Player Name: Famine E-mail: nova.puppets@gmail.com Preferred Contact:novatierrie, timeskips#3493 on Discord Timezone: Central Current Characters in Victory Road: None
Personality: Once, not so long ago, Estinien was a very intense man driven by a deep hatred for dragons and Nidhogg in particular, as well as grief for his lost family and a desperate desire for the war that took them and commanded every waking moment of his life to end. When first met by the player character (should they take the Lancer job and continue into the Dragoon storyline), Estinien has left his home to draw what he senses is an imminent attack away from Ishgard and its people. Just as much as he wished to avenge his family, he also wished to protect his home. To accomplish his goals, he trained furiously and, starting as a low-born orphan (possibly the worst starting point for someone from his society) he fought his way to the position of the Azure Dragoon, the pre-eminent warrior of Ishgardian society. Anything that didn't put him in a better position to fight their enemies was summarily dismissed. Also, anything that would help, even collaborating with an enemy, was considered. He spent as much time studying dragons as he has fighting them, anything to gain an edge--he's very observant, for how little he generally speaks of those observations.
Estinien has very, very little patience for social posturing, as he's found. He trained day and night to gain the strength to destroy Nidhogg and end the war, not spend time faffing about at parties. Despite being a high-ranked person, for all intents and purposes new nobility in a society that takes that very seriously, he spends all of his time either learning about dragons to best know how to defeat them, or actually out fighting. It's gotten to the point where no one expects him to show up, even at official functions where part of his responsibilities is to be there. Technically, he's the commander of an entire unit of dragoons, but you'll never see him at their head. Part of this is because of his loner nature, but he also doesn't want to drag anyone into danger if he can help it, and has more faith in his own strength than that of others. Part of his character arc throughout the main story of Heavensward is learning to rely on other people as he journeys with the Warrior, Alphinaud, and Ysayle. Even if he had other allies before, that he even trusted, he always held himself apart.
Between his antisocial nature and tendency to put his foot in his mouth or just be an asshole when he is interacting with people, you could be pardoned writing him off as just another overly confident, musclebound fighter--most people do. He certainly is confident--he has every right to be, he is an incredibly strong fighter, but he's pursued all his strength in service to his homeland and people, not just for its own end. In the end, all he wants is for the war to end by any means necessary. It's this want, the bone-deep tiredness of all the fighting and loss that he feels, that has him let his guard down for just long enough to Nidhogg's lingering spirit to take control of his body when the second eye is recovered.
This is a major turning point in his character--from the outside, it seems that Estinien himself simply ceases to exist. There's no sign of him fighting the possession, for months he is trapped within his own mind, doing everything he can to keep the last shred of himself from being destroyed by the overwhelming might of an ancient immortal dragon. Helpless to watch as Nidhogg continues the war--for all appearances to utterly destroy Ishgard this time. It takes all of his remaining strength to turn the tide for just a moment. And true to his form of doing anything in his power to end the war, he grasps his own throat with all his remaining strength and tells his friends to kill him to destroy Nidhogg.
They don't. They manage to rescue him. He...didn't plan for that.
When he awakens, the change in him is almost immediately evident. He starts by half-heartedly being an asshole, but right away apologizes and acts contrite, thanking the player and Alphinaud for saving him. He quietly reflects on how seeing Nidhogg's rage affected him, and how he saw his own heart in the dragon's grief, rage, and hatred. That the only difference between them is that Estinien consistently had people around him to draw him back from the edge. He can't feel joy that Nidhogg is dead, and feels no satisfaction from having his vengeance. He immediately sets aside the title of Azure Dragoon that he'd worked and struggled so hard to achieve, wishing only to rest.
...but he is terrible at that. He leaves on a journey of self-reflection, coming to peace with his place in a changing world, and swears to use his strength to defend both man and dragon, opposed to only hunting for vengeance. He journeys to the places where people were lost--the remnants of Ferndale, his home, to pray for the spirits of his parents and brother. Azys Lla, to leave flowers for Ysayle, who had once been his enemy and who he fought with almost constantly even as they traveled together with the player character, who also gave her life there for her conviction to end the war. Sohr Khai, to mourn Ratatoskr, Nidhogg's sister, whose murder had sparked the Dragonsong War. It's there that he decides on his path--with the blessing of Hraesvelgr, he takes up an ancient set of armor made for the original dragoons, men who fought alongside dragons, blessed with draconic power freely given. In sentiment and reflection, he named his armor Iceheart--Ysayle's alias--and took it to the battlefield to protect his comrades.
Estinien is certainly cold and prickly, but once past the surface he has a soft core of sentiment and empathy. Once you have his loyalty, he is incredibly steadfast, and once you have his respect, it is difficult (but not impossible) to lose it. Behind his sarcastic and off-color remarks, he is conscious when he's gone too far and immediately apologizes when he does, and he never truly means to be awful about it. (Unless your his enemy, but then he's just going to be fighting you.) He is confident in his strength and ability, but knows when he's outmatched. Really, he's just a tired soldier who can't put down the fight.
