Arsene Masters
"A repentant mercenary seeking to move on from his troubled past. Wherever shadows lie, a memory of the past remains."
Age: 30
Race: Hyur, Midlander/Highlander
Sex: Cisgender Male (he/him)
Height: 5'9 (175 cm)
Nameday: 21st Sun of the 5th Astral Moon (09/20)Guardian: Azeyma, the Warden
Occupation: Semi-Retired, occasional Viper
Alignment: True Neutral
Classes: ROG/MCH/VPR (1 hidden)
Current residence: The Goblet, Ul'dahSexuality: Gynesexual
Relationship status: Open relationship (Polyamorous)Father: Gael Masters
Mother: Saphira Masters
Sister: Madeleine Dailemont-Masters
"With that, he would begin a long walk, knowing the way back to Gridania. There, he would find healers to help him sleep. And maybe he would find people that could show him how to find sleep on his own once again. They would find the means to help him with doing it again and not having any issues. That’s all he needed. It was all he wanted. It was a natural solution, a logical conclusion to something as simple as insomnia.And for once…he had felt something he had not felt in a long while. It was enough to keep him on his feet and push forward. There would no longer be any nights sleeping alone. Not while he could help it."
Choices for Arsene have often in life been nothing but instinctual. Reactionary measures to a situation that would often rapidly fly out of control. Igniting a ship into flames, throwing himself into a group of cultists trying to sacrifice someone, using forbidden magics to try and save another at the cost of his own body, these were all merely the natural solution to a problem.Yet, it is in this realm of instinct that he lost himself.Brash and arrogant as a younger man, he'd let his anger overwhelm his natural curiosity for the world, determined to blaze a path for himself. Taking on every job he could find, he'd throw himself into the worst of it all and somehow manage to find success for himself. Usually at some greater cost, one he'd not often think about.In the worst of the situations though, he would make a decision that would shape the course of his life forever. Amidst the realm of cold, he'd coat a painting of blood through the snow and damage himself forever. His mind shattered, his spirit broken. What would emerge from that husk of a man would be a terror wrought upon the city-states for years to come.But somehow, someway, what remained of the man inside broke free, emerging from an endless nightmare that would continue to haunt him for years to come. Life would come back to him and he would find reasons to shift and change once more, determined to never let the monster of his past take over again.But like all things in life, the burden of the past isn't so easily forgotten. When and where it decides to manifest itself is a story for another time...
Born in the midst of a blizzard in the middle of nowhere, Arsene's family was never really sure where they were when he was born. Trapped amidst the gale winds, the only thing they knew for certain is that he is Eorzean, a child of the land. And the land he would eventually explore, his parents both travelling merchants with a caravan of their own to peddle their wares. His home would be wherever the winds would take them next.Despite his own shy and meek personality as a younger lad, he'd surprisingly find himself running off at the tiniest of ages. Walking around or climbing a tree, he was naturally an explorer and made his mark wherever he went. Stumbling across the Sylphs of Gridania and getting pranked constantly whenever he was in the area, getting lost in the Sagoli desert and being found by a friendly Amal'jaa tribe, or stumbling across hidden pirate dens closer to the ports in Limsa. These notable events would often end with him coming home, crying and needing to be bandaged up after tripping and falling. He'd always be trouble for his parents just in that one regard, dealing with his schooling and life lessons with some ease.At the time he turned ten summers however, that life he knew would suddenly change. Making their way into Limsa Lominsa one evening, his family would be accused of smilling illicit goods into the city. It was a common tactic of the burgeoning Maelstrom at the time, when pirates and cutthroats tried to raise their own social standing by making false reports on individuals and reap the rewards. Arsene's family one was of the unfortunate groups that had been targeted at the time. With their caravan and goods seized, they were effectively trapped in the city, dealing with the legal problems that would come of the false accusation.This would be the start of Arsene's anger. Furious at the injustice and craving retribution for what had been done to them, he eventually would seek out the only individuals that could potentially help: The Dutiful Sisters of the Edelweiss. Stumbling into their den, he'd find they were already aware of the situation...and actively trying to bring down those who had been in charge of it all. Joining up with them, he'd work as a mouse in the city, starting his life as a child rogue and honing his skills with bringing down corrupt pirates and thieves.It wouldn't come quickly enough to Arsene's tastes however. As the years wore on and they targeted specific individuals that had been a part of the plot, many others would be untouchable. He grew bolder, filled with righteous rage and indignity at the concept of being unable to bring justice to them. His actions would become much more violent as a result, with him setting fires to ships as he was still on them and beating key individuals within an inch of their life. It would quickly become a concern to the rogues, trying to guide him onto the right path. Eventually though, they would complete their mission, bringing down the head of the bureau and delivering him to the Yellowjackets by the time he was 15.It wasn't enough though. Arsene continued his training, until he could outdo many other members of the rogue's guild that were twice his age. He was effectively a prodigy...a dangerously angry prodigy that concerned many other members of the guild. Eventually, Arsene wouldn't give them the chance to have a talk with him...he would leave on his own by the time he was 16.His family had been determined to start up the caravan business once more setting out for the normal trade routes with help of the Maelstrom that was working to help recuperate the losses done by the mess of their own. But that wasn't the life that Arsene wanted...too hardened by