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| − | <BLOCKQUOTE><small>This Template was created by [[Deirdre Ta'ea]]</small></BLOCKQUOTE>
| + | Under construction! Please check back later. |
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| − | <BLOCKQUOTE> ''"There's plenty of stories across Eorzea. I mean to hear them all."'' </BLOCKQUOTE>
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| − | '''Averill Rooks''' (formerly '''Averill Tomus''') is a vagrant Midlander, travelling primarily between Ul'dah and Gridania. His relaxed, well-spoken demeanour belies educated origins, far from the typical ruffian who takes life to the road.
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| − | A hunter and an adventurer by trade, Averill finds strong pleasure in the company of other people; he likes nothing more than to hear the tales of those he encounters.
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| − | {{Infobox-character
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| − | | name = Averill Rooks
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| − | | image = [[File:Ffxiv_09052014_214720(1).png]]
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| − | | caption = On the streets of Ul'dah.
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| − | | title = The Vagrant
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| − | | gender = Male
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| − | | citizenship = Gridanian
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| − | | race = Hyur
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| − | | clan = Midlander
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| − | | stat_1 = Age
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| − | | stat_1_value = 26
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| − | | stat_2 = Height
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| − | | stat_2_value = 5 fulm, 9ilm
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| − | | stat_3 = Weight
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| − | | stat_3_value = 138 ponz
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| − | | stat_4 = Profession
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| − | | stat_4_value = Archer
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| − | | stat_5 = Patron Deity
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| − | | stat_5_value = Oschon, the Wanderer
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| − | | stat_6 = Marital Status
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| − | | stat_6_value = In a relationship
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| − | }}
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| − | | |
| − | ==Character==
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| − | ===General===
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| − | Averill's boots have seen more roads than most. A vagrant from his late teens, he found purpose in the romantic life of a wanderer. Taking each day as it comes, risking life and limb on every adventure around the corner, sharing those adventures with the people one meets - these are the values that he holds dear.
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| − | Recently, his wanderlust has brought him to Gridania. The verdant Black Shroud claimed his heart the moment he took his first steps into the lush woodland, and he settled on the life of an adventurer. For the first time in many years, Averill found somewhere he could readily call home.
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| − | | |
| − | ===Appearance===
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| − | A Midlander of average height and stature, Averill's young face carries with it a well-travelled expression. He keeps himself clean and well-maintained, as far as his vagrancy allows. His dark brown hair, though long, is unobtrusive and practical, keeping clear of his sharpened green eyes.
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| − | There is always some kind of dirt on his clothes - mud on his boots, the slightest fading or fraying of his travelling gear. Try as he might to hide it with his demeanour, a careful eye can see his true nature as a wanderer.
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| − | | |
| − | ===Personality===
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| − | Many would be hard-pressed to find a soul as relaxed as Averill. In the tavern or the heat of battle, he holds himself in such jovial airs that one might mistake him as completely oblivious to his circumstances. This is not the case, however; hiding behind the guise of his smile is a keen intellect, and a deep-seated fascination with other people. He will always, without fail, try and get others to share their stories with him, and he thoroughly enjoys the company of fellow travellers.
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| − | His burgeoning friendship with [[Ayda Elu'this]] has pulled out a particularly patient side to his behaviour. Experience and time has taught him a warmer, less aggressive curiosity as the pair continue on their journey. Since their trip to Gridania, said friendship has bloomed into a relationship, which turned his patience and understanding to tenderness and affection around her.
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| − | | |
| − | ==Tendencies==
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| − | ===Likes===
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| − | ::* Wandering the open road.
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| − | ::* Fresh bread.
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| − | ::* The Ul'dahn marketplace.
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| − | ::* Cactuar skin.
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| − | ::* Alcohol - mainly with company.
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| − | ===Dislikes===
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| − | ::* Loss.
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| − | ::* Restrictions or obligations.
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| − | ::* Open water, or an inability to see land.
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| − | ::* Aided transport, such as airships, boats, and chocobos.
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| − | ===Hobbies/Talents===
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| − | ::* Hunting
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| − | ::* Storytelling
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| − | ===Other===
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| − | ::* Though by no means a fervent spiritualist, Averill holds Oschon quite fondly as his patron. Amongst the Twelve, it is the Wanderer he does his best to please with deed and thought.
