Kale Aideron

Error creating thumbnail: File missing  Kale Aideron
Error creating thumbnail: File missing "The Sunworn Sentinel"
Gender	Male
Race	Hyur
Clan	Highlander
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Age	34
Height/Weight	6 fulms 3 ilm / 220 ponze
Occupation	Flame Bloodsworn
Alignment	Lawful Neutral
Elemental Bias	Earth

Flame Lieutenant Kale Aideron is an Ul'dahn sipahi (or cavalryman) of the Immortal Flames Bloodsworn. A native of Pearl Lane, Kale is a veteran of the Grand Company since Foundation Day, and was a mercenary troop for a decade prior, having done little else but deal with conflict throughout his entire life. These years of warfare have shaped Kale into an unyielding patriot, utterly dedicated to Thanalan and willing to sacrifice almost anything for it. As a result, Kale is an oft-times intense individual with strong convictions, and is very outspoken about how he thinks things should be. Otherwise, he is a mostly affable and outgoing man who enjoys facing Eorzea's challenges in the company of others.

Character

General

"I just do my job. Nothin' more, nothin' less"

Proud and upstanding, Kale is a hardened soldier who values forthrightness, diligence, and tradition. Though happy to joke, flirt, and laugh when appropriate, Kale is veritably no-nonsense in situations he perceives to require a suitable sense of gravitas. With high standards of himself, others, and society, Kale seeks to espouse the best of Ul'dahn military discipline, unwavering in fulfilling the duties of his station. His belligerence towards those he sees as hostile to the Sultanate's way of life is rooted in nothing more than powerful convictions and a stubborn loyalty to his worldview. Nonetheless, his professional attitude means that he will almost always put aside his personal disagreements when either lives or laws are in danger.

History

"What's important is now, not summers gone."

Kale is said to have been born within Pearl Lane, before the fall of Ala Mhigo. His Highlander mother was a single parent, rumoured to have fled her homeland following persecution by the Fists of Rhalgr. The influx of refugees into the city after the Garlean invasion of the Gyr Abania and the subsequent collapse of living conditions on Pearl Lane led to Kale's mother losing her trade as a miner, forcing the two into poverty. Kale's early adolescent years saw him become entangled with one of the Ul'dahn mercenary companies, and was soon taken under their charge. For the period following, Kale fought in the Sultanate's wars, defending the routes of commerce for Ul'dah's trade empire, perhaps even as far as Garlemald before relations had been soured. Kale also fought in the initial large-scale formations assembled by Ul'dah in response to the first summoning of Ifrit by the Amalj'aa.

In his late twenties, Kale's mercenary company dissolved from unforeseen circumstances, and so the soldier joined the latest incarnation of the Immortal Flames when it was founded just prior to the Battle of Carteneau (at which he fought). The mass loss of life saw Kale being promoted to a sergeant of the Flames, a position he would serve with due diligence for the next five years. During Operation Archon, Kale participated in the Ul'dahn assault into Castrum Meridanium, as well as joining the Defense of Ishgard at the Steps of Faith against the Dravanian Horde two years later. The latter in particular saw him commissioned as an officer into the Bloodsworn, an elite unit of the Immortal Flames. As a man now of accomplished station, Kale entertains the company of adventurers, all for the purposes of channeling their energies for the sake of the Sultanate's cause.

Appearance

"Strength 'as nothin' to do with 'ow we look like -to- others, but 'ow we look -at- others."

Kale is a Highlander of slightly lesser proportions, although clearly has the presence and physique of a veteran combatant. Many wounds and scars are visible when Kale wears clothing that reveals areas of his torso or other appendages. They are all faded, indicating that conjury or other forms of healing came too late to prevent permanent marking. He is meticulous about his appearance in his belief of maintaining proper military bearing, always shaven, and hair kept short. The man's face has a very defined bone structure. A large nose sticks out between a low brow that gives Kale an almost intense resting expression. Kale's somewhat narrow eyes betrays their copper hue, set above a pair of prominent cheekbones and slightly gaunt cheeks. In turn, these features sit above a distinct jaw and somewhat rounded, jutting chin. His calloused and rough skin is worn from a mixture of age, sun, and battle. The corners of his eyes are creased, and his forehead is a touch wrinkled. A single scar is set across his left cheek, a couple of ilms or so in length.

