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»»—— The Virtuoso ——««

Overcome with fulminant visions, a traveler from distant lands is forced to settle in the dense woodlands of the Twelveswood and reassess his own ambitions. Unbeknownst to the quiet Miqo'te known as A'loq Tia, he will soon be thrust into the heart of seemingly eternal conflict as a Warrior of Light.Although he has since taken the mantle in stride, fate remains far outside of his realm of control. Instead, in moments like these, he would play a song for you. One that strikes a chord so close to home that it appears gently on your very doorstep. Swallow your pain; Won't you sit by the fire and listen to the minstrel's performance?

»»—— ❖ ——««

[ Continually updated | Spoilers up to 6.4 ]

--- || A'loq Tia || ----

the virtuoso; of the singing sword; song keeper

"No song has ever fully satisfied your bleeding heart. You could take it all in: their stories, histories, memories, feelings... and it still wouldn't be enough for you."

--- | Personal | ---

♫ APPEARANCE: A'loq is 5'7" fulms. His most notable features are his dark grey eyes (unusual for Seekers), long tail, and the brown highlights in his hair which appeared after Ardbert entrusted his soul to him. He usually keeps his long hair in a braid.♫ APPAREL: A'loq typically wears clothes that he's given/gifted. He doesn't like exposing attire because he prefers to cover up his scars (unless it's a tit window). The accessories he wears frequently are a dai-ryumyaku earring from his mother, a Redbill scarf tied to his waist belt, and Azem's crystal tied to a necklace.♫ RELIGION: His own experiences with religion are complex, having grown up in Garlemald and then under a culture that believes in the kami. He will occasionally visit the Church of Saint Adama Landama (Azeyma) and dedicate prayers to Halone out of respect to Haurchefant and the students of the scholasticate.♫ LANGUAGES: A'loq's mother taught him ancient Hingan tongue and writing as a part of his traditional art studies when he was younger. He learned the language of the Steppe during his time spent with the Qalli. He can also recognizes several words in Garlean and Fae.♫ RELATIONSHIP STATUS: A'loq was in a relationship with Haurchefant, but the tragedy of his death left him extremely hesitant to become romantically attached to anyone else. He had a fling with Leofard and they separated on good terms. Following Endwalker, A'loq eventually became romantic partners with Thancred and Urianger and eternally bonded with them.♫ RESIDENCE: No permanent residence. He shifts between the House Fortemps Manor, the Crystarium, the Rising Stones, and various inns.♫ AFFILIATIONS: The Scions of the Seventh Dawn, The Adventurer's Guild, The God's Quiver (former affiliation), Skysteel Manufactory, Athenaerium Astrologicum, the Last Dregs, Hoper's Hold♫ FEARS: Toxiphobia (fear of being poisoned or drugged), Pharmacophobia (fear of taking medicine), Trypanophobia (fear of injections and needles), failing/disappointing others, losing his autonomy or freedom

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--- | Detailed Personality | ---

A'loq is an aloof Hingan-raised Miqo'te, primarily recognized as the Song Keeper across Etheirys. It took much dedication and grief for A'loq to earn his title. Though he is weighed down by the tales of the fallen in all their tragic and horrific glory, he stands tall to perform until the finale to conduct his allies to a definitive triumph.Victory has always tasted bittersweet on the tongue of the Warrior of Light who has always felt others' emotions as if they were his own, but he would rather allow the wounds to fester than to forget. To forget is to allow the memory of what once lived to die. If he must bear this weight, then so be it.