Pokémon Information Affiliation: Trainer Starter: Alolan Vulpix Password: Atomic Fireball
Victory Road Sample: Estinien had gone to sleep in a simple room in Camp Dragonhead's barracks, intending to return to Foundation in the morning and check in. He'd woken up with most of his legs hanging off a tiny bed, in a room that might belong to a child, being prodded by said child's mother who spoke...far too familiarly. Despite his best attempts to get answers, he'd had a bag and a small white fox unceremoniously shoved at him and then shown the door.
Outside holds more surprises. Though he was expecting something odd, it wasn't a small collection of houses nestled in green trees, nary a snowflake to be seen. No one is armed, or armored, and there are more of the odd beasts running around. And now that he's paying attention, there's music playing from somewhere. It's omnipresent, growing neither louder or softer as he approaches and moves away from buildings and people.
What in the Fury's name.
He glances down at the pack in his hands, at the fox sitting curiously at his feet, and decides upon his course of action.
First, he leaves town--he doesn't wish to have people's eyes on him--and sits under a tree off the side of the path. The fox almost immediately curls up beside him and shoves its nose under his hand seeking attention. He nearly jumps back to his feet--he doesn't expect it to be cold, its breath chill as a Coerthan wind against his skin. After he gets over his shock, he gives the creature a cursory scratch, fingers dragging through ice crystals in its hair.
What.
After a few moments, he turns his attention to what he meant to examine--the bag he'd been handed. There's a neatly folded set of clothes, what looks to be smallclothes, neatly labeled soaps and towels, a bedroll...very little actually useful for being in the wilderness. How long are they expected to travel? Hmph. He reads through the given journal quickly, then picks up the...device, turning it over in his hands.
"I don't suppose that you know how this thing works, or even what it is supposed to be," he murmurs to the fox, certainly not expecting to be understood or recieve an answer. Much less for the little beast to snatch the thing out of his hands with its teeth and drop it to the ground, paw it open, and poke at it until a tinny voice rang out.
"Vulpix, Alola form. It exhales air colder than -58 degrees Fahrenheit. In hot weather, this Pokémon makes ice shards with its six tails and sprays them around to cool itself off."
...Finally, something that might start to give some answers. Now if only he knew how to work it.
Estinien Wyrmblood | Final Fantasy XIV | Reserved
Name: Famine
E-mail: nova.puppets@gmail.com
Preferred Contact:
Timezone: Central
Current Characters in Victory Road: None
Character
Name: Estinien Wyrmblood
Series: Final Fantasy XIV
Timeline: Shadowbringers patch 5.1, after returning from Garlemald and reporting to the Scions
Canon Resource Links:
Estinien's Wiki page
The Dragonsong War (Heavensward story summary)
Personality:
Once, not so long ago, Estinien was a very intense man driven by a deep hatred for dragons and Nidhogg in particular, as well as grief for his lost family and a desperate desire for the war that took them and commanded every waking moment of his life to end. When first met by the player character (should they take the Lancer job and continue into the Dragoon storyline), Estinien has left his home to draw what he senses is an imminent attack away from Ishgard and its people. Just as much as he wished to avenge his family, he also wished to protect his home. To accomplish his goals, he trained furiously and, starting as a low-born orphan (possibly the worst starting point for someone from his society) he fought his way to the position of the Azure Dragoon, the pre-eminent warrior of Ishgardian society. Anything that didn't put him in a better position to fight their enemies was summarily dismissed. Also, anything that would help, even collaborating with an enemy, was considered. He spent as much time studying dragons as he has fighting them, anything to gain an edge--he's very observant, for how little he generally speaks of those observations.
Estinien has very, very little patience for social posturing, as he's found. He trained day and night to gain the strength to destroy Nidhogg and end the war, not spend time faffing about at parties. Despite being a high-ranked person, for all intents and purposes new nobility in a society that takes that very seriously, he spends all of his time either learning about dragons to best know how to defeat them, or actually out fighting. It's gotten to the point where no one expects him to show up, even at official functions where part of his responsibilities is to be there. Technically, he's the commander of an entire unit of dragoons, but you'll never see him at their head. Part of this is because of his loner nature, but he also doesn't want to drag anyone into danger if he can help it, and has more faith in his own strength than that of others. Part of his character arc throughout the main story of Heavensward is learning to rely on other people as he journeys with the Warrior, Alphinaud, and Ysayle. Even if he had other allies before, that he even trusted, he always held himself apart.
Between his antisocial nature and tendency to put his foot in his mouth or just be an asshole when he is interacting with people, you could be pardoned writing him off as just another overly confident, musclebound fighter--most people do. He certainly is confident--he has every right to be, he is an incredibly strong fighter, but he's pursued all his strength in service to his homeland and people, not just for its own end. In the end, all he wants is for the war to end by any means necessary. It's this want, the bone-deep tiredness of all the fighting and loss that he feels, that has him let his guard down for just long enough to Nidhogg's lingering spirit to take control of his body when the second eye is recovered.
