#wol: bjarni

[stalwart-spirit]

reconcile - for the single-word fic prompt!

500 years later and I found time and an idea for this one!

Polycrystals in The Aetherfont are actually legit Elementals akin to the ones found in the Shroud and Eureka, so I took that and ran with it! This time, I write about my shy Sharlayan bunny, just before he became a WHM!

Not proofread, its once again 3am. u_u

Normally, it would take a great deal of work and persuasion to even get access to the Isle of Haam, but the young viera found himself in a great opportunity for study due to the efforts of his father; a respected Studuim professor and established Archon.

Thus they both find themselves wandering through the deeper regions of the isle, traversing a particularly new route into the Aetherfont itself perceived to be free of any lurking dangers, trailing just behind a small troupe of fellow researchers who busied themselves with setting up various tools and devices.

"Careful now, son."

The older viera, dark hair streaked with silver, helps the younger down a rocky slope with one hand, holding the bespectacled boy's pack in the other.

"Right, I'll be ahead with the research group." Renauld smiles warmly as he watches the other dust off his robes before handing back the admittedly dense pack, undoubtedly filled with as many books and notes the scrawny lad could carry. "Don't wander too far, you hear me?"

Bjarni shoulders the pack, taking the staff strapped onto its side, looking to his father and nodding repeatedly. "I-I know to stay in e-earshot and eyeshot, don't worry!"

It's with a pat on the shoulder that Renauld turns to join the others, leaving the young kit to his own curious wanderings.

He's been excited for days since getting the news of this trip, barely sleeping a wink from both the trepidation and thrill of such an opportunity. To think, first hand experience here of all places, perfect for his thesis! Sure, the excavation itself is fascinating, but what he really is interested in is the natural environment itself. What wonderful fauna and flora flourish here in such a densely aetherical environment?

Finding a small nook to settle in, Bjarni slips off his pack and pulls out a parchment and quill, squatting down before a patch of glowing moss in order to take detailed notes.

"A sign of h-high moisture, bioluminescence most likely caused by the brightness of t-the environment caused by the dense aether... Excess energy not used coming out as fluorescence-"

There's a sudden pickle up his spine, hairs standing up on the back of his neck. Something watching and the feeling of pressure in his ears. The boy's sensitivity to high concentrations of aether is enough already due to the current environment, but this is... Different.

Standing suddenly he swings his staff as he turns, the crystal atop the verdant cane almost making contact with-

"Polycrystal-" A small gasp as he breaks his train of thought. "Elemental??"

The winged creature seemingly takes offence at the stick pointing its way, giving it a shove strong enough for it to tilt back and hit the young viera in the face.

"Ow-" Glasses knocked askew, and he quickly adjusts them back in place. "I'm sorry, you s-startled me, is all! I only heard of the Elementals in the Twelveswood. Suppose the researchers who found this place only caught a quick glance a-and assumed you were part of the crystalline structures-"

His explanation doesn't seem to dampen down the Elemental's sour mood as it lets out a series of disgruntled chimes which cause the viera's long ears to pivot and tilt in... Recognition?

"Tre-trespassing? Oh! The others! I suppose suddenly having your home broken into and trodden on is a l-little alarming, to say in the least. I promise we don't mean any ill will! It's all in order to research aether, you see, we want to learn m-more so we came here to do that."

Awkwardly he fiddles with his staff, rolling it between his palms.

"It's everything, really. To find a big reserve of a thing that's basically in all of us means we ca-can potentially learn countless things about how we and the world works. How beings like you are!"

Now it seemed like the Elemental had calmed, Bjarni's words doing something to alleviate whatever aggressions it held towards himself and the research group ahead.

To reconcile with a peeved Elemental? Well, it wasn't exactly in his plans for the day.

"I know there are more of you here, l-lots more I imagine! So if you please, little polycrystal, let your friends know we're okay and we'll be on o-our best behaviour. If not, well, my dad will take care of anyone who does anything out of order!" His chest puffs in pride, certain of this fact. "I promise not to tell anyone of you ei-either! Won't even write of you in my notes!"

Hovering, the creature ponders, then circles the viera, making more of a musical chime, seemingly satisfied.

As quickly as it made itself known, the Elemental vanishes in a shower of glowing lights, leaving Bjarni to stand there suddenly realising how peculiar this interaction was.

