal him away from his barely recovered mother. Upon learning of this, his parents underwent a crusade to retrieve their son. Selene refused to submit to the demands of the monetarists, saying that she was done with that lifestyle for good. This, again, did not sit too well with the monetarists. If they couldn't control Selene into doing as they pleased, she was useless to them. They had her killed shortly after by means of a hired assassin. They had also planned to kill off Rufus, as they stood not to benefit from having the infant around. Before the deed could be done, however, thanks to a long-standing family friend, Rufus's father managed to rescue him in a dramatic rush, cutting down those that had ordered his wife's murder. Though not without sustaining a grievous wound that would never heal properly. It was because of this that Drystan was disallowed to continue his career as an arena fighter. Embittered at both the loss of his career, and the loss of his wife, Drystan fell into a depression and turned to alcohol to solve his problems, which in turn made him into an abusive drunk and the sole person to care for the young Rufus.

Growing up, Rufus never had it 'easy', though, arguably easier than some as he would see it.Thanks to the money that both his parents made from their gladiatorial careers allowed the two to live a reasonably comfortable life, wealth wise. However, he bore the brunt of his Father's blame for all the bad things that had happened to his life. He never told Rufus the true reason for his mother's death, choosing instead to let him believe it was the simpler cause of a problem during childbirth. Either way, the blame was shifted onto the child. He never truly knew the feeling of a parent's love. His father instead preferring to force him to train so that he might become an arena fighter one day, and allow himself to live through his son's actions. Surprisingly, Rufus found he had a knack for swinging a sword, and began to train diligently with the Gladiators' Guild, becoming a particularly skilled fighter. This didn't impress his father too much, much to Rufus's dismay. Most of his home-life involved berating and beatings. One night in particular stick firmly to Rufus's memory. A short time prior to the incident, Drystan had worked himself into a drunken stupor once more, and had the idea that if Rufus carried the symbol of Halone somewhere upon him, then their deity would grant his son increased combat capabilities. He specially ordered a brand from the smiths of Limsa Lomina, bearing the symbol of Halone upon it. His plan was promptly put into action a short time after, attacking Rufus with the brand during his sleep. Rufus raised his hand to his face to avoid being struck anywhere that might cause lasting damage, as such, the back of his right hand caught the blow. The pain was so intense he was stuck, frozen as his father ensured the mark would be a permanent one, the skin turning into a twisted mess. Since that incident, he tends to wear gloves to cover up the misshapen mess of his hand.

Years later, Rufus was made to take part in a number of Bloodsands matches at the behest of his father. It was there in that very first bout, in which he narrowly avoided a sword cleaving into his skull, that he was left with the diagonal scar running across his brow. An ever-present and ugly reminder of the first time he would take a life. Having nowhere else to go, Rufus was unable to escape his father, forced to put up with his near-endless torment for not being able to bear the weight of his parent's legacy. It was only thanks to the friendships he fostered in his time at the Gladiators' Guild that he was able to stay sane. One woman in particular, his first love, Amelia Reede. She was the one thing he was able to focus on, as he desperately tried to reason with his father, not wanting to see him kill himself with alcohol day in, day out. Eventually, this endeavor proved fruitful for him, as he was able to make some very small reparations with his father, becoming estranged friends, more or less.

Some time later, as the Garleans became a major threat, and the city-states banded together to defend Eorzea from their encroaching threat, Rufus watched as many of his friends prepared for war. He was of a fighting age at the time, and far more skilled than most. His father, however, forbade him from taking the field at Cartenau, which he himself was going to participate in, despite his wound. No matter how much Rufus argued, he was never allowed to go. Drystan could not bear the thought of watching the son he had just begun to connect with die in a war that has nothing to do with him. Drystan told the young Rufus this much, as well as telling him that Rufus, "will be just fine". Years later, he would find himself thankful to his now deceased father, who was slain during Bahamut's onslaught. It didn't just claim his father, sadly. It also claimed practically all of his friends who had went out to meet the Garlean host that day. What struck him most of all, however, was the death of his then-lover, Amelia. She had been disallowed to go to Carteneau as he was, however, she had not been spared the Elder Primal's wrath, as one of the raining fireballs from its destruction struck the area of the city she lived in, flattening her house on top of her. Having lost almost all the people he ever knew and cared about, Rufus sank into a depression much like his father before him. However, not wanting to become his father, he was slowly able to pull himself out of the depression, and swore to himself that he would train to become a paladin one day, so he could prevent others from losing the people they loved, and suffering as he did. The training, however, proved too much for him. His spirit was shattered from the events of the Calamity, and he had began to stop looking after himself as well as before. He was unable to keep up, and was eventually told to leave. This slumped him back into another depression which took much longer to free himself from. He dwelled on his own misery for a long time, having failed to live up to another challenge before him.

Dark thoughts possessed him around this time, as he was unable to share the weight dragging down upon him with anyone. On one particular day, one that seemed no different from any other, he heard something tapping at the glass of one of the windows in his home. Since failing the paladin trials, he had all but created an artificial night in his home, choosing to keep the windows covered. However, no matter how he tried to ignore the tapping, it was ceaseless. Eventually, he had had enough. He stood up and flung the window open, covering his eyes against the harsh sunlight. He squinted his eyes, making out a small figure before him, floating in the air. A tiny bird was staring back at him. He tried to shoo the bird off, but it was persistent. It would keep coming back, giving Rufus an expectant look, trailing away as if it wanted to follow him. With much reluctance, Rufus left his house and followed after the bird. He continued to follow it outside the walls of Ul'dah, and down to a small, withering bed of flowers, not far from the Sultantree. As he approached, the wind suddenly gusted strongly, petals scattered around and began to surround him. His first instinct was to fight this otherworldly occurrence, but as the petals enclosed around him, he began to feel a warm sensation coursing through him. His attempt to fight washed away with this new feeling, and he sunk to his knees. As he sat there, dazed by the events, and completely unsure what to make of them, he could have sworn that he heard voices. Voices of his father, and of Amelia, and another woman - presumably his mother. He couldn't understand what the voices were saying, but he faintly began to understand the feeling welling up inside him. After ignoring it and pushing it down for so long, he allowed himself to feel the nigh-overwhelming grief that had been building. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Rufus thought he might be able to move on with his life, meet new people, and be happy once more. He set off back to Ul'dah with a new sense of determination, his spirit restored, as he began to take the first steps to reintegrating into society.

(And that's pretty much when I started to RP with the character).

==Combat==
Throughout years of extensive training with the Gladiators' Guild, Rufus's body has been honed into a deadly weapon. His skill with a sword and shield is not to be sniffed at, and he is also quite capable of handling daggers - throwing or otherwise. His aetheric reserves are little more than average for one such as he, meaning he has to be careful of how he expends what resources he has, lest he become too weak to fight for short amounts of time. Additionally, having read a great many manuals on battle and tactics, he has become rather adept at being able to come up with plans from the top of his head.

In recent times, Rufus has undertaken the mantle of a dark knight, including the weapon and fighting style that accompanies it. He wields long and terrible greatswords, using their unwieldy size and weight to generate swing strong enough to cleave a man in two, and the man beside him. Alongside the sheer brutality of his swordwork, he employs the powers granted to him by harnessing his negative emotions. His fear, pain and rage all coalesce into a dark power which he pairs with swordplay to produce hideous effects. Conjuring barriers of shadow, ripping the lifeforce from his foes, and manifesting inky-black spires are just some of the abilities granted to him.

In addition to the regular powers of a dark knight, at great cost to his aetheric reserves, Rufus is capable of having his 'darkside' - the manifestation of his darker emotions - take control of his body for a small amount of time. During these few, chaos-strewn moments, the man's movements become like those of a wild beast. He gains several times his own speed and strength, and is capable of feats that most would dare not to dream of. In this state, he comes a true berserker, hacking his foes to gory pieces and revelling in the pain they cause him.

==Tendencies==
===Likes===
::* Friendship
::* Chocobos
::* Helping people
::* Necessary Violence

===Dislikes===
::* Bad news
::* Rain
::* General villainy

===Hobbies/Talents===
::* Sword fighting
::* Fishing
::* Cooking
::* Hunting monsters

==Relationships==
===Family===

Mother - Selene Mercer: Deceased. An ex-Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died around the time of Rufus's birth, the cause shrouded in conspiracy.

Father - Drystan Mercer: Deceased. Rufus's abusive father, also a Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died in the battle of Carteneau.

===Friends===

[[Mylene Wharf]]: Arguably one of Rufus's first friends since the Calamity. He met her at random in the Quicksand, and they got to talking. Though she was initially shy around him, he tried his best to foster a friendship with her. Eventually, she showed him how to fish, creating his love for fishing, and a lasting bond between them. Now, he worked alongside her in the Tomial Order.

Raikemi Maiagaru: Another of the first friends after the Calamity. Rufus met Raikemi by chance when he overheard a conversation about a woman looking for her lost brother. He offered to help her, alongside Raikemi. As the two sat around, they seemed to hit it off, becoming fast friends. Nowadays he thinks of her as a reliable friend, and an overall good friend, despite the back and forth teasing between them. He once worked along side her in the Tomial Order.

Mizhki Tayuun + Memzie Ashia: Two sisters that Rufus befriended both at different times. He met Mizhki in the Quicksand, as her Free Company leader was offering him a place with them. Rufus politely refused, however he managed to befriend both the leader, and Mizhki as well. Having a couple of run ins with her later led him to discover more about her. And that she is a little unusual. That said, he doesn't mind her quirks all too much, preferring instead to enjoy her exuberant energy and happy demeanor. He later learned of Mizhki's sister Memzie by absolute chance. Running into Memzie, he talked with her for a few minutes before noting the resemblance between the two. He almost instantly took note of the differences between the sisters personality wise, finding the complete juxtaposition amusing.

===Enemies===
Rufus does not seem to necessarily think he has become hated in general. He tries to show as much kindness as he can muster to those around him. In the rare case that he HAS managed to make an enemy of something or someone, they generally do not tend to live long enough to act upon it. He takes a very strong stance to those who would seek to do him - or his friends - harm.

===NPC Rumors===
* "Mh? Ah, aye. I saw such a man stalking the streets of Ul'dah. 'e were garbed all in black, 'an had an awful evil look in 'is eye. Thought 'a might just drop dead from bein' near the freak!"
* "Rufus? You mean the boy what were Drystan and Selene's? I 'aven't heard about him in years, since 'e buggered up tryin' tae fight on the Bloodsands. Would'a though he died in a ditch somewhar, tryin' tae impress dear ol' da."
* "The lad with the sword, right? Gods, I get an awful feeling from him. Like he's got some kinda venom roiling in him. But whenever I've caught a glimpse of him at the Quicksand? There's times where he almost seems... sad? Lonely? Hard to say."

==Gallery==
A small little place where I'll try to upload any art I might get of Rufus. Enjoy!
<gallery>
File:Nota1.png|A lovely quick-commission done by the fantastsic http://steffydoodles.tumblr.com/!
File:Rufusedge.png|An absolutely amazing commission done by http://brenna-ivy.tumblr.com/and I love it!
</gallery>

Rufus Wightman

2017-08-05T09:16:05Z

Rufus Wightman:

{{Infobox-character
| name = Rufus Wightman
| image = Ruff_Picture_Crop.jpg
| imagewidth =
| caption =
| title =
| gender = Male
| citizenship = Ul'dah
| race = Hyur
| clan = Midlander
| stat_1 = Nameday
| stat_1_value = 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552
| stat_2 = Age
| stat_2_value = 27
| stat_3 = Guardian
| stat_3_value = [[Halone, the Fury]]
| stat_4 = Free Company
| stat_4_value = Jackal & Hide
| stat_5 = Profession
| stat_5_value = Dark Knight/Bounty Hunter
| stat_6 =
| stat_6_value =
}}

==Character==
===General===

===Appearance===

Rufus is a somewhat taller-than-average hyur male, standing at a proud six fulms, who sports fairly tanned skin, gifted by the sun-baked lands of Thanalan. He bears a set of striking grey eyes, usually appearing flat or cold in demeanour when coupled with the dark, heavy circles prevalent surrounding his eyes, spawned from many late or sleepless nights. On rare occasion, it can be observed that they icy grey of his eyes can be overcome with an orange-red haze. During such a time as this his personality seems to take a wild downturn, becoming outwardly angry and cynical. His hair is an oddity - an ever changing feature adorning his head. Sometimes long and dishevelled, sometimes short and well-kept, though the colour is one thing that generally stays the same - that of a deep, earthy brown. In addition, he has a few spurts of unchecked facial hair growth on his chin and, if too lazy to shave, upper lip - that generally gives him a more aged look. His facial features, once being surprisingly fair, have since begun to show signs of age and wear. This is particularly denoted in the large scar that occupies a fair section of his brow. A marking worthy of note, though it is unlikely to be seen as it is usually covered by gloves of some kind, is a mangled patch of skin on the back of his right hand. It would appear that the symbol of Halone was imprinted into the skin, likely through melting the flesh there with a heated object - likely a brand of some form.

To the common observer, the midlander stands respectably among his kin. Nearly as tall as what is regarded as the tallest of the clan. His difference from the rest comes in the form of the taut, battle-hardened musculature he bears, nearly coated in scars from head-to-toe coming in varying shapes and sizes. Slashing wounds. Animal bites. Burns. Nearly any kind of injury that leaves its mark could be found upon the man's form, the storied history of his flesh born by numerous years of rigorous combat training and dangerous jobs. It's clear to see, especially in casual dress, that the man's body has become a weapon in and of itself. His neck is thick, though not quite on the bullish side, as it leads down to his solid chest, a veritable edifice of flesh and muscle. His broad shoulders taper off, carrying his undoubtedly impressive arms, the muscles honed by the swinging of his favoured greatsword. His hips are as to be expected, framing his lower body perfectly, as his set of strong, athletic legs lay below. His knees - oh, his knees, don't even get me started - by far being the best feature on his body. The musculature of the joint sculpted to an almost Adonis-level of perfection, the likes of which has made many a comely maiden swoon at the grandiose sight to which they were truly unprepared.

