Motes Bellanes

Error creating thumbnail: File missing  Motes Bellanes
Branded Knight
Gender	Female
Race	Roegadyn
Clan	Hellsguard
Citizenship	Limsa Lominsa
Patron	Oschon, the Wanderer
Server	Balmung

Motes Bellanes is a woman whose alias is more solid and real than her name. An eternal work in progress, she always considers herself to be lacking and is constantly at war with herself.

Appearance

Motes is Hellsguard Roegadyn who is taller than she is comfortable with. Despite the fact that she towers over most of the population of Eorzea and beyond, and the fact that she nigh-constantly encases herself in suits of plate mail, Motes makes a distinct effort to hold herself with the stillness and grace usually attributed to smaller, more lithe people. The plate that she wears is tailored to fit like a carapace, but the woman inside it wears it far more uncomfortably. When moving, Motes can pick up a good amount of speed, but the weight of her armor always seems to come as a surprise, as a second thought.

Across her face, Motes bears a distinctive tattoo—anyone with a knowledge of Hellsguard symbolism would understand that her tattoos are a mark of shame, someone who has made an inexcusable betrayal and been branded for it. The mark is unusual: she doesn’t take any measures to hide it and the lines of the brand are unusually clear, as though she did not fight the marking. Her eyes have dark circles beneath them no matter how rested she may seem.

More often than not, when Motes finally sheds her armor, it is to be able to wear whatever makes her comfortable (and whatever she damn well pleases). In these cases, the woman loves to cover herself in jewelry, and soft clothes that cover most of her body. Anything uncomfortable or weighty is left behind when she goes out without armor, although most likely Motes will retain at least one blade on her person.

Demeanor

Dressed as a knight, Motes often surprises people by being far more engaging than her usual charge, Dhatura. She loves jokes, even ones that aren’t funny. She can hold conversations made entirely of questions and can parcel out facts and scorn in equal measure. A departure from the traditionally stoic body guard, Motes often sasses more than she should—and while she tries very hard to keep her anger in check (she sees it as the ugliest aspect of her race, something that should never be embraced), her other emotions have a tendency to slip out, though she is rarely “emotional” in public. Sadness, grief, and other personal emotions are kept under wraps as much as she can manage, while irritation, scorn, amusement and other social emotions are far more freely given.

She’s a talker, but Motes can tell the difference between what should be said and what shouldn’t the majority of the time. Chances are, if she says something, it was on purpose. She rarely lies these days, but she has never been one to underestimate the lie of omission, and has no fear of being vague (even though she loathes it in others). Her personal code, however, forbids her from lying, so while she is very good at it, she avoids it at almost all costs.

It can seem like Motes is a contradiction at all times: a woman with no pride, who is constantly wounded by it all the time; a woman who struggles between maintaining an image and practice of largeness and strength, but who seems disgusted by the idea that she needs it or wants it. She will be the first to discount herself, declaring herself honorless and useless with great abandon, but observers will note that she makes great effort when she can to prove the usefulness of her existence. Honor will not be mentioned, but she will usually take the most moral course of action, though morality for her is still flexible and often breaks from the more traditional senses. When meeting new people, Motes will often respond non-confrontationally, smiling and agreeing, throwing out bad jokes and whatever assurances her partner-in-conversation needs to hear as long as it is honest. She spends time measuring the stranger through conversation, deciding how far she might want to take the acquaintance. Even conversations she does not enjoy, she finds interesting. Knowing how people react to her and the environment is essential.

For those she does know, Motes is often mistaken as their lover, their romantic partner, though this is rarely (if ever) the case. This most likely stems from the intensity of her actions towards people she’d rather see alive, though she will never speak positively of loyalty.

Additionally, while Motes is often mistaken for a man while in her armor, and her race is sometimes confused, Motes is constantly aware of the fact that she is a woman and a Roegadyn and is always trying to distance herself from it. She is confused by the pride of birthright that so many carry with them like a badge of honor and is disdainful of those who would rather be all that is expected of them rather than a person in their own right.

