About

What is one forgotten man in a world that remembers only heroes?

• "Rook"
• Male • 39 • Elezen
• Gender-blind; he's just attracted to who he's attracted to
• Single • Never married his son's mother
• Mercenary • Prior Nobility/Knight
• Has a son who is now 19 y/o

A former Ishgardian nearing forty, Rook keeps his past buried beneath the name he chose nearly two decades ago. A wanderer by necessity more than desire, he goes wherever work and coin can be found, rarely lingering long anywhere.

A seasoned mercenary whose only lasting allegiance is to the coin, Rook is proficient with swords sure, but also just about any weapon a contract demands. A seasoned rebel who long ago traded nobility for a simpler life, he lets his work speak louder than his name ever could.

Rook isn't difficult to find for those looking to hire a capable sword. Approach him, offer a fair contract, and he'll hear you out. He doesn't work for causes or crowns, only the understanding that "honest" work deserves "honest coin" and a kept promise.

Between contracts, Rook has a habit of disappearing into the background. A quiet corner with a book, the last stool at the end of a tavern bar, or a solitary campfire just beyond the city gates suit him far better than crowded rooms. If you're looking for him, start where the noise begins to fade.

• Open to more types of RP than I can fit here.
• Up for contract jobs, short and long-term.
• Up for anyone who'd like to be a temporary partner of his son's and partake in some family drama when Devlin comes to Rook for coin.
• Up for anyone who is an associate of his courtesan ex,Valori, and/or knows his son, Devlin.
• Up for former/fellow Ishgard Knights; would have been roughly 20 years ago currently.
• Up for a random brawl.
• Up for being a target for a job; a hit put out by his ex when she didn't get his inheritance.
• Up for social connections, though these are more difficult to "stir up" for Rook.
• Got an idea? Send me a /tell.

Bess (Ewe with Ram Horns), Tobin (Greyhound), Kael & Neri (Bloodhounds), Zeus (Direwolf), Vox (Bordercollie)

History

Born Alaric de Montclair, heir to one of Ishgard's lesser noble houses, he was raised with every expectation of inheriting his family's estate and carrying on its name. Duty, honor, and service were drilled into him from an early age, eventually leading him to train as a knight in the Holy See.Youth has a way of making even the well-raised believe they're invincible.A brief affair with a courtesan became a scandal when she claimed to be carrying his child. Whether it was calculated from the beginning or simply an opportunity too good to abandon, Alaric never truly knew. What he did know was that she saw the future she wanted, and his family's name was meant to pay for it.Rather than drag House de Montclair through public disgrace, he relinquished his claim as heir and walked away.He traded a noble title for a mercenary's contract, a family crest for a weathered blade, and has answered to the name Rook Mercer ever since.For nearly twenty years he has wandered these lands earning his living wherever work can be found. Caravan guard. Sellsword. Escort. Hunter. Scout. Laborer. If a contract needs doing and the pay is fair, he'll likely take it. The road has become more familiar than any home ever could.Despite everything, he never stopped sending coin to support the son he left behind.Raised on his mother's bitterness, the boy grew into a young man convinced his father had abandoned them. Their conversations now rarely extend beyond awkward silences and requests for more gil, yet Rook continues to help when he can. Not because he believes he's owed forgiveness, but because a father doesn't stop being a father simply because his son stopped seeing him as one.When his own father passed without another heir, the lands and title of House de Montclair quietly returned to Ishgard. His former lover urged him to contest the inheritance. His son expected him to reclaim it.He refused.That life ended the day he walked away.Now approaching forty, Rook spends little, works often, and keeps to himself. He enjoys strong coffee, quiet taverns, long roads, fishing, and the rare comfort of a campfire after a hard day's work. He isn't unfriendly, only reserved, preferring actions over promises and silence over needless conversation.Beneath the weathered mercenary is the man Rook once hoped to become. He simply learned that honor isn't found in a family name or a noble title.Sometimes it's found in carrying the weight of yesterday without asking anyone else to bear it for you.

OOC

© Rook Mercer. Square Enix. Final Fantasy XIV. All rights reserved.