Behavior

"Please, tell us more 'bout 'ow much more bloody special you are than the rest of us...I insist"

Aggressively gregarious, Kale is extremely friendly presuming whoever he is engaging with meets his specific set of standards. A staunch traditionalist, Kale is intolerant of nonconformists and those who do not fit in with his world view, with a no-nonsense attitude when in a formal situation. When not talking in an authoritative boom, Kale may talk very quickly for some. This is quite noticeable with Kale's habit of arbitrarily amalgamating or crudely conjugating words and dropping entire letters in pronunciation of certain syllables. Occasionally standoffish, Kale nonetheless does occasionally give certain persons the benefit of the doubt, constructively scrutinizing them in the open as he decides whether or not the individual in question is worth his time. If not, Kale is prone to being outspoken about those with "offensive" qualities. He is expressive with his body language, prone to placing his hands on his hips when feeling confident about a social situation, or crossing his arms when reserved or pensive (often, this may be reversed). Gesticulation is a frequent habit, flailing or sweeping his arms should he feel excited about a particular topic (be it for good or ill). In contrast, Kale is relatively still should he be unimpressed by someone or something. He often rubs the back of his neck when nervous or embarrassed.

Kale can not be considered formally educated, and instead relies on personal wisdom and a reserve of knowledge accumulated over the years. This knowledge mostly pertains to political and military affairs, with trivia about the various places he has visited during his lifetime. He believes himself astute about the motivations of others, which he has applied to tactical decision-making when serving in a leadership capacity. Situational awareness and strategic thinking he considers a forte of his, particularly the ability to think and remain cool under pressure. Kale has only pedestrian knowledge about the supernatural realm, accumulated primarily when dealing with enemies who rely on arcane arts. Somewhat uncharacteristic of Kale is his tendency to occasionally use advanced vocabulary, which betrays his plebian accent. This may be a result of Kale's gradual ascendance from footsoldier to officer.

Combat

"Fuckin' kill the enemy, or don't. Lives depend on it"

Kale is a master disciple of war, hardened from twenty years of fighting the Sultanate's enemies. As such, he is a formidable opponent to face toe-to-toe. However, Kale's self-awareness of his aptitude makes him particularly vulnerable to overconfidence, and his volume of experience can amount to nothing in the face of bad luck. While trained in most weapon types, Kale has specialized himself as a blademaster, capable of using all types of swords in whatever configuration. A cavalryman when serving in a formation capacity, Kale utilizes a lance for chocobo charges, and either a crossbow or carbine as ranged solutions. In addition, Kale has long been established in the field of Ul'dahn martial arts, adopting the bear and bull forms in hand-to-hand combat.

As a mature Eorzean, Kale has a vast well of natural aether. His ability to utilize this lay more in a channeled energy within the body, primarily through elevated physical strength and resiliency, although he is sometimes capable of supernatural feats of the sword. As a master shield fighter that has fought at the front of engagements for many years, Kale is able to withstand a higher level of punishment than most humans, while also in the possession of a greater physiological receptiveness to magickal healing. This allows him to recover from injury faster than what is ordianry. Finally, an enhanced level of spatial awareness and foresight occassionally grants Kale the ability to anticipate critical attacks against either allies or himself.

Mannerisms

Tendencies

"What 'bout it?"

• As a cavalryman, Kale is very frequently seen with his chocobo, Eskandar. He is known to ramble to Eskandar, and otherwise treat the bird as having human-like qualities.
• Lone wolves are a particular dislike of Kale's, who values teamwork and group effort instead.
• Kale has an aversion to thaumaturgy and its practitioners.
• Kale's favourite non-alcoholic drink is mint lassi, and he is a particular fan of dodo omelette.
• Kale does not really have any hobbies or interests, completely dedicated to city-state service and the disciplines of war. However, he's somewhat skilled at cards, developing this habit during long shifts on watch.
• Kale likes to smoke from an off-white long-stemmed pipe from time-to-time.
• Wine red is Kale's favourite colour.

Traits

"Who the fuck is this? Oh, it's 'im?! Ploughin' great to meet you, mate!"

Positive traits:

• Friendly and boisterous: Assuming Kale finds nothing offensive about a particular social situation, he can be counted on to stimulate interaction between a group of friends of acquaintances, and seeks to be inclusive, even with more quiet types.
• Pathologically honest: Kale's directness means that his opinions and whatever else comes out from his sometimes loud mouth can be taken at face value. This has made him nigh incorruptible.
• Hard-working and professional: Work first, play later, Kale has worked hard throughout his entire life. Kale can be relied on to put a tremendous amount of effort to any task within his skillset in an efficacious manner. In addition, he values himself as a serious professional, crushing sloppiness and inefficiency in whatever he touches.
• Consistent and loyal: Kale takes his commitments seriously, and values stability over all else. He is thus rarely inconsistent, and can be entrusted with matters that demand an aversion to deviation. Loyal as well, Kale will silence his outspoken self and obey the orders of those he believes rightfully appointed over him.
• Protective: Often ignoring his own wellbeing (especially emotional), Kale espouses the value of others and will always ensure that everyone is safe and secure. Indeed, even if he does not like a particular individual on a personal level, he will stand up for them either verbally or physically should Kale believe that the subject in question has done nothing wrong on a societal and/or professional level.
• Strong leader: With a need to be in control of any situation, Kale makes a very good leader for most practical pursuits, being able to fall back on years of military experience to aid him in this.

