PLOT HOOKS

🗹 The bulk of Vaniro's skill lies within her piloting. While having expertise in a hand full of places, the sky is where she thrives. If you or something you posses needs to get from point A to point B, Vaniro is a skilled pilot who can make it happen under the right contracts for Firelight Trading Co. Care to negotiate?🗹 Tend to enjoy traveling through out Eorzea? If so there is a good chance you might run into the ex-sky pirate while escorting the Firelight Trading Co. Heiress, Sarrai Avery, to various events and venues. You may be able to improve her mood with a cigarette and/or a stiff drink.🗹 Don't be suspicious, don't be suspicious! ...Or do!!! Especially around FTC property. Blink is quick to follow up and assess potential threats or liabilities for Firelight, especially on property grounds.🗹 If you have a meeting with the Boss you might catch Blink lingering in the room, leaning against a wall, or brooding close by.🗹 If you're a sky pirate you might have heard of the infamous Blink Vaniro and her band of sky pirates, the Harbingers.🗹 If you have a history with the Empire you might have heard of their past special operative Blink Vaniro. What you know of her and her plotlines with the Empire I'm happy to chat about! But please be sure to check out that part of her history.

CONDENSED HISTORY

_{CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNING: Abandonment / Domestic Abuse & Violence / Hallucinations / Depression / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / Miscarriage / Blood & Gore depiction / Death of a partner & spouse / Grief & Loss depiction / Captivity & Confinement / Gun Violence / Imprisonment & Incarceration / Murder / Organized Crime / Poisoning / Military Service & Deployment / War themes & Military ViolenceBut I can at least promise you no harm comes to any animals and yes, at one point she gets to pet the dog.}

_{Disclaimer: I've been roleplaying this character since 2008/2009 (Yes, outside of FFXIV but the storyline fit perfectly into the lore). Her background has been entirely roleplayed with other people through out the years. These are her actual experiences as I have written them at length. I'm doing my best to give a tldr here, but I still expect this to be quite lengthy despite being condensed. So I'm breaking it into chapters that you can digest at your own leisure.}

• 1.) Early Life
• 2.) Adolescence
• 3.) Imperial Soldier
• 4.) Rise of the Harbingers
• 5.) Retirement & Current Life

Early Life

Isabella Illiza Vaniro was born the daughter of Dominic and Saeva Vaniro of the Harbingers. Oddly enough, the sky pirate was born on the ground, within Rabanastre, gaining her Dalmascan citizenship. In her early youth her Father stole her away to live with him and his band of sky pirates, the Harbingers, amongst the clouds above Dalmasca. Both Isabella and her brother, Orion (AkA: Skorn) grew up on the Harbinger flagship. As Isabella grew she learned early on some basic engineering, keeping up with a host of the ship's repairs and genuinely being the sunshine and light of the crew around her.In her teenage years she quickly became obsessed with piloting, excelling past every pilot in her Father's fleet to eventually become an Ace Pilot by the age of 16. At this point, Izzy had become the flag ship's lead pilot. Her spaztic dog fighting abilities and flight techniques practiced among smaller aircraft quickly earned her the nickname, 'Dizzy'. A spin off of her childhood nickname, Izzy.While her Father was busy trying to make a Captain out of her brother, Dizzy stayed behind to help with the crew and fleet. During her time with them a new first mate was appointed. That man was Judas Slevin, a name which made most experienced sky pirates shiver. A dark assassin known for his uncanny ability to make people disappear. He was most often known as 'the Ghost' by those who had witnessed his work, but never once by the man himself. It seemed Slevin and Dominic shared a history together as Slevin had served as his first mate before Dizzy had been born.