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--- | COMBAT EXPERTISE | ---

A'loq is recognized as a physical ranged and melee fighter, the occasional tank, and a clumsy and timid healer. He cannot manipulate his own aether; as a result, he relies on his aetherotransformer to draw upon it. His speed and endurance are incredibly high which usually allows him to outlast his opponents. He also aims for his opponents' weak points in an effort to defeat them swiftly.As a talented marksman, A'loq is capable of wielding bows, firearms, and even a Garlean gunblade into the heat of battle. What he lacks in spellcasting he makes up for with his boundless reservoir of aether and Hydaelyn's Blessing of Light. Every arrow and bullet he shoots is so potently charged with aether that he is capable of felling beasts and Magitek alike in one expertly aimed shot.Following the events of Endwalker, A'loq discovered his penchant for manipulating dynamis and explored these abilities independently.[ Select the job icons to read more ]

--- | Combat Style | ---

goes silent | attacks steadily | high pain tolerance | goes for the kill | rushes in unless given a strategy | becomes visibly frustrated when losing | high stamina | avoids civilians | elegant fighter | uses unnecessary movements (flips, twirls) | refuses defeat | prefers to dodge | uses all available advantages | holds back when fighting alongside others

--- | Strengths | ---

MUSIC & DYNAMIS ⸻ A'loq picks up new instruments fairly easily with consistent practice, but he primarily plays the lyre, violin, and piano.
Despite his inability to handle his own emotions responsibly, his strongest and most well-known ability as a Warrior of Light is his ability to sense and influence others’ emotions. Via his desire to protect his loved ones and aid his comrades, he can interpret songs from his soul stone or compose original pieces that hold sway over the hearts of men.MARKSMANSHIP ⸻ His impeccable aim makes him a force to reckon with on the battlefield, whether he's wielding his bow, firearms, or Garlean gunblade.MACHINE EMPATHY ⸻ Despite his humble protests, A'loq is a rather skilled machinist. He was taught the basics of machine maintenance and the inner mechanics of Magitek by Phaedrus, one of his adoptive fathers. His keen eyes allow him to effectively identify defects and areas for improvement. If he trained more diligently, he could become a skilled engineer, but he adamantly refuses to due to his complex past with Garlean Magitek.CELESTIAL READINGS ⸻ Reading the heavens is an art of interpretation, but according to Leveva, A’loq mastered it and made it into his own art of communication with the stars themselves. Although he rarely performs readings, his interpretations in divining fates tend to be highly accurate. While other astrologians may become trapped by their vacillation between readings, A’loq follows his heart and claims that there is always one reading which stands out.

--- | WEAKNESSES | ---

AETHER DISABILITY ⸻ A'loq was born under the Garlean Empire as part of a research study to design a weapon that could suppress other races' ability to manipulate aether and use magick.As a result of genetic modification, it is impossible for A'loq to manipulate aether without the aetherotransformer gifted to him by Stephanivien. However, the device only allows him to release aether in bursts meaning that he can't charge or cast spells. His aether condition is similar to Thancred’s, but unlike Thancred’s aether which is unstable, A’loq’s boundless aether is seemingly trapped inside of him.By the events of Endwalker, A'loq manages to upgrade his aetherotransformer and becomes capable of casting spells. With this, he becomes able to utilize the full potential of his AST soul crystal, but expending aether this way easily tires him out more than the average person.PHOBIAS ⸻ A'loq has toxiphobia (fear of being poisoned or drugged), pharmacophobia (fear of taking medicine), and trypanophobia (fear of injections and needles) as a result of his traumatic experiences within the Castrum.ACADEMICS ⸻ Although A'loq is musically and mechanically inclined, he lacks in most other academic disciplines. He's literate, but not well-read. He learns best through a hands-on approach and is not the studious type. It's incredibly difficult for him to fully understand and retain what he learns in fields such as aetherology and alchemy. Dry reading is seven hells for him.

--- || Physical aiming dps || ---

WIP

♬ ACTIONS♬ UNIQUE ACTIONS
- Overture:
- Calamity's Dirge:
- Call of the Void:♬ LIMIT BREAK
- LB1 Big Shot:
- LB2 Desperado: "Kindly, get out of our way."
- LB3 Saggitarius Arrow: "This is how it's done!"
- LB3 Satellite Beam: "Let's end this!"♬UNIQUE LIMIT BREAK
- LB3 Phantom Orchestra: "And here's the finale!"
- LB3 Hellfire: "Watch and learn."