===Personality===

Rufus, in the past, was generally quite a well-adjusted person. He bore a generally quite naive viewpoint on the world, actively seeking the good in any and all. He would often be found putting other's needs ahead of his own, more often than not to his own detriment. Those that associated with him would generally find him jovial in demeanour, almost always wearing a smile on his face. While he still retains some of his former self, and still holds many of the same values as before, such as protecting those he cares for, and seeking justice for those who cannot, his personality has come under drastic change as he began to explore the powers of darkness awakening within him. This is reflected in his much more fervent pursuit of justice, regardless of standing or stature. He firmly believes that if one does wrong, they should be held to account, no matter their station. He's found that adopting this philosophy works well for him, allowing him to combat obstacles seeking to rise from the murk of his past, while being able to forge ahead into the future.

In current times, Rufus's personality has taken some interesting turns. As a result of his dark side within him, he always strives to maintain an internal balance, so as to prevent himself from being overtaken. This causes him to sometimes act erratically, overcompensating in ways of comedy or drama in the hope that the people around him won't notice his struggle. In the odd case where his dark side does begin to show, his personality takes a huge turn downward, as he becomes an outwardly hostile and cynical person. These bursts don't tend to last long, and he often feels heavy amounts of guilt in the aftermath. He seeks to be as little of a burden on those he cares for as possible, rarely bringing his own problems to them, while readily wanting to accept their own burdens to shoulder. He seems to undervalue himself in a way, often internally criticizing himself for misguided attempts at socializing, or becoming mildly paranoid that he has somehow damaged a friendship. This serves as a point of internal conflict with the members of his Company, whom he knows do not trust him entirely, largely as a result of the darkness within him.

==History/Timeline==
Rufus, born on the 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552 of the 6th Astral Era, was given life in Ul'dah to a pair of loving parents. Selene and Drystan Mercer. All throughout his childhood, Rufus was told his mother died giving birth to him. This, however, was false information. Selene mercer was a renowned Bloodsands fighter, who went by the moniker 'The Iron Wolf of Ul'dah'. She won many fights in her time, but as she and Drystan decided to settle down and start a family, she hung up her gladiatorial belt in favor of being a housewife. This didn't sit too well with some of Ul'dah's more... unfavorable types. The monetarists, to be specific. She had become a gambling icon, and if she couldn't fight, people couldn't bet on her to win those fights. A plot was hatched for the night of Rufus's birth. The plan? To abduct the baby Rufus and blackmail Selene into fighting once more. Under cover of darkness, a band of monetarists found the infant Rufus, and did indeed steal him away from his barely recovered mother. Upon learning of this, his parents underwent a crusade to retrieve their son. Selene refused to submit to the demands of the monetarists, saying that she was done with that lifestyle for good. This, again, did not sit too well with the monetarists. If they couldn't control Selene into doing as they pleased, she was useless to them. They had her killed shortly after by means of a hired assassin. They had also planned to kill off Rufus, as they stood not to benefit from having the infant around. Before the deed could be done, however, thanks to a long-standing family friend, Rufus's father managed to rescue him in a dramatic rush, cutting down those that had ordered his wife's murder. Though not without sustaining a grievous wound that would never heal properly. It was because of this that Drystan was disallowed to continue his career as an arena fighter. Embittered at both the loss of his career, and the loss of his wife, Drystan fell into a depression and turned to alcohol to solve his problems, which in turn made him into an abusive drunk and the sole person to care for the young Rufus.

Growing up, Rufus never had it 'easy', though, arguably easier than some as he would see it.Thanks to the money that both his parents made from their gladiatorial careers allowed the two to live a reasonably comfortable life, wealth wise. However, he bore the brunt of his Father's blame for all the bad things that had happened to his life. He never told Rufus the true reason for his mother's death, choosing instead to let him believe it was the simpler cause of a problem during childbirth. Either way, the blame was shifted onto the child. He never truly knew the feeling of a parent's love. His father instead preferring to force him to train so that he might become an arena fighter one day, and allow himself to live through his son's actions. Surprisingly, Rufus found he had a knack for swinging a sword, and began to train diligently with the Gladiators' Guild, becoming a particularly skilled fighter. This didn't impress his father too much, much to Rufus's dismay. Most of his home-life involved berating and beatings. One night in particular stick firmly to Rufus's memory. A short time prior to the incident, Drystan had worked himself into a drunken stupor once more, and had the idea that if Rufus carried the symbol of Halone somewhere upon him, then their deity would grant his son increased combat capabilities. He specially ordered a brand from the smiths of Limsa Lomina, bearing the symbol of Halone upon it. His plan was promptly put into action a short time after, attacking Rufus with the brand during his sleep. Rufus raised his hand to his face to avoid being struck anywhere that might cause lasting damage, as such, the back of his right hand caught the blow. The pain was so intense he was stuck, frozen as his father ensured the mark would be a permanent one, the skin turning into a twisted mess. Since that incident, he tends to wear gloves to cover up the misshapen mess of his hand.

Years later, Rufus was made to take part in a number of Bloodsands matches at the behest of his father. It was there in that very first bout, in which he narrowly avoided a sword cleaving into his skull, that he was left with the diagonal scar running across his brow. An ever-present and ugly reminder of the first time he would take a life. Having nowhere else to go, Rufus was unable to escape his father, forced to put up with his near-endless torment for not being able to bear the weight of his parent's legacy. It was only thanks to the friendships he fostered in his time at the Gladiators' Guild that he was able to stay sane. One woman in particular, his first love, Amelia Reede. She was the one thing he was able to focus on, as he desperately tried to reason with his father, not wanting to see him kill himself with alcohol day in, day out. Eventually, this endeavor proved fruitful for him, as he was able to make some very small reparations with his father, becoming estranged friends, more or less.

Some time later, as the Garleans became a major threat, and the city-states banded together to defend Eorzea from their encroaching threat, Rufus watched as many of his friends prepared for war. He was of a fighting age at the time, and far more skilled than most. His father, however, forbade him from taking the field at Cartenau, which he himself was going to participate in, despite his wound. No matter how much Rufus argued, he was never allowed to go. Drystan could not bear the thought of watching the son he had just begun to connect with die in a war that has nothing to do with him. Drystan told the young Rufus this much, as well as telling him that Rufus, "will be just fine". Years later, he would find himself thankful to his now deceased father, who was slain during Bahamut's onslaught. It didn't just claim his father, sadly. It also claimed practically all of his friends who had went out to meet the Garlean host that day. What struck him most of all, however, was the death of his then-lover, Amelia. She had been disallowed to go to Carteneau as he was, however, she had not been spared the Elder Primal's wrath, as one of the raining fireballs from its destruction struck the area of the city she lived in, flattening her house on top of her. Having lost almost all the people he ever knew and cared about, Rufus sank into a depression much like his father before him. However, not wanting to become his father, he was slowly able to pull himself out of the depression, and swore to himself that he would train to become a paladin one day, so he could prevent others from losing the people they loved, and suffering as he did. The training, however, proved too much for him. His spirit was shattered from the events of the Calamity, and he had began to stop looking after himself as well as before. He was unable to keep up, and was eventually told to leave. This slumped him back into another depression which took much longer to free himself from. He dwelled on his own misery for a long time, having failed to live up to another challenge before him.

Dark thoughts possessed him around this time, as he was unable to share the weight dragging down upon him with anyone. On one particular day, one that seemed no different from any other, he heard something tapping at the glass of one of the windows in his home. Since failing the paladin trials, he had all but created an artificial night in his home, choosing to keep the windows covered. However, no matter how he tried to ignore the tapping, it was ceaseless. Eventually, he had had enough. He stood up and flung the window open, covering his eyes against the harsh sunlight. He squinted his eyes, making out a small figure before him, floating in the air. A tiny bird was staring back at him. He tried to shoo the bird off, but it was persistent. It would keep coming back, giving Rufus an expectant look, trailing away as if it wanted to follow him. With much reluctance, Rufus left his house and followed after the bird. He continued to follow it outside the walls of Ul'dah, and down to a small, withering bed of flowers, not far from the Sultantree. As he approached, the wind suddenly gusted strongly, petals scattered around and began to surround him. His first instinct was to fight this otherworldly occurrence, but as the petals enclosed around him, he began to feel a warm sensation coursing through him. His attempt to fight washed away with this new feeling, and he sunk to his knees. As he sat there, dazed by the events, and completely unsure what to make of them, he could have sworn that he heard voices. Voices of his father, and of Amelia, and another woman - presumably his mother. He couldn't understand what the voices were saying, but he faintly began to understand the feeling welling up inside him. After ignoring it and pushing it down for so long, he allowed himself to feel the nigh-overwhelming grief that had been building. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Rufus thought he might be able to move on with his life, meet new people, and be happy once more. He set off back to Ul'dah with a new sense of determination, his spirit restored, as he began to take the first steps to reintegrating into society.

(And that's pretty much when I started to RP with the character).

==Combat==
Throughout years of extensive training with the Gladiators' Guild, Rufus's body has been honed into a deadly weapon. His skill with a sword and shield is not to be sniffed at, and he is also quite capable of handling daggers - throwing or otherwise. His aetheric reserves are little more than average for one such as he, meaning he has to be careful of how he expends what resources he has, lest he become too weak to fight for short amounts of time. Additionally, having read a great many manuals on battle and tactics, he has become rather adept at being able to come up with plans from the top of his head.

In recent times, Rufus has undertaken the mantle of a dark knight, including the weapon and fighting style that accompanies it. He wields long and terrible greatswords, using their unwieldy size and weight to generate swing strong enough to cleave a man in two, and the man beside him. Alongside the sheer brutality of his swordwork, he employs the powers granted to him by harnessing his negative emotions. His fear, pain and rage all coalesce into a dark power which he pairs with swordplay to produce hideous effects. Conjuring barriers of shadow, ripping the lifeforce from his foes, and manifesting inky-black spires are just some of the abilities granted to him.

In addition to the regular powers of a dark knight, at great cost to his aetheric reserves, Rufus is capable of having his 'darkside' - the manifestation of his darker emotions - take control of his body for a small amount of time. During these few, chaos-strewn moments, the man's movements become like those of a wild beast. He gains several times his own speed and strength, and is capable of feats that most would dare not to dream of. In this state, he comes a true berserker, hacking his foes to gory pieces and revelling in the pain they cause him.

==Tendencies==
===Likes===
::* Friendship
::* Chocobos
::* Helping people
::* Necessary Violence

===Dislikes===
::* Bad news
::* Rain
::* General villainy

===Hobbies/Talents===
::* Sword fighting
::* Fishing
::* Cooking
::* Hunting criminals

==Relationships==
===Family===

Mother - Selene Mercer: Deceased. An ex-Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died around the time of Rufus's birth, the cause shrouded in conspiracy.

Father - Drystan Mercer: Deceased. Rufus's abusive father, also a Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died in the battle of Carteneau.

===Friends===

[[Mylene Wharf]]: Arguably one of Rufus's first friends since the Calamity. He met her at random in the Quicksand, and they got to talking. Though she was initially shy around him, he tried his best to foster a friendship with her. Eventually, she showed him how to fish, creating his love for fishing, and a lasting bond between them. Now, he worked alongside her in the Tomial Order.

Raikemi Maiagaru: Another of the first friends after the Calamity. Rufus met Raikemi by chance when he overheard a conversation about a woman looking for her lost brother. He offered to help her, alongside Raikemi. As the two sat around, they seemed to hit it off, becoming fast friends. Nowadays he thinks of her as a reliable friend, and an overall good friend, despite the back and forth teasing between them. He once worked along side her in the Tomial Order.

Mizhki Tayuun + Memzie Ashia: Two sisters that Rufus befriended both at different times. He met Mizhki in the Quicksand, as her Free Company leader was offering him a place with them. Rufus politely refused, however he managed to befriend both the leader, and Mizhki as well. Having a couple of run ins with her later led him to discover more about her. And that she is a little unusual. That said, he doesn't mind her quirks all too much, preferring instead to enjoy her exuberant energy and happy demeanor. He later learned of Mizhki's sister Memzie by absolute chance. Running into Memzie, he talked with her for a few minutes before noting the resemblance between the two. He almost instantly took note of the differences between the sisters personality wise, finding the complete juxtaposition amusing.

===Enemies===
Rufus does not seem to necessarily think he has become hated in general. He tries to show as much kindness as he can muster to those around him. In the rare case that he HAS managed to make an enemy of something or someone, they generally do not tend to live long enough to act upon it. He takes a very strong stance to those who would seek to do him - or his friends - harm.

===NPC Rumors===
* "Mh? Ah, aye. I saw such a man stalking the streets of Ul'dah. 'e were garbed all in black, 'an had an awful evil look in 'is eye. Thought 'a might just drop dead from bein' near the freak!"
* "Rufus? You mean the boy what were Drystan and Selene's? I 'aven't heard about him in years, since 'e buggered up tryin' tae fight on the Bloodsands. Would'a though he died in a ditch somewhar, tryin' tae impress dear ol' da."
* "The lad with the sword, right? Gods, I get an awful feeling from him. Like he's got some kinda venom roiling in him. But whenever I've caught a glimpse of him at the Quicksand? There's times where he almost seems... sad? Lonely? Hard to say."