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| − | ::* His love of the open road is not entirely metaphorical. He loves walking both out of a passion for travel, and a minor fear of boats or other modes of transport.
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| − | ::* Averill is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alignment_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)#Chaotic_Neutral Chaotic Neutral].
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| − | ==Relationships==
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| − | ===Family===
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| − | ::* ''Dawson Tomus'' - Averill's father. A disgraced Lominsan Arcanist, Dawson raised Averill on his own - never speaking of the mother who brought him into this world. Averill's estrangement from the Tomus family left Dawson a husk of a man; to this day, seven years after Averill ran away from home, Dawson uses whatever connections he has left to locate his child.
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| − | ===Major Relationships===
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| − | ::* ''[[Ayda Elu'this]]'' - Several encounters with this curious Keeper has left Averill with a particular soft spot for her. He does his best to hide his growing concern about her poor health, always trying to see that she is at the very least fed before she can run off again. Since arriving at Gridania, happenstance and ill luck has brought them closer than ever, and Averill holds Ayda warmly in his heart.
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| − | ::* ''[[Vivenne Beaumont]]'' - Averill remains wary of this woman after learning that his father, Dawson, employed Vivenne to contact him. They travelled to Ul'dah together shortly after meeting, and during the trip he surrendered the truth of his estrangement from the Tomus family with her.
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| − | ===Friends===
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| − | '''Ul'Dahn Relationships'''
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| − | ::* ''[[Ardente Anima]]'' - A highlander Averill encountered at the Quicksand. Though they met only briefly, Averill holds a fond opinion of the man. Their friendship was tested by Ardente's arriving late to a commotion with Ayda in the Quicksand, a commotion that saw Averill's honour as a decent person sorely tested.
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| − | ::* ''[[Z'sonjha Mahji]]'' - A miqo'te who Averill met through Ardente at the Quicksand. They shared tale of travels and Cactuars over more than a few pints of ale, at which point he was forced to retire for fear of his waning ability to stand up.
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| − | ::* ''[[Odet Polaali]]'' - A racist Roegadyn Averill met whilst nursing a hangover. Despite his initial misgivings about her attitude towards the Lalafell, he admires her dedication to bringing the best shows to Mih Khetto's Amphitheatre.
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| − | ::* ''[[Ennara Calian]]'' - Averill suspects there's a bit more to Ennara's story than she told him at the Quicksand, but nonetheless respects her aim to aid the Doman refugees.
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| − | '''Gridanian Relationships'''
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| − | ::* ''[[Rivienne Delacroux]]'' - This Wildwood Elezen nearly killed a bewildered Averill when they first met, mistaking him for an unwelcome poacher on Gridanian soil. Once that confusion cleared, Averill found himself playing host to a mysterious agent of the Adders, one who left him - unusually - with more questions than answers.
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| − | ::* ''[[Umi Kanzato]]'' - From what he can remember, Averill counts a fond day dodging storms and gathering herbs with the healer, her initial distrust aside.
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| − | ===Enemies===
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| − | ::* ''[[Ruut'a Elu'this]]'' - Ayda's twin brother. Averill harbours no love for the man who threatened to take his life, or to deny Ayda the chance to spend her life with whom she pleases. Their tense first encounter has left him with a lingering bitterness.
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| − | ==Rumors==
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| − | ===Common Rumors===
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| − | ::* "He never sits still, that one! I reckon he's covered just about every inch of the Twelveswood, the number of times I've seen him walking."
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| − | ::* "Averill? Oh, the chatty one! He'll say hello to just about anyone if there's a story involved."
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| − | ::* "He turns pale at the merest mention of anything with yellow feathers."
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| − | ===Moderate Rumors===
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| − | ::* "Take this with however much salt you want to, but he says he's walked from Ul'dah to Gridania, and back again. By the elementals, he's a curious sort."
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| − | ::* "Mother Miounne practically forced a room at the Roost down his throat after he joined the guild. Something about 'keeping him from floating off'."
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| − | ::* "He and that Keeper - what's her name? - are practically attached at the hip. Isn't there a law against that?"