Two Seekers were captured by Garlean forces and brought into captivity. Through in vitro fertilisation, A'loq was born and became a subject of a genealogy and medical research study. The studies were a part of a larger project to design a weapon that could suppress other races' ability to use magick. Within the Castrum where he was raised, A'loq was subjected to intrusive procedures, interviews, and experiments, and when he wasn't, he was an assistant for the legion's engineers. However, A'loq found solace through time spent with the other children and their caretakers, chief medicus Celio lux Salvius and centurio Phaedrus quo Modesto.Celio disapproved of the conducted experiments and the changes in policy regarding the treatment of non-Garleans under the new Legatus of his legion. Phaedrus, his close friend at the time, found a woman in Kugane willing to raise the children once they were brought to her. In exchange for all of his research and inventions without credit, Celio made an agreement with the Legatus to defect from the legion with the children. To his surprise, the Legatus accepted the deal.

Celio and the four children (two Raen Au Ra brothers by blood, a Hyur girl, and A'loq) traveled to Kugane to leave them in the care of the woman, Satsuki, a retired geiko. She would care for the four of them and raise them to learn the art of performance.Contrary to Celio's original plans to leave the children behind, Satsuki convinced him to conceal his identity and remain in Kugane. As a result, Celio became a medic in the Rakuza District. Years later, Phaedrus would follow suit, deserting the legion in the middle of battle and becoming a repairman/blacksmith in Kokajiya.Although A'loq showed promise as a musician, he was stubborn during his childhood. It was common for him to rebel against his mentors by ignoring them or refusing to speak to them, and he often skipped practice to pursue his dreams of becoming an adventurer instead. He was a bad influence on his younger brother.

Eventually, his parents reluctantly decided to support his dreams. Phaedrus took him on a journey to Othard, revealing that he had hidden away his battered Magitek Armor in the wilderness shortly after defecting. Over the next several months, Phaedrus taught A'loq how to fight with a Garlean gunblade and how to repair various pieces of Magitek, requiring him to fix the Magitek Armor and beat him in combat if he wanted to leave home.Eventually, A'loq accomplished both of Phaedrus' set objectives. He left Kugane and spent five years traveling, completing odd jobs to make ends meet and gaining a plethora of experience. Most of these jobs involved work as a hired machinist or musician. One of these years was spent with the Qalli on the Azim Steppe, adapting to their method of communication through song. He spent some time traveling with a Viera, Ashelia or Ashe for short, and traveled with her through Doma, Dalmasca, and Thavnair. Another year was spent once again in Garlean captivity, forced to serve as a musician under the IVth Imperial Legion to prepare for an upcoming ceremony attended by Emperor Solus, and learning traditional Garlean music and piano until he made his escape.Around the age of 22, A'loq began to experience visions and fainting spells which became a detriment to his travels.

A'loq settled in Gridania around the age of 23. As an outsider, it took him a long time to adjust to living in Gridania. His presence was not initially welcomed until he proved his resourcefulness and dedication to work and received Miounne's support. Under Miounne's guidance, A'loq next joined the Quiver's Hold which better suited him once he mastered the bow and arrow. He worked closely with his partners Silvairre and Leih Aliapoh. The three, despite their differences, managed to capture poachers including the infamous Pawah Mujuuk. Eventually, he would become a member of the God's Quiver and around this time, A'loq began training under Jehantel in the South Shroud who taught him everything he knows about battlesongs.Around the age of 26, A'loq met Yda and Papalymo... and reunited with Ashe, now known as Dove Carline, in Gridania which is when his story began to follow the main questline.

