Eyrithota Skoenundyn
Known as the Ironwall, Eyrithota is a worldly roegadyn mercenary of unmatched strength and unwavering conviction. Once a captain of a powerful pirate band prior to the Calamity, she now travels the world taking up odd jobs and felling wayward beasts.While towering above her peers she has an equally big heart, often disarming others with her warm demeanor. Putting herself at the forefront of battle, there are few as fervently dedicated to the protection of others as she. You won't find a better companion in this or any other corner of Eorzea.
General Info
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Pronouns: She/Her
Nicknames: Eyri, Ironwall
Race: Sea-Wolf Roegadyn
Nameday: 22nd Sun of the 6th Astral Moon
Height: 7 fulm, 3 ilm
Eye Color: Emerald green
Physical Build: Muscular
Personality Type: Stalwart, gregarious, penitent.
Orientation: Pansexual
Occupation: Mercenary/Warrior of Light (on request)
Talents: Martial combat, fishing, wrestling, monster hunting, brewing her own ale, sailing, navigation, woodwork, sketch art.
Likes: Fishing, tropical climates, sailing, making new friends, travel, drawing passersby as she people-watches, singing, trying to decipher books well above her reading level, immersing herself in other cultures, and unique hats.
Dislikes: Sleeping, taking her armor off, Garleans, open flames, being out of sight of land when on the water, abuses of power, overbearing men, abiding by tradition, the loss of her allies, herself.
Backstory
Eyrithota Skoenundwyn was born a world away from Eorzea, on an insignificant spit of land off the western coast of Vylbrand. It was a haven for fishers and tradesmen, with a tight-knit community of storied families who all knew each other, never having so much as stepped off their shores once in their lives. It was said that the night of her birth was plagued by a tempestuous squall, one which terrified the newborn sea-wolf. From the moment she came into the world she crawled and squirmed, never staying still despite her parent’s attempts to keep a hold of her. With bemusement, they would name her Eyrithota - “Wandering Daughter”.She was the second child of their family, wedged between an elder brother and two younger sisters, all living beneath the thatch roof of their cramped one-room cabin squat beside the sea. Theirs was a modest living, following in the footsteps of their ancestors, plying their trade at fishing and boat craft and selling their wares to the ships that sporadically stopped at their shores. Like their ancestors, Eyrithota was expected to abide by long-standing traditions and take up fishing and be married off to another family on the island once she came of age. Though it seemed her name was prophetic in more ways than one, as she was not destined to abide by tradition.Her early years were spent in the company of her brother, who taught her the ways of the net - which she gained a keen proficiency in, though oft she found herself in the shadow of her other siblings. To better distinguish herself, the young sea wolf dedicated much of her free time to honing her strength and skills with an axe. Not only to chop down the thickets of trees that choked the island’s interior but to help carve out the slender wood sloops used by the fishers of the village.Eyrithota was long enchanted by the boats she saw glide effortlessly across the tapestry of waves. In the hours she spent down at their modest port she whittled away her hours watching as the modest fishing vessels bobbed across the crests of the ocean while the broad multi-masted ships from faraway Limsa Lominsa effortlessly plowed ahead through them to parts unknown. She gained an in-depth knowledge of the construction of such vessels, and often wondered how she could apply the strengths of the larger and sturdier ships she infrequently saw to their quaint fishing craft. Eyrithota took up a talent for sketching ships, often drafting out her own designs and using her honed skill with an axe to try and breathe life into them.Though others in the village would praise her for her distinguishing talent, her father - a gruff and aged sea wol firmly entrenched in tradition - often pointedly chastised her, wishing she wouldn’t spend her time on what he considered the ‘frivolous pursuits of a child’ and more earnestly dedicate herself to their long-standing fishing traditions. She chafed beneath his stern tutelage, and though she often took shelter from his wrath behind her siblings, Eyrithota wished fervently to get away and travel beyond the shores of her island to wherever the massive ships headed.The opportunity came in her late teens when a large ship pulled into port, crewed by grizzled adventurers and helmed by a braggadocious captain with a flowing coat and a magnetic flair. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, when nobody appeared to be watching, the young Eyrithota snuck aboard and crept down into the cargo hold. It would be a quick adventure, so she thought, just to stow away and return in several days. Just to prove to her old man that she was made of sterner stuff than being a fisherman’s wife. She managed to keep herself hidden in the hold for several hours after they’d set out, though it wasn’t long before the crew discovered their stowaway. They deliberated what to do, and unwilling to turn back, they contemplated just throwing Eyrithota into the sea and having her swim back - if she could even make it that far.Eyrithota was utterly indignant however, shouting down the captain and asserting that she could full well pull her own weight - becoming the greatest captain that Eorzea had ever seen. An audacious and wholly foolish claim by an equally foolish girl, but her fire bemused the captain, as did her gumption and tenacity. He allowed her to stay aboard, so long as she pulled her own weight. And indeed she did - she poured her whole self into every task no matter how menial or arduous. With her keen eye for ships, she proved to be adept at administering repairs to the vessel in the aftermath of battles - and making slight improvements of her own. Her bottomless determination