ACACIUS BABINEAUX

Acasius Babineaux
Gender	Male
Race	Elezan
Clan	Duskwight
Citizenship	Ishgard (Birth)
Birth-name	Anatole de Dampierre
Known Alias	Acasius Babineaux
Pronunciation and meaning	a-ca-sius (not evil)
Alignment	Neutral Chaotic
Age	35
Occupation	Former Dragoon

Character

Acasius Babineaux, born Anatole de Dampierre, is a former noble and Dragon Knight of Ishgard. When nearly meeting death in battle at the talons of a dragon, Anatole defected from his duty and state. Unable to return to Ishgard out of fear of prosecution, Anatole has denounced his identity and now travels as the self-named Acasius Babineaux.

Background

Note: Please be advised the information below contains spoilers and possible triggers. Skip this section if are not comfortable with themes of abuse and suicide.

The Golden Years

Anatole de Dampierre was born into a lesser noble family of Ishgard and was raised as the only heir to the Dampierre estate. As such, much of his youth was comprised of studying under his father, Lourax de Dampierre, in estate management and proper etiquette of the court, war, and sports. However as Anatole grew into a young man he became smitten with Delphine Catrice, the daughter of a nobleman. The seemingly harmless crush soon blossomed into a beautiful love and with the blessing of Halone, Anatole proposed to Delphine.

Anatole de Dampierre and Delphine Catrice were wed on the 18th sun of the Fourth Astral Moon, in the year 1569 of the Sixth Astral Era. Although "to young to wed" as some had suggested, their love was true and their dedication to one another was strong. Their marriage was a prosperous partnership and Halone soon gifted them with their first child, who they named Alphonse for his noble beauty. Anatole continued to shadow his father, Louraux de Dampierre, in his daily buisness-- knowing that one day the management of the estate would rest on his shoulders. The estate flourished, as did Anatoles family-- his wife and child would want for nothing.

The family grew once more as Anatole and Delphine welcomed their second child, Amandine, who was named for her lovable smile. Although three years elder to Amandine, Alphonse proved to be a doting brother. With new life filling their home the family flourished in happiness.

The Tragedy

On the 11th sun of the 6th Astral Moon, in the Year 1572 of the 6th Astral Era the lesser moon Dalamud unleashed Bahamut upon Eorzea, creating the event known as "The Calamity". The cold winds buffeted Ishgard and the young Elezan couple did their best to protect their family from the fallout of the Calamity. While young Amandine grew with vigour, her elder brother, Alphonse, suffered from an unexplainable illness. Clerics and the-like did what they could for the young boy but he continued to the suffer as the years passed. Finally, in year two of the 7th Umbral Era, Alphonse suffering ended and the boy passed silently in the night.

Anatole and Delphine lived off the flame of hope, it burned brightly in their soul each day as they prayed for there childs recovery. However, when they buried their infant son the hope that filled their beings was now nothing more than choking smoke, bubbling in their lungs and suffocating them.

While Delphine, in her wisdom, blamed no one for her sons death-- Anatole was consumed and blinded by grief, blaming himself for his sons death. He became obsessed with Halone and his devotion to her worship-- Somehow believing that the Goddess could restore what they had lost. Her husbands withdrawal, and inability to grieve with her affected Delphine greatly; she began to question her husbands love for their now deceased son, and this seed began to sicken her mind. Aware of her feelings of unrest, Delphine attempted to reach out to Anatole for comfort and support. These actions were only met with neglect, as Anatole denied any attention and affection to both his suffering wife, Delphine, and his infant daughter, Amandine.

As the sorrow in Anatole's belly grew, so did the sickness in Delphines mind. Both were consumed and lost in the sea of grief.

The Gravity of Loss

It passed from the second to the fourth year in the 7th Umbral Era, and still Anatole could not pull himself from his self imposed state of servitude. He could not bring himself to care for his wife, nor his young daughter. Delphine suffered greatly during the years, not only had she lost her son, but she had also been denied her husband, and denied her time to grieve as she cared for young Amandine. Anatole, in her mind, had abandoned her. And so, the seed that had been allowed to take root in her mind began to blossomed into a deadly poison. One that clouded her thoughts with paranoia and wicked waking dreams.

