Yssen

"Dadoo? Over protective? Maybe a little. He says I have problems being subtle. As for Red, I don't know her. She is on Father's watch list, along with our fearless leader Captain Whacky Laugh McNoodle Arms up there. Don't ask me why. His Big Eared Blue Majesty doesn't often choose to give me rhyme or reason to his task lists sometimes. Terribly mysterious to a bloody fault, that is him." Hope placed her arms behind her head and shifted herself to jogging backward. She scrutinized the path and camp behind them for a few moments. "It does not matter really," she continued, turning toward the barefoot dancer again. "I figure his ever watchful eye has got it's golden gaze on someone or something else. Mhm. This seems to be something he isn't to worried about me being able to accomplish on my own. Billy. As for the others. Shy girl, archer boy, possible other things bumping around. I just met them, so you are possibly better off getting to know them yourself. My observation skills are decent, but Dad says I should often keep my opinions to myself." Hope grins at Abaigael and turns to face the right way down the path. "Given present circumstance I plan to have a little fun while doing as he asked, but I still plan on doing as he asked. This group seems ripe for fun, don't cha think? We can find more out together? THAT should be a lark. Hmmmmmm? Shall we catch up and make inquiry?"

Hope shakes her head as she watches as Endermerrin take off laughing. "And I thought dad got weird..." She stretches looking over the rest of the group, and then scanning the crowd. An excited smirk washes across her face as finishes her the last of her notes. She shifts into a stance, and a pulse of win kicks up the dust at her feet. "Always wanted to try this. Dadoo always warned that this was a bit of a risky trick. Here goes..." And with that, she is off like a streak.

Actually. Yes you are in the wrong. You are just too blinded by self-righteous zeal to see it.

In my experience, those looking for a coup de grace are precisely those trying to win an argument. The wise general considers the cost of victory before seeking it. What did you hope to gain here exactly? Are you pleased with the results? What was the goal? Help me out here, what was the point? I would advise you tone down the zeal a bit. It has blinded you to some key points here your really have missed.

Gonna pick up a metric and make sure it is all 44% different? Have fun with that. Way farther than I'd go to win/not back down from and argument. Perhaps the energy you are putting into the process of argument could be more productively channeled.

So. A while back (and I mean a long long time ago) this idea wormed into the brains of me and some people that I regularly RP with. Namely, that every character has three defining songs to them. A theme song with lyrics, and instrumental theme song, and a song that the character would sing if they the world was a musical. I thought it might be fun to take this premise and share with one another our findings. Maybe even discuss a bit. Feel free to post links. Leave us get musically inclined. Oh! There is a 4th song! What your character's anime theme would be, but it is a side not mostly for fun. Anywho, I'll get zee ball rolling with these two.

Hope tilted her head slightly as she looked Abai up and down a bit. "Well I suppose that means you get to come too. Maybe we will find you shoes." She turns and meanders down the path, eventually she whips herself around and walks backward. "I swing through trees and play phantom because that stuff is fun. Why are you overwhelmed that I am a girl?" Hope adopts a puzzled look. "You can be overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. Why is no one just whelmed? Weird." She keeps her pace until she reaches the camp, walks up to the fence, and turns to Genevieve. "I hit you with the rock, didn't I? Sorry about that."

"That all really depends on your definition of bandit." Hope kept her voice cast out in the general above direction, shifting positions in her perch. "Also, where the heck are you from, and why can't they teach their children how to speak there? Also, I'd put the sword away. It seems less than friendly." Hope tilted her head as Endermerrin strolled on through and shrugged, vaulting out of her perch. She lands softly, asafe distance away, rises up, and dusts herself off for effect. She grins at the shoe-less girl, placing her hands on her hips. "Hi! I'm Hope. Who are you, and why do you lack shoes?"

