the knight

nameday: 32nd sun of the second umbral moon
deity & zodiacs: menphina & gemini
element: fire
height & weight: 6 fulm 7 ilm / ~250 ponze
hair & eye colour: well-groomed brownish-grey shoulder length hair & royal blue eyes
skin tone & notable markings: fair skin & facial + body scars
residence: Servant's Quarters within House Vilant, Ishgard
occupation: Knight of House Vilant and by extension The Holy See of Ishgard
alignments: lawful good (For now...)

personality: though Torsten has an intense look about him, he is actually a pretty lowkey, chill guy. friendly, a bit sarcastic, and full of self imposed honour, the man was practically born to be some type of knight. though Torsten would argue that he is just "doing what he has to do" he is the type of person that loves to serve others. he likes helping and fighting for people and making their dreams come true. but what of his own dreams? that is a bit harder to answer. either way, torsten comes from a harsh place in the realm with a family to match, and he's spent most of his lifetime making sure he isn't repeating their choices. he's happy where he is now.Right?

01. one of the last families torsten stayed with had a daughter named beatrice. she and torsten were close as children and that relationship carried into adulthood. though separated for a small span of years, beatrice tracked torsten down in ishgard. their reunion was bittersweet, as the woman was suffering with an illness that would claim her life two cycles later.02. torsten is well practiced with the longsword, shortsword, shield, and longbow. he never took to the axe, as much as his father tried to push it on him. being a man of relatively little formal education, he isn't too knowledgeable about aether and magicks, however his martial aptitude and quick wits see him use magick combined with his weapon sometimes without thinking.

03. When not on duty Torsten does what most working men of Etheirys do: he spends time at the closest tavern or pub. Drinking, smoking, and being generally relaxed isn't an issue for Torsten when his sword is hung up for the day. He learned from the best hedonists as a teenager (pirates and mercenaries) and isn't too morally uptight to partake in some of the vices of the common man, such as gambling and the occasional courtesan. He's perfectly comfortable... which is the problem.04. Torsten does not share the faith of those around him. He respects Halone, but does not (internally) consider himself as part of the Church of the Holy See. He plays the part and pretends as he needs to survive in such a zealous culture, but in truth his connection is to the goddess of the moon, menphina.

house vilant | employers/host family | NPCs After a dramatic entrance by Torsten in a display that proved his worth as a competent protector, he was hired immediately by the Vilant's as an escort. as cycles passed and their relationship grew stronger, the House bestowed honourary "knighthood" on Torsten, having gained authority from the convocation to do so. Such a thing was extremely rare for an outsider during the height of the dragonsong war, so Torsten carried the privilege with honour and humility. he feels indebted to his hosts for essentially taking him in when he was naught but a common sellsword and feels compelled to stand by them, whatever the cost. however, ever since the war ended that belief has been repeatedly put to the test.Areanne Vilant | main charge | NPC Lady Areanne is Torsten's current main responsibility when it comes to his protection and services. She doesn't hesitate to put him to use, either, and often has him "escort" her places that hardly need a martial guardian of his station, such as the markets or a stroll around the Last Vigil. It is clear to Torsten that Lady Areanne's intentions are not wholly as they seem. She often touches him on the arms and chest and flirts with Torsten knowing well that he cannot reciprocate without losing trust of the entire family; she is already betrothed to a young lord. It's unclear whether Lady Areanne wants Torsten for herself instead of falling in line with her family's wishes or whether she is trying to sever the good knight's ties and ruin his shining reputation by "catching him" displaying dishonourable behaviour.

Gyllir | Chocobo | Mount & Companion The Ash Grey feathered chocobo came into Torsten's life a few cycles after he left his family and childhood behind him. Gyllir is a loyal steed and one that has seen torsten through many a struggle. at times, torsten considered selling her because he couldn't afford to feed himself much less a large bird, no matter how much he loved her. but after their fortunes changed, Gyllir has been well fed and tended. when not with torsten she spends her suns relaxing with her knightly flock in the city stables.torben strand | father | NPC "Torsten, son of Torben." That's what his father always wanted to hear roll off his son's lips. Finally, a worthy blood successor to carry on his name, for glory and eternal life and all that aurochshite. Sadly for Torben, his son never quite took to him in the ways he wanted. While the two definitely bonded over martial prowess--sparring and the like--Torsten never approved of his father's "amoral" life choices, or partners for that matter. Standing on the outside of Torben's decisions, he saw the fallout and hurt that his father caused in people's lives. How he was just a whirlwind, a fury and flurry--here and gone again. Never stopping, never sorry. Torsten told himself he would never follow in those footsteps, even if the pair are more alike than he wants to admit out loud.Beatrice Anselm | "Wife" (deceased) | NPC The quotation marks around "wife" are not meant as shade or mockery, but the truth of the matter is that neither Torsten nor Beatrice married each other for love or butterflies-in-stomach feelings. It was an arrangement out of survival and an agreement between best childhood friends. Sadly, the plan did not work in the end, and Bee died a painful death while Torsten was away involved in a particularly long campaign during the Dragonsong War. They never bore any children and no soul aside from the pair knew that the marriage was a complete sham. Hence, Torsten has to carry the moniker "widower" to keep up the charade even cycles after her death.

The Twinwyrm Blade
In-game weapon model: Augmented Radiant's Greatsword, dyed Soot BlackThis greatsword was a gift from House Vilant to Torsten when he was knighted. The two dragons encircling the base of the blade represent the pair that Torsten himself fended off from the House's patriarch, and thus began their relationship. It is Torsten's primary weapon, and the one he is seen with the vast majority of the time. He is well used to its weight by now, though at first the knight struggled with its heft. Before being knighted, he was used to far lesser quality blades. The materials used were expensive and possess some rarity to them. This is best shown by the blade's ability to amplify and carry large amounts of aether without toil.

Flame's Shadow Magick
In-game Representation: Dark Knight AbilitiesThough Torsten is still somewhat in denial and hestitant about his use of magicks, when in the midst of battle they come to him mostly on command. The aether shows itself as darkness and shadow with only hints of the fire that dwells within. The purple hue is otherworldly and offputting to the nobles and other knights that stand with him, which is why Torsten, for now, keeps such displays to a minimum. He does not wish to jeopardize his position with House Vilant by showing them aspects of himself they obviously do not want to see.

The Twinwyrm Blade: Fire's Embrace
In-game weapon model: Inferno FaussarWhen Torsten embraces his Darkside fully and completely, both his form and his blade succumb to the might of Fire. The metal curves and bursts into an ever-flame that burns as a reflection of the heart wielding it. This flame cannot be doused by mere water, for it is made of Torsten's true Will and inner power. This dramatic transformation rarely occurs, but when it does it can be difficult to let go of the feelings that ignited the need to reveal it in the first place.

01. I am over thirty years old with a full time job; I have a life outside of FFXIV and outside of roleplay. I can not and will not roleplay with you (or anyone) constantly.02. I value open communication, honesty, and kindness. Do not attempt to guilt-trip, manipulate, or any other drama-mongering tactics.03. I am not my character; my character is not me. I do not tolerate racism, sexism, or ableism in any form.

04. I will not roleplay with any player under 18 years of age. I will not RP with any character ICly under 18 years of age. It makes me uncomfortable.05. I prefer the type of roleplay partner that is willing to chat about things OOCly and be casual friends outside of our stories together.06. Torsten is currently available for romantic arcs. If that ever changes, so will this rule.