BANE HELLEBORE.

The Wolf in the Stag's House.

Born to a hunter of the Dravania and a noble of Ishgard, it was already decided that Bane would live a life of hardship. His father had an obligation to serve his proud nation, and he could not do so while caring for a child and his mother, not while he was already promised a wife-- a less perilous future. Bane's mother begged for him to flee, to run away with her so that they could be happy together, but his father would not entertain such heresy. In the wake of such a rash decision, there'd only be ruin within his own family and to the reputation of his other mistress. For the sake of Ishgard, he would remain, and this shattered the hunter's heart. Enough for her to leave Dravania behind, moving through Coerthas and descending into the Black Shroud where he would be unable to reach her. She would have her son alone, raise him alone, doing so stubbornly out of pain.For the next twelve years, she would give her son all that she could, teaching him botany and how to hunt... for she knew as well that she wouldn't be long for this world. The hunter, away from her home, her family, and her beloved had become sickly despite her prowess. Bane would watch on from the fields, as she came to kneel in the grass, winded. Running to her side only made her accutely aware of how much he depended on her, and that he might not make it even with the knowledge she passed on to him. She began to write a letter to his father, something she made her son promise her to send out when she died. It only made him want to do something rash, like mother like son. Bane rushed into Larkscall to prove himself worthy of taking care of the both of them, and terrified for what would happen to her only son, she followed after him.It earned him quite the scolding... and a newly acquired fear of lightning. He was lucky to come out unscathed, but his mother had sustained a new scar, one caused by his foolishness. So he cried, for troubling and hurting his mother, and for the fact that he wasn't as strong as he thought he was at all. Accepting her death was not something that came with ease, even as he bade the postman to deliver her message, he knelt beside her body until it started to rot. Only burying her when it began to attract beasts to their abode. With that being said, Bane waited. He waited for whomever was to come to gather him then on, with an axe in hand to defend himself for whatever may come. A year passed, and he still waited. His hands had hardened with callouses, his eyes sharpened as he grew accustomed to the wilds, but he still missed his mom as young children are still wont to do.Another year had passed, and his hope began to dwindle, that no one was coming after all. Unbeknownst to him, his father had waited purposefully, wanting to abandon the notion altogether. If it were not for his wife telling him to go after the boy and assume responsibility, he might've not had the resolve to come at all. Though when he was not busy with his duties, he departed from Ishgard to happen upon his bastard son. What he found was a skinny little thing with sunken eyes and a broken heart. How he reminded him so much of his mother... the sight alone nearly made him collapse at the atrocity of what he had done. Bane cried, though he tried not to. He wanted to be strong, but upon being embraced by his father, he could not keep it up for long.At only fourteen years, he was made to grow up so fast, he had almost forgotten that he was still just a boy. He couldn't bring himself to fall asleep on the carriage ride back, excited for what new life awaited him. Seeing the Shroud fade behind him made him sad to leave his mother, but this is what she wanted. She would've wanted him to be cared for, and so, he was brought here. He would've so loved to have been happy here, if it weren't for what he saw when they had arrived.There was a woman there, and a boy. A boy just his age.

