The Guardian at a Glance

Arlan was to live an exciting—if typical—life for a warrior of his tribe. Named after a long line of beast slayers, champions, and overall chaotic heroes, he believed himself destined for great things. If all had gone well, he'd have be known across the Steppe.Hardly to be. One day, he left his tribe behind, whether as willing exile or pariah is unclear. He spent the next few years wandering Othard, going from a hotheaded young man to a slightly more battered, hotheaded young man. Through this time he sailed with the Ruby Confederacy, fought with the Doman Front, and soon after was press-ganged into a pirate crew just on the outskirts of the Ruby Sea. After a year of this, he was rescued by a Maelstrom crew that had been chasing that ship for a long while In the chaos, he had the perfect chance to free himself.Now free to roam on an entirely new continent, Arlan's gone back to doing what he does best. Hunting, mercenary work, and getting into all sorts of trouble. His time on Eorzea has made more open to others certainly, but echoes of his past do keep haunting him. On one hand, his loyal Yol, Eastwind, tracked him down after his exile. On the other, his work is rarely finished, and old rivals and enemies keep popping up where he least expects it.

The Surface Details

Full Name: Arlan Dotharl
Aliases: "Hullbreaker," Vulture
Gender: Cis Man
Race: Xaela Au Ra
Age: 25
Sexuality: BisexualBuild: Slim, Muscular
Height: 7'
Weight: 220lbs
Voice: Very even, almost monotonous unless he's raising his voice.Origin: Azim Steppe
Place of Residence: Mist (when he's not living more on the road)
Occupation: Mercenary, Hunter, Bodyguard
Affiliations/Organizations: Dotharl Tribe, Ruby Confederacy, Maelstrom, Doman Liberation Front
Worship: Auri Pantheon
Weapons of Choice: Greataxes, Greatswords, Gunblades, Bows, Longswords

Warrior, not a Tradesman
One thing Arlan is keenly aware of is the value of a sharpened blade, unbattered armor, and a good healing potion or two. . As such, he's surprisingly interested in meeting scholars, artisans, and other professionals outside of the mercenary profession. Almost as valuable as gold, especially if he ever needs their expertise.

Looking for Trouble
Arlan's never in one place for too long, and never on one job longer than he needs to be. Naturally, he's a perpetual busybody. Always after new places to explore, things to kill, or stories to unravel. Combine this with a penchant for heroics, and a Yol ready to carry him anywhere, he'll be a persistent little bastard with whatever he sinks his teeth into. He'll latch onto any intriguing job (or simple bait) you point him at, so long as it can actually hold that interest.

"Let me tell the tale of when..."
Like all glory hounds, Arlan is always eager to talk about his accomplishments. Unlike most glory hounds, he's also willing to hear out the tales of others. So long as one can stomach a little self-serious bravado, you could swap stories with him for an era.

GOOD LORD WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THERE?
These are all secret/not-obvious hooks for Arlan. You can use these if you want, or otherwise ignore them. It's cordoned off if you're not a fan of character spoilers. If you're nosy though (I am too I can't say shit) take a look.Additionally, I consider these 'optional' themes of the character. Don't expect them to be a main focus outside of very specific occasions.

The Muddled Mind of Many Lifetimes
Arlan doesn't know it, but he has a very weak form of the Echo. This has manifested for him in two ways. First, he has been able to 'feel' dense or rapidly changing concentrations of aether, mostly in the form of a sudden, element-specific emotional response. This has been a pain in the ass for him as he frequently works with spellcasters and aetheric devices, but he's learned to cope what that. What he hasn't learned to cope with is the portion that has manifested after his sailing off to Tural to persue a grudge: vivid, lucid dreams of his memories and those of past incarnations (per Dotharli belief). He has kept this a strict secret, though those who are sensitive (read: if you want to be privy to it) could potentially experience the dreams with him. Currently he is in a state of both denial and ignorance towards what could be causing either.

Steppe Iconoclast (Dotharl Tribe Hook)
Back home, Arlan wasn't the notable one in his family. His father, Therva, was the oddity. A madman, by most accounts, preferring to keep his family isolated from the rest of the tribe. Tolerated for his prowess, few really took his ravings about the corruptive, weakening influence of magic seriously. While the exact details of what happened are sparse, the general story is clear: Arlan and Therva had a falling out. A bad one. And Arlan hasn't been seen in the Steppe since.

Revolutions Gone Past (Doman/Ruby Sea/Garlean Hook)
Arlan doesn't talk about it to anyone who doesn't already know of his involvement, but his wanderings put him right into the cauldron that was the successful liberation of Doma. Not a major figure by any stretch, but those who crossed his path probably remember his antics. In particular, the Garlean Gunblade and set of officer's boots he practically dececrated with his own modifications earned him, at the very least, a bit of infamy for his appearance. He might still answer to the nickname of "Vulture," but be prepared for that to be an awkward conversation.

Wrong Place Wrong Times (Sailor/Coastal City Hook)
Some may recognize Arlan from a year or two ago. A Xaela of his description was seen with a formerly Garlean aligned mercenary ship, known for its open-sea raiding and ruthless reputation. By all accounts, he was not a member of the crew in question. By his account, he was pressed ganged into serving the ship, now he's free. Though pirates flying similar colours have been spotted maurading the seas by Tural, and he seems to have been drawn to the continent because of it. Whether it was coincidence, or a search for some more revenge, he's not telling.

ME
Been playing this game for a year now, think I've gotten settled in well. If you're a content player and you've gotten here: my friend you are lost. I tend to play Tanks (WAR/DRK are favourites, GNB is fun when it's not breaking my hands.) I tend to bounce between trying Savage/Extreme and Hunts. My RP style tends to be decently-lore abiding (as maddening as it can be) and with a mix of single-paragraph or or sentence posts preferred. Multiple paragraphs are fine just expect some delayed responses.THE OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMER
Minors DNI, 18+ only, etc, etc. Not just because the character and writing themes involve can get dark at times but also for my own sanity. Content warnings for Arlan's background/character: abandonment, captivity/slavery, mental trauma, emotional neglect/abuse, etc. If you don't want to deal with these or have other things you'd rather avoid in the story, feel free to tell me and I'll be glad to accommodate.