.ᛜ.⋆Valere Rochedalaix

―“'Tis a saying in Sharlayan... You will find no general greater than an old woman with naught to lose.”

Malboro [Crystal]

⋆.°✩⋆ ˚.ᛜ.˚ ⋆✩°.⋆ Hooks.

.  001.  . sharlayan doctor's general medicine. Sharlayan has no shortage of learned healers, but few of them come from a humble and traditional background like Valere. She works with a level of care that matches what her client is comfortable with, keeping things on the simple and traditional side should they prefer. Some seek a healer with an older, nurturing demeanor; others may seek her for her Archon's expertise. There are issues beyond her ken and comfort, however. If a problem lies far outside her confidence, she'll recommend a client to seek chirurgeons more appropriately skilled..  002.  . health conditions relating to the skin or hormones. Incising large boils, removing Treant splinters, creams to aid in masculinizing growth– you name it. Beard oils, Auri scale shed care, fertility treatments– you got it. Valere offers to patients a range of methods– those tried and true, or those considered more experimental..  003.  . questions or concerns regarding women's health and gynecology. Perhaps the field of care in which Valere has the most strength. This naturally extends to those who are not female, yet align with feminine health problems. She might even possess a remedy for conditions that other doctors won't solve, such as a pesky abusive husband or uncle...

.  004.  . curses and their removal. Valere is quite experienced with the intricacies of curse removal. Depending on the power and nature of the curse, the removal methods tend to be unpleasant. They are, however, reliable– there's never been a curse she couldn't resolve. On the other side of matters… a character that mistakenly attracts Valere's ire may find themselves becoming cursed. (I keep a list of her favored curses; most are minor and silly.).  005.  . beneficial spells and charms. If one has desire for a useful charm or spell, this is another thing Valere is well-capable of. Effects are limited in either time or strength. Examples include a generic good fortune spell, a charm to enhance focus or quell anxieties, one for cleaner skin, keeping the sinuses flowing, altering one's aether for a time, so on and so forth..  006.  . browse her small shop. Valere's small shop, located at the anterior of her Sharlayan home, offers many baubles that one might expect of a witch-doctor. Soaps, lotions, ointments, potions, curse-warding amulets, crystal charms, herbs, wands, antidotes, and alchemical necessities all line the wooden shelves. The prices are very cheap, covering little more than the costs of production. There is always some type of incense burning within.

.  007.  . astromancy. Receive a glimpse of fate, receive a celestial fortune. Valere prefers to use a crystal ball for this, but a card reading can be done if desired. Whether the fortune result be benevolent or malevolent, Valere will interpret it– but will not, under most circumstances, offer guidance on how to sway the approaching of destiny..  008.  . sharlayan research. Sharlayans or others with the appropriate scholarly interest may be familiar with Valere's work on Gelmorran medicine, the Fantasia Project, or the Reincarnation Studies. Fantasias are a scarce, experimental product in high demand, while the theories of reincarnation are a popular overlap of science and philosophy. Students or other curious individuals could inquire for info..  009.  . commune with the recently-departed. Through her research on the aetherial sea, Valere has discovered a unique method for attuning to the spirits of the dead. The odds of the spell working depend on when and where the person perished. Beyond a month deceased, the chances of Valere grasping an individual spirit are low, but in the best cases it has worked on spirits several months gone.

.  010.  . black shroud and the downtrodden. Valere journeys through the Twelveswood multiple times a year, and an encounter with her there is possible. Even more seldom, yet still possible, is to see her performing a few errands within Gridania. She will always lend a hand to anyone in need, but her usual focus is on aiding kin and fellow Duskwight, the poor, as well as other shunned races..  011.  . GILF. Sure, why not. Works if a character is around her age, or if they are younger and simply a granny/grandpa enjoyer. (She has been known to possess some cougar hookup tendencies… gougar, anyone?) Lowest she will go is 23. Be aware that sleeping with an old hag might result in unforeseen consequences. If you want, it can get nasty....  012.  . ??? - Choice individuals(?) who spend an extended amount of time alone with Valere may find themselves feeling a little tired after they part. It doesn't seem to have any correlation to a curse or personal dislike— rather the opposite, those whose company she appeared to enjoy most fondly. What could that mean? (This hook should only be used by those desiring a darker-edged storyline.)

( template made by @poohsources )

.°✩⋆ ˚.ᛜ.˚ ⋆✩°. Profile.

🌛︎⚕ Fundamentals °ᛜ

  • full name. Valere Rochedalaix

  • species. Duskwight Elezen

  • age.  58 summers

  • height & weight. 6'8½"/204cm, 218lbs/99kg

  • occupation. witch-doctor of Sharlayan

  • classes. Botanist, Alchemist, Conjurer, Thaumaturge, Astrologian, Gladiator

  • date of birth. 29th sun of 6th umbral moon

  • patron. Nophica - the Matron

  • gender. can best be described as "butch/girlflux trans-feminine witch/warlock"

  • pronouns. she or he (Valere uses both referring to herself; mun writes using 'she')

  • sexual orientation. bisexual

  • positive traits. skilled in multiple domains of magicks and medicines. wise. educated. calm. passionate about helping others. generous. youthful in spirit. open-minded.