==Gallery==
A small little place where I'll try to upload any art I might get of Rufus. Enjoy!
<gallery>
File:Nota1.png|A lovely quick-commission done by the fantastsic http://steffydoodles.tumblr.com/!
File:Rufusedge.png|An absolutely amazing commission done by http://brenna-ivy.tumblr.com/and I love it!
</gallery>

Rufus Wightman

2017-08-05T09:06:34Z

Rufus Wightman:

{{Infobox-character
| name = Rufus Wightman
| image = Ruff_Picture_Crop.jpg
| imagewidth =
| caption =
| title =
| gender = Male
| citizenship = Ul'dah
| race = Hyur
| clan = Midlander
| stat_1 = Nameday
| stat_1_value = 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552
| stat_2 = Age
| stat_2_value = 27
| stat_3 = Guardian
| stat_3_value = [[Halone, the Fury]]
| stat_4 = Free Company
| stat_4_value = Jackal & Hide
| stat_5 = Profession
| stat_5_value = Dark Knight/Bounty Hunter
| stat_6 =
| stat_6_value =
}}

==Character==
===General===

===Appearance===

Rufus is a somewhat taller-than-average hyur male, standing at a proud six fulms, who sports fairly tanned skin, gifted by the sun-baked lands of Thanalan. He bears a set of striking grey eyes, usually appearing flat or cold in demeanour when coupled with the dark, heavy circles prevalent surrounding his eyes, spawned from many late or sleepless nights. On rare occasion, it can be observed that they icy grey of his eyes can be overcome with an orange-red haze. During such a time as this his personality seems to take a wild downturn, becoming outwardly angry and cynical. His hair is an oddity - an ever changing feature adorning his head. Sometimes long and dishevelled, sometimes short and well-kept, though the colour is one thing that generally stays the same - that of a deep, earthy brown. In addition, he has a few spurts of unchecked facial hair growth on his chin and, if too lazy to shave, upper lip - that generally gives him a more aged look. His facial features, once being surprisingly fair, have since begun to show signs of age and wear. This is particularly denoted in the large scar that occupies a fair section of his brow. A marking worthy of note, though it is unlikely to be seen as it is usually covered by gloves of some kind, is a mangled patch of skin on the back of his right hand. It would appear that the symbol of Halone was imprinted into the skin, likely through melting the flesh there with a heated object - likely a brand of some form.

To the common observer, the midlander stands respectably among his kin. Nearly as tall as what is regarded as the tallest of the clan. His difference from the rest comes in the form of the taut, battle-hardened musculature he bears, nearly coated in scars from head-to-toe coming in varying shapes and sizes. Slashing wounds. Animal bites. Burns. Nearly any kind of injury that leaves its mark could be found upon the man's form, the storied history of his flesh born by numerous years of rigorous combat training and dangerous jobs. It's clear to see, especially in casual dress, that the man's body has become a weapon in and of itself. His neck is thick, though not quite on the bullish side, as it leads down to his solid chest, a veritable edifice of flesh and muscle. His broad shoulders taper off, carrying his undoubtedly impressive arms, the muscles honed by the swinging of his favoured greatsword. His hips are as to be expected, framing his lower body perfectly, as his set of strong, athletic legs lay below. His knees - oh, his knees, don't even get me started - by far being the best feature on his body. The musculature of the joint sculpted to an almost Adonis-level of perfection, the likes of which has made many a comely maiden swoon at the grandiose sight to which they were truly unprepared.

===Personality===

Rufus, in the past, was generally quite a well-adjusted person. He bore a generally quite naive viewpoint on the world, actively seeking the good in any and all. He would often be found putting other's needs ahead of his own, more often than not to his own detriment. Those that associated with him would generally find him jovial in demeanour, almost always wearing a smile on his face. While he still retains some of his former self, and still holds many of the same values as before, such as protecting those he cares for, and seeking justice for those who cannot, his personality has come under drastic change as he began to explore the powers of darkness awakening within him. This is reflected in his much more fervent pursuit of justice, regardless of standing or stature. He firmly believes that if one does wrong, they should be held to account, no matter their station. He's found that adopting this philosophy works well for him, allowing him to combat obstacles seeking to rise from the murk of his past, while being able to forge ahead into the future.

In current times, Rufus's personality has taken some interesting turns. As a result of his dark side within him, he always strives to maintain an internal balance, so as to prevent himself from being overtaken. This causes him to sometimes act erratically, overcompensating in ways of comedy or drama in the hope that the people around him won't notice his struggle. In the odd case where his dark side does begin to show, his personality takes a huge turn downward, as he becomes an outwardly hostile and cynical person. These bursts don't tend to last long, and he often feels heavy amounts of guilt in the aftermath. He seeks to be as little of a burden on those he cares for as possible, rarely bringing his own problems to them, while readily wanting to accept their own burdens to shoulder. He seems to undervalue himself in a way, often internally criticizing himself for misguided attempts at socializing, or becoming mildly paranoid that he has somehow damaged a friendship. This serves as a point of internal conflict with the members of his Company, whom he knows do not trust him entirely, largely as a result of the darkness within him.

==History/Timeline==
Rufus, born on the 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552 of the 6th Astral Era, was given life in Ul'dah to a pair of loving parents. Selene and Drystan Mercer. All throughout his childhood, Rufus was told his mother died giving birth to him. This, however, was false information. Selene mercer was a renowned Bloodsands fighter, who went by the moniker 'The Iron Wolf of Ul'dah'. She won many fights in her time, but as she and Drystan decided to settle down and start a family, she hung up her gladiatorial belt in favor of being a housewife. This didn't sit too well with some of Ul'dah's more... unfavorable types. The monetarists, to be specific. She had become a gambling icon, and if she couldn't fight, people couldn't bet on her to win those fights. A plot was hatched for the night of Rufus's birth. The plan? To abduct the baby Rufus and blackmail Selene into fighting once more. Under cover of darkness, a band of monetarists found the infant Rufus, and did indeed steal him away from his barely recovered mother. Upon learning of this, his parents underwent a crusade to retrieve their son. Selene refused to submit to the demands of the monetarists, saying that she was done with that lifestyle for good. This, again, did not sit too well with the monetarists. If they couldn't control Selene into doing as they pleased, she was useless to them. They had her killed shortly after by means of a hired assassin. They had also planned to kill off Rufus, as they stood not to benefit from having the infant around. Before the deed could be done, however, thanks to a long-standing family friend, Rufus's father managed to rescue him in a dramatic rush, cutting down those that had ordered his wife's murder. Though not without sustaining a grievous wound that would never heal properly. It was because of this that Drystan was disallowed to continue his career as an arena fighter. Embittered at both the loss of his career, and the loss of his wife, Drystan fell into a depression and turned to alcohol to solve his problems, which in turn made him into an abusive drunk and the sole person to care for the young Rufus.

Growing up, Rufus never had it 'easy', though, arguably easier than some as he would see it.Thanks to the money that both his parents made from their gladiatorial careers allowed the two to live a reasonably comfortable life, wealth wise. However, he bore the brunt of his Father's blame for all the bad things that had happened to his life. He never told Rufus the true reason for his mother's death, choosing instead to let him believe it was the simpler cause of a problem during childbirth. Either way, the blame was shifted onto the child. He never truly knew the feeling of a parent's love. His father instead preferring to force him to train so that he might become an arena fighter one day, and allow himself to live through his son's actions. Surprisingly, Rufus found he had a knack for swinging a sword, and began to train diligently with the Gladiators' Guild, becoming a particularly skilled fighter. This didn't impress his father too much, much to Rufus's dismay. Most of his home-life involved berating and beatings. One night in particular stick firmly to Rufus's memory. A short time prior to the incident, Drystan had worked himself into a drunken stupor once more, and had the idea that if Rufus carried the symbol of Halone somewhere upon him, then their deity would grant his son increased combat capabilities. He specially ordered a brand from the smiths of Limsa Lomina, bearing the symbol of Halone upon it. His plan was promptly put into action a short time after, attacking Rufus with the brand during his sleep. Rufus raised his hand to his face to avoid being struck anywhere that might cause lasting damage, as such, the back of his right hand caught the blow. The pain was so intense he was stuck, frozen as his father ensured the mark would be a permanent one, the skin turning into a twisted mess. Since that incident, he tends to wear gloves to cover up the misshapen mess of his hand.

Years later, Rufus was made to take part in a number of Bloodsands matches at the behest of his father. It was there in that very first bout, in which he narrowly avoided a sword cleaving into his skull, that he was left with the diagonal scar running across his brow. An ever-present and ugly reminder of the first time he would take a life. Having nowhere else to go, Rufus was unable to escape his father, forced to put up with his near-endless torment for not being able to bear the weight of his parent's legacy. It was only thanks to the friendships he fostered in his time at the Gladiators' Guild that he was able to stay sane. One woman in particular, his first love, Amelia Reede. She was the one thing he was able to focus on, as he desperately tried to reason with his father, not wanting to see him kill himself with alcohol day in, day out. Eventually, this endeavor proved fruitful for him, as he was able to make some very small reparations with his father, becoming estranged friends, more or less.

Some time later, as the Garleans became a major threat, and the city-states banded together to defend Eorzea from their encroaching threat, Rufus watched as many of his friends prepared for war. He was of a fighting age at the time, and far more skilled than most. His father, however, forbade him from taking the field at Cartenau, which he himself was going to participate in, despite his wound. No matter how much Rufus argued, he was never allowed to go. Drystan could not bear the thought of watching the son he had just begun to connect with die in a war that has nothing to do with him. Drystan told the young Rufus this much, as well as telling him that Rufus, "will be just fine". Years later, he would find himself thankful to his now deceased father, who was slain during Bahamut's onslaught. It didn't just claim his father, sadly. It also claimed practically all of his friends who had went out to meet the Garlean host that day. What struck him most of all, however, was the death of his then-lover, Amelia. She had been disallowed to go to Carteneau as he was, however, she had not been spared the Elder Primal's wrath, as one of the raining fireballs from its destruction struck the area of the city she lived in, flattening her house on top of her. Having lost almost all the people he ever knew and cared about, Rufus sank into a depression much like his father before him. However, not wanting to become his father, he was slowly able to pull himself out of the depression, and swore to himself that he would train to become a paladin one day, so he could prevent others from losing the people they loved, and suffering as he did. The training, however, proved too much for him. His spirit was shattered from the events of the Calamity, and he had began to stop looking after himself as well as before. He was unable to keep up, and was eventually told to leave. This slumped him back into another depression which took much longer to free himself from. He dwelled on his own misery for a long time, having failed to live up to another challenge before him.

Dark thoughts possessed him around this time, as he was unable to share the weight dragging down upon him with anyone. On one particular day, one that seemed no different from any other, he heard something tapping at the glass of one of the windows in his home. Since failing the paladin trials, he had all but created an artificial night in his home, choosing to keep the windows covered. However, no matter how he tried to ignore the tapping, it was ceaseless. Eventually, he had had enough. He stood up and flung the window open, covering his eyes against the harsh sunlight. He squinted his eyes, making out a small figure before him, floating in the air. A tiny bird was staring back at him. He tried to shoo the bird off, but it was persistent. It would keep coming back, giving Rufus an expectant look, trailing away as if it wanted to follow him. With much reluctance, Rufus left his house and followed after the bird. He continued to follow it outside the walls of Ul'dah, and down to a small, withering bed of flowers, not far from the Sultantree. As he approached, the wind suddenly gusted strongly, petals scattered around and began to surround him. His first instinct was to fight this otherworldly occurrence, but as the petals enclosed around him, he began to feel a warm sensation coursing through him. His attempt to fight washed away with this new feeling, and he sunk to his knees. As he sat there, dazed by the events, and completely unsure what to make of them, he could have sworn that he heard voices. Voices of his father, and of Amelia, and another woman - presumably his mother. He couldn't understand what the voices were saying, but he faintly began to understand the feeling welling up inside him. After ignoring it and pushing it down for so long, he allowed himself to feel the nigh-overwhelming grief that had been building. And for the first time in what felt like forever, Rufus thought he might be able to move on with his life, meet new people, and be happy once more. He set off back to Ul'dah with a new sense of determination, his spirit restored, as he began to take the first steps to reintegrating into society.

(And that's pretty much when I started to RP with the character).

==Combat==
Having trained for practically his entire life in the way of sword and board, he has become a rather adept fighter, able to formulate quick strategies on the fly, in order to match a myriad of foes, though not without difficulty at times. He does still have a fair deal to learn, including fully mastering the newly awakened darkness within him, and the associating arts. In general, though, his combat skills are well above average.

That said, in recent times, he has begun to train with larger,two-handed blades. While not receiving official instruction on the weapon, he applies the skills he has already developed from his years of sword training prior to create his own combat style. He finds it much easier to wield a larger blade, much preferring the balance and weight of the weapon to traditional one-handed or hand-and-half swords coupled with shields. As dramatic as it may sound, the darkness he now wields has become his shield.

==Tendencies==
===Likes===
::* Friendship
::* Chocobos
::* Helping people
::* Necessary Violence

===Dislikes===
::* Bad news
::* Rain
::* General villainy

===Hobbies/Talents===
::* Sword fighting
::* Fishing
::* Cooking
::* Hunting criminals

==Relationships==
===Family===

Mother - Selene Mercer: Deceased. An ex-Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died around the time of Rufus's birth, the cause shrouded in conspiracy.

Father - Drystan Mercer: Deceased. Rufus's abusive father, also a Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died in the battle of Carteneau.

