Resaae

[ While each expansion will be listed separately, please be weary that they WILL contain spoilers for each respective expansion! ]
[ There will be a large amount of OC/NPC in Resaae's story as I ship her with Kam'lanaut, as a heads up! ]

857CE. : Born in Olzhirya to Deneh and Setoh in the city of Yhoh.
Her kithood was rather normal, and she was trained from a young age to hunt and perform basic survival tasks on her own. Deneh encouraged her to take up the spear; she herself was a Vana'diellan adventurer that returned to Olzhirya to settle a territorial dispute of the tribe she was once matriarch of, only to fall in love with one of the men of the opposing tribe. Ultimately, their union calmed resentment between the groups, spurred on from Deneh's strong presence.

858CE. : 1 year of age: Resaae is entrusted with Soleil.860CE. : 3 years of age: Setoh dies in a dangerous hunt. It was a Tullifaire from Mindartia, and with his inexperience in battle and the creature's advantage with altitude, it made short work of him. Deneh mourned, but wouldn't let Resaae see her moments of sadness, often telling her daughter that Setoh was out on a long hunt so she wouldn't have to bear the truth yet.

860CE. : 3 years of age: Deneh decides to move to Windurst to be with a friend in her time of need. She brings Resaae with her, with the large reason she remained in Yhoh having died two years ago; the tribe was doing well in being ran by her sister, Resaae's aunt.
Resaae wasn't a fan of Windurst at first; she liked hiding in the thick undergrowth frequently found in Olzhirya and climbing trees, and this place had none of that. But she found friendship in the other mithran kits, joining them to giggle about how silly adults were and admiring every adventurer that came through.

862CE. : 5 years of age: Days before the Yagudo made to take the pass connecting Windurst to the other cities, Deneh was encouraged to move to the growing settlement in Jeuno, being told the advancing technology would make it a safer place for her and her kit. She joined a caravan heading north, offering her services as an adventurer escort to keep beastmen away from the merchants; this alone allowed her safe passage and entrance.

865CE. : 8 years of age: Deneh's friend Rhalya offers to take care of Resaae, as Deneh was being called to arms as an adventurer with high esteem from her previous time in Vana'diel. Rhalya helps establish Resaae a bit more in her new home, which was even stranger than when she was in Windurst. While she didn't take to any groups of children, she would still spent time reading and drawing into the late hours of the night.

In the years between 865 and 872, Resaae spent as much time as she could reading. She'd stow away books that people tried to throw away, spend hours reading at the back of a store so she didn't have to spend coin on it, anything to learn more about the world around her now that she's seen the route between Jeuno and Windurst.She makes friends with a young doctor in training, Monberaux, with the amount of times she found herself scraping her knees or tripping on the road due to not paying attention as she would read while walking. Of course, these injuries were small, but he'd patch her up all the same.

872CE. : 15 years of age: Resaae takes on delivering letters in Port Jeuno, quickly becoming known as the cute little girl on the docks who wasn't afraid of anything. She'd get tipped often enough to call it a job, giving Deneh peace of mind because she wasn't going off and being an adventurer at such a young age.

875CE. : 18 years of age: Deneh says Resaae is more than ready to live on her own, opting to return to Windurst to be with her aging friend again.
Resaae's route has grown to include other areas of the city, officially taking the title of courier and took her job pretty seriously. She's fostered a pretty strong friendship with a doctor in Upper Jeuno, Monberaux, and would offer to send any prescribed medication or other needs to his patients for free.

She found herself drawn more and more to the allure of adventuring, regardless of how her mother would try to dissuade her. Soon enough, Resaae joined small parties going out into Batallia Downs, sometimes striking off on her own to practice with her lance against rather non-lethal opponents with Soleil by her side. Of course, this was all kept secret from her mother, but she'd find out sooner or later. After all, you couldn't exactly take the wanderlust out of her blood when she's the result of two adventurous individuals.

877CE. : 20 years of age: Resaae's reliability helped her in getting more and more important jobs, eventually being invited to help with the auction houses in Ru'Lude Gardens. This particular section of work saw her getting up before the sun rose, which wasn't kind to Resaae because her original sleep schedule had her staying up until the small hours of the morning. She enjoyed it though because it meant she got to meet a variety of adventurers, and was able to frequent the palace to listen in on current events.

878CE. : 21 years of age: Resaae takes a rather important delivery request in Ru'Lude, where she'd show up in the early mornings to deliver a list of tasks that would be delegated to officials through the day. Supposedly, the start would be seeing a particular legal case though, and expand from there should she do a good enough job.

