Standing at a good six fulm two ilm, there is no mistaking Ely for anything other than a Highlander. Her hair is black with various, almost seemingly random streaks dyed red - and although the style in which her hair is kept can vary widely from day to day on a whim, she tends to prefer her hair being tied back. Her eyes are her own personal favorite feature - violet, and generally more expressive than she can manage to be verbally - and very rarely styles her hair to cover them. Years ago, she may have been considered almost dangerously thin for someone of her height, but she has since gotten into better and more consistent eating habits.
Scars & Markings: Despite the rough nature of her youth, Elysande managed to live through it with minimal visible scars - the only noticeable ones are the ones covering the knuckles of both hands.
Voice: There is a certain softness to her voice, somewhat jarring for those that expect most Highlanders to be a boisterous lot. She does not often raise her voice, instead falling silent if there is yelling to be had. Her singing voice is solidly in the mezzo-soprano range.
Clothing: Her wardrobe consists mainly of various outfits combining red, black, or white, although she has been known to wear purple and blue as well from time to time. Ely doesn't have any particular style of clothing that she prefers over others, and her wardrobe ranges from what one would find standard in Eorzea to some Othard and Thavnairan inspired outfits. She is also usually found with flowers - usually brightlilies, but sometimes others - pinned in her hair.
An introvert to her core, Elysande is an exceedingly difficult person to get to know. Not because she exactly intends to be such, but simply because she is perfectly happy being the silent participant in conversations going on around her. That's not to say she is short or callous to those that address her directly - quite the opposite, in fact - but the speed at which she tries to remove herself from the active part of a conversation is a solid indication of her preference to observe than participate. If engaged in conversation, she reveals her true nature; a kind woman despite the hand that fate's given her, an eternal optimist, and very eloquent for someone completely lacking a formal education during her childhood. She tends to downplay her own abilities and intelligence, though what drives such behavior - be it modesty or introversion - is unclear.
Of course, none of this is to say she is kind all the time. Her sense of humor tends strongly towards dry wit and sarcasm, though she tends to avoid directly insulting those around her if she has any reason to keep their favor. To those few she actively dislikes, they are given no such courtesy.
Though she does not actively drive people away, she does not seem keen on attempting to attach or build relationships with anyone. She can become skittish if smothered too hard with affection and tends to make excuses, usually hiding behind her past, as the best indication of why she is incapable of true closeness or romantic commitment. While her past does have some effect on her outlook on life, as pasts tend to do, it is not as defining as she lets on and in truth she is simply hiding her insecurity.
I prefer a /random roll system for combat RP - it keeps people the most honest, I think, especially in groups that I don't play with frequently. (And, come on, critical fail emotes are some of my favorite to both write and read.) That said, for those that I do scenes with regularly, I am not opposed to moving to a particular roll system used by the group or even strictly emote-based combat.
Color Key
♥ In A Relationship: Elysande is romantically involved with this character.
♥ Romantic Attraction: Elysande is romantically interested in this character.
♥ Sexual Attraction Elysande is physically interested in this character.
♥ Platonic Love/Family: Elysande considers this person family.
♦ Friend: Elysande considers this person her friend.
♦ Friendly Acquaintance: Elysande considers this person mostly friendly, or as an ally.
● Good Standing: Elysande has no specific feelings about this character, however they left a good impression.
● Neutral: Elysande has no specific feelings about this character.
● Bad Standing: Elysande has no specific feelings about this character, however they left a bad impression.
♠ Dislike: Elysande doesn't consider this person a friend, and will talk if needed, but try to avoid them.
♠ Hate: Elysande consider this person an annoyance, and will try to avoid them. Conflict can happen.
♠ Fear: Elysande is terrified by this character, and will try to avoid them at all cost.
♠ Rivalry: Elysande considers this person a rival, and will try to initiate conflict every time she sees them.
♥ Family Member: This character is related by blood to Elysande.
✔ Business: This character is either Elysande's employer, employee, or coworker.
✖ Deceased: This character has passed away.
?Hidden Feelings/Unknown: This character has one of all the color keys above, but Elysande isn't fully aware of it yet.
NPC
Annabeth Hawke( ♥ ✖ ) - Mother
The only one of Ely's parents to leave Ala Mhigo, the former seamstress did the best she could for her daughter in a city full of refugees just as poorly off as they were. Annabeth often went without food to ensure Ely could eat, and years of malnutrition and poor living conditions ended Anna's life before she saw her daughter's ninth nameday.
Nikolas Hawke( ♥ ● ) - Father
A somewhat popular armorsmith in Ala Mhigo, Nikolas protested the presence of the Garlean Empire very early on in the occupation and made plans to smuggle his family out of Gyr Abania. He never saw those plans to fruition, however, as they were caught while fleeing the city. Nikolas held back the Garleans, demanding his wife take their daughter and go, and it was assumed that he perished while they made their escape. Recently it has come to light that he had been captured, not killed, and had made a new life for himself without making any noticable attempt to find his daughter. Ely has not spoken to him since finding out he yet lived - too many years of starvation and suffering exist between them for her to try and bridge the gap.