===Friends===

[[Mylene Wharf]]: Arguably one of Rufus's first friends since the Calamity. He met her at random in the Quicksand, and they got to talking. Though she was initially shy around him, he tried his best to foster a friendship with her. Eventually, she showed him how to fish, creating his love for fishing, and a lasting bond between them. Now, he worked alongside her in the Tomial Order.

Raikemi Maiagaru: Another of the first friends after the Calamity. Rufus met Raikemi by chance when he overheard a conversation about a woman looking for her lost brother. He offered to help her, alongside Raikemi. As the two sat around, they seemed to hit it off, becoming fast friends. Nowadays he thinks of her as a reliable friend, and an overall good friend, despite the back and forth teasing between them. He once worked along side her in the Tomial Order.

Mizhki Tayuun + Memzie Ashia: Two sisters that Rufus befriended both at different times. He met Mizhki in the Quicksand, as her Free Company leader was offering him a place with them. Rufus politely refused, however he managed to befriend both the leader, and Mizhki as well. Having a couple of run ins with her later led him to discover more about her. And that she is a little unusual. That said, he doesn't mind her quirks all too much, preferring instead to enjoy her exuberant energy and happy demeanor. He later learned of Mizhki's sister Memzie by absolute chance. Running into Memzie, he talked with her for a few minutes before noting the resemblance between the two. He almost instantly took note of the differences between the sisters personality wise, finding the complete juxtaposition amusing.

===Enemies===
Rufus does not seem to necessarily think he has become hated in general. He tries to show as much kindness as he can muster to those around him. In the rare case that he HAS managed to make an enemy of something or someone, they generally do not tend to live long enough to act upon it. He takes a very strong stance to those who would seek to do him - or his friends - harm.

===NPC Rumors===
* "Mh? Ah, aye. I saw such a man stalking the streets of Ul'dah. 'e were garbed all in black, 'an had an awful evil look in 'is eye. Thought 'a might just drop dead from bein' near the freak!"
* "Rufus? You mean the boy what were Drystan and Selene's? I 'aven't heard about him in years, since 'e buggered up tryin' tae fight on the Bloodsands. Would'a though he died in a ditch somewhar, tryin' tae impress dear ol' da."
* "The lad with the sword, right? Gods, I get an awful feeling from him. Like he's got some kinda venom roiling in him. But whenever I've caught a glimpse of him at the Quicksand? There's times where he almost seems... sad? Lonely? Hard to say."

==Gallery==
A small little place where I'll try to upload any art I might get of Rufus. Enjoy!
<gallery>
File:Nota1.png|A lovely quick-commission done by the fantastsic http://steffydoodles.tumblr.com/!
File:Rufusedge.png|An absolutely amazing commission done by http://brenna-ivy.tumblr.com/and I love it!
</gallery>

Rufus Wightman

2017-06-27T02:22:19Z

Rufus Wightman:

{{Infobox-character
| name = Rufus Wightman
| image = Ruff_Picture_Crop.jpg
| imagewidth =
| caption =
| title =
| gender = Male
| citizenship = Ul'dah
| race = Hyur
| clan = Midlander
| stat_1 = Nameday
| stat_1_value = 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552
| stat_2 = Age
| stat_2_value = 27
| stat_3 = Guardian
| stat_3_value = [[Halone, the Fury]]
| stat_4 = Free Company
| stat_4_value = Jackal & Hide
| stat_5 = Profession
| stat_5_value = Dark Knight/Bounty Hunter
| stat_6 =
| stat_6_value =
}}

==Character==
===General===

===Appearance===

Rufus is a somewhat taller-than-average hyur male, standing at a proud six fulms, who sports fairly tanned skin, gifted by the sun-baked lands of Thanalan. He bears a set of striking grey eyes, usually appearing flat or cold in demeanour when coupled with the dark, heavy circles prevalent surrounding his eyes, spawned from many late or sleepless nights. On rare occasion, it can be observed that they icy grey of his eyes can be overcome with an orange-red haze. During such a time as this his personality seems to take a wild downturn, becoming outwardly angry and cynical. His hair is an oddity - an ever changing feature adorning his head. Sometimes long and dishevelled, sometimes short and well-kept, though the colour is one thing that generally stays the same - that of a deep, earthy brown. In addition, he has a few spurts of unchecked facial hair growth on his chin and, if too lazy to shave, upper lip - that generally gives him a more aged look. His facial features, once being surprisingly fair, have since begun to show signs of age and wear. This is particularly denoted in the large scar that occupies a fair section of his brow. A marking worthy of note, though it is unlikely to be seen as it is usually covered by gloves of some kind, is a mangled patch of skin on the back of his right hand. It would appear that the symbol of Halone was imprinted into the skin, likely through melting the flesh there with a heated object - likely a brand of some form.

To the common observer, the midlander stands respectably among his kin. Nearly as tall as what is regarded as the tallest of the clan. His difference from the rest comes in the form of the taut, battle-hardened musculature he bears, nearly coated in scars from head-to-toe coming in varying shapes and sizes. Slashing wounds. Animal bites. Burns. Nearly any kind of injury that leaves its mark could be found upon the man's form, the storied history of his flesh born by numerous years of rigorous combat training and dangerous jobs. It's clear to see, especially in casual dress, that the man's body has become a weapon in and of itself. His neck is thick, though not quite on the bullish side, as it leads down to his solid chest, a veritable edifice of flesh and muscle. His broad shoulders taper off, carrying his undoubtedly impressive arms, the muscles honed by the swinging of his favoured greatsword. His hips are as to be expected, framing his lower body perfectly, as his set of strong, athletic legs lay below. His knees - oh, his knees, don't even get me started - by far being the best feature on his body. The musculature of the joint sculpted to an almost Adonis-level of perfection, the likes of which has made many a comely maiden swoon at the grandiose sight to which they were truly unprepared.

===Personality===

Rufus, in the past, was generally quite a well-adjusted person. He bore a generally quite naive viewpoint on the world, actively seeking the good in any and all. He would often be found putting other's needs ahead of his own, more often than not to his own detriment. Those that associated with him would generally find him jovial in demeanour, almost always wearing a smile on his face. While he still retains some of his former self, and still holds many of the same values as before, such as protecting those he cares for, and seeking justice for those who cannot, his personality has come under drastic change as he began to explore the powers of darkness awakening within him. This is reflected in his much more fervent pursuit of justice, regardless of standing or stature. He firmly believes that if one does wrong, they should be held to account, no matter their station. He's found that adopting this philosophy works well for him, allowing him to combat obstacles seeking to rise from the murk of his past, while being able to forge ahead into the future.

In current times, Rufus's personality has taken some interesting turns. As a result of his dark side within him, he always strives to maintain an internal balance, so as to prevent himself from being overtaken. This causes him to sometimes act erratically, overcompensating in ways of comedy or drama in the hope that the people around him won't notice his struggle. In the odd case where his dark side does begin to show, his personality takes a huge turn downward, as he becomes an outwardly hostile and cynical person. These bursts don't tend to last long, and he often feels heavy amounts of guilt in the aftermath. He seeks to be as little of a burden on those he cares for as possible, rarely bringing his own problems to them, while readily wanting to accept their own burdens to shoulder. He seems to undervalue himself in a way, often internally criticizing himself for misguided attempts at socializing, or becoming mildly paranoid that he has somehow damaged a friendship. This serves as a point of internal conflict with the members of his Company, whom he knows do not trust him entirely, largely as a result of the darkness within him.

==History/Timeline==
Rufus, born on the 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552 of the 6th Astral Era, was given life in Ul'dah to a pair of loving parents. Selene Mercer and Drystan Mercer. All throughout his childhood, Rufus was told his mother died giving birth to him. This, however, was false information. Selene mercer was a renowned Bloodsands fighter, who went by the moniker 'The Iron Wolf of Ul'dah'. She won many fights in her time, but as she and Drystan decided to settle down and start a family, she hung up her gladiatorial belt in favor of being a housewife. This didn't sit too well with some of Ul'dah's more... unfavorable types. The monetarists, to be specific. She had become a gambling icon, and if she couldn't fight, people couldn't bet on her to win those fights. A plot was hatched for the night of Rufus's birth. The plan? To abduct the baby Rufus and blackmail Selene into fighting once more. Under cover of darkness, a band of monetarists found the infant Rufus, and did indeed steal him away from his barely recovered mother. Upon learning of this, his parents underwent a crusade to retrieve their son. Selene refused to submit to the demands of the monetarists, saying that she was done with that lifestyle for good. This, again, did not sit too well with the monetarists. If they couldn't control Selene into doing as they pleased, she was useless to them. They had her killed shortly after by means of a hired assassin. They had also planned to kill off Rufus, as they stood not to benefit from having the infant around. Before the deed could be done, however, thanks to a long-standing family friend, Rufus's father managed to rescue him in a dramatic rush, cutting down those that had ordered his wife's murder. Though not without sustaining a grievous wound that would never heal properly. It was because of this that Drystan was disallowed to continue his career as an arena fighter. Embittered at both the loss of his career, and the loss of his wife, Drystan fell into a depression and turned to alcohol to solve his problems, which in turn made him into an abusive drunk and the sole person to care for the young Rufus.

Growing up, Rufus never had it 'easy', though, arguably easier than some as he would see it.Thanks to the money that both his parents made from their gladiatorial careers allowed the two to live a reasonably comfortable life, wealth wise. However, he bore the brunt of his Father's blame for all the bad things that had happened to his life. He never told Rufus the true reason for his mother's death, choosing instead to let him believe it was the simpler cause of a problem during childbirth. Either way, the blame was shifted onto the child. He never truly knew the feeling of a parent's love. His father instead preferring to force him to train so that he might become an arena fighter one day, and allow himself to live through his son's actions. Surprisingly, Rufus found he had a knack for swinging a sword, and began to train diligently with the Gladiators' Guild, becoming a particularly skilled fighter. This didn't impress his father too much, much to Rufus's dismay. Most of his homelife involved berating and beatings. One night in particular stick firmly to Rufus's memory. A short time prior to the incident, Drystan had worked himself into a drunken stupor once more, and had the idea that if Rufus carried the symbol of Halone somewhere upon him, then their deity would grant his son increased combat capabilities. He specially ordered a brand from the smiths of Limsa Lomina, bearing the symbol of Halone upon it. His plan was promptly put into action a short time after, attacking Rufus with the brand during his sleep. Rufus raised his hand to his face to avoid being struck anywhere that might cause lasting damage, as such, the back of his right hand caught the blow. The pain was so intense he was stuck, frozen as his father ensured the mark would be a permanent one, the skin turning into a twisted mess. Since that incident, he tends to wear gloves to cover up the misshapen mess of his hand.

Years later, Rufus was made to take part in a number of Bloodsands matches at the behest of his father, barely scraping through each match. He quit shortly after one particular battle, in which he narrowly avoided a sword cleaving into his skull, though the blade caught him still, leaving the diagonal scar running across his brow. Having nowhere else to go, Rufus was unable to escape his father, forced to put up with his near-endless torment for not being able to bear the weight of his parent's legacy. It was only thanks to the friendships he fostered in his time at the Gladiators' Guild that he was able to stay sane. One woman in particular, his first love, Amelia Reede. She was the one thing he was able to focus on, as he desperately tried to reason with his father, not wanting to see him kill himself with alcohol day in, day out. Eventually, this endeavor proved fruitful for him, as he was able to make some very small reparations with his father, becoming estranged friends, more or less. His fondest memory to this day is spending time at a carnival in Ul'dah with him, even despite how it ended. (Refers to the Ul'dah opening cutscene in 1.0).

Many years down the line, as the Garleans became a major threat, and the city-states banded together to defend Eorzea, Rufus watched as many of his friends prepared for war. He was still young at the time, yet more skilled than most his age. His father, sadly, forbade him from going to the battle of Carteneau, which he himself was going to participate in, despite his wound. No matter how much Rufus argued, he was never allowed to go. Drystan could not bear the thought of watching the son he had just begun to connect with die in a war that has nothing to do with him. Drystan told the young Rufus this much, as well as telling him that Rufus, "will be just fine". Years later, he would find himself thankful to his now deceased father, who was slain during Bahamut's onslaught. It didn't just claim his father, sadly. It also claimed practically all of his friends who had went out to meet the Garlean host that day. What struck him most of all, however, was the death of his then-lover, Amelia. She had been disallowed to go to Carteneau as he was, however, she had not been spared the Elder Primal's wrath, as one of the raining fireballs from its destruction struck the area of the city she lived in, flattening her house on top of her. Having lost almost all the people he ever knew and cared about, Rufus sank into a depression much like his father before him. However, not wanting to become his father, he was slowly able to pull himself out of the depression, and swore to himself that he would train to become a paladin one day, so he could prevent others from losing the people they loved, and suffering as he did. The training, however, proved too much for him. His spirit was shattered from the events of the Calamity, and he had began to stop looking after himself as well as before. He was unable to keep up, and was eventually told to leave. This slumped him back into another depression which took much longer to free himself from. He dwelled on his own misery for a long time, having failed to live up to another challenge before him.