"... Did I just make a friend??"

[sezja]

oh yeah i meant to send character asks! uhm Bjarni, Banjo, Erna, Ibakha, Coeli o uo

Character Ask Game

1: sexuality headcanon Bjarni: Most likely aro/ace, but it's not something he (or I, for that matter) has considered. Banjo: Aro/ace Erna: Lesbian, possibly ace-spec Ibakha: Thought she was aro/ace until she met Eve; claims the Dusk Mother brought them together. Coeli: Bisexual, polyamorous

2: otp Bjarni: n/a Banjo: n/a Erna: ....Legitimately might be Feo Ul. Ibakha: Eve Coeli: Aymeric and Estinien (ot3). Also kind of Coeli/Lucia, but I don't think either of them have made a move yet, they're just kind of mutually aware the attraction exists.

3: brotp Bjarni: Slejsa, of course! He'd have no one else. Banjo: Also Slejsa. It's Slejsa who keeps them coming back even when they try their damnedest not to care. Erna: Rusty, of course. She'd be lost without Rusted Knife. Ibakha: Sadu! They were siblings in a past life, and have maintained that bond. Coeli: Sleeping Smile, no matter how they may frustrate each other.

4: notp Uhhh the only big one is Bjarni/Slejsa because you know how I feel about incest as a general rule. And, you know, any of my WoLs and [REDACTED].

5: first headcanon that pops into my head Bjarni: Left to his own devices for any length of time with a sizable amount of flowers, Bjarni will start weaving flower crowns. Il Mheg is his favorite place. Banjo: Banjo will occasionally just pickpocket random people. Just to keep themself sharp. Gotta keep those skills fresh. Erna: As the daughter of a former pirate, Erna loves sailing - if she can get away with taking a ship between two locations, you can bet she will (even if it'd be faster to teleport), and chances are she'll sing the whole time. Ibakha: Ibakha likes to climb trees. There aren't many on the Steppe, and she's kind of fascinated by the Shroud - any time the WoLs have business in Gridania, you can probably find Ibakha up a tree somewhere deep in the Shroud. Coeli: Her favorite self-indulgence is bubble baths. She'll fall asleep there.

6: favorite line from this character

7: one way in which I relate to this character Bjarni: Always nervous Banjo: The sense of being stuck in a situation and unable to escape it Erna: Love girls. Love pink. Ibakha: Love Eve. <3 (Also, love to fight.) Coeli: The desire to always be wearing armor.

8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character They are my children; they could never embarrass me. u wu

9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave? Bjarni: Cinnamon roll Banjo: Asshole gremlin Erna: Cinnamon roll Ibakha: She's a Dotharl, the problematic fave is built in. Coeli: Problematic because she's too good. The Paladin. I need to shatter her over my knee.

[lesenbyan]

20 for Eve, Slejsa, AND Rusty

FFXIV WoL questions

20. When in the story was their highest point? When were they at their lowest?

Eve

Eve's answer is honestly kinda tragic bc like. On the whole, background mounting stress about Aki aside, the whole story for Eve is like.. the beginning of a bell curve, tbh. She starts off alright, has a few wobbles there early (Titan, Banquet, Haurchefant) but is mostly on a trend up. With power and status comes the promise that she can rescue Aki once she's found, makes it more likely Aki will be found, makes it more likely she can force the Scions to find her. And, honestly? She gets swept in the hype and momentum and all of this to say her highest point is probably somewhere there at the tail end of 4.0. imdependence is on x2,. she gets the girl (and thus also, privately, validation to herself in being Xaela), they're planning on marching on Garlemald and everything's coming together-

And then she loses Cyn. and 5.0 is literally the lowest and darkest point of Eve's entire life. She will still be recovering from it on her death bed.

Slejsa

I can say hands down their lowest point was 4.x, especially after they lose Bjarni. 5.0 is bad but at least the twin is there. 4.x is the longest they've gone without him and they were terrified every moment. But the highest...do job quests count? because then probably just after rescuing Sanson. For all they're the face of the WoL band it's not often they get to feel like a hero. Everything most people count just doesn't feel heroic to them bc they can't conceptualize larger scales. But they can see Sanson and Nourval and know the right side is saving the nerdy man they like and who mostly sometimes likes them.

