Jaques Guillaume

Jaques Guillaume
'A drink? Maybe next time. I've got a job I should start on.'
'Recovering alcoholic'
Gender	Male
Race	Elezen
Clan	Duskwight
Citizenship	Unaffiliated

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Character

General

Full Name: Jaques Guillaume

Goes by: Jaques

Pronunciation (listen to the french version): [1]

Birthplace: - The Clan Marécage caverns are located in southern Coerthas. In the mountains just north of the Yafaem Saltmoor.

Current Residence: Homeless

Relationship Status: Would tell you he's married.

Religion: "May Byregot ever build you up."

Appearance

Height: 6 fulm 10 ilms

Weight: ~215 ponz

Hair: Thick and unruly. He keeps it braided back away from his face. If it's unbraided think 'Einstein hair'.

Age: Appears middle aged.

Typical expression: Serious.

Clothing: Nothing fancy or high end. Prefers light armors that give him freedom of movement. Carries a battered and patched cloth backpack that holds the majority of his traveling gear.

Voice: Deep, masculine.

Build: Lean like most of his race. Well muscled.

Other: A deep yet old scar runs down his left cheek. If he is without gloves or long sleeves then one can see several scars on his knuckles and forearms. Some of them fresher, some of them old. He has the usual knicks and scars on his knees and shins. If his shirt is off, he has a few body scars. Some scratches that look like claw marks are across his back. A fairly bad one, a burn scar, on his left peck/side.

Behavior

When sober: He is quiet, preferring to let others do the talking. He will offer his opinion when he sees fit. Is very goal oriented and has a 'fix-it' approach to problems. Tends to be quite guarded, especially when questioned in personal matters. Can be quick to anger, especially early in the morning. Has a dry and occasionally sarcastic sense of humor. Can be on edge and irritable around children.

When drunk: Louder, more outgoing. Wears his emotions more on his sleeve and can be quick to cycle through them. Still doesn't talk about personal matters. Is prone to gamboling and/or a drunken brawl.

Tendencies

Likes

• Working and being active.
• Training.
• When he finally understands something about overland culture.
• Being drunk.

Dislikes

• Money.
• Wildwoods/Wood Wailers
• Being on boats or extended wagon rides. (He gets motion sick.)
• Being drunk.
• Thinking

Strengths

• Excellent at close quarters hand-to-hand combat.
• Fairly good shot with a bow.
• Good at picking out edible plants vs. unedible ones.
• A decent fisherman.
• Can also wield a spear but is not an expert.

Weaknesses

• Bias against Wood Wailers and by extension the Wildwoods for continually "escorting" him out of towns and to the very outskirts of the Shroud for "poaching" and begging in the small settlements and towns around Gridania.
• Alcohol. He tries to avoid alcohol as he doesn't know moderation. Once he starts he usually doesn't stop until his body makes him.
• Is very bad at judging item/service values and is bad with his money.
• Can be very ignorant of the workings of overland society.
• Has nightmares and doesn't sleep well unless he takes a sip of a potion Polkah taught him to make. And even then he can only take it if he knows he'll have a safe roof over his head for the next few hours.
• PTSD

Hobbies/Talents

• A pretty good cook.
• Tracking.
• Coin/slight-of-hand tricks.

Personal history

Life up to his exile

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Your character, my reader, will probably not know anything from this section. If you'd rather try to weedle this story from him in his own words.... then you'll want to quit reading here and skip to the next section. This is mostly just so I can keep his story straight months down the road and is my backup to the file on my computer. And it's certainly written that way. ;) If you do read, and would like to have known him (or known of him) from this time, then let me know and we'll see if we can work something out. The most probable would be that you knew him from his Guardian role for the clan.

<spoiler>

Growing Up

His father, Ursulien Guillaume, was a miner at the clan's mine. He was stern but a caring father. He was often gone for stretches at a time on mining expeditions. His mother, Vadette Guillaume, took his father's name when she married. She acted at a sort of accountant in the clan. Only other than handling money she was responsible for monitoring stock and supplies. He has a sister that is older by two years, Vedelle Guillaume, who showed great proficiency for thaumaturgy. He was really close to his family. Especially close with his parents when he was young. Like most children. With his sister he had a sort of competitive relationship with. But when he grew older (late teens and beyond) he drifted further from his parents due to his life choices. But his relationship with his sister grew more supportive and less competitive, bringing them closer.

