Ehriyu Raav

Showing spoilers through (including patch quests).

Basics

Ehriyu looking at the camera and saluting with a slight smirk
  • Name: Ehriyu Raav
  • Age: 26
  • Main Job: Bard
  • Race: Miqo’te (Keeper of the Moon)
  • Origin: Meracydia

Likes

  • Adventuring
  • Music
  • Hats

For anyone who finds this site, I’m not an RPer or anything lmao I’m just a weirdo obsessed with my WoL. There's some outdated stuff on here; I'm better about putting new info on my Tumblr!

Story

Ehriyu was born and raised in Meracydia. Beyond that, I’m keeping most of the details loose because if (when?) Meracydia is expanded on in the future I don’t wanna have to retcon anything lol. How did she even get to Eorzea? It Is A Mystery. But somehow or another, her desire to go adventuring and see the world got her there.

Did she even know the common tongue before she arrived? If not, the Echo sure came in handy! She is a native speaker of the Miqo'te language that Huntspeak came from — something that's nigh unheard of in Eorzea nowadays. Still, she at least had something in common with the Keepers in Gridania, so she thought it best to go to there first as she learned Eorzean. Plus, she was already an archer back home, so she didn’t have to start from scratch joining the guild (although the difference in styles meant she still had plenty to learn).

She also learns the languages of everywhere she goes! The Echo helps a lot, combined with just spending so much time interacting with various peoples everywhere, doing Warrior of Light things and chasing sidequests.

She comes off as a little weird... but like, in an eccentric rock star way, because her reputation precedes her. And even if you don’t know who she is, she's still got that Vibe. The weirdness is partly because of cultural differences from Meracydia, but also she really is just a little weird.

She’s unwaveringly brave and always very confident. But as much as she believes in her own strength, she also wholeheartedly believes in others’. :) She’s cheerful and optimistic, and maintains that attitude throughout almost everything.

As far as flaws, she’s always had a pretty violent streak. Whenever she's called a “savage” in the MSQ it's like... okay that's racist, but in her particular case... yeah, kinda lmao. She just really lets loose in battle. And definitely bit people as a kid. Maybe still bites people when the situation calls for it. And jumps straight to violence to solve problems... which to be fair, in her experience, tends to work. Her whole thing with Zenos is that he gets that about her, sure, but also projects too much of his own feelings onto her. Like it's not important to her the way it is to him, and she doesn't give a shit about the whole rivalry part of it and it pisses her off that he thinks he gets her better than he does, but it also pisses her off that he gets part of it right.

She also always had a tendency to make snap judgements of people, and of right and wrong. But throughout the MSQ she’s seen and experienced enough to mostly grow out of that and realize that most people are more complicated than just good or evil.

After merging with Ardbert, she becomes a bit more gentle and patient... just enough for those very close to her notice she's changed. She notices too, understands exactly why it is, and takes it very much in stride. Because it's Ardbert; how could she NOT be okay with it?

And she's terrible as showing vulnerability! Especially after she starts to realize how many people see her as a beacon of hope and all, she feels very much like “This is my problem; people are relying on me, and I have to be able to handle it all by myself.” It takes a long time for her to start relying even on the other Scions more. Seeing Minfilia on the First and meeting Ardbert give her a bit of a push: “Not even the most valiant heroes can stand alone.” :) And after everything with the Light aether, Scions realize how much she's been holding back all this time, and they start being a lot more attentive to her feelings, so that helps a lot with softening her up.

She loves music a lot, and is always singing or whistling something. Depending on if/when we get dragons in Meracydia, maybe she first learned to sing from them? Who knows! And okay the whole point of the bard quests is like “This is battle music for the battlefield” but then they just have these dippy little harps and I reject that. She likes metal. She likes lots of different music, but metal is her favorite. And no there is not a lot of metal in Eorzea. Or Meracydia. She is a little weird.

She loves learning new things and it's a bit of a running joke in the Scions about how every now and then she just shows up with a completely new skill, new language, new weapon... and how she's always annoyingly good at everything she picks up. (Thancred voice: “Oh lovely, she's got a scythe now.”) She understands what they meant now, but as both a bard main and an omnicrafter, she was beyond offended in Amaurot when that one shade was like “Wow, you have absolute dogshit ability to create anything at all.”

The people she's closest to are Alphinaud, Alisaie, Thancred, and G’raha. But she definitely is close to all the Scions.

She’s also so, so admiring of Venat. By which I mean she hardcore developed a crush on Venat in Elpis. Which was a surreal experience for her, both being grey-aro and because she’d never felt like someone was out of her league before that. Also really depressing considering the Hydaelyn fight afterwards! But Ehriyu is really determined to make her proud with everything she does now. :'3 And spends a lot of time with Argos.

She decides to pick up her first tank job after the events of Endwalker to follow in Venat's footsteps as an all-rounder... and though she wouldn't admit it, also to live up to Azem's name.

