 Striding Oak
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| 'There is no such thing as a life without any regrets at all.'
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| Gender
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Female
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| Race
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Roegadyn
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| Clan
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Hellsguard
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| Citizenship
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Limsa Lominsa
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| Place of birth
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Abalathia's Spine
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| Age
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34
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| Sexuality
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Bisexual
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| Marital Status
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Single
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| Height
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7 fulms 0 ilms
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| Build
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Athletic
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Striding Oak is the current chief of the Ieha-Fryn tribe of Hellsguard, native to the high reaches of Abalathia's Spine. She is a proud traditionalist who lets her heritage define her. Having lived a largely martial and penniless life, she has grown into a fearsome combatant and a well-respected adventurer. Recently, however, she has decided to give up the life of a wanderer and has returned to her tribe to help care for her people. She disappeared into the mountains not long after Ishgard opened its gates to outsiders.
She can be spotted in the city states every once in a while, but these days it is a fairly rare occurrence.
(( This character is currently retired barring special occasions. ))
Appearance
| Eyes |
Hair |
Skin |
Body Type |
Voice |
Bearing |
Notable Features |
| Slate gray |
Dark brown, coarse, wavy |
Medium brown, tanned |
Toned, fit, athletic |
Deep, velvety, faint rasp |
Imposing, dignified |
Red rune on the back of her right hand |
| Alignment |
Element |
| Type 1 Neutral Good[1]
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Earth |
At 7'0", lean of build and tightly muscled, Oak can cut a decently imposing figure. Her hands are a touch on the large side, with long, calloused fingers. Though thick of leg and sporting a reasonably ample bust, however, she is rather lacking in feminine figure. Though not slight, that does not mean she wants for grace -- Oak is surprisingly light on her feet, and moves with both fluidity and purpose.
Oak is not pretty, or at least not conventionally so. Her oval shaped face bears three scars, one across the bridge of her nose, one on the left cheek, and a recent claw-shaped snag across her left jaw. Her lips are broad and full, her eyes a simple slate gray, and her nose the typical flat, flared nose of a Roegadyn. As with all Hellsguard, the tip and the nostrils end in a darker, more textured brown. Her cheekbones are low, her brows unshaped, her lashes long but pale. Her skin is a rich coffee-and-cream brown, with only a light bronzing from the sun. She wears no makeup, though she does typically keep two stripes painted across her right cheek -- her own personal war paint.
Oak's hair is a veritable mane. When left to hang down it billows around her head, over her shoulders, and down her back in waves and waves of coarse chocolate brown. She usually braids it with a pair of eagle feathers woven in. Her bangs, forever unruly, are left to hang around her face or go where they will. Even on her best days, she looks messy.
The woman bears many scars, mostly on her arms, some on her thighs, a few on her back. The worst is what looks to have been a deep puncture wound in her stomach, where the flesh twisted slightly as it healed. Nevertheless, Oak is proud of her body because she is fit, and never attempts to hide the scars when she is out of her armor. Ask for a story, and she can tell you about nearly every one.
Oak tends to wear various combinations of leather, chain, and plate, depending on her combat needs. If traveling, she typically sticks to chain. If she knows ahead of time she's in for a long battle, she'll opt for the more traditional gear of a Hellsguard warrior. Her priority is always to move lightly, even when in the thick of combat.
Her armor and even clothing is all well used, but meticulously, almost obsessively cared for.
Personality
"Striding Oak" is cool and collected to the point where it can be frustrating. She experiences extremes so rarely that she can ironically come across as aloof or uncaring, although nothing could be further than the truth. She is in fact very observant, and there's plenty of warmth right beneath the surface that is not difficult to access. Her general manner is patient, even, and matter-of-fact, but she can quickly be coaxed into joking and mirth, especially as of late.
With Oak, what you see is what you get -- literally. She will always tell it like it is and has no time for shyness, lies, embarrassment, and so on. She has no shame, and is honest to a fault – making her a horrible liar, as well as gullible. It’s not uncommon for some jokes to go straight over her head.
Oak enjoys simple pleasures: a hearty meal, heated alcohol, a summer festival. She is most at peace in the mountains or on the road. Her whole life seems to be devoted to martial mastery, though every once in a while she lets slip that she envies the peaceful life of farmers.