His childhood was fairly average for a child of the clan. He went to school where he learned to read, write, clan history, plant knowledge,and basic math. He was very physical and didn't like to sit still. So it's not surprising that he showed the aptitude to become a Guardian. After school he'd spend time with some of the other children in the arena. Playing games and practicing archery or martial arts. One of the sports/games they'd play was something between dodgeball and soccer. Two even teams. Goal zone on each end of the arena. One couldn't touch the ball with their arms/hands. Only, instead of trying to make it into a goalpost around a goalie... a 'Dodger' was stationed at and couldn't leave the goal zone. A point was scored if a team was was able to hit the opposing team's Dodger with the ball.

One of his earliest memories was getting a spanking from his mother as at the age of three. He was putting cave beetles in his sister's bed. Then, even though he got caught red-handed, he still tried to lie about it and said it was his sister putting the beetles in the bed. He was just keeping them company until she got back from school.

Forchetaix of the Leclerc family was a major role model for Jaques growing up. Forchetaix was the leader of the Guardians. (The name the clan gave to their defensive force.) Jaques wanted nothing more than to grow up and work at Forchetaix's side.

Claroise of the Vauquelin family, was his best friend in latter childhood and ended up being his first girlfriend in his teens. She was apprenticing to be a sculptor in the clan. Everyone thought for certain that the two would marry as they seemed to compliment each other so well. That was until he met her.

Enter Enie Popesco

Jaques first met Enie in his late teens. He was successfully proving himself and moving up the ranks as a Guardian by this point (Chasing his sister's heels, who was also proving herself as quite a capable mage in the Guardians.) and was in charge of guarding one of the gathering teams that would journey into the Saltmoor. The group was fishing and collecting herbs in one of the deeper parts of the Saltmoor that they hadn't been to in some time, when they came across a hastily put together hovel out there in the moors. It was there that he first saw Enie and it was love at first sight. His first prelude to tragedy.

Between that initial meeting, and subsequent trips out, Jaques got to know the girl, her father Raitmeaux, and their story. It turned out that they had been kicked out of their clan because Enie could be... mentally unstable with occasional fits of violence. They were in the moors because her father, an alchemist, was devising a potion that would help with here symptoms and keep her stable. Raitmeaux was having some success but it wasn't perfect yet.

Jaques during that time never saw her 'low' or violent side. Mainly due to luck and happenstance. All he saw was her sweet and gentle side. The side that loved him dearly. The side that was happy and exuberant. Then, when he was able to make the trip there again, he discovered the hovel to be very badly damaged. It turned out that a marsh cat that hunted in the area had destroyed the hovel while trying to get at Enie and her father. Raitmeaux was able to drive the beast away. Enie, a fairly accomplished conjurer, was able to cure his wounds. Upon hearing this, Jaques decided it was time he tried to convince his clan to take in the Popescos rather than have them stay out in the moors with little protection.

Back at the caverns he made his case to the Council. He pointed out that Raitmeaux was an accomplished alchemist and was working diligently and fairly successfully in creating a potion for Enie. Once he had that down he would be an asset to the community. Enie was an accomplished and learned conjurer. Something their clan hadn't had for a very long time. (Early in establishing the clan, their conjurer, both of his apprentices, and his personal cavern where he stored all of his written knowledge of the art, was buried in a cave in and most of everything was lost. Sometimes someone was born with a natural affinity for the art of conjuration, but without a teacher it was dangerous for the person to try to utilize. So the clan made due with alchemical/medicinal practices.) But the council had heard about her violent outbursts and mental instability, and was still reluctant to take a chance. It was then that Jaques promised that he would personally look after her. He would take responsibility for her actions and would ensure that she would be an asset to the community. This was Jaques second and probably most damning prelude to tragedy as the Council finally relented.

So the Popescos were admitted to join the community... And it was a rocky start. Now that he had more time to spend with her, he did see past her 'ups' and into her 'lows'. And, given mental illness is what it is, the change in her routine (even though it would end up being even more stable than what she had been living) caused her moods to really swing. Between Jaques and Enie's father they managed to keep her largely contained. Only they really received her violent outbursts, which they silently took and is how Jaques received the burn scar on his pec/side and the scar on his left cheek. To everyone else, they just got her often bitterly vindictive moods and piercing tantrums. But after a while her moods began to stabilize. Raitmeaux seemed to perfect his potion. Her ups weren't quite so up and her downs weren't nearly so down and she slowly became more and more often the woman Jaques loved and who loved Jaques in return.