• Back to History

Adolescence & the Rise of Blink Vaniro

Finally of age, Dizzy found herself itching to spread her wings. She had even taken a habit of drinking in various sky port bars whilst mingling with other pirate crews. Even rival crews. Dizzy was young, but so were the other pirates she mingled with. In her off time exploits she met another pirate by the name of Donny. Donny was a pirate to a renouned crew called 'the Six' who happened to be the Harbinger's lead rivals. Unfortunately for the pair they happened to develop feelings for each other outside of their crew's conflicts.Foolishly, Dizzy and Donny thought they might be able to escape their inherited lives as sky pirates. They hoped to elope silently before running away together to be adventurers. Dizzy had donned a wedding dress and everything, hoping to have a quiet ceremony in the middle of the night a top the flag ship.It was interrupted by Judas Slevin who had exposed the betrayal to Dizzy's Father. In retaliation against his Daughter's rebellion, Dominic had sent the Ghost to deliver swift justice. In the end Judas put a revolver between Donny's eyes and pulled the trigger right in front of his blood splattered bride, Dizzy. Donny was thrown into the sky's abyss from the roof of the airship.Dominic was enraged by the betrayal dealt by his own flesh and blood. By his own beloved daughter. He denounced her from the family name and from her heir for his Captaincy. Furthermore, Dominic was a pirate and had no intentions of allowing Dizzy to leave the Harbingers again. Thus he gave his daughter to Slevin and it was declared she would remain as one of their best pilots until she met her grave, whether she wanted to or not.It was a turning point in Vaniro's life. Slevin was not kind to her. The 1st mate had always had a secret soft spot for her Mother, someone Dizzy had the unfortunate displeasure of being the spitting image of. Every time Slevin saw Dizzy, he was reminded of the younger version of her Mother.In his frustration with this new found ward he would channel that energy into teaching her everything he could about weapons, fighting techniques, and stealth. He would turn her into a reflection of himself. A ghost. A night terror. And through this, despite Slevin's cold and callous nature, Dizzy began to see a different side of the man.There were moments when she found herself well behaved in which a softer, more vulnerable side of the man who frieghtened so many would surface. Slowly both Vaniro and Slevin's guards would begin to melt away and not long after a strong bond was forged between them. It never sat well with Slevin the way in which Dominic had treated his daughter. By this point the 1st Mate felt as if she'd long since served her punishment. Her loyalties due to her growing attachment to Slevin had realigned with the Harbingers and thus, Judas spoke with Dominic about granting Dizzy status amongst the crew again.Dominic wouldn't have it. The betrayal had cut him too deep. He had zero interest in ever granting his daughter status again. In his mind's eye he only had one offspring now. A son who brought him a sudden great deal of pride, not the shameful wench who had betrayed her family. Judas found himself frustrated with Dominic's unwillingness to change and thus challenged him for control of the Harbingers. A fight to the death, winner became Captian. When Slevin had bested the elder Vaniro it was at Dizzy's plea he allowed the man to live. Dominic would step down as captain and retire from the Harbingers. In exchange for his life, he would grant his daughter's freedom and status, in turn allowing Judas and Dizzy to eventually marry.That was the day Orion Vaniro started to become the man they would all know as Skorn. He had witnessed the display of his Father's downfall bitterly. He'd even been standing next to his unknowingly pregnant sister at the time. A hatred had begun to fester in his heart as he watched the Father he idolized have his throne and standing plucked from beneath him. His inheritance had been stolen from him by an outsider. Despite Judas taking control of the Harbingers, Skorn served below him as a navigator, though the boy was far from loyal. He spent his time plotting to overthrow Slevin all while pretending to be one of his loyal crew.Wise beyond his years, Slevin was no fool. Early on he had caught on to Skorn's intentions knowing a fight would soon be upon him. In his spare time he would do what he could to prepare Dizzy for the disaster yet to come. Eventually, the challenge was issued. Like his Father before him, a fight to the death for the role of Captain. He would wind up killing Judas with a poisoned blade right in front of Dizzy. Fortunately for her, Skorn did not share the same tainted vision of her his Father did. He cared for his sister and Dizzy was allowed to stay post Slevin's death. He would provide a place for her as the Harbingers were her home as much as they were his.Similarly, Dizzy cared for Skorn to an extent. At first she told herself she would stay. But even in death, Judas still had sway over her. Through nightmarish dreams and visions, whether real or not, he had told her to run, hide, lay low and finish her training. To re-emerge like his reflection and take back what had been stolen from the both of them.In her grief, Dizzy wound up miscarrying Judas' twins. For six years after Slevin's death she pushed herself and furthered her combat training until she could no longer improve on her own.She emerged the same cold, callous visage Judas had been before her.The woman who emerged would come to be known as Blink.