  • negative traits. passive-aggressive. wicked. blunt. forgetful of faces. finicky about details. may fall asleep at inappropriate times. petty. vengeful.

  • likes. fancy herbal baths, making soaps and lotions, feeding mealworms to her elderly pet frog which was won in her divorce (25-year-old frog), making young people cringe by using their expressions

  • dislikes. bad manners, large flat outdoor spaces, being served dishes with meat, drama in the research community

Born and raised in the ancient caves of Gelmorra underneath the Black Shroud, Valere is a traditional Duskwight Elezen. Her life's work manifests through the studies of magic and healing, women's health, fantasia, and reincarnation via aetherial sea. Over two-thirds of her life she has lived in Old Sharlayan, but she oft returns to her childhood home for family gatherings and assisting her kin in the Twelveswood. She is notably an Archon, having written her Archon's thesis on traditional Gelmorran medicine, including Elemental-forbidden healing witchcraft. Her Archon mark is above her left ankle.

As a Sharlayan-educated witch-doctor, Valere's medicinal specialties include dermatology, obstetrics and gynecology, gender science, gonadal endocrinology, herbal medicines, ointments and elixirs, in addition to removing curses and other magical ailments. She combines traditional medicines of the Duskwight with advanced Sharlayan methods of care. Rarely does Valere want for money; healing from her is free. However, many of her services still come with costs attached— one might have to perform her chores or errands, possibly donate blood or aether, or contribute in other ways to her research.Beware— those who show ill manners to Valere may witness her subtle wrath. She has a reputation for placing small curses upon those who entreat her with disrespect, often lasting until the offending individual squirms, apologizes, and begs to have it removed.

🌛︎⚕ Addendum °ᛜ

  • Though Valere has a calm and quiet demeanor on average, she is prone to sudden, loud evil cackles if she finds something funny. It can be startling to those nearby caught unawares.

  • Valere has two younger siblings, a brother and sister. She is estranged from her brother.

  • She carries a large doctor's bag around often.

  • She is not immune to the occasional herb smoking, mushroom journey, or glass of milkroot wine― but such indulgences she typically limits to the rare lull in her work, or when she craves research inspiration.

  • For almost two decades following when she first came to terms with her gender, Valere shaved her facial hair out of desire to appear more feminine. However, as she's gotten on in the years, she has largely stopped caring what others think. Now, she feels quite comfortable in her stone-butch warlock identity, and refers to her facial hair as her "witch whiskers". Valere doesn't mind masculine-associated terms like "grandpa" or "sir" given the fluctuating butch nature of her identity, but it does hurt her feelings to be called a man.

  • She snores. Loudly.

  • Her voice is quite husky and raspy.

  • Valere possesses some nuanced opinions regarding Sharlayan politics. She doesn't care to get involved with the Forum, however.

  • Valere became a vegetarian after moving to Sharlayan. Her estrangement from her younger brother comes from the fact that she refuses to eat the meats he cooks at family gatherings. She placed a curse on him so he couldn't try to sneak meat into her food, which caused (and still causes) a significant rift between them.

  • When she first migrated to Sharlayan, Valere was rather introverted. Over the last 19 years since her gender transition, she has gradually become more extroverted with improved self-esteem.

  • Valere's pet frog, which was once the shared pet of her and her ex-wife, first came into their hands dead on a metal tray— part of a group project. After they dissected the frog, instead of discarding the corpse, Valere sewed it back up, returned it to life, and kept it.

  • Those who have a means of sensing aether and interpreting its intricacies will immediately notice extreme abnormalities in Valere's aether signals. Not only does her aether show her being much younger than she actually is, it also presents with a multitude of fluctuations distinct to one who has altered their aether via unnatural methods.

.✩⋆ ˚.ᛜ.˚ ⋆✩. Background.

Valere grew up within a reclusive Duskwight population which retained their traditional Gelmorran ways. Her clanspeople, full aware of the prejudices encountered by those who seek a life above ground, seldom sought out the surface to keep potential meetings with Gridanians or Ixal at a minimum. When sojourns became necessary, small groups of individuals emerged at sites of uninhabited Shroud forestry, giving any passersby a wide, stealthy berth. Trades tended to involve only other Duskwight.Such were the ways that defined Valere's childhood. Amongst other traditions, those relating to boys and men surrounded her and pulled her in; this included weapons training for defending the cave tunnels, how to wield blades and shields, certain values, styles of behaviors. And yet...From a very young age, Valere knew she was different from menfolk. All throughout her youth, she failed to understand this knowing; nor could she grasp the right language to describe her experiences and how she felt. She had no name for the strangeness, but was certain that she did not think she fit in.The cornerstone of her self-understanding began when she developed an early passion for healing and women's health; such fascinations took root when a local witch-doctor and midwife helped cure her childhood pet mole that had gotten sick. Starting from age 8, she apprenticed beneath this witch-doctor, wishing to become powerful like her, and to understand all things about women. It was rigorous, bloody work; yet Valere did not balk. Healing, curses, women's health, dermatology and herbal medicines, as well as the making of medicinal soaps, lotions, creams, potions, et cetera― Valere absorbed each drop of knowledge passed on to her like an eager sponge.Valere's parents, seeing how genuine all of it was, supported and nurtured these passions of their oldest child. Upon the approach of her coming of age, they worked tirelessly to find a sponsor so that Valere could study in Sharlayan and pursue her love of healing to greater heights. Then, at age 21, Valere bid her home caverns farewell, before boarding with both parents an airship set for Sharlayan.

