Madelaine Lachance

Madelaine Lachance
Gender	Female
Race	Elezen
Clan	Wildwood
Citizenship	Limsa Lominsa
Age	24 summers.
Class	Lancer, Arcanist, Rogue
Relatives	Elivianne Brisbois (Mother), Bernabaux Dejeudier (Father) [Both not on speaking terms with her.]
Relationship Status	It is a mystery

General Overview

Appearance: Above average height for a female Elezen, her legs seem to extend for days. Her figure is rather lithe, save for her hips, which are slightly curvier. She wears her ember-red hair in a short bob, neat and trip to frame her sharp face. She is oft said to have severe features--her browline is set at a nigh permanent angle, and her nose rather long and pointed. Her eyes are a brilliant blue-green, which she offsets with dark make-up and currant purple lips. On her right cheek, she has a small beauty mark. Most notable about her features is the dark tattoo that spans across her face at eye-level.

Personality: Her personality can change as often as the tides. She may be calm and inviting, typically in meeting strangers of which she has no immediate knowledge of, or in meeting with clients. With others, she may adopt a significantly more harsh demeanor, and is not afraid to assert herself to a position where she feels like an equal or dominant. She prefers having a certain level of control when it comes to interacting with others, though she is not adverse to excitement that comes with the unexpected. Often, it is said that she is either a pleasure to work with or be around, or she is a complete no-nonsense businesswoman whose stubbornness can be difficult to deal with.

Likes ■ Freedom above all else ■ Fine wine ■ Gambling and Chocobo Racing ■ The thrill of the hunt and the chase. (Which applies to many things.)

Dislikes ■ Gridania, and most specifically, the Stillglade Fane ■ Bigots, and other forms of oppression ■ One's inability to keep promises (Including herself.) ■ Those who waste her time

Biography

Born and bred under the boughs of Old Gridania, the Elezen girl was known under a different name: Guinevre Brisbois. Her father Bernabaux, a humble veteran of the Fen-Yll Fineries leather-working company, considered her his darling sapling to be nurtured and loved. Her mother Elivianne, a highly respected Hearer for the Stillglade Fane, took her as the next conduit of the elemental's will. Not allowing a single word of protest from the young girl, Elivianne brought her daughter to be sworn in as a conjurer. The Brisbois name had carried with them an unmatched affinity to the art of conjury; generations upon generations of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters to speak on the Twelveswood's behalf. Elivianne continued tradition, despite Guinevre's yearning to instead learn the way of the lance.

"Have you no pride in your family name? Would you be the one to destroy all that your foremothers worked towards? Have you no shame?"

Guinevre thus became a conjurer on her tenth summer, and not without immense reluctance.

T'was around her twelfth summer that she met her dearest friend, F'wolynn Wuzho. A Sun Seeker Miqo'te with large, bright eyes, sun-bleached hair, and dark skin as rich in their warm color as Bernabaux's leatherworks. The Miqo'te had traveled far, running away from her clan in the deserts of Thanalan to escape her oppressive Nunh and vulture-like Tias. F'wolynn had what Guinevre lacked: conviction. She saw her surroundings a stifling place, and refused to choke to death. It was in this that Guinevre grew to appreciate in F'wolynn, and F'wolynn grew to appreciate Guinevre's earnest demeanor (and my, did Guinevre have a sense of humor unlike any stiff conjurer F'wolynn had ever seen).

