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	<updated>2026-06-09T14:55:22Z</updated>
	<subtitle>User contributions</subtitle>
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	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=233309</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=233309"/>
		<updated>2017-03-15T22:01:01Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 41&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{BasicInformationPanel&lt;br /&gt;
|callboxinfo={{AttributeBox&lt;br /&gt;
| font = #000&lt;br /&gt;
| titlebg2 = #f9f9f9&lt;br /&gt;
| bg1txtclr #000&lt;br /&gt;
| border = #aaa&lt;br /&gt;
| strength = 10&lt;br /&gt;
| pdef = 7&lt;br /&gt;
| dex = 8&lt;br /&gt;
| mdef = 4&lt;br /&gt;
| prowess = 10&lt;br /&gt;
| luck = 3&lt;br /&gt;
| magic = 1&lt;br /&gt;
| intelligence = 8&lt;br /&gt;
|}}&lt;br /&gt;
|characteroverview='''Valen Stalhart''' is a Garlean soldier who was inducted into a twisted experiment in which his body was outfitted with Magitek implants along with a small atherite crystal into his palm which was used to power the Magitek. After surprisingly surviving the experiment, Valen was sent to serve in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus. Since joining Arcadeus, he is now open about his former affiliation with Garlemald, but very rarely goes into detail on what sort of ventures he went on while with the Empire. He is a kind person who will always be quick to help those in need, and will even try to avoid resorting to violence whenever possible. However, those who betray his trust or wish to bring harm to those he cares about will find he can still be just as ruthless and merciless as he was during his time serving the Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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|sectiontitle = Appearance &amp;amp; Personality&lt;br /&gt;
|sectioncontent =&lt;br /&gt;
{{Header2&lt;br /&gt;
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|padding = 5&lt;br /&gt;
|text = Nature &amp;amp; Demeanor&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Demeanor:''' While he may appear stoic at times, Valen is generally an easy person to get along with. Even when faced with conflict, he remains level-headed, and will rarely act brashly unless given little other choice. He's a dependable person who is always eager to help those who ask for it, and is fairly quick to lay at least some degree of trust those who appear genuine to him. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Nature:''' His memories from serving the Garlean Empire are so deeply ingrained within him that not a day goes by that he doesn't feel some form of guilt for all the lives he took in the past. Because of this, he has grown to sometimes be overly protective of those he cares about. He tries to mask this with stoicism and a dry sense of humor, and so far he's been successful in keeping those feelings hidden even from those closest to him. He also has a deeply rooted love for combat due to conditioning he received during his time with the Empire. Despite this, he deeply detests fighting for sport. He feels that violence should only be a route taken as a last resort, and that there is nothing glorious about it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Habits:''' Valen can often be seen wearing his Magitek visor, even when there's no need for it. For some reason, he finds comfort in wearing it and viewing the world through its lenses. Sometimes if he has trouble sleeping, he'll even sleep with it on. However, he tries to keep wearing the visor for the purposes of comfort to a minimum, especially when in the company of others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Header2&lt;br /&gt;
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|padding = 5&lt;br /&gt;
|text = Notable Features&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Common Appearance:''' Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald. His body itself is quite thin and lithe, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble, and His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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|padding = 5&lt;br /&gt;
|text = Tastes&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{FancyList&lt;br /&gt;
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|sectiontitle = Likes&lt;br /&gt;
|list = * Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
* Being helpful&lt;br /&gt;
* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{FancyList&lt;br /&gt;
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|sectiontitle = Dislikes&lt;br /&gt;
|list = * The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
* Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
* Those who betray his trust&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{FancyList&lt;br /&gt;
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|sectiontitle = Hobbies&lt;br /&gt;
|list = * Reading&lt;br /&gt;
* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
* Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Prejudices&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
''' The only prejudices Valen carries is for the Garlean Empire's current regime as well as those who so zealously follow it. He loves his home, and he loves the people within it, but he hates those who currently rule it. '''&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
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{{Header2&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Strengths&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
''' Due to the numerous Magitek augmentations he's received, Valen is both incredibly powerful and very nimble, and his body is much more durable than most, being able to take a substantial amount of damage before finally failing him. '''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Header2&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Weaknesses&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
''' Valen has little to no aetheric capabilities outside of that the aetherite crystal in his palm can provide. He can sometimes use it to absorb magic based attacks as well, but that also comes at the cost of possibly overloading the crystal, which would destroy it and shut down his Magitek augmentations. '''&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Combat&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
''' Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all lancers, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat. '''&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
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}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{Header2&lt;br /&gt;
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|padding = 5&lt;br /&gt;
|text = Rumors&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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'''Common Rumors'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
'''Rare Rumors'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
==== PC Rumors ====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;!-- PLEASE DO NOT EDIT ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
==== ====&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his efforts, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius due to his inherent lack of true skill Since he was neither skilled, nor a full-blooded Garlean, his superiors had no hesitation to induct him into a dangerous experiment to blend the line between mortal and machine, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon. While neither he nor any of his fellow inductees were expected to survive the trial process, he alone managed to pull through it, and was quickly put to use by the Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey the Empire's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, which Valen bared witness to from Mor Dhona, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. He served as a sort of freelancer for the Maelstrom so he could make enough to keep a roof over his head. Though it wasn't ideal, it did get him by. It was by chance he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for the Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since then, Valen has made a home for himself within Arcadeus, becoming their Magitek expert and airship mechanic. His fellow members have become like a second family to him, and for the first time since his defection, he feels as though he finally has a place he can call home. While he does long for his friends and family back home in Garlemald, he has found at the very least a surrogate comfort within the Free Company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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|list = * &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;www.tumblr.com&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Tumblr&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;www.google.com&amp;gt;Another Page&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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''This template was originally created by [[Evaleigh]].  Free free to use but please give credit!&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=199350</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=199350"/>
		<updated>2016-09-30T20:34:38Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: Massive Changes&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{BasicInformationPanel&lt;br /&gt;
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| bg1txtclr #000&lt;br /&gt;
| border = #aaa&lt;br /&gt;
| strength = 10&lt;br /&gt;
| pdef = 7&lt;br /&gt;
| dex = 8&lt;br /&gt;
| mdef = 4&lt;br /&gt;
| prowess = 10&lt;br /&gt;
| luck = 3&lt;br /&gt;
| magic = 1&lt;br /&gt;
| intelligence = 8&lt;br /&gt;
|}}&lt;br /&gt;
|characteroverview='''Valen Stalhart''' is a Garlean soldier who was inducted into a twisted experiment in which his body was outfitted with Magitek implants along with a small atherite crystal into his palm which was used to power the Magitek. After surprisingly surviving the experiment, Valen was sent to serve in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus. Since joining Arcadeus, he is now open about his former affiliation with Garlemald, but very rarely goes into detail on what sort of ventures he went on while with the Empire. He is a kind person who will always be quick to help those in need, and will even try to avoid resorting to violence whenever possible. However, those who betray his trust or wish to bring harm to those he cares about will find he can still be just as ruthless and merciless as he was during his time serving the Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Nature &amp;amp; Demeanor&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Demeanor:''' While he may appear stoic at times, Valen is generally an easy person to get along with. Even when faced with conflict, he remains level-headed, and will rarely act brashly unless given little other choice. He's a dependable person who is always eager to help those who ask for it, and is fairly quick to lay at least some degree of trust those who appear genuine to him. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Nature:''' His memories from serving the Garlean Empire are so deeply ingrained within him that not a day goes by that he doesn't feel some form of guilt for all the lives he took in the past. Because of this, he has grown to sometimes be overly protective of those he cares about. He tries to mask this with stoicism and a dry sense of humor, and so far he's been successful in keeping those feelings hidden even from those closest to him. He also has a deeply rooted love for combat due to conditioning he received during his time with the Empire. Despite this, he deeply detests fighting for sport. He feels that violence should only be a route taken as a last resort, and that there is nothing glorious about it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Habits:''' Valen can often be seen wearing his Magitek visor, even when there's no need for it. For some reason, he finds comfort in wearing it and viewing the world through its lenses. Sometimes if he has trouble sleeping, he'll even sleep with it on. However, he tries to keep wearing the visor for the purposes of comfort to a minimum, especially when in the company of others.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Notable Features&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Common Appearance:''' Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald. His body itself is quite thin and lithe, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble, and His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Tastes&lt;br /&gt;
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|sectiontitle = Likes&lt;br /&gt;
|list = * Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
* Being helpful&lt;br /&gt;
* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
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|list = * The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
* Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
* Those who betray his trust&lt;br /&gt;
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|sectiontitle = Hobbies&lt;br /&gt;
|list = * Reading&lt;br /&gt;
* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
* Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Prejudices&lt;br /&gt;
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''' The only prejudices Valen carries is for the Garlean Empire's current regime as well as those who so zealously follow it. He loves his home, and he loves the people within it, but he hates those who currently rule it. '''&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Strengths&lt;br /&gt;
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''' Due to the numerous Magitek augmentations he's received, Valen is both incredibly powerful and very nimble, and his body is much more durable than most, being able to take a substantial amount of damage before finally failing him. '''&lt;br /&gt;
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''' Valen has little to no aetheric capabilities outside of that the aetherite crystal in his palm can provide. He can sometimes use it to absorb magic based attacks as well, but that also comes at the cost of possibly overloading the crystal, which would destroy it and shut down his Magitek augmentations. '''&lt;br /&gt;
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''' Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all lancers, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat. '''&lt;br /&gt;
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|sectioncontent = &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Georgia&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Attraction    &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;    &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Attraction    &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;    &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f827a;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#CD950C;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;✔&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Business     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;✖&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Deceased     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#4e9362;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;  Positive   &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Negative   &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral   &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#6b6e72;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;–&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;     &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;≈&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Unsure&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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|text = Rumors&lt;br /&gt;
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'''Common Rumors'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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'''Rare Rumors'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
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==== PC Rumors ====&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;!-- PLEASE DO NOT EDIT ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE --&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==== ====&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his efforts, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius due to his inherent lack of true skill Since he was neither skilled, nor a full-blooded Garlean, his superiors had no hesitation to induct him into a dangerous experiment to blend the line between mortal and machine, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon. While neither he nor any of his fellow inductees were expected to survive the trial process, he alone managed to pull through it, and was quickly put to use by the Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey the Empire's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, which Valen bared witness to from Mor Dhona, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. He served as a sort of freelancer for the Maelstrom so he could make enough to keep a roof over his head. Though it wasn't ideal, it did get him by. It was by chance he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for the Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since then, Valen has made a home for himself within Arcadeus, becoming their Magitek expert and airship mechanic. His fellow members have become like a second family to him, and for the first time since his defection, he feels as though he finally has a place he can call home. While he does long for his friends and family back home in Garlemald, he has found at the very least a surrogate comfort within the Free Company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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|list = * &amp;lt;a href=&amp;quot;www.tumblr.com&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Tumblr&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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''This template was originally created by [[Evaleigh]].  Free free to use but please give credit!&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197610</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197610"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T07:07:51Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. However, beneath that smooth surface is a person who is in a constant battle with themselves. His memories from serving Garlemald are so deeply ingrained within him that not a day goes by that he doesn't feel some form of guilt for all the lives he took in the past. Because of this, he has grown to sometimes be overly protective of those he cares about. While he tries to mask this desire to protect with stoicism, should someone he cares about get hurt, it's not too far-fetched to say that he could possibly snap. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: When confronted, he'll normally try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. Even then, he'll typically try to make every effort possible to use nonlethal force. Despite his pseudo pacifism, during his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat. For this reason, he tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself and remain as calm and level-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tends to be trusting of those he really shouldn't be.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very stoic to the point of sometimes coming across as cold or distant.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finds it hard to be genuine with people.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has to constantly fight to keep his emotions under control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents or his home again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Losing those he cares about&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finally snapping&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very powerful lancer&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Capable airship pilot&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Skilled fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Those that betray his trust&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible and will even pull punches against opponents he doesn't wish to fight, when it comes down to life or death, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also granting him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all lancers, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though not as often at his immediate disposal, Valen also still has the very same Magitek Reaper from his service in the Garlean Empire. Its Magitek cannon and chaingun make it a power to fear, especially when its armor is strong enough to shield it from all but the mightiest of blows and the most powerful of magick.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no natural aetherical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the smallest fragment of such abilities. Though this crystal does allow for him to use minor magicks, and also absorb minor aetheric based attacks, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use the aetherite crystal can to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his efforts, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius due to his inherent lack of true skill Since he was neither skilled, nor a full-blooded Garlean, his superiors had no hesitation to induct him into a dangerous experiment to blend the line between mortal and machine, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon. While neither he nor any of his fellow inductees were expected to survive the trial process, he alone managed to pull through it, and was quickly put to use by the Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey the Empire's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, which Valen bared witness to from Mor Dhona, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. He served as a sort of freelancer for the Maelstrom so he could make enough to keep a roof over his head. Though it wasn't ideal, it did get him by. It was by chance he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for the Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since then, Valen has made a home for himself within Arcadeus, becoming their Magitek expert and airship mechanic. His fellow members have become like a second family to him, and for the first time since his defection, he feels as though he finally has a place he can call home. While he does long for his friends and family back home in Garlemald, he has found at the very least a surrogate comfort within the Free Company.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197609</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197609"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T07:06:01Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. However, beneath that smooth surface is a person who is in a constant battle with themselves. His memories from serving Garlemald are so deeply ingrained within him that not a day goes by that he doesn't feel some form of guilt for all the lives he took in the past. Because of this, he has grown to sometimes be overly protective of those he cares about. While he tries to mask this desire to protect with stoicism, should someone he cares about get hurt, it's not too far-fetched to say that he could possibly snap. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: When confronted, he'll normally try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. Even then, he'll typically try to make every effort possible to use nonlethal force. Despite his pseudo pacifism, during his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat. For this reason, he tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself and remain as calm and level-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tends to be trusting of those he really shouldn't be.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very stoic to the point of sometimes coming across as cold or distant.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finds it hard to be genuine with people.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has to constantly fight to keep his emotions under control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents or his home again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Losing those he cares about&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finally snapping&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very powerful lancer&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Capable airship pilot&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Skilled fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Those that betray his trust&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible and will even pull punches against opponents he doesn't wish to fight, when it comes down to life or death, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also granting him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all lancers, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though not as often at his immediate disposal, Valen also still has the very same Magitek Reaper from his service in the Garlean Empire. Its Magitek cannon and chaingun make it a power to fear, especially when its armor is strong enough to shield it from all but the mightiest of blows and the most powerful of magick.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no natural aetherical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the smallest fragment of such abilities. Though this crystal does allow for him to use minor magicks, and also absorb minor aetheric based attacks, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use the aetherite crystal can to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his efforts, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius due to his inherent lack of true skill Since he was neither skilled, nor a full-blooded Garlean, his superiors had no hesitation to induct him into a dangerous experiment to blend the line between mortal and machine, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon. While neither he nor any of his fellow inductees were expected to survive the trial process, he alone managed to pull through it, and was quickly put to use by the Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey the Empire's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, which Valen bared witness to from Mor Dhona, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. He served as a sort of freelancer for the Maelstrom so he could make enough to keep a roof over his head. Though it wasn't ideal, it did get him by. It was by chance he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for the Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since then, Valen has made a home for himself within Arcadeus, becoming their Magitek expert and airship mechanic. His fellow members have become like a second family to him, and for the first time since his defection, he feels as though he finally has a place he can call home. While he does long for his friends and family back home in Garlemald, he has found at the very least a surrogate comfort within the Free Company.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197605</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197605"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T06:27:08Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. When confronted, he'll normally he'll try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. During his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat, which is why he normally tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself, and remain as calm and even-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tends to be trusting of those he really shouldn't be.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very stoic to the point of sometimes coming across as cold or distant.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finds it hard to be genuine with people.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has to constantly fight to keep his emotions under control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents or his home again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Losing those he cares about&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finally snapping&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very powerful spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Capable airship pilot&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Skilled fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Those that betray his trust&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197604</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197604"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T06:26:10Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. When confronted, he'll normally he'll try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. During his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat, which is why he normally tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself, and remain as calm and even-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tends to be trusting of those he really shouldn't be.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very stoic to the point of sometimes coming across as cold or distant.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finds it hard to be genuine with people.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has to constantly fight to keep his emotions under control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents or his home again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Losing those he cares about&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finally snapping&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very powerful spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Capable airship pilot&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Skilled fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197603</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197603"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T06:25:02Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. When confronted, he'll normally he'll try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. During his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat, which is why he normally tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself, and remain as calm and even-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tends to be trusting of those he really shouldn't be.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very stoic to the point of sometimes coming across as cold or distant.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finds it hard to be genuine with people.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has to constantly fight to keep his emotions under control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents or his home again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Losing those he cares about&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finally snapping&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Level-headed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197602</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197602"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T06:22:08Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. When confronted, he'll normally he'll try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. During his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat, which is why he normally tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself, and remain as calm and even-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tends to be trusting of those he really shouldn't be.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very stoic to the point of sometimes coming across as cold or distant.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finds it hard to be genuine with people.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents or his home again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Losing those he cares about&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finally snapping&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Level-headed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197601</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197601"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T06:20:25Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. When confronted, he'll normally he'll try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. During his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat, which is why he normally tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself, and remain as calm and even-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tends to be trusting of those he really shouldn't be.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very stoic to the point of sometimes coming across as cold or distant.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Finds it hard to be genuine with people.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Level-headed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197600</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=197600"/>
		<updated>2016-09-20T06:11:08Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. When confronted, he'll normally he'll try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. During his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat, which is why he normally tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself, and remain as calm and even-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Level-headed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=195328</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=195328"/>
