Ciel Valke

Ciel Lazuli
‘Is it better to trust the future than to dwell on the past.’
Gender	Female
Race	Hyur
Clan	Highlander
Citizenship	Lominsan
Place of birth	Ala Mhigo
Age	29
Sexuality	Undefined
Marital Status	Single
Build	Slightly athletic
Server	Balmung

((Last major update: 8th August 2014))

Ciel is an average magic user who uses her talents to help others as best as she can.

Having lost her memories following the events of the Fall of Ala Mhigo, she follows the people she is the most familiar with. At the moment, it would be the Aeon Free Company members.

Recent Events

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First Umbral Moon, 1578 (Feb' 2014)

• Ciel reconnected with the Lominsan Free Company she affiliated with in the past temporarily.

Second Astral Moon, 1578 (Mar' 2014)

• Ciel cut ties with the Lominsan Free Company Pandemonium.
• Ciel became partially involved with a Gridanian Free Company.

Second Umbral Moon, 1578 (Apr' 2014)

• Ciel became a member of the Ul'dahn Free Company Aeon.
• Ciel left on a personal task, cutting ties with Aeon temporarily.

Third Umbral Moon, 1578 (Jun' 2014)

• Ciel returned to the Aeon Free Company.

Character

Eyes	Hair	Skin	Body Type	Voice	Bearing	Notable Features
Bright blue	Dark brown	Slightly tanned	Tall, slightly athletic build	Careful, polite, soft-spoken	Well-mannered, alert; slightly detached	Red tribal warpaint; over the eyes.
Alignment	Element
Neutral Good (Type 1).[1]	Air/Water

WIP

Personality

Ciel's missing memories have had a major impact on her personality or lack of thereof. Fear and uncertainty were literally her only feelings when the Lominsan sailors found her, and those feelings are still a great part of her even today. Her unconscious insistence to avoid anything that may help her remember the past for so long had led her mind to focus mostly on the needs of others, almost entirely neglecting to think of her own. Thus, she remained generally void of any personal ambitions or desires, instead following the few people she trusts in order to help them achieve their goals. This particular mindset led her to never really have a need for opinions or feelings of her own, other than the mistrust and fear she'd carried through the years. Only recent events were able to finally awaken some, mostly negative feelings that can be triggered by certain situations. Her understanding of these feelings, however, is close to none, and they mostly come in waves, fading as quickly as they came.

In a general manner, Ciel is aloof and detached, but will respond if someone talks to her. Her lack of any obvious emotion can be unsettling to some, as no one ever really knows what she is thinking. One who've known her for long enough, however, might find comfort in her calm demeanor. Once you are able to witness even the smallest smile on her face, you can be sure she considers you a friend. Her obvious lack of social awareness makes her a bit dense when it comes to conversational subjects that can seem obvious to most, including romance and humor. While she will at rare time attempt to mimic people's social habits, it will often fail due to her lack of any real understanding of these habits. Although she is a good listener, when it comes to giving advice, she will often seem kind of cryptic or just plain make little sense. People, however, seem to find comfort just in her presence and her ability to listen to them without interruptions.

Ciel has very little interest for people's well being in a general sense, but she is unusually devoted to the people she considers comrades and family. Considering her lack of personal ambition, she will often be seen focusing all of her efforts on making sure these people's needs are met in whatever way she deems possible. Thus, if a friend shows any desire to help someone Ciel does not necessarily care for, she will do it for the sake of the friend moreso than for the person in need.

Strengths

People will often notice and praise Ciel's astonishing calm in any and every situation. Hardly anyone can say they've ever witnessed her in a state of panic or anything similar, and those that do have yet to prove their claims. Focused and careful, she tries to always be at her best when people have a need of her skills.

Highly intuitive, she usually bases her first impressions of people on the feeling they give off, or the opinion her trusted friends have of them, making it harder if not impossible for some to gain her trust. The same goes for dealing with situations; she will get herself through things doing whatever feels right, or whatever she is ordered to do.

Finally, Ciel is the most loyal companion, assuming you can get your trust level high enough to be considered one. Earn it, and she will have your back. She is an excellent listener whose constant tranquility can soothe some people's worries.