She's very into healing and tanking both in theory — helping and protecting her friends and comrades! But her default mindset is very much that of a DPS. Killing the enemy faster is mitigation.

She’s bi and has definitely messed around with more than one NPC. the list is malleable but definitely includes Thancred, Guydelot, Emmanellain, Hilda, Leofard, Sadu, Cymet, and G'raha. Also she is 100% a dom. 110% with boys.

Her Azem, Helios, was in a relationship with Hades and Hythlodaeus... but Ehriyu never finds out about that. :') Meanwhile, Helios never felt romantically toward Venat! Love for the same people, but in different ways. :')

Ehriyu and Helios look nothing alike on the surface, but are very similar in personality, and share some habits and mannerisms. The biggest differences are that Helios was less judgemental and more open with her feelings (but hey, Ehriyu's working on it), as well as more mischievous, and maybe a bit whiny. And whereas music is Ehriyu's thing, Helios was a visual artist and had zero musical talent.

No matter how much other stuff she does, she always identifies as an adventurer first. She just really, really loves adventuring and traveling and meeting new people in new places with new cultures... and I swear this was her personality even before I found out about all the Azem stuff.

History

Again, keeping details vague because who knows what Meracydia is like now, but I think Ehriyu grew up in a rather isolated area with only a couple of other families nearby, in line with Eorzean Keeper lore, surrounded by wilderness.

She got the Echo while exploring when she was little. A lightning strike caused a small wildfire and she fell off a crumbling cliff trying to escape... not exactly a starshower, but falling rocks, fire, and pain did the job all the same. But she didn't get the Blessing of Light until years later, when she came to Eorzea. Hydaelyn recognized her and specifically blocked it from reaching her until then... because knowing she'd eventually have to put the weight of the world on her shoulders, she wanted Ehryu to at least be able to have a normal, happy childhood. Not to grow up only as her tool. ;w;

She's got a big family, although not massive by Miqo'te standards: A mom, dad, four younger siblings, and a niece and nephew by her older sister. It's actually a super normal family — jarringly so, considering how weird Ehriyu is, but she's very close to all of them.

I don't know if/how it would be feasible for Ehriyu to send them letters from Eorzea, but if she can then she does! She tells them all about all of her adventures! And they are dead convinced that she's making it all up to entertain the kids. Like... there's no way she's actually out there fighting gods left and right. But as long as they're still getting letters, it means she's okay, so it's fine by them.

  • Kinoh & Tavh’li: Ehriyu's parents! They are disgustingly in love. Kinoh in particular has Tavh'li absolutely wrapped around her little finger.

  • Dyaala (25): Dyaala is the “responsible” one... since the eldest child quickly proved incapable of the role. She had to clean up after her big sister’s messes quite a bit growing up (covering for her when she’d destroy something, getting help when she’d get hurt...) but Ehriyu protected her from bullies in return, and they’re extra close because of that. :)

    She has two kids of her own now: Onesh and Dyaala’a!

  • Mhet (20): Mhet is the quiet sweet one — but she also has a mischievous streak nobody would guess was there, and a childish sense of humor. She actually gets less attention than Yuhl but is fine with it because she’s introverted and her family is loud. And all of the attention she does get is entirely full of adoration. You cannot be mad at Mhet.

  • Yuhl (19): Yuhl was the brat growing up. She got hit with the middle child syndrome in feeling like she didn’t get enough attention. She’s actually much better now but still can’t shake the brat reputation. She’s very skilled at magic, and cares a lot about her looks (in a good way! She taught Ehriyu to clean up nicely despite the age difference. Please imagine a 9 year old teaching a 16 year old what makeup is).

  • Kinoh’a (16): Kinoh’a (Noh’a for short) is most similar to Ehriyu. Definitely not as wild, but loooooves hearing about Ehriyu’s adventures. The rest of the family are like “sweet summer child hasn’t figured out that it’s all made up yet” but he understands her the best and will be proven right eventually. :^) He’s the only one who would want to follow her to Eorzea. Ehriyu very much dotes on him.

Relationships

  • Lyse: She was the first Scion Ehriyu really felt comfortable with, being more upbeat and easygoing. They had a lot of goofy fun together early on. After the Yda > Lyse reveal, the dynamic really changed... like that persona that made her feel comfortable with the Scions in the first place was just a lie? And especially after realizing she was the only person who didn’t know, she felt super alienated. But they rebuild their friendship, and Ehriyu comes to admire Lyse's growth, and Lyse comes to admire Ehriyu’s steadfastness in staying positive. :)

  • Papalymo: Unfortunately, despite starting in Gridania, Ehriyu never really spent enough time with Papalymo to get close to him... Lyse kind of dominated her attention span when they were all together. :/ I’m so sorry Papa.

