Striding Oak

Striding Oak
'There is no such thing as a life without any regrets at all.'
Gender	Female
Race	Roegadyn
Clan	Hellsguard
Citizenship	Limsa Lominsa
Place of birth	Abalathia's Spine
Age	32
Sexuality	Bisexual
Marital Status	Courting
Height	7 fulms 0 ilms
Build	Athletic

"Striding Oak" (not to be confused with Walking Oak -- apparently we had the same idea) is cool and collected to the point where it can be frustrating. She experiences extremes so rarely that she can ironically come across as aloof or uncaring, although nothing could be further than the truth. She is in fact very observant, and there's plenty of warmth right beneath the surface that is not difficult to access. Her general manner is patient, even, and matter-of-fact, but she can quickly be coaxed into joking and mirth.

With Oak, what you see is what you get -- literally. She will always tell it like it is and has no time for things such as shyness, lies, embarrassment, and so on. She has no shame, and is honest to a fault.

Oak enjoys simple pleasures: a hearty meal, heated alcohol, a summer festival. She is most at peace in the mountains or on the road. Her whole life seems to be devoted to martial mastery, though every once in a while she lets slip that she envies the peaceful life of farmers.

Appearance

Eyes	Hair	Skin	Body Type	Voice	Bearing	Notable Features
Slate gray	Dark brown, coarse, wavy	Medium brown, tanned	Toned, fit, athletic	Deep, velvety, faint rasp	Imposing, dignified	Ascian rune on the back of her right hand
Alignment	Element
Type 1 Neutral Good[1]	Earth

At 7'0", lean of build and tightly muscled, Oak can cut a decently imposing figure. Her hands are a touch on the large side, with long, calloused fingers. Though thick of leg and sporting a reasonably ample bust, however, she is rather lacking in feminine figure. Though not slight, that does not mean she wants for grace -- Oak is surprisingly light on her feet, and moves with both fluidity and purpose.

By Brynhilde Wulf

Oak is not pretty, or at least not conventionally so. Her oval shaped face bears two scars, one across the bridge of her nose and one on the left cheek. Her lips are broad and full, her eyes a simple slate gray, and her nose the typical flat, flared nose of a Roegadyn. As with all Hellsguard, the tip and the nostrils end in a darker, more textured brown. Her cheekbones are low, her brows unshaped, her lashes long but pale. Her skin is a rich coffee-and-cream brown, with only a light bronzing from the sun. She wears no makeup, though she does typically keep two stripes painted across her right cheek -- her own personal war paint.

Oak's hair is a veritable mane. When left to hang down it billows around her head, over her shoulders, and down her back in waves and waves of coarse chocolate brown. In order to keep it out of the way during battle, she carefully braids it into several rows around her head, then pulls them all back into a ponytail. Her bangs, forever unruly, are left to hang around her face or go where they will.

The woman bears many scars, mostly on her arms, some on her thighs, a few on her back. The worst is what looks to have been a deep puncture wound in her stomach, where the flesh twisted slightly as it healed. Nevertheless, Oak is proud of her body because she is fit, and never attempts to hide the scars when she is out of her armor. Ask for a story, and she can tell you about nearly every one.

Oak tends to wear various combinations of leather, chain, and plate, depending on her combat needs. If traveling, she typically sticks to chain. If she knows ahead of time she's in for a long battle, she'll opt for the more traditional gear of a Hellsguard warrior. Her priority is always to move lightly, even when in the thick of combat.

Her armor and even clothing is all well used, but meticulously, almost obsessively cared for.

Personality

Oak is the embodiment of calm -- though some might say stoic instead. She keeps her emotions under such tight control that when they finally do show, it is often an indication of something serious. Despite this, however, Oak is a lover of levity, and takes great pleasure in word-sparring, jokes, drinking, or song. A good laugh is often what keeps her going, and it's not overly difficult to wrestle one out of her. She finds innocence endearing, and is patient with and protective of children or those significantly younger than she is. The idea of ever settling down herself, however, is often met with a scoff.

Oak is curious and open-minded, and always open to trying new things at least once, simply for the sake of the experience. In these cases it doesn't matter to her whether she immediately succeeds or not.

She is stubborn, however, in a way that only a Roegadyn can be. While typically more dignified than she is proud, if her stubborn streak takes over all that will change. She will insist on doing everything herself and then will become frustrated if/when that fails. Ironically, it is the fear of failure that tends to make her stubborn in the first place. If she does perceive having failed, she will completely shut down.