the time spent working to bring down criminals. So he would leave at 16, carrying whatever he owned on his back and setting out to Ul'dah, leaving behind the concerns of many.Yet, starting anew in a different city would prove far more challenging than he thought. His family and the rogues had offered a support network that had helped prop him up in his endeavors, but without them, he'd struggle to find his footing. Failure would find him time and again as he tried his hand at finding work as an adventurer, eventually being forced to take up a job as a miner. Nearing the point of giving up, a chance encounter would give him an opportunity. Monsters would arrive at the cave he worked in, causing a massive collapse and leaving himself and a few others trapped. Armed with the tools they had, he would fight his way out of the mine, leading the others to freedom and nearly dying himself in the process.One of these miners he had saved however had a few connections of his own. Connections that would land him an opportunity in front of one of the biggest underworld bosses in Ul'dah. With his blessing, he would find work within the city, building his knowledge as an adventurer. For several years, he would work for them and keep his associations open, pulling in gil and doing whatever it took to complete the job. Even the Flames would eventually take notice of him, offering a few smaller ended jobs that would prove his reliability. To Arsene though, all that mattered now was getting enough gil to keep himself afloat.One of these jobs from the underworld however would spiral into something he could've never dreamed of. Upon attempting to deliver a package to an unknown buyer in Gridania, he was ambushed by hooded cultists, forced to fight off a large group of chanting zealots. He'd triumph, but would limp his way to Gridania, finding that he was now embroiled in a deeper plot within Ul'dah. The package he was supposed to deliver was a focusing crystal, one that could be utilized for several purposes...but for the cult, they only cared about one: summoning a voidsent lurker from the depths of the abyss. One powerful enough to cause mayhem throughout the world.With his experience in dealing with the corrupt officials back in Limsa and his newfound abilities, he would eventually topple the conspiracy and prevent the summoning of said creature. He was touted as a hero of the city, finding recognition and minor fame across the city for what he had done, showering in gil all the while. His ego would grow just as quickly, taking on all new missions with the selfsame assurance that he could find his way through anything. But with that reputation of reliability, the Flames would come back to him with a new mission. One that would send him to Garlemald for a delicate operation.Sent across the mountain range that protected the warring nation, he'd meet up with several other individuals tasked with the same assignment: recon a previously hidden research facility and report back on what was being developed. It would all go up in flames however, with their cover being blown and forced to hide in burrows and ruins to survive. The chances of finding this facility with their lives intact was growing to a near impossibility, with many of their comrades dying with every passing day. Arsene was not the hero come to save the day, he was merely a replacement for a long list of people that were dying out.He would live in that hell for several months. But not all was lost however, they were slowly fighting back and running guerilla tactics to try and make the Garleans work for it, a few key individuals having far more military experience that kept them all together. And Arsene would find love in one of the resistance fighters there, hellbent on taking the fight to the Garleans no matter what: Kiri Hoshino. With her, he would find newfound strength, her mind for tactics developing him in a way to work beyond just the instinctual. Their goal would be just on the horizon.And in the midst of that horizon, a darker shadow would rise. A lone figure that he would be seen in the blizzards would lead Arsene to find him. And discover that he was one of the few remaining reapers that stayed behind from the previous exodus. In his advanced old age, he was far too stubborn to leave and even more stubborn to die just yet. With no love for his countrymen that pushed them into their state, he would offer something to Arsene, a final relic of his bloodline: the secrets to binding and controlling a voidsent, the secrets to becoming a reaper.With the knowledge passed, Arsene would find himself eager to bring the fight to the Garleans once more, becoming a key operator in the raids and pushes against the enemy units. And right at their finest hour, the chance to take out an entire garrison with explosives, they would all be wiped out. It was a trap, the entire unit of fighters barraged by artillery and erupting their own devices meant for the enemy. All of them would be killed, reduced to ashes before Arsene's eyes...but the terror wasn't done.The irony of the situation was that Arsene would find the facility they were looking for. But only to be taken in, beaten and tortured for information. He wouldn't even be sure as to how long he was there, just a neverending stream of constant pain that he would be forced to endure. By the end of it all, he just couldn't break. Not until he had his revenge.Breaking off a piece of pipe and fashioning it into a shiv, he would take down the first to fall. And with his armaments, he would go on a rampage. A bloodbath would ensue, the man turning into a berserker and clearing out the facility one by one, throwing himself to each fight in the hopes of dying. But death would have him just yet.The facility was nearly on its last ropes as Arsene found even more powerful weaponry for himself, blasting down the door that lead to the final sanctum. Inside would be a group of scientists...and Kiri, with not a scratch. Enraged by the perceived betrayal, he slew everyone in the room, Kiri falling beside them all. What he hadn't known at the time was what the scientists were working on: a means of summoning a rift to the void, a controlled measure meant to bring forth the creatures of the abyss and bind them to their will, just as the reapers of the past had done. With the influx of aether in the room, the portal would rip open, dragging in all the bodies and nearly consuming Arsene in the process.What would emerge was an