Rythas Brenelle

Belmion Montenaux
Duskwight Magus

A disheveled mage without a shred of renown to his unusual name. Rythas Brenelle can usually be seen wandering Ul'dah's streets or the surrounding desert, though work and play alike sometimes bring him beyond Thanalan's borders. When not working, he's often holed up somewhere quiet with a book or his journal.

Those intimately familiar with crime in The Black Shroud, either as a criminal or a peacekeeper, might look at Rythas and be reminded of Belmion Montenaux, an unaccounted for member of the once reviled and now exterminated Blue Butchers. Though Montenaux's face was never revealed, descriptions of the thief and murderer mention numerous scars, a Duskwight's blue-gray skin, and hair the color of snow, all characteristics Rythas undoubtedly shares.

Appearance

Though Rythas lacks the refined and elegant bearing one might associate with Elezen, his youthful features are undoubtedly those of a Duskwight. His skin is a dark shade of blue-gray, contrasting with his tousled, snow white hair. He tends to wear an impassive look on his angular face, giving away very little of what's going on in his head. That said, his lilac eyes are clever and observant, betraying at least a shred of intelligence beneath his deadpan and awkward demeanor.

Rythas is rather thin, the result of his time on the road and a history of skipping meals out of both necessity and self-neglect. He stands reasonably tall for an Elezen at 6'8", further exaggerating his slight figure. He's begun to build up some muscle mass in recent moons, and his flexibility has improved greatly, but his tendency to skip meals and spend long periods of time studying has conspired to leave him lean and lithe.

He has about a million distinguishing marks, though the most visible are a thin scar over his right eye and a similar scar on his left cheek. A tattoo of white ivy spreads from the bottom and top of his left eye, bright against his blue skin.

Scars cover his slender arms and torso, so numerous that one would assume their origins are ritualistic but so haphazardly inflicted that not even the most aesthetically challenged cult would approve. The majority are old arrow and blade wounds, though there are several burn scars on his right side, back, and left shoulder. The most recent scars seem to originate from claws and fangs.

Rythas tends to wear old, tattered coats, finding them comfortable, versatile, fairly cheap, and most importantly, likely to have lots of pockets for him to fill with little knickknacks. Most of his coats are at least partially made of leather and adorned with some sort of soft metal, like silver, improving his ability to conduct aether.

His hands are perpetually bandaged, tightly wrapped from the base of his fingers to his wrists in dirty linen. A pair of necklaces hang about his neck. The first is rather simple, appearing to be nothing more than a strip of leather adorned with a few feathers. The second is more notable: a black chain supporting a faintly glowing amethyst. Wrapped about his right wrist is a silver and turquoise bracelet fashioned into an alternating series of delicate-looking bats and mushrooms. His left hand is unadorned.

Finally, a leather pouch containing his grimoire (and several other, far less important books) and a twig-like wand is always present on his hip, and he keeps seven knives stashed somewhere on his person at all times, just in case. Most notable of these is a stiletto with an amethyst set into its handle. A koppranickel and silver cane is often held in his right hand, used both as his primary magical focus and to aid him in walking.

Personality

• Personalty Type: INFJ-T

Skills

Spellslinger. Rythas is a magus of respectable ability. He primarily wields blue magic and shows an inclination for fire and destruction, though he also makes for a passable healer in a pinch. That said, he still relies on arcanima and thaumaturgy for a number of things, and his foci are never far.

Imitator. Ever the student, Rythas applies a blue mage's approach to learning to all schools of magecraft. It's rarely as straightforward as engaging a fellow mage in combat, but he's managed to broaden his repertoire of spells through observation, experimentation, and many sleepless days.

Dexterous. Though his interests now lie with magecraft, Rythas was still raised a bandit. He's not quite as good as he used to be, but he's retained many of the skills Erelle taught him. His fingers remain nimble, and he can move quickly and quietly when the need arises.

Marksman. Rythas is a surprisingly competent archer, considering how rarely he's seen carrying a bow. When he does have one, it appears to be conjured via magic.

Swordsman. Despite his long limbs and Erelle's mentorship, he only ever managed to be mediocre with a blade. Recently, however, he's taken to wrapping his cane in aether and wielding it like a sword. Though odd, he displays hints of traditional Elezen technique in his new approach to close quarters combat.

Scout. The natural gift of a Duskwight's keen senses and an upbringing that emphasized remaining undetected until the pivotal moment have made Rythas a passing fair scout. He's not quite the tracker he used to be, but his sense of hearing remains second to none.

Musician. Though it's grown rare for him to take the stage, a traveler near the surface ruins of Gelmorra might hear a song on the air. Most often, this takes the form of the twang of guitar strings and a low crooning.

History

The story of Belmion Montenaux is one more than a handful of Duskwights have experienced themselves. Born to outlaws Rassaut and Ythette Montenaux, Belmion was thrust into a life of banditry before he was old enough to know the word. The earliest years of his life were spent on the run and in hiding with his parents and their fellow bandits, a group of Duskwights called the Blue Butchers.

In many ways, raising Belmion was a team effort. When his parents were away, those who were left to watch over the hideout took care of the boy. For some, this meant frigid acceptance, but others doted on the child. However, none were as fond of him as his Auntie Erelle, the eponymous Blue Butcher herself. If anyone had an issue with the extra burden Belmion placed on the gang, they had the sense not to voice it when Erelle was in earshot.

Time passed, and with adolescence came expectations. Belmion learned archery, then how to track and stalk prey. Once he'd proven himself competent by regularly bringing food back to the hideout, his caretakers-turned-comrades taught him how to apply those same skills to finding people. Erelle dedicated much of her free time to sharpening Belmion's skills.