  • Minfilia: She and Ehriyu were big emotional support for each other early on, sharing their burdens regarding the Echo, and Hydaelyn, and all. Ehriyu trusts Minfilia so deeply, and really she’s the only reason Ehriyu comes to trust Hydaelyn. And Minfilia gained so much faith in Ehriyu in return! Then after losing Minfilia, Ehriyu started bottling her feelings up a lot more. 8’) Plus she felt super guilty for not getting her out of the banquet safely after everyone trusted her to, even though it was Minfilia’s choice.

  • Thancred: Their relationship is the most tumultuous of Ehriyu’s with any of the Scions, but they’re super super close. They immediately had chemistry when they met but it got weird because she didn’t actually know him very long before Lahabrea happened! They have to kind of awkwardly establish where they stand after getting him back. But they bond over being slutty bards (flimsily though the title actually fits Thancred), plus things like dirty jokes that the stuffier Scions aren’t into. They have a fling starting a bit before Leviathan, but then things are weird again after he’s gone for all of Heavensward, and again after they meet back up on the First and he's been there for five whole years. They also fight the most, but they always make up and get comfortable with each other again, and they unfailingly trust each other. They also remain eternally flirty, but it’s always been FWB and not romantic. They definitely have a moment after the bodyswap episode in Garlemald where Thancred comforts her big time, and she apologizes for not doing the same for him back with Lahabrea, which he tells her not to worry about. :’3

  • Y’shtola: She still intimidates Ehriyu sometimes! She’s so smart and doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve like Ehriyu does, so like Ehriyu was genuinely hurt when Y’shtola didn't seem happy to see her at all when they met back up for the first time on the First, even after the whole Sin Eater misunderstanding was cleared up. :( But most of the time Ehriyu can understand that there’s real care there anyway. Meanwhile, Y’shtola is fond of Ehriyu but sometimes finds her lightheartedness more exasperating than endearing... but only sometimes. On the other hand, she surprises herself by enjoying Ehriyu’s tendency toward casual physical affection, since that's not something Y'shtola was ever really used to, largely growing up isolated with Matoya? #justcatgirlthings

    Y’shtola notices more than anyone else how Ehriyu tends to bottle things up, but kind of thinks of it like “I’m not her therapist; she’s an adult and I’ll be here when she’s finally ready to talk about her shit.” And then she is. :)

  • Urianger: He intimidated Ehriyu the most when she first joined the Scions! She didn’t mind the way he talked at all since she didn’t speak Eorzean and relied on the Echo anyway. But dealing with someone who covered half his face all the time really threw her, and she didn’t know what to make of him at all until Moenbryda helped give her a new perspective. Now she likes to tease him. :3 He’s also the person Ehriyu most often confides in and has deep conversations with. For his part, he’s really touched that she goes to him for that, and generally appreciates her upbeat attitude. She reminds him a bit of Moen. :’)

  • Tataru: Ehriyu is ridiculously fond of Tataru and gets super emotional over all her thoughtful gestures. She absolutely wore the Brioso gear to Ultima Thule partly because it was important to her to have a piece of Tataru there at the end along with everyone else. She’s also like comically blind to Tataru's more devious side. Which suits Tataru just fine; she loves the way Ehriyu treats her.

  • Alphinaud and Alisaie: They remind Ehriyu of Kinoh’a initially, being of an age with him, and she does become like a big sister to them. She teases them too, in an it’s-fun-to-embarass-the-teenagers way, but is also very openly affectionate toward them and is very adamant about making sure they know she’s there for them, always. And they do know it! They love her just as much as she loves them. :)

    She was a little bewildered by Alphinaud at first, with him being such a know-it-all while she was still gaining her footing in Eorzea. Like “But this is a child???” Her image of him really clicks into place post-ARR though, over the course of the Crystal Braves arc, and she becomes very fond and protective of him very quickly from there. Especially after realizing that despite how pompous he acted, he looked up to her from the start.

    By contrast, she hit it off with Alisaie immediately when she showed back up, for various reasons. She’s easier to read than her brother, Ehriyu is more sure of herself by the time they get to spend much time together, and they’re very similar in some ways. They have the added bonus of Red Maging together :) Alisaie is determined to surpass Ehriyu on this one front, and Ehriyu enjoys the friendly competition. Alisaie also has a big fat crush on Ehriyu that she tries to push down because she knows Ehriyu is too old for her.

  • Krile: Krile very, very slowly took Minfilia’s place as Ehriyu's Echo/Hydaelyn confidant. Ehriyu’s increasing refusal to show vulnerability after losing Minfilia means they never became quite as close until after Endwalker, at which point they have a big heart to heart about Hydaelyn and everything. Krile would have liked to bond with her over the Echo more before then, really, but between Ehriyu’s walls and just how busy they always are, couldn’t.

