Rey Hopebringer

Sebastian Taylor (formerly Rey Hopebringer)
Race	Hyur
Clan	Midlander
Citizenship	Region of Gridania
Age	23
Height & Weight	6 fulms 1 ilms, 170 ponz
Orientation	Homosexual
Occupation	Healer, rising merchant
Nameday	19th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon, 1556 Sixth Astral Era
Server	Balmung

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Basic Information

“White magic, the arcane art of succor, was conceived eras past that the world might know comfort. Alas, man began perverting its powers for self-gain, and by his wickedness brought about the Sixth Umbral catastrophe. Although the art subsequently became forbidden, it is now in the midst of a revival at the hands of the Padjal, chosen of the elementals.Those who would walk the path of the white mage are healers without peer, possessed of the power to deliver comrades from the direst of afflictions—even the icy grip of death itself.”

A soft-spoken midlander with the constant need to protect those around him. Hailing from the far reaches of The Shroud, Sebastian has answered his life calling of caring for adventurers and ensuring the survival of his comrades. He journeys throughout Eorzea, offering his power of conjury and recovery to those needing aide.

LIKES ■ Plum wine ■ Forest of Gridania ■ Triple Triad ■ Studying ancient books ■ Healing magic ■ Elements of Hydaelyn, especially water ■ Helping others ■ Midlanders and Highlanders

DISLIKES ■ Rudeness ■ Being accused of something false ■ Dishonesty ■ Inability to hold melee weapons correctly ■ Those who hurt his friends ■ Garleans ■ Shady Miqo’te’s

TRAITS ■ Loyal ■ Caring ■ Selfless ■ Humble ■ Somewhat clumsy ■ Can be stubborn

OTHER ■ Alignment: Lawful Good ■ Favorite Food: Baguettes ■ Favorite Drink: Plum wine ■ Favorite Color: White

Family

■ Michael Hopebringer - father (deceased)

■ Deborah Hopebringer - mother

■ Matthew Hopebringer - elder brother (lost at sea)

The Taylor family was known for being major contributors of the village that they hailed from. They learned to give and take from the land, which enabled them to provide for their townsfolk. Michael Taylor was a merchant while he was alive, a skill that Sebastian is continually learning despite his father having been passed for several years now. Sebastian’s mother is still alive, however Sebastian does not visit her much due to his being busy assisting Eorzea in its troubled times. Sebastian was very close to his elder brother, Matthew. However, Matthew went on a sailing mission for his village and never returned. Sebastian owns a keepsake from his brother, a feather that is said to come from a very rare bird that is a distant cousin to the Phoenix.

Appearance

Taller than the average midlander at 6 fulms 1 ilms, Sebastian is considered a little strange for a midlander Hyur. He is quite taller than his counterparts. His build is considered to be skinny yet chiseled. While healers are usually smaller and more frail, this is not the case for Sebastian. These attributes are from his constant travels, along with his gathering skills. He is also quite tan from working out in the field every now and then. Weighing in at 170 ponz, his muscular physique is quite apparent through his usually tight clothing.

He has platinum blonde hair, almost bordering on appearing white in color. His eyes are a mysterious shade of very light blue, also almost appearing solid white in color. None of his other family has these attributes, and his mother strongly believes that Sebastian was touched by some sort of Holy magic which permanently altered his hair and eye color while he was very young.

While Sebastian does not try to wear too much fancy armor, the constant pieces that are constantly on his persona are his "accessories." These are a metal shackle on his right wrist with the embroidery of the Garlean Castrum Oriens, along with a metal choker with the number “182371” inscribed onto it. These “accessories” are remnants of a time that Rey was captured by Garleans while working out in the field and being hauled off to the Castrum Oriens.

Personality

Sebastian strives to be one of the most selfless people on the realm. He is usually quiet around newfound adventurers or friends, but once he feels comfortable, his humble behavior turns into that of a loyal protector. He is quick to throw himself into any dangerous situation to save his friends or assist in any way, even if the cost was his own life. Sebastian has a bad habit of sweating the “small things” and being a bit of a worrier. He is constantly afraid that he will fail his life mission as a protector or his friends.