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| − | ===Rare Rumors===
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| − | ::* "There's a Lominsan asking about a man who looks the spitting image of Averill. I wonder what he wants with him?"
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| − | ::* "Wind spirits seem to leave that guy alone. Oschon must be awful fond of him."
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| − | ===PC Rumors===
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| − | ''If you encounter Averill and are left with a particularly strong impression, feel free to add your rumours to this list!''
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| − | ::* "He's a curious storyteller that isn't sated by my vague answers." - ''[[Rivienne Delacroux]]''
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| − | ::* "Pretty sure he thinks that if he talks and pesters enough, I'll pay him to go away. He'd be wrong, but it's still a tempting prospect." - ''[[Crooked Tarot]]''
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| − | ::* "Mister Avs? He's the everything to me! He never left me alone, and he always keeps me safe." - ''[[Ayda Elu'this]]''
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| − | ::*
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| − | ==History/Timeline==
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| − | ===Before the Road===
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| − | The son of a Lominsan scholar, Averill Tomus lived in the shelter of the Arcanist's guild. Well-educated and well-fed, he drifted through his formative years with nary a want or care. His circumstances were such, that he could not fathom why he sat alone in the class, or why those who had fought harder to reach their position looked upon him with such disdain.
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| − | Disapproval did not limit itself to his peers, however. His father continually pushed Averill to take up the grimoire and join him as an Arcanist, but by the time he was old enough to properly study, apathy had seized his spirit. He spent his days in his room, watching sailors and citizens alike go about their lives. At the cusp of adulthood, despondency turned to juvenile rage; first ravaging his insides - for surely there must be something wrong with his character for Lominsans to ignore him - and then to his father. He raised him wrong. He was too soft on Averill. It took just one sour confrontation for Averill to decide that enough was enough; he fled to the fields of La Noscea, deaf to his father's cries.
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| − | By nightfall, Averill found himself lost, cold, and hungry. Far from Limsa Lominsa, with no experience of survival in the wilderness, he resigned himself to a troubled night's sleep. He would return in the morning - if he survived that long - cowed by his anger. He would surrender to his father's wishes and join the Arcanists. He would accept the solitude.
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| − | As he felt sleep threaten to drag him to the grass, a gruff voice snapped him back into the waking world. A Roegadyn adventurer, travelling the roads, had seen the ailing teen at the roadside and approached. "Are you well, lad?" he asked.
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| − | The boy nearly broke, there and then. A stranger had approached him. Tears stung his eyes, only to be shouted away by his saviour. Seeing his condition, the Roegadyn offered a deal - Averill would tell him his story, and in return he would help him survive the night.
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| − | They spoke for what seemed like many moons under the starry canopy. Averill began with his father, and the expectations he'd laboured under. The Roegadyn was far from a gracious host - he challenged the boy's words, chided his selfish opinions. When asked for his name, he answered Averill with a jumble of syllables he could barely comprehend. "Jes' call me Rooks," said he, "Everyone else does."
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| − | Rooks made good on his exchange. He handed Averill a bow - a simple, sturdy thing of maple - and taught him the bare bones of hunting. How to scout, how to kill and prepare a meal. He had never appreciated more the feeling of a full belly and a warm fire, however clumsy his attempts had been.
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| − | By the dawn, Rooks had talked Averill away from Limsa Lominsa. The adventurer instilled in him a life on the road, surviving off the land. Thanking his saviour, they parted ways.
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| − | Averill took to the road, abandoning Limsa Lominsa, and the desperate father he'd fled from. He took his saviour's nickname, and did not look back.
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| − | ===The Calamity===
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| − | Two years passed. Through happenstance and some swift talking, Averill found himself in Thanalan.
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| − | ((Pending))
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| − | ===Arriving at Gridania===
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| − | Years on the road led Averill here, to the Black Shroud. The moment he stepped into the beautiful woodland, his heart felt at ease. He was sure that his time living under Oschon's values had brought him here, as a form of reward. This moment inspired in him a desire to walk every ilm of this verdant haven - and as a consequence, approach Mother Miounne for the opportunity to join the ranks of the Adventurer's Guild.