  • Ryne: Ehriyu was never comfortable calling her Minfilia, oh my god. The first chance she gets to talk to Ryne alone, she asks about it and Ryne assures her it’s fine and it’s the only name she knows anyway, and Ehriyu doesn’t really believe her that it’s fine, but acquiesces. Big sister mode activates. Ehriyu absolutely has a fight with Thancred about how to treat her and doesn’t stop worrying about her emotional state until after Eden when she has Gaia.

  • G’raha: Ehriyu thought he was super cute when they first met... in a kind of condescending way tbh. But she grows to respect him a lot by the end of the Crystal Tower raids. She’s suspicious of the Exarch largely because she suspects he’s lying when she asks about G’raha, but definitely does not guess how he’s lying.

    Now... they’re very close in a complicated sort of way. She loves him, but not the same way he loves her. Like it's platonic, maybe alterous for her, but full on romantic for him. And they both know it, and they know the other knows it, and they dance around a bit because she doesn’t want to lead him on and hurt him, and he doesn't want to tie her down or guilt her into anything she doesn’t want.

  • Estinien: Bro they are just himbos together. Their communication styles are so far apart (Estinien's communication style being “not much”) that there's not really anything deep there, but they have an unspoken camaraderie over being the only Scions who will never get a fantasy Ph.D, unless they start offering a fantasy Ph.D in stabbing.

  • Hydaelyn: She was never as devoted to Hydaelyn as Minfilia or Krile, because she can't really devote herself to someone she doesn't know. And until Endwalker, Hydaelyn was so strict about not making it even one iota personal. Ehriyu’s also really not about the whole “mother” thing; she's 26 years old when she first hears Hydaelyn's voice and she does not need another mother at that point. But she still believes Hydaelyn is a force for good, largely because she trusts Minfilia’s judgement, and only actually distrusts her after the reveal in Rak’tika. And then after the meeting on the boat to Sharlayan she really doesn’t know what to think! Her gut is telling her to trust her, but she doesn’t like being lied to, and she’s afraid of being tempered, especially since it hits her fear of helplessness.

    Then Elpis happens and Ehriyu falls super hard for Venat, like she had NEVER been CLOSE to down this bad before, and now she is just 10,000% Team Hydaelyn. Good lord did having to kill her traumatize her. Not even just kill, but destroy her soul. Like jesus christ, maybe she should be a little mad at Hydaelyn for making her do that. And boy does she regret not cherishing her connection to Hydaelyn more from the beginning. She had so little time between meeting Venat for real and losing her...

