Westleigh Faolain
 Westleigh Faolain
| |
 "Fascinating..." | |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Hyur |
| Clan | Midlander |
| Citizenship | Limsa Lominsa |
| Place of Birth | Fallgourd Float, Northern Shroud |
| Guardian | Rhalgr, the Destroyer |
| Nameday | 14th Day of the 4th Umbral Moon (Age: 21) |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Occupation | Librarian, scholar |
| Pronunciation | Wess - lay Fow - lane |
Contents
Basic Info
"People are, well, people. They're just... there. Arcanima is something totally different, with all its intricacies and various aspects. Some people can interact with it, and others can't. Why would I bother paying attention to people when there's something far more interesting waiting for me out in the world?" —Wes, on his lack of interaction with fellow students
Appearance
Height: About 70 inches, or 5'10"
Weight: 137 lbs
Complexion: Fair, bordering on pale
Hair: Brownish-blonde
Eyes: Gray-blue
Particular Traits: Exceedingly thin, indicative of his poor health and almost-nonexistent eating habits
Voice: Quiet, with the occasional halting pause as he second-guesses his speech or tries to think of how to properly phrase his words
Clothing Style: Practical - no real desire for a fashionable appearance
Laterality: Right-handed
Tastes
Hobbies
- Journaling
- Poetry
- Reading
Likes
- Books, manuscripts, and other writings -- if it's in writing and is being debated by scholars, Wes will happily jump in and read it from cover to cover.
- Casual strolls -- Wes often takes short walks when he needs a break from his bubble of books that still don't occur as often as they should.
- Food, particularly tea and biscuits -- what's better than afternoon tea?
- Intellectual discussion, particularly on arcanima -- Wes is quite fond of sharing what he knows with others, and loves to get into discussions on the various elements of magical studies.
- Reading and all those who take reading seriously -- books are the best, aren't they?
- Research
Dislikes
- Anyone who reminds him of himself too closely -- Wes is acutely aware of his own shortcomings, and he projects his dislike for his flaws onto people who are reminiscent of him in some way, usually by criticizing them harshly or shunning them outright.
- Drama, whether theatrical, emotional, or social -- if people are causing drama, Wes doesn't have time for it. It interferes with his studies and just makes a mess.
- Having to eat vegetables -- because of bad experiences with Forest Funguars in his childhood, Wes has been permanently turned off from eating vegetables.
- Loud neighbors -- yet another obstruction to productive study time, and therefore, something to be avoided at all costs.
- Martial combat -- Wes has an innate distaste for melee fighting, seeing displays of martial prowess as inane bragging about one's physical aptitude.
- Non-readers and those who don't take reading seriously -- what do you MEAN you don't like books?!
Favorites
- Color: Gray
- Food: Biscuits, any sort
- Drinks: Tea, any sort
- Scent: Fresh tea, new book smell, pumpkins
- Place: Limsa Lominsa, Upper Decks
- Festival: Starlight Celebration
Goals
- To be able to provide for his family back in the Black Shroud
- To get Shreve, his carbuncle companion, to stop knocking over his bookshelves
- To one day become one of the foremost scholars on arcanima in all of Eorzea
Religion
Wes has a basic appreciation for the Twelve, but beyond his acknowledgment that they exist and have some kind of role in mortal affairs, he has no further religious practices or views. The closest he gets is his devotion to his studies, which borders on book worship.
Alignment
LN - lawful neutral. Wes has very few powerful convictions that influence him, but he does strive to maintain order in his life and live in accordance with the rules he has set for himself, as well as those that have been imposed upon him by his membership in the Arcanists' Guild.
Personality
Wes likes everything in his life to be just so. As far as other people are concerned, he couldn't care less, but he prefers his daily goings-on to be structured, predictable, and mundane. He's never taken to the adventuring lifestyle very well, preferring to stay holed up with his books. This hasn't done much to improve his health over the years, not to mention the psychological damage he's suffered from a prolonged lack of healthy social interaction. Beneath the surface, he's actually quite frightened about his future, convinced that he'll never be able to function as a productive member of society or be a part of anything greater than his endless studies in the guild.
Quirks
Wes has a major quirk by way of the conversations he holds with Shreve, his carbuncle. He swears up and down that Shreve can communicate with him through his facial expressions, which Wes always responds to with some degree of indignation or disagreement, as he asserts that Shreve is a "royal pain in the unmentionables" and "the worst familiar a man could be fated to receive". However, seeing as how Shreve never seems to do much by way of his expressions, it's virtually impossible to tell whether the carbuncle actually goes out of its way to bother Wes or not.
Flaws
Wes's biggest flaw is his indecisiveness. He weighs every option and considers every situation from every point of view, agonizing over every little detail and burning a lot of time and energy in the process. It often paralyzes him and leaves him unable to take opportunities when they present themselves, and so he is usually left behind or ends up missing out on the possibilities of social interaction, work placement, and other such events that would be beneficial to his development.
