Esredes Rosemond

[edit] Details Personality Appearance History Ideologies Abilities Relationships Gallery OOC Notes General Information Esredes is a former Ishgardian knight turned heretic. After an incident with dragon’s blood from his childhood came to light and he was nearly killed as a result, he turned against Ishgard and became devoted to winning the Dragonsong War for the heretics by either taking over or destroying Ishgard. Now fueled by a mixture of vengeance and the need to liberate his people, Esredes continues to press on after years of fighting, refusing to give up the fight no matter how much it takes his toll on him. His blog is here. Personality On the surface, Esredes presents as a serious and reserved individual, having anywhere from a forced politeness to neutrality and indifference to a distinctly unfriendly demeanor, someone that in most situations, one couldn’t get much out of unless they were a person of interest. But to open up beyond that is to reveal himself more as someone who carries himself with a certain level of authority, an air of regality, and what can be perceived as arrogance, though the extent to which it is genuine is unclear. Esredes is a driven individual with a combination of force and aggression and manipulation and cunning as the fuel it takes. He is an engraved, fancy blade with a sharp and rough edge. His mind is wired towards logic and a realist outlook, what makes sense to execute as the best afforded and safest action to take, paired with a somewhat warped sense of morality. While he’s nobody to disregard and misunderstand all emotion, he’s often not good at dealing with it. He tends to have a narrow-minded and shortsighted view of a lot of situations, which is a big part of what makes him easy to make a puppet out of, so long as he doesn’t catch on. Ultimately, he is motivated by an internal goal and purpose, and won’t stop until it is fulfilled. In him lies an inherent chaotic spirit, that gives birth to patterns of rash behavior. This natural tendency controlled him in much of his childhood, but it was forcefully subdued by an artificial sense of order that made its home within him. As a result, though he operates in manners of logic, he is prone to getting carried away in the moment and going off course, sacrificing a calculated move for an opportunity to exercise a desire to kill and take pleasure in it, a weakness he cannot fix no matter what he tries. Even regardless of this, he often resorts to brutal tactics. Despite his often serious demeanor, he also possess a viable amused side that manifests in several different forms. He often uses it to be snarky in a sarcastic way to people he deliberately wants to anger, but when he’s relaxed he likes to make teasing and playful remarks, often paired with a lot of smirking. These sometimes even come off as flirty, but he’s unaware of this. His actual flirting attempts would be much less desirable. Esredes is also blunt at times in certain situations. If there aren’t consequences, he makes it known if he dislikes you. Conversely, he also won’t hesitate to compliment and encourage if he genuinely means it. He’s able to be motivational, as well as persuasive, with the force he puts behind his words. Even so, outside of this, especially when he’s not trying, he often manages to say the wrong thing. Yet even still, if one is in his good graces, they can find themselves with a dedicated ally, and discover a softer side to the man. He is often nobody to hide how much he cares about someone, and prefers to focus on the well being of others around him. While he does know how to relax, he can only do it for so long before he begins to get restless. He believes his purpose is to fight, and he can’t fully separate himself from that. Yet even though his personality sets him down a dark path, the twists in the fabric of fate still may at least set his sword towards the purposeful cause and enemy he desires. . Appearance Esredes stands a little under average Elezen male height at 6'0, and is more widely built than the in game model. He resembles a Gridanian Elezen better than an Ishgardian one, with his light brown skin and crimson hair, swept back behind his head and forming into tips behind it. In relation to the in game model, it should be noted he lacks the widow's peak, and the hair in front of the ears. His appearance is often geared to intimidation, and he gives off a distinct powerful, but uneasy aura. When not in his own version of the typical haubergeon uniform, he usually keeps his outfits relatively simple and not attracting attention, save for the ever present shade of red- but traces of his former highborn fashion sense still remain. His second form is that of a red and golden quadruped wyvern, standing tall at nine foot five and stretching outwards to eleven foot seven, though he occasionally takes on an in between form, in which he maintains his bipedal size and shape but with all of his draconic features intact. Despite the resemblance, he is not in any way related to Jannequinard. History Esredes was born into a noble Ishgardian family, and was raised on conservative and strict values, told he must uphold the dignity and honor of the family. However, as he developed, he began to exhibit behavioral issues and this eventually caused his family to try and hide him away from the public in their shame as they tried to get his behavior under control. As his parents struggled to deal with the eldest child, elsewhere in Ishgard lied a small group of common folk with an agenda against the elite and the system, who were hatching a plan to bring the entire system into question, by slipping dragon’s blood into the drink of a few select elites at a party and letting the uproar dismantle the rest of their family and bring the entire elite under fire. The moody and impatient young Rosemond kid was selected as one of these targets, as not only was a kid an easy target, it would bring much more backfire if a child was killed. Though the actual process itself was a success, the group was then killed in a violent standoff a week later during another criminal act, thus letting their scheme die with them. Unaware of all of this, when Esredes began to experience the effects of the blood the next day, he was full of panic and terror, thinking he had been cursed, but he did not tell anyone about it. He was old enough to somewhat understand this would be taken badly, and kept it hidden and never tried to experiment with his ability to shift. Hiding this only increased his behavioral problems as well, and eventually peers began to turn away from him for fear of being brought into trouble, leaving him isolated. His parents eventually stepped in and forced him to behave at age fifteen after an incident warranted it being the last straw. After some resistance, he finally conceded and began to behave like a young adult willing to take responsibility for himself. From there, his family and social life returned to stability. He later joined the Ishgardian military upon reaching adulthood, as it had been his dream for a while to fight, and he was confident in his ability to hide his secret and still become a war hero. He began to win back family honor by becoming a formidable soldier and advancing in the ranks until he was near the top. However, one day during a battle, he was knocked off a cliff ledge to what would have been certain death if he had not shifted wings and glided to a lower ledge for safety, passing it off as a miracle survival. He thought no one had saw it when they rescued him later, but when a group of people showed up with weapons to surround his location later on, he learned very quickly someone must have said something. While he attempted voicing his innocence, it fell on deaf ears, and so he was forced to use the military skills and strategies he had gained, suffering several injuries and injuring several people to escape. Now on the run and lost without anywhere to go to, Esredes continued fleeing, aiming to make his way towards Ul’dah. He was discovered again in the process and suffered much worse injuries escaping from his pursuers, but was found by a band of heretics and taken for medical treatment. After being told their side of the story, he reluctantly agreed to help them fight against Ishgard, if they would help him achieve something. This deal was then fulfilled, and so he began to embrace his dragon side and become loyal to the heretic cause. He has since become a powerful member in the group and continues to lead sieges against Ishgard. After enduring countless hardships and countless witnesses of his people being slaughtered, the war finally reached its turning point and Esredes was left in the dust as it spiraled far beyond the heretic's control. He held down the faction after the death of his beloved leader, and was planning to disappear from Eorzea entirely as the war ended- only to be approached by an acquaintance and informed he had been pardoned by the new leader, legally able to return to Ishgard as a normal citizen. After much deliberation and hesitance, he opted to accept this offer, not so much for himself, but for the sake of his people who would do the same, and once purchasing a house in Foundation on money borrowed from a few highborn ally sources, he remains in the city-state working as a negotiator between it and dragons, all while dealing with frequent surges of depression. Ideologies, Beliefs, and Stances. Obviously, Esredes hates Ishgard. He believes strongly in reforging Ishgard one way or another, and believes it falls to the heretics to take the place over and dismantle and rebuild the system. To that effect, he believes very strongly in the heretic cause and believes it is just and right, no matter how many brutal things they do. Even after Heavensward he still tends to refuse to admit they did wrong beyond a 'we were both wrong.' In classic Elezen fashion, he has a mild sense of racism towards Miqo'te. He won't say anything, but he will definitely think it, and occasionally make a racist comment to someone else. To him, he's almost never met a smart Miqo'te, and seriously wonders if they're just inherently dumber than the other races, on top of believing that most of them love to be scantily clad. He also is very ill versed in the culture of either clan, to the point he barely knows the differences between Seekers and Keepers beyond the eyes and one living in Gridania. Same level of racism goes to Viera and Hrothgar, though he has yet to form an opinion on their intelligence levels or sexuality. He just dislikes the look and vibe both give off. Still, like before, its