Welcome to a sanctuary, home, (and prison) boasting the finite knowledge of our star; where hopes of the weary meet with dreams of ambition.
Known through both whispers, hearsay and official campaigns, its walls boasts the---------- . Its library a dream for the scholar, and the proprietress one for those with ambition.
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An exchange written in letters too cursive to read grants you access to one of Ishgard's most extravagant gates; those of the Quickwood estate.
residents
the proprietress
"There's no greater delight than to willfully partake in the whispers about my person.
The rumours and assumptions. Tell me, which one's your favourite?"
Old money's found its way into new hands; claws which aim to hold all and more within their grasp. An avid collector of curiosa, and fan of the morbid and macabre, the head of the estate takes pride in whatever ludicrous rumours surround her person.Eager to use and go used in return, Madame is ultimately the one to be impressing. Through words does she speak laws into existence; unwritten and personal, but very much there. Guidelines for all to follow, or suffer the consequences.Often dressed in golden garbs and milky silks, if opulence had a scent, it is one she carries. That of stinging warmth– pleasant at first, until you breathe deep. Stuck between coughing and gasping for more, such is her essence, her motto in life.
◈ name ◈
"Madame"
◈ race ◈
hyur – (midlander)
◈ distinguishing features ◈
always dons a mask. mole beneath the right side of her mouth.
◈ arcana ◈
chariot (upright)
◈ zodiac ◈
leo
◈ age ◈
30~32
◈ gender ◈
female
◈ role ◈
proprietress of the Quickwood Estate & its fanciful collection
◈ enneagram ◈
8 w 7
◈ playlist ◈
all roses carry thorns
Voice Claim:
"Ladies, gentlemen and all – why, you are still in the dark~!"
the watcher
"My replies are a privilege, not something for you to demand."
A disembodied voice echoes down the halls; in every room you'd think to hide in.
Scarlet eyes watch all, and speak to no one.
...Unprompted, anyway.As the resident's 'ghost' (albeit alive), Juno's role is that of an observer. Whatever there is to know about the estate, its library or any part of its collection, she's committed to memory. An agoraphobic watchdog, she's rarely ever seen in person. Instead she opts for verbal communication through various crystal hubs scattered throughout the estate.Perpetually alone, and most of all bored out of her mind, she isn't all too difficult to entertain, despite the impression her tongue-lashings might be giving.
◈ name ◈
"Juno"
◈ race ◈
garlean – (half-blood)
◈ distinguishing features ◈
scarlet eyes, blacked out third eye.
◈ arcana ◈
judgement (reverse)
◈ zodiac ◈
virgo
◈ age ◈
??? (21+)
◈ gender ◈
female
◈ role ◈
in-house surveillance
◈ enneagram ◈
5 w 6
◈ playlist ◈
ghosts lack manners
Voice Claim:
"To echo the form of an <amicus>..."
In the wake of empty lies a quiet full
A once upon a time happenstanceShoeprints still in the carpet
The table, laquered over red-stained rims
Wax pools and burnt out candles
I don’t recall it, but I feel it all the sameSomething of importance happened here
Something locked in the back of the crevices of my mindA nostalgia that isn't mine
and the feeling that something's ending
the groundskeep
"We are who we make ourselves be."
Tucked away in many shelves of the estate are memoirs of the abandoned hopes, dreams and young ideals of A. Evander. Unfinished blueprints speak of discoveries that never came to be, pursuits that for one reason or another went unfulfilled. Ambitions – incomplete.Lots question our identity.
Who we are, and who we make.
Who we are born, and who we become.Tired but determined are the steps which travel every hallway, every nook and cranny polished in their wake. Every problem's fixed, and any sign of trouble ironed out. It is his pride and joy, to be the one to set things right. When the estate's been tended to, he retreats to his workshop – a quiet sanctuary where he can work on his magitek projects in peace.
◈ name ◈
Albus lux Evander
◈ race ◈
garlean – (pureblood)
◈ distinguishing features ◈
garlean third eye, usually obscured.
his left eye is a marble-like prosthetic.
