Benedict Whiteraven

[edit] General Appearance Behavior Preferences Combat Background Rumors Relationships Notable Events OOC Gallery  Benedict Whiteraven Gender Male Race Hyur Clan Midlander Citizenship Ul'dah Age 36 Deity Oschon Orientation Hetero Marital Status Single Occupation Wanderer Height/Weight 5 fulms & 9 ilms, 175 ponz Benedict Whiteraven is a man struggling with himself. Growing up amongst the poor of Ul'Dah he learned how little the world cares for those at the bottom. Despite the odds he pulled himself from the gutter and dedicated his life to the protection and defense of the downtrodden. Choosing a simple life he wandered from place to place, finding shelter where he could and offering aid where it was most needed. He never asked for payment or praise for his deeds as he saw it as his duty. Years of sacrifice, personal failures, missed loves, and lamented opportunities, have left their mark upon him and slowly the seeds of resentment for a life spent in service have begun to take root in his soul. Dark thoughts creep at the edges of his mind as he fights to continue on his chosen path. His mind was thus when he took an ill-fated trip to Ishgard and came upon the dark knight soul crystal . . . Exploring the cold climate Benedict is a male midlander in his mid-thirties and a medium athletic build. He is about average height, maybe slightly on the shorter end of average. Despite his height he strikes a commanding visage with his striking blue eyes and mess of white hair that has turned black at the edges since he picked up the dark knight crystal. Much of his overall visage depends on his mood. When he is happy and enjoying life he tends to carry only a dagger and dress rather simply in earth tones and is considered warm, welcoming, and even charming by some standards. When he is feeling burdened and worn down by the world around him and his place in it, he tends to dress in darker colors as he becomes quite antisocial, cold, aggressive, and openly carries his greatsword with him everywhere. Benedict has always been a man ruled by his emotions and now that he holds the Dark Knight Soul Crystal this is even more true. Benedict is still finding himself and as such he is prone to some very intense mood swings. The dark knight crystal pulls emotions out from him that he had thought buried or long forgotten. This has given him both an extreme appreciation for the moments of joy and happiness, as well as, a deep and intense anger when it comes to past failures and sacrifices. Essentially giving Benedict a rollercoaster of emotions that rise and fall like a great tide. If he does not be careful and learn to control it then it will destroy everything he still holds dear. 5 traits that describe Benjamin Whiteraven: Quiet Loyal Persistent Wanderlust Emotional Likes Relaxing by the water Good Company with old friends Strong willed individuals Traveling/Seeing the world Loyalty Dislikes Cruelty Entitlement Garleans Sand Prudish behavior Hobbies/Talents Woodcraft/Botany Swordsmanship Sailing Cartography Quirks Ben is an avid listener and in most cases he will wait to be asked direct questions before volunteering information. Often has his quiet nature misinterpreted as shyness, which is far from the truth. Tends to be far more open when drunk but this also carries a tendency to make him quite depressed and angry. Other Alignment: Chaotic Good Favorite Food: Marmot Steak Favorite Drink: Aged Rum Favorite Color: Blue Combat is a chance for Ben to drink from the dark well that fuels his powers and then use it for something positive. He truly loves the rush that comes with his new powers and currently is much like an addict looking for his next fix. He tells himself that he wishes to do good, but in truth he wants an excuse to drink deep and empower himself with all the darkness of his soul. It is still a struggle for him to step away from the well when combat is not advised, but when there is call to draw his blade . . . a grin of pure delight crosses his face. Birth and Early Life: Benedict, “Ben” to his friends, has always been a simple man with simple desires and pleasures. He grew up on the dirty streets of Pearl Lane in Ul’dah being raised by his grandmother. His parents had both decided early on that they were not ready to be parents and left him in her care never to return. Every day his grandmother would load up a wagon of shawls, blankets, and other assorted articles of clothing she had made and they would trek down to the Vesper Bay docks and sell her wares to the people getting off and on the boats. He still holds very fond memories of playing there as a child. He was barely a decade old when