Lune Welkin

✦ Backstory

Born a parentless child in the middle of the harsh cold of Nohr, the boy was taken in by the Dusk Faith, the religious epicenter of Nohr. Much of what he heard and saw was glamorous, even awe-inspiring to him, and he was eager to rise to the demands of those around him. Through nigh-zealous motivation, he grew to become an experienced and merciless killer, capable of subduing both man and beast alike with next to no weaponry needed. Resourceful and powered on only divine fervor, it was inevitable, then, that the Dusk Faith would take advantage of this. Whether it be honeyed words from those he cared about or otherwise, the Dusk Faith oftentimes used Lune like a weapon for the Faith's dirtier work, reassuring the boy that it would be meaningful for those that it helped. They weren't lying about it really, but their means of coercion was what really began to stir the pot. One job after another, seeds of doubt began sinking in on Lune. He was realizing that his role was not that of a dutiful knight, but that of a mindless pawn. This especially came on one fateful job for the Faith. He was pitted against a Nohrian military squadron that had allegedly been issued to subjugate the faith and bring it under sovereign command. The Dusk faith feared their own destruction, and were ready to throw Lune at this amorphous threat. Whether it be out of an ironic sort of faith in him or whether they viewed him as replaceable didn't matter; Lune took the job with alacrity, and went to the land beyond towards the military camp under the shade of night. Once Lune reached the camp, he found the few men with a set-up camp, making casual banter into the night with great laughter and camaraderie. Before he knew it, minutes turned into hours as he awaited his chance to strike. Yet, that wait was filled with discussions about bringing home money and food for loved ones, personal fears about the future, and even promises towards a better tomorrow. Lune was moved and conflicted by the joy he felt secondhand. The sterile divinity that he was familiar with never had this kind of bond with him, but it was one that he realized he wanted more than anything. Instead of further praise from his masters, what Lune got instead was the unsettling realization that he was being used. Cheated and disillusioned, Lune didn't have the heart to finish the job, nor did he have the heart to show his face to his previous masters. He couldn't bear the possibility that he was no longer human, and just a weapon.

Skeptical and lost in his own thought, the new place Lune would call home was the Lanceitt Guild, who had taken him into their ranks after a chance encounter during one of the guild's jobs. The one spearheading that job was none other than Sanguine Alabus, showcasing a level of deft ability that was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Although he had grown skeptical of public establishments like these after thinking more about the Dusk Faith, a part of himself yearned for the belonging of his youth, and what drove him to finally join was seeing the family that both Sanguine and the guild had fostered. He was shown that being a harbinger of death doesn't mean throwing away your humanity. Lune would frequent the guild nearly daily, and build up a reputation within the guild as some foolhardy mercenary-for-hire, pursuing that same kind of camaraderie that the unknown soldiers once shared. Lune would earn respect for his abilities and form close bonds with the Alabus family. Once he met Maestridde, the pair had formed a unique sort of friendship; while Maestridde wanted to make himself more useful and powerful, Lune wanted to become more than the skill he was at. Even on a mental level, Maestridde proved to challenge him during combat with the immense banter and taunting, offering him the sort of experience that only Maestridde could give him. For Maestridde, Lune gave him what true power looked like, always accenting it with a witty remark or two of his own. Through their conflict, the pair's resolve grew, albeit in forking paths. This resolve hit a fever pitch with the gradual decay and loss of Sanguine Alabus, someone he considered his idol. Heartbroken at causes he saw as unjust, he felt a hint of accountability for it. What if this was the Dusk faith's punishment for leaving them behind? Was some sort of divine malefactor hurting those that didn't deserve it? Was this what HE deserved for thinking he could be human? Doubt plagued Lune's once-resolved mind, but knew it better than to wallow in his worries. He hid his pain, and weaponized himself instead socially; continuing to crack jokes and assume everything was alright, he tried to make himself into firm ground for the Alabus family to stand on, even though he was anything but. He felt indebted to these people that made him feel life, and couldn't stand to watch it be taken away from them. Once Sanguine was gone, he watched before his very eyes as Maestridde fell deeper into his stubborn tenacity and unwavering accountability. He saw that Maestridde's soul was screaming out in mourning the most, just as his own soul was. When Maestridde forged his plot to take vengeance on his mother's killer, Lune accepted not only out of a sense of duty, but because he had to satisfy his own sense of guilt. Ever since, Lune shadowed Maestridde, both out of regret and fear of the future and in hopes of pulling the Alabus heir out of the growing darkness of his singleminded soul. Lune was resolved to find a new light at the end of it all, where a world devoid of guilt and filled with joy could greet them.