and force of will to work through any task, even when she was brought to the brink of total exhaustion, earned her the captain’s trust and allowed her to gain respect amongst the rest of the crew.It became evident shortly into her tenure onboard that she wasn’t aboard any normal trade ship, but a pirate vessel. Eyrithota didn’t mind too much, as their stories captivated her sense of adventure and she was given the opportunity to finally traverse the high seas. Pirates though they were, the crew positioned themselves more as ‘independent privateers’, more principled than other pirate crews like the Bloody Executioners. They largely targeted vessels that traded with Imperial interests, or those of shrewd Ul’dah trading consortiums known to grift their employees and customers alike. In this whirlwind of adventure beyond her wildest dreams, the promise she’d made to return home crew into little more than a faint memory.In the years that followed, Eyrithota’s spirit and determination would see her promoted to First Mate, and eventually Captain - following the sudden passing of her mentor after a furious battle with tempered Sahaugin seamen. Not one to wallow in her grief, Eyrithota would continue her crew’s unifying mission and would ultimately come to expand and add new ships to her fleet. Under her command, she would name her band the Frae Isil Ahtyns (“Free Island Judges”).In her command, she was known for having a steady hand at the helm and a keen mind. Though she had a tendency to be stern at times, she took excellent care of her men - and she earned their undying loyalty in kind. By the time she was twenty-seven summers old, the Judges had reached the height of their power and influence, invited to parlay even with the other crews as Admiral Merlwyb took the helm and sought to steer Vylbrand away from its unsavory pirating roots.Though for all her successes, fate struck with a cruel twist of a knife. The Calamity descended upon Eorzea. As the empire brought the moon of Dalamud down upon Carteneau and released the Dreadwyrm Bahamut upon the world, Eyrithota’s fleet was caught in the residual chaos. In the seas off the coast of Vylbrand, she and her men sought to transport refugees away from the continent who sought to flee the fall of the second moon. Though they left too late, and one of the great pieces of shrapnel that exploded from the satellite struck the ocean near their ships. The entire fleet was consumed by roiling hellfire and frothing waves, sending them to the bottom of the sea. In the blast, a piece of shrapnel streaked across Eyrithota’s face as she was thrown from the ship and sent tumbling into the water. All became dark as she lost consciousness.She would come to, miraculously having survived by getting flung over a clot of floating debris, cast ashore on some pitiful spit of land that only barely qualified for an island. She was left with nothing - her men, ships, and countless innocents having been lost - nothing but her axe and the tatters of clothes that clung to her back were all that remained. Certain that the world was doomed to destruction Eyrithota lay upon the beach in a depressed stupor - wondering why Llymlaen would have spared her over the lives of her crew. She was crushed beneath the weight of her sorrow, laying sprawled motionless across the beach as the sea lapped at her heels. Eyrithota waited for the smoldering sky to consume her and end her torment, only it never came to pass. Bahamut was cast down, and as the roiling fires in the atmosphere eventually subsided she had to accept the truth, death would not come to her so simply. Committing every name and face to her memory, Eyrithota was struck by the realization that she could very well have been the only member of her crew to survive - that she and she alone bore the weight of their memory. Knowing that nobody was left to tell the tales of so many men and women, the captain knew she could not in good conscience let their testament simply fade into obscurity - it was a graver insult than she knew how to bear, Determined to persist, she opted to escape the island and find a new life’s purpose as penance for the lives she believed she was responsible for losing.Using what remained of her strength, Eyrithota used her axe to fell the few trees that remained on the island and fashioned herself a boat. It was an ordeal that spanned weeks, where she only just barely clung to the fringes of survival, but in time she would manage to free herself o the atoll’s shores and sail for Vylbrand - using the stars as her guide. The skills she had learned from her childhood in the village, so many moons ago, were what helped her survive over the weeks that followed. But in time she again would wash up on the remote shores of her island home, nearest to Moraby Drydocks. She was exhausted and emaciated, but ultimately alive.It was by the mercy of the farmers in Red Rooster Stead that Eyrithota was ultimately able to recover from her ordeals, working to earn her keep until she mustered enough gil to strike out on her own as a mercenary. She remains in constant pursuit of glory - not for herself, but for the crew she lost and for Llymlaen. That those who she lost could live on through her deeds, and through the tales she could tell throughout her travels.She kept primarily to the small settlements, helping the haggard farmers and laborers she came across, knowing personally the difficulty of their life’s toils. During her time abroad, continuing to sharpen her skills with an axe, Eyrithota would ultimately tap into her bitter font of self-loathing to fuel her inner beast - wholly embracing the path of the marauder, she would cleave swaths of indiscriminate death through man and beast alike. Stories from bewildered farmhands would claim that enemy blades would bounce off her skin without leaving so much as a mark. That, and her penchant for throwing herself before her allies and completely shielding them from harm, would earn her the epithet of ‘The Ironwall’. She continues her travels to this day, in an endless pursuit of penance for those she believes to have lost.
