Valerian Vandrean

Valerian Vandrean
"E'ryone 'as an ego, mine's jus' bigger... and better."
Race	Hyur
Clan	Highlander
Citizenship	Ul'dah
Server	Balmung

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Attributes

• Agnomen: Val, Van, Vandrean.

• Age: 28
  • Nameday: 12th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon

• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral, (Good).

• Height: 6 Fulms 4 Ilms
• Weight: 260 Ponze
• Physique: Tall, broad, and thickly muscular.

• Hair: A dark auburn-red of some length.
• Eyes: Emerald Green

• Accouterment: Vandrean is often seen sporting a Galerus and Messail while also blending medium to heavy armours with reckless abandon.
  • Armament: Large weapons of punishing effect are the weapons of choice, though it is not uncommon to find Val sporting a wicked, undulant, sword and a bladed lantern shield.

Personality

Women and War

"Brings a right twelvesdamned tear t’me eye.”

Vandrean is a rather brash and garish sort, unreservedly flirtatious, and overall an arrogant and narcissistic man. He loves to flex and pose for the ladies of Eorzea, and will attempt to woo any woman, shamelessly nonchalant of any prior commitments she might have. Val loves to leave them wanting, however, and rarely despoils the night of its innocence, preferring to hear the pouty groans of enamored women as he exits.

Vandrean is also not holden to any company, Grand or Free; no one city state claims his allegiance. He is unbound by ideological constraints and pursues but one agenda: raw, physical, power. To this end, he is drunk with blood, ever warring against increasingly stronger opponents, thrusting himself onto the razor’s edge of life and death. Valerian truly finds a dark pleasure when kissed by the blood of battle, losing himself to the euphoria of a grand fight.

Beyond this… blood + lust, however, is a man eager to forget the past, aching to put at naught the demons within. Thus, it can be said, Valerian considers women and war to be one in the same: a challenge worthy of his blessed presence and rightful conquest, each well able to drown the silent screams of his heart.

Valiance vs Villainy

"T'hells ye think yer goin'?!"

To many, Vandrean seems the stalwart shield, selflessly charging deep into terrifying opposition, shouldering the onslaught and ire of feral beasts and godless men; a ‘hero’ standing where many would fall, giving not an ilm afore his strength should wane as a bulwark for those that traveled with him. But, to tell it true, Valerian is an incredibly selfish warrior. A fight of any magnitude is a deeply personal and cathartic experience for him, thus he cannot suffer any enemy to turn its gaze from him. No, he would see their fear, their hatred, their desperation, roil, all, behind fading eyes. He would drink deep the song of death, listening intently as the last rasp of a dying breath intones its sullen tune.

It is not so much a morbid obsession as much that Vandrean cannot accept an anonymous kill, he would know them by the dialogue of steel; he would honor them by guiding their wretched souls back to the Aether. Valerian knows all too well the throes of death and the intimacy wherewith a life must be taken, thus every kill is measured, valued, and, one day, repaid... It is by these truths, that Valerian may be identified as having a respect for life and not a wanton desire for slaughter.

General Idiosyncrasies

Vandrean is terrified of Carbuncle… it’s shining radiance more a portent of calamity than endearing aid. When confronted with the glimmering gem-crested critter, Van loses all sense of himself and his surroundings, falling into a primal fit of instincts as he lashes out in the singular focus of it’s annihilation.

• Rumors suggest his latest outburst wreaked havoc outside Ul’dah, tearing through Nanamo Mines in a relentless hunt against an already dismissed Carbuncle, his wake damaging much of the Amajina and Son’s equipment until finally sedated by alchemists.
  • It is said Vandrean’s skill with mining is attributed to ‘hard time’ in the mines as reparations for the Concern.

Affiliations

Standing Associations

Naldiq & Vymelli's

Valerian loves the heat of the forge and the slow, steady, rap of a focused hammer; he is wont to subject himself to the discipline of steel, both martial and artisan. Long hours and sleepless nights has Van given himself to the fire and furnace of his "Mistress," losing himself to the passion of the craft and the intoxicating thrum of carefully wrought iron, every ilm of edge and curve given full, unwavering, attention. It is a guilty pleasure, one he seeks often. If it is not the sensual curves and hot embrace of a young lass that Valerian entwines himself, then it is indeed the heat of iron freshly wrought by flame.