Holy Matrimony

Now, as one can imagine, Enie really didn't endear herself to many others in the clan. Especially since, for the beginning at least, she was more likely to yell at them and tell them they deserved whatever ache or injury they had incurred rather than actually cure it. And it was a mystery to many, including Jaques parents as to why he was so set on courting this wild, uncooperative, and vicious young woman when there was sweet and beautiful Claroise. Had they actually asked, Jaques himself would have been at a loss to answer, yet love Enie he did. It was clear that Jaques was going to marry the girl so they settled in to the inevitable. Vedelle on the other hand, seemed the most sympathetic to them both. Perhaps because she was the one who was to learn the art of conjuration from Enie, so she in turn could teach the younger generation. Perhaps that's why Vedelle actually chose to pay attention and saw how tender and loving her brother and Enie could be with one another. When Enie's moods became more stable, Vedelle could wait out her relatively mild lows and was a fast friend through the good times.

Anyway, marriage. It happened and the rest of the family grudgingly accepted it. Especially since by the time they did get married Enie's moods weren't quite so bad. And things were good for the newlyweds. They even seemed to be going nowhere but up! Enie was pregnant and her mood swings seemed to disappear during that time. Approx two years after their marriage, they had their first child. A little girl they named, Lydie, after Enie's deceased mother. Enie's mood swings returned but they still didn't seem as bad. And she was a very good mother to Lydie. A little over two years later and they were blessed with a second healthy baby girl named Yvette. Enie's moods were fairly stable and she even was able to keep and make some friends by now. And Jaques was a very proud and happy father and husband. His girls were happy and healthy and he could have hardly asked for more.

The fall and exile

Jaques's climb through the Guardian's ranks had stalled there for a bit. And he had gone from one of the more popular young men of his generation to one of the most unpopular. But through his hard work and perseverance he was turning that all around and had made rank of Lieutenant. Which was as far as he could go in the Guardians until Forchetaix retired. And through the marriage and two pregnancies, Jaques had convinced himself that everything was going to be just fine. Enie was and would always be fine. She grew out of it. Enie herself believed this. And so Jaques became slack in his responsibility for his wife. The responsibility he had promised the Council he'd uphold. He stopped monitoring her medicines as he had. He no longer counted herbs to make certain she was actually mixing them into the potion. He didn't carefully monitor the potions to make sure they were actually consumed. He didn't rifle through their rubbish bin to make sure nothing was thrown away. And above all, he didn't listen to their close friends when they raised concerns that his wife was slipping.

In part it was because when Jaques was around, she was pretty stable. So he never saw what his friends saw. The overly harsh punishments towards the two young girls. Her cruel streak seeming to return. Her pushing away the friends she had made. Even when they were having the only argument that the couple ever seemed to have he still didn't see. She wanted another child. She wanted a little boy. But clan law prevented it. And Jaques wouldn't relent to her, wouldn't even bring it up to the council. She would hit him. But he could take it. He was larger than she was. And somehow he convinced himself that if she vented her anger at him then she wouldn't do it to anyone else. That everything was still fine. And so this was the setting when Yvette, his youngest, had just reached her third year.

Jaques was sent out to lead a hunting expedition. One of the swamp cats had grown to a massive size and had grown increasingly aggressive. Several Guardians and gatherers had been injured by the beast and it still remained at large. This hunt was to fix that little issue. Vedelle was also sent out because of her healing abilities. It was a long and grueling hunt.

Enie was now alone for several days. Her last actions with her husband had been one of their fights. She had been off her medication for quite a while. Her usual coping mechanisms she had acquired were just not working. The oldest daughter was always active and rambunctious. She was frustrating as she was exhausting. Her youngest was doing nothing but push boundaries. But everything would have been fine if she were just pregnant with a son. She knew this. Her pregnancies had always made her feel so -alive-. So energized. And everyone seemed to be doing everything they could to keep that from her. And somehow in this, she snapped. Violently. Bloodily. Terribly. Much worse than the council had ever even dared to fear back when Jaques was asking for her acceptance into the clan.

