Basic Info
Name:
Ridel
(Rye-Dull)
MoonshadowAge: 26(beginning of ARR)-28/29 (end of Endwalker)Height: 6.6fmRace: Au Ra (mixed)Gender: Male (he, him)Guardian-Diety: Oschon the WandererBirthplace: Sui-No-SatoOrientation: Demi/PolyCurrent (non-NPC) Relationships: Vatii KiriNPC relationships: Minfilia Warde (brief), (post-SHB spoilers) G'raha Tia (current)Family: Nahkal Ra, Bria Ra (cousins)Job Role: All-RounderWorld: Primal | Leviathan
Appearance
Body type: Lean, agileScales: pearl whiteHair color: SilverEyes: Fiery red limbal rings, varying iris colors (originally red) Currently Violet (post-EW).Tail: Long, flipper-like on the end (sui-no-Sato trait), adorned with bobbles and trinketsUnique features: Two sets of horns, one pair white and one pair black (adorned with jewelry), extra scaling on one side of face and certain parts of body (some grown over as scars from battle), Long white digitigrade claws (lizard-like) on feet (mutation from the events of SHB)He has a tattoo on his upper-left torso, given to him by Vatii during a visit to the dotharl. (post-SHB)Voice claim: Robbie Daymond (Prompto from FFXV, Haruki Shiga from I Want to Eat Your Pancreas)When it comes to clothes, he usually likes to wear less than average, especially on his legs, due to a desire for more freedom of movement, as well as having a naturally warmer body temperature that heats up quite intensely in battle.
Ridel's Tattoo
Personality
overviewQuirks: excitable, friendly, loyal, patient and kind-natured, inquisitive, loves to learn and teachVices: Somewhat shy and self-isolating, is a pathological liar, wanders off easily, sometimes acts on impulse, can sometimes spiral if not checked, very inquisitive nature (can be annoying to some), lacks self-confidence, clingy with partners, accidental flirt (is prone to breaking hearts as a result), reckless and self-destructive.Likes: sincerety, communication, humor, friendly sparringDislikes: Ignorance, complacency, getting pandered to, being idolized (Absolute least favorite part of being a WoL)__________________________
At first impression, Ridel is a bit on the more soft spoken and polite side, remnants of a learned etiquette in Sui-no-Sato, but is very easy to talk to, and after a while tends to open up his true self. He is a very "genki" personality, and is known to usually have a more genial demeanor about him. He can be a bit of a goofball himself, and likes to crack jokes, laugh and have a good time. He tends to be more physical with people he makes friends with, from tapping and nudging to giving noogies or friendly pushing. He's very playful!Ridel enjoys helping people, and is wont to get himself stuck doing menial tasks. He can't help himself when it comes to helping others in need.He is extremely patient with others, but not so much with himself, and can be reckless by nature, as a result.He is susceptible to isolating himself now and again, especially when he starts to mentally spiral. It's unfortunately another leftover habit from his younger years, having been cooped up in a house away from the public eye. He has a tendency to wander off or fade into the background easily, watching others have a good time, and can only be pulled into the action by gentle cohersion or music and dance. He's also subject to questioning his own performance at times, especially when it comes to relationships. He usually needs reassurance now and again when it comes to it.Ridel is very dedicated to the people he cares about, especially his lovers, and he is selfless to a fault, at times throwing himself into danger without second thought. He's given his friends plenty of heart attacks...
Backstory
Ridel-sui lived in a bubble.....literally.
He grew up an only child in the peaceful village of Sui-no-Sato, deep beneath the waters of the Ruby Sea. The village itself was quiet and serene.Him? Not so much.Ridel was a rambunctious boy filled with aspirations and a heart for adventure, and it was difficult to keep him sitting still. He enjoyed reading the journals and adventure books that one of the blue Kojin traders would always bring in for him, and they drove him to dream. He read a lot about adventurers and the like, among these being chronicles of the xaela, their descriptively diverse cultures and outlooks fascinating him, and inspiring him to be a free spirit. His parents, however, were not very fond of his ambitions, as well as his influence on other young Raen kids; playing make-believe, sparring with others and instigating fights, encouraging the kids around him to be fighters rather than peaceful dwellers... sometimes roping in his two cousins, Nahkal and Bria.