Sebastian is considered very friendly, unless you give him a reason not to be. He loathes dishonest or rude people, especially unwelcoming adventurers or those who have no care for others. He is easy enough to get along with, especially after a drink or two. He is prone to find himself in embarrassing situations, but has the innate ability to laugh at himself which tends to serve him well in larger groups. He isn’t much one to flirt, but if he does find someone attractive, he may make subtle hints that he would expect the other to pick up on. Whether or not that is considered “flirty”, he doesn’t know.

Although he has devoted his life to the mending of others, Sebastian has trouble mending emotional scars within his own persona. The death of his father and the loss of his brother have taken quite a toll on him, and each life failure makes him feel like he has failed them both constantly. Sebastian can get emotional at times, but only if he feels very strongly about something or someone. He tries his best not to let emotions get in the way of his duty as a healer, but he often finds himself grouped with his friends so his emotions often drive him to make sure he succeeds at any task.

He isn’t one to push people away unless he needs to separate himself for thought or time alone. He tries to surround himself with as many friends as he can, and wants to avoid any kind of conflict, if possible. If a situation arises when two friends are mad at each other or someone needs to find another, Sebastian is almost always the first to volunteer himself for assistance. His defense mechanism is usually that of hiding his true feelings, only to spill them out later. He is trying his best to change that, but it is a habit that he has had since childhood.

Biography

Born and raised in the far reaches of The Shroud, Sebastian lived in the small village of Palatka. The son of a merchant and alchemist, he quickly learned the value of hard work. He worked many suns out in his family’s fields, growing and harvesting many crops to help sustain his small and secluded village. At the age of 10, he would begin communicating with the forest. He would hear echoes and whispers from various parts of the forest when he would be traveling with family or playing with the other children. He dismissed it at first since he was but a child, but as he grew older, the whispers and echoes became much more apparent to him.

At the age of 14, he finally revealed what he had been hearing throughout the different regions of Gridania. His mother had read ancient literature on the subject, suspecting that her son had been different due to his hair and eye color. She sent him to the city-state of New Gridania under the supervision of a traveling caravan to be taken in by the Conjurer’s Guild. The Conjurer’s Guild would take them under his wing, teaching him advanced techniques of conjury and mastery of the elements of earth and water. During his training, he would constantly find himself in a trance while in the forest. Members of the Conjurer’s Guild would take note of this and alerted the Padjal, which prompted them to label Sebastian as a "Hearer." He wasn't sure what this would mean right now, other than the were others in the Hearer's group that would also hear whispers of the forest.

At age 18, Sebastian finally received a break from his training and was allowed to travel home to see his family. During his solo travel, he was abducted by a traveling band of Garleans that had been sent to scout the lands. They captured Sebastian and brought him back to Castrum Oriens, where they latched an unbreakable shackle onto his wrist and wrapped his neck with a choker labeled with his identification number. He would not be at this Castrum for long, perhaps for about a month or so. The Garleans would learn of Sebastian’s power and try to manipulate and twist it for their own purposes of camp expansion. Their location would soon be discovered by an army regimen of Gridania, being sent out on patrolling missions having learned that the Garleans were looking into moving into their lands. When the regimen fought against a Garlean front that was protecting the Castrum, Sebastian was freed by some members of the regimen. After the battle, Sebastian was escorted back to Gridania without having seen his family. He was advised to hide under an alias to avoid re-capture by the Garleans, which he did. He began using the alias "Rey Hopebringer."

When Sebastian turned 21, the Conjurer’s Guild decided to advance him to the highest training available within the guild and assume the role of the White Mage. As Sebastian became more attuned to the soul of the White Mage by being trained by the Padjal, he found that he would hear the forest whisper and echoes becoming stronger and understandable. He discovered that these whispers were the ones of White Mages past, letting him know for years that this path was his fate and he was destined to protect and heal others. He had finally understood what he was meant to do on Eorzea, and vowed to himself to be a protector of all citizens on Hyaelyn. However, as of recent, the forest whispers have become stranger, telling him stories that he wouldn’t quite understand involving an "Echo" of some sort. These whispers would also lead him to places that would seemingly be empty, but would resonate within Sebastian and his emotions. Only time will tell where the whispers of the forest will take him next.

With the unrest and the rumors swirling about in Ul'dah, as well as the increasing dragon presence in the north as of late, Sebastian has decided to stop using his alias of "Rey Hopebringer" and reveal his true name. He has decided that it is time hold no more secrets from people, especially those he trusts. He fears that the Garleans will use the civil unrest and the distraction of the problems in Ishgard to advance their directives. While he is frightened that this may lead to his re-capture, he knows that he will stand steadfast with his friends to halt any assault as best as possible.

