bram
bayard
stoke now kindled flame,
hotter burn, sing
till breath expires.
may those who wander
paths in the dark find firelight.
mateus, crystal
pacific standard time
✓ walk ups. ✓ tells. ✗ erp.
a paranormal researcher intensely fascinated with the void, self-described nobleman of the great city of ul'dah.a liar, a charlatan, and a very bad actor.cw for general mature themes, potential mentions of cults and abuse.
© carrd template by paletterph.
general.
name bram bayard. age twenty seven. nameday 30th sun of the 1st astral moon. species viera, veena. gender male, he/him.
orientation bisexual. birth place ??? residence ul'dah. profession voidsent researcher. combat job "thaumaturge." patron deity nald'thal. relationship status married.
• intelligence ★★★★★★★★★☆
• wisdom ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆
• charisma ★★★★★★★★☆☆
" Stoke now nascent flame, brighter burn,
dance with souls afire.
May ember catch and red-gold spark rise to new heights.
May we want for naught coin can buy.
Never see wealth's river run dry.
may we find fortune after life... "
* ▊▊ voice claim: j michael tatum (kurama, rune factory: goa).
• dexterity ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
• strength ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
• constitution ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
the soul.
personality An eccentric, haughty Viera who touts himself as Ul'dah's finest paranormal researcher and investigator, despite having broken no ground in the field and having little presence in academic circles.As a self-proclaimed nobleman, Bram is overly formal, uses grand gestures and turns of phrases while speaking, and has a bad habit of flaunting his wealth and alleged title. He's quite arrogant and often dismissive of acquaintances, playing tricks with his words and slinging backhanded compliments through the shield of a gentle smile. At best, he comes across as a refined, if not flamboyant gentleman—at worst, a pretentious and tone-deaf snob.
Even out of the bounds of work, he is extremely passionate about Voidsent to the extent of being interested in few other things and is prone to breaking into one-sided, rambling conversations about them. Bram was something of a shut-in in the past due to this and an aversion to trusting others, but he's recently begun to come out of his shell (in his own special way).Despite the theatrics, he ultimately seems to be wearing some kind of mask and is generally quite dishonest with the way he speaks to those with sharper insight. A gentler, lonelier side will sometimes come out when he drops his guard... but is always quickly replaced with more peacocking.
& key items.
important items commonly found in his inventory.
focus ring
a gift procured from black blossom itself, worn on bram's right index finger. should he find himself without a thaumaturgical implement or have no need of one for a task, he can channel his aether through its gem for weaker spellcasting instead.it's mostly useful for lighting small fires, creating small electric shocks or ice, manipulating locks, and levitating small objects.
dark horse champion's rod
bram's weapon of choice, commissioned from the goldsmith's guild. works just as well as an ostentatious accessory as it does an instrument of violence.with it in hand, he turns from a flamboyant noble fool to a surprisingly seasoned mage and battle tactician. take care to avoid explosive friendly fire.
occult compass
a curious tool acquired in the line of work. rather than pointing north, the needle indicates the location of the nearest voidsent by detecting traces of corrupted aether. of course, it can only point towards one at a time, and thus defaults to the most powerful concentration within range. this allows minions and smaller targets to slip through the cracks up until a very close distance.ooc note - as this item can trivialize certain mysteries, I don't use it in rp without explicit planning often.
field notes & bestiary
an ever-growing compendium of fiends and folklore in the form of a beaten, dog-eared notebook stuffed with loose paper and pressings.though more refined notes on all of his fieldwork and research results exist in neater bindings at home, this is bram's most prized resource. he hardly lets it leave his person, never mind trust anyone else with it—though that's less stinginess than it is a desire not to leak the childish doodles in the margins.
the history.