• Back to History

An Imperial Soldier & the 13th

Vaniro had pushed her combat prowess as far as she could on her own. Driven by a deep desire to establish her eventual independence and be able to fend for herself, the woman would reemerge from years spend hiding as a special operative for the Garlean Empire.It was an odd place for an experienced sky pirate to turn up. Though the aetherial ability she'd been honing for years made her an asset in the Empire's eyes. True to her namesake, Blink's special ability, determination, and battle prowess would lead her to complete many successful missions beneath the Empire's tainted guidance.In truth, Blink wasn't there because she believed in the Empire. Frankly, it was quite the opposite. She would have been happier siding with those who opposed them. But the call of the gunblade as well as being able to both fly, operate, and learn their engineering techniques would be a priceless take away. One in which she did many things she still isn't proud of to date to learn and acquire. Things that still haunt her.Not long after becoming a special operative for the Empire she received a mission which would change her life forever. Blink had turned herself into the same cold blooded killing machine Slevin had been. Which made her the perfect handler for his clone, one of the Empire's test subjects and experiments. The project was code named 'Shade', and it was her soul responsibility to keep him safe, sane, and alive whilst cleaning up any messes he might make.After a good amount of training, the pair were dispatched on a mission to explore a derelict ghost ship which had been rumored amongst the clouds above Dravania. Who better to send to deal with sky pirates than an ex-sky pirate?No one knows the Event Horizon style horrors those two endured once they boarded the ship. For a while they'd even still been in contact, reporting their various findings back to the Empire before eventually the pair had gone radio silent. Seemingly they had disappeared out of thin air.In truth, they were sucked into the 13th, where Shade and Blink were forced to work together to survive. Still suffering from the nightmares of her deceased husband, this event was not kind to Blink and became even more unkind when they met a voidsent by the name of Z.If Blink had unintentionally managed to get them into the 13th, than surely she could take all three of them out... right? This was the thought which posessed Z to make her life a living hell until she'd been pushed to the point where she might 'blink' all of them back to the source.Ironically it was by a freak accident Blink managed to pull it off. Her intention from the start had been to leave Z to rot in the 13th, but along with the pair the voidsent managed to make it back to the source with them.They returned to the freezing snows of Ilsabard. Whilst Z managed to get away to the Twelve only knows where... Blink and Shade were not quite as lucky. Immediately the pair found themselves back upon Garlean radar.Convinced both Blink and Shade had tried to defect when they disappeared, the pair were arrested. To this day, Blink is still unsure of what happened to Shade. In wake of the event, she was arrested and incarcerated in a high security Garlean prison, trading one cage for another.Vaniro spent at least two years trying to persuade them she hadn't tried to defect from their ranks, even if it had been a part of her eventual plans. Regardless, she declined to share any information of her experiences upon the Void Ship or within the 13th with the Empire until they released her. When they declined, she eventually managed to make an escape by sabotaging and camouflaging herself as staff.She's been on the run from the Empire ever since, though in recent times its not as vital of a threat as it may have once been. What's left of the Empire has bigger problems than Blink Vaniro. (But feel free to use it as a hook if you're a Garlean roleplayer.)

