<BIODATA>

PRONUNCIATION: Scaevola = SEE-vo-laTITLE: Primus Medicus (lux)
ALIASES (if applicable): Aphie
EPITHET: the Unflinching, Spatula (derogatory)
BIRTH YEAR: 1550
AGE: ~35 (looks 25 "due to experimenting on himself")
RACE: Pureblood Garlean (Midlander)
GENDER: Male
SEXUALITY: Asexual, Biromantic
MARITAL STATUS: Single
CANON JOB: Machinist
CURRENT PROFESSION: Senior field medic in Tertium, Garlemald

RESONANT: [ YES / NO ]HAIR: Washed out dark blonde with light blonde tips, cropped with sweeping fringe over right eye. NOTE: Previously lighter blonde. Individual attributes desaturated hue to "experimentation and stress".EYES: Amber, NaturalHEIGHT: 5 fulms 11 ilms (markedly shorter than his pureblood compatriots)BUILD: Moderate muscle tone, overall average. Still slender enough to appear androgynous.DISTINGUISHING FEATURES: Two scars on face: one across bridge of nose, one across lips diagonally left to right. Well-groomed eyebrows. Prosthetic magitek right arm. Left-handed. Has been mistaken for a well-dressed woman from behind. Pearly white third eye set into centre of forehead, often completely hidden by hair. He has actual eyebags that only show up in stark lighting, and generally looks really tired.COMMON ACCESSORIES: Dog tag with combat medic position noted. He calls it a signaculum.VOICE: Act 2 Brother Nier in NieR: Replicant ver.1.22474487139SINGING VOICE: Celldweller in Against the Tide

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KNOWN CONTRIBUTIONS:
- SUBJECT: IMPERIAL WAR HOUND
- SUBJECT: HYPERTUNED GRYNEWAHT
- SUBJECT: NUMBER XXIV
- SUBJECT: INFERNO
- SUBJECT: RUBY WEAPON
- DEVICE: RESTRAINT COLLAR
- DEVICE: RECORDER BIT
- DEVICE: SCAEVOLA SELF-[REDACTED] MACHINE
- STUDY: PRIMAL/EIKON TEMPERING ON PSYCHENOTE: Aphelius will only ever talk about his research if his knowledge will help others and he can be physically present to help out and share. Please do not ask to roleplay isolated conversations about his research without considering him as a character.He is aware that some of his research was used in several of these projects as of his evacuation from Ilsabard. This awareness was not present at the time of these projects; all of the experiments were done without his knowledge that his research was involved.

<PROFILE>

BIRTHPLACE: Arvum Aureum, GarlemaldLANGUAGE PROFICIENCIES
Garlean (Native), Eorzean Common (Fluent), Hingan (Moderate), Dalmascan (Poor)PROFESSION: Aphelius is first and foremost a combat medic. His extensive knowledge that requires no use of aether comes in handy for practical medicine.His former profession was senior medical officer and trauma surgeon of an Imperial hospital in the capital.WEAPON: Uses a notably outdated Pre-Imperial Garlean revolver that uses normal bullets. There is nothing special about it, but the way he handles it shows he clearly knows all of its ins and outs, including being able to reload and rotate the chamber manually with one hand.COMBAT SKILLS: Trained and skilled in usage of various firearms, Aphelius is capable of learning any sort of firearm in a short time. His marksmanship and spatial awareness are exceptional.For self-defence he knows disarming hand-to-hand combat, but prefers to run rather than fight. As a pureblood Garlean, despite appearances his physical strength matches that of a Highlander's in good shape. Because of his strength, he can fire most light firearms with one hand.- NOTE: His right arm was amputated and replaced with a magitek prosthetic. As he is ambidextrous, it does not hinder him, but in its absence he has a slight problem with his balance.PERSONALITY: Aphelius is a born critical thinker, always questioning everything and not accepting answers at face value. He is a shrewd and intelligent man, but he lacks the self-confidence to see himself as a figure to follow. Instead he chooses to take a step back instead of taking charge, oft regretting that he didn't step up sooner.He struggles between kindness and indifference, as he is used to kindness as a weakness that others can take advantage. Yet when he is cornered, this is when his true self shines: Aphelius in his element is a surprisingly efficient and competent pragmatist who unknowingly demonstrates strong leadership qualities.As a medicus he does not differentiate between allegiances and will favour keeping others alive. While he has excellent bedside manners, he is also predisposed to being bluntly honest over sugarcoating, which makes him come off as extremely direct to the point of rudeness. He also has no shortage of self-guilt and tries to do his best to make up for what he did not step up to do before.HOBBIES: Reading, problem solving, learning about music and songs.FEARS: Never finding a place to belong, Having his work be used to kill others (especially civilians and innocents), Any of his old research being repurposed to take lives.