Older than most new adventurers, Motes is becoming increasingly concerned about her appearance. She fears becoming matronly, being dismissed for being feminine, told to go home. Anyone telling her to put down her armor will be met with hostility. It doesn’t matter that she would rather not use her weapon: it doesn’t matter if she’d truly be happier and better off in another profession: this is what she’s chosen, and she will see it through.

Rather than meeting a problem head on, Motes will be the one to find a solution around the problem (though she will never ignore the problem or avoid it). She prides herself on being able to speak to people well most of the time, and practices diplomacy when she can.

Quirks

• Motes reads an obscene amount when left alone too long.
• All of Motes’ belongings are carefully taken care of and everything from her bags to her room is extremely organized to the point where anything that she designates as “hers” can seem cold and unwelcoming.
• The Roegadyn has long history with botany and agriculture. While she can use clumsily Aether to heal the most basic of injuries, she much prefers to find remedies based on flora and fauna for anything serious placed in her care. Motes goes to great lengths to avoid asking anyone for help—she has been known to pick up entire trades to learn how to patch something or do something on her own.
• While rarely mentioned, Motes is deeply religious and devoted to her patron, the Wanderer. She believes that religion is a thing that can only be experienced in private and that each experience is personal, so she tends to avoid speaking on it at great lengths.

History

She was born and raised at a small farm on the outskirts of La Noscea. The most she will say on it is that she did not like it and left the moment she could.

Motes spend several years fending for herself in the streets of Limsa Lominsa after leaving the farm, theiving and fighting for her gil. An older, well-meaning Sea Wolf Roegadyn by the name of Tragan picked her up and placed her in his Company, and tried to instill a sense of justice and order in her. He taught her the skills she needed to successfully make her way as a mercenary, hoping against hope that she could be rehabilitated.

Unfortunately, the siren song of gil was a call too strong for Motes to resist. In a bid for power, influence and gil, Motes killed a conjurer-in-training, Luthe, who had all but been raised beside her as a sister. She tried to escape the confines of the city, but was caught by Tragan. In an effort to save her and show her mercy, Tragan talked to her and let her go, hoping that she would return of her own volition.

This did not happen. Motes took up with a group of young people who identified very imaginatively as the Shadows. They were a loose organization in the Shroud dedicated to using their various contacts to profit each other. Motes worked mainly using her size and race to her advantage, sticking out like a sore thumb as a distraction, while cultivating contacts among the Adders and general public. Her talent for finding what people wanted her to say helped her make friends while her associates spread chaos, working with the various criminal elements in the area to avoid the ire of the Elementals while exploiting the land.

The Shadows soon expelled her from their numbers, when she became too creative and unpredictable with her assignments from sheer boredom. She then saw no further need to maintain her contacts in Gridania, so Motes made a graceful exit from Gridania, heading to Mor Dohna with a newly befriended and shaken Dhatura in tow.

In Mor Dohna, Motes found more than enough to entertain herself, even finding people willing to pay her to cause chaos and dissent in the Garlean ranks in the time shortly before the calamity (unbeknownst to her). In a mission gone critically wrong, Motes’ raiding groups disbanded, leaving all those captured to their own devices. Motes alone stayed behind, overwhelmed by the guilt of bringing Dhatura to this place and then losing him in a Garlean fortress.

Breaking him out of prison, Motes ferried Dhatura to her panic room in Coerthas, and kept him there until he was stable enough to travel to Limsa Lominsa, where she traded her unbranded face and promises of changing her life for more expert healing for Dhatura at the hands of a conjurer in the pay of Tragan.

While she originally had no intentions of keeping her promise to Tragan (despite her tattoo ruining her chances of remaining in the underworld), events found Tragan being called away to the battle at Carteneau while Dhatura convalesced. Tragan, like many others, died at the battle, and Motes found herself re-evaluating her promise. For so long, she’d thought that Tragan might be invincible—he was the big bad wolf of her childhood, and now he was dead.

Once Dhatura was whole and hale again, she fell in step beside him to wander Eorzea, armed with questions and the knowledge that death comes to everyone and nothing is forever.

