Hydaelyn Role-Players

This thread is intended to allow individuals to summarize what their characters have been through from the launch of 1.0 up to the servers going down in order to give others a view of what's been happening in the RP community up until now. This information should not be used for any metagaming purposes. It is considered OOC information unless implied otherwise. Those NOT in the time warp at the end of 1.0, please do NOT summarize anything that happened after the Cataclysm. That will be a separate thread closer to the game's open beta. This is 1.0 summaries onry! Also, refrain from divulging your entire backstory from childhood onward. This is meant only for the two year timespan that 1.0 was running. Those interested in full backstories can go to the wiki for that.

To make things more fun, please try to post your summary in the same/similar format as the featured article related to this thread. By that, I mean write it out as if a future Eorzean scholar or the character's future relative is telling the story to someone. Note: Some people may have much longer summaries than others due to being in the game longer.

I'll get us started in the massive post below (I've been here forever so my summary is long even after cutting out parts >.>; )

Table of Contents:

• Kylin Felstar
  
• Volkai Nailo
  
• Kannadi Albedo
  
• Moltove
  
• Endemerrin Rosethorne
  
• Isaac Vadoma
  
• Eva Ianeira
  

Kylin Felstar

It began with an excavation. Or so I'm told.

Kylin, known as Castiel Mavanix at the time, was always seeking his father's approval. As such, helping with the daily running of House Mavanix at the time came naturally to him. Assigned the task to oversee an excavation led by House Mavanix's team known as Avalon, Kylin would seek to prove himself to house patriarch Cartius by finding the necessary keys to unlock a sealed gate discovered in the excavation site. The search for these keys led the youth to a cult known as the Order of the Stormguard. Believing the cult to be potentially involved with his excavation project (and further intrigued by his father's past inability to acquire the group's innermost secrets), Kylin manipulated his way into the inner circle by taking advantage of the Sundering--a deadly massacre against the Stormguard by unknown assailants. Vulnerable and trying to rebuild, Highguard Keir Loell allowed Kylin into the group, oblivious to the young man's true intentions at first.

As time passed, Kylin rose in rank within the Stormguard and edged ever closer to achieving his goal of uncovering their secrets. He also met a myriad of individuals during this time, including on and off again rival Oria Argall, childhood friend Seraphine Winter, and more. As time passed, Keir became more aware of Kylin's true intentions. Tensions between the two are said to have heightened to a point where Keir was put into a situation where he went toe-to-toe in battle with the deadly Mavanix/Felstar assassin, Vertigo.

Eventually, Kylin abandoned his ill intentions against the Stormguard. It still remains unclear why, though it's believed he had started to care for its members, including Keir Loell. When the cult crumbled mysteriously later down the line, it was Kylin who sealed some of the remaining Stormguard relics (excluding its keepsake sword, which Seraphine had sent to the vanishing Keir) in a hidden location known only to him.

It was around this time that a new organization began its brief rise in glory. Known as Outer Heaven, the mercenary company was created by three powerful nobles: Batgroob Dok, Rebecca Winter, and Cartius Mavanix. Seraphine and Kylin oversaw the group's leadership in place of their respective parents. Eva Ianeira was recruited to round off the company as the leader of the fourth pillar. Numerous well known adventurers joined the company, helping in the company's quick rise in prominence as they tackled various missions for the group. Kylin and Seraphine would forever be set on a new path as a result of these missions...

It was during a mission that the group encountered a member of a dangerous cult known as Decretum Umbra--a secretive branch of the Mavanix family who sought to reclaim their 'stolen birthright.' Ekidnah Mavanix led the group into a deadly trap in Mun Tuy Cellars, where Kylin was nearly killed. She also revealed here that Seraphine was actually the daughter of Cartius and as such, Kylin's half-sister. Hoping the secret would cause devastation to House Mavanix's image, Ekidnah's plan backfired as Cartius eagerly accepted Seraphine into his life while vowing revenge against Rebecca Winter for keeping the secret all these years.