The happiness of being rescued was decaying as something dawned upon him so suddenly then. His father had a family of his own, with a wife and a son, whilst he and his own mother had to survive on their own. While they lived in a shabby, run down shack in the middle of the woods, his father had lived in a wealthy estate. The contrast between their lives planted the seed of vengeance in the heart of his soul. Anger coursed through him like the kindling to a fire, damn near blinding. Thus did he vow to his mother, that he would avenge her, attain the retribution that she deserved after dying to the selfish choices of a priveliged man. After he was cleaned, meticulously groomed of the dirt beneath his finger nails and such, fitted and collared did he begin to plot the downfall of his half-sibling.Not ever did he treat Tristan with an ounce of kindness, no matter how hard the boy tried to be amicable with him. He bared his teeth like a wild thing, tripped him in the hall, and seemed to always be crossed with him. He couldn't understand what he had done to make his brother so angry with him, only that by nature, Bane seemed to loathe him with everything he had. He began to make good of his resources immediately, spending his free time in his father's libraries when he wasn't being tutored, learning all that he could in hopes of usurping the heir to the House ere long. After that, he set his sights on studying his brother. If there was anything that Tristan liked, Bane knew about it, even going as far as to troubling the servants with his inquiries about him. If there was any hobbies that his half-sibling enjoyed, Bane would take them up as his own and work ceaselessly to become better than he was at them.The mistress of the House could not sit idly while her son was bullied by this outsider, and she voiced as much to her husband when they believed they were having a private moment. "Something must be done about that child...", she'd mutter, to which he begrudgingly agreed with. Meanwhile, Bane had been eavesdropping while passing by. Even if he hated them for the life of which he and his own mother were denied, he didn't want to be hated either. He wished to be loved, to be cared for, but hearing what his father was saying to that woman made his blood run cold. "He should have never been born at all...", and hearing such a thing broke something within him. Even if he struggled to take over, would he even be happy if he were to succeed?If Tristan were out of the picture, would they even spare him a second glance? Out of obligation maybe... but he wasn't satisfied with that. On his 19th year, Bane issued a duel to his brother, that if he won... he would leave this place and never come back. However, if Bane turned out to be the victor, he would kill him and assume the role of the heir to the Hirsch family. Tristan accepted, if only to be rid of his bully for once and for all. His parents were rife with worry, and servants gathered to see the departure of this tyrant that had come to their home. The axe, ever clenched in his hand, weighed more than it ever had before in his life in that moment. He could see the fear in Tristan's eyes as he approached with a sword and shield both in his hands.The battle was pathetic, as Bane charged forward as vicious as a beast. Steel struck steel, biting and clattering to the wind as they fought. He hardly let his brother get a step in, rounding on him like a wolf at the heels of the stag. So noble, and yet, it was not his heart's desire to fight him... much less to kill him, even if he was being so terrible. Tristan saw the pain in his gaze, he could see what the other had to endure before he even arrived. When he was knocked onto his back, Bane settling over him for the killing blow... he hesitated. He paused long before he heard their father shout from the sidelines."Don't kill him. Please don't kill my boy"Ah, but of course.
Bane relented after a moment, glaring daggers right at him, as it proved to him what he had already known. He was never his son, just his burden. He was the reminder that Adrian had loved someone other than his duty, other than Ishgard. Disgraced already for harboring this bastard, undoubtedly, his name was sullied even further with this desperate act. Tears welled up in his eyes, because he had failed, once again to prove his strength and also because he had no future anymore. Cast to the side, he stood up finally, stepping back and away from his brother."Fine... I can do it whenever I'd like anyhow", he huffed before he went.Abandoning the duel made Tristan the victor by default, and now that he was officially exiled by the laws of Ishgard, he left... back to the Shroud to be with his mother... but he could not stomach the guilt that blossomed at not being able to keep the promise he made to her. Further he went, through Thanalan before eventually taking a vessel to La Noscea, putting a great distance between himself and his family. For the next ten years, he remained in Limsa Lominsa, becoming a regular at the Drowned Wench and at the Adventurer's Guild to earn enough gil to cover his tab. He cared less for himself, and even lesser of what others thought of the drunk with the chipped axe... that was, until he met his mentor. Another soul having left her home, Ms. Rose hailed from the Steppe and she could see that he was going to get himself killed if he kept on the path he was determined to follow.She was just as young as he was when he first arrived to Limsa, but she was ages beyond him, he was so embarrassed. Yet with her help, he was able to get back on his feet. There on, did he make a new promise, a new vow... to be better than he was. To live his life to the fullest as his mother could not, to bring this same hope that his mentor had brought to him.Thus began the tale of Bane Hellebore.

SIDNEY SASAKI.

The one in Light's Shadow.