		<updated>2016-09-07T16:08:42Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Relic Hunter/Airship Mechanic for Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Battalion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affiliations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, but now works full time as the airship mechanic for the relic hunters of Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is known for his expertise with Magitek, and as such often can be seen wielding numerous sorts of Magitek. Often times, he'll be seen as donning a mask-like visor that he almost always keeps on his person, even if he's not wearing it. Whenever venturing into possible danger, he also takes his Magitek spear with him as well. On very rare, but extreme occasions, he may use his Magitek Reaper which he acquired from his Garlean days. Normally it sits in a remote cove in La Nosca, only being used when the circumstances call for it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to the Magitek augmentations he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't be entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble. His bones have been reinforced with Magitek as well, allowing them to support a large amount of weight without shattering.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: Valen is a generally kind person, often putting others before himself. He can be a bit quiet sometimes, but is generally an easy person to get along with. When confronted, he'll normally he'll try to talk through the conflict, but isn't hesitant to use force if he feels diplomacy isn't an option. During his time in Garlemald, he was conditioned to find a sort of sick joy in combat, which is why he normally tries to keep himself as composed as possible when in the face of conflict. Even when fighting, he strains to withhold himself, and remain as calm and even-headed as possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Level-headed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exclusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Despite our differences in the past, he has helped me greatly. He is someone you can rely on. I owe him a great debt, t'is the least I can do. Oh and he can't keep a secret, be aware of that too.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Valen is a kind man, perhaps more than people give him credit for. You didn't hear that from me, though. Got it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Prisoner of The Void&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''A Fellow Knight''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Shortly after bringing down the Garlean base, Rihxo was approached by a mysterious woman who told her she wished to meet with Valen. Rihxo arranged the meeting, and the Magitek Knight met with her in Gridania. She introduced herself as [[Adelaide Levenson]], and claimed to be of a newer generation of Magitek Knights, but like him, she managed to escape from Garlemald. At first he was weary of her, but eventually came to understand that she truly meant him no ill will. Nanagi didn't take too kindly to her, but in the end, it appeared as though Adelaide would be nothing but harmless.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Investigation''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Valen's surprise, Nanagi requested to meet with him. She told him that while she was still unsure of him on a personal level, she was certain that he was more than capable at finding information. Because of this, she requested that he help her find out what happened to her mother, who was supposedly abducted by Amalj'aa some four years prior. He accepted her request, and began investigating. After a few weeks of investigating, he was able to learn that Nagi's parents were likely not attacked by Amalj'aa, but instead the target of an attack from a rival merchant in Ul'Dah. However, the merchant who likely was involved was already dead, and this still didn't answer what happened to Nanagi's mother. After further investigation, Valen found a lead that took him to one of the large Amalj'aa. After meeting with the elder, an old Amalj'aa named Ra'takka, he told Valen to contact Nanagi and bring her to the camp, because he knew what happened to her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Forbidden Art''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi came to the camp with a conjurer named [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]] to seek what the old Amalj'aa had to say. Ra'takka told her that the only way he could tell her what happened would be if she could prove herself by extinguishing a flame lit by Ifrit, that could only be put out through the aether of Hydaelyn itself. Hesitant, she accepted the task, and summoned the aether around her to extinguish the flame, much to her conjurer friend's dismay. Seeing that she had proven herself worth, Ra'takka explained what happened to her mother. A splinter Amalj'aa tribe that worshiped the gods of the Void were paid by the merchant to get rid of the bodies of Nanagi's parents. However, they expected both her mother and father to be alive so they could be used as offerings to the Void. With only her mother alive, the gods of the Void were displeased and wiped the tribe, but took Nanagi's mother as payment. Nanagi was incredibly distraught by this, but Ra'takka told her that he could teach her the ways of the Black Mages, and allow her to open a portal to the Void so that she could rescue her mother, or what was left of her, from the Void. Nagi said she needed time to think about it, so Ra'takka told her to go and think about it, and to take Valen with her, who had long overstayed his welcome.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Preperations''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Realizing that his companion would be venturing into The Void to attempt to rescue their long lost mother, Valen quickly went to work to assist her in any way he could. His first priority was figuring out a way to enter the Void with Nanagi and not be tempered by its influence. He had an idea, though it was a risky one, and fairly convoluted.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After contacting Adelaide, he requested for her to help him repair the Magitek chip in his skull that had been damaged in his battle with Rihxo, and transfer authority of it over it to Adelaide, in a similar manner to how the chip's authority used to belong to the Garlean Empire. He believed that if another person on the outside could control him through his Magitek chip, then even if The Void's influence were to reach him, it wouldn't matter since he wouldn't even have control over his own body, and therefore The Void wouldn't be able to affect him since Adelaide would already be controlling him to an extent. It wasn't a perfect plan, but one Valen believed would suffice until someone could properly exorcise the Void's influence from him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide agreed to the plan. Though reluctant at first, over time she seemed to change her opinion on the matter, even encouraging Valen to go through with it when he started having second thoughts about the plan. Nanagi wasn't pleased when Adelaide disclosed the plan with her, but Stalhart dismissed her objections. &lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Another Weapon''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
While on assignment in Sharlayan for Arcadeus, Valen came across a tome speaking of a weapon hidden away in the Black Shroud that absorbed the aether around it. Curious, he sought out to find this weapon, locating it in a long forgotten tomb near Ampador Keep. Just as the tome said, the rune crested spear began to absorb the aether from the world around it the moment Valen took hold of it. It even began to drain the aetherite crystal in his palm, though the amount was rather meager.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After showing this weapon to Adelaide, he proposed to her the idea of figuring out how to reverse the flow of the spear so that way instead of sucking in aether, it would expel it. With centuries worth of aether, he had no doubts that if something like that were to disperse in The Void, it could provide the smoke cloud Nanagi would need to travel through it with relative safety so she could find her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide was intrigued by the plan and assisted Valen in deciphering the runes on it. After days of working with the runes, they finally came to a consensus on how to release the aether inside the spear. However, due to the fact that they'd only get one chance at it, they had to withhold from testing it to see if their method would work.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With his chip repaired, and a new weapon that might aid them, Valen readied himself for the nearing day that Nanagi would finally enter The Void to rescue her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=160466</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=160466"/>
		<updated>2016-03-02T06:48:49Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Abilities/Skills */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who once served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Batallion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affilations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, and now lives in the Sadowyn Estate, along with the Free Company Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Your Character's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: If out on patrol or if he's expecting the possibility of a battle, he'll don his armor and keep his Magitek spear strapped to his back. He also tends to keep his Magitek Reaper nearby, which he uses as storage for various items varying from rations, camping equipment, and numerous tools and devices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to all of the Magitek implants he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen can appear to be a bit distant, and sometimes even downright cold. However, he does try to show genuine kindness to others when he feels they are deserving of it. Deep down though, Valen has become incredibly jaded. His perception of the world is quite bleak, and he secretly relishes the thrill of battle to the point that its the only time he ever truely feels alive. Despite this, he tries to avoid fighting as much as he can, because despite his desire to fight, he still understands that violence is something that should only be used as a last resort.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Pessimistic&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Reckless&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A very worldly person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Overt Optimism&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exlcusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportation. Though this crystal does allow for him to do such minor magicks as teleportation, its primary purpose is to power his Magitek augmentations. Since his Magitek has a relatively low ceruleum demand, with careful use, the aetherite crystal should be able to keep his Magitek powered for anywhere between 50-75 years before running dry and needing to be replaced.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me..&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's admirable and a stalwart ally, at least to others. Me? I simply do repairs on magitek.&amp;quot;'''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
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''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Prisoner of The Void&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''A Fellow Knight''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Shortly after bringing down the Garlean base, Rihxo was approached by a mysterious woman who told her she wished to meet with Valen. Rihxo arranged the meeting, and the Magitek Knight met with her in Gridania. She introduced herself as [[Adelaide Levenson]], and claimed to be of a newer generation of Magitek Knights, but like him, she managed to escape from Garlemald. At first he was weary of her, but eventually came to understand that she truly meant him no ill will. Nanagi didn't take too kindly to her, but in the end, it appeared as though Adelaide would be nothing but harmless.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Investigation''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Valen's surprise, Nanagi requested to meet with him. She told him that while she was still unsure of him on a personal level, she was certain that he was more than capable at finding information. Because of this, she requested that he help her find out what happened to her mother, who was supposedly abducted by Amalj'aa some four years prior. He accepted her request, and began investigating. After a few weeks of investigating, he was able to learn that Nagi's parents were likely not attacked by Amalj'aa, but instead the target of an attack from a rival merchant in Ul'Dah. However, the merchant who likely was involved was already dead, and this still didn't answer what happened to Nanagi's mother. After further investigation, Valen found a lead that took him to one of the large Amalj'aa. After meeting with the elder, an old Amalj'aa named Ra'takka, he told Valen to contact Nanagi and bring her to the camp, because he knew what happened to her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Forbidden Art''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi came to the camp with a conjurer named [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]] to seek what the old Amalj'aa had to say. Ra'takka told her that the only way he could tell her what happened would be if she could prove herself by extinguishing a flame lit by Ifrit, that could only be put out through the aether of Hydaelyn itself. Hesitant, she accepted the task, and summoned the aether around her to extinguish the flame, much to her conjurer friend's dismay. Seeing that she had proven herself worth, Ra'takka explained what happened to her mother. A splinter Amalj'aa tribe that worshiped the gods of the Void were paid by the merchant to get rid of the bodies of Nanagi's parents. However, they expected both her mother and father to be alive so they could be used as offerings to the Void. With only her mother alive, the gods of the Void were displeased and wiped the tribe, but took Nanagi's mother as payment. Nanagi was incredibly distraught by this, but Ra'takka told her that he could teach her the ways of the Black Mages, and allow her to open a portal to the Void so that she could rescue her mother, or what was left of her, from the Void. Nagi said she needed time to think about it, so Ra'takka told her to go and think about it, and to take Valen with her, who had long overstayed his welcome.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Preperations''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Realizing that his companion would be venturing into The Void to attempt to rescue their long lost mother, Valen quickly went to work to assist her in any way he could. His first priority was figuring out a way to enter the Void with Nanagi and not be tempered by its influence. He had an idea, though it was a risky one, and fairly convoluted.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After contacting Adelaide, he requested for her to help him repair the Magitek chip in his skull that had been damaged in his battle with Rihxo, and transfer authority of it over it to Adelaide, in a similar manner to how the chip's authority used to belong to the Garlean Empire. He believed that if another person on the outside could control him through his Magitek chip, then even if The Void's influence were to reach him, it wouldn't matter since he wouldn't even have control over his own body, and therefore The Void wouldn't be able to affect him since Adelaide would already be controlling him to an extent. It wasn't a perfect plan, but one Valen believed would suffice until someone could properly exorcise the Void's influence from him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide agreed to the plan. Though reluctant at first, over time she seemed to change her opinion on the matter, even encouraging Valen to go through with it when he started having second thoughts about the plan. Nanagi wasn't pleased when Adelaide disclosed the plan with her, but Stalhart dismissed her objections. &lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Another Weapon''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
While on assignment in Sharlayan for Arcadeus, Valen came across a tome speaking of a weapon hidden away in the Black Shroud that absorbed the aether around it. Curious, he sought out to find this weapon, locating it in a long forgotten tomb near Ampador Keep. Just as the tome said, the rune crested spear began to absorb the aether from the world around it the moment Valen took hold of it. It even began to drain the aetherite crystal in his palm, though the amount was rather meager.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After showing this weapon to Adelaide, he proposed to her the idea of figuring out how to reverse the flow of the spear so that way instead of sucking in aether, it would expel it. With centuries worth of aether, he had no doubts that if something like that were to disperse in The Void, it could provide the smoke cloud Nanagi would need to travel through it with relative safety so she could find her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide was intrigued by the plan and assisted Valen in deciphering the runes on it. After days of working with the runes, they finally came to a consensus on how to release the aether inside the spear. However, due to the fact that they'd only get one chance at it, they had to withhold from testing it to see if their method would work.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With his chip repaired, and a new weapon that might aid them, Valen readied himself for the nearing day that Nanagi would finally enter The Void to rescue her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Adelaide_Levenson&amp;diff=160465</id>
		<title>Adelaide Levenson</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Adelaide_Levenson&amp;diff=160465"/>
		<updated>2016-03-02T06:42:31Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players) */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Adelaide Levenson&lt;br /&gt;
| image = AdelaideGeneral.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| title = The Knight - Professional Bitch - Femme Fatale - [[Xeiz Feine|Doll-Eyes]]&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Female&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 30&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Deity&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = None&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = &amp;quot;Why does it matter to ''you?''&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Magitek repairman, Arcanist, general nuisance&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''&amp;lt;big&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;color:#FF0000&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Wiki is a WIP! Not all tabs complete!&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/big&amp;gt;'''&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Adelaide Levenson''', known to few as Adel or Adi, was born on the 25th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon. Adelaide grew up in Garlemald, and though she never had much of a chance to use it when she was young, she always had an interest in magic. Only being half-Garlean, however, allowed her to have some limited magical capabilities. She would train incredibly hard with a shocking amount of discipline in order to use magic to the best of her ability. While she never made it higher than a Legionarius, her skills with magic were certainly noticed, and she was thus taken to join the ranks of the Magitek Knights.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: As an 'adventurer' of some kind, Adi can be found out pretty much anywhere in Eorzea, though her favorite city would have to be Gridania. She is often found with the botanists, despite having little interest in botany itself. In all honesty, she simply enjoys the scent of the flowers and the relaxing feel the area gives off, though she'd never admit to it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Adelaide doesn't care much for Eorzean politics, having grown up in Garlemald. She never found politics to be a very interesting topic and thus never bothered to keep up with it, even back home. Not like she had much of an opportunity to sit down and have a chat in the first place.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Not currently working for any Free Company.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Adelaide's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
'''Last updated:''' March 1st, 2016.&lt;br /&gt;
: - Various vials full of different potions.&lt;br /&gt;
: - A small journal. Very worn. Its pages have few words, but mostly rough sketches of faces.&lt;br /&gt;
: - A thin leather sleeve for holding papers.&lt;br /&gt;
: - Quill and inkpot.&lt;br /&gt;
: - Empty envelopes and blank stationary, in a separate sleeve from the other.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:AdelaideAppearance.jpg|right|400px]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 5 fulms 10 ilms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 125 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#CD7C51;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Mocha&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FAD28D;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Golden Platinum Blonde&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#87d3d3;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Glowing Magitek Blue&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Adelaide is a decently attractive Hyur, though this isn't unexpected. She doesn't look a day over 22, and she generally attributes this to the implants that are in her body. The most obvious thing that would stick out to anyone are her eyes; eerily glowing a distinct Magitek blue. Her eyes were once a simple chocolate brown, but since she was inducted into the Magitek Knights, they were replaced. Under her left eye is a small beauty mark. She has a more oblong jaw, and thick, pink lips. She almost always seems oddly calm, her expression rarely shifting from a serene, neutral one. Whenever she expects to see anyone, she always puts on makeup, typically looking [https://s3.amazonaws.com/neonscope/articles/2014/makeup_look_02.jpg something like this].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Adelaide is a thinner woman; not particularly curvaceous, though she does have a thin waist for being as tall as she is. However, there are crystal fragments embedded in her body to help amplify her magic; some of these fragments are a bit closer to the skin than intended, and thus, some of it seems strangely lumpy. This is really only noticeable on her calves and inner thighs, however, and thus most will not notice. Even so, she usually tries to cover the areas up more than other parts of her body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Her tone is usually even and calm, just like her demeanor. She seems to carry herself with confidence and formality, and her voice shows that: Harsh enough to where you know she's serious, but still gentle enough not to be unsettling, though that in itself might be just as unsettling. When angered, which isn't often, the harshness that is ever-present truly shines through; some would say she's the kind of woman that when she's truly kind you can't get enough, but when angered she's simply terrifying.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Adelaide's favorite scent is roses, and she often smells of them, due to both spending time with the botanists in Gridania and simply owning a rose perfume. Occasionally, though, she will go for the more soothing scent of lavender.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:AdelaideBehavior1.jpg|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
: A blurb about how your character usually is when first meeting someone.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: A blurb about how your character acts once they get to know someone better.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Methodical, borderline obsessively so, on finishing things until the end.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A narcissist.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Often cynical.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; If something doesn't go her way... it won't end well.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Failure.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Capture.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Torture.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Powerful Arcanist.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Cunning, and can bend people to do her bidding. (Even if it's kind of backhanded.)&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Knowledgeable on magitek.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Quirks&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Writes with her right hand. Does everything else left-handed.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Often stands with her hands either neatly folded in front of her or in an [http://www.blackfive.net/photos/uncategorized/temp_display_img_10220.jpg 'at ease'] position.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Is ''incredibly'' difficult to get drunk.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkers with magitek parts when possible.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sketches people's faces as best she can from memory.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Presses flowers.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Flowers, though roses especially.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The smell of rain.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tattoos.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People who value emotions over logic.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Garleans.&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Things not going to plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Favorites&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Color:''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8be89f;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Green&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Food:''' [http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Snurbleberry_Tart Snurbleberry Tart]&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Drink:''' [http://ffxiv.gamerescape.com/wiki/Frozen_Spirits Frozen Spirits] &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Scent:''' Roses&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Place:''' The Botanist's Guild in Gridania&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
An optional blurb about how your character looks and behaves during combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
What weapons your character typically carries and how proficient they are with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
What you character knows about magic, or is good at.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Crafting&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
What your character is good at, or interested in.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Birth and childhood (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Your character's life as a child.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Teen Years&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Your character's life as a teenager.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Adulthood&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: About your character's adulthood, pre- or post-Calamity.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Her eyes are so striking! It's almost like they can see right through you...&amp;quot; '''~Gridania Local'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I always see her sitting out in that clearing, there. Literally stopping and smelling the roses...&amp;quot; '''~Botanist's Guild Recruit'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That book at her side... I've never seen her without it, not once. I've no clue what's in it, though...&amp;quot; '''~Serpent Recruit'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;She's oddly familiar with Magitek, though I'm not surprised. I mean, have you ''seen'' those eyes of hers? Of course she'd know a thing or two.&amp;quot; '''~Grumpy Merchant'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I've never seen her smile, but I haven't seen her frown either. It's like she just has something on her mind.. constantly.&amp;quot; '''~Canopy Regular'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;She's quite the... oooh, I can't just go saying that to people! Why, I was nothing but kind to her, but it was like I just wasn't worth her time. Hmph.&amp;quot; '''~Flustered Elezen Female'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The aether in her is abundant... it's almost like there's something ''inside'' her.&amp;quot; '''~Muddled Mage'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't trust her, not a bit. She's powerful, sure, but the way she carries herself... she knows something.&amp;quot; '''~Serpent Lieutenant'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;She's cunning, like a rogue. The magic she uses... it's the kind that will make you hurt for a long time. You don't forget that feeling.&amp;quot; '''~Serpent Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;She thinks I'm inept? I'm not inept! Okay, maybe with certain things. Still... she's so weird.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Doll-Eyes and Rihxo have more in common than either of them realize, and would probably like to admit. She’s hurting inside... why can’t anyone else see it?&amp;quot; '''~[[Xeiz Feine|Feine]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;She's been a great help to me. I'd go as far to even consider her a friend. However, I know there's still something she's not telling me.&amp;quot; '''~[[Valen Stalhart]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Insert rumor here.&amp;quot; '''~Name'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div align=&amp;quot;center&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''Color Key'''&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;In A Relationship:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide is involved in some form of committed relationship with this character.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#c71d1d;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Romantic Attraction:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide is romantically attracted to this character.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
:&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#221b1b&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Sexual Attraction&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide is physically attracted to this character.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#54b5eb;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Platonic Love/Family:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide considers this person family.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#5667ff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♦&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Friend:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide considers this person to be a friend.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#93d2f6;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♦&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Friendly Acquaintance:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide considers this person to be mostly friendly, or as a casual ally.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#1eae08;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Good Standing:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide has no specific feelings about this character; however, they left a good impression.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#c6c6c6;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Neutral:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide has no specific feelings about this character.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ae0808;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Bad Standing:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide has no specific feelings about this character; however, they left a bad impression.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8a8a8a;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Dislike:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide doesn't consider this person a friend and will be civil if she must; however, she actively tries to avoid them.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#575757;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Hate:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide considers this person an annoyance and will try to avoid them, otherwise conflict is almost certain.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Fear:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide is terrified of this character and will try to avoid them at all cost.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#630000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Rivalry:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide considers this person to be a rival and will initiate conflict when their paths cross.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#dba133;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Family Member:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; This character is related by blood to Adelaide.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#dba133;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;✔&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Business:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; This character is either Adelaide's employer, employee, or coworker.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;✖&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Deceased:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; This character has passed away.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FE9900;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;?&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Questioning:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide is questioning how she feels about this character, in some form or fashion.&amp;lt;/sub&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#c5a541;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;🔒&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;sub&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Trust:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; Adelaide trusts this character, and would put her life in their hands if it came to it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
