Faye Covington

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Lady Faye Covington
The Fairest of Them All

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At first glance, Faye Covington is nothing more than a demure and lovely Midlander of the upper class, a vision in white. One could easily think her as haughty and superficial as your average spoiled rich girl, but the fair lady proves to be remarkably resilient and in control. Rather than a fragile damsel in distress, she is witty, and perhaps too ambitious for her own good.
About
Name: Faye Lunetta Rosalba Covington
Nickname: "Princess," courtesy of Val
Age: 29
Gender: Female
Race: Hyur/Garlean
Clan: Midlander/Mixed
Orientation: Heterosexual
Marital: Engaged/Eloped
Deity: None
Nationality: Gridanian
Occupation: Proprietress
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Faye by Clioroad

Faye stands rather tall for a Midlander woman at 5'8", weighing about 130 ponz, and almost always carries herself with poise, grace, and dignity; her shoulders squared, her back straight, and her head held high. Her skin is very pale and smooth, free of any freckles, moles, or blemishes. The woman's hair is soft and snowy white with hints of platinum blonde. Her hairstyle often changes, but lately is most often left long and loose in gentle curls that fall down to her waist with no bangs. Her face is oval-shaped with a small, wide, up-turned button nose and plump, glossy, full pink lips. Her eyes are an icy blue that sometimes reflect a pinkish-red or violet color, almond-shaped and lined with thick, long eyelashes. Her eyebrows are the same ivory color as her hair, delicately arched and neat. Her earlobes are each pierced once, no other piercings or tattoos to be found on her body.

Her frame is soft and slender, with a small waist, average-sized breasts, and an hourglass-shaped figure. Her left hand is a Magitek prosthetic, made of a sleek, lightweight, white metal adorned with a gilded filigree design and shaped to be a perfect match to her dainty and elegant right hand, though it is almost always hidden behind a glove. There is some scarring along her wrist where the flesh meets metal. The Hyur has a calm and confident demeanor about her. She tends to wear jewelry, usually gold and pearls, and often opts for the more feminine, choosing dresses and skirts over shorts or pants, leaning toward more modest and formal attire. She wears cloth rather than any armors and is usually seen in white or pale colors (pastel blue and pink in particular), though she does seem to have some fondness for red and gold. Her appearance is always neat and orderly, no wrinkles, not a speck of dirt, and not a hair out of place.

Speech: Her voice is smooth and melodic, her speaking tone just barely high-pitched enough to be considered soprano. Each word is clear and articulate, carefully pronounced and measured. Her normal speaking voice is soft without being meek or difficult to hear, but when she is giving out orders, the woman is commanding and able to be rather loud if she pleases. The tone of her voice can snap from demure young noblewoman to demanding leader in a single moment. Her speech is not overly formal, but is certainly not casual. She uses words most often to get her way and will therefore change her style of speech accordingly.

Faye Portrait by Tiergan/Lurial

Polite, mannerly, and charming, she prides herself on being a “proper lady.” Her confidence can often come across as haughtiness, but otherwise she seems fairly pleasant. She’s generally friendly, even if not particularly outspoken, but when someone irks her, she can get a bit snippy. She usually keeps her calm and composure, only sometimes lending herself to annoyance or frustration, but any other emotional outbursts are rare. It leaves her often visibly unmoved by most tragedies and terrors, which can lead to the assumption that she is callous or unfeeling. She is rather secretive with her thoughts and emotions. There are a few people, though, who she is (mostly) honest with in her feelings, but they are few and far between. She is incredibly stubborn and ambitious. She presents herself as being rather straightforward and she is extremely charismatic. Though she sometimes likes to joke around, she usually refrains from crazy and silly antics, making her a bit of a stick in the mud at times. She has a strong sense of "honor," even if her moral code is unique to herself and somewhat baffling to others, with lying and manipulation apparently being acceptable to obtain an important enough goal. Her thinking is very much along the lines of "the end justifies the means."

Faye hates feeling weak and vulnerable and it is mostly for this reason that she is always seeking power, because she can’t stand seeing others superior to her. This can make her power hungry and overambitious. She is persuasive and manipulative, and she will use and hurt people to get what she wants with little hesitation. She is witty and even if she could win a fight, she would prefer to talk her way out of a situation rather than resort to violence. Rather aloof, she is a bit out of touch with other people and their emotions and ideals. Even if she does claim to care for someone, she will often still use him or her as a pawn to achieve her goals if she sees fit, even if she truly does care for that person. To her, most relationships are expendable. Though even if not always entirely loyal and kind to them, she is fiercely protective of those few people she actually does love, though sometimes it can lead her to be smothering, obsessive, or controlling. Because she dislikes vulnerability, she is rarely honest about her emotions and her intentions, regardless of whether they be good or bad.

Apparently a believer in the notion that knowledge is power, she is often curious and dislikes not knowing things. She tends to be self-righteous and often lectures other people on their manners, morals, honor, or other behaviors. She doesn’t like to be tied down by relationships or responsibilities to others. No matter how close a relationship may seem, most are only superficial on the Hyur's end. She is very vengeful when she feels she's been wronged. Though it’s difficult for her, she tries not to cause mischief, meddle in others’ affairs, or smite a few sinners “for the sake of the greater good,” but she always eventually slips up. Whether Faye is truly malevolent or good in nature is hard to determine. Mostly, she remains in neutral ground.

Motivations: Helping those in need and helping herself. Ambitious, she seeks power above all else and wants to rule all that she can, but she intends to use that power to make the world a better place, even if also to satisfy her own wants.
Disposition: Calm, charming, polite, and usually friendly, but a bit aloof, not above snark and sarcasm, and catty when annoyed.
Outlook: All is justified for the greater good.

Positive Personality Traits

Charming, charismatic, confident, intelligent, persuasive, eloquent, mannerly, polite, ambitious, generous, sympathetic, and usually keeps calm and collected. Fiercely protective of those she truly cares for.

Negative Personality Traits

Manipulative, aloof, scheming, dishonest, secretive, self-righteous, conflicted, conceited, superficial, prideful, a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, and tends to "snap" if she is finally provoked to anger.

Likes

  • She loves to drink tea, especially with pleasant company and engaging conversation.
  • She prizes good etiquette above all else and enjoys those who are mannerly and show her proper respect.
  • Flattery! She enjoys attention. Just don't lay it on too thick, or she'll believe you're desperate or have ulterior motives.

Dislikes

  • Bad manners are her biggest pet peeve, and she's not above lecturing others on the subject.
  • She hates dirt and disorganization. She tries to keep both her appearance and her living space neat and orderly.
  • She immediately dislikes criminals and evil-doers. She values the law, honor, and what is "right."

Quirks

  • Despite being otherwise perfect housewife material, Faye cannot cook well at all.
  • Her love for tea borders on the obsessive.
  • Regardless of claims otherwise, she really does enjoy being called "Princess"--if only by Val.
  • Has a small dog named Checkers.

Fears

  • Dismemberment and severed limbs--a relatively new fear. The mere mention of them can make her stomach turn.
  • Failure and vulnerability. She detests being seen as weak or unsuccessful and often overcompensates to avoid it.
  • Voidsent and Garleans. Past run-ins with the two have left her incredibly wary of anyone who so much as associates with either.

Talents/Hobbies

  • Conjury
  • Sewing
  • Leadership
  • Diplomacy and Charisma
  • Decorating

Trivia

  • Favorite Food: Lobster tail, chocolate covered rolanberries for dessert
  • Favorite Drink: Tea, wine or champagne for alcoholic drinks
  • Favorite Color: White, also likes red, blue, gold, lavender, and pink
  • Favorite Flower: Roses

Some of these rumors are untrue, speculation, or are greatly exaggerated. Please feel free to add your own rumors under the Player Character category!

NPC

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◢ Common Rumors - Easily overheard. Use these freely!

    "Real pretty lady, proper and high-class, too. She seems nice enough, but she tends to keep to herself. Maybe she's just stuck-up."
    "She's always surrounded by men. I wonder if she's some type of harlot, or if she just has that many suitors."
    "She used to lead that free company out in the Shroud, right? The Harbingers of something-or-other?"
    "Lady Covington? Doesn't she own that teahouse in the Lavender Beds?"

◢ Uncommon Rumors - A little more difficult to hear. Use sparingly or ask first!

    "Can you believe she married a Miqo'te? Disgusting."
    "A real rich type, yeah? Though, I hear her family, their estate, and their fortune are all gone."
    "Her and that Nunh seem like a mismatched pair, but I'm glad she's calmed him down. He used to yell at all the pretty women in Ul'dah and get in fights all the time. She's really straightened him out."
    "She got engaged to her bodyguard. Doesn't that sound like something straight out of a romance novel? Scandalous and romantic at the same time!"