Dark thoughts possessed him around this time, as he was unable to share the weight dragging down upon him with anyone. On one particular day, one that seemed no different from any other, he heard something tapping at the glass of one of the windows in his home. Since failing the paladin trials, he had all but created an artificial night in his home, choosing to keep the windows covered. However, no matter how he tried to ignore the tapping, it was ceaseless. Eventually, he had had enough. He stood up and flung the window open, covering his eyes against the harsh sunlight. He squinted his eyes, making out a small figure before him, floating in the air. A tiny bird was staring back at him. He tried to shoo the bird off, but it was persistent. It would keep coming back, giving Rufus an expectant look, trailing away as if it wanted to follow him. With much reluctance, Rufus left his house and followed after the bird. He continued to follow it outside the walls of Ul'dah, and down to a small, withering bed of flowers, not far from the Sultantree. As he approached, the wind suddenly gusted strongly, petals scattered around and began to surround him. His first instinct was to fight this otherworldly occurrence, but as the petals enclosed around him, he began to feel a warm sensation coursing through him. His attempt to fight washed away with this new feeling, and he sunk to his knees. As he sat there, dazed by the events, and completely unsure what to make of them, he could have sworn that he heard voices. Voices of his father, and of Amelia, and another woman - presumably his mother. He couldn't understand what the voices were saying, but he faintly began to understand the feeling welling up inside him. After ignoring it and pushing it down for so long, he allowed himself to feel the strong love he had for those who were gone, and allowed himself to properly grieve their passing. For the first time in what felt like forever, Rufus thought he might be able to move on with his life, meet new people, and be happy once more. He set off back to Ul'dah with a new sense of determination, his spirit restored, as he began to take the first steps to reintegrating into society.

(And that's pretty much when I started to RP with the character).

==Combat==
Having trained for practically his entire life in the way of sword and board, he has become a rather adept fighter, able to formulate quick strategies on the fly, in order to match a myriad of foes, though not without difficulty at times. He does still have a fair deal to learn, including fully mastering the newly awakened darkness within him, and the associating arts. In general, though, his combat skills are well above average.

That said, in recent times, he has begun to train with larger,two-handed blades. While not receiving official instruction on the weapon, he applies the skills he has already developed from his years of sword training prior to create his own combat style. He finds it much easier to wield a larger blade, much preferring the balance and weight of the weapon to traditional one-handed or hand-and-half swords coupled with shields. As dramatic as it may sound, the darkness he now wields has become his shield.

==Tendencies==
===Likes===
::* Friendship
::* Chocobos
::* Helping people
::* Necessary Violence

===Dislikes===
::* Bad news
::* Rain
::* General villainy

===Hobbies/Talents===
::* Sword fighting
::* Fishing
::* Cooking
::* Hunting criminals

==Relationships==
===Family===

Mother - Selene Mercer: Deceased. An ex-Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died around the time of Rufus's birth, the cause shrouded in conspiracy.

Father - Drystan Mercer: Deceased. Rufus's abusive father, also a Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died in the battle of Carteneau.

===Friends===

[[Mylene Wharf]]: Arguably one of Rufus's first friends since the Calamity. He met her at random in the Quicksand, and they got to talking. Though she was initially shy around him, he tried his best to foster a friendship with her. Eventually, she showed him how to fish, creating his love for fishing, and a lasting bond between them. Now, he worked alongside her in the Tomial Order.

Raikemi Maiagaru: Another of the first friends after the Calamity. Rufus met Raikemi by chance when he overheard a conversation about a woman looking for her lost brother. He offered to help her, alongside Raikemi. As the two sat around, they seemed to hit it off, becoming fast friends. Nowadays he thinks of her as a reliable friend, and an overall good friend, despite the back and forth teasing between them. He once worked along side her in the Tomial Order.

Mizhki Tayuun + Memzie Ashia: Two sisters that Rufus befriended both at different times. He met Mizhki in the Quicksand, as her Free Company leader was offering him a place with them. Rufus politely refused, however he managed to befriend both the leader, and Mizhki as well. Having a couple of run ins with her later led him to discover more about her. And that she is a little unusual. That said, he doesn't mind her quirks all too much, preferring instead to enjoy her exuberant energy and happy demeanor. He later learned of Mizhki's sister Memzie by absolute chance. Running into Memzie, he talked with her for a few minutes before noting the resemblance between the two. He almost instantly took note of the differences between the sisters personality wise, finding the complete juxtaposition amusing.

===Enemies===
Rufus does not seem to necessarily think he has become hated in general. He tries to show as much kindness as he can muster to those around him. In the rare case that he HAS managed to make an enemy of something or someone, they generally do not tend to live long enough to act upon it. He takes a very strong stance to those who would seek to do him - or his friends - harm.

===NPC Rumors===
* "Mh? Ah, aye. I saw such a man stalking the streets of Ul'dah. 'e were garbed all in black, 'an had an awful evil look in 'is eye. Thought 'a might just drop dead from bein' near the freak!"
* "Rufus? You mean the boy what were Drystan and Selene's? I 'aven't heard about him in years, since 'e buggered up tryin' tae fight on the Bloodsands. Would'a though he died in a ditch somewhar, tryin' tae impress dear ol' da."
* "The lad with the sword, right? Gods, I get an awful feeling from him. Like he's got some kinda venom roiling in him. But whenever I've caught a glimpse of him at the Quicksand? There's times where he almost seems... sad? Lonely? Hard to say."

==Gallery==
A small little place where I'll try to upload any art I might get of Rufus. Enjoy!
<gallery>
File:Nota1.png|A lovely quick-commission done by the fantastsic http://steffydoodles.tumblr.com/!
File:Rufusedge.png|An absolutely amazing commission done by http://brenna-ivy.tumblr.com/and I love it!
</gallery>

Rufus Wightman

2017-06-27T02:21:18Z

Rufus Wightman:

{{Infobox-character
| name = Rufus Mercer (Wightman)
| image = Ruff_Picture_Crop.jpg
| imagewidth =
| caption =
| title =
| gender = Male
| citizenship = Ul'dah
| race = Hyur
| clan = Midlander
| stat_1 = Nameday
| stat_1_value = 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552
| stat_2 = Age
| stat_2_value = 27
| stat_3 = Guardian
| stat_3_value = [[Halone, the Fury]]
| stat_4 = Free Company
| stat_4_value = Jackal & Hide
| stat_5 = Profession
| stat_5_value = Dark Knight/Bounty Hunter
| stat_6 =
| stat_6_value =
}}

==Character==
===General===

===Appearance===

Rufus is a somewhat taller-than-average hyur male, standing at a proud six fulms, who sports fairly tanned skin, gifted by the sun-baked lands of Thanalan. He bears a set of striking grey eyes, usually appearing flat or cold in demeanour when coupled with the dark, heavy circles prevalent surrounding his eyes, spawned from many late or sleepless nights. On rare occasion, it can be observed that they icy grey of his eyes can be overcome with an orange-red haze. During such a time as this his personality seems to take a wild downturn, becoming outwardly angry and cynical. His hair is an oddity - an ever changing feature adorning his head. Sometimes long and dishevelled, sometimes short and well-kept, though the colour is one thing that generally stays the same - that of a deep, earthy brown. In addition, he has a few spurts of unchecked facial hair growth on his chin and, if too lazy to shave, upper lip - that generally gives him a more aged look. His facial features, once being surprisingly fair, have since begun to show signs of age and wear. This is particularly denoted in the large scar that occupies a fair section of his brow. A marking worthy of note, though it is unlikely to be seen as it is usually covered by gloves of some kind, is a mangled patch of skin on the back of his right hand. It would appear that the symbol of Halone was imprinted into the skin, likely through melting the flesh there with a heated object - likely a brand of some form.

To the common observer, the midlander stands respectably among his kin. Nearly as tall as what is regarded as the tallest of the clan. His difference from the rest comes in the form of the taut, battle-hardened musculature he bears, nearly coated in scars from head-to-toe coming in varying shapes and sizes. Slashing wounds. Animal bites. Burns. Nearly any kind of injury that leaves its mark could be found upon the man's form, the storied history of his flesh born by numerous years of rigorous combat training and dangerous jobs. It's clear to see, especially in casual dress, that the man's body has become a weapon in and of itself. His neck is thick, though not quite on the bullish side, as it leads down to his solid chest, a veritable edifice of flesh and muscle. His broad shoulders taper off, carrying his undoubtedly impressive arms, the muscles honed by the swinging of his favoured greatsword. His hips are as to be expected, framing his lower body perfectly, as his set of strong, athletic legs lay below. His knees - oh, his knees, don't even get me started - by far being the best feature on his body. The musculature of the joint sculpted to an almost Adonis-level of perfection, the likes of which has made many a comely maiden swoon at the grandiose sight to which they were truly unprepared.

===Personality===

Rufus, in the past, was generally quite a well-adjusted person. He bore a generally quite naive viewpoint on the world, actively seeking the good in any and all. He would often be found putting other's needs ahead of his own, more often than not to his own detriment. Those that associated with him would generally find him jovial in demeanour, almost always wearing a smile on his face. While he still retains some of his former self, and still holds many of the same values as before, such as protecting those he cares for, and seeking justice for those who cannot, his personality has come under drastic change as he began to explore the powers of darkness awakening within him. This is reflected in his much more fervent pursuit of justice, regardless of standing or stature. He firmly believes that if one does wrong, they should be held to account, no matter their station. He's found that adopting this philosophy works well for him, allowing him to combat obstacles seeking to rise from the murk of his past, while being able to forge ahead into the future.

In current times, Rufus's personality has taken some interesting turns. As a result of his dark side within him, he always strives to maintain an internal balance, so as to prevent himself from being overtaken. This causes him to sometimes act erratically, overcompensating in ways of comedy or drama in the hope that the people around him won't notice his struggle. In the odd case where his dark side does begin to show, his personality takes a huge turn downward, as he becomes an outwardly hostile and cynical person. These bursts don't tend to last long, and he often feels heavy amounts of guilt in the aftermath. He seeks to be as little of a burden on those he cares for as possible, rarely bringing his own problems to them, while readily wanting to accept their own burdens to shoulder. He seems to undervalue himself in a way, often internally criticizing himself for misguided attempts at socializing, or becoming mildly paranoid that he has somehow damaged a friendship. This serves as a point of internal conflict with the members of his Company, whom he knows do not trust him entirely, largely as a result of the darkness within him.

==History/Timeline==
Rufus, born on the 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552 of the 6th Astral Era, was given life in Ul'dah to a pair of loving parents. Selene Mercer and Drystan Mercer. All throughout his childhood, Rufus was told his mother died giving birth to him. This, however, was false information. Selene mercer was a renowned Bloodsands fighter, who went by the moniker 'The Iron Wolf of Ul'dah'. She won many fights in her time, but as she and Drystan decided to settle down and start a family, she hung up her gladiatorial belt in favor of being a housewife. This didn't sit too well with some of Ul'dah's more... unfavorable types. The monetarists, to be specific. She had become a gambling icon, and if she couldn't fight, people couldn't bet on her to win those fights. A plot was hatched for the night of Rufus's birth. The plan? To abduct the baby Rufus and blackmail Selene into fighting once more. Under cover of darkness, a band of monetarists found the infant Rufus, and did indeed steal him away from his barely recovered mother. Upon learning of this, his parents underwent a crusade to retrieve their son. Selene refused to submit to the demands of the monetarists, saying that she was done with that lifestyle for good. This, again, did not sit too well with the monetarists. If they couldn't control Selene into doing as they pleased, she was useless to them. They had her killed shortly after by means of a hired assassin. They had also planned to kill off Rufus, as they stood not to benefit from having the infant around. Before the deed could be done, however, thanks to a long-standing family friend, Rufus's father managed to rescue him in a dramatic rush, cutting down those that had ordered his wife's murder. Though not without sustaining a grievous wound that would never heal properly. It was because of this that Drystan was disallowed to continue his career as an arena fighter. Embittered at both the loss of his career, and the loss of his wife, Drystan fell into a depression and turned to alcohol to solve his problems, which in turn made him into an abusive drunk and the sole person to care for the young Rufus.

Growing up, Rufus never had it 'easy', though, arguably easier than some as he would see it.Thanks to the money that both his parents made from their gladiatorial careers allowed the two to live a reasonably comfortable life, wealth wise. However, he bore the brunt of his Father's blame for all the bad things that had happened to his life. He never told Rufus the true reason for his mother's death, choosing instead to let him believe it was the simpler cause of a problem during childbirth. Either way, the blame was shifted onto the child. He never truly knew the feeling of a parent's love. His father instead preferring to force him to train so that he might become an arena fighter one day, and allow himself to live through his son's actions. Surprisingly, Rufus found he had a knack for swinging a sword, and began to train diligently with the Gladiators' Guild, becoming a particularly skilled fighter. This didn't impress his father too much, much to Rufus's dismay. Most of his homelife involved berating and beatings. One night in particular stick firmly to Rufus's memory. A short time prior to the incident, Drystan had worked himself into a drunken stupor once more, and had the idea that if Rufus carried the symbol of Halone somewhere upon him, then their deity would grant his son increased combat capabilities. He specially ordered a brand from the smiths of Limsa Lomina, bearing the symbol of Halone upon it. His plan was promptly put into action a short time after, attacking Rufus with the brand during his sleep. Rufus raised his hand to his face to avoid being struck anywhere that might cause lasting damage, as such, the back of his right hand caught the blow. The pain was so intense he was stuck, frozen as his father ensured the mark would be a permanent one, the skin turning into a twisted mess. Since that incident, he tends to wear gloves to cover up the misshapen mess of his hand.

Years later, Rufus was made to take part in a number of Bloodsands matches at the behest of his father, barely scraping through each match. He quit shortly after one particular battle, in which he narrowly avoided a sword cleaving into his skull, though the blade caught him still, leaving the diagonal scar running across his brow. Having nowhere else to go, Rufus was unable to escape his father, forced to put up with his near-endless torment for not being able to bear the weight of his parent's legacy. It was only thanks to the friendships he fostered in his time at the Gladiators' Guild that he was able to stay sane. One woman in particular, his first love, Amelia Reede. She was the one thing he was able to focus on, as he desperately tried to reason with his father, not wanting to see him kill himself with alcohol day in, day out. Eventually, this endeavor proved fruitful for him, as he was able to make some very small reparations with his father, becoming estranged friends, more or less. His fondest memory to this day is spending time at a carnival in Ul'dah with him, even despite how it ended. (Refers to the Ul'dah opening cutscene in 1.0).

