Zaius Rhal'seer
rpg.ashami.com
A refugee from Ala Mhigo, brought over the sea as a child by his teacher and her husband, Zaius honors their lessons in combat by using them, finding the greatest satisfaction from a fight to the death. Practitioner of a fighting style learned in the temple of the Fury of Halone, a rare and frowned-upon subsect of the Fists of Rhalgr, he fights with equal parts skill, madness, and fury.
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| Gender | Male |
| Race | Miqo'te |
| Clan | Keeper of the Moon |
| Citizenship | Ul'dah |
| Age | 32 |
| Sexuality | Bisexual |
| Marital Status | Open Relationship |
| Server | Balmung |
Contents
Recent Events
Character
| Eyes | Hair | Skin | Body Type | Voice |
| Golden. | Black, red tipped. | Dark grey. | Heavily muscled. | Forward, upbeat, somewhat deep. |
| Bearing | Notable Features | Alignment | Element | Nameday |
| Confident, casual. | None. | True Neutral. [1] | Lightning | 26th Sun of the 4th Umbral Moon, 1548 |
Zaius stands at 5 fulms and 11 ilm tall with solid, powerful limbs. He has a very developed build as compared to most Keepers, having taken great care and effort in maintaining proportion and flexibility despite his size.
Zaius has a heart-shaped face, with a strong jaw. His eyes are a deep, bright gold. They express his emotions vividly, anywhere from his normal amusement at most things, to the blank, mindless savagery he can display in a fight.
Her hair is thick, and he keeps it fairly short in the back and sides, barring either one or two braids towards the front. His bangs tend to fall in front of his eyes when he goes too long between trimming it. Before his second fight with Teld're he kept the ends of his hair dyed blue in front and on his braids. However, the aetheric energy released by Teld're somehow dyed the ends of Zaius' hair in those parts blood-red, the hair now simply naturally changing colours as it reaches the length. Zaius has elected not to bother looking into getting the effect reversed because it's a time saver, and it matches his armor nicely.
Despite his very violent lifestyle, Zaius' armor usually bears little sign of wear and tear beyond scuffing and the occasional cut across the leather or gouge in the metal portions of his armor. As a talented blacksmith and leatherworker, he maintains and modifies his own equipment, preferring to base the look and build of it off of old gladiatorial armor he used to wear. This not only allows for a good amount of flexibility but also serves to throw off opponents that don't know any better; expecting to easily cut or punch or cast through simple leather, the darksteel plates and layered chain beneath give him more durability than one would normally expect.
Strangely for someone that had spent their entire life training to fight or fighting, Zaius has no scars or distinguishing marks. The reason for that is a modified technique learned from the Fury of Halone school, which builds on the 'second wind' ability to allow for immediate, and slow steady healing. While nothing close to a healer's magic, it allows a fighter able to summon the necessary rage and focus to prevent otherwise mortal wounds from finishing him off, as well as preventing scarring. Unfortunately the time required makes it unusable in a fight, or at least not without an incredibly gracious opponent.
Zaius speaks with a rather low voice, one that matches with his build. Whenever he gets excited or cheerful, which is often, he tends to get loud; when he gets quiet things aren't much better either. His eyes are extremely expressive, anywhere from when he rolls them to when he's about to throw a fight's first punch, to when they nearly empty completely when he gives into his rage.
He often prefers to lean against things, getting a good view of a room, and tends to keep quiet in large groups, but otherwise comments on anything and everything without regard to what people think of his opinion.
Personality
| PRIMARY MOTIVATOR | Chaos | Sense of Humor | Gleeful |
| Emotional Disposition | Calm | SEXUALITY | |
| Moodiness | Mecurial | Sexual Orientation | Bisexual |
| CORE TRAITS | Libido | Healthy | |
| Outlook | Cynical | Sexual Expressiveness | Brazen |
| Integrity | Manipulative | Sexual Expressive Style | Forward |
| Impulsiveness | Deliberate | Openness to sexual experience | Adventurous |
| Boldness | Reckless | Promiscuousness | Polyamorous |
| Flexibility | Adaptable | RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY | |
| Affinity | Uncaring | Affiliation/Adherence | Casual |
| Comportment | Humorous | Tolerance | Tolerant |
| Interactivity | Entertaining | Expression of beliefs | Rarely |
| Disclosure | Unreserved | Converting others | Never |
| Conformity | Rebellious | Attitude | Irreverent |
| Topics of Conversation | Adventure; hobbies; animals; jokes | ||
| Quirks, Habits, & Oddities | grin; sarcastic; restless; | ||
| Hobbies & Enjoyments | Fighting; cooking; reading | ||
Strengths
Zaius' most obvious strength is his literal strength; while those that succeed at the arts and techniques involved in being a monk can already perform marvels like rapid bursts of speed, breaking rocks with bare hands, and the like, Zaius has spent a great deal of time honing his body. Whether toughening his joints or striking points by hitting hanging sheets of metal, to what he regularly eats, to daily exercise, Zaius has always determined that the best way to win a fight is to make sure you don't need a weapon to do so. He's strong enough to carry another miqo'te under one arm like a sack of grain, and has been able to throw even roegadyn about, although certainly not with ease.
