la rouquine  

It would be terribly uncouth of me to spill my heart without asking a single question in return... tell me, what manner of person are you?

^Profile                                                       

Mademoiselle
Euphrosine Valhordin

daughter of Seigneur & Seigneuresse de Valhourdin

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Age: 22 years
Nameday: 5th Sun of the 5th Astral Moon
Gender: Cis Female (she/her)
Race: Ishgardian Elezen
Orientation: "What a rude question!"
Birthplace: Unknown
Current Residence: The Pillars
Occupation: Noble Socialite

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Appearance

Euphrosine is slight of frame, more frail than delicate, with deep shadows underneath her collarbones. Her face appears younger than she truly is, closer to 19 than 22 - but her height gives away her real age, as she has passed her growth spurt. Her ginger hair is often slightly curled and styled up off her neck. She has pale skin, littered with brown freckles across her chest and limbs. Her gowns are of fine make, but her collection of jewels seems slim, oft repeated between outfits, and her hems are rarely the correct length. She carries herself with grace and poise, walking with slow, shallow steps and a slight upward tilt to her chin.

Personality

Euphrosine is the very picture of a fine Ishgardian lady, despite her initial unconventional upbringing. Although she is typically more inclined towards watching her surroundings than being the center of attention, once engaged in conversation, the young lady proves to be quite charming, with impeccable manners and a wry wit - one she is not always shy of deploying at the expense of others, particularly outsiders to Ishgard. Trained in rhetoric and the art of conversation, she is known to always take care to ensure that her elocutionary partners are equally engaged, asking polite questions and giving them opportunities to speak of their own experiences. Euphrosine is also said to be a credit to her house's reputation for diligence and hard work, and has taken over the difficult task of rebuilding its reputation with grace and a quiet sense of dedication. Though she cultivates her connections well, and treats all she meets with the same charm and politeness, it seems that it is rare for her to engage in closer relationships, and many young lords and knights have attempted, without much success, to gain her favour.

^lore                                                             

History

Little is known about Euphrosine's childhood, other than that she grew up in an orphanage - a time upon which, by her own admission, she does not like to reminisce, and thus rarely speaks of in any further detail. However, when she was twelve years old, the then-childless Seigneuresse de Valhourdin came to her orphanage to adopt a child to become their heir, and were charmed by the pretty and well-spoken young Euphrosine. They quickly brought her into their household, where Euphrosine proved to be a quick study in the ways of the noble houses of Ishgard. She soon learned to read and write, as well as mathematics, rhetoric, and etiquette, and she was certainly most glad to have been taken into a well-off household once the Calamity hit, and Ishgard froze over - though the chaos afterward did cause some disturbance in her education. It was not until her later teens that she was finally introduced to greater Ishgardian society.

Present Day

In an attempt to distance herself from the disgraced members of her family still living in their ancestral home, Euphrosine has taken up residence in a concierged apartment in the Pillars, located near the airship landing (and perhaps closer to the Brume district than is entirely appropriate). From there she is able to host and conduct business on behalf of her House. She is commonly seen at parties and gatherings suitable for those of her station, and faithfully attends weekly services at the Cathedral, although, it seems, more for the socialising than for any true piety.

^hooks                                                         

Common: A House Disgraced

In the new Ishgardian political sphere, House Valhourdin is neither powerful nor popular. Depending on your own political leanings, you may either admire Euphrosine's efforts to return it to its place, or wish to work against her to keep it disgraced... or, perhaps, you secretly believe that Zephirin was correct, and you wonder if Euphrosine might also be hiding her true loyalties.

Common: Dance of Suitors

Like all young ladies of Ishgardian society, Euphrosine must also be in search of a fellow young man (or lady) to be her eternally bonded under the eyes of Halone. Your interest might be truly out of affection for her... or it might be in an attempt to use her as a pawn. When politics and romance combine, nothing is ever simple. Please see OOC notes for clarification about this hook.

Uncommon: Illicit Dealings

Among the nobility, whispers in the right ears reveal that Euphrosine is the woman to speak to for those looking to acquire substances the church may look down upon - whether that's moko grass, Somnus, or perhaps more 'influencing' drugs. Despite this, she seems to have never even once been spotted using such substances on her own... (To use this hook, work the phrase 'rat infestation' into your conversation, so Euphrosine knows you were referred by a true client. Don't use the code phrase? She knows of nothing of the sort, and it is quite uncouth of you to suggest otherwise.)