Oak is the embodiment of calm -- though some might say stoic instead. She keeps her emotions under such tight control that when they finally do show, it is often an indication of something serious. Despite this, however, Oak is a lover of levity, and takes great pleasure in word-sparring, jokes, drinking, or song. A good laugh is often what keeps her going, and it's not overly difficult to wrestle one out of her. She finds innocence endearing, and is patient with and protective of children or those significantly younger than she is. The idea of ever settling down herself, however, is often met with a scoff.
Oak is curious and open-minded, and always open to trying new things at least once, simply for the sake of the experience. In these cases it doesn't matter to her whether she immediately succeeds or not.
She is stubborn, however, in a way that only a Roegadyn can be. While typically more dignified than she is proud, if her stubborn streak takes over all that will change. She will insist on doing everything herself and then will become frustrated if/when that fails. Ironically, it is the fear of failure that tends to make her stubborn in the first place. If she does perceive having failed, she will completely shut down.
She has perhaps unreasonable expectations of honesty in people, and will get offended by lies, viewing them as highly disrespectful rather than something normal. While very slow to anger, she is just as impossible to calm down once there. Her only methods of venting involve either drinking heavily, or taking out her emotions in a fight.
Oak is not typically one to insult somebody, but she has a bad habit of being blunt or sometimes tactless in conversation, occasionally leading to ruffled feathers.
Strengths
Oak is freakishly strong even for a Roegadyn woman. She has a tremendous amount of physical and mental fortitude, and is capable of pushing herself to and then beyond the point of exhaustion toward any cause or person she believes in. She does not cow or give up easily, and fears very little.
This Roegadyn is extremely hard working, and takes to every job, chore, lesson, or even hobby with gusto.
There is nothing she ever does halfway, sometimes to her own detriment. Give her a task, and she will be dedicated to it. That dedication extends to people as well: earn Oak's friendship, and she will be fiercely loyal for life (though she expects the same in return).
She is intelligent, though not well educated. She possesses natural logic, a fair amount of wit, and a good degree of pure instinct, but she has only learned reading, writing, and arithmetic up to what in the real world would be considered an eighth grade level. To this end it'd be fair to say she's street smart rather than book smart, and to say the least anything magical or technical is usually beyond her. That said, Oak is good at applying herself, and if given a bit of time can learn new things relatively quickly.
Flaws
Oak has a nasty habit of keeping her cards too close to her chest. She is difficult to read and can easily rub people the wrong way if they expect the usual social niceties from her. Though she is polite and offers compliments, they're often awkward or vague. Sometimes she'll outright say what she's thinking, whether the other person wants to hear it or not. If she truly dislikes a person, she'll assign them a nickname in the Old Tongue and not tell them what it means.
A childhood among seafarers instilled in her the belief that "honor is for knights and dead men", and in competitions she rarely if ever plays fair. In fighting especially, Oak will play dirty and aim for sensitive spots. She does not take losing well and tries to bend each situation in her favor.
Oak is perpetually restless and it is difficult to get her to sit still for long. As soon as she perceives she is being idle, she will leave to go do something she feels is productive. It's a challenge to get her to socialize and even more to get her to relax. Though not high-strung, sitting around does tend to make her a little grumpy or frustrated.
Religion
Oak is a quiet but fervent devotee of Oschon the Wanderer. As god of the mountains, he was the literal embodiment of her childhood home; and as the element of wind, he was her life on the sea as well. After years of her own wandering and travel, Oak has become convinced that Oschon understands her and is watching her. Thus, Oak always makes certain to honor Oschon in some small way every day, whether it be to light a stick of incense for him, or to kneel at one of his shrines.
Oak also holds to many tribal traditions, and is fairly superstitious. Though she often doesn't go far into discussing her tribe's beliefs with outsiders, she will make known that she believes in the power of totems, omens, and various natural remedies.
Romance
Oak's views on intimacy are a lot like her views on religion: that it is private, personal, and should be enjoyed however one enjoys it. She believes that love is love regardless of race or gender, and that it's ok to be adventurous. She is dubious of the notion of a "soul mate", but she does believe in something akin to true love: that it is possible to find someone who is so absolutely compatible with you that they challenge and compliment who you are; that they are so much a part of your life that you could not imagine it without them. She knows her parents were this way, but she also knows it's very rare to find. A potential suitor would have to be incredibly patient, because it would take Oak a long time to decide she loved them and was ready to commit. She would need someone who treated her as an equal, for she is no housewife; someone willing to share all successes and failures, the good, the bad, the ugly, the mundane. They would have to share in some of her beliefs and interests, so that they could relate, but be different enough to challenge her to try new things and escape her comfort zone. Most importantly, it would need to be someone whom she could trust implicitly -- someone who she could tell literally anything to.