his grandmother passed away and with no means to make a decent wage he was forced onto the streets. It was here that Benedict first truly encountered the blend of apathy and cruelty that faces the poor and neglected. Benedict scrounged about for several years as he did all he could to survive in a world where everyone is out for themselves and if you have something there are a line of others who wish to take it from you. He learned to fight in those days with whatever he could get his hands on. It was after one such battle with several other street boys that Master Swordsong from the Galdiator's guild took notice of the boy's talent. It was shortly after that Benedict was brought to the arena. There he would take care of the armory and clean up after the gladiators in exchange for a cot, warm food, and training in the ways of the blade. The War: When Benedict heard about the Garlean invasion force he wasted no time and signed up with the Immortal Flames. For Benedict this was just another example of someone trying to take from others by force and entitlement and he was quite eager to put the skills he had honed in the arena to the test against the Garleans. It was in the military that Benedict met Adaris, his first true friend. Adaris was a highlander whose family was wiped out in the fall of Ala Mhigo and had joined the Immortal Flames as soon as he got to Ul'dah. Benedict and Adaris were thick as thieves and on several occasions had saved one another from certain death promised by the imperial war machine. Their unit was at the Battle of Carteneau, a reserve unit near the edge of the fighting. Both men gave it their all as the were outflanked and the imperials swarmed in around them. Bloodied and near exhaustion they fought until a misstep gave a garlean the opening he needed to end Benedict. The enemy blade never fell upon him, Adaris leapt at him before he could strike Benedict. As Adaris took the blade to the gut the moon fell from the sky and hell erupted around them. The shockwaves tossed Benedict and all those around him to the four corners. It wasn't until the following day when Benedict woke amongst the wounded. For days he searched frantically for any word or sign of Adaris. Finally Adaris was located and Benedict put him to rest in a solemn grave in Carteneau flats and officially left the Immortal Flames. The Aftermath: Benedict wandered Eorzea alone for years afterwards. Sleeping in barns and under bushes, wherever he could. Often times he would trade manual labor for food and a cot or he would make use of his sword skills and deal with some beast that chose to prey on the common man in his dark hour. It was during this time that Benedict was perhaps his most content, but this is also where he found that when good men become desperate men they will lie and cheat for whatever they can. Many deals for services rendered were reworked because funds were not available or food was too scarce. Never did he complain or take issue with those who had so little and needed his aid, but deep within him there was an outrage at the deceit which had become commonplace. He existed as such for several years until he made his way to Gridania on autumn night. The air was filled with the scent of harvest and Benedict had traveled there after he had helped a local farmer bring in his produce to sell in the capital. He was enjoying the simple pleasure of a warm meal when he spotted a young miqo'te woman whose striking look and warm smile almost made him forget about his stomach. Never one for being shy Benedict made his way to her and introduced himself. They ended up talking the night away and from there things blossomed into a relationship over the next few months. Much like himself the miqo'te was skilled in natural lore and survival leading them to spend much of their time outdoors enjoying the bounty of the twelve woods. Sadly for Benedict, such happiness was not to last and by the next summer the two no longer saw eye to eye. One day Benedict came back from hunting and she had taken her things and was gone. Although it was not unexpected, he was still devastated by her disappearance. For a time he tried to console himself with friends he had made since putting down roots within the twelveswood, but in the end he simply felt lost and again he buried his anger. Finally he took to the road again and gained passage on a ship as part of her crew. That was almost a year ago and although word had circulated that Benedict had perished at sea in a storm he has once again returned to Eorzea's shores, but he is not quite the man he use to be or perhaps he is showing people his true self. Some of these rumors may be