SFW
Arodoux Theraut
Archon. Master of Tomes.•
Enter location
No Badges
Race
Elezen
Clan
Other
Free Company
None
Introduction
Player's notes
No additional notes provided by the player.
Character Information
Basic details about Arodoux Theraut
Age; Sex; Race
31; Male; Elezen
Height; Weight; Build
216 cm; 82 kg; slender
Nameday
11th Sun, Third Astral Moon
Relationship
Single
Occupation
Master of Tomes
Organization
Order of Embers
Notable Features
Archon, left cheek
Notable Scent
Pine, sandalwood, musk, amber
Background
The story of the character's origins
Chapter 1: Sharlayan Youth
Childhood
The dim office crackled with the tension between Professor Ram Narasimhan and the proud Therauts. Alastair and Aurienne, pillars of Old Sharlayan society, sat rigidly as the professor’s words cut through the air.
"This child - it’s like he has the mind of a goldfish," he declared, his voice laced with frustration. "He will not amount to anything. You may as well give up on him now and save yourself the headache."
The Therauts, their faces a mask of restrained disappointment, did not flinch. Arodoux, their son, had become a bitter source of shame, failing to meet the towering expectations set by their illustrious reputations.
For Arodoux, life was a charade - his disinterest in alchemy and ancient texts a silent rebellion against parents who saw him not as a son but as a reflection of their ambitions. His grades faltered under the relentless pressure, each failure met not with understanding, but with cold disdain and punishment. Yet, the professor’s harsh judgment only confirmed what Arodoux had long feared: he was nothing more than a disappointment in a life scripted by others.
Early Adulthood
The grand hall of the Forum was filled with the murmurs of anticipation as Barnier, the Speaker, stood before the gathered members. His voice rang out, clear and authoritative, cutting through the quiet.
"By the power vested in me as Speaker of the Forum, I confer upon Arodoux Theraut the status of Archon, with the associated rights, honours, privileges, and obligations of such."
The words marked the culmination of years of relentless dedication that highlighted Arodoux’s transformation from a troubled youth into one of Sharlayan's most promising scholars.
The conflict with his parents had forged a deep-seated drive within Arodoux, pushing him to excel in his studies at the cost of his social life. His singular focus on academics had propelled him to the top of his class and earned him a position as an instructor at The Studium by his eighteenth nameday. Yet, the scars of his past lingered, leaving him isolated and distrustful, struggling to connect with others. Despite this, his groundbreaking research on aetherial phenomena, published in his tome Archikés Diatypóseis Aitherikón Fainoménon, had caught the attention of scholars far and wide. At just twenty-four, he stood before the Forum, his name now synonymous with scholarly excellence, yet still haunted by the shadow of his upbringing.
Chapter 2: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
Exoristos (Exile)
The cold sea breeze whipped through the docks as Arodoux stood before his mother in shame, the weight of his exile pressing heavily on his shoulders. Aurienne, her face a mask of fury and disdain, spat out the words that would forever echo in his mind. "You dare tarnish the name of our family? You are a shameful disgrace to us, and sooner would I see you dead than call you my son." Her voice, always one that was stern yet guiding, now carried only venom, severing the last thread of his ties to Old Sharlayan. Three years after achieving the status of Archon, Arodoux’s world had unraveled in the wake of the Seventh Umbral Calamity. A rare illness struck one of his students with no explanation; sated by his own curiosity, it consumed him, driving him to desperate measures when the Forum denied his request for research funds. Defying their orders, he plundered resources from The Studium, his determination blinding him to the consequences. But the discovery of his actions, coupled with the tragic failure of his unauthorized research, led to his downfall. Stripped of his title, his research locked away in the Forbidden Section of Noumenon, Arodoux now faced a future in exile, the final blow delivered by his mother's unforgiving words as he boarded the ship to Eorzea, leaving behind the only home he had ever known.
Refound Resolve
After years of exile and hardship, Arodoux found new purpose at the Sidereal Meridian Studium (SMS), an organization specializing in Sharlayan research and Allagan artifact preservation. As the Custodian of the Sharlayan section of the archives, Arodoux quickly became a respected figure, known for his meticulous work and deep knowledge. His tenure at SMS saw him uncover forgotten techniques and safeguard invaluable knowledge, slowly rebuilding his reputation after the disgrace of his exile.
It was also at SMS that Arodoux’s life took a profound turn when he met Lyriah Karnelle, a spirited mercenary and merchant. Their connection blossomed into love, and they eventually married, offering Arodoux a sense of belonging he had long been denied. However, their happiness was threatened when Lyriah fell ill with the same mysterious ailment that had haunted Arodoux since his time in Sharlayan. Determined to save her, Arodoux collaborated with Antoinaut Brucemont, a fellow scholar, to develop a groundbreaking treatment. Their success was published as On Memory-Based Restorative Methods of Aetherial Illness, earning widespread acclaim and reopening doors Arodoux thought closed forever.
As part of their treatment, Arodoux delved into Lyriah’s memories, navigating the vast expanse of her mind to understand and combat the illness. Within this aetherial landscape, a memory of a trip they had never physically taken together emerged - a serene night on the shores of the Ruby Sea, where they exchanged vows under a starry sky. In this poignant memory, as she gazed upon Arodoux, Lyriah's unspoken thoughts surfaced with crystal clarity.