Primarily backstory-related relationships.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;wikitable alphabetical&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 80%; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|- style=&amp;quot;background-color: #LEGEND COLOR; color: #ffffff;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; background: #E6E6FA;font-size:12px;color:#ff6363; text-shadow: 1px 1px 3px silver;letter-spacing:0.2em;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;B&amp;gt;List of Family Members&amp;lt;/B&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;!--You can add new entries below this line--&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: middle; text-align: left;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Katrina Bearsblood,&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Mother&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;.  &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; (???) &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Adelaides’s Thoughts:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;&amp;quot;I never knew you. Why should it matter to me if you're dead or alive?&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:13px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;WIP&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: middle; text-align: left;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Ansgar Levenson,&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Father&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;.  &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; (???) &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Adelaide’s Thoughts:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;&amp;quot;You might as well have just let me live on my own from day one.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:13px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;WIP&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;!--Put new entries above this line--&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Non-Family===&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Listed here are the non-family characters, both PC and NPC, that Adelaide has interacted with enough or in such a way for her to form a opinion about them. Please don't take personal offense if your character isn't listed here, or how the interaction or relationship is described. If you wish to be added here, simply ask!&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Last Updated:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;  2/25/2016.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;wikitable alphabetical&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; cellspacing=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; cellpadding=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 80%; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|- style=&amp;quot;background-color: #LEGEND COLOR; color: #ffffff;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; background: #E6E6FA;font-size:12px;color:#ff6363; text-shadow: 1px 1px 3px silver;letter-spacing:0.2em;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;B&amp;gt;List of Non-Family Relations&amp;lt;/B&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;!--You can add new entries below this line--&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: middle; text-align: left;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;[[Valen Stalhart]],&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Fellow Knight&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;.  &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; (&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#93d2f6;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♦&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FE9900;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;?&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;) &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Adelaide's Thoughts:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;&amp;quot;You're right; we're fools. But at least we're not fools alone anymore.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:13px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;[[File:Valen1.jpg|250px|left]]WIP&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: middle; text-align: left;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;[[Xeiz Feine|Raziel]],&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Five-Second Valentione&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;.  &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; (&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#c6c6c6;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;) &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Adelaide’s Thoughts:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;&amp;quot;You admitted that you need to pay for what you've done... you confuse me, just a little.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:13px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;[[File:Raziel1.jpg|250px|right]]WIP&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: middle; text-align: left;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;[[Nanagi Nagi]],&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Little Mage&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;.  &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; (&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8a8a8a;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♠&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;) &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Adelaide’s Thoughts:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;&amp;quot;You're so easy to mess with, my dear.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:13px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;[[File:Nagi_Icon.png|250px|left]]WIP&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: middle; text-align: left;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;[[Kanako Moonweaver]],&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Snarky Raen&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;.  &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; (&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ae0808;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;) &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Adelaide’s Thoughts:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;&amp;quot;You're hardly better than those Miqo'te girls who work the corner, but at least you've got fight in you.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:13px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;[[File:Kanako1.png|250px|right]]WIP&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: middle; text-align: left;&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
! &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;[[Cassandra Solidor]],&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Silvery-Haired Garlean&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;.  &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; (&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FE9900;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;?&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;) &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:14px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;b&amp;gt;Adelaide’s Thoughts:&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt; &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;&amp;quot;You know my name... what do you know about '''me?'''&amp;quot;&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
| &amp;lt;div style=&amp;quot;font-family:Trebuchet MS; font-size:13px;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;[[File:CassProfile.png|250px|left]]WIP&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/div&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;!--Put new entries above this line--&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Non-Arc Events&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
(1/1-1/2) ''An Example Table''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' Person 1, Person 2)&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Write about your important event here.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Into the Void (2/4-???) (In Progress) (Involves: [[Valen Stalhart|Valen]], [[Nanagi Nagi|Nagi]], [[Kirkirik Tirtirik|Kirk]], [[Rihxo Matoi|Rihxo]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
(2/1?-2/4) ''Approached''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Valen Stalhart)&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
WIP&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Optional tab. Remove if you don't want. Here, you can put in little 'hooks' for your character - easy conversation starters so that people might find it easier to walk up to you.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Friends (Because friends are nice to have)&lt;br /&gt;
* A good RP plot (Plots are good, any setting is fine)&lt;br /&gt;
* More RP partners (More RP = Good!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
*ERP (I'm fine if she gets involved with someone, but I want a 'fade to black'.)&lt;br /&gt;
*Killing my character (I won't allow for my character to be killed unless I say otherwise.)&lt;br /&gt;
*Complete breakage of lore. (I'm fine with lore bending, as I do that sometimes.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Music:===&lt;br /&gt;
I listen to pretty much ''every'' kind of music. It could jump from post-grunge to K-pop in two seconds. So... be warned!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These are all songs that I feel relate to Adelaide in some way, be it the lyrics or just the instrumental themes themselves.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU2dP7GCR44 Killer] - The Ready Set ''&amp;quot;I'm no good for you. This heart ain't built for two, so... run away, run away, 'cause I'm no, I'm no, I'm no good for you.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CaypEojjKQ Sail] - Awolnation ''&amp;quot;This is how an angel cries. I blame it on my own sick pride.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7YM9gAVeMs My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light 'em Up)] - Fall Out Boy ''&amp;quot;And besides, in the mean, mean time, I'm just dreaming of tearing you apart.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HlY4TNXXZg Oh No!] - Marina and the Diamonds ''&amp;quot;Don't do love, don't do friends; I'm only after success.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfwjtBFBce0 Starring Role] - Marina and the Diamonds ''&amp;quot;You don't love me? Big fucking deal. I'll never tell you how I feel.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9lAyu9-ETE Bubblegum Bitch] - Marina and the Diamonds ''&amp;quot;Oh dear diary, I met a boy; he made my dull heart light up with joy. Oh dear diary, we fell apart. Welcome to the life of Electra Heart.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW-Jr4M4w90 Spider Dance] - Adriana Figueroa ''&amp;quot;Struggling is futile, so get tangled up in me. 'Cause to survive, I think you're gonna have to pay a little fee.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GmAeOFDKoE Silence of the Forest] - Bravely Default OST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwjb6hDOR00 Visitor] - Bravely Default OST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmYnVW9ylk Infiltrating Hostile Teritory] - Bravely Default OST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN-tFowHVHU Strained Time] - Bravely Default OST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ySl2uu0yrw Wicked Battle] - Bravely Default OST (Combat Theme)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhwwuZSANYs Lower Spring Cave] - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky OST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc1bH-gcfQI Dark Crater] - Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky OST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGLYpYoXkWw Adrenaline] - Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 OST&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/pages/Rihxo_and_Nanagi%27s_Template Template for this wiki page]&lt;br /&gt;
* Faceclaim/Voiceclaim: [http://www.theplace2.ru/archive/marina_and_the_diamonds/img/marina_diamandis.jpg Marina] [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9lAyu9-ETE Diamandis]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/LovableAlphaBitch Lovable Alpha Bitch], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SilkHidingSteel Silk Hiding Steel], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FemmeFatale Femme Fatale], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ManipulativeBastard Manipulative Bastard] often uses [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FlawExploitation Flaw Exploitation], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DarkSkinnedBlond Dark Skinned Blonde], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlondesAreEvil Blondes are Evil] (or, at least, that's what everyone ''thinks'' of her).&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
Hi! I usually go by Silent or Novi online. Or you can just call me Rihxo or Adi, I really don't care.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I take too many screenshots (seriously, look at my gallery, I have a bit of a problem) and I skip on leveling to RP. Yeah, I admit it. Sometimes I cosplay, and sometimes I do decent art, I guess.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I'm on the East Coast so I'm in the EST time zone, and usually online in the evenings on weekdays and pretty much all day on weekends. I'm open to forum RP, as well, though I might be slow with replies. (I check that less often.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Do you like to RP? Then I want to RP with you! If you see me in-game, walk up! Adelaide doesn't bite... hard. Any comments on my wiki are welcomed, as well. In-game, I am Adelaide Levenson if you want to whisper me or add me to your friends list so we can RP sometime later.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thanks for reading this whole wiki! It took me a while to put together. Danke, mein Freund! (Thank you, my friend!) (Oh, also, I know a little bit of German. Surprise?)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by [[Rihxo Matoi]] (my main) with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other Stuff===&lt;br /&gt;
* Adi's other half is Ala Mhigan, if you couldn't tell from the skin.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=160464</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=160464"/>
		<updated>2016-03-02T06:38:07Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Relationships */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who once served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Batallion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affilations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, and now lives in the Sadowyn Estate, along with the Free Company Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Your Character's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: If out on patrol or if he's expecting the possibility of a battle, he'll don his armor and keep his Magitek spear strapped to his back. He also tends to keep his Magitek Reaper nearby, which he uses as storage for various items varying from rations, camping equipment, and numerous tools and devices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to all of the Magitek implants he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen can appear to be a bit distant, and sometimes even downright cold. However, he does try to show genuine kindness to others when he feels they are deserving of it. Deep down though, Valen has become incredibly jaded. His perception of the world is quite bleak, and he secretly relishes the thrill of battle to the point that its the only time he ever truely feels alive. Despite this, he tries to avoid fighting as much as he can, because despite his desire to fight, he still understands that violence is something that should only be used as a last resort.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Pessimistic&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Reckless&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A very worldly person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Overt Optimism&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exlcusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportion. While he does understand magic and its funtionality, he himself cannot weild it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me..&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's admirable and a stalwart ally, at least to others. Me? I simply do repairs on magitek.&amp;quot;'''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight. He was weary of her at first, but has since come to accept her as both a helpful companion and a friend.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
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''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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|}&lt;br /&gt;
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Prisoner of The Void&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
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''A Fellow Knight''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Shortly after bringing down the Garlean base, Rihxo was approached by a mysterious woman who told her she wished to meet with Valen. Rihxo arranged the meeting, and the Magitek Knight met with her in Gridania. She introduced herself as [[Adelaide Levenson]], and claimed to be of a newer generation of Magitek Knights, but like him, she managed to escape from Garlemald. At first he was weary of her, but eventually came to understand that she truly meant him no ill will. Nanagi didn't take too kindly to her, but in the end, it appeared as though Adelaide would be nothing but harmless.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''The Investigation''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Valen's surprise, Nanagi requested to meet with him. She told him that while she was still unsure of him on a personal level, she was certain that he was more than capable at finding information. Because of this, she requested that he help her find out what happened to her mother, who was supposedly abducted by Amalj'aa some four years prior. He accepted her request, and began investigating. After a few weeks of investigating, he was able to learn that Nagi's parents were likely not attacked by Amalj'aa, but instead the target of an attack from a rival merchant in Ul'Dah. However, the merchant who likely was involved was already dead, and this still didn't answer what happened to Nanagi's mother. After further investigation, Valen found a lead that took him to one of the large Amalj'aa. After meeting with the elder, an old Amalj'aa named Ra'takka, he told Valen to contact Nanagi and bring her to the camp, because he knew what happened to her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Forbidden Art''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi came to the camp with a conjurer named [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]] to seek what the old Amalj'aa had to say. Ra'takka told her that the only way he could tell her what happened would be if she could prove herself by extinguishing a flame lit by Ifrit, that could only be put out through the aether of Hydaelyn itself. Hesitant, she accepted the task, and summoned the aether around her to extinguish the flame, much to her conjurer friend's dismay. Seeing that she had proven herself worth, Ra'takka explained what happened to her mother. A splinter Amalj'aa tribe that worshiped the gods of the Void were paid by the merchant to get rid of the bodies of Nanagi's parents. However, they expected both her mother and father to be alive so they could be used as offerings to the Void. With only her mother alive, the gods of the Void were displeased and wiped the tribe, but took Nanagi's mother as payment. Nanagi was incredibly distraught by this, but Ra'takka told her that he could teach her the ways of the Black Mages, and allow her to open a portal to the Void so that she could rescue her mother, or what was left of her, from the Void. Nagi said she needed time to think about it, so Ra'takka told her to go and think about it, and to take Valen with her, who had long overstayed his welcome.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Preperations''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Realizing that his companion would be venturing into The Void to attempt to rescue their long lost mother, Valen quickly went to work to assist her in any way he could. His first priority was figuring out a way to enter the Void with Nanagi and not be tempered by its influence. He had an idea, though it was a risky one, and fairly convoluted.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After contacting Adelaide, he requested for her to help him repair the Magitek chip in his skull that had been damaged in his battle with Rihxo, and transfer authority of it over it to Adelaide, in a similar manner to how the chip's authority used to belong to the Garlean Empire. He believed that if another person on the outside could control him through his Magitek chip, then even if The Void's influence were to reach him, it wouldn't matter since he wouldn't even have control over his own body, and therefore The Void wouldn't be able to affect him since Adelaide would already be controlling him to an extent. It wasn't a perfect plan, but one Valen believed would suffice until someone could properly exorcise the Void's influence from him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide agreed to the plan. Though reluctant at first, over time she seemed to change her opinion on the matter, even encouraging Valen to go through with it when he started having second thoughts about the plan. Nanagi wasn't pleased when Adelaide disclosed the plan with her, but Stalhart dismissed her objections. &lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
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''Another Weapon''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
While on assignment in Sharlayan for Arcadeus, Valen came across a tome speaking of a weapon hidden away in the Black Shroud that absorbed the aether around it. Curious, he sought out to find this weapon, locating it in a long forgotten tomb near Ampador Keep. Just as the tome said, the rune crested spear began to absorb the aether from the world around it the moment Valen took hold of it. It even began to drain the aetherite crystal in his palm, though the amount was rather meager.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After showing this weapon to Adelaide, he proposed to her the idea of figuring out how to reverse the flow of the spear so that way instead of sucking in aether, it would expel it. With centuries worth of aether, he had no doubts that if something like that were to disperse in The Void, it could provide the smoke cloud Nanagi would need to travel through it with relative safety so she could find her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide was intrigued by the plan and assisted Valen in deciphering the runes on it. After days of working with the runes, they finally came to a consensus on how to release the aether inside the spear. However, due to the fact that they'd only get one chance at it, they had to withhold from testing it to see if their method would work.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With his chip repaired, and a new weapon that might aid them, Valen readied himself for the nearing day that Nanagi would finally enter The Void to rescue her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
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|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=160462</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=160462"/>
		<updated>2016-03-02T06:34:12Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Notable Events */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who once served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Batallion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affilations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, and now lives in the Sadowyn Estate, along with the Free Company Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Your Character's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: If out on patrol or if he's expecting the possibility of a battle, he'll don his armor and keep his Magitek spear strapped to his back. He also tends to keep his Magitek Reaper nearby, which he uses as storage for various items varying from rations, camping equipment, and numerous tools and devices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to all of the Magitek implants he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen can appear to be a bit distant, and sometimes even downright cold. However, he does try to show genuine kindness to others when he feels they are deserving of it. Deep down though, Valen has become incredibly jaded. His perception of the world is quite bleak, and he secretly relishes the thrill of battle to the point that its the only time he ever truely feels alive. Despite this, he tries to avoid fighting as much as he can, because despite his desire to fight, he still understands that violence is something that should only be used as a last resort.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Pessimistic&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Reckless&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A very worldly person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Overt Optimism&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exlcusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportion. While he does understand magic and its funtionality, he himself cannot weild it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me..&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's admirable and a stalwart ally, at least to others. Me? I simply do repairs on magitek.&amp;quot;'''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight, though one from a much newer generation. Valen believes she doesn't intend to harm him nor his companions, but he feels that she still has something she's hiding.''&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Prisoner of The Void&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''A Fellow Knight''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Shortly after bringing down the Garlean base, Rihxo was approached by a mysterious woman who told her she wished to meet with Valen. Rihxo arranged the meeting, and the Magitek Knight met with her in Gridania. She introduced herself as [[Adelaide Levenson]], and claimed to be of a newer generation of Magitek Knights, but like him, she managed to escape from Garlemald. At first he was weary of her, but eventually came to understand that she truly meant him no ill will. Nanagi didn't take too kindly to her, but in the end, it appeared as though Adelaide would be nothing but harmless.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Investigation''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Valen's surprise, Nanagi requested to meet with him. She told him that while she was still unsure of him on a personal level, she was certain that he was more than capable at finding information. Because of this, she requested that he help her find out what happened to her mother, who was supposedly abducted by Amalj'aa some four years prior. He accepted her request, and began investigating. After a few weeks of investigating, he was able to learn that Nagi's parents were likely not attacked by Amalj'aa, but instead the target of an attack from a rival merchant in Ul'Dah. However, the merchant who likely was involved was already dead, and this still didn't answer what happened to Nanagi's mother. After further investigation, Valen found a lead that took him to one of the large Amalj'aa. After meeting with the elder, an old Amalj'aa named Ra'takka, he told Valen to contact Nanagi and bring her to the camp, because he knew what happened to her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Forbidden Art''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi came to the camp with a conjurer named [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]] to seek what the old Amalj'aa had to say. Ra'takka told her that the only way he could tell her what happened would be if she could prove herself by extinguishing a flame lit by Ifrit, that could only be put out through the aether of Hydaelyn itself. Hesitant, she accepted the task, and summoned the aether around her to extinguish the flame, much to her conjurer friend's dismay. Seeing that she had proven herself worth, Ra'takka explained what happened to her mother. A splinter Amalj'aa tribe that worshiped the gods of the Void were paid by the merchant to get rid of the bodies of Nanagi's parents. However, they expected both her mother and father to be alive so they could be used as offerings to the Void. With only her mother alive, the gods of the Void were displeased and wiped the tribe, but took Nanagi's mother as payment. Nanagi was incredibly distraught by this, but Ra'takka told her that he could teach her the ways of the Black Mages, and allow her to open a portal to the Void so that she could rescue her mother, or what was left of her, from the Void. Nagi said she needed time to think about it, so Ra'takka told her to go and think about it, and to take Valen with her, who had long overstayed his welcome.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Preperations''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Realizing that his companion would be venturing into The Void to attempt to rescue their long lost mother, Valen quickly went to work to assist her in any way he could. His first priority was figuring out a way to enter the Void with Nanagi and not be tempered by its influence. He had an idea, though it was a risky one, and fairly convoluted.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After contacting Adelaide, he requested for her to help him repair the Magitek chip in his skull that had been damaged in his battle with Rihxo, and transfer authority of it over it to Adelaide, in a similar manner to how the chip's authority used to belong to the Garlean Empire. He believed that if another person on the outside could control him through his Magitek chip, then even if The Void's influence were to reach him, it wouldn't matter since he wouldn't even have control over his own body, and therefore The Void wouldn't be able to affect him since Adelaide would already be controlling him to an extent. It wasn't a perfect plan, but one Valen believed would suffice until someone could properly exorcise the Void's influence from him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide agreed to the plan. Though reluctant at first, over time she seemed to change her opinion on the matter, even encouraging Valen to go through with it when he started having second thoughts about the plan. Nanagi wasn't pleased when Adelaide disclosed the plan with her, but Stalhart dismissed her objections. &lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Another Weapon''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
While on assignment in Sharlayan for Arcadeus, Valen came across a tome speaking of a weapon hidden away in the Black Shroud that absorbed the aether around it. Curious, he sought out to find this weapon, locating it in a long forgotten tomb near Ampador Keep. Just as the tome said, the rune crested spear began to absorb the aether from the world around it the moment Valen took hold of it. It even began to drain the aetherite crystal in his palm, though the amount was rather meager.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After showing this weapon to Adelaide, he proposed to her the idea of figuring out how to reverse the flow of the spear so that way instead of sucking in aether, it would expel it. With centuries worth of aether, he had no doubts that if something like that were to disperse in The Void, it could provide the smoke cloud Nanagi would need to travel through it with relative safety so she could find her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Adelaide was intrigued by the plan and assisted Valen in deciphering the runes on it. After days of working with the runes, they finally came to a consensus on how to release the aether inside the spear. However, due to the fact that they'd only get one chance at it, they had to withhold from testing it to see if their method would work.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With his chip repaired, and a new weapon that might aid them, Valen readied himself for the nearing day that Nanagi would finally enter The Void to rescue her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=157983</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=157983"/>
