Rufus Wightman

Error creating thumbnail: File missing  Rufus Mercer (Wightman)
Error creating thumbnail: File missing
Gender	Male
Race	Hyur
Clan	Midlander
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Nameday	16th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon, 1552
Age	27
Guardian	Halone, the Fury
Free Company	Jackal & Hide
Profession	Dark Knight/Bounty Hunter

Character

Appearance

Rufus is a somewhat taller-than-average hyur male, standing at a proud six fulms, who sports fairly tanned skin, given his residency in Ul'dah for the greater part of his life. He bears a set of striking grey eyes, usually appearing flat or cold in demeanour, when coupled with the dark circles prevalent surrounding his eyes, spawned from many late or sleepless nights. On rare occasion, it can be taken note of that they icy grey of his eyes can be overcome with an orange-red haze. During this time his personality seems to take a wild downturn, becoming outwardly angry and cynical. His hair is an oddity - an ever changing feature adorning his head. Sometimes long and dishevelled, sometimes short and well-kept, though the colour is one thing that generally stays the same - that of a deep, earthy brown. In addition, he also has a few spurts of unchecked facial hair growth on his chin and, if too lazy to shave, upper lip - that generally gives him a more aged look. His facial features, once being surprisingly fair, have since begun to show signs of age and wear. This can be particularly denoted in the large scar that occupies a large spot of his brow. In addition, he has an unusually shaped patch of skin with irregular edges on the left side of his face - a birthmark that is repeatedly shown and hidden with his waxing and waning of his choice of hairstyle. Another marking to note, though it is unlikely to be seen, as it usually covered by gloves of some kind, is a mangled patch of skin on the back of his right hand. It would appear that the symbol of Halone was imprinted into the skin, likely through use of a heated brand of some kind.

At first glance, it would be easy to tell that Rufus has done a great deal of work to maintain his health. Physically, he displays many masculine traits, such as a solid jaw and broad shoulders. While not muscle-bound to any ridiculous degree, it should be quite obvious to even the fleetest observer that he has built a considerable amount of muscle mass throughout his years of rigorous training in the arts of the Gladiator. This is shown best when he wears casual attire - a feat not all that uncommon, as it happens.

When the clothes come off, his body tells a rather interesting story. While yes, his muscular work is rather a feat for a midlander, it is the scars that would more than likely catch one's eye. Mainly centred on the chest and back, his body bears numerous scars in varying shapes and sizes. Bite marks, slashing wounds, even the occasional burn mark. He wears these scars as though a badge of honour - an indicator and reminder that he has gone through hardships, and fought to achieve all he has now.

Personality

Rufus, in the past, was generally quite a well-adjusted person. Almost always appearing with a smile on his face, and bearing a generally mirthful attitude. While he still retains some of his former self, and still holds many of the same values as before, such as protecting his friends, and seeking justice, his personality has come under drastic change as he began to explore the powers of darkness awakening within him. This is reflected in his much more fervent pursuit of justice, regardless of standing or stature. He firmly believes that if one does wrong, they should be held to account, no matter who the person is. This philosophy works well for him, as he has begun to systematically identify and hunt down Monetarists associated with his past within Ul'dah.

These days, he maintains a constant struggle of trying to suppress his dark side from overwhelming him and taking control of him, while trying to create the illusion that there is naught amiss with him. This often causes his behaviour to become erratic, going from one extreme to the other in surprisingly quick succession. There are times now where he displays a more sadistic side to him, when he allows himself to revel in the pass times of the current day, such as his methods of eradicating groups of bandits or beasts. The mere thought of bloodshed is enough to make him yearn for a good fight. To hear the abject fear in someone's voice as they beg for mercy is a majorly satisfying moment for him.

History/Timeline

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

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

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

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

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

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

Combat

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

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

Tendencies

Likes

• Friendship
• Chocobos
• Helping people
• Necessary Violence

Dislikes

• Bad news
• Rain
• General villainy

Hobbies/Talents

• Sword fighting
• Fishing
• Cooking
• Hunting criminals

Relationships

Family

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

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

Friends

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

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

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

Takia Himaa: A recent addition to his Free Company - Jackal and Hide, Rufus quickly became friends with this Xaela woman. Originally going under a moniker, he gradually began to win her trust, and explore what of her past she has chosen to reveal. The more the two discussed, the closer they slowly became. After being challenged to, and besting her in a duel, he won the right to court her, as her Tribal nature dictated. He has been making an effort to capitalize on this, finding himself quite fond of the woman, and pleased that she feels the same for him.

Enemies

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

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THE END.