Flaws

Ciel is utterly and obviously lacking in social skills. Her generally serious presence can make her seem intimidating to some. While she is a good listener, when it comes to giving advice, she will often seem kind of cryptic or just plain make little sense. Her sense of humor is dry, and she will often miss jokes or innuendos.

While she works hard on keeping cool, the conflicting aspects of her unbalanced personality can lead her to strange mood swings, especially in highly stressful situations. While this can at times be useful in situations where the enemy needs to be eliminated, it can also lead her to stop relying on thoughts she finds difficult to follow, relying on her slightly less predictable instincts instead. In such a case, anything and anyone that feels like a threat to her or an ally's well-being is likely to become a target.

In her current psychologically vulnerable state, Ciel's lack of an actual judgement when it comes to good and evil makes her easily influenced, something even her carefulness can't protect her from in the long run. While she is naturally careful around those who have vile intentions toward her or people she likes, she will often be oblivious of things directed to the general populace, making it easy for someone to manipulate her into doing their "dirty work".

Finally, her detached attitude towards her own self can lead her to neglect her own well-being over that of an ally, something that would cause her a lot more trouble if it weren't for her survival instincts. It can, however, lead her to push her limits to a dangerous level, if that means doing whatever is necessary to get things done. It is, however, something that she does naturally, and thus is very hard for her to correct even if continually reproached.

Romance

Ciel is very emotionally detached, even towards her own self, for reasons she can't really explain herself. Thus, she hardly really connects with people on an emotional level. She will grow to trust people and work alongside them, but has a hard time to even grasp the concept of having friends, let alone a romantic partner. Her lingering subconscious fear of attachment might make it that much harder to get close to her as long as it remains. Anybody willing to get involved with her on the emotional level would have to be incredibly patient and willing to work hard. Is it, however, nowhere near impossible to achieve.

Anyone willing to get close to Ciel would have to actually get to understand her first, which can be quite difficult considering her natural reluctance to get along with people. They would need to be patient, as Ciel currently doesn't show any attraction towards any particular group. Her lack of understanding of her own feelings and emotions at this time make her less likely to develop any kinds of feelings that could lead to a romantic relationship.

Other / Details

• Ciel has damaged memories and lives a life that is generally void of direct worries. She remembers close to nothing of her childhood, including her name, family, where she was originally from, but most notably how to feel emotions and what they really mean to her. She cares little about her lost history, instead keeping her eyes forward, subconsciously refusing to look back at what might have been. There are certain signs that tie her to her past, be it her aversion for meaningless violence, rare anger outbursts and her inability to rest for quite so long, but she dismisses them all as parts of everyday life, as she has never really lived without them. As a mentally fragile person, the bonds she builds with those she feels a strong familiarity with can easily strengthen her. All the same, people who mean to do harm can destroy her just as simply.

• As opposed to her generally serene attitude, she can occasionally (although rarely) have strong fits of anger which are mostly justified but that even one who knows her well would never expect to see from her considering her usual lack of emotional outbursts.

Combat

((WIP))

From a very young age, Ciel has had a rare ability at channeling aether, making the use of certain types of magic as simple as breathing to her. While she has little to no understanding of the theory behind them, she manages to use certain spells in a completely natural way due to her body's innate ease to channel the magic from both herself and her surroundings.

However, with her memories missing and her already limited knowledge of her abilities as a child, it is sort of wasted on her at this time. While she is capable of efficient healing and casting during battle, the existence of this power is known to very few due to the generally unimpressive use she makes of it. Her spells are average at most, merely serving their purpose for the time being. Her aptness at casting certain types of magic with ease, even without the use of a catalyst, may be the only hint of this ability's existence one could witness at this time, but yet another thing she rarely displays.

After she joined the Aeon Free Company, Ciel started being seen carrying a sword around, although she's rarely been seen make any serious use of it. While she seems to know how to handle the weapon alright, one who was able to witness it might have noticed certain clumsiness in her technique, like she hasn't had too much training with it. Her insistence to carry the weapon seems more a habit than anything for now, though where that habit even came from, even she doesn't really know yet.

