Rhys Ravera
 Rhys Ravera
(Birth: I'khob'a Amariyo) | |
[[Image: |250px]]"Even when the light has left my eyes, I will always find reason to look to the stars." - Rhys Ravera | |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Miqo'te |
| Clan | Sun/Moon half breed |
| Citizenship | Gridania |
| Server | Balmung |
| Orientation | Homosexual |
| Age | 21 |
| Name Day | 2nd Sun of the First Astral Moon |
| Patron Deity | Menphina |
| Hair Color | Lotus Pink with hints of Sky Blue |
| Eye Color | Right: Pink
Left: Blue |
Basic Info
An orphaned adventurer from The Black Shroud, studier of Aether, well-versed in the teachings of Astrology.
History
On the Second Sun of the First Astral Moon in the year 1556 of the Sixth Astral Era a Miqo'te by the name of I'khob'a Amariyo was born unto Eorzea. Protected by the canopy of The Black Shroud, he was born to a Keeper of the Moon mother, who, despite being shunned by her family for doing so, fell for a Seeker of the Sun Miqo'te. An outcast from the I tribe, I'jhan Tia abandoned his tribe settled in Vylbrand at the age of Seventeen, wishing to start a tribe that didn't adhere so strictly to the ways that he considered too out dated. Upon his departure, he decided that he would travel the world, explore Eorzea and her cultures. After travelling to Abalathia's Spine, the wandering Miqo'te set his sights to The Black Shroud, where he met and quickly fell for a Keeper of the Moon named Mihri Amariyo. In two summers together, they proclaimed their love to one another, conceiving a child who was unlike anything either the young couple or her disapproving tribe had seen. A young Miqo'te boy who had the eyes of his father, and the enlarged canines of his mother. At first glance, the boy appeared to be of the Sun, yet when he laughed or smiled, his true origin was uncovered. Fleeing the judgement of her family, Mihri took her child and fled with her lover to a part of The Shroud that her family scarcely traversed; The Standing Corses. There, the budding family lived happily.
I'khoba's youth was an easy one. At the ages of three and five, he was given a sibling. His brother, Naoh'to took to the hunt much quicker than he did, as did his sister, Mira. I'khob'a preferred instead to help his mother with housework. However, every night was spent the same. All of I'jhan's kids would gather 'round him and listen to his stories of the world outside, the floating isles of The Sea of Clouds, the wonderful mountain ranges of Coerthas, and I'khob'a's favorite; the beautiful abandoned monuments to the dragons in The Dravanian Hinterlands; the origin of which his father was never able to ascertain. It was during one such story that I'khob'a's fate was changed by the mother crystal herself. Suddenly, in the middle of his father's describing the boy's favorite statue, I'khob'a could suddenly see it, as well as his father standing next to it, surveying the land. When his son asked about the three towers, knowing them to be Anyx Trine, I'jhan knew what had happened to his son. The Echo; I'khob'a had become one of Hydaelyn's chosen.
It wasn't long after that I'khob'a began to dream of adventuring as his father had, he'd desperately wanted to go beyond, to climb the tower his father avoided, to just what stood above the ominous mountain beside it, so many lands that he'd only read about in stories, he wanted to see them all! Of course, his frightened his mother, who feared that her eldest child would meet fierce opposition from not only beasts, but from the wicked men that she'd often heard attack outsiders. She knew it wasn't exclusive to Gridania, that other peoples of other lands would react negatively to her child. She begged I'jhan to teach him how to fight. Eventually he gave in and I'khob'a's combat training began. After weeks of trying to teach his son various weapons, I'jhan gave up, deciding his son was better off learning an art he didn't know. Which led I'khob'a to take up the bow at the age of fifteen. He wasn't great at it, but at least with it he could fend off attacks from the monsters in The Shroud that only seemed to be growing more and more aggressive as time went on.