She has perhaps unreasonable expectations of honesty in people, and will get offended by lies, viewing them as highly disrespectful rather than something normal. While very slow to anger, she is just as impossible to calm down once there. Her only methods of venting involve either drinking heavily, or taking out her emotions in a fight.

Oak is not typically one to insult somebody, but she has a bad habit of being blunt or sometimes tactless in conversation, occasionally leading to ruffled feathers.

Strengths

Oak has a tremendous amount of physical and mental fortitude. She is capable of pushing herself to and then beyond the point of exhaustion toward any cause or person she believes in. She does not cow or give up easily, and fears very little.

This Roegadyn is extremely hard working, and takes to every job, chore, lesson, or even hobby with gusto. There is nothing she ever does halfway, sometimes to her own detriment. Give her a task, and she will be dedicated to it. That dedication extends to people as well: earn Oak's friendship, and she will be fiercely loyal for life.

She is intelligent, though not well educated. She possesses natural logic, a fair amount of wit, and a good degree of pure instinct, but she has only learned reading, writing, and arithmetic up to what in the real world would be considered an eighth grade level. To this end it'd be fair to say she's street smart rather than book smart, and to say the least anything magical or technical is usually beyond her. That said, Oak is good at applying herself, and if given a bit of time can learn new things relatively quickly.

Flaws

Oak has a nasty habit of keeping her cards too close to her chest. She is difficult to read and can easily rub people the wrong way if they expect the usual social niceties from her. Though she is polite and offers compliments and such, they're often awkward or vague. Sometimes she'll outright say what she's thinking, whether the other person wants to hear it or not. If she truly dislikes a person, she'll assign them a nickname in the Old Tongue and not tell them what it means.

A childhood among seafarers instilled in her the belief that "honor is for knights and dead men", and in competitions she rarely if ever plays fair. In fighting especially, Oak will play dirty and aim for sensitive spots. She does not take losing well and tries to bend each situation in her favor.

Oak is perpetually restless and it is difficult to get her to sit still for long. As soon as she perceives she is being idle, she will leave to go do something she feels is productive. It's a challenge to get her to socialize and even more to get her to relax. Though not high-strung, sitting around does tend to make her a little grumpy or frustrated.

Romance

Oak's views on intimacy are a lot like her views on religion: that it is private, personal, and should be enjoyed however one enjoys it. She believes that love is love regardless of race or gender, and that it's ok to be adventurous. She is dubious of the notion of a "soul mate", but she does believe in something akin to true love: that it is possible to find someone who is so absolutely compatible with you that they challenge and compliment who you are; that they are so much a part of your life that you could not imagine it without them. She knows her parents were this way, but she also knows it's very rare to find. A potential suitor would have to be incredibly patient, because it would take Oak a long time to decide she loved them and was ready to commit. She would need someone who treated her as an equal, for she is no housewife; someone willing to share all successes and failures, the good, the bad, the ugly, the mundane. They would have to share in some of her beliefs and interests, so that they could relate, but be different enough to challenge her to try new things and escape her comfort zone. Most importantly, it would need to be someone whom she could trust implicitly -- someone who she could tell literally anything to.

Recently, Oak has discovered all of these qualities within Brynhilde Wulf, and the two have begun exploring a more romantic relationship.

Combat

Oak has labored since childhood learning both the axe -- the traditional Roegadyn weapon -- and the lance. She believes that the one compliments the other, the lance-style keeping her light on her feet, and the axe-fighting keeping her strong. Both weapons have instilled in her an aggressive fighting style, quick and powerful but also tightly controlled. For her size, Oak is actually quite agile; she keeps her enemies at bay by virtue of a longer reach and quick foot movements. To achieve this, however, Oak tends to armor herself more lightly, and would never be able to take the direct blows a gladiator or paladin could.

Oak's stamina tends to flag quickly. Her strategy is to close in for quick kills, and she's not afraid to fight dirty to achieve this end if the situation turns especially sour. She will almost always press the attack, either diving in with her lance, or heaving mercilessly with her axe. If she must kill, it is done as quickly and cleanly as possible.

By virtue of being ambidextrous, Oak is able to throw off opponents by switching her main hand to be the opposite of theirs. She'll fight right-handers with her left hand, and vice-versa. Her preference for melee weapons, however, leaves her woefully vulnerable to any and all ranged attacks. Anything outside her jumping range has a distinct advantage. Naturally, her size makes her a very easy target, and both her weapons of choice are particularly slow.

