L’ilise “Lisie” Sorrel

lee·ih·leez saor·ehl

L’aurehn “Rehn” Tia

lee·au·rehn tee·uh

Mnemosyne “Syne”

neh·mow·zeen

• bone and blossom

*Please refrain from using details found here for meta-gaming unless first discussed OOCly or revealed during roleplay sessions.

The two conscript fugitives were no strangers to death nor those left behind in its slumber.But no matter how one hardens his heart to the tides of bloodshed, the imagery—sanguine skirmishes, war orphans, incessant isolation—plays beneath one’s eyelids without end. Even after the two somehow managed to escape the taut threads of fate that bound them to the Garlean Empire.For the time being, that is.Tierre fussed over Janus, whose life was nearly forfeit in the last encounter. As they moved parallel to the desire path, albeit in denser foliage some yalms away to avoid detection, the last remnants of sunlight fell in slivers and patches, honing their own vision further. With dilated pupils, Tierre could easily make out the clotted rip in Janus’s left ear, the kink in his fractured tail, the slight limp in his gait. He knew his companion carried regrets, heavy and suffocating… ones that Tierre would gladly share the burden of without question. He sunk his fangs into his bottom lip to keep his worries from spilling out, replacing them with the metallic taste of blood instead.The silence between them prevailed until Tierre’s ears perked upwards. He could not make out the sound per se, or perhaps he was simply in denial to what he heard, but it came from the direction in which they were headed.‘Janus,’ he warned with his eyes, and Janus nodded in reply as if to say, ‘Unavoidable.’ Instinctively, their dominant hands shifted to the hilts of their weapons during the approach.The undergrowth before them rustled, two pink blossoms swaying in the breeze—nay, ears. Beneath the wind’s whisper were soft catches of breath and whimpers, signs of exertions having taken their toll. Thinking it perhaps a wild animal trapped as prey, Tierre was surprised to peer into the grove and find a young Miqo’te girl with watery mismatched eyes half-squatting in a heap of rubble. It was hard to tell if her nose was covered in splotches of grime or freckles. Her clothes were torn and leaves and branches were caught in her fine hair, one of her legs caught by a root and twisted.A trap?“You don’t think—to stoop so low as to use mere children?” Tierre tsked, but the familiar spiral embroidery along her hemline gave him pause.Janus drew his rapier and magicked crystal medium. “Shall I put this one out of her misery?”Without awaiting a response, Janus decisively reversed his grip, attached his focus, and began casting. A glow of aether engulfed the girl, and Tierre’s sigh of relief was palpable as he bent down to assess her. She seemed harmless, quivering in such a profound loneliness that would be hard to execute by one so juvenile.“Her physical wounds are treated—” Tierre paused, lowering his voice as the girl soundlessly curled in on herself. “... however, I cannot speak for her emotional scars.”“‘Tis all we can do. We depart, anon.” Janus turned abruptly, but he needed only to glimpse Tierre’s face to foresee that he would labor over leaving her all the way to port. Or perhaps that was the excuse he gave when he found himself also hesitating.There was something about her that reminded him of the woman whose captivating smile gave him purpose…The one who attempted to take her own life so that he would no longer be manipulated.Janus squeezed his eyes shut at the memory, the feeling of being unable to protect a single person engulfing him, drowning him.“Let’s take her with us. At least, for now.”Objections that usually rolled off Janus’s tongue were stuck in his throat and time was of the essence. Tierre had already hoisted the girl into his arms and the three of them quietly fled deeper into the Black Shroud. The girl rested her head against Tierre’s shoulder, feebly reaching back towards the grove with fat teardrops sliding silently down her cheeks as if waving a silent goodbye.