Occupation, skills and pastimes

WIP

Likes: Nature Stories and tales Being among friends ...

Dislikes: Close physical contact Physical and verbal threats People of authority Strangers Needless violence ...

Skills: Healing Magicks Botany Swordplay ...

Fears: Uncontrolled fire Imperial soldiers (not so much fear as uneasiness) Accidentally harming a friend Being powerless to help a comrade in need The dangers of Black Magic and its corrupting effects

WIP

Relationships

Family

Father: Konrad Singvaldr (Status Unknown) // A proud warrior with a huge sense of honor and pride in his bloodline. It was his greatest wish that his only daughter become the next great warrior of their line. He wore a particular facepaint, one that has been worn by members of his family for generations. Famous by the name "Konrad the Ripper".

Mother: Eleonore Singvaldr (Status Unknown) // A gracious and strong woman idolized by many for her skills of the sword, and despised by an equal amount for her highly egocentric attitude. She didn't want children, but eventually agreed to fulfill her husband's wishes.

Player Character Relationships

♥ Romantic Interest    ♥ Sexual Desire    ♥ Platonic Love     ● Good Standing    ● Neutral Standing    ● Poor Standing    ! Recent Standing Change

Positive Standing

●Zaku Paku : Ciel and Zaku met when the former became involved with a Lominsan Free Company several years ago. They have worked together on countless jobs and the lalafell somehow managed to grow on Ciel, making him the first person she actually ended up calling a friend in the long run. He was, in great part, responsible for a major shift in her personality over the years. Their closeness is rather obvious by the way Ciel acts around him, considering it is drastically different from the way she acts around anyone else. She would trust Zaku with her life if she had to, and knows that he would do just the same. He is one of the few people she naturally smiles to on a regular basis.	●Brynhilde Wulf : Brynhilde is a very capable fighter, and one you can definitely rely on in any situation. That is something Ciel recognizes, despite the fact that she knows very little about her personally. She always feels safer knowing the fellow Highlander on their side, and is even inclined to look up to her. She respects her greatly, to a point where she stills use a very formal speech pattern around her despite the fact that they've known each other for quite some time, now. Despite how distant she is with her most of the time, Ciel tends to see the fellow Highlander as one of the closest things she has to family, and the home that might have been her own.
●Aryianna Nightshade : Of all people, Aryianna is probably the one who makes Ciel reflect on things the most, something that she would usually avoid doing too much. Her attitude towards her can be very contradictory, and her opinions are generally confused whenever she speaks with her. Although she understands little of her own hatred for the Garleans, it is but one thing they share that makes her feel somewhat close to the midlander. While the careful side of her knows of the dangers surrounding her, a less familiar side of her can't help but worry about her well-being, considering her habits to get into dangerous situations.
●Nadeau Celeste : To Ciel, Nadeau is but another employer, and considering her tendency to dwell in the darker sides of magic, she is slightly more reluctant to completely trust her. She considers her an ally all the same, and as long as her fellow Templars acknowledge her as their leader, she will aid her in whatever task she gives her.

Negative Standing

●Varus Adelric Rosenthal : While she knows little of the man, his actions, as well as the look in her fellow Templars' eyes when they look at him, are enough to confirm Ciel's unease when in his direct presence. To her, he is more than a mere stranger; he is also a danger to her and her allies, and he can be trusted under no circumstances.

Rumors

Common Rumors

Moderate Rumors

Rare Rumors

History/Timeline

Ciel spent the majority of her life in the city of Limsa Lominsa, cared for by a lone Elezen woman from the age of roughly eight years. With nothing left of the years prior but an unexplained fear and wariness of people, she progressively grew to trust certain people in the city as she helped with whatever she could, her own personal way to show gratitude despite her state of very limited display of emotions. Over the years, she made enough of a name for herself to get the Maelstrom's attention, due to her rare but unexplained talents with magic. Although she never enlisted, she became a trusted ally of the Grand Company, running errands and supporting them in their struggle against the beastmen.