Many years down the line, as the Garleans became a major threat, and the city-states banded together to defend Eorzea, Rufus watched as many of his friends prepared for war. He was still young at the time, yet more skilled than most his age. His father, sadly, forbade him from going to the battle of Carteneau, which he himself was going to participate in, despite his wound. No matter how much Rufus argued, he was never allowed to go. Drystan could not bear the thought of watching the son he had just begun to connect with die in a war that has nothing to do with him. Drystan told the young Rufus this much, as well as telling him that Rufus, "will be just fine". Years later, he would find himself thankful to his now deceased father, who was slain during Bahamut's onslaught. It didn't just claim his father, sadly. It also claimed practically all of his friends who had went out to meet the Garlean host that day. What struck him most of all, however, was the death of his then-lover, Amelia. She had been disallowed to go to Carteneau as he was, however, she had not been spared the Elder Primal's wrath, as one of the raining fireballs from its destruction struck the area of the city she lived in, flattening her house on top of her. Having lost almost all the people he ever knew and cared about, Rufus sank into a depression much like his father before him. However, not wanting to become his father, he was slowly able to pull himself out of the depression, and swore to himself that he would train to become a paladin one day, so he could prevent others from losing the people they loved, and suffering as he did. The training, however, proved too much for him. His spirit was shattered from the events of the Calamity, and he had began to stop looking after himself as well as before. He was unable to keep up, and was eventually told to leave. This slumped him back into another depression which took much longer to free himself from. He dwelled on his own misery for a long time, having failed to live up to another challenge before him.

Dark thoughts possessed him around this time, as he was unable to share the weight dragging down upon him with anyone. On one particular day, one that seemed no different from any other, he heard something tapping at the glass of one of the windows in his home. Since failing the paladin trials, he had all but created an artificial night in his home, choosing to keep the windows covered. However, no matter how he tried to ignore the tapping, it was ceaseless. Eventually, he had had enough. He stood up and flung the window open, covering his eyes against the harsh sunlight. He squinted his eyes, making out a small figure before him, floating in the air. A tiny bird was staring back at him. He tried to shoo the bird off, but it was persistent. It would keep coming back, giving Rufus an expectant look, trailing away as if it wanted to follow him. With much reluctance, Rufus left his house and followed after the bird. He continued to follow it outside the walls of Ul'dah, and down to a small, withering bed of flowers, not far from the Sultantree. As he approached, the wind suddenly gusted strongly, petals scattered around and began to surround him. His first instinct was to fight this otherworldly occurrence, but as the petals enclosed around him, he began to feel a warm sensation coursing through him. His attempt to fight washed away with this new feeling, and he sunk to his knees. As he sat there, dazed by the events, and completely unsure what to make of them, he could have sworn that he heard voices. Voices of his father, and of Amelia, and another woman - presumably his mother. He couldn't understand what the voices were saying, but he faintly began to understand the feeling welling up inside him. After ignoring it and pushing it down for so long, he allowed himself to feel the strong love he had for those who were gone, and allowed himself to properly grieve their passing. For the first time in what felt like forever, Rufus thought he might be able to move on with his life, meet new people, and be happy once more. He set off back to Ul'dah with a new sense of determination, his spirit restored, as he began to take the first steps to reintegrating into society.

(And that's pretty much when I started to RP with the character).

==Combat==
Having trained for practically his entire life in the way of sword and board, he has become a rather adept fighter, able to formulate quick strategies on the fly, in order to match a myriad of foes, though not without difficulty at times. He does still have a fair deal to learn, including fully mastering the newly awakened darkness within him, and the associating arts. In general, though, his combat skills are well above average.

That said, in recent times, he has begun to train with larger,two-handed blades. While not receiving official instruction on the weapon, he applies the skills he has already developed from his years of sword training prior to create his own combat style. He finds it much easier to wield a larger blade, much preferring the balance and weight of the weapon to traditional one-handed or hand-and-half swords coupled with shields. As dramatic as it may sound, the darkness he now wields has become his shield.

==Tendencies==
===Likes===
::* Friendship
::* Chocobos
::* Helping people
::* Necessary Violence

===Dislikes===
::* Bad news
::* Rain
::* General villainy

===Hobbies/Talents===
::* Sword fighting
::* Fishing
::* Cooking
::* Hunting criminals

==Relationships==
===Family===

Mother - Selene Mercer: Deceased. An ex-Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died around the time of Rufus's birth, the cause shrouded in conspiracy.

Father - Drystan Mercer: Deceased. Rufus's abusive father, also a Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died in the battle of Carteneau.

===Friends===

[[Mylene Wharf]]: Arguably one of Rufus's first friends since the Calamity. He met her at random in the Quicksand, and they got to talking. Though she was initially shy around him, he tried his best to foster a friendship with her. Eventually, she showed him how to fish, creating his love for fishing, and a lasting bond between them. Now, he worked alongside her in the Tomial Order.

Raikemi Maiagaru: Another of the first friends after the Calamity. Rufus met Raikemi by chance when he overheard a conversation about a woman looking for her lost brother. He offered to help her, alongside Raikemi. As the two sat around, they seemed to hit it off, becoming fast friends. Nowadays he thinks of her as a reliable friend, and an overall good friend, despite the back and forth teasing between them. He once worked along side her in the Tomial Order.

Mizhki Tayuun + Memzie Ashia: Two sisters that Rufus befriended both at different times. He met Mizhki in the Quicksand, as her Free Company leader was offering him a place with them. Rufus politely refused, however he managed to befriend both the leader, and Mizhki as well. Having a couple of run ins with her later led him to discover more about her. And that she is a little unusual. That said, he doesn't mind her quirks all too much, preferring instead to enjoy her exuberant energy and happy demeanor. He later learned of Mizhki's sister Memzie by absolute chance. Running into Memzie, he talked with her for a few minutes before noting the resemblance between the two. He almost instantly took note of the differences between the sisters personality wise, finding the complete juxtaposition amusing.

===Enemies===
Rufus does not seem to necessarily think he has become hated in general. He tries to show as much kindness as he can muster to those around him. In the rare case that he HAS managed to make an enemy of something or someone, they generally do not tend to live long enough to act upon it. He takes a very strong stance to those who would seek to do him - or his friends - harm.

===NPC Rumors===
* "Mh? Ah, aye. I saw such a man stalking the streets of Ul'dah. 'e were garbed all in black, 'an had an awful evil look in 'is eye. Thought 'a might just drop dead from bein' near the freak!"
* "Rufus? You mean the boy what were Drystan and Selene's? I 'aven't heard about him in years, since 'e buggered up tryin' tae fight on the Bloodsands. Would'a though he died in a ditch somewhar, tryin' tae impress dear ol' da."
* "The lad with the sword, right? Gods, I get an awful feeling from him. Like he's got some kinda venom roiling in him. But whenever I've caught a glimpse of him at the Quicksand? There's times where he almost seems... sad? Lonely? Hard to say."

==Gallery==
A small little place where I'll try to upload any art I might get of Rufus. Enjoy!
<gallery>
File:Nota1.png|A lovely quick-commission done by the fantastsic http://steffydoodles.tumblr.com/!
File:Rufusedge.png|An absolutely amazing commission done by http://brenna-ivy.tumblr.com/and I love it!
</gallery>

File:Ruff Picture Crop.jpg

2017-06-27T02:20:59Z

Rufus Wightman:

Rufus Wightman

2016-07-06T23:17:18Z

Rufus Wightman:

{{Infobox-character
| name = Rufus Mercer (Wightman)
| image = HandsomeRaffus.png
| imagewidth =
| caption =
| title =
| gender = Male
| citizenship = Ul'dah
| race = Hyur
| clan = Midlander
| stat_1 = Nameday
| stat_1_value = 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552
| stat_2 = Age
| stat_2_value = 27
| stat_3 = Guardian
| stat_3_value = [[Halone, the Fury]]
| stat_4 = Free Company
| stat_4_value = Jackal & Hide
| stat_5 = Profession
| stat_5_value = Dark Knight/Bounty Hunter
| stat_6 =
| stat_6_value =
}}

==Character==
===General===

===Appearance===

Rufus is a somewhat taller-than-average hyur male, standing at a proud six fulms, who sports fairly tanned skin, gifted by the sun-baked lands of Thanalan. He bears a set of striking grey eyes, usually appearing flat or cold in demeanour when coupled with the dark, heavy circles prevalent surrounding his eyes, spawned from many late or sleepless nights. On rare occasion, it can be observed that they icy grey of his eyes can be overcome with an orange-red haze. During such a time as this his personality seems to take a wild downturn, becoming outwardly angry and cynical. His hair is an oddity - an ever changing feature adorning his head. Sometimes long and dishevelled, sometimes short and well-kept, though the colour is one thing that generally stays the same - that of a deep, earthy brown. In addition, he has a few spurts of unchecked facial hair growth on his chin and, if too lazy to shave, upper lip - that generally gives him a more aged look. His facial features, once being surprisingly fair, have since begun to show signs of age and wear. This is particularly denoted in the large scar that occupies a fair section of his brow. A marking worthy of note, though it is unlikely to be seen as it is usually covered by gloves of some kind, is a mangled patch of skin on the back of his right hand. It would appear that the symbol of Halone was imprinted into the skin, likely through melting the flesh there with a heated object - likely a brand of some form.

To the common observer, the midlander stands respectably among his kin. Nearly as tall as what is regarded as the tallest of the clan. His difference from the rest comes in the form of the taut, battle-hardened musculature he bears, nearly coated in scars from head-to-toe coming in varying shapes and sizes. Slashing wounds. Animal bites. Burns. Nearly any kind of injury that leaves its mark could be found upon the man's form, the storied history of his flesh born by numerous years of rigorous combat training and dangerous jobs. It's clear to see, especially in casual dress, that the man's body has become a weapon in and of itself. His neck is thick, though not quite on the bullish side, as it leads down to his solid chest, a veritable edifice of flesh and muscle. His broad shoulders taper off, carrying his undoubtedly impressive arms, the muscles honed by the swinging of his favoured greatsword. His hips are as to be expected, framing his lower body perfectly, as his set of strong, athletic legs lay below. His knees - oh, his knees, don't even get me started - by far being the best feature on his body. The musculature of the joint sculpted to an almost Adonis-level of perfection, the likes of which has made many a comely maiden swoon at the grandiose sight to which they were truly unprepared.

===Personality===

Rufus, in the past, was generally quite a well-adjusted person. He bore a generally quite naive viewpoint on the world, actively seeking the good in any and all. He would often be found putting other's needs ahead of his own, more often than not to his own detriment. Those that associated with him would generally find him jovial in demeanour, almost always wearing a smile on his face. While he still retains some of his former self, and still holds many of the same values as before, such as protecting those he cares for, and seeking justice for those who cannot, his personality has come under drastic change as he began to explore the powers of darkness awakening within him. This is reflected in his much more fervent pursuit of justice, regardless of standing or stature. He firmly believes that if one does wrong, they should be held to account, no matter their station. He's found that adopting this philosophy works well for him, allowing him to combat obstacles seeking to rise from the murk of his past, while being able to forge ahead into the future.

In current times, Rufus's personality has taken some interesting turns. As a result of his dark side within him, he always strives to maintain an internal balance, so as to prevent himself from being overtaken. This causes him to sometimes act erratically, overcompensating in ways of comedy or drama in the hope that the people around him won't notice his struggle. In the odd case where his dark side does begin to show, his personality takes a huge turn downward, as he becomes an outwardly hostile and cynical person. These bursts don't tend to last long, and he often feels heavy amounts of guilt in the aftermath. He seeks to be as little of a burden on those he cares for as possible, rarely bringing his own problems to them, while readily wanting to accept their own burdens to shoulder. He seems to undervalue himself in a way, often internally criticizing himself for misguided attempts at socializing, or becoming mildly paranoid that he has somehow damaged a friendship. This serves as a point of internal conflict with the members of his Company, whom he knows do not trust him entirely, largely as a result of the darkness within him.

==History/Timeline==
Rufus, born on the 16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552 of the 6th Astral Era, was given life in Ul'dah to a pair of loving parents. Selene Mercer and Drystan Mercer. All throughout his childhood, Rufus was told his mother died giving birth to him. This, however, was false information. Selene mercer was a renowned Bloodsands fighter, who went by the moniker 'The Iron Wolf of Ul'dah'. She won many fights in her time, but as she and Drystan decided to settle down and start a family, she hung up her gladiatorial belt in favor of being a housewife. This didn't sit too well with some of Ul'dah's more... unfavorable types. The monetarists, to be specific. She had become a gambling icon, and if she couldn't fight, people couldn't bet on her to win those fights. A plot was hatched for the night of Rufus's birth. The plan? To abduct the baby Rufus and blackmail Selene into fighting once more. Under cover of darkness, a band of monetarists found the infant Rufus, and did indeed steal him away from his barely recovered mother. Upon learning of this, his parents underwent a crusade to retrieve their son. Selene refused to submit to the demands of the monetarists, saying that she was done with that lifestyle for good. This, again, did not sit too well with the monetarists. If they couldn't control Selene into doing as they pleased, she was useless to them. They had her killed shortly after by means of a hired assassin. They had also planned to kill off Rufus, as they stood not to benefit from having the infant around. Before the deed could be done, however, thanks to a long-standing family friend, Rufus's father managed to rescue him in a dramatic rush, cutting down those that had ordered his wife's murder. Though not without sustaining a grievous wound that would never heal properly. It was because of this that Drystan was disallowed to continue his career as an arena fighter. Embittered at both the loss of his career, and the loss of his wife, Drystan fell into a depression and turned to alcohol to solve his problems, which in turn made him into an abusive drunk and the sole person to care for the young Rufus.

