Valentinoix Thibault
 Valentinoix "Val" Thibault
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| Gender | Male |
| Race | Elezen |
| Clan | Duskwight |
| Citizenship | Ul'Dah |
| Nameday | 19th Sun of the 3rd Umbral Moon |
| Age | 35 |
| Height | 6 fulms 7 ilms |
| Birthplace | West Shroud |
| Pronunciation | Val-in-tin-wah Tee-bohl |
A curious creature, Valentinoix originally hailed from the Western Black Shroud. His family had lived in relative darkness since the elementals drove the residents of the Shroud underground, leaving him mostly blind. Val relies on other senses to fill in what he cannot see, leading many to believe he can see completely. His refined senses and skills in battle set him in the clan's hunting and gathering group. While out hunting and satiating his desire for exploration, Val became separated from his clan during the Calamity and presumes most, if not all, dead.
Val's mannerisms and speech patterns are often seen as archaic. He has an extreme sense of balance and necessity, using both to define and dictate his life and actions. He is skittish and loathes to be touched.
Contents
Character
Val is rather awkward, best described, by those around him, as a literal brick wall. His understanding of people is often skewed, mostly when he attempts to understand situations of romance and affection. He tends to take a neutral stance to many things, though his stance against false imprisonment and torture is very strong.
As he is a quiet person, Val often listens more than talks, though on the proper subject, he can be quite chatty. His voice is extremely deep with a rasp to it. The rasp originates from his false imprisonment at the hands of the Wailers, where they tortured and abused him until he was left for dead. For some time, he could not speak, which leaves him to silently communicate with others or hiss or growl at those who annoy him. He is well aware much of the world around him can see, making nonverbal communication very easy.
Val is not completely blind. He can see in dimmer lights though not always clearly. In dim or even bright lighting, his vision is washed out and forms of people and things sometimes become lost in the light. Anything with sharp contrast or bright colors is easier to see.
Val often uses his hearing or simply touch or smell to navigate the world of the light. He is a talented chef, and he prefers mostly to make stews or simple foods, cooking by feeling the heat and smelling the spices. He often uses touch to feel what's around him, particularly surfaces, though his touching of other people is rare and only by means of necessity. When in combat, he closes his eyes, relying on all the other senses and claiming that sight only gets in the way.
Val is often stubborn and set in his ways, even at a young age for an elezen. While he can adapt to various battle situations, Val's curiosity can get the better of him sometimes, leaving him vulnerable to attack. His refusal for anyone to touch him has left scarring on his body, though recently he has permitted healers to repair his wounds. Touching outside of combat terrifies him, and if he must be touched, he must also place a hand on the other person, usually on their shoulder.
Val has many scars on his upper body, most he prefers to keep hidden. Aside from a select few, most show signs of abuse on his back and his wrists with a small one on his neck. The scars on his face are from being "branded"
Family
The current status of Val's clan is unknown after the Calamity destroyed any means to enter the West Shroud.
Before the Calamity, the clan lived within a network of caves somewhere between the west and south Shroud and are extremely xenophobic and reclusive. Most never see the outsides of the caves, though a select few with hunting and gathering skills ventured off to gather food and supplies. A good number are blind simply never requiring their eyesight to see outside the darkness.
Once a year or so, the families of the clan would gather together, each cooking a meal traditional to each family. During this gathering, fights strictly were prohibited over dinner. It was a place of balance and respite.
Personally, Val is the eldest of several siblings, most of which were completely blind. He is the only one of them who knows how to fight.
Relationships
TO BE UPDATED (needs so much work)
- Dhemgeim Shyrdoenwyn - an old acquaintance from the Coliseum. Dhem was one of few competitors Val spoke to. He lost track of her some time ago until encountering her in Ul'dah recently.
- Reinette Sompt
- Rinhilda Stonebreaker
- Tausenadel Geispyrsyn - a friend of Dhem's.
Trivial information
- Hobbies: Mining, Fishing, Exploration, Cooking
- Favorite foods: pretzels, fish, stewed yarzon, landtrap greens, and more recently, chocolate cake.
- Least favorite foods: none
- Favorite colors: anything bright he can see.