They hadn't seen it coming. Contact with Gridania was limited, and even when I'jhan did make the trip, talk of the ever expanding red moon was rare. It seemed too many were too afraid or just too tired from defending the forest town from the ever-growing aggressive monsters. The man worried for his family, and on his last trip home, he watched the skies as it happened. The moon descended, bursting open in the skies, causing fire to rain down on Eorzea. He ran, tried his best to make it home and get his family to safety. He made it home in time to defend his family from the rampaging monsters, getting one final look at his eldest son as he defended their little village before the fire fell, reducing their home, and its people to ash.
I'khob'a looked on with terror, as his home and family burned. He'd been far enough away to avoid the immediate destruction, quickly dropping and rolling to the ground, putting out the flames that licked his skin. He ran to his burning home, and realized quickly that everyone was beyond saving. The image of them laying lifeless, burning, forever seared into his memory by Bahamut's fire. He didn't have time to look for survivors and ran to safety, refusing to look back. The smoke filled the air, and his evacuation soon proved to be too difficult an endeavor for the sixteen year old to do alone. Gridania was within reach, he could just make out the gates, but he lacked the strength. Coughing and wheezing, the young Miqo'te decided that, if he were to take his last breaths here, he'd rather look to the stars. Wincing in pain as he rolled to his back, he smiled as he traced the constellations with his eyes. His mother had taught him how to find them when he was much younger. He looked to the Bole; The World Tree. He smiled as he prepared to be whisked away to the lifestream to repeat the cycle of life, but his end did not come. When he opened his eyes again, he could see the World Tree, swore he could count its leaves. Suddenly he felt a surge of aether in his body. Gasping for air, he rolled over to his hands and knees, renewed. Quickly the boy began to crawl to Gridania, unsure of what had saved his life, but thankful that it did. Upon making it to the gates, he was immediately rushed to the chirurgeons. He was incapacitated for days, and nearly met his end several times during his recovery, but the Padjali were determined to save the boy, the Elementals instructing them to take special care of Hydaelyn's chosen.
Once hearty and hale, I'khob'a knew he had to repay his debts to the Gridanians, joining the Archer's Guild. He thought back to his mother, and the family that never accepted them, all because of him. Swearing to make his family proud, he stripped himself of his tribal name, deeming it too obvious of his origin. Before too long, I'khob'a Amariyo was just a memory, and Rhys Ravera was a recognized citizen of Gridania. After five years of helping the Gridanians recover from the Calamity, which he had heard terrifying stories from the survivors of Carteneau, he spoke to Kan-E-Senna, and spoke of his desire to leave and explore, asking her to thank the Elementals for him. She refused, claiming his help to Gridania and protection of the forest in his time with them was thanks enough.
The boy had his sights set on Dravania, Sharlayan in particular, or at least what he knew used to be Sharlayan. He knew of the exodus, and he didn't care. He needed answers. Sneaking through to Ishgard, risking his like to navigate the now freezing temperatures of Coerthas, he made it to the Dravanian Forelands, his improvement in archery helping to protect himself as he did his best to avoid confrontation of any kind. Upon making it to the ruins of Sharlayan, he saw the large building in the distance, the only building that didn't seem to be falling apart at the seams; The Great Gubal Library. It took him a long time to finally reach it, and when he did, when he finally had his hand on the door, a voice called out to him. She identified herself to be Matoya, the Archon. When the Miqo'te explained himself and apologized for his trespassing, the Archon simply smiled, knowing the answer to the boy's troubles, why he had survived that night. "Astromancy, dear child." was her response, and with a knowing smile, directed Rhys to Ishgard to find a man named Jannequinard.
Getting accepted into Ishgard after the Calamity was another challenge, but the Miqo'te was determined, he'd come too far to be rejected now. Eventually, he was able to find shelter in the Brume, where he lived, while he studied Astromancy under Jannequinard. But now, his studies complete, the young Astrologian's heart bleeds for adventure yet again. Well versed in the arts to protect himself and others, he left Ishgard, determined to see what new mountains there were for him to climb.