often kept in his head and he's not outright hostile to any of the three races at first, if they prove useful. Often he pretends he isn't racist at all if they are. He's no longer able to commit to any type of religious practice, not even that of Shiva. At most, he sees her as a beacon of hope, and any sort of prayers or thanks he gives to her are more just for the expression. This effectively makes him someone who doesn't deny the existence of gods, but does not waste time following them. Regardless of his bitterness towards Ishgard, he can agree like most that the Garlean Empire is a much bigger threat that needs to be taught to stay away from Eorzea. He has no reason to hold back on them. He takes pride in the fact that dragons took them down the first time. This becomes even worse after Heavensward. However, he does have a more tolerant opinion of turncoats, considering several of them were his allies as a heretic. He really does not like Ascians. You'd figure that'd be common sense, and yet they took one of his family members and keep threatening to take others close to him. Needless to say, he wishes he knew a way to make them not exist so he could have all his relationships back. When it comes to his general view of people, he has a hard-pressed realist outlook. He believes that people are not inherently special or meaningful, but because everyone is born with willpower, it is the key to creating a person who has a purpose and a use. Your skills and mind are what matters more than background. And he definitely includes himself in this with a level of self-awareness that he too is a completely average person given shape by what he's learned to do. This is one of many reasons why Warriors of Light inherently piss him off. He can tell they're all completely average people who everyone latched onto the special power of. It's an unfair and unhealthy way to cheat the system that he's only ever seen result in a fall. Abilities Combat/Physical Skilled in swordplay. Not so much with a shield. Not very speedy overall, but able to go faster in quick bursts. Has a high pain tolerance. High endurance. Often able to press on and keep going at a task when others would succumb to exhaustion. Physically decently strong, especially in dragon form, where he is able to pick people up in his hands or fly them on his back. Melee ability in Elezen form is okay at best and not his strong suit. Knows how to use a knife and a dagger. Neither is his strong suit. Magical His aether is entirely tainted draconic and a lot of it is built up in his eyes. If you discount the eye aether and the draconic taint, however, then he has a normal amount of aether, particularly aspected to earth and mind. Transformation: The ability to transform into a wyvern. Esredes will become shrouded in black and lose shape and form, the mass rising upward and reforming into the shape of a wyvern. The blackness will then dissipate and the transformation will be complete. He can control the speed of the transformation and stop it at any point in the process, rendering himself somewhere between forms. The blackness will not appear if shifting an individual body part or a small area. Geokinesis: A broad ranging ability that grants Esredes control over the ground itself. He is able to exert pressure on the ground in order to move it up or down (with several seconds of delay or more depending on how loose the ground is), cause very minor earthquakes in a limited radius (about the size of a clearing or so), and lift up and throw small rocks. Disorient: Esredes’ tainted aether grants him the ability to fire a pink beam of mind magic from his hand towards the target’s head. While the exact effects vary per mind, generally the target will experience dizziness, loss of balance, head pounding, a sense of confusion, and a loss of awareness about where they are. The effect usually wears off in anywhere from 10 to 15 seconds, and grows less effective with successive blasts in a short period of time. The less developed the mind is (such as the mind of an animal or young child), the more effective the move usually is. It is semi-permeable and can pass through thin layers of matter, but only works if it hits the head and easily dissipates if hit by something else. Cloaking Illusion: A minor illusory ability that allows Esredes to target someone’s mind and project into it so that he is hidden against the background from their perspective and effectively invisible. The effect shimmers if he moves, can only be projected up to a certain distance away, and he can only handle having it displayed into 3-4 minds at once. He lacks any other sort of magical abilities or proficiency, or any sort of aether sensing abilities. Mental Esredes' main intellectual strength is strategy and planning. He is skilled at battle tactics and clever moves to catch the enemy off-guard. Has an above average vocabulary, and it shows in the most ungraceful ways when he speaks. His emotional intelligence is very hit and miss, sometimes being able to understand people and get through to them in ways others don't, but otherwise often being very unsure of how to handle someone. His ability to read people, in addition, is mostly based on psychological stereotypes. He is skilled in logical thinking and can keep his mind rational and calm even in the middle of a battlefield. Exceptions apply. His mathematical skills only extend to basic math. Not particularly creative in the artistic sense. He is good at explaining things to people, motivating and encouraging others, and inspiring them to be more self-confident. Skilled in persuasion and manipulation. Can speak Dragonspeak. Decent at keeping up an act for a period of time. Psychologically torturing people if he can figure out their weak point. He can keep himself and his spaces organized and is good about being responsible. Determination and stubbornness. Overall somewhat above average intelligence. Can typically detect someone is lying if they're not good at lying. Knows a lot about Ishgardian history, both the real and fake kind, and has some knowledge in the histories of the other areas as well. Miscellaneous He knows the basic stitches and basic needlework. Has neat and semifancy handwriting. Can make a few basic kinds of tea. Inflicting pain. Questionable ability at physical torture. Knowledgeable about combat medicine and how to treat wounds without magic. RELATIONSHIP STATUS LEGEND ♥ Family – ♥ Involved – ♥ Romantic – ♥ Unofficially Adopted [Explanation] – ♥ Unofficially Adopted By [Explanation] – ♥ Platonic – ♥ Physical – ♦ Friend – ★ Acquaintance – $ Business – ✝ Deceased – ✔ Positive – ✖ Negative – ● Neutral – � Unsure FAMILY Mother, Loving, but complicated. (♥) Character's Thoughts: "I appreciate all she did for me and all she put up with. But I can never again be the son she was looking for." Mother is a stern lady, but one who takes action. During his teenage years, he was mad at her a lot, for various reasons relating to his acting out, but came to regret it all once the behavior passed. He always tried to do what he could to make up for all the stress he put her through- and for some time, that worked out. Until he had to confess to being a dragon after rescuing her, and subsequently, why he couldn't leave the heretics. Since then, everything is always strained when he visits, and he can feel her disappointment even if she started trying to make an effort to hide it. He can't blame her. He failed her, and took everything from her she had worked for all her life. And he knows he'll never, ever, be able to make up for it. So all he can do is endure the perpetual turbulence of an airship, fated to crash, and yet never going to hit the ground. Father, Loving, but also complicated. (♥) Character's Thoughts: " ." Description of their relationship. Seraphiaux Rosemond, Little Brother. (♥) - The Broken, Lightless Pendant. Character's Thoughts: "There comes a point when someone has to give up on what is not possible. No matter how much it hurts." Once upon a time, these two got along. Even during the height of Esredes' teenage rebellion phase, when everyone else shunned him away, his adorable precious little brother was there to try to cheer him up. And it helped a little, having him to turn to when he felt loneliest. It was the kind of debt he would never forget. Back then, he had no reason not to love his little brother. He was such a kind little kid with what Esredes was almost convinced had a child prodigy level of healing talent. Oh, sweet little Sera. So time passed, and Sera grew. Esredes went down his path of becoming a knight, and succeeded, and all was well. And then the time bomb stopped ticking. And the teenager was traumatized by an Inquisitor. And Esredes knows he probably blames him for it. A year passed since the incident, a year of Esredes trying to get Seraphiaux to open up to him, to just let him comfort him, a year of patience as Seraphiaux was consistently distant. He wouldn't even allow him to touch him. He finally reached his limit when he caught Seraphiaux leaving home, and he tried to lie to him about doing so until Esredes begged him to talk to him- then told him he would go register at the conjurer's guild, and was fine if Esrey visited. It didn't take long for Esredes to find out this was another lie. So he confronted Seraphiaux, even as he tried to run away from him on his Chocobo. He released all of his pent up anger at Seraphiaux for his horrible treatment of him, and shattered in front of his eyes a pendant he had given to him a few years ago as a good luck charm, before telling him he genuinely hopes he could learn to love someone again, and telling him goodbye until that happens. And so the debt had to be forgotten. What made it worse later down the line, is that Sera did learn to someone. And it wasn't him. Esredes can feel nothing but a numb sort of emotional pain now. He had displeased his parents before, but never Sera. Yet it meant nothing, in the end, all the times they spent together as kids. Well, that's just the icing on the cake of losing every single relationship he had before becoming a harrier. And if he wasn't certain enough he was a lost cause already, eventually Esrey finds out Sera also gave his allegiance to the Ascians. Wow. Because that is so much more holy than being a dragon, isn't it? There was much more darkness in him than Esredes ever thought, and if he can't turn himself around like Esredes told him to, then Esredes can't feel much of any regret officially disowning him sometime down the line. At least Ysayle makes for a better little sibling than he is. To fill the void