- Biggest strengths: combat, general balance within his life, curiosity
- Biggest setbacks: loud noises will blind him, obsession with balance, paranoia the wailers will seek him out, aversion to touching, curiosity
- Driving desires: Curiosity, thrill of battling unusual things, balance
Rumors
Common
- "Sometimes I wonder if he's capable of talking. I've never heard him say anything." ~ adventurer
- "That elezen is more formal that the nobles at times, especially with that dramatic bow of his." ~ Ul'dahn merchant
Uncommon
- "That Val guy is actually pretty personable. I've talked with him a few times and he seems like a good guy with a bit of bad luck. I just wish I knew how to pronounce his name." ~ Quicksand diner
Rare
- "I hear he's an exile from his homeland of Gridania." ~ Drunk at the Quicksand bar
- "I heard he tried to become a paladin but had no skill in magics." ~ swordsman
Player rumors
- "... He is quiet, cannot see well, and likes to fish... Sometimes he tilts his head. I do not know what it means." Virara Wakuwa
History
Valentinoix was first born into a small family in the Thibault clan living within the caves deep in the western section of the Black Shroud. The family had been there for generations, stemming from a family of elezen who lived within Gelmorra. Like most duskwight, Val's family was incredibly reclusive, living in the safety of the caves. Some members of the clan who could fight left to gather and hunt food. Val found himself among them, enjoying the challenge of fighting creatures, fishing, and growing food.
Val strayed away from the neighboring families, save during times of clan dinners, mostly keeping to himself and hunting on his own. Soon after that, his younger brother and sister were born. Fraternal twins, the two were practically attached at the hip to Val, looking up to him. Val had grown to be a rather formidable hunter, and they wanted to be just like him too, even though neither could properly see.
Years later, while Val was out hunting the larger creatures of South Shroud, the red moon hanging low in the sky finally fell, streaking blinding fire across the sky. Val was forever separated from his clan, presuming them killed by the falling sky.
Post Calamity
False accusations
Without family or a home, Val took to wandering. He lived off the land, taking only what he alone needed. He developed a particular fondness for kedtrap leaves. He took to catching other game as the lands demanded it, however he never took more than necessary. That would throw off the natural balance.
One day, the Wood Wailers set up a trap to catch poachers outside Quarrymill where poachers were a consistent problem. Hungry and in need of food, Val continued about his business, slaying a small antelope. The Wailers ambushed him, surprised to find a duskwight instead of the suspected Keeper Miqo'te. Val hadn't planned to fight, but found it necessary as the Wailers weren't intending on letting him go. The numbers were against him, and he was captured. He put up quite a fight, but still managed to be hauled off. When questioned, he offered a false name and claimed he knew nothing of poaching. He was simply trying to survive, taking only what was necessary to survive and not affect the land.
The Wildwood lieutenant didn't seem to buy Val's story, looking upon him with scorn and keeping him imprisoned for a few months. They abused him and starved him, tormenting him with their words and beating him physically. He had done nothing wrong, and he couldn't understand why they hated him as much as they did. The reports of poaching continued around Quarrymill.
The Wailers there eventually came into contact with the true poachers, which in turn freed Val from any suspicion. The captain demanded all arrested under suspicion to be released. Val was left alone after a severe beating, strewn out on the ground to fend for himself, still no home to return to. They branded him, slashing his face so that if they ever found him again, he would be imprisoned forever or perhaps simply killed. He wasn't entirely sure where to go, but Gridania no longer felt like home. It felt more like a prison. The Wailers had left him to die in a pile of those who had also been falsely imprisoned, though he was the only one still left alive. With the last of his strength, he pulled himself away from the gaol, collapsing in a nearby river.
A new life
A pair of adventurers and a sellsword found Val collapsed on the ground being assaulted by local fauna. They chased the creatures off, discovering Val beneath them, somehow still alive. They took mercy on him, giving him food and taking him with them in their cart. He stayed with them as they attempted to bring him back to health on their journey towards Ul'dah. The adventurers stopped every so often to offer their aid or do odd tasks to make gil.
A moon or so later, Val was beginning to regain his strength, though he had not yet regained his voice stolen from him by the Wailers. He had trouble with the Ul'dahn sun, and he never quite adjusted to it. When the group split ways, Val left with the sellsword, Regi, and set out on their own journey.
Val trained in combat and mining. He began participating in the Coliseum under the pseudonym Valentine. He took on a pseudonym as the idea of being surrounded by fans made him horribly uneasy. While he was rather successful in the Colosseum, he did suffer some losses, forcing him to take breaks. He also took breaks when he'd amassed too much money, fearing that the balance was off.
Val eventually joined the Immortal Flames, placing himself into a position few expected a duskwight to be. The more bizarre his location, the smaller chance he had of being found by the Wailers. He eventually rose to an undisclosed position due to his heightened senses and his strong curiosity. He served in the position for some time before the team was disbanded, and Val eventually fell into the reserves.
The loss of this position left an imbalance in his life. He sought out an old friend from the coliseum, Dhemgeim, and took up a previous offer to join the Coral Sea.
