ARIA REALTA
"a star shines so bright"
NAME: Aria Realta
NAMEDAY: 19th Sun of the 4th Umbral Moon
AGE: 27
RACE: Hyur Midlander
GENDER: Female
PRONOUNS: she/her
ALIGNMENT: Lawfully Good
GUARDIAN: Thaliak, the Scholar
BIRTHPLACE: Dravanian Hinterlands
HEIGHT: 5'4"
JOBS: Dancer & Gunbreaker
NATURE/PERSONALITY:Emphathetic, Open-minded, Ethical, Observant, Reserved, Curious, Kind, Passionate, Determined.
Aria entered the world on the 19th Sun of the 4th Umbral Moon in Dravanian Hinterlands, becoming the daughter of Felix and Cecilia Realta and granddaughter of Orwen and Eilis Realta. She was surrounded by unending love and support throughout her childhood, but has no memories of her parents as they, unfortunately, passed away in an accident when she was three. Overcome with grief, Orwen and Eilis dedicated their lives to raising Aria, moving to a small village on the outskirts of The Black Shroud - between Coerthas, Mor Dhona, and The Black Shroud.Despite having no memories of her parents, they greatly shaped her view of the world and who she’d become. Her father was an adventurer who yearned to explore the star and see what it had in store, as the number of books in the Great Gubal Library and Old Sharlayan couldn’t satisfy him. He wrote about his travels in multiple journals, becoming Aria’s bedtime stories. Her grandparents would read of his adventures across the stars, all the people he and Cecilia met, the places they visited, and their experiences. Aria loved hearing about her parents’ adventures. Her eyes sparkled with awe, and she dreamed of visiting the lands her father wrote about. She, too, wished to experience the sights her parents had seen with their very own eyes.Aria was a vibrant and cheerful child, always discovering adventures at every turn. Whether through the books she read, her outings with her grandfather, or her assistance to her grandmother in the garden, she embraced every moment. Yet she had no one her age to share these adventures with. There weren’t any other children her age in the village, not even a school. This solitude made it difficult for her to voice her thoughts and express her emotions. Having been raised by her grandparents, former residents of Sharlayan, she received an excellent education.As she grew older, her desire to travel intensified, and she longed to come of age. She promised her grandparents that she would begin her adventures on her 17th nameday, just like her father. Sadly, those plans were delayed when her grandfather suffered a serious accident that left him with a leg injury months before her 17th nameday. There was no way she could leave her grandparents. It would take a year and a half for her grandfather’s leg to heal. She spent the next year and a half assisting her grandparents, and eventually another year passed. Alas, her plans were put on hold for another three years due to the uncertain threat the empire loomed over Eorzea. Her grandparents were worried about her safety. The idea of losing her was unbearable. Aria heeded their wishes despite the feeling in her chest, the one yearning for freedom. Aria would continue helping her grandparents while honing basic combat and survival skills to pass the time. Essentially, those plans would be put on hold for another five years with the arrival of the Calamity. She spent those five years helping in the efforts to build the New Revenant’s Toll. It wasn’t until her 27th nameday that she would finally take those steps.Aria has no end goal, making her more excited to travel. Much like her father, Aria journeys through Eorzea, recording her experiences, the people she encounters, and the locations she explores, cherishing every moment. She is captivated by the world and eager to discover more through its stories, cultures, and traditions. Like her father, she finds that books alone don't suffice. She believes that experiencing life firsthand is crucial for understanding each other, a belief she holds dear.Even though she has no friends, she is a kind and empathetic individual. Seeing those she cares about happy brings her joy, while witnessing their pain profoundly affects her, leaving her unsure of how to handle it. Consequently, keeping her thoughts to herself has become a habit, leading her to think she must face her burdens alone.