Questions & Answers

    • Do they like animals? Do animals like them?
    • Yes and yes! As a mooncat, she grew up with a strong hunting culture and at least where she’s from, that comes with a respect for wildlife. She spent a lot of time playing outdoors and being around animals as a kid too.
    • Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?
    • She gets along great with kids! She's really good at having lots of fun with them. Is she a responsible adult about it? ...Maybe not so much! She has zero desire for any kids of her own anyway, especially if it would entail “settling down” to some degree, which is the last thing she wants.
    • Do they have any special diet requirements? What is their favourite/least favorite food?
    • Her favorite foods are meat-based, but there is nothing she won’t eat. She is a garbage disposal of a person.
    • What are their favourite insults to use? What do they insult people for? Or do they prefer to bitch behind someone’s back?
    • She will absolutely not hide it when she's pissed at you. And you would think, being a bard, that she'd be able to come up with some really good insults, but nah, she loses all eloquence when she’s angry. When she's pissed is the only time she reverts back to speaking Meracydian Huntspeak, and falls back on some good ol’ standard insults from home.
    • Do they have a good memory? Short term or long term? Are they good with names? Or faces?
    • Yes, yes, yes, and yes. She remembers every place and everybody she meets, no matter how briefly. Things she reads, or is told, instead of seeing firsthand... she'll probably also remember. But that's not to say that her memories won't be tinged by personal bias.
    • What is their sleeping pattern like? Do they snore? What do they like to sleep on? A soft or hard mattress?
    • As a Keeper, she's narturally noctural, but in practice her sleep schedule is a dartboard. Traveling back and forth across the star constantly will do that to ya. She's used to going without sleep for way too long, and to rolling out of bed fully alert at a moment’s notice, an ability honed through necessity. By the same token, she can sleep pretty much anywhere. But on the occasions she has the chance to sleep in, somewhere warm and soft and fuzzy, she absolutely relishes it. She also likes cuddling in her sleep — another Miqo'te thing, imo. :)
    • What do they find funny? Do they have a good sense of humour? Are they funny themselves?
    • She has a kind of weird sense of humor and will sometimes be the only person laughing at something! She likes dirty jokes, and will sometimes laugh at jokes at other people's expense, but not intentionally — if someone points out that it's hurtful she'll instantly feel really bad about it. And I don't even know how to describe this kind of humor but it's hers.
    • How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions?
    • She’s very open about her happiness! I mean, she sings and hums even when she's not happy, but there is that, and she loves to share her joy with others.
    • What makes them sad? Do they cry regularly? Do they cry openly or hide it? What are they like they are sad?
    • She’s naturally upbeat, but the losses certainly still get to her. And she absolutely hides it; it takes a lot of cajoling for her to even admit she’s having a hard time. She’ll cry tears of happiness or relief in front of others, but she 100% bottles up the sad tears. It’s not until near the end of Shadowbringers that she ever really breaks down in front of the Scions, hence them being so good at checking up on her in Endwalker. ;w;
    • What is their biggest fear? What in general scares them? How do they act when they’re scared?
    • She’s often described as fearless, and it's not super far from the truth... but her big fear is helplessness. She’s confident enough in herself to handle the expectations put on her under most circumstances, but if something makes her feel out of control of a situation, she gets panicky. She was really terrified when she came close turning into a Lightwarden. And then the Zenos bodyswap episode happened, and that was even worse; that's the one thing that came closest to breaking her. She’s really in tune with her body! She always has been, but having needed to rely on her exceptional strength and skill so much since arriving in Eorzea, she felt really panicky having at having that ripped out from under her.
    • Do they drink? What are they like drunk? What are they like hungover? How do they act when other people are drunk or hungover? Kind or teasing?
    • She doesn’t drink much because a) god forbid an emergency come up and she’s plastered, and b) she despises hangovers. Altogether not worth it. The only reason she'd really drink anyway is socially, in which case she’s louder and even friendlier than normal. When other people are hungover, she’s teasing up to a point, but her sympathy kicks in if they seem really miserable.
    • Do they like to read? Are they a fast or slow reader? Do they like poetry? Fictional or non fiction?
    • She doesn’t hate reading, but she’s 100% a hands-on learner and would much rather experience things firsthand than through a book. Even with poetry and fiction, she’d rather hear them from a person than a book. She’s the kind of reader who goes too fast and ends up having to reread sections in order to actually absorb them. She’s also not the strongest reader in the first place, since unfortunately the Echo doesn’t work on written language and she has to learn the hard way.
    • What’s something that happened with your WoL and a Scion (or multiple) that embarrassed them and it became a “take this to your grave or else”? (x)
    • Ehriyu: Max level bard main since A Realm Reborn. Omni-instrumentalist and voice of an angel. Is hanging out with the Scions one day. Someone offhandedly mentions reading music, and she starts laughing, like “What's that supposed to mean? You don't read music, how would you even spell the notes?” Everyone just stares at her. Wondering how she ever got this far. Slowly she realizes she’s the only one laughing. 8') I swear she's not a complete idiot.
    • What do they admire in others? What talents do they wish they had?
    • She admires anyone with a dream and dedication to achieve it... like as long as that dream isn't terrifically villainous, at least. Being surrounded by so many Sharlayans all the time (Archons and a pair of child prodigies at that), she gets envious of how intelligent and well-read they all are, as well as how collected and mature they come off as. I guess those aren’t “talents” per se, but really, anything that would be classified as a talent she’d just get up and learn to do herself.