Outer Heaven faced off against other members of Decretum Umbra, including the deadly magician Marvani Mavanix and the cult's leader, Lemdarva Mavanix -- an equally deadly necromancer. Overcoming challenge after challenge, the mercenaries would fight a fierce battle with the group's summoned matriarch, Carmilla Mavanix, at the Avalon Heritage Museum that nearly cost them their lives when the sorceress attempted to activate the Soulfire Apparatus artifact. After this battle, Cartius withdrew his support from Outer Heaven and allowed it to rapidly crumble, revealing that he may have used the group as a weapon against Decretum Umbra from the beginning. Seraphine's mother was also mysteriously murdered in a mansion fire during this time.

Kylin, having lost Stormguard, his leadership at Outer Heaven, his excavation project due to Cartius ending the project he originally put his son in charge of, became furious at his father for "undermining" Kylin's potential achievements. Their relationship became increasingly strained as Kylin rebelled against the patriarch and changed his name from Castiel, among other various rebellious acts. During this time, the Mavanix Mansion came under attack from a mysterious enemy. Cartius was believed to be murdered, devastating Kylin. House Mavanix's future became unclear, though most assumed Kylin would become the new patriarch. Shockingly, Cartius's will named Elza Ashfen, a secret daughter nobody had known about, as the new matriarch of the house. House Mavanix's race to the end had thus begun, though none had realized it yet.

Kylin grew close to Elza due to the disappearance and believed death of their other sister, Seraphine. Turmoil began to tear House Mavanix apart. The Mavanix Academy crumbled first when the dean's betrayal against the house revealed shocking horrors involving experiments hidden beneath the school. After the dean's failed attempt to oust Elza, Margarah fashion line leaders Nina and Kalara Mavanix (sisters of Cartius) made their own attempt to remove her from power in a fashion duel challenge to prove who was worthy to lead the house's fashion line. Elza manipulated the mercenaries known as Everwatch into representing her in the duel and even manipulated the selection of the judging panel in hopes of giving Everwatch a better chance at winning. After Elza's victory, Nina and Kalara were killed in a horrible airship crash the same night, and most of the House Mavanix was massacred during an emergency family meeting. Only Ekidnah Mavanix (now a friend of the house), Elza, Kylin, and Xaliel Mavanix (cousin of Elza and Kylin) survived the attack.

House Mavanix continued to rapidly crumble as Vertigo assassinated the leader of the Mavanix Templars and manipulated Corvus Cinis, Shimmersong, and other mercenaries into severing the ties between the house and their powerful allies, a goblin tribe known by the house as "GIN" (Goblin Information Network). In time, Xaliel Mavanix was setup by Vertigo to be seen as the culprit behind the house's fall. The mercenaries confronted him after he kidnapped Kylin and attempted to sacrifice him in order to finish Decretum's Umbra objective and activate the house's powerful artifact, the Soulfire Apparatus. Xaliel was killed in the confrontation, his own blood activating the artifact and releasing the trapped soul of the first Mavanix patriarch, Joachim Mavanix, who took temporary possession of Kylin's body. Joachim then promptly summoned the other former spirits of the Mavanix clan, including Veronica Mavanix. The mercenaries battled furiously against the ghosts with little luck until they used the aether beneath the house against the vengeful spirits, destroying the mansion in the process.

Racing off to save Kylin from Joachim's clutches, the mercenaries did battle with the 200 year old spirit and ended up claiming victory eventually, releasing Kylin from the former patriarch's grasp. Shortly after this, Elza discovered who the real manipulator behind the house's fall was--a "Cardinal Felstar" of Ishgard. When rumor surfaced of the cardinal's pilgrimage into Thanalan, Elza wasted no time in sending the mercenaries to confront him once and for all in a last ditch effort to save the nearly collapsed house. They came face to face with Vertigo and Cartius Mavanix, who was in fact quite alive. Cartius revealed that he was in fact a Felstar, not a Mavanix, stolen at birth by House Mavanix due to internal family drama. He also revealed other atrocities that House Mavanix committed against his real family (House Felstar), stating that he faked his death in order to quietly orchestrate his revenge from behind the scenes. After revealing all of his schemes, the Felstar patriarch unleashed the demon Juravis against the group and then proceeded to let Ul'dahn authorities aware of Elza's being ineligible for inheriting House Mavanix per his will due to being a Felstar. Juravis was defeated in battle, but no proof would exist to pin Cartius for the crimes.

