Ursus Arkouda

The Bear of Ala Mhigo

"O come ye wayward brothers, bereft of hearth and home. Beneath yon burning star there lies a haven for the bold."

The Basics

Age 26 Race Hyur Highlander Gender Male
Birthyear 1551 Build Mesomorph Height 7'4
Weight 255

Ursus would grow to become a rather silent brute, not speaking much besides blunt mannerisms. If he were to speak more than a few words, it's because you've reached his good side and he trusts you. Outside that selected few though, the man would have little care for anyone but himself. Only to focus on the next job or the next bounty to claim for fill his coin purse.

With this silence comes with a darker secret hidden within the man. A rage so pure that would only be released if the man's patience was tested or if he'd lose control. A ravenous hatred that continued to grow towards Garleans was what kept this rage kindled. The man's rage would force himself to go berserk, becoming an unstoppable force with voices that drove the man deeper into such a state. It was a miracle that such a mortal could survive such stress to one's body.

The man's strength was impressive for a hyur, even with Roegadyn blood. His choice of weapon being of what most people would simply call an oversized slab of iron that stood over the massive height of the man already, simply adding to how much of a threat the man could be if he was to be a foe.

Raise up your hands and voices! Let fill your hearts with pride!

Biography

Born to a poor family within the walls of Ala Mhigo, Ursus would grow with a family of an Ala Mhigan father and Roegadyn mother. A younger sister accompanied the boy. The family lived a peaceful life among the parents of the father in a small home they could barely afford. As a child and already at the age of six, he would outgrow the average height for his age as a hyur, resulting in mockery from his peers. Perhaps these small acts of taunting simply signified the beginning of the many trials the boy would soon come to face.

In the early mornings during the year of 1557, the Garlean Empire would take advantage of the civil war that took place within the homeland. The city of Ala Mhigo would come into chaos as Imperial soldiers stormed. The peaceful homestead that the Arkouda family dwelled in became a target for a platoon, wiping out those who inhabited it except for its children. Ursus's mother was quick to react, hiding both her children from the chaos that was to ensue.

As the Imperials relentlessly took control, Ursus did his best to shield his sister from witnessing the slaughter of their father and grandparents, though he could not prevent himself from allowing a pathetic whimper to escape as the soldiers brutalized and violated him mother. Though the sound was but a small release, the Imperials took notice and quickly reacted, finding the children hidden within a pile of clothing - and as their mother struggled to protect them, another Roegadyn, one of her own people before conscription, decapitated her with his blade before the boy's very eyes. Despite his small size and the weakness of his age, Ursus fought back as best he could, rending and screaming, though the struggle only resulted in his being forced to watch as the soldiers claimed the dignity and the life of his sister as well.

Ursus would become among the many child conscripts that were consumed during the fall of Ala Mhigo, but someone would take notice of his strength and his mixed blood that aided in that. The same Roegadyn that ruined the boys life forever. Taking him under his wing, he would ship him off far to the east, to Dalmasca where the new life for the Ala Mhigan boy would begin.

Over the years, Ursus would serve the Empire loyally without question. Killing those during the campaign within Dalmasca that would soon turn it's attention to Bozja. He was brutal, blunt, unforgiving. But behind all that was a much more sinister being. The fury of his rage would never unkindle since that day. Patience was on his side as he would grow fame among the IVth. His comrades would see him as a war hero, oh how little they knew. Dog, rats, simply pathetic beings is what he saw. Spineless slaves that bowed to the true enemy. Was this a hypocritical view that Ursus carried? Of course, but he waited for when to take action. That day would finally come as the brute would be promoted to Centurio and given the title of Ursus quo Arkouda.

Rewarded with a set of new armor only seen within the IVth along with a greatsword forged for his promotion, all Ursus could do was smile. The day would finally come. At the age of twenty one, his rage would finally be released. On a cold evening within the camp he was stationed in within Bozja, the loyal Garlean troops that looked up to the man would be slaughtered in their sleep, butchered and massacred, Ursus would feel no remorse. Never satisfied as the numbers of those killed would rise, Ursus knew he'd need to take advantage now of the chaos he'd erupt and find his escape.

With only but his armor and sword, the man would be on the run for weeks, finding himself on the western shores of Dalmasca and with little luck he had left would be spent on finding passage within a pirate crew, threatening them if they were to touch him and rob the man as he forced himself onto their ship. Not even the most brain dead among their crew would dare test the patience of a giant in armor that was gored.

Weeks later, the warrior would return to his homeland, finding the Garlean banner standing high. An insult to the man, he would once more continue his rampage that would only be stopped by a man he would later call his friend, Etienne. The brute met him during the slaying of a Garlean patrol unit, an arrow hitting the Ala Mhigan's armored chest but barely penetrating it and only ensuing a harsh reaction of Ursus charging towards where the arrow fired from, only to be met with an entire platoon of Resistance members.

Dishonored and spat on, the man's history would haunt him forever, but that wouldn't stop Conrad Kemp from seeing what was truly behind the eyes of Ursus, where his loyalty was. A broken man that has suffered since his childhood to finally find his release, but his revenge was barely achieved. Accepting Ursus into the resistance as he was son of Rhalgr, Ursus would begin his redemption by fighting for his people and their freedom, becoming their Bear of Ala Mhigo.