His father was Ala Mhigan, and his mother was Doman, having both fled their homes to Eorzea seeking sanctuary whilst the Empire invaded. They had met in the Shroud, and soon fell in love beneath the hope of being able to see their homes once more again. Sid was given his name at the sidney where his parents met, and so too was this dream ushered onto him. That perhaps it might even be he who helps to bring this dream to reality. Despite being a child, he understood to a degree of the importance of home and what it meant to them, and that he ought to try if it would make them happy. However, Sid wasn't one who liked to fight, not for anything it'd seem. Confrontation made him nervous, and he didn't want to upset anyone, but compromising was not always a solution either.His mother would tell him this much, tell him that if he truly wanted something, he would have to fight for it. Thus did he decide to leave the Shroud to embark on his own path to become stronger. He left for Limsa Lominsa, seeing as it was closest to Doma, but before that he had to learn how to fight. Initially he opted to become a marauder, aligning himself with that guild, but as it would turn out... he wasn't quite cut out for that. The axe felt too heavy in his hands, and he stumbled over his feet near constantly when having to make the wide swings against the boulders. No sooner where they taken from his hands when he was dubbed dangerous to continue on the way he was. Feeling disheartened, he went on yonder to the docks to mope about when something had caught his eye.When one door closes, another opens. The rogue's guild took a chance on him, thinking that if he wasn't going to be a good fighter, he could at least be a good distraction. On the contrary, he excelled greatly. When the attention wasn't placed on him, he could relax, he could focus at last. He'd already spent a bit of his life like this, floating about, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Finally, he could have confidence in himself, in his abilities... and soon he would be called to assist a party of adventurers to traverse Sastasha. He had no idea of knowing then, but it would be this party that would change his life forever.Encountering the Warrior at the helm of the party inspired him greatly, seeing how they charged in with nary a care in the world. Free. No matter how many pirates dared to strike back against them, they endured, persisted. With that grin hanging on their lips, he was mesmerized, captivated. It was his best work yet, and quickly did he pursue them, following behind them closely like a shadow. At the end of it, he was breathless, having it stolen away by the surprise that he was ever capable of moving like how he had. He didn't want that to end, for that feeling to fade. After clearing out the dungeon, Sid chased after them, extending his hand and meager plea."Please! Let me join you!"He bowed his head low, enough to kiss the ground if he had bowed his head any further. The sincerity alone was embarrassing if not endearing, and so they reluctantly agreed. Thus did the two travel beside one another, with one soaring to new heights whilst the other tried to keep pace. Sid couldn't believe how strong they were, how they were able to cleave through each and every foe like a knife through butter. Then the time arrived where they encountered their first primal. Sid was terrified, but the Warrior stood their ground, and the flames did not swallow them-- nor he, surprisingly! For they were protected, blessed by the Star itself... but the rogue couldn't fathom why he too received Her gift.It was the Warrior that slew Ifrit, then Titan and Garuda... but not he. He had helped, yes, but what had he accomplished to be deserving of such a thing? Sometimes he couldn't help but feel rather useless beside the Warrior of Light. As much as he loved them, he felt like he was only being a burden.