The airship made an overnight stop at the New Sharlayan colony of the Dravanian Hinterlands, leaving Valere's family to tour briefly the massive Arboretum, science facilities, and more. It offered a taste of what was to come. When they reached the motherland of scholars, which prided itself on inclusivity, peacefulness, and innovation, Valere already felt with certainty that she wished to live and study there.So she did. She enrolled in the Studium, while her parents returned home. For a Duskwight who had spent the majority of her life literally living under rocks, the first few years were a constant, near-overwhelming experience; yet she loved it, and adapted. Many advanced new topics of interest presented themselves to her during this time, e.g. endocrinology, the aetherial sea, astromancy and somanoutics.Around age 25, Valere married a Sharlayan colleague and once laboratory-partner also studying women's health. They remained together for almost 12 years. Ultimately, however, the pair separated— the causes being work, communication difficulties, bitter disagreements, and intimacy issues. Valere struggled with impotency due to psychological stress stemming from immense dysphoria; this led to the relationship's intimacy being one-sided, with Valere not wishing to be touched in "normal" ways. Further upsetting to Valere's wife, at the time Valere herself didn't understand what her issue was. Both developed self-esteem issues as a consequence. The two also argued often about Valere's choice of thesis topic when she sought out the prestige of the Archon title. Post-divorce, they remained on decent terms, though rarely spoke.A few years later, at age 39, Valere beheld her gender epiphany. It first budded when she joined a large research project relating to the new concept of "Fantasia", a collaboration of alchemy, endocrinology, cosmetology, and dermatology. This concept, planned to manifest in the eventual form of a personalized elixir, proposed that an individual unhappy with the body they were given could do something about it. The appeal was far-reaching, extending to those with disfigurements, those who desired an escape from aging, or even those who wished to alter their sex characteristics. A colleague and close friend of Valere's, one of the research project heads, questioned her one day, asking if she would have use for it. "If you could become a woman, would you?" The simplicity of it rendered Valere speechless.For days she retraced all of her life's steps under a new feminine paradigm, remembering her research of the aetherial sea— knowing some reincarnated souls carry vestigial memories— and for the first time considered she might be the soul of a woman reborn into the flesh of a man. She consulted her family on the matter; their reaction was akin to unanimous nods of "that makes a lot of sense". She had shown feminine mannerisms all her life, now they finally possessed an explanation for it.With much support from colleagues and family, Valere volunteered herself as an initial test subject to the Fantasia project and transitioned. She changed her name, then soon found herself no longer troubled by intimacy. She met with her ex-wife again to flirt and explain everything that occurred in the few years since their separation; however, while her ex-wife was flattered (to the point of considering an affair) and understanding, by then she had rewed.When in Sharlayan, Valere's ex-wife still visits at least once a week around brunch to eat Valere's cooking. Her most popular recipes are her pumpkin soup, mun-tuy bean paste cookies, and veggie burger....Of course, there's more to her story than this, but it's best discovered through interacting with her… :)

⋆ ˚.ᛜ.˚ ⋆ Out of Character.

Hiya, thanks for reading. I'm a 26-year-old college student, currently studying biomedical science. Art and writing are big passions of mine. I live in Florida, so I'm in EST timezone.Discord: waterwithoutanyiceGenerally speaking, I prefer lore-friendly writing that has a sense of realism. I desire roleplay that feels immersive and taken at least somewhat seriously. There's a difference between natural silliness and exaggerated whacky anime hijinks… I don't care much for the latter in RP.I'm fine with most genres and nearly all tones of dark.Discord RP is objectively easier to organize, but I can also do in-game if our schedules align. On instinct I like to write quite a bit; however, I can adjust as needed.Feel free to add me on Discord, or walk-up if you're interested. *Valere is a free trial character, so I can't send Tells or friend requests on her (only receive them); private RP will require inviting me to a party.RP Musts:- Communication skills, maturity, respect for others and their time.- Understand the difference between a character and a self-insert. Be able to distinguish IC and OOC. Know when something is crossing the line into godmodding. Proofread for quality and typos.- Be 20+.- If you want romance or ERP, our characters need to have (or develop) that sort of chemistry first.