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| − | His settled life did not last too long, however, and soon Averill found himself wandering further and further afield, to the Thanalan wastes he had journeyed before. One night after returning to the Shroud, he settled just off the Gridanian gates, attempting to regain some of his experience as a vagrant. It did not end well; whilst out hunting for food he was discovered by one [[Rivienne Delacroux]], a proud member of the Adders. She accosted him, threatening his life - it was only a swift mention of Miounne and his status as an adventurer that spared him an arrow between the eyes. They met again at the Canopy a few bells later, and shared company and drinks. Averill told her of his nature, but when the questions turned to her she left him with far from satisfactory answers. A quick exit cemented his curiosity in the woman.
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| − | ===The Canopy's Shadow===
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| − | Averill's past would not stay there - he realised as much from the day he reached Thanalan. His father was a man of some import, and would no doubt turn his resources towards locating his estranged son. The Calamity came and went, however, and still no shadows from his past leapt out of the dark. Barely escaping with his life, he afforded a measure of complacency as he rebuilt his life.
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| − | Five years passed, and still no word from Limsa Lominsa. By this point, Averill had accepted that Dawson Tomus cared little for estranged family. He relaxed his guard further still, settling more into the life of both vagrant and adventurer. Less nights at the Roost were spent turning in his sheets, dreaming of the Lominsan storm that was his father.
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| − | One night at the Carline Canopy a Conjuring student, Vivienne, joined Averill for a drink. They spoke extensively of matters, when the former mentioned his homeland as Limsa Lominsa. Averill's guard, rusty from years of inaction, raised too late - the man had been employed by Dawson to contact his son. The reason, however, remained a mystery; Vivienne assured the vagrant that he had no intentions of alerting Dawson to Averill's presence in Gridania.
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| − | Regardless, the encounter left Averill shaken, and thoughts of home were roused from seven years of slumber.
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| − | ===Herbal Tea===
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| − | A figure caught Averill's attention on his wanderings in the shroud. Buried in the brush with purpose and focus, he watched from afar until they noticed. She noticed very quickly, revealing herself to be a Miqo'te, and demanded answers. After a quick introduction, he learned both her name and her purpose - Umi, denying him a last name "for they would not meet again", a healer out gathering specific herbs for her patients. With some small measure of reluctance, she allowed him to aid her search, leading them into conversation and a deep cave not far from the Matron's Lethe.
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| − | The weather joined their conversation - heavy rain that soaked them through and sent them running back to the Lethe. They talked of many things - of lifestyles, of tea - though at the mention of her father Umi's response became one Averill had all but wrote the book about. As the night dragged on, he felt a fever clouding his senses. With her aid and knowledge, a balm and cure quickly sat in his hands - though the potency of the drug promptly sent him into a deep sleep.
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| − | When he awoke, he did so alone. His bleary mind remembered one thing - a disjointed, jumbled memory from the moments before he passed out.
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| − | Kanzato. Umi Kanzato.
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| − | ===Imperfect Jewel===
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| − | A few suns after their initial encounter, Averill is preparing to sate his wanderlust and leave for Ul'dah. He stops at the Canopy to say his goodbyes and secure work with the Adventurer's Guild at his destination, when he is approached by a familiar face - Vivenne. They talk briefly, and she suggests travelling together as, at the very least, a more entertaining prospect than travelling alone. He agrees, albeit warily; even looking at her dredges up uncomfortable memories of Limsa Lominsa.
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| − | They set off within the bell, and talk of their lives along the way. Averill learns a little of Vivenne's time in Ul'dah, alongside her less than legal friends. The road is a smooth one, almost completely uninterrupted by monsters or bandits.
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| − | Nearing their destination, on the outskirts of Camp Drybone, Vivenne asks for an explanation about he and his father. Averill does little to dodge the question, but is hesitant to answer fully. Upon learning that Dawson did not share the details when he employed her, he surrenders to her curiosity and [[Averill_Rooks#Before_the_Road| tells her of his past]]. She appears to empathize at least, and says that it must have been lonely, travelling as he has been for the past seven years. Averill disagrees; he notes that he's spent said years in the company of some wonderful people, herself included.
