Appearance: A moon-kissed miqo'te of diminuitive stature, svelte in form and uncannily graceful in manner; the long-leggedly lissome physique of a lifelong dancer.
Fitting, perhaps, for their hair is wont to dance of its own accord, heedless of it's owner's wishes; a capacious cascade of luxuriant curls, half light, half dark, all lustrous, tumbling with artful abandon to their narrow waist. Sharp, delicate fey-features peek out from beneath those mismatched tresses to present, unabashed and unapologetic, a wealth of sly mischief -- courtesy of plush cupid's bow lips in cahoots with eyes large, lambent and laden with coquettishly canopied lashes. Both are resplendant in cosmetic overstatement - emblazoned bold over stark porcelain pallor.
Voice: His voice is soft but sonorous, a sensuous tapestry that can convey impassioned intensity with but a velveteen whisper. He employs a lyrical lilt liberally peppered with archaisms that lends itself well to his tendency to wax poetic at the slightest provocation.
Aesthetics: Flamboyant frippery replete with artistic asymmetry. Whether clad in sumptuous silks, vivacious velvets or clinging leathers, Ravil styles himself part swashbuckler, part harlequin, all performer. Striped tights are a particular favourite of his, as are billowing coats, bodysuits and thigh-high boots, lacy cuffs, lapels... and a theatrical mask for every occasion.
"But what is danger," he asked softly, "if not an invitation to dance?"
A tempestuous, mercurial soul borne aloft by theatrical flights of fancy, Ravil's adventurous spirit and puckish exuberance often see him freewheeling torwards danger and spectacle. As a bard, he believes himself both actor and agent, appointed -- mayhap anointed -- to both recover the songs and stories of eld and usher, through trickery or entreaty, new legends into the fore. And therein lies the quintessential paradox of his nature: for though his self-appointed mission sees him strut astride Hydaelyn's stage with each foot buried by turns in past and future, Ravil is very much of a creature of the moment -- a being of unbridled caprice, forever ruled by eccentric whim and whimsy.
"And this bard has ever been a good dancer."
Likes
Song and dance and a spirited affray
these things make for a momentous day
An audience: Ravil is someone who has taken the phrase 'all the world's a stage' to heart.
A performance: Singer of song, devotee of dance and all-round theatrical fanatic. The performing arts are deeply ingrained into Ravil's very being - and it shows.
A slice of peril: Ravil has cultivated a habit of diving recklessly into danger, both for inspiration and it's own thrilling sake. Conflict is the heart of a story, after all.
Stories shared, legends ensnared: If performance and peril are his passions, then stories are his obsession. Beyond merely amassing myth and legend, Ravil considers it his sworn bardic duty to ensure legends are born -- and that they never die.
A dash of fashionable fancy: Ravil's vanity knows no bounds. If he's going to do something, he's going to do it in style. The lower decks of the Edgewise are a veritable labyrinth of flamboyant finery; an eccentric ensemble for every day of the week.
Apropos admiration of artful allure: Ravil adores beauty in all its myriad forms -- but never more so than when that form happens to be long-legged and curvaceous.
Dislikes
What manner of devilry
spells ruin for Ravilian revelry?
The repugnance of routine:For a creature that thrives in chaos and surprise, a structured, regimented existence is anathema and protacted periods of boredom are banal to the extreme. He has no idea how people can contend with the same drudgery from this day to the next and stay sane. Even occupying the same four walls for longer than, say, a fortnight is wont to tempt a terrible diva tantrum.
The march of magitek:Even though he's the ostensible captain of a tiny airship -- the Edgewise -- Ravil's rather outspoken in his distaste for technological trappings and comically maladroit in their operation. This probably explains why he crashed.
An aversion to archery: Bows and bards are synonymous for reasons Ravil has never quite understood. He can shoot just fine -- sometimes he'll even hit -- but the fleetfooted thespian would much rather play the dervish: diving headlong into the fray, blades in hands and a song on on his lips.
Fears
An ignominious ending
Being forgotten
Imprisonment
Aging
Chirugeons
Trivia
Favourite food: Cake and other confectionaries
Favourite drink: Fruity, sugary cocktails -- and a chaser of regret the following morning
Favourite colour: Purple. All purples. Any purples. Preferably every purple, all at once.
"Mine own past, you ask? O, such unseemly haste!"
For one who is in perpetual danger of waxing poetic at the slightest provocation, Ravil notoriously plays coy with his own history, diverting prying inquiries with a casual quip or a shrugging aside about spoilers. What is known – and thus ventured freely – is that ‘Ravil Raindance’ is the stage name of one Ravah’li Randanzha, one of the last known survivors of the outlandish and mysterious Randanzha tribe-and-troupe – nomadic, nocturnal caravaneers of yesteryear who infamously interwove the performing arts and clannish custom in strange yet seamless ways, entreating audiences across Eorzea to dazzling theatrical displays. Ravil has evidently taken it upon himself to bear the burden of their memory on his lonesome, to ensure the spirit continues to wax full bright – though he relishes the opportunity to observe and shape new legends along the way.
"Narrative, dear audience, must needs be paced!"
Personal Effects:
Songsteel Sabres: These ornate swords are hallmarks of Randazha tribe craftmanship - at once musical instrument and implement of war, used for both performances and self-defence. The swooping crescent blades are charged with air-aspected aether and feature a series of holes to channel the wind - causing the metal to resonate sonorously when swung or struck. A skilled sword-dancer can thusly employ the sabres to produce a thrumming melody -- or disorient a foe with a cacophanous discord.
