Scarlet Willow

S C A R L E T • W I L L O W

CHARACTER

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S T A T I S T I C S

« Full Name Rhotwyda Bleimoenwyn « Preferred Name Scarlet Willow « Nicknames Scar, Momma Scar « Gender Female « Preferred Pronouns Female « Citizenship Ul'dah « Race Roegadyn « Clan Hellsguard « Birthplace Abalathia's Spine « Age Twenty-six

« Nameday 2nd Sun 3rd Astral Moon « Patron Deity Nald'Thal « Current Residence The Driftin' Sol Bar located in The Goblet « Occupation Flames Corporal / Bismarck Chef / Bartender & Caterer for The Driftin' Sol / crew member of The Desert Moogle Consortium « Grand Company The Immortal Flames « Social Status Lower/Middle Class « Marital Status Single « Orientation Demi-Sexual « Alignment Neutral Good

A P P E A R A N C E

:: Height :: 7 fulms, 1 ilm  :: Weight :: 217 ponz  :: Eye Color :: Pale gold  :: Hairstyle :: Sun-bleached blonde with brunette strips. Due to her work, she keeps it in short styles; currently swept back completely and it stops just below the nape of her neck. She cuts it herself as there's just something about letting someone else with a knife so close to your neck that doesn't sit well with her.  :: Complexion :: The racial dark red skin tone that most Hellsguard are known for, as well as the dark blemish under her nose. She has a tattoo that spans across her eyes. It's a home clan tradition, supposedly representing tree roots to match the wyda in her name. Her hands are rough and calloused from the hard work she does.  :: Build :: Well-toned, she's a bit muscular; most of which is in her legs -- the strongest part of her body. She's got a case of thunder thighs. You can find her running the inner roads of Ul'dah every morning and can be found training at the Platinum Mirage or out in the Sagolii often.  :: Scars :: Scarlet has a scar above her right brow about two ilms long from her first job as dockhand. She took one too many crates off a ship at once and the top fell into her face, the corner of said box nicked her in the forehead. There is a rarely visible, blotchy burn mark across her outer left thigh. She got it at Farreach, while forging her first axe, accidentally tripping and landing on a pile of still hot coals. The mark is a lighter shade than the rest of her skin, and wrinkly. Souyo Xander burned her arm during a rather violent brawl including Rio van Rosch and it's left a nasty mark on her right forearm. After an argument in the Stillglade Fane, Vash Ashford stabbed Scarlet in the abdomen with his sword. There's a neat, healed over scar underneath her bellybutton now. Pripyat Ivanenko turned friend to foe when she was hired to kill Scarlet over a messier than necessary misunderstanding and stabbed her in the stomach. Incidentally, to match the one Vash gave her, there's now a matching scar mirroring above his. Because the last two injuries stir up bad emotions, Scarlet rarely wears anything to show her middle, and when she does, her hand or arm is constantly covering her abdomen. H O B B I E S « Running :: Scarlet wakes up early about every morning do a run around the inner streets of Ul'dah before going on with whatever the day has planned for her. It's common to see Frydhaerz by her side as well. « Sketches :: Being unable to speak as clearly as she does now when she first arrived in Ul'dah, Scarlet often found herself drawing out what she needed to shopkeeps. The habit stayed with her and fills the empty pages of the books she's suppose to be practicing her writing in with drawings. « Reading & Writing :: While her writing lately as gotten better with the help of D'lyhhia Lhuil's suggested advice, her reading still needs a lot of work. Mikhai'a Rohnav has offered his help, and Scarlet's been meaning to take him up on that as soon as possible. Anyone who is allowed in the sleeping quarters of The Drifitn' Sol can see Scarlet's literacy progress with little handwritten notes on her door. « Cooking :: Not only a job, but a passion, Scarlet will cook for anyone who asks and never leaves her place of residence without a home cooked meal. Ask her to cook a seafood meal, however, and she'll make a face. One can only imagine the face she makes constantly while working at The Bismarck. « Camping :: Only in Thanalan will Scarlet venture out for a night or two by herself and spend time out in Thanalan. The arid landscapes and mountains in the distance remind her of home, though she'll deny it if you accuse her of being homesick. Out in the plains south of Drybone and where The Desert Moogle Consortium's old headquarters used to be in Sagolii are where she frequents most. « Gambling :: More of a very bad habit than a hobby, Scarlet will take any and every opportunity to place a bet on two or more competing people. She never bets against her friends, no matter the odds, and has very little restraint when it comes to the price of the bet. With the opening of The Golden Saucer in the midst, you'll most definitely find Scarlet somewhere in the crowd when she has the downtime. « Strays :: Again, another one of those hobbies that could easily fit into a bad habit, Scarlet absolutely adores animals. It started with her wolf pup Frydhaerz almost an entire cycle ago, and she hasn't stopped smuggling little stray creatures into her room at The Driftin' Sol since. Most of them stay in her room outfitted to be more of a place for her pets to stay rather than for her to sleep in, but Frydhaerz is constantly by her side save for dangerous outings and formal affairs.