Her general style is a strange mishmash that is difficult to place. It is Hellsguard, it is Sea Wolf, and it is even a good deal Ishgardian.

Occupation, skills and pastimes

Nowadays Oak works almost exclusively as a bodyguard for hire, though like many Hellsguard she will never shy away from mercenary work. She has a tendency to pick up high risk, high reward jobs, and is often found delving into Eorzea's absolute worst locales. Her travels appear to regularly take her from Limsa up to Coerthas over to Gridania and back again, and she's gained some small reputation between the three regions for being fearless (some say mad) and dependable.

Likes: Hot Springs Social Drinking Large Meals Gardening Strategy Board Games Hand Crafts Sparring Hard Work Travel Singing, Song, and Music

Dislikes: Dishonesty/Vagueness Idleness/Laziness Braggarts/Show-offs Disrespect Sweets Sweet-talkers Nix (and their smaller cousins) Disrupted Routines Magic (with several exceptions)

Skills: Climbing Mastery of axe and lance Skilled strategist Powerful singer, decent dancer Traditional Hellsguard woven art Rigging

Fears: Failure, especially where her own perceived physical or mental weakness is concerned Tight spaces (mildly claustrophobic) Ever becoming a mother Lack of control/loss of freedom Madness

Though the majority of Oak's talents lie in physical and martial pursuits, she does have a small, mildly artistic side. She is good at hand crafts, is light enough on her feet to dance well, and can carry quite a tune. Composing, whether it be written word or visual art, however, is quite beyond her.

Relationships

Family

Striding Oak was born the only child in an otherwise traditional Hellsguard family. Her given name in the Old Tongue is Pfareyha Syhrberkwyn.

Father: Syhrberk Wyznwintsyn/Stalwart Mountain (deceased)

Mother: Tauchnspaer Rhotmharwyn/Diving Sparrow (deceased)

Step Father: Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn

Aunt: Laughing Crow

Cousin: Red Deer

Various other aunts, uncles, and cousins, generally too numerous to count.

Friends

Brynhilde Wulf : Chance threw Brynhilde and Oak together when Bryn came under attack in Lower La Noscea. As one of the first to find her, Oak saved her life by pulling free a spear head lodged in the Highlander woman's side. The two have rapidly grown close since that time, finding through exploration, combat, and several shared meals that they have a tremendous amount in common. What began as a friendship between kindred spirits quickly blossomed into something more, and currently the two are courting in the most awkward manner possible.

Tiergan Vashir: A freak magical occurrence threw Oak and Tiergan together. Forced out of their usual comfort zones, the two came to realize they shared similar lifestyles and mindsets, and they became fast friends. Oak respects Tiergan for his strength and resolve, and though she would never admit it, she knows he is stronger than she is. Should he need it, she would never hesitate to come to his aid.

Gilawafe Archimtirios : A brother in arms from the Crystal Dawn, and Oak's mentor in all things warrior. The two meet weekly to train in axe fighting, and through it Oak has learned that she shares a similar past with the taciturn warrior. Seeing in Gil the kind of person she almost became, Oak is determined not to let him slip into despair any further.

Raelin Aradan: Oak got to know Raelin through her contracts with the Traveling Templar. She warmed quickly to his easygoing attitude and Limsan accent, reminded through it of the sailors she used to travel with. When Raelin found himself in desperate need of a ship, Oak turned to her step father, Fraebhar, for help.

Ne'ci Aera: Ne'ci arrived on the scene of Brynhilde's attack right as Oak did. With the spear pulled free from Brynhilde's side, Ne'ci was able to seal her wound using her skill in conjury. The two have since undertaken several missions together, and Oak knows she can always trust her life to the white mage. She has gone to great lengths to help ensure that Ne'ci will be able to live the life she wants to live.

Acquaintances

Lurial Vashir : To Oak she is simply "Tiergan's Sister", but Oak is willing to trust Lurial based on that merit alone. Though many distrust Lurial for her shady occupation, Oak has thusfar withheld judgement.

Zaius Rhal'seer : Oak has recently come into Zaius' acquaintance, and more recently begun to fight alongside him. They share a similar outlook and love for battle, and she is quietly impressed that he has survived a life in the fighting pits with his body -- and humor -- still in tact.