◢ Rare Rumors - Very rarely overheard. Please ask before using!

    "Didn't she used to follow that one loud, weird Midlander with the ugly hair? I wonder what happened to him. Maybe they got into a fight."
    "Her? Oh, rumor has it, she's a Garlean. You should stay away from her."
    "Seems like such a pretty and dainty little thing, but I've heard she's as mean as a snake--and just as dangerous."
    "I think she's having an affair with that creepy Au Ra guy."
    "She used to have a brother, I think. Gets real touchy if anyone mentions him now. Something bad must have happened to him."



Faye and Val by Harpbeats

PC

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◢ Player Character Rumors - Feel free to add rumors of your own, true or untrue, just keep it IC!

    "She seems to be a good and honorable woman on the outside. However... I fear she and I do not much think alike." - Siobhain Surtsthalwyn
    "Y'want what!? Get ya g'damned eyes off m'woman or I'll break y'fuckin' neck." - Val Nunh
    "She is a shark, if she smells your blood, she will crush you with authority and words. I have to admit, I respect that." - Karaan Nolan
    "Er... Lady Covington? Um... She's very kind. And pretty... Wh-why are you asking me about her? I'm just... I just help her..." - Jihl Wilzuun
    "She's not bad... To y'face, at least. Money seems t'do things t'people, though, I reckon. Don't know if she's committed t'doing good or just looking for trouble or something." - Cecilia Hunt
    "Lady Covington, eh? Well she is a rather nice woman, allowed my ass to join the Harbingers of The Dawn. Hmm, she is the only noble that I respect really, I like her mate too, he is a good guy. Oh and if you fuck with her and Val does not get you I will, and I promise you that they will not find your body." - Lan Darklyn
    "Miss Covington? Oh I know her! Lovely, pale-of-hair? She seems sweet, but so~so polite and distant! She seems so formal, that if I had to guess, I'd say she's some sort of noble. I bet she'd be a lot of fun if she let herself enjoy things more!" - Aya Foxheart
    "Every week she opens the doors of her company tavern. She's so kind and welcoming, such a wonderful hostess!" - Aya Foxheart
    "She's prolly th'strongest woman I know, only she ain' really able t'lift nothin' heavy. S'just somethin' 'bout 'er. She knows what she wants an' she ain' gonna let nothin' stop 'er from gettin' it. Guess s'how she got me, yeah? S'admirable, really. I fuckin' love that woman." - Val Nunh
    "A professional. One of the few that I think the title of 'lady' really applies to." - Jaques Guillaume
    "When I imagine a true lady... Lady Faye comes to mind instantly. Truly, she is quite a magnificent woman." - C'eleni Meztli
    "Beautiful, elegant and sophisticated. I imagine she can take care of herself, but I haven't had the chance to see it; Val guards her fiercely." - Berrod Armstrong
    "I heard she's only with that Val guy because she's intimidated by his intelligence." - Spahro Llorn
    "Lady Faye is characterized by a remarkable dispassionate style of leadership. Even in times of great distress she is able to fulfill her obligations and sustain the image of Matriarch. I only hope that she has a proper, private outlet for her emotions." - Lilia Lia
    "Ah yes. White. More commonly referred to as 'Lady Faye.' She exhibits an aura of radiance and projects her good image to all observers. Her wealth, however, speaks differently; she desires power and may freely manipulate the commoners to achieve such power. White is ironic, yet a fitting name for her." - Lynx
    "Stiff upper lip." - Flameson Hammersmith
    "I respect Lady Faye's judgment and honestly view her as one of my closest female friends... but don't tell her I said that."- J'Maaira Tuhl
    "I've only looked into them once, but it felt like looking into a mirror wrought in golden filigree: the Lady Covington's eyes conceal a thirst for power and subterfuge that very few possess. She is a deceptive, cunning creature, though most will never know, as beauty and altruism are often blinding. I can't fault the woman for these qualities, as I'd be trying to catch more flies in my web, too." - Sigurd Sundsteigen
    "I have not had much of a chance to speak with the Matriarch. She exudes a calming and inspiring presence, often disrupted by her foul mannered Miqo'te companion. Despite her strange choice of Warden, I have great respect for her, and I am proud to serve in her Free Company." - Vallerin Hortimont
    "Lady Covington reminds me of the noblewomen back home. Proud, calm, classy. She's way more reasonable than the likes of them, though." - Gwannes Oskwell
    "Eh? T'Lady Covington? Oh righ'! I popped by t'estate once fer a drink. Dedicated hostess she were, stood by the door all night t'welcome her guests. Noble bearin', but ne'er once did I feel snobbed off." - Odette Saoirse
    "The Matriarch is a good leader. She should definitely get more sassy with people, I would love to see that." - Sebastian Taylor

Warning! Faye's story involves mention of death, murder, injury, violence, and body mutilation. Please read at your own risk if you are sensitive to such themes.

Valentine's Chibi Faye by Invader-Gauze

Pre-Calamity

Faye was born the first and only child to Selene and Nicholas Covington, an upper class Midlander family who made their home in the Twelveswood around the northern part of the East Shroud. Her mother was from a long line of nobility hailing from Ishgard who enjoyed sewing in her free time, her father a talented military general and tactician in the Order of the Twin Adder. Growing up, her parents ensured she would be well-educated, hiring private tutors to teach her everything from etiquette to history, literature to mathematics. She was spoiled with a life of wealth and luxury, any material possessions she desired granted to her at her smallest whim. While privileged in some ways, she was unfortunate in others. Lessons took up much of her time, and even when she was free from her tutors and classes, there was little opportunity for playing or enjoying her childhood. Her mother was often busy or simply didn't care for childish games with her daughter, and her father usually away from home with work or holed up in his office where Selene insisted the young Faye not disturb him. The household staff spent more time with the girl than her own parents. She had no siblings, nor were there other families in the area with children her age to play with, their home rather secluded with only trees and Sylphs for neighbors. She was left to spend her time alone, reading, studying or practicing the contents of her daily lessons, or wandering about the woods near her home, even then not allowed to stray too far lest she fall victim to the dangers of the Black Shroud.
Chibi Faye by Lament

She was not entirely sheltered, however. She was dragged to balls and galas, luncheons and dinners, the social events a frequent part of her life, though even there she was usually forced to listen to adults prattle on about things that held little interest to her. Rarely were there any other children her age or around, and when there were, rarely were they permitted to romp around like children should, but rather expected to act as little adults and maintain patient silence to allow their parents to talk. Sometimes, however, she was taken to visit the Twin Adders or the Conjurer's Guild to further her knowledge of healing and conjury. Her skill in conjury was a great concern to her father--her tutor insisted she had a healthy pool of aether to pull from, and she was nearly a prodigy with magicks offensive and defensive, yet when it came to healing, she drew into her aether and inflicted harm upon herself. With practice, her condition slowly improved, but she never quite had a knack for healing. She was skilled enough at mending wounds, but at the expense of her own aether.

Despite her mother's constant concern for her safety and innocence, Faye was not ignorant to the horrors of the world. Her tutors spared no details in their explanations of the world and its often violent history. Sometimes, she would overhear her father and his friends and comrades, sharing tales of the woes of war. She also still paid frequent visits to Stillglade Fane in Gridania. Even there, she was forced to grow up fast. In her time healing the wounded, she saw firsthand the horrors of war, soldiers and even civilians terribly mangled, many beyond saving. It may have been jarring at first, but the young Hyur soon simply grew accustomed to such things. They were only a reality, an unfortunate fact of life. Wounds and death were both a part of nature--and while nature wasn't a thing she much cared for, it was something she simply had to accept, even respect in her studies of conjury. Blood, broken bones, burns, births, miscarriage, death, disease, corpses--all became surprisingly commonplace in her life of safety and privilege.

Teenage Years

At age 15, she was allowed her first dose of freedom. If she was old enough that her mother was pressuring her to find a suitor for marriage, then surely she was old enough to travel outside the Shroud alone, right? Her father deemed the argument good enough, apparently, and granted her permission to deliver a letter for him to his colleague in La Noscea. It went as well as could be expected of a young girl's first adventure into the world alone--she quickly became lost. However, she was ill-prepared when she stumbled across a village in wreckage, corpses of people and Sahagin both strewn about, none she could find left alive but an injured boy around her own age who pleaded for her help before passing out at her feet. She healed and healed his wounds, and all mended but the gruesome scar running down his face straight over his eye. Just as she was on the verge of passing out herself, rescue came in the form of reinforcements from The Maelstrom.