    • Are they religious? What do they think of religion? What do they think of religious people? What do they think of non-religious people?
    • This is definitely up in the air in part until we learn more about modern Meracydia, but I don’t think anyone would ever describe her as pious. When it comes to other people’s religions, she cares less about the beliefs themselves and more about how they affect their believers. She’d be like “This god sounds confusing, but if you’re doing good things in their name, that’s great!”
    • What is their favourite season? Type of weather? Are they good in the cold or the heat? What weather do they complain in the most?
    • She loves the variety of climate as much as she loves any other part of traveling, seeing snow and storms as much as sunshine, but she definitely fares better in hot weather. She’ll get fed up with rain and freezing temperatures if forced to stay in them long enough for the excitement to wear off, and won't complain aloud, but won’t hide it very well either.
    • Do they make a good first impression? Does their first impression reflect them accurately? How do they introduce themselves?
    • Usually, yes. Unless someone is making trouble, she comes across as cheerful and eager to help — which is accurate! She typically introduces herself by name and as an adventurer, although if someone recognizes her as the Warrior of Light she isn't shy about it.
    • What is your WoL’s canon outfit? The one you’d find then wearing during the MSQ, on book covers and merch? What’s their signature look? (x)
    • This one! I consider all of the outfits pictured on this site “canon” to a degree, but her bard outfits are 100% the ones she's most recognizable in. And of those, she wears the previously linked outfit throughout the majority of the MSQ so far. Near the end of Shadowbringers, when she tries to go off to the Tempest alone, she has a dramatic plot-related wardrobe change wherein this one becomes her new “default” look... but that wouldn’t be on merch until after the spoiler embargo is lifted. ;P Then for the end of Endwalker, after getting the artifact gear from Tataru, it gets a slight update to this. She has to have a little piece of Tataru with her for the final showdown, after all. :)
    • Is there a particular item of clothing/jewelry that your WoL wears across all their outfits? What kind of emotional significance, if any, does it have? (x)
    • It’s not one single item, but I am not kidding when I say she loves hats. There is no deep reason behind it. She just likes them as a fashion statement and she feels snug and comfy wearing them... especially if they have ear pockets. :) Additionally, helms are not hats. Metal is not snug and comfy.
    • What does your WoL smell like? Do they wear perfume/cologne? Will they settle for just being fresh? Do they reek as pungently as the ARR quests imply? (x)
    • Look. She does like being clean. No specific scents, just any soap she finds that happens to catch her fancy. But she sometimes just... forgets that she just trekked halfway across a country covered in blood and viscera. You know how it is.
    • How does your WoL feel about their job's artifact armor sets? Do they wear any of them, or use specific pieces? (x)
    • Her whole fashion sense is based around the bard artifact gear. Big loose collar, partially-exposed torso, tights, boots, and most importantly: fancy hat.
    • How much does your WoL care about their hair? Do they keep it styled and cut it regularly? Does it look like a bird’s nest? How important is it to them? (x)
    • She is pretty vain, to be honest, and her hair is definitely part of that, so she does make an effort to keep it nice. And when realizes she has gotten too caught up in an adventure for personal hygiene, more than caring about the blood and viscera, she’ll pout about her hair being a tangled wreck.
    • What kind of patient are they when they're sick? (x)
    • Very much the “I’m not sick let me go handle all my responsibilities” (stands up and almost passes out) type. If there’s nothing pressing happening and you do manage to convince her to rest and let herself be taken care of though, she realizes... Oh, this is nice.
    • Can your WoL dance? (x)
    • Yes. :) I think she's always seen dancing as something to go along with singing, so naturally she’s always liked to do it, and she has “officially” picked up dancing through Troupe Falsiam! I got like stupid emotional seeing this video for the first time and picturing her dancing with all the people she’s met on her travels like this...
    • How does you WoL react to being called cute? Are they embarrassed? Happy? Not amused?? (x)
    • “I know 😘”
    • Who is your WoL’s voice claim? If you don’t have one, how would you describe their voice? (x)
    • Miqo’te voice 11 is her canon voice! But it’s also not a whole lot to go on, so I mostly imagine Su-metal as her singing voice, plus the slight huskiness from her in-game voice.
    • What languages can your WoL speak? How proficient are they? Do they have an accent when speaking one or another? (x)
    • Like I said in her bio, she learns the languages of everywhere she goes! She’s more fluent in some than others, mostly based on how long she’s there and therefore how much practice she can get. She’s even halfway conversational in the language of the Ancients after visiting Elpis. :) This is 99% going to have to be either changed or handwaved if we go to Meracydia, but I habitually imagine her with an American accent so I’m just calling that her Meracydian accent for as long as I can get away with it. She starts sounding more Eorzean over time, but always retains the distinctive American “R” sound.
    • Is there an emote in-game that you consider canon for your WoL? Something you see and you think “Yes, that’s my character.” (x)
    • Honestly I feel like half of her character developed from watching her emote, but there are a handful that are especially noteworthy. Songbird, /pose, /joy, and whenever we do /me in cutscenes, I always hear her in my head saying “Leave it to me!” :)
    • How does someone earn your WoL’s trust? (x)
    • She was quite trusting in the beginning, really... which was an interesting choice, being a stranger on a continent she knew absolutely nothing about. Definitely a naive one. As shit happens and she feels the pain of betrayal a few times... She's still very open to new people, but it takes either a convincing show of vulnerability or a really good vibe to get to true trust.