⬩ ⬥ ⬩ ⬥ ⬩

A shift in the wind, denuding breezes dancing about the path dappled with leaves, the deadly truth of the Shroud.Woodsin.The bard, carrying a rueful past steeped in Ishgardian knighthood, knew to tread carefully here. While certainly not haughty enough to call the Twelveswood home, he was comfortable setting camp beneath its canopy and partaking of its hymn in moderation, ever keen not to invoke the Greenwrath.For rumor has it, once claimed by the Wood, one can undergo certain… changes. Angering the Elementals damns one for eternity to wander the woods’ depths…—but was that truly such a punishment?Interrupted by frantic footsteps in the distance, Jeannot need not strain to hear the panting growing ever closer until a shock of hair that seemed to reflect the sky beyond the trees nearly plowed into him.“P-Please! Help me find her!”A Miqo’te boy stared up at him pleadingly with auspicious eyes, ears pinned back but tail bushed out high and puffy. The garb he wore was distinctly not Gridanian, and while he could be in cahoots with the local bandits, slitted pupils suggested otherwise. His politeness and upright posture bespoke a decent upbringing, though he had dirt beneath his fingernails and knicks and scratches adorning his body, fresh blood pooling at the surface. Noting the splatter of freckles across the bridge of his nose and clan marks that had yet to fully darken, Jeannot concluded he could not be more than four summers old. Certainly too young to be meandering alone.Instead of pushing for an explanation or providing fleeting platitudinal comfort, the bard simply nodded at the boy who then scampered off, following his beat without falter.

⬩ ⬥ ⬩ ⬥ ⬩

It took three full sennights for her to finally speak, the trauma so great Tierre and Janus thought her mute. They had managed to escape to the farthest corner of Eorzea—the maritime haven situated by the large island of Vylbrand—and, yet having been unable to ascertain her origins, made a modest home in the Mist with her in tow. She had padded out for tea one afternoon, tears still clinging to her lashes, and stood quietly until the both of them acknowledged her.“Thank you.”A wisp of a voice, but she pulled at the hem of her clothing and gave a practiced curtsy before settling down at the table.Tierre stood agape, unintentionally overflowing the teacup he was attending, and even Jannus hesitated in bringing his beloved sweetmeat to his mouth. The girl’s ears flattened sideways and she bit her lip, fidgeting.“I-I don’t remember much, but I know my name. It’s L’ilise. But you can call me Lisie.” She paused for a moment as if recalling something of grave import, the tip of her tail flicking against the chair. “And don’t dare call me Ilise!”After delivering her first serving of sass, she swung her legs and waited patiently to receive her snack. The two exchanged looks and Tierre gave an amused chuckle, no doubt having been used to such antics from Janus in their long history together, even though the latter was always loath to admit it.“Is that so.” Janus replied after a moment, more of a statement than a question, as if to usher the conversation along to keep Tierre from loquaciously drawing comparisons as he was apt to do.“Very well, Lisie. No matter what you remember, you’re still you. Also—” Tierre placed a glass of warm milk with honey and papanasi before her. Lisie clasped her hands together in delight, in awe of the creamy cheese and sweet-and-tart rolanberry sauce dripping off the fried dough. Much better than the dense bread her palette was used to, a vague memory that she would be fine not allowing to surface ever again.“As long as we’re by your side, you won’t be lonely.”

⬩ ⬥ ⬩ ⬥ ⬩

What could have been four suns felt like four moons as the boy searched desperately for his pair within the Twelveswood until exhaustion and fever overtook him. Slipping in and out of consciousness, he awoke beneath the stars, one ear rotating towards the sound of soft plucking—a tune achingly familiar, yet foreign all the same. The euphony seeped into his wary bones, settled into his throbbing heart. When he finally summoned just enough strength to lift his heavy lids, he could barely make out the bard strumming an instrument with a long neck and a rounded body, illuminated by the campfire that seemed to crackle in rhythm. He was far too young to comprehend the distant glimmer when their gazes met but for a fleeting moment, yet each harmonious pluck had him speculating the past as he drifted in and out of consciousness. The bard’s presence gave him, at the very least, peace of mind in knowing he would not die alone, embraced by a melody that may as well be his funeral dirge.The Twelve seemed to have other plans, however.When next he found himself awares, he was not floating in the Aetherial Sea but offered a plate of fish with a smoky, charred aroma. On instinct, he found himself devouring it like a hungry Coeurl. Only when the second serving was gone did he think that perhaps he should have spared some for the bard who had graciously prepared it. Suddenly, his stomach felt sour.“Sorry, but my parents are dead and my sister is lost.” He groused, almost accusingly.No, that was not true. He lost his sister. The guilt had him mumbling under his breath. “I should have died, too.”“We’re kindred spirits, you and I. Now drink your fill.” He was caught by surprise by the bard’s candid reply as a flask of water was pushed into his hands. He was too proud to ask what ‘kindred’ meant but somehow understood they shared similar pain.“Aren’t you going to ask who I am?”“Would you be so inclined as to tell me?”‘How uppity!’ the boy thought, but he was too tired not to acquiesce. “… L’aurehn.”The bard seemed to consider it for a moment, absently stroking his instrument as he sang in a low voice:

