Primal / crystal RP
Anouk Andvari
Forced out of their home in the Golmore Jungle, Anouk is exploring Etheirys searching for a way to cure a mysterious curse—and meeting some very interesting people along the way.
Name: Anouk Andvari
Age: Don't worry about it.
Race: Rava Viera
Gender: Don't worry about it.
Pronouns: They/he/she
Sexuality: Pansexual
Languages Spoken: Native Golmorran speaker; fluent Dalmascan, semi-fluent Common, rough Hingan and Steppe
Occupation: Freelance bodyguard, mercenary, and hunter. Pit fighter. Bartender, very recently.
Appearance: Tall (6'4") and athletically built. Dark skin and fluffy, messy black hair. Their left eye is a striking shade of gold, with a matching geometric tattoo beneath it—the tattoo seems to glow softly in darkness. However, Anouk keeps their golden eye hidden with masks, bandages, and eye patches. Androgynous, with little care for Eorzean cultural gender norms in their presentation. Modest chest, muscular figure, phenomenal legs and ass. Lots of scars; even more freckles. Fluffy rabbit tail.
Voice: Soft-spoken, but clear and deep, with a thick Golmorran accent.
Merits: Confident. Adventurous. Strong. Resourceful. Courageous.
Flaws: Reckless. Flighty. Blunt. Insensitive. Quick to violence. Dishonest. A total mess, despite what they'd have you believe.
Anouk's clan thought his curse was a divine punishment. Their best fighter and worst scoundrel, suddenly unable to lie to save his life—it served him right! But none of them counted on just how far Anouk can run from his problems. Across Nagxia, to the Azim Steppe and then beyond, Anouk has been desperately searching for a way to lift the curse so unfairly placed upon him.So what if he's mostly spending his time in brothels and bars, wearing masks to avoid the dread beast of emotional honesty? Things will work out for him in the end. They always do.
Anouk Andvari was always a scoundrel, but once, they were a beloved one. When they came of age but had still not developed a clear lean toward one sex or the other—an uncommon, but not unheard of occurrence—the clan let Anouk decide their own role; stay in the village, or join the Wood-warders. The choice was mostly a formality, as anyone who had ever met the hotheaded kit knew they had more energy than sense. The Wood-warders claimed them, and their new life began—one of hunting, sparring, and brotherhood; days filled with sunbeams streaming through leaves and nights filled with stars.Anouk's happy life crumbled slowly. On an exploratory trip with several other clan members into an ancient ruin, they discovered a beautiful, masked statue. Upon touching the statue's base to brush away the dust that covered the inscription, they were suddenly wracked with debilitating pain.When they awoke safely among the Wood-warders, they discovered the first of the changes. Anouk's left eye had become a startling golden, and their deep skin was marked similarly, with intricate patterns that mimicked those they'd seen on the statue's mask.While definitely unsettling, Anouk's vision was unaffected, and their healer found nothing else amiss. They assumed that was the end of it—until, days later, their best friend asked, "Weren't you scared?" and Anouk answered honestly: "Terrified."Anouk and their tribe slowly realized Anouk had become unable to lie—and, in turn, that the others could no longer lie to them. It didn't seem so bad at first. What did honest people have to fear from such a thing? If it encouraged them to live truthfully, perhaps this encounter was actually a blessing all along.But the mysterious blessing did not care to distinguish between the kinds of lies people tell each other. Lies of kindness—"You look beautiful", "I'm happy to see you", "I'm fine"—were silenced just as thoroughly as malicious intents to deceive. Worse still, silence was no longer an option—the blessing demanded an answer, and only the raw, unpolished truth would spill forth.Hurt feelings festered. Arguments became a regular occurrence, spiraling out of control. Anouk could not keep other people's secrets, either, and it became something to exploit. Over months, the clan's relationships with one another degraded, a once close-knit community becoming something rotten—with Anouk sitting at its putrefying core.They don't talk about what broke them and forced them to leave. Donning masks to cover their eyes, Anouk fled the home they'd loved for a lifetime, hoping to find a cure in the mysterious lands outside the jungle.