Kylin was overjoyed at this father being alive and dismissed the atrocities in order to rejoin his new family in Ishgard. Elza, on the other hand, was furious at the manipulations and deparated Eorzea by ship just as House Mavanix fell once and for all. Attempting to 'fix' his father's schemes against the mercenaries, Kylin joined the mercenary group Shimmersong. It was here that he began to spend time with Gerik Aston, an energetic highlander. The two became close friends quickly and it didn't take long before they fell in love and began a relationship. Kylin also began to spend more time with Crystalline, a pearl given to him by old friend Eva Ianeira after Outer Heaven fell. When Deirdre entered the picture and began spending an intense amount of time with Gerik, Kylin started to grow intimidated by her and feared she was trying to take Gerik away from him. He continued to feel threatened by the woman even after she saved his life from an assassination attempt by Lemdarva Mavanix.

At the Full Cold Moon gala, Kylin made arrangements for him and Gerik to leave Eorzea by ship. Using the coming Garlean threat and the impending doom of Dalamud, the young man managed to easily persuade Gerik to join him on the ship after the gala ended. In reality, he only wanted to forever separate Gerik and Deirdre from one another. The plan would never come to light though as disaster struck the gala when a stray meteor shower from Dalamud wreaked havoc upon the happy event. The impact from the meteors caused the aether beneath the ground to go chaotic, erupting and engulfing a number of adventurers. Kylin was among those swallowed by the aether, believed to be dead, as everyone struggled to survive the horror all around them.

The aether teleported Kylin out to Coerthas, though he remained in bad shape. Cartius and Vertigo managed to track him down and quickly returned to Ishgard with the comatose youth. Immediately upon arriving, House Felstar packed their belongings and departed the city for a private island safely tucked away from the Garlean threat. There, Kylin remained comatose for several weeks. The Battle of Cartenau came and went, and Kylin was left to believe that Gerik and the rest of his shell mates and acquaintances were dead.

So came an end to a long and dramatic chapter. But the real story had only just begun...

~House butler, to a young Felstar

Seemingly abandoned in Limsa Lominsa by parents who had brought him from Ul'dah, Volkai Nailo came to adventuring by way of the Order of the Stormguard, a secretive organization to which his mentor and adoptive parent Seventh Pillar (a Roegadyn merchant and pugilist of some reknown) belonged. As he came of age his mentor inducted him in to the Order, and his life was comparatively quiet until he found himself back-to-back with Keir Loell during a slaughter now known as the Sundering.

As Keir worked to rebuild the Order, Volkai sought out the perpetrators of the Sundering - those responsible for Seventh Pillar's passing. Unfortunately, his search was fruitless, and as he was distracted by this, the Order, already shaken by the Sundering, crumbled completely, and after this happened little was seen of Volkai.

However, given his drive to find those responsible for the Sundering, it is unlikely he gave up the ghost during the Calamity.

Yeah. I wasn't worried about her though.

No, seriously. See, before all that mess... and I mean right before, Kannadi sat me and her mother down and spilled everything. I say spilled but I mean laid it all out, like glass figures in a cabinet. We weren't worried.

... Well, most of what she said's private, sorry. Family stuff. Let's just say I'm glad one of her cousins is gone without a trace.

... If you insist, the short version goes like this.

She's always been into monsters and magic, see. Loves studying both. Still does.