		<updated>2016-02-21T09:16:09Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Notable Events */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who once served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Batallion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affilations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, and now lives in the Sadowyn Estate, along with the Free Company Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Your Character's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: If out on patrol or if he's expecting the possibility of a battle, he'll don his armor and keep his Magitek spear strapped to his back. He also tends to keep his Magitek Reaper nearby, which he uses as storage for various items varying from rations, camping equipment, and numerous tools and devices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to all of the Magitek implants he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen can appear to be a bit distant, and sometimes even downright cold. However, he does try to show genuine kindness to others when he feels they are deserving of it. Deep down though, Valen has become incredibly jaded. His perception of the world is quite bleak, and he secretly relishes the thrill of battle to the point that its the only time he ever truely feels alive. Despite this, he tries to avoid fighting as much as he can, because despite his desire to fight, he still understands that violence is something that should only be used as a last resort.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Pessimistic&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Reckless&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A very worldly person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Overt Optimism&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exlcusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportion. While he does understand magic and its funtionality, he himself cannot weild it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me..&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's admirable and a stalwart ally, at least to others. Me? I simply do repairs on magitek.&amp;quot;'''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight, though one from a much newer generation. Valen believes she doesn't intend to harm him nor his companions, but he feels that she still has something she's hiding.''&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Prisoner of The Void&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''A Fellow Knight''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Adelaide Levenson]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Shortly after bringing down the Garlean base, Rihxo was approached by a mysterious woman who told her she wished to meet with Valen. Rihxo arranged the meeting, and the Magitek Knight met with her in Gridania. She introduced herself as [[Adelaide Levenson]], and claimed to be of a newer generation of Magitek Knights, but like him, she managed to escape from Garlemald. At first he was weary of her, but eventually came to understand that she truly meant him no ill will. Nanagi didn't take too kindly to her, but in the end, it appeared as though Adelaide would be nothing but harmless.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Investigation&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Valen's surprise, Nanagi requested to meet with him. She told him that while she was still unsure of him on a personal level, she was certain that he was more than capable at finding information. Because of this, she requested that he help her find out what happened to her mother, who was supposedly abducted by Amalj'aa some four years prior. He accepted her request, and began investigating. After a few weeks of investigating, he was able to learn that Nagi's parents were likely not attacked by Amalj'aa, but instead the target of an attack from a rival merchant in Ul'Dah. However, the merchant who likely was involved was already dead, and this still didn't answer what happened to Nanagi's mother. After further investigation, Valen found a lead that took him to one of the large Amalj'aa. After meeting with the elder, an old Amalj'aa named Ra'takka, he told Valen to contact Nanagi and bring her to the camp, because he knew what happened to her mother.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
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{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''The Forbidden Art&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi came to the camp with a conjurer named [[Kirkirik Tirtirik]] to seek what the old Amalj'aa had to say. Ra'takka told her that the only way he could tell her what happened would be if she could prove herself by extinguishing a flame lit by Ifrit, that could only be put out through the aether of Hydaelyn itself. Hesitant, she accepted the task, and summoned the aether around her to extinguish the flame, much to her conjurer friend's dismay. Seeing that she had proven herself worth, Ra'takka explained what happened to her mother. A splinter Amalj'aa tribe that worshiped the gods of the Void were paid by the merchant to get rid of the bodies of Nanagi's parents. However, they expected both her mother and father to be alive so they could be used as offerings to the Void. With only her mother alive, the gods of the Void were displeased and wiped the tribe, but took Nanagi's mother as payment. Nanagi was incredibly distraught by this, but Ra'takka told her that he could teach her the ways of the Black Mages, and allow her to open a portal to the Void so that she could rescue her mother, or what was left of her, from the Void. Nagi said she needed time to think about it, so Ra'takka told her to go and think about it, and to take Valen with her, who had long overstayed his welcome.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=154916</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=154916"/>
		<updated>2016-02-07T01:13:43Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Behavior */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who once served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Batallion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affilations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, and now lives in the Sadowyn Estate, along with the Free Company Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Your Character's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: If out on patrol or if he's expecting the possibility of a battle, he'll don his armor and keep his Magitek spear strapped to his back. He also tends to keep his Magitek Reaper nearby, which he uses as storage for various items varying from rations, camping equipment, and numerous tools and devices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to all of the Magitek implants he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen can appear to be a bit distant, and sometimes even downright cold. However, he does try to show genuine kindness to others when he feels they are deserving of it. Deep down though, Valen has become incredibly jaded. His perception of the world is quite bleak, and he secretly relishes the thrill of battle to the point that its the only time he ever truely feels alive. Despite this, he tries to avoid fighting as much as he can, because despite his desire to fight, he still understands that violence is something that should only be used as a last resort.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Pessimistic&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Reckless&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A very worldly person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Overt Optimism&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exlcusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportion. While he does understand magic and its funtionality, he himself cannot weild it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me..&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;&amp;quot;I find the man quite intriguing. Perhaps we can share another conversation, like our previous one, soon...&amp;quot;'''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight, though one from a much newer generation. Valen believes she doesn't intend to harm him nor his companions, but he feels that she still has something she's hiding.''&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
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|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=154563</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=154563"/>
		<updated>2016-02-05T19:42:11Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
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{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
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=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = The Crestfallen Magitek Knight&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who once served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Batallion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affilations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, and now lives in the Sadowyn Estate, along with the Free Company Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Your Character's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: If out on patrol or if he's expecting the possibility of a battle, he'll don his armor and keep his Magitek spear strapped to his back. He also tends to keep his Magitek Reaper nearby, which he uses as storage for various items varying from rations, camping equipment, and numerous tools and devices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to all of the Magitek implants he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen can appear to be a bit distant, and sometimes even downright cold. However, he does try to show genuine kindness to others when he feels they are deserving of it. Deep down though, Valen has become incredibly jaded. His perception of the world is quite bleak, and he secretly relishes the thrill of battle to the point that its the only time he ever truely feels alive. Despite this, he tries to avoid fighting as much as he can, because despite his desire to fight, he still understands that violence is something that should only be used as a last resort.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Pessimistic&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Reckless&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A very worldly person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Overt Optimism&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exlcusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportion. While he does understand magic and its funtionality, he himself cannot weild it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me..&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;&amp;quot;I find the man quite intriguing. Perhaps we can share another conversation, like our previous one, soon...&amp;quot;'''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight, though one from a much newer generation. Valen believes she doesn't intend to harm him nor his companions, but he feels that she still has something she's hiding.''&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
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|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=154562</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=154562"/>
		<updated>2016-02-05T19:41:22Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
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=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = Titles, a quote - whatever you wanna put.&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Garlean (Claims Coerthas)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 25th Sun of the 6th Umbral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
: '''Valen Stalhart''' was a Garlean soldier who once served in the Empire's secretive Magitek Knight Batallion. Shortly before the Calamity, he defected from the Empire and tried starting a new life in Eorzea. While being sure to keep his past affilations a secret, Stalhart was able to secure a position as an agent for the Maelstrom, and now lives in the Sadowyn Estate, along with the Free Company Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Your Character's Inventory&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: If out on patrol or if he's expecting the possibility of a battle, he'll don his armor and keep his Magitek spear strapped to his back. He also tends to keep his Magitek Reaper nearby, which he uses as storage for various items varying from rations, camping equipment, and numerous tools and devices.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 185 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Complexion:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Caucasian&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Hair:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Black&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Eyes:&amp;amp;nbsp;''' &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Blue.&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Though most would believe Valen to be somewhere in his early twenties due to his youthful features, he's actually quite older than he appears to be. Though he is unsure, he believes his graceful aging is due in part to all of the Magitek implants he was given during his time serving Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: His body itself is quite thin, but beneath his somewhat scrawny appearance is nothing but muscle. However, to call it pure muscle wouldn't entirely be true. His muscles have been laced with carbontwine fibers, granting him incredible strength while also allowing him to remain lithe and nimble&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
: On the surface, Valen can appear to be a bit distant, and sometimes even downright cold. However, he does try to show genuine kindness to others when he feels they are deserving of it. Deep down though, Valen has become incredibly jaded. His perception of the world is quite bleak, and he secretly relishes the thrill of battle to the point that its the only time he ever truely feels alive. Despite this, he tries to avoid fighting as much as he can, because despite his desire to fight, he still understands that violence is something that should only be used as a last resort.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Pessimistic&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Reckless&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Has a severe guilt complex&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Never seeing his parents again&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Being controlled against his will&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Having his former affiliation with Garlemald revealed&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Very skilled spearman&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Expert on all things Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A very worldly person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Preferences===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Tinkering with Magitek&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Solitude&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The sound of the ocean&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Just being a helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Overt Optimism&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Fighting for the sake of fighting&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. His Magitek augmentations have given him incredible strength and agility, also giving him an incredible amount of durability and stamina. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with in combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen exlcusively uses a Magitek spear that was given to him during his service with the Magitek Knights, and has since been heavily modified. It's incredibly light, and incredibly dangerous. Pulses of energy are sent through its razor edged tip to create vibrations in the blade to allow for it to also saw through anything it pierces.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen has little to no magical capabilities. Before being augmented with a small aetherite crystal into the palm of his hand, he even lacked the capability to travel through teleportion. While he does understand magic and its funtionality, he himself cannot weild it.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Life (0-10)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: Born into a family of fisherman in the grasp of thed Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Service Under Garlemald&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Defection, and Days Leading to the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
: After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;After the Calamity&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?&amp;quot; '''~Storm Soldier'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.&amp;quot; '''~Sailor in La Nosca'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like he does.'''~Storm Officer'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble? It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; '''~Maelstrom Agent'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it..&amp;quot; '''~Engineer at the Ironworks Workshop'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom.&amp;quot; '''~Merlwyb'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.&amp;quot; '''~Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study.&amp;quot; '''~Garlean Incident Report'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?&amp;quot; '''~Eynzahr Slafyrsyn'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; '''~[[Nanagi Nagi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me..&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#EE82EE;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;&amp;quot;I find the man quite intriguing. Perhaps we can share another conversation, like our previous one, soon...&amp;quot;'''~[[Adelaide Levenson]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#cc0000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; 💑 &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; In a Relationship&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Sexual Desire&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#007fff;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Family  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]:''' ''Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' ''Though they've had their differences in the past, they have since moved past that, and now Valen seeks to help the lalafell in her search for her mother.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Adelaide Levenson]]:''' ''A fellow defected Magitek Knight, though one from a much newer generation. Valen believes she doesn't intend to harm him nor his companions, but he feels that she still has something she's hiding.''&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
''Dates are included mostly for me so I can keep track of things. However, feel free to use them as references for character journals.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Notable events are divided into arcs, so that you can easily find new info on each arc.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
Unbreakable Chains&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Friend or Foe?''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Caen Jabari]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Seeking Help&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Losing Control''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Confronted''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Rhixo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Calm Before The Storm''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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| &lt;br /&gt;
''Decisive Battle''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], [[Singing Raptor]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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''Freedom''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
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&lt;br /&gt;
=RP Hooks=&lt;br /&gt;
(Credit is due to [[Endel Blanche]] for the idea to add in this tab!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to Valen's stoic nature, he can be a little bit hard to approach, but if you need a little help, here's some subjects to consider.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He is wanted by Garlemald for treason for defecting right before the Calamity, More recently, he led an attack on a Garlean base, which resulted in its destruction. Bounty hunters, Garleand soldiers or sympathizers, or even just people who keep up with current events may know this about him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* During his service with Garlemald, he was augmented with Magitek, and served in a secretive batallion known as the Magitek Knights. Though little is known about them, those who are familiar with Magitek may have heard rumors about them, or at least know that Valen exhibits qualities associated with them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* If there's any sort of trouble that you need help with, Valen is more often than not always willing to help, so long as he knows its for a good cause. He's not a hitman, but he may be willing to help protect a caravan through dangerous territory.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
* He's associated with the Free Company Arcadeus. If you know of them, or know someone from there, then you may have heard of Valen.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* I'm just looking for some good old fashioned, story driven, action filled RP. Combat is fun, but I prefer it done with a narrative style with the winner already predetermined between the participants before hand, as opposed to RNG dice rolling. For this reason, you'll likely never see me compete in the Grindstone.&lt;br /&gt;
* IC romance isn't something I'm against, per say. It's just I don't really have any interest in it (and honestly, it's the last thing on Valen's mind at the moment). That said, it could happen, but it's not something he's looking for.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Character death. My general rule in D&amp;amp;D is that a dead character isn't a very interesting one, and this holds true here too. That said, having Valen beaten to near death, maimed, or taken out of comission for a long period of time isn't something I'm against.&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP. I've got nothing against it, and it's cool if that's your thing. But it ain't mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Any links you feel are important for people to see, like journals, can be linked in this section.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
Optional section. Remove if you don't want. You can link [http://tvtropes.com/|TV Tropes] about your character here.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===About the Player:===&lt;br /&gt;
I do raid content as well, so sometimes I'm not always available for RP, but if I'm not raiding or doing dungeons, then I'm pretty much always open for RP.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations:===&lt;br /&gt;
This template created by Rihxo Matoi with the help of [[Nanagi Nagi]] and has pieces from the templates of [[Unnamed Mercenary]], [[Roen Deneith]], [[Cyrus Wolfe]], and [[Coatleque Crofte]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
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|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=145614</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=145614"/>
		<updated>2015-12-29T03:49:39Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 37&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Freedom===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble. It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; -Maelstrom Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study&amp;quot; -Garlean Incident Report&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors.&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I guess you can trust him.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;People can change... and... well, I never thought I'd trust him like I do. He's a very important friend to me.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=144413</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=144413"/>
		<updated>2015-12-22T10:34:51Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Rare Rumors */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Freedom===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble. It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; -Maelstrom Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He slew Mitus, and brought the base to ruin with the help of a lalafell and a miqo'te. The Magitek Knight however was able to escape and delivered combat data on Stalhart. This information will be sent to Garlemald for further study&amp;quot; -Garlean Incident Report&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen really is a nice guy. You just have to get past that... Shell, I guess, first.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=144412</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=144412"/>
		<updated>2015-12-22T10:24:24Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Moderate Rumors */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Freedom===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble. It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; -Maelstrom Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen really is a nice guy. You just have to get past that... Shell, I guess, first.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=144411</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=144411"/>
		<updated>2015-12-22T10:24:02Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Moderate Rumors */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Freedom===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man goes missing and turns up right after a Garlean base falls to rubble. It doesn't take a sage to put that puzzle together.&amp;quot; Maelstrom Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen really is a nice guy. You just have to get past that... Shell, I guess, first.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=143761</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=143761"/>
		<updated>2015-12-20T04:16:24Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Freedom */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Freedom===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen really is a nice guy. You just have to get past that... Shell, I guess, first.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=143760</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=143760"/>
		<updated>2015-12-20T04:15:53Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Decisive Battle */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Garlean base and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Freedom==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Rihxo met up with Valen in Mor Dhona, and was surprised to be met with a much kinder demeanor from Stalhart. Without the chip, he was like a different person. He even engaged in idle chit-chat with the Miqo'te. The next day, he, Rihxo, and Nanagi infiltrated the Garlean base and brought it to ruins, even defeating another Magitek Knight and killing Valen's former commanding officer, Mitus Quo Nal. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With the base destroyed, Valen felt it was finally time to close this chapter on his life and take a step towards atoning for everything he had done. Before he can challenge Garlemald with spear in hand though, he feels he must first find the friends, family members, and loved ones of those he's killed for Garlemald and apologize for what he has done. Though he doesn't expect to be forgiven, he does hope to give them some sort of closure.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen really is a nice guy. You just have to get past that... Shell, I guess, first.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=143481</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=143481"/>
		<updated>2015-12-19T06:00:35Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Relationships */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Praetorium and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Despite everything that has happened, Rihxo holds no grudge against Valen, and is even quite kind to him. Stalhart sees her as a friend, and is happy to have her on his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I kind of hope we can become allies, at least. Maybe I'm just dumb, but I want to be ''something'' like a friend to him.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Gil_vel%27Jendahr&amp;diff=143396</id>
		<title>Gil vel'Jendahr</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Gil_vel%27Jendahr&amp;diff=143396"/>
		<updated>2015-12-18T22:26:59Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players) */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Gillandaris vel Jendahr&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Gil.png&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 250&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Coerthan&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Elezen&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Wildwood&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 26&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Guardian&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = Halone&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Soulmated&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Nameday&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 17th Sun of the 3rd Astral Moon&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;big&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
'''Gillandaris vel Jendahr''' (pronounced gill-ann-DAHR-iss vel jen-DAHR) (17th Sun 3rd Astral Moon (May 17)) is an elezen born in Coerthas Western, where he resided with his family until the Calamity. At that time, he and his parents moved to Ishgard to house with his mother's family, a lesser noble family in the city.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After returning to Ishgard, Gil met his shei'tani (see Background for more Info) Ayled Cooke.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/big&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:GilTranquil.png|400px|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
'''Height:''' 6 fulms 10 ilms&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Weight:''' 190 ponz&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
: Gil stands tall, even for an Elezen. But his frame is very slight for all his height. He has white-blonde hair and black eyes, that when you get close enough, look like stars in a moonless night.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:GilHalloween.png|400px|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
: Gil is very proud of his name, and will only introduce himself as Gillandaris vel Jendahr, though most people call him Gil for simplicity's sake. Although he will never say otherwise, he actually likes when people call him Gil.&lt;br /&gt;
: Gil was very impacted by the death of his niece, Ellysetta, and it was this event that caused him to turn to Halone.&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Flaws&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; His faith in Halone can be a distraction&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; He has a tendency to not trust anyone&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; His focus is such that he will drive to one thing with the exclusion of all else&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; He is very prideful&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Fears&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Breaking his oath to Halone&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Losing his last remaining family&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; The dragon taking control&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Talents&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; A skilled Dragoon, though untried&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Putting his foot in his mouth&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#ECCA67;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Getting singing teachers to quit&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Preferences=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:GilIshgard.png|400px|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Hobbies&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Grooming his chocobo&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Training as a dragoon&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Writing in his journal&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;'''''Likes'''''&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Snow&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Chocobos&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; People Watching&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Halone&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Dislikes&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; His family's over-protective streak&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Rude People&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Favorites&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;'''''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Color:''' Grey&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Food:''' [http://ffxiv.zam.com/en/item.html?ffxivitem=3010202 Frumenty]&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Drink:''' Faerilas (An aether infused water that restores energy and tingles on the tongue)&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Scent:''' Ice&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''Favorite Place:''' Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Abilities/Skills=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:GilChocolove.png|400px|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Weapons&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Gil is very proud of his lance, and polishes it daily.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Magic&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Gil does not use magic, and has no care to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;Crafting&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
Gil watched his father for years make armor for man and chocobo, but has not tried any crafts himself.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Gilcoffin.png|400px|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Childhood&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:: Gil was born to a tradesman father and a lesser noble mother. He was their third child, with two older brothers. He was born much later, as his eldest brother had already had a child before Gil was born. As such, Gil was caught between being ignored because his parents were tired, or being spoiled because he was so unexpected.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:: Overall, Gil was treated well as a child, his brothers being extra father-figures to him that he looked up to. His niece, Ellysetta (Ellie) treated him like a doll as she was 9 years older than Gil.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Teenage Years&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:: It was as a teenager that Gil lost both his brothers in battle. This was a difficult time for Gil as he was losing everyone that he was close to.  But it wasn't until his niece was killed that Gil really struggled.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:: With the death of Ellysetta, Gil plummeted into a deep depression.  His parents suddenly became overprotective, and their concern made his emotions more volatile. It wasn't until Gil wandered out into the wilderness one night that things changed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:: Gil left the confines of home, the protection of the village, and fully expecting to not live out the night, traveled until he fell asleep under a tree. In this moment, he had a dream/hallucination of Halone protecting him, saying she needed him to be stronger so he could enforce her will. In the morning, when he woke up, there was blood all around him, but no real evidence of what happened.  Gil claimed the dream was real, and swore to serve Halone, though recently he has admitted that it was the dragon taking control that saved him.&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Early Adulthood&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:: The Calamity had another large impact on Gil. By this time, his father had retired, and instead of struggling to stay in their village, the family moved to Ishgard where his mother's family offered them a place to live.  As soon as he could however, Gil left Ishgard and the smothering concern of his parents to become yet stronger for Halone.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
