Arsene Derinloire
Ishgardian Lord and (Former) Knight Dragoon
(Spoiler Warning for Main Scenario Quests, mostly regarding Heavensward, Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions)
Basic Information
Name: Arsene DerinloireKnight-Dragoon Title: Winter's FuryRace: Duskwight/Ishgardian, passes for WildwoodFamily: Marquis Derinloire - Eldest
Estelle Derinloire - Niece
Casimir Derinloire - Nephew
Jaifoux Derinloire - Son
Scarlet Derinloire - Grand-niece?
Narcisse Derinloire - SonMarital Status: Engaged with four partners; no longer seeking more at this time.Age: 34Nameday: 18th Sun of the 4th Astral Moon (Cancer)Guardian: Halone, the FuryGender: MaleIdentifies As: a disasterEyes: Light lavender; no longer possess pupils and seem to be obscured by Light, though their color hasn't changedHair: Previously vibrant shade of red; short, wild and choppy with white highlights. Recently became split-dyed black and whiteSkin: Fair, absolutely bedazzled with freckles; portions of his torso, left arm and left leg are discolored and scarred by gold lines due to lingering effects from Light corruptionHeight: 6'9"Voice: Youthful, cheerful, energetic, earnest. Has a High Ishgardian accent that he often tries to mask outside of the city. More easily done with Eorzean/Common, not so much with Hingan, but other Ishgardians will probably pick it outBody Type: Ripped as fuck for an Elezen. Muscles on his muscles. Stretches and rips seams on his clothing on the regular if not tailored for the clearance or strengthSexual Orientation: Homosexual, poly vers/service top (soft dom); masochist. Prefers older, more masculine Elezen partners, but will occasionally entertain others if they vibe well.Notable Traits: Faded white, water-like discoloration of his torso below the collar and left shoulder/upper arm and flank when wearing garments that show it. Lavender eyes appear blind, but are obscured by Light. While they retain their color, he can still see fairly clearly, albeit with a white-gold vignette.Occupation: Ex-Ishgardian Knight-Dragoon. Now a freelance artisan, full-time house husband, and occasional 'fixer' for House FoyerdoreLanguages Known: High Ishgardian - Native
Eorzean/Common - Fluent/native
Hingan - Conversational
Thavnairian/Hannish - FamiliarFavorite Food: Sohm Al Tarts, Hingan rice balls and sushi, Thavnairian curry and donutsFavorite Music: Ishgardian Orchestral piecesFavorite Color: White, lavenderClothing Style: Modern-esque casual; Practical, slim-fit battle gear. Sometimes dresses as a thot because he can. Has begun to shift toward more noble-esque attire now that he's matured some, but still likes to wear things that show skin, namely midriff, chest and arms because LOOK AT THESE GUNS! flexHobbies: training, eating, reading (while sitting upside down), sightseeing, painting, making things with his handsLikes: rich/sweet foods, nice clothes, attractive older men, the color white, snow, the cold, beautiful lances, donutsDislikes: Being treated as inferior, ignored, not being taken seriously, being talked down toWeaknesses: blunt, occasionally childish (unclear if it's intentional or actually childish), fixated, impishFears: abandonment, failure, not being enough/good enough, women (some -namely older ones- make him very uncomfortable)Positive traits: Debonair, cheerful, friendly, playful, optimistic, energetic, honest, protectiveNegative Traits: Allocentric, obsessive, sarcastic, flirty, blunt, fawning, cold, scathing, unstable, vindictive, stubbornHas a pet raccoon named Ser Nibbles that he befriended with snacks that lives in his seemingly bottomless pack.