Combat
Oak has labored since childhood learning both the axe -- the traditional Roegadyn weapon -- and the lance. She believes that the one compliments the other, the lance-style keeping her light on her feet, and the axe-fighting keeping her strong. Both weapons have instilled in her an aggressive fighting style, quick and powerful but also tightly controlled. For her size, Oak is actually quite agile; she keeps her enemies at bay by virtue of a longer reach and quick foot movements. To achieve this, however, Oak tends to armor herself more lightly, and would never be able to take the direct blows a gladiator or paladin could.
Oak's stamina tends to flag quickly. Her strategy is to close in for quick kills, and she's not afraid to fight dirty to achieve this end if the situation turns especially sour. She will almost always press the attack, either diving in with her lance, or heaving mercilessly with her axe. If she must kill, it is done as quickly and cleanly as possible.
By virtue of being ambidextrous, Oak is able to throw off opponents by switching her main hand to be the opposite of theirs. She'll fight right-handers with her left hand, and vice-versa. Her preference for melee weapons, however, leaves her woefully vulnerable to any and all ranged attacks. Anything outside her jumping range has a distinct advantage. Naturally, her size makes her a very easy target, and both her weapons of choice are particularly slow.
Her general style is a strange mishmash that is difficult to place. It is Hellsguard, it is Sea Wolf, and it is even a good deal Ishgardian.
Occupations, Skills, and Pastimes
Nowadays Oak works almost exclusively as a bodyguard for hire, though like many Hellsguard she will never shy away from mercenary work. She has a tendency to pick up high risk, high reward jobs, and is often found delving into Eorzea's absolute worst locales. Her travels appear to regularly take her from Limsa up to Coerthas over to Gridania and back again, and she's gained some small reputation between the three regions for being fearless (some say mad) and dependable. Before being elected to her current position she was in semi-permanent employ with the Sons of Saint Coinach, helping to protect their archaeologists on their expeditions.
- Likes:
- Hot Springs
- Social Drinking
- Large Meals
- Gardening
- Strategy Board Games
- Hand Crafts
- Sparring
- Hard Work
- Travel
- Singing, Song, and Music
- Sylphs
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- Dislikes:
- Dishonesty/Vagueness
- Idleness/Laziness
- Braggarts/Show-offs
- Disrespect
- Sweets
- Sweet-talkers
- Nix (and their smaller cousins)
- Disrupted Routines
- Magic (with several exceptions)
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- Skills:
- Climbing
- Mastery of axe and lance
- Skilled strategist
- Powerful singer, decent dancer
- Traditional Hellsguard woven art
- Rigging
- Firearms
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- Fears:
- Failure, especially where her own perceived physical or mental weakness is concerned
- Tight spaces (mildly claustrophobic)
- Ever becoming a mother
- Lack of control/loss of freedom
- Madness
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Though the majority of Oak's talents lie in physical and martial pursuits, she does have a small, mildly artistic side. She is good at hand crafts, is light enough on her feet to dance well, and can carry quite a tune. Composing, whether it be written word or visual art, however, is quite beyond her.
Appearance
Family
Striding Oak was born the only child in an otherwise traditional Hellsguard family. Her given name in the Old Tongue is Pfareyha Syhrberkwyn.
Father: Syhrberk Wyznwintsyn/Stalwart Mountain (deceased)
Mother: Tauchnspaer Rhotmharwyn/Diving Sparrow (deceased)
Step Father: Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn
Aunt: Laughing Crow
Cousin: Red Deer
Son (rumored): Wytakoen (deceased)
Various other aunts, uncles, and cousins, generally too numerous to count.
Friends
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Arcian Martell : Oak finds Arcian easy to talk to and easy to simply be around. Arcian seems to understand a lot of what Oak has gone through and can surprise her with a good laugh from time to time. The two are fairly like-minded in general and as such work well together.
Brave Horizon : A Hellsguard ten years her junior, Oak quickly found common cause with Brave and views her somewhere between cousin and little sister. Oak has taken Brave on as an apprentice to the ways of the Warrior and is teaching her all things Hellsguard -- including their secret drinking techniques. Brave, meanwhile, is starting to give her a proper education.
Ciel Degenwulf : A fellow Maelstrom regular, Ciel and Oak met each other through their work with the Travelling Templar, and quickly bonded through combat. The two work well side-by-side, and share their love of Limsa. Oak does what she can to help Ciel with her memory loss, but finds herself frustratingly out of her element most of the time.