New residents of the Goblet will occasionally ask about the presence of a manor lying on the district's outskirts, secluded by imposing gates and a crumbling facade. Once the sight of many a gala held by an aging adventurer and wannabe Ul'dahn nobleman, it's now under the care of Bram, his ward and inheritor, who he adopted under hazy circumstances. This is all he'll say about his childhood when pressed, other than waxing poetic about his prestigious tutoring in etiquette and academics growing up. In the Viera's mind, his life begins in the mansion's dimly-lit foyer in his early teens.Left to his own devices when not schooled or entertaining his guardian's frequent party guests, Bram developed an intense fascination with Voidsent and all manner of undead and paranormal phenomena soon after settling in Ul'dah. After a chance sighting of flocking ahriman from afar, the boy began to amass a secret collection of occult magazines and writings to memorize in his free time. Ambitions of greatness and the thrill of unlocking the Void's secrets only grew stronger over time, until the adventurer's sudden passing from age-borne health issues.Finding himself free to follow his dream career, backed with sole ownership of the estate and a mountain of gil as vast as his grief, Bram began to position himself as an up-and-coming scholar of the occult. Thus began his habitual cycles of hiding away in his study, refusing to leave the manor for weeks at a time, and jotting down essays and theories with whatever sources he can get his hands on.Overseeing funeral proceedings put Bram in the eye of the Arrzaneth Ossuary, leading to a brief stint with the Thaumaturge's Guild. He picked up the basics of the art within and quickly began to show prodigious magical skill thanks to a deep reservoir of personal aether, but left to pursue self-study within months. The halls of the Guild, however secluded, were still too crowded and suffocating for him to handle (but if asked, he'll tell you his great skill and finesse with magic simply dwarfed that of the other thaumaturges).
Though his aims to deepen the world's understanding of the Thirteenth and make a name for himself are great, Bram is as of yet unpublished by any academic board or scholasticate. His early work, lacking experience and reliable access to subjects, tended to be greatly derivative or too outlandish and exaggerated to publish, let alone the taboo nature of his studies. In his frustration, Bram made the drastic decision to cut short his independent scholarly work and began reaching out to smaller organizations for research assistance. Pride and social insecurities take a backseat to such an extended failure.Bram intended this to be a very brief change of plan. Use the resources and peers he gained access to as he sees fit, earn some clout, finally get something published—then vanish, back into isolation to handle his advanced studies alone.Instead he found that the acceptance he'd craved all his life, not to mention more consistent results, were not to be found in the upper echelons of a scholasticate or stuffed inside a published journal with his name across the cover. It's with colleagues fighting and struggling alongside him, pursuing their own goals, loathe as Bram still is to utter the word 'friend' to anyone. Rumors leak from his small cadre of housekeepers that the manor has even welcomed a new resident in the last few years.These developments aren't cause for Bram to ease on his ambitions, however—they spur him on through continued studies and magical exploits. His hopes of breaking through obscurity now fall on various business partners and the occasional contracted private investigation.In recent times, Bram's personal research has centered almost entirely around the Void's ability to alter and corrupt the aether of mortals, both to a lesser degree and to the extent that they begin to fit the scientific definition of Voidsent themselves. Exceedingly rare in general, but frighteningly numerable in the academic spaces he finds himself in and almost always irreversible, he has dedicated much of his work to combatting further spread of corruption, finding ethical modalities of aether consumption, and establishing ways of life for lives that may otherwise be considered forfeit.
miscellaneous.
dnd chaotic good. likes voidsent, arcana, rare objects, theatre, being right, red wine. dislikes physical labor, wilderness, fortunetelling, white wine. fears wolves, large dogs, betrayal, exposed secrets.
hobbies reading (nonfiction/pulp romance), working long hours, playing games of chance, attending the opera, wine tasting, haute couture & makeup. skills near-encyclopedic knowledge of voidsent, natural acting (and lying) skills, comfortable under extreme pressure & particularly within high society, fairly impressive thaumaturgy & fire magic.
" May we all as true equals die.
Never fear unjust favor's bite.
May we be judged by what is right.