Personality
Both Arsene and Marquis were neglected and abused growing up, and while Marquis became cold, heartless and self-serving, Arsene seemingly went the opposite direction, sporting an outwardly cheerful and charming demeanor, sometimes to the point of annoyance. (Thankfully over the years, he's matured and done quite a bit of self-improvement.)Unlike Marquis though (who tends to only have one mode), Arsene seems to have a switch that turns him from a warm, sweet soul into a cold, cruel asshole at the drop of a hat. He then has no problem retaliating in ways that one might deem excessive only to switch back like it never happened afterwards. (Disassociative Identity Disorder?)When not agitated, he's rather friendly, laughing and joking with whoever he's managed to make friends with, mostly unbothered by his supposed birthright and barely acknowledges it beyond passing mentions, though this has changed as of late now that their family's land and titles have been restored.Is prone to sudden bouts of quiet and his demeanor radically shifts if he's been made aware he's done something wrong, often resulting in quietly slipping away from the conversation. Suffers from PTSD, and seems to lack any sense of self-preservation. Due to recent events, he's become somewhat touch avoidant, both of touching others and having others touch him unless he's comfortable with them.Normally does not like to talk about his childhood beyond a surface level, but is more open about it these days. Ask at your own risk.Is something of a flirt with gratuitous detail; shame in this regard is not in his vocabulary. Bit of a himbo, and definitely a thot.Is almost always snacking on something, usually donuts. Has a vocal stomach he occasionally argues with and an exceedingly fast metabolism alongside high caloric needs due to maintaining muscle mass. Eats obscene quantities of food at any given point, due to artificial food scarcity in his youth, and usually eats it quickly out of latent fear that it might be snatched from him. Is all too happy to share his food though, and tries to make sure that those in his company are fed.At his core, Arsene is what one might call a white knight: always ready and willing to jump the defense of others, strangers included. Despite being from a noble family, he has a soft spot for those who have little to nothing, the downtrodden, abused and those who lack the means to help themselves. He means well and has on numerous occasions put his own life in danger for that of another with little regard for his own. The lord possesses a strong sense of justice and right and wrong.Having grown and matured as a person over the past few turns (as well as receiving therapy), he's become something of a mentor-type for those who have been abused. Having found improvement in his life, he seeks to share what he's learned with others who are struggling to help them find their way.
Background
Arsene was the seventh born of the Derinloire family, and the second of their bastards, the first being Marquis. Arsene at least had the good fortune to end up closer in skin color to his older siblings than Marquis, but it didn't save him from a similar fate. While he turned out differently than Marquis, he was no less traumatized. He also had the misfortune of essentially looking like a clone of their father, and actively avoids raising or lowering his voice for sterner tones so as not to sound like him, leading to him leaning into the more 'boyish' vibe despite his age.From a young age, Arsene idolized Marquis, even if he didn't feel remotely the same or even acknowledged his existence. He found strength in Marquis's resilience, and strove to bear his own horrific burdens with half as much grace as his brother appeared to.Later, the redhead took up the usual mantle lordlings often found themselves with as adults: serving Ishgard in whatever capacity they could. In his case, he had a keen aptitude with the lance, which later led him down the path of Dragoon. He only ended up serving a handful of years, but his ability to shut down emotions and leave him a cold shell made him a formidable opponent in combat and suitable for tasks others in his position might turn down.After Marquis left Ishgard refusing an arranged marriage, it was shifted to Arsene instead in hopes of salvaging the situation and relations with the other family in question. Unfortunately, it ultimately ended with Arsene rejecting the marriage as well, which in turn forced him to out himself, and subsequently led to a more forcible expulsion from Ishgard by their mother, who was furious for them making a fool of the family.While Arsene loved Ishgard and hated to leave it behind, he was also eager to start a new, freer chapter of his life without the horrors he'd endured with their family. Now reunited with Marquis (much to his chagrin), Arsene seeks a fresh start building a strong relationship with his brother.
Act 6 - Tentative 'Fresh' Start
In progress
(Photos are the top are oldest, and the ones at the bottom are newest. I hadn't updated this carrd in a long while, so Arsene had matured quite a bit in the meantime! (also just found better stuff for him, but felt that keeping the older shots alongside the newer ones gave some age progression.)
