umbralsentinel

charlotte // 24 // she/they

a carrd about all things ffxiv !!

about

my name is charlotte! i'm 24 and live in scotland.

i mainly play astrologian, dark knight and samurai, and on occasion red mage, dragoon, and dancer.

you can also often find me gathering, crafting, and being a menace as a blue mage.

i draw on occasion, and would like to try and keep it up as a hobby as ffxiv has brought back motivation i had long lost!

where to find me

i play as cerzei incatha on twintania, light DC.

i have an alt on lich under the same name, but at the moment i don't really use him.

i have a tumblr that i use to shitpost, share content, and talk about my warrior of light. you can find it here.

my ffxiv twitter i usually use just for shitposting and content sharing - you can find it here.

otherwise, here's my main twitter and tumblr! it's a mess.

you can also add me on discord, at sayrune#6103.

WoL lore

cerzei is a confident and friendly xaela au ra hailing from the northern regions of the azim steppe.

at the beginning of his journey, he was quite reserved and quiet, however through the friends he made, he has flourished! as much as there are positives, there were also a lot of hard times which has shaped him into the weird lizard he is today.

he is generally quite an optimist. prefers to act on deeds, not words. usually very well-spoken and direct, not one to sugarcoat things. comes off as very stoic at first, but will warm up to people in time. not a natural leader, but will do his part in a group to be a voice of reason.

not a sunshine character, but a moonlight character. subtle, soft glow, rather than radiating positive energy - pleasant to be around for the most part. the same aura of having a quiet but friendly cat that sits nearby, sharing space silently, but still contributing to the vibes.

he needs his glasses to see, he can't swim, and hates travelling by boat. he can do the splits, and is generally pretty flexible and mobile.

the following sections of content will have spoilers for the respected DLCs!

backstory

cerzei's tribe and family are based in a more northern part of the region in the azim steppe.

the tribe is filled with rowdy warriors who pride themselves on their fighting spirit, which did not come naturally to cerzei. from a young age, he practiced white magic, choosing to avoid group hunting and sparring, and abstaining from traditional ceremonies and festivals held within the tribe, and in the steppe as a community. during previous naadam festivals, cerzei would help tend to the wounded, at least those who would let him - his own tribe rejected all forms of magic, and in turn would favour natural remedies.

as per tradition in the tribe's history, all members underwent a coming-of-age ceremony on their 20th nameday. cerzei refused to participate, and was cast out. he renounced his tribe's name, and began to travel the steppe alone. he made a living for a few years offering healing for those in need, often found within or near reunion when he wasn't roaming between settlements, using the stars to navigate and guide him on his way. he found himself quite familiar with the night sky, which would later help him develop an affinity for astrological magic.

a realm reborn

eventually, at age 23, cerzei grew tired of the steppe, and began to head further out, leading him to eorzea. the first and last time he'd ever willingly set foot on a boat.

being accustomed to getting by alone for most of his life, it wasn't too much of a hassle to get on by himself, though through finding friends in the scions of the seventh dawn and the au ra friends he'd acquired, he grew fond of the company of having long-term friends. it was nice to finally have a group to travel with that treated him as a part of them, rather than an outsider or a visitor.

just as things seemed to be getting better and he was happy settling down, everything was scattered to the wind after the scions were framed for poisoning the sultana.

heavensward

upon arriving in coerthas, visiting the observatorium and learning of astrology for the first time, cerzei begins practicing as an astrologian instead of a white mage, seeking guidance from celestial powers, and channeling the energy into healing abilities.

when lord after lord closed their door to cerzei and alphinaud, lord haurchefant was a candle in the dark. one of the first people to welcome him with open arms in a time of need since leaving the steppe. cerzei got very attached very quickly to haurchefant.

as all candles must eventually flicker and fade, the loss of haurchefant was the straw that broke the lizard's back. the weight of all of the events so far - with the garlean empire, the framing and exile, the corruption in ishgard, and a rough life on the steppe - caused cerzei to lose his grip on reality, giving up astrology in favour of succumbing to his grief as a dark knight. he became reckless and violent, willingly picking up a sword for the first time in his life.

it was only after fair judgement had been dealt and his friends bringing him back down to earth that he stopped living life on a continuous warpath, though he did not set down the blade, but instead made peace with the fact that being a dark knight came as naturally as healing did to him. eventually, he also branched out to learn to be a samurai.

stormblood

upon returning to kugane, cerzei had very mixed, bittersweet feelings. the thought of being so close to home, a place filled with bad memories and dishonour, made his chest swell with dread. that, and being on a boat again.

upon returning to the azim steppe, setting foot into reunion for the first time in years, the uncertainty only made him more weary. as restless as he was without the closure, cerzei asked around the settlement for any news of his tribe.

their territory shared a border with that of the garlean empire. shortly before cerzei returned to the steppe, the garleans tried their hand at taking the tribe. headstrong enough to resist the subjugation, the tribe fought back, and were able to send the garleans back over the border, but not without casualties of their own - roughly half the tribe had been wiped out, and most that remained were worse for wear. while before they had been a high contender in the naadam, this year they had chosen to abstain as their best fighters were still trying to recover.

trying not to let the news get the better of him, cerzei participates in the naadam 5 years after leaving home, on behalf of the mol, and claims the victory. unbeknownst to him, a few of the more able members of his tribe had managed to travel south to spectate the ceremony, and sought him out afterwards to praise him for the growth he'd made. they invited him to return to the tribe and celebrate victory with them, an offer which he accepted straight away.

after hearing of his victory in the nadaam, seeing the warrior he came to be, his tribe welcomed him home with open arms. however, cerzei returned to his tribe to find his mother in poor shape, without his father by her side as they always had been. he had been one of those lost in the recent battle with the garlean empire, and his mother had also fought valiantly, but was struggling to heal through the wounds left by the garlean gunblades. after hearing of his success and lamenting that she was not able to see it, his mother smiles and tells him that she's proud of him for the first time in their lives. she allows cerzei to heal her wounds with astral magic, as do the other members of the tribe who are also struggling with recovery.

the tribe's khatun makes an offer which is nigh-on unheard of to cerzei - she offers him a second chance to undergo his coming-of-age trial. he gladly accepts, and passes with flying colours.

a great feast is prepared, and the tribe celebrate the return of their once exiled member. cerzei has his right arm covered in the tribe's traditional tattoos, only bestowed to their most renowned warriors - a permanent reminder of his growth and his roots in the steppe, no matter how far from home he may be.

after staying with the tribe for a few days, celebrating and sharing wild stories of the west, cerzei bids farewell once more and heads south once again, promising to return again one day. the tribe understand and see him off on his way, awaiting his return in the future.

shadowbringers

~TBC~

buenos dias emet selch