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| − | They press on and reach Ul'dah in the early evening. After a quick change and bath, Vivenne suggests they drink to celebrate a successful trip. Now almost completely trusting her, Averill agrees.
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| − | ===The Soaring Miqo'te===
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| − | A few suns after parting ways with Vivenne at Ul'dah, the single most curious encounter Averill had ever experiences in his time on the road took place. A young female Miqo'te, [[Ayda Elu'this]], barrelled into the Quicksand. She toppled over the railing, slamming into Averill's lap and table. Breaking her nose in the collision, a startled Averill is left to tend to her wounds. Their first meeting proved a short-lived one, for the boggling Miqo'te ran off after Averill guided her to a doctor for her nose.
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| − | Shortly after the fact - the following day, in fact, Ayda and Averill crossed paths again. Burdened with a bandage, Averill was relieved to see the excitable Miqo'te in good health and better spirits. With a mind to pick up where the left off - minus the acrobatics - he offered Ayda a drink. Her confusion at the prospect kindled some suspicion; a feeling he confirmed when she downed a glass of wine with naught but an innocent gleam in her eye. He found her impossible to gauge, and his concern only grew when it became evident that she suffered severe memory loss. Barely able to remember the circumstances of their meeting, let alone any significant personal details besides her name and homeland of Limsa Lominsa, Averill's stomach twisted with empathy. She had neither a home to settle at, nor clothes or money to feed herself with.
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| − | Resolving to do the latter, and perhaps learn something more about her, he suggested they go hunting in Thanalan to find a meal for the night. After a long talk and some fresh Cactuar meet, Ayda flees yet again for seemingly no reason. In the middle of the Thanalan savannah, well aware of her inability to fight, Averill searches desperately for her. It is a fruitless effort, and he returns to Ul'dah with a furrowed brow and a heavy heart.
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| − | Another chance encounter reunites them a few days hence. Beside himself with worry, Averill is quick to embrace a confused Ayda, who barely remembers leaving him out in the middle of nowhere. Dressed in a bloodied robe she 'found on the street', she reveals that she has been looking for Averill following a curious encounter with a Seeker, and expressed her desire to go on an adventure.
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| − | Relieved to see her safe, he accompanies her to an introduction to chocobos, which he reluctantly notes will get them to their destination - Gridania - that much faster. In her excitement to pet the birds of burden, Ayda trips over the railing, into the holding area. The resulting confusion brings about no small amount of panic from her, and she begins to doubt her ability to go on this venture. Averill does his best to soothe her nerves, but at the end it is the promise of fresh clothes that distracts her from the matter.
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| − | They go to the market street, where Averill gathers the materials needed to fashion a rough, hempen dalmatica. Pleased with the result, Ayda follows him to the Hourglass to get changed in his room. However, she is tempted by the prospect of sleeping on a real bed, and promptly passes out.
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| − | Averill slips in shortly afterwards, finding her unconscious. He notices the severe malnourishment she suffers, her clothing doing very little to hide her bony frame. He sits at her side, content to let her rest, only for her to jolt awake. She sobs the name Ruut'a, and and leans into him. Averill can do little to sate his confusion, and allows her to fall asleep in his arms, eventually joining her.
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| − | ===A Trail of Feathers===
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| − | Averill wakes alone the following morning. He is not surprised, but decides that his day would be best served by waiting for Ayda to find him, instead of the other way around. Sure enough, the Keeper appears within the span of a few bells, having meandered off to see the chocobos again. They talk of heading to Gridania, and begin making preparations. Recalling her starved body from the night before, he drags her to the market under the guise of gathering provisions for the trip.
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| − | They leave the Quicksand, and are just about to reach the market, when a fight breaks out across the street. The noise sets off a panic in Ayda, and she flees before Averill can stop her. He sprints after her, but the girl is preternaturally fast - only after an extensive search does he find her curled up in the corner of the Thaumaturge's Guild, hiding away in the quiet halls. She explains that she doesn't like the noise, and apologises for worrying him. Averill dismisses it with a smile, expressing his relief that she's unharmed. In an attempt to calm her down, he opens his arms up for a hug; Ayda responds by slapping her hands down on his, and the vagrant is reassured that his companion has returned full force.
