Avalt Laguz

Avalt
Wandering One
Gender	Male
Race	Hyur
Clan	Midlander
Citizenship	Gridania
Affinity	Lightning
Hair Colour	Brown
Age	23
Aliases	"Learned One"
Height	5 fulm 9ilm
Deity	Oschon, the Wanderer

Personality

Behaviours

While he remains quiet in social situations, when he does converse - his speech is somewhat broken in Sylphic form (often referring to himself as “This one”). His remarks and comments can be blunt, and misinterpreted as rude. In large gatherings (usually of more than three people) he will remain out of sight. Often he is ridiculed for his way of speaking and prefers not to voice opinions too often.

Combat

Avalt does not engage in direct combat - expressing an intense dislike of bladed weapons. Instead, he chooses to remain out of sight and assail foes with magic. His main area of expertise lies in the art of black magic, and using it to stun and disorient - rather than maim and eliminate. He has possesses a wide knowledge of texts and incantations used in restoration and protection. After his recent stint of being forbidden to cast magic, a lot of his spells backfire and can often cause more harm than good. Several events have lead to him now preferring not to use magic unless truly necessary. He has been taking measures to focus his mind in order to overcome this through heavy meditation.

Friends

• Rinh Hallani - A miqo’te arcanist whose fiery temper had terrified Avalt on many occasions (despite him not being on the receiving end) yet who has earned his respect as a fellow student of the aetheric.

• Dweia Delacroix - A rather mild mannered conjurer hailing from Gridania. Avalt does still not know a great deal about this young lady yet he currently owes a debt to her (whether he likes it or not) for freeing him from the binds of his slave crown.

• Aerostein Epitaph - Met in Gridania while under the influence of the Slave Crown. This kind hyur offered his aid to Avalt however it was not accepted. Aerostein claimed that Avalt looked like somebody that he used to know.

• U’tara Taki - One of Avalt’s students in magic. He accepted U’taras request to teach her about magic with a slight scepticism, however when she displayed magnificent progress within a short space of time he began to warm to the young miqo’te - even referring to her as "Mighty Huntress U'tara"

• Moengeim Wistyrmanwyn - Seargent of the Flame Yataghans. Avalt recently engaged in a friendly duel with this salty Sea Wolf, and was soundly beaten (yet he maintains it was a draw due to outside interference) when he was hurled through the wall of a settlement. It appeared neither of them escaped entirely unscathed, and Avalt later soothed Moengeim's aches with a Sylphic incantation. The two later shared details about their past to one another in the Flame Barracks. In this brief conversation, Avalt gained a higher modicum of respect for the ex-Pirate.

• Kale Aideron - Avalt met the gruffly spoken leader of the Flame Yataghans while affliated with the Travellers Guild. The two did not interact very often save for a patrol in the Coerthas region where one of the Flame unit were savaged by Dragonkin. Avalt utilised white magic to mend the miqo'tes wounds and was graciously thanked by Kale. Kale was also part of the group that turned Avalt over to the Wood Wailers several months later. The two appear to enjoy a somewhat hostile relationship as Avalt's method of speech appears to irritate Kale. Despite this, Avalt holds the highlander in a place of respect and obeys his wishes without (much) objection.

Likes and Dislikes

Likes: The Sylph La Noscea Teaching

Dislikes: Loud people and loud noises Those who abuse magic for personal or monetary gain Brute force and violence Bladed weapons

Hobbies and Talents': Magic, his affinity of magic was encouraged by the Sylph from a young age. His knowledge of Nymian magicks remain a mystery to him. Avalt occasionally dabbles in both Alchemy and Blacksmithing. Despite not preferring to use sharp weapons, he enjoys sharpening and strengthening the weapons of his noble allies

History

1500 years ago, Fifth Astral Era

The Tragedy of Nym

When the city state of Nym was a force to be reckoned with, there lived a sage who went solely by the name of Laguz. His life as a military tactician was well recognised and his role regularly sent him away from the city to engage in maritime combat, as well as defend the armies with his scholar peers.