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--- | Familial Relations | ---

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--- | Platonic Relations | ---

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--- | Romantic Relations | ---

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Not long after becoming a member of the Royal Court, Aelle was selected by Emet-Selch to fill Azem’s seat despite the Ascians’ dissent due to Azem opposing their cause and vacating his seat on the Convocation.At the time, Emet-Selch was still optimistic of the sundered’s potential. He entrusted Azem’s crystal to Aelle, hoping to prove the futility of fighting against the Great Rejoining and show him the glory of the unsundered world. Aelle would accept the crystal and began to use his position in the court to work his influence within the royal court in service of the Ascians.Unexpectedly, Aelle became close to Elidibus who acted as the Empress' royal advisor. While they were both somewhat aware of each others' hidden intentions, they acted like old friends around one another and conducted research and experiments on restoring the unsundered world together.

Eventually however, Aelle turned on the Ascians. He revealed that he had secretly been in contact with the Warrior of Light since the beginning and had only become an Ascian to gather information on their schemes. While Emet-Selch and Lahabrea fought against the Warrior of Light and the rest of the Royal Guard, Aelle attempted to use the mysterious crystal (known as white auracite on the Source) to fight against Elidibus in the void, but Elidibus had long seen through his deceit and warded off his attack.

Elidibus killed Aelle without hesitation and would later report his death to Emet-Selch once the Warrior of Light had been dispatched of. He admonished Emet-Selch for his naivety in a shard of Azem’s presence. These events were enough to disillusion Emet-Selch and to view the sundered as feeble and distorted reflections of the people he once knew.

Aitala hailed from a humble farming village, home to many retired adventurers and warriors. To her surprise, she was one day approached by a retired healer residing in the village who had recognized her unusual talent for harnessing the elements. They would teach her everything they knew- until their lives were uprooted by an eidolon attack.While the rest of her village was either brutally slain or subjugated by the eidolon's aether, Aitala was spared through the Blessing of Light. This did not deter the eidolon who continued to force devastating amounts of aether into her body. The stress of fighting off its influence strengthened her power and the echo, but weakened her physical body- turning her frail and her hair white.

In the end, it was Aitala's mentor who saved her life and sacrificed their own to grant Aitala an opportunity to escape. Aitala fled and was eventually found by memoriates who were en route toward the village. Under their protection, Aitala recovered. She began to hear Hydaelyn's voice and vowed to use her newfound strength to combat the eidolon menace and the enigmatic forces that were spreading the art of eidolon summoning around the world.

In the midst of her journeys, Hydaelyn instructed Aitala to find a young man by the name of Edge, her chosen Warrior of Light of the Thirteenth. Edge had a similar background as Aitala, having come from a town devastated by an eidolon, but he had yet to find confidence in his own abilities or the courage to face a true enemy in battle outside of training. Aitala personally trained Edge and kept them in hiding when they were pursued by corrupted memoriates and eventually, Ascians. Both Aitala and Edge would also don white robes to distinguish themselves from the memoriates as more of them were corrupted.

After some time, Aitala and the Warrior of Light became privy to the Ascians plans to rejoin the Thirteenth to the Source. With this in mind, they planned a failsafe as the war reached its peak. Seeing that the world was at a point of no return, they faced Igeyorhm together, and were outmatched- as planned. Aitala manipulated Igeyorhm, claiming that killing the Thirteenth's Watcher of the Moon would bring forth a calamity suitable for the rejoining. In an uncharacteristic show of cowardice, Aitala plead for her and the Warrior of Light's lives in exchange for this information, but both of them were immediately killed.

Choosing to use Aitala's knowledge, Igeyorhm in turn manipulated Durante to slay the Watcher. However, in a mad attempt to forestall the rejoining, Aitala had fed Igeyorhm misleading information. Once Zodiark's fragment was freed, its aether had no avenue to return to the Source. Aitala and the Warrior of Light's last act was to bring about the flood of darkness, allowing their world to become consumed rather than allowing rejoined to the Source. Aitala prayed however, that one day, the heroes of the distant future would find a way to reverse the devastation wrought by her sins and restore her world.