Her first day of doing so in the small hours of the morning had her confused on who she'd be delivering it to, finding who she assumed was an errand boy to hand the letter over to. A blonde, very handsome errand boy she hadn't ever seen around the palace in 'normal' waking hours, so he must have some connection to the officials! And hey, he was pretty nice too, more than happy to pass along the list to the archduke.

This would happen over the next couple of weeks that slowly bled into months. The case concluded, and Resaae was highly requested to be brought into the position again. Eventually, she realizes that:

1. She doesn't know his name and
2. She might be crushing a bit.

Of course it'd be rude to admit she didn't know his name to someone she'd been talking to as a friend for the last couple of months now, but she was beginning to think it'd be impossible. While one of her adventuring friends was happy to explain to her, he initially thought it was a joke. "Who the hell doesn't know who the archduke is?!" On finding out, she withdraws from the Ru'Lude delivery route out of embarrassment, praise for her duty up to this point be damned.One night, she returns to her apartment to find a summons to the ducal palace. Fully expecting to be in some sort of legal trouble for disregarding any proximity rules, she was shocked to find that Kam'lanaut was simply concerned for her well-being, given she hadn't been around for a couple of weeks.

The next few years saw their friendship solidify more than just work friends. On finding out her affinity to books and history, Kam'lanaut invited Resaae to his study often to let her read her fill, especially with some of the books in his collection being rather old and generally rare to come by. She began to build a bond not just with Kam'lanaut, but Eald'narche as well, given his knowledge of art both historical and modern.Soon enough, her daily routine would be to finish her deliveries early in the day, relax with Eald'narche in the early afternoon, and talk about history with him and Kam'lanaut into the late hours of the night before returning to her apartment later than she should, for how early she works.

883CE. : Resaae receives grave tidings; her mother had passed away after becoming ill with pneumonia. While she was devastated and mourned seemingly endlessly, Rhalya provided what support she could as the woman who helped raise Resaae when Deneh wasn't around. Kam'lanaut did what he could as well for the short time between getting the news and when Resaae would have to depart to sort out funerary rites, offering to give her a few of his books he knew she liked in particular.

884CE. : Resaae returns to Windurst for the first time in nearly twenty years, to sort out her mother's belongings and work her way through her own grief.

884 CE. : Having returned to her mother's house in Windurst, she's overwhelmed by emotion, of what she's lost. With her passing, Resaae no longer has any living family, in Vana'diel or Olzhirya. Being away from her established life in Jeuno only served to alienate her more, despite having grown up on these streets otherwise. Still, as she's last of kin, it's up to her to choose if she wants to keep the house and the contents within; while having plenty of friends in Windurst, Deneh hadn't left any belongings to anyone besides her daughter.

That's not to say Resaae would be rid of it so fast. Her nose would be buried in the books her mother kept, of lands beyond her imagination and potential adventures in places unseen in centuries. It tickled her fancy in such a deep place that she took to devouring the books almost as soon as she set her belongings down on the bed, turning familiar pages and once forbidden passages alike.

She couldn't keep moping though, that wouldn't do good for her mother's memory. Between the hours of parsing the documents on the shelves and making note of what could be disposed of, Resaae would make small talk with the gate guards of the city. Through them, she learned of the brewing unease among the mages and the tensions with the Yagudo.

By some grace, she encountered someone familiar; the mithra that she became acquaintances with in Jeuno was around the tavern!However, when Resaae went to greet her and ask what she's been up to, Nemhi acted as if she's never met her before. Disheartened, Resaae backed off, but still offered to pay for her meal. She'd still keep up with asking Nemhi how she was, eventually forging a (new?) friendship with the other.

On a day that seemed much like any other, a surprise was sprung on her; those in Heaven's Tower requested her presence. Feeling something was about to happen, she took Nemhi with her and they went to the massive tree in the center of the city.

While Kupipi was ready to turn them away, Semih Lafhina came to vouch for us. As a personal guard to the Star Sibyl herself, her word let the two of them in to speak of their next duty.

With that, the two Mithra packed up to head on a journey; they were to bring tidings to the Windurstian Embassy in Bastok and San d'Oria. This wouldn't be quick or easy, but it pierced Resaae's heart in the way it would any other romantic adventurer. The thrill of the journey overcame her, and they eagerly set out the next morning for San d'Oria.