"I want him to be my forever," she whispered in her mind, a declaration of love and commitment that transcended the boundaries of reality.
This moment, etched into the fabric of her being, reinforced the bond they shared, one that had weathered countless storms and now stood as a beacon of hope for the future they both yearned to build together.
A Note from Beyond
The weight of years of estrangement and betrayal hung heavily in the air as Arodoux stood before his father, Alastair Theraut. They had been driven together by necessity - Arodoux's return to Sharlayan had been met with fierce resistance, but it was Alastair, once distant and cold, who had sent the missive summoning him back. Alastair sought to reconcile with his son by helping him prove the effectiveness of his groundbreaking research. Yet, their path was fraught with danger, as they soon became targets of Lucienne Clairemont, a Forum member and Arodoux's bitter rival. The sinister truth emerged that Lucienne had been acting under the orders of Aurienne, Arodoux's own mother, who harbored a deep-seated hatred for her son and had orchestrated his initial downfall.
As the plot unraveled, revealing Aurienne's dark intentions, she attempted to eliminate those who stood in her way, including her own husband, Alastair. The final confrontation came when Aurienne successfully struck down Arodoux. In the chaos that followed, Alastair, wounded and desperate, made a choice that would redeem the years of neglect and betrayal. He knelt beside his fallen son, his voice heavy with sorrow and resolve.
"Because in doing this, I fulfill my duty as a father," he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "I put my life down so that you might yet see another day. One duty that... I betrayed those years ago..."
With those words, Alastair sacrificed his soul, channeling the last of his strength into saving Arodoux. The sacrifice was both an atonement and a final act of love from a father who had once lost his way. The Forum, made aware of the full extent of Aurienne’s treachery, unanimously voted to reverse Arodoux's exile and restore his status as Archon. Yet, even as his status was returned and justice was served, Arodoux’s life was irrevocably changed.
In the aftermath, Arodoux and Lyriah faced a fundamental disagreement about their future, one that could not be reconciled. Their paths, once so closely intertwined, diverged. Arodoux chose to remain in Sharlayan for a time, overseeing the restoration of his ailing student, before eventually returning to Eorzea, his father's sacrifice a constant reminder of the complex, painful bonds that had shaped his life.
Chapter 3: What is my purpose?
Lost Cause
The letter arrived on a quiet morning, its simple seal hiding the finality within. Arodoux’s heart sank as he unfolded the parchment, recognizing Lyriah’s delicate script. The words were gentle but unyielding:
"Consider this my last correspondence with you. I wish you the best, all in all, but I won't be responding to any future attempts going forward."
It was the end of a chapter Arodoux had desperately hoped to rewrite. After returning to Eorzea, weighed down by the grief of losing his loved ones, Arodoux had sought out Lyriah, yearning for reconciliation. But her rejection, though painful, brought a brutal realization: closure couldn't be found in rekindling the past.
In the aftermath, Arodoux threw himself back into his work: research into purifying the corrupted aether shards left by Bahamut's rampage. Collaborating with an Ishgardian noble house, he used their facilities, hoping to heal the scars left on the realm, and, in time, those within himself.
A Fascinating Discovery
It was while sifting through records marked "Ishgardian Decree/Forum Directive: Purged" that he found a singular, recovered journal, half-frozen and half-burned. Inside lay the only known record of the fall of a mysterious order: the field log of Watchmaster Momo’to Kheito. Arodoux read the chilling account of how the Order of Embers, a group of Sharlayan dissenters who courted dangerous knowledge, had accidentally birthed a psychic catastrophe, the Ashen Sundering. He absorbed the Watchmaster's concluding defiance:
"Maybe we were fools. But someone had to look. Someone always has to look." Looking up from the faded ink, Arodoux saw the world mirroring the journal's fear. The Order's principle - that dangerous knowledge must be understood, not buried - was a mandate for the present, recorded in the past. Arodoux folded the log, his path suddenly clear. He wouldn't seek reconciliation; he would seek purpose by reactivating the Embers. The first person he contacted was one who may know more of the Order's dark shadow:
Cedric Arkwright.
A Return to Flames
They met just as the Final Days began, the world mirroring the journal's fear as the skies cracked and reality faltered. At that moment, Sharlayan, its neutrality in tatters, enacted a "provisional revival" of the Embers in thanks to one of Arodoux's contacts within the Forum.
Arodoux presented the log and charter to Cedric, and the shared knowledge of the Order's dark history instantly established their bond. The Order's call for assistance was quiet and selective, turning to outliers, specialists, and survivors - Cedric being one such recall. The two sought out others who still knew its methods and answered the call. Arodoux, now armed with once-forbidden protocols gleaned from the logs and his own expertise, focused on containment critical theory, while Cedric immediately took on the logistical and protective burden of the Master of Flames, utilizing his prior knowledge of the Embers' fractured network and mercenary background.
They operated under a cloud of stigma, deploying to unstable sites where few others understood the nature of the reality disturbances. Their redemption was not granted by Sharlayan but earned by fire. When the crisis passed, the Order’s provisional status was lifted, their charter reissued in full. Arodoux and Cedric had, through shared crisis, forged the foundation of the autonomous, tempered organization they now lead.