The hunting party returns victoriously. But everything is wrong. Jaques is instantly surrounded by Forchetaix and four other lieutenants. He is marched directly towards the Council's chamber. All around him emotions are running high and none of them positive. He can hear wailing. Vedelle had been whisked away for an unknown purpose. Jaques gets no answers and he is near panic by the time he does. Which is at his judgement in front the Council. His children are dead. As are 5 other children at the school that Lydie had just stared attending. 4 more were seriously injured. The instructor was dead when he used himself to protect the children from Enie. Enie had been killed to stop her rampage. Pain was everywhere. Jaques could see it but he couldn't feel it. He was in shock. Blame was being passed around like candy and ultimately ended up back on him. And so he was sentenced. The harshest sentence their community allowed for. He was stripped of his position, his standing, his very name. No longer was he Guillaume. No longer Marécage. He was marched directly from the chamber, only allowed to take what he had brought in. A light travel pack, his clothes, and his bronze knuckles. His spear and bow had been taken from him. He was marched all the way to the end of the pass that lead to their caverns. And told to never, ever, return.

After exile

Jaques had a fairly steep learning curve and a fair amount of culture shock since his exile. He did his best at first, scavenging off the land around the outskirts of the Shroud and never even set foot into a settlement. But then the first winter hit. He had no where to supply and stock provisions and he had to enter the outlying settlements else he starve or freeze to death. He'd scavenge from rubbish heaps for leftover scraps to eat and soon learned the art of begging for handouts. It was that first winter that he stared his decent into alcoholism. For the next three years he became little more than the areas wandering homeless drunkard. His life revolved on either being completely sloshed, or figuring out how to become that way.

A chance encounter with a Miqo'te named Polkah, the first person since the exile to really help. Gave him the nudge he needed to get him on a better path for himself. That story can be found here: [2]

Clan Marécage information

General information

Everything not behind a spoiler tag can be considered fair game as a source of common knowledge about this clan.

• The caverns were discovered by a group of 12 extended families. The Guillaume were one of those families that makes up their clan.
• The community is highly insular, communal, and are a fairly self sufficient hunter/gatherer society.
• They have no monetary system.
• The caverns are not just rough cut walls. Stoneshapers (sculptors) are highly prized for their artistry. Patterns and gems have been carved and inset into the walls, columns and passages. The floors are polished smooth. Sculptures representing Byregot are common.
• Just over a malm away there is another cave structure that this tribe actively mines for gems and other earth commodities.
• The clan has been and remains to be fairly successful due to the community's continued sweat blood and tears.
• For religion they acknowledge the Twelve. But they have strong leanings to Byregot, the Builder. They have rituals and such they perform before excavating a new area in order to ensure a safe excavation and divining where to dig. They also have a few religious holidays in his honor.
• Those charged with defense of the caverns and any activity outside the caverns are called Guardians.

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• Cave structure and development. Originally the caves where three large connected caverns. With hard labor (and explosives...) over the centuries they have added additional large caverns as well as smaller branches leading to private living quarters. The living quarters are pretty much just for that. They are fairly small spaces and used for sleeping/intimacy/privacy. When a couple newly wed, they will take up a spare living quarter. If none are available then one would have to be hollowed out. Of the original three caverns: The first cavern, the one leading to above ground, is the smallest of the caverns. It is used primarily as a staging and receiving area. Goods that are brought in are processed here. DWs heading out of the caverns use this area to equip, supply and prepare. The second cavern is the largest. This is where games/the arena/festivals/the school/general socializing can be found and is held. Most of the living quarter branches start off from this cavern. The third cavern, still fairly large in size, is the community mess hall. Most of the storage and mushroom crop passages lead off from this cavern. The clan created a fourth cavern deeper than the original three. This one is where the council members convene and work. The only passage from that cavern is the one linking it to the third.
• During one of their early living quarter expansions, they blasted into a small crevice that extended deeper down into the earth. Right into an underground river. This is where the community's fresh water is now supplied from. When things shifted during the calamity, the crevice apparently deepened and the clan had to rework their mechanical pump to reach their fresh water supply.
• At the time of Jaques exile there were ~350 individuals that called the caverns their home.

Politics/laws

• The 12 families elect one head to represent them on the council.
• The council is responsible for directing and looking out for the best interests of the community as a whole. The clan has notices that 12 families coincides with The Twelve. It is considered a good omen. But it isn't like each seat represents one of The Twelve or anything like that.