Shoujo Faye by Skytears

The boy she had saved was the only known survivor of the attack, his family and his entire village left missing, dead, or Tempered at the hands of the Sahagin. His home had been destroyed, everyone and everything he'd known, gone. Faye begged her parents to offer him shelter, and they agreed, taking him in and raising him almost as their own son. Life with an unexpected new housemate was difficult to get used to, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. As annoying as the boy, Zularti Vensar, was, it was pleasant to have the company of someone her own age. He did not let the bloody events that day in La Noscea drag him down--in fact, he barely even acknowledged them. It probably should have been cause for concern, but there was no way to bring it up to the boy who was upbeat and never sitting still. Zularti dragged Faye on constant adventures into the Twelveswood, and she soon began to view him as her own brother.

After a couple summers, however, Zularti was ready to move on, lest he overstay his welcome with the kind family. Faye caught him trying to sneak out in the middle of the night, a simple bag of belongings and a spear strapped to his back. He explained to her he was going to travel to Coerthas in hopes of becoming a Dragoon. He had always dreamed of being a hero, becoming skilled in combat and helping others. He couldn't be swayed to stay, and he left, promising he'd see Faye again. Life was remarkably dull and lonely in his absence in the years after his departure. Things went back to just as they'd been before Zularti's arrival, as if he'd never been there at all, save for the constant reminder of the lack of his presence for Faye. She wouldn't have to suffer boredom for long, however.

Faye by Sasha Rochester

Post-Calamity

The Calamity struck, and with all the Covington's resources, their family was relatively unharmed. But just as Gridania began to pick up the pieces and rebuild, a much more personal tragedy struck for the Covington family. In the middle of the night, a group of Imperial soldiers attacked the Covington manor. Faye managed to narrowly escape with her life, along with some of the house's servants. Faye fled to the Conjurer's Guild as her father bade her to escape, Nicholas struggling to fend off the Garlean attackers. The estate caught fire during the skirmish and burned to the ground. Some of the servants managed to escape, but as for the rest of the household staff and Faye's parents, they all perished to either the Imperials or the fire, several of the bodies unable to be recovered from the ashes, others found but too destroyed to identify.

With the Covington manor destroyed and no desire to face wreckage and rebuild, Faye found solace at Stillglade Fane for a while. As much as she tried, she could never quite wrap her head around the events that destroyed her home and family. While she mourned the loss of her parents, she was by then an adult who had come to terms that her parents would perish before her. With nowhere else to go and no family left, she devoted herself to mastering conjury. While she found shelter there, she was eventually reunited with Zularti as he was passing through, who had given up on his dreams of being a Dragoon, finding the training to be too rigorous and the expectations too high, and deciding that after the Calamity, he couldn't dedicate himself to Coerthas when all of Eorzea needed his help. Instead, he had become an adventurer, wandering to wherever anyone needed help, cutting down Garlean soldiers, beastmen, bandits, and whatever foes threatened the people of Eorzea. Faye joined Zularti on his adventuring for some time, fighting alongside him, tending to his wounds, and ensuring he didn't land himself in too much trouble, meanwhile supporting their ventures with what remained of her inheritance of the family fortune. As they traveled, the two eventually found themselves ambushed by Imperial soldiers on more than one occasion, and it became apparent to Faye that they seemed to be following her. She still hadn't understood why they had attacked her home, and was even more baffled as to why they would be following her. She had theorized that perhaps they had attacked the Covington home to strike at her father due to his work with Order of the Twin Adder, but failed to understand how that could lead to attacks against her.

Faye Sketch by Kirova

Meanwhile, Zularti grew to be discontent with their heroic duo. He had grander ideas in mind and expressed a desire to form a free company of heroes and adventurers which reflected his ideals. A group could surely accomplish more than two people. He wished to create a free company that would help and protect the people of Eorzea. Faye offered her support, and together the two formed a free company licensed under the Order of the Twin Adder, naming it the Harbingers of Dawn. With Zularti being ever the free spirit and certainly not possessing a mind for business, Faye found herself doing most of the work for the company, even if Zularti still held the official title of leader. Between Zularti's unique brand of charisma and Faye's ambition and diligence, the company quickly picked up members and grew. While Faye was left to see to the free company, Zularti continued his independent adventures, and began to complain frequently about his injured eye, sometimes acting quite strangely. The more Faye expressed her concern about it, the more distant and vacant Zularti seemed to become. Fearful she couldn't fend off the continuing Garlean attacks against her on her own with Zularti around less, Faye hired a mercenary she had almost literally run into, a Seeker of the Sun by the name of Val Nunh, to be her bodyguard.


Faye and Val by Ryu62

Reveal

The assaults from the Imperials continued, though with Val at her side, the two managed to escape each time, the close calls only bringing the pair closer together. Though things were tumultuous at first, within a few moons, the unlikely couple had become lovers after Faye gave the ultimatum that Val could not continue to try to chase away all of her would-be suitors when he had no proper relationship with her and had no problems entertaining other women himself. With some coercion from Siobhain Surtsthalwyn, Val reluctantly agreed to a monogamous relationship with Faye, though he attempted to keep the information quiet, until Faye pointed out that if their involvement were a secret, other men would continue to try to make advances on her. With the knowledge of their romance now public, the Garleans gained the upperhand at last. Val was poisoned one day by a Roegadyn woman who he thought to be his friend, but was actually working with the Imperials. The couple received a note informing them that an antidote would be delivered to Val if Faye turned herself over willingly to the Imperials.

Not about to sacrifice herself and skeptical the other half of the deal would even be upheld, Faye attempted to treat Val's ailment herself, but any efforts from herself or other healers were in vain, no magic nor alchemy aiding him. Anything done to try to treat his condition only seemed to worsen it. With Val verging close to death, Faye slipped out at night while no one was around or awake to stop her, going to the location specified in the note to turn herself in. There, she found a man in a mask and crimson robes waiting for her, appearing to perhaps be a tall Midlander, but it was impossible to tell. He led her to an encampment of Garleans and handed her over to their custody, where she was imprisoned with no information on what was happening or why she was there, aside from the masked man's cryptic jabs at her echoing in her head. She was not left alone for long before the masked man returned with a strange Miqo'te woman who he let into Faye's cell, the Keeper of the Moon--if she could even be called such a thing, surely some creature of the Void--assaulting Faye and robbing her of her aether as the man in the mask silently watched.

The Lover's Tarot featuring Faye and Val, by Rhea Zaheela

As promised, a cure was delivered to Val by the masked man's Miqo'te companion who also told Val of Faye's whereabouts in exchange for a portion of his aether, and naturally, the moment Val was able to walk, he set off to find Faye, only to be captured by the same group of Imperials, the Seeker of the Sun demanding they take him to see Faye. The two were transferred to Castrum Occidens, strangely enough tossed into the same cell, leaving Faye in both relief and dismay to see Val captured with her. She soon had another visitor, and some answers, at last. A man Faye almost immediately recognized as her father opened the cell door. The reunion was not a heartwarming one. Her father revealed himself as a Garlean. She learned that Nicholas Covington was actually Stanislas van Corinthius, the Blue Viper, that he had been undercover in Eorzea, that he had faked his death when his work was done to return to Garlemald where he had a wife and two sons, the raid upon the Covington household destroying any evidence he might have left behind, tying up any loose ends. All except for one: his daughter. She had been meant to die that night along with her mother, but he could no bring himself to kill his own flesh and blood, instead helping her safety at the last moment.

But with the Garlean Emperor's death impending, Stanislas had his on climbing the ladder of power, and he could not afford any more loose ends, nor did he believe Eorzea was safe for her much longer. He explained that the Garlean attacks on her had actually been attempts to retrieve her after he'd placed a bounty on her (relatively) safe retrieval. He gave Faye an ultimatum: die in that cell along with Val, or return to Garlemald with him. She refused either option, even as he tempted her with promises of wealth and opulence, power and safety in Garlemald, promising she could even bring Val with her. She may have accepted the offer, were it not for the Harbingers of Dawn and more importantly Zularti, along with her current disbelief and anger with her father. She begged for an alternative, and he eventually conceded. He agreed to let her stay in Eorzea for the time being and make her choice later, if only under the condition that she would have to do his bidding in Eorzea and keep in contact with him, feeding him with information and carrying out whatever tasks he gave her. With few other options, she reluctantly agreed, and was released along with Val after two weeks of captivity. Her confiscated free company linkpearl was returned, and she called over it for help, orchestrating a faux rescue from the Castrum. A small group of Harbingers soon arrived led by Zularti, freeing her and Val and escorting them back to safety. Faye didn't speak a word about what happened to anyone but Val, swearing him to secrecy, and lying to her company mates about what had occurred. The Garleans stopped following and attacking her.