HISTORY

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T H E • B E G I N N I N G

On the second sun of the third astral moon, year 1553, Rhotwyda Bleimoenwyn was born into a small, recluse clan on the mountains of Abalathia's Spine. Her family comes from a long line of traditional Hellsguard whose ancestors stood vigilant on the high, volcanic peaks to keep the spirits of the underworld from fleeing into the realm of the living. Two other clans of different specialities neighbored her own - those who traveled to Farreach to train in the ways of the warrior when they came of age and a trading clan who traveled to Ul'dah and Coerthas outposts in caravans to trade goods. Scarlet's parents were notable elders in the clan, one of white magic - her father - and one of black magic - her mother. The elders were teachers in the clan, passing down their knowledge to their young ones so that they could take up the traditions as so. Scarlet, at first, started off headstrong with these ideals in hand, becoming her mother's understudy when she was eight. Not long after did the tiresome teachings and readings and scriptures and ceremonies and oh god, those meditations, become increasingly boring to Scarlet. It also became clear to her mother that no matter how many of these things she did daily, her daughter showed no sign of improving. A rareness, especially from one who came from two mage parents, but Scarlet held very little aether inside her and, on some occasions, would get incredibly sick when surrounded by too much of it. This led to a tension that grew steadily as Scarlet grew between herself and her mother.

At twelve cycles, Scarlet began her mild obsession with the neighboring warrior clan. She snuck over once or twice or a dozen times after excessively being told not to, and almost hitched a caravan ride to Farreach if her father hadn't found her hiding between the crates. She loved watching the warriors train, enjoyed that aspect of the thrill of the battle. Her mother disapproved of her wanting to train, but her father had different opinions. While disappointed with her inability to follow their clan tradition, he didn't feel it was right - and quite frankly a waste of time - to continue Scarlet through her training as a mage when she could barely produce the most simplest of magicks. At thirteen cycles, Scarlet began her training as a warrior. It was an entirely different experience, not only from a disciplinary perspective but also from a cultural perspective. This produced a far lesser approved idea in Scarlet's head. She wanted to leave Abalathia's Spine. This actually happened when she turned sixteen cycles, but before then it was an uphill battle.

Scarlet's uncle on her father's side worked in the clan that specified in the trading caravan services. On two occasions Scarlet successfully managed to tuck herself away in his caravan only to be found further down the road both times. Her parents were wary, her mother more-so than her father, of her newest disposition. She couldn't speak nor read Eorzean and she had no lay of the land past the mountains that were her home. A valid point, but her uncle remedied this. He spoke decent Eorzean and could read it even better, so he taught her after her lessons with the warrior clan. A friend of his, an odd hermit who lived by himself away from all the clans, came by to tell Scarlet stories of the whole of Eorzea, usually exaggerated but it made for good fun and experience. At sixteen, without her mother's blessing and her father's still wary blessing, Scarlet left Abalathia's Spine with what knowledge she took away from her home and hitched a ride on her uncle's caravan on its way to Ul'dah.

