V'aleera Lhuil

V'aleera Lhuil
"Ishgard Victor"
Knight Dragoon of Ishgard
Gender	Female
Race	Miqo'te
Clan	House Haillenarte
Citizenship	Ishgard
Place of Birth	Ishgard
Guardian	Halone the Fury
Age	23
Relationship Status	Single
Occupation	Knight of the Holy See
Nameday	21st sun of the 4th Umbral Moon, 1555 6AE

V'aleera is a knight of Ishgard and a titled dragoon presently traveling across greater Eorzea. A serious young woman dedicated to her nation's cause and to her personal faith, she lashes out against the wicked and godless wherever she finds them, ever unwavering as she strides impacably down the path of righteousness.

Appearance

Height: 5' 4"

Weight: 125 lb.

Complexion: Fair

Hair: Golden Blonde

Eyes: Gold and White

Clothing Style: Conservative but practical

Laterality: Right­handed

Hobbies

• Writing in her diary
• Learning to cook
• Practicing how to be ladylike
• Drawing

Likes

• Twelve worship
• Sunny days
• Chocobo chicks
• Music (Piano/Organ)
• Art (drawn)

Dislikes

• Dragons
• Casual blasphemy
• Dishonorable conduct
• Really dark places (caves, unlit rooms, the forest at night)
• Wealthy snobs and whiny commoners
• Moogles

Favorites

• Color: Red

• Food: Steak

• Drinks: Milk

• Scent: Roses

• Place: Church

Goals

• To spread knowledge of the Dravanian threat
• To fight the kin of dragons across all Eorzea
• To pass the judgement of the Fury on the godless Garleans and heathen beast tribes
• To educate the more amicable among the beast tribe people about worship of the Twelve
• To do whatever good she can as she travels across Eorzea
• To return to Ishgard and defend her people from the Dravanian Horde

Religion

Having been raised in the faith since birth, V'aleera worships the Twelve with an extremely deep sense of piety. Above all others she pays homage to Halone the Fury. Further, several specific events have occurred throughout her life that served to make her devotion to Halone even stronger. V'aleera prays every morning and every night, her prayers typically addressing the Fury specifically; though when appropriate she will offer praise and prayer to other specific gods amongst the Twelve. She pays absolute respect to the church of Ishgard and its Archbishop and does not tolerate any slander being made against it.

Personality

Quirks

• Wraps her tail around her thigh during social situations that make her nervous
• Is ignorant of differences between Seekers and Keepers and simply assumes the latter culture is fundamentally identical to the former

Flaws

• Upbringing and education have left her ignorant of anything that doesn't concern Ishgard, with few exceptions
• Judgmental of non­-Ishgardian customs and practices
• Single-minded in her devotion to the Holy See and the Dragonsong War; questioning of either triggers a hostile response
• Often unreasonable and implacable once she's established an opinion or plan of action

Fears

• Never getting to return home
• Her friends and family being hurt or killed by dragons while she's away
• The uncertain future of Ishgard with no Azure Dragoon
• Never truly being accepted by her own people as a daughter of Ishgard
• Snapdragons

Talents

• Accomplished combatant
• Fast runner
• Secretly decent singer

Comparisons

Final Fantasy Characters: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Adelbert_Steiner, http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Beatrix

Other Game Characters: http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Templar_Order

Anime Characters: http://codegeass.wikia.com/wiki/Suzaku_Kururugi

Abilities and Skills

Weapons

• Spear: expert proficiency
• Bow: moderate proficiency
• Greatsword: poor proficiency
• Longsword: moderate proficiency

Magic

• Has never explored the possibility and lacks any insight into whether she is or is not proficient with magic

Crafting

• Decent cook
• Basic weapon and armor maintenance skills
• Moderately skilled weaver and woodworker

Family and Relationships

Relatives

Mother: V'cima Lhuil

Father: V'khoen Lhuil

Siblings: V'illette and V'lavielle

V'aleera's parents immigrated to Ishgard shortly before it closed its doors to outsiders, being outcasts of their own clan. Though the land and culture of the Holy See were vastly different from their upbringing in a clan of Seekers, the two acclimated quickly and adopted the religion and practices of the Ishgardian people for their own. Facing the stigma of being not only outsiders but also a racial minority, their dedicated work ethic and clear reverence of Halone and the Twelve earned them relative acceptance within their community. V'cima took to the culture of Ishgard with much greater fervor than her husband, and insisted upon officially gaining citizenship that they take an Ishgardian surname. Casting away most of the remaining vestiges of Seeker culture she has happily embraced her life as a woman of Ishgard.