Rusted

Honestly, and under pain of death she will not admit this to Erna's face, just seeing Erna light up when she finds something fun or pretty (or sees Il Mehg for the first time) is the highlight. Why else would she keep following this pink ass bimbo ninja to the ends of the world star universe? She'll call Erna an idiot all day long but she does honestly love her childlike wonder and is this close to letting Erna losing some of her shine be the start of her villain origin story.

As for lowest, probably a tie right after the Vault and 5.0 (esp in the assumed canon of Erna being the one killing lightwardens.) The former has her giving up healing for all functional purposes because she can't handle the loss and the guilt, and the latter has her pick it back up again because no way in hell is someone she cares about getting that close to corruption again if she can find any way to stop it

[stalwart-spirit]

Welcome to my blog!

Updated: 08/11/2024

Hi there, you've stumbled onto my FFXIV blog! Here's a little about me:

Amis | 29 | She/Her | GMT Timezone

Bluesky | Art & Commissions | Main Tumblr

I mostly post FFXIV content on here, be it screenshots or the occasional piece of art of my characters, as well as reblogs of content from the community.

My main blog is @amis-amai so if you get any likes, a follow or an ask from that, it's me!

I have a few FFXIV characters, so here is a little about them!

Saeed Iscitan

Cis Male (He/Him) | 39 | Bi | Dalmascan

Main. Viper, leader of the Damascus Djinns spy sector of the Dalmascan Resistance.

RP Carrd

M'icaryn Tia

Trans Male (He/Him) | 27 | Pan | Gyr Abanian

Alt. Proud Ala Mhigan. Gunbreaker, headstrong adventurer for hire. Loveable dumbass.

RP Carrd

Bjarni Hyskaris

Cis Male (He/Him) | 19 | Ace | Sharlayan

Alt. Gleaner, botanist, aspiring White Mage. Shy, very young and naive, a true pacifist. Starting to explore the world outside of Sharlayan.

RP Carrd TBA

Soleil Delacroix

Genderfluid (He/They) | 29 | Bi | Ishgardian

Alt. Reaper and Summoner, Void enthusiast. Utter megalomaniac, noble-blooded Ishgardian. Basically, "what if the party had a villain?"

RP Carrd TBA

Ulrich Kanoska

Cis Male (He/Him) | 19 | Ace | Turali

Alt. Wandering Warrior from an all Warrior Shetona tribe in the far northern region of Tural (currently obscured on the map). Travelling to find himself, hone his skills and understand the world around him.

RP Carrd TBA

---

All of these characters both have non-WoL and WoL versions of themselves (Co-WoLs in a party together), so expect to see both versions here as well!

If you wish to know more, my Ask Box is open or just shoot me a message! Always happy to answer!

[stalwart-spirit]

how does your wol feel about their hair? is it important to them? just kind of in the way? who cuts it? do they take good care of it or are they not particularly fussed about it?

YIPPEE MORE QUESTIONS I am thriving!!

Saeed:

He styles and cuts his own hair, as well as dyes it! It's definitely a show of self-expression for him. Saeed used to have it cropped short when he was younger and in his teens purely out of convenience at the time, but as he got older he decided that he particularly liked having it long and thought an undercut worked well.

High upkeep but worth it in his eyes since it makes it stylable for when he wants to do something more than having it down or up in a topknot.

Mica:

He used to have rather long hair, but as soon as he transitioned, he literally went at it with a knife and did the most horrific short haircut you can imagine. But he really didn't want the ultra long hair that his parents pretty much made him have before. After some time he got lazy and let it grow out and honestly got attached to the long, scruffy shoulder length it is now, only going to an aesthetician once it gets too long and starts making him feel uncomfortable.

Bjarni:

He doesn't think too much about his hair, but admits the one physical aspect about himself that he likes is how his hair looks! He thinks it makes him look kinda cute, and it's useful to hide behind, but other than that, he doesn't put too much thought into it. At most would clip his fringe out of the way when doing botanical work and gets it trimmed every once in a while.

Soleil:

As with every aspect of his appearance, his hair is strictly tended to! To have hair as long and thick as his but still in wonderful condition takes a lot of work and money, but he's willing to put all of that effort in to look good. Not to mention having such long hair means many, many ways to style it to express himself. Totally has a specific aesthetician he goes to and trusts completely, no one else!