Mesa was an eccentric, known for purposefully getting herself lost in the wilderness and using the stars to navigate her way home. From an early age, she would hear Hydaelyn's voice as distant whispers and followed her guidance to protect her people.

During the last years of the Third Astral Era, the Allagan Empire under Emperor Xande's rule initiated their invasion of Meracydia. Mesa witnessed the destruction of her home first-hand. Helpless, she fled with the remaining survivors. Eventully, she fought to the best of her ability alongside the resistance and Bahamut, but once Bahamut was slain, the tribes of Meracydia began to turn to eikons for salvation.

Though Hydaelyn urgently warned against this course of action, Mesa had lost trust in Her, blaming Her for Meracydia's imminent destruction. Mesa's role was crucial in the summoning of Sophia, the Goddess. Although she was shielded by the Blessing of Light, Mesa began to take her teachings of equilibrium to heart. She helped the Goddess temper many Meracydian souls to unite them against the Allagan Empire, imbuing their souls with a transcendent understanding of balance and harmony. Eventually, she became Sophia's trusted oracle.Mesa, like the Goddess, showed boundless benignity to her own tempered allies, but was merciless in battle. She even learned how to use the Echo to transcend her physical form, often stealing the bodies of slain Allagans to ensure her own survival in battles. Even when Emet-Selch confronted her, she used her cunning to outsmart him and destroy his mortal shell. She fled however, when Lahabrea arrived and wounded her in battle.

Before Sophia's imprisonment by the Allagans, Mesa received her direct instructions to conspire with a rebel faction within Allag. Those of the rebel faction tampered with the prison intended for Sophia. With this, Sophia and her most loyal thralls chanced to be captured, planning to attack from within the heart of Allag once the rebels could exploit the weakness in their confines and free them. Much to their chagrin however, their plans were discovered before they could be fulfilled, thanks to the Ascians' intervention.Out of desperation, Mesa took action on her own, leading Sophia's thralls in an attack on Allag. During the chaos, Mesa hoped to reach Sophia's prison, but was confronted by Lahabrea. He took Mesa unawares, managing to kill her in one decisive blow. While most Meracydians remembered her as a hero, the Allagans would remember her as a madwoman- hellbent on destroying everything in her path to enact her revenge.

Eventually, Nimue's talent for harnessing the power of voidsent was recognized. The Coven granted her privilege of becoming High Voidmage Cessair's convoy. Over the years, the pair grew close and fell in love with one another. Although the two dreamed dreamed of a quiet life spent dedicated to the study of black magic (and practicing needlework), the War of the Magi was on the horizon, and both were dragged into the conflict between Mhach and Nym.

Nimue frequently traveled alongside Cessair to wherever the Coven commanded to wage war against the White Mages of Ampador. While the two were unmatched on the battlefield, Cessair grew more and more hesitant to step on the battlefield once she realized the destruction the war had wrought on the land's aether. Eventually, Cessair outright disregarded an order from the Coven and was imprisoned.

Cessair was put on trial and labeled as a traitor for her anti-war sentiments. It was also rumored that Nimue had turned on her, capturing Cessair for the Coven. In reality, Cessair had turned herself in under the guise of being captured by Nimue. Nimue acted as Cessair's eyes and ears in the world until she was granted a pardon to work on the Void Ark. Nimue also cared for her familiar, Cait Sith, in her absence.

Nimue accompanied Cessair onto the Ark. However, Scathach proved to be stronger than any of the void mages present. Nimue perished in her fight against the Shadow Queen, and Cessair and the 53 other void mages would sacrifice themselves to seal Scathach away.

