Ardent Dawn

ARDENT DAWN

BOLD . PROTECTIVE . FIERCE

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❝ Lost, lost within the depravity of sin. From this I have arisen, but from my own hand I'll fall. ❞

VITAL INFORMATION ■ CURRENT ALIAS... Ardent Dawn ■ NICKNAME(S)... Little Sister, Crimson Blade ■ RACE & CLAN... Mixed Heritage (Roegadyn Hellsguard / Hyur Highlander) ■ NAMEDAY... 1st Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon ■ GENDER... Female ■ AGE... Thirty-one ■ ORIENTATION... Straight ■ RELATIONSHIP STATUS... Married to Tal Raith

OTHER STATISTICS ■ NATIONALITY... Ul'Dah ■ RESIDENCE... The Mist, Limsa Lominsa ■ OCCUPATION... Sellsword ■ PATRON DEITY... Oschon, the Wanderer ■ HEIGHT... 5 fulms 11 ilms ■ WEIGHT... 190 ponze ■ ALIGNMENT... Chaotic Good

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PERSONALITY

Ardent Dawn is, at first glance, a calm, collected, and warm person. Her lips are ever twisted in a charming smile and her voice is deep and reassuring. In conversation, one might notice that she is dry witted, friendly, and ever full of humor. Though she does enjoy others' company, she may come off as too bold or honest as she does not care to beat around the bush in order to get to the heart of the matter at hand. If she is around people she does not know, one may notice that her smile doesn't reach those cold, grey eyes that are continuously calculating her surroundings.

However, once she feels comfortable, the confident facade begins to fade away and is replaced by a varying degree of emotions that can be said to be goofy, spirited, impulsive, and protective. Her degree of innocence and naivete can be startling to someone who is used to seeing the quiet, calm or the bold bravado that she tends towards when she doesn't feel at ease.

L I K E S ■ Pursuit of knowledge ■ Exploring the world ■ The thrill of the chase

D I S L I K E S ■ Unnecessary conflict ■ Disloyalty and dishonor

M O T I V A T I O N ■ To experience all of life's thrills ■ Personal redemption

S T R E N G T H S ■ Adaptable facade ■ Adept at combat ■ Fierce loyalty

W E A K N E S S E S ■ Impulsive ■ Cannot hold her liquor ■ Fears aether use

Q U I R K S ■ Talks to a nutkin

APPEARANCE

She spans several inches to over a fulm shorter than her Roegadyn kin with her curving, but slender form, which is unusual among the stout and robust forms of the typical Hellsguard women and more common among the Highlanders of her father's side. Ardent Dawn's hawk-like features have a dusky cast and her long, dark tresses are often lifted in a braid or pony-tail. The length of her nose ends in the Roegadyn fashion, flat and broad, while her pale lips are wide and curved. Those who look at her would notice that her pale grey eyes are often studying their surroundings, though her lips are always curved into varying degrees of smiles. She appears to be a calm, but personable woman who is used to laughing.

Ardent Dawn wears loose fitting clothing that is usually leather or sturdy cloth to protect her during travel through the wilderness. However, she believes in comfort above all and will wear most things so long as it doesn't hinder her movement. However, she does have disdain for most "frilly" wear and avoids elegant gowns or other wear of that ilk. In addition, she wears two long daggers at her hip and a longbow on her back.

COMBAT & WEAPONRY

Though raised in a household that enforced a strict regiment of aether training, Ardent found herself more at ease with melee weapons. She has had formal training and experience with the following: short sword, daggers, long sword, rapier, and bow. Her official training began when she fought in the Ul'Dahn coliseum at the age of 14, though she was 17 when she enlisted in the Lominsan Armada and received additional combat instruction. Her guidance with the bow is through personal self-education and her knowledge surrounding daggers is currently being furthered through the patience of her mate, who is teaching her.