Vandrean has had standing relationship with the forgemasters of Limsa Lominsa, often visiting their establishment simply to watch as others bathe in the ecstasy of creation. Recently however, as Val has come to master his art, he has set out to establish his own forge, one where he may yet truly lose himself to his passions... without having some disturbed initiate crying to the Guildmasters.

Amajina & Sons Mineral Concern

In Ul'dah, coin is power. Or, so the monetarists would have the people to believe. A pretty chunk of refined ore bearing a dead monarch's head? No, Vandrean has no need for Gil. Power is in steel. Power is in the ability to cleave a man body and soul, to rend all opposition, to see the enemy driven before you and to see the salvation of those you would protect. What need is there of Coin? It is merely a byproduct of true power. Thus does Valerian throw himself against every challenge, seeking, always, to strengthen himself, to hone his mind and body and further his own agenda.

Yet skill and stamina go only so far. Vandrean is a proud and confident man, but he understands the limits of a mortal body. Arms and armour, accoutrements of varied use... all is of a warrior's need. Valerian initially joined with the Concern for a time for reasons he doesn't speak, but he had taken to the fieldcraft of Mining and spent many a moon slicing through stone deftly as an axe through a sahagin. It was a sick game of his, how deeply might he wound Hydaelynn afore she yields to him what lay beneath her earthen cloak and gown? Though after his "contract" with the Concern was ended, Van found a soothing pleasure in searching for the ore and gems he would one day put under his own hammer.

And so it has been, Vandrean will oft remove himself to exotic locales to bathe in the sun and quiet his mind digging for the raw materials he would give life through the passion of the forge.

Tentative Contracts

The Grand Companies

Vandrean, by nature, will not enter into any affiliation that will bound him to the whim and will of another. However, the Grand Companies of Eorzea are a welcoming lot to his mercenary mindset. Valerian has found gain in the loose alliances he has formed with Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa, and is afforded the right to do as he pleases so long as he picks up their standard from time to time and vaunt their organizations through his own actions.

It is not without price altogether, however, as he is asked more oft than he cares to aid in the Alliance's endeavors.

Currently Valerian holds a respectable position of 2nd Lieutenant within both the Maelstrom and the Immortal Flames.

Established Organizations

The Inexorable

As Valerian has fought and bled across the fields of Eorzea whole, he has come to meet many whose soul resonates with his own, kindred spirits, all burning -raging- for the next challenge in life. Desirous to remain in contact with these brothers and sisters in blood, Vandrean established an underground organization called, "The Inexorable." Not unlike a Free Company, this society of steel is a community that gathers together to go forth and conquer the greatest of challenges, and lauds their motto, "Relentless & Ever Unyielding."

Background

Much and more of the information contained in this section is considered to be common knowledge shared among any who might seek to know the man or simply has ears enough to hear and the wisdom to discern truth from hearsay. Items concealed by a spoiler are considered to be more personal information for those who might claim Vandrean as friend and confidant.

A Cold Beginning

An Ishgardian Highlander, Vandrean is from Coerthas, the Highlands of Western Coerthas to be exact. Owing no allegiance to any of the major houses, his clan was left to its autonomy and independence, furnishing the region with warriors hardened by grand hunts. He would grow into his late teens amidst the tall peaks and evergreens that cradled the small hunting village that was his home, learning and honing skillsets that would later save the young man's life... and still the beating hearts of others.

Son of the Jarl, and betrothed to one of the clan's champions, Vandrean would hardly have fain left his homeland, until the march of the VIIth Legion. It was during the initial campaigns of Gaeus van Baelsar, that would drive Valerian from his home and join with Eorzea whole in it's defense against the Empire. Or so he would have it seen. But any of a careful ear will indeed hear the tale of a village left bereft of life, cast down in blood and ash, betrayed by one of it's own sons.

They say that night raged with fires that danced to horrid screams and the din of steel, leaving naught but a slaughter in its wake. The charred remains of Garlean operatives, and the mangled corpses of women and children were strewn about the small village, valuables picked clean by the scavenging dispossessed. Those that survived the night speak of the Jarl's son, Valerian, walking half dead into the night, covered in the cruor of the slain.

