Stars Guide you
Sharlayan born scholar, aether expert, and Chosen of Zodiark, Melos Orphne is a clever and eager individual always looking for the next tome to devour or adventure to record. A historian at heart, Mel's adventuring spirit is only ever in pursuit of knowledge and first hand accounts of events, but he's known to help the odd villager in need, for the right price.
Professional Know-it-all
name: Melos "Mel" Orphne
titles: Warrior of Darkness, Zodiark's Chosen
nicknames: Mel (no one calls him Melos unless they're mad)
age: Late 20s/Early 30s
gender: trans man
race: Keeper of the Moon (mother) / Elezen (Father)
physical: 5'10 / 150lbs
birthplace: Sharlayan, but grew up travelling the Garlean Empire, and Limsa.
orientation: bisexual
occupation: historian and scholar, focused on the manipulation of aether
classes: Red Mage, Gunbreaker, and Sage (Bard, if pressed)
residence: Mel splits his time between a small home deep in Outer La Noscea, and a room in Idyllshire
skills: being a know-it-all, aether manipulation, diplomacy, and strategy
appearance: Mel is tall for a Keeper, some of his elezen blood stretching him out, but otherwise has an athletic build he keeps in shape. His hair is a dark, rich red with white growing in from a surge of White Magic during the Dragonsong war. His eyes are naturally green but his right eye is red since forging a pact with Midgarsormr. He is extremely fluffy, with a bushy tail and large, soft ears.
History
Before the Calamity
Born to House Orphne in Sharlayan, Melos was a bastard, bearing his father's name and his mother's looks. His father, Tristain, was cold to Melos growing up, but Sharlayan for all its traditions and hierarchies, still sought to bring out the best in its people and Melos grew up with tutors and teachers alike that fostered a love of learning, and curiosity within him.While young, Melos met G'raha and the two formed a friendship focused around debate, archery contests, and spending long nights together researching in Sharlayan's great libraries. Melos managed to show great promise and was taken in by his own personal mentor Gilroy Rayne. Gilroy took Melos away from Sharlayan, under the pretense of showing him the libraries in Idyllshire and beyond, however they did not stay in Idyllshire long.Gilroy had long found his alliance bought by Garlean coin and had collected promising mages to bolster the Scarlet Blades, Garlemald's personal Red Mage assassins. Melos, too young to question his mentor's decisions and guidance, followed him willingly and spent nearly a decade in harsh training that honed his aether manipulation into needlepoint accuracy.On the eve of his 18th namesake, Melos was tasked with seducing and spying on the daughter of a Kugane diplomat. He wined and dined her, and started to develop feelings for her. But these weren't enough to deter him from his mission and he killed her father only to be caught, bloodied sword in hand, by her. Seeing the horror and betrayal on her face was a big enough shock to his system that he finally fled Gilroy and the Garleans, and caught the first ship headed out of Kugane.Arriving some time later in Limsa, Mel ended up adopted into the patched together family staying in the Lighthouse where he would meet his future siblings, Cálei, Esme, and Ni'ha, as well as his guardian Riyo and Lucky. These were better days for Mel, where he spent most of his time doing odd jobs for the pirates of Limsa, and collecting sea shanties to practice.The peace was short lived, however, and when the war came crashing down.