Interesting question. I want to start by saying you are free to create whatever you like. Some people will like it, others will look at you like you are crazy. That is a simple fact of life. You should create whatever it is that you enjoy, and enjoy it. There is the caveat of "within limits" that others have mentioned here already. Where is the limit? It is different for each individual. Where is the collective limit for a large group or community? Lord only knows where it is exactly, but it is there. Taking a peek at lore is the best way to have a rough idea of the limits, so let us examine what we do know. Being involved in the Imperial Military is a losing proposition for the disloyal. It is mentioned in several places that Imperial Military are brainwashed, mind controlled, and otherwise conditioned to be loyal to the Empire. This is also seen to be more than just normal indoctrination, it is supernatural in nature. They condition several Ala Mihgan children in seconds to be completely loyal to the Empire (watch the last CS of the old main scenario). The kids look at a bright light for a bit, and then they are not them anymore. They accept the Imperial religion, and march off merrily to be trained to kill in the name of the Empire. In fact, on of the most tragic parts about conflict with the Empire (at least until Van Darnus shows up) is that we are more than likely not fighting true Imperials, but magically brainwashed Ala Mihgans. Hell, they may have even known us, been good friends with us, or even closer than that. They don't care, they still try to kill us. One of the prime examples of the effectiveness of Imperial conditioning is seen after Van Darnus is killed. His men hide the fact that he is dead, and continue to follow what they believe would have been his orders. Some of them even go so far as to pose as Van Darnus. All of it out of fanatical loyalty to the Empire and their commanding officer. Jeebus rice, that is crazy. The only cannon example we have of an Imperial traitor is Cid, and Cid was not military. Cid was the son of a Legatus (if my memory serves me right), a brilliant Magitek Researcher, but he was not a member of the Imperial Military. Thus, he probably was never conditioned and maintained his free will. That is probably what allowed him to betray the Empire and form the Ironworks. Swinging back around to your story and your question. Given that Imperial rank and file are conditioned to be fanatical drones, you have to consider what further measures they would use to have failsafes in place for their "special forces." We get right into a realm of things we probably don't want to contemplate being done to an individual's mind and body. Still, the first thing to consider is story. What does the scenario add to the collective narrative? In short, what is the point? You have to answer that for yourself as a writer/creator. I would put forward some questions? Mind you, I am not putting these forward to blow holes in your concept, just throwing something out there for you to consider and use to refine it. You have asked for feedback, not judgement. So that is what I am giving you. Feedback, not judgement. The first question that comes to mind is; why would an organization ruthless enough to mystically brainwash children into fighting theirparents and loved ones, simply put a bug that drives you mad in the brain of one of their elite agents? Why not just something that triggers, detonates, or otherwise kills them in an instant? Ruthless efficiency is still efficient. Second, is your purpose and concept served by applying your ideas to an organization other than the Empire? There is precious little lore out there about the internal workings of the Imperial Military. Applying your ideas to a different organization (or even one you create yourself) will probably restrict you less farther down the road and allow you to be more creative. Third, what about this concept will make it unique from other ex-imperial concepts? In my time, I have heard of (and seen) a lot of them. When there are a bunch of similar snowflakes running around, they tend to lose their dramatic impact. This can be a vast disservice to any creator's work, as it is instantly compared (fairly or unfairly) to all the other similar snowflakes running around. An even better route to proceed with (if you decide you want to keep the ex-imperial stuff) would be to contact or find the other people playing ex-imperials and coordinate. It is a small sub-group of the world's population, you probably shouldn't all be living in a vacuum where you haven't heard of one another. This has the side effect of giving you a built in base to RP with, which is generally considered to be awesome. Just some food for thought. Mull it over, refine, and create as you see fit. I look forward to RPing with you in the future. - Yssen

Hope opened her eyes, and shifted her attention back to the group. She took note of how their pace and how they were spread out. She then returned her gaze back to the girl. Taking note of her ready sword, Hope quietly pulled one of her chakram off of her belt. She took careful aim and slowly drew her arm back, gripping her chakram tightly. One final look at the target, and Hope relaxed her arm. Bandits usually have shoes. Usually. She took a moment to ponder her options, slowly returning the chakram to it's place on her belt, and replacing it with a smoothed rock. She could hear Yssen's voice whispering in her head. "Distraction and stealth are better weapons than blades. Never forget this, and apply them" Hope flung the rock at a tree opposite of her perch, and sprung to a new perch flinging another smooth rock just in front of the barefoot girl just before the jump. She let another rock fly, this time back toward the group, hopefully landing just in front of the with a noticeable enough thud. Finally she spun a rock to the girl's left, curving it so that it's origin was some what masked. She then placed her hand on her throat, just as she'd been taught. "You're not a bandit are you?" Hope said in a voice that seemed to come from a general above direction. "Bandit's usually have shoes. If you are a bandit, you and I are going to have a problem."

Hope ceases her whistling and grins, placing her hands behind her head. "I don't think he thinks your are a child, Nervous Kid. Otherwise, why did he not offer to hold MY hand." She puts on her best mock pouting face,giggles, and twirls forward in a circle. Once she has completed a couple of rotations she snaps to a pause, and tilts her head to the side. She stands in the middle of the path, calmly closes her eyes, and remains motionless. Her ears twitch slightly, just as she opens her eyes again. She remains in place, tapping her chin as she kicks at the dirt and dust in the middle of the path for a few moments. "W.W.Y.D." She mutters to herself softly, glancing at the group as she continues to tap her chin. Her expression shifts to a wide, excited grin, and she bursts into to a sprint. At first it looks like she is just trying catch up with the rest of the group, but she makes a line for the side of the path, vaulting herself up onto a tree branch. She continues her impression of a young opo-opo, swiftly jumping up from one branch to another. When she has gained a good amount of height, she starts branching from tree to tree. Her jumps becoming less swift (and more soft) as she closes distance on the group. She moves past them, and carefully crawls out onto a branch a fair distance ahead. She perches among some leaves, and squints at a point farther along the path. Once nested, Hope slowly closes her eyes, concentrating on the point in the distance.

Hope claps her hands and swiftly begins to check her gear. Knuckles, chakram, tricks, and traps. A place for everything and everything in it's place. She strides out of the Adventurer's Guild grinning and giggling. She quickens to a brisk pace, places her hands behind her head, and sets herself smack in the middle of the group's current spread. As she heads for eastern gate she begins slowly humming a tune to herself. When the gate comes into view she switches from humming to whistling, her demeanor shifting from excited to a sort of calm as she slowly whistles the tune.

Ul'dah, 2 Days before Impact - Yssen's thoughts were rapid, his breathing was labored. His movements were sloppy, but still effective. Pain was minimal, thanks to Bashram's medicine. He did not look forward to when they wore off. Still, they had been necessary to make getting into this place easier. He shifted his focus back to the task at hand. Four opponents, all armed. One is charging, the other three flanking. Brace the charge, crack his ribs, break his arm, shift your weight, and redirect him into the first flanker. Duck the slash from the flanker behind you, rise swiftly with an elbow strike to his chest, sweep his leg, and use the bottom of your fist to help him to the floor. Vault the spear, close the distance, chop to the throat, shift it into a grip after impact, squeeze, harder, twist, and direct him into the new charger. Close the distance, vault behind him, two strikes to his kidneys, shift your stance, slide backward, launch a charkram as this one fall, and another into the rising first charger. Stop, breath, scan the room, and relax. Yssen adjusted his coat, and landed a swift kick to the back of the neck of the sword wielder as he struggled to get to his feet. He stared for a moment at some blood he found on his palm. Painkillers, the problem is you don't know when you get hit. It has to be the first charger, his shoulder was bleeding. His movements were getting slower. "Brilliant," he muttered to himself as he walked over to the door at the back of the room. He started whistling a tune idly as he walked slowly walked up the stairs. When he reached the top he was greeted by three familiar faces, standing between him and a large wooden door. "Gentlemen!" Yssen grinned. "So nice to see you again! Where is the girl?" "With the boss," Thundering Horse replied with a cold grin. "Working off her debt." Yssen's face snapped from jovial grin to serious scowl. "You dropped something Mr. Hellsguard." He tossed the emblem right at the Thundering Horse's face and charged recklessly. "Not bright." Yssen heard the Hellsguard's voice as a wave crashed into his chest. The world floated, spun, and stopped suddenly with a crunch. Yssen crumpled and struggled to his knees, flashing back down to the floor again. He pushed up off the floor, another flash and it was in his face. Several more flashes now, his vision was blurring. He as drifting. He closed his eyes, and reached for the vial in the pouch behind his back. An drifting, flashing eternity passed as he held it in his hand, staring at the purple liquid with increasingly blurred vision. "HOPE!" Yssen shouted, popping the small cork out of the vial with his thumb. "A promise is a promise, and I always keep mine! It will be alright!" "Not today, boy," the Hellsguard's voice boomed, punctuated by a flash of impact. "Piven. Riven. End him." "I'll keep my promise. Even if I have to break my oldest one to do so." Yssen shot back the vial, heat running down his throat as he swallowed. The heat became a burning, twisting sensation in his stomach. Fire swelled, rose, and exploded. Fire in his belly, blood on the wall, smoke in his eyes, and the smell of ashes in his nostrils. The room was glowing. Hellfire. Familar. Hated. His heart was already numbing with regret as he rose to his feet. Yssen turned to his two opponents. Close the distance, open palm strike to the Highlander's throat, switch to a grip, and burn! Toss him at the Hellsguard, dash into them, and burn! Focus on the door, one good punch, and burn! The wooden door exploded, shrieking off of its hinges, and groaning with heat. He marked the fat man, and then turned to look at the girl. She was shaking, crying. Two loud cracks, like thunder. He was on the ground again, slowly trying to rise again. "Who are you?! Who are you that you think you can stop my business, or my pleasure?!" Yssen steadied himself with one arm, pulling himself up the wall. "Hope. Sweetness. Close your eyes. Cover your ears. This is a thing you do not need to know." "Who are you!?" The fat man bellowed again, leveling another gun at Yssen. "You! You! Nothing!" Yssen finally stood, staring the fat man in the eyes as Hope did as she was told. "You do not know me, but I know you. I am the Seventh Devil, Yssen Van, the Hellfire, and you Radill. You are my target!" Acrid smoke. Screaming. Hope, please keep your eyes shut and your ears covered. Please. Fires rising, keep it going, stop it when the screaming stops. Silence. Relax. See to the girl. "Hope?" Yssen slid down to the floor, his eyes darting around for her. "Are you alright?" Hope emerged from behind the bed, and stared at him. There were still tears in her eyes. "Its alright now. You can come out. Its over. Are you alright?" Wordlessly she dashed over and hugged Yssen, nuzzling her head into his chest as hard as she could. "I suppose that is a yes. You want to get out of here, sweetness?" Hope nodded, still pressing her head into his chest and holding him as tightly as she could manage. "C'mon then," He said, slowly rising to his feet, a burning still swirling in his stomach. He picked Hope up into his arms and slowly made his way out of the bed chamber. "Lets get you out of here. Everything will be alright now, I promise." Epilogue - The lalafell was wrapped up by wires in a dark chamber, suspended over four braziers and a glowing crystal ball. He turned his eyes away from the orb as it flashed red for the fourth time. "Tell me about it again, puppy!" Ysa Van said in an excited, sing song voice as she danced in a twirling pattern around the braziers. "Tell me what you saw in it again!" "I've told you twice now you loopy freak!" the lalafell replied, struggling painfully against the wires. "What the hell is so important about watching a fat man get roasted?l" "It is all about what it means, puppy! Don't you know what it means!" "No!" he shouted, "I don't. Illuminate me you barmy bitch!" "It means." Ysa stopped dancing and grabbed the lalafell by the collar, pulling him down toward her, wires digging into him. She sent just a few spark of lightning down the wires, giggling. "That my dear brother is⦠home."

3 years ago - Yssen was on he knees, staring at the two small charred corpses through his mask as the manse burned around him. His gut ached as he sat there, silent and motionless. Ysa looked just behind him, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. All seven had been contracted to unleash vengeance on this place, to wash it away in a tide of blood. They had been well paid for it. The collateral damage was minimal, all things considered, but Yssen could not move himself from the spot of these two pieces of collateral damage. His two pieces of collateral damage, a young girl and a young boy. These two corpses were his fault. He just kept staring, listening to the sounds of the fire burning around him. "Pull it together, brother." Ysa leaned in and whispered to him. "The Master is headed this way." "It⦠It should not be this way," Yssen muttered, moving his hand to hold on to Ysa's. "They were just begging the manse for food⦠I⦠The boots of a large, black clad Duskwight broke in over the rhythmic crackling sounds of the fire around them. The figure paused to stroke his beard, standing tall, and taking in the scene around him. After a few moments the air was filled with the sound of metal on metal as the black clad Duskwight clapped his hands. "This is excellent work. I would expect no less." His voice boomed out even over his applause. "None will retaliate against our client, not after seeing this. Not after knowing that a fraction of Hell such as this can be brought down upon his enemies. The client will be most pleased. You have wrought great works here, Yssen Van. I am proud of you." The words pierced Yssen's gut, removing the ache and replacing it with a sharp, cold pain. "Iâ¦" Yssen began. "I can see that you are troubled, you should not be." The Master's voice boomed out again. "You have done no more than unfolded the world as it should. Coin was paid for retribution, and retribution seen to. A wave of violence and fire washed over this place, those placed here were meant to be here. To serve as part of the final service rendered for coin that was paid. You have executed all, according to Nald'thal's will." "Master, these two were⦠children. Street urchins come to only to beg or steal food, so they could survive. They had no part in this." Yssen said, continuing to stare unblinking at what he had done. "They were nothing. They are nothing. They will be nothing," the Master replied coldly. "They sinned. They did not have the coin to see to their own survival, so they are dead. They did not have the wealth to see to their souls, so they will remain here. They will wander as shades, never to see paradise. Such is the will of the Traders." The Master placed his mailed hand on Yssen's shoulder. "These thoughts do not become you. They are not the thoughts of who and what you are. Do not ever forget who and what you are. You are the Seventh Devil. Yssen Van, the Hellfire. You are not a man, you are not a dog, and you are beyond the monsters of this world. You are an instrument. Reflect on this, we shall speak more back in my chambers." The Master's boots crunched through the remains as he walked past Ysa and Yssen, further into the ruin around them. Yssen clinched his fists and watched as the Duskwight's large form faded into the rising smoke and ash, slowly disappearing out of sight. After waiting a few moments, Yssen slowly rose to his feet, move over next to the two corpses, and removed his mask. "Yssenâ¦" Ysa said, worriedly staring at her brother. "Help me, dear sister," he replied, starting to dig at the ground with his mask. "It is what I would have wanted someone to do for usâ¦" Ysa stood there for a while, watching as her brother dug into the ground. She finally removed her own mask, and walked up to where Yssen was digging. She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead, before helping her brother dig.

"Yeah!" Hope snaps herself out of the chair by doing a short vault over the back of it. She shoots a grin and wink to Genevieve "Thats the spirit!" "Lets blow this apple cart and get to the fun stuff!" Hope punctuates her last statement by enthusiastically punching her right fist into her left hand. She makes a couple of quick glances over her shoulder to various points in the room, before she settles on a spot by one of the entrances and gives it a two fingered wave. She then turns her attention to the rest of the group. "Sooooo. How are we getting there?"

Ul'dah, 2 days before Impact - The Lalafell Alchemist quietly entered the room where Yssen had been resting for the past eight bells. He set a package on the end table and with a disapproving glare, watched as the Duskwight continued to put on his clothes and gear. "Your wounds have been seen too as best as possible, and your order is ready," the Lalafell said matter-of-factly, setting a package down on the table. "Teas and tinctures to numb pain, and your special order. While I thank you for trusting me with the fascinating recipe, I really should point out that it would seem dangerous to use it in your condition. Dangerous to do anything in your condition, really. You need more recovery time." "I have promises to keep. There is no rest for the wicked, Bashram," Yssen said as he spun into his long coat, moving over to the table to look over the contents of his package. "Keep that recipe safe and secret. Study it if you like, but do not let other people find out you know anything about it." "How did you come across it," Bashram inquired, moving over to the table and picking up the vial that contained the special order. He held the purple liquid up to the light and looked through it with a thoughtful expression. "The properties of this thing are quite fascinating. You'd probably have the Thaumaturge's clamoring to offer you increasing sums of money if you let them in on it." "None of your business," Yssen said, snapping the vial out of Bashram's hand. "You really should not entertain dangerous thoughts like that. I'd hate for our relationship to be soured by you being killed for having more greed than sense." "Tch. You and your secrets, are they all so dangerous to know?" Yssen grinned at the Lalafell as he quaffed down on of the painkilling tinctures he's ordered. "So. Any luck on that emblem?" Bashram sighed and sat down on the bed. "I've managed to track down it's origin for you. It was not hard. It is the emblem worn by the muscle on retainer of particularly interesting merchant. Not a member of the Syndicate, but it is expected he'll get offered a seat in a few years. His name is Radill, he has a few well run legitimate businesses. Mostly trade in spices, silks, and the like. Standard things for this city. It is suspected that he has more than a few less than legitimate endeavors, as well. Radill is said to be quite fat, and it is rumored he has some pretty vile and ruthless tendencies." "Brilliant." Yssen shook his head, "Where am I likely to find him?" "He has a residence in one of the towers, I've marked the location for you on a map. What business do you have with him? Lose a fight with his men? Figure you need to pilfer a few of his things to make yourself feel better? Picking a fight with yet another Monetarist? You have the silliest notions sometimes." "Something like that." Yssen began placing the various vials and tinctures into readily accessible pockets and pouches scattered about his belt and other gear. He saved the vial of purple liquid for last, staring at it for a few moments before placing it in a pocket on the back of his belt. After checking his weapons and tightening up any loose fitting armor, he shot a wink to the Lalafell. "Places to go and promises to keep, Bashram. No rest for the wicked." With that he strode out of the room, through the Phrontistery, and out into the crowded streets of Ul'dah.

