Lothaire de Valenfort

Ishgardian Goldsmith and Gambler

Private Residence:
currently relocating

Physical Appearance

Race: Elezen (Ishgardian)
Age: 37
Hair colour: Naturally blonde though he often dyes it darker
Eye colour: Blue
Visible Scars: 3-4 inch scar slightly above left eye | Visible scarring to left arm | Multiple others are generally hidden from view
Other Notable Features: Blind in left eye (has a prosthetic but prefers a patch)
Pets: A small, white ferret named Rascal

Skills

Primary Weaponskills: Longsword | Rapier | Firearms
Crafting Skills: Goldsmithing | Some skill with carpentry
IC Profession: Craftsman (goldsmith) | Merchant (owns a trading company)

Overview

Lothaire de Valenfort is an Ishgardian noble who owns and operates a small trading company by the name of Three Ravens Mercantile, employing a variety of fellow crafters and artisans. Though a talented goldsmith himself who once made his living on the road, he now spends much of his time working from the company’s headquarters in Limsa Lominsa, or tending to their interests in Ishgard.As a craftsman, he often takes on commissions for private customers and specializes in making unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. He can most commonly be found around Limsa Lominsa or Ishgard. When not bogged down in business, his love of gambling and entertainment often lead him to the taverns, bars and gambling houses of the local area.When in Ishgard, which is more often than not of late, he can be found in the Forgotten Knight or in a small tavern in the Brume called the Waltzing Weasel. It is a good place to find others with which to engage in games of chance, though given its location certain precautions must be taken before venturing down. Despite the risk, he is a regular enough sight in a place where to most, he is just another face in the crowd—exactly as he likes it.

Personality

Confident | Sociable | Assertive | Enterprising | Arrogant | Risk-taker | Impulsive

Lothaire is a confident and capable businessman with an eye for detail and love of invention and aesthetic beauty. Adventurous and enthusiastic, he is sometimes prone to taking risks without fully considering the consequences. But as the saying goes: nothing ventured, nothing gained.As an artisan, he pays great attention to detail and genuinely enjoys working with his hands to craft intricate, one-of-a kind pieces for customers. However the pride he takes in the creation of such unique works, means he will only very rarely agree to make duplicates of his designs.Lothaire likes to spend a lot of his time in the company of others, preferring the busy and boisterous nature of community to quiet solitude. To strangers in more formal settings, he can come across as aloof and arrogant—a symptom of his discomfort with such stuffy social situations. Around those who know him better, he is far more open and genial than first impressions might suggest.He is often quick to take part in festivities, with a special love for music, dance and chocobo racing. He has a love of drinking and gambling, both of which he can be prone to excess. These vices have led him into trouble on more than one occasion, and lie at the root of his personal issues in Ishgard.

• Further Information

Further Details

A former knight of Ishgard, Lothaire is the third-born son of House Valenfort, a minor noble family pledged to House Dzemael. As the son of a baron, he grew up within a wealthy yet religious household and was raised, like many Ishgardians, with aspirations of knighthood. However, significant injuries and the loss of his older brother on the battlefield, put an abrupt end to his military career when he was still in his early twenties.A long recovery led to a downward spiral that saw him engaging in increasingly destructive vices in an effort to cope with a new, unwelcome reality. During these years, he picked up many of his worst habits, including a penchant for drink and gambling, and was a frequent patron of several questionable establishments in the Brume.After one disgrace too many, his father had him quietly exiled from the city and sent to Gridania to ‘convalesce’. There he managed to straighten himself out somewhat and during this time befriended an Ul’dahn craftsman who encouraged him to explore better, more creative outlets to his frustrations. With the sceptical blessing of his father, Lothaire chose to apprentice himself as a goldsmith rather than return home to idleness in Ishgard. In doing so, he chose to leave both family and homeland and turned to a life of self-imposed exile as a trader and craftsman outside Ishgard’s borders.Through the intervening years he spent much of his time on the road, traveling in the company of other merchants and artisans. He founded his own company of itinerant crafters—Three Ravens Mercantile—in the aftermath of the Calamity, and has carefully grown it from fledgling business to profitable trading company in the years since.Despite his past behaviour and the circumstances of his departure, he remains on good terms with most of his family and often returns to Ishgard for long periods of time.