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< THE NOW >

GARLEAN REFUGEE EFFORT
Under both the Contingent and the Interim Senate, Aphelius aids his people at Tertium as both a field medicus and a senior medicus who deals with emergency cases, much like his former position as trauma surgeon in the city hospital. He also has other responsibilities outside of his medical work, which involves inventory and tracking of medical supplies.DISTRUSTFUL OF POLITICIANS
Aphelius is a loyalist to Garlemald, but neither Optimate or Populares - in fact he is in favour of rebuilding Garlean society entirely without the aspects that were a detriment to his own people, including himself. One of these was the politicians who perpetuated his dislike of those aspects, and he tends to antagonise them automatically.CULTURE SHOCK
Aphelius was raised in a society that revolved around competition, pragmatism and efficiency. Kindness and doing something not for the greater good are not things he associates with a functioning society. This theme of exploring is very much broadening horizons of perspective on both sides: what it means to live as a Garlean, and what it means to live as an Eorzean.NO-NAME PUREBLOOD
Aphelius is not some high-ranking, named pureblood and neither is his family to some extent. As a result he has both experienced the privilege of being a pureblood, and the torment of not being ambitious enough to be Someone in the old society. He is somewhat distrusting of his own people and strongly opposed to what made his society so intolerable for him, and thus may run into conflict with his countrymen.COMPLEMENTING FAUST
His relationship with Faust, his estranged older brother, is complicated. Aphelius doesn't agree with Faust's choices, more upset about what he did to their parents than his sins in Dalmasca. However, circumstances keep putting them together, and truthfully after having lost nearly everything the two brothers know that they must reconcile to survive. If you make contact with Faust, you are likely to also encounter Aphelius.

< THE PAST >

All of the Past hooks that were previously here are no longer available due to his entire timeline being fixed.I do not wish to RP anything from before the current timeline stated at the top of this section. I already have two major plot arcs ongoing; I would like anything after that.There will be a new and improved backstory page once his current arc is complete, which will take a while so check back later.The slideshow below just illuminates his many changes as a person in his past.

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<EXTRA>

- As extensive as this carrd is, it barely scratches the surface. If you would like to find out more about him, roleplay is your best bet. I have not written everything on this carrd.- 'Aphie' is a nickname only used by his mother. He doesn't like it, but tolerates it when it comes from her. It is off-limits to anyone else.- He owns a modified magitek bit that has no weaponry, just a camera to record. Its name is Beep and is his security blanket, so to speak.- The 'Spatula' insult came from his peers mocking him for failing magitek engineering and is a deliberate twist of his family name.- He's far-sighted and needs reading glasses. His third eye helps him when in combat, but reading is out of its reach.- Apart from his medical work and the odd cursory handshake, he avoids physical contact due to PTSD. He is asexual for the same reason.- He really likes Allagan aesthetics. He does not look up to the Allag, however.- He does not appear to be a pureblood Garlean at first glance because his third eye is obscured, but it does not take long for anyone to find out.- He is fine with Loporrits.The idea behind Aphelius is that as a critical thinker he questions what he knows, but is still a product of his society. He and his divisive views are meant to be challenged.He grew up in a meritocracy based around almost-worship of the Emperor and the royal family, but is a low-rank pureblood amidst an upper echelon of individuals known for power trips, superiority complexes, classism and racism. His ideas are similar to both the political parties of the Optimates and the Populares, yet he is neither of them.Instead he's a disillusioned patriot, loyal to his homeland but disagreeing with both sides on how a country should be run and how its people should be treated. Note that he fully supports the Garlean doctrine; he just never agreed with its methods.While he was part of a privileged standing, he also suffered at the hands of his own people in many ways. At the end of the day, hopefully he can grow to be more understanding and compassionate, but still hopeful and bound to his homeland.