Over the summers, F'wolynn loved the Twelveswood. "Finally, I can wear my hair long!" She often exclaimed to Guinevre, who laughed at such a small victory. But she knew that F'wolynn truly loved the wood. It gave the Miqo'te freedom, peace, serenity--and the girl spent so much time in the Shroud that she likely knee every tree by the silhouette of its trunk. This Miqo'te would likely make a far better conjurer than I, Guinevre thought. And indeed, the Elezen was struggling. Despite all her best efforts, the words of the elementals would not come to her. She was deaf to their will, and her spells that summoned upon nature's blessings were tepid at best. Guinevre confided all of this in F'wolynn, who nodded and sympathized. It was not unlike the oppression she experienced with her tribe, but for Guinevre there weren't many options. F'wolynn herself did not draw towards conjury, instead taking up the lance--the disciple that Guinevre coveted many summers past. The Miqo'te knew this, and in secret, trained Guinevre on the skills that she herself learned. For her love of the Shroud, F'wolynn aspired to become a Wood Wailer, to continue to protect it and keep peace. However, as an outsider to Gridania's borders, many were loathe to see her succeed. Many acts of bigotry were suffered by the Miqo'te, to which Guinevre tried to protect her from, but F'wolynn refused to be fazed. Her skill with the lance was irrefutable, and she was taken on as a Wood Wailer, much to the chagrin of many Gridanian-born.

Guinevre was sixteen summers when F'wolynn, at twenty, was killed on duty. Guinevre was heartbroken, outraged--having been taken to the other side of the Shroud during F'wolynn's assignment to investigate the Ixali's movements, she could not protect her. Further, she believed that it was not murder by an Ixali after all, but by F'wolynn's jealous peers. She wept for her dear friend, for the love that she nurtured for her, for the inability to keep her safe. She ran to her mother, who instructed the conjurers present on F'wolynn's mission. Elivianne simply stared down at her. "The elementals willed it. Were you heeding their words, you would have known that." The girl looked to her father, in utter disbelief of the coldness of the woman's words. He did not even look at his daughter, simply nodding in agreement of his wife.

It was then that Guinevre took F'wolynn's example and fled from the Twelveswood. She dared not go to the desert, where F'wolynn suffered, and instead snuck aboard a merchant ship headed for the ports of Limsa Lominsa. The Elezen had nothing, quickly thrust into homelessness, so she loitered around the ports. Wanting for food, shelter, and purpose, she wandered until she came across The Missing Member, the stomping grounds of the Sanguine Sirens. With no small amount of courage, she clenched her fists and walked straight into their nest. She knelt before their Captain Rhoswen, and spoke with conviction: "If I may be as one of your own, I will swear upon my own blood that you shall know no shortage of loyalty from me."

Captain Rhoswen stared down at the Elezen at her feet, her flagon of ale left forgotten on the table. "Ye'd look good in red," she uttered simply. "What do ye call yerself? Snap to it, pointy-ears." The Elezen paused for a moment, her clenched fists shakily supporting her malnourished frame. "Madelaine. Madelaine Lachance."

She swore to the Sanguine Sirens, picked up a lance, and saluted to the flying Crimson Standard. It was not much later that she cut her hair, got her tattoo (a symbol for always seeing through the shroud of injustice, both figurative and literal), and controlled her own fate.

---

Present Day

It was only just recent that Madelaine left the Sirens in favor of a more fulfilling life. Currently she is enlisted with the Riskbreakers to further her promotion of equality for all. She has also taken up the information trade, discovering that she had a knack for pressing people for information. At Captain Rhoswen's urging, she fostered the skill, and made no shortage of gil for the Sirens when she was part of their crew. Through the summers, Madelaine began to seek more than just gil and infamy. She sought justice--a far nobler cause than most pirates, she was aware. However, upon discovering certain crews are trafficking more than just simple sundries, (such as slaves, somnus, and other illegal properties) she elected to occasionally aid the assessors of Mealvaan's Gate. It is clear that Madelaine has lofty goals for her future. As to what they are? None but her truly know.

Most Recent Events

Upon meeting a certain Wildwood Elezen by the name of Sairsel Arroway, she has unveiled a part of her past that she was unwilling to return to. After much investigation, she has found that her mother Elivianne was a chief cause in the death and separation of the man's family members. However, at the behest of Sairsel's mother, an Ala Mhigan Highlander named Morgana Arroway, she has kept the secret.

