A Story of Hope
28 - M - Viera - Beta
A gifted astrologian with strong prophetic abilities. Hope has been blessed by nature to hear their wisdom and impart it on those he touches."truth is everything, but before you give it to another are you giving them clarity, light, and purpose, or are you shifting the burden to someone who needs all their strength"
A story about Hope
“From the very beginning I knew you were special..I just didn't know how. When I first laid my eyes on you, Volvolia, I had hoped you'd become one of our strongest hunters, an excellent provider and a ferocious adversary. And yet at every turn, fate seemed to just laugh at my face. You were destined for better.” Love, Mother.
Volvolias’ story begins in his formative years. Where the young still are soaking in information and formulating their morals and ideals. Yet Volvolia was always the odd one out among his generation. He was atypical to say the least. Always listening to the wind, claiming the walls were talking to him and deeply afraid of the dark. The only normal part was he could rough house and roll in the dirt like the rest of the male children in their youth, but there was no avoiding the whispers from his age group, his ‘weirdness’ was apparent.Vikburda they'd call him a burden on their tribe. Teasing the poor boy for his odd eccentricities. These voices on the wind, the whispers in the trees were a gift from the elements themselves. They would communicate to the child, allowing him to see what others could not. Peak into possible futures, harmless and non damaging to his young mind. These glimpses of time offered to Volvolia, he used it to try to warn his tribe of setbacks. To his mothers horror instead of gratitude to his gift, this ignorance led them to assign guilt to the child instead. Refuting his innocent warnings, and blaming him when things went wrong.His mother, only concerned for her child, sought originally to stifle it. To teach him to act like the other children, to not stand out so much, to fit in. This worked for a time, at a sacrifice to his gift. The new quiet teenager who kept his mouth shut and followed the orders of the elders without question was slowly welcomed back into the status quo of his tribe. The trade of being ‘normal’ for being accepted… made Volvolia sick. His once robust connection with nature was stifled. The clear voices of the elements now jumbled mumbling to Volvolia ears. This disconnect often led him to be on bed rest from terrible headaches, mental and physical exhaustion and overstimulation. His mother only ever wanted what's best for her child and sought every doctor and cleric at her disposal to cure him to no avail. Her insistence on wanting her child to be accepted instead of supporting him, she realized too late it was costing them dearly.Only when a wayward conjurer noticed the telltale signs of an elementals’ curse was relief finally given to the young Shetona. Volvolia couldn't have gotten any luckier at their chance encounter, being saved by their elemental prowess to ease his pain and save him from the beasts that lingered in Shaaloani. The conjurer offered to take Volvolia back to Gridania, suggesting to his mother that it would be best to quell the anger the elements have turned towards him and that a teacher would help her son. She was relieved to finally find an answer though with relief came realization and the sweet sorrow of departure. The road ahead would be tough, the damage was already done and it was up to Volvolia to repair himself. Being taken under the conjurer's wing to reconnect with nature, to reclaim his gift, Volvolia ventures out with him to Gridania in search of enlightenment.
During his studies of the elements and calming the anger and disarray of the forest did Volvolia mental fatigue fade, replaced with only momentary headaches of wisdom he could not understand but receive all the same. His mentors in Gridania grew worried for their pupil as they've only put a bandaid over Volvolias’ affliction. Seeking greater guidance E-Sumi-Yan sent Volvolia to convene with the White Mage seed seers, Raya-O-Senna and A-Ruhn-Senna and Kan-E-Senna. E-Sumi-Yan hoped Volvolia would experience ‘The Quieting’ under their watchful eye and the experience would alleviate Volvolia and reach a greater connection with nature and bring him in line with his gift. Upon his arrival however, he was temporarily blessed with the White Mage stone of A-Towa-Cant and swept into participating in the ritual with the Padjals. Being bestowed with the wisdom and fighting alongside fellow White Mages was his gift realized as prophetic in nature. The voices he heard were similar in nature to how Conjurers and White Mages commune with the natural world; however, nature was trying to reveal to Volvolia the secrets of this world. His natural sensitivity to natures’ aether led his teachers to seek out an astrologian to teach him further. His conjurer master sought it best to hone this facet of his gift from the elementals and learn to better utilize his connection through astrologian methods.