This is a major turning point in his character--from the outside, it seems that Estinien himself simply ceases to exist. There's no sign of him fighting the possession, for months he is trapped within his own mind, doing everything he can to keep the last shred of himself from being destroyed by the overwhelming might of an ancient immortal dragon. Helpless to watch as Nidhogg continues the war--for all appearances to utterly destroy Ishgard this time. It takes all of his remaining strength to turn the tide for just a moment. And true to his form of doing anything in his power to end the war, he grasps his own throat with all his remaining strength and tells his friends to kill him to destroy Nidhogg.
They don't. They manage to rescue him. He...didn't plan for that.
When he awakens, the change in him is almost immediately evident. He starts by half-heartedly being an asshole, but right away apologizes and acts contrite, thanking the player and Alphinaud for saving him. He quietly reflects on how seeing Nidhogg's rage affected him, and how he saw his own heart in the dragon's grief, rage, and hatred. That the only difference between them is that Estinien consistently had people around him to draw him back from the edge. He can't feel joy that Nidhogg is dead, and feels no satisfaction from having his vengeance. He immediately sets aside the title of Azure Dragoon that he'd worked and struggled so hard to achieve, wishing only to rest.
...but he is terrible at that. He leaves on a journey of self-reflection, coming to peace with his place in a changing world, and swears to use his strength to defend both man and dragon, opposed to only hunting for vengeance. He journeys to the places where people were lost--the remnants of Ferndale, his home, to pray for the spirits of his parents and brother. Azys Lla, to leave flowers for Ysayle, who had once been his enemy and who he fought with almost constantly even as they traveled together with the player character, who also gave her life there for her conviction to end the war. Sohr Khai, to mourn Ratatoskr, Nidhogg's sister, whose murder had sparked the Dragonsong War. It's there that he decides on his path--with the blessing of Hraesvelgr, he takes up an ancient set of armor made for the original dragoons, men who fought alongside dragons, blessed with draconic power freely given. In sentiment and reflection, he named his armor Iceheart--Ysayle's alias--and took it to the battlefield to protect his comrades.
Estinien is certainly cold and prickly, but once past the surface he has a soft core of sentiment and empathy. Once you have his loyalty, he is incredibly steadfast, and once you have his respect, it is difficult (but not impossible) to lose it. Behind his sarcastic and off-color remarks, he is conscious when he's gone too far and immediately apologizes when he does, and he never truly means to be awful about it. (Unless your his enemy, but then he's just going to be fighting you.) He is confident in his strength and ability, but knows when he's outmatched. Really, he's just a tired soldier who can't put down the fight.
Pokémon Information
Affiliation: Trainer
Starter: Alolan Vulpix
Password: Atomic Fireball
Samples
RP Sample: Here
Victory Road Sample:
Estinien had gone to sleep in a simple room in Camp Dragonhead's barracks, intending to return to Foundation in the morning and check in. He'd woken up with most of his legs hanging off a tiny bed, in a room that might belong to a child, being prodded by said child's mother who spoke...far too familiarly. Despite his best attempts to get answers, he'd had a bag and a small white fox unceremoniously shoved at him and then shown the door.
Outside holds more surprises. Though he was expecting something odd, it wasn't a small collection of houses nestled in green trees, nary a snowflake to be seen. No one is armed, or armored, and there are more of the odd beasts running around. And now that he's paying attention, there's music playing from somewhere. It's omnipresent, growing neither louder or softer as he approaches and moves away from buildings and people.
What in the Fury's name.
He glances down at the pack in his hands, at the fox sitting curiously at his feet, and decides upon his course of action.
First, he leaves town--he doesn't wish to have people's eyes on him--and sits under a tree off the side of the path. The fox almost immediately curls up beside him and shoves its nose under his hand seeking attention. He nearly jumps back to his feet--he doesn't expect it to be cold, its breath chill as a Coerthan wind against his skin. After he gets over his shock, he gives the creature a cursory scratch, fingers dragging through ice crystals in its hair.
What.
After a few moments, he turns his attention to what he meant to examine--the bag he'd been handed. There's a neatly folded set of clothes, what looks to be smallclothes, neatly labeled soaps and towels, a bedroll...very little actually useful for being in the wilderness. How long are they expected to travel? Hmph. He reads through the given journal quickly, then picks up the...device, turning it over in his hands.
"I don't suppose that you know how this thing works, or even what it is supposed to be," he murmurs to the fox, certainly not expecting to be understood or recieve an answer. Much less for the little beast to snatch the thing out of his hands with its teeth and drop it to the ground, paw it open, and poke at it until a tinny voice rang out.
"Vulpix, Alola form. It exhales air colder than -58 degrees Fahrenheit. In hot weather, this Pokémon makes ice shards with its six tails and sprays them around to cool itself off."
...Finally, something that might start to give some answers. Now if only he knew how to work it.