Emergency Aesthetician's Kit: A hand mirror, makeup, comb, brush and several stoppered vials of glamour dust, all to ensure one always looks one's best - or to apply temporary aesthetic re-touches to better suit the demands of the role.
Theatrical Masks:
Masks are a cornerstone of Randanzhan theatre. They represent what is loosely transliterated in the Hyur tongue as battle-muses -- prominent characters, heroic and villainous, plucked from mythic antiquity. They represent strong ideals conveyed through corresponding moods, mannerisms and dances. Some interpret the wearing of the mask as the character being guided or even possessed by the spirit it embodies beause the wearer adopts their name and mannerisms as well, and while this is a convenient shorthand, it's better defined as a kind of metaphorical synchronicity, inspiration, channelling and subsumtion to myth -- the collision and indeed collusion of history and destiny.
The dramatic moment the character dons a mask is the moment where their goals, their ideals, their place in the narrative -- where all of these things align. Where the character's steps echo with the weightier footfalls of their ancient battle-muse; where history repeats; where they dance to the same beat. Sometimes a duel between masks is an allegory for a clash between armies or hosts -- each mask an avatar, an embodiment of their side's respective ideals.
In the company of adventurers, Ravil considers it poor storytelling etiquette to boast of his own exploits alongside those of his peers. But so too would he be loathe to sit on the sidelines and spectate. Playing the part of the battle-muse, then, offers him a loophole. By donning the mask that best represents the mood and motives of his coterie, he can effectively cease being Ravil and participate in his stead as a walking metaphor - fulfilling his bardic duties by diving into the fray and rousing his fellows with song and wardancing spectacle.
The Mask of Ferdiad:Words go here
The Mask of Halicarnassus:Words also go here
The Mask of Kuribu:Words also go here
Rumours abound and tall tales astound; some of them, mayhap, ring true!
but these threads of fancy fray and splinter... and old stories give birth to new
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◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely!
♦ "My husband and I happened to catch one of his performances in Gridania once. Very abstract, it was - all masks and glitter and fanciful dances - but delightful all the same. There was even a climactic tightrope duel! Have you ever heard of such a thing?" -- Theatre Enthusiast
♦ "He owns the gaudiest little airship I've ever clapped eyes on -- the Edgewise it's called. The deck even transforms into a stage!" -- Aspiring Aviator
♦ "Sings, dances, pens plays, reduces audiences to tears with sorrowful soliloquys... and then spends his weekends gallivanting off into warzones. For inspiration. Bit of a renaissance man, Ravil. Even if he is a complete lunatic." -- Fond Adventurer
♦ "Unapologetically eccentric, but there's no denying his enthusiasm -- or his passion. He speaks of stories in reverent tones generally reserved for the Twelve." -- Ul'dahn Critic
♦ "We got him good and drunk, but even though he was slurrin' and swayin' every which way, he never once dropped that flowery bardier-than-thou facade of his. I lost that wager." -- Perplexed Patron
♦ "Ravil? She - he? Oh, I don't even know - he comes and goes. Never sticks around for long. I quizzed them on where they were rushin' off to once, and they said - what was it again? 'This bard is but a billowing leaf blown thither upon fortune's fickle winds.' That's the bardic equivelent of 'I have no bloody idea', so I gather." -- Gridanian Innkeeper
◢ Uncommon Rumors -A little more difficult to hear. Use sparingly or ask first!
♦ "His troupe -- the Edgewise Ensemble, right? When they put on performances, there's usually three of 'em, including Ravil, all boundin' around in their masks and tights. What I wanna know is why we never see the other two off-stage." -- Amateur Sleuth
♦ "Ravil? Just saw him bein' carried off to his room -- over the shoulder of a particularly fetchin' roegadyn corsair. Maga-somethin', her name was. Lucky bastard." -- Lominsan Tavern Gossip
♦ "Airship captain, my arse! That clown doesn't know first thing about flying! I'm told he was running late for a performance and decided to take a shortcut... over Castrum Occidens! You can imagine how well that went for him. Reckless fool." -- Maelstrom Captain
◢ Rare Rumors -Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using!
♦ "Dangerous. You steer clear of him. He'll fill your head to bursting with heroic nonsense and send you hurtling headlong through Nald'Thal's gates, laughing all the while." -- Grizzled Adventurer
♦ "Something's a little... off about him, don't you think? I even overheard him talking to himself in the dressing room one eve. No, he wasn't just rehearsing. Let me tell you, if that were the case, he was veering wildly off-script." -- Stagehand, Ul'dah
♦ "Word has it there's a fat price on his head, courtesy of some Imperial Tribunus or other. Don't know why, don't know how. A particularly scathin' satire, maybe. Me? Nah. I don't accept Garlean coin; even in this line o' work, a man's got to have some standards." -- Bounty Hunter
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◢ Player Character Rumors -Feel free to add rumors of your own!
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Personal RP Limits
♦ 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.
♦ Ravil is an old Wildstar character that had been left on the backburner for some time. FFXIV seemed to have the right tone (and presence of cat ears) to bring about his unholy resurrection. This is why most of his artwork lacks the under-eye markings (though the IC reason is simply that he sometimes opts to cover them up with concealer).
Links Out
Links that lead off the wiki, but are technically relevant to the character.
Please remember to proper credit when using this wiki. Thank you.
"This world of ours is wrought of peaks and valleys, my sweet. Many mayhap content themselves to stand between -- to live a life of shade and muted echoes, never knowing how sublime it is to climb, to stand at summit then unto abyss plummet, to feel upon their outstretched wings the hallowed fury of the wind."