Faye continued her work with Harbingers of Dawn, and, as Faye proved to be continually reluctant to assist with her father's schemes, he sent his eldest son, Aelius Corinthius, to join the Harbingers of Dawn undercover posing a Lominsan mercenary named Ael to keep an eye on Faye and force her to comply and hold up her end of the bargain, much to Faye's chagrin. Aelius seemed intent on having some sort of familial relationship with his half-sister, but Faye vehemently refused. His constant attempts to convince her to come to Garlemald and to do as their father bade lest she get herself killed fell upon deaf ears. One of Faye's first orders was to convince Zularti to form a friendship with Ael, which Faye did begrudgingly. A redheaded woman named Luca joined not long after Aelius, and her closeness to him eventually raised Faye's suspicion, but there was little she could do about it, forced to tolerate their presence within the company.

Faye Sketch by Kelsyart

Primal Problems

Zularti's complaints about the pain from his eye and strange behavior continued. His angry outbursts became more frequent and more explosive, a sudden temper where there once was none. His eye brought him crippling and headaches frequently, and he had lost all sight in it. A strange condition akin to necrosis had trailed from his eye to his right arm, leaving the arm strangely warped with no feeling left in it. He exhibited increased strength and durability to an unnatural degree. He developed a strong fixation with water, and despite having absolutely no talent for channeling aether or wielding magic before that point, he was inexplicably able to shoot out powerful blasts of water. The company began to investigate the strange happenings, digging through books and old tomes and investigating the remains of Zularti's village. There, they found a dagger, believed to the one that had cut Zularti's eye so long ago.

The company eventually surmised that Zularti was victim to some sort of faux Tempering via the magic-imbued dagger that had not been completed due to his escape before the ritual was complete. Since it was not a traditional Tempering, the company held onto faith that there may be some way to cure Zularti. With each sun that passed, Zularti acted less and less like himself. He had a strange and insatiable desire for bloodshed, and the more beastmen he slew, the stronger he seemed to grow. Investigating reports of entire groups of beastmen being slaughtered, the company discovered Zularti seemed to be attacking other beast tribes and stealing their aether crystals for the Sahagin.

The Sahagin were obviously preparing for a summoning of their Primal, Leviathan. The Harbingers theorized that Zularti was being used as a vessel to provide aether for Leviathan's summon--the Sahagin fattening him up with aether before they sacrificed him, so to speak. Leviathan's return was imminent. Faye went to Aelius demanding answers, the only that she received being that slaying Leviathan would free Zularti from his thrall. The company put together a plan seeking to force a premature summon of Primal while he was still weak, strike him down, and hopefully free Zularti from the serpent's clutches. The Harbingers' Strategy Branch and Barbarccia Valadis created a device that would hopefully temporarily protect the company from Tempering. With the stash of aether crystals they had reclaimed from the Sahagin, the company dragged Zularti to a remote location in La Noscea along the coastline, clearing out the Sahagin who tried to stand in their way.

Faye by Forgxll

Several members of the company sought to pry the afflicted eye from Zularti's skull. As they did, instinct and the Tempering kicked in, and he sought to defend himself. Eventually, the company managed to subdue Zularti and gouge out his right eye, finding it to be no longer an eye at all, but a solid crystal of condensed aether, saturated with enough aether for several crates of normal aether crystals. Almost immediately, prying out the eye sparked the summon of Leviathan, though fortunately a weak form, with little prayer and aether to fuel the sea beast. A small group of Harbingers including Faye, Zularti, Val, Anstarra Silverain, Tasa Rhyzul, and Mimiru Miru faced the Primal, while the rest guarded the shore, pushing back the Sahagin reinforcements that rushed in to praise and defend their lord.

After an intense battle, the Harbingers managed to slay the Lord of the Whorl and the last of his followers who came to fight for him, and Faye plucked Zularti's "eye" from the sand after it had been nearly forgotten in the fight. They had no time to recover, however, before they noticed a fleet of Garlean ships approaching the shore. The main ship landed upon the shore, a fully armored man with a Magitek axe (whose voice Faye recognized as Aelius's without the fake Lominsan accent he used in front of others) stepping onto the beach, flanked by a platoon of Imperial soldiers, countless others waiting upon the ships. Aelius demanded the Harbingers hand over the eye. The small, round anti-Tempering device was offered instead, but the man saw through farce and continued to demand Faye surrender the eye. She refused, but Aelius had no trouble knocking her down with a punch to the face and taking the crystal by force. Exhausted and wounded from their fight with Leviathan and the Sahagin, the Harbingers had no hope of retaliating and challenging the Garleans. They could only bitterly watch as the Imperial soldiers took the eye, returned to their ship, and left.

Wedding Faye and Val by Fai/Kaworu

Troubles Ensue

The victory felt more like a failure in the end, but still, the company had a moment of reprieve. The threat of Leviathan was staved off for the time being, and Zularti seemed freed of the Primal's influence, even if permanent damage was done to his eye and his arm, and he had retained some of the abilities his "Tempering" had granted him. Disturbed and depressed that his body had been used as a tool for the Primal he so hated, Zularti kept his distance from the company and redoubled his efforts to help others and make his name as a hero. In his extended absence, Faye left the position of Support Saint and stepped up to name herself the proper leader of the free company. This ruffled some feathers, many assuming some underhanded schemes had occurred, when in truth nothing had happened but a change of titles; Faye had essentially been leading the company for quite some time, after all, in everything but name. Many a power struggle ensued. Faye and Val soon got engaged, and shortly after eloped, though they kept their marriage a secret, deciding a public ceremony would come much later. Kylar Dashiva created an aetherial link between Faye and Val, so that if anything were to happen to either, the other would be able to feel it and know each other's general location.

The masked man from the Castrum and his Miqo'te companion became a frequent thorn in Faye's side, repeatedly attacking members of Harbingers of Dawn and stealing their aether. The mysterious man seemed bent on being a personal nuisance to Faye as well, but she found some silver lining in the otherwise troublesome situation, striking deals with the Voidmage every now and then whenever she came upon a task that could benefit from the assistance of someone with such magical prowess and knowledge of taboo subjects. She learned that whatever he was, he was not a Garlean--he'd simply found it profitable to work with them, at the time. The business hardly left them on friendly terms, however, their exchanges usually rather heated, but she knew he could come in handy when it came to combating her father. She had every plan to rid herself of the masked fellow when he could no longer be of use to her. Val began to fall ill, and Faye realized he was displaying the same symptoms as when he was poisoned. It was not long before he was nearly on his deathbed once more. Furious, she called the masked man to her office, demanding answers. He explained that the "cure" Val had been given the first time was only a temporary fix. Each time Val had been healed aetherically since then, it had only fed the malady.

Winter Faye by Oschons-embrace

Faye ordered him to aid Val where he had failed to properly the first time. Of course, such things were never free. She paid the price (complete with perhaps a few attempts to stab him and one to unmask him), only for him to inform her that there was no permanent fix and that Val would have to learn to regulate his aether on his own, but he did give her a tip how the Seeker with no potential for casting might accomplish such a thing. With the recent influx of refugees from Othard seeking solace in Eorzea, rumors abounded of certain practices in their land. Mimiru crafted an item to help stabilize Val's aether enough to keep him conscious and on his feet, affectionately titled "Boxy." With some help from Stanislas after Faye's pleading, Val was arranged safe passage into Othard to learn some new skills to combat his illness. After a few weeks, he returned to Faye and Eorzea in much better health and with some new talents, though he soon found himself met with an assault from the masked man's Miqo'te companion, jealous over her lover's dealings with Faye, which only fueled Faye's hatred for the woman and her masked "master."

After witnessing the Miqo'te woman in the Quicksand not long after, she taunted Val and led him outside the walls of Ul'dah into the desert. He followed, seizing the chance to attack the Keeper. She retaliated by stealing his aether, but he would not be subdued until he was nearly drained of his life. Unwilling to leave him to die in the sands of Thanalan and unsure what else to do with him, the Voidtouched Miqo'te brought Val to her and her masked partner's home so that he might be helped. Unfortunately, Val instead took the chance to try to attack the masked man, as well, earning his ire. While he did indeed ensure the Seeker did not die, he tormented the Nunh and inflicted him with the same curse as the Keeper woman before setting him free and sending him back to Faye's home. Faye was enraged and would have been certain the masked man had long outlived his usefulness at this point, had he not been the only person with the knowledge of how to reverse Val's newest affliction. She resented the way he always made sure she had some dire need of him so that she could not dispose of him, the way he made sure he always had something to hold above her head.