Clearly, the journey was the best part of it, as Resaae could've cared less about the talk in the Embassy. The only time she really bothered to pay attention was when Lion appeared, walking out herself after finishing her own meeting. Apparently, orcs had appeared wearing stronger armor and weapons as of late, moving in an organized fashion. As much as Resaae wanted to ruminate on this, she and Nemhi were soon shuffled to speak to Halver, who was... less than receptive to helping them, but still gave proper instruction-- infiltrate Ghelsba Outpost and dispose of Warchief Vatgit.
Ultimately, it wasn't much of a fight. With the information in the Embassy's hands and confirmation of the orc's fortified resolve, the two set off for their next destination.

Bastok was a shorter ride away than it was getting to San d'Oria from Windurst, hilariously. With little incident, they arrived and spoke with Topuru-Kuperu, the Windurstian ambassador, about an investigation into the Quadav in the Palborough Mines.
While Resaae isn't afraid of ghosts, her fur was set on-end when in the mines. The stories only served to unnerve her, moreso of things that could be leeching off the energy of the ghosts moreso than the ghosts themselves.
It almost felt like she was right to be concerned; in the depths of the mines, past a Burning Circle, the two encountered a dread beast and a fiend. Even with persevering, it still set both of them to worry of whatever influenced these fell creatures to manifest. However, it would be beyond them for some time yet, as they had to deliver the news and return to Windurst.

She took this time to chip through more of the house, discovering all manner of historical papers and textbooks her mother hoarded. As an avid adventurer, Deneh clearly loved her history-- it's no wonder Resaae inherited it so fervently. Her personal notebook was soon overflowing with theories and coordinates, in case she ever had the means to travel to such places in her lifetime.

One day, after several duties given by the Windurstian gate guards, she was called by Semih Lafihna. In the chambers of the Star Sibyl, they were told of the Shadow Lord's encroaching return, how Vana'diel would once again fall to darkness-- and Windurst could do something about it. As they were ready to leave, Ajido-Marujido approaches, saying the empty Book of the Gods should be shown to the Star Sibyl, sending a shiver up Resaae's spine. With only one lead, her and Nemhi once more went off for Castle Oztroja to search for Ajido-Marujido at the behest of the Orastery.He was in the castle shockingly, where the two Mithra intercepted him. While he wasn't excited about the thought of being found, he eluded them once more, saying that he's 'getting close' to saving Windurst. He spoke with the Yagudo king, against all laws, but claims it to be with good intentions if it would help stop the Shadow Lord. For now, they'd withhold judgement; Resaae herself wasn't particularly fond of the idea of becoming like Sin Hunters she grew up fearing.

The Star Sibyl had once again called for Resaae and Nemhi for an incredibly important mission; worrying for the impending return of the Shadow Lord, she bade them to make for Jeuno to request a break of neutrality to aid them in the event of his return. And by now, knowing Resaae's history with the duchy, would be taking advantage of such a relationship-- but Resaae wasn't in the position to refuse something so important, when the weight of Vana'diel felt as if it rested on her shoulders.

On arrival to the Windurstian Embassy in Ru'Lude Gardens, they were informed that the current ambassador had gone to Delkfutt's Tower for an investigation. Apparently, they weren't the only ones looking for him either, as both an Elvaan and Hume had entered shortly after and requested to speak with Heimji-Kemji. The Elvaan was another familiar face, yet he actually recognized Resaae; Monberaux was here out of concern for the ambassador, as he was the one who looked after the affliction Heimji-Kemji lived with. The Hume, Resaae was less familiar with, only having seen him a handful of times. As for why he wanted to see the ambassador, Resaae couldn't guess, but he left in a huff anyways.

Thanks to Resaae's adventurous nature from her previous excursions against her greater judgement, they were able to locate Heimji-Kemji relatively quickly. For whatever reason, he was practically abducted. However, he was happy to be rescued all the same, and even offered to pay for Resaae and Nemhi's room and board while in Jeuno-- which ultimately would be unnecessary.

Part of Resaae dreaded the next day, mostly for what it would entail. After hearing two Windurstians had saved the ambassador, it seems the archduke wanted to speak with them... and likely had no idea Resaae was one of them. Even the Mithra knew not to let friendship get in the way of national affairs, and conducted herself accordingly when speaking with Kam'lanaut that day of what their 'secret' mission would be.

