Flickering Ember

-

Flickering Ember
"I am Flickering Ember. I am desert person. I am not seeing person. I am hunt person. I am food and seashell person. I am Hellsguard person. Nice to meet you."
Gender	Female
Race	Roegadyn
Clan	Hellsguard
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Age	Unknown (Appears to be a teenager)
Sexuality	Asexual
Occupation	Hunter, Craftswoman, Mercenary
Height/Weight	7 fulms, 4 ilms / 242 ponze
Alignment	True Neutral

Flickering Ember is a blind roegadyn hailing from Eastern Thanalan. The girl has accomplished the seemingly impossible by growing up in solitude within the arid region. She is a feral child who has been partially assimilated into society over the course of several years. When she was first discovered in the wilds of Thanalan shortly after the Calamity, she was essentially mute with the exception of a few toddler-like words. Though with often animal-like mannerisms and a lack of understanding towards society and culture, Ember keeps home in The Goblet along with her free company, Aeon.

Physical Description

Despite her youth, Ember's height matches many of the tallest roegadyns. It is easily her most apparent feature as she towers over most people, including many roegadyns. Her next most recognizable features are her ashy dark skin, fiery red hair, distinctive facial markings, and her odd eyes. Ashy dark skin contrasts with her bright red-orange fiery hair, creating the look of a young woman who encompasses the spirit of the very volcanoes her clan hails from. Her body is marked by several scars she has obtained from her rugged lifestyle. None of these are grisly battle scars, but rather small, faint, and faded ones that are too difficult to notice without staring. Aside from her scars, she has two more noticeable markings elsewhere on her body. The more obvious one is the claw like marking that spreads from one end of her face to another. It appears to be permanently graphed into her skin. The other is runic symbol on her left upper back, just over where her heart is. It is clearly of a magical nature with its glowing chill blue and intricate design.

Aside from height, Ember lives up to another of her race's features with her muscular build. A lifestyle of hunting and surviving with no one to depend on but herself has kept her physically strong. However, she is not as well chiseled as an experienced, fully grown roegadyn warrior. Ember's weight can fluctuate as well depending on her current living situations. Much of the time her friends and family provide her with food, something on which Ember indulges on without limit. This helps her put on some much needed fat. Overall, she is a muscular, physically strong girl who could still use some toughening up to reach her full potential.

Ember's eyes are another item of note. The young woman is blind though she is without cataracts or any noticeable injury to the eyes. They are normal and healthy. Clues of her condition can be gathered from how she looks at her environments around her. She does not make eye contact wit objects or people nor do her pupils shift much. Often times this can result in her appearing to stare at something or someone endlessly.

Her voice is on the husky side but lightened by Ember's typical inquisitive, enthusiastic, and generally happy demeanor.

Personality

Ember is a person of extremes. She is either quiet and mistrusting, hostile and aggressive, or sweet and affectionate. In new situations or around those she does not know, she can be reserved and suspicious. However, her trust can be easily won by gift-giving, aiding her when she is in need, or providing her with affection. If Ember feels threatened for whatever reason, even if the gesture is relatively mundane or harmless, she will lash out. She is very protective of things she claims as her own and this can extend past just items of value. Most importantly, Ember loves and desires attention. She longs for the approval of others and places extreme importance in impressing others that she has a strong opinion of.

She is curious of almost everything and enjoys actively interacting with people and/or items. Even the smallest things in life can bring her great joy. She can also be stubborn at times, choosing when or when she will not listen to others. However, the more she sees an individual as a superior, the more she will be willing to listen to them. Her solitude can lead her to be insensitive but the well-being of others is a top concern for her. Above all, she is affectionate and seeks happiness through others.

Apart from this, Ember acts on instinct and irrational thought to guide her in decision-making, a product of her upbringing. Often times she is more of a do-er than a thinker. Because of her upbringing, she hasn’t had the advantage of education but more importantly, she hasn’t been mentally stimulated the same way others who have grown up around people have. She did not learn to speak until very late in her life, troubling for her mental development. She is overall not as intelligent as many others for this reason, although she holds no mental conditions. More times than not, though, she is simply ignorant and can make up for her lack of knowledge with cleverness, should the situation call for it.