^Profile                                                       

LA ROUQUINE

the woman of many faces

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Age: 20s to 30s
Nameday: Unknown
Gender: Female?? (she/her, usually)
Race: Believed to be Ishgardian Elezen
Orientation: Whatever you want her to be
Birthplace: Ishgard
Current Residence: The Pillars
Occupation: Con woman and high-class grifter

Appearance

While her true form is that of a slight redheaded woman - hence her nickname, 'the ginger' - La Rouquine is rumoured to be able to take on any appearance, whether by makeup or magic. Those who have earned the honour of seeing her true face in the course of their work, however, report that in addition to her red hair, she has striking yellow-green eyes and perfectly lined lips - and that her skin seems to show some signs of a life led in less-than-ideal settings, with faint signs of damage from both sun and cold. It is rumoured, though, that this, too, might be a disguise - so no sighting of La Rouquine can ever honestly be known to be genuine.

Personality

Perhaps even more impressive than La Rouquine's abillity to take on any appearance is her ability to play a role so fully that she appears to become a completely different person without altering her face at all. Her expressions, posture, and even gait all seem to be mutable, shaped in whatever way might be most advantageous at the moment, and the effect only strengthens when she combines that gift with her ability to change her face. What most do know is true, however, is that she is a fierce negotiator, tight-lipped about the identities of her clients and collaborators, and extremely deliberate with what information she chooses to conceal - or, indeed, release.

^lore                                                             

History

La Rouquine is known to have grown up in the Brume - indeed, it is said that her name came from the time when she was a child and, upon stealing from the shopkeepers in the market, they would start shouting "The ginger girl! The ginger!" down the street as she ran away. At some point, however, the little girl responsible for these petty crimes disappeared. It was only many years later, after the end of the Dragonsong War, that rumours of a con artist going by the name "La Rouquine" emerged on the underground scene of Ishgard, one who seemed to be able to insert herself into any room - whether highborn or lowborn, native or outsider. She quickly made herself known through her high-profile fences of artworks and artifacts from noble houses, and the information she was able to gather from seemingly any source.

Present Day

Whether due to threats she's issued, or simply an overabundance of caution, none of those rumoured to know La Rouquine's true identity have ever told. Still, she has a generally positive reputation around the criminal community - despite the threat that any stranger might in truth be he, she has managed to cultivate a brand that allows her to remain on good terms with most - she does not double-cross openly. But this reputation can also make her a target...

^hooks                                                         

COMMON: NOBLE CONNECTIONS

Need something retrieved from a High house, or money swindled out of them? La Rouquine can get it with the least amount of fuss - for a cost, of course. Discretion doesn't come cheap.

UNCOMMON: I KNOW THOSE EYES

The details of just how La Rouquine constructs her disguises aren't well known. But you have a particularly distinct feature - a nose broken just so, a particular mole, or uniquely coloured eyes - so when you see, in passing, another person who has very nearly the same... well. That's rather suspicious... and you just might remember that, or perhaps even choose to confront them.

RARE: QUILTING CLASS

Are you a particularly talented actor looking for a new career? Or a thief who wants to level up their abilities? La Rouquine has never been known to take on an apprentice... but if you impress her, maybe the secrets of her methods might reveal themselves to you.

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Euphie Myste,
the copper maiden

orphan of the Brume

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Age: 22, ish
Nameday: Unknown
Gender: Cis female (she/her)
Race: Ishgardian Elezen
Orientation: "Va te faire!"
Birthplace: The Brume, probably
Current Residence: Probably Kex's place
Occupation: Unknown

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Appearance

Euphie is thin in the way that only Brumeling orphans are, with a small bust, although unlike most of them, she does seem to have grown tall eventually. Her copper hair is usually worn loose and casual, and she favours practical, but softly feminine outfits with sturdy boots she can run in if she needs to - or use to kick a man in the crotch. She has pale skin, but it's littered with the signs of a hard upbringing, with sunspots and scarring on her hands, and she carries herself so loosely it can only be deliberate.

Personality

Like all children of the Brume, Euphie has a hard edge to her that hasn't ever been tempered, even if she might be adept at hiding it. She expects the worst from most people, and as such, is always slightly manipulating virtually everyone she ever meets - even those just in passing. She is not afraid to spit on the names of nobles or the Church. What others might call cynicism or coldness, she simply refers to as practicality. However, she shows this cynicism rarely, and is typically quite sweet and friendly to any strangers she meets. She knows she has charm and she knows how to wield it, even if there's truly a deep anger simmering underneath.