V'khoen is the placid and contemplative counterpart to his firebrand of a wife. While he remains always grateful for finding a new home in the Holy See and wholeheartedly embraces the much more religious structure of the nation's society, he still chooses to hold on to some of the Seeker culture he was raised in. It was he who insisted on naming V'aleera in the fashion of their former clan. In spite of his original outsider status, his patient and respectful demeanor as well as his religious devotion and admirable work ethic have earned him a degree of respect amongst his peers and neighbors.

Rumors

Anyone and everyone is welcome to post rumors about V'aleera!

• "I knew her once, long ago. Now she's stern and zealous. A true Ishgardian, despite the tail. And I think that's the way she prefers it." - Aya Foxheart

• "She showed me kindness when most would have turned away. I will forever be indebted to her." - Vetiver Kaji

• "She has family... Trapped in a city besieged by a massive army of Dragons. I know not how she continues to work away from home. I know not how she gets any sleep." - Kiht Jakkya

• "I remember her. She was a light in the dark. A sweet saviour to the people. She gave me a purpose, more then I ever expected to receive. She taught me my most important lessons... Though I learned them too late." - Rhaya Nelha

History

Name

Name Etimology

V'aleera is the child of former members of a V clan branch of Miqo'te. In spite of their departure from the clan and immigration into Ishgard, her father insisted upon naming her in the fashion of her forebears and as a reminder of her heritage. The name itself was chosen by her mother, and derives from the traditional Ishgardian name "Valera", other variations of which include "Valerie" and "Valeria".

Nicknames

"Sunshine" - Originally a pet name made up by her mother and referring to V'aleera's radiant physical features, it eventually gained popularity amongst V'aleera's childhood friends.

At least, those of her friends willing to buy a laugh at the cost of a bloody nose.

Parents' Journey to Ishgard

V'aleera's parents were both born within a large branch of the V clan of Sunseeker Miqo'te. Her mother, V'cima, was a known rebel who spent a little too much time fraternizing with and absorbing the ideas of the various traders that would pass through the clans lands. Her deviations and bucking against tradition were tolerated only due to strong familial ties to clan leadership. V'aleera's father, V'khoen, a childhood friend and teenage lover to her mother, was a grounded and well-spoken young man well-liked within the clan. When V'cima's questioning and rebuking of clan traditions finally reached a breaking point, both she and her steadfastly loyal mate were exiled, contracted, and effectively sold to one of the merchant caravans passing through during the time of their judgement.

Bound to a three year contract to serve their merchant employer, the two went on the road with the caravan and traveled all over Eorzea. Though V'cima flourished in this new environ, inundated with so many new cultures as she and her mate were, both she and V'khoen came to realize that a life of wandering wasn't for them and that someday, when their contract was ended, they would need to find a new home and a new people. The years passed and as their contract neared its completion they found themselves traveling with their caravan to one last destination: the Holy See of Ishgard.

Learning much of the nation and its history from a group of Ishgardian knights whose journey home ran parallel with the caravan's route, the couple discussed the possibility of making their home in this new land they had found. Though the clime of the highlands was quite colder than the two Miqo'te were accustomed to, the lands of Coerthas had an enchanting sense of majesty about them. Their awe at the lands of the Holy See only increased when they arrived at the city proper and were struck with amazement at the imposing and beautiful sight of the city of Ishgard itself. With assistance from some of the friendly acquaintances they had made amongst the traveling knights and a kind local priest they met shortly after arriving in the city, the pair successfully petitioned for citizenship.

Living in one of the city's poorer districts the two nonetheless thrived; V'khoen joined a small guild of humble carpenters and woodworkers, and V'cima ingratiated herself with the local sewing circle. Distrusted and kept at arms length at first, the two Miqo'te eventually succeeded in winning the tacit approval and acceptance of most of their neighbors through hard work and clear devotion to the Fury and her chosen nation. And while V'khoen adapted well enough to his new home while still cherishing his past, V'cima seemed to embrace her new nation and people with the same fervor and fire that she had rejected her original home several years prior.