[stalwart-spirit]

For a change, all of my WoLs! Saeed: 🐦‍⬛⚔️🪙🚬🩸 Mica: 😸🛡️☀️🔷💥 Bjarni: 🌿🌱🍀👓📝 Soleil: 🍷💰🖤📖✨

Which five emoji's would you pick to describe your WoL?

[stalwart-spirit]

what is your wol's relationship with their family? are they estranged? still very close? tense?

Saeed:

Sadly Saeed never got to know his parents, but was raised like the other waifs of Rabanastre by the local population before the Imperial occupation and them setting up Imperial orphanages (granted he never actually stayed in one for long and always ran away--)

But! He does have adopted family! Farah and Tahsin were kids he grew up with so they literally consider one another family despite having no blood relation, formed their Dalmascan Resistance spy group together and are still in frequent contact!

Saeed also adopted twins when returning to Dalmasca around post-SHB era when the revolution started up again, finding them wandering the streets of Valnain fending for themselves. He took a fondness for them, took them in and the rest is history!

Mica:

Oh boy. Mica's actually Gyr Abanian but taken in by the M Tribe since he was disowned/ran away from his parents who wre VERY pro-Empire and were planning on shoving their son into conscripted service and he was having NONE of that. Mica really, really does not like his parents, and thankfully after getting away has not ran into them since them. He really considers the M Tribe his family now, since they were so welcoming to a complete stranger in their midst and he fit in wonderfully to their little unit!

Bjarni:

Bjarni has a wonderfully healthy relationship with his parents! They adore their only child and he adores them back, and really couldn't ask for anything better. They've both been there for him no matter what, encouraging his interests and helped bolster him into doing things he'd otherwise be too fearful to do. Both of them help him with his academics too, his dad being a botanical professor at the Studium and his mother an established author of several academic studies into the aetherical, so he's happy to have such good support!

Soleil:

I can't help but laugh at this L M A O. Soleil doesn't know anything about his mother, other than she either absconded from his father or died. A mystery. His dad though? UHHH. Always hated them and then literally was the cause of the old man's death-- Suffice it to say, he does not have the best relationship with his close family, though he does wonder now and then about his mother but has no real emotional attatchment since he remembers nothing of her.

[stalwart-spirit]

what would you say is your wol's greatest flaw? what part of their personality causes them the most problems?

Oh this is a goodie~

Saeed:

Stubbornness, which causes him to get into situations he really should have bailed out of long ago. On one hand it's what's allowed him to keep his strong stalwart nature in terms of his beliefs, however more often than not there are times where one should have bowed out and admitted defeat, and instead ended up with his own life on the line because he refuses to back down.

Mica:

Recklessness, 100%. It's not out of thinking he's super strong and can deal with everything, it's just that he's so damn eager to do things or intervene! The dumbass has a good heart, just a little too willing to run into any situation presented to him, which always ends up with him a little worse for wear, and that's when he's lucky.

Bjarni:

Anxiety is a big hurdle for him, and many a time he's declined opportunities or going into certain things due to that voice in his head making him panic and worry about a worse case senario that'll more than likely never even happen. It's only thanks to his family and his peers that he even took the leap into being a student at the Studium and even honing his white mage capabilities.

Soleil:

Ego-- Like no joke, man thinks he is sex on legs, Halone's favourite princess, Hydaelyn's gift to man, sun shines out his own ass. He'd sooner die than ever think he's not the best. It ends up causing a lot of frustration when he's met with situations where he, in fact, is not the best at everything. Either starts an argument or at worse a fight and by god, this noble man is not afraid to get his hands bloodied in a fight--

[stalwart-spirit]

Number 24 for the pre-Dawntrail asks~

24. What's your WoL's relationship with food? Do they skip meals or do they eat at specific times religiously? Is food important to them, or is it just a means to an end to keep their body going? Does food mean something cultural or personal to them?

Saeed:

At times he does forget his meals, but that's typically only on days when he's got much bigger things to worry about or having no time to take a necessary food break. However, he still sees food as something important to have, and especially takes cultural pride in Dalmascan cusine! It's also a wonderful bonding experience for him and the kids when they get to cook together, being able to pass down recipes from his own upbringing down to the next generation.

Mica:

He keeps up on food frequently, and is sure to eat proper meals when he can! Since leaving the M Tribe he's had the luck of expanding his taste so he really doesn't have anything in particular that he likes which he doesn't mind, but Mica does have a fondness for being able to catch and cook his own meals when out and about!