• Back to History

Rise of the Harbingers

In Blink's absence, Skorn had taken his place as Captain, a title he felt himself entitled to. He had earned it after all! It didn't matter to him if he cheated to get it. He had slain the ghost! He was due his reward! At least, these were the words Reeve Kieran liked to pollute the boy's head with. It was easy for the sniveling rat of a Highlander to ooze poison into Skorn's ear. The lack of a Father figure had made it almost too easy for him.The welfare of the crew had never once been on the forefront of Skorn's mind. Jaded by both power and greed, Skorn had nearly driven the crew into the ground in his Sister's absence. Exhausted and clearly fallen from their glory days many remained under Skorn purely loyal to the Harbingers themselves rather than the lad. Why? Because many of them had been born, raised there, much like both Blink and Skorn had. The Harbingers were more than just a crew, it was a home. A family for most.Many of the crew thought Dizzy had died once she disappeared. That the grief had overwhelmed her, and truly, who could have blamed her? Most mourned her loss, but not just for the sake of losing the girl, but the sake of anyone else having the guts to stand up to Skorn.When rumors of her reappearance from the 13th surfaced, Reeve began to squirm. He kept the information from Skorn, silencing any who tried to bring the intel to their Captain. It was his goal to keep Blink at bay, to scare her off, and discourage her from any further interactions with the crew. She was supposed to be dead!!Unfortunately for Reeve Kieran, Vaniro's sights were dead set on finishing what Judas had asked of her. She now had all the experience needed to be able to deliver a swift and punishing justice. Noting her ship on radar, Reve was quick to turn Skorn upon his Sister. Surely she was here to kill him. Surely she came to claim his birth right. She was here to challenge him for Captain! He had killed her husband, she'd never let him live.Bits and pieces of Kieran's poison were true, but the majority consisted of lies. Blink had no intention of killing her brother unless left with no choice. Much like she had begged for her Father's life, she had no interest in losing another person from her past. She would fight him, if she had to, but had hoped to negotiate even before that.Skorn, turned by Kieran's words, would never give her the opportunity. He would try to kill her before she could ever even speak to him. When he fell to her blade (out of self defense), Kieran fled, disappearing to find others he might be able to manipulate. He'd resurface again in the future no doubt.In the wake of her Brother's passing, Blink would indeed rise to become the Captain of the Harbingers. Staying true to what she had promised Judas, she made a name for them again, restoring their criminal image and bringing them back into a period of prosperity.Her feelings about Skorn and her past understandably remain a difficult topic for her to date. Her crew, undyingly loyal to everything she's done for them, never once pressed her for answers, but accepted her back into their ranks with open arms.They were family, after all.

• Back to History

Retirement & Current Life

Life was good. Vaniro had completed the goal which had driven her for years. With her, the Harbingers thrived. Lawless freedom in the skies under the guidance of a Captain worth her salt who deeply cared for her crew. Yet it wasn't what Blink wanted. She had spent her life chasing someone else's dream.While fully capable of leading, even being good at it, she was beginning to grow weary of the task. What was it they say? "A reluctant leader is always the best kind of leader." Vaniro certainly fit the criteria. Even she knew her place in the Captain's chair was a fleeting idea.Vaniro would come to retire from the Harbingers, leaving her most trusted in charge. Originally she had every intention of making Magnis, her 1st mate, the captain. However, he and a handful of others (Noeli, Saddler, and Mizu) would decline and proceed to follow the Captain into becoming a crew of five to pilot and man her vessel, the Tempest.Reluctant to see their Captain go, the Harbingers still refer to her as Captain (despite how many times she tells them not to) any time they cross paths. Vaniro still has their devout loyalty. They would jump through hoops to aid the woman at any time despite her absence, they love her like a found family.With the small manned crew of the Tempest at her side, Vaniro would separate herself from the life of a Sky Pirate. Whilst still a criminal, she took up odd jobs where she could find them, becoming more mercenary crew than anything else. Bounty hunting, cargo transportation, and passenger transport became the majority of their work. Work which eventually led her to Firelight Trading Company and more specifically, Rexonus Fira'lux.The Tempest crew worked as contractors, staying on the clean side of the law whilst running jobs for both Rex and his Trading Company. It was a working relationship which was built on trust. One which paid extremely well and would eventually lead to their employment under Blink's contract.One day, Rex made the mistake of openly disrespecting Blink, and to his shock... she walked out on his employment right then and there. She quit. People did not simply 'quit' Firelight Trading Company. Especially not assets as interesting as the Captain was to him. Her immediate course of action only spurred more of his interest and the two quickly found themselves in a game of cat and mouse.Rex was determined to get the pilot to work for him again. Blink was too amused she found herself determined to entertain and continue his pursuit of her. He would buy out the contracts she would attempt to take, with the intention of drawing her back due to lack of work. Yet he found Vaniro to be incredibly resourceful. In the interim, the two worked in tandem to find information on the other.Blink learned of his reputation while Rex dug up information on her past. They were two sides of the same coin consistently butting heads and neither had the humility to back down. That's what he found enchanting about her, and similarly she found his determination to be equally charming. They were a pair forged in the seven hells.Eventually Rex wound up cornering Blink in a noodle bar in Kugane. The two wrecked the place with the ferocity of their battle, but in the end Rex won. Confident Rex was someone Blink could 'bend the knee' to, she once more signed a new contract with Firelight Trading Company to be a pilot under his employ while Rex had come to respect the pilot a good deal more. Of course, very quickly he became much more than simply her boss. Romance bloomed between them and Rex would use every ounce of his resources to help heal the trauma of her past the more he learned of it. Together, the pair even went on to defeat Reeve Kieran (living, now ally) when he had the balls to put a bounty out on Blink's head.These days, the Tempest crew continues to work under their Captain beneath the employ of Firelight Trading Company. Blink finds herself as a pilot but also the lead for Firelight's Security Division, and is constantly working on improving herself and her life in the wake of everything she's been through.Truly, Rex and FTC are the best things that have ever happened to her. Blink Vaniro is healing.Am I missing anything...?OH RIGHT, the dog! Siyoh recently adopted a dog for Blink to try and get her to take care of something beyond machines and/or Company members. Blink named the dog Calisto. He gets pets every day.