Volvolia set out with new vigor, taking the chosen name ‘Hope’ with the answers he has collected so far, he set his sights on opening the 7 gates and further realize his gift under astrologian tutelage. He was sent to Cortheas, its biting cold becoming a reality check after being surrounded by warm weathered areas. Being treated rather rudely because of his appearance from the natives. While not out of place in Gridania, against Ishgards bleak stone architecture, Hopes’ vibrant clothes made him stand out and a bit of a laughing stock in their city-state. He spent several days asking and communicating with others before he finally found his way to Ishgards own Athenaeum Astrologicum hiding in plain sight within the capital. His first thought when entering the building was why everyone was so averse to even mentioning the place of study. That was until he met the head researcher, and in Hope's words, “a bumbling, self important, sly, dog of a man who atleast has his priorities in such a way it benefits my goals.” Jannequinard is an ‘eager’ astrologian who was hell bent on bringing Sharlyan Astrology to Ishgard. As if the gods were on his side, he was sent to escort that mans guests back to Ishgard and in turn, earned a spot to be mentored by the experienced Sharlyan Astrologian, Leveva.The study wasn’t easy and scrying with cards was difficult at first but upon his first official outing, he was able to clear the rumblings of nature. No longer a chorus of voices, shouts and yells that rang within his ears, now the wisdom was clear, soft whistles in the wind, whispers of faint knowledge, just like in his childhood. It was enough to tell him he was on the right track to regaining his understanding of his gift. His mentor was pleased with his studies while being swept up in the conspiracy trying to keep Ishgard in its old ways of astrology. This was his only shot to continue to learn astrology within Ishgard. His other promising option was within Sharlyan but it was a closed nation. The road was difficult and greatly hindered, pushed back at every step. During an outing in the Dravanian Forelands did Hope finally have his breakthrough. Being pushed into a corner by an old world conspirator and her gang did his gift manifest into powerful astral magicks. Being attacked he did his best to defend himself but, the moment his hand touched her skin could he divine a future without much effort, the chorus of nature echoed in his head and the paths were clear as ever. His breakthrough was punctuated by her undoing as he had finally reconnected with his gift.
After his foray with the Astrologians in Ishgard, aiding in achieving a late fathers dream, he finally set off again back home to reconnect with his mother. He had been away for several summers and he used his gift back home to aid his village, earning their respect and shouldering their regret for their treatment of him until the call for adventure had struck him once more. The whispers of the borders of Sharlyan finally opening once more allowed him to take the plunge to further his studies, taking on much field work and using his abilities to help others in their travels.
About Hope
♠️ When Hope peers into peoples futures, he can sometime meet himself and deliver cryptic or urgent messages that can save him from certain doom, like watching your reflection move in the mirror telling you to leave, or not to look to far or frantically tell you something before getting shattered.♠️ Sometimes when he peers inside peoples futures and its bad, he feels it. If he looks in and for example the person is getting choked out, he feels all of that. Most of the time the feeling and having a reflex is enough for him to sever the connection, other times its not until some else severs the connection or he falls on the floor passing out for it to end.♠️ Humor is a mask to cover all the bad moments.♠️ Peering into peoples futures has lead him to learn things that sound odd to the average person when spoken plainly.♠️ Sex-Positive Ace♠️ How he earns his gill is doing small readings on peoples lives. Most peoples lives are boring and he often tells white lies to leave his customers happy.♠️ Being a Beta his presentation didnt change much about his life, his scent often being comforting to others, his scent often being compared to morning dew or clean clothes.♠️ Hope is a proficient marksman because of his previous training for his tribe. Thanks to the machinest guild in Ishgard he is able to keep his marksmanship in practice. The manufactured nature of machinest allows him a secondary job primarily for protection or hunting when the situation calls for it.♠️ Hope still gets fatigued when using his gift too much, using scrying he learned under his mentor to bridge the gap for his own health.♠️ Hope is an adept liar. Often times for others benefit. Carefully choosing his words to aid in a persons development when they come to him for answers for their problems.♠️Hopes gift works much like Garnets future vision. Fate can be defied or changed based on someones actions. Hope mostly sees the stronger likelihoods and possible outcomes. His future sight isnt foolproof.
OOC area spoilers for ShB, EW and DT
Possible HooksHope travels frequently offering his scrying services to those almost like a party trick. Is fate kind to you?Hope often times spends a good chunk of the year in Ishgard. Because of his standing and associations he is a noble by proxie. Yet he continues on without much regard for the hierarchy.Hope is quite the bookworm, often times burying his nose deep in tomes or novels. Library or the good outdoors are his choice to consume them.Hope does not care for much of Ishgards cuisine. Often times cooking with spices he brings in his bag from home. Have you caught a whiff of his lunch? Or perhaps dinner in his apartment.Hope was caught in the conspiracy of keeping Sharlyan astrology out of Ishgard. Forlemont still isnt pleased with him thwarting the plan and revealing his involvement. There is tension in his field of work.
Name: Volvolia / City name: HopeAge: 28Gender: MaleSubgender: BetaRace: ShetonaLanguages: Common, Common Turali, IshgardianHeight: 6'0Hair: Purple Locs with Pale Blue tipsVoice claim: TBDNotable features: Pale blue glass eyes, pale blue winged facial manifestations framing his face next to his eyes, pale black freckles dotting his cheeks and nose, pale blue facial manifestation between his eyebrows (diamond).Tattoos: A mixture of constellations and nature. A connection between the earth and sky etched into his skin. Symbolic of the celestial bodies he calls upon in his magicks and the gift the natural world has given him. The celestial imagery across his chest and back while the nature imagery sprawls down his left hip and leg.Personality: witty and cryptic and sometimes strange. Its hard to pin down who he is on the outside looking in but many encounters describe him as kind and personable. Theres a mischievousness underneath a layer of professionalism and learned grace. Someone with a big hard and inadequate tools to portray his care. A proper eternal student with his enjoyment of new knowledge.