Jorm
From Dynasts End
| |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jorm |
| Aliases (if any) | |
| Age | 167 |
| Birthday | February 27th |
| Nationality | none |
| Race | Viera |
| Job | Trickster |
| Occupation | Shopkeeper |
| Height | 6'5" |
| Weight | 258lbs |
| Family | Wife, Inez; 3 daughters, Yslt, 107, Myja, 85, and Nina, 55; 1 son, Eidn, 74. |
| Languages | Viere, Archadian, passable Dalmascan, poor Rozarrian. |
| Current Home | Lavinium, Archades |
| Played By | Stephen Fry |
| Journal | supersupine |
| Player | Lissa is a fucking failure |
Contents |
[edit] Appearance
With a gentle, good-humored face and an inviting frame, Jorm looks like he would make an excellent father. And, following his appearance, he has mastered the sympathetic frown and tentatively hopeful half-smile that brings most children right out of a good cry. His thick, whitish-grey hair (he still rubs some color into it when he remembers, but as he grows older his natural silver seems to suit him better and better in hume society) is roughly cut at his eyebrows.
As far as Viera go, he is not your typical specimen, even considering his sex. He is fair complexioned, Veena, and has dark reddish-brownish eyes and a slightly curled, long nose that was broken long ago and never managed to straighten itself out again. Years of living (and eating) in Hume society has thrown his metabolism for a loop- it's clear that Viera who don't pride themselves on their athleticism were never meant to dine in Landis or Archades with all those fried animal products and sauces. He's put on a substantial amount of weight over the years, but Jorm is suited for it. It's even proved to come in handy in places like Archadia; with a hood and a fake accent, few people seem to notice an overweight, male Viera. Jorm is also lucky in this regard by being lop-eared, and therefore easily hidden with the proper attire, something that caused him quite a bit of grief at home in Myrka.
[edit] History
Raised in Myrka Village, home to the elusive male Viera population of Ivalice, Jorm grew up in a state of constant curiosity. Something of an outsider (as all Viera who choose to leave the wood are), Jorm observed others for the greater part of his young life, laughing as they laughed, crying when they cried and experiencing very little on his own. It didn't bother him per se, but earned him a reputation as being awkward and unwanted. He wasn't ostracized, the village elders saw to that, but he was left primarily to his own devices. He spent the majority of his time in communication with the wood, something he knew other Viera did as well, though he never cemented that thought in his mind. He'd heard others talk about speaking with the wood, he'd listened to them recount their stories but he'd never realized that that voice in his head which spoke to the heart of ideas he hadn't even known he'd held spoke to others, too. When Jorm finally did realize that, around his 34th year, he felt betrayed. For years he refused to commune with the wood, instead wandering the jungle and teaching himself petty illusions with discs and acorns and seeds. Then, finally, when he tried to reconcile himself with the wood, it wouldn't speak to him.
He missed it, but not palpably. As he went through his everyday life, meditating and working with others to better the village, he almost forgot about the wood entirely. Until it began to creep back in, admonishing him, making him feel what he had done to it by denying it. He was like all those runaway Viera, only he was still present and could still hear the wood's wishes. Over time, it grew to be too much for him to bear and Jorm fled the village. Aside from a few childhood friends, there was no one he would miss terribly. To this day he hasn't returned, nor has he tried to communicate with the wood again. He is afraid it hasn't shut him out.
At 45, he entered hume society. Jorm, to say the least, wasn't prepared for the culture-shock. He ended up in Nabudis and had his first encounters with people of another race, few of which had ever seen a male Viera. He quickly isolated himself, taking a small room in a bad neighborhood, emerging at night to wash dishes in the back of some seedy bar. While working there, at The Green Man, he met a bangaa, Cadeth, who took him under his wing. He taught him how to remain mostly inconspicuous, hidden behind a mask of exoticism- it was important for Viera to look beautiful and cruel, Cadeth told him, to keep humes away. Cadeth also taught Jorm how to play cards and dice and soon Jorm was wasting his paychecks trying to make some money off of the patrons he cleaned up after. He wasn't very good, but he won enough so that he could continue to eat and pay rent. Still, keeping this mask up kept him from getting close to anyone else and, new and frightening though it may be, living in Nabudis did not seem so different to Jorm than living in Myrka.
Around 55, he moved on to Druze, where he worked as a barkeep in the early years of The Sapphire. With other Viera around, he felt safer, though he still couldn't quite connect with them. Lady Viera were strange creatures indeed, wise where he was foolish and poised where he was just pretending to be. Jorm was in awe of them and they, for their part, were curious of him. He wasn't truly taken with a lady, though, until he met Inez. He latched onto her as quick as anything. He had to. There was just something about her, a smell, a sound, something he knew could buff out all his rough spots. There wasn't any question about it, he had to stay close to her. It was just his good luck, Jorm has always thought, that she never chased him away.