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| − | Returning to the market, Averill purchases supplies for the road and some fresh cuts of fish for he and Ayda to eat now. She promptly devours both portions, after her offers his under the guise of no longer being hungry. Transport is arranged shortly afterwards, and whilst helping Ayda with her chocobo, he notices a strange shift in her behaviour. She seems uncannily comfortable with the bird, managing it easily and even spotting that his mount is beginning to react to his distrust of aided transport. She reaches out and calms his chocobo with what seems to be practised ease, evoking a myriad of questions from Averill. Before he can voice them, however, Ayda shoots off like an expert rider, and he is forced to give chase.
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| − | ===New Leaves===
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| − | The journey to Gridania is a short one, punctuated by a night's stay at Camp Tranquil. There, Ayda reveals a fear of loud noises, compounded by a storm passing overhead. Averill is keen to press on given her discomfort, but she insists that the chocobos need to rest and they turn in for the night.
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| − | At Gridania, Averill books them both into rooms at the Roost. They arrive in the evening, and the time combined with their travelling guides them both to an early night's sleep.
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| − | He wakes before Ayda the following morning, and decides to take a short walk down to Bentbranch and begin to recall the local area. [http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/showthread.php?tid=8185 His trip is interrupted, however, by a request from the Moogle's Gift Chocobo Ranch.]
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| − | He returns to Gridania, doing his best to hide the injury sustained during his job. One dose of Ayda's characteristic clumsiness, however, shatters the facade. During this time another mystery springs from the woman, who more than capably heals his wound through Conjuring. Exhausted by the ordeal, Ayda almost passes out, barely holding herself together as Averill carried her to their room. He falls asleep on the floor at her side; even the myriad questions about his companion cannot keep him awake forever.
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| − | He wakes the day after, still marvelling at how thoroughly Ayda has healed his wounds. Seeing her still spent from the ordeal, he leaves her to rest as he gets breakfast. It isn't long before she joins him, however, bedsheets and all. She settles on his lap, expressing her fear that he had left her forever after waking up alone, his existence seeming to be as a distant thought in her troubled memory. Averill reaffirms his decision to stay with her, and voices as such. They plan to wander around Gridania, but her exhaustion from the healing magic lingers, forcing a return to Ayda's room. She reacts fretfully to his suggestion, exclaiming her fear upon waking up to an empty room with her companion nowhere in sight. Something twists uncomfortably in Averill's gut, as the revelation of what his wanderlust is doing to Ayda sets in. He renews his promise, and exhaustion claims Ayda once more. He carries her back to the Roost, this time making good on his promise and joining her in bed.
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| − | The harsh mid-morning sun keeps Averill awake as Ayda sleeps at his side. He turns the events that led him here over in his head, again and again. He pays particular attention to the severe discomfort that his actions had brought to Ayda. In the middle of this, Ayda wakes. They embrace, drawing particularly close. Still reeling from the encounter of a few bells previous, Averill asks his companion if Mephina wants this for her, recalling her mention of the Goddess of Love the last time such a thing came up. Ayda expresses her feeling of distrust in Menphina, explaining that 'Menphina doesn't like Ayda. Nobody wants to love Ayda because I'm broken. So I don't know what Menphina wants for me."
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| − | Her sudden despondency, the façade of optimism and cheeriness long since evaporated, weighs heavily on him. He resolves to take the plunge, and expresses his feelings to the Keeper. They are reciprocated; the travelling companions turn to lovers in the dappled, afternoon sunlight.
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| − | ===Ghosts===
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| − | After an afternoon at the Roost, Averill and Ayda explore Gridania. They eat down at the docks by the market, where Averill lets slip a mention of his father. Her curiosity elicits an explanation, and he speaks of his strained relationship with Dawson. Ayda reveals her desire to return to Limsa Lominsa, but his reluctance to risk an encounter with his estranged father leads him to a hesitant response. He does, however, reassure her of his promise to stay by her.