For this we pray, we pray, we pray... "
› FREQUENTED LOCATIONS
bayard manor a former shut-in, bram still prefers the comfort of his own luxurious home. a housekeeper will see guests inside for private investigation and exorcism inquiries, but the edifice itself is heavily warded against voidsent, ashkin and other supernatural threats. black blossom shop a side-hustle that turned into a deep passion and unwavering loyalty to the other staff and headmistress, because bram is ultimately incapable of half-assing anything. he works as head salesman on friday nights, and has become passable at item appraisal as a result. sapphire avenue exchange bram can often be found perusing the local markets for new garments, books, or interesting tchotchkes—he never leaves empty-handed. dark wardens company hq much to his dismay, he's found it somewhat beneficial to stay close enough to access company resources and amenities for certain types of work, even if coworkers have a tendency to annoy him in the process.
weakness
for all his inner fire and raw tenacity, bram's greatest enemy holds him back at seemingly every turn: his own body. it's not difficult to notice how gaunt and terribly frail he is from an outside eye. his bones jut from his skin at sharp angles, lacking muscle; a stiff wind might knock him over like a leaf, and he suffers from mild asthmatic symptoms.as a result, bram is utterly inept at most physical tasks and prolonged melee combat. he can run quite fast in short bursts and jump high, thanks to his vieran legs, but lacks the stamina to do either for long.for unknown reasons—physical or mental—he is equally as terrible with healing magic. attempts usually result in severe burns on top of the original injury.
combat
bram is a thaumaturge—and a damned good one, he'll say. blessed with an extremely large aetherpool despite his weak body and a slight internal alignment towards the element of fire, he excels in raw destructive magic and can expend much of his energy into casting before running dry.this also makes him a veritable beacon to voidsent and other aether-sighted creatures, but this is a boon in his mind.as bram tends to do poorly in single combat, he (begrudgingly) relies on allies to protect him from the vanguard. in exchange, his shrewdness and constant access to a bestiary make him a decent battle tactician, and can generally be trusted to keep a party safe.
language
bram speaks with a somewhat odd-sounding old ishgardian accent, not quite authentic but not exactly fake either. he has a habit of sprinkling in words and phrases into his sentences spoken in common, usually for dramatic flair, but occasionally because he understands certain things better in one tongue over another.he's in the process of learning business-level hingan to assist with work. right now he's only at a kindergarten level, but has most translations of common voidsent names already memorized.
talent
while being tutored in typical upper-class subjects as a boy, bram showed rare talent as a classical musician. he can play the piano fairly well and often will when given the chance, but was a remarkable prodigy with the violin in his mid-late teens. it's the one thing he won't boast about for whatever reason, and adamantly refuses to pick the instrument up.other resulting areas of knowledge include arithmetic, history, etiquette, table setting, ishgardian chocobo riding, flower arrangement, and waltz (but gods help you if he tries any style of modern dance).
guilty pleasure
a chunk of the second-floor manor library is devoted to pulp, independently published or generally obscure romance novels of varying taste and obscenity levels.they exist in hollowed-out covers from dry textbooks, scattered in obscure corners of the shelves. if caught, bram will vehemently deny their existence through any means necessary.an overwhelming majority have a supernatural element, but he seems not to have a preference for the genders of either lead character. in another life, he would do insane numbers on romantasy booktok.
fear
threats to bram's life due to his meddling in occult affairs have become commonplace to him. the odd bandit or two tend to be easy to outwit or blast off before they can part him from his purse or his life. as a result bram is actually quite brave; snivelling displays of cowardice tend to be reserved for when he thinks it'll get him what he wants or just spice things up.his one true fear, and worst-kept secret, is an extreme phobia of wolves. any large canines in his vicinity render bram nearly useless until he can flee or they're taken away. take care not to bring your dogs with you should you have business at the manor—they'll be immediately turned away by a housekeeper.