Inez worked as a chemist, a gifted one, and Jorm soon gave up his position at The Sapphire to help run her shop. They traveled all over Ivalice together- Landis, Rozarria, Dorstonis- wherever they pleased, though usually they settled for a while whenever a bunny joined their party family. Over the years, they had four children together, all of which Inez raised firmly and Jorm did his best to help with. He wasn't a guiding sort, more the one that tried to salvage a bad day or cheer the children up after they fell. He didn't know how to run a family or what values would best shape a happy, yet successful child. Jorm depended too much on good luck in his own life to ever take a decisive role in his children's. One bad hand and their lives could be ruined, it seemed, and he loved them too much to do that to them.
It came as quite a shock when, after never having decidedly spoken of the wood or traditional Viera life, their eldest daughter, Yslt, decided to leave home for Eruyt village. They fought for hours, the conflict staying mainly between Inez and Yslt, before Yslt packed up and took Nina, their youngest daughter, with her. It was clear that the wood would not accept them; Inez and Jorm explained that. But there was no stopping Yslt. Still estranged, Inez and Jorm have no idea what's become of Yslt and Nina.
Their other two children, Myja and Eidn, have faired better in hume society. Myja left home when she came of age and occasionally writes letters to her parents when time allows. Eidn, however, though he insists he is happy, has never left home, even now still traveling with Inez and Jorm wherever they set up shop. It is worrying, but neither parent has the heart to turn him away. Jorm knows first-hand, after all, how strange living alone in hume society can be.
[edit] Personality
Keywords: Goes with the flow, bemused, curious, somewhat out of touch with reality, dishonest, patronizing, affectionate, comforting, avoidant, unconcerned, convincing.
Jorm is evenly split between the typical Viera and the anti-Viera. He appears wise and patient, a good speaker who never seems to open his mouth without saying something which needs to be said. He usually understands the basic motives of others and can be a very shrewd judge of character. And, more than anything, he is willing to put the needs of the whole before his needs as an individual. That being said, Jorm is amazed by hume culture. He understands very little of it and as such is always surprised by it. Even if an unexpected turn of events should worsen his or a loved one's situation, Jorm can always find the cheer to marvel at how new and interesting that particular screw-over was! It's fascinating all the ways that one can be taken advantage of. He also has a very healthy sense of humor, even if the basis of certain jokes can blindside him, unlike most other Viera.
He prefers to play a minor role in the lives of those around him, even his wife's. Jorm thoroughly believes himself to be a supporting character- he's called into the scene when someone needs something from him and is more than happy to butt out when directions no longer call for him. Most people, because of this behavior, consider Jorm to be a very wise individual, but if you listen closely you'll notice it's all in how he says it. He gives terrible advice, but he presents it in such a way as to seem very sensible. Fool-proof, almost, until someone decides to follow through on it. But he had their best interests at heart, didn't he?
As someone who used to suffer from very low self-esteem, Jorm underplays his own importance. Whatever is best for others is best for him. But, as soon as someone decides that a change in him is what's best for others, he grows obstinate and bull-headed. He refuses to change himself on any grounds. Jorm views self-improvement like training the growth of a tree- its better to let it just do what it will. But he'll be the first to try to help someone else better themselves.
Extremely affectionate, Jorm becomes attached to others quickly, perhaps too quickly. It's gotten him labeled as capricious, untrustworthy, two-faced and fickle, none of which are true. His family will always come first, but they cannot expect to be the end-all, be-all of his social life, can they? He stays out late when he enjoys a conversation and he is notorious for bringing home unexpected, but highly interesting, guests. Really, he doesn't see how hurtful this behavior can be, he's simply living in the moment.
Lastly, as an accomplished gambler, Jorm understands how to assume a persona. Already something of a fool, he can play up his bumbles in a convincing way, wringing people for much more than they would have lost to him had he foregone the act. This side of Jorm shows what little regard he has for 'morals' and 'integrity'.
[edit] Skills
Bluffing, playing to his strengths, playing to others weaknesses, comforting people who want to be comforted, making himself scarce.
- Strengths: Understanding, can shrug/laugh most hardships off, deferential, a good liar, adaptable.
- Weaknesses: Critical thinking, understanding logic more complicated than found in puzzles and riddles, physically unfit, smokes too much, can't look past the surface of things, unwilling/unable to change, dismissive, slightly narcissistic.
[edit] Other Information (optional)
[edit] Favorites and Likes
- Color
- Food
- Activity
- Other Likes
[edit] Least Favorites and Dislikes
- Color
- Food
- Activity
- Other Dislikes
[edit] Relationships
- Inez - GOD SAVE THE BUNNYWIFE