:: Gil met a Miqo'te woman that became his girlfriend while he was on an errand for Ser Alberic. Though he thought the relationship was doing well, she said she could no longer trust him after the dragon took too much control, and so she left him. Returning to Ishgard to nurse his broken heart, Gil was wandering around Ishgard, working the chocobo stables or visiting the Cathedral. It was in the Cathedral one morning that he met his shei'tani, Ayled.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== &amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:larger;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:small;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Other Info&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt; ====&lt;br /&gt;
:: Shei'tanitsa bonding is a family trait. The male recognizes the bond when he first sees the female, and it is up to the female to accept and complete the bond. Both members must accept themselves and the other, good and bad, before the bond can be completed. Shei'tanitsa can only form between to equal parties. The bond is rare, and usually happens only once a generation, if that. Although love is not necessarily a part of the bond, it usually is a product of it, and the bond would not be there were love not possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Journal=&lt;br /&gt;
    &lt;br /&gt;
((Numbers listed in parenthesis indicate the real world year associated with the events that take place to differentiate the dates without worrying about the 'time bubble' for future patch date changes))&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Lucida handwriting, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Serif; font-size:12px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| Introduction:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
“My name is Gillandaris vel Jendahr and I swear my life into Halone’s service. From this day forward, every action I take will be to further Her will.” That was the oath I swore to Halone after she saved my life that night. She only said she need my stronger to serve her, and I have been training for Her ever since.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
As soon as I could, I left home to train as a dragoon. I spend a lot of time polishing lances and mucking chocobo stables. Truly, I don’t mind spending so much time in the stables. Yet I wonder if this training will really make me stronger for Halone. I do watch the other dragoons in the practice ring and am finding I can spot weaknesses among the others, yet how can I be stronger if I am never pitted against them?&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Ser Alberic did train the Azure Dragoon, and I suppose I shall trust in his techniques a while longer.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I know not how much longer I can bear the monotony.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Lucida handwriting, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Serif; font-size:12px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| Fifth Umbral Moon ((2015)):&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 24th Sun of the Fifth Umbral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Ser Alberic assigned me a task today. It is different than normal as it entails going to Ul’dah. He told me to get a room at the inn rather than rush back. So here I sit at the Quicksand, awaiting a room.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;hr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After I dropped my bags in my room, I went back to the ‘sand for supper and some ale. I ended up sitting at a table with a simple Miqo’te lad and a mute Hyur. The Miqo’te lad goes by Caen “if’n it please you.” The Hyur goes by Endel. It was a pleasant evening, though Endel knows entirely too much about Ishgard and the dragoons.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Now that I’ve been to Ul’dah, perhaps I will come by more often. Even if it’s for no other reason than I feel I should keep an eye on Endel.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 28th Sun of the Fifth Umbral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Ser Alberic sent me to Ul’dah again. He suddenly seems to have a lot of errands there. I wonder if perhaps there is a lesson he is trying to teach me with these ‘urgent’ trips. But no, what can be learned from traveling such a long ways every day that I have no time to continue my training?&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Tonight I was sitting talking with Endel when this female Miqo’te joined us. Endel looked like hell, so I was trying to get him to eat the food Mother sent me. He refused, however Rihxo, the Miqo’te, seemed to enjoy it very much. I also saw Caen, the simple Miqo’te lad, again. Caen wasn’t there long when Endel suddenly dashed out of the ‘sand, followed shortly after by the sunny lad. Initially, I was apprehensive that Endel and Caen left me alone with Rihxo, but soon I thought nothing of them.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo put me at ease fairly quickly, her bubbly personality making up for my reserved demeanor. She allowed me to try one of her pearl chocolates (which is good, though a little sweet for my taste). We discussed many things, like what she does for a living, and that she sings. I was ashamed to admit I am tone deaf. Rihxo tried to convince me that I could get better with practice. I couldn’t tell her I had already had lessons and that three, count them, three people quit teaching because of me. I did tell her my singing was more like screeching and somehow we started discussing how effective it would be if, instead of a battle cry, I were to sing. That’s the first time since Ellysetta died that I laughed, truly laughed.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
This bubbly little Miqo’te has stolen my attention and I hope to see her again.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 30th Sun of the Fifth Umbral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Ser Alberic has been sending me on nigh daily errands the length and breadth of Eorzea. Although it means I have not had much time to maintain my journal, I am still okay with that seems how it was something Ser Alberic told me to do anyways.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Yesterday I went back to Ul’dah and Endel seemed quite entranced with the Roegadyn from the other night, so I left him alone. I spoke with another patron until they had to leave, but by then Rihxo had joined me. More and more, I find myself thinking of her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I am quite impressed with the tales she tells of her archery skills. She offered to give me a lesson and while I said I would be happy to take her up on the offer, I would insist on paying her and I would let her know when I am able to take a break from my training.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I knew almost immediately what I wanted to pay Rihxo with; I also knew it would mean a visit to my family, who I have not seen since I started my training.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
So today, I made the dreaded trip to Ishgard. Thankfully, my uncle was away on business. It was hard enough convincing my father I could not stay. Mother happily made her pie, but I believe she has it in her head that I am courting Rihxo. While I was waiting for Mother, I decided a trip to Saint Reymanaud’s Cathedral was in order.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
While there, I spoke with a dragoon that pricks my memory, and yet, for the life of me, I cannot place where I know him from. We had a pleasant conversation, Halone watching over us, and it was a nice way to pass the time.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Upon picking up the pie from my mother, I had to dodge her comments about bringing Rihxo for a visit. Now, here I sit with a pie beside me, waiting (and hoping) for some company at the ‘sand. I especially hope to run into Rihxo that I might offer my payment and ensure it meets with her approval.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Lucida handwriting, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Serif; font-size:12px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| Sixth Astral Moon ((2015)):&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 2nd Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
What just happend? What…just…happened? Mayhap if I write it out from the beginning, I will understand it better.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I was sitting in the ‘sand tonight when a Lalafell joined me. She looked as though she was injured, yet shook off my concern. She introduced herself as Nanagi, and I wondered if it was the same Nanagi that Rihxo had spoken of. I offered her some of the food Mother had sent me that day, especially as Mother had sent enough food for 4 or 5 people. It was definitely the same Nanagi, for then Rihxo arrived. Rihxo and Nanagi got in a fight, and although I did not get involved, I secretly wanted to agree with Rihxo that Nanagi should have been in bed relaxing.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi left, Rihxo and I sat talking for a little bit as usual. Eventually, Rihxo discovered the pie that Mother had sent. She joked that she must be pretty close to family as she keeps getting dessert. Before I knew it, I confessed that if Mother had her way, we would already have children.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I do not even recall what Rihxo said in response, yet I continued embarrassing myself by saying that if they had Rihxo’s personality, they would be amazing. I know I must have been blushing, but the next words from Rihxo made me want to hide. Rihxo responded by saying that if they were ours, they would be beautiful.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I could not speak. I could not even bring my eyes off the table. I know not how long I sat there, or how long Rihxo tried to get my attention before she left the table.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When I finally pulled myself together, she was gone. I felt…alone. For the first time, I truly felt lonely. So I decided to take my leave, yet as I approached the door, I found Rihxo speaking with Caen. Although I am sure I turned red yet again, I was so happy to see Rihxo was not gone. In the span of a glance, I went from feeling utterly alone to knowing everything would be alright if she would only look at me, if I could see her beautiful smile light her gorgeous eye.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Caen is more perceptive than I initially thought as he immediately asked if something had happened. I may need to re-evaluate my opinion of the lad. I also seem to recall him making a comment about how he wishes to find his mate, like Rihxo and I did, yet he walked away shortly after.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I think I apologized, but if I did, I know it was still very awkward and may not have sounded sincere. Rihxo asked if I wanted to go somewhere quiet, and when I nodded, she led me to a bridge in Limsa Lominsa. Sitting there, looking out at the sea, I confessed my confused feelings for her. I do not know what I expected her to say, but it certainly was not that she has romantic feelings for me. As I write this, I now see that I panicked. Yet still, Rihxo was patient with me. She told me that if what I need is time, then she can wait, but she cannnot wait forever. I cannot remember what, if anything, I said after that, I was so focused on the feeling of her body pressed against mine as we cuddled. It was a pleasant feeling, one without any pressure, just comfort and warmth. Eventually, Rihxo had to go home, and I returned to the room I have at the ‘sand.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Now, having written this, I am suddenly afraid. What if I take too long and something happens to her? Or that Elezen…Achillies?…wins her? I do not want to think about her not being there, and that, I suppose, is the best answer to my question. When next I see Rihxo, I will ask her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;hr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Perhaps Ser Alberic was right to have me keep a journal…&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 4th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I ran into Rihxo in Limsa today. She was talking with Nanagi and a man that introduced himself as Valen. He is the man Rihxo calls the “Glowy Guy.” I am not sure I like him, and I definitely do not trust him. I was glad when he left, though I wish Nanagi could have stayed longer.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In the process of talking with everyone, Rihxo took off the bandana that was covering her eyes. While the others were around, I tried not to become transfixed on Rihxo alone. As soon as the others left, I could not stop myself from getting close to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo is so beautiful, I found myself unable to look away. The setting sun cast it’s dying light over her, lighting her hair with a gentle glow. The soft blue strands beckoned my touch, yet the look on her face, as though she was afraid I might turn away, run from her for some reason.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The pain radiating from her eyes, the left dulled by the scars no less potent or beautiful than the right. I found myself reaching out, cupping her cheek in the palm of my hand, stroking the bone beneath her damaged eye, trying to communicate just how lovely she is without the ability to speak the words, all before I could thing about what I was doing.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I remember not what we talked about as it mostly was just happy conversation, time spent together. Shortly, we arranged for the remainder of Mother’s excessively large package to be delivered to Maelstrom Command before I accompanied her to her home. Rihxo also invited me to stay the night, so I write this sitting on the couch that is to be my bed.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I had met Ratoh briefly in the ‘sand, but this was the first time I met the rest of Rihxo’s sisters.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Although, I hear Rihxo stirring, so further observations will have to wait ‘til another time.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 8th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
It has been a busy few days, days that have been surprising.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When I first saw Rihxo yesterday, I was floored by her appearance as she had a black eye. She told me not to take it seriously, that it was from a sparring match with her brother. Truthfully, that makes me take it more seriously for he should know to better pull his punches when sparring with someone so far below his level, yet I will leave further discussion on that subject for another day.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After a while, Rihxo said she had something to tell me, so we went to Limsa, to the spot I will think of as ours from here on out. Once we were settled in, her body tucked up against mine, she told me what she had recently learned.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
She seems to be taking it harder than she lets on, finding out her parents kept so much from her, yet I know she is strong and will come to terms with it in her own time. The real problem lies with the Garleans that are now tracking the family. To help Rihxo keep her sisters, and herself, safe, I offered my services, pending approval from Ser Alberic of course.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
This morning, upon returning to the Observatorium, I sought out Ser Alberic, and was pleased to find him alone in his quarters, preparing for the day ahead. He looked at me questioningly, yet offered me a seat as though he knew this might take some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Afraid that he would just deny my request, I started by telling him about Rihxo. I told him of how I met her while on one of his errands to Ul’dah, and how we had begun the relationship we now shared. Then I told him of Rihxo’s family, the brother she sees rarely, and the three sisters she lived with and how her parents were lost in the Calamity. Finally, I told him of the threat they now faced, the guardian I trust not assigned by Maelstrom to look out for Rihxo, and Rihxo’s concern for her family.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I had scarce finished telling Ser Alberic the tale that he nodded at me, and told me Rihxo and her family needed me more than I needed to continue training.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
With Ser Alberic’s blessing, I returned to my quarters, put on my armor for the first time without going to train in it, and packed my meager belongings before going to Limsa and dropping off my bags. I changed back into my clothes so I could track down Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I found her, unsurprisingly, in the ‘sand with Endel and M’shi. Before I was able to tell Rihxo, I ended up telling Endel, who seemed to approve of the way things happened. I am glad to know that he is also going to look out for the Matoi’s when he can.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 10th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I am so furious right now, to a point where I cannot even think straight.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When I woke up yesterday, Rihxo had already left the house. It was unusual that I slept in past sunrise, so I was not too concerned about it to start. I prepared myself a simple breakfast and was sitting in the silent (for once) Matoi house when there was a knock on the door.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Upon answering it, I was greeted by a moogle bearing a letter for me. At first I thought it was from my mother and did not open it. Upon completion of my meal, however, there was something bothering me, a twinge I cannot define. I picked up the letter from where I laid it down and the feeling of unease grew stronger.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I opened the letter to find it was not from Mother, but rather Rihxo. She said not to worry, that she might be gone for a few days, but that she was with Nanagi. As her words sank in, fear gripped my heart.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I know from the stories she tells me that her archery is very good, so I do not worry…much…should she encounter monsters or the beast tribes, but we have not discovered anymore about the Garleans yet. The Garleans are not apt to send monsters or untrained beastmen; they will send trained soldiers, men and women that are taught to kill from an early age.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I immediately donned my armor and sought out Rihxo’s sisters. I told them what had happened and that they were to go home. I also gave each one my pearl, an error I now recognize with Rihxo that we have not done, and told them to contact me if they needed me for any reason.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Then I headed out in search of clues. Having already turned Limsa upside down looking for Rihxo’s sisters, I started looking further afield. I turned to Ul’dah, the only other place I was familiar with.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After searching for bells in the hot Thanalan sun, I stopped in at the ‘sand for some refreshment. There I met Endel again. First, we stepped out into the alley where I explained to him what happened, and eventually we came to the same conclusion, that there is naught we could do but worry.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Once inside again, we sat down at our usual table. While we waited for some drinks, Endel asked if I had received a promotion. I explained that normally my armor remained in Coerthas, but due to my staying with the Matoi’s, I had brought it with. When he queried me, I explained I had the dragon well in control.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After an evening spent in his company (what is the man’s fascination with the letter ‘e’?), I woke up this morning to the realization that the clue I needed was in front of me all along. Nanagi herself was the clue. I needed to take what I knew of Nanagi and figure out where they would go from there. So I gathered information from Momodi and followed the trail to an Amal’jaa camp. In the morning, I will work my way in and see if I can find any trace of Rihxo and Nanagi.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
You can be sure they will receive a piece of my mind when I find them.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 11th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I admit I was angry. I also admit I was harsh with Rihxo and Nanagi. But my fear, for both of them, was more than I could bear.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Before dawn I snuck into the Amal’jaa camp. It was quiet, and almost too easy to sneak in. But it was not long before I found Rihxo and Nanagi bound by cages. I was about to move in and set them free when a group of Amal’jaa came and pulled them out. I discreetly followed only to find that they were to be sacrificed to Ifrit!&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
At that moment, I knew I had to act. The primal looked…excited…and hungry for power.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
But I still could not keep myself from yelling at them as I approached. In fact, I am ashamed to admit that I was more focused on chastising them than on defeating the immediate threat in front of us. Once we focused on the task at hand, we had no problems defeating the primal. With a few more words exchanged, we decided to relocate to Ul’dah.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi led Rihxo and I to the Thaumaturge Guild where she knew the only people that would be able to hear us would be the guild masters, who would not say anything.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I still am not sure they thought through this plan. Nanagi said she had someone staged to get Rihxo out of there if Nanagi’s linkpearl went dead. I felt compelled to point out that by the time the pearl went dead and Nanagi’s backup plan arrived, they both would be dead.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi said something about her staff being irreplaceable. It was not long after that when Nanagi left. Suddenly, I found myself alone with Rihxo, all my anger channeled to her. However, I was no longer focused on their lack of planning, or the fact that the Garleans might have found them. Instead, I found myself coming back time and again to the fact that Rihxo left me no clue where they were going, no idea how to find her, and no way for me to contact her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
At one point, I found myself sitting on the floor, my back against the wall. I do not remember how I got there, one minute I was standing by Rihxo, angry, and the next, I am on the floor remembering when they brought my niece’s lifeless body home.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I found myself sharing my shame, the shame even my parents do not know about. The shame that I am to blame for my niece’s death for I was supposed to go with her that day, but refused. The shame that my temper tantrum meant I was not there to save her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Then Rihxo said something to me, something I will not forget. She told me she would not let me lose her.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 12th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Tonight I sit and write this at the ‘sand. Rihxo sits beside me in companionable silence while we wait new on Endel’s condition. I know not what bell it is, nor do I really care, I will wait as long as it takes.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The day started as any other, even including the normal trip to the ‘sand. I saw only M’shi when I arrived.  She was sitting at the table alone, fast asleep. Although I noted a chill in the air, discomfort of some of the patrons and employees, and a waitress cleaning blood from the doorframe, I did not pay it any attention at first.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When Rihxo arrived, I was quite happy to see her after my behavior yesterday. But the happiness was not to last long as a waitress brought by Endel’s belongings. It was then everything fell into place and I knew something had happened. With dread, I reached for Endel’s journal and it fell open to a spot with a few pages torn out and odd little footprints, footprints that I then saw matched footprints on the table.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It was not long before a group of patrons started discussing a dying Miqo’te from the night before.  M’shi and Rihxo went to speak with them, and once I had established that the two women were far more dangerous than myself, I left them to see what other clues I could uncover. I found no other overt information, so I returned to the waitress that brought us Endel’s belongings.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
With an apology, a sizeable bribe, and asking what type of sights I should see, I was directed to the market.  Although I was able to return to Rihxo and M’shi, we were interrupted by a cat before I could share the information.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
First this cat insulted our intelligence before explaining he was the dying Miqo’te from the night before and that Endel was likely dead in an alley. I know not what his motivation was, yet he did show us to Endel, and for that I am grateful.  Upon reaching Endel, the cat continued insulting us and asked Endel if he would just hurry up and die already.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I already had my reservations about the cat as he supposedly had lost so much blood the night before that the group of rogues M’shi and Rihxo talked to thought he should have died on the Quicksand floor, and yet he was hale and hearty now.  But by this time I had taken a dislike to him purely based on his callous remarks.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
As soon as I was close enough to see Endel, I knew he was in bad shape.  I am no stranger to injuries, I am a dragoon after all, and have minor knowledge of how to bind a wound or set a broken bone, but one glance at Endel told me he was well beyond my expertise.  For a moment, I even though that Endel was dead, yet I finally saw him take a shallow breath, felt a weak pulse.  Finally, his eyes opened.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Regardless of the comments the cat made, Rihxo contacted Nanagi, who fortunately was only at the ‘sand, to come help.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Thankfully the cat left us to tend our friend without his commentary.  It seemed both like no time at all and an eternity before Nanagi arrived.  I backed away to allow her room to heal Endel, which she promptly did. She moved back to the ‘sand to secure a room at the inn, sending M’shi to fetch water, and leaving Rihxo and I to get Endel to the inn.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Although Endel tried to stand up and walk on his own, I sacrificed his pride for a safer, more expedient option; I picked him up and carried him.  Upon reaching the inn room, Nanagi instructed me to lay him on the bed and leave the room.  I was happy to comply, knowing I would merely be in the way.  Instead I returned to the usual table, where Rihxo joined me.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It was not long before Nanagi asked Rihxo for help.  Almost as soon as Rihxo left my side, that cat showed back up.  He kicked back and made himself comfortable, regardless of the fact that I wanted nothing to do with him.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo returned much sooner than I expected, saying Nanagi kicked her out.  I can only assume that M’shi remained behind to help.  After a few back and forth comments, Rihxo prompted the cat to tell her who he was as he had intimate knowledge of her, even her penchant for having and sharing chocolate.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The cat’s response was to pull out a mask, one I had only seen once for a very short time, one of a simple cat obsessed with chocolate.  He was also coy about what happened with Endel; mostly stating that Endel was a hero, “disgustingly valiant and brave.”&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I am ashamed to say the cat knew which buttons to press to rouse my temper, almost beyond my control, the final straw being when he called Rihxo ugly and stupid.  I now know why Ser Alberic said I was not ready yet, as I came very close to losing control of the dragon. The only thing that saved me, that grounded me, was Rihxo.  The contact, however small, of her hand in mine, our skin warming to each other, gave me something to focus on.  But even that was not enough for me to rein the dragon in. Rihxo, taking my other hand in hers, meeting my gaze, was the last push I needed to secure the dragon’s cage. The worry I saw in her eyes was the final piece I required to leash the dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;hr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi finally emerged from the inn and joined Rihxo and I at the table. It is good to know Endel will be okay.  I am worried Nanagi pushed herself too hard in caring for Endel; she looked very weary and worn down. She did not stay with Rihxo and I long, leaving, I hope, to get some rest.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo went to check on Endel, and I took the time to clean the armor that M’shi brought out. I do not have the skill to fix the armor, and decided I do should send it to my father when I was finished cleaning it. When I finally finished, I looked up to see Rihxo had rejoined me and was writing in her notebook&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
With a little prompting, Rihxo said she would sing to me, and at no request from me, she turned to a page that I saw was dated the night she was caged by the Amal’jaa.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The song she sang both made my heart soar and break, leaving me speechless. I could do naught but allow my touch to communicate to her how I was feeling.  Finally, when I was able to find my voice again, I admitted to her my truest fear, the fear that I might lose her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
In an effort to get Rihxo to share her concerns with me, I explained to her about the dragon, how close I had come to losing control, and how her touch was all that saved me.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Tonight is the first time Rihxo spoke the words to me; the first time she told me she loved me. As I repeated the words to her, I came to realize just how true they were. I love her. Completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I love you Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 16th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I was enjoying a relaxing eve with Rihxo tonight, though it was also an evening where I was thoroughly embarrassed.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Mother must have been afraid Rihxo was not getting her pies, and she would be right as Rihxo’s sisters have taken to opening the package as soon as it arrives. This time there were two packages, the normal one and one that was smaller with a mark on it that I never thought to see again, the mark from Ellie’s language for “mate of the heart.” Because we were in the Quicksand, I glossed over the meaning, though I should further explain it to Rihxo later.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
We passed a pleasant time until Endel retired to his room. Rihxo and I were sitting quietly, just spending time in each other’s company when suddenly, she pulled out a linkpearl and after a brief pause, dashed out of the ‘sand. She left so quickly she left her notebook behind.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After a few minutes, I opened it to read the song she had sung for me the other night. I found myself reading every entry. When I had finished it in its entirety, I realized just how long it had been since I had seen Rihxo and suddenly became worried that something had happened to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
As I went to leave the ‘sand, I ran into Caen and a friend of his. With a brief explanation, they offered to help me find Rihxo. Upon leaving the ‘sand, we did not have to go far before we found Rihxo with Stalhart. He was not in good shape and he warned me to keep him away from Rihxo. I do not know what his reasoning is, yet I will be happy to accede to his wish.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After he commanded Rihxo to run, and she thankfully obeyed, he attacked me. There is something unusual in his movements. Though they look much like any dragoon I know, there is still something wrong about them. I was grateful for the presence of Caen and Singing Raptor. Between the three of us, we were able to keep Stalhart occupied while Rihxo got away.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
We all sustained injuries before Stalhart stated there was no reason to continue this when his quarry was no longer present. With those words, he teleported away. I stayed for a short time to ensure that Caen and Singing were all right, but was worried about Rihxo and where Stalhart might have gotten to.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I traced Rihxo to the rogue’s guild in Limsa. From there,  we went to our spot, a more comfortable place than the front steps of the Sisters of Edelweiss. Rihxo confessed she does not want Stalhart killed, and while I only promised I would not kill him if he did not threaten her life, I will still happily kill the man should Rihxo be endangered.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 19th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I received a message from my father and so early this morning; I went to Ishgard and picked up Endel’s armor. By the time I got back to Limsa, the sun was about to rise, so I went directly to our spot to await Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