in his heart that Seraphiaux left for him. Unlike him, she doesn't leave. FELLOW HERETICS Ysayle Dangoulain, Sort-of Leader, Sort-of adoptive little sister. (♥) - The beacon of hope/ice daughter. Character's Thoughts: "Everything about Ysayle is wonderful. She's taken such a large burden on her shoulders, but I believe in her to bring in the new age." Esredes remembers when Ysayle first came to the camp, a child who had lost everything. He remembers how everyone took an interest in the new heretic and the mystery surrounding her. And he remembers when she revealed to him, and eventually the rest of the camp, the nature of her power. Once she could prove it was real, all he could see in her was overflowing potential. The potential to unite the heretic factions under the charisma of her being. And he couldn’t be more proud of her for what she’s accomplished for their people. He sees Ysayle as almost a little sister of sorts. She’s still young, she’s still vulnerable in the mind. He wants to continue to be there to help guide her along and make her learn to love herself. Despite her being the leader of the heretics, Esredes sees her less as his leader and more as the one who’s guiding everyone along, to which he then inputs on and assists. She can’t exactly boss him around, with him being there longer than she has by a few years. It only works one way. But with her around, the heretics have hope to create their ideal version of the future. And she is the ship that will guide them to shore. And he, for one, will continue to be one of the navigators aboard. Lycelle Monteaux, Ally. ($) - Strange, but good to have around. Character's Thoughts: "She's like a map with missing routes. You can't figure out where everything is by a simple glance. And yet, perhaps it's not important." Having been an ally within the walls secretly sending them wagons full of supplies for them to raid, her contribution to the heretic movement is a very appreciated one. It’s always nice to find highborns who didn’t lose everything like him that are willing to assist and believe in the heretic movement. As for her as a person, she is rather intriguing. A glance into her eyes reveals cloudy mechanism he can't help but feel an urge to see clearly, but beyond that, she is by all means polite enough to ensure smooth interaction. He also really wishes he could kill her family. They are awful people, the kind that one can’t resist the urge to murder. Celandione Averre, Pupil. (♥) - Anger daughter. Character's Thoughts: "Dione has been through some rough times, but I want nothing more than to help her shine with her true potential." Since he picked her and her brother up out of a chance encounter in the Coerthan wilderness, already heretics now wanting to join the Disciple's effort, this one has been a journey. A journey he doesn’t regret and is fine with going on, but a journey nonetheless. He likes Dione for her passion and dedication, and he thinks she’s a good kid- and boy does she act like a toddler half the time it seems- but she has to confront her inner demons and delusions and learn to control herself. Only then is she going to achieve a better sense of herself and be able to become the warrior he wants of her. He also knows something horrible has happened to her in the past, and he doesn’t have a way of understanding it, nor does he want to know the details. There’s nothing he can do but feel sympathetic for her in that regard. But she’s making progress despite that. He believes in her, he really does. And with his guidance, she’ll become something great. Reveilleux Averre, Fellow harrier. (♥) - The brother/Intelligent son. Character's Thoughts: "Rev is a sensible boy. He may be no fighter, but he's a lot of other things. One of which is definitely someone I want to keep around." Her brother is a sensible type, and he appreciates being able to talk to him when he’s having difficulties deciphering Dione. It’s low effort to interact with him. He’s the ideal combination of mild-natured and someone who won’t push back. And that’s a headache Esrey doesn’t have to have. Overall, he hopes if he makes progress with his sister he’ll make him feel better in turn. Rev deserves to have that peace of mind. As more of a joking meta note, he's definitely the favorite son. Luken Lorea, New boy. (♥) - Duskwight Son. Character's Thoughts: "Ah, he's kind of cute in how much he stumbles. But at least he doesn't manage to fall over in the process." Esredes picked Luken up after getting rid of a group of knights that were pestering him, likely for his heritage, and with the boy's rather naive and unconfident demeanor, it was easy to keep him around with his existing love of dragons. The boy certainly has some spine growing to do, but surprisingly his lack of confidence doesn't particularly bother or irritate Esrey. Perhaps its because he does as he's told, without question. He's a good kid, if nothing else, and Esredes hopes to get something interesting out of him in the future. Rae Chival, Fellow Harrier. (♥) - Summoner son. Character's Thoughts: "I'm still learning about who he is, but I like what I see so far." This new kid is shy, but intriguing, mostly for the things he can do with that book. Who ever heard of summoning representations of primals…? That could certainly aid their cause. In the meantime, he’s still evaluating him to figure out what he needs to know about the man. Nothing strikes him as particularly unfavorable or off yet. So far, so good. Diamat Luneris, Ally. (★♥ ) - Duskwight Mom. Character's Thoughts: "She seems like a good natured woman. Another source of aid in the basket." A former heretic turned noble? How interesting. When she showed up to the harrier camp searching for her brother, he knew there was an opportunity to seize, and seize it he did, as she left empty handed but with promise of providing them aid. While he's still in the process of reading her, he's unaware of her own subconscious projections of her lost brother onto him. For now she seems to need nothing out of the harriers in return for her assistance, so the setup is ideal. Caudecus Patenaude, Ally. (♥♥) - The Broken Pirate Scholar/Book Dad. Character's Thoughts: "I pity him, that is for certain. There's a lot of tragedy to him. But that just means it falls to me to make something of the pieces. And I can at least try." Initially mistaking him for an enemy, Esredes thankfully learned he was instead another victim of Ishgard's cruelty, in a particularly gruesome manner, and from ripping that information out of him, he thinks he immediately knows what's going on with his psyche. There's a worthless, insecure, vulnerable, and above all, asking for death person contained in all of that. Though Esredes feels bad, he can't do much yet to help matters except gently nudge him in a positive direction when he can. And so that means dealing with his self-destructive tendencies as he assists him with his questionable research efforts, hoping it will yield a power that Esredes can turn upon the See in the future, all while also filling him in on all the truths of Ishgard he missed by not becoming a heretic when he left Ishgard. Needless to say, even if such a quest ultimately fails, at least he can make something useful out of a network ally in the Maelstrom. In the meantime, the man is fun to tease, and call a pirate mockingly even though Esredes is well aware he isn't. Another person who falls under his powerful aura without much resistance and stands in awe of him is always a plus. He hopes to be able to use his power of influence to pull him away from his broken bubble. And regardless of what happens, at least this one will reveal himself to be a loyal ally in the long term. Upon more interactions, Esredes has grown to respect him somewhat more and talk down to him less. He's still scatterbrained and sometimes oblivious for sure, but he can also pull his own weight in combat and be quite useful. What Esredes hasn't realized is his patience in putting up with him has caused the man to grow quite attached to him even in a short period of time. And he's likely to keep underestimating that factor for a long while until something pushes it to action. Rusty Axe, Sort of Ally? (★) - The Confectionary Mystery. Character's Thoughts: "I wonder several things about him, but I'm not sure how to retrieve the answers given his personality. Either way, he seems like a good fit for us, so hopefully things work out?" After rescuing the Roegadyn from what would have been Inquisitor interrogation and allowing him to be around their camp, Esredes' main impression of the man is reserved. Not seeming to be of any ill-meaning, but reserved and with a bit of a barrier. Fair enough. He'll have to figure out a way around it, as he suspects him to be part of a mysterious movement of adventurers into Coerthas, and he wants answers as to why they're there. Regardless, he has agreed to helping out some, in the rather unique way of making candy for the camp's children and teenagers, and he's already befriended a fellow new recruit. It seems like the man needs a bit of help himself, so Esredes has hope this can all work out to the measureable positive. Alise Roth-Houki, Ally. (♥♦) - The Rekindled Fire. Character's Thoughts: "...I did not expect most things that happened with her to happen. But in the end, I am grateful to have her by and on my side as we continue our work for a better future." Unknown to him at first, Alise was an echo from his past. Once during his sixteenth year, Esredes ran an errand for his parents that took him to Foundation and discovered a group of highborn boys- some of who he recognized as the same ones to call him the troublemaker- beating a hyur child up. When they quickly ran off when he called them out on their hypocrisy, he was left concerned for the poor little random lowborn. Who picks on a kid that young? He allowed the kid to accompany him on his errand and chat with them a bit afterwards, but unfortunately, he could do no more for them than that. His parents would not want him befriending a lowborn child, and he was not about to start lying to them again. So he forgot all about that day, and proceeded on with his life. Only to find out, that the mysterious yet friendly Hyur woman who had tracked him down in the snow using a Wanted poster just to talk to him not long after the calamity, was in fact the same kid- who clearly remembered him better than he did her. Well, it wasn't always that such a clear opportunity to make an ally out of someone was presented- and especially not on the basis of him. He quickly grew to like Alise as a friend and ally. She