U'kiah Tehko( ♥ ✖ ) - The Dreamer
Ely's first real friend and a lover of flowers and all things soft and pretty, U'kiah was the only bright spot in that dingy brothel. She was an optimist, having come to Ul'dah to become one of the dancing girls only to realize she didn't have enough coin to do much of anything in the city. Planning things out was never her strong suit, but she dreamed and spoke often of the two of them escaping the brothel and becoming famous adventurers, despite the fact that neither she nor Ely possessed any skill that would be useful for one. U'kiah was killed before her dreams could become reality, and the flowers Ely wears in her hair are to remember her by.
Name Goes Here( Status Icons Go Here )( NPC ) - Title Given By Character Goes Here
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Name Goes Here( Status Icons Go Here )( NPC ) - Title Given By Character Goes Here
She met Khoda entirely on accident - he tripped over her while she was sleeping outside - and at first attempted to brush him off as she does most people. However, he would not be deterred from helping her, giving her work and eventually actually dragging her into his place of employment so she could get a job there as well. He puts up with her snark and bad habits in stride, keeping an eye on her to prevent her from isolating herself too much and making sure she eats well and regularly. Khoda's persistence has paid off, and she is doing much better now for having known him. He is one of the few people that she allows most of her guard down around - though never completely.
Ely's relationship with Khoda's wife is an interesting one - starting out with heavy flirtation in an attempt to get Ely to blush, then there was the time Tama punched Ely in the face and knocked her out... it has been quite a ride, but while the flirtations have remained, the face punching has not, and Ely has slowly come around to consider Tama nearly as much of a friend as Khoda. She shares a similar sense of mischief with the Keeper, and the two seem to make an excellent team.
While she does not know much about the woman, Ely has a large amount of respect for her employer and has found no reason to doubt that, if nothing else, Camille has the best interest of the company and it's members at heart. It would be a stretch to call them friends or even close to it, but Elysande considers Camille an ally.
Ely worked with the surly doctor in her brief stint as security for the dive bar where Rhaya was employed before she disappeared back into the Shroud. They got along fairly well, Ely not receiving any of the Keeper's ire, but there was no closeness between the two. Rhaya does still send her messages from time to time, occasionally sending her on odd jobs or inquiring on how Khoda and his family are doing - as Rhaya still considers him her son.
That she would have any living family was an impossibility, but here he was. Sixteen years her junior and the younger brother she never thought she needed, the very existance of her half-miqo'te sibling is something Ely is still wrapping her mind around. While he is proof positive that her father was seemingly fine to allow to her nearly starve to death and worse while he made himself a new family, she doesn't hold that against Cayden. She just doesn't know how to act around family. She might be convinced to admit she cares about him, depending on who asks.
Some of these rumors are untrue, speculation, or are greatly exaggerated. Please feel free to add your own rumors under the Player Character category!
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◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely!
■ "Hawke? She wouldn't say shite if she had a mouthful of it. Good sort, though." - Maelstrom Officer
■ "Drinks too much, I think. Going to drink herself right into an early grave if she's not careful. At least she can hold her alcohol well." - Bar Patron
■ "Always on time for a job, never complained about the work, never demanded an increase in pay if the job went sideways. Never seems to want to stick around, though..." -Mercenary Captain
◢ Uncommon Rumors -A little more difficult to hear. Use sparingly or ask first!
■ "I recognize her face from somewhere. Used to steal food, I think." - Brass Blade
■ "She thinks she's too good for the rest of us here now that she's made some coin, but we know what she really is." - Disillusioned Refugee
■ "I've seen the way she makes eyes at everyone here. Wouldn't want to see how many notches are in her bedpost." - Bartender
◢ Rare Rumors -Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using!
■ "Her proficiency in Red Magic? She claims to have learned it from a tome, but that doesn't make any sense. You can't just learn things like that from a book." - Thaumaturge
■ "Don't let her fool you. Once a whore, always a whore." - Brothel Owner
■ "I heard she killed a man with her bare hands and robbed him for looking at her the wrong way. I'd steer clear of her if I were you." - Fishmonger
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◢ Player Character Rumors -Feel free to add rumors of your own!
■ I will play mature content and themes (violence, sexuality, drug / alcohol use) as long as they're logical in a plot-driven encounter. Coarse and excessive language. Temporary injury and incapacitation. Temporary imprisonment. Most walk-up encounters.
■ Ask about long-term and/or permanent injury and disfigurement. Long-term captivity or imprisonment.
■ I won't play permanent character death or rape plots.
Disclaimer
■ If an aspect of RP makes you uncomfortable in a scene we're playing, please send me a /tell, letting me know. Communication is very important, more important than potentially keeping immersion.
Links Out
Links that lead off the wiki, but are technically relevant to the character.