Negative traits:

• Tendency to believe he is always right: Kale feels that his personal belief system is merely an echo of the principles that Ul'dahn society espouses, and since society is seen to him as something that shelters countless thousands, he has a hard time buying into the possibility his worldview may or may not have its flaws.
• Very demanding and critical: Kale's extremely high standards and stubborn disposition means he often does not hold back in calling out someone or something he finds disagreeable. This can be detrimental in circumstances that value cooperation and compromise. He has high expectations of others, and will freely admonish those who fail to hold up.
• Intolerant of idiosyncrasies and nonconformity: Valuing the good of society above all else, Kale is impatient with individuals whom he believes do not contribute to the greater whole. He is belligerent to those he feels to espouse these sorts of lifestyles.
• Controlling with a strong need to be in charge: Despite Kale's strong leadership traits, his obsession with domination can go either way when it is not satisfied. Either Kale will become awkward and quiet, or abrasive and argumentative. He especially does not like being ignored or not listened to when he believes himself to be in the right. When protective to the extreme, Kale can be controlling of people close to him, especially so when he feels that he knows what is best for them. He will become angry and frustrated when someone behaves counter to what Kale believes to be in their best interest.
• Insensitive: Though Kale can sometimes tackle matters of personal emotions with a grounded and rational approach, he is guilty of valuing his personal principles higher than the feelings of others. This can hurt those who value interpersonal harmony over uncompromising loyalty to principle.
• Appearance conscious: Kale's strong belief in conforming to tradition means that he is very conscious of his appearance, not just with clothing but with conducting himself in public. He is prone to prudishness despite not coming from an affluent background, and will often seek to impose this sense of appropriateness on others. Kale is also very disapproving of those who wear 'incorrect' fashions. He is known to take strong issue and vocalize his disagreements with adventurers who wear armour and other outfits that either has considerable historical/political significance, or is alien enough in design to stand out from normality.

Social

Relationships

"I ain't callin' you ploughin' stupid 'cause you're ploughin' stupid. I'm callin' you ploughin' stupid 'cause you're doin' ploughin' stupid shite"

● Anzio Zansio - A young Lalafellin lad and Immortal Flame soldier. Anzio had served alongside Kale since the inception of the Flame Yataghans to the latter's untimely departure, leading the unit together through major engagements such as Operation Archon in northern Thanalan. As such, Kale regards Anzio in high esteem, and would gladly lay down his life for his former comrade-in-arms.

● Avalt Laguz - A Hyuran mage with a Sylph-like manner of speaking. Kale finds this young man odd, and often treats him with hostility and impatience. Kale bears no illwill or malice to the man, however, seeing him as ultimately harmless.

● Bartolomeo Filangieri - An upstanding Hyuran paladin whom Kale does not see often, but is always happy to find himself in Bartolomeo's company whenever the two do encounter one another. Kale does wonder how he could spend more time with this gentleman.

● Ciel Wulfe - An Elezen bard who Kale met during an assignment to a free company. Initially, the pair's different backgrounds and upbringing caused several miscommunications and misunderstandings, but recently the two have come to see one another as friends and comrades. Although from two completely separate worlds, with the Hyur valuing stability and security and the Elezen valuing a more open-ended life, the pair have begun to appreciate one another's differences as close friends.

● Coatleque Crofte - A stoic member of the Sultansworn that Kale has encountered many times within Ul'dahn city walls. Kale perceives her as overly and perhaps needlessly formal, but nonetheless respects her as a fellow disciple of war in service to the Sultanate. This is no doubt in part because he finds her ability to see the world how he does most agreeable.

● Emmette Stringers - An Ul'dahn woman with pursuits that elude Kale for the most part. Currently, Kale can be sighted spending a lot of free time with this woman.

● Ignera Arbell - An Ishgardian noblewoman who has been residing in Ul'dah. Kale takes pleasure in chaperoning Ignera around Ul'dah, and showing her the greatness of his city.

● Jancis Milburga - A Lominsan conjurer whom Kale has become acquainted with through happenstance. Kale is highly appreciative of her compassionate and charitable outlook. Although Kale cannot read, she sends him letters with various trinkets and other gifts from time-to-time, and has also made a good impression on the Highlander's chocobo, Eskandar.

● Locke Rinannis - An unassuming tinkerer known by Kale for a long time. He is in charge of maintenance at Nanasha Barracks, and is generally regarded as extremely innocuous but generally likable by Kale.

● Nailah Quill - An old friend of Kale. Known to him as 'Sastra', Kale likes to visit her and her company from time-to-time, all for the benign purposes of catching up while drinking.