was amusing, funny, had a lot of strength and fire to her he could appreciate. He appreciated her positive opinion and concern for him greatly, even if he didn't always show it. And he also owed it to her for saving his life once shortly after reconnecting. But that friendliness of hers was stolen away by a traumatic experience and a woman Esredes would love nothing more than to rip apart, and it left him feeling helpless as a part of the person he was just getting to know died. Even so, it didn't change the facth they were allies and in this together. That they could keep helping each other through every step of the way. Everything in him compels Esredes to do and try whatever can be done for her- while in turn, always underestimating what she would do for him. Levi, Ally. (★) - The Emotional Support. Character's Thoughts: "Levi's fun and amusing to have around, and I can see why Alise takes such a liking to him, even if sometimes he really does act like a child. It still doesn't undermine his usefulness or the desire to keep that innocent personality as is." Levi is Alise's partner in everything she does. While she's the physical side of it all, he's the mental as he studies and takes notes fervently and has a million ideas for a new invention of some kind at any point. Well, Esredes can appreciate a classic inventor's personality, especially with its potential use to the effort. Esredes doesn't interact as intimiately with him as Alise, though he sure does like to tease him. He's fun to tease. He's too cute and easily flustered to resist teasing. What he does know is Levi is an escaped Garlean with an abusive father who must have taken his toll on him in some form, even if he can't see how yet. And that more than anything, Esredes is just relieved he got out of there and didn't become the typical Garlean. He's too emotionally impulsive and sweet to conquer and enslave others. Currently, Levi is grateful to Esredes for being able to save Alise from harm, and Esredes is just relieved it makes him feel better. What this gratitude might mean for Levi's view of him in the future Esredes probably won't perceive- he's still not all that knowledgeable about who Levi truly is as a person. Still, with how much he means to Alise, he's obligated to look out for his wellbeing. Jove kir Farren, Garlean Ally. (★) - The Weary One. Character's Thoughts: "I know she has no real care for our people or our cause, and I appreciate her honesty about it. But I still choose to view her in a positive light for doing everything she did. And she's more to my liking than one would think. I have hope for her." The first of four ex-Garlean allies Esredes picked up as the result of a mission to rescue captives and destroy a secret Garlean base that had made its way into Coerthas. Farren was the one who actually helped Esredes and one of his allies get into the base to infiltrate it, and for her help he owes her it all, as he would have never gotten far without it. While she admits to not caring about anything in Coerthas and still loving her country, Esredes has still been able to decipher from her reactions to certain things and the way she speaks of them that she isn't entirely apathetic to the wrongs of her country and still cares about people. It's Esredes' hope that maybe time away from her country will make her feel better overall as a person... but he really can't be certain of that at all. Even if not, he still likes her somewhat. She has a rather tired personality, but is also very real about things, something that Esredes can interact with fairly well. At the least, he can see her being of some use in the future to the effort, belief in the cause or not. Cynric dus Ivelle, Small Garlean Ally. (♥) - The Mask of Trauma/Garlic Son. Character's Thoughts: "Poor kid. Though he does get on my nerves slightly at times, I pity him a lot for what he's been through. Perhaps there's something I can do to fix it." The second of four ex-Garlean allies Esredes picked up as the result of a mission to rescue captives and destroy a secret Garlean base that had made its way into Coerthas. As one of the ones who had no idea his allies were about to betray the Empire, Cynric was unwillingly dragged into the entire incident- but Esredes can certainly see why. The guy's still a kid. Young. Impressionable. Someone who didn't deserve to die in an explosion, for sure. At first, Cynric unnerved Esredes a lot. He acted way too casual being around human experimentation, and it made Esredes feel he didn't take it for what it was at all. But upon witnessing the kid get slapped across by the face by his own uncle and called useless, and react with nothing but a clearly forced smile and the same casual attitude, it clicked for Esredes that the entire thing was an act and a coping mask. Now that, was sad. And it made him want to do something to fix it all, to be gentle with the poor little thing. In the wake of the aftermath, that describes very well Esredes' way of interacting with him. Gentle. Well, as gentle as Esredes gets. Gentle and patient, willing to help the kid out as he adjusts. He said yes to joining the harriers before any of the other Garleans, after all- now he just has to go through the initiation and see what it takes to turn a Garlean into a heretic. That's not even addressing yet that he's Levi's cousin and doesn't know it. That is a can of worms Esredes is not willing to open just yet. Tomo kir Moriya, Garlean Ally? (★�) - The Avatar of Anxiety. Character's Thoughts: "...I don't dislike her or anything, I suppose, but she gets on my nerves a bit. I hope she calms down soon enough, because she's kind of difficult to talk to as is." The third of four ex-Garlean allies Esredes picked up as the result of a mission to rescue captives and destroy a secret Garlean base that had made its way into Coerthas, and the second one that was not expecting it. She appears to be close to Farren in some way, so he can infer why she took her along; but he's also quite content to leave Farren as the mediator, because he doesn't know how to talk to her. The way she keeps jumping to a bunch of little conclusions about the camp doesn't rub him the right way. But it's negligable, he supposes. He just hopes she will listen and work with him once she does calm down more about the whole affair... if she calms down about the whole affair... Quincius sas Thiessen, Garlean Ally? (★�) - The Object of Affection. Character's Thoughts: "...Is it wrong that something in me pities the man, even if I probably shouldn't? It must have taken so much to turn on his sister, and yet... everything he's done..." The final of four ex-Garlean allies Esredes picked up as the result of a mission to rescue captives and destroy a secret Garlean base that had made its way into Coerthas, and the head of the plan. Brother to the lady who was responsible for this atrocious operation of kidnapping Ishgardians and injecting them with Dragon's Blood in order to control them in their Dravanian forms, he only seems to have turned on her because he grew attached to Levi. Well, Esredes told Levi that falling in love with your 'Ishgardian' employer was a bad idea, and it sure turned out to be when the two were actually Garleans and kidnapped them both. According to both of them, the story goes that his sister ordered Quincy to kill Levi and he instead let him go and took his own eye out to pretend there was a struggle. Esredes, by all means, does not know what to make of this man. He's clearly crazy in some sense of the word to take his own eye out, and yet he was an immense help in the escape and was the one who blew the whole place up in the end. When interacted with in the aftermath, he acts quiet, probably depressed, and remorseful over his previous actions. And boy is that something for Esredes to think over. How can he argue in favor of not executing the man? Should he be as a reward for staging the operation and atoning? Atoning that might have only happened because of infatuation? Just how much of a danger is he to himself and those around him? There are difficult questions for Esredes to answer, and he's not sure of any of their answers yet. For now, he at least doesn't hate the man. AnnaBelinda, Ally...? (�) - The Contractor. Character's Thoughts: "...I can only pray that I didn't make a mistake." A voidsent captured by Garleans for reasons he still doesn't understand, now not only let loose to freely wander the camp, but bound to Alise's very lifeforce to keep her alive. While, sure, she hasn't done anything... typical of voidsent, no, she's been very person-like and helpful and nice, she terrifies Esredes for being something he is entirely uncertain of. She could hurt Alise, even though she doesn't seem like she ever would, turn her void corrupted, turn him void corrupted for making the deal... There are just so many things that can go wrong if she isn't as she appears at surface level. He can only hope she will be a helpful and good ally like all the others... because if she isn't, it's going to be his fault. Fortuna Altona, Truce. (�) - The Twisted Reflection. Character's Thoughts: "...She makes me nervous, though I feel bad for her. I can only hope I can help her and don't end up having to kill her or anything. We're... supposed to be about saving people, after all." A loyal Ishgardian knight kidnapped and experimented on by the Garleans, she did not fare well in the process and appears to have become stuck between forms. He couldn't, of course, have left her to die, loyalist or not; and she did prove useful in the fight to escape. It's the aftermath that's more concerning. While he's put her under watch at the camp for now, as she has nowhere else to be, he doesn't know what to do with her if he can't convert her. He supposes he'd just drop her off in another city state and tell her to find a new life. But for now all he can offer her is trying to figure out how to get her back to normal, and hoping she'll listen to him in the process. After all, she reminds him too much of his previous self. He's also pondering how long it'll take her to ask the inevitable question. As she made mention of recognizing him by name as 'the traitorous heretic', and he certainly was not going to bother to explain any of that while they were in the middle of a Garlean hideout. NON-HERETIC ALLIES Clover Hawthorne, Ally. (♥) - Small/Autumn Daughter. Character's Thoughts: "When it comes to things that are sacred and precious in this world, Clover is one of them. I can only wish and work towards the best for her. Gods know she deserves it." There’s something about this kid that Esredes is just