◈ arcana ◈
the hermit (upright)
◈ zodiac ◈
capricorn
◈ age ◈
53
◈ gender ◈
male
◈ role ◈
medic
groundskeeper
◈ enneagram ◈
9 w 1
◈ playlist ◈
flicker, little torchlight
"Rather than regret the things I've done, I regret the things I didn't."
"The motives I never questioned."
"The questions I never asked."
"The nods and the hums."
"Anything that's come to pass can no longer be changed."
"We can but alter what comes next."
the pistol
"Bad people exist because we allow them to."
Heavy are the steps which roam the halls at night and grind through morning snow.Rarely seen within estate walls, Alba serves as the judge, jury and executioner of any and all potential troubles. Threats go easily fixed by a glock; or a chat behind locked doors.Few things give the woman pause in her age, her eyes already worn from years worth of manhunts. She is therefor disinclined to extend any courtesies to those who'd like to try their luck at 'pulling any bullshit'.Easy to remember for all the wrong reasons– whether it be the whirr of her magitek prosthetic, the scarring of her face or the profanities slung in the way of any mild inconvenience– she'll remember you, too.Whether that's in or out of favour... she'll be sure to let you know.
◈ name ◈
Alba pyr Carina
◈ race ◈
garlean – (pureblood)
◈ distinguishing features ◈
garlean third eye.
right magitek arm, scarred eye and lip.
◈ arcana ◈
the world (reverse)
◈ zodiac ◈
scorpio
Voice Claim:
"Bright-eyed children, I'd call sweet."
"...The ignorant and weak, not so much."
the stray
"That's for me to know, and for you to remain ignorant about."
The estate hosts many oddities, and Claudius is one of them. An experiment gone wrong– naught but wandering remnants left of who or what he once was– it is with morbid curiosity that he is allowed to stay.In exchange for his willingness to sit when told, and lend himself to the estate's enigmatic cause, he's been granted free rein over the residence's resources and knowledge both.Never is his shadow lonely, with the resident ghost in constant watch over his shoulder. It'd be safe to assume that most conversations go heard by two sets of ears – and the same goes for any trouble which may come his way. The estate has become his sanctuary. A home of friendlies whom he can (mostly) trust. All of it, a fleeting comfort in his pursuits.But a comfort nonetheless.
◈ name ◈
"Claudius"
◈ race ◈
garlean (pureblood)
◈ distinguishing features ◈
garlean third eye. has a defunct silencing device embedded in the middle of his throat.
◈ arcana ◈
ten of swords
◈ zodiac ◈
♒︎ • ♓︎ • ♍︎
(Attention! This character is played by a very dear friend of mine, and you can find his full profile here. Feel free to contact either of us in order to set something up!)
secret page for mezza to fill out! <3
maybe a reference to "sev", rather than claudius? who gnomes! up to you :D
rumours
go, seek, find, regret
(curiosa, knowledge seekers)
Shipments go discussed in alleyways; those of rare imported artifacts, lost technologies or excavated curiosa. Keys to other worlds, automated humans, gems that grant you any wish.Plenty of inquisitive souls have sought to discover the nature of these claims; but as quick as they are to crop up... they seem to disappear. There’s a sudden loss of interest. A forgetfulness. A lamentation that they can’t quite place— a madness in not knowing what they think they ought to know. What they think they've found out, but no longer recall.Inquire, steal or add to her collection.
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Sympathy for the fallen
(garleans)
Rustling leaves, they whisper of Garlean soldiers turned into puppets. Discarded experiments, put to use through other means, working off debts or destined for slaughter. The dogs by her side, they carry that terrible eye, too.Hailing from Garlemald's frozen wastes just might curry you some favour — or see you thrown in a dungeon, should the rumours go believed.
