Oriel Durand

Oriel Durand
Gender	Male
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	Keepers of the Moon
Citizenship	Ul'dan
Age	28
Marital Status	Single
Occupation	Miner/Goldsmith/Culinarian
Height/Weight	5'8" / 168 lbs
Orientation	Pansexual
Relatives	Sami'to (Father) Orhi Khamazom (Mother) , as well as two sisters.

Oriel "Orhi'a" Durand (born on the 31st Sun of the 3rd Astral Moon, 1550) is a Keeper of the Moon miqo'te who hails from a small settlement on the fringes of Gridania. After he came of age, he left the Black Shroud behind him, calling Ul'dah his new home and taking an alias. His penchant for collecting rocks and other knickknacks earned him a place at the local Miners Guild. After the Calamity struck, he'd returned to his clan's home, only to find the place in ruins. With his family gone, he has dedicated himself to his work, even picking up a few crafts between mining contracts to keep him busy. Lately he has taken a liking to Limsa Lominsa, more so after discovering his passion for cooking.

Most recently, he has left employment of Amajina and Son's Mineral Concern, in favor of adventuring. He is currently employed by a Free Company of some repute, but no name.

Basic Info

LIKES ■ Dark, quiet places (Hellooooo mineshafts!) ■ Cooking, followed closely by eating. ■ Rocks. He has a collection. ■ Books, to keep his mind from wandering. ■ Rainy weather ■ Exploring the wilds of Eorzea.

DISLIKES ■ Heat waves ■ Halitosis ■ Extremely loud, sudden noises ■ Large crowds ■ Spriggans and Coblyns

OTHER ■ Alignment: Neutral Good ■ Vice(s): Does collecting too many rocks count? ■ Favorite Food: Any and all kinds of muffins ■ Favorite Drink: Chamomile Tea ■ Favorite Color: Black

Appearance & Personality

Oriel is tall for a miqo'te, and his work as a miner has left him with a lean, toned body. His freckled umber brown skin and light green hair provide an interesting contrast, as do his hetero-chromatic eyes (right is blue, left is green). His hair is thick and fluffy, both on his head and tail, with the hair on his tail being particularly long. When mining, he wears protective gear over his slops and a loose shirt. What he wears the rest of the time varies with what he's doing, though he does have a preference for loose-fitting tunics and boots. Most of his clothing tends to be dyed a dark color, typically black or inky blue.

*He is an introvert, and tends to keep to himself when he is not out on a contract. While he doesn't dislike people, he is unsure of them, and would rather watch them from afar. He comes off as polite, if a bit shy to most strangers. Once he gets over his initial discomfort, he's rather friendly. He is the kind of fellow that would have no problem listening to you prattle on if he liked you well enough, nodding and smiling all the while.

*He values his personal space, and does not like his bubble to be violated by strangers. While not outright hostile, he does tense up when touched by other people, particularly those not affiliated with the Miner's Guild and the Bismark. This has lessened over time, due to frequent exposure to a certain kit.

*As much as Oriel loves to read and write, his handwriting is atrocious and difficult to understand. He has a tendency to rush as he writes, butchering his script in the process.

*He also has a tattoo, located below where his neck and shoulders meet. Acquired during a brief foray into alcohol, he has since done his best to keep it hidden, and does not like to talk about what transpired that night.

Biography

1550-1577

Pre-Calamity

Born to a family of Keepers in the Shroud, he spent the entirety of his youth in the Twelveswood. His family had broken tradition somewhat, seeking to forge bonds with the Gridanians through trade and assisting with the tracking of poachers. While this endeavor of theirs met with limited success (due to the distrust held against them), it did provide Oriel with the opportunity to see Gridania from time to time, expanding his horizons. When not helping out at home, he liked to wander the woods, collecting all manner of things, most notably stones. As he aged, he would begin to wander further away, his wanderlust being a source of consternation at home.

Said wanderlust would lead him to forsake life in a Keeper family, leading him all the way to Ul'dah to forge a new one for himself. Like many folks who came to Ul'dah for work, he had taken up mining as a trade, finding it much to his liking (if only because of all the rocks). During this time, he also learned to read and write, though his penmanship still suffers to this day.

Post-Calamity

At first, there was naught but confusion after the Calamity had struck. Ul'dah had escaped the brunt of Dalamud's fall, and for a time Oriel had not concerned himself with much beyond his duties as a miner. But in time, as refugees of ruined settlements began to trickle into the city, they brought with them the ill-tidings of the considerably less lucky Twelveswood. The more he learned of the destruction that befell the Shroud, the more his mind wandered back to the family he had left behind. He would eventually leave Ul'dah, hastily making his way to the place he once called home, hopeful that maybe not all of what he'd heard was true.

He met with disappointment at every turn, the greatest of which being the site of what his family called home. What hadn't been burnt to ash was crushed by fallen debris, and while he found no bodies, he knew that, more than likely, everyone was gone. Numb with grief, he returned to Ul'dah, burying himself in his work at the mines.

~Present~

After spending nearly a decade as a miner for the Concern, Oriel picks up a seemingly simple contract to acquire jade from Coerthas with a group out on research. After the disastrous turn of events that would follow, Oriel spent much time nursing the thought of leaving his home to start anew. With another contract taking him to Limsa Lominsa, he again found himself with the same group from before, again in unfavorable circumstances. The more time wore on, the more it became apparent that he just couldn't lose this group of people. They were just... everywhere.

In time, Oriel cut ties with the Concern, deciding that the life of an adventuring miner was no worse than that of a fully employed one, and that at the least, he could travel as he pleased. A fateful encounter on Bloodshore with the Yet-Unnamed Free Company landed him a steady job with greater freedom than he could ever want. The only downside would be that... It's the same group of people he just can't seem to get away from.

To this day, he's still unsure about whether he made the right decision to join them. For now, he finds their company enjoyable, even if he is rather out of the loop on the intimate matters of the company. If he spent less time digging holes in the ground for rocks, he might even know more than a handful of their names.

Miscellaneous

RUMORS Some of these rumors are untrue or are greatly exaggerated. Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! ◢ Common Rumors (Easily overheard) ■ WIP ■ ■ ◢ Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear) ■ WIP ■ ◢ Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard) ■ WIP ◢ PC Rumors (Rumors from the character's of other players) ■ WIP ■ ■ ■

RELATIONS ♥ Romantic Interest    ♥ Platonic Love     ● Good Standing     ● Poor Standing WIP

Gallery

• WIP

Footnotes

WIP

Thank you to Bancroft Gairn for letting me use the template!