Averill Rooks

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"There's plenty of stories across Eorzea. I mean to hear them all."

Averill Rooks (Formerly Averill Tomus) is a vagrant Midlander, travelling primarily between Ul'dah and Gridania. His relaxed, well-spoken demeanour belies educated origins, far from the typical ruffian who takes life to the road.

A hunter and an adventurer by trade, Averill finds strong pleasure in the company of other people; he likes nothing more than to hear the tales of those he encounters.

Averill Rooks
[[Image:|250px]] On the streets of Ul'dah.
The Vagrant
Gender	Male
Race	Hyur
Clan	Midlander
Citizenship	Gridanian
Age	26
Height	5 fulm, 8ilm
Weight	138 ponz
Profession	Archer
Patron Deity	Oschon, the Wanderer
Marital Status	Single

Character

General

Averill's boots have seen more roads than most. A vagrant from his late teens, he found purpose in the romantic life of a wanderer. Taking each day as it comes, risking life and limb on every adventure around the corner, sharing those adventures with the people one meets - these are the values that he holds dear.

Recently, his wanderlust has brought him to Gridania. The verdant Black Shroud claimed his heart the moment he took his first steps into the lush woodland, and he settled on the life of an adventurer. For the first time in many years, Averill found somewhere he could readily call home.

Appearance

A Midlander of average height and stature, Averill's young face carries with it a well-travelled expression. He keeps himself clean and well-maintained, as far as his vagrancy allows. His dark brown hair, though long, is unobtrusive and practical, keeping clear of his sharpened green eyes.

There is always some kind of dirt on his clothes - mud on his boots, the slightest fading or fraying of his travelling gear. Try as he might to hide it with his demeanour, a careful eye can see his true nature as a wanderer.

Personality

Many would be hard-pressed to find a soul as relaxed as Averill. In the tavern or the heat of battle, he holds himself in such jovial airs that one might mistake him as completely oblivious to his circumstances. This is not the case, however; hiding behind the guise of his smile is a keen intellect, and a deep-seated fascination with other people. He will always, without fail, try and get others to share their stories with him, and he thoroughly enjoys the company of fellow travellers.

Tendencies

Likes

• Wandering the open road.
• Fresh bread.
• The Ul'Dahn marketplace.
• Cactuar skin.
• Alcohol - mainly with company.

Dislikes

• Loss.
• Restrictions or obligations.
• Open water, or an inability to see land.
• Aided transport, such as airships, boats, and chocobos.

Hobbies/Talents

• Hunting
• Storytelling

Other

• Though by no means a fervent spiritualist, Averill holds Oschon quite fondly as his patron. Amongst the Twelve, it is the Wanderer he does his best to please with deed and thought.
• His love of the open road is not entirely metaphorical. He loves walking both out of a passion for travel, and a minor fear of boats or other modes of transport.
• Averill is Chaotic Neutral.

Relationships

Family

• Dawson Tomus - Averill's father. A disgraced Lominsan Arcanist, Averill's estrangement from the Tomus left Dawson a husk of a man. To this day, seven years after Averill ran away from home, Dawson uses whatever connections he has left to locate his child.

Friends

Ul'Dahn Relationships

• Ardente Anima - A highlander Averill encountered at the Quicksand. Though they met only briefly, Averill holds a fond opinion of the man. Their friendship was tested by Ardente's arriving late to a commotion with Ayda in the Quicksand, a commotion that saw Averill's honour as a decent person sorely tested.
• Ayda Elu'this - Several encounters with this curious Keeper has left Averill with a particular soft spot for her. He does his best to hide his growing concern about her poor health, always trying to see that she is at the very least fed before she can run off again.
• Z'sonjha Mahji - A miqo'te who Averill met through Ardente at the Quicksand. They shared tale of travels and Cactuars over more than a few pints of ale, at which point he was forced to retire for fear of his waning ability to stand up.
• Odet Polaali - A racist Roegadyn Averill met whilst nursing a hangover. Despite his initial misgivings about her attitude towards the Lalafell, he admires her dedication to bringing the best shows to Mih Khetto's Amphitheatre.
• Ennara Calian - Averill suspects there's a bit more to Ennara's story than she told him at the Quicksand, but nonetheless respects her aim to aid the Doman refugees.