That small seed of doubt took root in his heart, and as they began to design a plan to defeat Gaius van Baelsar, it only grew. He could recognize it within himself, but buried it. They wouldn't be needing that on the battlefield, this budding jealousy, this animosity. The day had been saved, and for a time, he thought he could relax, he thought he'd have ample time to focus on himself so that the Warrior would be proud to have him at their side. But thereafter, it was one battle to the next. The Ascian threat that robbed them of a beloved friend, then the banquet that denounced their merry little band. He felt like he was drowning, unable to keep his head above the water for even a minute before something else came flooding in over him. Sid couldn't even help to save Minfillia, only scraping by with his own life as the Crystal Braves turned in on them.He was relieved that the Warrior was alive, and that no one else had been lost. The man breathed a sigh of relief, if but only for a moment. With nowhere to return to, not even home, they were marked as fugitives. Forced heavensward, they ascended to Ishgard to seek sanctuary with House Fortemp. Sid hated the cold, but he supposed he hated the presence of Lord Haurchefant even more, with the Azure Dragoon and Lord Aymeric to follow. All these capable and accomplished people added light to the Warrior's company, where he only brought gloom. His own condition worsened, even as their lost friends were recovered through time, he was lost in his own thoughts and bitter ideas.With all these great friends and allies, what good was he to them? It startled him to think of such a thing at first, but he weighed those words carefully. All he had were the shadows, not the charisma and know-how that Thancred carried nor the knowledge in aetherology that Y'Shtola was possessed of, not even of the healing prowess that young Alphinaud held. He was dead weight, and as a result, he started to be less and less skillful to their party. He was becoming clumsy, and in such dire circumstances, it was hard to not find it irksome. Sidney retreated into himself, becoming more distant with everyone as a whole, before he tried to reason with himself or to find a way to leave them all quietly.Baelsar's Wall provided an excellent opportunity, when all was said and done in Ishgard. A new threat was on the rise, that being the Griffin and the direct assault against the Empire. Sid was just about to slip away, unnoticed, when he heard something deep within himself. Don't you want to get stronger? A voice so quiet, he nearly missed it. Don't you want to see where this goes? Did he truly wish to leave the Warrior's side?No...I want to stay.In a moment of clarity, he turned back, but clumsy as he was he tripped over his foot as he did when he was nervous. He tumbled over the edge, careening down into the darkness as the world around him errupted with death and fire. Keeping to the outskirts as he did, no one knew what happened to him, not even his precious friend. He had opened his mouth to cry out, but when he fell, he didn't say a word. Maybe things are better off this way... if he were to die then he wouldn't be such a burden, even if he wished to stubbornly cling to them. Reeling in and out of consciousness, he wept silently, awaiting his departure. When one door closes though.... another opens.A cloaked figure approached him, walking over to his body to kneel over him. She extended her hand and began to treat his wounds, curing him of the pain that filled his bones. She smiled sweetly, shushing him when he struggled to think. Using her teleportation magic, she spirited them away to someplace else. That day, the Warrior of Light lost two friends, one to a noble cause and the other to their undoing. Sid was rescued by the Ascian Selene, and she planned to turn him into her very own pawn.

While the rest of the world believed him to be dead, he was kept in secret. If the Warrior truly wanted him by their side, they would've saved him. Something she'd tell him when he tried to leave, when he tried to convince himself that they were looking for him. They were not. As there were more pressing matters at hand with the Empire still being a persistent threat, something they'd hope to uninstall in Ala Mhigo after their little assault on Baelsar's Wall. She used his insecurities against him and promised him power to rival his beloved Warrior if he cooperated with her. Her plan was to build up her own Warrior, one that could pose an actual threat against Hydaelyn's champion. With his broken heart, he was easily malleable to her plans, and when he was ready she gave to him his weapon.A shattered sword, better used as a dagger like he'd be accustomed to, but there was a catch. It was a voidsent, going by the title of 'Scythe' despite its hilt and blade. Though, what made it especially peculiar was that it was a two pronged blade, hollow in its center while its edges were jagged. In Sid's hands, he could feel how vicious it was, raring to go. In spite of itself, Scythe held quite a substantial amount of power, hungry to taste blood. Subfused with his own aether by merely wielding it, he began to feel its influence. All of his anger, all of his pain and frustration manifested into powerful arcs and blasts created when he willed to take it out on others. It was terrifying, and he knew that it wasn't who he truly was.The blade laughed in his ears. He scowled.Then came the time where he would have to prove his readiness to take on the Warrior of Light, and for a moment he hesitated. He hadn't seen his friend in so long, nor any of the others. Imagining their anger upon seeing him lift the blade against them brought him a new wave of grief, but alas... where were they when he fell? He made for Ala Mhigo, at long last, to encounter his beloved foe. He tried to bring his anger in, to draw upon it, but all he could feel was his heart breaking again. Still, they fought, even as the tears clouded his eyes, they had to pay. They had to understand the way they made them feel one way or another, and that was something that was worth fighting over. Sid was defeated, because of course he was.That was the Warrior of Light, and simply... his heart wasn't in it.He couldn't bring himself to want to kill them. He could never, he never wanted that. He only wanted to be seen by them, for once, taken out of the shadows to bask in their light. He wanted to be beside them still, and that displeased Selene greatly. Rather than rejoining with his fellow Scions, Sid removed himself again, slipping away as they had more pressing matters to get to. Ah well, another opportunity would arise. Something better would come along, and it had. They began to drop like flies, their souls elsewhere, but their bodies remaining here in the Source. Sid had been watching them closely ever since their encounter in Ala Mhigo, celebrating quietly on their victories and the peace they had brought to his parents' home. The parents that still believed him to be dead.Better that than a traitor.Yet his concern did not go unnoticed. Selene noticed that he would steal away for periods of the day, watching them from afar. When it was discovered that they were indeed resting in the Rising Stones, she bade him to go and dispose of their bodies. With the Warrior of Light gone and many others busy, it would provide them with the perfect opportunity to be rid of the Star's guardians. Sid wondered if he could, so he went. He never really considered himself close with anyone aside from the Warrior of Light, and he thought for just a moment that this could be easier. Coldly, he lifted his blade above one of their sleeping faces, but they looked so peaceful already. Already dead where they laid.