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mutual benefactors
(alliances)
The deals of Madame spread through cracked cobblestone floors and up ivy walls. One handshake leads to the next, and a myriad of promises go whispered into weary ears; words of hope — of aid, guidance and protection....As long as she stands something to gain in return.A firm believer in equivalent exchange, she'd be hard-pressed to decline a chance to use and get used by others, no matter their background, should she think they have something to offer which she lacks — whether in services unavailable to her, fanciful items or valuable information.Any matter related to synthetic auracite is guaranteed to catch her ear.
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worldwide socialites
(nobility & intrigue)
The Quickwood name is old— no, new— no, ruined. Although Ishgardian in nature, its mistress is not. You can tell by the decor; the marble and gold at war with the aubergine walls.The Proprietress should hold no power here, and yet her words go heeded as if they were laws— her promises kept as if they were pacts made centuries ago.
Why?Whether a ghost looking to pry into the past to dismantle the future, or an opportunist looking for an in on mutual greatness, Madame entertains next to all — for a price.
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gleaning for curiosities
(exploration, combat, fetch quests)
Dogs on two legs routinely roam away from the estate. Helmed and armed, they're sent through crying gales and golden dunes to travel foreign skies; all in pursuit of that which is yet known to them.Knowledge, rarities & oddities, curious people.Are you perhaps in their way? Or might you have somewhere for them to go — in exchange for a bounty or service of your own?
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Autonomous anatomy
(magitek & prosthetics)
Metal fingers creak as you shake The Pistol's hand. The Groundskeeper, he watches you with shaky marble eyes. As a lux previously involved with the VIIth, the man's sins go past his elbows.But perhaps those hands could go redeemed — reclaimed in some way.As is noted in his memoirs littering the estate, Albus has combined his magitek craftsmanship with his medical knowledge, fashioning prosthetics and other bodily enhancements. He might just make one for you – should he deem your cause good enough.
contact navigation
how to interact
Seeing as the concept of the Quickwood Estate differs a little bit from your average 1-on-1 type of schtick, here are some pointers in how to approach engaging with it!
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As you might have guessed, the Quickwood Estate and the stories that lie within it tend to be intrinsically intertwined, or so is the intention. While highly specific hooks or scene setups may very well go suited to interacting with one character over another, any long term storylines or deeper connections will likely involve several characters of the estate, simply due to how their own personal stories relate to one another. I've found this to be quite the interesting format to experiment with! But if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, consider this your heads up.As per the nature of the estate, its people and its collection, there are certain aspects where I've taken some creative liberties in terms of filling in the gaps of what lore we have available; particularly when it comes to (synthetic) auracite. I've tried my very bestest to use what wiggle room we have to facilitate fun and interesting stories without breaking what we already know! The estate is meant to house lots and lots of curiosa, and so there's magical items abound.
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If you're interested in setting something up, consider whether you're looking to get your character involved as an estate contact (where you think Madame would have a use for you), a client (where you have a use for Madame), or a more personal connection tied to any specific character.
Worth noting is that:
Madame doesn't form long-term connections for gil. Both parties must fulfill a unique purpose for one another. This means that mercenaries and gleaners tend to be a hard sell, for she already has those roles fulfilled by trusted members of the estate.
All of the estate members are busy people and overall work-oriented. You'll be hard-pressed to find them idling someplace random. Interactions typically need to serve some sort of purpose, rather than being a casual run-in. This also facilitates there being a plot, even if brief.
Juno cannot leave estate grounds. She's also kind of mean, which I'm not looking to censor. Sorry fam.
Madame is very interested in any matters regarding synthetic auracite, forbidden knowledge and other curiosa. This includes weird or otherwise strange people. She loves weirdos.
Juno is largely tied to the estate library, when she isn't taking care of troublemakers.
Despite her nation's downfall, Alba is a proud imperialist who misses home. She's also something of a vigilante, willing to go out of her way to eliminate particularly predatory actors.
Albus conducts most of Madame's middle affairs. This means he's easy to run into and easy to connect with. When not out and about, you'll find him in his workshop, where he slaves away on various magitek projects and prosthetics.
out of character
Hi there, I'm Mey – the maniac behind this grand charade!I'm currently troggling through my mid-twenties (as well as 6.2 of Endwalker), and have been RPing for about 10~ years through various mediums. I like keyboard smashes to express excitement, ginger cats, and emotional suffering in the media that I consume.