So one day she got it into her head that there was a way to reproduce monster abilities with nothing but magic. Some of the things monsters can do are just crazy, so Kanna thought they must be tapping into some new field of magic to do them. Problem was, she couldn't prove it, and needed a ton of time and resources for experimenting.

So she got into this academy to use their library. Wasn't a bad deal. Did some writing for them, some of that "professional adventuring," just brought in her keep, y'know? The place eventually folded anyway.

So she kicked around for a while, solo research and stuff, worked off and on with different groups of her adventurer friends, and got up pretty high in the Flames. Officer's commission at twenty-six. Brilliant girl. You should see her pile of notes, we still have some in storage.

Anyway, so one day Dalamud came off his leash. Kanna was sort've holed up in her apartment for a while, just her and a telescope and a forest's worth of paper, watching that thing get closer. And when she got to the other side of wherever it was her brain led her, she was convinced all the circles and patterns and things on it indicated some new kind of magic. It might not be what she was looking for, but it was new, so it was a mystery, so she was set on discovering it.

After that... or maybe before, I forget, she joined this Adventuring League to, y'know, help out the crazy world. So she did, but she kept up her notes. Seriously, got drawers of 'em.

... I dunno what they did. Adventure stuff? Kill this, find that, go to parties. If I was her age I'd be right in there with her.

... Are you kidding? Avani'd break my face.

Naaaw, I kid, that's terrible. She'd only break my leg.

Nothing, hon!

... So then news comes out about the joint op in Cartenau. Kanna said she'd have to go, but she'd go with her cousin. They used to hate each other, but something about the end of the world can make all that look petty, y'know?

So she went. And you know what happened.

... It was the magic. That's all I'm saying. The way she talked about it and the ec-- uh... nevermind, yeah, basically we knew she'd be okay because of whatever it was she saw in all those lines and circles. Magic. I'm done.

Want another drink?

~ Torrent Albedo, to houseguest

Let's see...this subject isn't too eventful, though it provides valuable insight into the life of an every day Eorzean. Well, for that time, at least.

Subject Moltove appears to have just left a marriage by the year 1571, leaving behind a rather normal life that had all but ended in perfection. Two years before this, his child was born though various arguments leading up to a year later seem to have dissolved the marriage. It is unknown what had become of it, though all we know is that the following time, from 1571 and on, there have been cross reports of tabs and bills under Moltove, mainly in Ul'Dahs various taverns. Witness reports have corresponding testimonies in various mediums describing this subject at a loss as both his wife and daughter had disappeared at that time, concluding the source of his sorrows (and frequent intoxicating wallows), and the end of the marriage, as thus. Both female subjects have yet to show up to the annals of the Grand Library.

It seems that Moltove had continued this for some time, remaining unproductive through a large span. Surprisingly, he managed to hold his job at Frondale's Phrontistery even when this chasm in his life took place. Even with spending his evenings drinking his life away, he seemed to excel at the Phrontistery, ranking...ah, let's see..not quite to a doctor's status, but it is estimated he became a doctor's assistant. This doctor is yet another subject recorded elsewhere, though sources indicate he was but a number in the casualty of the Calamity.

Both the subject and the doctor have had recurring visits to the taverns across Ul'Dah, around similar time frames, so it is considered that they were close. They had to be, as both of their careers depended on each other. The assistant created the medicine that the doctors had to use to cure patients. It has been noted in other places that the assistants also had to take shifts to recover the materials for the entire Phrontistery, as well. To know that this subject persevered through his troubles to maintain his career and that of his superiors is enlightening, to say the least, but by the end of the Sixth Astral Era, Moltove had shown signs of an accomplished Alchemist and Botanist. Otherwise he was inactive in the economic and social spheres.

Around 1572, Moltove had begun to be more productive. He seemed to begin some kind of training, outside of his barbaric brawling, that allowed him to catch the attention of an unknown organization. This organization is largely unknown and seems to have since perished. Any insights to the group are garbled messages, as any notes or even symbols don't seem to make sense and do not match any language known on Hydaelyn.