abomination, a foul creature that would emerge as a newborn, feral and ready to kill. Arsene though...he had come too far. Using what he had learned from his mentor, he bound the creature to himself, subjugating it and forcing it to his will. That would be the final piece to completely shatter his sanity.The Flames would eventually send another team to find out what had happened. And they would find Arsene in the snow, painting a trail of blood as he walked, nearly dead. With the information he had received, he was finally able to go home. But he never really left Garlemald.Ul'dah would be a different place with his newfound eyes. Too much waste, too many eyes. He'd start small, plucking some out, finding ways to use that aether to keep his new pet fed. But it was never enough. It would never be enough. The eyes would go, but then would come the arms, then the legs. Each piece didn't offer any reprieve. Until eventually, the whole would be consumed. But it was never enough. Killing much of the waste would not be an issue, it was simply just another day. He would be paid even for the ones he targeted, a tool for many who once knew him. Yet what would he have need for it? He only needed the aether, more of the blood to be spilt.Each day went on in monotony, another voice claimed and another reason to feed. His pet was never full and he was growing tired of it all. It became a sport, something to do when you felt that itch to try something different. They started to call him The Spider, on account of the limbs he would string up like a painting. A web of blood and viscera to try and entice the senses in some way. It was only slightly amusing for him, but it was enough to feel something different. So he would keep doing it, again and again, until eventually that amusement would die away. Routine. Simple.He wouldn't even be sure how long it would go on for. Until one day, a sudden snap. He found himself in a state that didn't feel familiar, wasn't really sure how he even got there. All he knew was that it couldn't continue on like this. He would have to change. He would just have to start all over again. He would pick himself up and move on...try something different.The nightmare of his past would forever be with him...but he knew that he could move on from the monster he had become. He had to tell himself that.
Helpful
Due to his own nature, he's naturally inquisitive and ready to help. Got a problem that you need solved? Likely with either a blade or bullet? Arsene will be there to help you out. However, he does have some experience with carpentry and other trades that could serve useful...just don't expect a miracle from him in that regard.Blending In
When heading out to a new location, Arsene will oftentimes not make himself immediately known. Blending into the environment and taking his time to survey the area. A habit from his particular line of work and a way of identifying interesting individuals. If managing to catch him in such a state, it'll catch him off guard and lead to potentially interesting situations.Scars
The consequences of his life follow him around in more ways than just one. Numerous scars and etchings are upon his body, many indicative of a claw mark from a fell beast, or sword slashings that raked across his flesh. If taking the time to observe his figure, you can notice quite a few different patterns...some he might even be willing to talk about.Rogue
Arsene has his particular history with the Sisters in Limsa Lominsa, having learned much of his craft during his time there. Having stayed there for five years until he eventually departed on his own terms, he's known to stick close to the more seedy underbelly of the city-states. While not so much these days, his name or presence might inspire those with such knowledge in places like Limsa or the Brume to know of him...at least in passing.Viper
If present around the Turali community, you might have potentially heard of Arsene. Often travelling to Tuliyollal and embarking on his particular journey, he's known for helping out slay numerous beasts that encroach on the far less populated regions of the jungle. He may have even helped you out once or twice in the past.Strange Aether
If blessed with the ability of aethersight, one could notice something peculiar about Arsene's aether. It looks normal at a first glance, but peering deeper down, there is a strange, shifting wave that pulsates around his core. It doesn't immediately draw the eye, but if you look closer, you might not like what you will find.
Hey there! Thanks for visiting my page!I'm a long time roleplayer, with nearly 10 years of experience within Final Fantasy XIV. I'm always open to new friends and roleplaying partners, and I always appreciate WU/T, whether IC or OOC!A couple of things to note however:Scatteredbrained
With life being what it is, I'm often busy dealing with one thing or another and as a result, I am an absolute idiot when it comes to staying on track. If I don't get back to you immediately or I miss something, just be advised that I really don't mean any ill will, I am quite literally just stuck in permanent memory loss mode.Time zone
My time zone specifically is Mountain Standard Time, but I do not follow daylight savings time as a result of my area. If I mess up on a time, I apologize, but I will always try to use a time zone converter to make sure I get it right.Discord or IG?
For anyone who knows me personally, I am absolutely horrible when it comes to Discord RP. So I will always try to ask for in-game meetups, it does help for myself personally when there is an element of length to a scene and constraints that keep me on track. I am not against the idea of Discord RP however, and if you are up for it, just be warned that I will likely continue to be horrible about it. Sorry!IC ≠ OOC
Any actions made by Arsene does not reflect myself as a person. However, if there are concerns regarding an action, I am always available to chat about the concerns and make adjustments as needed, I do not want to create any level of discomfort. But if you cannot talk to me openly and respectfully about it, I will move on without further word.Photos?
A link to my gpose photography carrd will be listed on the main part of this page! All photos there were done by me personally and always happy to do gposes of others. Due to my time constraints, I will likely be pretty slow, but I do commissions! For any information, please contact me directly and I can talk about it with you.