His father detested the Xaela and referred to them as "savages", and above all, did not want his son to be associated with them. He didn't care for his son's tendency to wander or his desire for a life outside of the sea. Ridel was to be loyal and serve his own people. To quell his boisterous nature, they had all weapons kept out of reach, so as to not entice him, but it did little to stop Ridel from wanting to sneak out of the house to train himself to fight.And then, when he hit puberty, a second set of horns began to grow in….dark, Xaela-like horns. His father now even more ashamed of his image, he was forced to hide them from the public.One day Ridel's mother finally revealed to him that Xaela blood resided in her lineage, and surmised that it may be why he has such a peculiar horn growth. However, She never divulged her bloodline to his father, and so she begged Ridel to stay silent. Complicit.
Ridel had gotten more and more isolated and lonely as time went on, and his father becoming sick did little to help this. He had no friends, eventually had his journals and adventure stories taken from him, and had his horns cut in hopes of being permanently removed. But to no avail, for they continued to grow back, as did his wandering spirit, his desire for adventure, for wanting to see the world above him. It was stifling.When he came of age, the events of the calamity had passed, and Ridel felt the fire within him burn again. He wanted to go to the surface, to help the people up above-to be a hero, like the ones he read about in all his adventure books, like the one his mother had named him after, who saved her when she was young and traveling the lands beyond the bubble. The Kojin trader that had been visiting him with books felt a deep sympathy for him, and decided to assist in his plan to leave.In the night, Ridel had done his ritual with the kojin, and finally made for his escape, but realized quickly that he never learned how to swim, and was immediately swept away by a nasty undertow in the stormy sea, a welt on his head given by the harsh rocks below.
Far from home, a trading ship happened upon him floating in the water, unconscious, and pulled him aboard. Once he came to, Ridel opened his eyes, and took in the sight of the moon and stars for the very first time in his life.
He had never seen the night sky before, and he fell in love.While the traders tended to him with a blanket and some soup, he looked down at his feet, and met his shadow, cast by the moon, for the very first time.Sadly the traders couldn't keep him around, so they sent him ashore with a pocketful of gil and well-wishes. In his travels, he came across a wandering caravan or two, and somehow saved and befriended a man by the name of Vatii, the first xaela he had ever seen, but ended up breaking paths with him shortly after, his tendency to isolate combined with wanderlust getting the better of him. They weren't to see each other again till much later....
He spent a lot of his time out in the wilds alone to avoid the stares and whispers regarding his horns, with only his shadow to keep him company. He traveled from small town to small town, hoping to hone his skills more, and eventually heard of the colosseums of Ul'dah. Ridel made his way to the city of Ul'Dah, lived in the back alleys with the Ala Mhigan refugees, and became a miner and a fighter in the colosseum, choosing to fight with the only weapon he knows; his own body. He bore the name Ridel Moonshadow.
Where is he now?
spoilers belowRidel has traveled a long journey, ventured far and wide, and has almost died several times... He has grown and changed a lot from it mentally AND physically; his feet having twisted in form from the first, his eyes having changed color upon merging with his voidsent, a tattoo sentimentally given to him, amongst scars and scales newly grown over old wounds... But above all else, he has found love with Vatii and G'raha, and has finally gained a sense of belonging. And though he intends to relax, it won't be long before he's wandered off again on yet another adventure, and what better adventure than to the world of his "Moonshadow"?