Likes ■ Food ■ Your Food ■ Summer ■ Seashells ■ Beaches ■ Hot baths ■ Carvings ■ Pottery making ■ Stories ■ Toys ■ Fireplaces ■ Burying her treasures in Cliffperch's front yard ■ Morbols ■ Companion animals (Dogs, cats, chocobos)

Dislikes ■ Alcoholic Beverages ■ Loud Music ■ Cities ■ Cold and Snow ■ Sparring ■ Tofu ■ Thieves, especially food thieves ■ Liars and cheaters ■ City rocks, aka Gil ■ Not being allowed to eat companion animals (Dogs, cats, chocobos)

Skills ■ Hunting ■ Gathering (Herbs and berries) ■ Poison-making ■ Practices Mithridatism ■ An assortment of survival skills ■ Primitive crafts ■ Sharpened non-visual senses

Fears ■ Cold and Snow ■ Flash floods ■ Drowning ■ Thunder ■ Being eaten by a giant monster

Background

It is unknown where Ember came from, who her parents are, or when she was born. It is a mystery even to herself. The first sightings and rumors of a wild child, little more than a beast, began passing around in some settlements of Thanalan over a decade ago. The villagers spoke of a young girl who looked and acted like an animal. These early accounts always spoke of her from a distance and described her more as a fairytale or an urban legend than a real child in need of help.

Ember cannot recall a time where the desert was not her home. Parents, friends, social norms, entertainment, man-made amenities, language – all these were not only foreign to her but completely unknown until a short while ago. The majority of her life has been spent roaming and living off the land on her lonesome. Above all else, the need for survival ruled the entirety of her life. Life in the desert is a hard one.

She often took up residence in abandoned buildings or in other similar shelters around Eastern Thanalan. Her lifestyle was nomadic, often traveling to all other areas of Thanalan, except for the north. However, she would always end up returning to the Eastern Thanalan at the end of these journeys.

In this way, her concerns were for food, water, shelter, and safety. Wherever food and water was plentiful would dictate what region of Thanalan she would migrate to. Shelter was necessary to evade the sometimes too overbearing heat. Safety was not only to refrain being killed by other more dangerous creatures, but to overpower them when possible for a required meal. Fun and entertainment was rarely a factor in her life.

As she grew, personal accounts of her in the various villages increased. She grew bolder and became willing to rob farms of their produce and livestock. Still, she remained elusive to capture.

It wasn't until the Calamity occurred that everything changed. The catastrophic event killed a startling number of people and forever changed the landscape of the world. It affected those living in the wilderness just as it had those who dwelled in cities. The result was an injured Ember, badly in need of treatment.

Shortly after the Calamity, search parties person out to retrieve the injured and the dead across the region of Thanalan. It was during this search that a search party from Ul'dah came across Ember. At the time, she was too weak to resist capture and was taken back to the city.

There, she was placed in the care of Menphina's Joy Orphanage. Shortly after her admittance, the orphanage became full and was unable to accept any more children orphaned by the Calamity.

Ember's presence caused quite a stir right from the get-go. After a few days of care, she became conscious enough to turn violent on her saviors. She had never known human interaction and so she turned on them, biting them and scratching them viciously like an animal. She had no restraint which increased the dangers of such a crude method of attack.

A sketch of Ember sent out by Menphina's Joy Orphanage

The orphanage endured Ember's uncontrollable and volatile behavior for a long period of time before discussions of casting her out from the orphanage took place. The girl had been unresponsive to kindness and showed no signs of improving her violent behavior. Furthermore, the girl had no education or skills. She could not talk. It was required to restrain her to perform simple tasks such as bathing her, treating her injuries, or getting her to participate in other hygienic care.

It was the emergence of a roegadyn named, Burning Mountain that changed everything. The roegadyn prevented the the girl from being cast out and took her into his own care as a foster father. The man worked long and hard to try and assimilate Ember into social society. It was a long and slow process but one that ended up proving success. Ember began to learn language skills and basic social behavior. She could communicate with other humans without attacking them. She learned 'Hello' , 'Please' , 'Thank you' , and 'Goodbye.'

However, over time Burning Mountain took notice to how Ember pined for her old life back in the wilderness of Thanalan. She had long since recovered and have learned a great deal in that time. Still, she had much to learn, but he would not keep her from her own life. He agreed to release her back into the wild, though they would still occasionally meet to brush up on Ember's language skills.

Inventory

■Horn snail seashell, covered in barnacles. A sentimental gift from Gelfradus Greywolfe.