Ishgard had no choice but to place a bounty on Vandrean's head. They would find him, and try him, and see of and for what the Garleans came.

Valerian had wandered into Central Coerthas before falling to his own wounds and the bitter cold. It was there that he met a young Mi'qote Monk that nursed him back to health. The two would grow close as he convalesce, though it wasn't long until he had left her, disappearing in the darkness of an early morning without so much as a thank you.

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Those who are close to Valerian will know that this Monk was more than a Gods-send to him. They shared more than the warmth of the hearth, but shared in the fires of passion, drinking deep the love of the other. She would quell the torment of his mind, and drown the memory of his fiancé. Valerian knew he was falling for her, and he could not abide her sharing his fate, thus he never told her why she found him as he did, and to his relief, she would not press him for a reason. In the end however, Van reasoned within himself he could not remain with her, and so, as she lay asleep, he left.

Vandrean had resolved himself to leave his homeland. Thus he journeyed south, beyond the white of Central Coerthas, into the dark uncertainty of what laid in store. He had heard tale of the Jewel of Thanalan, the Gladiators that made sport of each other in the arenas, and of the lucre to be gleaned from the mines. It was there, in Ul'dah, that he would start anew.

Miscellany

Racial Views

The Mi'qote

"'Ere kitty, kitty."

• Vandrean loves Mi’qote. They are not only appealing to his tastes but he finds them incredibly adorable, often treating the younglings as pets to amuse him. Seeker’s often pique Valerian’s curiosity as much as his animosity concerning the Nunh and will often laud the independence of the Keeper’s and their women over the submissive obedience of traditional harems.

The Lalafell

"Aww... Lala Fell Down. -hic-"

• Lalafell are easy enough for Vandrean to get along with, though he can hardly take them seriously at first. Valerian tends to mesh well with Plainsfolk, finding them kindred spirits in the carefree taverns and mead halls, well able to relax over pint afore stirring up a ‘little’ trouble. Dunesfolk on the other hand, are met with a bit more reservation, keeping strictly to business rather than pleasure.

The Roegadyn

"...Yer name's Dayspring Timber?!"

• Some of Vandrean’s best companions have been Roegadyn. Van respects their strength, their will, and often tests their resolve against his own in varied bar fights and street brawls. Mind, this is not always of the violent sort. Valerian cannot shirk a challenge and will attempt to, out drink, out fight, and out last any and all Hellsguard and Sea Wolf.

The Elezen

"Get the woods out yer arse!"

• Vandrean take Elezen on a case by case basis, but is not without a dominant bias. He maintains a general disdain for the race, carrying a strong hatred toward any Wildwood with an entitled, elitist, attitude lifting themselves up upon a twisted and outdated sense of honor. Duskwights, on the other hand, are met with general distrust, Valerian rather seeing them slink back off into the shadows of whatever hole they crawled from.

The Au Ra

"...Auri..?"

• Vandrean maintains an ignorant stance on the Au Ra, but is visibly ill at ease of any mention concerning Auri females in the area.

The Rumor Mill

Common Gossip

• "He’s more ripped than a Coeurl’s plaything!"
• "Gods forefend… If it’s not fighting, it’s flirtation…"
• "Ever run your hands ‘cross that man’s abs? Harder than Titan’s fist, they are!"
• "Val? He’s harmless ‘nuff. Just watch yer backside; after a pint or three he gets –a little- handsy."

Uncommon Hearsay

• "His scar, so they say, was a gift from an old flame."
• "Don’t be fooled by his antics. There’s something… ominous, about that Highlander."
• "He was chased, malms, out of Forgotten Springs by a group o' Seekers fer ‘pouncing tails’ in the Nunh’s hut!"
• "Vandrean? I thought his name was- wait… what was it, again?"
• "He has a fiancé?!"

Rarest of Words

• "If what I ‘ear’s true… the poor sod’s got an Ishgardian bounty on ‘is ‘ead."
• "Word on the street is the man’s hunted by an Au Ra Raen."
• "He’s definitely not Limsan. The speech is a ruse- for what, I’ve not the foggiest- but, I heard him slip."