They would infiltrate three Beastmen strongholds, and retrieve the Magicite located within each to prevent the Shadow Lord's return.
However, they wouldn't be able to leave that day as the sun had already moved far across the sky, so it would have to wait until the next morning.
While she was happy to wait, her and Nemhi were interrupted when returning to their room by Kam'lanaut, looking to catch up with Resaae a bit given it's been almost a year since she set off. While she enjoyed being able to get her friend up to speed and see how he was doing, she couldn't help but feel like something was strange; while his charisma was still there, it was as if something was looming under the surface she couldn't put her finger on. That wasn't here nor there though, as the two Mithra would be off at sunrise for their assigned duty for the good of Vana'diel.

With each stronghold came its own share of challenges, but by far the most taxing would be the revelations they'd have in the bowels of each, in the corpse of ancient architecture.They were treated to memories within the Magicites, each of a fragment of the grizzly history of the Multinational Expedition. The two were shown how such a kind soul was corrupted to become the Shadow Lord, where his kindness was poisoned by one he should've been able to trust. It sickened Resaae; she felt horrid learning of this, yet it wasn't something she could sit by and watch it take its course. Raogrimm or not, he was trying to destroy Vana'diel as they knew it.

Bringing the Magicite back to Ru'Lude, their worst fears had come to pass; the seal previously holding the Shadow Lord back had broken, all but damning Vana'diel should something not be done. Worse yet, the safety of the Star Sibyl had been compromised, as beastmen hoards would be emboldened by the return of such a figure. Without haste, Resaae and Nemhi returned to Windurst.

The Star Sibyl was safe after all, and gave them the most important piece of information; a secret fourth seal was placed in Fei'Yin, in the case this situation ever came to pass.Thankfully as well, on entering the ancient city, Lion and Zeid had been waiting for them. The four of them would head in, to check on the seal and hopefully make sure it stays in place.Resaae had some familiarity with Fei'Yin from several documents in her mother's study, but truthfully had no clue how to navigate it. As much as she wanted to stop and take as many notes as possible from such an old civilization's city, this wasn't the time. Several times, she was reminded of their duty and not to dilly-dally.No amount of hurrying would've helped however, as the seal was already compromised. While Zeid wasn't convinced that the Shadow Lord would return, Resaae felt unease in the pit of her stomach, a restless lack of knowledge of what to do scrambling her thoughts in the face of such a bleak situation. Still though, they had to forge forward, and tell the Star Sibyl of their findings.

After a restless night plagued with nightmares, Resaae was called forth to Heaven's Tower once more with Nemhi. The Five Powers of Windurst had met the previous evening, ultimately deciding they couldn't enter the battle with the Shadow Lord out of fear of losing their already shaky treaty with the Yagudo.The presence of adventurers, however, wouldn't break the treaty, as neither were a resident of Windurst. With the weight of knowledge in her heart and the weight of Vana'diel on her shoulders, Resaae set forth with Nemhi to Xarcabard, to finish this once and for all.

In the bowels of Castle Zvahl, the final confrontation came to pass. Resaae called on Soleil's power as far as it could go, the dragon putting his heart and soul into the conflict he had no true involvement in beyond his love of the world.Yet even after the final blow was struck, the Shadow Lord insisted he would never die, that he was eternal so long as hatred burned in the hearts of man. With Zeid's interference however, the visage of the Shadow Lord fell to that of Raogrimm.Despite what would have been a happy conclusion, Resaae feels she must've sustained an injury during the fight, as she doesn't remember much more beyond being handed a shard of the Shadow Lord's crystal that she swore she would take with her on her adventures. Everything beyond this was a blur, shuffling and yelling taking most of her memory of this final encounter for whatever reason.She remembers waking up in Monberaux's clinic, being treated for her bruised ribs and minor fractures. Supposedly, Soleil had brought her back in his true form, carrying the Mithra back to Jeuno for recovery after such an encounter. Strangely as well, Nemhi was being rather quiet, and wouldn't fill in many of the details when Resaaea asked to be caught up with their assumed victory over the Shadow Lord.In spite of her injuries, Resaae was quick to say she was feeling better, and to head to their next destination after she told Kam'lanaut of their success. Stranger still, was how fast Nemhi dismissed the idea; Resaae was aware she wasn't all too fond of her bond with the archduke, but such a quick dismissal set off alarm bells in her head.

Still, the two of them were called forth by Lion for some reason, to meet her in Norg to talk about their next course of action...