^lore                                                             

History

Euphie knows nothing of the family she was born to. All she knows is that she was dropped off on the doorstep of an orphanage when she was still an infant - and that's all anyone was ever able to tell her. But a Brume orphanage - even the better ones, which Euphie's was not - operates more like a homeless shelter than a children's home. The youngest children were cared for, and meals were provided twice a day - but once the children there were old enough to walk and talk and eat on their own, their supervision dropped off dramatically, and if they chose to wander off, no one would go looking for them, and they would either come back on their own... or simply not. Euphie was only three or four years old when she first wandered away from the orphanage and was picked up by the children of the Velvet Thimble brothel, and they quickly became thick as thieves, and Euphie grew up learning to steal and lie and charm with the best of them (though she would still often return to the orphanage for meals and a place to sleep).
      When Euphie was twelve, however, everything changed. A well-off couple had decided they wanted to adopt a child from the Brume in some kind of 'show of good will' towards the poor of the city, and they had selected... her. To them, it was a good deed - but to the young Euphie, it was not an adoption, but an abduction, one that took her away from her entire support system and everything she'd ever known. But she knew she couldn't run away from this chance: a warm fire every night, plenty of food on the table. It was the stuff every Brumeling dreamed of. She had just hoped to earn it for herself, not have it forced upon her. She was only rarely seen in the Brume after that day, on the rare occasions she was able to escape her new family for a short time. After the death of Archbishop Thordan IX and the Heavens' Ward, however, Euphrosine took advantage of the moment of social upheaval and finally chose to leave her adoptive (abductive) family for good, and return to the Brume - although much better positioned than she had been as a girl.

Present Day

To this day, Euphrosine swears her hatred of her adoptive family, and she still refers to the event as her 'abduction.' She has an apartment somewhere out of bounds of the Brume, but she's tight-lipped about where, perhaps because it's not actually as nice as she'd like it to be - or maybe just because she so rarely actually sleeps there. She is often seen crashing with one of her childhood friends, but she remains more mobile than most denizens of the Brume, and regularly spends time in the Pillars, seemingly without anyone stopping her for her socioeconomic status.

^hooks                                                         

COMMon: Brumeling Drifter

If your character frequents the Brume, particularly its bars and brothels, you've likely seen Euphrosine hanging around outside, with a smile and conversation for everyone who crosses her path. She seemingly knows every imaginable piece of gossip and is connected to every possible resident. But, if anything, her presence often serves as a distraction...

COMMon: enemy gang

Growing up in the Brume, children always flocked together and fought. Perhaps you remember her as a fierce defender of her territory... or you're curious if now, having returned, she's still involved with her criminal past.

^{ooc information}                                          

Hello and thank you for your interest in Euphrosine! You can call me Violet or Mun and I'm a writer with more than twenty years of roleplaying experience in various media.If you're wondering, her name is pronounced like "you-frah-sin-nee" or "you-froze-in-ee" (depending on how fast you talk). Most people, myself included, just call her Euphie ("you-fee").My personal roleplay style is highly immersive into the world of Etheirys and features detailed backstories and interconnected character lore. I generally prefer to roleplay with other immersive players with a lore-informed background in addition to more fantastical elements (although intentional lore bending for rule of cool or in order to better serve the story is fine).As you may have inferred from the design of this website, Euphrosine is an unreliable narrator. This means that my posts as her will often deliberately obfuscate or leave out information (e.g. she seems "as if" she is feeling a certain emotion, but I do not describe her actual internal thoughts). Please don't engage with this character if the idea of writing which does not present the whole truth isn't appealing to you.Additionally, content notes for Euphie's story include themes revolving around adoption trauma, poverty and homelessness, xenophobia, and substance use.

I'm generally a quick, snappy writer during initial opening conversations, and move into para/multi-para as scenes develop. However, I don't write long posts for the sake of it, and if my character truly only has 10 words to say, I'm not going to draw it out just to mirror you.Regarding romance and ERP: While Euphrosine acts in-character as if she wants romance and suitors, I do not have any OOC intentions of getting her in a serious relationship, and she is functionally aro/ace (as far as she is aware). If you'd like to do a romance arc with her, I'm happy to - but with the understanding that it isn't a 'true' romance on her part and that the plotline won't end with a happily ever after.As there is no canon evidence to suggest the Ishgardian Church looks down upon same-sex relationships (only inter-racial ones), I headcanon that queerness is, while not incredibly common, generally tolerated. Euphrosine is "open" to relationships with characters of any gender, in any of her personae.