At this time, there's evidence to show that Moltove had picked up to using the pole-arm as a weapon, with a bow (with previous experience in his childhood). His training was mostly solitary, though it sometimes coincided with the mysterious group.

It was only a few moons before this mysterious group dissipated from existence, leaving little trace other than jumbled letters and gibberish manuscript. Molt seemed to have continued his training, despite this.

Not long before the Calamity, Subject Moltove had left his position at the Phrontistery. The reasons are unknown, though there have been various reports through the taverns in Ul'Dah matching Moltove's description, stating that there was an odd figure in a robe and half-mask, akin to the Twelveswood's woodsin purging masks. In a place like Gridania, this would cause no alarm, though the figure was sighted with daggers rather than a pole arm or bow.

And that is all we know for this period. There was no sighting of this subject on the day of the Calamity, his name was on no roster for the Grand Companies, nor recent airship travels...just...nothing.

It is, of course after the Calamity of the Red Moon, that things began to get interesting for this subject...

It appeared as though for the first time in his young life, things were slowing down. Paranoia had already rooted itself deeply in the city-states within recent years, between the threat of the beast tribes growing day by day, and the stand-off with Garlemald to the east plucking away dangerously on an already tense wire. Though everyone went on with their days just as they always had, there was an air about Eorzea. Change was coming, and it would be coming soon. Endemerrin couldn't pin it, but something just wasn't the same. Even his companions were withdrawing to their respective homes. Adventure wasn't as appealing to them anymore as it had been in the past. Guildleves only went so far, so it wasn't long before he began hunting for other sources of excitement and coin. Becoming a bodyguard for the Mavanix family wasn't exactly his idea of excitement, but some good things came of it. He had more than a few interesting jobs within the field of work, fell in and out of love, and even made friends that would prove invaluable in the year to come. It soon became clear that it wasn't the lifestyle he could ever see himself falling in line with, though. He wasn't cut out for it. A life spent on the road had tailored him into nothing short of a true vagabond. An adventurer in every sense of the word. So he set out once again, eager to rekindle the flames that once illuminated his path.

Then came the changes. Dalamud, the hound of Mephina, began to glow an ominous red. Beasts across Eorzea began to grow in size and ferocity. The Beast Tribes and their attacks on the city-states threatened yet another war. Of course, an even larger threat stirred in the far north. The fifteen year stalemate had shattered and the flood gates had opened. The Garlean Empire once again began to push into Eorzea. Adventure was abundant as all manner of beast and threat emerged from all corners of the world. The Void itself seemed to tear asunder and pour forth monstrosities rarely seen anywhere in Eorzea. A loose alliance of adventurers was forged at the behest of Endemerrin, and they pushed onward into the unknown future, tackling each day as another notch on their belts. Endemerrin would even see himself enlisted within the Immortal Flames to assist in the war effort against Garlemald.

Though he did not see himself a millitary man, they clearly did as Endemerrin found himself holding an officer's commission before long. The world was falling apart around him, yet each day proved to be more exciting than the last. Where others would flee and hide, Endemerrin would charge forward into the unknown alongside his companions from the collective mind of adventurers known simply as the "Blue Skies". The volatile enviroment that was Eorzea proved to be an amazing source of experience, as well. Endemerrin's mastery of the Coeurlfist and Monkhood grew day by day after years of stagnation. The Dzemael Darkhold, the Aurum Vale, even the twisting tunnels of the Cutter's Cry were conquered in some way, shape, or form. Defense of the Hamlets against beastmen incursion became a regular occurance for the ragtag band of adventurers. Endemerrin even neared completion of forging his own pair of legendary Sphairai, having everything but it's aetheric infusion complete.

He was at the forefront as Eorzean plunged into a full-scale war with the Garlean Empire. Perhaps it was the deeply rooted affection he had garnered for the land that had so willingly adopted him. Perhaps it was the anger and anguish he had bottled up from the tragic event that had shattered his childhood deep within Garlemald. He drove on. Yet he never abandoned those close to him. Even if they had fallen, he would be there, ready to help them back onto their feet. If Eorzea were to fall, he would be there to the very end alongisde those he loved.