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• In lean years the council takes direct control on rationing and distributing goods.
• Under the council, prominent family members tend to look after and police their own families.

Laws:

• One must provide for the community in some capacity.
• One will never take the life of another.
• One will not take more than their share. Especially at the expense of others.
• Two child per married couple. (This was established at the founding of the clan to help create a stable, predictable population growth. By this point it's tradition and not much push to change the law.)

Growing up in the clan

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There is a school set up in the main cavern that serves as a place for children to learn about a variety of subjects. They start schooling at about the age of 5. The elders are usually tasked with teaching the younger generations.

A child isn't restricted to a job their parents adhere to. Instead, as part of their schooling, they are tested for a variety of aptitudes and are nudged to fully explore and discover those strengths. A child who shows remarkable physical prowess and skills at combat will usually become the guardians and hunters. One that shows a lot of abstract thought and looks/plans on things as a whole would probably be groomed as a family head, if not a potential council member.

Punishment

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The individual accused will stand before the council. The council will review their crime and then a majority vote will take place on the level of punishment.

Ostracism- The lowest tier of punishment. Most common punishment. The individual will be ostracized from the group for an initial period of 3-7 days with a third party community member being assigned to monitor the individual. They will still be allowed to live amongst the community and their caverns will still provide a roof over their heads. But that will be the extent of that the community will help the convicted individual. They will not get to partake in the communal meals and services.

If the individual didn't simply leave the tribe or die, (both rare) then the individual would be presented back in front of the council for further judgement. The person who had been assigned to monitor the convicted will report their findings of how the convicted performed. If they attempted to make amends with the community (Still providing some service for the community even though they were getting nothing in return for example.) then the individual would be welcomed back into the community. If the convicted didn't try to make amends or deliberately decided to continue to cause issues inside the community, then the council would re-review the individual's punishment. It could be extended if they saw some hope. Or the punishment could escalate.

Banishment- The middle tier of punishment. Fairly rare punishment. But was known to happen. The individual will have demonstrated that they could not and/or would not assimilate into the community and work for the community betterment. This individual is given a small window of time to supply and say farewells. Then they must leave the clan. They were allowed to visit and share on major holidays, if they wished, to check up on any loved ones they left behind.

Exiled- The top and final tier of punishment. Reserved for those who actively and intentionally caused some harm to the community. Very rare punishment. The individual, upon sentencing, is immediately cast out with only the Items on their person. Their names are stricken from record as the individual is kicked out of even their family. In the eyes of the clan: The exiled have the duskwight race. But he/she may no longer BE a duskwight. The individual is (obviously) never allowed back to the caverns.

Additional notes:

Usually if the crime isn't large enough to make it to the council, the family heads will punish their own. Sometimes with lesser ostracism but could include everything from a stern talking to, to a public humiliation, or to a caning.

Infanticide, while uncommon, is practiced within reason. Its one of the grim allowances they've made to relieve some of the restriction on a couple only being able to have two children. For instance: because neither gender is viewed more desirable than another, killing an infant based solely on gender is hugely taboo. Couples have been banished for it. But if the babe has a major physical deformity or very apparent diminished mental capacity at or shortly after birth? Then it is generally considered a kindness to help those babes pass on rather than have them not be able to fit within and be unable to contribute to the society.

Outside interactions/contacts

Common expeditions out of the caverns.

• To head down to the saltmoors for fishing, hunting, and gathering.
• To head to the mine.

Scheduled expeditions out of the caverns.

• To convene with a couple neighboring clans for joint holidays/customs/and trade.
• Once a year, after the majority of the trading with the neighboring clans had concluded, and towards the end of the harvest season for the surface dwellers. The clan puts together a caravan of the seasons surplus goods and gems make the many malm journey eastwards. There they meet up with a predominately hyur settlement where they trade for things like grains, textiles, and other resources and luxuries they can't get themselves.

You might know him from...

When he was a wandering drunkard from the outskirts of the Shroud from the last 3 years. Perhaps you gambled with him, gave him a handout or had a drunken brawl with him. Or perhaps you taunted him and scorned him. Or simply tried your best to ignore him.

Very recently, you might have seen him in Ul'dah. He seems to have cleaned himself up and has not been begging or drunk as far as anyone has seen.

Rumor here has it that he's joined the adventurer's guild. And he's been seen around the pugilists guild.

Relationships

To be updated.

Annotations

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