Following that train of thought, Zaius has been following the path of unarmed combat from almost the moment of his birth. First trained as Fury of Halone, then after his imprisonment as a slave grappling, even spending time at the Ul'dah pugilist's guild to see what there was to see, Zaius had been fighting and killing with nothing but his body for nearly thirty years. While able to wield other weapons, and recognizing the advantage offered by heavy plate mail, and in fact very proficient in the use of a heavy axe, oftentimes putting a weapon in Zaius' hands makes the Keeper less effective.
Zaius was given work in trades before his enslavement, thanks to his parents, and continued them where possible until he was freed. While cooking is his passion, he is also an exceptionally accomplished blacksmith, able to craft the most difficult of works, and a very skilled leatherworker as well. His dedication to improvement has served him well when it comes to his three trades.
Flaws
Once Zaius had decided on a course of action, he can rarely be persuaded from it. This can be dangerous for himself and those around him, as while he's capable of looking at things from a long-term perspective, he can often be impulsive, doing things that are socially and morally unacceptable.
In a fight he will not surrender, even while in a position of obvious disadvantage. Zaius knows that it's his fate to die on the battlefield, whether it's today or tomorrow matters little to him. He'll throw himself against seemingly impossible odds, and while he's survived to date through his own skills, the aid of others, and fortune itself, sooner or later a day will come where all three are not up to the task of keeping him alive in the face of overwhelming odds.
(More to come!)
Romance
Zaius' views on romance are fairly odd, something he would point out is likely a result of his upbringing. While he has been in an ongoing relationship with Tiergan Vashir for some time now, both agreed that taking other occasional lovers would be acceptable, especially as Tiergan prefers to keep his relationship with Zaius, if not secret, certainly quiet. On occasion, the two have even had the same lover at the same time, something that Zaius takes no end of amusement in. Despite doting on Tiergan in private, the two bicker constantly, competing in almost every way that comes up. Zaius' philosophy of never having anything he couldn't stand to have taken from him if need be is stretched to the limit by his relationship with Tiergan.
Qualities he looks for in a partner include being straightforward, determined, opinionated, and stubborn. Zaius also enjoys helping to draw people out of their shell when it comes to romantic liaisons, not being one for jealousy. Someone with a strong physical presence, who isn't afraid to fight for what they believe in, or what they want, or...just fight, really, draw his attention quickly. Despite finding someone appealing from a physical and emotional standpoint however, Zaius tends not to pursue very far. He is more likely to flirt shamelessly, especially if the person in question is already in a relationship, double-especially if the person's partner is there. The fact of the matter is, Zaius is rather picky as to whom he decides to chase after with determination, and while he has had a few one-night-stands, he prefers something more long-term, whether that be more physical encounters after the first, or something less carnal.
Zaius has never had much cause to distinguish between men and women when it came to persons he finds appealing.
Combat
Almost without exception, when called upon to fight Zaius will do so hand to hand. Even a simple sparring contest is, to the Keeper, a contest that can only end one way; death. Otherwise, how is someone supposed to know if they're truly better, if one of the combatants is holding back? With that in mind, recent developments have come to show him that some people are more interesting alive and dead, and to that end he's returned to using a bare handed style while 'only' sparring. His learning didn't end with the disappearance of his teachers, and after he was enslaved he had a variety of instructors, further honing his abilities and expanding them beyond striking to including grappling, and wrestling, fighting in close quarters with little room to move.