Faye Pinup by Vaughn Antain

Rebellion

Unable to rid herself of the masked man for the time being, Faye set her focus on her other issues. She had brainstormed many plans to break free from her father's control, but it seemed impossible without risking serious damage to not only herself and Val, but the entire free company, Zularti especially, it seemed, given her Garlean family's apparent interest in him. When during his usual adventures one sun, Zularti was briefly captured and interrogated by Imperial soldiers from Stanislas's legion about his eye, Leviathan, and his Tempering, Faye's desire to rebel was rekindled. How much did her family have to do with the Tempering, with the Primal's summoning? What was the eye, and what did they intend to use it for? She began to try to amass as much power for herself and for Harbingers of Dawn as she could, bent on being able to fend off her father and his men when the day inevitably came. She was called upon every now and then to meet her father, typically in a remote location in Thanalan. Her father usually asked her about the Harbingers of Dawn, their current leadership and members, their movements. Faye answered as vaguely as she could get away with, and bitterly rebuked all of her father's invitations for family bonding. She didn't know what Stanislas's plans were for the Harbingers of Dawn, but she became increasingly aware that the company and its members were in danger, even with her obedience.

A note was posted to the company bulletin board claiming to be from the Twin Adders, reporting sightings of a certain masked man and a dark-haired Miqo'te woman who had been known to plague the company causing chaos in a certain area prompted two Harbingers to investigate, only to find no sign of the pair and instead to be ambushed by soldiers from Stanislas's legion. Faye could only assume that Aelius had left the note. Not long after, the company had a real run in with the masked figure and his sidekick when they finally caught up with him and imprisoned him after his Voidtouched lover was slain during an interrupted ritual. At last, Faye learned their true identities, Melfice Vainchelon and Shadiyah Amari, two members of her very own free company. Most all the Harbingers were bent on seeing Melfice either killed or rotting in the Adders' custody, but as always, he had ensured that Faye still had a use for him alive, in the form of the cure he was still researching for Val. Zularti and Lan, however, could not be convinced to have any mercy on the man. Instead, Faye orchestrated a plan to set Melfice free and make it appear as if someone--or something--else had dealt justice upon the man first--a scene that required no small amount of blood, and she took a great amount of pleasure in stabbing the disgruntled man a couple dozen times. He was not so keen to play along, and she found that having her face smashed into the bloody floor made her question, as always, why she still allowed this man to live. Despite it, he made his escape with her assistance to continue procuring a cure for Val's curse.

Faye Sketch by High-stakes-gambler

Meanwhile, the trouble with the Imperials continued as the Harbingers received reports from the Twin Adders about increased Garlean activity in the Shroud. Val led a party of Harbingers to investigate, finding a group of six Garlean conscripts they made short work of, only to discover it had been a distraction and they were surrounded by many more elite looking soldiers. The Imperials attempted to detain Arrelaine Fashonti, but using his ninjutsu, Val managed to create a distraction to allow the other Harbingers to flee with his urging, and Arrelaine was freed during the commotion to escape, as well.

The Harbingers were left to presume Val was taken captive by the Garleans, since he did not return. At the next company meeting, however, an otherwise unlabeled package for Faye was left upon the doorstep and delivered to her at the end of the meeting. Inside the package was a sandy blond Miqo'te ear. A few suns later, a slender tail of the same coloring was found nailed to the front door of the Harbingers' Estate in the morning. At the next meeting, a brick was tossed through the window of the meeting room directly behind Faye, a blue eye with a slitted Seeker pupil attached to it. Tensions and emotions ran high, with fear that even their own estate was not safe and one of their leaders was apparently being tortured and sent back them to them piece by piece. Faye believed the body parts were not actually Val's, since she'd felt no such pain through their aetherial link, but that made it no less unnerving, nor did the fact she could not get a solid read on his location. Faye went to Stanislas demanding answers, only to be reassured--albeit in rather vague terms--that Val was safe. The company searched until at last they found a lead on Val's general whereabouts, and a scouting party was sent to pinpoint his location and see how fortified it may be.

With a better idea of Val's potential whereabouts, the company organized a strike against the Garlean base. Faye demanded she go, but several Harbingers insisted she stay, Zularti promising her that he'd return Val safely to her, no matter what. A group of Immortal Flames led by Lan Darklyn attacked at one side to cause a distraction, a group of Harbingers formed a separate distraction team to attack the opposite side, and a third party of Harbingers led by Zularti made a recovery unit to infiltrate the base and rescue Val. The recovery team came upon a large laboratory containing Val's captor, Doctor Hellinger--one of Stanislas's generals, as well as Val himself, barely alive and contained in a vat of liquid where the doctor had clearly been running some sort of experiments. A skirmish ensued, and when it was clear he was on the losing side, Hellinger did not go without a bang. He activated a ceruleum bomb within his own chest, but Zularti threw a barrier around Hellinger and himself, containing the blast and saving the others. The roof of the facility still collapsed from nthe force of the explosion, however, and the party was forced to quickly flee, managing to take Val with them, though Zularti's lifeless body could not be recovered from beneath the rubble trapping it.

Faye by Neheon

Revenge

As relieved as Faye was to have Val home and still in one piece, she was absolutely devastated to learn of Zularti's death, her best friend and, as far as she was concerned, her only remaining family member gone. A vigil was constructed in the front yard of the Harbingers' estate for Zularti and other fallen members of the Harbingers of Dawn. With Zularti's death, Faye vowed the company would go on the offensive against the Blue Viper and no longer be terrorized or victims to Garleans. She would have her revenge. She was done playing nicely with her father's demands. She knew that before she could reach her father, she would need to remove Aelius from the picture. It was as simple as exposing him to the Harbingers as a spy and a Garlean, but she needed more evidence. She waited for the opportune moment, and fortunately for Faye, it came soon enough.

Several weeks later, an anonymous missive was posted on the company bulletin board, calling for members to investigate an area in the Shroud where the Order of the Twin Adder had reported heightened Garlean activity. Ael led a party into the Shroud to investigate, but they were almost immediately ambushed by an Imperial soldier piloting a Magitek Reaper. Almost immediately, Ael was disarmed and knocked unconscious, and the others received heavy injuries. The Reaper had some sort of forcefield shielding the pilot, making it difficult to take out, but the group eventually managed to kill the pilot and explode the Reaper.

Not long after, Faye announced that the mission had not been approved by the free company, and that after speaking with the Twin Adders, they'd reported no such Imperial activity in the area. The fact that the Imperials had always been aware of the Harbingers' movements and somehow always one-step ahead had long since led to the suspicion that there had been a Garlean spy among the ranks of the Harbingers, and Faye pointed the finger at Ael, issuing a warrant for his arrest. Though there was no sign of the man for a week or two, he was at last apprehended when he walked straight into a company meeting, apparently clueless of the allegations against him, and was swiftly arrested. He was questioned, but conclusive evidence could only be found on the grounds of leading an unsanctioned company mission, not on any accounts of Garlean espionage. As such, rather than letting him go free, the company opted to hand him over to the Order of the Twin Adder, but Aelius escaped before making it into their hands when it turned out that the "Adders" who had come to retrieve him were actually Imperial soldiers in disguise.

Faye Color Challenge by Neheon

It wasn't the outcome Faye had hoped for, but at the very least, Aelius was gone and made an enemy of the free company. Luca was arrested upon suspicion of her relationship with Ael, but no incriminating evidence was found. Faye did, however, take full advantage of the opportunity to gloat about her vague plans for the demise of the Garleans who opposed her before Luca was released, scarce to be seen after that. Having finally made a direct move against her father, Faye knew that her time was short. He would retaliate soon. It was no surprise, then, when she received a short letter from Stanislas demanding to meet with her soon. She knew that survival was unlikely, but she had begun to deem death favorable rather than to continue to be a pawn in a game that hurt everyone around her. She had accepted her demise. Still, she would not go without a fight.

She tasked Karaan Nolan with keeping records of everything, should she perish. Rather than go alone to face her father, she brought with her some of her most trusted allies in the form of Val, Lan, Mimiru, and Irridias Velnyx, warning them to be prepared for a fight. Stanislas was unsurprised by their arrival, fully armored and ready to fight. In fact, he explained that he hadn't called Faye there to talk, but to take action. As they faced off, Stanislas revealed his plan to make his way to the Moraby Dry Docks once he had finished with Faye and company, to begin an attack upon Limsa Lominsa. A call was made over the Harbingers' linkpearl to alert to the free company to the danger, sending them to the Dry Docks to intercept the Garlean forces. Meanwhile, the five faced off against Stanislas, who wielded a large sword embedded with several glowing stones of various colors, one the deep blue crystal Faye recognized as Zularti's lost "eye." It seemed he had collected crystals from several Primals, imbuing and enhancing himself with their elemental powers.

Faye by Arimaxiv

The battle was hard fought, the prognosis looking grim for the Harbingers near the end, though they were fortunate in that the power from the crystals within the sword seemed to be used up quickly with Stanislas's attacks. He swung his mighty sword down squarely above Faye's head. Val intercepted with an attack upon the Legatus, throwing off the trajectory of the swing and buying Faye some extra time to dodge the blow. Rather than cleaving her in two, the blade instead caught only her wrist, cleaving off her left hand. Wounded and stunned, Faye was taken out of the fight for a time and fighting to remain conscious, and Stanislas seemed to consider her down for the count. She knew that her father was dangerous, that he was a monster, yet it never truly set in and felt real until she had seen him try to kill her with no hesitation. Stanislas turned his focus to Val, running his sword through the Miqo'te's abdomen and causing the rogue to drop his daggers. Irridias took advantage to fire a shot, even if it meant it clipped through Val's shoulder into Stanislas's own.