HISTORY

CHILDHOOD Aether Manipulation A statuesque woman in loose, flowing black robes with dusky skin and a mane of silvery hair stood near the desk. Her hand was held aloft and clenched into a fist. Around it swirled thin tendrils of dark aether that pulsed with power. "...and that is how you manifest your aether," she was saying, her tone brisk. She looked down at her young pupil, who couldn't have seen more than six seasons. The child was looking out of the window, watching other children run by with small wooden swords in their grasp. Her grey eyes spoke of longing. "Ardent Dawn." The woman snapped out the name as she reached forward and grabbed the child's chin, forcing her face upwards and keeping it in place. The other hand still held the ball of aether, which started to near those suddenly frightened eyes. "M-mother, I am sorry! I just wanted to..." she began crying. Tears slid down her cheeks. "Ardent, you will pay attention and you will learn." That voice was cold as she pushed the aether forward. There was a sudden scream and after a moment of silence, the woman patiently began to continue the lesson. The Ul'Dahn Coliseum She could feel the heat radiating up through the soles of her leather shoes from the golden sands below them. Around her, the cacophony of the arena was deafening. People were shouting and urging for more blood to be shed. She smiled at their thirst and her grip tightened on the blade in her hand. Before her, a tall figure swathed in rags cowered and struggled to move away. However, one of his legs was twisted at an odd angle it merely twitched. Eventually, he just lay there, resigned. "Finish it," a loud voice called, magnified above the rest. She stepped forward and brought the hilt of the sword down on the man's temple. The blow left him laying motionless on the ground amid the cheers of the arena. That smile widened.

ADULTHOOD Good-bye, Mother The piercing cry of a gull passing overheard rent the air. Sunlight trickled between soft clouds of cream, which loomed over tall sentinels of stone. Scarlet banners adorned the pillars, which ended abruptly at a large alcove that housed several people and a wide counter of warm wood. She took a step forward, her short, gawky form shrouded in humble attire. Her black hair was cut short, mere ilms from the scalp and her youthful face was sharp with focus. As she came before a Sea Wolf garbed in military regalia, she cleared her throat. He looked around a slender pair of rimless glasses and grunted. "May I help you?" he said curtly. "I am Ardent Dawn and I seek to join the Maelstrom," she replied. Her narrow shoulders pulled back and she regarded the officer with a measure of pride in her fierce stare. What Time Has Wrought People moved around the deck, though they appeared as faint shadows at the corners of her vision. Blood coated the dark leather that shrouded her in a spreading expanse of scarlet that sought to claim the original color. Her blade rested on the wet wood at her side, stained with the same warmth that flecked the curves of her sharp features. Tears slid down her cheeks as her arms tightened around the small form cradled against her chest. She lifted her head, the wet mat of tangled waves pulling away from the side of the figure in her arms. It revealed the small, pale face of a child. Those translucent lids were parted to show eyes of a bright blue, which had taken on a cloudy veneer as the force that animated them drained away. Their tiny lips opened and closed in one final, wavering gasp. With a tear-clouded gaze, she looked around. Bodies littered the ship's deck, their hands often clutching make-shift weapons that ranged from kitchen utensils to mops and brooms. Sailors roamed between them, rummaging for anything of worth. Here and there, she saw her own soldiers fallen among the bodies from where their forces had been overwhelmed by numbers, but not by skill. "I-is this what I have become?" she whispered in a hoarse voice.

RELATIONSHIPS

Affiliations

■ Order of Ravenstar

Family

Husband: Tal Raith (status: alive) - Sea Wolf Roegadyn - Strong and fierce -- isn't that what the embodiment of Roegadyn are? Tal Raith is every bit what one would expect a tall, heavily muscled, broad-shouldered Roegadyn to be. However, Ardent Dawn found more in the quiet sentinel. From the first time they met, he was one step ahead, protecting her. Always one to shy away from intimacy, it came as a surprise to her to find that she had given her heart away to this giant. He became her redemption and her haven in the world she felt disconnected from.

Father: Einar Stormblade (status: unknown) - Hyur Highlander - Ardent only knows him as "that damn sailor". Her mother never hid how she met him: his boat was in port at the Silver Bazaar and he was in Ul'Dah at the Quicksand looking for a fine ale. Looking across the room, he found something fine alright -- a fine Hellsguard woman! He went to her and told her as much and was rewarded with a slap across the face. However, when he wasn't deterred, she reluctantly shared a few drinks with him. Unspoken by her mother, it might have been more than a few, because nine months later she was visited by a squalling brat that she named Ardent Dawn. Ardent has never met her father and has not had any success in finding him in her travels.

Mother: Desert Rose (status: alive) - Hellsguard Roegadyn - A strict, unforgiving woman, Desert has pushed both of her children to follow in the family footsteps of powerful thaumaturgy and aetherial manipulation. She is a tall, robust woman with dark, reddish brown skin and pale, silvery hair with grey eyes.

Brother: Silent Rain (status: alive) - Hellsguard Roegadyn - Silent is the favored child of the pair. Whereas Ardent was a mistake, Silent was purposely born to propagate the family line. His father, Shadow Rock, is a Black Mage that married Desert Rose three years after Ardent came along. Silent was born within a year of the union. He is quiet, reserved, and intelligent, but also taciturn and withdrawn. When Ardent had last seen him, he was still training to be a Black Mage like his parents. He bears a striking resemblance to his mother.