Melchar Asbrand : Though they have had limited interaction, Oak -- half out of cultural habit, and half out of true admiration -- respects her Hellsguard elder. Melchar gives Oak hope that one can find peace and fulfillment even in their twilight years.

N'hald Tia : A young Miqo'te who Oak met during a Templar outing to Bronze Lake. While her first impression of him left her assuming he was some showoff kid, she is beginning to learn there is more strength and maturity to him than she first thought. Oak hopes a bit of Roegadyn wisdom will continue to push him in the right direction.

Enemies

None. Yet.

Rumors

Common Rumors

• "Haha! You thought that was a Roegadyn woman? I can see why, but nay, that's a Highlander man."
• "Don't bother. That one only likes other women."
• "Keep your distance from her. See that frown? She's angry all the bloody time."
• "She ain't a Sea Wolf, but she's still just as drunk."

Moderate Rumors

• "That Roegadyn's always in debt. I always see her scrounging to pay off one smith or another."
• "Eh, Old Tongue ain't dead. See that one there? She still speaks it."
• "She's here often. Loves her baths, see, but never has the decency to wear a bathing suit. Not that any of the Roe lads seem to mind. If I had a rack like that, I'd show it off too."
• "Oh, I know she's Hellsgard, but she fell in with some Wolves. Turns out they found something big, some great treasure, and for some reason she's just been sitting on it!"

Rare Rumors

• "I haven't seen her traveling with her son lately. Some Wolf put it in her, looked like. Wonder if he's with the father."
• "Swear on me mum, that be ol' Fraebhar's daughter. Sharlayn, Ul'dah, 'n Garlemald all'd pay pretty coin fer their heads, what fer all the trouble they've caused. Not enough fer me t'pick a fight wi' either of 'em, though. Har!"
• "No thank you. That one has a dragon's temper. She once shoved a grown man's face into a furnace after he angered her."

History

Abalathia's Daughter

Show text

Pfareyha Syrberkwyn was born on the 16th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon, 1545, to parents Diving Sparrow and Stalwart Mountain. Their first and only child, Pfareyha, or 'Striding Oak' in the common tongue, took charge of the village children as soon as she was old enough. Oak quickly gained a reputation for her confidence as she grew, though some would have called it bossiness instead. If any trouble occurred, it was safe to assume that Oak had initially either talked her peers into it, or bullied them -- including the older children.Oak's mother was the main income for the family. A traveling blacksmith of some renown, she made sojourns every other month to either Sharlayn or Ishgard to sell her wares, and gained herself a solid reputation everywhere inbetween. When at home, she would either hone her craft or hunt for the village. Oak's father, meanwhile, had spent much of his life as an adventurer. Though he had initially spent his youth in Ishgard on a rare contract, he was forced to move on to Limsa Lominsa instead as Ishgard slowly became more insular. There, he met a pirate by the name of Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn, and the two spent many years adventuring together. When Stalwart returned home to become a mountain guard and start a family, Fraebhar remained a close family friend.

Both of Oak's parents were proficient in the spear, and began teaching her how to wield it as soon as she was old enough to hold one. As she was the firstborn, she would be the only one among her siblings to stay home; thus, Oak planned on becoming a ranger on the mountain when she grew up. That quickly changed in her seventh year when Fraebhar returned to the family sooner than usual, seeking refuge. When his problems followed him up into the Spine, it was his protectors -- Oak's parents -- who inadvertently paid for his actions.

The Pirate's Charge

Show text

Though Oak had numerous aunts and uncles she could have gone to for care, Fraebhar, wracked with guilt, felt it was his duty to raise her instead. He returned with her to Limsa Lominsa, and brought her aboard his ship, the Moraine, instead. For the next several years, Fraebhar would raise Oak as a Sea Wolf, giving her a new name and raising her to be a sailor among a mostly Roegadyn crew. He began to tutor her in the ways of the axe, though she continued with her spear work as well. As "Abarbyrm Fraebharwyn", Oak learned her way about sailing, navigation, and gunnery with some difficulty. She spent most her time with the only other Hellsguard aboard the Moraine, a conjurer's apprentice named Singing Sky, whose Elezen master was indentured as the ship's sole healer. When she turned 14, Fraebhar began to let her come along on raids. The grizzled pirate made a fortune by attacking ships on the open sea and fencing goods in Ul'dah -- or, occasionally, vice-versa. Around this time, Fraebhar trusted her with a secret as well: that her parents had died to protect him and a special map he held. This map, he claimed, led to an ancient treasure of enough worth that several people were willing to kill him for it. Now that she was old enough, he planned on finding this treasure. Reluctantly, Oak agreed.

