Arala Makeo

"To protect the ones you love, To honor your opponent, To smite your enemies, To aid those who need it most and be selfless in the presence of your companions. That is what a Paladin is." - P'rth Makeo, Father of Arala

Arala Makeo
Gender	Female
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	None
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Age	24
Occupation	Paladin of Eorzea.
Theme	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DCsLSM8mMc
Alternate Theme	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH5v9FSoLEk

Character

General

Arala Makeo was born not from a tribe and in the city of Ul'dah between her mother and father who had a relationship on their own. When she was a young child, Arala looked up to her father so much that she dreamed to be a Paladin like he was. She trained day and night to begin her rise up and be like her father. Only problem is that Arala has no idea where he has gone. It is assumed he went missing after she reached the age of sixteen and was never heard from again.

In time she would find her place within two friends, Ninifae Nira and Robert Colt ,and start a Free Company called The New Conglomerate.

Recent events unfolded and her soul crystal was a farce all along. Her real soul crystal was hidden by her mother and now she seeks to find it once more.

Appearance

Arala's hair is a light brown color with her tips in a black like fur (But recent events changed that black to blue), presumed to be like her father's hair color. Her right eye is a yellow tint that matches the strange Tattoo on her forehead, but has recently been shown to be false. Wtih the help of her friend, Ninifae Nira, she was able to see through a new eye but through the use of sound.. Her other eye is white, which is her natural eye color.

Behavior

Arala is adventurous and lighthearted in humor. She enjoys some good jokes from time to time. She is prone to being shy around whomever she likes which she retaliates in anger. Her attitude changes in battle when things get serious. Protective, chivalrous and ever so strong to help those in need, Arala is a friend you do not want to pass up.
One problem she has though is that when she becomes angry, it hinders her performance a bit. So there are some anger problems here and there.

Combat

General

Arala does not fight head on but rather defensively. Her sword is not the danger but the shield. She is capable of tossing the shield and use it like a projectile for a range attack. With her speed she is agile enough to dodge most attacks but not all. Because she plays defensive most of the time, her sword strikes are quick and fast. Rarely do they even draw blood. She counters to do more damaging blows.

She does not fight when there is no need to but she will not back down from pulling her shield out in public.

Weapons

Arala carries two kinds of sets.

The first is the non-lethal weapons that consist of a sword and shield Leih'a made for her.

The second set are her weapons meant for more serious situations. The sword she carries is actually a false blade. removing the blade will create a blade of light that can pass many targets but can also incapacitate them. The shield is her father's old shield that has been upgraded from it's old version. The faint essence of ceruleum lingers on it and upon striking a hard enough surface, it can cause a small explosion. It's also useful to start fires.

Tendencies

Likes

• She enjoys food...way too much.
• The Beaches in La Nocea are her ideal vacations
• Those who show her kindess

Dislikes

• Dishonorable adventurers
• People praying on the weak
• Being treated like a weakling

Hobbies/Talents

• Her right eye is a fake device created by Ninifae Nira.
• One of her favorite hobbies as a kid was making jewelery, which hailed from her mother's side.

Other

her right eye is false but can only really be seen when one examines close enough. It was made by two jewelcrafters as a replacement when she was young but also to hide information. Afterwards, Nira decided to make a new one to help her see out of it better. It is still a work in progress but it seems to work with minor bugs and tweaks here and there.

Relationships

Family

Her mother was very kind to her when raising Arala and never once denied her to set out on her own journey. She is a Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te. After a little scuffle and sabotage, Arala's mother was taken into custody of attempted murder of her own daughter.

She idolized her father and wishes to be like him one day despite him being a Keeper of the Moon Miqo'te. Despite him being a spy, P'rth did all he could to protect everyone he loved and cared about as well as Ul'dah to his last breath.

Her Uncle was a music collector but enjoyed the Piano from time to time. It's how Arala started to enjoy playing the instrument at a young age. Sadly her uncle died of natural causes.

Her Aunt recently returned...You shouldn't talk about that around Arala.

Friends

Among her friends is a Chocobo named Bou. To her, Bou is her first friend since she was little and has served as her companion throughout her journey in Eorzea. Bou tends to be a bit nosy with a little curious nature on the side. Despite this, Bou has shown to be also protective of Arala and in some situations would aid her when possible.

A Small Cactuar started to follow Arala around for no real reason...but she decided to name it Ed for the sake of it.