Draco Nobis: A dark knight who shares some of Oak's views on honor, duty, and loyalty. Oak enjoys talking with a fellow warrior and finds the Miqo'te easy to confide in. The two have shared several harrowing experiences together.
Flickering Ember : Oak met Ember through the Traveling Templar, and since then has found herself irrevocably tied to the younger Hellsguard. Though Oak hopes to help Ember realize who she is and where she might be from, she has no idea how to even begin to go about it.
Gilawafe Archimtirios : A brother in arms from the Crystal Dawn, and Oak's mentor in all things warrior. The two met regularly to train in axe fighting, and through it Oak has learned that she shares a similar past with the taciturn warrior. Seeing in Gil the kind of person she almost became, Oak is determined not to let him slip into despair any further.
Grumbling Behemoth : An unexpected drinking and fishing partner who has swiftly become Oak's friend and mentor in mechanics.
Kail Gerrad : Kail brings out Oak's mischievous side, and she enjoys simply hanging around him to hear his banter as well as his stories. She also has a tendency to believe them right away.
Kiera Hawkeye : After having her ass handed to her by Kiera at the Grindstone, Oak shared a drink with her and they've gone from drinking buddies to dating. Oak admires Kiera's combat prowess and naturally meshes well with her personality. Seeing the Highlander always cheers her up.
Reima Awen : Oak finds herself charmed by Reima, to the point where she feels almost self-conscious around her. Though not physically attracted to Reima, Oak is nevertheless fascinated by how opposite the two of them are, and almost envies Reima's (by Roegadyn standards) grace. She tries to encourage the younger woman to write, holding out hope that she will one day.
Tiergan Vashir: A freak magical occurrence threw Oak and Tiergan together. Forced out of their usual comfort zones, the two came to realize they shared similar lifestyles and mindsets, and they became fast friends. Oak respects Tiergan for his strength and resolve, and though she would never admit it, she knows he is stronger than she is. Should he need it, she would never hesitate to come to his aid.
Wayward Sage : A sister Hellsguard who, like Oak, knows the ins and outs of their clan’s warrior secrets. The two get along well because they can simply be Roegadyn around each other, something the two have found rare in the larger world.
X'Septha Dhen : Though Oak does not know X'Septha as well as she could, she has become quite loyal to the miqo'te healer and holds a healthy respect for her intelligence, knowledge, and abilities. The two appear to share a project but Oak is unwilling to discuss it.
Zaku Degenwulf : Oak and Zaku met through the Travelling Templar, and more often than not found themselves thrown into the same impossible situations. As such, the two quickly developed respect for each other, especially as they share similar views on justice. Though she’d never admit it, Oak loves the times she is allowed to babysit Zaku’s baby sister.
Acquaintances
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Barengar Armsbreaker : A Highlander Oak met at the Grindstone. Oak loves sharing drinks and tough talk with the man. He can easily pull a laugh out of her, and is intrigued by her mysterious favorite drink, the "Abalathian Spinecracker".
Bertrand Irons : Oak likes "the doc" for his laid back, no-nonsense nature and his sense of humor. She's found him easy to talk to and has already racked up a healthy stack of his hangover cures.
Cecieroux Ormesang : Oak has a love-hate relationship with the spymaster, who baffles her with his methods but who she's found common cause with in, of all things, past experiences and a similar sense of humor. The latter is trumping her impatience for the former, at least for now.
Melchar Asbrand : Though they have had limited interaction, Oak -- half out of cultural habit, and half out of true admiration -- respects her Hellsguard elder. Melchar gives Oak hope that one can find peace and fulfillment even in their twilight years.
Trulgar Beilklinge : Though Oak has only recently met “Trully”, she finds she genuinely enjoys talking to the man, and finds his personality and outlook refreshing. She does fear somewhat for his lack of martial experience, however.
Zaius Rhal'seer : Oak and Zaius share a similar outlook and love for battle, and she is quietly impressed that he has survived a life in the fighting pits with his body -- and humor -- still in tact.
Previous Relations
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Furious Storm: An old neighbor from her native tribe, Fury searched for Oak for years to save her from a life of piracy and to tell her the truth surrounding her parents' deaths. Now, Oak has sworn to make things right for her 'silent hero' -- and for herself.