♪
“Aye, the sun burns hot but the shadows are cold,
One need not glitter to be gold.
To live off the land—reborn again,
Thus began the ballad of Jeannot and Rehn.”
♪

Something inside of the boy stirred, though he could not say just what, and he felt a pang of something more than just strangers plucked together by strings of coincidence and circumstance.

• 1529. Jehan (better known as Jehannot) is the youngest son born to the de Foudrais, a lesser Ishgardian noble house. His family is often accused of less savory practices in effort to gain the High Houses’ good graces. He has little interest in becoming a Temple Knight like his brothers, which sets the stage for his eventual estrangement.• 1535. Tierre (suffix dropped for personal reasons) is born to a well-off Keeper family in Sharlayan, and embraces the heavy emphasis on scholarly pursuits in which he is raised.• 1537. Emii’a is born to a Hyur father and a Keeper mother who remained in southern Ilsabard. While the couple were blessed with a daughter two years prior, his father pressured his wife to bear him a son despite numerous complications in rearing a mixed-breed child. Shortly after Jannus’s birth, his mother and sister mysteriously vanish whilst his father becomes increasingly fanatical.• 1547. The starry-eyed Tierre migrates to Idyllshire where he eventually comes across an old forgotten tome detailing red magicks and finds he has a knack for this “lost” art; Emii’a is presented to the Garlean Empire by his father—the move of a desperate man looking to earn citizenship through a radical display of devotion.• 1551. After a disastrous tale of hubris gone wrong, Tierre gets embroiled with the de Foudrais—and, given his dueling prowess, is forced to serve as the family’s proxy in Trial by Combat. Jehannot helps him escape to keep his family from falling further out of the Holy See’s grace. Tierre is subsequently shunned by his fellow Sharlayans for “involving” himself in Eorzean affairs; Emii’a, whose named was changed to Jannus, is one of the youngest conscripted into the Garlean military after showing considerable promise in swordplay. Unable to return to either Idyllshire or Sharlayan, Tierre wearily travels to the far edges of Gyr Abania to learn more of red magicks but is captured by a group of Garlean Imperials. Noting his versatility on the battlefield, he is thus conscripted into the Garlean military where, in an ironic twist of fate, he meets Jannus. Given the latter’s aptitude for learning magicks due to not being of Garlean descent, Tierre is forced to instruct the seemingly cold-hearted and aloof Jannus. Unbeknownst to the Empire, the two manage to form a strong bond against—or perhaps, due to—the odds.Meanwhile in Old Sharlayan, Kiahna (half-Seeker, half-Keeper—a Sharlayan native) becomes enamored with the lesser known work of Professor L’ruadhan Tia, a Seeker hailing from the Viper (L) Tribe who made his way to Sharlayan on a journey of discovery. The two form a working relationship that soon turns romantic, resulting in Kiahna’s expectancy; in fact, it is told that she presented her Archon thesis whilst in labor.• 1553. Birth of L’aurehn (“golden”) and L’ilise (“from the blessed isle”).• 1555. Tierre and Janus have become recognized on the battlefield as the Bloody Rose Dyad, renowned for their fighting style that draws a bouquet of blood with their fast and poignant combos; Jehannot leaves Ishgard with lute in hand to wander the world outside his country’s staunch borders.• 1556. After an incident causes Jannus’s life to be nearly forfeit, Tierre manages to convince him to defect, the two making it as far as the Twelveswood.• 1557. An expedition in the Black Shroud goes terribly wrong and both L’ruadhan and Kiahna succumb to Greenwrath. Whilst Tierre and Jannus discover Lisie in the foliage, Jehannot in his wanderings happens upon Rehn lost, alone, and looking for aid. Thus, the twins are unintentionally separated.Tierre and Janus continue their escape with Lisie to the farthest corner of Eorzea—the maritime haven situated by the large island of Vylbrand—where they eventually make names for themselves as sell-swords. There are whispers regarding their past but the city-state’s proclivity towards piracy keep the murmurs at bay; Jehannot continues his transient lifestyle with Rehn, entertaining crowds at various settlements in and around the Twelveswood where an array of adventurers’ tales and verses from all across Eorzea are shared with them.As a result, Lisie grows up moderately privileged within the bustling port whilst Rehn lives harmoniously off the land, bartering for a place to rest his head or a warm meal when the need arises.