At the age of 49, he returned from a scouting trip with a team of marauders to find that the city had begun to fall victim to a plague - named The Sickness from the Sea. The plague swept the city quickly, causing people’s limbs to atrophy, turn green and drop off. The scholars of Nym worked feverishly to establish a cause, and more importantly a cure to this affliction. Those that were infected were quarantined inside the Wanderer’s Palace. Laguz was among one of the many scholars researching a cure - however he too soon fell victim to the plague. Those that were in the advanced stage began to resent those who locked them in the Palace, and soon fell victim to their hatred and rage which caused them mutate into demons.

This was kept quiet among the city dwellers, however Laguz refused to accept his fate as a cure was still not found. He eventually ended his own life by drowning himself in the body of water near Bronze Lake, and the City of Nym soon fell into the pages of history.

1554, Tabula Rasa

Laguz’ spirit was accepted into the Lifestream after he died, and so began the endless wandering through the spiritual planes of Hydaelyn. His regret over such a cowardly demise was the one constant in the timeless floating.

In the year 1560, a six year old child that had been born to a simple Botanist and his Conjurer wife tragically perished in the blight of one of Gridania’s coldest winters. He was buried lovingly in the East Shroud within consecrated ground blessed by his mother and the conjurers of Stillglade Fane. The moon rose that night, devoid of all noise aside from several chirping fauna. Two small hands pressed against the inside lid of the makeshift casket, a heavy panting inside as the boy suddenly jolted awake.

He banged against the lid with a feral urgency, hoping to splinter the wooden box he was encased in, only seeing darkness and a heavy buzzing in his ears. There was a sudden burst of energy from the boy as he forced his palm up against the wood. With tears in his eyes, the casket lid suddenly scorched under his touch, burning a large hole that earth and mud began to fall through. The boy’s initiative bade him to sit up in the space and claw for the surface - no matter how far.

1560-1572, the Sylph-ful Life

The child sat gasping at the disturbed earth of his former resting place, gazing through tear welled eyes at his hands, his arms, all around him. The bright moonlight shining upon the peaceful clearing as he gingerly crawled his way to the nearest tree to stand up.

Who was he? Where was he? Why had he been in the ground? The questions raced around the blonde child’s head as he righted himself against the trunk. He began to cry, neither from sadness nor happiness, but from the simple fact he did not know anything. From the exhaustion of digging out of his own grave, the boy eventually did cry himself to sleep.

From behind the tree, three small impish creatures fluttered by. One of them giggling quietly until they happened upon the grave site. The Sylph poked carefully at the gravesite, the three of them muttering in concern to each other before they detected the child curled up on the forest floor. The enigmatic creatures examined the boy, glancing back and forth between the disturbed earth and the dirty hyuran. It did not take a genius for them to figure out what the boy had done. The sylph, taking pity on the filth covered child were able to transport him via one of the Goobbues into their sanctuary of Larkscall, where he was kept vigil over until he awoke.

Seventh Umbral Era

1572 (Dalamud), The End of the world

In the following years, Avalt (as he was named by the Sylph meaning “Of the Earth”) was accepted into the fold of the Sylph. From them he was taught how to communicate with, and how to respect the forest and their home. The Sylph elders were able to sense an anomaly with the innocent child from the second he was brought into the fold. His aetheric energies were incredibly high for a six year old, yet his aura was distorted and did not appear to belong to the body it inhabited. The boy, however did not show any signs of hostility and the subject was never raised outside of the inner circle.

The fall of Dalamud brought about a period of unrest among the Sylph. Not only was the Shroud suffering intrusion from Garleans and Adventurers alike, the Twelveswood itself reacted by way of the Elementals. For a short while, Avalt's homeland of Larkscall was closed off by the Sylph - conjuring the forest's flora and fauna to guard them as they rebuilt from the damage. It did not take long before the Imperial forces broke through - their new goal evident to coax the peaceful beast tribe into summoning their dormant god - for the first time.

Ramuh Cometh

Among his winged brethren, Avalt came to be regarded as one of their offspring. He had been exposed to magic from the age of nine, and by ten years of age he was able to call upon the aetheric energies of the forest to cast healing magicks. As he was unaffiliated with the Conjurer’s Guild of Gridania, Avalt’s affinity with magic was nurtured by the Sylphic Elders – however the discipline for misuse of his gift was met with harsh punishment in which he was expected to seek forgiveness and absolution from Lord Ramuh, the Primal of the Sylph.