Lurial Vashir : To Oak she is simply "Tiergan's Sister", but Oak is willing to trust Lurial based on that merit alone. Though many distrust Lurial for her shady occupation, Oak has thusfar withheld judgement.
Ne'ci Aera: Ne'ci arrived on the scene of Brynhilde's attack right as Oak did. With the spear pulled free from Brynhilde's side, Ne'ci was able to seal her wound using her skill in conjury. The two have since undertaken several missions together, and Oak knows she can always trust her life to the white mage. She has gone to great lengths to help ensure that Ne'ci will be able to live the life she wants to live.
Raelin Aradan: Oak got to know Raelin through her contracts with the Traveling Templar. She warmed quickly to his easygoing attitude and Limsan accent, reminded through it of the sailors she used to travel with. When Raelin found himself in desperate need of a ship, Oak turned to her step father, Fraebhar, for help.
Neutral
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Brynhilde Wulf : Chance threw Brynhilde and Oak together when Bryn came under attack in Lower La Noscea. As one of the first to find her, Oak saved her life by pulling free a spear head lodged in the Highlander woman's side. The two were lovers for a time, but the relationship seems to have since ended, and Oak is no longer fully comfortable around her.
Enemies
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Daghbheri Himalspyr : Oak seems to have a strange personal grudge against the Sea Wolf captain, but refuses to discuss why.
Rumors
Common Rumors
- "Eh? That's a woman?"
- "Don't bother. Pretty sure that one's asexual anyroad."
- "Keep your distance from her. See that frown? She's angry all the bloody time."
- "She ain't a Sea Wolf, but she's still just as drunk."
Moderate Rumors
- "That Roegadyn's always in debt. I always see her scrounging to pay off one smith or another."
- "Eh, Old Tongue ain't dead. See that one there? She still speaks it."
- "She's here often. Loves her baths, see, but never has the decency to wear a bathing suit. Not that any of the Roe lads seem to mind. If I had a rack like that, I'd show it off too."
- "Oh, I know she's Hellsgard, but she fell in with some Wolves. Turns out they found something big, some great treasure, and for some reason she's just been sitting on it!"
- "I hear she owes her life to some Sylphs. She'll do any job for them, no price."
Rare Rumors
- "Heard she's started harboring Garlean refugees. Wonder what's in it for her."
- "I haven't seen her traveling with her son lately. Some Wolf put it in her, looked like. Wonder if he's with the father."
- "Swear on me mum, that be ol' Fraebhar's daughter. Weren't he wanted by the Maelstrom?"
- "No thank you. That one has a dragon's temper. She once shoved a grown man's face into a furnace after he angered her."
PC Rumors
Feel free to add your own!
History
Common Knowledge
Like most Hellsguard, Oak was born to the Roegadyn tribes in the far north of Abalathia's Spine. She has been working as a mercenary off and on at least since she was twenty-one years old, moving back and forth between Limsa Lominsa,
A young Oak, escorting a caravan
Coerthas, and Gridania. Some rumors state she had a brief stint as a pirate alongside the notorious Captain Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn, while others suggest she had been in an affair with a higher-ranking captain of the Knights of the Barracuda, Fhocgrein Aisblaetsyn, and bore him a son; either way she's known to have spent a good portion of her life in Vylbrand. She served House Cordilleur for a brief time in the Coerthas Western Highlands before moving on to a quieter life in a small farming village in the East Shroud. She remained there until the Calamity; afterwards she was seen everywhere helping to bring order to the chaos, either as a bodyguard, or as impromptu law enforcement. Oak is well-known for having more or less made fighting her life, and has mastered the art of the axe and spear. She has most recently been seen in the company of the reclusive Aeon mercenaries.
Currently Oak is working towards saving eight lives without taking another in the process. Why is unknown, but it is known that thusfar she's only reached two.
(( Everything else below is spoilers! ))
Abalathia's Daughter
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Pfareyha Syrberkwyn was born on the 16th Sun of the 2nd Umbral Moon, 1545, to parents Diving Sparrow and Stalwart Mountain. Their first and only child, Pfareyha, or 'Striding Oak' in the common tongue, took charge of the village children as soon as she was old enough. Oak quickly gained a reputation for her confidence as she grew, though some would have called it bossiness instead. If any trouble occurred, it was safe to assume that Oak had initially either talked her peers into it, or bullied them -- including the older children. In particular she tended to pick on a smaller girl named Blynwint (Blind Winter), beginning a rivalry that would last well into their adult lives.