drawn to. Perhaps it’s her imperfect sense of responsibility and maturity, and how much she tries to do good, perhaps it’s mixed with pity, especially for how the poor orphan thinks of herself as disposable. If she’s not going to help herself, he feels morally obligated to help her in the little ways he can, and try to push her self perception in a more positive direction. But her mellow shyness and soft voice also seems to just match well with his more assertive behavior. Perhaps he likes being able to tell her things to battle against all her self-doubting comments. Furthermore, her display of regard for life deemed unfavorable by society demonstrated by rescuing dragon eggs has lead him to trust her even with his name and identity as a heretic. He knows she’s walking a neutral path, but he thinks it the good kind of neutral, even if she is a Warrior of Light. She's one of the ones he doesn't despise, a true image of a hero. Overall, he just wants to see her believe in her own worth, and for her well being to not decline. She’s a good kid, and bad things should not happen to innocent, good little kids. Agatha Alfheim, Ally. (★) - The Free Maiden. Character's Thoughts: "She seems like a pleasant young lady. I can only hope she is enjoying her freedom, because she very well deserves it." Esredes met Agatha in a cry for help to save her from her abusive knight husband by taking care of him, a call he gladly accepted, for a price. And in having to return to see the lady again to collect her debt, which ended up being a lot more than he was expecting, it only felt natural that the two would attempt to speak a bit more, to ease over the awkwardness of the nature of their interaction. And awkwardness, certainly was in the air. She makes no attempt to hide that he frightens her a little, and yet she seems to flip between being afraid he'll hurt her or asking her to protect him based on her mood. It irritates him ever so slightly, but yet not enough to really bother him, enough to be tolerable. Otherwise, he finds her to be... kind of cute. She just carries herself with a certain level of cheery adoration, and it's kind of charming. But he can tell she's also not necessarily the frail maiden she wants to appear as, because her ability to take action into her own hands to save herself is the mark of a stronger spirit. All in all, he's not really sure what will happen with her. He likes being able to answer her questions about the lies Ishgard gave her and be in her presence a while, but they're not exactly built on a lasting foundation. That's fine with him, though- she's paid her debt tenfold, and she can enjoy her freedom however she wants. ...And this is one of many instances where people fail to fit into his boxes and he is wrong. He figured her lack of attempts to hide her fear of him would make her eager to stop seeing him after another little adventure. Instead the lady started crying when she thought she had upset him and went on about how she doesn't have any friends and just wants a friend. Needless to say, as confused as he is by her back and forth, he didn't like seeing her cry, and reassured her that everything was fine. If she really wanted to be around him more for some reason... well, okay then, he supposed. There wasn't really any harm to short breaks from activity to help her get more settled into her free life, could there be? He just continues to pity her enough for the effort. OTHER RELATIONSHIPS Bellona Marcellus, Cusp Ally/Former Ally. (♥) - The Wood Wailer's Worst Nightmare/Hypocrite Daughter. Character's Thoughts: "I liked her while it lasted. I had a feeling it wasn't meant to last, but I wouldn't have minded if it did. In the end, she's just a naive and clueless adventurer, and I can't say I didn't try my best." It's not very often you manage to manipulate someone into assisting the heretics by inviting them to come along to a robbery, and said tactic actually succeeds. Perhaps then, it was rather convenient the two of them met by chance right beforehand, and that she had such a dislike of the Wood Wailers. And what does an adventurer do but help others? So of course he kept leading her on, finding her in Limsa every week or so to invite her along on a mission with the harriers. Perhaps he planned on eventually telling her the truth in a way she could accept it, but he didn't quite get that far before slipping up, and couldn't salvage what was left of their partnership. Either way, while it lasted, he did grow to appreciate her company. Her snarky and teasing attitude was fun to compete with, but she also never questioned things too harshly so that he couldn't talk her out of it or dismiss her question. She never really got beyond being semi-closed off, but he took her to have some kind of vague ambitious nature, even if it had no plan and she had little confidence. Too bad. Maybe if she had learned to take from him she'd be better able to pursue whatever it is. At first, he didn't really care whatever happened once that they had parted. She could go back to adventuring and her own business. But of course, she's the first Warrior of Light he encountered before they all started throwing themselves at him like desperate children, and that means one can only hope he won't want to burn her with the rest once certain events go down. Alastor Izunia, Unreliable Contractee. (♥) - Stupid Cheery Miqote/Cat son. Character's Thoughts: "He really is a lost cause, and I'm out of patience for stubborn kids who won't learn their lesson." There are a few words that come to mind when describing Alastor: Stupidity, incompetence, a voice that won't adjust to the concept of tolerable volume, even in danger, complete cluelessness, insensitivity, uncontrollable infatuation. And of course, that means he's a Warrior of Light. Because why would Hydaelyn pick someone who isn't useless? Needless to say, when the last stupid Miqo'te leaves you, an even dumber one takes its place, practically begging you to take him along on your ship heist. And he'd definitely have Bellona back over this. Even if it's no effort to manipulate him, he's also too stupid to be all that useful at all. So much for the echo meaning anything. What irritates Esredes most about the Miqo'te is not his stupidity or uselessness, though. It's the fact he wanted to try and help while explicitly informing him he's kissing a loyal Ishgardian in the background, all with the weak excuse of "he was really cute?" Are hormones still dominant at that age? Ugh. Needless to say, it comes off to Esredes not just as clueless, but completely insensitive. That man has killed who knows how many heretics, and you're still going to act like there is no problem there. Please, who took this child's brain? With all that in mind, when this predictably ended in Alastor not joining the heretics after their first complete disaster of an adventure, Esredes barely even cared at that point and just wanted to never see him again. Except of course, he came running back to beg him to help him save his adoptive father when the same demonic presence that tormented them on their first adventure rose again and kidnapped him. A task Esredes only accepted for the chance to put a bullet through the perpetrator's head, but nevertheless made Alastor agree to being servitude-bound to his people for a while in exchange for. As he tries to figure out what the cat could possibly be useful for, Esredes doesn't grow much fonder of his presence, mostly taking advantage of his pushover nature to let his own abusive tendencies be taken out on him. Perhaps if the cat had a brain, he wouldn't feel so unsympathetic towards him. As is, he's bringing his own disaster upon himself, and Esredes won't miss him when he's gone. Unless wanting to kill someone counts as missing them. Because he immediately assumed Alastor to be as guilty as the other Warriors of Light when Snowcloak and Shiva happened, and had him painted as a target as he went to hunt as many down as he could. It was only by the graces of intervention that he was stopped and informed of his innocence before it was too late. But the trauma had already been dealt to the cat's nonexistent brain. Needless to say, he does feel bad about the incident, even if only because his accusations were misplaced. In the end, the cat is not as bad as his father- at least he actually tries to do something sometimes. But Esredes is still content to let this be the note their relationship ends on. He has no further desire to see Alastor in any form. Heilyn Hraesar, Standoffish Acquaintance. (★ ✖) - The useless father. Character's Thoughts: "Everything about him pisses me off and I never want to see him again." Heilyn is Alastor's adoptive father, and oh boy, he does not like him. He thought he was going to be someone decent, someone who would, perhaps, display the basic level of gratitude for being saved from a psychopath. And it turns out this assumption was very wrong. People like Heilyn are some of the kinds that piss him off the most. Trying to claim moral high ground while he, a fellow heretic, does absolutely nothing about the Dragonsong War. He can take the moral throne he thinks he’s sitting on and shove it directly up his ass. By the hells, at least his son, however incompetent he is, is actually willing to do something. Either way, for when he is forced to interact with him during Alastor's servitude period, he at least tentatively tried to reason with him. Not that he thought it really worked at all. But something within him told him there’s a chance to get through to him. At least until his patience ran out when the heretic manifested a very weak attempt to kill him, and he was all but completely done with him. Fortunately, by that point the servitude was essentially done, and Esredes was content to say a goodbye and a fuck you and never see him again. Ezekiel Amatti, Ex-Employer. ($ ●) - The "Client". Character's Thoughts: "I was so close with him. It didn't have to be like this." Ezekiel was but another target. A man rumored to be working with magitek... and Esredes wanted to get his hands on it for the harriers. So he posed as a sellsword and got himself hired by the man... only for one of the other sellswords he hired to put a stop to his plan. Does he feel bad about deceiving and trying to rob the man after he was nothing but polite to him? Well, yes, especially considering he turned out to be a heretic. But he can’t say he didn’t try to get him to become an ally. If he had accepted, Esrey would have called off his plan. All things considered, he can’t in good earnest hold any ill will towards the man. It’s fair enough that