R U M O R S If you add a rumor of your own, please send me a note telling me. Thanks! ◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely! ■ "Don't let that kind face fool you. She has more than her fair share of blood on those hands." ■ "Oh, that Hellsguard Captain. She may of been on the Maelstrom's payroll, but that wasn't her only source of income. Everyone could see her ship pull in to port with more than it left with." ■ "Ardent Dawn? I saw her once when I sailed with the Azure Jewel. She was injured in a training accident. When the medic went to use aether to heal her, she went pale as a ghost and nearly knocked the poor guy unconscious! She spent the rest of the trip in the sick bay. Strange, that one." ◢ Uncommon Rumors - A little more difficult to hear. Use sparingly or ask first! ■ "She may be wearing a bow on her back, but there will always be a crimson blade at her side. The woman is a fool if she thinks she can escape that." ◢ Rare Rumors - Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using! ■ "Eh? She killed a 'elpless tot in a raid on a merchant ship 'oo 'adn't paid their due. Ain't been right since, that 'un." ◢ Player Character Rumors - Feel free to add rumors of your own! ■ "She seemed rather down; her past life must affect her significantly. But she offered me a place to stay -- can't say she's bad people." SwygynWyzn Thosinsyn ■ "I have only just met her, though she was very delightful in conversation. I might also mention, she was an incredibly accommodating hostess." Jacques Durand

R E L A T I O N S ♥ Romantic Attraction – ♥ Physical Attraction – ♥ Platonic Love – $ Business – ✝ Deceased – ✔ Positive – ✖ Negative – ● Neutral – � Unsure Tal Raith (✔♥♥ ) - TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME There is little in Eorzea that can make her stubborn, proud demeanor waver. That was, until Tal Raith came along. This Roegadyn has a peculiar effect on the usually confident woman, who has a tendency to suddenly fumble, stutter, or blush when he is nearby. She craves his company and cares for him deeply even if she doesn't fully understand why or how. If asked about him, she simply replies "he is my Tal". Fryn the Nutkin (✔♥ ) - BELOVED COMPANION Ardent has never been close to many people, and has loved or cared about even fewer. Fryn, on the other hand, is her close friend and confidant. She can be seen talking to him and interacting with him openly around others. No one has really been able to discern if she actually understands the little creature or if she is simply crazy. Charging Mountain (✔) - BIG 'UN They met on the beach of Costa Del Sol. Mountain, clad only in a speedo and a pair of reading glasses, was attempting to score some new bathing suits by slaughtering helpless creatures. Ardent saw him in his outfit and promptly pulled his glasses off and crushed them in the sand. He looked better without them, she said. Though she did replace them. Eventually. With better ones. She regards him as a good friend. Svarthrafn Fyrlihtsyn (✔♥) - BRODA Ardent Dawn regards this giant, hulking mass of Roegadyn to be her brother, even if he is far from it. Svarthrafn is a mute and uses sign language to communicate with those around him. She has gallantly come to his rescue on several occasions, offering to translate what he says to other people (even if he doesn't want her to). Though she understands his gestures clear as day, one should be wary of her translations.

SCREENSHOTS

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PLAYER INFORMATION

Medium to Heavy Role-player from the Eastern Standard Timezone (EST) - My general play times are between 1400-0500 EST.

Role-play Romance/Relationships - My character is not actively seeking a romantic and/or physical relationship; however, this does not mean she is opposed to them. These must occur naturally in the course of events. Please do not seek my character out strictly for ERP -- you will be politely told to desist or blacklisted.

Clear Separation of OOC/IC - My character may have similarities to my own personality out of the game, but she is not me and she has her own personality. To this effect, you should remember that what happens in-character stays in the virtual world and is not a reflection of myself outside of the game. Don't transfer your feelings for my character to my real self.

Personal RP Limits:

¦ Do: Most RP themes ranging from dark, sordid, and questionable, to the other side of the spectrum with the light-hearted, humorous, and dramatic. Short-term, long-term plots. Romantic, platonic, and interesting.

¦ Ask: Anything that is dramatically character-changing, or may have extremely negative implications for my character. If you're unsure of where I'll go, please ask. Communication is key!

¦ Don't: Permanent character death. Permanently maiming or crippling my character.

FOOTNOTES

Template adapted from Bancroft Gairn, with edits by Xheja Rajhera and myself (mostly spacing). Feel free to use / adapt the template as long as you leave all credits & links back in place, please!