The family lived in a village known as Fyrilcwaendorpf, nestled into a glacial valley in the higher elevations of the Spine. The nearby volcano, nicknamed Klynfra (“Little Girl”) with complete irony, blessed the village fields with fertility as much as the winters stripped it away from them; there were several lean years, and food could oftentimes be scarce. The village remained happy nevertheless, supplementing its meals with ample hunting, and finding solace in its traditions.
Oak's mother was the main income for the family. A traveling blacksmith of some renown, she made sojourns every other month to either Sharlayn or Ishgard to sell her wares, and gained herself a solid reputation everywhere inbetween. When at home, she would either hone her craft or hunt for the village, and was locally famous for always scoring large or difficult kills. Oak's father, meanwhile, had spent much of his life as an adventurer. Though he had initially spent his youth in Ishgard on a rare contract, he was forced to move on to Limsa Lominsa instead as Ishgard slowly became more insular. There, he met a pirate by the name of Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn, and the two spent many years adventuring together. At the peak of their journeys, the two men discovered a map to a rare and ancient treasure, known as the Razgul Heart. Famed in legend for its ability to restore the long dead to new life, it became an obsessive goal for Fraebhar, who sought to restore his baby daughter. Stalwart, having lost his brother in an accident he caused, desired it as well. The two men split the map in two, each one carrying half, and swore they’d look for it together someday. When Stalwart returned home to become a mountain guard and start a family, Fraebhar remained a close family friend, but the quest grew forgotten.
Both of Oak's parents were proficient in the spear, and began teaching her how to wield it as soon as she was old enough to hold one. As she was the firstborn, she would be the only one among her siblings to stay home; thus, Oak planned on becoming a ranger on the mountain when she grew up. That quickly changed in her seventh year when Fraebhar returned to the family sooner than usual, seeking refuge from other pirates out for his map. When his problems followed him up into the Spine, it was his protectors -- Oak's parents -- who paid for his actions when he sold them out in order to cover his own tracks. He made sure to take Stalwart’s half with him.
The Pirate's Charge
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Though Oak had numerous aunts and uncles she could have gone to for care, Fraebhar, wracked with guilt, felt it was his duty to raise her instead. In 1552, he returned with her to Limsa Lominsa and brought her aboard his ship, the Moraine, instead. For the next several years, Fraebhar would raise Oak as a Sea Wolf, giving her a new name and raising her to be a sailor among a mostly Roegadyn crew. He taught her that the pirate’s way of life was her right: that she would no longer have to scrimp and starve as she had in the Spine, but could instead take everything she ever wanted. The idea appealed to her, and he began to tutor her in the ways of the axe, though she continued with her spear work as well. As "Abarbyrm Fraebharwyn", Oak learned her way about sailing, navigation, and gunnery with some difficulty. She spent most her time with the only other Hellsguard aboard the Moraine, a conjurer's apprentice named Singing Sky, whose Elezen master was indentured as the ship's sole healer. When she turned 14 in 1559, Fraebhar began to let her come along on raids, which she took to with considerably more gusto than her normal upkeeping duties. The grizzled pirate made a fortune by attacking Limsan and Garlean ships on the open sea and fencing the goods in Ul'dah -- or, occasionally, vice-versa. Around this time, Fraebhar trusted Oak with a secret as well: that he and her parents had been pursued for a special map he held. This map, he claimed, led to an ancient treasure of enough power that several people were willing to kill for it. Now that she was old enough, he planned on finding this treasure for the sake of her fallen parents. Reluctantly, Oak agreed.
Fraebhar’s hunt became one part materialistic greed and one part idealistic obsession. Now the Heart would allow him to undo all of his past mistakes, including his betrayal of Oak’s parents. After waiting for years, the grizzled captain decided that nothing was going to keep him from his goal. His quest for clues led him all over Vylbrand and then inland, along Eorzea’s coasts. Anything or anyone that stood in his way was swiftly dispatched: ships were sunk, towns were burned, locals extorted, bullied, even taken captive. The death count rose but it no longer mattered, for soon he would have the power to undo it. Oak, convinced this was what her parents would want, followed along for the next 3 years.
At last, Fraebhar discovered his treasure on a tiny artificial island wandering the seas due south of Mazlava. Here, his enemies caught up with him: the many pirate clans he’d made enemies of along his quest, as well as a detachment from Limsa’s Fourth Fleet, led by Captain Fhocgrein Aisblaetsyn. A massive naval free-for-all ensued, leaving many clans destroyed and three out of five Fourth Fleet frigates sunk. The ‘’Moraine’’ escaped heavily wounded – but in the chaos, the Heart was once again lost.