■A necklace strung on a leather chord with a fossilized seashell. A smoothed piece of coral is engraved onto the front side. A St. Valentione's gift from Jericho Lapointe

■A vermillion scarf meant to represent the color of Ember's aura. A gift from Ja'ren A'lenthin.

■Windup toy of Brynhilde Wulf. It has been carved and painted with her likeness. There is a recording of Ja'ren mimicking her voice when activated: "Shields up!" Created by Ja'ren A'lenthin

■A spiny, wooden ball that looks rather like a sea urchin. Carved in a crafting class held by Nesi Greene.

■A dragonfang dagger that Ember had "won" as a prize in a game of ball with Leon Greymoon and Grumbling Behemoth.

■A soft, cuddly teddy bear gifted by Devereau Beauregard when she was feeling ill from the Red Lotus taking her aether.

■A red, rounded, and smooth gemstone Ember received in the mail. It has an engraving of a 'firefly' on it. A part of Tiergan Vashir 's Red Lotus plot.

Rumours Some of these rumors are untrue or are greatly exaggerated. Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! ◢ Common and easily overheard, use freely ■ “A public nuisance. I’ve seen her pee in a public fountain! Someone ought to do something about her!” ■ “Girl is a thief. Be careful.” ■“She speaks oddly. Does she come from a foreign land?” ■ “Girl ain’t right in the head.” ◢ Moderately difficult to overhear, use sparingly or ask first ■ “That is a demon child. I have seen her hunting at night. They say she cannot see but I’ve seen her look straight at me with red, glowing demon eyes!” ■ “Used to live out near Drybone out in the ruins of that city up there. People around there aren’t fond of her.” ■ “A woman named ‘Wild Strike’ is looking for her, she claims to be an adventurer of repute but I have never heard of her.” ◢ Very difficult or rarely overheard, ask before using ■ “That girl is cursed! Death will come for that one soon enough. They call them the ‘branded.’ Hunted down for the magic shards they carry within their bodies. Poor folk.” ■ “She seems sweet enough. Couple times I’ve seen her and she don’t look at things the same way.” ◢ Rumors from the character's of other players ■ "Em's as true an innocent you'll find anywhere you look. I don't think there's a gentler soul in this realm. And if you try to take advantage of that, I will gut you like a fish and hang you from a tree like a Starlight Festival ornament." - Daghbheri Himalspyr ■ "Don't let 'er looks fool ya, Ms. Ember is one th' gentlest folkses I know. Cheerful 'n frandly, wit a love'a food that might even rival Virara's! It's good ta see how far she's come since when I first met 'er..." - Chachanji Gegenji ■ "Ember's a good lass. Owns a big heart that's open to all. I've seen a fighter in her, too. Somethin' savage, like the hunter she is. If I had a daughter... Well... Bah. Never mind." - Tiny Fawn ■ "Ah, Ember...aye, I've a passing familiarity with th'lass. She's like a warm campfire, she is...warm an' invitin' an' lovely t'be alongside...but I'm sure she'd burn ye if ever you were to try'n offer her harm." - Steel Wolf ■ "Lady Ember takes everyone's worries and carries them with her; she knows who to give the burdens to and share the weight of the pain. I am always happy to see her. Her hugs are truly from Menphina Herself." - Jancis Milburga ■ "Ember, is something else. In my days going around this realm never have I seen a creature so innocent to the nature of our world...it's refreshing to see someone even if only slightly oblivious to the bloodshed that follows so many of us. Doesn't help that she seems to see the best in all of us." - Leon Greymoon ■ "We were both alone once. But she is not like how I was back then... Good. Ember is warm. A fitting name... I do not dislike it." - Virara Wakuwa ■ "What a very kind soul... I have yet to have an unpleasant interaction with her. I hope no one takes advantage of her." - Khyran Oisin