A Hyru named Robert Colt entered her life sometime after becoming a sultainsworn and became her first friend. Arala tends to make fun of Colt and jokes about him but she means well in keeping their spirits high during such downtime.

A Lalafel named Ninifae Nira is a scholar and skilled in various fields. Seemingly loves books in Arala's eyes, she appreciates the extra help when Arala can barely understand situations as is. With everything new, Arala always asks Nira for information and help. She is very much a mother like figure to Arala and enjoyes her company a lot.

((pic soon))

A Hyru named Aya Foxheart who tends the bar at the Quicksand is like a sister to Arala and helps her out much like one. Theyare considered best friends.

((Pic Soon))

A Miqo'te named Tana Firesong became her friend after many encounters with talking. Though Tana and Robert do not get along, Arala never once denied her friends place in her heart.

A Miqo'te named Leih'a Relanah was at first an enemy but became her friend and slowly into someone she loved in her travels. One of the other members of the company who founded it. He is well versed in crafting materials and is on the path to becoming a Ninja soon. Some hardships between the two were there but they have all but vanished. The two are soon to be wed.

Enemies

Koma was a man hell bent on blowing up Ul'dah. Using a spy named P'rth, he sent him in to investigate the city while also making the calculations of how much was needed. Of course he soon met Arala's mother and the two slowly became intamite before getting married and having Arala. Koma was not pleased after finding out and sent a man in a robe to talk to P'rth. In the process, the man cursed Arala's right eye. Forcing her father to cut it out and replace it with a glass one. Only then when P'rth met with Koma once more did his life end at his hands.

Koma carried P'rth's shield around like a trophy but used it as an expendable projectile. In combat he used a large battle axe and handled various small bombs of cerulium to blow his targets away. His end was met at the hands of Arala and her companions. 

Rumors

Common Rumors

• "She is far too kind"
• "Gentle when she speaks, brutal in combat"

Moderate Rumors

• "Her mother is a very skilled Goldsmith."

Rare Rumors

• "I heard she is scared of Cactuars."

PC Rumors

"She is just the sweetest person you will ever meet."

"Isn't she cute!?!" Aya Foxheart

"In all my years I've only met one other person with the passion and dedication, trust, honor, and kindness of Arala... Be it trenches, imperialistic armies, or just a rough night, there's no other person I can count on to always be there." -Robert Colt

"Teh mos' noblest, lovin' Paldian ya ever meet! ...*burps*" -Chiyo Hoshi

"From the extent I've talked with her, Arala strikes me as a positive force in Ul'dah. I hope she finds a solution to what troubles her." -Warren Castille

History/Timeline

Early Years

While growing up in Ul'dah was hard for her mother and father, Arala remembers the city fondly has her home. Days spent playing with toys and listening to her father's stories and adventures he went on. Arala had little to no friends but it never bothered her much. When she turned Fifteen, Arala trained to use a shortsword first then a shield before using both for practice. Spending most of her teen life in preperation to be like her father. She idolized the man a lot.

As she was approaching the age of an adult, word came about her father's dissaperance for some time. The news to Arala was hard but figuring it was for a reason, she decided to keep on with her idea and become a paladin like he was. 

Sultainsworn Paladin

With her future still being planned and whether to be a Free Paladin or not later, Arala started her journey as a Sultainsworn Paladin. Yet most of her early jobs were to stand and act like a guard for most establishments. without much real action, it dawned on Arala that the tasks she took from the adventurer's guild were far more involved. It would take her a while to decide to become a free paladin in the end

Free Paladin

After aiding her new friends, Colt and Nira, Arala took a slow process to become a Free Paladin and go on new adventures with her pals. Many include saving one another and making new friends along the way.

Some of her explots include:

Saving Nira from death and making a new companion in the process named Leih'a Relanah.

Aiding Colt and Nira in various strides.

Protecting the Quicksand despite suppose to be on break.

Being generous to those around her and sharing drinks whenever possible.

A Spear that Struck the Shield

During her first day as a Sultainsworn, Arala was approached by Robert Colt whom at the time was still in and out of Ul'dah. Over the one meal, Arala felt she had accomplished a good deed yet the idea of being a Free Paladin rang in her mind since the meeting. Sure enough after some more encounters with Colt, Arala would soon abandon the Sultainsworn armor and become a Free Paladin.
---
Later in time, Arala invited Robert to relax at Costa Del Sol to get their mind off of the misfortune that happened. They enjoyed a nice meal and took the time to have fun. When night came, a rainstorm came down on them and the two were forced under an overhang. With the wind blowing a bit, the two sat close as they watched the rain. It was the first sign of a light bond forming between them.
---
Arala by this point swore her shield to Colt after he had been protecting everyone to make sure he was protected instead.
---
Since working at the Quicksand, Arala felt content with Colt's place in Ul'dah but more than likely he will have to be called into action once more. Whether it will be good or bad depends on the future before them....