The event caused a rift between Fraebhar and Oak, largely over the loss of life that occurred. When the ‘’Moraine’’ at last pulled in to port to repair, Oak stole away and snuck aboard the next ship she could find – which happened to be Aisblaetsyn’s frigate, ‘’Claudette”. She managed to steal a uniform and pass for a week as a regular crewman before being caught. Aisblaetsyn recognized her as Fraebhar’s “daughter”, but was impressed upon hearing her side of the story. He decided to allow her to remain on the ship, deeming her too young for the most part to have truly been a guilty accomplice to Fraebhar’s actions.
Oak continued to serve on board ‘’Claudette” for the next year. In the meantime, she and Aisblaetsyn developed a mutual attraction for each other, and began a passionate but short-lived love affair. The captain was 10 years her elder and, as she would come to find out, already married. Upon learning this, Oak decided she was through with the Sea Wolf way of life and became determined to at long last return home to her roots in to discover who she really was.
Return to the Mountain
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Oak returned home to her tribe in 1563 for the first time in ten years. There she was warmly welcomed by many who still remembered her, and re-assimilated into Hellsguard culture. Oak found life among her own clan much more suited to her, and worked happily farming and hunting alongside her extended family for the next three years. She lived with her aunt, Laughing Crow, and Crow's eight children.
When it came to light that Oak had been learning the axe during her time at sea, the tribe’s master warriors took her as a student and began teaching her their secrets. A few would reminisce about her mother, who had been one of the very few Hellsguard left alive capable of forging weapons strong enough to withstand the Inner Beast. Though Oak had only vague memories left of her mother, she began to look to her as a personal role model, having lacked any real feminine influence in her life up until then. As she trained, she began to adopt her mother’s old habit of wearing rolanberry-colored warpaint, a tradition she continues to this day.
Time not spent training was spent at work, and it was here – in the fields and in the forests – that Oak began to reconnect with Blind Winter. Despite bad blood in the past, the two young women began a friendship with their workplace rivalry, each competing to outperform the other in construction, logging, the harvest, or the hunt. Before long their feelings turned romantic instead, and the two began a steady relationship. Within a year, Winter asked Oak to marry her.
But Oak was growing restless. Although she was technically the firstborn of her family, and although she loved her tribe’s way of life, she had no desire to settle down at twenty-one and remain at home. Winter refused to leave with her, and the two had a falling out. With only a spear, an axe, and some light armor, Oak struck out again in 1566, this time on her own.
“Cordilleur’s Behemoth”
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Oak took the road south out of the Spine, leading into Coerthas. With no real idea of where she wanted to go or what she wanted to do with herself, she decided to check around Ishgard first for work, it being the closest city state. She was barely into the Western Highlands when she suddenly found herself in the midst of a Dravanian attack on a small Ishgardian convoy. Though Oak at first fought for her own life, she soon found herself working alongside the lancers and archers already guarding the wagons. When she brought down a scalekin herself, however, she quickly gained their respect.
She soon learned the caravan was not protecting goods, but people – in particular, one Lord Aldrimont Cordilleur. Cordilleur’s mother Esmerelle, she learned, had been making expeditions over the border into Dravania in the hopes of securing dragon eggs for study. She finally caught one at great personal cost. The caravan, he explained, was all that remained of a one-hundred and thirty person effort. The dragons had pursued them all the way back into Coerthas, whittling away his guards, researchers, servants, and family. All that remained was him, seven wagons, and the egg.
Cordilleur hired Oak to help protect the caravan on the way back to the family estate. They continued to suffer dragon attacks until passing Dusk Vigil; afterwards, only bandits and errant wildlife were a concern. By the time they made it back to the Cordilleur estate, Lord Aldrimont was convinced that Oak had more than earned her keep, and offered her a position among his men at arms. Oak accepted, and would continue to guard the Cordilleur expeditions for the next 2 years. As one of the very few Roegadyn in the employ of a noble house, Oak came to be known as Cordilleur’s Behemoth.
Cordilleur attempted to get Oak an honorary dragoon title in recognition of her slaying, but at the time the Holy See refused to confer the honor upon an outsider. Nevertheless, he was able at the very least to pay a dragoon under the table to act as a personal trainer for her, and within time she managed to learn much of their art. For all her skill, however, Oak was a brash, impulsive, and pugnacious youth, and did not mix well with her Elezen comrades. After several fights, Cordilleur was forced to release her from service. There were some who suspected that the only reason he’d kept her on for so long was because they were secretly lovers.