Combat and Crafting

Before he suffered the injuries that ended his military career, Lothaire was a relatively skilled swordsman. While he is still confident in wielding the weapon, the loss of one eye and a weakness in his left arm puts him at a disadvantage when it comes to close quarters combat. He much prefers to make use of firearms instead, despite the lowborn associations of the weapon itself.When in Ishgard, he rarely carries a weapon openly on the street, though he will almost always have a knife hidden somewhere about his person—a lesson learned the hard way after one too many bad encounters in the Brume. If he is armed, it is usually with sword or rapier, his favoured pistol being reserved for the dangers of the road where it is less likely to become the target of an overly bold troublemaker.As a goldsmith Lothaire is most experienced in working with softer metals and semi-precious gemstones, though he does turn his hand to wood carving on occasion. Most of his wares are small and easily carried on the road, made whilst on the move or to order for specific customers. He tends to specialize in custom made jewelry and small trinkets and, while much of his time is now spent managing the interests of his company, he does still take on commissions on occasion.

Prized Possessions

Lothaire’s most prized possession is his chocobo. Named Fiere for his ferocious temperament, the bird has a reputation for being difficult for anyone other than his rider. Bad tempered towards even familiar hands, he has been known to deliberately injure strangers who attempt to handle him. Lothaire is quite to close to the bird, having raised him from a hatchling and even had Fiere been graced with a less aggressive temperament, Lothaire would rarely allow anyone else take care of him.Lothaire is often accompanied by a small white ferret name Rascal, who will often entertain strangers in exchange for treats. The tiny creature is sometimes more trouble than he is worth however, and his tendency to collect interesting objects has led to more than a few awkward confrontations in the past.

Current Activities and Common Haunts

✦ Lothaire spends much of his time tending to the needs and interests of his trading company. He is a common sight around Limsa Lominsa where the company currently has its headquarters.
✦ Lately, he has been spending more and more time in Ishgard. There may be rumors that he is planning to settle there permanently in the near future.
✦ He continues to occasionally work as a craftsman, specializing in making jewelry, trinkets and occasionally wooden toys. He will take on commissions now and then as a goldsmith or carpenter though he tends to charge a higher price for items made by his own hands.
✦ As a fan of chocobo racing and gambling, he is prone to spending more time and money on both than is wise. He can often be found in Ishgard’s gambling dens and drinking establishments, though he does tend to steer clear of the more disreputable ones.
✦ When traveling through Ul’dah, he will often visit the Gold Saucer for entertainment and is a great fan of chocobo racing with aspirations to one day breed and race his own birds.
✦ At present, when he returns to Ishgard on business, he will usually rent rooms at the Forgotten Knight rather than deal with his family in close quarters. Whilst in the city he will almost inevitably end up descending into the Brume for the occasional gambling foray.
✦ Though not a particularly well known fact, Lothaire is the owner of the bar he frequents in the Brume. He won the place in a game though he has kept the original owners on to manage the place for him. He has little interest in actually running it himself and would rather continue to be a frequent customer instead. Few know of the change of ownership, and fewer still of the identity of the man who owns it.

Hooks

✦ Ishgardian NobilitySocial | Slice of life | GamblingLooking for social connections, both past and present; people who might remember Lothaire from many years ago, or new contacts who share in his current interests and activities. Relations between Houses would be interesting to explore, as would new friendships. Former connections from the time between the loss of his military career and his exile from Ishgard are most welcome.I’m also looking for anyone interested in card and dice games as I’d love to put together a small RP gambling circle. This will be ICly invitation-only with membership being made up of a small group of trusted friends so as to avoid drawing any undue attention from more judgemental members of society.✦ Business Connections and InvestmentsThe Arts | Business | CharityLooking for a wealthy patron to fund your venture or investment? Lothaire has money to spare and is looking to invest it in ventures that pique his interest. From business to charity and anything in between, if you have a clear idea and an interesting pitch he may be willing to help finance your activities.✦ Ishgardian PoliticsReformation | Politics | Heretics | ConspiracyLothaire is not exactly anti-reformation so much as he’s not onboard with forgiving and forgetting when it comes to the sins of heretics or their dragon allies. He has questions, doubts and a whole heap of issues relating to the war which make adapting to the new status quo difficult, even in the face of the church’s revelations. Social reformation is one thing. Blanket forgiveness for former heretics is an entirely different matter.✦ GamblingChocobo Racing | Gambling Dens | Pit FightsLothaire has a love of gambling and can often be found loitering in establishments of various natures, from the perfectly acceptable Gold Saucer to the likely-less-than-legal gambling dens of the Brume. He is an avid spectator of pit fights and arena’s, both legal and not-so, and almost always willing to place a wager on the outcome of a match.In more reputable establishments, he is often more than happy to engage in a game of dice, cards or triple triad, should the opportunity arise.✦ FamilyBackground connections | Family dynamics | House Valenfort | Personal storylinesLothaire has a number of immediate family members that I’m open to people taking on if interested. I’d like to see examples of writing style and to talk extensively OOC on this one before committing however.The same goes for potential offshoot branches of the House, distant relatives or any other direct connections.