Growing up, Rufus never had it 'easy', though, arguably easier than some as he would see it.Thanks to the money that both his parents made from their gladiatorial careers allowed the two to live a reasonably comfortable life, wealth wise. However, he bore the brunt of his Father's blame for all the bad things that had happened to his life. He never told Rufus the true reason for his mother's death, choosing instead to let him believe it was the simpler cause of a problem during childbirth. Either way, the blame was shifted onto the child. He never truly knew the feeling of a parent's love. His father instead preferring to force him to train so that he might become an arena fighter one day, and allow himself to live through his son's actions. Surprisingly, Rufus found he had a knack for swinging a sword, and began to train diligently with the Gladiators' Guild, becoming a particularly skilled fighter. This didn't impress his father too much, much to Rufus's dismay. Most of his homelife involved berating and beatings. One night in particular stick firmly to Rufus's memory. A short time prior to the incident, Drystan had worked himself into a drunken stupor once more, and had the idea that if Rufus carried the symbol of Halone somewhere upon him, then their deity would grant his son increased combat capabilities. He specially ordered a brand from the smiths of Limsa Lomina, bearing the symbol of Halone upon it. His plan was promptly put into action a short time after, attacking Rufus with the brand during his sleep. Rufus raised his hand to his face to avoid being struck anywhere that might cause lasting damage, as such, the back of his right hand caught the blow. The pain was so intense he was stuck, frozen as his father ensured the mark would be a permanent one, the skin turning into a twisted mess. Since that incident, he tends to wear gloves to cover up the misshapen mess of his hand.

Years later, Rufus was made to take part in a number of Bloodsands matches at the behest of his father, barely scraping through each match. He quit shortly after one particular battle, in which he narrowly avoided a sword cleaving into his skull, though the blade caught him still, leaving the diagonal scar running across his brow. Having nowhere else to go, Rufus was unable to escape his father, forced to put up with his near-endless torment for not being able to bear the weight of his parent's legacy. It was only thanks to the friendships he fostered in his time at the Gladiators' Guild that he was able to stay sane. One woman in particular, his first love, Amelia Reede. She was the one thing he was able to focus on, as he desperately tried to reason with his father, not wanting to see him kill himself with alcohol day in, day out. Eventually, this endeavor proved fruitful for him, as he was able to make some very small reparations with his father, becoming estranged friends, more or less. His fondest memory to this day is spending time at a carnival in Ul'dah with him, even despite how it ended. (Refers to the Ul'dah opening cutscene in 1.0).

Many years down the line, as the Garleans became a major threat, and the city-states banded together to defend Eorzea, Rufus watched as many of his friends prepared for war. He was still young at the time, yet more skilled than most his age. His father, sadly, forbade him from going to the battle of Carteneau, which he himself was going to participate in, despite his wound. No matter how much Rufus argued, he was never allowed to go. Drystan could not bear the thought of watching the son he had just begun to connect with die in a war that has nothing to do with him. Drystan told the young Rufus this much, as well as telling him that Rufus, "will be just fine". Years later, he would find himself thankful to his now deceased father, who was slain during Bahamut's onslaught. It didn't just claim his father, sadly. It also claimed practically all of his friends who had went out to meet the Garlean host that day. What struck him most of all, however, was the death of his then-lover, Amelia. She had been disallowed to go to Carteneau as he was, however, she had not been spared the Elder Primal's wrath, as one of the raining fireballs from its destruction struck the area of the city she lived in, flattening her house on top of her. Having lost almost all the people he ever knew and cared about, Rufus sank into a depression much like his father before him. However, not wanting to become his father, he was slowly able to pull himself out of the depression, and swore to himself that he would train to become a paladin one day, so he could prevent others from losing the people they loved, and suffering as he did. The training, however, proved too much for him. His spirit was shattered from the events of the Calamity, and he had began to stop looking after himself as well as before. He was unable to keep up, and was eventually told to leave. This slumped him back into another depression which took much longer to free himself from. He dwelled on his own misery for a long time, having failed to live up to another challenge before him.

Dark thoughts possessed him around this time, as he was unable to share the weight dragging down upon him with anyone. On one particular day, one that seemed no different from any other, he heard something tapping at the glass of one of the windows in his home. Since failing the paladin trials, he had all but created an artificial night in his home, choosing to keep the windows covered. However, no matter how he tried to ignore the tapping, it was ceaseless. Eventually, he had had enough. He stood up and flung the window open, covering his eyes against the harsh sunlight. He squinted his eyes, making out a small figure before him, floating in the air. A tiny bird was staring back at him. He tried to shoo the bird off, but it was persistent. It would keep coming back, giving Rufus an expectant look, trailing away as if it wanted to follow him. With much reluctance, Rufus left his house and followed after the bird. He continued to follow it outside the walls of Ul'dah, and down to a small, withering bed of flowers, not far from the Sultantree. As he approached, the wind suddenly gusted strongly, petals scattered around and began to surround him. His first instinct was to fight this otherworldly occurrence, but as the petals enclosed around him, he began to feel a warm sensation coursing through him. His attempt to fight washed away with this new feeling, and he sunk to his knees. As he sat there, dazed by the events, and completely unsure what to make of them, he could have sworn that he heard voices. Voices of his father, and of Amelia, and another woman - presumably his mother. He couldn't understand what the voices were saying, but he faintly began to understand the feeling welling up inside him. After ignoring it and pushing it down for so long, he allowed himself to feel the strong love he had for those who were gone, and allowed himself to properly grieve their passing. For the first time in what felt like forever, Rufus thought he might be able to move on with his life, meet new people, and be happy once more. He set off back to Ul'dah with a new sense of determination, his spirit restored, as he began to take the first steps to reintegrating into society.

(And that's pretty much when I started to RP with the character).

==Combat==
Having trained for practically his entire life in the way of sword and board, he has become a rather adept fighter, able to formulate quick strategies on the fly, in order to match a myriad of foes, though not without difficulty at times. He does still have a fair deal to learn, including fully mastering the newly awakened darkness within him, and the associating arts. In general, though, his combat skills are well above average.

That said, in recent times, he has begun to train with larger,two-handed blades. While not receiving official instruction on the weapon, he applies the skills he has already developed from his years of sword training prior to create his own combat style. He finds it much easier to wield a larger blade, much preferring the balance and weight of the weapon to traditional one-handed or hand-and-half swords coupled with shields. As dramatic as it may sound, the darkness he now wields has become his shield.

==Tendencies==
===Likes===
::* Friendship
::* Chocobos
::* Helping people
::* Necessary Violence

===Dislikes===
::* Bad news
::* Rain
::* General villainy

===Hobbies/Talents===
::* Sword fighting
::* Fishing
::* Cooking
::* Hunting criminals

==Relationships==
===Family===

Mother - Selene Mercer: Deceased. An ex-Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died around the time of Rufus's birth, the cause shrouded in conspiracy.

Father - Drystan Mercer: Deceased. Rufus's abusive father, also a Bloodsands fighter from Ul'dah. Died in the battle of Carteneau.

===Friends===

[[Mylene Wharf]]: Arguably one of Rufus's first friends since the Calamity. He met her at random in the Quicksand, and they got to talking. Though she was initially shy around him, he tried his best to foster a friendship with her. Eventually, she showed him how to fish, creating his love for fishing, and a lasting bond between them. Now, he worked alongside her in the Tomial Order.

Raikemi Maiagaru: Another of the first friends after the Calamity. Rufus met Raikemi by chance when he overheard a conversation about a woman looking for her lost brother. He offered to help her, alongside Raikemi. As the two sat around, they seemed to hit it off, becoming fast friends. Nowadays he thinks of her as a reliable friend, and an overall good friend, despite the back and forth teasing between them. He once worked along side her in the Tomial Order.

Mizhki Tayuun + Memzie Ashia: Two sisters that Rufus befriended both at different times. He met Mizhki in the Quicksand, as her Free Company leader was offering him a place with them. Rufus politely refused, however he managed to befriend both the leader, and Mizhki as well. Having a couple of run ins with her later led him to discover more about her. And that she is a little unusual. That said, he doesn't mind her quirks all too much, preferring instead to enjoy her exuberant energy and happy demeanor. He later learned of Mizhki's sister Memzie by absolute chance. Running into Memzie, he talked with her for a few minutes before noting the resemblance between the two. He almost instantly took note of the differences between the sisters personality wise, finding the complete juxtaposition amusing.

===Enemies===
Rufus does not seem to necessarily think he has become hated in general. He tries to show as much kindness as he can muster to those around him. In the rare case that he HAS managed to make an enemy of something or someone, they generally do not tend to live long enough to act upon it. He takes a very strong stance to those who would seek to do him - or his friends - harm.

===NPC Rumors===
* "Mh? Ah, aye. I saw such a man stalking the streets of Ul'dah. 'e were garbed all in black, 'an had an awful evil look in 'is eye. Thought 'a might just drop dead from bein' near the freak!"
* "Rufus? You mean the boy what were Drystan and Selene's? I 'aven't heard about him in years, since 'e buggered up tryin' tae fight on the Bloodsands. Would'a though he died in a ditch somewhar, tryin' tae impress dear ol' da."
* "The lad with the sword, right? Gods, I get an awful feeling from him. Like he's got some kinda venom roiling in him. But whenever I've caught a glimpse of him at the Quicksand? There's times where he almost seems... sad? Lonely? Hard to say."

==Gallery==
A small little place where I'll try to upload any art I might get of Rufus. Enjoy!
<gallery>
File:Nota1.png|A lovely quick-commission done by the fantastsic http://steffydoodles.tumblr.com/!
File:Rufusedge.png|An absolutely amazing commission done by http://brenna-ivy.tumblr.com/and I love it!
</gallery>

Nailah Quill

2016-07-06T23:11:29Z

Rufus Wightman: I made a rumor!

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<div align=center><div style="font-size:55px;letter-spacing:0.2em;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;text-shadow: 1px 1px 5px silver">Nailah Quill</div></div>
<div align=center><div style="font-size:15px;letter-spacing:0.75em;color:#4A0404;font-family:Tahoma;text-shadow: 1px 1px 5px silver">Hopeless Wanderer</div></div>[[File:Nailahwiki.png|900px|frameless|center]]<div align=center><table style="position:center;" width="60%"><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px; font-size:9pt;font-family:Helvetica;"><h3><span class="mw-headline">
<div style="padding:10px 20px; font-size:20px;font-family:Tahoma;text-shadow: 1px 1px 5px silver;letter-spacing:0.1em;"><center><font style="color:#4A0404;">'''♊'''</font> <font style="color:#4A0404">—————————</font> <font style="color:#4A0404;">'''>'''</font><font style="color:#4A0404">☲</font><font style="color:#4A0404;">'''‹'''</font> <font style="color:#4A0404">—————————</font> <font style="color:#4A0404;">'''♊'''</font></center></div></span></h3>
</tr></table></div>

<div align=center><table style="position:center;" width="45%">
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<td style="vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px; font-size:9pt;font-family:Georgia;"><h3><span class="mw-headline">
<div style="padding:10px 35px; background: #color1;font-size:14px;color:#color6;font-family:Georgia;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px black;letter-spacing:0.15em;"><center>'''''</center></div></span></h3>
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''CURRENT ALIAS...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> Nailah Quill</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''PREVIOUS ALIAS...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> Sastra </font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''RACE & CLAN...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> Hyur, Highlander</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''GENDER...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> Female </font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''AGE & NAMEDAY...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> 30, Nameday Unknown</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''ORIENTATION...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;padding:0px 5px;"> Straight </font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''RELATIONSHIP STATUS...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;padding:0px 5px;"> Single </font>

<td style="vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px; font-size:9pt;font-family:Helvetica;"><h3><span class="mw-headline">
<div style="padding:10px 35px; background: #color1;font-size:14px;color:#color6;font-family:Georgia;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px black;letter-spacing:0.15em;"><center>'''''</center></div></span></h3>
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''NATIONALITY...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> Ala Mhigan</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''CURRENT RESIDENCE...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;">Homeless</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''OCCUPATION...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> Wandering trader</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''PATRON DEITY...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;"> Nald'Thal & Oschon the Wanderer</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''HEIGHT...'''</font> 5'5"<font style="font-family:Georgia;padding:0px 5px;">| 168cm </font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''WEIGHT...'''</font> 143Lbs<font style="font-family:Georgia;padding:0px 5px;">| 65kg</font>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> <font style="font-size:12px;color:#8A0707;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">'''ALIGNMENT...'''</font> <font style="font-family:Georgia;">Chaotic Neutral</font>
</tr></table></div>

=Current Situation & Effects=

<div style="padding:10px 10px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Recent Events'''</div>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> She has recently been sighted in the Mists around the Jackal & Hide base.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> The bankruptcy has resulted in Nailah returning to her wandering, homeless ways.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> The company lead by Nailah recently went bankrupt under shady circumstances.

<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Recent Physical Changes'''</div>

<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> No recent major wounds or injuries
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Nailah may appear thinner than what is the norm, owing to the fact that she can presently not always afford to eat well, despite hunting.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Nailah's clothes and gear is slowly deteriorating, and may appear more torn and worn than what the game models allow.

This wiki is adapted & remixed. Check out [[Veil Iriq]] & [[Maia Kasmut]] for reference!