T H E • M I D D L E

In the year 1569, Scarlet started her new life in Ul'dah after having come down from Abalathia's Spine through her uncle's trading caravan service, and officially changed her name from Rhotwyda to Scarlet Willow. The literal meaning Red Willow had changed to Scarlet out of spite for her mother; a clan tradition for the mother to pick the color and father to be the respective noun to go along with it. Scarlet was traditionally a color representing sin, and her mother had thought Scarlet's selfish endeavor to leave was as such. She holds said sin in her name, and with pride. Scarlet scolds anyone who uses her full name, with very few exceptions.

In retrospect, for about the first year Scarlet was beginning to think this was quite possibly the worst idea she'd ever come up with. A culture shock, more so than anything, with the noise and people and language barrier. She found herself at a loss at what to pursue with her new-found freedom. At first, she tried mercantilism, like her uncle, but soon found herself a better haggler on the consumer side and more of an aggressive haggler on the selling end - it wasn't good for business. A somewhat steady job she did find after a while was working for the nobles of Ul'dah. A lot of lazy work - doing laundry, cooking, dishes, etc. - with a few exciting aspects such as working as a bodyguard. It was after one particular job that had gotten a little messy and ended in a bar brawl at Amajina and Sons Mineral Concern that the Platinum Mirage expressed interest. From there, she worked as a sellsword escorting caravans across beastmen tribe infested roads and the threat of the Garleans imminent.

As the Empire gained notable threat, Scarlet was somewhat at a loss about what to do about them. The Grand Companies opened their doors in an effort to combat them, but oddly enough Scarlet didn't join. She didn't attend the Battle of Carteneau, and her whereabouts during that time period aren't known to anyone except herself. Not long after the Battle and the rebuilding of Eorzea began, Scarlet met Orion Aveline, an orphan; whether of war or other misfortunes Scarlet doesn't see it in her right to ask. Their time spent together formed into a familial bond and Scarlet officially adopted him as her little brother. There's no one in Eorzea who means more to her than him.

T H E • C O N T I N U A T I O N

As Eorzea was brought back on its feet and adventure was afoot once more, Scarlet set out on her own journey for a stable job that was both relatively legal and exciting. She started off as an understudy at The Bismarck in Limsa Lominsa and is now currently a part-time chef for them. Her home at Ul'dah called for her, though, and when it came to finally decided on a Grand Company to join, she chose The Immortal Flames and is currently ranked as a Corporal. While both were legal, neither were terribly exciting. She worked under Blue Skies for a couple moons and is now an ex-member. It wasn't until she stumbled upon meeting a one Misaio Imella in The Coffer & Coffin along with a handful of others did she truly find her calling. With the promise of companions, airships, and adventure, Scarlet now follows as part of The Desert Moogle Consortium crew without question and unmoving loyalty. The Consortium about a cycle ago came into the ownership of a bar that doubles as their new living quarters called The Driftin' Sol where one can find Scarlet manning the bar or relaxing outside in the front yard with Frydhaerz.

This will be updated periodically to add the future endeavors of Scarlet Willow.

PERSONALITY

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• G E N E R A L •

Scarlet's primary motivators include her endearment towards life, exploring mysteries and the land beyond, and most importantly beneficence. She'll drop anything to protect those she cares about the most. As a default, her usual mood is joyful and even-tempered. Generally an optimist, she's idealistic and confident about life in general. She's honest to a fault, but doesn't quite trust those who are forthright about their magical endeavors. Scarlet can be daring and a little rash when she's overly excited, but not overly reckless. Towards people, she's rather flexible; tolerant, open-minded, and forgiving when the moment presents itself. She's adaptable to most situations rather fluidly. She's an absolute nurturer at heart, welcoming most anyone, it would seem, with good intentions to a ragtag family. Perhaps a little overbearing at times, a somewhat "mama bear" complex. But she's a warm personality to wrap others in. Courtesy and modesty suit her like a glove. She likes to engage in celebration often, even over the littlest of things, and can be rather talkative when the conversation sways to a topic of interest; otherwise, she's more of a listener than anything. She's rather unreserved about a lot of things, an open book really, and is unashamed of her lifestyle. Conforming isn't her thing, from her traditional lifestyle in Abalathia's Spine to the rest of Eorzea. In fact, she isn't much for taking direction from anyone except Misaio, and even then she'll question her Captain on occasion. Scarlet tends to be an "opportunist" when it comes to the dating scene, other than Miqo'te (it's a mix between knowing too many and thinking of them as younger siblings). She's rather modest, if only because she gets incredibly clumsy while crushing on someone, and tends to fly the life of monogamous relationships. Chivalry isn't as charming as butting heads with her, but show a little soft side and a good drink, she'll be hooked. Scarlet lives by the saying "it's no ones right to take another's life that ain't their own" said by no one in particular if not by just herself. She will incapacitate anyone who tries to murder, no matter the grounds for which they feel the murder is righteous. In this respect, you won't find Scarlet in the middle of anything besides a drunken brawl or a dumb power trip; depending she may be trying to settle it down or start it. She isn't much into the war with the Garleans, for personal reasons, but she will kill those affiliated with the violent beast tribes. Her over protective qualities bleed into territory, especially with that of the Desert Moogle's encampment and most recently their work-in-progress airship. She's known to chase strangers out.