Shortly after settling into their new home, the couple celebrated their official citizenship by being officially married at a small local chapel. They were hosted and married by the same priest that had assisted them upon their arrival to the city, but had few guests to the event save for the few among their neighbors whose curiousity outweighed their suspicion. It was at this time they also officialy discarded their original surnames and took a new shared one. Not long after the couple would welcome into their family a daughter, whom they named V'aleera.

Childhood

Raised in a strict religious household, the young V'aleera was taught the value of prayer and piety by her mother but also the importance of learning and education by her father. Though the couple was far from wealthy, they both worked long and hard to ensure that V'aleera had ample amount of both and were overjoyed when their labors bore fruit: within their small, humble neighborhood theirs was the first child her age to learn to read and write. The little girl was all too happy to continue honing these skills, gladly accepting the gifts of old hymnals and prayer-books from the local priest and devouring them with vigor.

Such pursuits proved a happy distraction from the fact that growing up as a Miqo'te and a child of immigrants in the city of Ishgard was no easy task. Her kind being a relative rarity in the Holy See, few were the children that didn't mock or harass her for how she appeared, and fewer still were the children whose parents didn't warn them against spending too much time with the "beast­girl with the evil eye". The ire and distrust the child, and even her parents, encountered when they ventured beyond the streets of their own little neighborhood was greater still.

Though she eventually accrued a small cadre of friends, her happiest childhood moments were those spent with her father. An accomplished and intelligent speaker, negotiator, and conflict resolver within his community, V'aleera's perception of her father was not the astute and soft-spoken pillar of the community; but rather, she saw him as the single greatest story teller in all the world. Rare was the night that she was not put to bed with an exciting tale of ages past, of the founding of Ishgard and the grand accomplishments of her heroes and saints, of mighty warriors and clever peasant-folk, each making their beloved city a better place by their noble deeds. Other times she would be told of her family's ancestral people, the Miqo'te, and V'khoen would tell her stories passed down through their lineage and clan.

And whenever she would come home crying, in despair over her odd eye that marked her as a double­ freak to her detractors, her father would always remind her that to their people such a mark was a sign of greatness to come, assuring her that she'd been personally chosen by Halone for some great purpose, and that she should always be proud of it no matter what others say.

The stories of Ishgard's triumphs and the heroics and piety of its people would shape V'aleera into the woman that she would become. But the assurances of a great destiny yet revealed, of a mark of pride rather than shame; those were the stories that she kept closest to her heart and which would play a crucial role in the single most defining event of the woman's life.

Teen Years

Blossoming into a young woman, V'aleera proved to be a spirited and strong-willed teenager in much the same vein as her mother had been. Fortunately for all involved, the young Miqo'te didn't wholly inherit her mother's rebellious tendencies (thanks in no small part to her father's guidance). V'aleera's love for her nation and her Goddess grew as she did, and though she still faced discrimination for her outsider status and appearance she still maintained a steadfast devotion to her people and country.

A child no longer, V'aleera had ceased to run to her father's arms in tears whenever teased or mocked and had begun dealing with those feelings by writing in a diary and speaking with her local priest about her faith and her place within Ishgard. Building upon the hymnals and psalms she adored reading and singing in her childhood, her teenage years saw her faith blossom and mature as well. And as more of her childhood friends were conscripted to fight in the war against the Dravanian Horde, she began to consider what her future held in store.

When the last of her closest friends had been selected to be sent to war shortly after her sixteenth nameday, V'aleera finally came to the conclusion that she too wished to fight on the front lines against the dragons; to emulate the heroes of old, to stand beside her friends, and to protect her people, her family, and her nation. Being that she had been passed over for conscription, her father suggested she seek to be squired to a knight. This being no simple task for a commoner she again sought the advice of her priest, who in turn sent her to meet an elderly and retired knight whom he had known for many years and believed could be helpful in assisting the young woman's cause. After finding the man and pleading her case to him, she was accepted as his pupil and took her first foray into the art of the sword and spear.

V'aleera's training under the old knight lasted only a couple of years, and shortly after her eighteenth nameday the old man presented her to one of his younger colleagues, a knight serving a lorlding of a minor house vassaled to House Haillenarte. After a brief display of skill and a short examination of her knowledge in regard to all things martial, the knight agreed to take her in as a squire. Overjoyed and enthusiastic, she engaged her duties and training with her new master with great vigor. The nature of the lord they both served beneath, however, would quickly put a damper on her excitement.