There was a chill in the air, and rumors flying about a ship called The Danse Macabre. I let the information filter in, and it was not long before Rihxo joined me. A loud Lalafell was chastising what appeared to be an employee about the clothes found in one of the inn rooms.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I could not help myself, and looking over my shoulder, I looked at the clothing in question. It struck me as similar to what M’shi wears, and upon commenting on it, Rihxo agreed. With a little discussion, the Lalafell gave the clothing to Rihxo, and finding M’shi’s pen in the pocket, told us we needed to act. Suddenly, all the clues fell into place, what few we had.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I passed a message through Momodi to have Endel meet Rihxo and I at the Drowning Wench. With only a short delay, we made our way there, taking a table to wait for Endel.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
With the added rumors of flaming boards from a waitress, we decided to check out the docks. Unsure of what we were facing, I passed Endel his armor. He excused himself momentarily to put it on.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I could not help but feel pride at Father’s work when Endel returned. Without further ado, we headed to the docks. A fisherman spotted Rihxo and asked if she knew what type of creature they had in a cage. My gaze was drawn to the single eye and leathery wings. This was the first time I had seen a voidsent in person. Before this, I had only seen images of them in books.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The fisherman offered to take us to Costa del Sol, where The Danse Macabre was rumored to make port. I have been on watercraft before, back when we still lived in Coerthas, yet being on the sea was different than traveling the river. Shan’s words echoed through my head, the first time I had ‘heard’ his voice in a very long time.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
As the docks appeared for Costa del Sol, the boat shuddered, another voidsent crashing through the deck. Rihxo and I were knocked back before it turned and bit Endel. He attacked it with the spear he had been carrying, his grip and motions the same as an Ishgard trained dragoon. Attacking the creature myself, I drove it to the deck where it ceased moving.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
With Rihxo, Endel, and the fisherman swimming the last leg to the dock, I jumped to shore and found a rope to aid Endel. I also made sure to give the fisherman my family’s information so he could receive compensation for helping us, having lost his boat in the process.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
We started our search on the beach and it was not long before we found a set of footprints and a trail of blood. It led to a small cave where M’shi lay clad in a torn, black ball gown and quite obviously badly injured. Endel rushed to her side, and once again, I felt quite helpless as a friend lay dying. This time, I was not needed at all, so while Rihxo went to fetch M’shi’s brother from the docks, I stepped outside to watch the area for any dangers.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Shortly, Rihxo returned with a short Miqo’te male with pink hair that I assume to be M’shi’s brother Trin. He swaggered up to the cave, his tail swishing softly behind him. I am not sure what to think of the man; he wears only a pair of coeurl briefs and carries a bag with him. Yet if he’s able to help M’shi, I cannot complain of his fashion choices.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Oddly, while Trin was in the cave with Endel and M’shi, I had this overwhelming sense that it was raining, even to the point that I could taste it, but there was no rain falling. I drew comfort by Rihxo’s presence beside me, her hand in mine, and I pulled her into a soft hug.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Endel handed me his spear at once point, and we shortly set forth for the inn at Limsa. Endel carried M’shi protectively.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When we arrived at the Drowning Wench, the hustle and bustle of the port was vastly different than in the morning. Endel and Trin took M’shi to a room while Rihxo and I sat at a table. Endel came back out, waited for a waitress to return with two buckets and then promptly disappeared.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After a long while, I noted Trin come out, where he spoke with Baderon before he left the Wench. I knew by the way he moved, weary, but with an air of victory, that M’shi would be okay. It was at this time that I allowed my relief to overtake me, my arm still holding Rihxo close.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I do not like feeling helpless.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 22nd Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I found Rihxo tonight at the ‘sand, talking with the cat. I find myself unable to say anything around him for fear of giving him any ammunition to use against me.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Thankfully he left rather quickly, allowing Rihxo and me to relax at the bar. Rihxo had a little too much to drink. I was enjoying her affectionate touches until Nagi came and warned me Stalhart was around. When he tracked us down, I carried Rihxo to Limsa while Nagi distracted him. After taking Rihxo to the rogue’s guild, I noticed Nagi’s pearl was deactivated and rushed to help, leaving Rihxo under the Sisters’ protective care.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When I found Nagi, she was being chased by Stalhart operating a Reaper. I tried to distract Stalhart, but it was no use, he was focused on Nagi. She took a hit from his blasters after casting a spell that appeared to wipe her out. Stalhart left shortly after, leaving me to take care of Nagi.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I contacted Rihxo as soon as I could asking her to get to Ul’dah and summon a healer. As soon as I carried Nagi through the front gate, I found Singing Raptor, whose timing is impeccable.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Singing knew a healer nearby, and there on the street in front of the adventurer’s guild, she worked her magic on Nagi. All I could think of while I was sitting there was how I had failed Rihxo, how I did not deserve to stay by her side as I could not protect her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Once Nagi was stabilized, I carried her, accompanied by Rihxo and Singing, to Singing’s company house. After getting Nagi settled in, I left the others, knowing I could not stay with Rihxo, knowing I had allowed Nagi to almost be killed, I had to leave.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo followed me, perhaps knowing that if she let me out of her sight, she would never see me again. At first, I was able to ignore her, but I should have known better; I have never been able to ignore Rihxo’s presence, nay, for I am ever acutely aware of where she is in a room. Just outside the house, I could not bear to ignore Rihxo any more.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Turning to face Rihxo, I explained that I loved her, but I had failed her. I told her I was sorry, but that I could not stay. As unhappy as it made me to go, I stayed with Rihxo for so long that my resolve began to waver and both of our wishes began to be more important. Finally Rihxo said something that brought me to my knees.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
 “I won’t let you lose me. Don’t let me lose you.”&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I truly fell to my knees, knowing I could never deny her that request. I apologized to Rihxo, promising to stay by her side whenever she wanted me to. We sealed the promise with a kiss.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
We returned to Nagi, ensuring she was settled in, yet when we got there, she woke up. Nagi said she had a plan, but that her and I would go get Stalhart and leave Rihxo with Singing. I did not say anything at the time because I did not want to upset Nagi, but I do not like her plan. If I learned anything from tonight, it is that I want Rihxo by my side, not somewhere that I cannot protect her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I want to keep my promise, to not let Rihxo lose me, to protect her.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 23rd Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I hope to wake to the same feeling for the rest of my life. And I almost lost the ability to wake to it even this morning. Even before I opened my eyes, I knew this morning was different.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
As I awoke, sensations began filtering in one at a time. First was warmth, a pleasant pressure on my chest, and weight around my waist. It took me a while to associate what all the sensations meant.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The soft pattern of Rihxo’s breath played across my chest; her ear flicked in her sleep and brushed lightly against my skin. I lay there for nigh a bell just holding Rihxo, enjoying her warmth and the way her soft body was pressed against mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Before I met Rihxo, I was focused solely on performing Halone’s will. I thought only by being stronger and fighting would I be able to fulfill my oath.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Since I met Rihxo, I have been exposed to so much more than I could have imagined. I worry about her, and there is always a part of me focused on her, even when we are not together. She helped me find a way to leash the dragon in a way I did not know was possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
As such, it should be no surprise that I had never thought about settling down, of binding my life to another, beyond the abstract thought that I would be expected to continue the line. Since meeting Rihxo, I no longer imagine my future with a faceless woman. Now I only picture my life with the perfectly curved, blue-haired, green-eyed Miqo’te that is small enough I can easily bear her to safety.  The same woman that I woke to find curled on my chest this morning.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 24th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
After returning to the house early yesterday, I decided it would be a good day to maintain my armor. A thorough cleansing and oiling ensures it remains combat-ready. Especially with what happened to Nagi the other day, and Stalhart still being on the loose, I feel I must remain vigilant.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I had finished cleaning my armor and sent a letter to my mother when Rihxo returned. I was glad to be in something that allowed me the pleasure of feeling Rihxo’s body against mine.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
When she told me she had something to tell me, my warning bells went off. Taking her to the couch, I set Rihxo in my lap, drawing comfort from her presence.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The moment Rihxo mentioned Stalhart, I knew it was not going to be a conversation I enjoyed, a fact confirmed by Rihxo. I confessed that I wanted her with me and that I did not agree with Nagi’s plan.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo’s next words made my blood run cold. “It requires me being used as bait.” All I could think was ‘no.’ All I could see was Rihxo lying broken in the white snow, her blood seeping further as I stand helpless to stop it, helpless to save her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Unable to shake the image from my mind, I continued to disagree with Rihxo. Finally, getting nowhere with my protestations, I admitted to Rihxo how the thought of losing her terrified me. Upon her promise that I would not lose her, I explained that losing her, I would be lost.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo banished the image from my mind by telling me that it was the same for her. Focusing on the feel of Rihxo in my arms, her warmth curling against me, I told her I could not understand how she could care for me so much.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I do not deserve Rihxo’s love; it is too pure, too good for a man like myself, a man that has gotten those I care about killed.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo would not let that opinion stand. She pointed out all those I had saved as well. I could not speak for a very long time, merely able to hold her lithe body in my arms. Her hands ran soothingly through my hair.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
After agreeing to Rihxo’s plan, promising that we each would stay safe, I carried Rihxo to bed, uncaring that it was much earlier than we normally retired.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I find myself wishing Rihxo would play with my hair again…&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 27th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Tonight I spent time with Rihxo, hours where I, if not forget, was able to place my concerns about Stalhart at the back of my mind.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Tonight, Rihxo and I went on a date. Having never been to Gridania, I asked Rihxo to be my guide. Upon arriving, we went to the Archer’s Guild. I was happy to see where Rihxo has been doing her training.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It was not long before my hunger implored me to find food. Rihxo and I went to the Carline Canopy where Mother Miounne treated us to a delicious meal. We finished our evening at Apkallu Falls.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The beautiful setting was a perfect compliment to Rihxo. Sitting there, by the falls, Rihxo finally confided in me. For the first time, Rihxo trusted me with information I did not ask her for, information specifically dealing with her internal struggle and worries.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
We were discussing how sorry I am for what I said the night Nagi was injured, how I would be with her for as long as she needed me. Rihxo confided in me her fear of being alone. I knew then I would never be able to leave her.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It sounds as though Rihxo is done in the bath, so I am signing off. I am going to ensure Rihxo trusts my words by suiting my actions to them, she will not be alone tonight…&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Lucida handwriting, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Serif; font-size:12px&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| Sixth Umbral Moon ((2015)):&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 1st Sun of the Sixth Umbral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I received an unexpected letter today. As I opened it, I was concerned to see it was from Stalhart.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Afraid he was going to push Rihxo into a fight before she was ready, I quickly read over it. First, I was relieved, then confused when he told me to meet him alone at Behemoth’s Dominion. Aware, thanks to Nagi, that Stalhart was targeting me, I prepared for a fight. I hooked my lance to the bracket on my back, put on my helmet, and contacted Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I met up with Rihxo and Singing Raptor at Camp Dragonhead, where Rihxo had been training. I showed Rihxo the letter, and asked Singing to keep an eye out for her while I was gone. Knowing Rihxo would be safe; I followed Stalhart’s instructions and headed to Behemoth’s Dominion.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
It was easy to find him, kneeling alone in the snow-covered expanse. He started by saying he just wanted to talk, though I kept a wary eye on him. He asked if I loved Rihxo. I did not answer him directly, afraid of giving him more ammunition to use against Rihxo. He called my bluff, quoting a phrase Rihxo had said to me, calling me the “only one keeping her sane.” He claimed I did not have faith in her. He was not coy about wanting me to stay out of their fight, claiming it was the only way he could keep me off the list the Garleans had.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I care not whether the Garleans are after me, but I do care that Rihxo not be hurt.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I explained to Stalhart that as I am the only one keeping Rihxo sane, so is she to me. I explained that my faith in Rihxo is irrelevant right now as she does not have faith in herself. At the time she believes herself capable of defeating him in the fight, then too would she have my faith.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
He seemed to be trying to rile me to fight, yet all I could think was no matter the outcome, it would hurt Rihxo. So I remained calm.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Regardless of Stalhart’s claim that he will not come after me, I will remain on guard.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Cautiously, I retreated to Camp Dragonhead and Rihxo’s side, realizing on the way that I had left the communication line open on the linkshell between Rihxo and I. Knowing she heard the conversation between Stalhart and myself was both a relief and an embarrassment.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Not that I would not say any of it to Rihxo, yet the manner of her hearing it was embarrassing to me. I held Rihxo close for a long time, cursing my armor for getting in the way of my feeling her arms around me.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 5th Sun of the Sixth Umbral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I cannot trust her, not when she seems intent on destroying herself.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo and I were out in Coerthas Central Highlands, speaking of what is going on with her training, and how Nagi has disappeared. I called her stupid for doing what she did only to have her appear. We ended up arguing and upsetting Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I pulled Rihxo into my arms and took a different track with Nagi. I explained what had happened with my family, how I cannot trust anyone intent on disappearing. Even hearing that, she still left. From this point on, Nanagi Nagi will be dead to me.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo then competed in the Grindstone, performing well enough to reach the semi-finals and taking the title “Field Champion.” Watching her fighting, knowing these battles were not to the death, was still difficult for me to see and not interfere in. I think it was training for me just as much as it was training for Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
While we were there Nanagi Nagi asked to speak with us. So here we sit at the ‘sand, awaiting her arrival.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| 11th Sun of the Sixth Umbral Moon:&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
I think I just screwed up with Rihxo. She will not be coming to get me.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
This evening started off well, with Rihxo and I going to Ul’dah. We arrived at the ‘sand and immediately Rihxo keyed in on that cat, walking up to him and starting a conversation. I do not understand why she keeps trying with those that have already proven they cannot be trusted.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
No matter how much he tried to get a reaction from me, I did not respond to him. But some of the things that were said made me aware something had happened. There was even mention of him being Rihxo’s protector. I was grateful when he left for the opportunity to speak to Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
At first, I was only angry, questioning Rihxo about what was going on, but it was not long before the hurt started taking control. While the anger was still present, I asked if she did not trust me. How am I expected to know she trusts me if she never tells me what is going on, especially when it deals with people I do not trust becoming her protectors, taking over my role.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I know she is used to hiding things from others, protecting them, not showing how hard she has it, but I thought we had addressed that.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I left Rihxo in the ‘sand. Clearly she does not want or need me anymore. So here I sit, alone. As much as I know she will not, I still hope Rihxo will find me, tell me what a fool I am, yet it is only a fool’s hope, the last wish of a broken heart.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I was a fool for thinking someone could love me…&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;hr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
I waited for bells on my fool’s hope, there outside the Quicksand. When Rihxo never appeared, I knew she was done with me. Even though it was the middle of the night, I decided to return to Ser Alberic, to continue my training. Perhaps the cold will numb the pain…&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:GilAyled.jpg|400px|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:smaller;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Common Rumors (Easily overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#90AB76;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Who? Him? He don't talk much.&amp;quot; - Quicksand Barmaid&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#90AB76;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He stares a lot...it's kinda creepy.&amp;quot; - Passing stranger&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#90AB76;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;That asshole?&amp;quot; - 'Fellin merchant&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F37E1D;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;He has this fascination with a book...don' know what's in it, but he strokes it like a lover.&amp;quot; - Miqo'te female&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F37E1D;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I hear he's a mama's boy.  She still sends him bread and everything!&amp;quot; - Elezen Lancer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#D83018;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;I heard he had a niece that was killed while healing some wounded knights at a battle.&amp;quot; - Matronly patron&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== '''''&amp;lt;u&amp;gt;&amp;lt;span style=&amp;quot;font-size:medium;&amp;quot;&amp;gt;PC Rumors (Rumors from the characters of other players)&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/u&amp;gt;''''' ===&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#aac5b4;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;font-family:lucida handwriting&amp;quot;&amp;gt;''If I catch him staring again, I may have reason to poke out his eyes.''&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;amp;nbsp;-a hastily-written anonymous note &lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#aac5b4;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;...I wish I could apologize to him, but I don't think he'll even look my way now.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#aac5b4;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Gilla... Gildrasss...veljerdahs? Whossat? Oh, ser Gil! Uhm... -er... he's an elezen! Ehe, I dunno much else.&amp;quot; '''~[[Caen Jabari]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#aac5b4;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; [He isn't as mean as he looks.]  '''~[[M'shi Mahji]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#aac5b4;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;■&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; &amp;quot;Gil... He comforted me when I needed it most, and he has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.&amp;quot; '''~[[Ayled Cooke]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ♥ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ♥ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ♥ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Ayled Cooke]]''' Gil's shei'tani, though they just met, he really thinks highly of her. ''Ver reisa ku'chae, kem surah, shei'tani.'' (Your soul cries out, mine answers, beloved)&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ♥ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''Marissya vel Jendahr''' Gil’s mother, a lovely woman that wishes Gil would have come home under happier circumstances. ''Thank you for supporting me.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ♥ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''Dax vel Jendahr''' Gil’s father, a retired armorer that worked in Coerthas Western Highlands making and repairing armor for man and chocobo. ''I am always proud of you and the work you have done, the things you have accomplished.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''Shan vel Jendahr''' Gil’s elder brother, he was killed in the Dragonsong War before the Calamity ''I miss you and your sage advice.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''Tajik vel Jendahr''' Gil’s elder brother, he was killed in the Dragonsong War before the Calamity  ''Your stories of the front always excited me.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''Ellysetta vel Jendahr''' Gil’s niece, she was killed in the Dragonsong War before the Calamity ''I never thought to see your language again, so for Mother to use it really took me back.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Rihxo Matoi]]''' Gil’s ex-girlfriend, she recently broke his heart, but with the help of Ayled, he is working on getting over her. ''&amp;quot;I thought you said you would not let me lose you, I guess you lied.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font &amp;gt; '''[[Endel Blanche]]:''' After sharing a drunken night with Endel, Gil truly considers him a friend, no matter the fact that the man has more secrets than pandora’s box. ''You fight as though trained in Ishgard. What happened?''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''[[Caen Jabari]]:''' Caen is a sunny lad that Gil recently has realized may not be as simple as he seems. ''I hope you find what you are looking for.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[M'shi Mahji]]:''' A friend that Gil recently realized how important she is to him. ''You scare me with your penchant for running off into trouble.''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ● &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;'''[[Nanagi Nagi]]:''' Gil's friend that he hopes does not desert him just because Rihxo did. ''I miss you.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Gil is found as Gil Vel'jendahr on Balmung.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Friends (Because friends are nice to have)&lt;br /&gt;
* A good RP plot (Plots are good, any setting is fine)&lt;br /&gt;
* More RP partners (More RP = Good!)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP just for ERP sake (there must be a character reason for it)&lt;br /&gt;
* Killing my character (I won't allow for my character to be killed unless I say otherwise.)&lt;br /&gt;
* Complete breakage of lore. (I'm fine with lore bending, as I do that sometimes.)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Links===&lt;br /&gt;
[http://gillandaris.tumblr.com Gil's Tumblr Blog]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This template was provided by [[Unnamed Mercenary]] and contains elements taken from both [[Roen Deneith]] and [[Coatleque Crofte]]. I modified it from [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Nanagi Nagi]], and [[Endel Blanche]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thanks Everyone!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
File:ArtbyYourouGil.png|Gil by [http://yourou.tumblr.com/ Yourou]&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilWyrm.png|Gil in his armor&lt;br /&gt;
File:RihxoSquad.jpg|Left to Right: M'shi, Endel, Gil, Rihxo, Xeiz&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilAyled.jpg|Gil and Ayled.&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilAyled1.jpg|Difference in Height between Gil and Ayled&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilAyled2.jpg|Gil and Ayled.&lt;br /&gt;
File:IfritDay.png|Gil, Nanagi, and Rihxo fight Ifrit&lt;br /&gt;
File:Ayled.jpg|Gil looking upon Ayled (1st person view)&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilAyled3.jpg|Gil and Ayled.&lt;br /&gt;
File:Ayledlight.jpg|Gil looking upon Ayled (1st person view)&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilAyled4.jpg|Gil and Ayled.&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilArrivesIshgard1.jpg|Gil arrives in Ishgard&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilPraying.jpg|Gil prays before Halone, Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral&lt;br /&gt;
File:GilEllie.png|Gil enjoys riding his chocobo, named for his niece&lt;br /&gt;
File:Ayled2.jpg|Gil looking upon Ayled (1st person view)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Nanagi_Nagi&amp;diff=142854</id>
		<title>Nanagi Nagi</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Nanagi_Nagi&amp;diff=142854"/>
		<updated>2015-12-16T16:59:28Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* PC Rumors (Add Your Own) */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;__NOTOC__&lt;br /&gt;
{| width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
|-&lt;br /&gt;
| colspan=&amp;quot;8&amp;quot; style=&amp;quot;vertical-align:top&amp;quot; |&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=General=&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name = Nanagi Nagi&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Nagi_Icon.png&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 265&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = Madame Black&lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Female&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Ul'dah&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Lalafell&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Dunesfolk&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 22&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Deity&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = [[Nald'thal, the Trader|Nald'thal]]&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Orientation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = Heterosexual&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Marital Status&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Single&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Mercenary &amp;amp; Amal'jaa Hunter&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Height/Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = 2 fulms &amp;amp; 11 ilms, 26 ponz &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
'''Nanagi Nagi''' was born on the 14th Moon of the 4th Umbral Moon. She grew up in the great city of Ul’dah. Her parents, like everyone else, wanted fortune; they wanted to ensure their only child would have a successful life. Sadly, they could never make enough gil to have the wealthy life they dreamed of. Because of this, Nanagi has always wanted gil, and no matter how much she has in her pocket, it’s never enough for her. Although she is good at the jeweler trade, she is most certainly not good enough to get rich off of it. She came up with the idea that if someone was so desperate for help, they would have to pay for it. Seeing this to be the best way to make gil, she decided to live a mercenary life.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Since Nanagi is from Ul'dah, she spends most of her time there. You can often find her in the markets, and in the Quicksand. If she isn't there then she is most likely spending a week or two in Ishgard. She has recently started training in the art of Astrology and in order to keep up with her studies, she must take trips to Ishgard. Due to the fact that she has no home there, and it can get rather expensive to rent out an inn room, she must plan her trips wisely. When she isn't in Ishgard, she will continue her studying in other places. Although she is not a fan of Limsa Lominsa, she will go there if a job requires her to do so.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She doesn't agree with the current Syndicate in Ul'dah, she believes that the current members will doom Ul'dah. She wishes to see change, and she hopes that better people who aren't just looking after themselves will be able to join the Syndicate and make a change&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Currently apart of the mercenary company known as Solace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Appearance=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Nagi Icon.png|250px|left]]&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi's eyes share the heterochromia trait her father had. Her right eye is a deep forest green, and from a distance, it could be mistaken for black. As for her left eye, it's as pitch black as the void. She has the same hair color her mother had, a beautiful violet with lavender highlights. From a distance, her highlights could been mistaken for white highlights. Her hair is thicker, styled into ringlet curls that frame her face nicely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Although she lived in the desert all of her life, Nanagi is a bit paler than other Dunesfolk. This is likely because she spent most of her time in the shade, and hated being out in the sun for too long. She has rather prominent freckles below her eyes and on her cheekbones. Her ears are pointed, and are not too long, but not too short; about average.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Her voice is soft and sounds more like a 16-year-old Midlander's. When she is angry, her soft-toned voice sounds more like a “normal-toned” Miqo’te woman.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====Scars/Markings====&lt;br /&gt;
*Her right hand is badly burned. The blisters went deep, and she will have the markings forever. Due to this, she often covers the hand with a bandage.&lt;br /&gt;