Avalt had still yet to meet another who was not of Sylphic heritage or a Goobbue. Despite the Sylph being on friendly terms with “Walking Ones”, the teenager was still kept hidden whenever any were present. This was not done out of malice, but of fear that their friend would be taken away. By puberty, Avalt had also delved into the arts of black magic after being supposedly blessed by Lord Ramuh. Avalt had never experienced any kind of blessing, however the Sylph Elders bestowed the honour upon him. This could not have happened at a better time, as Imperial Forces had set their sights upon the aetheric powers that Primals possessed, and had begun an attack on the peaceful Sylph settlement.

Along with other magic wielding Sylph, Avalt lent his power to the defences of the land however their efforts were futile against the projectile weaponry and Magitek utilized by the Garlean Forces. Retreating, but not beaten the small unit joined a huddled mass of Sylph back in Moonspore Grove to make a last stand. The Sylph gathered around a mass of crystals in the Grove, and began the summoning rite to call upon their Primal Ramuh.

The shroud darkened, a purple glow breaking through the leafy canopies to cast the forest in an eerie light. Thunder crashed high above as the crystals’ energies were fed to manifest Lord Ramuh. The Imperials continued to advance, even employing Magitek bombs and cannons against the Primal – however they were met with fulminating bolts of lightning, as Ramuh laid waste to their Reapers and walking forces with incredible ease. The Sylph remained in the Grove watching from their sanctuary as their benevolent god exacted thunderous judgement upon their invaders.

The order was given for the Garleans to retreat within minutes, dragging their wounded out of the Sylphlands and to the safety of Castrum Oriens. The battle was over as swiftly as it had begun, yet there was no chance for celebration. The Lord of Levin turned his attention to his subjects who bowed before him, Avalt included. There was silence, before a deafening crash of thunder. Avalt looked up into the eyes of the Sage Ramuh – but he was not met with any love, but only anger. The Sylph around him were no longer green, and had taken upon a purple hue – their dainty hands crackling with lightning. Avalt knew all about Ramuh from the teachings of his former Sylph friends, any outsider was not welcome in these lands and would suffer the same fate as the invading Garleans had. He, along with the few Sylph that had not become tempered fled the Sylphlands as Ramuh returned to the aether from which he was summoned. Avalt became separated from the remaining untempered Sylph, and made his way out into the world, alone.

1577 (The Age of Adventurers), A Wanderer No More

The memory of the fall of the lesser moon five years ago always remained in Avalt’s mind during the calm that followed. He had taken the chance to enter civilisation, and gave his aid to the rebuilding of Limsa Lominsa after the damage it suffered in the Calamity. Avalt’s many questions about the event were not dismissed by his colleagues in the cleanup effort, and Avalt was educated about the Thalassocracy by the former pirate crews that had also joined the effort under the Treaty between them and Admiral Bloefhiswyn.

Despite his assistance to Lominsa during a difficult time, Avalt was occasionally shunned by many of the maritime city dwellers – usually due to his unusual way of speaking (referring to himself as This one) which was adopted from his many years living under Sylph care, and endured ridicule from many. No longer feeling welcome in the city after the cleanup effort was declared a success, Avalt purchased a one way ticket back to Thanalan, where he used the barren desert for uninterrupted study of magic.

One afternoon, after leaving a miner encampment in Central Thanalan he was approached by three “walking ones” that he had never encountered before. A highlander going by the name of Magdalena Duskwarden invited the lone mage to join her band of travellers; who offered their services to the people of Eorzea for duties such as patrol and rescue.

Back to the Beginning

Avalt struck up a close friendship with a miqo’te known as Rinh. The kinship was based upon a mutual respect for one another’s affinity with magic, and the two would often be found sharing discoveries and information. Another miqo’te by the name of U’tara also approached Avalt with interest of learning about how to harness the power of black magic and arcanima. Avalt accepted her as his student without hesitation, but with reservation as U’tara’s combat skill was heavily based upon pummelling her foes into submission with pure brute force, and her concept of magic was to hurl large rocks.