FAMILY TREE
FELIX REALTA: Aria's father. Born in 1524 in the Dravanian Hinterlands. He often accompanied his father to work and lent a hand. On the days he couldn't—when his father was engaged in top-secret discussions with the forum—he would practice his combat skills or venture into the Dravanian Hinterlands to explore. An enthusiastic reader, he delved into all sorts of literature, but even the vast collections of the Great Gubal Library and the Noumenon couldn't satisfy his yearning for more. What he truly craved was to experience the world firsthand. At the age of seventeen, he left the colony to travel, capturing his adventures along the way throughout multiple journals. In 1552, he passed away under unknown circumstances.ORWEN REALTA: Aria's grandfather. A former architect for the Studium, he worked alongside the forum and was one of many important figures in Dravanian Hinterland's Sharlayan Colony. He is an old friend of Master Louisoix and Master Matoya.EILIS REALTA: Aria's grandmother. A former teacher at the Studium, she retired early after relocating to the Sharlayan Colony to be with her husband, Orwen. After the deaths of Felix and Cecilia, she and Orwen would focus on raising Aria. Makes the best apple pie in all of Eorzea (according to Aria and Orwen).CECILIA REALTA (née Crosswind): Aria's mother. Born in 1525 in the town of Terncliff, Werylt. After her older brother died in a rebellion and her father succumbed to illness years prior, her mother arranged for her to marry a Garlean noble to protect the family's status. Despite this, Cecilia longed to explore the world beyond her gilded cage and often brought her mother distress with her adventurous spirit. She inherited her brother's passion for freedom, which made her increasingly defiant against her mother's expectations. As much as she loved her nation, she felt shackled by her status and the Garlean occupation. She often slipped away from home to avoid confronting her fiancé. In 1552, he passed away under unknown circumstances.ISSAC CROSSWIND: Aria's grandfather. Died of illness three years after Ianna was born.ANNA CROSSWIND: Aria's grandmother. Stepped up as the head of the household after her husband's passing due to an illness. The demands of her role left her with little time for her children, but her love for them was unwavering. Once Joseph came of age, she handed over her responsibilities to him. However, following the loss of Joseph and the onset of the Garlean occupation, her anxiety for her family’s safety grew. In a bid to protect them, she attempted to arrange a marriage for Cecilia with a Garlean noble. Cecilia's resistance to this arrangement led to a growing divide between them.JOSEPH CROSSWIND: Aria's uncle and Cecilia's older brother. Born in 1521. Encouraged Cecilia to be adventurous. After their father's death, Joseph raised Cecilia as their mother became head of the household until Joseph came of age. Joseph strived to free Werylt from the Garlean occupation and participated in the rebellion, but he sadly passed away.IANNA CROSSWIND: Aria's aunt and Cecilia's younger sister. Born in 1527. Because of Ianna’s quiet and reserved personality, she was not close to Cecilia. Despite the distance between them, Ianna loves her sister and wished her sister happiness.
INNER TURMOIL: Aria finds joy in the happiness of those she loves. To see them happy makes her happy. However, it deeply pains her to witness them in pain, and she feels unsure how to navigate those emotions, especially with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. The fear of saying something wrong and unintentionally hurting them weighs heavily on her mind. Initially, she felt like an outsider among the group, as everyone seemed to already knew one another.SCIONS OF THE SEVENTH DAWN: Aria's adventures with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn challenge her to reflect on who she is through her bonds with the Scions and encourage her to grow closer to them, despite her difficulty in expressing her feelings. Over time, she learns to connect with each of the scions, fostering deeper relationships. These connections spur her to open up more freely, face the unknown, and alleviate the pressure she places on herself. First strangers, then allies, then friends, then family.KORPOKKUR KID: A Korpokkur Kid can often be spotted trailing behind Aria, watching her with bright, curious eyes. Their first encounter took place in Saint Mocianne’s Arboretum, but it seemed as though the Korpokkur Kid recognized Aria as a long-lost companion. To her surprise, this Korpokkur Kid was friends with her father.INHERITANCE: From her father, she inherited his hair color and his hunger for knowledge. From her mother, she inherited her eye color and her love for freedom. The red streaks in her hair come from someone from a past life.THE STARS: Aria's guiding light and a reminder of how vast the world is.HOBBIES: In her spare time, Aria enjoys gardening and reading. She would frequently help her grandmother in the garden as a child, and picked it back up soon after she befriended Korpokkur Kid. She also collects stamps from places she's visited or letters from friends.
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read about Aria! She has become an important part of my Final Fantasy XIV journey. To me, she is a reflection of myself (as I believe we all portray some parts of ourselves within our characters), an embodiment of my strengths and weaknesses, and the person I want to become. This carrd is not for RP purposes, but to share Aria's lore (although I am not the best at sharing Aria lore >_>)I have written Aria as the Warrior of Light, with a heavy focus on her humanity, because I find that the Warrior of Light can be seen as a symbol that can strip someone of their humanity. I love exploring how the title and its weight can lead Aria to question herself. Identity, culture, memories, and history are vital parts of Aria's journey and topics I find interesting because of my love for museums and their role in shaping individuality.For fun facts: the reason I chose Aria is because it's a name I've liked for a long time. When choosing her last name, I knew I wanted to pick a Gaelic word as a nod to my Irish roots. After pondering, I chose Realta, which means star. Funny enough, I chose Realta because it sounded nice with Aria and I've always enjoyed the stars. Little did I know it would end up somehow correlating with Final Fantasy XIV's story. My goal is to write Aria as a beacon of light for her friends, a star that shines so brightly, a guiding star.