Oak left Coerthas and headed south to The Shroud to look for mercenary work there instead. The difficulty of the trade swiftly tempered her over the next year, and she matured greatly in both temperament and ability.
The Little Wolf
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By the time Oak was twenty-four, she had earned enough of a reputation to be scouted by the Maelstrom. Upon her return to Limsa Lominsa in 1569, however, she found herself crossing paths with Fhocgrein Aisblaetsyn again. Despite the earlier awkwardness of their relationship, the two approached each other as good friends, and she even took up work for him and his crew. As Limsa Lominsa became her second home, she finally began to earn enough to purchase better arms and armor, as well as her own chocobo. A year later, however, Aisblaetsyn approached her with a personal problem: his youngest son, Wytakoen, was being hunted by what appeared to be a group of cultists. As stunned as he was concerned for his son’s safety, he asked Oak to take the child into hiding until the Admiralty could look in to who these people were.
She left with a young boy of six in tow, giving rise to the rumor that Wytakoen was their illegitimate son. The fact that he displayed mixed traits, suggesting a Hellsguard mother, did nothing to help matters. When questioned, Oak would claim the boy as her own and state that the father was dead. (It is still possible to this day that the child ‘’was’’ theirs, and that Oak had left him with his father upon learning of Aisblaetsyn’s wife.)
The two remained transient for the next two years, generally avoiding Vylbrand and never staying in one place for very long. Cultist attacks continued, in any place at any time, but every time Oak managed to either kill them or chase them off. They found temporary solace in the Shroud and around Gridania, where Singing Sky and his mentor then resided. For a time, Oak took up residence in a tiny farming village in the East Shroud, where Wytakoen became well known for running off to look for Sylphs. Soon after her twenty-seventh birthday, Oak and the boy disappeared into Larkscall entirely. Singing Sky brought her back a day later, gravely wounded and clinging to life. The boy never returned.
Destroyed, Oak returned home to Abalathia's Spine as soon as she was well enough to travel. Three weeks later, Dalamud fell.
The Wandering Bodyguard
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Oak spent the next year recovering and gathering her wits in her homeland, debating staying within the village after all. As news of the Calamity's chaos finally reached the tiny village, however, Oak resolved to resume her work as an adventurer. She took to the road, helping to bring order to the chaos wherever she could. For a time she fell in with a free company known as The Furies, who acted as impromptu law enforcement in lawless areas. More often, however, she found work as a bodyguard, and eventually became a bodyguard for hire exclusively. Oak has only recently found profit in her work, as life finally begins to stabilize somewhat for Eorzeans. A notorious workaholic, Oak is a rare sight within cities and at social gatherings, but more and more she's beginning to return to the world and become social again. She has most recently been spotted moving in and out of the house known as Cliffperch, suggesting her involvement with the reclusive Aeon mercenary company.
Character Connections
The following characters may have a RP link with Striding Oak:
- The Hellsguard clans are small and likely tight-knit. Any Hellsguard born in the Spine could have grown up or lived with Oak in her early years, or have known of her.
- Anyone who speaks the Old Tongue, even in part, will quickly impress her.
- Anyone who was or is a pirate might know of Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn and his treasure, and by extension her.
- Anyone involved in law enforcement might also know of Fraebhar Bloewilfsyn, the sunken Barracuda ships, and by extension her.
- Anyone who is a devotee of Oschon might find common cause with her.
- Any Ishgardians might have known of the Cordilleurs and their dragon study project, as well as their short-tempered “house Roe” who somehow knew dragoon fighting techniques.
- Anyone who has lived in the East Shroud might have briefly known her and her 'son', Wytakoen.
- Anyone attempting Sylphic relations might find an ally in her.
- Anyone who simply asks around might know of her; Oak has been a traveling mercenary for years, and has built up a solid reputation.
If you have any ideas other than what is listed here, please feel free to contact me about them! I'm always open to brainstorming and discussion.
Soundtrack
These songs help to evoke the feel of the character, and do not necessarily represent anything specific about her.
Oak as Hellsguard
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Growing up Sea Wolf
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Battle Themes
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Water Lord
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Present Day Oak
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Annotations
This Template was blatantly stolen from
Brynhilde Wulf with her permission.