He felt sick. So incredibly sick.Am I really about to do this? Then came the tears, oh gods... no I couldn't possibly. He might not think of them as such, but they were the Warrior's friends-- if not family. They were innocent, his grief not with them, and to involve them in his own mess would be a sin he could not rid himself of. Again, he relented, and again Selene went displeased. Appearing behind him, she openly admonished him, berating him with how he couldn't even do this. What good is that sword to you then if you aren't going to use it? When he turned to confront her, she had reached for his hand and stolen it from his person. She would kill them herself, but Sid stood his ground.She was disappointed to lose another pawn, and so, happily she did away with him. Scythe was plunged into his heart, dragged and carved into his flesh as he gasped with fleeting life. His blood bloomed upon the earth below, spreading as he clung to her feet. Don't hurt them... don't you dare hurt them. His strength was seeping into the stone below, but he still held on, Selene kicked him away without a second thought. Sid could feel himself start to cry again, just as he had when he believed he was going to die all those nights ago.......Is that all?A voice asked, snarling in his ears as he clung to stay conscious.Is this all you had hoped to achieve? To lay dying here while your comrades are in danger?The voice asked, taunting him. Sid furrowed his brow, glaring up at Selene as she looked between the dormant Scions. No. He had thought, I still want to stay... I still want to fight.Then, show me, Sidney Sasaki... Show me your strength.He pushed the sword closer to himself, and the voidsent began to consume his heart. Fusing together, they would become one, and as is the nature of voidsent... Sid would be reborn. His wound closed in on itself, leaving behind a dark scar, and so he rose. Rising yet, he reached within himself to call upon his sword, the consumer of his heart. Selene chuckled, not having anticipated this at all... perhaps this was all that he needed. The right push, the proper motivation... and that was protecting others. Without a second thought, he charged forward with intent at a speed that alarmed her. If they continued on, they were like to cause a commotion and that would mean reinforcements would arrive.It was best to retreat, and that's what she did, but not without Sid warning her not to come near them again. After she disappeared, he stumbled out, leaving a fine mess to traumatize Tataru with. The revenant kept walking, and walked, until he fell over. He was weak still, so weak, but he understood that he was going to have to learn how to stand on his own two feet. Until then, he could not return to the Rising Stones or call himself a true Scion. To Dravania to temper himself he went, aiding in the roundabout mission whenever he came across it, before slowly... slowly he allowed himself to go back to Mor'Dhona.Sid was getting used to working with Scythe, but still he struggled to accept it as part of himself, wondering if he was less of a man and more of a devil now. He worried even more how the Warrior of Light would take to him, or how anyone would take to him when he wanted to come back and to fight alongside them once more. Doubtless, they'd be wondering about what had happened in all that time a part. Maybe he would tell them, and maybe he would not, but regardless he was happy to see them so alive again. To think that he was so close to taking that all away, only because the darkness had consumed him, the despair nearly reaching him. Upon their return to the Source though, their problems only seemed to resume... as Fandaniel endeavored to recreate the Final Days for Etheirys.With his life back on track, he wasn't going to let this calamity rob him of it. Nor the others for that matter.
He did not buckle nor yield, no matter whatever came. He felt such joy in his heart, as he had when he was just a rogue starting on his way. That no matter what happens, he would want to support his friend for as long as he is able to. He could accept his own flaws, his own weaknesses and strengths, and the voidsent within. Two halves of the same coin they were, pursuing purpose in life by serving their beloved friends. By protecting that of which they held dear. Finally embraced, truly embraced, the sword was reforged, regaining its lost length to become a fully fledged blade.When the Warrior was returned to them from the edge of the universe, Sid cried, knelt at their side and holding their hand. Relieved that they had not perished. Seeing them there was proof of that, proof that they were so strong and reminder enough that he did not need to surpass them. He didn't have to loathe the shade anymore.