During his travels, Sebastian would pick up various crafting and gathering skills that would allow him to further service the citizens of Eorzea. While these professional skills were constantly being improved and refined, he would also pick up the skills and abilities of other magical aether, trying to understand all aspects of magical abilities in the world of Hydaelyn. These skills include the rival healing abilities of the Scholar and the dark destructive magic of the Black Mage. He never condones the use of Black Magic and tries to avoid it entirely. He still continued to refine his Scholarly abilities since he has mastered the abilities of the White Mage.

Sebastian is quite versed in playing the musical instruments of the piano and the harp. He practices his piano quite often and plays to himself whenever he gets the chance. He believes he can soothe the torment of the forest by playing the piano. He also uses the piano as an outlet for his emotions, especially the burdens of the souls past that he carries with him almost constantly. He generally plays alone and almost never lets anyone hear him play, although the people who have heard him have told him that he is quite skilled at the art.

Rumours

Remember that these are rumours. Some may be true while others may not! Feel free to add your own rumours under the Player section!

NPC Rumours

■ "I saw him once conjure a globe of water out of thin air!" - random La Noscean citizen

■ "He has the tendency to argue with those who disagree with his views." - tavern patron

■ "This man is so clumsy that he consistently falls down stairs and drops expensive items." - shopowner in Gridania

■ "I have never seen someone with the heart that he has. He truly cares for those around him." - adventurer from Thanalan

■ "One of the best White Mages I have ever adventured with. He even saved the group as Death itself closed in all around us!" - member of the Adventurer’s Guild

Player Rumours

■ "He and I have some kind of connection. That much, I already know. There's something that I'm sort of afraid of but I can't really let that get in the way. I really like him and care for him so much. I want to know where that connection will take us." - Tetsuro Akashi

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Relationships

 ♥ Romantic Interest    ♥ Platonic Love    ● Family    ● Good Friend    ● Friend    ● Acquainted    ● Disliked    ● Distant

♥● Tetsuro Akashi

Having first met Tetsuro while he was heading out on a leve quest, he would later be approached by the Doman man whose nationality that he did not recognize. He was in a disagreement with a large Roegadyn when Tetsuro approached the conversation. Since that moment, Sebastian had been curious of the man and constantly intrigued by him. He was initially apprehensive about letting Tetsuro know his preferences of a lover, Tetsuro was nothing but warm and kind as the two grew closer, despite Sebastian being a blond which Tetsuro was not sure if he liked or not. As time would pass, their relationship would become significantly closer and Sebastian would find himself very attracted to Tetsuro and would want to pursue a relationship with him. However, Tetsuro is currently away, wandering the land as he figures things out for himself. Sebastian eagerly awaits the return of Tetsuro in a few days so they can pick up where they left off. After a few days of Tetsu's absence, he would receive a letter from a villager saying that they had injured Tetsu and would be leaving him in Southern Coerthas. This prompted Sebastian's inner-power to manifest his resolve of wanting to protect him, in the form of sprouting brilliant prismatic wings from his back. When Tetsu was returned to him injured, this power once again manifested itself to allow him to safely deliver Tetsu to Chou's home for healing. As he recovered, he felt an immense guilt for not being there to protect Tetsu, despite Tetsu's wishes of travelling alone. When he fully recovered, they had an extremely long talk that resulted in them revealing their feelings for each other. Sebastian still finds himself trying to grasp the concept of "love" and what it entails as this is his first serious relationship, but he finds himself enjoying each passing day more than the last, thanks to Tetsu and the protection he offers.

Sebastian decided to reveal his true name to Tetsuro after an increased presence of the Brass Blades and Crystal Braves within the city of Ul'dah. He also revealed his capture and why he assumed an alias for the past five years. Luckily, Tetsuro was very understanding of this and they have each vowed not to hold any more secrets from each other.

Sebastian and Tetsu continue to grow closer each day and they are currently saving to buy a house in the Mist. Sebastian also is trying to work up the courage to ask a particular question to Tetsu that may turn both of their lives upside down...