Bjarni:

Very much keeping to Sharlayan tradition, unintentionally mind you, about forgetting meals or only having quick bites to eat since he's always on his feet doing gleaner work or studying, getting lost in academic studies. His parents definately help in making sure their son actually gets three square meals a day, otherwise he would legitimately go without eating and not realise he's hungry until he's finally done studying--

Soleil:

You are not stopping him from having proper, expensive, three meals a day. What in the hells are travel rations? Get that outta here! He can and WILL find somewhere up to his standards when out on the road and he WILL spend a disgusting amount of gil on good food because he will ONLY eat the HIGHEST QUALITY. Soleil is also just a snob and will use it to feel better than others--

[stalwart-spirit]

Hello

[21. what does your wol do to unwind? any hobbies? reading? sewing? croquet? sitting in a dark room in complete silence?] For whichever one you feel, please.

I shall answer for all my lads cause they all have their routines!

Saeed:

He loves to get himself into something comfortable and settle down for the evening with the kids, curled up in a big blanket pile together and reading something. Hot drinks and chattering away is honestly perfect. If he's on his own though, probably a cheeky glass of red wine with a good, trashy novel. Saeed also likes to embroider so that's something he likes to do!

Mica:

Honestly? Long walks! Loves to either go out on paths he knows or find new ones, putter around at his own pace and take in the natural sound of the area around him. Sometimes he'll even gather up his fishing gear and wander until he finds a nice spot to set up and kill a couple of hours, even if he doesn't catch anything.

Bjarni:

Reading in bed and getting as cozy as possible with a cup of tea or hot coco! He thrives in having a good time on his own after a long day of work. A lot of the time though he likes to get some gardening done and tend to the tons of plants he has. It's a lot of work but he loves it!

Soleil:

100% a warm bubble bath and a complete pampering session just for himself, room lit with candles and some music playing. He's probably got a 50 step beauty routine or something ridiculously tedious like that but he WILL have his spa time! Also wine, lots of stupidly expensive wine.

[sezja]

Just some WoLs

I have a large collection of alts who are WoLs, non-WoLs, Party Members, and OCs I Just Needed to Put Somewhere Because I have a small addiction to character creation and I cannot be stopped sO HERE WE GO:

Warriors of Light (*Azem)

Team "Follow the Giant Pink Idiot"

Ernaswys Lubbloefwyn*: Sea Wolf, she/her, NIN. Very naive, bright and bubbly optimist, keeps dragging her friends into trouble, but she's very good at getting back out of it again.

Silent Fox: Hellsguard, she/her, SCH/SGE. Stoic, no-nonsense. As the name implies, doesn't talk much. The healer in Erna's party, after Erna's best friend, Rusted Knife, steps down from the role and takes up DNC instead. As she also has the Echo, she suspects Hydaelyn's hand in this.

Ibakha Dotharl: Xaela, she/her, WAR. Brash, bold, and sometimes belligerent. Believes the voice of Hydaelyn in her mind is the Dusk Mother. The tank in Erna's party (has another AU where she's @lesenbyan's Eve's girlfriend).

Team "Accidental Heroes"

Tajna Ratyasch*: Hrothgar, she/her, DNC. Shy, withdrawn, takes up adventuring to broaden her horizons, ends up tripping head-first into saving the world.

Lytora Envers: Midlander, she/her, SMN. Polite but forthright, quietly stubborn, determined. More or less the reason Tajna gets dragged into trouble. Tags along regardless.

Team "You're the Reason I Never Learned to Heal"

Coeli Qoet*: Rava, she/her, DRG/RPR. Designated Hero syndrome, throws herself into being a hero, seeks out challenges and dangers, believes it is her duty and her purpose to save everyone. Keeps nearly getting herself killed as a result.

Sleeping Smile: Hellsguard, she/her, RDM. Exasperated but fond of Coeli, the practical half of the team. Helps sort out the logistics for Coeli's mad plans. Refuses to be her healer. Is more relieved than anyone else when the Scions start coming along for the ride in dungeons.

Team "Worst Heroes Ever"

Bjarni Iryut: Rava, he/they, GNB. Twin to @lesenbyan's Slejsa(*), he's a very protective, doting sibling who has always considered himself Slejsa's guardian first and foremost; it is his duty to keep them out of trouble. Unfortunately, he's not... smart.

