Hello, I'm Velnica~

Your local Bard boys enthusiast and Elezen simp. I write a lot of Sanson/Guydelot fics and do custom GPOSEs for them. Link to my album below. Come sit with me around this campfire and ship them together!About me:
※ Velnica Swiftmane @ Sophia
※ Lavender Beds, W10 Subdiv, P35, Sophia
※ She/Her ※ 36 ※ 🔞

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Warriors of Light

Fjora Swiftmane
« Dawnbringer »

She/her · Rava Viera · Dragoon
48 years old (as of patch 6.5)
Echo:
· Past/memory sight
· ability to understand languages
· greater aether reserve

Now called the Warrior of Light, Fjora originally hailed from Northern Golmore. She left her village in pursuit of something greater than living a sequestered life with rigid roles, eventually landing in the port city of Valnain. Clan Swiftmane took her in as a bodyguard for hire, and put her on assignments to protect traveling merchants, a task that suited her free spirit well.One day she was hired by none other than Cora's parents, then married and without child. She was travelling with them when their caravan was moored in Sakazuki during a particularly tempestuous storm, and there she met the newly born boy, linking their lives together forevermore.When the Arceneaux's covert work for the Resistance earned them the wrath of the Garleans, the Swiftmane Clan was caught in the crossfire and their house torched down. Her echo woke up amidst the fiery rubble of her home, a blessing amidst tragedy. The surviving Clan members scattered to the four winds, not wanting to deal with the increased Garlean scrutiny. Fjora, with burn scars and rage in her heart, spent the next seven years fighting Garlean occupation under Fran's watchful eye, until the Witch of Dalmasca routed her unit and summarily executed them.Vowing to avenge yet another loss, she followed Livia to Eorzea and eventually found her revenge, finding friends and family along the way, helping heal the wounds that had been scorched into her very soul. On her journey to liberate Doma, Fjora was reunited with Cora in the RUby Sea and the two had been nigh inseparable since then.She is an Uhlan, a heavy-infantry lancer whose skill is now augmented by her Dragoon training. Her echo lets her conserve far more aether than was common, and this enables her to perform combat feats beyond the norm.Currently she is married to Haurchefant, and they are going to Tural on a honeymoon.

Corentin Arceneaux
« The Rubysong »

He/him · Wildwood Elezen · bard
25 years old (as of patch 6.5)
Echo:
· past/memory sight
· ability to project emotions
· ability to hear animal thoughts through touch

Born amidst a summer storm in the Ruby Sea to antique merchant parents, Cora had lived his life travelling the breadth of Othard, a fact that even now contributed to him feeling adrift with no permanent home to speak of.Fjora had always been a presence in his life, for more often than not she would accompany them across the continent on business trips. He much preferred her company over sitting prim and proper in trade meetings and so he had ever looked up to her as a guardian.After his parents' involvement with Anti-Garlean Resistance was uncovered and they were subsequently murdered, a fourteen year old Cora hid in Doma for a time with his governess Kotone until a loyalist found them. Kotone was subsequently handed in to the Garleans, while Cora had a far worse fate planned for him. This plan to traffick him in Kugane's black market, however, was foiled when the Ruby Sea unleashed its storm upon their ship and a wounded Cora was rescued by a sea snake auspice, called forth by his newly-awakened Echo. She deposited him safely on a beach whereupon he was found by none other than Tansui.For the next decade he stayed with the Confederacy, until he was reunited with Fjora when she called for aid to deal with the primal Susanoo. They had a tearful reunion in Onokoro, and in the wake of Doman liberation, Rasho released him from his oath.Cora is a skilled archer and a bard besides. His weapon of choice is a giant Hingan bow and his magic-imbued Sanshin.His great love is Seiryu of the Four Lords. They met under a fraught circumstance, before the ward of Koryu started to falter. The encounter was made infinitely more intense by Cora's second puberty. It left them both with scars, and an inexplicable feeling of yearning that neither of them were ready for. As penance, Seiryu left him his protection, and any ship Cora boards shall never sink in a storm. They eventually worked through their guilt and emotions, and decided to be a couple.

Their Ancient Selves

Inanna Dawnbreak

She/her · Azem

Inanna is always raring to go. She is a boundless font of energy who seems to absorb even more from the people she talks to, often to the point of dwarfing their presence. Despite this, no problem is too small for her to solve, and she will stop anything she's doing to help out anyone in need. She is a good listener, when she's not consumed with yet another problem-solving initiative. She absolutely adore cute things, animals, children, even arcane entities who catch her fancy.Her weapon of choice is a staff, and she will bonk you good and proper if needed. Her magic itself is mostly dormant, and will take form of anything that the problem requires.Her aether reserve is vast, and it is this that she taps to power her creation.On technicality she is the one who holds the Azem title, and indeed she is Venat's true protégé; but in actuality and day-to-day, she shares the post with her twin, Shamash.

Shamash Duskfall

he/him · azem's twin companion

Shamash is Inanna's twin, and together they travel as Azem. He is far more of a composed individual than she is, and this is why the Convocation lets them share the post. Inanna's energy needs to be channelled, and Shamash is the person who keeps it in check. He may not look like it but Shamash loves travelling, and to listen to the people. And if a problem needs a deeper look, he is there to temper Inanna's impulse and to research for ways to fix it, often sequestering himself for days at an Anyder until he figures it out.Shamash's weapon of choice is his mind — he projects thoughts into the surrounding aether and manifests concepts on the fly to help him fight, tweaking them to get the desired effect such as healing, or amplifying specific element. The closest modern-day equivalent would be a mix between a Summoner's kit and a Pictomancer's creativity.He is just as capable as Inanna, though he often lacks the confidence to apply his solutions to the problem, which is why Inanna holds the seat.