How it works:If someone looks into their golden eye, they become physically unable to lie to Anouk. Anouk also becomes unable to lie to them in turn—so all of these limitations apply to them as well. As of right now in their story, there is no way to undo it once you've made eye contact; the curse is forever, regardless of if the two of them are looking at one another or not.- If one asks the other a direct question, they MUST answer. Staying quiet does not work, and produces a physically painful sensation of pressure building in one's head and chest until the truth is expelled.
- Only intentional lies or obfuscations of truth are affected. For example, if someone were to repeat false information that they sincerely believe is the truth—i.e. telling Anouk the wrong name of another person, because said person only ever used an alias—the eye does not consider this to be lying.
- If someone lies to another person in Anouk's presence (or Anouk does the same), they'll be able to feel it—a sort of twinge in their chest.
- White lies are affected, too—even small ones like "I'm okay" or "that looks good on you".This never happens in casual RP. I will not bust out this story element on your character and expect you to play along unless we've discussed it thoroughly in advance. Anouk takes great pains to make sure no one is ever exposed to it!
Do I know you?
Have you seen Anouk fight in Ul'dah's gladiatorial arena? Better yet: have you two fought each other before?
Did you get into a fight outside of the arena?
Have you hired her for a job? A bodyguard, a mercenary, a hunter, an explorer? There's, frankly, a lot she'll do for gil.
Are you someone who deals in esoteric magic or strange artifacts? Anouk actively seeks out people with knowledge of the forbidden and arcane.
Anouk arrived on the Azim Steppe prior to Doma's liberation beaten, bloodied, and pursued by Garleans. Did you help him recover from his wounds and give him shelter? Or were you one of his pursuers?
Anouk spends a lot of time in the Shroud. It's a pale imitation of their beloved Golmore, but it'll have to do for now.
OOC Info
I'm 30+ years old and I prefer writing with people who are 21+. I'm very firm on the boundaries between IC and OOC and you should be too—if you can't separate your character from yourself or otherwise have trouble discerning fiction from reality, please do not approach me for RP. I don't write monogamous/exclusive romantic RP, ever, but aside from that caveat I love all sorts of themes and scenes. Anything from comedic one-off scenes to dark, long-term RP is great as long as we're both having fun.Anouk is blunt, quick to violence, rude, and an incorrigible flirt who loves needling people for fun. However, I do not take this as carte blanche for me to be an asshole—if I ever overstep my boundaries and make you uncomfortable, please let me know OOC!Feel free to send me a tell whenever you like, or start a walk-up scene with me if my RP tag is on. Unexpected walk-ups delight me more than anything else, so don't be shy. Thanks for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
How does their curse work? Please check the bottom of this carrd's "Backstory" page!
What gender is Anouk? Anouk is Anouk. In modern-day terms, they'd be an intersex, nonbinary person. All viera are born intersex—it stands to reason that some, like Anouk, might develop medical conditions meaning they stay that way as they grow older. I Fantasia back and forth when I feel like it, but they are always the same character. This is my imperfect solution to being unable to achieve the type of androgyny I want for this character due to gender-locking in FFXIV. Please do not be weird to me about this. Referring to them with slurs or being generally creepy/invasive will get you instantly blacklisted. If you wouldn't say it to a stranger on the street, don't say it to me.
But what genitals do they have? Fuck around and find out. Serious answer: if you care what genitals or sexual characteristics they have enough for anything to be a potential deal-breaker for you, simply do not try to ERP with them, or you can just ask to fade to black. Easy! There are many more types of stories to tell, after all!
What pronouns do they use? They are fine with they, he, or she pronouns, regardless of which "version" of Anouk they are Fantasia'd into at any time.
Mare code? We can exchange them if we've roleplayed at least once and you don't use annoying/disruptive particle effect / animation swaps because that shit drives me insane.