    • How affectionate is your WoL with their S.O. in public vs. in private? (x)
    • She’s like... just barely this side of inappropriate in public LMAO. She's not mean enough to push it very far, but she kinda thinks it's cute to embarrass the other person. She's terrible. At the same time, she's grey-aromantic and it's way more physical than romantic affection.
    • What does your WoL wear when it’s sleepy time? Do they own a pajama set or perhaps undergarments? Or do they just sleep with their bare ass out. (x)
    • She prefers to sleep in something light and loose-fitting; she likes feeling light and free after lugging her weapons and armor around all day every day. She mostly just has a motley assortment of oversized shirts she’s picked up in various places. Gifts and quest rewards, stolen from lovers, stolen from dead bodies, you know. Awake or asleep though, cute panties always. And yes, she does have a sleeping cap.
    • How old is your WoL, and/or how old were they when they started and how old are they now? (x)
    • So I based her age off this chart, and how old I wanted her to be in relation to the other characters. In the time bubble sense, she's 26. I really considered making her 27 just so she could be older than Zenos to dunk on him LMFAO but 26 works better for everyone else. If we do take passage of time into account, I figure she'd be around 30 for Endwalker.
    • How does your WoL feel about their name? (x)
    • She likes it because it’s the one memento from home she always takes with her on her travels :) She honestly doesn’t think about home often because she's always looking forward, but ultimately she is proud of where she came from. I feel like that’s a common thread among mooncats, seeing as they’re the only race/clan that are invariably seen with both first and last name in-game.
    • When did the Echo awaken in your WoL? What triggered it? Or have they always had it? If so, did they tell anyone? Were they believed? Or ostracized? Or even accepted and embraced? (x)
    • She got the Echo in an accident as a little kid. She was out in the wilderness on her own, got trapped by a wildfire, and fell off a crumbling cliff trying to escape. So not exactly a starshower, but it was falling rocks, fire, and pain, so it did the job just as well. And “I hit my head really hard and now I can understand every language” just felt like a logical chain of events to her as a child LMAO. Her family was just like “Yeah that's our weird daughter with her weird power (affectionate) 🤷” They probably thought she was making it up at first because, you know, small child. Until they realized she genuinely could understand languages she had no business understanding. See her bio for more details. :)
    • Did your WoL have a stuffed animal, toy, or blanket they favored in their childhood? Do they still have it? Where do they display it, do they still sleep with it?? (x)
    • She was the kind of child who unintentionally put everything of the sort she ever loved through hell. Taking stuffed animals on “adventures” and dragging them through underbrush and mud puddles till they fell apart... So no, nothing that lasted very long.
    • What was their opinion the first time they met the Scions? (x)
    • She was still fairly new to Eorzea, surrounded by so many unfamiliar things that was a lot she didn’t entirely process right away. But told that she was in a unique position to be able to help people, how could she say no? Yda was the first Scion she really hit it off with, both being on the more cheerful and less academic side, but she immediately admired everyone’s dedication to the cause, and grew close to each of them over time. :) She also immediately had chemistry with Thancred, but that, uh. Got interrupted pretty quickly for Ascian reasons.
    • Where was the place where your character had the biggest culture shock? (x)
    • Eorzea as a whole, just because it was her first adventure outside of Meracydia. It meant starting from absolute zero, no knowledge of anything aside from home, and while disorientation always came second to excitement at seeing new things, it was still very much a learning process. A lot of the surprises were good ones, at least — she thought nothing of the racism she faced in Gridania because she was too busy being happy they didn’t follow Meracydia's policy of “kill outsiders on sight.” 8’)
      Anyway, by the time Heavensward rolls around, Ishgard is a much smaller cultural leap to make. She’d gotten a handle on how to deal with new places and a lot more confidence in where she stands while going to them, and by now nothing fazes her much. Having gained so much more perspective, she's also waaaaay more critical of Gridanian racism when she returns after being gone a long time and meets Mauh and Urha Lihzeh.
    • What was their reaction after their first fight with Zenos? (x)
    • It was a major ego check for sure. Between the hit to her pride and the losses at the Reach, she was really disheartened, but managed to bottle it up for the most part to get shit done, as usual.
    • How did they react to being a shard of Azem? Did they tell anybody? (x)
    • She hasn’t quite come to terms with it; if there's anything she's shy or even self-effacing about, it’s this. It's weird for her, feeling simultaneously very close to and very distant from Azem, and she’s isn’t sure which way she’s “supposed” to feel. Like is she responsible for Azem’s actions? Is she allowed to feel proud of something Azem did? It’s uncharacteristic for her; she’s typically very self-assured, but it’s a different story when she's not sure who counts as the “self” she's meant to be assured of. She definitely feels the pressure of living up to Azem’s legacy, more than she’s ever felt the pressure of being a Scion or the savior of Eorzea or any of that. So, still trying to figure out all out, she didn’t tell anyone right away. She eventually did, when it came time to recount Everything, but she really tried to downplay it to avoid taking about her feelings. Everyone can tell she’s uncomfortable, and Alisaie tries to press her about it, but for better or worse, the others gently nudge her away from doing so.
    • How different is your WoL to their Azem counterpart? (x)