People

• Dhatura Inoxia - Motes’ strongest and most complex relationship, and definitely the most abusive on both ends. She calls her official function in his life “teaching him manners”, but it doesn’t seem like he knows any. He calls her motherly, but she has a more intimate rapport with him than any other. If asked if she is his lover, she will laugh and deny it. Her response to such questions is usually far more vicious than needed. Often times, she will be the only one left defending him, sacrificing her personal pride to ensure he walks free. Despite his many protestations that she is overbearing, unhelpful, and unneeded, the two seem to balance each other and refuse to stay out of touch for long. They are often able to anticipate each other’s words and needs, though whether they respond appropriately to each other depends on the day. Some people are just too vain.

• D'arca Ovraen - This younger miqote often makes Motes and Dhatura’s duo into a solid, bickering trio. While she may seem to trivialize him with various pet names, and often seems like she’s talking down to him, Motes would never tell him to leave, or try to truly upset him. She finds his persistence and stubbornness fascinating. If ever asked how they met, she’ll simply reply that she accidentally did him a favor, though he will a spin a far more colorful story (though neither story seems to be a lie). While a trio with him is more common, it is not uncommon for D’arca and Motes to be seen together in a more social setting, heads together and thick as thieves. He shouldn't have been born a cat.

• Ghost Forge - The “Forgekin” puts off an unnerving aura of nothing, and while this might deter others, Motes finds Ghost Forge’s lack of identification to be a relief from the rush of people vying to be like something or someone. The Roegadyn has found that the person in the armor to be a wealth of information on anything from socks and hats to animal husbandry and life philosophy. While Ghost Forge seems disposed to teach Motes a bit, in so much as Ghost Forge teaches. Motes gets the feeling that she asks too many questions of them, but as Ghost Forge always has the option to decline to answer, she will continue to ask. The repetition of “I do not have friends” perturbs Motes, but at the very least, she’s wise enough not to push the issue. Having received not only alarmingly sage advice as well as a good review from the bodyguard, Motes holds Ghost Forge in great respect and continues to seek out their attention. Finches, Grandad, Finches.

• Sigyn Shieldbreaker - (aka Shield-denter, Buckler-licker, Thunderthighs, and any irreverent addition or variation thereof) – Motes, while initially suspicious of this dodgy monk, has come to appreciate her sharp tongue and strong will. While she still cannot understand Sigyn’s love for Ul’dah and Thanalan in general, Motes has decided to keep her opinions on the area in check while around the girl out of respect. Having been on the receiving end of both her wrath and her nearly-unbridled chakras, Motes is more than a bit wary of making Sigyn angry again, no matter how quickly that storm fades. Sigyn remains a fascinating source of information and opinions, as well as a charming conversationalist (most of the time), so Motes does intend to keep her around. The Valiant Young Highlander.

• Horace Rook - This man holds the odd spot in Motes knowledge base of being the least human person she’s met since the calamity. This might be because he represents almost every facet of civilization that she loathes. While many of the people around her question the humanity of Ghost Forge, Motes instead questions the humanity of Rook, mercantile expert. While others fret about what he might be planning behind his smile, or what might be waiting for them when they speak to him next, Motes simply assumes that everything she (or anyone else) says is the worst possible option and thereby expects the worst from this “Goldsmith”. While the details of his machinations may surprise her, his attitude rarely does. She’s heard he can be a great benefactor, but this changes nothing for Motes. She has no desire to upset him whether he be good or evil. She is more interested in the “potential” he claims she has but never speaks of. It was this or a castle.

Combat Style

Motes is always itching to cut at something, but years of practice and promises have taught her to wait until unnecessary to truly pull steel on a person. When she does eventually turn a weapon on someone, Motes holds her sword more like a dagger than how long blades are usually wielded. Additionally, Motes has a fondness for unusually shaped longswords, though she usually prefers hyur-sized blades or spathas. Her shield, much like her armor, is always a second thought, something almost forgotten with the exception of trying to pacify a target.

When attacking non-lethally, Motes will try to use a series of swift strikes with her shield rather than her blade. Her attacks with her sword don’t follow any particular school of thought—it seems like she’s learned to use a sword in practice rather than in theory. She uses strong strikes to inflict most of her damage, but if given the space and time to work, Motes will use smaller, more precise strikes. If she truly does not like you, you are most likely in for a long sadistic fight bent on destroying your morale.