Avalt managed to tap into U’tara’s fierce sense of devotion to her friends in the Traveller’s Guild (and fear of Cactuars), and the miqo’te was able to manifest a powerful fire spell under his tutelage. He also gifted upon her a handmade Grimoire for her study of summoning, penned with aether infused ink.

For many months, Avalt felt settled in the Traveller’s guild, even becoming a trusted member under the new leadership of Rinh Hallani. Unfortunately, Avalt began to yearn for the real home that he had with the Sylph. He also began to suffer from aetheric nightmares, and resorted to the use of Milkroot to settle himself at night. The visions began to worsen, he would see the destruction of the Sylphlands, and another summoning of Ramuh at his own hand.

These visions left Avalt exhausted, and so he began to draw power from the lands once again to keep himself useful to his new friends. Curious, Avalt made his way to the new Sylph settlement in the East Shroud known as Little Solace. The land was gifted to the untempered Sylph by Kan-E-Senna of Gridania upon their self-imposed exile of the Sylphland and their tempered brethren. Avalt was welcomed by the Sylph, the creatures still recognising him after over five years of separation and welcomed him to reside among them once again while he still consulted with the Travellers.

Protecting Little Solace from Touched Ones

Many nights, Tempered Sylph from Larkscall would cross the bridge into Little Solace in an attempt to abduct untempered Sylph to bring them back into the fold. They were privy to how to turn them into “Touched ones” after the summoning of Ramuh before Dalamud’s fall. Avalt took it upon himself to sit guard on the bridge to Larkscall each night to repel the Touched Ones efforts.

Early one morning, Avalt had dozed off on his watch. Two of the tempered Sylph took their chance to attempt to take the Hyuran male, whether they recognised him from years past or their motives were unknown. Avalt awoke and was able to once again repel them. But it was too late.

Downward Helix

The visions of himself calling Ramuh intensified, to the point of where Avalt would occasionally awaken in Larkscall, by being splashed with cold spring water from untempered Sylph who followed him out of concern for the sleepwalking Hyur. At the urging of his friends, Avalt visited the Alchemists of Ul’dah in an attempt to find out what was afflicting him and causing him to sleepwalk at night. Upon examination, Avalt was found to be perfectly healthy aside from an abnormality with the capillaries in his eyes no longer red, but they were purple and would occasionally pulse with a dull glow. Without the aid of his magnifying monocle, the examining Alchemist would have overlooked the symptom.

Avalt was turned away, the guild unwilling to prescribe any medication or cure for such an odd occurrence, and the man prepared to journey back to the Black Shroud.

A dream the following night found Avalt standing before the Hanging Barbs in the Sylphlands. The tempered Sylph flitting throughout the area would mutter of a “Big day” and “having places to be” as they appeared to be guarding the outsider. Avalt began the summoning rites, not borrowing power from any crystals but in fact using the aetheric reserves inside himself.

"Is this one dreaming…?"

Avalt shook his head as the glowing orbs conjured by the rite sparked and fizzled into nothing. He repeated the rite, the three orbs rising from the ground and swirling around him as his arms raised to the canopy above.

"Ula menida tula oh

Tela omnida tula ei

Ona ramuhda deme os

Nola tulama tela ei"

Thankfully, the duo of Rinh Hallani and U'tara Taki were summoned by the Sylph of Little Solace to track the missing mage who had wandered into Larkscall early in the evening muttering of a "big day coming". The two navigated through the trecherous Sylphlands and were able to put a stop to the attempted summoning when U'tara approached Avalt and embraced him as Rinh implored him to cease the calling for fear of losing their friend and the thunderus judgement that would be unleashed upon the land by Ramuh.

Suddenly, a tempered Sylph attempted to assail the two miqo'te, but was halted by a powerful lightning spell of Avalt's. Despite being tempered, the hyur recognised the risk that his friends were in and teleported them to safety. Avalt did not remain with them, and was presumed lost once again.

The “Slave Crown”

Avalt remained in the Twelveswood, living peacefully in the Central area. His reasoning being that if he were indeed under the thrall of Ramuh, then it would be safer for the citizens of Eorzea, and himself to remain in exile.