Yet time would tell as their relationship soon started to end for some odd reason.

About this time, Arala's odd aunt would come back and seek to kill her and anyone in her way with the gem that was in her head. After many battles and near death situations, Arala's aunt was soon slain but not without some price.

Word of her mother's death in prison soon came through and with her last words, she would force Arala to marry one of eight candidates given to her. Forced into this with the idea of the company home to be shut down and disbanded, she found a loophole. She had an infinite amount of time to choose and it didn't say she should marry the eight only. Using Leih'a Relanah as a possible ninth to confuse them, the company along with Colt would find a way to end this last attempt to ruin Arala's life.

In the end, the group managed to finally end what grudge her Mother's side of the family held on her. As if a curse was lifted. From there the realization that her father had been alive through these years was a boost to her overall morale.

Since that day, she has been through many hardships but now found someone close to her.

The Weight of Heavy Burdens

Arala received an unmarked letter which led her to the location of Castrum Centri in Mor Dhona which talked about her missing father. Upon reading the entrance she was approached by a tall Hyur male in dark brown armor from head to toe. Wielding a large battle axe. His demand was to extract Arala's false eye made years ago. Yet after denying him, she got her answer about her father's fate. Apparently her father was a Spy for the man and because he had a relationship and a child, the Hyur slew her father. After showing the shield to her as proof, Arala engaged in a short fight which ended in her being tossed around with ease.

In order to escape, she handed over a small white stone instead of her eye and made a dash back to Ul'dah. After explaining the situation to her companion, Nira insisted that the two did what they could to avoid their eyes. Yet the words Nira left on Arala were that the Spies could of been easily integrated within their community. Heightening Arala's senses and making those she met harder to trust.

after much time of research, she slowly started to regain her trust in Colt but there was the matter of her eye. Work went under way to create a new eye for her to see out of but it still had it's problems. The technology they used was not as advanced as what the Garlean Empire used but they had to make due. In that time, Nira had a theory about the old eye she had. That it could contain information on it. Work started to make a scope to see into it.

While Nira was occupied, Arala found the shocking truth about the eye. It had plans to make a very volatile bomb and locations around Ul'dah. Knowing this, Arala attempted to break the eye but with no luck she turned to Colt to help break it for her. But what she did not know all this time was that using her father's Linkpearl this whole time was the reason for the Hyur man (Now revealed named Koma) to even know about Arala's fake eye. All the conversations she had over the linkpearl and in person were revealed to the enemy all this time. Feeling unsafe and angered, she shattered her only link with her friends and ran off to confront Koma to finish the fight before he could get the plans.

After a long and stressful fight, Koma was struck down at the hands of Colt but with his last breath he attempted to use his makeshift Cerulium Bomb to kill them with him. Arala used her father's old shield as Nira helped Colt get behind her. The odd mist on the shield that emenated as she held it blocked the most dangerous part of the bomb but the explosion still pushed them back some ways.

In the end, Koma was defeated and the plans were lost forever to blow up Ul'dah. Arala quickly reunited with her father through his shield and swears to carry his burdens along with her own. Feeling like more of a protecter than ever, Arala returned to Ul'dah for a good rest...but the explosion left Arala's hair looking a bit blue from the Cerulium explosion. Hopefully it's not permanent. 

The Varthamith Arc (ongoing)

A recent event occurred in Ul'dah involving a Ninja slaying innocent rich men one by one in the dark. To clear the name of a then turned friend ninja, Arala and the group trapped the Ninja to get information off of him. However, he decided to take his life and mention the name 'Lord Varthamtih' and how he knew Ninifae in some way. Soon enough, more of these people following the man Varthamith appeared here and there. Their plan was to eliminate all weaklings and let the strong live.

Arala chased after a man named Gomez. During her fight, Robert Colt appeared and ended up getting the two captured where they both saw Vathamith in the face. Arala and Robert soon found a way out of their bindings but in their escape, Arala stood behind to give Robert time to flee. In the process she was captured and with a binding spell on her supposed crystal, was forced to work with Varthamith. There, she met the others. Roari, a Miqo'te with a fiery passion for mechanical works. Kindra, an Au Ra hailing from Ishgard with a lance that morphs into a bow at will. And Xyla, an Elezen female who made their weapons with the help of alchemy and sprites. From that capture, The New Conglomerate members found a plan to get her back in time.