<OOC>

- I am known as Sage (they/them), and have been RPing for way too long. I do not mind RPing with concepts that have been extrapolated from current lore, however I write within FFXIV's narrative trajectory and therefore will not accept plot arcs that defy the logic set up by the narrative. The Garlean Empire being rebuilt as it used to be is one example of a concept I will hard-line refuse to write.- I heavily prefer multi-paragraph narrative writing akin to that of a novel. That said, I can adapt to ingame RP style easily and am a quick responder. I do not expect you to reply instantly, I just enjoy writing.- I am 100% a Discord RPer. This is because my timezone is UTC +8 and I do content in this game when I'm logged on, which minimises the amount of time I can spend RPing in this game. Scheduled ingame RP can happen, but all of my content-doing takes priority so I may not always be available.- I lean towards plots and characters that are grounded. I do love levity and slice of life as and where relevant, and many of my plot arcs will usually aim for a more hopeful, if bittersweet, ending. I also enjoy giving characters their moments in the spotlight, so that RPs are a good balance of hard work and payoff for both my partner and me.- I really enjoy exploring personality clashes, the consequences of conforming to society, themes of handling grief, atonement and betterment of oneself, and discussions of the detrimental effects of colonialism, fascism and corrupt meritocracy. By no means are these preferences exhaustive, but they are preferences for a reason and I will prioritise such topics addressed respectfully.- My current setting is Garlemald. I will not do military/Legion RP, period. My Garleans are not available outside of Garlemald for IC reasons.- This player is 25+ and would prefer RP partners who are 21+ due to mature topics associated with this character.- Aphelius as an Imperial is a divisive, problematic character and as such holds views that I, the player, do not agree with nor condone. This is very much a case of separation between IC and OOC and I would like to keep it that way.- Definite no: Character death is out of the question, and so is excessive gore and violence.Character maiming is also a no-go.- Discussion first: Sexual assault, torture, death in general (of NPCs etc)- Scaevola is not associated with Scaeva (Nero's family). It is a smaller nobody family and is only named because most of every generation is left-handed. Aphelius is also predominantly left-handed.- The button below leads to a writing sample.

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<PC>

past

present

past

Alysdair Stormbreaker (NP)
Relation: None
Profession: Mercenary
Status: Last seen by Aphelius in IlsabardMeifeng eir Gladio (NP)
Relation: None
Profession: Spy
Status: Alive

present

Rin Ikeda (NP)
Relation: None
Profession: "Treasure Hunter"
Status: AliveSaerno Glista (NP)
Relation: None
Profession: Freelance Aetherologist
Status: AliveAisling Talier (NP)
Relation: None
Profession: Mercenary (Bozjan Resistance)
Status: Alive

faustus

Faustus rem Scaevola (P)
Relation: Older Brother
Profession: Tracker/Guide
Status: Alive

<NPC>

family

others

Quintus mal Scaevola (P)
Relation: Father
Profession: Senior magitek technician, Garlemald
Status: [REDACTED]Tatiana mal Scaevola (P)
Relation: Mother
Profession: Senior magitek technician, Garlemald
Status: [REDACTED]Aphelius's parents are staunch loyalists, fully believing in the strength and power of Emperor Varis. As a result they've brought up their children to believe in the same principles they stand behind. While Aphelius no longer agrees with them, he still loves his parents despite their insistence on calling him 'Aphie', his childhood nickname, and a tendency to infantilise him.