Her involvement with the Maelstrom eventually put her in touch with a new but promising Free Company in need of capable healers, a skill that she’d been developing for a time, but that she had no real understanding of. She quickly proved up to the task, however, and worked with the strangely diversified but efficient group. It is there that she met Zaku Paku, a young aspiring Flame recruit who sought experience on the field. Many called their friendship unexplainable at first, due to the fact that Ciel had proven nearly unapproachable by anyone until their first mission together.

The Hyur worked for the group for several years, lending the majority of her time to their cause. The more their reputation grew, the greater their numbers, and the more difficult their tasks. She followed them loyally, though, like she knew nothing else.

It was shortly before the Calamity that she was sent for a task in Gridania, where she was forced to stay when traveling out of the shroud became difficult do to the enemy's great numbers. Her presence was welcome, however, as the dire times brought many wounded to the city, seeing the Conjurers' Guild saturated. It is with their precious advice and guidance that she left for Limsa Lominsa again after Dalamud fell so she could help her home nation recover from the tragedy.

When things started dying down, she began working for the same people again, although her time in Gridania had made her valuable contacts that led her to leave the city more often, becoming more of an odd-jobber. She stepped foot in Ul'dah for the first time roughly five years after the Calamity, where she became acquainted with a company calling themselves the Traveling Templar. Since then, she remained in Thanalan in part due to its convenient proximity to both Limsa Lominsa and Gridania and the countless jobs to be found within its walls.

Childhood

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Nora Randi Singvaldr was born in the city of Ala Mhigo to father Konrad Singvaldr and mother Eleanor Singvaldr. She was raised in a relatively nice area of the city, among several other "warrior children", whose families hoped nothing less than for them to one day honor their family's name on the battlefield. Her family was no different, her father's pride in his name made clear to her every single day through the many tales of warriors of generations past. As their only child, she was their one hope for a future where the name would keep being heard in Ala Mhigan history for generations to come.

The name Singvaldr was one fairly wealthy in money but extremely rich in reputation, one that inspired many of Ala Mhigo's greatest warrior for centuries. Known for the dinstinctive markings they seem to wear proudly, be it at home or on the battlefield, the Singvaldr warriors have faced both victory and defeat it the past, but fought proudly in the name of their family and their people. Konrad Singvaldr, also known as Konrad The Reaper, had done good to maintain that reputation, being both a fiercely talented warrior and a teacher of the sword for whoever could afford his name and skills. A devoted and passionate teacher, his love for the art of the sword and axe is felt in his every move, and heard in his every word. For someone with such a brutal name, he is known for being a patient, kind, but effective teacher.

And it is undoubtedly why Eleanor Singvaldr, the Dragon's Wrath, wears the name proudly as the man's wife. Known for her strict attitude and cold heart, a great contrast to Konrad's warm devotion, she is also greatly respected for her unshakable mind and incredible war tactics. An apt user of the sword, she is often sought out to both plan and participate in battles that usually end in flawless victory.

The two, most notably her father, had great ambitions for their daughter. She was to become the perfect balance of the two. A strong and kind warrior whose skills in both sword and mind would be claimed by the greatest names, and whose abilities would inspire the next generation of fighters. Her very first sword, a family heirloom, was given to her at the age of four, when she was just barely able to lift the over-sized weapon. She carried it around with the same pride as every other warrior children in her neighborhood. Yet when came the time to use it, her will faltered.

She was merely three when the first signs of her abilities appeared. Small things, she did. Heal small scrapes, light candles. Yet she did them effortlessly. Magic, to her, was akin to breathing. Still too young to learn the complex theories behind every type of magic, she could simply use it despite her complete lack of understanding of the art. While the city's scholar branded it as a rare gift, The Reaper saw it as a curse, as he watched his most promising warrior child grow more and more enthusiastic about the wonders of aether, more particularly the healing arts.

Despite this fact, the man insisted that his daughter train with the sword, something she obviously disliked. That dislike, however, grew in intensity over time, slowly chipping away at the once great relationship with her father, the only parent she truly had any love for, as her mother was always too devoted to her work to pay attention to her family. She eventually reached a point where her whole neighborhood didn't feel like home anymore, leading her to often sneak away from home to visit other areas of the city where she could meet people who cared about more than merely swing a sword at the air. There, she made like-minded friends, who soon became more of a family to her than her own. She observed and idolized the city's most talented magic users, hoping that one day she can use her talents for good. But in the end, her lone adventures during the day simply made her grow the wearier of the forced sword training, her stubborn child's mind soon refusing to bother with it anymore. She made it clear to her father on their last meeting.