Anatole refused to accept his wife's deteriorating mental condition-- her "foolish acts" of wandering the home and speaking only in whispers began to turn his sorrow into rage. He grew to resent her, to blame her for the loss of love he felt towards her, and their daughter. Often he would return to their home only to berate and belittle her-- shouting all manner of abuse at his wife. Delphine became an object to Anatol, an inanimate being for him to unleash his fury upon-- something for him to control and command as he saw fit. In the midst of the nightly shouting, Delphine would rock, quietly, with Amandine in her arms and whisper soft songs of comfort. An act that drove Anatole into a deeper rage.

One evening as Anatole returned home, earlier then expected, he found Delphine holding Amandine under water. Horrified, Anatol laid hands on Delphine and rescued his daughter-- to his relief the young girl was still alive. When he confronted Delphine she could do no more than cry, as if she too did not know why or how it had happened. Anatole, staring into the crying face of his wife, could not bring himself to believe that she had acted with purpose. That Delphine, the kind and wise woman he had once loved, would attempt to steal the one child he had left. No, he could not face what was right before his eyes. So with a bitter kindness, Anatole laid Amandine to bed and let the matter pass.

"She fell"

Delphine became more paranoid as the moons passed. Certain that Anatole meant to take Amandine away she resolved to run. Delphine had become anchored to Amandine-- she was everything to her, more than her child. Amandine had become the 'thing' that defined who Delphine was. Without Amandine, Delphine thought she would exist as nothing, be no-one, have no purpose. That she would physically and mentally fade away. So Delphine gathered Amandine when the sun sank beneath the horizon and stole away into the evening. Abandoning Anatole, just as he had abandoned them.

Arriving to an empty home spurred fears that had rested in the pit of his stomach-- fears that now coiled his innards like snakes and squeezed the breath from him. Still, he pushed onwards and pursued his wife and daughter, scouring the city for their presence.

When he found them they stood at the city walls, Delphine held Amandine in her arms tightly. Consumed by rage and confusion, Anatole lashed out at Delphine-- accusing her verbally of being "sick, deranged and a thief." He lamented to her that he could not believe that she would steal his child from him. That he could not believe how "witless" she had become-- how she had failed as a mother and a wife. Anatole's fury battered Delphine like waves upon the sand. With each spiteful piece spit from his mouth she felt a little more of herself wash away.

Anatole made to lay hands upon Delphine, to drag her home, but as he moved forwards she moved back. Delphine, saw only one escape. Only one way to keep her child. Only one way to keep herself. "Sometimes when you win, you lose.."

Delphine spoke, for the last time to Anatole, before she tightly gripped her child to her chest and cast herself over the wall. A fall that killed them both, mother and child.

Unable to come to terms with what had happened Anatole returned home. He stayed awake until the morning hours, waiting for someone to report the bodies. However, when he was eventually questioned about the incident Anatole responded only with, "she fell".

Price of Denial

Unable to live with reality Anatole set out to become a Dragoon-- with nothing left in his life to give purpose, or meaning, he sought to die upon the field of battle. One last honour to Halone. Upon entering the Knighthood Anatole denounced his title as heir to the Dampierre estate and fortune-- ensuring that he would focus on nothing else but becoming a Dragoon.

Despite his honed skills with a lance, his superiors with-held the honoured title; stating his mental control needed to be improved before he faced true dragons in battle. Spurned by this "uncharacteristic" criticism laid upon him, Anatole made efforts to hide his mental state instead of improve it. An endeavour that proved successful as he soon donned the famous regalia of the Dragoon.

Sometime after achieving his rank Anatole enters into combat with a dragon on the walls of Ishard. The dragon nearly kills Anatole, who is only saved by the actions of another Dragoon. Instead of assisting his comrade Dragoon, Anatole flee's the battle-- effectively becoming a deserter. His near death experience had riddled him with fear-- a fear of dying. Realizing what he had done, and the punishments for doing so, Anatole resolved to flee the state.

He took with him his armour and weapon packed in a box but abandoned his name and identity as he left the walls of his city behind.

What now?

Anatole brands himself a coward, among other things. He travels from place to place, and wears many disguises, as if it would help him be a better man.

Combat

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• Strengths

• TBA

• Weaknesses

• TBA

Rumors

• "TBA"

Opportunity for Employment

TBA

Tendencies

Mannerisms

Note:

Likes TBA

Dislikes TBA

Quotes "If Warriors are the thunder of battle, Paladins the driving rain, and Monks the fierce wind. Then there is no question in my mind that the Dragoon is the lightning."

Inspiration

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• Voice: