WIP
'Child of a Broken Grove'
Quiet · Guarded · Displaced
Appearance
Age: Youthful, <200 years
Height: ~6'3"
Build: Lean and Toned
Hair: Thick, Naturally textured; Simply kept
Markings: Faded soot along her nose and cheeks
Eyes: Icy blue; Alert, Often averted
Demeanor: Serious at rest; softer in conversation, polite.
Hooks
Worn Hands: The tips of her fingers are often wrapped in bandages, her hands sometimes stained with dye. Those familiar with weaving may recognize the marks of long hours spent with thread and needle.Eye for Fashion: Her attention often lingers on the clothing of passing adventurers, as though studying cut, fabric, or construction.Sense of Wonder: Despite her reserve, she appears quietly awed by the number and diversity of adventurers she encounters.Weaver's Guild: She is often found working on small commissions at the Weaver's Guild.Ossuary Regular: Those who spend time in the Ossuary may recognize her from long hours seated among open tomes.
Given Name: Fjiola SmoldyrChosen Name: Fjiola SolfridRace: Viera VeenaAge: 23Languages: Vieran, Eorzean CommonBirth Place: Skatay RangeCurrent Residence: Surrounding WildsTravel Frequency: High; primarily on footPrimary Occupation: WeaverGuild Affiliations: Weaver's Guild, Thaumaturge's GuildMajor Skills: Dagger Proficiency, Evasion MasterySecondary Skills: Weaving, Leatherworking, ThaumaturgyEducation/Training:
Crafting & Thaumaturgy - Village foundations; guild refinement
Languages - Informal instruction
Combat - Self developedCitizenship: Holds convincing identification papers permitting guild workFaith/Beliefs: Adheres privately to Veena esoteric practicesInterest/Hobbies: Time spent with nature, observing fashion trends and textile designCurrent Goals: Refine her sense of fashion and garment constructionLong-Term Goals: Reestablish a sense of belonging, form lasting bonds
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read Fjiola’s Carrd.While I’ve been roleplaying for some time now, I’m still getting comfortable with social RP in FFXIVI enjoy 'Slice of Life' RP and tend to play Fjiola as a continuous character, even when alone. I focus on her habits, travel, and small choices as part of her story. Interaction is always welcome, just often quiet to start.Even if I'm not in character, I'll tend to walk or emote in order to retain a sense of normality within the world for others that are RPing.As a player, I enjoy observing the many lives and stories that pass through the world. It's quite astonishing how alive the world feels from all of the other player's character. I tend to enjoy slower, observational RP but am always happy to be approached.Something else to note: I play with nameplates turned off. It helps reduce UI clutter and encourages me to remember characters by their presence rather than their names.
Fjiola Solfrid is a Veena Viera, born and raised in a secluded village near the Skatay Range. In her mid 20s, she is still considered young by Viera standards, having known a life shaped largely by the presence of women and the long absences of men, who returned only rarely from their duties beyond the forest. She found comfort and belonging in the close-knit company of the other female Viera, in bonds both communal and intimate, and in the esoteric rituals that governed their way of life.That stability fractured in the years following the Calamity.When the men began to return thereafter, they did so changed. They wore foreign garb, bore unfamiliar weapons, and were accompanied by Viera she did not recognize. Long-held rituals shifted or were abandoned, and distrust crept into daily life. The elder Matriarch was eventually replaced by a much younger figure, amid quiet rumors that the new leader was not what she seemed. Under this Matriarch’s guidance, unsettling proclamations followed. The forest’s words were said to have begun to lie, and the Veena were urged to bind back their own ears to snuff out its influence. Certain forms of magic were declared forbidden, and dissent was met with increasing hostility.Fjiola was among a small circle of Viera who continued to practice magic in secret through the use of channeled artifacts. Their approach was akin to thaumaturgy, relying on controlled conduits of aether rather than innate spellcasting. As part of this practice, she was tasked with a solitary rite. She was to venture deep into the woods and return only after securing a suitable artifact.Her search led her to a tree long whispered of in half-forgotten stories. It stood blackened and perpetually smoldering, its branches bare, yet leaving the surrounding forest untouched. Guided by her keen hearing and the subtle cues of the wood itself, she reached it after a long and careful journey. From it, she broke free a branch the length of a staff, twisted and gnarled at one end, snapped to a sharp point at the other. Though embers crackled beneath her grip, it radiated only a faint, contained warmth.She did not leave the village alone.A male Viera, who had been following her unseen, confronted her as she turned to depart. With open malice in his voice, he declared her actions forbidden under the new order and produced a dagger, speaking of cutting away her ears so she would no longer be tempted by the forest’s supposed lies. When he seized her, Fjiola reacted on instinct. The moment passed in smoke and heat, leaving her marked in ash.The details of what followed are not something she readily revisits. What remains certain is that the encounter ended with the man dead, killed by her hand in self-defense. Standing over the lifeless body of one of her own kind, she was overcome with horror at what she had done, regardless of necessity.When she returned and spoke of the incident, the decision was made swiftly. Fjiola, along with others who had lost faith in their village’s future, would leave the forest. Rumors spoke of ships taking refugees across the sea, and with little left to anchor her, she chose exile.After a long journey South West - skirting around Dalmasca’s desert, Fjiola eventually reached the coast. There was no true port, only stretches of shoreline where ships were rumored to anchor. With no certainty beyond scattered signs of recent passage, she chose a place to wait. In time, others arrived as well, refugees and wanderers among the displaced, drawn by the same rumors and the same lack of alternatives. It was there that she met Elowen, a Rava whose knowledge of the wider world far exceeded her own.However, the promised refuge proved a lie. Once aboard, the refugees were shackled and caged, and those who resisted were killed. During the long crossing, Elowen taught Fjiola phrases of the common tongue of Eorzea and spoke of its customs, cities, and dangers.Upon landfall in Thanalan, the captives were divided, weakened by hunger and exhaustion. Fate, or chance, kept Fjiola and Elowen together, bound for transport in the same wagon. When the convoy was ambushed by the Amalj'aa, the two seized the opportunity to escape.Elowen guided them to Ul’dah, using her connections to secure identification papers for them both under the guise of thaumaturges, allowing them entry where other refugees were turned away.In the two years since, Fjiola has rebuilt herself piece by piece. She practices controlled thaumaturgy at the Ossuary and trains in practical self-defense, favoring daggers, close-quarters combat, and efficient movement so as not to rely solely on magical tools. She earns her living through the Weaver’s Guild, competent enough to support herself, if not exceptional. In her own time, she practices movement and blade work together, honing her ability to slip past reach and strike only when necessary. During one such outing, she found herself within the remains of Castrum Centri, where an abandoned piece of Garlean machinery caught her attention.What began as curiosity ended in flight. With an intact ident-card left behind, she managed to activate the machine and escape under pursuit. She later encountered a Roegadyn machinist willing to examine the stolen device and make repairs in exchange for the opportunity to study it. From him, she learned the fundamentals of machinistry and the use of firearms, her continued access to the machine serving as payment enough.In recent times, Fjiola has taken to traveling across Eorzea in pursuit of new materials for weaving. Her work has carried her beyond Ul’dah, sometimes as far as Dravania, gathering unfamiliar fibers and studying new patterns.