SOLEIL REVE.

Lazy prodigy.

His parents are miners in Ul'dah, hoping to make an honest living as opposed to mercenary work or what some might assume two duskwights to do as a profession in the heart of Thanalan. They had hoped that their son would go on to live an honest life as well, so that she might evade the same scrutiny that their kind face. Soleil never cared too much about quarrying and such. The pickaxe and sledgehammer weighed far too heavily in their hands as the sun beat down from above. Yet this put gil on the table, kept him fed well enough and was a living. He hated it. Whenever he complained, it was always his father right there to tell him that they could be worse off. He supposed they could be.Like a brat, she'd always roll her eyes and steal away from the slums they'd live in, day dreaming of a better future. She wanted to leave this place, to go somewhere where she could relax and not have to worry about nothing else. In their solitude, they listened to the wind, felt the rock behind their back and breathed. Such a freeing respite, always interrupted by someone calling their name to head to work. A scoff here, and a kick of the rocks there. Once they moved on their own, scuttled just like that across the hard road with just a thought. As if he had conjured it. Ha, imagine that.Not that it was, with how often they spent out here rather than in the mines, they'd had practically learned to melt away into the background. The winds always felt gentle, and beneath the shade of a tree, the sun wasn't as harsh. Soleil practiced silently, without a word to either parent that he could use conjury so simply. Her spells proved weak without a proper medium to channel it through, but they were just fine enough to get out of a bind if she ever found herself in one. However, the more time he spent cultivating his abilities, the less time he spent mining and thus did he start to pull significantly less in for the table.

Their father was just about to get onto his case when he strained his back amidst a heated argument. It was something that he knew that they couldn't afford to have, lest they wish to go hungry for a couple of nights... and before he knew it, he had reached his hand out. Soleil focused and soon, the pain began to subside for his father. His mother was stunned, amazed at what she was seeing. It promptly left their father in awe too, face lifting when he realized that his son was a healer-- natural born and everything. When were you able to do that? I don't know... just now?Soleil didn't know what she expected, but quickly did her own face fall when they began to whisper amongst themselves. Suddenly being forgiven for slacking off was one thing but they could tell that they were quickly forming a plan for them. You need to nurture this! they'd exclaim with excitement. That's some talent you've got there, don't let it go to waste. SIGH. Well, if it means that he won't have to take a visit to the mines anymore, sure. Soleil could stomach that much, but he didn't quite care for the impromptu pilgrimage to the Shroud to attend the conjurer's guild. Healers are always in short supply, his mother told him, whatever you earn while working over there, send it back to us.Though she was away, she wasn't free... just in a different cage. She couldn't just sit there though, let her dad suffer like that, could she? Oh well, what can be done about it now? Gridania certainly wasn't the most welcoming of places, but it was a fresh of breath of air and that was something that he could definitely use. The guild work wasn't even the slightest bit difficult either, thank the twelve. Hear... feel... think about one's surroundings. He does that plenty enough already.