If reduced to fighting defensively, fighting in very real fear, Motes will attempt a crushing defeat. If sufficiently threatened, she while fight long past the other has surrendered, trying push her fear onto them. If she wins she wants them to never try to hurt her again, no matter what the cost to her opponent or to her.

Preferences

Likes

• Personal Achievements
• Jokes
• Drinking
• People Watching
• Reading (esp. Trashy Novels—go on, ask her. She can recommend a few good ones.)
• Clever People

Dislikes

• Racial Pride and Racism
• Poor Liars
• “Loyalty” and “Bravery”
• Being Embarrassed
• Unnecessary Violence
• People who embrace their negative sides

Personal Code of Ethics

This is a series of promises that Motes made to her twice-mentor Tragan shortly before his death. While she does keep to this code the majority of the time, she struggles with it daily and never breaks from it on purpose.

These promises are not listed with numbers so that no promise may seem more important than the others, and so that every oath is just as binding.

• Your People come before all else.
  • Anyone who benefits you by being alive is your People.
  • They always come before yourself.
  • Anything that betters them, betters you.
  • Your pride is less important than their needs.
  • If one of your people falters, it is you who must help them. If everyone where to delegate helping to someone else, no helping would ever be done.
  • If your People are to be hale and whole, they must be happy too.

• Speak no word that is not true.
  • Every falsehood will eventually come to light. This is a universal truth and is inevitable.
  • Even if you have helped someone before, they are under no obligation to help and will not help you if you have not proved yourself to be trust worthy.
  • Your honesty can be your greatest tool and most powerful weapon.

• Nothing is free. Everything must be earned.
  • This includes thievery and stealing. Even if you worked to steal the item in question, you did not earn it.
  • Those who promise everything for nothing are liars and should be stopped.

• Never walk away from an opportunity to better yourself.
  • Never let a skill you could use to help others atrophy.
  • No matter how menial the practice, do it to the best of your abilities.
  • To be truly balanced, you must be more than your physical power and fighting prowess.
  • Embrace every chance to end fights with words rather than violent deeds. Every dispute settled in this fashion saves another person from wounds they do not need.
  • Never forget that every person has both a mind and a body: you must maintain both to be ready for any threat.
  • Look at all your options before denying any of them. A chance set aside because of willful ignorance can be the difference between life and death.
  • Walking away from those who need your help is walking away from the best opportunity of all and an unforgivable offense.

Rumors

Common Rumors

“She’s the biggest highlander I’ve ever seen—there’s no way that woman is really a Roegadyn.”

“I told her she was the most honorable of all of us and she laughed in my face, told me that lies were unbecoming. I don’t understand.”

“I don’t think she understands how body guarding works. She keeps telling her charges what to do.”

Uncommon Rumors

“She called me Ul’Dahn today, I think it was an insult. She smiled, but she still looked angry.”

“I saw her with another man today. I still can’t tell if she’s sleeping with any of them.”

“I wouldn’t trust –anyone- with a face marked up like that. Symbols aren’t that obscure. Look ‘em up.”

Rare Rumors

“I heard the Duskwight she travels with call her Stahlwyda the other day. Wasn’t that the place with the arson and the triple homicide? I heard there were no survivors, that can’t be right.”

“She’s on first name basis with some of the Tempered Sylphs. And I heard they don’t call her Motes.”

“They found a conjurer all sliced to hell the day she left Limsa. I’m not sayin’ she did it, but she’s the only one who would’ve.”

PC Rumors

This is your spot. Feel free to say what you will.

• "Weird lass, that'n. She dunnae know shite about anythin', far as I'm concerned. But all th' same, I like ta keep an eye on her." - Sigyn Shieldbreaker
• "“Motes? Most dependable woman I know, despite what she’ll tell you. If you’re looking down the blade of her sword, you must have screwed up well and proper. Doesn’t pull steel without a very good reason.” - D'arca Ovraen