In an actual fight, where he's looking to slay an opponent, Zaius will usually make use of a set of gauntlets he crafted himself, each finger covered in segmented, layered armor to allow for grappling and flexibility, and each ending in a razor sharp point. Patterned on his old gladiator mail, but crafted and re-crafted each time new metals are discovered by metallurgists, the gauntlets are capable of matching most contemporary weapons of the time.
Against opponents such as dragons, Voidsent, or the like, Zaius employes a reforged copy of the ancient Relic Weapon known as Kaiser Knuckles. Much like with his gauntlets, he is constantly upgrading and reforging them as new options become available, although that often requires relying on a certain smith near Fallgourd Float...
Zaius' stamina is seemingly inexhaustible, enduring endless hours of combat, as well as wounds and beatings, its rare to see the Keeper ever need to take an extended rest. As long as there is a fight nearby, the violent chaos seems to feed the Keeper, urging him to continue fighting until there is no one left standing. A good part of this is due not only to the techniques he learned from his various teachers, but the exceptional conditioning he puts himself through. Despite his immense build, he is flexible enough to raise a leg up and over his head, and strong enough to hold it there for a good period of time. As one of his opponents observed, it seemed like speed and mass were not properly explained to Zaius Rhal'seer.
While able to disrupt certain spells using various techniques meant for silencing enemies, Zaius himself has no talent with the magical arts, either offensive or defensive.
Aware of Garlean technology and its dangers, Zaius has familiarized himself with certain facets of their equipment, at least enough to break it effectively in combat, including magitek armor, gunblades, and most of their warmachines.
Occupation, skills and pastimes
"Some people complain their whole lives they never found their purpose. I was born and trained to fight. You know what they say; love what you do, do what you love."
Adventurer, gladiator, ex-slave, mercenary, madman. Zaius has been all of these and more. He doesn't show any remorse or hesitation in discussing his past, whether his cruel training as a child, or the violent tendencies that continue to this day. While no assassin, Zaius until recently had worked for both sides of the law, especially in Ul'dah, where enough gil could be passed around to ignore a Keeper and his role in fighting whomever needed fighting. Recently however he has somewhat bettered his reputation by working to keep the Beastmen tribes in check, as well as performing more 'honest' work for the three city-states, including joining the Immortal Flames...only to switch to the Maelstrom mid-battle during one of the engagements in Cartenau, with the reasoning that he'd gotten bored always fighting for the same side, and needed a change.
While his first love in trade has always been cooking, taking a good bit of satisfaction from a well-made meal, especially a challenging one, it is seeming more and more that his true gift might lay in metallurgy. Specifically blacksmithing, to which he has taken quickly and with aplomb. Devouring challenging tasks and difficult crafts with equal hunger, he's set to his work with hammer and file almost as intently as he has his hand to hand combat. In a distant third remains leatherworking, although he's more than skilled enough to repair and even modify his own armor, mingling two of his talents together to improve his own equipment.
Rarely, Zaius finds himself with a free moment or two when he's not fighting, training, or working on his tradeskills. In those incredibly infrequent moments, he has a few books stashed about his home. While he enjoys sitting down with one of them, his attention is never occupied for long.
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Relationships
Family
Zaius was born under a different name, to the master teacher of the Fury of Halone temple in Ala Mhigo. He refuses to give the original names of his parents, or his own. They both went missing during a dangerous job more than fifteen years ago, and he's long since given up any chance of seeing them again. The person behind their disappearance was dealt with, essentially closing the book on Zaius' family.
Father: Unknown (deceased)
Mother: Unknown (deceased)
Linkshells and Organisations
Aeon Free Company: In the year 1578 Zaius registered with a relatively unknown Free Company known only as 'Aeon'. Other than offering standard mercenary services, little was known of them. While privy to their secrets, this is one of the few topics that Zaius won't disclose a great amount of detail on. Instead, he offers up only that they were a great deal of fun, a wonderful source of ongoing strife and violence, and that if any curious folk were to learn more, he could give them the opportunity to join them...if they asked.
The Coral Sea Free Company: Late in 1578, after departing Aeon, Zaius signed up with the Coral Sea after undergoing their interview process and (in an amazing act of oversight) managing to pass.