Though the details of their hunt are lost to general knowledge, it is known that five other ships -- some of which belonged to the Knights of the Barracuda -- were sunk by the Moraine. It is unknown whether Fraebhar's search was ever even successful.

The event caused a rift between Fraebhar and Oak, however, largely over the loss of life that occurred. For the next three years, Oak began to argue with her step-father over the necessity of their continued aggression, and over the worth of a pirate's life. When she was 17, Oak left the Moraine as soon as it pulled into port, determined to live a more honest life.

Oak's young charge

Return to the Mountain

Show text

Upon leaving the Moraine, Oak returned home to her tribe for the first time in ten years. There she was warmly welcomed by many who still remembered her, and re-assimilated into Hellsguard culture. Oak found life among her own clan much more suited to her, and lived happily farming and hunting alongside her extended family for the next three years. She lived with her aunt, Laughing Crow, and Crow's eight children. Blood relations or no, however, Oak was unable to shake the feeling that she was imposing upon an already large family. As she was no longer technically the firstborn child -- her cousin Red Deer was Laughing Crow's eldest -- Oak felt she had no right to remain home, and resumed her desire to make it on her own as a mercenary. At twenty years old, she struck out again, this time on her own.

Oak began to offer her spear for hire to nearly anyone with the coin to offer. Brash, impulsive, and pugnacious, she got into constant trouble and had earned both of her facial scars within a year. The difficulty of the mercenary trade soon cooled her, however, and Oak matured quickly in both temperament and skill. The next many years saw her working and adventuring, with regular return visits home.

The Little Wolf

Show text

By the time Oak was twenty-four, she had earned enough of a reputation to be scouted by a Lominsan captain of some standing. For a time she worked in his personal employ, coming to make Limsa Lominsa her secondary home, and earning enough to finally purchase her own chocobo. A year later, however, she left with a young Sea Wolf boy of about six in tow, giving rise to the rumor that she had been the captain's long-time lover, and the boy was their bastard son. When questioned, Oak would claim the boy as her own and state that the father was dead.

The two remained transient for the next two years, generally avoiding the large cities and never staying in one place for very long. The majority of their time was spent in the Shroud and around Gridania, where Singing Sky and his mentor then resided. For a time, Oak took up residence in a tiny farming village in the East Shroud, where the boy became well known for running off to look for Sylphs. Soon after her twenty-seventh birthday, Oak and the boy disappeared into Larkscall entirely. Singing Sky brought her back a day later, gravely wounded and clinging to life. The boy never returned.

Destroyed, Oak returned home to Abalathia's Spine as soon as she was well enough to travel. Three weeks later, Dalamud fell.

The Wandering Bodyguard

Show text

Oak spent the next year recovering and gathering her wits in her homeland, debating staying within the village after all. As news of the Calamity's chaos finally reached the tiny village, however, Oak resolved to resume her work as an adventurer. She took to the road, helping to bring order to the chaos wherever she could. Often she worked as an impromptu enforcer or, more commonly, a bodyguard. Within time, she exclusively became a bodyguard for hire. Oak has only recently found profit in her work, as life finally begins to stabilize somewhat for Eorzeans. Recently she was hired by the Free Company the Crystal Dawn to bolster their ranks, and likewise has contracted herself out to the Traveling Templar. A notorious workaholic, Oak is a rare sight within cities and at social gatherings, but more and more she's beginning to return to the world and become social again.

Character Connections

The following characters may have a RP link with Striding Oak:

• The Hellsguard clans are small and likely tight-knit. Any Hellsguard born in the Spine could have grown up or lived with Oak in her early years, or have known of her.
• Anyone who was or is a pirate might know of Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn and his treasure, and by extension her.
• Anyone involved in law enforcement might also know of Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn, the sunken Barracuda ships, and by extension her.
• Anyone who has lived in the East Shroud might have briefly known her and her 'son', Wytakoen.
• Anyone who simply asks around might know of her; Oak has been a traveling mercenary for years, and has built up a solid reputation.

If you have any ideas other than what is listed here, please feel free to contact me about them! I'm always open to brainstorming and discussion.

Annotations

This Template was blatantly stolen from Brynhilde Wulf with her permission.