Relationships ♥ Positive Impression ♥ Friend ♥ Close Friendship ♥ Familial Love ♥ Romantic Interest ● Cautious ● Hostile ♥Jericho Lapointe : Ember met Jericho at a time of turmoil in his life. In their first meeting, Jericho could not control his magical powers and was unleashing a series of dangerous spells. Ember was able to diffuse him by simply taking his hand and holding it. Ever since then, the two have shared a close bond that has taken a romantic turn. Jericho needs Ember for her positivity and smiles and Ember needs hims for his grounded and supportive nature. ♥Brynhilde Wulf : At the time Ember met Brynhilde, she was still living on her own in the desert. Brynhilde triggered a chain of events that lead to Ember gradually connecting to other people more and more. It is thanks to the older woman that Ember has been able to find love, family, and friends. She not only sees Brynhilde as her mother but she also sees her as a rolemodel. Because of this, Ember both seeks comfort from Brynhilde as well as a need to impress her. Additionally, in terms of authority, Ember views Brynhilde's word as stone. ♥Faolan Woodlock : A young man whom she shares quite a few similarities with. Both grew up in the silence of the wilderness, caring for themselves in harsh regions--him in snowy lands and Ember in the arid regions of Thanalan. They share a wanting for others that can feel far away or awkward due to their upbringing in solitude. Because of this, Ember takes a refuge in Faolan's presence where they have an unspoken bond. Although the woodsman often has trouble with being touched, Ember often holds his hand whenever she can. ♥Sophia Grave : In many ways, Sophia and Ember are vastly different from each other. Sophia has proven a trustworthy ally and companion to Ember. Her very presence brings her great comfort and delight. Sophia is both knowledgeable and a strong opponent--two traits that Ember holds in high regard. In short, Sophia has always been there for her which has made Sophia's recent decisions all the more painful for the young roegadyn who loves and looks up to her like a sister. Recent events have pitted Sophia against the rest of her family--something that has broken Ember's heart. ♥Tiergan Vashir : Tiergan is like a vastly older brother to Ember. Where she views Zaius as fun, Tiergan is regarded as the more 'parent-like' one in his willingness to scold her. She only sometimes listens to him but recognizes that Tiergan has experience and wisdom that is often invaluable. Perhaps one could question the extent of wisdom a man who has spent much of his life fighting in the arenas could impart. However, it is precisely because of Tiergan's physical aptitude that leads her to such beliefs. With him as a companion to help guide her through several traumatic events, she holds him in high regard. Even if Tiergan can be a bit of a grump, having him around is always a celebration for Ember. ♥Zaius Rhal'seer : Like Tiergan, Ember views Zaius as a vastly older brother. However, their relationship dynamic differs dramatically. Where Ember thinks Tiergan as stern, Zaius is fun-loving. Long stretches of absence and their brief meetings only serve to heighten her value of him. She has a more affectionate bond with Tiergan but Zaius is the cool older brother whom Ember admires strongly. Intrigued and amazed by his stories of power, Ember holds an immense respect for him by his sheer strength alone. His power, cleverness, dominance, and knowledge make her view him as an ideal rolemodel, alongside Brynhilde. In short, she wants to grow up to be him. ♥Caen Jabari : Caen is an upbeat teenaged miqo'te, very recently turned adult. Like Leilani, she sees him as an equal of sorts. Ember likes Caen's positive presence that could dissipate any frown. Despite his positivity, Ember knows it is housed by an inner sadness. She was there when the amnesiac magically received his memories back--of which she has been unable to forget the tragic death of his mother. Ember feels for Caen's loneliness but he always excels in making ::her:: never feel alone. She appreciates how willing he is to touch her and let her touch him. Caen has often forgotten that Ember is blind, to which Ember also fails to realize he does not know due to his willingness to guide her by the hand. She often questions some of his logic, finding some of his reasonings on certain concepts to be strange. ♥Ja'ren A'lenthin : Ja'ren came into Ember's life around the time she took residence up in the Goblet. Even when they had first met, they held an amicable relationship. Her opinion of him grew the more she got to know him. The Miqo'te youth has a special type of vision that Ember found fascinating. When they lived together it was common for Ja'ren to make gifts with his crafting skills as well as provide meals for the household. Their relationship grew into one that is akin to that of siblings, with both of them looking out for one another. Ember enjoys pestering him while Ja'ren tolerates it. Recent happenings have hurt her feelings towards him. Even so, he remains dear to her. ♥Leilani Leilai : Leilani is a teenaged lalafell girl whom Ember thinks of as an equal, perhaps not in combat, but in her handling of the world. Leilani is chipper and enthusiastic. She is a practitioner of the arts: music, dancing, pies. ( Ember especially likes the pies.) When Ember is with Leilani, she always feels welcome. ♥Avenio Naemig : First met on a mission to recover a village's missing children, Ember didn't really start to form an opinion of him until they teamed up to rescue Faolan Woodlock from mysterious monsters. The highlander may not speak much, but he carries his character through his deeds. Avenio aided Ember during some of her most vulnerable points of their most recent mission together. Though she has witnessed a scary side of him, Avenio managed to reassure her. ♥Bertrand Irons: "Irons" to Ember. Bertrand is a capable, knowledgeable, and dedicated doctor with a warm and friendly demeanor. Bertrand has cared for several of Ember's injuries, a kindness that she is not likely to forget. Without even knowing her, he took a genuine interest in helping her. On top of this, Bertrand helps to boost Ember's confidence by assuring her that her blindness is a strength, not a weakness. He has taken to reading storybooks to her. ♥Brave Horizon : A fellow roegadyn Hellsguard who has been cut off from society up until recently. This is a history that she shared with Ember, although for differing reasons. Brave is a comforting presence for Ember and perhaps vice versa. Ember views Brave as an equal and therefore someone that she feels she can confide in. ♥Chachanji Gegenji : For a brief period, Ember had become her old feral self for unknown reasons. Since her transitioning back to normal, Ember remembers the care he had placed in her. His presence is calming and memories of him combing her hair provide a somewhat instinctual interest in his hair. He has a kind and friendly nature that Ember feels she can confide in and look to for aid. ♥Daghbheri Himalspyr : Or simply "Dog" to Ember. The two first befriended over him gifting a meal to her. Since then, Dogberry has become an adult friend to her. She appreciates his kind, casual, and laidback nature. She finds him to be approachable with interesting topics to discuss. ♥Memeli Meli : First met at Memeli's own girls' only slumber party, Ember has since then found a friend in the pink lalafell. Memeli is loud, playful, and most of all FUN. It is quite easy to be entertained when she is around. Memeli is also noticeably caring towards her friends. Ember adores it whenever the young woman addresses or acknowledges her. She is convinced that Memeli has sprouted bunny ears due to how consistently they are worn. ♥Staelufre Lysmerl : Staelufre is a person who often steals much of Ember's interest. The miqo'te woman has some kind of connection to magic that Ember has never known, she tells the most amazing, fun, and informative stories, knows the roegadyn language, and she is often getting into trouble. She is fascinated by every word Staelufre speaks. Ember also sees Staelufre as a person that respects and regards her as an equal, despite Ember viewing her as having superior knowledge of the world. ♥Virara Wakuwa : Virara had also met Ember in her feral state, though she scarcely remembers Virara's presence from that time period. She does, however, remember her and is intrigued by her. They share similarities, both being feral children. They also share a love of food. Ember often misunderstands her customs, especially anything that relates back to Virara's Master. However, Ember greatly respects her fighter's spirit. ♥Jancis Milburga : Ember has had a few meetings with Jancis. Jancis is always polite and kind to Ember. She constantly interprets Jancis' manner of speaking as a sign of the woman holding an unspoken respect and/or affection towards Ember. She is unsure how Jancis knows her but she goes along with it instead of letting it bother her. ♥● Teld're Eska'aldren : Teld're is an enigma to Ember. She often forgets how she met him or how he knows her. In his mysterious nature, Ember is curious of the extent of his knowledge and power, speculating that he must have a hidden depth of strength that she has not yet witnessed. She is slightly wary of him but has taken a liking to him due him being amiable towards her on a consistent basis. His past as something of a slave and his connection to Tiergan and Staelufre provide her interest in him. ●Gus Pumpkinweed : Met only once. Ember dislikes Gus Pumpkinweed for one simple reason: Her friends do. However, she also views him as skimping out on a promise to give food. (Though in reality he did take an interest in gifting Ember food) ●Reginald Ozrik : Initially mistrustful of him after L'aenoh's accusing him of hurting Staelufre, her first impression of the man was not improved even after the misconceptions had been cleared up. Though perhaps justified in his agitation, after being punched by L'aenoh, Ember took this to represent how Reginald is. His poking fun of the way she spoke particularly struck a self-conscious nerve. Even after he apologized she was unable to forgive him and took the apology further to be an insult. ●Sebastian Grave : Sophia's brother and a source of mistrust for Ember due to her negative first impression of him. She views the young man as aggressive, aloof, and callous. Subsequent meetings have done little to improve her opinion of him despite being mild encounters.

Currently WIP. I am using Staelufre Lysmeryl 's template with her permission.