Current Threads and RP Information
Arsene is a long-running character with a lot of development spanning several years and it's always ongoing. Please keep this in mind, and know that his Carrd is often updated to reflect significant changes!The Derinloire family as a whole deals with strange and taboo subjects, so I ask that all potential partners are 21+ and comfortable with mature and dark themes, including several forms of abuse. If you are not (and don't plan to be anything more than friends), you need only to let me know so I can adjust dialogue and such accordingly.• All RP sans ERP is a go! If I'm tagged, I am IC and down to RP! :) Even if I'm not, I'm open to conversation! (And will probably RP anyway)••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Has lingering Light corruption traces, from the white of his hair, to the Light-touched, almost fantastical glimmering haze of his eyes, to the remains of 'scarring' on his left side that looks more akin to white marble stripes and a series of glowing gold lines that run down his left arm, chest, side, back and upper thigh.• After an incident in Thavnair, Arsene has decided to put up his lance and instead become an artisan and focus on his talent in art, handcrafts, and interior design. He's also proficient with fashion, hair and makeup, but often only does that for people he's close to.• In addition to being an artist, he's become something of a 'fixer' for House Foyerdore, a Middle House of Ishgard that he's long been friendly with and his nephew, Casimir, is marrying up into. While he no longer actively serves as a Knight (due to having retired), he's now providing guard detail, 'problem' solving, general peace-keeping and morale-boosting to the family in his spare time.• Protective of his family and those he's grown close to, to an almost fanatical degree. He and Marquis were incredibly close, but had a devastating falling out. They're currently attempting to mend things.• As much of a lover as he is a fighter, though more of the former and less of the latter these days. Falls in and out of beds like it's going out of style, but seems to have settled with a handful of partners with one 'main' he's chosen to get Bonded to. Will ride or die if he cares about someone. He is poly, and any attempts to make him monogamous will probably result in getting mobbed by his partners or laughed out of the room.• Uncomfortable around women (mostly those who are older and those who show romantic or sexual interest) due to abuse and trauma. If your character presents as female, be aware that he may also be wary of you, but it is not because they are trans or anything related to that. Arsene becomes more comfortable with women and female-presenting folks if given time so long as they don't try to flirt with or pressure him into anything, and he feels safe. It's gotten better over the years, but the wariness is still present.• Loves donuts and eats like a dumpster, but donuts are his favorite. No, really.• Open to conversation about pretty much anything, but especially combat, art, books (especially spicy or trashy gay romance novels), food, his pet raccoon Ser Nibbles, and his (current) family.• Also returned to Ishgard after his disownment and exile with Marquis to reclaim the family land and titles after the former Heads of House, family and manor had succumbed to flames. They're working on rebuilding the family name into something more respectable than it once was, though there is still a lingering stigma regarding the name 'Derinloire' that they must overcome. Other Ishgardian nobles will likely be very familiar with the name on account of the former Heads of House being such awful people, though Arsene at least has some positive association if only due to his service as a Knight-Dragoon of some repute.• If you are a currently or former serving Knight-Dragoon of a similar age, you may know him by his title, 'Winter's Fury', called so due to the color of the armor he wore, which was a pristine shade of brilliant white. He was a lone wolf Dragoon known for taking on missions of dubious morality from the superiors, and having slain several problematic dragons by himself during the war.
Finished Arcs
(Contains MSQ spoilers, Read at your own risk if you aren't caught up!)
The First
After being whisked away to the First with Marquis and ending up stranded there, the two picked themselves up and began searching for a way back to the Source. Marquis had only just recovered to some degree from having his feet mutilated, and while they had been somewhat forced to bond from the event, being thrust into the First with no one but each other to rely on forced the both of them closer still, but not all at once.The event that triggered such a change happened not long after they had learned about those who had been tainted by the Sin Eaters. This information had left Arsene woefully lost in his thoughts, terrified of losing the brother he'd only just begun to feel a connection with, and even after being chided for not having his head fully on his shoulders, he ended up becoming afflicted himself. Though scared of his fate, he strove to hide the injury - a massive