The lordling to which V'aleera and her knight were sworn to the service of was a pigheaded and spoiled nobleboy whose age was barely a few years separated from the young woman's own. Far from the glorious combat against Ishgard's ancestral foes, the young man and the knights in his service were rarely assigned to anything more exciting than guard duty and training exercises within the city. The poor Miqo'te would languish in this relative inactivity for near on a year, doing her best to make the best of the situation by training diligently while even the knights themselves rested on their laurels.

Fortunately, the bratty and impetuous nature of her assigned lordling would serve to set her on the path to her destiny.

Adulthood

Indignant at the coddling and insignificant responsibilities being left at his feet, and with glory and fame set far beyond his grasp, V'aleera found an unlikely ally for her own ambitions in the spoiled, well-bred noble boy given authority over her knight-mentor. After a long year of inactivity, the young noble successfully browbeat a more influential relative within his house to have him and his knights given a more distinguished assignment beyond the walls of the city. With the orders finalized, the lordling and his cohort, V'aleera included, set out for their new assignment at the settlement in Whitebrim.

The journey to Whitebrim passed smoothly and it quickly became evident that the lordling had indeed talked his way into a wholly legitimate military assignment. Sent on frequent patrols to guard trade routes, and hunts into the wilderness to seek and destroy Dravanian presence in the area, rarely would a week pass where V'aleera would not find herself in combat against the terrible foes she had dreamed of facing all her life. Though afraid and kept close to her knight-mentor in the early skirmishes, each new victory emboldened the young woman, and after a year of such service the mere squire was singular amongst her peers in being the first to charge into battle alongside the full-fledged knights against the draconic beasts. A trait conspicuously absent from the cowhearted lordling, who always elected to guard the supplies and the squires at the rear.

Though the lordling's impetuous prodding of his betters to put him into action had been a welcome means for the underutilized knights (and V'aleera) to finally see action, his continuing thirst for glory and acclaim threatened to become more dangerous than useful. Hearing rumors from other knights and nobles stationed at and passing through Whitebrim of a powerful and cunning wyrm that haunted the northern regions of the Boulder Downs, the boy was all too quick to seize upon the opportunity to earn a name for himself, no matter the cost. In spite of fierce objection from the knights in his service the lordling successfully lobbied for permission to engage in an expedition to hunt the deadly beast.

The Dragon

The Downs lied far beyond the territory the lordling and his cadre were accustomed to and he had been afforded no personnel beyond his own knights and their attendants (a young Miqo'te squire included). Many of the knights believed the hunt a fool's errand, most hoping to just wander the landscape for a week, find nothing, and then return to Whitebrim. Fate had other plans, however, and after four days into their ill-begotten journey the expedition found itself face to face with its quarry.

What few soldiers survived the battle tell a similar tale that nonetheless wants for details. A great dragon with scales the color of steel erupted from the snow beneath their feet, it's ambush wiping out a third of their cohort with breath of fire and merciless claws. The ensuing battle was fierce, but quick; some of the knights managed glancing and shallow blows against the beast, but the creature was as cunning as it was mighty and evaded severe wounds while continuing to wreak havoc upon the small company. In the end, over sixty percent of the soldiers were slain by the dragon or died of wounds thereafter, and every survivor returned home with an injury of some kind. The lordling got off lightly, his only injury a sprained ankle he acquired when he tripped and fell during his attempt to flee at the beginning of the battle.

How the battle was won, and the beast slain, few can say. What little of the contingent remained conscious during the fight were unable to clearly testify to what, exactly, happened. The clearest account given asserts that after the entire expedition had been wiped out only the beast-girl squire was left standing, and that with spear in hand she stood in a face-off against the dragon. How the battle unfolded between the two is unknown, obscured as it was by the pain and by the deepening snowfall. But all accounts are united in their telling of the ending: a woman barely blossomed into adulthood, a mere squire with body battered, bleeding, and bones broken, knelt atop the head of the wyrm, her body resting against the broken spear driven deep into the lifeless creature's skull.