●Seiko Mamushi

Seiko, known as Chou, is a good friend of Tetsuro that Tetsuro introduced to Sebastian a few days after their own meeting. Sebastian and Chou would become close as Sebastian and Tetsuro’s relationship would intensify. Chou has proven herself to be a good friend to Sebastian and Sebastian enjoys her company. She has taken Sebastian on a tour of her house and she allows him to stay there, if need be. They also attend taverns together as well as randomly meet up in the Quicksand for a quick game of Triple Triad. Sebastian has gotten much closer to Chou lately, revealing to her his feelings for Tetsu. They have had long talks that has helped Sebastian feel much more comfortable around her and allowed him to confide in her greatly. When they aren't having deep discussions about life or anything of the sort, they are usually seen together with cards in hand, cursing the regional rules that are in play for the day. Sebastian has also revealed his real identity to Chou as well, which has helped the two of them grow very close with complete and utter trust.

●Gwannes Oskwell

Sebastian met Oskwell when he was introduced to Chou through Tetsuro. Oskwell is Chou’s soon-to-be husband, and also has become a close friend of Sebastian’s. He goes to great lengths to protect Chou, which Sebastian hopes Tetsuro will protect Sebastian in the same way. While Sebastian still has many things to learn from Oskwell, he is confident in their ability to become fast friends and even adventurers in the future. Sebastian has also promised Chou that he will protect Oskwell as Oskwell tends to find himself in some pretty hairy situations. As of lately, Oskwell has opened up more to Sebastian, revealing his background and some things that he tended to hide from the public. Sebastian continues to offer his services to Oskwell, but he gets the feeling that perhaps Oskwell is not too sure about him. Sebastian is trying to seek approval from Oskwell in any way possible, since he considers Chou one of his closest friends. Sebastian has yet to tell Oskwell of his real identity, which he hopes to do soon.

● Ginjiro Mori

Sebastian would meet the man named Ginji while waiting for Tetsu to show him the suit that he had weaved for Chou and Osk's wedding. He would seem timid around the man, as the fellow Domans of the group seemed to be very surprised at his return. Tetsu would take a particular interest in talking to him and catching up, which would pique Sebastian's attention. He doesn't exactly know the story behind this man, other than what Tetsu had revealed to him before. Ginji calls Sebastian "Sunshine" for whatever reason, which amuses Sebastian. He considers this man a friend already, since he is so close with Tetsu and Chou.

●Garrett Slater

Sebastian would meet Garrett during another restless night in the Quicksand. Sebastian had been approached by a strange male Miqo'te earlier in the evening and had made the conversation awkward, to which Garrett would arrive and turn the tide of the conversation. Since then, Sebastian has struck up conversations with the stranger, learning more about his adventures, smithing and other various aspects of Garrett. Garrett's speech fascinates Sebastian as he speaks in very well-versed tongue, which has saved him a time or two from awkward conversations. Sebastian looks forward to learning more about this man, as he sees him as being a potentially very good friend. He has yet to tell Garrett of his real identity, which he hopes to do soon.

●Landon Steele

Sebastian met Landon while he was browsing the marketboards, not knowing that they would run into each other later in the Drowning Wench in Limsa. They had struck up a less-than-mature conversation about Landon's arena attire and his way of earning gil. Landon calls Sebastian a "dummy", which Sebastian still does not completely understand why. While he knows that Landon is a careful individual, he seems to be very care-free and loyal, which are personality aspects that Sebastian can admire. Lately, Landon has been the mediator between Sebastian and the two other brothers as the two other brothers don't seem to approve very much of Sebastian. After Sebastian has had at-length discussions with Leif and Liam, he believes he is in good-standing with all three of the brothers, which makes Sebastian extremely happy.

●Liam Steele

Sebastian ran into Liam and his brother Leif one night in the Steps of Thal while the two brothers conversed about, unknown to Sebastian at the time, Liam's Miqo'te companion. Sebastian was then formally introduced to this Steele brother when he accompanied Landon to meet Liam and his Miqo'te companion. Liam immediately began calling Sebastian "weird" or "stupid", which was very off-putting after Sebastian had offered to help the brother before. Sebastian tried not to play into this immaturity, but tried to find a way to bond with the brother, to which Liam did not respond to. They had gotten into a bit of a disagreement, but have since apologized and are trying to get off on the right foot. Sebastian gave Liam a coat of his brother, Matthew. Liam reminds Sebastian much of his own brother, and the two seemed to have a moment of bonding through the gift and have since become friends.

