| name | Valentin Chassaigne |
| race | Elezen, Duskwight |
| age | 27 |
| pronouns | he/they |
| orientation | Bisexual |
| rphub | Click here |
| overview | After the latest calamity, Valentin Chassaigne frequently left his parents' home in Coerthas to gallivant with Black Shroud natives and adventuring parties. Then, an altercation with the Wood Wailers saw him branded as a murderer and sorcerer—despite his inability to effectively wield aether. After cutting loose, Valentin has laid low in Ishgard for two years while employed at the Skysteel Manufactory's Machinist Guild. A new job opportunity has them inspecting broader pastures as of late. |
Last updated: 3.8.2026
| appearance | Valentin is relatively tall compared to his peers, and cuts a masculine figure. He has warm brown skin, dark blonde hair, and striking red eyes. He carries himself with an observant demeanor, standing with a straightened posture and a level of maintained eye contact that would put off even the brightest extroverts. His voice is smooth and sits somewhere in his upper chest. To someone unfamiliar with northern Eorzea, his accent could be recognized as 'Ishgardian'—to those with experience, Valentin is very easy to identify as hailing from eastern Coerthas based on his dialect alone. |
| personality | To passerby and brief acquaintances, Valentin is polite enough; they try their best to behave amicably, though can become curt once they have decided small talk has gone on for too long. As one grows more familiar with him, he will begin expressing his thoughts and feelings more candidly. His sense of humor can be quite dry, and many come to discover that he enjoys poking bears for sport. Despite this, they are quick to become cagey and defensive when faced with discomfort themselves. |
| the hometown | Clarière D'Martissiogne—often shortened to Clarière by locals—is a relatively small community composed of several scattered settlements across eastern Coerthas. A deciduous region, Clarière is notable for its limestone glade formations and spacious natural caverns, bordered by woods and mountains in several directions. Clarière is home to a melting pot of individuals and descendants of individuals whom fled or were driven from their homes for a multitude of reasons. Among them you will find Ishgardians, Duskwight Elezen, Miqo'te Keepers, Ala Mhigans, Ixali, and more. Clarière was known to have a trade route with Ishgard, until the Seventh Umbral Calamity destroyed the bridge connecting Clarière to broader Coerthas. After this, they were known to trade with inhabitants of the Black Shroud more frequently—and now, Ala Mhigo as well. Gridanians often have a misconception of Clarière citizens as bandits and ne'er-do-wells; incidents with the Wood Wailers occur relatively often. |
| the history | Born in Clarière, Valentin is the first child of Demmaux & Eaufene Chassaigne. A blacksmith by trade, Demmaux attempted to raise Valentin with the mutual understanding that he would inherit his profession in time. However, unexpected developments in his life and upbringing gave Valentin other ideas. The first development was young Valentin's discovery of the underground Magitek trade that ran across northern Eorzea. After getting his hands on a few decommissioned weapons, he studied them for several months, picking them apart and piecing them back together. When his mother attempted to scold him for this behavior, it only taught him to be more cunning and secretive with his extracurricular activity. The second development came with the aforementioned Calamity. Clarière experienced sudden and unexpected hardship when the region froze over; crops were destroyed and travel became more difficult. It's people began to travel southward in search of trade with inhabitants of the Shroud. Valentin grew familiar with many adventurers and spelunkers in the Twelveswood at this time, increasingly neglecting his duties at home to instead become one of their party members. By the time he reached twenty summers, he was barely seen in Clarière, except when delivering goods to his family. The third development came at twenty-five summers, while on an exploratory mission of a chunk of Amdaporian ruins unearthed by recent seismic activity. After breaking into a long-forgotten armory, Valentin discovered what appeared to be an ornate thaumaturgy staff. Their increasing interest in the arcane and occult resulted in them claiming the staff for their own. The rest of this expedition went smoothly; however, on their return, the party had an altercation with the Wood Wailers. |
| the incident | Not much is clear about the sequence of events that occurred that day. However, the common denominators of every story are as follows: A group of bandits were confronted in the Central Shroud by Wailers of the Ninth Spear, transporting an array of pilfered weaponry. Resistance to questioning devolved into a physical conflict, wherein a tall, powerful Duskwight mage set off a surge of lightning-aspected aether. When the surge subsided, the Wailers were killed, and the bandits had scattered to the four winds. The Twin Adders have advertised a handsome bounty on this illegal mage for the past two summers, and a reward for any information leading to their capture. Every few months, the story grows more complex, and the bounty increases by a few thousand gil. |
| the aftermath | Recognizing the gravity of the outcome, Valentin fled the Twelveswood in haste. He learned of the bounty placed on someone of his likeness during a three-night stay in Mor Dhona. He also learned of the extent to which Ishgard had re-opened their gates as part of the Restoration project. Banking on the assumption that the Holy See would be less inclined to cooperate with neighboring city-states or hear word of their wanted criminals at all, Valentin traveled northward to a corner of Eorzea he had last seen as verdant, green pastures. Valentin has since been living in a cramped attic apartment just outside the Brume. He quickly found meaningful work in the Ishgardian Restoration; his affinity for mechanical craftsmanship drew him towards the Skysteel Manufactory, where he has worked in the Machinist's Guild for two summers as an assembly line worker, then a recruiter, and now an instructor. They have a reputation among Ishgardians of low status of being polite, helpful, and informative in matters concerning the Restoration or the Manufactory, but rather cagey when it comes to personal matters. |
| aetheric signature | Valentin has known for some time that he is a potent siphon for ambient aether. This is, of course, despite his inability to wield it in any meaningful way. A character who is sensitive to others' aether might notice that Valentin is overflowing with it, yet appears unbothered by this (in most situations). |
| machinist's guild | Valentin is known among Skysteel Manufactory employees (and hangarounds) as a firearms instructor for the Machinist's Guild, where he has a reputation of being polite, but keeps strongly to himself—and that he's a stickler about weapons safety. A character might recognize him as a coworker, tutor, or someone who used to canvas the Brume for new guild members. |
| brume socialite | Valentin's aforementioned work and attempts to avoid high-profile individuals have led to them spending an excessive amount of free time in hole-in-the-wall taverns, kitchens, and other venues across the Brume and lower Empyreum. A character who hails from or spends significant time in the Brume is like to recognize them. |
| gridanian fugitive | About two summers ago, Valentin was accused of murder by the Order of the Twin Adders. Wanted posters have since decorated Gridanian territories describing someone of Valentin's description. They are aware they are a fugitive, but have not been keeping up with the specifics of the bounty hunt; the price could be set at just about anything by now. Characters who have seen these posters floating around might recognize Valentin for who they are. (Note: Valentin will not be kind nor informative to anyone prying into this!) |
| shroud spelunking | In the years following the calamity, before he became an alleged criminal, Valentin was a busybody in the Black Shroud. He enjoyed exploring what ancient secrets the forest and its ruins had to offer, and frequently sought out the company of similar-minded folk. A character might recognize him as an old party member from a prior delve into Gelmorran or Amdaporian ruins. |
| hometown | Valentin grew up in Clarière D’Martissiogne, a settlement of scattered villages along the crossroads of Coerthas, Xelphatol, and the Black Shroud (though formally recognized as Coerthan territory). The population is fairly small; if by some miracle another character also hails from rural east Coerthas, the two might recognize one another! (Will probably require some prearranged context though.) |