gash along his left flank from just under the arm to just above the hip - from Marquis to keep from worrying him and focusing on just trying to get his elder brother home safely before he succumbed. Though trying to play it off, the youth was unable to keep it a secret for long given the wound refused to heal, and it was quickly discovered by a rather upset Marquis. It was here they (mostly the older sibling) began to realize how much they cared for one another, and how much they were going to have to work together to get home.Slowly, Arsene's condition began to deteriorate, and Marquis began to find himself at a loss without any materials to help stave off the creeping corruption. The young lordling's torso started to harden and turn pure white, veins of gold marbling spidering across it's surface like cracks as it gradually consumed him. The older Duskwight attempted to pull out the excess Light with unaspected crystals only to have some explode in his hands, and nearly killed himself channeling his Umbral-aspected aether into Arsene in a desperate bid to try and balance him out to no avail; there was simply too much.Accepting his fate as his eyes began to fill with Light and his neon red highlights faded to a dull, pale orange, Arsene's focus solidified in getting Marquis home at all costs, even if he didn't make it himself. Despite having the utmost faith in his brother, it was hard not to despair as his status continued to decline and it was all he could do to keep it to himself, albeit poorly. Unable to take it any longer, Marquis put his foot down, declaring that he was either bringing Arsene home with him or he wouldn't be going back at all; there was no point in going back if they weren't together. Upon hearing this, the younger Ishgardian was touched, never in his wildest dreams expecting to be so accepted by his older brother, and found the resolve to see the both of them home.It wasn't easy, but after hard won fight after harder won fight, they eventually made it back to the Source, the brothers more tired than they'd ever been in their entire lives. It took every onze of strength they both had just to drag themselves back to their Company house, their quarters, and their shared bed only to fall in and sleep for a week straight. Though out of immediate danger, Arsene was still in a bad way, weakened, incredibly exhausted and his left side from his shoulder to his knee stiff from how far the corruption had spread, the entirety of his torso from the base of his neck down now fully enveloped. Later, after an extensive build-up of unbalanced aether, a pair of feathery wings exploded at his back, reminiscent of the Eater who had clawed him and a foreshadowing of what was yet to come.After a chance encounter in the Quicksand in Ul'dah, a friendly stranger offered a device that the Institute had been building for combating the effects of the Tempered and Corrupted, that they had built for their own use. Much to the delight of the brothers, it worked, though it took quite some time for it to do so, nearly a month and a half to rebalance. The 'scarring' faded, though his wings remained, and the two are sorting out whether to keep or remove them. His highlights have yet to return, and his eyes are still clouded, but it may or may not fade with time. For now, thanks to the kindness of others, things seem to be mostly okay again.
Vengeance
Almost immediately after Arsene was was no longer afflicted by Light corruption and Marquis had recovered from issues of his own, the brothers struck out to Ishgard to settle some 'business': severing any and all ties to Ishgard and their relatives.Believing themselves wronged and desiring payment for transgressions in blood to free themselves from their traumatic pasts, they arrived late one evening by carriage with a plan in mind to set the house ablaze and slay all who remained within.Arsene barricaded doors and ripped servants and relatives alike from their beds, tying them up and dragging them through the house behind him like prisoners of war before lashing them all together to a pillar in the ballroom.Marquis wandered about, reveling in the mayhem and starting fires wherever he went, his brother hot on his heels with rope to keep anyone from escaping. Any relatives that fought back were soundly knocked unconscious and added to the growing group of captives as the fire began to spread.After a time, Marquis left to retreat somewhere safer before someone came to put out the fire. Arsene stayed behind to stage the place, marking it as a haven for heretics and taking a souvenir to give to his elder brother once they were well away: the hearts of their 'mother' and eldest sister, their cruelest aggressors. When he was satisfied that none would survive, he rejoined the his brother to return home just before officials arrived on the scene.With immense relief and weight lifted from their shoulders, the siblings rode back to Ul'dah in silence, needing no words to say what they were both feeling in that moment. They were truly free, they and Ishgard both, from the horrors their family had inflicted upon them and their peers.No one would miss House Derinloire.