His days were filled with simple meditation, and aiding anybody who came his way. The Sylph of Little Solace would occasionally make their way to visit their friend; bringing him food, supplies and even calling upon a Mossy One (Goobbue) to stand vigil nearby while he slept.

The serenity, however did not last long.

As Avalt slept, the powerful energies that lay dormant from Nymian times stirred within him. Begging it's freedom from the living prison it inhabited. Avalt's body began to drain aetheric energies from the land - much as conjury would do. However, as conjury borrows from the planet, the power sapped by Avalt was taken without compensation and thus several patches of the Shroud began to discolour and die out - angering the Elementals of the Twelveswood.

This was noticed by the Conjurers of Stillglade Fane, and an investigation was sent out to determine the cause of the Elemental's unrest. A young rookie conjurer found the source of the sapping, and found the aid of the Flame Yataghan unit led by Kale Aideron.

The unit approached Avalt as he stood surrounded by withering flora, and requested he stop immediately. Unfortunately the aether absorbed by Avalt had been tainted by a rogue voidmage. The power surged within him, taking over. Fury flared in the man's purple eyes, and he attacked in a rage.

The small platoon of two engaged the 'hedge mage' in combat, and were eventually bested before their allies joined the fray. With the odds stacked of five against one; Avalt held his own by striking at his assailants with bolts of lightning and evading their bladed weapons by using void slips (temporarily entering the void realm as a simple form of teleportation).

Avalt was taken down when he was bashed on the head by a hoplon, knocking the mage out cold and quelling his inner beast. Not knowing what to do with the docile prisoner, the Yataghans turned him over to the Gridania Wood Wailers. And then to Stillglade Fane where he was fitted with a crown of unknown origin - designed to supress his magic until his trial was carried out on grounds of disturbing the Twelveswood (a penalty that would incur life imprisonment, and potentially death)

With his powers sealed, and no way to use aetheryte travel. Avalt remained in Gridania and the surrounding woods. However he would no longer be able to aid travellers - the crown on his head serving as a warning for them to not approach. Though he was never a social butterfly, having people actively avoid him was an unsettling feeling, and Avalt began to fall into a depression. Days would pass where he would not speak, and solely wander the Forest to visit the Sylph.

Breaking Free

Avalt spending time with one of the Mossy Ones

As Avalt's depression deepened, he was visited by a member of the Flame Yataghans (and former Stillglade Conjurer) Dweia Delacroix. Initially the mage was wary of her presence and her affiliations. But as the visit frequency began to increase, as did Avalt's trust for the young woman. She eventually began to "abduct" him out of the Gridania area, and he was suckered into aiding in an investigation out on the Rhotano seas looking for a missing Flame unit.

The vessel hit heavy storms near a rocky outcrop, and the crew along with the Yataghans were in danger of being shipwrecked. Dweia used her conjury powers to attempt to manipulate the winds, however this was not enough. She gripped hold of Avalt's hand unknowingly, and forcibly drew aether from within him to fuel her magicks. By doing this, the crown on his head overloaded and shattered.

Avalt was free.

Instead of rejoicing, the mage scolded Dweia for her reckless actions, and did not offer her his thanks. Utilising his powers for the first time in months, he teleported away from the conjurer in anger and remained hidden in the La Noscea mountains.

Trial By Lightning

Avalt remained away from city life and any contact with the Flame unit for several weeks. It was not until the disappearance of one of their allies that his assistance was sought out by Dweia once more. Following a hike through Southern Thanalan, and being the target of several traps set by rogue mages - the troop arrived in a warped vision of the Forgotten Springs. It was here that an anti-magic field had been deployed in order to prevent the visage being dispelled.

The team manually deactivated the field from within one of the dilapidated buildings, and located the missing agent. Avalt then called upon magicks of an ancient tongue and teleported the operation members to the safety of Ul'dah. He later made a visit to the Flame's Barracks in Camp Drybone to convey his heartfelt gratitude to Dweia, this came with an apology for his harsh words in Moraby Bay. Avalt then offered himself to the Flame Lieutenant, and her unit. For coin and country!

The Scales of Judgement

As time progressed, Avalt struck up a friendship with a member of the Flame Yataghans by the name of Moengeim. Their relationship was formed upon the basis that neither of them really belonged, and thus they both found they were able to confide in one another.