Furan Banjo: Raen, they/them, NIN/BRD. Washed up in Limsa Lominsa as a child, joined the rogues' guild young, grew up to be a wretched little gremlin. Joins Slejsa's group for a lark because they find Slejsa hilarious, but finds they can't escape once things start getting too serious.

Solo WoL

Hujaghur Bayaqud: Xaela, she/her, WAR/BRD/omicrafter/omnigatherer. Warm and maternal, Huja took up adventuring to support her five husbands and their children; a twist of fate takes her to Eorzea, where things very quickly get out of hand. She continues to send resources home to her family when she may.

Non-WoLs, WoL companions

Urha'to Nelhah: Midlander???, he/him, MCH (but multitalented). Kuja, to a select few. An odd young man who may or may not have come from another world with his equally strange brother. Adopted by Urha Nelhah, mother of one of the Warriors of Light, Qhota Nelhah (both from @mootablemimic), he's made Eorzea his home. Has recently begun traveling alongside the party.

Neirin Nelhah: Midlander???, he/she/they, BLM. A somewhat eccentric dragon-loving mage who claims to be the king of another world. Few take him seriously, and he's more or less made peace with that. He spent several years living among the dragons of Anyx Trine, and has now joined his brother in the quest to... do whatever it is the family is up to these days. Saving the world? Sure, what's another apocalypse?

Ciceroix Greystone: Wildwood, he/him, BRD. Bastard brother of Count Baurendouin de Haillenarte, Ciceroix ran away from home after the death of his mother and has been a wandering bard ever since. His childhood anger and spite have faded, leaving him a fairly mellow and friendly man, always willing to lend an ear to Eve, the Warrior of Light... and perhaps his own nephew, Chlodebaimt, long presumed to be dead in the fall of the Steel Vigil.

Halan Soilanteaux: Duskwight, they/them, WHM. A skittish and insecure Dravanian heretic and healer, Halan follows a fairly infamous heretical leader who stakes a claim on the abandoned Dawn Vigil. When peace is achieved between Dravanians and Ishgardians, Halan reluctantly moves into the city and attempts to set up a life there.

Dhemleita Ernafolgwyn: Sea Wolf, she/her, BSM. A Lominsan blacksmith and childhood friend of Coeli Qoet and her cousins. Generally the most level-headed of the bunch.

Fenumin Inahwen: Wildwood, he/him, ALC/BTN. An herbalist from Tailfeather, formerly of Ishgard. Mostly keeps to himself, but can act as a healer in an absolute pinch. Always polite... but with an edge that the wary usually steer clear of.

Bard Unit

Mordyn Lariat: Midlander, he/him. Born in Limsa Lominsa. Quiet but mischievous, usually seen in company with the Elezen bard, Clotarion Liautroix. His songs tend to be very shanty-like, predictably, and usually rely on the whole unit joining in to achieve their full strength.

Okhi Chelawae: Keeper of the Moon, she/her. Guyelot's childhood best friend. Something of a troublemaker, prone to stirring up arguments. Fiercely loyal. Also skilled with a katana, boasts of her many travels. Pesters Guydelot about 'abandoning' Sanson while he travels. Her songs promote quickness of movement and evasion.

Amianne Grandeterre: Duskwight, she/her. Quiet, often shy, but has a powerful singing voice. Comes from a very large family, well-known and well-liked among other Duskwights. Determined to improve the way her people are treated, and only agrees to join Sanson's unit when he agrees to help her achieve that goal with his own work. Her songs favor strength and stamina. She's the only voice that can sometimes drown out Guydelot's.

[sezja]

Hi! For your WOL questions, I'd like to know about all of them, for 1 and 13! Or you can pick at random off, whichever you want to talk about the most ❤

FFXIV WoL questions (still accepting!)

1. Why did they pick their first class/job? What about the job they main now?

Coeli Qoet: Started off as a lancer because her mother fought with a spear before leaving the forest with her father. A chance encounter in Coerthas set her on the road to becoming the Azure Dragoon, a title she has attempted to set aside - the events of Shadowbringers lead her to pick up Reaper, as she hopes to bring some sort of harmony between the Void and the rest of the shards.

