Ciel Wulfe

"Conjurers are not the only ones capable of granting succor. Who remains behind once that healer realizes nothing more can be done, and the deathly ill or wounded are left to their fate? No, a part of my task is to sing those ailing souls to their rest and grant them peace enough to let go of their worldly fetters. 'Tis the least I can do when others turn away." ~ Ciel Wulfe

Ciel Wulfe
Gender	Female
Race	Elezen
Clan	Wildwood
Citizenship	Gridania
Age	Mid-late 20's
Height	6'1"
Weight	Never ask a lady this question.
Eye Color	Emerald
Alignment	Good
Patron Deity	Oschon, the Wanderer

History

Having been born and raised in Gridania, Ciel has a deeply ingrained appreciation for the Twelveswood and Her many wild inhabitants. Her parents frequently encouraged her to pursue the path of a Conjurer due to a knack for hearing the occasional whisper from the wood, but she never felt it would be her true calling.

Early on, she discovered a love for the bow and often stole into the Quiver's Hold to watch the archers practice. She would also sometimes "borrow" a bow to practice, only to snap herself with the string time and again. Spindly arms aren't great for shooting effectively, but time and persistence saw her growing in strength and skill, and the accidental self-flagilations became less of a problem.

Likewise, despite her parents discouraging her from talking to adventurers from abroad, Ciel often found herself enthralled with their stories when they passed through Gridania. Tales of courage, romance, monster-slaying -- and so many of those were embellished for the sake of entertainment value , but she didn't care. It set a spark of interest within her for a taste of the outside world.

Her own adventures, when she became old enough, led her all over Eorzea with a variety of people. Some became dear to her, as siblings she never had. She had always been fed on the belief that outsiders weren't worth the time, that the people of the other nations were selfish and insular when, in truth and with time, she looked back on her own kind and saw these same flaws. Seeing the world with her own eyes meant learning many more truths, and she came to settle in Ul'dah with her comrades. She still longed for the Twelveswood, but not for the city of her birth.

Ciel eventually followed the same calling as her comrades, but rather than returning to Gridania to join the Twin Adders, she consigned herself to the Immortal Flames. This not only paid well for a while, but it kept her busy. Some of the missions she was sent on, however, became more and more troubling and she soon found herself at Carteneau. Even arriving there was a grim matter, but regret never truly set in until she got into the thick of the fray and watched her companions fall - often messily - one by one.

The coming of Bahamut, and then becoming engulfed in a brilliant white light... these were the last things she experienced before finding herself suddenly in one of the cities again. She felt like she had been asleep for a long time, and had awoken with a mind rattled by hazy nightmares.

(For more history, see the story post The Long Road Home)

Personality

Ciel has seen much in her time, yet some of those memories are hazy, like viewing events through frosted glass. There are reasons for this, as yet unknown to her, and she intends to find out what these reasons are and recall these events with clarity, for better or worse. She would perhaps be better off not remembering the Battle of Carteneau and what became of some of her comrades there. Despite this, Ciel is not one given to angst where others can see it, but she plays her harp as much for her own succor as that of others.

Most people will meet a gentle-tempered Elezen, one lacking the haughty, self-important nature witnessed in many of her brethren. It may be that her experiences have humbled her, or she hears and understands more of the voices inhabiting the Shroud than she would let on. There is enough wrath among the Elementals without one Elezen feeding it further.

Her search for answers leaves her drifting from place to place, while her loneliness keeps her moving between clusters of people. Those who don't seem to possess the answers she seeks will likely see her move on sooner than those who may be on a certain path.

Those who truly get to know her will learn what makes her tick, and may be treated to humor laced with sarcasm and graced with a smirk. They will also have a friend for life.

She's possessed of a strong sense of justice and won't tolerate those who pick on refugees, the poor, and the weak. Those who do will find the woman's temper.

Italic - Outer Self (Shell Personality)

Bold - Core Self (True Personality)

Calm

Empathetic

Haunted

Searching

Patient

Lonely

Observant

Gentle

Dry-humored

Flirtatious

Affiliations

Although she was born in Gridania, Ciel serves the Immortal Flames of Ul'dah. She has also served with at least two other Free Companies, the first of which was wiped out at the Battle of Carteneau, and the second scattered due to personal agendas. The most recent Free Company, Chocobo's Wing, is a growing group which is only just beginning to organize. Maybe she'll have better luck with this one...

Other Notes

Likes

• Walking through the Twelveswood.

• Stories, spoken and written.

• Understanding, and being understood.

• Sweets.

• Stargazing.

• Mining. She's not too prissy to avoid getting her hands dirty or breaking a nail, and has been known to sing while she works. Much of her travel is funded on the treasures she digs up.

Dislikes

• ...Those stupid reindeer suits. You can't get her to wear one even if your life depends on it.

• Being alone for long periods of time.

• People who can't lean a little closer to the soap.

• Bullies.

Relationships

• Yvelont Navarre - She met this gentleman following a brief, rained-out performance in Gridania one day and instantly found him familiar, but she could not place why. Bits and pieces of scattered memory clarified that familiarity amidst recurring dreams of Carteneau. Still wearing a Conjurer's robes during that conflict, his was the last life she tried to save. Finding him again five years later is a great assurance that she wasn't a complete failure as a Conjurer, but she still can't take full credit. This also means he knows her secret, if he remembers. Yvelont has become a good, trusted friend even for the short span of time they've actually known each other.