=OOC Notes and Hooks=
<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''About the Player'''</div>
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> I aspire to follow the way of Heavy RP.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> I prefer to keep things as canon as possible. If your character has non-canon elements, please try not to tell any of my characters without asking if it's alright oocly first.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> I maintain a strict border between IC and OOC.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> I strive to avoid drama. Good communication is key.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> I have very few limits when it comes to themes in RP
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> ERP has to be a natural part of any of my character's lives, not for the sake of OOC.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> I try to help where I can. If you are new around Balmung feel free to ask me questions.
<br>

<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Hooks'''</div>
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Nailah is frequently spotted around Thanalan, in both Ul'dah and smaller settlements.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Feel free to use trading of any kind as a hook.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Nailah is sometimes seen around the Thraumaturges Guild.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Nailah is otherwise a very movable character. If you'd like to stumble into her at a specific location, toss me a /tell.

=Appearance=
<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Looks'''</div>
<br>
Nailah is a rather short highlander, owed her heritage consisting of a highlander and a midlander. What she lacks for in height she seems to make up for with a very solid and well maintained build, with her muscles defined just enough to erase any doubts of lack of strength. She has a fairly pale skintone, though years of spending large amounts of time under the Thanalan sun has given her a tan that never quite seems to fade. Her hands would bare the signs of someone who is used to hard work. Her hair is in a deep red color which appears to be natural, and it reaches to just past her shoulders - though, most of the time it'll be braided and put in various up-do's for the sake of convenience. She looks onto the world with a set of dark-grey eyes, which despite the not so common coloration does not impair her sight in any way. On her left cheek she has the skeleton of a symbolic tattoo, which she highlights with a monthly application of facepaint, as a part of a personal ritual.
<br>
Of scars, Nailah has what sometimes seems like an ever growing collection. A hard life often leaves evidence, and on top of that she has not been spared from near-death encounters spurred by conflicts with other people. Most strikingly is the burn scar over her left shoulder, which stretches onto her back in a marred pattern. Along the top of her left shoulder is an additional surgical scar, which seems to have been from a surgery to recover the movablity of the arm. Her left shoulder is more-or-less entirely numb, as the damages of the burn reached all the way to her nerves. She has additional scars from stabs and cuts in various places, including a memento from that one time she got too close to a coeurl.

<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Gear'''</div>
<br>
Nailah is always sighted with either a sizeable traveller's backpack, or a smaller shoulder bag. She prefers to wear clothes made of cloth and leather, and does not own any heavy armors. She always carries a minimum of survival gear with her in her smaller bag, where as her larger backpack holds as many tools as one could need to survive for lengthy amounts of time outdoors. She often appears unarmed, however she always has a focus on her which was gifted to her by a dear friend at the beginning of her lessons in thraumaturgy. She has opted not to have the focus affixed to a staff, wand or similar and will instead hold it in her palm when she needs to use it.

<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Art'''</div>
<gallery>
File:Nailah1.jpeg|[http://rp-studio.deviantart.com Artist: Ni]
File:Nailah2.jpeg|By Y'ahna Tia (Balmung)
File:NailahQuill ForWeb.jpg|By [http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=10124&highlight=shadottie By Shadottie]
File:Nailahglass.png|By [http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=12306 By Y'uraq Tia]
File:Nailah42.png|By [http://noctuaalba.tumblr.com/ Noctuaalba]
</gallery>

=Trading=
<br>
<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Items for sale'''</div>
As a wandering trader, Nailah has an often times rather curious collection of items and goods for sale. She also has a good repertoire of connections, which makes her able to get certain things upon request. Feel free to approach her and ask what she might be selling, or request specific things! For inspiration I've made a list of things she regularly has on hand. It may be updated to reflect on special items as well.

<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Various hides from smaller and occasionally larger beasts
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Samples for wines stored elsewhere
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Herbs, reagents from various regions
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Rarities, such as trinkets, jewellery and gems.
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Potions & Poisons
<br>
<font style="padding:0px 5px; font-size:12px;color:#4A0404;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 1px 1px 1px silver">■</font> Region-specific foods and snacks, especially if they perish very slowly.

=Relations=
<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Relations'''</div>
I use relations to help myself remember who people are in the long run. As such, there may be people here who I have only interacted with once.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; color: black;"
|<font style="color:#c82042;" size="3">♥</font>
|Romantic Interest
|<font style="color:#E3526F;" size="3">♥</font>
|Platonic Love
|-
|<font style="color:#712937;" size="3">♦</font>
|Flirt/Flirtatious towards
|<font style="color:#4A0404;" size="3">★</font>
|Highly Respected
|-
|<font style="color:#059f0f;" size="3">☍</font>
|Confidant
|<font style="color:#403740;" size="3">➘</font>
|Lost/Minimal Contact
|-
|<font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font>
|Positive Relation
|<font style="color:#aa0ab4;" size="3">●</font>
|Negative Relation
|}

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#E3526F;" size="3">♥</font> '''[[Ophelia Gale]]'''
| ''"The Sister"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''After having grown up and become adults without knowing of each-others existence, they seem to have picked up where they left off. Nailah's relationship with Ophelia is very close, and she is rather protective of her sibling.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#E3526F;" size="3">♥</font> '''[[Arnvidar Swiftheart]]'''
| ''"The Protective Brother"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She truly adores her older brother. He's been there for her in many situations where she would not have tolerated the presence of others, but also desperately needed help.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#059f0f;" size="3">☍</font> '''[[N'khai Nunh]]'''
| ''"Trusted Friend"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She has trusted him with her life, and she would not hesitate to go to the same lengths for him.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Mauh'a Relehna]]'''
| ''"Good Friend"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah considers Mauh'a to be a very unfortunate man, with a very loyal heart. Even as he had all of the motives to want her dead, he never made the attempt.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Kale Aideron]]'''
| ''"Drinking Buddy"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah met Kale somewhere around two cycles ago at a bar. They meet up on occasion to drink together and share stories.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Syleion Pendragon]]'''
| ''"Uncertain Relation"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah's not sure where she has him, but things are alright for the time being.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Leanna Vist]]'''
| ''"Old Friend"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Sometimes less is more, and their friendship is great in just the right amounts.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Reinhardt Ironhand]]'''
| ''"The Former Bodyguard"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''One of the very few people Nailah would entrust with her own life.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Aeron Volkova]]'''
| ''"The Unlikely Friend"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Aeron is by no means someone Nailah would usually get along with, but she's found him to be quite down to earth. She enjoys a tight friendship with him.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Ronin'ra Jinehga]] '''
| ''"Through thick and thin"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Despite everything they've been through, from good to bad and worse, Nailah always seems to manage to hang around Ronin on good terms.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Xdoferus Nemkhei]]'''
| ''"Friend"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah has only met this Miqo'te recently, but she has already found herself enjoying their conversations.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> <font style="color:#712937;" size="3">♦</font> '''[[Rufus Wightman]]'''
| ''"Friend"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Whilst the relation is still new, Nailah has opened up a lot to Rufus. She does not reckon he's got anything ill up his sleeve.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Gen Quickpaw]]'''
| ''"Business Contact"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''....''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[J'inarah Marad]]'''
| ''"Business Contaact"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah has grown fond of J'inarah through time, and is always keen on a chatter with her about everything and nothing.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[J'kilid Tia]]'''
| ''"Business Contact"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''In recent time, Nailah has been rather thankful for Kilids outstretched hand in her time of need.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Jonah Darson]]'''
| ''"Recent Aquaintance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She met this man in the quicksand, and had a great time listen to this adventurers great, great accomplishments. She's got a trade deal with him.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Simeon Sibaruse]]'''
| ''"Recent Aquiantance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah has sold this noble gentleman some wine, and she tends to enjoy their conversations quite a bit.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Kurt Steel]]'''
| ''"Recent Aquiantance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She has traded with this man a few times.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[L'dhala Nunh]]'''
| ''"Recent Aquaintance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She occasionally stumbles into him. They've shown up at larger gatherings together, perhaps in an unspoken alliance just to make showing up a little less awkward.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Bert Brewforge]]'''
| ''"Aquaintance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She's always game for being on any sports team that opposes him, because she finds the friendly animosity really entertaining.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Cedric Silverstar]]'''
| ''"Aquaintance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''A man she sometimes bumps into. Usually leads to a good conversation.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Ciciru Ciru]]'''
| ''"Aquaintance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''....''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Aldous Sergrain]]'''
| ''"Acquaintance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''They met in the most fantastically awkward way, but Nailah, much to her own surprise actually gets along well with him.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Nathaniel Salem]]'''
| ''"Aquaintance"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She is very curious of this man, and perhaps a little worried about how dead she'd become for trying to find out.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[W'gahr Lupercal]]'''
| ''"Former Employee"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah still sees Luper from time to time, and she hopes all of the best for her former employee.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Illyriel Otonashi]]'''
| ''"Former Employee"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''....''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Momone Mone]]'''
| ''"Former Employee"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''She really adores this lalafell's cooking, and she finds herself agreeing with her quite a lot. Whether or not she'll ever admit it is a different story.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Kosetsu Kensei]]'''
| ''"Former Employee"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah holds an appropriately positive relation to the precisely-spoken au ra.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[O'ray Tia]]'''
| ''"Former Employee"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''....''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Eowale Dotharl]]'''
| ''"Former Employee"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''....''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''[[Alia Naveleal]]'''
| ''"Former Employee"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''....''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#aa0ab4;" size="3">●</font> '''[[Sashana Star]]'''
| ''"The unstable one"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Nailah tries her best to keep away from Star, as she regards her as a very unstable individual that can not be trusted.''
|}
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#aa0ab4;" size="3">●</font> '''[[Haydn'to Kalmar]]'''
| ''"The Thief"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Breaking someones nose, chasing them down and making their life a misery for a time is probably not the best way to make friends. Good thing it wasn't what Nailah wanted out of her actions. ''
|}

{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable" style="width: 100%"
|-
| width="25%" | <font style="color:#0a71b0;" size="3">☘</font> '''Placeholder'''
| ''"Placeholder"''
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-indent: 1em;" | ''Placeholder''
|}

=Rumors=
<div style="padding:10px 15px; background:#4A0404;font-size:12px;color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Georgia;letter-spacing:0.2em;text-shadow: 0px 0px 0px silver">'''Player submitted rumors'''</div>
Feel free to add your own! Simply use the placeholder at the bottom of the page.
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> '' "She is best cook! Win cooking game! Very liked the food!" - [[Flickering Ember]] ''</div>
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> '' "Oh aye, Nailah seems a nice lass. Been a pleasure workin' wiv 'er. Sure knows 'er liquors too." - [[J'inarah Marad]] ''</div>
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> ''"Nailah, eh? Well shit, knew tha' girly back when sh'called 'erself Sastra n'shit. Been more'n a cycle now, I reckon. Respect 'er more'n I do a lo' o'folk. Stood up f'me n'can see shit m'way o'er th'res' o'the fucks tha' go' sticks up their asses. Ain't much care f'er bus'ness or nothin', bu' I'll b'round when sh'calls f'my 'elp." [[Ronin'ra Jinehga]] snickered, "N'ye see th'tits on 'er? Reckon y'ain't wanna stand near 'er when sh'starts spinnin' n'fuckin' circles." ''</div>
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> ''"She's a highlander and a bit of a brute. Spat at my feet after I offered her the two hundred gil, right in the Quicksand. Felt bad for Momodi having to clean that up," [[Haydn'to Kalmar]] grumbled, "She throws a mean right-hook, as well. Broke my nose. Blackmail and kidnapping isn't above her, either. I wouldn't mess with her if I were you."''
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> ''"Miss Sastra? Truly, one owes her much. Mayhaps more than she could ever know, given the turns life has taken since those first suns, so long ago. A kinder heart thou shall struggle to find 'cross all Eorzea." - [[W'pondahl Amih]]''</div>
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> ''"Sastra? Aye, I know her." the earthen-skinned Highlander intones in a long, slow rumble. "Goes by her real name, Nailah now. A woman at home on the open road. How she deigns to stay caged by her position is a marvel beyond my comprehension." - [[Dural Shieldsplitter]]
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> ''"Nailah? Says she's an 'ighlander, but honest? Ah've met Lalafell taller! Jokin' aside though, s' clear she cares fer 'er folk more'n anythin' cept f' maybe a nice glass've red, an' that says more'n words ever could as to 'er character, ah reckon." - [[J'kilid Tia]]
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> '' " She's a good woman who has a tendency to land herself in trouble. But hells, I feel like that's a talent her whole family's got. I would warn ya though, if ya have any intentions of askin' her out, I hear she's got an older brother who'll rough you up if you cause any problems. " - [[Arnvidar Swiftheart]]
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> ''"Nai... I love my little sister very, very much, but she is complex. She's a loner. But she's also really not. She's really independent and strong. And sometimes... well, sometimes she needs space where she doesn't '''have''' to be. But if she's anything, she's loyal. And warm and loving and fierce. I'm not surprised why she's taken to fire so easily, really. But please... don't give her any reasons to burn you. She's been through enough, and she has a list of allies a malm long right behind her that will see her through any hardship. That's not any sort of threat, though! It's just a fact." - [[Ophelia Gale]]
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<div style="font-family:Georgia;"><font style="color:#4A0404;" size="2">■</font> "Nailah. What can I say about her that hasn't already been said before? She's such an interesting person, I suppose. She can appear almost aloof on the outside, but once you get to know her, she's like this whole other person. And she's had so much weight to bear on her shoulders, it makes you want to stand with her and support her. I'm glad I met her." - [[Rufus Wightman]]
''</div>

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