With the attack redirecting Stanislas's attention to Irridias, Faye seized the opportunity once she remembered how to move, shakily picking up Val's discarded dagger from the sand. She crept up quietly upon her father, plunging the blade into his neck where his armor did not cover his skin beneath his helm. "My own daughter? How could you?" he managed to rasp out before drowning in his own blood, the crystals in his sword shattering to dust. No sooner than he breathed his last breath, Faye collapsed, and a call was made over the Harbingers' linkshell to send an airship to Thanalan to pick up the seriously wounded group. After several suns spent unconscious in the infirmary under the care of the Harbingers' Support Branch, namely Syranelle Ironleaf and Sebastian Taylor, Faye awoke to find it had not all been a terrible nightmare, but reality.

Faye by Charlady

Aftermath

Despite how much she had dreamed of the chance to end her father, it brought her little peace. In fact, she found herself more distressed than ever. Once she was no longer confined to the infirmary, she remained reclusive. She felt guilty for dragging the company into her familial drama and allowing so many people to be hurt by it. The trauma of the battle had weighed heavily on her, and her missing hand was a constant reminder of it, as well as an embarrassment in its own right. Adjusting to life with the use of only one hand was not easy, ordinary tasks becoming frustrating and difficult. She did her best to hide her impairment, clutching her stump of a wrist behind herself, below tables, or just out of view. Once she felt well enough to venture out, she sneaked out on her own to the area in Thanalan where the battle had taken place, hoping some reflection might bring her some peace of mind.

It was everything the opposite, when she found Aelius there, incredibly displeased after learning of their father's death at Faye's hand. Still in poor shape and missing a hand, Faye had little hope of fending him off, despite her best efforts, and trying to reason with him only fell upon deaf ears. He dragged her toward Highbridge, far from gentle about it. Faye managed to make a brief call over her linkpearl for help before he snatched it from her. By the time they reached the bridge, several Harbingers had arrived, surrounding them. Aelius backed to the edge of the bridge, threatening to take Faye with him if anyone made a move. He got impatient with the situation, tossing Faye over the railing only to be punted over it a moment later himself. Fortunately, thanks to his Dragoon jumping skills, Faye was rescued by Clouse Sydonis. Aelius was not so lucky, plummeting to the ground below. Shots flew from the distance as the Harbingers tried to recover his body, rendering them unable to take him with them.

The incident only further discouraged Faye, with the knowledge that her existence had destroyed her entire family and that her issues with her father's side of the family continued to plague the people around her and put them in harm's way even after her father's death. She sought out a Magitek mechanic, having him craft a custom, functional hand for her. She wears gloves at almost all times to hide it, still insecure of her injury and avoidant to tell the story behind it. She found herself lost with little direction. Zularti was dead. He'd been avenged. Her father had been slain, Aelius missing and likely dead. Now what? Several talks about purpose with Syranelle, Blake Forester, and Doctor Kaisin Ozerov did little to help her find direction, and trouble seemed to always be around the corner.

A few Harbingers, such as Airka Lakshmi and Captain Uni Puma, lost their lives. Melfice continued to cause issues for the company despite his desire to turn a new leaf and his relationship with Faye taking a turn for the better, leaving her in the middle. Power clashes occurred within the company as always, and the company's Strategy Saint at the time was proving to be dangerously unstable and a threat to everyone around her, herself included. The Harbingers of Dawn seemed like it had become a source for more negative than positive, the issues driving away several of its oldest and most prominent members. Ever since Zularti's death, Faye had been left to wonder why she continued to lead the company and what she should do with it and herself. These questions only became louder and more frequent after she had slain her father and gotten revenge for Zularti. After mulling over it for moons, she made the decision to disband Harbingers of Dawn.


Faye by East Aldenard Trading Company

Time For Tea

Though she had let go of the past to which she had so long clung, Faye was still left without a new purpose. For a time, she enjoyed the peace and quiet, the lack of responsibilities and demands. There was no more death, no more power struggles, no more betrayal, no more danger. She was able to focus fully on her own pursuits, pastimes, and relationships. She and Melfice even moved on from their former troubles and resentment of one another, even forming a partnership of sorts. With the insistence of several people around her that Faye grow stronger and learn to better defend herself, she redoubled her efforts to learn to manipulate aether, not only improving her conjury, but learning numerous of schools of magicks and finding a means to combine them under the tutelage of Melfice. She made use of her childhood fencing lessons as well, donning a rapier and learning some swordplay, using the blade as her focus for casting rather than a staff, combining magic and melee. However, never one to sit idle for long and ever possessing a desire for adventure somewhere deep down, Faye grew bored, studying magic and practicing swordsmanship not enough to keep her occupied

Her time spent on her hobbies had given her some inspiration, however. She decided to open a teahouse, creating her own specialty blends of teas and selling them. Though it had a slow start, the business eventually took off, though it still left Faye with plenty of free time and did not sate her thirst for adventure. She discovered the teahouse opened many doors, however. It allowed her to meet new people, to travel, to overhear idle conversation, to have plenty of spare time to do as she pleased. It also provided her with a base of operations, and a pool of employees who may be skilled in a bit more than simply pouring tea. Though the services were neither advertised nor widely known, Faye began to provide information brokering and private investigations work from the teahouse. Before long, Lady Faye Covington of the Harbingers of Dawn was all but forgotten as Lady Faye Covington, proprietress of Shroudrose Teahouse & Tavern, became her public image instead.

The names and deeds of the past were all but forgotten to most, and Faye fell out of contact with the majority of those few who remembered. Even with her new dual-sided business, life was quiet and peaceful, and the scars of the past had begun to fade. However, a life without struggle was something Faye had not known for years. Still haunted by the harm that had come to Faye at her father's hands which he had failed to prevent, Val began to dedicate near all his time to training to grow stronger, learning the ways of the monk from their longtime acquaintance and his best friend, Berrod Armstrong. Faye was terribly, terribly bored.

Faye by Illuminest

So when Melfice suggested that as part of her training Faye accompany him on his endeavors to find a cure for Shadiyah's affliction, she agreed. As little as she might have cared for the woman, she would not pass up the chance for some excitement and a means to better herself. The idea of assisting Melfice and having at least one less Void creature in the world was not unappealing, either. Their exploits took them to an underground cavern deep in Thanalan, housing the remains of what seemed to be some sort of cult's headquarters, complete with libraries, laboratories, and living quarters. They were able to glean little information other than that the facility seemed to be devoted to researching Voidsent before they realized they were not alone. They were attacked, and the place they'd found had been set aflame before they could explore all its secrets, forcing them to flee from the silent, masked and robed figure who confronted them, who seemed to possess the ability to control others like puppets.

Weeks later when Faye received a letter signed in Melfice's name asking her to meet him in Thanalan for their next endeavor, she thought little of it. When she arrived at the specified coordinates, however, she did not find Melfice, but instead the thralls of the robed stranger from before. They led her around a mountain and down a dangerous cliffside pathway into a cavern much like the one she and Melfice had visited, only this one was far from abandoned like the last, alive with people in similar robes going about their business. She was led to the private chambers of the person who had attacked she and Melfice weeks before, who removed their mask and hood and revealed their identity to Faye. Liliana Vainchelon claimed to be Melfice's sister. He was ignorant of her existence, but she insisted that she had been watching over him, and through that act discovered Faye, who caught her interest instead.

Liliana gave Faye a tour of the group's dwellings, including a chamber where the very air glowed with aether, oversaturated. She invited Faye to further hone her talents for magicks with this secret society of mages. Faye was skeptical, but she saw it as a chance to deem whether and this group was a threat, and maybe pick up some new skills along the way. She agreed, but was given the conditions that she must keep the group a secret. So with a vague explanation to Val and no word to Melfice about discovering his long-lost sibling, Faye packed her bags to spend a few weeks begrudgingly within those dark caverns, beginning her studies there. However, misfortune struck upon her arrival. Voidsent had broken past the barriers and seals in place, drawn to the chamber of pure aether.