    • They’re quite different physically... even aside from the obvious Miqo’te things. Their color schemes just barely overlap: Azem is pink/red/orange, whereas Ehriyu is blue/purple/pink. Personality-wise, they’re fairly similar. I’d originally thought Azem would be calmer and more mature, but then the comments we keep getting made me think maybe not LMAO. Azem was probably less feral, at least. I want her to have something that you can see followed through in Ardbert specifically, but I don’t know what. The sense of adventure and going new places and meeting new people though, that is definitely 100% the same in Ehriyu. In Ultima Thule, when Emet-Selch started listing off all those places she had yet to see... The look in her eyes, of wonder and excitement and hunger for adventure... and understanding that he was telling her all that as a gift. He 100% saw Azem in that look.
    • How does your WoL feel about the existence of their shards? (x)
    • Like the ones on worlds we have yet to interact with? She hasn’t really given it any thought yet; any time the topic has come up she’s had more pressing issues to focus on. If she did, she’d be a little overwhelmed at first, feeling that same pressure she feels about Azem herself... but then she’d think of Ardbert, and that would all immediately melt away. How could she possibly be apprehensive about anyone like Ardbert? She’d be so excited to meet them.
    • Does your WoL’s opinion of Emet-Selch ever change? (x)
    • Absolutely... but not 100%. She just thought of him as evil at first; Ascians are the bad guys and that’s that. But by the end of Endwalker, whether it’s influenced by lingering Azem memories or just the time she's spent with him herself, especially in Elpis, her gut feeling toward him is positive now. There’s no enmity, no satisfaction, no relief when he disappears in Ultima Thule with Hylodaeus, when they've only just met for the first time with both of them understanding everything... only affection and sadness at losing him now. At the same time, she never forgives him. She’s met too many people whose suffering he caused. There are too many people she can’t meet because of the suffering he caused. She cares for everything he fought for now too, understands that saving either that or the present was a zero-sum game with no perfect solution — that at the very least, the souls trapped like Hyth's needed saving. But she absolutely does not even slightly believe that the ends justify the means. And when faced with the fallout of what he’s done, she still gets just as angry as she ever did.
    • What are your WoL’s thoughts about the concept of death and the afterlife? Do they fear their own mortality? How soon would they try to emerge from the aetherial sea to be reborn again? (x)
    • Short answer: “I’ll die when I die but I’m gonna fucking live until then.”
      Long answer... “The Miqo’te do not shun death when old age and illness render them incapable of participating in the hunt.” Ehriyu grew up with this philosophy, and is accordingly pretty cavalier about death, her own included. At the same time, if she found herself dying, she would find herself mourning everything she hadn’t done and everywhere she hadn’t been yet. As such, once in the aetherial sea, she’d be eager to get back out there and adventure again ASAP. :)
      Prior to Eorzea though, she’d never really lost anyone in as tragic a fashion as she would come to, so she definitely gains more negative associations with death over time — an understanding of how much it can hurt to lose people no matter what your beliefs are. Meeting the Dotharl has a really profound effect on her; she really vibes with their outlook. She’d started to get bogged down with the losses, and it helped her to be surrounded by people who think of death in a less negative way again, to be reminded of that way of thinking.
      Then she has complicated feelings about the Ancients' philosophy in Elpis, despite it technically being similar. It feels so much more foreign and theoretical with the whole immortality aspect attached. “I'll die when I die but I'm gonna fucking live until then” can't apply! It’s really too much for her to comprehend and she never does find an answer. But that’s okay; she doesn't need one, because she's sure of what to do and how to feel in the present.
    • Has the events your WoL experienced changed them for better, or for worse? Would they be proud of who they are, or disappointed in how they’ve become? (x)
    • She’s gained some trauma, but also changed for the better in some ways. She’s got a much more nuanced understanding of others and of the world, where she used to have more black and white thinking. She’s gained so many experiences and relationships she wouldn’t trade for anything. She’d feel to a certain degree that she doesn’t have much to be proud of because she was set on this path by others — first by the Scions, on the First by the Exarch, ultimately by Hydaelyn — and she just followed it. But I don’t think that's entirely true. And if asked... yes, she’d be proud of herself.
    • How comfortable is your WoL with murder? (x)
    • She was more comfortable with it early on really, because she didn’t overthink it. There were bad guys hurting people, and killing them would stop them from hurting people. Since she’s come to sympathize with so many erstwhile enemies, though, and generally gained a more nuanced understanding of the world, she’s regretted how flippant she used to be about it, and has tried a lot harder to look for alternatives... but she still won’t hesitate when she really needs to.
    • What are your WoL's highest priorities? (x)
    • It’s hard to beat her responsibilities as the Warrior of Light. 8’) Which to her, means feeling responsible for saving everybody all of the time and beating herself up for it if she can’t.
      Like it’s super lucky for her that her WoL responsibilities largely involve things she likes doing anyway (read: adventuring), because if you told her the only way to save people now was to get a desk job, she would be out of her mind miserable, but by the gods she would do it.
    • What is an AU you have been thinking about for your WoL? (x)
    • This isn’t even “AU” so much as “What if I just plopped her down on Earth with all of her Eorzean memories intact,” but... The Scions would show up eventually looking for her, so worried about how she’s fared since she went missing, if she’s even still alive in this weird world without aether... and see her face plastered across Times Square or something, holding a guitar, the biggest rockstar in the world. She’s translated her bard skills perfectly well and is, of course, traveling all over on a world tour. They’d just laugh at the idea that they were so worried, when she’d always thrived in every unexpected place she’d ever ended up in. :)

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Bard (Main)

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