Personality
Eyrithota is a seafarer through and through, and while she might not have a ship these days that freewheeling spirit has yet to leave her.Those who just come into contact might call Eyrithota stern and imposing, in part due to her titanic height, but knowing her for any amount of time will show you that there is considerable warmth laying under her stony exterior. The Roegadyn is known for her toothy smile and boisterous attitude, seeing little use in an ‘inside voice’. When having the chance to meet new faces in a casual setting she will often clap them on the back and invite them to drink. Eyrithota cares little about where a person comes from or their own personal history, so long as they’re good company and a trustworthy ally. This has led her to be a rather accommodating and friendly presence, though she too has the tendency to be too forgiving and tolerant to those who might otherwise try other people's patience. lt has led her to be dismissive of issues that might have bigger consequences than she thinks.Despite her casual and laid-back demeanor when it comes to combat or getting down to business it's like a switch is flipped in Eyrithota’s head, no longer being all smiles and becoming deathly serious. She will bark orders and try and take vanguard ahead of all others - rushing in to protect her allies even if it’s at a detriment to herself. That isn’t to say that she’s an unthinking brute on the battlefield, often when the time allows it Eyrithota will step back and try to approach a situation with a degree of tactical precision - but will always put herself right up on the front lines with everyone else. Once combat is over she makes sure to congratulate everyone and commend them on their effort where it’s due.During off-hours Eyrithota will take time to train to improve her skills with an axe. She will often be critical of others if she seems then slacking in their routine as well - not just in physical training, but in whatever task they’ve adopted in their field. She likes to see herself as a mentor and will often take the time to get to know her allies and take them under her wing for training so that they may defend themselves if the need arises if she falls in battle. When not training Eyrithota sketches ships in a small journal and studies their construction, often drafting plans for various vessels in extensive detail. She's also rather adept at drawing people, which she often does on occassion, though she outright refuses to show her sketches to anyone. She also likes to spend her time drinking at taverns, and often finds it hard to restrain herself once she starts, riding high in her drunken stupor before quickly falling into a depressed slump afterward - reminded by the faces of her dead crewmates.Eyrithota is extremely pious and makes an effort to pray to the Navigator goddess Llymlaen at least twice a day, assured that following her path will lead to success. She dedicates herself wholly to prayer and pursues a path of penitence wherever she goes. Under that gregarious veneer is a deeply scarred woman whose conscience is weighed upon quite heavily by the lives of those she believes she failed to save. When she started her career as a mercenary she saw her travels as something of a punishment to herself for surviving the Calamity when her comrades did not, and it could be said that much of her surviror's guilt remains.It is rare that Eyrithota will get a restful night’s sleep, often plagued by nightmares of her fleet on fire during the Calamity, it is rare to see her without dark circles ringed beneath her eyes.What currently motivates the Roegadyn is the pursuit of notoriety and glory, primarily from helping others across Eorzea. She takes extra sympathy for those who come from a similar background to herself and will be especially judicious in trying to assist them with their troubles.If there is anything that Eyrithota hates most it's overbearing men, or anyone for that matter, who try to tell her what to do and shape her destiny to their whims. Pirates who only revel in wanton slaughter and those who break her sacred trust are met with the full force of her rage, and Eyrithota will never forget a slight - doing everything in her power to ensure that her enemies get what's coming to them.
G-Poses
Art/Other
OOC Information
Currently looking for: Cool and polite people, mostly.
Desired post length: Strong Paragraphs, ranging from 5-7 to 10-14 sentences or more.
Desired RP length: Long-Term
Grammar competence: Very advanced
Language preference: English
Post Perspective: Third Person
____________________________________________________________________________________RP Hooks
- General mercenary shenanigans, traveling with other wayward companions and slaying monsters.
- A client approaches Eyrithota based on her reputation, looking for a job for her to tackle.
- Someone recognizes Eyrithota, by appearance or name, from her time as a pirate of some renown.
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Additional Notes/Facts
- I know it's not everyone's cup of tea 90% of the time, but I do enjoy playing Eyri as a WOL - simply because I think it's more interesting based on who she is. I usually won't bring it up, but if you'd like to include it as part of play I'd be elated!
- Eyrithota's trust party, as a WOL, consists of Y'shtola, Alisaie, and Suzaku.
- She smells vaguely of grapes for reasons unknown.
