Born to simple Miqo’te parents in Limsa Lominsa, Deahfel spent her early years on the coast outside of the city, learning how to use farm tools and keeping in shape with the physical labor that life on the farm entails. Her father, Byron Pharasma, taught her the value of hard work and always expected a lot from Deahfel. The precious down time she had she spent playing with her rambunctious little brother, Dirk. Dirk was 4 years younger, and always looked up to his older sister, who was primarily in charge of keeping a watchful eye on him. Her mother, Deirdre, was the comforting parent, who the kids could always find solace in. She taught them manners and kindness. It was from her that Deahfel garnered an inner strength that matched her physical fitness. Deahfel was about 10 years old when that strength was tested. She and Dirk had been playing on the outskirts of the farm, when she suddenly lost track of him. She looked everywhere, assuming he was playing a prank as usual. But dread started to set in as her search drew her closer to the wilds. If he’d wandered out there, he could be lost. She spent hours searching for any sign, frantic. Then she found him. She dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she took in the image of his mauled body. She could not speak, she was hardly breathing. The crushing responsibility overloaded her. This had been her fault. She had shirked her responsibility, and this was the result. She didn’t know how long she sat there in shock. Then, through luck or sheer willpower, she found a way to draw upon her inner strength. Wiping her tears, she swore an oath to her fallen brother. She swore to never let this happen to anyone else again. Her friends and family would be her charge, and she would see to it that nobody need suffer as she had over this loss. She would be a protector! The family was left in shambles in the aftermath of the accident. They picked up what little they had and moved to Gridania, trying to escape their tragic memories. Deirdre never fully recovered, retreating into a daze of rote housework. Her life force seeming to drain out of her day by day, and months later she passed away. Deahfel could not handle it. To escape her idle grief at home, she joined the Twin Adders, chasing any small bit of adventure she could handle. She trained every day, practicing her skill with an axe out in the field. Eventually, she was skilled enough to set off on her own, pursuing work on behalf of the grand companies. She did quite well for herself, becoming self-sufficient financially. Her joy in her success, however, was short lived. Checking back for contracts as usual, she was surprised when a senior Serpent Officer handed her a letter. With a confused look she pored over the letter until she realized what it was a killed in action report. In her absence, her father had joined up with the Wailers. He was killed in a bandit ambush on a frontier outpost, all for some measly supplies. Yet another loss, it fueled a fire inside of her, driving her to excess. She went back to training and took on dangerous contracts on the Dravanian front, desperate for distraction. It was only years later she realized this lifestyle of distractions left her empty. She had to end it. She had to pursue something meaningful. No more adventuring in the field for months at a time. It was time to put down some roots and do some good for the people of this world, honoring her family’s memory rather than pushing it away. She joined up with the Celestine free company as the head of Expedition Security, drawing on her field experience to keep her new friends safe from any danger. She became a protector, just like she promised. Feeling the warmth of redemption and community, she strived to do more. She wanted to bring protection and salvation to even more people. She began a small order of volunteer knights known as the Hydaelyn Protectors. Although a small order at the moment, they are taking on as much work as they can handle while growing their ranks.