Faye by Ahlia-Sorrelxtaye

Faye did her part to fight to dispel the assailing creatures, but was greatly injured and fell unconscious. She awoke later within her bedroom at the caverns, Liliana waiting nearby. Liliana informed her that she had been unconscious for suns. She had briefly slipped into the realm of death, but with the a bit of Voidsent blood ingested, and some exposure to the aether of the chamber, Faye had made a full recovery. However, she wasn't quite the same as she was before. The experience had granted Faye new strength, but at a cost. Her own aether would not regulate itself now. She would have to draw it from other sources. After spending some time back at home in the Lavender Beds recovering and coming to terms with her new reality, Faye returned to the caverns. They would know how to best help her with her new affliction, after all.

Her second visit was unremarkable, comprised of reading and lectures and notes. Yet, as she headed back to her home afterward on Valentione's Day, intent to spend the holiday with her lover, Faye was greeted by a jarring sight. The door of her home was left wide open, her house in disarray, blood splattered on the floor and smeared across walls. There was no sign of Val, nor anyone else, yet nothing had been taken from their home, the noblewoman's many valuables left behind. Faye searched the few places that came to mind, but there were no leads. So, she waited. And waited, and waited, for suns. Perhaps he had gotten into some trouble and would return home once he'd nursed his wounds? Maybe she would receive a ransom note or threat soon? Yet, there was only silence. Speculations of who could have taken Val and why swam through Faye's head, but there were no answers. And thus, the search for Val began.

Stories are in chronological order. Stories may contain mature/sensitive themes. Please read at your own risk.

    Memento
    Context: Multi-chapter piece with snippets of Faye's backstory in chronological order.
    The Light of Day
    Context: A pricy deal struck with Melfice to find a cure for Val's deadly ailment--again.
    Weakness and Power
    Context: Faye contemplates her life, all her woes, the meaning of strength and weakness, and the dangers of isolation.

    A Pampered Princess
    Context: Faye's daily routine interrupted by a visit from Aelius, following Zularti's kidnapping and interrogation by Imperials.
    The Killing Moon
    Context: After Zularti's death, Aelius pays a visit to the mourning Faye's home, and Faye realizes she must break free from her family's control.
    White Wedding
    Context: Following Stanislas's death, Aelius finds Faye in the deserts of Thanalan and enacts some revenge before the Harbingers intervene.

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Relationships
  Color Key
  ♥ In A Relationship: Faye is romantically involved with this character.
  ♥ Romantic Attraction: Faye is romantically interested in this character.
  ♥ Sexual Attraction Faye is physically interested in this character.


  ♥ Platonic Love/Family: Faye considers this person family.
  ♦ Friend: Faye considers this person her friend.
  ♦ Friendly Acquaintance: Faye considers this person mostly friendly, or as an ally.


  ● Good Standing: Faye has no specific feelings about this character, however, they left a good impression.
  ● Neutral: Faye has no specific feelings about this character.<
  ● Bad Standing: Faye has no specific feelings about this character, however, they left a bad impression.


  ♠ Dislike: Faye doesn't consider this person a friend, and will talk if needed, but try to avoid them.
  ♠ Hate: Faye considers this person an annoyance, and will try to avoid them. Conflict can happen.
  ♠ Fear: Faye is terrified by this character, and will try to avoid them at all costs.
  ♠ Rivalry: Faye considers this person a rival, and will try to initiate conflict every time she gets to meet them.


  ♥ Family Member: This character is related by blood to Faye.
  ✔ Business: This character is either Faye's employer, employee, or coworker.
  ✖ Deceased: This character has passed away.
  ? Hidden Feelings/Unknown: This character has one of all the color keys above, but Faye isn't fully aware of it yet.

Misc.

Stanislas Corinthius/Nicholas Covington (?) ( NPC ) - Father
Faye's father, a man who was a skilled fighter and tactician, and quickly rose up the ranks of the Order of the Twin Adder to become a general. He was a stern and serious man, and often too busy with work to spend time with his family, but like most fathers, he had a particular soft spot for his little girl. He ushered Faye to safety when their home was attacked and then was killed along with Selene, or so Faye believed. It turns out her father wasn't quite the man she thought, nor was he dead at all--something Faye remedied after her father lobbed off her left hand in a dramatic altercation.
Selene Covington () ( NPC ) - Mother
Faye's mother, a golden-haired Midlander noblewoman. She was killed in a Garlean raid upon the Covington Manor orchestrated by Faye's father. She was strict, vain, and overbearing, but despite it all a kind and generous woman and a doting mother.
Aelius Corinthius () - Ael
Faye's half-brother from her father's "double life," who she only learned existed in recent years. The white-haired Garlean warrior was only a couple years older than his sister. He seemed to want to connect with his half-sibling and win her over to his side, but Faye was not willing. After a confrontation following Stanislas death at Faye's hand, Aelius took a fall from Highbridge, his whereabouts unknown--presumably dead.
Valerius Corinthius () ( NPC ) - Half-brother
Faye's younger half-brother and little brother to Aelius. Still only a toddler. Faye has never met him, but learned of his existence at the same time she learned of Aelius.
Zularti Vensar () - Zul
A young midlander man the same age as Faye who drew her attention with his strength and ambition after she saved him from the Sahagin. With his family--and for that matter his entire village--deceased, Tempered, or missing, Faye's family took him in and raised him as their own for the remainder of his teenage years. She found in him someone easy to manipulate, and through him she could control the free company he led, Harbingers of Dawn, from behind the scenes until she became the rightful leader of it. Keeping the act-first, think-later man alive was not easy. Faye spent a lot of time tailing the man and keeping him out of trouble only for him to, quite understandably, snap at her the way a teenager would treat his nagging mom. Despite this, through her time spent with him, she cared for the man deeply and treated him as family. She considered him a brother and was fiercely protective of him. He perished during a skirmish between a group of Garleans and the Harbingers. Still in mourning, he is a very touchy subject with Faye, and she is bent on having revenge. Her love for the man was obviously genuine and strong.
Val Nunh () - Val
An ill-mannered Seeker of the Sun who Faye hired as her bodyguard, though after a few tumultuous weeks, the two soon became lovers. She was attracted to Val not only for his good looks, but for his honesty, strength, and straight-forwardness, as well as a personality that was quite... refreshing compared to what the upper-class Midlander was accustomed. Quite a mismatched couple, the two look like total opposites at first glance, but they seem to get along quite swimmingly, despite Faye's constant lecturing Val, Val's constant embarrassing Faye, and the bickering it all brings. Faye is thoroughly enamored with the man, genuinely loving and fiercely loyal. It was no easy task convincing the Nunh to try a life of monogamy, but the challenge only further intrigued the Hyur. Due to their stubbornness and conflicting beliefs, the two butt heads frequently, but can never stay mad at each other for long. The two claim to be engaged, though they have already secretly eloped.
Melfice Vainchelon () - Mister Vainchelon
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Shadiyah Amari () - That... thing.
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Blake Forester () - Mister Forester
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Faye Pin-Up by Pantieschan