885 CE. : Resaae and Nemhi get on the road as soon as they're able to, at Nemhi's behest. She urged Resaae to tell the Star Sibyl as soon as possible, despite Resaae's insistence on reporting to Kam'lanaut first. After all, they're affiliated with Windurst at the moment, and it would be prudent to report it to the authorities there before any worldwide power hears of it. And from there, it would make the most sense to head directly to Norg, as the port connects directly to Kazahm which would shorten travel time significantly.The entire trip, Resaae felt restless. Nemhi was acting strange, like she wasn't telling her something important. Even when giving their report, it felt like some things were unaccounted for. It wasn't as if Resaae could fill those gaps either, as she'd forgotten most of what happened that day. Thankfully though, they were victorious against the Shadow Lord, and were to make for Norg now that Windurst could settle down.Mercifully, Resaae was thoroughly distracted on their trip through the jungle and didn't mention what happened in Castle Zavahl. She was much more interested in the ruins they would catch glimpses of between the thick underbrush and foliage, curious about the civilization that once was.

On arrival, Lion greeted them and gave them a hearty welcome to Norg. She quickly got down to business, asking what they should do about their new problem with Kam'lanaut and the Ark Angels.Of course, Resaae laughed it off initially, but when it became clear that Lion and Nemhi were serious about it, she stiffened up. She shook it off as some sick joke, even when the other two were insistent that it was the truth. The brothers were dangerous, they needed to be stopped, but Resaae would hear none of it. She had too many good memories of the two, on top of lingering feelings for Kam'lanaut-- of course the last thing she wanted to do was admit they were trying to kill everyone she knew and loved.Rather rudely, she walked away, briskly asking where they could stay the night since they came all the way out here. Getting comfortable would be the least of her worries though, as she drifted into a restless slumber.

After defeating the Shadow Lord and reaching a peaceful conclusion with Raogrimm, they were ready to head home... except it wouldn't go as smoothly as they thought.As Resaae knelt to help Raogrimm to his feet, a hollow applause rang through the throne room as the archduke and his brother entered. They went on to insult the group of Galka and Mithra, about how they're not worthy to exist in Vana'diel and that they're simply writhing around in its corpse.While she remained silent during this procession, Resaae felt a mix of anger, disgust, fear, rising in her stomach. She shouted, asking if the years they'd spent together previously meant nothing, that she was nothing more than a pet, if not lower. And unsurprisingly, they didn't even acknowledge her.As the order was given to kill them where they stood, Resaae barreled forward to the approaching Elvaan Ark Angel to stop her, throwing her full weight at the shield as everything went white--

Everything came back to her in a nightmare later that evening, it had to do with the gaps in her memory-- she was injured when leaping in front of the Elvaan Ark Angel, leading to her bruised ribs and battered brain.Any attempt at comfort, she rejected. More than anything, she wanted to be held and told it was a bad dream, that she could go back to sleep, but the idea of being close to anyone anymore repulsed her. The reality of their situation began sinking in, what it would likely mean they'd have to do."You can't just snuff out the conviction that's lasted ten thousand years."Without a doubt, it would come to blows, she convinced herself. The only thing she could do to weather the coming storm would be to close her heart off. Nothing mattered beyond making sure the sun would rise on Vana'diel at the end of whatever was happening.

They met with Gilgamesh later that day, going over what should be done about this mess. While he didn't know exactly himself, he advised them to go to the Temple of Uggalepih, an ancient city with a strange history that may be connected to the Ark Angels-- the 'Warriors of the Crystal'. As they were about to make off, Aldo came rushing in, giving grave tidings as Verena was kidnapped; Lion would go to Jeuno to keep an eye on things, while Nemhi and Resaae were to go to the Temple.Wordlessly, Resaae obliged.Despite her initial excitement at seeing the ruins, she was practically despondent now. Whatever passion and vigor she had previously was gone, replaced with a steely gaze and unmoving expression, yet her eyes would betray her true feelings, how she wanted to do nothing but cry. This was bigger than her though, bigger than any of them. Nobody knew about this, and would call them crazy for suggesting such a beloved public figure was suddenly trying to destroy the world. Nobody... and thus it fell to them.

After cutting their way through the jungle and into the heart of the Temple of Uggalepih itself, they were greeted by tonberries-- one of whom introduced herself properly, in whatever fleeting moments of lucidity she had.She introduced herself as Grav'iton, a Kuluu from ten thousand years ago and a staunch opposer to the beliefs of the Zilart.Grav'iton gave Resaae and Nemhi a wordy history of the conflict, how the Zilart wanted to open the Gates of Paradise without care for what would happen to the rest of the world. How the Kuluu worked to thwart these plans that would bring certain destruction should they come to fruition.The Kuluu spoke in vivid detail of several encounters with the Zilartian princes, of just how committed they were to their cause regardless of guaranteed collateral damage.