Fears
As mentioned before, Wes has a deep-seated fear of never being accepted or finding a place to fit into society. He has trouble with social interaction, never makes friends, and sequesters himself in study for long hours, all of which only serve his need to prove his worth and abilities. He is also tremendously afraid of stinging insects and sentient plants. His greatest fear, however, is that he will never be able to change - he feels that he will always stay the same person, no matter what he does or how many years go by.
Talents
Wes has a gift for literary analysis and summary, as he can dissect remarkably dense intellectual jargon, unpack its meaning, and interpret it in layman's terms. He throws himself into research without hesitation, making him a valuable resource for those seeking out specific evidence or citations for scholarly work. He has an eye for aesthetics that is curiously absent in his own life, given that most of his wardrobe is comprised of basic grays and blues, but he doesn't allow his tastes to interfere with his perception of reality.
Intelligence
Wes is an exceptionally intelligent young man, but his intellect is buried beneath his lack of social etiquette and his inability to figure out how to communicate with "normal" people. He understands some of the most complex subjects in academia quite well; on the other hand, he has little to understanding of how people work or how to relate to them. In short, he's profoundly egocentric precisely because his intellect is so sharp.
Comparisons
Final Fantasy Characters
- Arc, Final Fantasy III -- Wes's closest contemporary in the Final Fantasy series is Arc, a bookish orphan who is motivated by his desire to prove something of himself and be accepted by others. Wes shares Arc's sense of inadequacy, love of reading, big imagination, and social awkwardness.
Other Game Characters
Anime Characters
- Kunikida Doppo, Bungo Stray Dogs -- just as Kunikida Doppo has a love of academia and unusual powers that stem from his relationship to his books, Wes displays many of these same qualities. While Kunikida is more invested in the Ideal by which he shapes every aspect of his life, Wes diverges from his character by relying less on an ideal and more on straight-up perseverance to succeed in life.
TV Tropes
To be expanded upon at a later date.
Abilities and Skills
Personal
- Linguistics -- Wes's extensive studies of ancient manuscripts and long-forgotten texts often call for a deep knowledge of linguistics for the sake of translation.
- Spellcraft -- thanks to his in-depth understanding of the workings of magic, Wes is often capable of identifying a given spell's properties and function with only a quick glance, allowing him to plan a response that will fit the situation.
Weapons
- None -- Wes is staunchly opposed to the use of physical weapons, as he is too frail and clumsy to utilize the vast majority of weapons in any effective fashion.
Magic
- Arcanima -- Wes is a skilled arcanist, and while his abilities are still growing and developing at a slow pace, he has already displayed a high degree of proficiency with magic that comes naturally to those sensitive to the aether.
- White Magic -- while Wes is a firm believer in the power of magic, he prefers its restorative and curative properties over its destructive ones. He is less of an offensive caster and more of a supportive caster, as evidenced by his reliance on the manipulation of aether flow to cure wounds and protect allies.
Crafting
- Alchemy and Tailoring -- Wes is a fledgling alchemist, as it is the only profession that permits him to produce the proper paper and ink for arcane grimoires. He also dabbles in clothcraft in order to create clothes that allow him to comfortably work in magically-saturated environments.
Family and Relationships
DISCLAIMER
All what is written here bears absolutely no OOC feelings, and may be subject to change as the story develops. If your name doesn't appear in this list, I have probably forgotten, or my character just doesn't remember you. Please do not use these information to affect you ICly or mess with my character's feelings. Use of OOC information will be flagged as god-moding and I will not react to it ICly if I feel this is what you're doing.
Relatives
Wes's father, mother, and younger sister are still alive and well in the Black Shroud. He sends a portion of his earnings back to them every month, but as much as he misses and adores his family, he cannot travel very often with his health in the state that it's in. This section will be updated further if/when Wes makes any meaningful, long-lasting connections.
Positive
Neutral
Negative
Affiliations
- Arcanists' Guild -- Wes has been a proud member of Limsa Lominsa's guild of arcanists for the past four years, and he derives immense satisfaction from being a part of it. It is the single most important influence in his life - his profession, his perspectives, and his livelihood are all wrapped up within the scope of the guild.
Music Themes
Note: Vocal Songs are attributed themes in which the lyrics seem to relate or partially relate to the character. They don't mean to resemble the character's voice. The instrumental themes are meant to give an idea of the atmosphere around the character. Songs with character names (example: "Tidus's Theme") are NOT meant to indicate that the character is like the theme owner. I just find the instruments and melody fitting, not the character the song was originally addressed to.
Vocal Songs
Blur - "Charmless Man"
Darren Korb - "Mother, I'm Here (Zulf's Theme)"
Garbage - "Not Your Kind Of People"
Karma Fields - "Skyline"
Mike Oldfield - "Nuclear"
The Cribs - "I'm A Realist"
The Wombats - "Here Comes The Anxiety"
Instrumental Themes
Arkasia - "Infinity - Original Mix"
Axiom Verge - "Vital Tide"
Faux Tales - "Dystopia"
Haywyre - "Grey"
Rumors
Note: This section is editable by anyone. Just keep in mind that the rumors here may be both true or false.