Hope patiently pretend to listen to the briefing, continuing to flip the coin through her fingers. When the dust settles on the harlot comment, she leans over toward Genevieve . "Way to go, nervous kid," she punctuates with a smile and a wink. She stares for a half second at the glass she set on the table, rubbing her chin briefly. She snaps to actual attention at the mention of the Lambs of Dalamud and Voidsent. "Wait. What?" she says, swiftly covering up a worried expression with a cocksure mask. "We don't expect Voidsent do we? Dad is totally not going to let me near him for a week if we are dealing with one of those. Or is it summoning up to try and talk to one of those? I forget. He lectures on and on about the his old days. I usually just tune him out."

Hope stopped her pondering and turned her attention back to Xenedra, she placed the glass carefully back on the table. "Not really. It is a bit too sweet. I tend to prefer a more sour red, when I can manage to get it. He said to order it if I got a look like the one I got from you earlier. I have no idea why. He doesn't give instructions so much as he gives me riddles sometimes. I can usually figure out what he means." Hope slips into a brief troubled look, and then back into a grin. "No matter. Sometimes you are the fox, others the chicken. Or something like that."

Hope looks to Xenedra, her expression changing to a genuine frown. "Father... he. He doesn't like being found at the moment, well for a while actually. I don't really know why." She stares at the table, her expression showing a tinge of worry before she closes her eyes and snaps herself back to grinning. He raises her hand to attract the attention of a waitress. "Mmmm. Strawberry wine please," she says with a wink, producing some coins and keeping one to roll in her fingers in a fairly familiar fashion. "I wouldn't worry too much, he is pretty good at fending for himself. Well, sorta." Hope smiles a fox like smile, "I can take ya to him later. He'd probably hate me doing that. So that means I totally should!" As Hope's order arrives, she smiles at the waitress. She drops her payment on the tray, taking the glass with her free hand, and continuing to spin the coin in her other. She darts her attention back over to Isaac, flashing him a slightly toothy grin. "I know your kind, kind sir. So things will at least be familiar. Should probably work on that itchy bow finger. Control, and all that. That is the first lesson. Maintain control, control yourself and you control the flow of what flows around you. Be as the stone that stands defiant in the river. I have no problem watching your backside, just don't stare at mine too long. It'd be weird." She takes a sip of her wine, making a strange face after she is finished. She then looks thoughtful, as if she is trying to figure out the point of something.

"Oh I am overjoyed. Lessons. Cannot wait," Hope puts on her best mask of mock excitement, gesturing to it with both of her hands. "See this, this is my overjoyed face." Hope pauses a moment, idly pulling a chakram from her belt and twirlling it around with one of her fingers. She then turns around and rests herself on agains the table top, bringing her other hand to her chin as if lost in thought. "Hmmm. Still, it cannot be helped. Even with pouting. I am pretty sure I know WHY I am here. Nothing left now but to take in and enjoy the journey," she punctuates this last statement with a smile, before turning her eyes toward other two who stepped forward. There look in her eyes that is not unlike a fox eyeing chickens. "Aww. You are concerned for my well being, such a nice man you are. Isaac, right? Are you going to make sure I'm the most well protected little gosling on the trip? That is so very sweet of you to offer without even asking. I think I rather like you. Well if you take care of me, I'll take care of the nervous one. Deal? No backsies now, I don't want to have to come to your rescue. That would just be all sorts of strange and improper." She smiles sweetly, and flutters her eyelashes before snapping herself into a chair at the table. "So. Food. What is good here?"