The two would occasionally journey out into the wilderness for Avalt to perform ritual purification of the land where pieces of the Red Moon had fallen. Their first outing took them to Boulder Downs out in Coerthas, a large shard of Dalamud their target as Avalt used a Sylphic orb to absorbed the tainted energies from the land with the intent for Moengeim to shatter the orb with her strong axe arm.

As the orb drained from the site, the pair were cornered in a crevice by three men cloaked in red who identified themselves as members of the notorious cult, The Lambs of Dalamud. Avalt and Moengeim stood their ground against the cultists, yet Avalt was taken out by a sneak attack. Moengeim quickly leapt to defend her friend as the leader of the cultists took to the battlefield - slaying him with her axe and turning the snowy tundra a crimson mess. Moengeim destroyed the orb, and aided Avalt back to the barracks.

The Teacher and his Student

Eventually, Avalt was approached by a contact by the name of E'lario who had recently come to know a young miqo'te by the name of Michi'li Masumi. E'lario wished for the boy to be schooled in the way of magic as whenever the youth would conjure aether he would suffer nosebleeds and other side effects.

Avalt was immediately convinced when the young man spoke to him respectfully, and showed a genuine interest in the strange mage's teachings. Avalt began to refer to him as 'Small One' and gifted him a hand crafted grimoire. Avalt noticed that Michi'li was somewhat unaware of boundaries and would appear within his shack at all hours of the night. Instead of chiding the youth, Avalt patiently explained to him the importance of such limits and from that point on Michi'li respected his wishes. The pair would begin to embark on several field trips to areas such as Coerthas and La Noscea - these were inspired by the boy's confession that he had never left Ul'dah.

Avalt would teach the inquisitive youth about the mages of eld, and bequeathed answers to any questions Michi'li had. The Sylph-tongued mage began to saw a resemblence to himself in the blue haired miqo'te, and a strong feeling of responsibility and protection began to make itself more evident.

The young man showed an interesting affinity to the stars, and celestial magic which Avalt took a strong interest in, with the intent to learn everything he could about the stars and skies to keep his charge as safe as possible.

Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forstall my return

The visits from Michi'li began to grow more and more infrequent, and concern for the young student began to develop. However, between fear and stubborness, Avalt refused to leave his tranquil haven and assumed that no news was good news. One afternoon when tending to a wayward Touched Sylph, he was approached by a well dressed, and well mannered lady by the name of Faye. She extended an invite to the oddly spoken mage to attend a meeting of her Harbingers. Avalt accepted, and as such was in turn accepted as an ally for the Company and it's support unit. For the present it seemed that his uncanny ability to weave magic was appreciated in the healing capacity.

One incident presented itself as a companion of one company member was brutally attacked in Central Thanalan. The casualties being two unborn children. Avalt made sure to contain the sad remains before the Harbinger party was assailed by a pack of hungry wolves keen for the scent of blood. The snarling beasts were quickly dealt with, Avalt invoked powerful offensive magicks against the pack and as a result became fatigued quickly. He withdrew from the battlefield after the assault and disappeared without a trace. His brief sojourn found him returning to the Sylphlands and entering a regenerative stasis.

Rumours

◢ Common Rumours (Easily overheard)

■ “Odd man, spends a lot of time in the Shroud simply sitting in waterfalls. Doesn‘t cause trouble I suppose…” - Wood Wailer Lance of Central Shroud

■“Learned one Avalt? Of course! Walking one spends many hours helping these ones remain safe!” - Meloxio (Sylph of Little Solace)

■“I heard he angered the elementals, and that crown he wears controls his warped mind…” - Meddling Midlander

■“ ’E sits on a Goobbue? Does it not swallow him whole?” - Fraegeim, Chocobokeep of Limsa Lominsa

◢ Moderate Rumours (Moderately difficult to overhear)

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◢ Rare Rumours (Very difficult or rarely overheard)

■ “His knowledge of magicks transcends his youth...I think he's a creature of the void!” - Defeated Thaumaturge

◢ PC Rumours (Rumours from the characters of other players)

■ "Remarkably intelligent and exceedingly sensible man. I have the highest regard for him and his opinion." - Rinh Hallani

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