@l99ayane
faukk (no socmed)
@MishheKHT
@Kar0xs
@aetherlite
main reference (2025)
O1
basic etiquette *
basic rp etiquette applies. do not powergame, godmod, or mix IC and ooc. i will distance if bleed becomes an issue.I only write with players over 18.please do not ask me for erp.I have zero tolerance for irl racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.
preferred themes *
I write in literate paragraph/multi-para form (usually around 2 posts ingame), but will match your length to the best of my ability.I'm interested in high fantasy, mystery and intrigue, horror/horror-comedy and dice-based combat.I gravitate towards slow-burn friendship and adversarial/complicated relationships. this character rarely gets along with others well right off the bat. not looking to ship, you can flirt with bram but he will not reciprocate.lore-friendly and well developed monsters and voidsent I love you pspspsps come here-
O2
cecil | over 21 | they/he
O3
things to avoid *
I welcome dark themes and horror given this character's background, but do not spring heavy or triggering topics on me without prior discussion and consent.I'm not interested in blatant power fantasy or extreme lore breaking, kindly avoid approaching me with godlike superspecial characters, ascians or wols.
about me *
hello! thanks for reading my silly guy's silly page! I'm a full time university student who's been playing xiv since stormblood, and roleplaying in forums and mmos on and off since I was given internet access.if i'm ingame and not roleplaying i'm likely raiding, pvping, gposing or /lophop 'ing next to afk friends.please feel free to ask for my discord/bsky if you'd like to connect! I don't bite and I'm always looking for new one-offs and long term contacts c:
O4
investigations & occult services
› requirements: none
Those with a pressing paranormal mystery or Voidsent issue will find an enthusiastic investigator or collaborator in Bram. Have a haunted house that needs investigating? Restless spirit to be exorcised? Just pissed off the wrong fiend? He's always open for new cases, provided he finds them interesting.His name and estate can be found via discrete business cards left on adventurer's guild bulletin boards, past written works unsuccessfully sent to publishers still collecting dust in a drawer, or by word of mouth (with the caveat that he is... difficult to work with).
travelling companions
› requirements: adventurers, mercenaries, mages, scholars.
Should he be otherwise unaccompanied in the field while searching for relics or new specimens, Bram may be open to hiring adventurers, mercenaries, and fellow scholars passing by. As dangerous as his subjects of study usually are, the pay is exceptional.A curious soul, he especially loves partying up with fellow occult specialists, aetherologists and mages to exchange information.Extremely perceptive magic-users might catch on that his brand of thaumaturgy is quite a bit more advanced and bluntly powerful than mages of his experience tend to be—whether that's something to investigate or leave alone is up to you.
sanctuary in shadow
› requirements: semi-selective. voidsent, void-touched, otherwise corrupted.
Bram has never submitted his works regarding the treatment of voidal corruption to any established academic institute: he'd be a laughingstock in the best of cases, or would be marked for open heresy and prosecution in the worst. As a result, the project is secret to those outside of his direct company....Yet, he has a knack for finding and empathizing with wayward Voidsent and Void-corrupted people anyhow. If your character suffers from a similar condition, his services and knowledge are pro-bono.
sins of the father
› requirements: negotiable & selective. ul'dahn nobles, criminals, established adventurers.
Virtually nobody has ever bothered to investigate the legitimacy of 'House Bayard,' however much Bram talks about his noble status. By design, of course. But older folk who were tuned in to the Ul'dahn adventuring scene in the late Sixth Astral Era, or the nobility post-Calamity, could have a passing familiarity with Bram's late guardian.An Ishgardian commoner who grew disillusioned with his lot, Lord Bayard ventured to Ul'dah in his younger years to seek a life of luxury among society's echelons. Public knowledge states that he continued to nurture a massive fortune after retiring from an illustrious adventuring career by holding elaborate charity galas for lords and scientists who could pay the door fee. Though he never quite made enough to vie for a place with the Syndicate, he died an aristocrat by Ul'dah's measurements of wealth nonetheless.But you, under the right circumstances, might know more.
out of the woods
› requirements: viera, requisite knowledge.
Eorzeans are not typically very learned about Viera, considering the short time since Garlean pressure and other factors began to push them en masse to larger civilizations. But those who share heritage or are familiar with the culture for other reasons may think of Bram as unusual—he has no affinity with the forests of Othard or the Green Word, only his proclaimed House under Ul'dah's banner.You may wonder where he's really from, and how he fell into this life instead of a wood-warder's. He will not respond well to this line of questioning.
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