New Beginnings, New Problems
The brothers settled into their new lives, hoping for things to now be better with the immense weight of past burdens lifted from their shoulders. With no one left to haunt them, they began the process of trying to move forward with their lives.Also around this time, Marquis had a brush with a Wrath demon that nearly killed him, and had to be nursed back to health by Arsene, who once more dutifully settled into the caretaker role. Marquis grew ever more ill despite Arsene's best efforts, and it was eventually discovered to be caused by the captured Wrath demon siphoning the elder's aether from it's reliquary. Breaking the link by having a Voidkin familiar cart it across realms saved him, but only just.It was only the start of the problems, however, as Marquis had been quietly courting a succubus for quite some time, who had slithered her way into his good graces and eventually his heart by way of covert visits when Arsene was away. Over time, she slowly chipped away at him, wrapping him around her finger and twisting him to suit her needs and whims. While he rode the power trip, he took a newcomer to the Institute as another lover on the side.Things came to a head after building for some time, Marquis having gone crazy from the succubus's influence and attempting to kill Arsene, only to have a change of heart at the last moment to divert it to some hapless person somewhere in Ul'dah, and sequester himself away in his sanctum. Arsene confronted him with a small group of friends, but after negotiations went horribly awry, Marquis escaped into the Void with the succubus.While Marquis was gone, Arsene attempted to pick up the pieces he was left with, trying to decide between going after his sibling, or cutting his losses and moving on. He had no way to get to the Void, and had no idea if Marquis was even still alive, so he hoped for the best and tried move on.It was some time before Arsene heard from Marquis again, urging him to the Coerthan wastes to meet with him. The humbled Duskwight asked for his brother's forgiveness, and pleaded for his aid in keeping his whereabouts -and those of his newborn daughter- a secret, as well as the means to care for her effectively. Arsene could hardly tell him no, even with the attempt on his life, and agreed.They kept in contact here and there over the intervening months, Arsene secretly visiting the safehouse to deliver supplies and to make sure they were okay, while trying to keep them a secret as long as Marquis wished.
Thavnair
While Marquis and Estelle were hiding in Coerthas and eventually Kugane, Arsene decided that that he wanted to go abroad alone, a bid to try and find himself, and what he wished to do with his life after having been largely been underutilized in his Free Company. Seeking new purpose, he took his lance and began his journey in the Near East, in Thavnair.The first few weeks there were pretty relaxed. He engaged with the populace, learned how to weave baskets and cook the local food, learn snippets of the language, and made friendships he hoped would last. Unfortunately, it was not to be.In true Derinloire fashion, he had the worst luck: the End of Days started while he was in a particularly remote jungle village, in mid-conversation via linkpearl with Marquis, when the sky began to rain fire, and screams could be heard outside as people began to panic. Initially gearing up for an animal attack, he promised to call Marquis back, took up his lance and stepped outside to see a frightful sight.People turning before his eyes into beasts, much like they would on the First when grievously injured by Sineaters, though they were far more grotesque. He fought valiantly over the course of a week, trying to save all that he could and keep them safe, but one by one everyone succumbed to despair until it was only him and a young boy left. While every death had weighed heavily on his heart and mind, this one hit particularly hard when he lost them, too. With no one left, he took his lance, whatever he could salvage from the town for rations, and began to aimlessly walk.Many places along his path suffered similar fates; villages having become ghost towns, and the more he passed by and through, the more he began to be beset by the thought: 'Why them and not me?' and would slowly begin to devolve from there. He would, eventually, make his way back to Yedlihmad, and much to his surprise, Marquis waiting for him.Broken, defeated, he approached his sibling and embraced him, and begged to go anywhere else, which ended up being Kugane. There, he sank into a deep, despondent depression that lasted the better part of a turn, and in that time, Marquis had made up with Kaiser, which allowed him, Marquis and Estelle to return to the Company.After moons of being nearly entirely detached from everyone and everything around him, he finally snapped. He trashed his room and took a palette knife to the base of the wings on his back to hack them off, and proceeded to use it to paint on a fresh canvas. When someone came to check on him, he in turn threatened them with that self-same palette knife, only to be knocked out and dragged to the infirmary, where he was then finally placed on medication to help balance him out and get him back on track toward stability.After some time to finally begin to heal and feel more like himself, he largely put up his lance and instead dedicate himself to the life of an artist, to live a life of peace unless called upon to do otherwise.However, nothing is ever so easy.