And so the Clarion Call went out. The VIIth Legion of Garlemald was massing on the Carteneau Flats to stage a final desperate assault against the Eorzean Alliance, all while Dalamud made it's final descent.

It was there that the final curtain was assumed to have dropped on Endemerrin's life.

Yet there were still many empty pages in his book.
Perhaps this story wasn't over just yet.

-Anonymous

"Eva, huh?  Aye, she used to work here.  That was a long time ago though - a couple years before that great red death from above came crashing down all around us..."  The elderly Wildwood emphasized his point by bringing his palm down loudly against the surface of the wooden countertop, before smiling sheepishly and using his withered fingers to comb salt-and-pepper hair.

"Good with numbers.  Always used to remind me about how we weren't really turning any profit.  Not enough customers.  Never enough customers.  She liked watching them scan the shelves though, when they did come in.  I think she and the others enjoyed all the quiet time with all the books though, even if we didn't sell none too many of 'em."  His pot-belly shook as he bellowed laughter.  "'Pater, don't you care about making money?' or 'Pater, aren't you worried about losing the shop?' - bit of a worry-wart, that one.  It's too bad what happened..."  The old elezen's smile faded suddenly and he moved back to the nearby wall, placing books from a neatly stacked pile up on the shelves.

"She still came to visit though - sweet gal.  A bit rotund when I first met her, but she had a pretty face.  I'd worked with her father in the past, before Thal took him.  He wanted me to give her a job.  I was skeptical at first, of course - lots of foul rumors surrounded him and his business, but I never regretted it.  She was probably the best employee I could have asked for.  Hard-working, kept the shelves super tidy, was friendly around the customers if a bit shy - when we had customers in here of course!"

He chuckled softly to himself again before continuing, "She met her beau here, actually.  A writer went by the name of Pemmy-something-or-other  It's been a long time.  Portly lad himself though, come to think of it.  They got along pretty famously for awhile.  I'm not her father much cared for the Greens, but... well, I'm not one to speak ill of the departed.  They were together a good long time.  I always used to tease her about when they'd be getting married.  They were good for each other though.  He loved to write.  She loved to read.  Can't get much more perfect than that, mmmh?  They both went swimming together a lot in the summers and kind of helped each other shed some of those ponz I suppose.  With everything that happened with them folks up in the North though, he decided to train for war.  He was a good lad, but foolish sometimes.  And his hands were better suited for a quill than a sword."

The aged man took a deep breath before continuing, "Guess there was an accident a couple moons after he went off to training; some kind of explosion.  Took the boy's life.  It's unfortunate, really.  K-  Ah, Eva was never really the same after that.  Cried a lot at work, missed some days.  It wasn't like her, but I understood.  Loss.  S'tough stuff..."

Pater bowed his head and allowed a reverent moment to pass before picking up another book and finding its place on the shelves, "I guess it was about a year after his death she decided to quit her job here and take off for Ul'dah.  She an' Pemmy were going to elope there when he got back from training for the war.  Her father was pretty sick by that point too, but she was able to hire a nursemaid for him.  I guess she'd been ferreting away all that gil she'd earned working here.  She'd still visit though, and spoke about places she'd seen and friends she'd made.  I always used to tell her there was a big world out there to see!  To be honest I missed her and the shop wasn't the same after she left, but I was glad to see her spread her wings a bit."

"She said how she'd joined become an adventurer in Ul'dah and bought an apartment there and joined some sort of league of other adventurers, and she took up weaving and became a seamstress.  Made me a few pairs of pants for Starlight, even.  Beautiful fabric and excellent craftsmanship!  That one was always a bit of a perfectionist though."  The old elezen chuckled, shaking his head at some passing memory.