Acquaintances and Allies

Siobhain Surtsthalwyn () - Title Given By Character Goes Here
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Kah'li Tayuun () - Kah'li
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Karaan Nolan () - Chronicler Nolan
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Dartanon Nobis () - Title Given By Character Goes Here
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Barbarccia Valadis () - Miss Valadis
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Anstarra Silverain () - Miss Silverain
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Mimiru Miru () - Miss Miru
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Lan Darklyn () - Mister Darklyn
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C'eleni Meztli () - Miss Meztli
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Raisan Arcmantle () - Mister Arcmantle
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Vaughn Antain () - Title Given By Character Goes Here
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Jaques Guillaume () - Mister Guillaume
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J'maaira Tuhl () - Mrs. Nolan
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Jihl Wilzuun () - Miss Wilzuun
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Uni Puma () - Captain Puma
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Kylar Dashiva () - Mister Dashiva
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X'unmei Noh () - Miss Noh
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Vallois Villeneuve () - Mister Villeneuve
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Aya Foxheart () - Miss Foxheart
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Otto Vann () - Mister Vann
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Tejshar Arcanubis () - Tejshar
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M'ishi Vymendi () - Miss Vymendi
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Syranelle Ironleaf () - Syranelle
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Doctor Ozerov () - Doctor Ozerov
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Irridias Velnyx () - Chronicler Velnyx
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Lycera Trovah () - Miss Lycera
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Sebastian Taylor () - Mister Taylor
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Airka Lakshmi () - Miss Lakshmi
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Arrelaine Fashonti () - Miss Fashonti
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Personal RP Limits
I will play mature content and themes (violence, sexuality, drug/alcohol use, crimes, gore, profane language, innuendo, nonsexual nudity, death). Temporary injury and incapacitation. Temporary imprisonment. Most walk-up encounters.
Ask about long-term and/or permanent injury and disfigurement. Long-term captivity or imprisonment. Fake/temporary character "deaths." Anything likely to deal permanent and severe psychological trauma to my character. Pre-established relationships.
I won't play permanent character death. Erotic role-play. Fetish fulfillment. Lolicon/shotacon. Any sexual themes involving children, objectively child-like characters, or animals. Any sexual themes with players who are minors OOC. Excessively detailed and overly descriptive gore. Long, drawn out, descriptive torture scenes. Sexual/romantic relationships or requited feelings when my character is already in a serious relationship.
Please do not metagame, autohit, godmod, powerplay, role-play to win, or be a bad sport. Take OOC hiccups IC (typos, accidental button pressing, afking, etc.), bring IC into OOC, bring OOC into IC. Lecture me on lore, disrespect my OOC boundaries, disrespect my RP partners, be inconsiderate of my time (hour long waits for posts, demanding I spend more time with you, guilt-trip me for RPing with others, etc.). Write so much purple prose I cannot understand/find the actual action of your post. Fail to respect if I tell you I'm uncomfortable with something, attempt OOC to force our characters into a certain relationship, do underhanded OOC things to try to sabotage my character's relationship with another character (or mine with their player), say racist/sexist/homophobic/otherwise offensive things to me OOC, or lie to me or otherwise cause drama OOC. These are dealbreakers, and I may drop all contact with you without further warning if any of these things happen (I am understanding of accidental/innocent mistakes like the occasional autohit or bit of subconscious metagaming). I know this probably sounds super paranoid, but I only mention each of these things because they are things that have happened before--often more than once!
About Me as an RPer
■I am on the Balmung server.
■I am over 18.
■I do freestyle posting, most often para-RP with a paragraph or two. I will typically try to post-to-match, but if you do nothing but one-liners or nothing but huge multi-para posts, I may settle on something more moderate. I do not mind your post style, so long as your posts have interesting content I can respond to and I do not have to struggle through long descriptions that are useless to me or make no sense. I do like posts that are lacking in empty, flowery verbage yet still contain some description and artistry, so I would ideally like to find other para-RPers, but I am not picky!
■I am primarily looking for in game role-play, or at least RP with characters also from Balmung, but I am open to role-play via RPC PM's or threads, Enjin PM's or threads, Skype messages, or Discord messages or channels. Please send me a PM on the RPC or a /tell in game to ask for my handles.
■I am in EST timezone. My schedule is somewhat sporadic, so I am on at odd hours. I am usually online somewhere between 2PM - 3AM EST. Most often, you can find me online between 9PM - 2AM EST. I recommend starting any RP before midnight, since I am typically winding down and getting ready for bed after that point.
■Along with RP, I am glad to just chat or maybe do some PvE content, or play other games outside of FFXIV. Please don't ever feel you're bothering me if you send me a message. I suck at socializing so I will probably never message you first, but that doesn't mean I dislike talking to you.
■I like long-term relationships and story-heavy plots. I suck at making my own plots, but I am always happy to be a part of someone else's story!
■If you do not like Faye, or if she doesn't mesh well with your character, yet you would still like to role-play with me, I do have other characters who are vastly different.
■I like to bend lore for the sake of story if called for, but not break it. If someone not conforming to the lore to a T sets you off, you may want to skip on anything more than brief, casual interactions with my characters. If your character is a Miqo'te Dragoon female Nunh WoL, likewise, you may want to find someone more up to your speed instead of me! I prefer a healthy middle-ground.
■I typically try to avoid combat RP. If somehow it happens despite this, I am often flexible between freeform, rolling, etc. and prefer to do whatever feels best in each individual situation.
■I am okay with (loosely) planning RP if you have an idea you want to bring up. I do not like RP that is highly scripted, or gives my character a narrow choice of options to react for no discernible IC reason. I am also okay with walk-ups. If you see anywhere, even if you've never spoken to me before, feel free to post at me! If I am not IC, I will let you know. If I don't respond, it just means I'm afk--sorry! I afk a lot.
■If you ever have any questions or need clarification about anything whatsoever, please do not hesitate to ask. I am a very open person and in the odd case anything does make me uncomfortable, I will simply tell you that. Even if it's mid-RP, I am not one of those "muh 'mmersion!!" people, so I promise I won't be bothered!
■ If an aspect of RP makes you uncomfortable in a scene we're playing, please send me a /tell letting me know immediately. Communication is very important, more important than potentially keeping immersion or avoiding "metagaming." I do care about your feelings, comfort, and enjoyment of the RP! I am fine dialing things back, or dropping a role-play with no hard feelings if we are just not compatible.
RP Hooks
Friends and acquaintances? Friends, acquaintances, allies, and business contacts are always welcome. These will need to happen naturally rather than our characters being forced into a friendship that might not suit them. Faye has a mind for business and likes to win others over to her side and make allies with people of similar goals. Faye is not overly picky in friends and does not need many mutual interests with them (though they are always a plus), but someone rude or cruel may have a difficult time befriending her. Someone with similar views/beliefs as Faye, an enjoyment of tea and/or the finer things in life, or someone with knowledge of conjury or sewing would find the most common ground with Faye for a fast track to friendship. Confidence, ambition, and loyalty are what Faye admires the most in others. We can talk out some details, or you can simply walk-up and we can see where things go from there.
Enemies and rivals? Enemies are always welcome, pending certain conditions. I am not interested in RPing with anyone who will harass my character to the point of me having to avoid public RP in the name of "antagonist" RP. I also do not want to RP with anyone who will be sour or demand to retcon if harassing Faye lands their character in trouble they didn't expect. Faye is resourceful with many connections, and she will not hesitate to use these things to shut down someone who has become a problem for her. Given Faye's affluence, social status, goals, and personality, she is a magnet for enemies. Enemies could be anyone trying to extort the rich and powerful or with a hatred for the upper-class, someone with ties to Garlemald and Faye's paternal family, by-the-book good guys against Faye's more scheming ways, or criminals and evil-doers who Faye seeks to stop. Faye can be extremely aggressive and pull no punches with those she opposes so PLEASE, PLEASE do not ask to take an antagonist role if you are not okay with this and what it might mean for your character (I will try to avoid situations where your character might be killed or permanently imprisoned and give your character an out if possible and ask you do the same for me, but disbelief can only be suspended so much before the RP stops being fun).
Family? Faye's immediate family are all deceased or unavailable to player characters. However, if anyone for some reason wants to play a relative of Faye's, distant family is available. Any maternal relatives would likely be nobility from the Shroud, and probably Midlander or possibly Wildwood (or mixed) descent. A slight physical resemblance to Faye would be nice but not necessary given the distance in relation. They may know of Faye and the two might have met a few times at family gatherings, but the two would not have been close. Any paternal relatives would be Garleans, likely full-blooded (if not, one full-blooded parent), and perhaps bearing the Corinthius name depending on their manner of relation. A slight physical resemblance to Faye would be nice but not necessary given the distance in relation. They would have never met Faye, and she would not know of their existence. Please hash out details with me and get my permission before deciding on any relation to Faye.
Lovers? Faye is in a long-term, committed, monogamous relationship, and she is faithful and not open to sex or romance outside of her relationship, nor will she leave her husband for anyone. If you want your character to have unrequited feelings for Faye for any reason, that's fine, please just respect me and the player of Faye's spouse OOC and do not expect your character's feelings to ever be returned or fulfilled.
Past connections? I am open to past connections with some discussion to work out the details and my permission given, if you would rather have some pre-established foundation for our characters to build upon rather than starting fresh. This includes childhood friends from the Shroud (likely children of other noble families), former help from the Covington household or their children, those who studied conjury at Stillglade Fane around the same time as Faye (or those who were treated for injuries there), past potential suitors (likely men from other noble families--no relationships came to fruition), Gridanian residents she may have met when she visited town, or people Faye met on her travels around Eorzea with Zularti (likely people they helped, or maybe bad guys they beat down). I am open to any suggestions not mentioned here.
Links Out
■ My RPC Profile: RPC
■ Faye on the Lodestone: Lodestone
■ My Enjin Profile: Enjin
■ Multi-purpose RP/gaming/Faye's character inspiration blog: Tumblr
■Discord: Destiny (Faye)#8463
Tea-Sipping by Ahlia-Sorrelxtaye
Credit

Thank you all for letting me use/alter your codes! If it weren't for you, my wiki would not look how it does.

■ Template was created by Bancroft Gairn.
■ Adapted by Xheja Rajhera.
■ Background and headers Atreus del Alumet.
■ Tabs by Suen Shyu.
■ OOC notes by Glioca Sargonnai.
■ Color key format by Lucaell Tareth'eian.
■ Mashing everything together like a mad scientist D'lyhhia Lhuil.
■ Altered by myself (Faye Covington).*
  • Artists are credited in mouseover of the respective image. If you would like to get in touch with a certain artist, please let me know and I can try to provide contact information.

Please remember to properly credit when using this wiki. Thank you.

Faye Doodle by Aegir

The light can heal, or the light can burn.