The Veil Lifts
While the lives of others around him were fairly eventful, Arsene took time to recover after his brush with the End of Days in Thavnair. He and Marquis would get into more scrapes and fight as such a toxic duo was wont to do, but beyond that, he had little going on outside of his art for quite a while, close to a couple turns.Marquis had another child, this time a boy by the name of Casimir, that Estelle struggled to accept, and a rift began to form between her and her father that eventually culminated in an explosive falling out that ended in her disownment.Casimir would swiftly grow into a young boy with aspirations of becoming a doctor to help his family with their myriad of problems, and secured a sponsorship to Sharlayan thanks to his uncle, Kaiser.The family also managed to secure their parents' former land and titles, and Arsene proceeded to rebuild the manor in what was essentially a love letter to Marquis and his aesthetics, both inside and out, and began the move back to Ishgard while Marquis took his wife and Casimir to Sharlayan for his studies.During this time, without Marquis's influence about to keep him in line, Arsene began to slip out of the turns' long enthrallment he had been trapped in since chasing after his elder sibling upon initially leaving Ishgard. He began to question everything, wondering if it had all been a lie from the beginning, and if he had just been used all that time. After all he'd done, how much of his life and time he'd devoted to the older Duskwight, it suddenly felt as though it had all been for naught.He would continue to slowly deconstruct while Marquis spent most of his time away in Sharlayan, occasionally getting moments where it stopped altogether when he was around, only to resume after he departed, leaving him lost, lonely and deeply confused. Having been deeply isolated after his return from Thavnair, the only one he was truly close to was the person who had originally saved his life, Karichante, and they began to rekindle their friendship over the next couple turns.Time passed, and the longer they were apart, the more questions Arsene began to ask himself. Before long, he was finding himself avoiding Marquis unless asked directly to be seen or assist with something. But then, Marquis, his wife, and his son returned from Sharlayan a few years later, and things began to happen very quickly.Casimir, now an adult, returned having freshly graduated as a doctor, and fell in love with a lady of a higher noble House. This sparked a feud with another House who had also had their eyes on her, and began a deadly rivalry between the still fledgling House and one of more influence. Realizing there was an opportunity here to get Casimir the woman he desired, forge an alliance with another, more influential House than their own toward rebranding their own's former reputation, and removing a growing problem for both themselves and Ishgard, Marquis jumped on it, and recruited Arsene to help.Originally hesitant to do so, Arsene agreed upon realizing which House it was that the alliance was being forged with, one that he had previously been on great terms with when he served in the Knighthood: House Foyerdore. He knew the woman in question that was being vied for, as well as her father, and in this regard, seemed to be a decent match for both Casimir and the Houses. Putting together a substantial dowry, House Derinloire made an offer of their firstborn son.Naturally, the opposing House made an even more substantial counter offer, but not wanting to give their daughter to this particular House, asked the Derinloires if they could make or beat the offer in question. They had to call in a massive favor to make it happen, but they were able to sufficiently squash the competition and secure it.In the meantime, Arsene had been making visits to talk with his old mentor and patriarch of House Foyerdore, Armand, both to discuss the now impeding Bonding, and to catch up as old friends. It quickly became apparent that there was more than just a friendly, perhaps almost father-son-like bond between them, and curiosity led to tentative pursuit, which inevitably led to Arsene falling head over heels in no time, and in turn only hastened the deconstruction he was engaged in regarding Marquis.A bit later on, after a disastrous falling out with his sibling, Arsene sent him to their old Free Company for treatment at the suggestion of a friend, as their former leader had recently hired a Sharlayan psychiatrist. This would be a last ditch effort on his part to help Marquis find stability and sort out his mental health woes.Time would pass, Arsene would move in with House Foyerdore given he had been thrown out of the family estate, take on all of Marquis's work in addition to his own, as well as planning for the Bonding for his nephew. He would also be caught up in quite a lot of House Foyerdore's personal drama, from the youngest daughter having a long-standing bullying issue with a girl in her dance class, Casimir's betrothed struggling with the betrothal, the Lady of the House falling gravely ill, and one of the elder sons accidentally murdering his wife in trying to defend himself from her attacking him with a knife. During a trip to Kugane with the youngest Foyerdore daughter, he also brought back a Raen Au'ra who had worked in one of the pleasure houses and sought to escape, and began the arduous process of trying to get them adjusted and sorted so they could get past their own traumatic past and later find better work to support themselves.In the midst of all of this chaos, he did begin seeing Marquis at the medical ward, attempting to reconnect with his sibling despite the falling out from hell. Distrustful, cautious and disillusioned, Arsene had many reservations, but he gave him a chance, and being the forgiving sort he was, slowly began to build up tentative trust upon seeing the strides Marquis had made with the psychiatrist. This trust, however, was entirely dependent on Marquis not backsliding or screwing him over again, which Arsene swore to his face would be the last time the older sibling would ever see him again.