Childhood

Falche was born to the Graysongs, a well-to-do musical family of Ascalonian roots, and grew up behind the walls of the human city of Divinity's Reach. Compared to the rest of their life, their childhood was rather uneventful. They spent most of it fulfilling their expected roles as the eldest heir, studying topics from music to mesmer magic to the manners of high society, all of which they demonstrated reasonable talent for. While their childhood wasn't completely an isolated one, they never grew very close to their friends - or their family, either, for that matter. It became increasingly clear that their parents were more concerned with the preservation of their legacy than their children themselves. Between being praised only as a future heir and good child (something that alienated their younger siblings from them) and their parents' stubborn conservatism in an increasingly fraught world, Falche grew uneasy with their place in life.

Enlistment

A chance (or perhaps not-so-chance, as they would discover years later) encounter when they were 19 altered the course of their life forever. While performing one day, they met a band of strange soldiers who took a liking to their music. Speaking with them, Falche learned that they were from the Vigil - a multiracial, multinational military force dedicated to fighting the world-devouring Elder Dragons. As someone who'd grown up under very narrow views of the world outside the city walls, Falche was fascinated. They continued to perform for the soldiers, and continued to ask them about their experiences, something that didn't go unnoticed by their family and their circle. After being needled one too many times about associating with outsiders, Falche made a leap of faith, and asked whether the Vigil would be willing to take them on. The answer was yes. They packed what little they were attached to, and left their home behind.

They found life in the Vigil freeing, but also difficult to adjust to. They were shy and unsure of themself, especially around so many people from so many different backgrounds. They especially struggled interpersonally with some of the charr soldiers - their parents were descendants of Ascalon, the human nation that the charr had destroyed, and had taken every opportunity to remind them of that. Though they knew by now that the charr were not the monsters they'd been told they were, Falche was still on edge, especially as most of the charr disliked them in turn.

Against all odds, though, they became close friends with a lone charr named Acacius. Though Acacius was gruff at first, he and Falche found that they had much in common, and they talked at length about their upbringings, their talents, and their mutual desires to see more of the world. Acacius in particular expressed interest in going far to the west, to see the birthplace of the strange sylvari race.

Then, Acacius and his squad were killed in the line of duty. Though Falche had lost friends before, Acacius had been one of their first true friends, and it hit them hard. After much thought, they requested a leave, hoping to see the western jungles in Acacius's place, and it was granted.

Wandering

They traveled west on their own, now capable thanks to their time in the Vigil. They performed where they could in exchange for funds and lodging, and made a few friendly acquaintances, though they never became particularly close to any of them.

The second major turning point of their life came when they arrived at Caledon Forest, the jungle glades just outside of the sylvari home city of the Grove. While resting at a clearing, they took the chance to practice some music, which drew the attention of Siofra, a recently awakened sylvari. The two of them bonded over music, magic, mutual curiosity, and the loss of friends, and when dusk fell, traveled together back to the Grove. They had more adventures in the Maguuma Jungle together after that.

Their adventures made a name for both of them in the Grove - a good name, but a name regardless. Siofra, uneasy, asked Falche if she could accompany them in traveling beyond the jungle. They accepted readily, and the two departed back east. For a time, they simply explored where they pleased, revelling together in new discoveries and new experiences. It would be the happiest period in both their lives, for a long time.

Return

Eventually, duty called for both of them. Siofra was summoned back to the Grove for an important mission, and Falche returned to the Vigil. The two continued to write as often as they could, and were reunited when the three great orders - the Vigil, the Order of Whispers, and the organization that Siofra had joined, the Durmand Priory - made an alliance, uniting as the Pact. Siofra, who had already developed a reputation in the Priory, was appointed second-in-command as the Pact Commander. By both their requests, Falche was released from their usual duties to accompany her.

They were at her side for the many trials that followed - the invasion of the long-dead nation of Orr, the defeat of the Elder Dragon Zhaitan, and the awakening of another Elder Dragon, Mordremoth. On the eve of the Pact's attack on Mordremoth, Siofra was called away to a crucial, covert mission. She was distressed that she would not be able to be with her forces when the attack launched, and Falche offered to stay behind. She agreed, and they parted ways, both unaware of what was to come.

Capture

Mordremoth had already predicted the attack, and laid a trap. In a single night, the Pact's fleet was torn from the sky, and many of its soldiers were killed, corrupted, or captured. Falche was among the captured, and the dragon's forces took them and a convoy of other prisoners south to the heart of the jungle, where they were to be assimilated into the dragon's forces. Mordremoth was defeated at great cost, and Falche was rescued in time by Siofra herself, but the horrors they experienced would leave them permanently scarred.