Specific Scenarios

I have a couple of specific scenarios and themes that I would love to explore with this character. As some of these topics, such as addiction and trauma, can be sensitive issues for some people, I will not generally bring these up in casual RP, which is why I am looking for people to explore these issues with specifically. If you are interested in one of the hooks below, but there is something you do not wish to touch on please let me know and I will steer clear of it in our RP.I am, of course, always open to more general encounters and casual RP. This section is only for the more specific scenarios I would like to explore.ClergyExploration of Faith | Prayer | GuidanceI’d really love to find a clergy contact whom Lothaire could come to trust. He has some significant issues when it comes to the church, particularly in matters of faith, questions regarding the revelations at the end of the war and personal issues around his own vices and morality. I’d like to find someone he can come to trust as a friend, preferably the kind of priest more likely to minister to the lowborn and eschew the wealth and opulence of the upper classes. Inquisitor types who are more likely to cause trouble than help, are also welcome too.Scenarios can run anything from general discussions to sermons and prayer. Heavier topics such as questions of morality, dealing with his vices and the underlying traumas and fallout from the revelations at the end of the war are something I’d like to explore, but obviously only with someone interested that kind of heavier, exploratory RP.KnightsAdventure | Exploration | Travel | CombatSeeking knights looking for employment who would be interested in a position in service to a minor lord and his household. Duties would include protection and escort when traveling outside Ishgard’s borders as well as within. Must be literate and able to follow commands but willing to speak one’s mind when needed. Willingness to act as a training/sparring partner and possibly tutor would be a bonus.HighbornSocial | Slice of life | Friendship | GamblingLooking for social connections, both past and present; people who might remember Lothaire from many years ago, or new contacts who share in his current interests and activities. Relations between Houses would be interesting to explore, as would new friendships. Former connections from the time between the loss of his military career and his exile from Ishgard are most welcome.I’m also looking for anyone interested in card and dice games as I’d love to put together a small RP gambling circle. This will be ICly invitation-only with membership being made up of a small group of trusted friends so as to avoid drawing any undue attention from more judgemental members of society.GamblingChocobo racing | Cards & Dice | Pit Fights | Gold Saucer | Gambling DensLothaire has a love of gambling and can often be found loitering in establishments of various natures, from the perfectly acceptable Gold Saucer to the likely-less-than-legal gambling dens of the Brume. He is an avid spectator of pit fights and arena’s, both legal and not-so, and almost always willing to place a wager on the outcome of a match.In more reputable establishments, he is often more than happy to engage in a game of dice, cards or even triple triad, should the opportunity arise.CharityLowborn connections | The Brume | Orphanages/schools | PhilanthropyI’d love to hear from any individual or group who might be looking for a benefactor—whether they be church, orphanage, school, or anyone else who would be interested in having a wealthy, highborn patron fund their charitable endeavours. Lothaire is looking to engage in more philanthropic work of late, in part to make up for the errors of his youth but also out of a genuine desire to help the less fortunate.FamilyBackground connections | Family dynamics | House Valenfort | Personal storylinesLothaire has a number of immediate family members that I’m open to people taking on if interested. I’d like to see examples of writing style and to talk extensively OOC on this one before committing however.The same goes for potential offshoot branches of the House, distant relatives or any other direct connections.

OOC Information

✦ I am a paragraph style RPer and will often write at least a single paragraph per post in-game (more if using Discord).
✦ Walk-ups and /tells are both welcome in-game. If I don’t respond to a walk-up emote, please send me a tell as I may have either missed it or be afk.
✦ I like both Discord and in-game RP.
✦ I am based on the Crystal datacenter on Mateus but happy to use the world visit function to join people on other servers.
✦ Not currently open to romantic RP and definitely not interested in ERP.
✦ I am over 18 and will not RP with anyone under.
✦ I enjoy a variety of RP types from slice of life, to adventure, dark, mature and more. I love long term RP more than short one-off encounters.
✦ I like to be able to talk to people OOCly about RP, making plots and plans and discussing potential storylines. I will always raise issues with an RP partner if there are any, and hope that others would do the same.

Preferences

Character Injury: Yes, but with discussion
Character Death: Never under any circumstance
Mature Subjects: With discussion
Romance: With discussion
ERP: No. Strictly fade-to-black only
Family Connections: Yes, with discussion
Past Acquaintances: Yes, with discussion

Contact

Lothaire Valenfort, Mateus
Discord: imaginaryalchemyWalk-ups and /tells are both welcome.Please feel free to get in touch.