The man left the next day. She thought perhaps he'd given in to the fact that she truly didn't want to train to be a warrior anymore. It soon became apparent that it wasn't the case. Still too young to fully understand the cause of the turmoil surrounding the reign of King Theodoric and the apparent dislike he showed for the monks of Rhalgr, she was however capable of seeing the changes in people's behaviors. The neighborhood she grew up in slowly emptied itself of its greatest warriors, all off to rebel against the city's new ruler. Before she could really understand what was going on, the Garlean Empire marched into the city, claiming to be saviors here to rid them of their corrupt king. To the child, however, they were merely more strangers who would likely be looking for compensation for their valuable help. She could hardly have been more right. The Garleans gradually went from saviors to oppressors, working towards making the Ala Mhigan their own personal armies against their future enemies. Any who would resist were slaughtered. Weakened by their previous conflict, the Ala Mhigans were outnumbered and forced to abide. The day these invaders started tearing children from their families, she watched as some parents protested or knelt in utter defeat after watching their neighbors be struck down in their attempt to rescue their kin. Her own parents had yet to return, and she'd already given in to the fact that they probably never would. Not after she disappointed them as she did.

A group of roughly ten, they were. Merely children, ranging from eight to fifteen cycles. Hardly enough to take on a group of fully-armored soldiers. Yet, somehow, as they were being escorted to Gods knew where, they had managed to escape into Gyr Abania, compelled to escape a fate of lifelong slavery-- perhaps worse. Eight were left when they finally stopped running. Days later, seven. Perhaps six, as one of them oft went off to survey their surroundings and had yet to return. A week passed. Most were eager to run away to the west as the refugees did. Some abandoned the younger folks to their fate as they sought to join the Ala Mhigan Resistance. The children, exhausted and lost, were soon found by their pursuers and in an attempt to save their lives, split and ran their own separate ways.

Only one feeling dominated as she watched the Garleans use their strange sorcery on the other children before her: Fear. Defeated and bound, each of them looked up helplessly at their abductors as their cursed technology emptied their minds of all they knew. Memories, feelings, gone and forgotten. As she waited for her own turn to come, her mind tried in different ways to console her. Perhaps it was for the best. At least she wouldn't have to worry about her family's pressure anymore. She wouldn't be able to disappoint any longer. If anything they'd said was true, she'd fill out a clear purpose until it killed her, simple as that. But in the end, it all came back to that one feeling. Fear. And it was the last thing she really knew when the armored man stood in front on her and her mind went blank.

- - -

When the child woke up to the comforting aroma of the sea, she knew but one thing: Fear. Her eyes froze on the Roegadyn sailor standing guard by the door, but no words came out. She knew nothing. She didn't know where she was, nor where she used to be. She didn't know who she was, or who the sailor was. She knew one thing, however. She was afraid. She didn't know what of, but she was afraid.

Character Connections

The following characters may have an RP link with Ciel:

• People who are familiar with the Ala Mhigan communities and/or are Ala Mhigan themselves.
• Limsans who joined and trained with the Maelstrom before the Calamity.
• Conjurers who spent time at the Guild and in Gridania shortly before and during the Calamity.
• Dwellers in magic, white or dark, might have vaguely heard of her natural talent in the art. They may also feel a strong concentration of aether within her if they have such an ability.
• People who give or take small tasks and/or odd jobs; they may or may not have worked together at some point.

Author's Notes

The base design of this profile has been borrowed from Brynhilde Wulf. Many tanks to her for letting me use it!
Furthermore, the design of this profile includes elements created or inspired by: Deirdre Ta'ea, Gharen Wolfsong

Change Log

24th February 2014:

• Added (some) character relationships
• Small changes to character's introduction

13th April 2014:

• Fixed some inaccuracies / outdated information

8th August 2014:

• Added Combat information
• Modified Personality information
• Added Common Knowledge history
• Completely rewrote Childhood history