History
Name and Lifestyle
Name Etymology
- Westleigh -- Australian/British English, antiquated spelling of Wesley/Westley, meaning "Of/From the Western Meadow"
- Faolain -- Gaelic, meaning "little/small wolf"
Nicknames
- "The Carbuncle Whisperer" -- initially intended as a demeaning moniker from one of Wes's more malicious peers, Wes has taken up this mantle because of his close relationship with Shreve. Even though he earned it from their constant bickering - at least, his constant bickering at Shreve, who takes it all in its stride - he has adopted it as a bit of self-deprecating humor that nevertheless suggests his quasi-ability to communicate with his familiar.
Current Residence
Wes currently resides in a modest tenement on the outer edges of Limsa Lominsa. Since he has an almost-negligible income and no savings, he can't afford the nicer housing reserved for adventurers in residential districts such as the Mist. He spends most of his time in the city, seeing as how it's difficult for him to make any extended trips to other locales.
Before Dalamud's Fall
Birth and childhood (0-10)
Westleigh Faolain was the firstborn of the Faolain family, who made a modest living in Fallgourd Float. Life in the Black Shroud was easy at first, and with the comfort and safety of Gridania not too far away, they were able to confidently lay down roots for the sake of their children's futures. However, when Wes was only a few years old, he was beset by an illness the family could neither identify nor cure, and he came close to death on occasion. Wes's ill health spurred the family to call upon the services of as many conjurers as they could afford, placing great strain on the family's finances for the sake of keeping the small boy alive.
After a great degree of study and deliberation, it was revealed that part of Wes's problem was his prominent sensitivity to the aether, which affected his body in strange ways and forced it to have to adapt to fluctuations in the flow of magical energy around him. Unfortunately, most of it was simply the result of a poor immune system and undernourishment - his illness prevented him from taking in the requisite amounts of food and drink to allow him to grow at a healthy rate. The worst of the sickness abated by the time he was five years old, but some of the symptoms persisted beyond that point, and his health issues only lessened in number, not severity. This progressed to the point where Wes's family could hardly take the time to work - his younger sister, Ainsleigh, had been born when he was three, and between her and Wes's constant need for attention, they slowly slipped into poverty.
Teen Years
By the time Wes reached adolescence, he had been placed in a difficult position; while it was the duty of his family to attend to him and support his arduous recovery process, he was the most significant burden they had placed upon them at the time. Even Ainsleigh was helping take care of him by then, and that was the last straw for Wes. He resolved to lessen his family's burdens by offering his services as a tutor to whomever was interested in learning. It was far from a perfect solution, but it worked out long enough for Wes to save some money with the goal of acquiring more thorough treatment for his ailments. It was during this time that Wes developed his profound interest in the study of arcanima, and he set about the task of acquiring as many written works on the subject as he could. Sometime during this period, he summoned Shreve for the first time, which immediately alleviated the headaches he'd been having by concentrating his aether into a small pocket outside his body. It seemed as if his life were on an upward swing... and then the moon was plucked from the sky.
After Dalamud's Fall
Adulthood
Bahamut's arrival changed everything. When the Elder Primal wreaked havoc upon the face of the land, and the debris from Dalamud scouring Eorzea's surface, it became clear that Wes's issues were the least of the family's worries if they could not find refuge from the devastation. When the smoke cleared, the world was a very different place, rife with dangerous beasts and unfamiliar terrain. It was the most trying time of their lives, but after banding together with other families from the Black Shroud, they managed to survive, and Wes made it to his sixteenth year without further incident.
Finally, his time had come. Wes gathered up the funds he'd scraped together and, after selling most of his possessions save his collection of books, he bid farewell to his family in order to journey across the sea to Vylbrand, home of Limsa Lominsa and the Arcanists' Guild. He quickly made a home for himself there and plunged headlong into his studies, determined to put his intellect to work and begin paying back his family for their undying support.
A Realm Reborn (Present, 21)
Wes is now a member in good standing of the Arcanists' Guild, and he frequents the decks of Limsa Lominsa when he's not buried beneath a mountain of paper or arguing with Shreve about the looks he's giving him. His primary goal is to supplement his family's income with his own so they can continue rebuilding their lives in the Black Shroud while he continues his studies with the guild. In the meantime, he has a long way to go socially, and has recently begun taking bold strides to meet friends, including hanging out in taverns and going to singles' night events.
Other Notes
Wanted for Interesting Roleplay
- All you have to do is play along with the "conversations" between him and his Topaz Carbuncle. The rest is gravy! ...unless you don't like gravy. Then it can be whatever you want it to be.