● Oni De'phor - A Midlander lancer that Kale met during his time in the Sword & Rose Order. Kale finds him quite strange with the mysterious duality, and continues to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

● Orrin Halgren - A dragoon of the Holy See, Kale has had the pleasure of fighting alongside Ser Halgren. While he cannot say much for the dragoon's brash heroics (which he attributes to an inherent quality of the dragonslayers), Kale nonetheless found himself impressed by the Ishgardian's ability.

● Ruruni Runi - A Lalafellin lass and weaver. Kale enjoys the simple interactions he shares with the fellow company member, seeing it as a pleasant escape from life's intensities.

● Sarcire Sinclair - A Hyuran woman whom Kale has known for a while, encountering her at random times (which the Ul'dahn has rationalized as her being some powerhungry mage in search of...more power). Kale appreciates the assistance Sarcire has given him thus far, and takes particular enjoyment in trying to assert his large ego over her perceived arrogance.

● Vallona Windchaser - Fellow Bloodsworn and deputy to Kale. The two Highlanders share a very strong affinity with one another for their common ground, although as far as anyone else is concerned, Vallona is merely Kale's sergeant.

Reputation

"Ul'dah; that's all that matters WIP

Rumours

"'ey, nothin' you 'ear from others is nothin' I ain't willin' to tell to your face, all right?"

• "I'm glad that Sergeant Aideron is back with us. I hope that those six moons he spent with the Syndicate, however, do not come with any ill baggage" - Forthright Flame
• "'bout time 'e got back in with the Sultana's lot. We knew it weren't in 'im to serve that Lalafell's kind...we just knew" - Vexxed Vagrant
• "I heard his old mercenary band did work for the Garlean Empire to the east, in Othard. You know, burning rebellious villages, taking care of unrest, that sort of thing. And now he's one of Ul'dah's most loyal soldiers..." - Musing Mercenary
• "He came up here to Revenant's Toll one time, looking for some beastly Hyur. They say he was murdered in the most spectacularly brutal fashion. Nobody really knows what that was about" - Astute Adventurer
• "So he really wasn't that loyal to Lord Lolorito after all, then...but bringing him back to a Bloodsworn is a strange choice, isn't it?" - Wondering Weaver
• "'e's not goin' to bang on 'bout Nunhs and Tias 'gain, is 'e?" - Sighing Seeker

Player-Character Rumours

• "Oh, yeah, I know Kale! Big guy.. wears fancy armor..! I think his roar is worse than his bite, though." - Aya Foxheart
• "Reliable, at the best of times, and mayhap something of a brilliant idiot at the worst. Glad am I to know him." - Ciel Wulfe
• "Fought 'im at the Grindstone once. He ain't a pushover. Was fun an' a pain in the arse. Well. Pain everywhere, actually." - Berrod Armstrong
• "Why he left the Flames? That's Flames business, and although I find what he did repugnant, I won't be besmirching his name to anyone." - Nako'li Chalahko
• "One of the few monetarists I can bear to speak with for more than ten minutes." - Coatleque Crofte
• "Forgive me, Sir Aideron is much like a gil coin, no? One side is stern and dark, the other warm and considerate. Were I able to bring him closer to Thaliak and disregard the poisons others have flooded his mind with, his devotion to his land would only grow stronger. Truly, I believe he means well." - Jancis Milburga
• "Sir Kale? He's... belligerent to say the least. But I think he's at least trying. We had quite the debate and it was very enlightening for both of us...I hope, anyway." - Vaughn Antain
• "Kale is a nice person, yes? He allows me to sit on his shoulder with no complaints!" - Ruruni Runi
• "Kale is...Kale is a soldier. For good and ill. His passion for what he believes is one of his strengths but I fear if he is not more willing to see other's points of views it will be his weakness as well."- C'rhisi Tohbei
• "Sergeant Aideron, er, or should I say former Sergeant Aideron and myself go a ways back. We have had the best of times together... and the worst of times too. At one time, the only complaint I could make of him was that he was a little too willing to hurl me at the enemy as a projectile! These suns though..." - Anzio Zansio
• "Had a drink with Kale once. Worked with him once on a job that helped him get back with the Flames. I'd consider him one of the 'good' ones." - Jaques Guillaume
• "Ser Aideron? He was quite the...jewel of a find and I believe he found me. Our relationship is...well, certainly, that is none of your business." - Emmette Stringers
• "Y'd think a Bloodsworn would 'ave better things t'do with his time than 'elping me with swordplay trainin'. ...Riiiiight." - Griselda Ironfang
• "Even a loner like me just seems... Inspired to follow him into a fight. Which is saying a lot." - Jana Ridah
• Add your rumours here!

Trivia

● Kale is a textbook ESTJ

● Kale suffers from Tall Poppy Syndrome

● Kale's initial inspiration is Vernon Roche from The Witcher 2

● Kale has a Fate-14 character sheet here, as introduced by Verad Bellveil