• Back to History

ABILITIES

Blink (her namesake):

_{Disclaimer: If this is not something you're comfortable roleplaying with, please know that's fine. It doesn't have to come into play.}

Vaniro is capable of short range teleportation. This ability has up to three charges within a rested cycle. While this potentially has the availability to be incredibly over powered I have always roleplayed it very respectfully amongst my fellow role players and often with a determined outcome if used in battle.

What most seem to enjoy about this ability is the hefty amount of consequences that comes along with it's usage. The first 'blink' is pretty inconsequential. She might feel a very mild bit of fatigue, but not enough to hinder her combat prowess.

The second blink, however, will wind and give her pause. Vaniro's needs a window of opportunity to be able to recover and will be left feeling substantially more fatigued.

The third is a last ditch effort. A Hail Mary of sorts. Rarely does anyone push her to this state. This is a fight or flight response, most commonly used as flight. Only once have I seen her use it to land a finishing blow on someone (again, preplanned outcome). After this charge is spent, she's incapacitated if not knocked out cold entirely. And it usually messes her up for a day or two afterwards. This is a life or death situational use for her.

Prowess:

🟢 Aviation
🟢 Sniping
🟢 Sharp Shooting
🟡 Engineering
🟡 Gun Blade
🟡 Hand to Hand
🟡 Healing
🔴 Katana
🔴 Scythe

The Tempest

The Tempest is Vaniro's double decker personal vessel. It was originally a cargo shuttle used by the Garlean Empire. Blink stole it the night she escaped from high security Garlean incarceration. It is an ever evolving aircraft which has become a Hodge Podge of different tech she's either stolen or bartered for over the years.Vaniro will adoringly claim the vessel is held together by duct tape and a prayer, but most who know the pilot are aware the ship is a work of art and a feat of her engineering prowess. As well as being a work and living space, the ship's repairs and upgrades double as a hobby for the pilot.The upper floors boast a cockpit which can seat up to four comfortably, a make-shift cargo hold, a kitchen and counter top which doubles as a work space for repairs, and a bunk meant to house the Captian herself. There is an additional bunk in the smaller cargo hold for guests.The belly of the ship remains true to her roots. The entire bottom floor is meant for shipping cargo and other goods for Firelight Trading Company and boasts a variety of modular set ups to better keep goods safe.

If you are interested in visiting the Tempest in world it can be found at...
Crystal Data Center / Balmung / Ingelside Wing 2 / Room #2 / 30th Ward / Empyreum