Resaae would've given anything to learn any of this once upon her time-- her unwavering apathy shifted as her eyes widened, drinking in the information. For a moment, she was back to her old self, lost to the stories of the past.She bade them retrieve eight fragments of light, to bring to the Island of Zepwell just south of Bastok. A journey that would take them across Vana'diel, for the next few weeks.As each was retrieved, she found herself opening up to Nemhi more, beyond just what she'd told her. Of her love of adventure, how she inherited Soleil, the shoes she had to fill from her mother's own adventures, how she wanted happiness but felt she didn't deserve it because she hadn't worked hard enough. Even should nothing be said in return, she told her, it felt nice being able to speak it out loud. Those nights by the fireside, despite being in a time of despair, became something Resaae would hold close to her heart forever.

The time soon came when they obtained all eight fragments, the weight heavy in Resaae's pack. On placing them on the pedestal in Zepwell, an illusory image formed; that of the Dawnmaidens, one for each fragment.They spoke of how the Crystal Warriors came to be, and why they obey the Zilart with unwavering instinct. All was revealed of the Zilarts' connection to crystals, how they were both the greatest boon and source of obliteration for the civilization in the form of the Meltdown. The connection that the elder brother of the Zilartian princes made contact with one of the mothercrystals and had a vision of eternal paradise because of it.

With the knowledge of how the conflict began clear, Resaae's own resolve hardened. She loved Vana'diel, the idea of how many adventures she's yet to enjoy clawing at her mind.The hour of reckoning was approaching, and they had to work fast.

It was a race to the top of Delkfutt's Tower, to put an end to this before it could fester beyond repair. Unfortunately, it seemed the plan of the Zilart was already falling into motion, as they seemed to be a step ahead at all times.Lion, Aldo, and Zeid had gone on ahead while Resaae and Nemhi prepared for their own climb after some further preparation. Nemhi pulled Resaae aside as they were about to enter the tower, concerned for the wellbeing of her friend and if she truly believed she'd be able to commit to her duty, regardless of prior connections to Kam'lanaut. Despite having her reservations, Resaae nods; the fate of the world mattered more than anything she could try to excuse him with.

By the time they arrived, Kam'lanaut was already on the offense, guarded by the Ark Angels so the other adventurers couldn't get near him. His mask broke, any semblance of the charismatic leader of one of the most powerful nations in Vana'diel.Resaae called out, brandishing her spear, hoping that somehow she'd make it through to him to stop this-- but she knew it'd be too late. After all, you can't just snuff out the conviction that's lasted ten thousand years.Soleil sprang forwards as they began fighting proper, Kam'lanaut drinking deep of the Chrysalis Core to empower himself. They traded blow for blow; Resaae got careless as she looked to the side to see how her friends fared, which was just enough time for the blade of Kam'lanaut's sword to make contact with her cheek, opening a wound over her lip and down her neck.However, it was two-on-one, and eventually the two Mithra managed to exhaust Kam'lanaut. Resaae walked over as he lay there, putting a foot on his chest to deal the final blow-- and sent her spear into the ground next to his head, embedding in the cermet with incredible force. Had it been his head, it would've been the end of it.She couldn't bring herself to do it after all, but it wasn't as if they had to finish it in the first place. Eald'narche's face betrayed his previously calm tone, excited to explain that Kam'lanaut wasn't needed for his plans anymore, and that it was his doing all along.With that, he left his younger brother to die before the adventurers, everyone turning their eyes to watch the horror unfolding above as Verena activated the Chrysalis Core to awaken Tu'Lia.Resaae, meanwhile, fought with herself before ultimately deciding that she could indeed be selfish, just this once. She begged Soleil to imbue Kam'lanaut with energy for just lone enough to get him medical attention. While Soleil was hesitant, he obliged, working his draconic healing magic as Resaae approached Eald'narche to listen to his schemes. And while he prattled on, she made up her mind, that no matter what memories she had of all the good times together, it was reprehensible to condemn his brother the way he did.

Resaae bade the others to go ahead of her, avoiding anyone's eyes as they passed. She carried Kam'lanaut's unconscious body practically the whole way back to Jeuno, to get help from Monberaux.While she was happy to see everyone made it through the ordeal relatively unscathed, she couldn't deny the weight of their gazes as she walked in with the man who swore he'd destroy Vana'diel as they knew it. Always caring though, Monberaux welcomed her and the archduke, despite his lack of consciousness. She caught him up as he treated her new scar, regardless of how outlandish everything up until this point sounded.After resting up, they knew it was time to put a stop to Eald'narche.