*Multiple burn scars can be seen going up her arms. These are different from the ones that her on her right hand.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Behavior=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Nanagi2.jpeg|330px|frameless|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi spent most of her youth staying hidden as well as training. As a result, she never had much social interaction with others, and she cannot seem to hold a conversation for very long when one is started with her. Due to this, she also isn't very likely to try and start up a conversation. She's a bit quiet, but she wishes she had the guts to be more talkative and extroverted. Talking to people isn't as easy as killing Amalj'aa, after all!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the chance someone starts up a conversation, she'll slowly begin to open up. As she begins to know and understand them better, she'll open up more. Her quiet demeanor is left behind, and she will talk a bit more. Once they're really friends, her quiet and somewhat shy demeanor is left behind, and she will talk to them more often on her own will. She doesn't become afraid to start a conversation or tell a little more about herself.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the contrary, her personality when dealing with mercenary work is almost the complete opposite. She acts as proper and professional as she can, so that she will leave a better impression and be more likely to be hired. First impressions are everything with Nanagi - if someone leaves a bad one on her, it's unlikely her opinion of them will change. If she leaves a bad one, it could mean a loss of money - something she doesn't appreciate.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
====5 traits that describe Nanagi====&lt;br /&gt;
# Quiet&lt;br /&gt;
# Warmhearted&lt;br /&gt;
# Cautious&lt;br /&gt;
# Flirtatious&lt;br /&gt;
# Formal&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Preferences=&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:NagiTT.jpeg|238px|right]]&lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
* Earning &amp;amp; Spending Money&lt;br /&gt;
* Snow&lt;br /&gt;
* Stargazing&lt;br /&gt;
* Cozy Places&lt;br /&gt;
* Her Height&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
* Bugs&lt;br /&gt;
* Strong alcohol&lt;br /&gt;
* Amalj'aa&lt;br /&gt;
* The smell of death/rotting&lt;br /&gt;
* Large bodies of water (Oceans, ponds, lakes)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
* Making Jewelry&lt;br /&gt;
* Playing Triple-Triad&lt;br /&gt;
* Stargazing&lt;br /&gt;
* Reading/Doing Research&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Quirks===&lt;br /&gt;
* Nanagi doesn’t know how to swim. When near water, she shows an obvious discomfort.&lt;br /&gt;
* When stressed she tends to scratch her arms. In extreme cases, she scratches it raw.&lt;br /&gt;
* When drunk (which isn’t often) she tends to get clingy. In rare cases she’ll go from clingy, to sad or angry.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Other===&lt;br /&gt;
* Alignment: [http://easydamus.com/trueneutral.html True Neutral]&lt;br /&gt;
* Favorite Food: [http://xivdb.com/?item/4735/Bubble-Chocolate Bubble Chocolate]&lt;br /&gt;
* Favorite Drink: [http://xivdb.com/?item/12842/Ishgardian-Tea Ishgardian Tea]&lt;br /&gt;
* Favorite Color: Red&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Combat=&lt;br /&gt;
===Weapon(s):===&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi's primary weapon is her staff. What stands out the most about this staff is the fragments of a purple shard dangling from the tip. Nanagi is very protective of this staff and will do anything to keep it with her. If, for some reason, she loses the staff, she refuses to just buy or make a new one.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Her secondary weapon is her Star Globe. With Nanagi now having more experience, she is seen with her star globe a bit more often now.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat Style:===&lt;br /&gt;
Through her teen years and even now, Nanagi has done everything she can to be the best mage she can be. She puts a lot of focus one one spell so it becomes a devastating blow. She does this to make up for the fact that she can't fight up close. If someone gets too close to her, she can only hope that she can push them back with her spells and/or bring them to their knees. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She does her best to ensure she has a battle strategy planned; look for any weaknesses, openings, and look around the environment. She often uses the environment to her advantage. If there is nearby wood and her enemy is just close enough to it, she'll set the wood on fire instead, getting her enemies caught in it. Once the damage has been done, she does her best to take out the fire with a few blizzard spells.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Because she has spent almost all of her time making her magic stronger, her physical capabilities are poor. She can't lift things that are heavier than her for even a short period of time. Because her physical capabilities are poor, she is considered to be frail. She can't take but so many hits before going down; however, she is quite stubborn so she tends to get right back up and fight when it is probably better for her to stay down or flee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She has recently been undergoing to teachings of Astrology. She by no means a master, for she is just now understanding how that art of astrology works. The only time she uses her power outside of her training is if she doesn't have her staff, or giving a demonstration.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Background=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Birth and Early Life:==&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi Nagi was born and raised in the great city of Ul’dah. She was the only child to Teteshi Teshi and Momokofo Tatakofo. Her parents, like everyone else, wanted to make a fortune; they wanted wealth. When she wasn't playing with her parents various materials, she would often watch them work. She thought it was fastening to watch them polish rings, and inspect gemstones with the big magnifying glass. She would often help her parents with small things like arranging the jewelry that was on display to look pretty, organizing the materials, and other similar tasks. &lt;br /&gt;
Her parents were worried about her education, so they decided that during certain times of the day, one of them would take a break from working and give their daughter 2 hour lessons a day. When Nanagi wasn't receiving these lessons, and if she wasn't assisting her parents, she would often teach herself. She was fascinated by what knowledge was in books.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If Nanagi wasn't assisting her parents and didn't feel the need to teach  herself, she would explore all the parts of Ul’dah, staying out of sight. She never liked being center of attention; she was shy, and so she would explore and try to stay unnoticed. She would spend most of her time hiding in the Thaumaturge guild, for she thought it was the most beautiful and amazing thing she had ever seen. Once the moon rose, Nanagi would return home, and mimic what she saw at the guild; she did this every day until she was 14.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Her Teen Years:==&lt;br /&gt;
At age 14 her parents took her to the Thaumaturge guild, and asked if they would evaluate her. Her parents wanted her to go on to do great things, and they saw this as her opportunity. After several hours of training and testing, the guild master saw potential in the young Lalafell, and decided to have her join the the guild. Nanagi would spend the next 4 years going to the guild everyday to train, and become better than she was the day before.&lt;br /&gt;
Even though she was exposed to many people, she didn't talk to a lot of the apprentices there. The only time she talked to them is if the current assignment required her to, or if she had a question. Other than that, she kept to herself. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even with her now studying at the guild, she still kept up with her lessons from her parents and assisting them with their trade. It was almost surprising that someone at her age did so much, but talked very little. She became a bit well known for being quiet, but a great helper and learner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Once she turned 18, she was given her final test. It took her 2 days to complete, but she passed. She was proud that she was able to master the art, and impress her parents. It was after she finished the test that she decided to use her power to help others; however, she felt as though if someone was really that desperate for help, and couldn't solve the problem on their own, they needed to pay. With this in mind, she thought the life of a mercenary would suit her best. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She started off small, accepting jobs that required her to hunt down some creatures, delivering packages, and making sure caravans made it to their destination safety. From there, she would begin to take bigger jobs, one's that presented a challenge, ones that would help hone her skills while making gil.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==The event that turned her life upside down:==&lt;br /&gt;
A year later, one night while she was in Western Thanalan, she had received news of a caravan being attacked by Amalj'aa. The people who happened to be with the caravan were her parents. She left Western Thanalan immediately to investigate the scene. The caravan was destroyed, her father's dead body laid on top of small box of rings. Her mother's body was nowhere to be found. The only thing the Flames could find were Amalj'aa tracks, and the looks of something being dragged. When they followed these tracks, the tracks suddenly vanished. It was almost as if they levitated in the air and flew the rest of the way. When they returned to the crime scene, Nanagi had spotted the beautiful circlet her mother would always wear, partially buried in the sand. She took it from the sand, and place it around her head. A memento. &lt;br /&gt;
: She gave her father a proper burial, she whispered to the gravestone that she would keep their business alive, after all; that was all they wanted. It was after the burial that she went to search for her mother. She searched for weeks with no luck, she eventually lightened her search. She spent less, and less time looking for her mother. She accepted the fact that her mother was dead, but something in the back of her mind told her that she was still alive somewhere. Although she isn't constantly looking for her mother, she still searches for any information that might suggest she is alive and her location.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She hates the Amalj'aa with a burning passion. She swore to the Twelve that she would hunt down every Amalj'aa in sight, leaving none behind. It was this that made her into an excellent Amalj'aa hunter.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Notable Events=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Non-arc Stuff''&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who is involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]])&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
(11/10-11/11) After having time to think of a plan, Nanagi thought she was ready to get her stolen staff back. She asked for Rihxo's assistance in the matter. After explaining the plan to go into the Amalj'aa camp and surrender themselves, she told Rihxo that she couldn't tell anyone where she was going. No one could know. When they went into the camp, they killed a few of the Amalj'aa before surrendering themselves. Nanagi hopes that while they are being held captive that she will be able to find an opening to gain their weapons back. Time is of the essence considering that the Amalj'aa wish to sacrifice them to Ifrit along with others if the beasts manage to find others. &lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete)&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi is currently recovering from injuries. After casting a powerful spell that she didn’t know how to cast properly, her aetheric energy levels dropped to deathly low. If it wasn’t for a Medic who happened to live in the Forgotten Springs, Nanagi would probably be dead. Although she has had time to recover, she is still relatively weak, and hasn’t been able to cast any magic. Even if she wanted to, she can’t because her special staff was stolen from her by Amalj’aa. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
'''Nanagi has recovered from her injuries. The only noticeable injury now are the burn marks on her hand. If they are not covered in bandages, they markings are quite noticeable. She was also able to obtain her staff.'''&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was Involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
(10/27) She found a wanted poster for an assassin; the person was offering a large sum of money to anyone who could kill the woman. She asked for Rihxo Matoi’s assistance, and Rihxo accompanied her. Once the killed the assassin in Southern Thanalan, they returned to Ul’dah for their pay. However, once they received their pay, they were told that they would receive no credit for killing the assassin. No one will even know the details on how the assassin died. Nanagi didn’t mind not receiving credit.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
''Stalhart Arc'' ('''Status:''' Currently in effect)&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Currently remaining in seclusion (mostly) until the day arrives that Rihxo and Valen meet again.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
(Status: Complete) (Who was involved: [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Rihxo Matoi]])&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi stayed hiddent for a long time, while still keeping some sort of contact with her friends. She sent a letter to Rihxo stating that she should go to the Grindstone, it would do her good. Give her more experience without murdering anyone. Knowing that wouldn't convince her enough, she mentioned that she would be there as well. What she originally had in mind was to go there still cloaked, away from most of the crowds but still keeping an eye on Rihxo. Instead her plans had changed, during the time she secluded herself, she had come to realize that she was becoming a bit more crazy each day. Overworking herself and obsessing over the current situation while being alone wasn't helping her mentally. She thought that lending her aid at the Grindstone would do her some good.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She was a healer who was with Judge's group. Instead of staying cloaked, she decided to ditch the robs and finally show her face. No one there knew who she really was to begin with, so she had nothing to loose. During the entire time, she kept a watchful eye for glowing blue armor. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the Grindstone, she approached Rihxo and Gil to let them know that she wouldn't seclude herself away that much anymore. That she would go out in the open more often, when it was safe. However her words were rather hollow, as she would just slip back into her old habits.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
(Status: Complete) (Who was involved: classified)&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
Will remain blank until certain events occur&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
(Status: Complete) (Who was involved: [[Valen Stalhart]], [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
It only took her about a week to recover. She felt fine and was ready to go out on her own. She went out to Mor Dhona to complete a job she felt so much better. Little did she know that going to Mor Dhona wouldn't be that simple. She happened to find Valen, and against her better judgement decided to follow. Valen remained none the wiser as she followed him in, staying out of sight. It was there she learned that Valen was to hunt Gil, and Rihxo's siblings. She knew she had to escape, to tell Rihxo of the news. She decided to take the opprotunity she had to hijack a magitek reaper, and escape. Stalhart pursued her, even after his magitek reaper became immobile. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Once she had reached civilization at Revenants Toll, she ditched the reaper and ran. With Valen now surrounded by Rihxo, Nanai and Singing Raptor with civilians watching, he realized now was not the time to fight. Told them if they wished to continue, to meet him at the Rathefrost. It was rather convenient that Nanagi planned on heading in there as well. Instead of fighting, she simply explained to Stalhart that she would distance herself, keep herself out of sight while still being able to keep a close eye on him or Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It was after this meeting that Nanagi went off the grid, never to be seen for a rather long period of time.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
 &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Valen Stalhart]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], [[Singing Raptor]])&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
(11/22) She found Valen at the Grindstone; he seemed to be walking away from Ul'dah. It wasn't until that she saw him in the Thaumaturge guild in full armor that she knew something was wrong. She was able to have Gil take the drunken Rihxo away as she fallowed Valen, knowing that he was leading her into a trap. Little did she know that a Magitek Reaper would be involved. She deactivated one of her linkpearls, in hopes that Gil would realize it was to act as a distress beacon. Luckily, Gil understood, and came to her aid. She went past her aetherial capabilities for a 2nd time in attempts to finish off Valen right then and there; her spell did not go off in the right place, but still injured him. She put up a protective spell before Valen took the final blow with his reaper, and now the Garleans think her to be dead. If it wasn't for [[Jancis Milburga]]'s healing techniques, and [[Singing Raptor]]'s aether donation, Nanagi wouldn't be alive.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;tr&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;td style=&amp;quot;vertical-align: top;width:50%;padding-right:10px;font-family:Palatino Linotype&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
{|  class=&amp;quot;mw-collapsible mw-collapsed wikitable&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;100%&amp;quot; border=&amp;quot;0&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| &lt;br /&gt;
('''Status:''' Complete) ('''Who was involved:''' [[Rihxo Matoi]], [[Valen Stalhart]], [[Gil vel'Jendahr]]])&lt;br /&gt;
|- &lt;br /&gt;
|&lt;br /&gt;
(11/16) Rihxo had contacted Nanagi; she wanted to talk to her about something rather urgent. Turns out that her theories about Valen Stalhart were right, for he tried to kill Rihxo the day before. Originally, Nanagi had plans to kill him. Surprisingly, Rihxo was able to convince her that it was not Valen's choice, that he didn't want to kill Rihxo. She stated that there were 'voices in his head telling him to kill her'. She told Nanagi that she thought there was a way to help him, but she didn't know how.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With that, Nanagi decided that instead of going out and killing Valen, she would instead spend as much of her time possible in finding ways to help him.&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/td&amp;gt;  &lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/tr&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/table&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Rumors=&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
''Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated.''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors (Easily Overheard)===&lt;br /&gt;
* “She is almost always eating chocolate, you almost never see her without at least one bubble chocolate.” '''~Daily customer at the QS'''&lt;br /&gt;
* “I hired her to help me clear out some Amalj’aa that were blocking my trade route, she didn’t seem to care about the payment. Got the job done with no issues.” '''~Former employer'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;On her spare time, i’ve seen the lass trying to sell jewelry over yonder. She don’t get much though.” '''~Ul’dah merchant'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Her and that [[Rihxo Matoi|Miqo'te woman]] clad in red are almost inseperable.&amp;quot; '''~Quicksand Waitress'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;She is a classy woman. Always formal when she first meets someone, and has a good taste in tea.&amp;quot; '''~Momodi'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors (Moderately Difficult to Overhear)===&lt;br /&gt;
* “I remember having to investigate a caravan attack. Found one dead Lalafell, and the tracks of somethin’ being dragged away. Turned out to be the parents of a girl named Nanagi Nagi.” '''~Immortal Flame'''&lt;br /&gt;
* “Ya know the circlet she wears all the time? Apparently it use to belong to er’ ma, found it next to ‘er father's body. She been wearin’ it ever since.” '''~Brass Blade'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;She apparently has a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Amal'jaa. Has a book all about em'. I was able to take a quick glance once, the pages have notes all over the margins!&amp;quot; '''~Highlander Mercenary'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;The crystal shards on her staff, I've never seen 'em before! They seem to glow every time she casts a spell...&amp;quot; '''~Fellow Mercenary'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors (Very Difficult and Rarely Overheard)===&lt;br /&gt;
* “Apparently when she was out on one of her jobs, she was caught! They didn’t want her leaving alive, knowing their secrets. They tried drowning her, we were lucky to have gotten there when we did.” '''~Brass Blade'''&lt;br /&gt;
* “I heard that someone stole her circlet once. Before the man had a chance to sell it, he was found dead. They never caught the killer, and the guards never knew about the circlet. Call me crazy, but I think she killed the man!” '''~Ul’dah Merchant'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors (Add Your Own)===&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Nanagi is someone I couldn't handle losing. I wouldn't have it any other way.&amp;quot; '''~[[Rihxo Matoi]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;I doubt she'll ever let go of her grudge against me, though I can't entirely blame her for that..&amp;quot; '''~[[Valen Stalhart]]'''&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;quot;Insert Rumor here&amp;quot; '''~Name here'''&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Relationships=&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#F02311;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Romantic Interest&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Platonic Love  &amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Good Standing&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Neutral&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;nbsp; &amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#C24640;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; Poor Standing&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
: &amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#000000&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt; ☠ &amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;Deceased&amp;lt;/center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#FA70BC;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;♥&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt;&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''[[Rihxo Matoi]]''': ''&amp;quot;You are like the younger sister I never had. It's been nice to watch you grow these past few months.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#8f8377;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''[[Valen Stalhart]]''': ''&amp;quot;I still won't forgive you for all the pain you caused us. Know that I will give you a chance, since it is what Rihxo wishes. However, I have spent too much of my time preparing myself. I won't let you slip away without facing me first.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]''': ''&amp;quot;I want to help you,  but I don't know how to. I'm sorry.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;font style=&amp;quot;color:#9EC60B;&amp;quot; size=&amp;quot;3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;●&amp;lt;/font&amp;gt; '''[[Endel Blanche]]''': ''&amp;quot;I saved his life. I barely know him, but I do wish that I can speak to him more.&amp;quot;''&lt;br /&gt;
-------------&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=OOC=&lt;br /&gt;
[https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/pages/Rihxo_and_Nanagi%27s_Template Template for this wiki page]&lt;br /&gt;
===About Me:===&lt;br /&gt;
* EST&lt;br /&gt;
* Forum RP friendly&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I am looking for/interested in:===&lt;br /&gt;
* Friends (Because friends are nice to have)&lt;br /&gt;
* Another hunting partner (Currently, Rihxo is her hunting partner, but Nanagi is always open to teach someone else the ways of Amal'jaa hunting)&lt;br /&gt;
* A possible romantic partner (Prefers fellow Lalafell, Elezen, and Hyur)&lt;br /&gt;
* A good RP plot (Plots are good, any setting is fine)&lt;br /&gt;
* Enemies(?) (They are good for character development, but i'm not desperately looking for one)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===What I will NOT RP:===&lt;br /&gt;
* ERP&lt;br /&gt;
I'm fine if she gets involved with someone, but I want a 'fade to black'.&lt;br /&gt;
* Killing my character (I wont allowed for my character to be killed unless it is on my terms)&lt;br /&gt;
* Complete breakage of lore. (I'm fine with lore bending, as I do that sometimes)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Tropes:===&lt;br /&gt;
[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SugarAndIcePersonality Sugar and Ice Personality], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BrutalHonesty Brutal Honesty], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SacrificedBasicSkillForAwesomeTraining Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training], [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DontYouDarePityMe Don't You Dare Pity Me!]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Annotations===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This template was provided by [[Unnamed Mercenary]] and contains elements taken from both [[Roen Deneith]] and [[Coatleque Crofte]]. &lt;br /&gt;
ありがとうございます! (Thank you very much)&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=Gallery=&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;table style=&amp;quot;position:center;&amp;quot; width=&amp;quot;75%&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
File:Nagi Rihxo.jpeg|Nanagi and Rihxo&lt;br /&gt;
File:NagiBow.jpeg|Now Bow to Me!&lt;br /&gt;
File:Nagi Laughing.jpeg|Ready for Ishgard!&lt;br /&gt;
File:7ft Guardian.jpeg|Lalafell &amp;amp; 7ft Au Ra&lt;br /&gt;
File:Nagigrindstone.jpeg|Healer at grindstone (12/5/15)&lt;br /&gt;
File:Nagiart1.jpeg|Art by Vaporeons&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;/gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;headertabs /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
|}&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142539</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142539"/>
		<updated>2015-12-15T08:06:22Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Calm Before The Storm */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Praetorium and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Free from the Garlean Empire, he has no reason to kill Rihxo anymore, and doesn't ever intend to be a bother to her ever again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142538</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142538"/>
		<updated>2015-12-15T07:54:39Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Decisive Battle */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. After his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Praetorium and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Free from the Garlean Empire, he has no reason to kill Rihxo anymore, and doesn't ever intend to be a bother to her ever again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142300</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142300"/>
		<updated>2015-12-14T07:42:44Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Neutral Standing */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. Instead, after his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Praetorium and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Free from the Garlean Empire, he has no reason to kill Rihxo anymore, and doesn't ever intend to be a bother to her ever again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bears no ill will towards her, and she seems to bear none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142299</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142299"/>
		<updated>2015-12-14T07:42:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Relationships */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. Instead, after his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Praetorium and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Good Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Neutral Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: Free from the Garlean Empire, he has no reason to kill Rihxo anymore, and doesn't ever intend to be a bother to her ever again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: After everything that has happened, he intends to leave the elezen in peace.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] He bares no ill will towards her, and she seems to bare none towards him. He feels it is best kept that way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he knows for certain that she hates him, Valen has no desire to quarrel with her. However, should she still wish to challenge him, then he will grant her that chance.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Poor Standing===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142295</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142295"/>
		<updated>2015-12-14T07:26:14Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Decisive Battle */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. Instead, after his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders. After so much resistance, the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Praetorium and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142294</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=142294"/>
		<updated>2015-12-14T07:24:33Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Unbreakable Chains */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off. Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Decisive Battle===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After watching over her extensively, Valen finally felt Rihxo was ready to face him. To get the message across, he ransacked her home and threatened Rihxo's siblings, telling her to relay the message for her to meet him in the Lower Paths of the South Shroud. When Rihxo arrived with Gil and Raptor, Valen was wielding Thundercloud, and readied himself for battle.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Rihxo demonstrated her skill, managing to hit Valen with an arrow laced with a very powerful toxin of some kind, but Valen's implants helped him resist the pain. The fight began to trigger memories of Valen's fight with X'Matoi Tia, Rihxo's father, but his severely damaged perception of reality caused him to believe he was reliving that very fight. When Stalhart spotted Nanagi hiding among the trees, this only further pushed him over the edge, believing her to be the lalafell merchant he was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Nanagi defended herself, which left Valen even more confused and uncertain of his surroundings. This mixed with the commands being relayed through the chip in his brain and only further tore his mind asunder. Once he had regained a faint sense of what was going on around, he continued his battle with Rihxo, but not before Nanagi struck him with a thunderbolt.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Even so, he managed to overpower Rihxo, and forced her to step back and fire another one of her toxin-laced arrows. Due to the electricity surging through him, he couldn't dodge out of the way in time. With both his body and mind weakened, Stalhart collapsed to his knees. Rihxo attempted to restrain him and get through to him, which seemed to trigger a violent reaction within Valen's body.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Desperately fighting back the urge to simply grab the Miqo'te and snap her neck with his bare hands, the chip began to send pulses of pain through his body, causing his muscles to spasm out of control. In a fit of both madness and agony, Valen pushed her off of him and began to swing his spear wildly, tearing through trees and cutting down anything and everything he could reach.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Fortunately, nobody was hurt by him. Instead, after his mental break, Valen threw Thundercloud into a tree, and then fell to the ground. Rihxo tried to console him and use a Magitek device to disable the chip, only to be calmly told by Valen that it would have no effect, because the chip in his brain had already been destroyed. He explained that he could feel the chip short out during his mental break after he fought so hard to resist his orders, that the old and weathered chip could no longer continue sending pulses through his body, and just broke completely.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he was finally free from Garlean control completely, Stalhart didn't appear the least bit thrilled by his newfound freedom. After pulling himself back onto his feet, he blankly told Rihxo and the others that he intended to go to the Praetorium and kill every single Garlean that did this to him, and that they had nothing to fear from him anymore. The Miqo'te asked if she could go with him, to which Valen said she could make her own decisions, and that was her choice to make, not his. Nanagi said that she would go with him as well, should Rihxo go with him. Yet he heard no answer from Gil or Raptor.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After boarding his Magitek Reaper, and leaving behind Thundercloud for Rihxo to keep as a trophy, Valen wished them all a farewell, saying that if he didn't see them at the Praetorium, then this would likely be the last time he ever saw any of them again.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141696</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141696"/>