The Dragonslayer

Life passed by in a flurry for V'allera after her miraculous victory against the wyrm. Sent home to heal and recover after the ordeal, she was treated to a hero's welcome by her parents, neighbors, friends, and even people who'd never even liked her very much. And when she was well enough to walk she found herself summoned by the Orthodox Church of the Holy See; the young squire was summarily dubbed a holy knight of Ishgard for her valor and skill on the field of battle, and bestowed the title of dragoon for slaying so mighty a dragon in the name of Halone.

Bursting with pride and a sense of piety and religious devotion that burned far brighter within her than ever before, V'aleera humbly accepted the honors bestowed upon her and reaffirmed her desire to be a weapon of Ishgard against the foul Horde that sought to destroy it. Taking her place amongst the Holy See's elite, she was assigned to a squad of fellow dragoons, most of them her seniors in both age and experience. She fought, trained, and learned beside them, sharpening her skills and learning how to be a better dragon-slayer every day.

The couple years that followed were some of the happiest and most content times of the young woman's life, even though (or perhaps especially because) much of that time was spent in the heat of battle waging war against Ishgard's timeless enemy. But most of all, V'aleera finally felt like she belonged and was accepted in her home nation: where before others looked at her and saw a peasant, an outsider, a freak, or (at best) an oddity, now she was treated with respect and dignity. No longer put down for her differences, she was held up beside so many great warriors as an example for her people to look up to.

Not all who knew her, however, delighted in her fortune and glory.

Banishment

The lordling that had demanded the expedition be undertaken was humiliated and disgraced in the aftermath of the affair. His cowardly conduct, foolish decisions, and the deaths of many capable knights due to his careless actions left him a pariah and saw him all but imprisoned by his family in their estate, the possibility of glory and honor forever denied to him. He seethed at the success of the peasant, outsider-born freak that he deemed responsible for his fall from grace, and he plotted with what few allies he had left. And after a couple years of friends of friends of friends speaking into the right ears and passing the right amount of coin, the pathetic little lordling's petty machinations against V'aleera bore fruit.

Upon returning from another successful expedition with her compatriots, V'aleera was delivered orders from the Orthodox Church: in recognition of her admirable history of service to the Holy See and her considerable accomplishments against the Dravanian menace she was being placed on a "special" solitary assignment. She was to leave the city of Ishgard and the surrounding highlands and venture forth into the other lands of Eorzea. There she would travel the land spreading word of the threat posed by the Dravanian menace (and of all dragonkind), proselytize the teaching of Halone, and otherwise doing good deeds in the name of the Holy See of Ishgard. And, most significantly of all, she was to carry out these orders indefinitely, never to return to Ishgard or its lands until specifically recalled by the order of the Church. This was the lordling's revenge: banishment, by a sweeter name.

Enraged and saddened, V'aleera despaired: the orders were absolute and to disobey would be tantamount to treason. Peers in the military and friends in the Church offered condolences, many pledging to fight on her behalf to have the order rescinded. The most wizened and senior among them conceding that, while the battle was one ultimately in V'aleera's favor, victory would take time. V'aleera had only a short while to grieve with her parents, promising to return to them someday soon. With a furious yet resigned heart, the young knight set out on her lonely journey, wondering when, if ever, she would be allowed to return and fight once more for the home she held dear.

Still hoping to receive the call to return to her homeland, V'aleera dutifully sought to carry out the terms of her misbegotten assignment; traveling across the face of Eorzea she spent the brief years of her exile working as a free agent in the employ of Grand Companies, local law enforcement, and even the Adventurers' Guild. Having kept to herself for the majority of the time spent traveling, she made few friends and learned little of the world beyond Ishgard, in spite of her travels.

Her activities typically trended toward the martial, and she made her living fulfilling publicly posted hunting logs or bounties, as well as offering her services as an expert in wiping out local nests of dragon-kin. She tried to do good wherever she could, but often found that the notion of good instilled in her at home in Ishgard is quite unlike the many variations on the concept to be found throughout Eorzea. Still, she persevered, endeavoring to always carry herself with dignity, honor, and holy righteousness wherever she went.

Ultimately, through the dedicated efforts of her comrades on the home front taking advantage of the need for every able Ishgardian arm in the final chapters of the Dragonsong War, V'aleera was finally granted leave to return home to her country and kin.

References

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