4 years ago - "My brother is worth a hundred of you Halfax," Ysa spat as she strained against the icy shackles that held her against the wall, "He'll come for me, and I would not be here when he gets here." "You and your brother are gutter trash," Halfax shot back at her, boots echoing as he paced the the chamber, "You were plucked from your gutter home to serve as little more than breathing practice targets for the rest of us. You were never meant to rise, never meant to surpass, and certainly never meant dream of the same station as the rest of us." "Really? Because the scoreboard back at home says something different," Ysa smirked back, "At least in your case." "Shut up!" Halfax screamed, willing ice to form around Ysa's mouth. "When your brother comes I will set the world to proper order, and when I am finished with him I will make show you the only thing pretty little gutter trash is good for. The Master has given me the tool I need to see things put to right!" The chamber began to echo with foot falls and a slow, sarcastic clap. Halfax turned and smiled at Yssen. "Such a charmer, Halfax. It is a wonder my dear sister has refused every advance you have ever made at her," Yssen snickered as he stopped his advance into the chamber, clad in a black robe and masked. "Now. Let her go. I'd hate to embarrass you further by defeating you, again." "So predictable. So arrogant. So assured of your ill gotten station," Halfax paced back and forth, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Well, the Master has entrusted me to put things to right, and he has given me the tool I need to see you put in your place." Halfax produced a small vial of thick purple liquid, uncorked it and swiftly drank the solution down. His body shuddered and shifted as he finished the vial's contents, and the room began to glow as aether began to be pulled toward him. "The devil's blood now flows through my veins. Come gutter trash, have a taste for yourself." Halfax gestured and unleashed a torrent of icy shards at Yssen. Yssen braced, making a small incision in his palm, and willed his sacrifice into a shield of emerald aether. He then willed his sacrifice into flame, convincing it to burn where he needed it to go. Struggling against the constant barrage of shards and cold Halfax set upon him, Yssen set to looking for an opening, any opening, to exploit. The struggle continued and Yssen sighed, silently berating himself for not seeing it sooner. He unleashed a wash of fire, concentrating his even his defenses into a large gout of flame in his opponent's direction. The impact from Halfax's icy shards tore through him and his robes, and Yssen was slammed into the back wall of the chamber. Seizing opportunity, Halfax leapt at him, concentrating his will into a razor sharp blade of ice. He placed the blade at Yssen's throat and grinned. "You missed!" Halfax laughed, "It was not so easy this time was it, gutter trash! What will you do now? Hmmm?" "I did not miss," Yssen grinned at Halfax, adding a wink for punctuation. "HALFAX!" shouted Ysa, as she rose to her feet, "Let. My. Bother. GO!" Eyes wide, Halfax turned to see Ysa channeling a nimbus of lightning through her wires. She charged like a bolt in his direction, sweeping her arms toward them and then pulling them tight behind her. Halfax squealed as the wires bit into his limbs and torso, and the lightning flowing through them began to do it's work on his flesh. Ysa drew her wires tighter and tighter, sending more and more lightning threw them, until the there where no sounds left in the chamber. No sounds, save for her and her brother's breathing. "That, did not look like it was pleasant," Yssen said as Ysa helped him to his feet, "Are you alright?" "It probably wasn't, but he deserved it," Ysa replied coldly before shifting into a more pleasant tone," I'm fine. Thank you for coming for me. Are you alright?" "Peachy," Yssen winced slightly, as Ysa began to examine and tend to the damage Halfax's shards had left behind. "Rule number one. You and me against the world, dear sister." Ysa smiled as she tightened a bandage, "You and me against the world, dear brother." Ul'dah, 3 days before impact - Yssen pulled himself out of the darkness and rose to his feet. He has put up a decent enough fight, but there was no real chance of victory in his condition. Not in that particular fight at least. Well, not a complete victory latest. Before the fists of his three large opponents left him in the dark with his own thoughts, he had manage to tear off the emblem so proudly displayed on the Hellsguard's armor. He lifted himself up and gritted his teeth as he popped his shoulder back into place using the alley wall as leverage. There was no sign of Hope, or the three that had come for her. Yssen stared at the emblem in his hand. "I made a girl a promise, boys. I don't do that lightly. A few preparations, and we'll meet again on my terms. Best you be ready for that. I keep my promises." Yssen Van smiled, and slowly made his way over to the Phrontistery.

The young Midlander girl shrugged as the tall figure leaning against the wall motioned to the table where Endermerrin was gathering adventurers. There is a brief, whispered exchange between the two of them before she pouts, swaying back and forth on her toes. This leads to another, somewhat longer whispered exchange as the figure leans down to head level with the girl. In a swift snap she stops swaying back and forth and quickly nods. The girl turns around and crosses her arms, scrutinizing those assembled at the table. She is a thin slip of a thing, even for fourteen. Her blonde hair is bobbed short, and she sports a brilliant pair of green eyes paired with a near perpetual grin. She is dressed in black and dark brown leather, with matching boots up that come up to her thigh. Her grin fades slightly as she turns back, tracking the leaning figure as he moves to a different spot in the room. She nods at him once more before striding swiftly over to the table and placing her hand on it in a brisk motion. "My name is Hope. Dad says I should go with you guys, and even with the pouting there was no talking my way out of it. He probably thinks I'll learn something important or something like that. So. What are we doing? This isn't going to take long is it?"

Higher social standing is not usually the problem, as most have said the problems start when higher station leads to a from of god-moding or direct influence on the main plot. There are also lore things to consider. Higher station usually means political involvement, and the politics of various city states is really whacky in some places. I do not know much about Limsa or Grid other than the basics, but in Ul'dah the political struggle is between the Monetarists and the supporters of the Sultana. Sultans (or in 1.0 the Sultana) and their supporters were the traditional rulers of Ul'dah in the past, they have since lost most of their political authority. Monetarists (merchant princes and the incredibly wealthy) as of 1.0 were the majority in the Syndicate, a political body the Monetarists created to have ruling authority over the Sultana. The Syndicate is in charge of Ul'dah, with the Sultana herself being little more than a figure head. Organizations exist opposing the Monetarists, as well as individuals. The Grand Company leader for Ul'dah, an Ala Mihgan refugee and gladiatorial champion, is a supporter of the Sultana's rule. Likewise, the Sultansworn (the primary body of Paladins) are also opposed to the Monatarists. The Monetarists themselves are largely represented by most every guild in Ul'dah (from the Weavers to the Pugilists). So you see how the conflict bleeds down to the common adventurer on the street. Please keep in mind that his is really just being used and an example of the somewhat larger concerns and conflicts those of higher station are involved in. Add to this the prospects of duty to one's family, and the concept of arranged marriage for political power and you have a big fun wealth of dramatic material to draw off of. Just keep in mind that if one's status and standing become the end all be all resolution for every conflict or problem that comes up, that really is just a form of god-moding. Winning all the time make for boring characters, unless you are Achilles. If you are Achilles you just die when someone gets lucky and nicks you in the heel and that is the end of you. ;p