he probably hates him now. He just wishes he’d learn to find peace with his draconic side. B'ahm Pilate, Ex-coworker. (★●) - The mysterious enemy you can't entirely hate. Character's Thoughts: "He's not the worst thing you can encounter, but that doesn't mean he's not still a highly irritating nuisance." B'ahm bothers him. There’s something up with him and he never quite figured out what it was. He’s much more powerful than he should be, and on top of that, a strange one. Esredes does not understand how this man thinks, or what makes him operate. While he was fine to play polite and nice with him when they both operated as Ezekiel’s sellswords, he now wishes B'ahm had not been a part of the equation. If he hadn’t, the operation might not have been a failure. Still. He can’t fault him for being pissed at him either. Nor does he understand why he let him go in the end, but he remembers that action very well. This is why he was less than delighted to see him turn up when Ishgard started letting in adventurers, trying to help with the war effort. He’s not Ishgardian. What business does he have helping them? One of the people Esredes least wanted to see show up on the opposing side, with how absolutely frustrating he is to battle. Even if he is an enemy, though, he’s not the worst thing Esredes has to deal with. At least he is strangely merciful to him and his people. And Esredes still owes him a favor back to him for sparing him. And he’d rather not have to violate that, if he can help it. Which is why he simply just wishes B’ahm would go away. Go away, and not be such a difficult part of the equation. Murielle Mercer, Enemy. (✖ ✝) - The banished demon. Character's Thoughts: "Oh, if I could do over everything I did to her... I would relive those moments over, and over again. For days upon end. Little has ever given me the amount of sheer satisfaction to watch her wither away in the hands of the people she wronged. Oh, justice has a sweet taste, and she can rot in all seven hells." The Inquisitor responsible for torturing his family after he was exposed for having Dragon's Blood. Accounts from his family after being rescued told him this was a merciless and completely emotionless woman who he would have loved to have the opportunity to kill for what she did. Except for the fact that opportunity came, after a journey it took to finally get his hands on her and abduct her. And oh, once he had her in the basement at the camp, he made sure to make it slow. So very, very slow. And he delighted in every second of delivering her actions back unto her in his own creative ways, the way he slowly brought her psyche down before finally letting death take her. Sometimes good things do come to those who wait, and she was a victory that he was all but absolutely delighted to have. He only hopes the nutrients in her corpse aren't too polluted that the soil beneath it can't enjoy them. Nenela Nela, Bad outcome Acquaintance. (●) - The fool. Character's Thoughts: "The poor child has yet to see what the world's cruelty is really like. I can only hope it won't take her with it, impulsive as she is." Another stupid and incompetent warrior of light. He encountered the Lalafell lost out in the cold, but apparently on a mission to stop them from stealing Enchiridions. And her attempt was more than pitiful. While he made a mockery of her and tried to urge her to get away from Ishgard, he really just pities her. Ishgard and Hydaelyn is going to break that poor little girl, and he can do nothing to stop it. Mumune Mune, Acquaintance. (●) - The axe lady. Character's Thoughts: "I don't really know her, but she seems all right, if not overenthusiastic. I can always foster a level of appreciation for someone who hates Ishgard. Wonder if there's any chance she has a favorable opinion of harriers. ....It turns out I was wrong. Oh so very wrong. And it's to her regret that I am." He met Mumune in the aftermath of his Coliseum match with B'ahm for the role of sellsword, with her for some reason wanting to fight him as the loser of the match. Though really, he barely got to do so with a third strange competitor deciding to interject into the match. Still, they talked a little in the aftermath, and she revealed how she didn't like Ishgard for how it called her dad a heretic and made him pack up and leave, which made Esredes like her at least a bit. Perhaps they need to have a more proper fight sometime. ...And he didn't know how much he would desire that after realizing she's a Warrior of Light. The same group of people who committed atrocities against his people at Snowcloak. Well, so much for being likable. Now she has to pay for her crimes, if he gets the chance to administer justice. Dawn Coppertea, Acquaintance. (�) - The strange, but impressive healer. Character's Thoughts: "I don't know what's up with her or her annoying fairy. Yet I can't deny I am as intrigued as I am wanting to stay far away." He's not really sure who exactly this Miqo'te is, beyond an incredibly skilled healer beyond what he's seen with technology to aid her, who was around after the sellsword tournament Esredes participated in in Ul'dah to get closer to stealing the host's magitek weapons. That, or the fact she talked in third person, wasn't what bothered him. It was the fact that she could detect he had Dragon's Blood, and nonchalantly asked if he would like to have it removed. Needless to say, he does not like some random stranger having that information to use against him. Even so, he does have her card. He might consider visiting her sometime... to see what is there to use. Haurchefant Greystone, Who is he and why do all the Warriors claim to be in love with him? (�) - The most sought after man in Ishgard??? Character's Thoughts: "Whoever he is, he gives me a bad feeling. I'm not sure I trust what everyone says about him." Esredes is actually unaware that he's heard his name somewhere in the past and forgotten its association to a story of a knight saving a lord and getting knighted for it. How impressive that story was, but one someone ultimately forgets about. Instead, he just keeps hearing his name from all the Warriors he runs into, half of which seem to claim they love him, and worse, who all but cite him as a reason they can't help Esredes, which is rather frustrating, to say the least. As if one supposedly nice man makes up for all the atrocities Ishgard continues to commit. Do they not know he must sit back and do nothing about people being thrown off of cliffs to their deaths? Yes, truly a nice man he must be. Needless to say, Esredes isn't quite convinced. He feels like there's something hiding there, but he'll never find out what it is, so it's not really worth worrying about. Now if only the children would shut up about him- he must be a somewhat young knight for them to have fallen for him, right? Well, perhaps he's just as clueless as them, or perhaps Esrey's speculations are correct. Vesevont Nevelaux, Acquaintance. (★) - The Lost Knight. Character's Thoughts: "While I don't dislike him, I find the man a bit odd and rather concerning. He clearly isn't handling being exiled from Ishgard very well." Rumor has it a knight flew on top of a silver dragon's back over in Dravania. Not the oddest or most out of place rumor. But when he spotted the pair for himself, he had to investigate. What was the nature of their bond? What sort of hardship or unique circumstance brought together such a beautiful union of man and dragon? The answer is absolutely not the cute or endearing story he expected. And that is how he learned about an older ex-knight and how he's been stuck with an absolute brat of a young adult dragon for the past several months because the dragon is insecure and wanted something more pitiful to laugh at. This is Stockholm Syndrome, right? Something like that? Esredes sure would believe it. He sure couldn't have claimed before he's seen an older man get bossed and ordered around by a kid. In managing to get him to agree to come back to the harrier camp and offering to find out what happened to his adopted son, Esredes hopes to show the man some actual positive air, see if he'll feel better among their people and perhaps decide he's better off there than with that asshole of a dragon. The problem is the man's tense and unsure personality makes it hard for him to know if that will end up being the case at all. At the least, the living doormat obeys him while he's there, and despite how he's clearly something of an airheaded mess, that can be put up with and fixed. While he's determined to try and be nice to the man in the Esredes definition of nice, despite his unusualness, he also won't feel much is lost if it fails. POST-HEAVENSWARD CHANGES AND ADDITIONS Ysayle Dangoulain, Grieving. (♥ ✝) - The sacrifice that didn't need to be. Character's Thoughts: "Why did it have to be her? Out of everyone I didn't want to go... I thought I would be able to be there for her forever. Was I ever even there in the first place? Please, gods, not her..." Perhaps the most potent single reason for him falling into a depression after the war ended. After everything he had done for her, after everything he had done to try and build her up to rise above her inner demons, none of it mattered in the end. When she died, Esredes could feel his own light dying inside him. Even as months pass, his mind can't stop thinking of the girl who deserved to be in his place. To be sharing the select little moments of joy he feels through the fog. Why couldn't it have been him? Who'd miss a damaged, now useless weapon, especially when she could be doing so much better in his place? When she has the ability to touch so many more hearts? ...But maybe things don't have to be this way. Maybe there's a way to reverse the process, to make the sacrifice who it needed to be instead... To bring back the one who truly matters, who this new age truly needs... Alastor Izunia, Friend. (♥) - Cat son. Character's Thoughts: "The kid is trying his best, and I for one find reason now to hope he succeeds." What it took to get to the end of the Dragonsong War took a toll on everyone, and Alastor is no exception. When it really came down to it, seeing the optimistic light fade from his eyes and only seeing a sad husk of what had been presented to him before was not pleasing for Esredes. So he repeated a tactic previously used with Dione, and put Alastor through his own improvised therapy technique to allow him to confront and learn to control his inner demons. And something of being told by someone Alastor thought hated him that he was not okay was the wake up call he needed to acknowledge it