• H A B I T S •

Scarlet's biggest habit is probably humming. She'll hum for a multitude of reasons, but if she isn't talking, eating or drinking she's probably humming. Her father used to sing a lot of songs to her as lullabies and around the house, and the songs have stuck with her even away from home. Occasionally she will hum tunelessly if she's forgotten how to say a word in Eorzean, or before she speaks when she's thinking on how to word something correctly. If she's talking quickly or with heavy emotions, in place of humming she'll click her tongue against the roof of her mouth to keep herself from saying something in her native tongue. Her secondly predominant habit is drinking while she's in a good mood. Scarlet will never drink unless she's in a good mood, she doesn't want to make a bad habit of it. Instead, she'll drink spiced tea in place of alcohol if she's in a bad mood. The oddest habit she has is treating friends who are younger than she is as siblings. This stems from Scarlet being an only child and secretly wishing she'd had at least one younger brother or sister. Another reason, this one she won't admit to, is that she misses her homeland and family. It isn't obvious unless someone sees the pattern in her behavior towards certain people; she suspects Zin Jaeger has spotted it after he called her Momma Bear one evening. Another odd, albeit amusing habit is that she likes to adopt chocobos and other small animals. Not taking into account that most of what she adopts will grow up to be bigger than she is and considered dangerous, Scarlet will take up most anything that isn't a Tonberry or Mandragora. She suspects Misaio Imella already knows she’s been keeping pets in her room at The Driftin’ Sol, and she’s thankful she hasn’t been scolded about it. When Scarlet develops a crush on someone, she tends to be unbelievably clumsy around that person, mimicking that of a bull in a fine Eorzean dinnerware shop.

• L I K E S & D I S L I K E S •

♥ Friends, first and foremost ♥ Alcohol and tea ♥ The Sagolii Desert ♥ Chocobos and other domestic creatures ♥ Small knickknacks

✗ Coerthas and other cold areas ✗ Most mages ✗ Fish, she's allergic ✗ Misinterpretations ✗ Murder