		<updated>2015-12-11T21:17:40Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Service Under Garlemald===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Due to the relative secrecy of the Magitek Knights, Valen's duties mostly consisted of low-key assassinations, sabotage, or seek and destroy missions. During one such mission, he was sent to kill a lalafell merchant on a trade route through Thanalan. However, he was under the guard of the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]]. Tia managed to keep Valen at bay while the merchant escaped, and even tried to dissuade Stalhart from continuing to fight for the Garlean Empire. While X'matoi was unable to convince Valen, his words did not fall unto deaf ears.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, Stalhart managed to close the distance between him and X'matoi, and stabbed him with his spear. He thought the Miqo'te to be dead, and left him to rot. However, X'matoi still yet lived, as Valen found out a few years later when he overheard tales of the archer's exploits while he was on assignment.  &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the battle with Tia, Stalhart considered the Miqo'te's seemingly genuine request for him to abandon Garlemald and come to the other side. It was this seed that planted skepticism in him, and ultimately helped him come to the realization that he had no true sense of free will. The chip in his brain had been forcing him to obey Garlemald's commands, and he had been made none the wiser to it until his confrontation with X'matoi. When he tried to resist his commands, the chip would send pulses throughout his entire body, leaving him in agony. This left him with no other choice but to follow through with the orders he was given, lest he wish to suffer at the Empire's hands.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141649</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141649"/>
		<updated>2015-12-11T16:01:07Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Calm Before The Storm */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that when the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141648</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141648"/>
		<updated>2015-12-11T15:58:51Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Confronted */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to get through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;You can't trust him. Once he earns enough trust, he'll just stab you in the back.&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141117</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141117"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T06:38:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Calm Before The Storm */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas after using the horn from Behemoth to construct a mighty Thundercloud spear Currently he's keeping it stowed away for the time being.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141084</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141084"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:09:35Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Demeanor */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath this kind appearance though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141083</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141083"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:09:01Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Personality */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Demeanor===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141082</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141082"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:08:23Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Finding a Home */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==After The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141081</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141081"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:07:50Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Before The Calamity */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Defection, and Days Leading to The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141080</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141080"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:07:18Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Early Life */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
==Before The Calamity==&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141079</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141079"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:06:44Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* After The Calamity */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141077</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141077"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:06:06Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Unbreakable Chains */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===After The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Unbreakable Chains==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141076</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141076"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:05:48Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Appearance */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===After The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Unbreakable Chains===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Personality and Physical Traits==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141075</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=141075"/>
		<updated>2015-12-09T04:04:16Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Combat */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===After The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Unbreakable Chains===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Combat===&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=140992</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=140992"/>
		<updated>2015-12-08T21:41:33Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Friend or Foe? */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===After The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Unbreakable Chains===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald. Her father was none other than X'matoi himself, the same X'matoi he had faced so many years prior in his youth. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Combat==&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=140991</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=140991"/>
		<updated>2015-12-08T21:39:55Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Before The Calamity */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These enhancements gave Valen near insurmountable strength. Enough strength to even best the highly skilled archer, [[X'matoi Tia]] in combat. However, while Valen did win the battle, X'matoi survived the fight, and also successfully protected the lalafell merchant Valen was sent to kill.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===After The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Unbreakable Chains===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald, when he briefly engaged in combat with Rihxo's father in his youth as they were sworn enemies to the Garlean Empire. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Combat==&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
	</entry>
	<entry>
		<id>https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=140986</id>
		<title>Valen Stalhart</title>
		<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://wiki.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/index.php?title=Valen_Stalhart&amp;diff=140986"/>
		<updated>2015-12-08T21:32:34Z</updated>

		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Valen: /* Friend or Foe? */&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;hr /&gt;
&lt;div&gt;{{Infobox-character&lt;br /&gt;
| name =  Valen Stalhart&lt;br /&gt;
| image = Valen Stalhart 10 29 2015 02 02 09.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
| imagewidth = 300&lt;br /&gt;
| caption = &lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| gender = Male&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = Claims Coerthas (defected Garlean)&lt;br /&gt;
| race = Hyur&lt;br /&gt;
| clan = Midlander&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1 = Age&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_1_value = 36&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2 = Height&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_2_value = 6 flums&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3 = Weight&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_3_value = 185 ponze&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4 = Occupation&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_4_value = Maelstrom Agent&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5 = Free Company&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_5_value = Arcadeus&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6 = Server&lt;br /&gt;
| stat_6_value = Balmung&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Character-stub}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Character==&lt;br /&gt;
===General=== &lt;br /&gt;
A former Garlean soldier, Valen Stalhart defected from the powerful empire shortly before The Calamity. Afterwards, he wandered Eorzia for many years before finally finding his way to La Nosca, where he joined the Free Company Arcadeus. To this day though, he still keeps his former affiliation with Garlemald a secret, and has only disclosed the information with a small handful of people.&lt;br /&gt;
===Early Life===&lt;br /&gt;
Born into a family of fisherman in the Garlean Empire, Valen was raised with a very humble upbringing. Not being a full-blooded Garlean, he spent most of his childhood living hand-to-mouth, but always managed to get by. He had no brothers nor sisters, but did share a very close relationship with his mother and father. However, the life of a fisherman wasn’t for him. Once he came of age, he traded in his gaff for a spear, and through vigorous training managed to join the ranks of the Garlean Empire’s Military.&lt;br /&gt;
===Before The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
For three years he served as a lancer for The Empire, scratching and clawing his way through the ranks. Despite his combat prowess, he never managed to become anything more than a lowly Legionarius in the Garlean Empire due to his superiors’ nepotism towards full-blooded Garleans. However, his skills did not go unnoticed. Realizing that his abilities could be utilized, Valen’s commanding officer had him inducted into Garlemald’s experimental battalion, the Magitek Knights. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As a part of his induction, Valen was implanted with a Magitek chip directly into his brain, as well as various other Magitek augmentations throughout his body. The implants enhanced both his physical and mental capabilities, allowing him to emulate similar abilities to that of a Dragoon, all the while without needing to wield the soul of a dragon.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These augmentations did not come without their hindrances, though. After serving on multiple missions for Garlemald, Valen slowly came to realize that the chip in his brain disallowed him from having any true sense of free will. Though he was unable to resist fulfilling the commands handed down to him, his mind remained completely aware of the atrocities he was forced to commit on the behalf of the Garlean Empire.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After eight grueling years of serving as a Magitek Knight, through either his own sheer will or faulty programming on the part of the implant, or perhaps both, Valen managed to overcome the chip’s grasp while on assignment, and fled shortly thereafter. Valen was declared a traitor to his nation and his people, and the Garlean Military was given the order to kill him on sight.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, due to the fall of Dalamud, the Garlean Empire was unable to spare the manpower to hunt him down. By the time the Empire had regained footing after The Calamity, the tracker built into Valen’s Magitek chip had long since shorted out after going so long without proper maintenance. With no trace of him to follow, Valen vanished from the Garlean Empire entirely, but to this day still remains an enemy to the nation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===After The Calamity===&lt;br /&gt;
===Finding a Home===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen spent the following years after the Calamity wandering Eorzia until he ultimately found his way to Limsa Lominsa. Looking for a place to stay, he stumbled upon [[Anelia Sadowyn]]’s residence, which also acted as a base of operations for her Free Company, Arcadeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After a little convincing, he talked Anelia into letting him stay so long as he pulled his weight. However, when Anelia inquired about where he came from, he privately disclosed his former affiliation with Garlemald, only to learn that Anelia had just as much a vendetta against the Garlean Empire as he did. However, she insisted that Valen keep his origins a secret from the others living at the residence, as not to cause any unnecessary tension between them.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
However, the ever clever [[Seldi Witt]] managed to pry the information out of him upon sensing that he was hiding something from her. She seemed to take a keen interest in his Magitek implants, but appeared to be unfazed by his Garlean background. She offered to help him figure out a way to either remove the implant in his brain, or at least find a way to repair it. However that is currently something that is not likely to happen for quite some time.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Unbreakable Chains===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Friend or Foe?===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the side he sometimes does freelance work for the Maelstrom. Typically it is little more than simple reconnaissance or patrolling. Though he does occasionally receive missions that are of higher importance, they are far and few between. Most recently they requested him to watch over the young Miqo'te, [[Rihxo Matoi]]. He wasn't told the reason why other than that someone paid the Maelstrom a substantial amount of gil to ensure that no harm came to her.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen delved into research on the Miqo'te's family, scouring to find any reason someone would wish for Rihxo to be protected. He uncovered a substantial amount of information on her parents. Once he learned who her parents were, he recognized their names from his time serving for Garlemald, when he briefly engaged in combat with Rihxo's father in his youth as they were sworn enemies to the Garlean Empire. Though they were presumed dead, Valen believed the Garleans might have reason to wish to bring an end to the Matoi family line. With this information, he feared that the Garleans would send a Magitek Knight to kill her. While this did indeed prove to be the case, it was not in the way that Valen had imagined.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After venturing to Northern Thanalan to investigate the Garlean base in the area, he blacked out, and awakened days later in the alley behind the Qucksand. Not knowing what to do, he called for Rihxo to help him. When she arrived, Valen was delirious. He believed himself to be having another headache, as they had been growing more and more prominent. However, when he felt the familiar marionette strings gripping into his mind, he realized that the Garleans were retaking control over him, and that they were ordering him to kill Rihxo.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Though he tried his best to resist, his mind gave way, and allowed for Garlemald to take control once again. Fortunately, Rihxo's boyfriend, [[Gil vel'Jendahr]], and his friends [[Caen Jabari]], and [[Singing Raptor]] arrived just before Valen lost control. The last words Stalhart uttered before losing control of himself was &amp;quot;Rihxo, run.&amp;quot; After that, he engaged in combat with Gil, Caen, and Raptor. After a brief fight, Valen realized that his target had escaped, and that to continue fighting was pointless, so he teleported away to Mor Dhona to consider his next move, leaving no decisive winner.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Seeking Help===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
One of the first things he did upon gaining a semblance of control over himself was to write a letter to Seldi, the only person in his Free Company who knew the extent of what his implants could do. Though it was a long-shot, he couldn't think of anyone else to turn to. After a brief time, though, [[Nanagi Nagi]] reached out to Valen, claiming that she might have a way to help free him from the shackles of his implants. Interested to see both how she learned of his implants, as well as how she could possibly help him, he met up with her in Thanalan to hear her out.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ultimately, while thankful for her attempt to help, Valen was unimpressed. Nanagi had merely learned the name of someone who might be able to help him, and nothing more than that. However, Valen did take notice that Rihxo was listening in on the conversation. Valen took this moment to draw his spear on her, but did not act upon it. Forcing control upon himself, he told both of them it was unwise for Rihxo to be near him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A few days later, Valen found himself wandering through Thanalan, approaching Ul'Dah for reasons he couldn't quite understand at the time. However, upon seeing a familiar face from his Free Company, and Au Ra named Tatsumi, he snapped back into reality. Their conversation was brief, but through it he did come to learn that Seldi had left to Coerthas and wouldn't be back for some time. After Tatsumi left, Valen noticed a familiar Lalafell attempting to inconspicuously listen in on his conversation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
When he approached Nanagi, she asked him what he was doing there. To that, Valen told her he wasn't quite sure. After some rather simple deduction, he came to conclude that he must've been trying to find Rihxo, since she could always be found in the grand city of Ul'Dah. Nanagi requested that Valen leave, to which he complied. Unfortunately, Valen returned to Ul'Dah that night, this time completely under Garlean control.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Losing Control===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Growing tired of Nanagi's interference, Garlemald ordered for Valen to kill her as well. Unable to fight for control of himself, Valen went to Ul'Dah and tracked down Rihxo, Gil, and Nanagi, but remained a distance away. He knew that after a while, Gil and Rihxo would flee elsewhere, but Nanagi would try to persue him, which would place the Lalafell right into his trap.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Everything went just as Valen had planned, and Nanagi followed Valen into Central Thanalan, where he cornered her in the Sil'Dih Excavation Site. He then boarded his Magitek Reaper and began attacking her. He told her that he had no other choice in the matter, and he could not resist the orders he was given. Mustering all the willpower he could, Valen told Nanagi to use her Manaward to survive the blast, that way Garlemald would presume her dead and then they could relieve the order.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Instead, the injured Nanagi chose to run. Valen chased her down until Gil came to Nanagi's aid. Weakened, Nanagi used all of the power she had left to use a massive blast of aether. However, he dazed state only allowed for the attack to graze Valen's Reaper. After pleading with her one final time to use her Manaward, Valen opened fire with his Reaper onto Nanagi just as she was finally able to cast the protective spell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After Nanagi fell, he told Gil to not follow him. He then returned to Mor Dhona and delivered a message to Rihxo over his linkpearl. He told her that while he was thankful for what Nanagi tried to do for him, it only placed her in danger, and that he has come to believe that there is no escaping from Garlemald this time. He said the only way he could see this ending was if either he kills Rihxo, or she kills him. He told the Miqo'te to be the warrior her parents would be proud to see her become, and then maybe this nightmare could finally come to an end. Afterwards, Valen crushed the linkpearl.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Confronted===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
About a week after the incident, Nanagi had recovered from her wounds for the most part and was venturing through Mor Dhona when she by chance came across Valen on his Magitek Reaper, heading towards the Garlean base. Despite her better judgement, she followed him into the base while remaining hidden. Unaware of her presence, Valen continued about his duties at the base before being contacted by his superiors in Garlemald. They informed him that Gil was the only thing that stood between him and Rihxo, so he needed to be eliminated, or at the very least subdued. He was also informed that Rihxo's siblings were to be eliminated as well. Despite his protests, Garlemald would not withdraw the command.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Afterwards, Nanagi hijacked a Reaper to escape the base. Valen of course took notice and chased her down on his already damaged Reaper from their previous encounter. Due to the previous damages, Valen's Reaper was rendered immobile, but that did not stop him from continuing to chase down the lalafell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
He followed her all the way to Revenant's Toll, where he was surrounded by Nanagi, Rihxo, and Singing Raptor. Stalhart readied himself for combat, but withdrew his weapon when he noticed how many bystanders had gathered. Having no desire to allow for innocent blood to be shed in the crossfire, he told them that if they truly wanted to finish this, then he would be waiting at Rathefrost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The three followed him, but not to fight. Instead, they tried to through to him. The efforts proved futile, however. Despite this, Valen did tell Rihxo about Gil and her siblings becoming targets, and also assured her that out of respect for Rihxo's parents, he would give her the chance at a fair fight against him when the time came for him to kill her. That time though was drawing near, and he couldn't delay his duty for much longer. So he told her that she needed to become stronger, and soon if she had any hope to beat him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Before heading back to the base, Raptor asked Valen what he considered home. To that, he answered Arcadeus, the Free Company that took him in despite his past affiliations. Afterwards, Stalhart left, and ventured to the snowy mountains of Coerthas, where he studied Rihxo from afar. While in Coerthas, he resided in Behemoth's Dominion, awaiting the great beast to reveal himself so Stalhart could challenge him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Calm Before The Storm===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While waiting, he contacted Gil through a letter, requesting for the Dragoon to meet him in Behemoth's Dominion. Once there, he made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Gil, and told Gil that as long as the elezen did not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle, then he would not be a target, and Valen would spare him.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much to Stalhart's surprise, Gil told him that he had already promised Rihxo that he would not interfere with their battle when the time came. While Valen wanted to believe this, he made a few attempts to taunt the Dragoon to ensure that Gil's word was true. Had the elezen drawn his spear from simple goading, then Valen would've been certain that Gil would have lacked the discipline needed to stay out of the fight. However, the Dragoon remained vigilant and did not attack. Pleased with Gil's self control, Valen dismissed him and returned to awaiting for Behemoth.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It wasn't long after that the legendary beast showed its face. Stalhart faced Behemoth and managed to break one of his horns. While it was little more than a superficial wound to the creature, it was a still a testament to Valen's skill. Once the beast returned to its slumber, Valen left Coerthas and used the horn to construct the legendary spear, Thundercloud.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After leaving Coerthas, he ventured back to Thanalan, where Rihxo had partaken in the Grindstone. Much to his surprise, Nanagi was there as well. After meeting her in Mor Dhona, the lalafell had all but fallen off of the earth, as she had become hard for him to track since then.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
After the tournament was over, Valen confronted her while she was alone, and told her the same thing he told Gil, requesting that she not interfere with his and Rihxo's battle. As he expected, the lalafell refused, but did eventually come around when Valen pointed out that all she had ever done was fight Rihxo's battles for her, and that if she had the least bit of respect for her Miqo'te friend, then she would let Rihxo fight him alone. While she did agree to this, Nanagi made it clear that if Rihxo didn't kill him, then she had every intention to finish him off.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Valen was ultimately unimpressed, but said that if she felt that strongly about killing him, then she was free to have that battle with him, but it was only to be settled between the two of them. With that, he left and vanished into the city streets. He now watches closely over Rihxo, as the time for their battle draws near.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Appearance===&lt;br /&gt;
Valen is a somewhat tall man with long, dark hair and blue eyes. While he does have very youthful features, he is notably older than he appears. Though he is uncertain, he believes his graceful aging may be due in part to his Magitek implants. Often times he can be found in his elaborate glowing armor, with his face shielded by his Magitek visor. However, on occasion he'll forgo the armor and simply don regular clothes when he's not expecting the possibility of combat. Even then, he still ensures that his armor, or at the very least his spear is kept nearby.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Mental Health===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the lack of maintenance, the implants’ physical and mental augmentations still continue to work to some degree. However they have a tendency to be unreliable and somewhat sporadic. This has led to Valen suffering many mental and physical side effects that vary from slight headaches to short bursts of psychosis. Fortunately, the more extreme side effects only rarely occur. However, as the chip continues to deteriorate, so too does Valen’s mental stability. &lt;br /&gt;
===Personality===&lt;br /&gt;
On the surface, Valen seems kindhearted, if a little ill mannered and incredibly blunt. He’s more than willing to help those in need, and rarely asks for anything in return. Beneath his kind demeanor though, lies a very cynical and jaded man, especially when it comes to the topics of war and combat. His outlook is bleak, and though he hates to admit it, he secretly relishes the heat of combat due to the conditioning he received from the Garleans. During his psychotic breaks, he becomes even worse. He often loses control of himself, becoming paranoid and viewing everyone as a potential enemy. He’ll normally go into seclusion during these episodes and will wait until they come to an end before returning to his companions.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Combat==&lt;br /&gt;
Though Valen will try to avoid combat if at all possible, he is absolutely ruthless when it comes to fighting. His style of is a blend between flurries of vicious brutality and precisely landed devastating blows. The advanced alloy that his Magitek spear is composed of allows for him to rip through even the toughest of armors, but still remains light enough to allow him swift movement. Though he is by no means the mightiest of all spearmen, he is still a force to be reckoned with when he is fueled by the heat of combat.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Hobbies==&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes if he’s feeling a little on edge, or if perhaps he’s just wanting to relax, he’ll go fishing. Being something that he’s done since he was a child, he finds fishing to be incredibly enjoyable and calming. &lt;br /&gt;
===Likes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Fishing&lt;br /&gt;
::* The heat of combat&lt;br /&gt;
::* Just being a generally helpful person&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Dislikes===&lt;br /&gt;
::* The Garlean Empire&lt;br /&gt;
::* Overt Optimism &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Hobbies/Talents===&lt;br /&gt;
::* Is quite savvy with Magitek equipment&lt;br /&gt;
::* Adept Spearman&lt;br /&gt;
::* Decent Fisherman&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Relationships==&lt;br /&gt;
===Family===&lt;br /&gt;
As far as Valen knows, his mother and father are still alive, and still live in the Garlean Empire. However, he has not seen them since he defected, and often fears for their safety considering his current standing with Garlemald.&lt;br /&gt;
===Friends===&lt;br /&gt;
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===Enemies===&lt;br /&gt;
[[Rihxo Matoi]]: While he was originally her protector, the powers that be in Garlemald have commanded for him to kill her, despite his wishes not to.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Gil vel'Jendahr]]: Rihxo's boyfriend. At heart, Valen believes him to be a good man, but circumstance has made Gil an enemy that should be struck down should he get in Valen's way.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Singing Raptor]] A Roegadyn woman, and a skilled martial artist. Valen doesn't know much about her, but she proved to be a very skilled combatant, and should be brought down if she tries to compromise his mission.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Caen Jabari]]: A quick witted, if a bit talkative Miqo'te that appears to be a good friend of Gil. Despite their playfulness, he showed himself well in his fight against Valen, and likely would've subdued Stalhart with the venom on his blades, had it not been for the Magitek implants that made Valen resistant to such toxns.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Nanagi Nagi]]: Though he was thankful for everything she tried to do for him, Valen was unable to resist the order to kill her, but fortunately his attack only left her critically wounded.&lt;br /&gt;
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==Rumors==&lt;br /&gt;
===Common Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “That man is quite odd. He seems nice enough, but something about him just seems off. Maybe it's the visor?”  -Storm Soldier&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He really knows a lot about all that fancy, hi-tech stuff. I mean, have you seen that spear on his back? It has so many buttons and switches on it, I’d probably lose an eye just trying to hold the damn thing.”  -Sailor in La Nosca&lt;br /&gt;
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::* &amp;quot;I don't like him. No honest man always keeps his face hidden like that.&amp;quot; -Storm Officer&lt;br /&gt;
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===Moderate Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “He comes to me about once a week for headace remidies. I can't imagine what would give him such a chronic illness.” -Apothecary in Limsa Lominsa&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;He's quite familiar with Magitek, I'd dare say he's an expert on it.&amp;quot; -Engineer at Cid's workshop&lt;br /&gt;
::* “The man has no history, no past… He’s like a phantom that just showed up from the aether. However, he gets results, and that makes him quite an asset to the Maelstrom” -Merlwyb&lt;br /&gt;
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===Rare Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
::* “Stalhart is not a man, he is a weapon; a weapon that now wields a mind of its own.” - Vitus Mal Luro, the creator of the Magitek Knights&lt;br /&gt;
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::* “Truthfully, there isn’t even a point to chasing him down anymore. His Magitek is outdated, and he’ll be a hapless lunatic before long.” -Mitis Quo Nal, Valen's former commanding officer&lt;br /&gt;
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::* I got word that a squad of Garleans were patrolling through La Nosca, looking for a man with long hair and a Magitek spear… Sound like someone we know?” -Eynzahr Slafyrsyn&lt;br /&gt;
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===PC Rumors===&lt;br /&gt;
Do feel free to add your own rumors&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Something about him is off. When he said he was protecting Rihxo, the first thing I thought was; he looks like a man who would only protect himself!&amp;quot; -[[Nanagi Nagi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::* &amp;quot;Valen? He... well, he knows a lot. And I'm not sure how he knows it. But I'm thankful he has ways of finding these things.&amp;quot; ~[[Rihxo Matoi]]&lt;br /&gt;
::*&lt;br /&gt;
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==Annotations==&lt;br /&gt;
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This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]&lt;br /&gt;
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==Gallery==&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart No Armor.jpeg&lt;br /&gt;
Valen Stalhart Garlean.jpg&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;gallery&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;center&amp;gt;&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Valen</name></author>
		
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