Additionally, she has come into contact with The Riskbreakers, a company that directly combats the Garlean forces. With the Riskbreakers, she intends to pool many resources together to make them a strongly backed force the likes of which the Garleans have no hope of stopping. Madelaine also holds goals to encourage the importance of equality for all peoples of Eorzea, though how she plans to go about this, she cannot say.

Information to note

■ While your character might see one particular side of Madelaine, that is not to say that she inherently likes/dislikes you. She is difficult to completely read, and she may come off as callous. Please do not take this personally.

■ Generally, it is very difficult for her to trust or rely on others, concerning her dealings with pirates and the like.

■ She has built up a certain heightened level of distrust for Wildwood Elezen, though if you can show that you do not share the same close-minded ideals as the old-blooded Gridanians, you will garner her respect.

■ It is much easier to earn her honest opinion when you drink with her. To that effect, if she accepts a drink or any type of sustenance from you, then she trusts you very much.

Rumors Please feel free to add your own rumors under PC! You may know Madelaine Lachance if: ■ You are a streetear, or friends with one. ■ You deal in the information trade. ■ You are familiar with the pirate powers of Limsa Lominsa. ■ You are an assessor, or employed by Mealvaan’s Gate. ■ You are a conjurer whose roots stem from the Stillglade Fane. ■ You are familiar with the old Wildwood families of Gridania. ◢ Common Rumors (Easily overheard) ■ (Ul’dah) “Very business oriented, that one. The way that she handles most conversations here, you’d think she’s arranging a transaction when one so much as ask her what bell it was. Cor, she could sell me my own husband at a profit, and convince me to buy my son discounted—all part of a package deal! Fits in quite well with most Ul’dahns, I’d say.” ■ (Limsa) “She keeps ‘er ear to th’ ground. Anythin’ happens in the ports, she’ll know bout it. ‘Course, knowin’ ‘bout her, that’s somethin’ else entirely. All’s one knows, she dabbles in li’l bit o’ everythin’.” ■ (Mealvaan’s Gate) “Did they tell you her alleged moniker? It’s quite hard to believe. Madelaine has dutifully assisted us with her astute observations and information regarding the assessment of cargo that comes through Limsa’s ports. Why ever would she tie herself up to that riff raff?” ◢ Moderate Rumors (Moderately difficult to overhear) ■ (Ul’dah) “She changes her tone and spin on things so frequently, I’m surprised she isn’t an imp with a mastery of glamours. Or… maybe she is. Wouldn’t be surprised.” ■ (Limsa, within the Drowning Wench) “Mad Maddy, aye. One o’ the new bloods t’ the Sanguine Sirens. She ain’t one t’ suffer no man layin’ hand on a woman, and would be quick to shove ‘er lance so far up ‘is arse, ‘e’d be tastin’ metal in the morn. Think she did just that a couple times afore. A right ‘ero to us ladies in the tavern.” ■ (Mealvaan’s Gate) “She speaks regularly to the captain of the Kraken’s Arms, the tamer of the Admiral’s licensed privateers. I say ‘privateers,’ but we all know they’re pirates, really. Strange, too, that she would speak to him, since it is rumored she signs her lance to the Sirens.” (Rare) ◢ Rare Rumors (Very difficult or rarely overheard) ■ (Stillglade Fane) “One of our esteemed Hearers, Elivianne Brisbois, had a daughter until several summers ago. The fledgling conjurer was unfortunately killed during a Wood Wailer training regimen gone horribly awry. However, I have heard that the girl could not heed the word of the elementals from the start, so perhaps it was their will that sentenced her. Truly a shameful tragedy.” (Rare) ■ (Gridania) “The Brisbois? That family name has long been a part of Gridanian history. From them stems a long line of exemplary Hearers, the most recent being Elivianne. Her daughter was supposed to take up the mantle as well, but… Ah, most say that she is dead. Some others swear that she ran from her duty. Her mother certainly regards her as one with the aether now.” (Extremely Rare) ◢ PC Rumors (Rumors from the character's of other players) ■ Erimmont Chevalier: Lady Lachance? She is and, I fear, shall forever be an enigma. A perfect mix of beauty, strength and mind wrapped in such a fine skin that one's eye can't help but be drawn towards her. That mind, however, is far sharper than any other I've happened across. I've still yet to learn much about the woman. I should one day hope to change that.