Caeso quo Scaevola (P)
Relation: Brother, Eldest
Profession: Centurion, IIIrd Legion
Status: [REDACTED]Faustus rem Scaevola (P)
SEE ABOVELucius pyr Scaevola (P)
Relation: Brother, Third
Profession: Optio, IIIrd Legion
Status: [REDACTED]Aphelius's brothers are brawny types, all standing at well above six feet and depictions of Garlean physique. Caeso and Lucius avoid talking to Aphelius because they find him too bookish for their military chatter. Basically jocks.

Sabina sas Lucio (P)
Relation: Previous Employer
Profession: Tribunus, VIIth Legion
Status: [REDACTED]From a pureblood family much closer to the Royal line (but no claim to the throne), Sabina is known to be a harsh military officer who delights in manipulating others to her benefit. Infamous for her black hair and pale skin that some rumour is maintained by the blood of her victims.He doesn't talk about her.Remus lux Decima (P)
Relation: Unknown
Profession: Architectus Ordinum, Civil Engineer
Status: [REDACTED]Formerly his roommate in the Imperial Magitek Academy, Remus was one of the very few people Aphelius would call a trusted friend. He is responsible for Aphelius's modified magitek bit, and they were rumoured to have been in a relationship in their younger days. If pressed, Aphelius's answer implies they drifted apart due to a falling out, and Aphelius himself has never recovered from it.

< A PEEK >
into the past

Aphelius's silence as she spoke of whatever she had gained from reading those books might have been unnerving to some despite it being simply a gesture of giving Lilin the floor to speak. In a society where purebloods were wont to interject at any time and bear the innate right to do so without being rebuked, Aphelius had long since realised he never looked at the speaker, only focusing on the words being spoken. A travesty according to some of his fellow purebloods, for who of the three-eye persuasion would be so willing to give the time of day to those who did not have the superior ability?It was this 'blindness' to status that he showed now, perhaps unaware that he was doing it even though he was mindful of his own quirks, until she finished speaking about her struggles with the medical books. "To start with, you are right - these books take for granted that the reader has the fundamentals of medical knowledge. But you have not the privilege nor right to acquire such a prestigious education without sponsorship or connections or birthright." Whether he thought this was right or not was not mentioned. "And as such you must make do with what we would consider the knowledge of a field medic. You know less than the nurses, even those jen who head out to emergencies and require permission for everything. The books, in short, will not help you." His curt tone put an end to that."You are better off making observations of the medicus at their work, or taking rides out with those medicus assigned to treat civilians in their homes or bring them here for proper treatment. Specialist topics are out of your reach, not just because of your original status as a conscript but also that it takes winters for even one to master a given field. While I must applaud you for your initiative and interest, I think it would be best if you kept to the practical side. Besides, we need far more staff willing to step outside their offices. The people need our help beyond pretty words."

He canted his head slightly to the left in query at "if I am granted permission". "Pardon? Your supervisor will not allow you to intern further into scientific research that benefits the populace more than simply tending to broken bones and kitchen burns? Would you be better served in your purpose as well as theirs if I penned a letter of recommendation for their relentless support of granting education to our lessers so that they may better themselves and be enlightened as to our work? Of course I would add an official permission request into that - I will not break protocol and policies already set in place by my betters and superiors."Aphelius's gaze wandered slightly as he angled his head towards his desk, to look at the papers. "It would not be a long affair, no. I am used to asking for such favours, for it is favour that gets someone somewhere more often than not. Perhaps even find some leverage in order to expand your knowledge and broaden your horizons. Besides, this personal hypertuning research is very much not a high-security project; nay, it does not even have a record other than my original requests for sponsorships and subsequent rejections with reasons given, not until it is officiated by the director of this very hospital."But if you fear that it will be an activity that gets you sanctioned, then you are, with my permission, allowed to not participate in it. I very much doubt you will be able to earn extra credit for even being involved. The least you would be is a footnote in the research, because my superiors would will it to be so and I am not about to step out of line. That will be your choice ultimately to request, and if you do I will indeed send you along with the requisite documents." Aphelius got to his feet."Perhaps a trial might work in your favour. Regardless of permission, once you are rested I can schedule a session wherein I work on my project and you assist me. Then you can decide if you wish to remain involved, or if you are best suited to other areas that are not so dry and dull as waiting around for results and understanding chemical reactions."He raised an eyebrow, clearly not intending to move from his seat until she gave him an answer.