After the rescue, her mood and emotion overall was drastically shifting. Almost like another person. Leih'a however learned more about her family and yet the soul crystal she carried all this time was a fake. Upon breaking it, Arala reverted to her real self but all this time...she was not an official Paladin. Her crystal supposedly lost to them all.

Various times the company saw or encountered Varthamith's men, but after Leih'a's disappearance, he was found under the control of Varthamith more easily than Arala. She tired to turn him back but most was futile. In her last attempt, she went in after seeing him in the shroud. With Nira and Markus, the three sought to bring him back. Yet as the two fought Gomez and Roari, Leih'a was being used as bait so that Varthamith could kill her with ease. Leih'a, in a surprising twist, harmed Varthamith. Arala tried to bring Leih'a back to his senses but all seemed to harm him more...

Once the event was over, the process of restoring Leih'a's memories began. To start, Arala decided to follow Xyla's trail into the desert. Upon approaching her, she was caught by chain bindings in the sand. Xyla told her of the past. The truth behind her mother's intentions, the eye and how Arala was brought into the world as her mother's replacement in their group. When the company noticed Arala missing, Chiyo was first to find her only to be attacked by a large golem that took the effort of the Company to take down.

After some time, Leih'a's memories would soon return for the time. Easing himself back in. Though the whereabouts as to where Varthamith or his men are at remained a mystery...

Quotes

"May fate bring us together once more."

"You no longer have to carry your burdens father, for I shall take all the weight for you. I do not care if you were working for Koma, or that you were a spy from the start. I did not care that you lied to mother or me...because deep in your heart I knew you were still honest. You were only protecting us from them. You never thought of us as a burden but something worth protecting. Your burden...was the choice you made to defy Koma and with it came such heavy choices. I am glad you fought till the end, my father...for even now you are still a Paladin in my heart." -Reuniting with her father's shield

"I am the very bastion seperating you from my companions! The wall that wards away pain from my friends! I am Arala Makeo, Paladin of Ul'dah and Protector of Eorzea!"

Gallery

After the Cerulium Explosion, Arala's hair color changed.

 ((Template by Deirdre Ta'ea))

Spoiler information

((WARNING! Everything said here is spoiler information that your character does not know unless it was told to them up front. REFRAIN FROM USING THIS INFORMATION UNLESS YOUR CHARACTER KNOWS IT!))

Arala's father's shield is covered in an odd mist which protects in a wide arc from various elements easily. Arala has upgraded the shield and her own father even admitted that it's now her shield and not his anymore.

Her tattoo on her forehead is actually the result of a strange gem of white and yellow properties embedded into her forehead on accident. Her Aunt had it and while playing with her uncle as a kid, she banged her head against it without any real pain. The red gem has always been there since birth however. Since the day of that wedding, her forehead showed signs of glowing with a bright light. The amplification in power finally kicked in yet it's use has been mysterious. Not even Arala knows when it will activate.

Her mother was desperate and envious to her own husband when they spent more time to the point of nearly killing Arala. She is currently in custody for her crimes in Gridania...some time after she hung herself in her prison cell.

Arala's mother was born in Gridania...yet didn't belong to a tribe either. Her and her sister both worked under Xyla with Arala's mother branching off to be a Goldsmith instead of the Paladin. Prompting Xyla to force her mother to bring Arala into the world as a 'token'.

Her uncle was a music collector and his favorite instrument is the piano. This made Arala enjoy playing it whenever possible. ( Example playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2tYkt7PC5nzelI-csFCfLrYIoI_0hX5O )

Arala owns a Phoenix Down given to her as a birthday gift from her mother and father. She was told to only open the box when you might think your life will end too early. It was used after her aunt almost succeeded in killing Arala through the use of a Mimic that looked like her shield.

Arala's aunt has studied the ways of many magical users and overtime has been skilled enough to use abilities one level higher than most adventurers know. Since her death, no one seems to want to bring her up. Xyla being her mentor.

Bou the chocobo thinks of Arala as a mother.

Arala Makeo's family from her mother's side were once very popular Goldsmiths in Eorzea for the rich. Yet as time went on, their family numbers diminished and by the time her mother was born, their name fell in obscurity. With Arala being the last and only living member of the Makeo line, her family works would rise in price.