Dalamund and a Realm Reborn
With the Garleans pressing every advantage, Melos fled Limsa not long after his brother Cálei joined the Limsan reserves. Fearing that he'd be caught again by Gilroy, Melos kept moving across Eorzea, avoiding the war-front best he could but fate wasn't done with him. His aether signature made it easy for Gilroy to track him down and deep within the Black Shroud Melos was battled Gilroy, to no avail. His mentor turned hunter bested him easily, dragging him onto an airship bound for Carteneau.However, Dalamud was pulled from the sky absent the airship crashing to the earth. Melos, dead on impact, drifting within the Astral Sea, but fell into its depths, away from the Light of the Mothercrystal. Instead, Zodiark, long awaiting an avatar of his own, pulled Melos from the sea and forged his shards into a new soul, depositing him back on the mortal plane. Melos awoke, in the Northern Shroud, the forest on fire, and an au ra leaning over him, forcibly bringing him back to life. Calla, a white mage also on the ship, had brought him back but the magic needed and her own injuries rendered them both largely unable to move through the thick forest.It took only a few hours for the wreck of the airship to be discovered by a young hunter from one of the nearby clans, Naoh’a. Escorting them out of the thick Shroud, Naoh’a took them to Fallgourd Float to recover, and Melos, exhausted and thankful to simply be alive, stole the lancer away for one night together, as thanks, before they parted ways. Calla recovered, and Melos, content to still evade the Garleans, stayed together in Gridania, taking odd jobs over the next five years. Mel used these years to shackle his aether, not wanting to use it ever again.Answering an ad to a Free Company looking for officers drew Mel and Calla into the hands of fate again, and back to Naoh’a as well, the other officer to the Company. Their boss, Charakha, enlisted them to help the Warrior of Light with some Primals that were threatening Eorzea but the Warrior of Light was no stranger, but Cálei. However, Hydaelyn had long taken Cálei’s memories and the reunion between the two brothers was not as warm as Mel had hoped it.Still, the Company trailed all over Eorzea, helping defeat Primals, and pushing back on Garlean fronts, growing closer together as the months wore on. Mel continued to butt heads with Naoh’a, their relationship growing physical without any romantic attachment (yet). As time went on, the Company gained more notoriety and managed to be present during the assault on the Praetorium, aiding the Warrior of Light in the defeat of the Ultima Weapon.As the aftermath of the victory played out, Mel began to worry about what would come next. He had never yearned for the life of an adventurer and the more their names became widespread, the more he worried the Garleans or his family would find him again. This worry was made only worse when he met G’raha again, and Sharlayan seemed all the closer. The Crystal Tower loomed, Mel did reconnect with his old friend, spending long evenings discussing theories around the Tower and worlds beyond, but it only made Mel miss being a scholar, more than anything. When G’raha sealed himself away, Mel decided that he would return to Sharlayan, and planned to tell the Company of his departure the night of the Grand Companies meeting.
The Dragonsong War
The dinner, ending with Nanamo’s assassination and the blame pinned on the Warrior of Light meant Mel never anyone of his plans, the imminent destruction of the Scions and the scattering of the Company putting much more at stake. Mel, fleeing the Braves, ended up in the Highlands and separated from his friends and family. With no one to turn to, lost in a growing storm, when the minute form of Midgardsormr found him half frozen to death and offered him a deal, Mel could only agree. Bound to the dragon, Mel followed his instructions to the hideout of the heretics and served Lady Iceheart, helping those persecuted from the city to find safe haven in Dravania.Firmly entrenched in the heretics, Mel often came into close quarters with the Dragoons that were sent from Ishgard. Battling in skies, upon Midgar’s back, and even on the ground, Mel held his own against most, felling only one, and wounding others. Still, one pitched battle ended Mel’s streak. Faced with an Azure Dragoon, Mel and Midgarsormr were both struck from the sky, falling into the frozen Banepool, sinking far below its surface.Before he could be taken by the icy depths, the Azure Dragoon pulled him from the waters, wanting him to face justice for his crimes against Ishgard and the dragoons. Retrieved from the water Mel finally got a look at the man who bested him, shocked to find Naoh’a underneath the Azure Dragoon’s helm. Before they could discuss more than fought and desperate questions after each other’s health, Ishgardians and Dragoons alike descended on them, locking Mel in chains and taking him back to the Holy See to face trial.Only with Naoh’a’s influence as the Azure Dragoon was Mel able to earn a trial by combat, and by besting Ser Charibert Mel earned a stay of execution. Instead, Mel was forced to lead the expedition to Dravania. Unhappy with the circumstances, Mel bristled against most of his old friends and the Company picking petty fights with most of them, most of his ire focused on Naoh’a and Calla, hurt that they’d somehow found each other in the months after the fateful dinner, but hadn’t found him.This all came to a head during the assault on the Vault. With Haurchefant bleeding out, Melos’ first thought was to fly after the Archbishop, but seeing Naoh’a holding his friend in his final moments, Mel couldn’t leave Naoh’a’s side. With loss to bind them, Mel finally fell back in with Company and friends, especially Cálei, and finally set his eyes on ending the war permanently. Arriving in Idyllshire helped Mel get in touch with his Sharlayan roots and finally open himself up to using his aether again and testing his Red Magic. Not willing to use it in combat, he could at least teach Cálei a few pointers, and disappear into Gubal’s many rows and begin to study again.With Nidhogg’s defeat, and the war coming to an end, Mel was finally looking outwards for his path forward instead of reacting to a crisis and running away. When Estinien, possessed by the wyrm returned for the final confrontation on the Steps of Faith, Mel did not balk at the challenge, remaining to watch Naoh’a’s back as he faced his possessed friend. In order to stop Estinien, Naoh’a took a fatal blow, long enough to remove the Eyes from the armour, and Mel finally let loose his aether, tearing Naoh’a back from the aetheric sea and placing his soul back in his body. The burst of magic left him with a shock of white in his hair.