• Konner Kinkaid and T'nara Fariq - A beautiful couple soon to expand by one. She runs across them and their Company from time to time, usually when they're heading off on some important business. She sees these two as being cut from the same cloth.

• Oni De'phor and Raiden - Ciel knows very little about Oni De'phor and, in fact, is probably better acquainted with Raiden, if only because this odd being bound to Oni's lance keeps... pawing at her. Raiden is only relatively well-perceived because of Ciel's natural talent as a Hearer. She is curious about the story behind this unusual duo, but there never seems to be a good place or time to ask about it.

• Mylene Wharf - Ciel met Mylene by accident at the Coffer & Coffin, after the young Hyur tripped on Yvelont's sword. She seems like a sweet girl, in spite of what appears to be a nearly debilitating shyness. Mylene needs people around her who are willing to be patient, and Ciel is nothing if not patient.

• Bexy Amalaryssia - Another acquaintance Ciel first met at the Coffer & Coffin. The Miqo'te leaves Ciel with the impression that she isn't sure where she belongs, a feeling to which she can relate.

• Kiht Jakkya - Yvelont's student, and she seems like a nice young lady. She hasn't quite gotten to know Kiht yet, however, due in part to the Miqo'te's fixation on a plate of fish.

• Warren Castille - He's a toughie with a heart of gold, the very image of a valiant knight. He is always willing to encourage her musical inclination, something for which she is grateful. She is, however, concerned for the man where he always looks so exhausted.

• M'wanthala Khryn - The leader of Chocobo's Wing, the Free Company to which Ciel is assigned. Truth be told, she isn't really sure what to think of M'wan. The woman is a tinkerer among many other things, but it's her keen interest in studying Garlean machinery which makes Ciel uncomfortable. No good can come from doing so, and Ciel wants to get as far away from it as she can when this happens.

• Markus Shae - Another member of Chocobo's Wing. He's gruff but reliable, the strong arm of the Company, even if he can be kind of a brat.

• Percival Turner - The Wing's stalwart shield. Ciel doesn't know him very well, either, but he seems to be adjusting to his incident with a bottle of Fantasia.

Other Connections

You may know, or know of, Ciel if one of the following is true:

• She was one of two performers at the First Annual Royal Ball. If you were there, you might have seen or heard her sing.

• She frequents the taverns in the three main cities, sometimes simply to relax and watch people, other times to sing for the small audiences they offer. Most often, she can be found at the Quicksand.

• She has also become a regular at Coffer & Coffin tavern nights.

• You lived in Gridania up to two years prior to the Calamity. She may have had some old friends there. Feel free to send me a /tell in game if you're one of them.

Rumors

Common Rumors

• "Elezen lass? Eyes like emeralds, hair as white as mountain rime? Aye, I've seen 'er. They say she's got a heavenly voice, but I've yet to hear it for m'self."

Moderate Rumors

• "I've... I've heard she rides a coeurl. How does anyone tame such a beast to be ridden like a chocobo??"

• "She was singing at the Quicksand one evening and I offered her a cactus flower as a tip for one of her songs. I don't know what it was, but she seemed... not ungrateful, but kind of sad for it. You'd think I put a dead sparrow in her hat or something, for as reluctant as she was to take it." -- random Tia botanist

Rare Rumors

• "Used to be a Conjurer, that one. She left out of Gridania about a year or two before the Calamity, then disappeared for five..."

• "I heard this beautiful voice one night while I was on patrol in the Wood. Couldn't find the source at first, but there she was sitting beside the waterfall, bearing her soul to the night. I'm afraid I startled her... could've been an Ixal for all she knew. She dashed for cover when she heard me coming."

PC Rumors

((Feel free to add!))

• The songstress? I don't know what she's looking for, but I hope she finds it. -A grim guardian

Trivia

• She does not discuss Thierremont. (see The Long Road Home, linked in the Writings section)

• Her hair used to be much longer, but she cut it back to her shoulders right before leaving Gridania after Thierremont's death. Some cultures hold that the cutting of one's hair symbolizes grief, but also a rite of passage or letting go of something in one's past.

• She named her coeurl mount Mille Feuille. Not only is it the name of her favorite Gridanian dessert, but it also means "Thousand Leaves" or "Many Layers". She thought of the name after she noticed the way the ridges on the couerl's neck and limbs looks like overlapping layers, or leaves.

• She is a mezzo-soprano.

• Ciel is a very pious person and can often be found in places known to be sacred to the Twelve. She will sometimes collect small tokens as offerings for when she goes to these places, leaving them at whatever might pass for an altar, for each has their place in the grand scheme of things and should be paid their due respects. Among her favorite things to collect are nuts, seeds, and fresh plant cuttings - anything she can cultivate and offer to Nophica, the Matron - and she will happily accept these things in lieu of gil or other tokens of wealth when she sings in public.

OOC Notes

• I'm very careful about selecting which songs she performs in character. Although they may come from a variety of RL artists and sources, I make a point of only picking ones which lyrically blend with the setting of the game. Songs which reference RL locations, people, and concepts have been and will continue to be altered to fit Eorzea and its environments. This enables me to have a wide variety of sources to draw from, without breaking anyone's immersion too badly. Chances are, most of the songs I do use aren't widely known by most of the players anyway.

Writings

This section contains any stories related to this character, and anything written ICly.

• Long Road Home - Only a few months after returning to Gridania from her give year absence, Ciel must deal with some pieces of her past.

• Tale of Kupuri Kap - One of several poems Ciel has written.