Relationships

Haurchefant Greystone
« The Silver Fuller »

he/him · Ishgardian Elezen · Paladin

Haurchefant lived by virtue of the Crystal Exarch failing his first attempt to pull the Warrior of Light to the First. At the moment of his death, a spike of Dynamis erupted from the group, and the Exarch—who was trawling the timeline looking for the perfect moment to summon Fjora—was momentarily stunned by the anomaly, leading to him accidentally summoning Haurchefant's soul instead. He landed ten years prior to the start of Shadowbringers.Thanks to his considerable skills, he quickly rose to the rank of Crystarium Guard Vice-Captain, working alongside Lyna to protect the city from Sin Eaters.Due to his wound from Ser Zephirin's spear of light, Haurchefant has a large scar on his chest that bleeds Light. This also makes him prone to aether sickness from the overabundance of Light in the First, necessitating the Exarch to try and counter the imbalance by way of draining it back into the Crystal Tower. When Ryne joined the party, she was able to help his predicament, as the Oracle of Light.Haurchefant became temporarily tempered to Fjora when she absorbed the Lightwarden, and had to be locked in an Allagan contraption in the Crystal Tower, else he tried to destroy anyone who he deemed a threat to his beloved.

Seiryu
« of the Four Lords »

he/him · auspice · Onmyoji

TBC

Sanson & Guydelot

Sanson Smyth

He/him · 24 · Serpent Captain · lancer

A young Midlander lancer who captains the Bard unit. He is steadfast with a strong sense of morality and justice, a trait that often puts him at odds with his Adder superiors. Yet with the support of Guydelot and Vorsaile, he vows to stay true to his conviction and lead Gridania to a better future. At twenty-two years of age, he still thinks himself inexperienced, despite the accolades that he is fast accumulating on his mantelpiece. He is in a long-term relationship with Guydelot.Sanson was but twenty one years old and already a Captain when Fjora first met him during Heavensward.

Guydelot Thildonnet

He/him · 25 · serpent lieutenant · bard

A talented, wilful Wildwood bard who was infamous for his truancy and recalcitrance towards any kind of authority. In recent times he's seen a marked improvement in his attendance, and one might even say he's turned a new leaf into the straight and narrow, all under the stern command of Captain Sanson Smyth; a feat backed by the medal tally that the man cared little about. What most people do not know, however, is that the twenty-four year old bard owes this change to his genuine interest and commitment to this unit... and to Sanson himself.Guydelot was twenty-two in Heavensward.

Older bard boys

Sanson Smyth

He/him · 41 · Grand Serpent Marshal

TBC

Guydelot Thildonnet

He/him · 42 · Bard mentor

TBC

Rehlii Smyth-Thildonnet

She/her · 10 · beloved daughter

TBC

Twin Adder Bard Unit

Note: Age listed is as of the end of Endwalker

Karinae Béringer

She/her · 23 · lancer

Sanson's second in command ever since he was made Captain, Karinae is a skilled Duskwight lancer who's ready to defend her friends and comrades at any moment's notice, no matter when or where. Usually you would find the twenty-three year old in the Druthers, hustling free drinks out of any poor souls with her captivating charm—except for Dietrich who seems to be immune to her wiles.

Perinnault Deschamps

He/him · 23 · bard

A novice bard with brilliant aim and a keen sense of tempo who joined Sanson's unit before the liberation of Ala Mhigo. At twenty and three summers, the Wildwood Elezen is eager to learn everything there is about being a bard, and is improving markedly with every mission that he undertakes.

Dietrich Eltz

He/him · 20 · bard

Despite his splendid marksmanship, the twenty year old Midlander is a sensitive soul who is prone to crying at the drop of a hat when overwhelmed. His voice had been likened to the sweetness of a spring bloom, and his good looks had won him the admiration of many; yet all he wants is to learn how to become confident in his own skill, and to be admired by the merit of his battlesongs.

Minh'to Zhwan

He/him · 23 · lancer

A twenty-three year old Keeper of the Moon lancer who was temporarily assigned to Sanson's unit just after the Ballad of Oblivion quest, Minh'to gained the utmost respect for the Captain after they survived and routed an Ixali skirmish. He asked to be transferred permanently and is now thriving under Sanson's leadership, which allows him to learn a myriad of combat skills from their joint Alliance training. He is fiercely protective of his twin sister.

Aemi Zhwan

She/her · 23 · conjurer

Stuck in a rut at her previous unit with no pathway to improvement, the twenty-three year old Keeper of the Moon conjurer eventually asked for a transfer to Sanson's unit at the insistence of her twin brother just before Ghimlyt. After surviving the bloody battle, she vowed to support her newly-found comrades in any way she could, having been awed by Guydelot's prowess in the field. She was a sickly child growing up, and Minh'to stepped in to be her protector.

Dya Nakhiri

They/them · 24 · conjurer

A studious conjurer, the twenty-four year old Highlander can often be found sequestering themselves in the corner of the Nest, surrounded by books on conjury and battle tactics. When the bards joined Sanson's unit, suddenly their horizon was expanded and now they are deep into research on how to better align the bards' songs with the conjurers' healing spells. Despite their stern countenance, Dya is quietly warm and welcoming once you endear yourself to them.

Behind the Scenes

TBC