Hooks
I'M BEING FOLLOWED BY A MOONSHADOW~Ever since leaving his home, Ridel has had what he calls his "moon shadow" follow him in toe. This "Shadow" has been mostly seen as a benign being...mostly. He never quite questioned its origin, and had grown fond of it, considering it had kept him company for so long. This Shadow has been known to take forms, but mostly prefers taking Ridel's form above all else. It cares deeply for Ridel, and by consequence, has been known to isolate him from others at times. It does not show itself often in public, but Lemures have been able to sense its presence... for it's been speculated that this "Shadow" is, in fact, a voidsent hailing from the 13th, who had somehow found its way to the Source and was drawn to Ridel upon meeting him. It has not left his side since, and has recently formed a pact with Ridel to be able to fight alongside him....or as him, even....A WONDERING SPIRITRidel is a boy filled with wanderlust, and is a traveler by nature. Maybe you've seen him around... possibly sleeping in an alley or something...CARE TO DANCE?Ridel is a lover of dance and will partake in it any chance he gets. He is most confident and open when he entertains in this manner, and has learned a lot from traveling and meeting professional dancers along his journeys!BRING IT ON!Ridel LOVES to spar! He enjoys making friends through friendly bouts and even though he usually ends up losing, he maintains very good sportsmanship, and loves learning from it and growing stronger for it.HUNTER-GATHERERRidel enjoys hunting, often with his lovers, especially most recently. He's got a somewhat keen sense for tracking, though Vatii tends to have to assist him now and again in better honing his skills. He also has a bit of miner's knowledge, having worked as one in Ul'Dah for a time.TELL ME MORE!Ridel is an avid reader and is very inquisitive the more he opens up. He loves learning about the cultures and backgrounds of others, and is inclined to ask a lot of questions regarding background or culture, or even just how one may have gotten to where they are now. He's the most interested in Xaela tribes and their cultures, and has read up on them quite a lot, though he does love to be educated from the sources themselves above all else.BROKEN SOLDIERRidel has fought on many battlefields and taken many lives with his bare hands, which has, in turn, taken a toll on him physically as well as mentally and emotionally. He has also led platoons to their deaths due to his struggles in leadership early on. He was looked down upon by some for it, and since then has grown more reckless and ruthless in battle. He's become a valuable asset for this, but it is a profession he is not proud of, and does not care to recount...UNINTENTIONAL FLIRTRidel tends to flirt when he doesn't mean to. He never notices the hearts he's crushing when he does this.... nor does he notice when someone is hitting on him. He is a clueless boy....
Other Fun Facts
Ridel has no real knowledge of his ancestry, but his xaela bloodline originates back to the Malaguld clan, his great-grandmother a Taken from the Qerel and his great-grandfather a Raen from Sui-No-Sato, both exiled from their respective clans.
Has a heightened sense of hearing and spatial awareness due to his two sets of horns!
though he still gets tunnel vision at timesHis favorite sound is that of birds, and he can mimic their sounds exceptionally well with tweets and whistles.
Currently owns a wild red chocobo.
Is followed by a bunch of adventurous dragonlets who found him amusing and decided to accompany him in his journeys.
Founded a free company (after much convincing from his cousin) by the name of the Misfit Menagerie, full of... misfits.
Is an all-rounder, specializing in Melee, Ranged, Casting, Healing, and Tanking (the last one to Vatii's displeasure). He loves to learn new battle styles and has learned many of his jobs from people he's met along his journey.
Was married (?) at one point
for tax purposesHe wears bobbles and trinkets on his horns to feel more confident about them. His Menphina earring was given to him by Vatii after an... "incident"...
Is a lightweight. Do not get him drunk. Just don't.
Is in debt with Sigrid Ymir. What kind of debt? we just don't know.
OOCHello.Extra RP note: Ridel is a WoL in my personal story, but I flex with him as simply an adventurer/traveler when it comes to public/general roleplaying (unless you otherwise enjoy WoL roleplays)! I just like to roleplay as my boy~
I am an RP baby.
please be gentle.