Belmion roamed the Shroud with the Butchers, attacking travelers, caravans, and townsfolk alike. As these attacks grew more lucrative and violent, the Butchers became a higher priority on the Wood Wailers' list.

Of course, the spotlight meant the Butchers attracted new members too. Belmion found loyal companions and dear friends in Troifont, Zivah'to, and Vehza, and a lover in Arlianne. Unlike the others, Arlianne was devoid of anger and spite. Talking to her was eye-opening for the young Belmion, who had been surrounded by cynical bandits since birth. He found himself wanting to see what else there was to the world than banditry and the Black Shroud.

After several years of playing cat and mouse with the authorities, the Butchers finally found themselves cornered. Betrayed by one of their own, Erelle and her gang were swarmed by Wailers during a raid on a caravan.

Erelle and her oldest allies, Rassaut and Ythette among them, were quickly struck down. The rest of the Butchers scattered, doing what they could to break free of the throng of combatants. In Belmion's case, it meant protecting Arlianne while she summoned a pillar of fire worthy of Ifrit. With Ustrault incinerated and the Wailers momentarily scattered, the couple broke away beneath the curtain of fire and ash and retreated into the woods, then to the cave that served as their secret place.

Though they did their best to tend each other's wounds, Arlianne didn't make it to sunrise. For the first time in his life, Belmion found himself alone. He ventured out for a single day to bury Arlianne, then returned to the cave to hide from the Wailers. Circumstances reduced Belmion to a raving mess. Years passed before clarity returned to him and he stepped out into the world again.

He spent a short while in the woods, getting his bearings, then went to Gridania in search of information. It was perhaps the dumbest thing he could have done, but fortune was kind enough to ensure he didn't end the day hanging from a noose. While there, the Duskwight found out his closest friends were unaccounted for. As far as the Gridanians knew, Troifont, Zivah'to, and Vehza were all out there. His first thought was to search for them and surround himself with something familiar.

But he didn't doubt they would want revenge on the Gridanians, and bitter though the Duskwight was, he hated the thought of returning to what, and who, he used to be. So he stole a pack full of supplies from an unlucky traveler and set out to satisfy the wanderlust Arlianne had instilled in him.

The Duskwight found himself woefully unprepared for Thanalan, but he somehow managed to not die out in the desert. In Ul'dah, he picked up the basics of thaumaturgy by eavesdropping on conversations between acolytes, then ventured out to Limsa Lominsa and began studying arcanima from a stolen grimoire. The less volatile nature of arcanima suited him, he found, and the ability to mend wounds was one he found invaluable. He had a brief stint in the Arcanists' Guild as an apprentice, during which he cemented the basics in his mind. The Duskwight then returned to Ul'dah, leaving behind a string of fake names as he went.

Once there, the Duskwight put himself to work. He joined the Adventurers' Guild under the alias of Rythas Brenelle and began taking whatever jobs he could to help others. Though many things have changed for Rythas in the year since then, his goal remains the same: Atone.

RP Hooks

Former Bandit. Rythas’ past life was one of crime and banditry. He was raised by the Blue Butchers, a gang of disgruntled Duskwights and other outcasts. Once he was old enough to hold his own, Rythas joined the Butchers in robbing travelers and attacking caravans. He, like all of the gang, wore a mask when on the job, but someone with a good enough memory might get the nagging feeling that this man is familiar.

Spellslinger For Hire. Rythas makes most of his living by working as a magus and mercenary. His primary method of advertising is painting his name, address, and sales pitch in the alleys of cities, though word of mouth can easily lead a potential client to him.

He's said to do whatever (legal) work is set in front of him, be it soothing one's aches and pains through the use of aether, creating magical objects such as ever-burning lamps, finding missing persons, dispatching a problematic monster, or any other odd job someone might need done. If he's at all notable, it's for his tendency to cause (mostly minor) property damage when working within the confines of civilization, but a few people have also noted he's worked for as little as a fistful of one gil coins and a sandwich.

Firebug. For those who are sensitive to aether or those rare few with aethersight, it may be worth mentioning that Rythas' unaspected blue-white aether is shot through with the red of astral fire, like a drop of food coloring in the process of spreading throughout a glass of water.

Voracious Reader. Those who spend a great deal of time in or around bookstores are likely to recognize Rythas. He never fails to visit a bookstore at least once a sennight, nor does he ever leave empty handed. An attentive observer might notice he prefers books about magecraft, adventure or romance novels, and, occasionally, smut.

A Voice for Duskwights. Though far from the only one to do so, Rythas has nonetheless used his meager ability as a musician to both encourage his kin to hang in there and criticize Gridania's prejudices. This was most evident at the Duskwight Solidarity Show. Perhaps it's earned him a little respect. More likely, it's earned him someone's ire.

Miscellaneous Information

Chaotic Good, formerly Neutral Evil. He's quite open about his distaste for authority and tradition, but he'll stomach them if they keep those involved happy and healthy.

As Duskwight names go, he uses a weird one. Brenelle is passable as an Elezen name, and to the best of his knowledge, a Wildwood has never carried it. It passes, at least at a glance. But the name Rythas is distinctly non-Elezen.

Rythas has regained full use of his voice following his years in isolation, though he still speaks softly. He has a heavily diluted Gelmorran accent that manifests as a singsong-y lilt.

Rythas favors his left leg. Though he doesn't seem too hindered, he often uses his cane to aid him in moving about anyway.

He's as likely to smell of paper and ink and sage as he is to smell of blood and sweat and ash. It really depends on the sort of day he's having.

Though not outright manipulative, he's not above lying in situations where the truth is uncomfortable or complicated.

Rythas is unable to swim. He's not opposed to learning; he's just never had a reason or opportunity to.

The Duskwight is romantically involved with someone and monogamous.

Music

• Rythas' Playlist

Out of Character Information