Whee! So. I posted up my pre-impact madness. Well, the first part of it. In that spirit here is my rough timeline of stuff for Yssen's lost years. All of this is flexible, but there are flash points. All of this is preferably rp'd out in some fashion. Enough talk. Action! What follows are rough locations and the flashpoints for each year. RP in each year is completely open, it does not have to have really anything to do with what Yssen is doing. Of course, if it does that adds depth, and I do like depth. Year 1 - Ul'dah and the Thanalan area. His time will mostly be spent helping refugees and establishing a hidden base thing. Yay hidden base things! If only he had vast experience with caves. ;p He will be continuing his plot to raid and bandit stuff for materials and treasures using bandit proxies. This will also mark the start of him plotting on how to wedge his way further into the underworld. He will also begin Hope's training, for... things. Things! Mysterious things! Year 2 - He begins the expansion of his operations to the areas around and in Gridania and Limsa. Moar raiding with proxies for fun and profit! He will also look to establish storage houses and regular clients for his maguffins. He continues to train Hope, and this is the year he starts wearing and eyepatch for... reasons. Reasons! Mysterious reasons! Year 3 - More of the same. Slowly expanding, but now actually having to take actions to defend his niche of the underworld. He will have set up drops/points of contact at this point. He will also be acting to continue sticking it to Monetarists. Depending on RP he may have staff. Hope will continue to be trained, and probably be put into the field at the end of the year. Year 4 - More of the same, expansion, defense of niche. He begins creating a structure and modus operandi that can be completely mobile with no central base of operations/depot. Even operating without a central leader. Continues to train Hope and send her into the field. It is now likely that Hope is the primary point of contact for people, even if an individual already knows Yssen pretty well. He withdraws more and more for some reason. It should be noted that for some reason Hope takes the last name Van at this point. I'd be spoilery, but it will be more fun to see what your sick (or analytical) minds come up with as to why this is. Year 5 - The blackmarket stuff is probably pretty stable by this point. Stable enough that most problems are pretty routine in nature. Yssen has begun to concern himself the exchange of informations as well as less than legal/ill gotten materials (magitek and stacks of cobalt ingots falling off carts, oh my!). Yssen is very withdrawn by now. Rumors probably circulate that there is no Yssen Van. Maybe there never was, post-impact at least. The name at this point will probably be thought of as more a title or some strange piece of circulated underworld myth. Some people will know better, but that really all depends on how stuff pans out. That is really all in a nutshell. Udly for the beginning, then well likely most anywhere after year two. All things are flexible and nothing is set in stone. I look forward to interactions making things a bit more set down than theoretical. Yar. - Yssen