Ernaswys Lubbloefwyn first learned to fight in the Marauder's Guild (her mother and oldest sister are Yellowjackets), but didn't get far before they kicked her out. She sort of tripped into joining the Rogues instead, and no one's really sorted out the wild series of events that led to her becoming a ninja; no one's quite certain how a seven-foot-tall Sea Wolf in bright pink sparkly clothing who bursts into tears if she experiences any emotion stronger than a 6 qualifies as a ninja, but she's got the knives and can perform the mudras, so no one's looking at it too closely, either.

Ibakha Dotharl is a warrior of the Steppe, and has wielded her axe since she was strong enough to carry it. If you ask her, she's been wielding an axe since before she was born, and has in fact done so for several lifetimes.To watch her fight, it's easy to believe it.

Tajna Ratyasch prefers to fight from a distance, but has no gift for manipulating aether - so she started out as an archer, but when the guildmaster tried to point her toward becoming a bard, Tajna proved too shy to sing. She tried picking up a machinist's flintlock, but didn't care for the loud noises, and the manufactory's sights and smells were a little daunting. She returned to Limsa in disgrace, but happened to sit in on a performance by dancers from Radz-at-Han, and one thing led to another. Where she found herself too shy to sing, Tajna has found she has no such difficulty when it comes to dance, and her size and strength translates to grace with surprising ease.

Furan Banjo joined the Rogues honestly, and worked as one of them for several years before a traveling group of bumbling adventurers caught their attention - Banjo decided to travel with them, just to see what trouble they could get into along the way. They've dabbled in a little bit of everything, but they always come back to the stabbers; they know what they like.

Bjarni Iryut just likes swords, and a gunblade is sort of like a sword, with the added bonus of "I don't have to keep track of where I put my shield yesterday."

[I don't currently have a "why" for Sleeping Smile being a RDM that isn't just "I'm gay," and Silent Fox likes to be a healer because she likes holding people's lives in her hands, that's all.]

13. What are their speech patterns like? more formal or informal?

Coeli: Sometimes overly formal. She's getting much better about that as of Shadowbringers; earlier on in the story, she can be borderline insufferable - part of this is trying to mask growing up in Limsa Lominsa, but most of it is just... Coeli. Ernaswys: Bubbly, informal, very Lominsan. Routinely swears in front of the leaders of nations. Prone to nicknames, prone to saying whatever's in her head, no matter how little sense it may make at the time. Ibakha: A bit stiff; Eorzean is a second language to her, and the Echo makes it even stranger. She tends to always be shouting. Not the best diplomat. Tajna: Quiet, a little halting. Tends to phrase things as a question because she isn't confident enough to try to push things on her own. Repeats things for clarification. Banjo: Doesn't talk much, prefers to watch and listen, only injecting suggestions when they think it'll be funny. Heavy Lominsan accent when they do speak, a little garbled. Bjarni: Also doesn't talk much; usually lets his twin do the talking, which is probably the worst thing he could possibly do. Smile: Very crisply polite, not quite as formal as her teammate, Coeli, but very to-the-point. Doesn't like small talk, prefers to get the job done and reap the rewards. Silent Fox: As the name suggests, she's quiet, but her words are always barbed. She can play a politician's game, though, and (along with her teammate, Rusted Knife) is usually more than capable of handling the more public elements of being a Warrior of Light (moreso than Erna or Ibakha, anyway).

[sezja]

Pls gimme 15 for Bjarni, and defend your thesis and 14 for Erna

FFXIV WoL questions (still accepting!)

15. Which NPC are they the most similar to?

Okay so hear me out: Alphinaud. I mean, it's not a one-to-one fit, but it's his relationship with Alisaie that most seals it, I think: the level-headed twin to Alisaie/Slejsa's reckless twin, the more cautious one, very protective of the twin... and of course, not always immune to being incredibly stupid. At least Alphinaud can blame it on his age and inexperience. Bjarni's just a big dumb sweetheart.

14. If they were not an adventurer, what would they be doing?

Oh man, hard to say, because she's such an adventurer at heart. Assuming she had to stay home in Limsa Lominsa on pain of death, though, I imagine she'd have joined her father as a culinarian! Her oldest sister joined the Yellowjackets alongside their mother, and her middle sister is a sailor on a merchanter, but Erna has always been close with her father, and would absolutely be safely nestled under his wing if he had his choice.