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| − | As the evening winds on, they see more of Gridania together. Inspiration strikes Averill as they wander past Nophica's Altar, home of the Conjurer's Guild. He remembers the magic that Ayda used to heal his wounds, and guides her into the guild. She is beset almost immediately by memories that lie just out of reach, and her frustration causes him to retract the plan in favour of something more comfortable. Before he can do so, however, an elderly member of the Conjurer's Guild recognises Ayda. She treats the Keeper with abject horror, claiming that she should be dead. As Averill begins to question the conjurer she turns away, hysterical, but she reveals that Ayda was a member of a Maelstrom's triage unit, supposedly dying in battle a long while ago. The shock of the revelation combined with her panic causes Ayda to pass out.
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| − | Averill carries her back to the Roost, his intent to stay and assure her peace is dashed by Miounne. She delivers a letter addressed to one Averill Tomus, along with her confirmed suspicions that he has been hiding his past from her. Sent by his father, Dawson Tomus, the letter requests his return to Limsa Lominsa - the man is dying, and wishes to see his son one last time before his passing. The act of reading it in their room, with Ayda sleeping fitfully at his back, almost breaks Averill. He struggles fruitlessly, trying to contain his emotions as Ayda wakes screaming from a nightmare, but the fear of facing his father after seven years proves too strong. He nearly breaks in her arms.
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| − | Her own fear of losing her fresh lover to this despair causes Ayda to drop all her worries for his sake. As the embrace succumbs to passion, they affirm their feelings for one another. Averill finds comfort in his companion, in her unyielding warmth and unswerving devotion, in spite of her doubts. They express their love, and Averill resolves to travel Limsa Lominsa with her. He cannot shake the feeling, however, that the discomfort she found in the Conjurer's Guild will only worsen.
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| − | ===The Strong Wind Home===
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| − | Securing a second airship ticket from Miounne, Averill and Ayda travel to Limsa Lominsa. The trip is short, but exhausting; Ayda is eager to sleep the moment they touch down, and after a quick word with Baderon a room is ready for her. She passes out the moment she hits the bed, leaving Averill to his troubled thoughts. Safe in the knowledge that she won't wander off in her sleep, he takes a walk of his own to clear his head. Seven years away from Limsa Lominsa is not long enough to stop the memories of his childhood breaking the surface of his mind. Everything from the evening shouts of sailors to the strong, salty air is a reminder of the life he fled, of the father he abandoned.
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| − | As his thoughts turn to his ailing father, Averill bumps into a drunken Keeper. The man reacts violently, both to Averill's presence and his scent. He can only watch, his curiosity turning to mounting amazement, as he places the man's familiar features. From his ashen skin to fierce, booze-muddled eyes, Averill's aggressor bears a striking resemblance to Ayda. A word springs from his startled mind - a name, one that Ayda has screamed an uncountable number of times as he lay at her side.
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| − | Ruut'a. He speaks it aloud, earning further ire from the man. Claiming that Averill 'smells like a ghost', he storms away before the guards drag him. Averill gives chase; out of desperation, he shouts Ayda's name from the bridge. The man freezes, his expression noticeably shifting. Averill approaches warily, intent on finding answers.
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| − | Through spite and hatred, Ruut'a reveals his identity - Ruut'a Elu'this, Ayda's twin brother. In no uncertain terms, Ruut'a reveals that Ayda died in a conflict among thousands - the bloody Battle of Carteneau, a Healer put to the sword by Garlean Hyurs. That same memory brings a threat to Averill; leave Ayda with her brother, or Ruut'a will kill him. Averill remains steadfast in the face man's drunken rage, recounting his promise to stand by Ayda. He leaves Ruut'a to a cold night on the streets, returning to his lover's side. He struggles to sleep, unsure of how to deal with this new threat as well as the initial reason for their travels; his father, who expects him in the morn.
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| − | ==Image Gallery==
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| − | <center>
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| − | <gallery>
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| − | File:Averill Sketch 01.png|Character art of Averill, by [http://broyam.deviantart.com Broyam]
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| − | File:Averill Sketch 02.png|Character art of Averill, by [http://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/member.php?action=profile&uid=3027 PaschtChime]
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| − | File:Averill_and_Ayda.jpg|Character art of Averill and Ayda, by [http://crazy-megame.deviantart.com Crazy-megame]
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| − | </gallery>
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| − | </center>
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| − | [[category:Player Character]]
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