< A PEEK >
into the now

Aphelius listened in complete silence, unmoving and with no expression on his face. When Saerno finished speaking, he took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "The things I could tell you about my people... Yes, we were just a people who needed to survive. The stories of Northern Ilsabard and how cold and unforgiving the barren land is are no story; they are the truth. Perhaps even moreso, since some stories could be light on the details to be kind. Unlike the storytellers, the land itself was not kind at all, and the only way we could survive was to unite. The only way we could keep warm and feed ourselves and find shelter was each other."His gaze was unfocused, staring at the wall opposite him slightly above Saerno's head. "The climate didn't allow for sentimentality or attachment, and for some unlucky people that sort of thing killed them. To survive, we had to be like the climate. We had to be like the mountains around us, the ice that formed around our homes and the snow that fell every day and night - imposing, impenetrable, perpetual, relentless. Every decision deliberate and final. Disagreement and division into cold dark nights would get us killed, by weather or by those who would take advantage of their magic to chase us out of our homes leaving us to die frozen and alone. So you can see why we became the way we are."And it helped us to live. We fought for our own, victory or death. We were driven to keep searching for ways to survive, to progress, to take every advantage we could to give us an edge over our worst enemies - invaders, and the cold. It was mandatory for us to work together as a unit, putting aside our differences to provide what we could for everyone else so that no one had to die out in the cold. The chain in the Garlean flag is that unity - that we can only stand strong together, and to remember the blood of our sisters and brothers who fell to keep others warm and safe."

He took another deep breath, quite audible in the quiet of the room before slowly exhaling again. "And then somewhere along the way, something went wrong. Pride gave way to arrogance. Decisiveness became unforgiving finality. The desire to progress became the desire for power, more power and nothing else. The desire for unity twisted into moral superiority, justifying it with the denigration of everyone else because surely they had never had to go through such extremes just to hang onto life. Surely no one else has had to ever make the decision between trekking with mouths to feed and bodies to keep warm through blizzards or freezing to death in a cave with them if they refused. That it could be as easy as the entire family starving to death because the breadwinner went out one day and got eaten or suffered frostbite or hypothermia and couldn't be rescued in time."Thus they became what everyone knows now - cruel, harsh, manipulative. People who would go on to rip apart families and loved ones, tear down cultures and religions, use their educations to find the weakest points in their fellow man and turn it to their advantage, twisting it for their own benefits. To start seeing others as resources. Mere rungs on the proverbial ladder that they could step on and fuel their personal agendas, even if it meant feeding their blood, flesh and bones to the war machine. To those they had no use for, they threw them to the wayside and let them rot. To those who they saw as useful, they toyed with them, lured them with honeyed words, paid back a little here and there... and perhaps, in time, those too would soon become nothing but the forgotten rubbish at the wayside."Aphelius' eyes swung to Saerno abruptly. "Do you know why I can say that so bluntly? Because they do it to their own people. Those precious three-eyes we had to protect with our all being? We have our divisions for them too. For people like me."He took a third deep breath and let it out slowly. "Your officers think they can wear someone down and eventually get the answers from them. Perhaps from those who are of a lesser heart and mind, who still have something good and worth to hang on to in this star, they will get what they want. They are right in that we were cruel, cunning, heartless and terrible, and they are justified to want something from me. But they can't do any worse than the people who burned and tortured and ripped one another apart and called it morality."