Valtemont Solainteau
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Valtemont Solainteau is a formerly Ishgardian carpenter, known for his skill in his art and the masterful pieces he produces, as well as his charitable contributions and maintenance of the Botanical Foundation. do this later too.
ugh I'll do this later.
Roughly 10 years before Valtemont was born, his father was involved in a scandal that ruined his family's reputation, hurting their ability to do business. Previously, they had been a respectable crafting family, but by the time Val was born, the Solainteau family was struggling to hold on to the comfort they had once known; from a full complement of household staff, they had cut back to just one or two, and no longer did they hold grand feasts at holidays, though they were never so bad off as to risk losing everything and becoming truly poor. And yet, that was enough for the other children his age to know something was not quite right, and to tease and bully him for it. They had the power and the money to back them up, and Val had little by comparison, always being a season behind on fashions, or receiving modest Nameday gifts at best. Fortunately for Valtemont, an older boy by the name of Lavereaux Ferrelains took interest in him, cheering him up any time the noble children's teasign overwhelmed the boy. The two soon became fast friends, with Lavereaux protecting Val from as many harsh truths of the world as he could. The two stayed close for years, becoming almost inseparable, much to the dismay of Val's family, given Lavereaux's relative poverty. Eventually, on Valtemont's eleventh Nameday, Lavereaux received an offer he couldn't pass up; the chance to as a foot soldier for a high house. Before he was forced to leave and serve his tour of duty, he promised Val he would return, and informed the boy of the truth of his father's shame, believing it would show there were no lies between them; that he would hold true to his promise. Instead, the true shocked Val, as did everything he learned when he confronted his father. No longer was the man the virtuous loving father he had once thought him to be. Between that revelation and the fact that his peers had resumed bullying him without Lavereaux around to protect him, Val soon grew bitter, his heart hardening. The adolescents that tormented him did so because their families had power; they were untouchable for someone like him, he realized. Power and wealth determined happiness, and so he set his mind to earning both for himself.
Val spent the next few years honing his craft, practice and studying combining with his natural gift to propel him forward. By the time he was fourteen, he'd earned recognition for his masterful furniture, to the great frustration of one of the teenagers who enjoyed picking on him, seeing their easy target slipping away. The boy set Val up for what he assumed would be defeat, using his family's reputation and influence to convince the Holy See to commission Val. The boy assumed Val would surely fail to live up to the meticulous standards of the Holy See's weaponsmiths, but the plan backfired as Val surpassed every expectation, delivering lances, polearms, and bow of the highest caliber. Word of the his carpentry and the Holy See's continued patronage spread, and Val took advantage of the newfound status and his natural instinct for marketing to grab on to every scrap of power, influence, and wealth he could. By the age of 19, he had more than restored the fortune and reputation that had once stood behind the name Solainteau. It was around this time that Lavereaux finally returned to Val, having left his military position after eight long years of service. The man who had once been Val's best friend quickly saw through the pleasant facade that Val kept in place; saw through to the bitter, selfish man he had become, though the worst was yet to come.
Valtemont was 20 when the Calamity hit, shaking Ishgard to its core. As the freezing winds chilled the formerly green hills, it became more difficult for those who had already had little to get by. Firewood became a hot commodity in Ishgard -- something Val took advantage of to further raise his prices. Eventually, though he hit a standstill, finding it difficult to accumulate more power and wealth without the status of a House behind him. In his frustration, he found himself wandering Ishgard during the long, frozen nights, until one night he was strolling past the Brume when a young urchin girl approached him, begging for scraps. He was revolted initially, pushing her away and escaping as quickly as he could, but the seed of an idea was planted in his mind. Over the next few moons he began to intentionally visit the Brume, trading away hot meals and a night in a warm bed under a fine roof for companionship from various Brume inhabitants, though he preferred those that looked younger or more attractive. It was a new form of power, and one he was pleased to take advantage of, though he was careful never to leave any of the female urchins with child. In time, this was not enough, and he found his frustration growing once more. He mercilessly beat the companion he'd brought from the Brume that night, leaving the young man battered and bruised, but with enough coin in his pocket to prevent him from seeking restitution. It was a few moons before the next beating, but slowly, Val began to realize the power and influence he had earned for himself had left him untouchable by those in the Brume. Though he faced no legal consequences, eventually enough rumours spread that the urchins of the Brume began to stay away from him, where once they had flocked to the offer of a meal and a night out of the cold. Val had poisoned the very well from which he drank, and one night deep in his cups, he took his aggression out on the last avenue remaining to him; Lavereaux. The man bore the beating, and to Val's surprise, neither reported it, nor left Val alone.
While Lavereaux bore the beatings, Val found himself still in need of more, and soon enough he relocated to a grand manorhouse in Gridania, determined to have a fresh start. He immediately threw a portion of his wealth into forming a charitable organization; the Botanical Foundation, as well as investing in various other humanitarian opportunities. Between the immediate reputation for philanthropic pursuits and the charm he wore like a mask at all time, Val quickly earned respect, and a reputation for being a generally good person. In the last three years since, he has kept any shadier business or happenings behind closed doors, or restricted to those who wouldn't be believed over his own word, should it come to hearsay. That careful moderation, combined with his continued contact with Lavereaux, has kept his reputation clean for the most part, with any ugly rumours easily dismissed.
Listed here are the characters that Valtemont has interacted with enough or in such a way for him to form a real opinion about them. Please don't take personal offense if your character isn't listed here, or how the interaction or relationship is described. It isn't that I dislike your character or our RP. I just tend to only add these as necessary for those who make a real impact, and descriptions are purely based upon in character experiences and opinions. Also, I tend to be REALLY lazy about editing this... Last Update... March 20th, 2018. * An asterisks denotes that Haien doesn't know the individual's true name.
◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely!
◢ Uncommon Rumors - A little more difficult to hear. Use sparingly or ask first!
◢ Rare Rumors - Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using!
◢ Near-Impossible Rumors - You really need to know the right people for these, and we’d have to work something out in advance for a reason for you to know.
◢ Player Character Rumors - Feel free to add rumors of your own!
You are not permitted to re-use this artwork for your own characters or purposes, whether on Final Fantasy XIV or on other games, forums, etc.
I fully admit to being bad at coming up with ideas. If you can think of something that's not on this list, please, by all means bring it to my attention and we can hammer out the specifics.
I am a mid-20’s man living with his cat in the mid-western United States on a sleep schedule that only some sort of crazed psychic would be able to predict. I enjoy music that's older than I am, food that's terrible for me, and games that are far nerdier than I can reliably claim to be. I have a fondness for bad puns, though I’m rarely witty enough to make them myself. My humour tends to be of the self-deprecating variety, though occasionally it’ll flip completely and I’ll joke about how totally amazing I am. Please do understand that I do not take either extreme seriously, and it’s just my (poor) sense of humour. I also tend to joke around in what I’ve been told is a flirty way, as I have a fairly blue sense of humour. Please know that no matter how many ♥s or winky faces I send you, it’s still just me messing around, and I am not looking for a romantic relationship. If this behavior (or anything else I do, really) makes you uncomfortable, please do let me know, and I’ll endeavor to cease immediately.
Overall, I'm pretty chill as far as guidelines go. It is very, very hard to offend me, so don’t worry too much about it. Still, for the sake of making sure everyone's on the same page here, let me make a few mentions in particular:
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