AFFILIATIONS

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F A M I L Y

« Pale Moon :: Bleimoen - Scarlet’s father, as her surname would dictate. His name comes from having been born at night with a lightly flushed skin tone. One of the three respected leaders of Scarlet’s home clan, his job is to keep vigilant watch over the mountain passes and stay the spirits that live beyond them. His disciplines revolves mostly around that of white magic. Pale Moon’s demeanor outside of his duties are considered goofy and relaxed, and it’s a startling contrast to his wife. In this respect, Scarlet was much closer to her father as he was much more lenient about her studies and interests. She spent a lot of time with him when he would watch over the mountain passes alone. It’s from Pale Moon that Scarlet got her almost unwavering amount of patience and level-headedness from. He also taught her how to sing (though you’ll only catch her humming tunes) and play the lute. He supported her through a lot in her life, though couldn’t condone, however, her plea to train off in Farreach for two cycles, and that put a little bit of a rift in their father/daughter relationship for a while. They reconciled after Pale Moon supported her decision to leave Abalathia’s Spine with his brother, seeing as the life of isolation was not for his daughter. Pale Moon is presumably still alive, living in Abalathia’s Spine. « Yellow Oak :: Fhileyha - Scarlet’s mother. Her name stems from the home clan tradition of the father choosing the name of a tree accompanied by a color of the mother’s choice. She is as strict as she is respected within the clan. Her discipline is that of black magic, but does not hold a seat as one of the leaders as she opted to spend her time teaching instead. Yellow Oak’s hardly an approachable woman, with a bite in her tone and a look of permanent disdain in her face, if it weren’t for the physical similarities between her and Scarlet, one would question their relationship. They are very different from each other, and it resulted in many arguments between them during Scarlet’s life. Scarlet’s stubbornness and ferocity mirrors that of Yellow Oak’s. She was very adamant about Scarlet’s studies, despite her lack of interest in them. The pressure she put on her daughter caused a rift between them. They had a falling out when Scarlet took a two cycle long journey to train as a warrior in Farreach. When Yellow Oak learned that it was Pale Moon’s brother who had insisted on Scarlet following her own interests, she blamed him for Scarlet’s tradition breaking and her leaving Abalathia’s Spine. They didn’t reconcile before Scarlet left, and there is a lot that remains unsaid between them. Scarlet ended up purposefully mistranslating her name when she arrived in Ul’dah in contempt for her mother, removing the literal translation of Red with Scarlet. Yellow Oak is presumably still alive, living in Abalathia’s Spine. « Old Mountain :: Ahldberk - Scarlet’ uncle on her father’s side. He is the older than Pale Moon, and fell into the business of trading between Abalathia’s Spine and the rest of Eorzea. He leaves the mountains cycles at a time to do this with other caravans, both legal and illegal goods (though mostly legal). Old Mountain is rather easy going, much like his brother. If Scarlet isn’t spending time with her father, she’s with her uncle after he’s returned from a trip. He would bring back gifts from the different city-states as well as stories of his travels and the people he’s met. He would also allow her to help take care of his Chocobos before and after his travels. Ultimately, he’s responsible for putting the idea of leaving Abalathia’s Spine in Scarlet’s head, as well as her love for animals. Old Mountain taught her how to speak Eorzean, and his brittle accent followed through on Scarlet’s speech, as well as a little bit of reading from fliers he’d gathered around the city-states. He supported her when she decided to train in Farreach, and even took her up there himself in his caravan. This caused a disagreement between him and his brother, and an even bigger disagreement with his wife. Though Pale Moon forgave him, seeing his daughter’s passion for other things, Old Mountain and Yellow Oak are still very short with each other. When Scarlet decided to leave, he took her with him to Ul’dah on one of his jobs. He gave her a pouch full of gil, a few suggested persons who would be willing to give her a job, and several tips for surviving in Ul’dah before leaving for Abalathia’s Spine. It was the last time Scarlet has seen him, though she’s been in contact with his daughter recently. Old Mountain is still alive indefinitely, though his location is unknown. « Moon Breaker :: Moenbraena - an odd hermit living a little ways off from Scarlet’s home clan. He says his name come from having cried so loud at his birth he broke Eorzea’s second moon – though no one believes him. Old Mountain introduced Scarlet to him when she was very young, thinking his stories would sate her boredom. He mostly told stories about myths about their home clan, how they got their names and about the first Hellsguard who lived there. He also told stories about when he was younger and used to travel Eorzea, about the city-states and the Garlean Empire – again his words needed to be taken lightly. Scarlet only ever believed less than half of what Moon Breaker talked about, but his stories were interesting and she regarded him as an old friend. He pushed Scarlet to go to Farreach to train in what she was passionate about and supported her decision to leave Abalathia’s Spine. Moon Breaker is presumably dead, rumored to have left the mountain during the Battle of Carteneau to “break the moon”. • Scarlet's family, with the exception of Moon Breaker, are presumed living. She hasn't been back to Abalathia's Spine since she left seven years ago and she's unsure of how it faired after the Calamity.

this is under a hilarious amount of construction as of :: MARCH 2
super special thanks to D'lyhhia Lhuil for constantly helping me and listening to my gurgling over coding this ♥