• 1562. Sharlayans abandon their colony in the Dravanian Hinterlands.After witnessing one of the Songstress of Ul’dah’s performances at a parade (despite the Goobbue attack), Lisie becomes enraptured by the art of dance. Unexplained visions soon haunt the twins—for Lisie, the atrocities her fathers committed while serving the Garlean Empire. In time, she comes to accept that the whispers are likely true, yet sees that the men who raised her do not resemble those accounts, allowing the present to speak for itself; for Rehn, the abandonment by his father figure, a woman’s face who resembles his own, and harsh snowfields. Though he dare not speak of these visions, his relationship with Jehannot steadily grows more strained and he develops a bit of a rebellious streak. He resorts to reckless, less scrupulous practices to earn his keep, sneaking off for days on end; however, he sparks his own passion in history, architecture, and ancient culture after stumbling upon the Dravanian Hinterlands and witnessing what the Sharlayans left behind in their exodus.• 1569. As her passion in dance flourishes, Lisie becomes more and more disillusioned with arcanism. Her best friend referred to as Tink, a Bozjan refugee who works as a retainer for coin, is paramount in Lisie deciding to pursue her dreams. She begins moonlighting as a dancer at the Drowning Wench where she hears of Radz-at-Han, the homeland of dancers, and is offered a chance to become an understudy there; as Rehn’s relationship with Jehannot continues to deteriorate and with his visions grow more lucid during his travels to Vylbrand, he also makes the abrupt decision to sail to Thavnair. Their parting gifts are Menphina’s Earring and the Wayfarer’s Necklace respectively. Unfortunately with Rehn’s poor sense of direction, he accidentally winds up voyaging to Tural.• 1572. Seventh Umbral Calamity.With Dalamud’s descent looming ever closer, Tierre and Jannus fight gallantly alongside the Maelstrom against the Garleans in the Battle of Carteneau, seeking both revenge and redemption. Fearing their lives were forfeit, Lisie contends with travel restrictions and formalities to return to Limsa Lominsa. She reunites with her beloved parents, still with breath in their lungs and aether in their veins, amidst Eorzea’s destruction; Rehn also makes his return to Eorzea, fearing the worst for his mentor and his homeland. He is surprised at the sudden change to Coerthas, recognizing it from his vision over a decade prior. After secretly confirming Jeannot is none the worse for wear, any vestiges of pursuing his visions are abandoned, replaced instead with a desire to actively avoid them.• 1573. With the dawn of the Seventh Umbral Era heralding efforts to rebuild and restore, Lisie does not hesitate to use her newly acquired knowledge and skills to mend the spirits of the Eorzean people. Her efforts began in Ul’dah and later Costa del Sol at the beck and whim of Master Gegeruju. This, of course, placed her in several moral dilemmas, out of which she was able to cultivate strong business acumen and savviness to navigate the ever-increasing socio-political tensions between city-states.• 1574. Rehn is recruited as a chocobo hunter after a trapper from Tailfeather witnesses how he interacts with the wild chocobos in Chocobo Forest. He ends up in a very brief romantic relationship with Y’sayle that ends as quickly as it began (and results in his facial scar).• 1575. Lisie becomes founder of her own troupe, Troupe IX Vitae, with a sole benefactor: an Ul'dahn entrepreneur known as Au Gratin. A willingness to take on far-flung contracts, getting people of import to her shows, and whispering in the right ears had her known in a few circles as a source of information and influence.• 1577. Rehn loses a bet with his fellow hunters and has to trek from Tailfeather to Camp Dragonhead with a rare black chocobo from the coveted Ouranos line; meanwhile, stories of Lisie’s troupe’s exploits reach unexpected ears, and she receives a cordial invitation to perform at Camp Dragonhead. This provides a rare opportunity to set the wheels in motion for cultural outreach given the Holy See’s firm stance on outsiders in Ishgard proper.