Ursus would become a vanguard for many battles and skirmishes to come, and on that eventful day of their liberation, Ursus would take part in the heavy and bloody fighting with the streets of his home. Donning the armor that he would improve upon as a symbol for his people, the Ala Mhigan juggernaut would be an unstoppable tank within the streets while armed with an axe. Visiting his home of the little childhood he had, he would meet an unexpected ally. A miqo'te wearing XIIth Doman uniform fending off what looked to be of others in identical uniform. Wielding a katana, the brute cared not as they were fighting not only in his homeland's capital, but also upon what appeared to be the ruins of his old homestead. Filled with rage, the warrior went full berserk and charged towards the miqo'te, slashing away at the others like grass and launching his axe towards the small man, only to find his strength and rapid reflexes to successfully dodge and hold back the beast of a hyur's own abnormal strength. At that moment, the two found respect for one another and Ursus would come to know that the miqo'te was just like himself, another victim forced to fight for an Empire they despised.

On the night of Ghimlyt Dark, Ursus, now proudly clad in new armor and new uniform branded with a new emblem, Ursus and his comrades in the Resistance now faced the prospect of becoming part of something larger - soldiers of a liberated land standing alongside the other nations of an Eorzean Alliance. But only the naive or deluded would have believed that the Garleans would not respond, and respond they did Given command of platoon, Ursus would serve the vanguard in the defense. His men digging trenches that would become the frontline and setting up defensive placements. He thought they were ready, that they would overcome and survive. Oh how wrong he was. A cold evening would haunt them, harsh rain, artillery fire from both sides, nothing would make the man flinch, but his soldiers were a different story. Some were fresh, never to have seen the brutalities of war. Ursus would begin to motivate them, bring their spirits up. Their faces reminded of himself when he was first introduced. Young, soft, and scared.

The next few moments as he spoke would go dark as all Ursus could hear was a loud ringing that deafened him from identifying any other sound save that wrenching, painful note. His body ached and the thought of death came to him. A sharp pain followed but he'd then find himself unconscious. Light would appear for him as his body was dragged from dirt and gore as his the man was barely conscious. His entire position was a crater due to an artillery barrage, finding himself to be "lucky" as he was at the edge of the impact, sending his body flying and having his left eye pierces by shrapnel, blinding it. The entire vanguard unit under his command was annihilated.

Returning to camp as the battle continued, minor as the fighting was. Ursus's mind was in chaos. He was at the brink of exploding as the thought of failing these young soldiers and not being able to protect a single one of them came to torment him. To add insult to injury, the warrior was seen as unfit for combat and sent back to Ala Mhigo, sending him on a path of self destruction.

Drunk and found on the streets, word would eventually come to the brute that a noble from Ishgard was seeking him out. His exploits were known from far west and although Ursus has no motivation to be bothered by posh nobles, his closest friend Etienne would persuade him and push him to go. With that, he'd finally make the trek east into the freezing mountains.

Upon arriving, guards would stop him as they'd find his presence alarming as the brute stood much taller than an Elezen. An alien threat some thought but what allowed him through was stating that a noble woman of Durendaire was seeking him. Upon arrival in Ishgard, he'd find the woman within Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral, having little care to how silent it was during their prayer. The woman offered him a job as a personal guard as she would have enemies within the walls of Ishgard, which a display he would soon find out.

Failing at his job, the woman would soon be assassinated, and the blame would be put on him, forcing the man to be put on trial that he would manage to be found not guilty from evidence displayed and from allies he made during his time as the noble woman's guard.

Now forced back into the wild without belonging to anything, the man has found a profession in mercenary work when offered, but mainly has found himself hunting bounties. With the last few payments from the woman, he was able to hire an Ala Mhigan Au Ra woman to forge him new armor and to create him a sword that was too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron that seemed a melt of slag, crude and fierce and surely something only one of abnormal strength and possibly unsound mind would dare to use as a weapon.

"Above the churning waters we stand strong and unified!"

Relationships

Tathuriel Kralamagne An odd Duskwight man who's hired Ursus as muscle and protection. Ursus has grown fond of the man and trusts him with his life at this point. Carrd

Vissi'to Shzyu A Miqo'te who was conscripted during the occupation of Doma and an ally Ursus made during the Liberation of Ala Mhigo.

Roni Valentine A rather short Miqo'te woman Ursus barely met during his hunt for a quarry. Causing a small mess within her folk's establishment. She somehow managed to push the man just barely off his seat as she rather hostile. A thought that has flooded the mind of the Ala Mhigan to this very day. Carrd

Etienne Arsenault An Ala Mhigan midlander and a close friend of Ursus. The reason the brute managed to survive upon his return to the homeland and who persuaded his superiors to give the dishonored warrior a chance at redemption. No other man has gain such levels of trust that Ursus has even in such a broken state of mind that he's in.
Guts A black Bozjan Shepherd-Shiba mix that has been taken under the care of Ursus have the assassination of his owner. The one who can bring some joy to Ursus's life.

Hooks

ooc

Hello! I'm Tonee and I've been an RPer for nearly ten years now since 2012. I moved to FFXIV from ESO early this year (2021) and have been enjoying it so far and now finally plan to RP more. I hope to have a good time here on FFXIV's RP community and make some new friends, thanks for reading!