Relations ♥ Romantic Attraction    ♥ Family     ● Friends ● Not Trusted    ! Enemies    ■ Neutral ♥ Sairsel Arroway : She will not willingly admit this, especially not to the man himself, but she considers Sairsel to be a comrade of sorts. In fact, she treats him almost like a brother--chastising his naivety and poking fun at him every chance that she can. Despite her callous behavior towards him, she is incredibly protective of the Elezen youth. Though their circumstances and origins be different, she feels a kinship to him that they have experienced similar disconnect to the forest. She holds secrets of his past from him at his mother's behest, willing to share them only when she feels he is ready to learn them. ● Jajaraku Jojoraku : An absolutely insufferable bard, Jaraku grates on the thinnest sliver of her nerves at the best of times. Sighs of frustration and growls of anger are often the responses that he gains from her, much to his pleasure and her chagrin. Though they feud and bicker like children, there is an odd connection between them. It is his antics and constant "favors" of her that she continually returns to The Sandsea, the headquarters of The Riskbreakers. He brings out her immaturity, her flippant nature, and yet... she rather enjoys that about him, and it is clear that they are both fond of each other, if in an unconventional way. ● Resh Viqqoh : The young Miqo'te of the Riskbreakers has only interacted with Madelaine but a few times, yet her energetic spirit and enthusiasm is enough to garner the Elezen's favor. Though there is much that Madelaine does not know about Resh, and quite a bit of seeming to be suspicious or potentially dangerous, she understands the girl's feelings on acceptance. ■ Ashelia Riot : The Grand Steward of the Riskbreakers strikes a cutting figure among her company, and it is clear to Madelaine that she has earned that respect. Knowing that, Madelaine entrusted a favor to Riot, which the Grand Steward made good upon. Madelaine, placing kept promises in high regard, feels positively about her. It is this showing that Madelaine's consideration to join the Riskbreakers grows. ● Velas'to Carbuncle : Though they originally started on pleasant terms, Madelaine senses something serious has gone to disturb the Miqo'te's mind. A letter sent denouncing a traitor in the Riskbreakers, along with stories that he was recently suspended from them for a time, leads Madelaine to take his words with a handful of salt. ! Gaelle Troyes : A woman that claims to be a medium for the Twelve, and acts as their conduit for relaying information and their will. She claims to speak for the gods, and is a fortune teller and a healer besides. However, beneath her pleasantries and soft smile, there lies deep secrets and invested scheming. Though Madelaine plays along with her ruse, she does not trust an onze of what the woman says. She has called the woman on her manipulative nature once before, to be met with (what she feels are) false tears. A true con artist in the eyes of Madelaine, she plans to give the woman a wide berth whenever possible, or risk dealing the woman a fatal blow. ♥ Erimmont Chevalier : A man that she met during one of her trips to the Gold Saucer. The idle conversation struck between them found the two getting on much better than Madelaine ever anticipated. She finds the teacher very pleasant to talk to, finds his hobby quite amusing and interesting, and finds him incredibly attractive. Since his leaving of the Vylbrand Academy, she has enlisted his tutelage in the art of archery, and spend much of their time together as a result. The two have an unmistakably close bond, though it is unclear whether or not they are concretely in a romantic relationship, as neither have said anything on the subject. ● Nai Ruahki : A close and dear friend to Erimmont Chevalier, she is a bright sun to his illuminated moon. Madelaine finds the girl endearing, haughty, and as sweet as the desserts that the girl consumes constantly. Within Nai is a sure, protective, and sensitive personality that reminds Madelaine much of F'wolynn, with boundless energy to match. It is with Nai that Madelaine recalls just a touch of the person she used to be, when F'wolynn was still alive. Gallery Footnotes Layout created by Bancroft Gairn and also slightly adapted from Nai Ruahki~