The next morning, Resaae and Nemhi made for Ro'Maeve. While Resaae would've liked to question Kam'lanaut before leaving, he showed no signs of waking up; Monberaux said that whatever happened left him in a comatose state, and he likely wouldn't be lucid again for some time.Despite some difficulties, they entered the depths of the Hall of the Gods alongside Zeid and Aldo, ready to tackle the challenges that no doubt awaited them in the gardens of Ru'Aun.

The Ark Angels were overwhelming, both in their physical presence and emotional pressure. While most of them didn't phase Resaae, the Mithran warrior sunk her claws into her psyche, sending her mind into a spiral thinking of that she could never have for herself, and how she never deserved it; that her envy should continue to drive her using spite as fuel.Thinking back to the encounter at the Stellar Fulcrum, how she managed to be selfish just enough to claw back at one thing she'd want to protect, Resaae managed to overcome the taunting of the Mithran Ark Angel. It's okay to be selfish for my own happiness, after putting myself second so often for the sake of others.

Without hesitation, Resaae and Nemhi ran headfirst into the Shrine of Ru'Avitau to stop this hare-brained plan to open the Gates of Paradise. While they were off to defeat the Ark Angels, Zeid, Lion, and Aldo infiltrated the moment the doors opened, getting a head start in finding Eald'narche before the two mithra could catch up.They arrived just as tensions conflated; the three adventurers were knocked into submission as Resaae and Nemhi approached. Once more, Eald'narche offered godhood, and once more, he was denied. This time, however, nobody would wait around, as it turned to blows.

While Eald'narche had magic at his disposal, he underestimated the raw strength of two Mithran adventurers hell bent on keeping the world as they knew it. Surely enough, when it came to physical prowess, the two prevailed, yet neither could bring themselves to finish him off.What would have been the death knell of a dying ruler meant to destroy the rest of the world with his passing turned into a song of hope, but with a cost. Lion had given herself up to prevent the Crystal Line from being reactivated, ultimately thwarting Eald'narche's schemes while leaving her fate entirely undetermined...

The return from Tu'Lia was a relatively silent one. Resaae, Nemhi, Aldo, and Zeid had watched a beloved friend give herself up in the name of Vana'diel's continued existence, leaving them bereft of a friend.Aldo's return was celebrated among the Tenshodo, as Zeid slunk back into the shadows. Nemhi took her leave to search for Nori once more, leaving Resaae on her own for the time being.Of course, the first thing she did was return to Monberaux to be treated for any sort of esoteric damage she might've endured at the hands of Eald'narche. She found herself returning to routine as the days passed, punctuated with a trip to the infirmary once a day to check on Kam'lanaut. Yet should he wake up, she had no idea what to say or do; she should have killed him, yet part of her wanted him alive, and it was so loud she couldn't deny it.Fortunately (or unfortunately), there was still no signs of stirring. Monberaux began thinking it may be beyond a physical wound, but they'd hardly have time to research further on the query. Soon enough, he'd have another troubling patient on his hands...

885 CE. : White boy jumpscare

This is a pretty big one so don't expect it to be done too quickly, unfortunately. Much of it follows the main plot of Chains of Promathia with some personal anecdotes from Resaae sprinkled throughout the story.

[ Resaae doesn't actually take part in Treasures of Aht Urghan! She spends the next few months that would typically be the span of the expansion recovering from the aftermath of Chains of Promathia and the Apocalypse Nigh missions. ]

885 CE. : Having returned from the brink of oblivion in one piece, Resaae was urged to see Monberaux; she'd sustained considerable injuries in the last battle, and would need to take time to recover. However, she wouldn't be recovering on her own under the doctor's watchful eye.While she might have a working hypothesis now of why it happened, at the time she was all but blindsided to see Kam'lanaut sitting up in his recovery cot, for the first time in several months.Her general thought is that this happened because of his lingering connection with the Chrysalis Core, how it resonated with the Mothercrystals and resulted in his mind potentially being routed through the Crystal Line, beyond reach while his body remained. In defeating his specter in the Empyreal Paradox, it allowed his being to tether back to his body and return to consciousness. At least, that's how she thinks it worked in this time frame.

Regardless of who came out alive and who didn't, there wasn't a chance that things could return to the way they once were. Both had caused immense grief and pain to one another; Resaae felt the pain in her chest of knowing she did the right thing for the sake of the world, but betrayed the one person she would've wanted to spend the rest of her life with if given the opportunity.Truthfully, Kam'lanaut wasn't all too happy either about still being alive now. The grip Promathia had on his mind, on all the Zilarts' minds, had rescinded, leaving a gaping hole where ambition once made its nest. Confusion gave way to apathy, everything he once fought to achieve crashing down around him. It was never real, any of it. He was used by his brother and tossed aside, only to find out the ambition driving them both had been nothing but an illusion.