Gridanian Relationships

• Rivienne Delacroux - This Wildwood Elezen nearly killed a bewildered Averill when they first met, mistaking him for an unwelcome poacher on Gridanian soil. Once that confusion cleared, Averill found himself playing host to a mysterious agent of the Adders, one who left him - unusually - with more questions than answers.
• Umi Kanzato - From what he can remember, Averill counts a fond day dodging storms and gathering herbs with the healer, her initial distrust aside.
• Vivenne Beaumont - Averill remains wary of this woman after learning that his father, Dawson, employed Vivenne to contact him. They travelled to Ul'dah together shortly after meeting, and during the trip he surrendered the truth of his estrangement from the Tomus family with her.

Enemies

Whilst too relaxed to bear any particular grudges, Averill often recounts the tale of his scar - an unfortunate encounter with an Ul'Dahn thug by the name of Lykala left him with a mark that proved permanent.

Rumors

Common Rumors

• "He never sits still, that one! I reckon he's covered just about every inch of the Twelveswood, the number of times I've seen him walking."
• "Averill? Oh, the chatty one! He'll say hello to just about anyone if there's a story involved."

Moderate Rumors

• "Take this with however much salt you want to, but he says he's walked from Ul'dah to Gridania, and back again. By the elementals, he's a curious sort."
• "Mother Miounne practically forced a room at the Roost down his throat after he joined the guild. Something about 'keeping him from floating off'."
• "He's awfully fond of that one table in the middle of the Carline Canopy. I wonder what for?"

Rare Rumors

• "There's a Lominsan asking about a man who looks the spitting image of Averill. I wonder what he wants with him?"

PC Rumors

If you encounter Averill and are left with a particular strong impression, feel free to add your rumours to this list!

• "He's a curious storyteller that isn't sated by my vague answers." - Rivienne Delacroux

• "Pretty sure he thinks that if he talks and pesters enough, I'll pay him to go away. He'd be wrong, but it's still a tempting prospect.' - Crooked Tarot

History/Timeline

Before the Road

The son of a Lominsan scholar, Averill Tomus lived in the shelter of the Arcanist's guild. Well-educated and well-fed, he drifted through his formative years with nary a want or care. His circumstances were such, that he could not fathom why he sat alone in the class, or why those who had fought harder to reach their position looked upon him with such disdain.

Disapproval did not limit itself to his peers, however. His father continually pushed Averill to take up the grimoire and join him as an Arcanist, but by the time he was old enough to properly study, apathy had seized his spirit. He spent his days in his room, watching sailors and citizens alike go about their lives. At the cusp of adulthood, despondency turned to juvenile rage; first ravaging his insides - for surely there must be something wrong with his character for Lominsans to ignore him - and then to his father. He raised him wrong. He was too soft on Averill. It took just one sour confrontation for Averill to decide that enough was enough; he fled to the fields of La Noscea, deaf to his father's cries.

By nightfall, Averill found himself lost, cold, and hungry. Far from Limsa Lominsa, with no experience of survival in the wilderness, he resigned himself to a troubled night's sleep. He would return in the morning - if he survived that long - cowed by his anger. He would surrender to his father's wishes and join the Arcanists. He would accept the solitude. As he felt sleep threaten to drag him to the grass, a gruff voice snapped him back into the waking world. A Roegadyn adventurer, travelling the roads, had seen the ailing teen at the roadside and approached. "Are you well, lad?" he asked. The boy nearly broke, there and then. A stranger had approached him. Tears stung his eyes, only to be shouted away by his saviour. Seeing his condition, the Roegadyn offered a deal - Averill would tell him his story, and in return he would help him survive the night.