●Leif Steele

Sebastian met Leif during the meeting between Landon and Liam. Leif is seen by Sebastian as the "pa" of the two other brothers as he observed his stoicism and over-protection of his brothers. During the disagreement between Liam and Sebastian, Leif would say a few things that Sebastian felt were unnecessary and a bit harsh. Sebastian approached Leif the next day to hash out why he had done what he had done, but Leif retorted with his reasoning as well. The two met eye-to-eye on their issues, but Sebastian was hoping from an apology from Leif for judgement that he had passed upon him. No apology was to be had, which greatly upset Sebastian. He would later meet with Leif to try and give one of his passed brother's belongings to him, and Sebastian requested that Leif give the memento to his brother. Leif disagreed and the situation had turned into something that Sebastian had not planned on as well, upsetting Sebastian once more. Sebastian tries to continue to make amends with this brother, but Leif will need to have an open mind and open heart with him to do so. Sebastian and Leif have been becoming better of friends as of late through deep talks and people-watching in the Quicksand. They both feel the need to protect Liam, which also helps their feeling of bonding.

●Aerostein Epitaph

Sebastian would have a brief run in with this man at the Quicksand when he was about to leave with Tetsuro to grab a bite to eat. He got the feeling that Aerostein had romantic feelings for Tetsuro, as he seemed very apprehensive to get to know Rey. Sebastian is unsure about his feelings towards this man as he doesn’t know him very well, but perhaps he could become a friend in the future. He continues to see this man around the Quicksand and other taverns, but the man never really has initiated a conversation with Sebastian, which makes Sebastian think that he does not want any kind of friendship.

● Keiji Shigeru

Sebastian would meet Keiji during the night of Tetsuro’s ceremony, honoring his passed family. He doesn’t know much about Keiji, but he knows that Tetsuro cares for him very much. Hopefully in the coming times, Sebastian will get to know more of Tetsuro’s pseudo-family and fellow Domans.

● Daiki Hayashi

Sebastian would also meet Daiki the night of the lantern ceremony. While Daiki seemed very distant to Sebastian, Sebastian knew that Daiki was a trusted individual and would want to know more about Daiki from Tetsuro.

Tidbits

Here are some small bits of information about Sebastian.

■ Sebastian has become quite proficient in some tradeskills, but constantly strives to become better.

■ Sebastian constantly tries to defuse tense situations and tries to make friends with everyone, despite some people just not wanting to be friends or rejecting his notions of peace.

■ Sebastian is a very skilled piano player, while his harp skills could use some work. He is also working on his singing next.

■ Despite not liking most Miqo’te’s and only being attracted to midlanders or highlanders, he finds that male Miqo’te’s tend to be very attracted to him for some reason.

■ He tries not to be taken advantage of, even though he can be easily manipulated in an emotional state.

Soundtrack

■ TPR – The Extreme (Sebastian’s piano piece of the emotional state of despair)

■ TPR – Flowers Blooming in the Church (Another of Sebastian’s piano pieces. This tune denotes when he feels at peace)

■ TPR - Jenova (Another of Sebastian’s piano pieces. This tune denotes anxiety and worry)

■ KOKIA – Daiji na Mono wa Mabuta no Ura (The feeling of sacrifice within Sebastian)

■ Halo 2 Soundtrack – Heavy Price Paid (When Sebastian experiences a loss)

■ John Dreamer – True Strength (when Sebastian presses on, even in the most dire of circumstances)

■ Skrux – Hidden ft. Mona Moua (Sebastian wandering in the forest)

■ Resident Evil CODE: Veronica – A moment of relief (Another of Sebastian’s piano pieces. This is what he plays when he winds down from a rough day)

■ Skyrim – Frostfall (Sebastian wandering the city of Gridania at night by his lonesome, hearing the voices of the forest)

■ TPR – Zora's Domain (Another of Sebastian's piano pieces. This is when he thinks of those closest to him, especially Tetsuro)

Screenshots

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  Sebastian in the sunlight of La Noscea.

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  Sebastian playing his favorite game, Triple Triad.

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  Sebastian about to face off against Shiva.

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  Sebastian, absorbing the sunlight of the Shroud, after a prayer in the forest.

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  Sebastian, in some alternative garb. He usually only wore this when he felt he was being followed or trailed.

Miscellaneous

Credits

Template originally made by Bancroft Gairn, modified by Tetsuro Akashi, coding taken from Seiko Mamushi with modifications