and talk about it. From that point on, he accepted the cat's presence as one that wasn't so bad. In his own state of being, he was ill equipped to turn down the support of someone who still insisted on seeing the best in him, despite everything he'd done to him in the past. So Alastor remains something of occasional company to enjoy for what it's worth, when he isn't being whisked off to go be a Warrior of Light. But it's for that exact reason he still worries for him. Heilyn Fortemps, Coworker/Friend. (♥♥) - The Emotional Support Dad. Character's Thoughts: "He's not as bad of a person as I thought he was. No, when he gets his head out of his own ass he is surprisingly kind. Well... kind in a subjective way. Still, he's come to be the closest ally I have." Even before the war ended, these two encountered each other again in a cry for help on Heilyn's part. And it certainly wasn't a happy reunion, and Esrey didn't hesitate to let him know that much. Still, he ended up putting aside his hatred for the man and agreeing to helping him- not for him, but for a combination of his son, and the fact he needed an Inquisitor that Esredes would very much like to get rid of gotten rid of. And when the deed was done, Esredes was content to never see him again. Until he did, in the same line of diplomacy he had started as a job back in Ishgard. Well, wasn't that just wonderful and lucky of him? Except to his surprise, the man practically broke down into tears with an apology. Consider that the first time anyone has ever cried giving an apology to him. Needless to say, regardless of how he believed his sincerity, the man was a Fortemps who wanted to make up for his previous actions towards him. An exploitable connection Esredes certainly wasn't going to let go of. But he found Heilyn to be a lot more than exploitable- no, the man was capable of being a genuine friend and ally, both of them united under the same goal. And the more they can both come to understand each others' emotional needs and who they are as a person, the closer they come together as being something to get the other through each day. It's very likely Heilyn will be a lifelong friendship for Esredes, one that can help him work through a lot of darkness within himself he wasn't even fully aware of. Seraphiaux Rosemond, Little Brother. (♥) - The Ghost In The Flesh, Pulled From The Air. Character's Thoughts: "You come to me at a time when I don't need you anymore. I can only hope you truly learned your lesson, because my heart does not drain easily of bitterness once it is full." Of all things he did not expect to appear at his doorstep off the distant heels of a near abandonment of everything, he did not expect a ghost to show up. Not a literal one, of course. But for all Esredes was concerned, Seraphiaux had died eight years ago, and that fact hadn't changed. So when Seraphiaux responded that no, it wasn't him trying to invite him to join the Ascians, and they were no longer a part of him, he was well beyond surprised. It felt like in that a moment, a small hand tried to form inside his mind to reach out to him. And then turned to dust as quickly as it formed. Because nothing could stop the years of anger from boiling quietly inside him every time he looked at him. Needless to say, he didn't immediately dismiss his little brother, but he did not open up. He had so many angry words to say. So many other people who didn't show up so many years too late to confide in. To put it simply, he was conflicted. All at once angry, passive-aggressive, withdrawn, and yet, in being so, wanting to see Sera push to try and get past his own brick wall. To know he actually cared enough to try, just as Esredes had all that time ago. A long, rocky road lies ahead for these two. For Esredes, it will take time and effort on Seraphiaux's part for him to want to put his emotions out to him again. To know that he truly cares. To know that he truly learned, somehow, after way too long. Even so, his very presence, no matter how turbulent, is an important step for Esredes to keep himself back from tumbling into a mental abyss. Even now, he would hate to put Seraphiaux through losing him, to have him just shatter right all over again like that. And after all Ishgard took away from him... Well, it's about time he reclaimed something of it. To think. One sibling needed to be here more than him. And the other needed him. They could never exist in the same space, one always out of reach. How do you fill a void that isn't yours to fill? N'theya Hawthorne, Friendly Acquaintance. (♦) - Void Granddaughter. Character's Thoughts: "She's a good kid, I just wish she'd grow up. ...Now I feel terrible for all the things I thought before. I mean it this time, she genuinely is a good kid. And I want to help her be able to love herself." He certainly couldn’t have anticipated Clover raising a voidsent like a child, but he’s come to respect her decision. N’theya is cute, and she has turned out to not be a monster... but she’s still a brat who causes her mother unneeded stress, and he wishes she would grow up and realize this. Because of all these factors, he’s a bit standoffish from her. It’s better to let Clover handle her than him. At least, that's what he thought up until recently, when she aged up to twelve and now seems... well, semi-aware. He can actually talk to her like a normal person now, and in the process his opinion of her has become much more involved and favorable. What stands out to him is that in her awareness, she has become much more angry and sad about what she is and that people hate her for it. A feeling that Esredes relates to all too well and empathizes with far too much to continue to be standoffish. No, now is his time to be the uncle she likes to call him and step in and teach her things, encourage her that she is not the only monster around, and is much more human than a good portion of Ishgard's population. In turn, she seems to respond well to and understand his explanations of the world, commenting often that he 'makes more sense than all the other adults.' Well, he's glad to be able to make sense. Because she needs guidance, and she needs support. Or else he'd hate to think what could happen to her. And he's happy to start emotionally protecting her for the good of herself and her mother. Ufah'ra Vamsidu, Enemy. (✖) - The Enigmatic Monster. Character's Thoughts: "How do you stab an Ascian Voidsent mix to death?" He does not like that thing one bit, and it needs to stay the hell away from Clover. He wants to figure out how to kill it as quickly as possible, because there is no way in hell he’s allowing it to take another friend from him. B'ahm Pilate, Strange Friend. (♥♥) - The uneven dad. Character's Thoughts: "...I suppose I owe him a lot. He's fine to have around, in doses. Though I really don't always understand why he cares." Instead of going away, B'ahm showed up at the heretic's doorstep beaten and bruised. How his comrades managed to do that, Esredes will never know. What he does know is that B'ahm will never stop being full of surprises and confusions. Like the fact he pushed for Esrey to join him with the Warriors in killing Nidhogg, aided in convincing Aymeric to pardon him, and seems for some reason to want to stick around him as if they hadn't been fighting each other before the war ended. Leaving himself as Esrey's only source of person to talk to directly in the aftermath of the end of the war. Not the one he expected, not the one he considered ideal- but somewhat helpful, nonetheless. And he learned quickly the man was not going away so easily, not before he could... let's just say 'teach' Esredes a few things. In several ways, Esredes couldn't rightfully deny his appreciation for all B'ahm has done for him. Nor deny that he can be something of a comforting presence. But he also tends to experience negative emotions over the way he tries to 'fix him', or calls him a child. Still. So be it, he supposes. Most people like to talk to him that way. And for what he's worth, he's tolerable most of the time. And certainly potentially useful, have Esredes ever the need for his seemingly endless abilities. It's just likely that something may eventually boil over that needs to be addressed for their relationship to be completely functional. O'raha Nuhn, Acquaintance. (★) - So you think you can date my daughter? Character's Thoughts: "He's not a very bright boy by any means... but he's all right." Perhaps his expectations for meeting Clover’s boyfriend were made too high by her talks of his noble nature. What he got was... certainly not what he was expecting. The boy might be dimwitted, but he does have a good heart, and the two of them can agree on trying to look out for Clover’s well being. He’s not entirely sure he’s the one for her, but he does at least respect him for what he does to help her. Pipin Tarupin, Acquaintance. (★) - The Ul'dahn On A Mission. Character's Thoughts: "While I don't know much about him, I do sort of like him. He seems rather chivalrous and noble in his persona, friendly, reasonable. And he's amusing when he gets all excited. I think we could get along." While he's likely heard mention of Raubahn having a son before, he doesn't recognize him or his name at all. All he does gather about the Lalafell man is that he's Ul'dahn, probably of the Alliance? And also has a reason to dislike and hunt down the Crystal Braves, though Esredes is sure his motivation is nothing like his own, even if it also seems to be revenge driven. Nevertheless, when he encountered the man out in Coerthas and helped him escape the cold, he seemed well meaning enough that Esredes agreed to help him hunt down the heretic-murdering fiends, as well as trust his Outsider mind with his special ability. Fortunately, true to being an outsider, his reaction was that of excitement and amazement at someone being able to transform into a dragon. He might be jealous. Esredes can't tell. That's fine. Be jealous, you should be. He doesn't really know or is particularly concerned of what they might connect or learn on their little expedition. All that truly matters to him is delivering justice for all the bodies burned into his mind, one way or another. Kalas Kazewoka, Celebrity Friendly Acquaintance. (★✔) - The Emerald Atoner. Character's Thoughts: "What a truly intriguing individual. Eccentric in all the ways that just make me wonder why. Encouraging. And most of all, someone who sees me for how I should be seen. I just have such a desire to find out all the things I am missing." When an Au Ra man in all shiny green showed up to a heretic-centric gathering, Esredes