They spoke for what seemed like many moons under the starry canopy. Averill began with his father, and the expectations he'd laboured under. The Roegadyn was far from a gracious host - he challenged the boy's words, chided his selfish opinions. When asked for his name, he answered Averill with a jumble of syllables he could barely comprehend. "Jes' call me Rooks," said he, "Everyone else does." Rooks made good on his exchange. He handed Averill a bow - a simple, study thing of maple - and taught him the bare bones of hunting. How to scout, how to kill and prepare a meal. He had never appreciated more the feeling of a full belly and a warm fire, however clumsy his attempts had been.

By the dawn, Rooks had talked Averill away from Limsa Lominsa. The adventurer instilled in him a life on the road, surviving off the land. Thanking his saviour, they parted ways.

Averill took to the road, abandoning Limsa Lominsa, and the desperate father he'd fled from. He took his saviour's nickname, and did not look back.

The Calamity

Two years passed. Through happenstance and some swift talking, Averill found himself in Thanalan. ((Pending))

Arriving at Gridania

Years on the road led Averill here, to the Black Shroud. The moment he stepped into the beautiful woodland, his heart felt at ease. He was sure that his time living under Oschon's values had brought him here, as a form of reward. This moment inspired in him a desire to walk every ilm of this verdant haven - and as a consequence, approach Mother Miounne for the opportunity to join the ranks of the Adventurer's Guild.

His settled life did not last too long, however, and soon Averill found himself wandering further and further afield, to the Thanalan wastes he had journeyed before. One night after returning to the Shroud, he settled just off the Gridanian gates, attempting to regain some of his experience as a vagrant. It did not end well; whilst out hunting for food he was accosted by one Rivienne Delacroux, a proud member of the Adders. She accosted him, threatening his life - it was only a swift mention of Miounne and his status as an adventurer that spared him an arrow between the eyes. They met again at the Canopy a few bells later, and shared company and drinks. Averill told her of his nature, but when the questions turned to her she left him with far from satisfactory answers. A quick exit cemented his curiosity in the woman.

The Canopy's Shadow

Averill's past would not stay there - he realised as much from the day he reached Thanalan. His father was a man of some import, and would no doubt turn his resources towards locating his estranged son. The Calamity came and went, however, and still no shadows from his past leapt out of the dark. Barely escaping with his life, he afforded a measure of complacency as he rebuilt his life.

Five years passed, and still no word from Limsa Lominsa. By this point, Averill had accepted that Dawson Tomus cared little for estranged family. He relaxed his guard further still, settling more into the life of both vagrant and adventurer. Less nights at the Roost were spent turning in his sheets, dreaming of the Lominsan storm that was his father.

One night at the Carline Canopy a Conjuring student, Carvell, joined Averill for a drink. They spoke extensively of matters, when the former mentioned his homeland as Limsa Lominsa. Averill's guard, rusty from years of inaction, raised too late - the man had been employed by Dawson to contact his son. The reason, however, remained a mystery; Carvell assured the vagrant that he had no intentions of alerting Dawson to Averill's presence in Gridania.

Regardless, the encounter left Averill shaken, and thoughts of home were roused from seven years of slumber.

Herbal Tea

A figure caught Averill's attention on his wanderings in the shroud. Buried in the brush with purpose and focus, he watched from afar until they noticed. She noticed very quickly, revealing herself to be a Miqo'te, and demanded answers. After a quick introduction, he learned both her name and her purpose - Umi, denying him a last name "for they would not meet again", a healer out gathering specific herbs for her patients. With some small measure of reluctance, she allowed him to aid her search, leading them into conversation and a deep cave not far from the Matron's Lethe.