Player Character Relationships
| ♥♥ Tiergan Vashir / "Ah'ra" : Zaius met Tiergan in one of their mutual owner's slave pens. In the structure of the pens, the most dangerous would assume the rank of Alpha, and be responsible for keeping order. In exchange, they received numeroubegan as a relationship expressed through steel and fist quickly turned lustful as well, although Tiergan never did manage to take back the position of Alpha, even whius lost track of Tiergan for several years, only tracking him down when he registered with a Free Company. The two remain together, albeit in an open relationship, with the understanding that, sooner or later, Tiergan always returns to the Keeper. The fact that the two are slowly beginning to admit actual feelings towards one another has made their relationship more challenging than ever before. | ♥● Teld're Eska'aldren : Recently introduced to Teld're by Tiergan, Zaius immediately found something in the other miqo'te that reminded him of himself at a younger age. Amused by the self-revelation, he immediately challenged Teld're to a fight to the death. After Tiergan broke up their first encounter, they had a rematch without interference, with Teld're using his advantage of aetheric manipulation and a carefully chosen battlefield to savage Zaius. Given the nature of the fight, Zaius was rather surprised to wake up the next morning, and resolved to get to know Teld're better. This has resulted in several more encounters, including a particular memorable cooked stew. |
| ● "'Brynhilde Wulf : Leader of the free company Aeon, Zaius respects Brynhilde a great deal for her decision to lead a group of people he considers to be mostly crazy and self-destructive, himself included. Well aware that Brynhilde does not return that respect, the fact doesn't seem to bother him in the least. While they briefly fought during the Varus incident in Ul'dah, he looks forward to the chance to actually make a solid attempt at killing her. | ♥●!Sophia Grave : A member of Aeon, Zaius noticed her peculiar armament quickly. Finding out her actual loyalties did little to dispel Zaius' enjoyment of the few times they'd met in combat, and while both battles were 'unofficial', Sophia's identity disguised, he greatly appreciated her skill. Despite leaving Aoen, Zaius looks forward to a future rematch, and attempts to keep ties with Sophia, knowing that her inevitable actions on the part of her homeland will result in chaos and violence...both of which he'd be loath to miss. |
| ●Varus Alderic Rosenthal : Introduced to him through his interest in Aeon and their mysterious nature, Zaius at first regarded the magus as a loudmouth overconfident man, prone to going on at length about his own superiority. However, after witnessing Varus easily besting several members of the free company, his interest in the magus was piqued. Tracking him down through mutual connections in Ul'dah, the two conversed at length, Zaius enjoying the discussion regarding morals and ambitions, before parting on neutral terms. During Varus' attack on Ul'dah, Zaius was more than willing to fight against Aeon for the thrill and the challenge, but an aetheric attack done by the magus quickly had Zaius turning on him. Afterwards he was one of the few the magus revealed his rebirth to, initially, trusting correctly that Zaius would keep the fact to himself in anticipation of future conflict to come. Zaius was disappointed to learn of the magus' subsequent disappearance, if only because the magus' talent for wreaking havoc would be sorely missed. | ●Ciel Lazuli : Countless jobs and missions together have confirmed in Bryn's mind that Ciel is an extremely talented healer, and she would not hesitate to throw herself at the deadliest foes if she knew she had Ciel's skill in white magic present to care for her. On the personal front, she finds Ciel to be a cautious, distant individual, which she respects. |
| ●Zaku Paku : Zaius initially did his best to ignore Zaku Paku, finding his habit of talking in third person distracting, although the fact that the lalafel had managed to attain a prominent position in the Immortal Flames did impressed him. However, when Zaku Paku was given a new name, Zaku Degenwulf, and somehow transformed into a far more physically imposing Highlander, Zaius took notice. This would culminate in three fights while Zaku found himself unable to master the inner rage that came with Warrior training, becoming almost-possessed. After two attempts to finish Zaku off were interrupted by [[Lacey Orwell] he considers the matter closed, and Zaku a fun fighting partner...at least until one of them kills the other. | ●Flickering Ember : Zaius finds the young roegadyn's utter lack of social graces and complete honesty refreshing rather than irritating as some might. He also considers her innocent in a sort of odd, roundabout way, especially given how quickly she jumps to 'kill the bad people' as a default method of dealing with a dangerous situation. She's one of the few people that Zaius would actively defend instead of assuming that they would simply be fine on their own, as her naivete means that others could take easy advantage of her. |
| ●L'aenoh Tia : | ●Staelufre Lysmerl : |
None. Zaius hasn't actually met anyone he really dislikes to the point he would go to lengths to avoid them (so far). Mostly because even the people he likes he looks forward to having no-holds-barred fights to the finish, so, why hold grudges?