Needless to say, neither were in a good state of mind.

The first few days were very quiet from everyone, as quite a few were still there after all the fighting that had happened. Resaae and her adventuring friends would whisper in hushed tones, despite knowing full well that Kam'lanaut didn't even need to hear them to know what they were saying.

Monberaux did his best to make sure everyone was alright, ultimately discharging Nemhi, Lion, Aldo, and a few others from their party because they were physically well enough that he trusted they'd be alright. Lion returned to Norg to continue resting, Nemhi following due to rumor of her brother having been there. Resaae, however, was required to stay to check not only for infection in her new scars, but also to make sure her broken rib and leg were healing properly.

Unfortunately, her leg had to be re-broken, as it had begun healing at an incorrect angle; of course Soleil had his reservations and spoke out against it, but backed down relatively quickly on realizing that it was due to mithran anatomy and unfamiliarity with the doctor that initially set it.

Kam'lanaut, however, was kept to make sure he would be able to maintain himself after being in a coma for a few months. Not only for physical wellness, but to monitor him mentally as well. Thankfully he did that, as the archduke was in rather dire straits in ways he masked rather well, deceiving everyone that he was doing better than he actually was. It's almost impossible for a Mithra to miss the sound of someone crying, no matter how quiet they try to be, after all-- Resaae put a quiet word in to Monberaux, but was still too frightened to approach him herself yet.

One way or another though, after almost two weeks of silence, Resaae finally reaches out. Tensions were certainly still high, but she at the very least wanted to make a gesture in good faith; she leaves her notebook on his bedside table as she walked out for a stroll with Soleil. On thumbing through it after some deliberation, Kam'lanaut found Resaae's notes that she'd been taking through all her evenings at his house, even through her trip to Tu'Lia. Part of him couldn't hold back a laugh at the mental image of Resaae stopping in the midst of the danger in the Shrine of Ru'Avitau to run her pencil over the cermet for its texture sample.

The night after, he joined her for her evening walk much to her surprise. Soleil, of course, didn't hesitate to hiss and spit over it, but he ultimately did nothing as Resaae told him to stand down.I'll write more later I'm tired and I don't think anyone's gonna read this far just yet lmao

885 CE. : Resaae becomes Nemhi's biggest cheerleader in pursuing Valaineral
(GIGANTIC WIP to be continued when I have the brain power)

Despite the idea of heading to the city she knew best, maybe it would be a good idea to not go near where her mother would likely be spending her time... after all, this is the Crystal War, and Deneh spent a good amount of time on the battlefield against the beastmen. With Windurst off the table, Resaae followed Nemhi into San d'Oria, happening across an armored officer.

He introduced her to the Voidwatch, an organization of hunters dispatching peculiar foes. Having heard of this in her own era, Resaae eagerly signed up-- it would be fun to chase monsters while Nemhi made a name for herself here, and kept any possibility of a paradox out of the question.

She took to it like a fish in water, easily tracking down and taking out the first round of monsters. Her downtime between them when not spent in the field, however, saw her returning to San d'Oria to catch up with Nemhi every few days.

As she gained fame, however, Resaae couldn't keep skirting the issue of her name. She desired to be anonymous at first, but as the accolades grew, so did the demand for a proper name to her face. Under pressure, she went for her alias of this age: Saerae.

WIP : Other player characters from Resaae's adventure!

Guestbook!

Name-  ＜＜ NemhiM ＞＞ [email protected]:
OMG!! This is like a web version of your journal? I like it~~ :-3
Ummm IDK really how this stuff works orz... how much do ppl write here? Is this too much already?? ＞_＜ nuuuu...
I guess I'm signing off, see you tomorrow when I get something uber brag-worthy from the GobbieBox... oh no, I jinxed it, ROFL!!!
＜3 Nemhi

Name-  Fuhreddie:
meow

Name-  Rose:
I am coming (for your strawberry milk)

Name- Lyssanthe:
Whenever I make my visits to Jeuno, I hear tales of your exploits being shared amongst bright-eyed, aspiring adventurers. May your journeys stay ever rewarding, whether to the soul, pockets, or heart.

In true 'webshrine' fashion, I wanted to include a guestbook people could sign! It'll send your message to my email, and I'll post it here!