could only imagine why people were shouting something about an 'Emerald Eorzean' and who he even was and what sort of relation he even had to Shiva or heresy. While he still hasn't found that part out, he did unintentionally catch the man's attention and praise- and in the midst of such high spirits, was less hesitant than usual to indulge a Linkpearl exchange and a second meeting. In talking to the man over a balcony in the city proper, Esredes was quite surprised to have him spill out his life story to him immediately, and to find it was a tale of sky piracy, bloodshed, and atonement. Certainly not what he was expecting, but he didn't really care about sky pirates and had no place to talk, so he has decided not to make judgement on it. Especially now that he has discovered, after a couple friendly rounds of fighting, that he can defeat him surprisingly easily without exerting more than the average effort in dragon form. Or maybe he just got lucky. He personally imagines the second. Needless to say, despite his ungraceful jumps from acting like a normal, albeit dramatic and serious person to shouting like an actor and doing a bunch of poses, Esredes quite likes his company. It helps that he's pretty much the ideal person Esredes likes to meet at this point in his life- admiring him, not judging him on past actions, acknowledging him as a hero, feeling for his pain, and being fascinated by his dragon form rather than repelled. Yet Esredes still has so many questions- What exactly does he do that he vaguely describes as hero work? Why does he shout his attacks and pose, and why do they have primal names? What is with his soulstone remembering stories or something? Is there a reason his alternative form has a relation to the man who caused his atonement, or is it something else? Why does he always wear a mask? Well, Esredes intends on finding out the answer to at least some of these as soon as possible. Sui Bian, Fellow Heretic Acquaintance. (★�) - Little Missionary. Character's Thoughts: "...I can't really tell if I should be bothering with this man or not. My desire to help the weak and broken tells me I should- just as long as a giant red flag doesn't reveal itself to me." What an odd man. He acts at least ten years younger than he appears, and clearly isn't the brightest person. He's nice and gentle, yes, but also quite pitiful, from what Esredes can tell. Considering a previous, and dead, version of himself, as well as many of his former allies, he knows he has no right to judge the devout- but when something seems like it's taking over someone's life like the average Ishgardian, well... he can't help but be concerned. And the man is concerning. He has no doubt that there is some sort of tragic or horrible tale behind the man- but has gotten no hint to it except that Nophica apparently saved his life. And clearly, it has left him in a weak state of mind where he isn't even doing much else outside of clinging to religion for comfort. That's rather sad. But Esredes has seen this so many times before. People have come to him seeming weird or pathetic, and practically throwing themselves at his feet (and this man certainly was no exception to the last part the moment he realized he knew something about Ishgardian politics), and he's managed to improve their lives. Does he not owe it especially to a fellow harrier, even if not the kind who stood with him, to see if he can improve him like all those before? Is reporting visions from Nophica that might indicate he needs help really much weirder than some of the other things he's dealt with? It depends on if he can get him to shut up about Nophica for a few minutes and listen to all Esredes has to tell him. An obedient little puppy made into a fully grown hound at his side- it's an opportunity he is never one to turn down, or at least to try and achieve. Here in this time after the war, the spirit of his former residence still resonates strongly within, and its principle still applies as much as ever- if it means making someone loyal and useful to him, he's willing to put up with far too much. He just only hopes this pattern is taking the exact level of predictability he thinks it is. Artwork Screenshots ಌ OOC Notes ಌ OOC Information Player Note I'm Plat, she/her, a female college student. I get excited about characters the way anyone else does, and aim to someday create media out of mine. I am also a naive baby so excuse my innocence and please don’t try to destroy what remains of it. I use this AU of my character to explore whatever new facets I can discover of him, and to see how he can benefit the development of other characters. I am down to roleplay and figure something out whenever college isn't swarming me, so know your interest will excite me. Personal RP Limits Don't ask me to ERP without expecting to get digitally stabbed. My character is not a sex doll and I am personally not comfortable nor familiar with roleplaying that kind of content. I will fade to black and that is it. My discord is available upon request, and I can be found on tumblr. In game rp is iffy due to periods of game hiatuses and I prefer discord roleplay, with tumblr as a secondary. ■ I will play Anything from friendships to adding to my ever expanding kid empire to dramatic and dark content with enemies and murder and the like. Particularly interested in making more enemies, but I am never opposed to more allies and friendships. ■ I won't play Sexual content, for reasons stated above. Also, I don't think I can make him have any kind of positive relationship with a Warrior of Light if they participated in Snowcloak, as he will never forgive them for that part of the story and genuinely hopes most of them die from that point on, so keep that in mind if you have one. Disclaimer ■ I am over eighteen. ■ Final Fantasy is not his original universe, and you will hear me make mentions to his canon universe. To hear an explanation on that, refer here. ■ He is, of course, a villainous character. He may not always be nice and can sometimes even slip into abusive territory, and almost always makes judgements about characters immediately and beyond. This is why I often like to have some chatting beforehand to figure out the chances of playing nice or not so nice with your character. If you're not the talk it out type, whatever happens happens. ■ I roleplay him achronologically due to the limited timeframe of heresy. One or both of us can decide if your character fits meeting him as a heretic or post-heresy depending on what fits better. Character Tidbits Potential Plot Hooks ■ Esredes loves to manipulate or drag people into helping the heretics, or perhaps your character can somehow be involved in a heretic-related affair. From things involving Ishgard to stealing from other places to help supply themselves, the heretics have to do a lot to get by, and Esredes is usually there to help or lead. ■ Any loyal Ishgardian or even just people who don’t like what the heretics are doing can easily become an enemy to Esrey and I think that’d be fun to play with. Or just encountering him and his personality can probably spark something, who knows. ■ Esredes wanders out into the world a lot and can meet people if he’s simply exploring for his own downtime, or is between or in the middle of taking care of heretic business and something else happens. Though this also tends to lead into manipulation. ■ Sometimes when heretics have time to not be up to awful things, he will take up short term Adventurer-esque work just for the money. ■ Allies to the heretics are scattered across the globe. Visiting another area to consult one for information or supplies is yet another activity he partakes in. ■ Esredes loves to manipulate or drag people into helping the heretics, or perhaps your character can somehow be involved in a heretic-related affair. From things involving Ishgard to stealing from other places to help supply themselves, the heretics have to do a lot to get by, and Esredes is usually there to help or lead. Post-Heavensward Additions ■ He prefers to seek out people in Ishgard who are heretic friendly and especialy those with power to suit his own agenda towards his people. ■ Whispers still get through of who he is, and back alleyways and shadowy corners are not safe places to be. Perhaps someone is after him for revenge, or perhaps someone else sees what's about to happen and wants to stop it... ■ He still offers himself up for short term combat work sometimes. ■ Any character involved in Ishgardian politics may have heard of the negotiator for the dragons who is known for verbally calling out people on the political scene, though he prefers to keep out of the eye otherwise. ■ He keeps a list of people he encounters who he considers dangerous to the advancement of the new age of Ishgard. Inquisitors who won't let go, people who actively seek vengence against the heretics... But he can't clean up the filth himself with how he's being watched. But dark knights lurking in the shadows, however, don't have such trouble... ■ One of his outfits has a Fortemps crest on the breast, and he can often be seen around their manor. Perhaps this supposed connection to the family may intrigue someone to ask about it. Character Lore Adherence Dragon's blood is a very iffy part of lore, and I've chosen to take the least consequential approach to it for my character. However others are affected by it is still fine as is, but he will remain fully in control at all times. In addition, heresy in general is a very vague area of lore that I've filled with headcanons in order to flesh out. Snowcloak is retconned as only one of the base of operations, and the main camp is elsewhere. I also take to the approach of their being a large group of Warriors of Light, as he interacts with several characters of the sort. Also, his name obviously doesn't follow naming conventions. I don't care.

ಌ Information ಌ Name: Esredes Rosemond; tends to go by the alias Licano to keep his name from spreading to places he doesn't want it. Also uses Esrey as a nickname for with people he trusts. Pronunciation: S-ray-days Rose-muhnd; Leh-sah-no; S-ray Race: Ishgardian Elezen/Dragon Age: 33 Gender: Cisgender Male [He/Him/His] Location: The wilderness of Coerthas; also travels outside frequently Birthplace: The Pillars of Ishgard Occupation: Heretic Sub-leader and Criminal. Aligned with the Disciples of Shiva. Discipline: Gladiator Deity: Originally Halone, but no longer. Informally it is now Shiva, but in all reality, he doesn't believe much in deities anymore. Alignment: Lawful Evil Template made by User:Abelia Kir Armiger and free for use!