Azem, Fourteenth seat of the Convocation, was responsible for traveling Etheirys and maintaining intimate relationships with its people as their counselor. Her true name was Aoede, the muse of voice and song in Greek Mythology.From an early age, Aoede was a maverick within Akadaemia Anyder. He often drifted between disciplines, starting as a student of Lahabrea which is how he met and befriended Erichthonios. Not long after, he was sought out by Altima for his musical talents- a short-lived mentorship due to the fact that Aoede cut ties with them, claiming that they were restricting his vision. Eventually, he became known for regularly shirking his studies to wander, much to the concern of his closest friends.When Aoede began to disappear for longer periods of time, her friends discovered that she was venturing outside of the city... far outside of Amaurot. However, Aoede appeared to be in higher spirits whenever she returned to Amaurot. Eventually, after a longer journey, she returned to Amaurot at Venat's side, having become Azem's protégé.Aoede was headstrong with a righteous streak, using the force of her personality and strength to pave a path for herself and others. However, her anger was something to fear; though she was only known to become angry on others' behalf, she often took matters too far. It was common to find her in the midst of duels against Emet-Selch and other Convocation members when she lost her patience with them, though she would never raise her axe against Emmerololth. Music brought her peace and carried her through her darker days.

During the chaos of the Final Days, Azem fervently opposed both the Convocation and Venat. Frustrated when no one would take his words to heart, he first fought on the streets of Amaurot until he was overwhelmed by the rampaging terminus. Emmerololth would heal him and drag him back to the Convocation. However, once he arrived, Aoede immediately vacated his seat and once again ventured outside of Amaurot to try and protect as many people as he could. In an all-consuming fit of rage, he fought, and fought, and was sundered.

The sundering failed to expunge Azem's hatred. Death after death, rebirth after rebirth, that selfsame rage would never fail to manifest within his shards. Some of Azem's shards are heroes, but most are simply souls who are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their loved ones... and to enact revenge against those who would harm them.

Aoede was bigender and used (he/him) and (she/her) pronouns interchangeably, regardless of what form she took. She shifted between two forms to present herself.In battle, Aoede was an all-rounder, capable of assuming any necessary role. In the Source, she would be recognized as a WAR, DRG, and AST based on the weapons and magicks she wielded.

--- | EMMEROLOLTH | ---

Emmerololth, the Seat with the foremost authority in medicine and healing was known as Thisbe to Aoede. The two grew up together and were queerplatonic partners. She was a talented healer who initially studied healing magic to patch Aoede over and over when they were younger. The two were so close that they often merged consciousness so that Aoede could share her adventures with Thisbe- sights and experiences that could not be communicated in words.

Short for her age with a permanent baby face, Thisbe often showed up to work in wrinkled robes and a bedhead. She was sweet enough that there were concerns about her being able to perform her role without causing herself turmoil, but at the end of the day, she was exacting and immovable as a healer. She succeeds or she fails, and failures are to be learned from so mistakes are not repeated.

Aoede and Thisbe were inseparable until the Final Days. Emmerololth as the authority of medicine and healing accepted the sacrifice of half of Etheirys for the sake of the future (this story of which is told here). As a healer and the arbiter of who lives and dies, she saw this sacrifice as that same role of judgement, just on a wider scale. Difficult decisions had to be made for the better good, and she was an unyielding force of the Convocation on the decision.

However, Thisbe sympathized with Aoede, understanding that she was simply thinking of the people of Etheirys due to her seat. Thisbe attempted to speak with Aoede one last time before she could leave Amaurot to convince her of the path the Convocation needed to take together.

Thisbe persuaded Aoede to bare their souls to one another- to merge consciousness once again. This time however, Thisbe tried to imprint her desires onto Aoede, to save him even if he didn’t want to be saved. Before this could happen, Aoede severed their connection and freed himself, raising his axe at her for the first time. Azem, feeling betrayed, and Emmerololth, in rage at being denied, separated and never saw each other again.

--- | Notes | ---

☆ Thank you for visiting! ☆My name is Aran. I mainly play ranged physical DPS jobs and also enjoy tanking.Feel free to reach out to me on tumblr! I would be happy to talk about A'loq, your characters, or FFXIV in general there.