untrue or greatly exaggerated. Common Rumors (Easily Overheard) I heard he was homeless. Where do you suppose a man like that sleeps at night? -Ul'dahn merchant watching as Benedict makes his way through the bazaar. Did you see him last night at his table? He's a bit of a crabby drunk. -Waitress at the Carline Canopy I know him! He's the guy that cut down the Ixali war party that attacked a farmer's cart outside the city. Killed them all as easily as he walked down the road. Never even said anything. -Local Trader at the gates of Limsa Lominsa Moderate Rumors (Moderately Difficult to Overhear) I saw him once getting on with some Immortal Flame chaps, I think he was a soldier or somethin' -Ul'dahn baker as he watches Benedict sleeping in an alley I think he has some type of permanent camp set up in the Twelveswood. Better there than here. -Yellow Jacket as he passes Benedict Every now and again in the winter I see him dropping off piles of firewood to the locals, especially the older folk. He has a soft spot for those that can't do for themselves. -Wood Wailer Captain Rare Rumors (Very Difficult and Rarely Overheard) That guy has traveled all over. I hear some pretty powerful people owe him favors all over Eorzea! -Armorer from Limsa Lominsa. Yes! It was that man, I'm sure of it! He broke my arm and beat up my guards! All I did was have some street vermin kicked to the side of the road! I want him arrested! -Wealthy and Entitled Ul'dahn merchant lord Him? That's Benedict. He has been coming here since he was a boy. Never any trouble. -Old dockworker in Vesper Bay PC Rumors (Add Your Own) "Don't tell him I told you, but when he calls me Strawberry, I think it's kind of cute." ~Rihxo Matoi ♥ Romantic Interest    ♥ Platonic Love     ● Good Standing     ● Neutral     ● Poor Standing ☠ Deceased **All RELATIONSHIP INFO IS BASED ON RP SINCE HIS RETURN, NOT BEFORE** ● Katara Shadowalker:"Tara" has known Benedict almost longer than anyone and as such she has seen him go through many ups and downs. Having dealt with her own darkness, with his help, she seemed a good choice to help him learn control over his new powers as a Dark Knight. He initially sought her out upon his return to Eorzea and although he was unsuccessful in tracking her down at her old haunts, they managed to meet up randomly within the Brume in Ishgard. She has since agreed to help him learn control and he has chosen to stay in the house she and her Free Company. They have started rigorous training and meditation and to her credit, it has begun to pay off. More and more bits of the "old Ben" come back and are not touched by the darkness. He will never be able to go back to exactly the way he was, but he is happy to be taking steps to gaining full control. ● Elyon Eba: Elyon and Benedict met as she proceeded to ruin his attempts at a calm, peaceful drink by himself. That meeting did not end well and normally Benedict would have moved on without giving the girl a second thought, but fate is not so kind. On their second meeting he discovered her in the Free Company house where he was staying, apparently she had been invited to stay as well. She tried to lie and say she was someone else besides the girl who he met days before in Ul’dah, but that falsehood quickly broke down under with a few choice comments and observations. In any normal world Elyon would be someone he would have annoyingly tolerated at best and dismissed completely otherwise, but she had been living on the streets of Ul’dah and had little that she could claim as her own. That always strikes a chord with Benedict and so he currently considers her neutrally, mixing insult with advice, as well as, cold demeanor and warm empathy to her situation. Events since his return What I am looking for/interested in: Friends (Rp friends are what drive stories and keep me invested in playing a MMO) A possible romantic partner (Any race save for Lalafell, I just can't do it unless I am rping one) Roleplaying in other people's plot (I love to help others tell their stories as well) Enemies (Who doesn't like roleplaying with a PC enemy?) What I will NOT RP: Player death (I'm really not interesting killing Ben off, especially since I just started playing him again) Breaking Lore (I really feel that the lore of the game is what makes Final Fantasy different from any other fantasy world. When we ignore the lore we lose what makes this world uniquely different from Faerun, Krynn, or any other world.) Tropes: Sugar and Ice Personality, Brutal Honesty Dark is not Evil Annotations This template was provided by Nanagi Nagi and has additions from Unnamed Mercenary, Roen Deneith, and Coatleque Crofte. (Thank you!)