The weather joined their conversation - heavy rain that soaked them through and sent them running back to the Lethe. They talked of many things - of lifestyles, of tea - though at the mention of her father Umi's response became one Averill had all but wrote the book about. As the night dragged on, he felt a fever clouding his senses. With her aid and knowledge, a balm and cure quickly sat in his hands - though the potency of the drug promptly sent him into a deep sleep.

When he awoke, he did so alone. His bleary mind remembered one thing - a disjointed, jumbled memory from the moments before he passed out.

Kanzato. Umi Kanzato.

Imperfect Jewel

A few suns after their initial encounter, Averill is preparing to sate his wanderlust and leave for Ul'dah. He stops at the Canopy to say his goodbyes and secure work with the Adventurer's Guild at his destination, when he is approached by a familiar face - Vivenne. They talk briefly, and she suggests travelling together as, at the very least, a more entertaining prospect than travelling alone. He agrees, albeit warily; even looking at her dredges up uncomfortable memories of Limsa Lominsa.

They set off within the bell, and talk of their lives along the way. Averill learns a little of Vivenne's time in Ul'dah, alongside her less than legal friends. The road is a smooth one, almost completely uninterrupted by monsters or bandits.

Nearing their destination, on the outskirts of Camp Drybone, Vivenne asks for an explanation about he and his father. Averill does little to dodge the question, but is hesitant to answer fully. Upon learning that Dawson did not share the details when he employed her, he surrenders to her curiosity and tells her of his past. She appears to empathize at least, and says that it must have been lonely, travelling as he has been for the past seven years. Averill disagrees; he notes that he's spent said years in the company of some wonderful people, herself included.

They press on and reach Ul'dah in the early evening. After a quick change and bath, Vivenne suggests they drink to celebrate a successful trip. Now almost completely trusting her, Averill agrees.

The Soaring Miqo'te

A few suns after parting ways with Vivenne at Ul'dah, the single most curious encounter Averill had ever experiences in his time on the road took place. A young female Miqo'te, Ayda Elu'this, barrelled into the Quicksand. She toppled over the railing, slamming into Averill's lap and table. Breaking her nose in the collision, a startled Averill is left to tend to her wounds. Their first meeting proved a short-lived one, for the boggling Miqo'te ran off after Averill guided her to a doctor for her nose.

Shortly after the fact - the following day, in fact, Ayda and Averill crossed paths again. Burdened with a bandage, Averill was relieved to see the excitable Miqo'te in good health and better spirits. With a mind to pick up where the left off - minus the acrobatics - he offered Ayda a drink. Her confusion at the prospect kindled some suspicion; a feeling he confirmed when she downed a glass of wine with naught but an innocent gleam in her eye. He found her impossible to gauge, and his concern only grew when it became evident that she suffered severe memory loss. Barely able to remember the circumstances of their meeting, let alone any significant personal details besides her name and homeland of Limsa Lominsa, Averill's stomach twisted with empathy. She had neither a home to settle at, nor clothes or money to feed herself with.

Resolving to do the latter, and perhaps learn something more about her, he suggested they go hunting in Thanalan to find a meal for the night. After a long talk and some fresh Cactuar meet, Ayda flees yet again for seemingly no reason. In the middle of the Thanalan savannah, well aware of her inability to fight, Averill searches desperately for her. It is a fruitless effort, and he returns to Ul'dah with a furrowed brow and a heavy heart.

Another chance encounter reunites them the following day. Beside himself with worry, Averill is quick to embrace a confused Ayda, who barely remembers leaving him out in the middle of nowhere. Dressed in a bloodied robe she 'found on the street', she reveals that she has been looking for Averill following a curious encounter with a Seeker, and expressed her desire to go on an adventure.

Relieved to see her safe, he accompanies her to an introduction to chocobos, which he reluctantly notes will get them to their destination - Gridania - that much faster. In her excitement to pet the birds of burden, Ayda trips over the railing, into the holding area. The resulting confusion brings about no small amount of panic from her, and she begins to doubt her ability to go on this venture.

Image Gallery

Character art of Averill, by Broyam