They were taken to the Grove for their recovery, where they spent the next months drifting in and out of delirium and nightmares, too weak to move, their mind still trapped in the pod they had been imprisoned in. Gradually, they came to, and were slowly rehabilitated, eventually recovering enough to fight again. Nothing, though, would ever be quite the same.

Onward

Falche continued to fight at Siofra's side, this time as a member of Dragon's Watch, the new guild that she and several other companions had formed to fight the Elder Dragons in the wake of the Pact's near-destruction. Their personal relationship with each other changed as well - both of them had developed romantic feelings for the other, and after some deliberation, they entered a romantic relationship.

Together, with the rest of the guild, the remnants of the Pact, and allies both new and old, they continue their battle for the world.

Health

Falche's capture by the minions of Mordremoth and the horrors they experienced at their hands have left permanent marks upon their physical health. The most pervasive symptom they experience is a debilitating fatigue, coupled with migraines and other aches and pains.

Their ordeal also left marks upon their mental health. Along with other symptoms of PTSD, they cannot tolerate being submerged in water or shut in tightly enclosed spaces. On occasion, they also experience hallucinations - nonsense whispers in the dark, the feeling of vines against their skin, shadowy movements at the edge of their vision.

Through careful pacing and medication, they're able to function in everyday life, and by pulling power from their crystal lamp and enchanted torch instead of their own dimished reserves, they're able to still cast and fight. However, their condition still has a noticeable impact on their life. It's become a lot harder for them to do many things, and they've had to go about many things differently, rely on others for help, or forgo doing them at all.

It's a change they struggle with deeply, even if it isn't readily apparent on the outside. And as the stakes climb higher and higher, their doubts about themself - whether they can keep up, whether they'll be able to stand and fight when it's needed most - only grow.

Combat

As per the tradition of the Graysong family, Falche is a mesmer. Though their family primarily sees the profession as a tool for performance, they've also recognized the importance of self-defense. As such, while they grew up primarily learning how to create illusions and glamours, they also learned how to hone them into mind-breaking attacks. Their time with the Vigil gave them more tricks, and they became a close-range duelist who engaged enemies directly and broke their attacks with painful mental counters.

They were left unable to fight for a long time after their imprisonment by the Mordrem. When they were well enough to be on their feet again, they found that they no longer had the quickness or precision needed for their old way of fighting. They worked upon developing a new style, one that was less direct and more focused upon using their magic to misdirect enemies and shield themself from attacks.

Travelling to Elona gave them the last pieces they needed. There, they met the mirages, the local mesmers who had a fighting style that was almost precisely what they were aiming for. They traded techniques with them and studied extensively, combining this new knowledge with their old understandings of illusion magic. The result was a style that used illusion to baffle enemies and cloak themself, allowing them to hit and run and hide when they needed to recover.

Interests

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Miscellany

Creations: Some pieces composed by Falche:

• On Verdant Shores: a quiet personal piece, written during their first visit to Caledon Forest.
• Marching to Arah: a long poem written during the campaign on Orr, visiting each of the fallen temples of the gods and finally finishing at the gates to Arah.
• A Harvest of Swords: a piece written about the destruction at Lake Doric after the White Mantle siege.

Possessions: They are never without their crystal lamp and torch, both of which were gifts from Siofra during their recovery. They tap both for magical power - the lamp for small spells such as personal glamours, the torch for larger spells such as teleportation. They used to fight with a sword and pistol, but nowadays fight with an axe and their torch.

Gender: Gender-wise, Falche is indifferent to their body, and feels a disconnect with being addressed and perceived as male. They've always thought of gender as yet another role that was assigned to them and they perform for others, rather than something that they are.

Religion: Like most humans, Falche venerates the Six, but not without their own share of doubts. They'd long questioned if the gods were alive, or if they even cared. Over time, they've grown to accept that there's limits to what they can do and that humanity has to stand for themselves. Nowadays, they see the faith not as a way to be saved, but as an inspiration - a reminder to strive for the virtues that the gods embody, no matter what awaits at the end.

For Artists

If you'd like to write/draw them, the usual applies - no gore or NSFW, please!

You're welcome to write/draw them with your own characters, though don't romantically ship them.

Some of the rules above might be waived if we know each other, just be sure to check in with me first.

Extra Musings

Some other musings I've had on Falche that didn't quite fit here. Just like the rest of their profile, nothing is required reading. (tba)