"There was some business conglomerate she was involved with as well.  'Outer Heaven' maybe?  I never really understood the meaning of the name.  I guess that wasn't meant to last either, though.  Or she wanted to take after her beau and help prepare for the war.  I remember when she joined the Eorzean Guard and learned to pick up a spear like her ol' man did.  She had a lot of questions about when I was younger and fought the good fight!"  He smiled proudly and gestured to a strung bow hung over the entryway.

"I'd never have imagined it if I didn't see her in the armor with my own two eyes, standing right where you are now!  She wore it well, and she'd become quite striking I might add.  She was doing something for herself and I was proud of her, like an uncle.  Training hard, and exercising.  She used to visit me on her daily runs after she moved back to Gridania.  Being apart from her father had taken its toll on her nerves, methinks, and she was never one for the intense summer heat.  That's probably worse in Ul'dah, and I don't fathom there's many lakes and streams out in Thanalan - and if there was one thing she loved more than reading, it was swimming.  I must confess I was glad to see her around the shop more often too, even if she wasn't working here."

"I guess the Guard didn't hold up either, but she followed one of her fellow soldiers to another group - The Everwatch.  I still remember the recruitment posters.  Hung a few of them up here in the shop even!  It seemed like they'd be helping out around the Twelveswood, which I knew she had wanted.  And she'd become respected enough to be one of this fellow's chief lieutenants!  She even had a fancy name and a shiny dagger to commemorate the promotion.  Although the title has been lost to me with the years.  But the dagger itself was something to behold!"  Pater gestured grandly with his hands before placing the final book up on the shelves, before turning around again.

"And it was good to see her happy again.  She'd made some friends and had a renewed sense of purpose.  But then her father passed on.  He was kind of young too, but he'd been sick for some time.  His mind wasn't right.  She'd say he'd forget things sometimes - important things you shouldn't forget, you know?"

He paused a moment, wiping his brow before kicking a stepping stool to one side and returning to the counter.  "That took a bit of a toll on her, but she had some friends to help her through it.  And a budding relationship with the fellow that ran the company.  She used to come here frustrated, sometimes.  Always slow to anger, she was.  So it was unusual for her to come here venting steam to this old man.  She'd confide in me about her worry about how her feelings this fellow got in the way of her work, and how he could be all lovey-dovey one moment and a bitter lummox the next.  It was plain to see she loved the man though, and after losing Pemmy and seeing how that devastated her, it was good to see her young heart find love again.  She never thought she would, but... it always seems to happen when you never expect."

His gaze fell to the floor again before he went on, "It's tragic though.  This fellow - I think his name was Oskar - was involved in some sort of cave-in.  The crimson rays of Dalamud were peeking through the canopy by that point though.  She scarcely had time to mourn his passing before the war came crashing around us all.  Those final days, she was planning to run away to that place where her ancestors lived.  She had some cousins there I think, and thought she might be safe.  She had such conviction that everything would be all right.  She said she would come back one day, ask me about some of those parlor tricks I used to show her..."  His frown withered for a moment as he held up both hands, empty.  A quick gesture of his hands produced a small, leather-bound book that appeared within them as if from thin air.

"She always marveled at my sleight-of-hand.  She'd gotten pretty good at some of it herself, but no one tops the master!"  A slight grin touched his lips as a similar flick of his wrists made the book 'disappear' back to wherever it had come from.

"I guess she was wrong about that part though.  I'm afraid she's passed on to Thal's realm.  A lot of lives were lost that day and I'm not sure anyone was truly safe.  What might be most tragic of all - I think she may have been with child.  The last time I saw her, she was holding her belly the way a pregnant woman might.  And she had that glow that expecting mothers get.  Even with all the sadness, she managed to hang on to some crumb of optimism.  It's too bad... she was always one of the good ones..."

The elderly Wildwood shook his head a bit, sighing deeply.  Polishing the wooden counter with an old rag, he paused a moment and looked up, "Why'd you want to know about Eva anyway?  Were you a friend of hers?"


~ A conversation overheard in a backwoods book shop in Gridania