Rumors
Common Rumors
- "I can't think of a day I've been in the Wolves' Den fighting that he wasn't there. I don't think he sleeps."
- "Won't touch liquor! Not a drop. Caravan came into Ul'dah and the master was buying rounds for everyone in the Quicksand; he just kept at his water."
- "Tough bastard! Saw him nearly lose his arm to an axe in an unsanctioned scrap on the Wolves' Den Pier. Barely managed to take an aether trip out of there! Damn if he wasn't out a day later fighting like it was nothing. Gotta learn that trick…"
- "Crazy. Absolutely crazy. Absolutely unpredictable. ...absolutely relentless. I watched him face down a squad of Brass Blades without flinching. Just that damn scary grin on him the whole while. Gave me the shivers."
Moderate Rumors
- "Swear I saw him in the slave fights a few years before the Calamity. No, not the legal ones. The death matches."
- "Got no loyalty to anyone. Part of a group jumping a crystal caravan, the owner offered twice what the bandits were being paid. He turned on 'em just like that, guards finished off the rest. Damn thing is, he didn't take a single coin. Like he did it just for fighting. Or worse, fun."
- "He's a joke, is what he is. All those rumors and talk of fighting and slaves and the like. Bullshit! No one walks around without a scar that's lived a life like that. No one normal."
- "I saw him in noble's clothes, skulking around the back alleys. Dressed like that he's looking to be mugged!"
Rare Rumors
- "Son of a bitch bought my land for half what it was worth before the Calamity! Heard he's buying up all sorts of property. No damn idea why."
- "A slave's a slave, an' I heard that he's still got his contract open! Yeah, escaped during the Calamity! What, no, I don't want no part of putting him in a cage thanks much! I like breathin' and eatin' solid food!""
- "Heard tell that he had training from one of the monks from Ala Mhigo. No, not the one order, the Fist of Rhalgar. Called themselves the Fury of Halone.
- "No. No, he's dead. I saw him cut nearly to shreds in one of the Castrums! Shot a half-dozen times with one of those Garlean guns! Come to think of it, no one went back to get the body…"
Player Character Rumors
(Feel free to add your own!)
- "Here's a bit of advice. Shit head. That one is mine. He'll probably tear you to shreds- then I'll laugh and we'll fuck a few fulms away from your dead body. You want to go like that? Then keep digging... Because the only thing you're clearing out is your grave..." -- Teld're Eska'aldren
- "If you so insist for my opinion, it is this; Zaius Rhal'seer is more beast than man. Vicious and Lascivious, unprincipled and troublesome; a finer example of everything wrong with that race, you'll not find." -- Brynhilde Wulf
History/Timeline
1548 - 1557 : The Ala Mhigan Years
1558 - 1564 : The Streets of Ul'dah
1565 - 1572 : Slave Ascendant
((WIP))
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1573 - 1576 : Wanderer
((WIP))
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1577 - 1578 : Aeon
((WIP))
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1579 - Present : The Coral Sea
((WIP))
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Character Connections
The following characters may have the possibility of an RP link with Zaius:
- Anyone who keeps informed of known adventurers. There pretty much isn't any levemaster that hasn't had a good deal of work done by Zaius.
- Anyone involved in the slave trade before the cataclysm.
- High-ranking members of the blacksmith guild; Zaius is a master smith.
- High-ranking members of the culinarians' guild; Zaius is a master chef.
- Anyone who participates in or watches matches in the Wolves' Den, or participates in any of the fighting in Cartenau
- Landowners in and around Ul'dah might have heard of a particular Keeper that watches property very closely.
- While Zaius is not an assassin, he's worked for nearly every group that would have him, good or bad, as long as there was a good fight to be had.
Trivia & Miscellaneous
- (More to come!)
Artwork
Author's Notes
Zaius' original name and tribe are long lost...or at least until I decide to actually develop them.
The correct pronunciation of his name would be "Zeye-us Rhal-Seer."
This character is on the Balmung server.
Zaius is rather coarse, blunt, and violent even when joking. Please remember this if you decide to say hi.
The design of this profile was stolen wholesale (but with permission) from Brynhilde Wulf, who in turn used some elements created or inspired by: Deirdre Ta'ea, Gharen Wolfsong
Change Log
5th February 2015:
- General clean up of typos and other errors.
- Added information concerning Zaius' history in Free Companies.
4th February 2015:
- Up at last!