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I'm always down to explore potential new and interesting connections, and so please don't hesitate to reach out to me! I really value enthusiasm in my RP partners, and love geeking out about storylines and character relationships. Please do send me your favorite character memes to gush over. It is worth noting, however, that I'm currently quite selective in what interactions I take on for the estate and its members. Read on to see what I'm all about as a roleplayer, and subsequently, what I'm not all that interested in.
♔ Name | Masked Madame / Quickwood's Ghost |
♔ Server | Crystal - Balmung / Mateus (hopping's fine!) |
♔ Timezone | CEST (flexible times, NA hours are fine) |
♔ Discord | meydri |
yay's!
Long-term story arcs varied with slice of life off-shoots. I love a good 'beach episode', don't get me wrong, but I like having an overarching plot to give interactions a direction! For new connections, I tend to suggest a one-off that we can build off of for starters.
Building long-lasting relationships and having them develop over time. Whether it be as friends, rivals, enemies, etc.
Interweaving character plots. the estate runs many parallell plots with various actors, and if appropriate, i'd love to cross some of them over on occasion! all in an effort to make things feel dynamic and alive.
Mature themes. I'm open to very grim and horror-related rp, and am typically down to have pretty much anything happen to my characters (as long as you're ready to face the consequences). Open communication is paramount for the sake of rping heavier themes, and so please speak plainly to make sure we all remain comfortable!
consequential roleplay. do stupid shit, win stupid prizes. i like to aim for some kind of realism in my rp, which includes heeding law & order and following appropriate social conduct in public — or by all means, don't! but be ready for the consequences.
C o m m u n i c a t i o n. please, i beg of you dfyhjfuikso– Is a scene or plot taking a direction you're not fond of? Did something not feel quite right? On the contrary, is there something you REALLY enjoyed, that you'd like to see more of or do in the future? Is work or real life getting dreary, or are you in need of a break from RP to recharge your creative batteries? Please, communicate these things!
DMing scenes, dice and all!
Roleplaying NPCs for the sake of storytelling.
Ooc friendships! I love geeking out about rp, plotlines, nerd culture, memes, you name it! it's half the fun to me!
Lore-bending, not breaking. I'm usually down for concepts that are a little bit out there, as long as they're grounded in some semblance of believability!
Para/multi-para roleplay. Of course, back-and-forth conversation and combat might play differently.
In-game or Discord rp. I love both, depending on the scene!
crime & moon shenanigans.
Real life always comes first. That goes for both of us!
nay's...
Lack of communication. Most issues in life stems from this. Just be open and honest, and I promise you it'll work out!
Ic/ooc bleed. This line is sacred, and I will not tolerate it being blurred. Characters who conduct themselves poorly (whether through violence, disrespect or otherwise) will face consequences at Quickwood. These are not to be taken personally by you as the player.
insta-shipping & erp. neither Madame nor her retainers are particularly interested in romance, and i reserve any kind of smut for close friends. kindly take the hornknee elsewhere, soldier.
WoL characters. I'm sure they're lovely, but unfortunately I don't see them meshing with the estate's story.
sudden character death. while i'm not entirely opposed to the idea, should it make for an excellent story, it'd require some discussion, first! but right now i'm pretty disinclined.
skewed effort. i put in a lot of time and care into the rp that i do, whether it is scheduling, doing prepwork, spitballing what comes next, etc. i do it out of excitement and enthusiasm for the relationships and stories i really care about! but that means i expect the same kind of effort from my partners. we are, after all, in it together c:
Ooc romances. I'm not interested.
Underage characters or players. please be 21+.
People who cannot conduct themselves like adults.
(certified estate bop)
Aesthetics & Themes
dark academia ✧ nobility ✧ politics ✧ gothic horror ✧ unreliable narrator ✧ in the name of science