Ul'dah, 3 Day Before Impact - Darkness. Swirling darkness, and the sounds of people passing by the alley way. A clanking here, a hurried shout there, and all of it muddled by darkness. "Wake up, are you okay? Wake up." 5 years ago - "Wake up. You have to wake up." Yssen Van stirred slightly as the voice called to him. "Wake up! We are wanted in the assembly hall! You fell asleep reading in the library. Again." His sister's lyrical voice was twanged with a slight bit of annoyance at this particular moment, coupled with a playful jab in the arm to get him moving. Yssen let out a loud yawn and went about straightening up the library desk that had been his makeshift pillow. He pulled together the parchments he had made notes on, and closed the various books he had been referencing and cross referencing. "What was it this time, bookworm," Ysa asked with a smile. "More elemental synergy theory, particularly the combining of elements associated with the Umbral and the Astral and their possible effects," he replied as he finished cleaning up. "Yeah, that makes a ton of sense to me, I assure you." Ysa grinned. "I swear. I cannot think of one thing useful to come out of you sticking your nose in these books until you pass out." "Plenty of useful things have come from my research, dear sister. The trick I used in yesterday's test sessions for instance." "You did manage to humiliate your opponent with flying colors in the combat exercise, I suppose. What trick did you use?" "Against Halfax? I exploited his fear of fire. Simple really, he may have come a long way from cringing at the sight of it, but he still gets pretty flustered when it is employed against him," Yssen smiled at his twin, "I also seem to recall my excessive studying help a certain someone easily channel lightning through her wires?" "They were pretty impressed with the technique, weren't they. I suppose I should be thankful to have you looking out for me in this place." Ysa laughed. "You and me against the world, dear sister." "You and me against the world, dear brother," Ysa responded with a nod and a smile, "Now hurry up! I think today is the day. They'll give us our masks and our titles. I am betting that is what Master is calling us down to the assembly room for. Get moving, he'll have our hides if we are late!" "Way ahead of you," Yssen said, as he bolted from his chair and out of the library. He looked back at Ysa with a grin and a wink."Race you!" "Hey!" Ysa shouted, laughing as she ran after him. "No fair!" Ul'dah, 3 Days before Impact - Yssen opened his eyes and propped himself up against the wall, he breathed out slowly as he took in his surroundings, finally bringing his eyes to rest on the young Hyur girl standing in front of him. "Well. You seem overly concerned, kiddo," he winced out a grin at her. "Any reason I should know about? You haven't been sent to fetch me have you?" "N-no sir," the girl replied, casting her eyes to the ground. "Well that is a relief. What are you doing here?" The girl looked back up at Yssen for a moment, and then back to the ground. "I saw you fall," she replied, "I wanted to make sure you were well. I recognize you. You're the man who feeds us lost boys and girls. You brought those yummy bundles from that party you said you went to once. Y-you're very kind is all, and you looked like you needed help." Yssen scrutinized the girl briefly and sighed before slowly making his way further into the alley and out of sight. He then took a moment to check his injuries and make sure nothing was out of place or re-opened. "Y-you are alright, right sir?" Yssen glanced back at the girl, she was following him. He stopped and leaned his back up agains the alley wall. "Nothing that will keep me from my work, kiddo. Are you hungry? Do you need something to eat? I hear food is becoming hard to come by on the streets." Yssen reached into his coat and pulled out a strip of dried meat, and offered it to the girl. She paused a moment, looking up into his golden eyes before shakily taking it from his hand. "All the panic and such, right? Everyone snapping everything up? All bent out of shape over a big red doom sphere." Yssen sighed and looked back at the girl. Do you need anything else? I have more food if you are still hungry?" The young girl at Yssen slightly and nodded. She slinked over next to him as he continued to hold himself up on the alley wall. Yssen grinned as she put her head down and hugged his leg tightly. "So what did i do to rate this obnoxiously cute level of affection?. It is only food, and at that only enough to feed you for today." The girl only squeezed his leg tighter and let out a slight whimper. "Ye'll be handing over my boss's property now." a gruff deep voice came from the alley entrance. "See that you do it quickly, and there will be no need for the unpleasant." Yssen cast his gaze at the entrance to find a crimson skinned Roegadyn staring back at him. The Hellsguard was flanked by two Highlanders, all three were armed and armored, though only the Roegadyn wore a helmet. Yssen smirked as his mind drifted to his current state, and his resolve quickened as the young girl began to squeeze onto his leg tighter. The duskwight bent down and whispered to the now shaking girl. "So. This is the problem. Fear, not obnoxiously cute affection over food?," the girl nodded as Yssen whispered, still clutching his leg. "Brilliant." "Send her over, Elezen, you do not look the shape to play champion for the whelp. You look apt to break in only the slightest little tussle with us. Just hand her over and we'll be on our way," the Hellsguard snickered when he spoke, and the two Highlanders joined in as if right on cue. "Two," Yssen responded. The Hellsguard looked a bit confused, but then quickly spat back, "what?" "You people have made exactly two mistakes. One, I am not just an Elezen, I am a Duskwight. There proper form of vague and non-specific address would be 'Duskwight.' I would have thought these ears a dead give away. It is important to make the distinction, otherwise it will just lead to more confusion. We'd hate to just sit here being all confused about what exactly is going on, wouldn't we? Two. People are not property. No matter what circumstances would lead one to assume such an appalling economic situation, the fact remains. People are free. They are never property, and this girl is free." "That girl's parents owed debt to the boss, and We'll see that it gets paid off. Until it is, she is not free." the Hellsguard shot back coldly. "I beg to differ, and I will argue the point. What on earth would you boss want with a youn girl of only, what? Seven. Maybe eight. Possibly nine. On second thought, do not answer that. I would rather part company not wanting to leave you out for the beetles and crows. We should handle this a if we are civilized. How much is the girl's debt?" "It is not for sale." "Everything is for sale in Ul'dah, isn't it?" "Boss is not interested in the sale, he has taken a real shine to the whelp," the Hellsguard smirked back. "We are treading dangerously close to a most uncivil end here. I'd refrain from further snide jokes about⦠Hold on a second." Yssen bent down to talk to the girl again. "What exactly is your name little one?" The young girl look up at him with watery eyes, "H-hope. I'm called hope." Yssen laughed, and pushed himself up off the wall. "Well, THAT makes about the most sense ever. Don't worry Hope. Everything is going to be fine. I promise." Yssen shifted his attention back at the Hellsguard and his two companions. "Gentlemen, shall we get the remaining of the civility out of the way? Any Vengence Orders I should be aware of? Names? No need to make this next part completely uncivil." "They call me Thundering Horse, the big twins here are Piven and Riven," the Roegadyn replied. "Brilliant." Yssen winced as the burn of channeling Aether through his body struck him down to his bones. His wounds throbbed and spiked with renewed pain. He staggered as he moved himself between his opponents and the girl. He winced out his words between little spike of agony. "I am Van. Yssen Van. Van to⦠my friends, Yssen to those who are⦠or wish to be more⦠familiar, and a long stream of⦠unpleasant titles and curses to those⦠who do not like me very much." The three attackers looked at each other, shifting into ready positions as Yssen wrenched himself fully up right and into stance. He wince and coughed, shaking off the last spike of pain that surged through him. He looked back at Hope, giving her a grin and a wink. "Everything is going to be fine. You will be alright. I promise." His opponents slowly moved forward, snickering as he turned to face them again. "Gentlemen, shall we?"