About

nickname: Apo
tribe: Keeper of the Moon
patron deity: Rhalgr
job: Paladin, Dark Knight, Red Mage, anything with swords
sexuality: cismale, panromantic, demisexual
age: 22 in ARR, 32 in DT
nameday: 10th Sun, 6th Umbral Moon (Dec.10, Sagittarius)
height: 172 cm (~5'8")

physical features:
Build: functional muscle, most bulk in chest, arms, and core; medium fat mass. Thick build makes him look large but his standing height is pretty average.Scars: large lateral scar on right waist, stab scar near left clavicle, vertical cut across left side of lips, cuts and scratches on arms and shoulders, callouses and small cuts on hands.Conventionally handsome face.
Black fur/hair with creamy-white sections of fringe.
Unusually stubby, short ears; Very long tail with long wavy fur.
His right ear is all white and the tip of his tail is white.
His right arm is a mechanical prosthetic. When not wearing it, the arm ends mid-bicep. (as of post-SB)
Carries himself like a solider, straight posture. Resting serious face.
Skin is sun-toasted, cheeks have a natural light flush.
His temperature runs high and he's accustomed to heat.
booba warm and soft

personality: Polite to a fault with an immensely strong sense of duty. Warm/amenable conversationalist. Sometimes uses "etiquette" to keep strangers at arm's length. Can be gullible or slow when it comes to esoteric or heavily nuanced topics. Deeply self conscious of things he's ashamed of (e.g. his unwieldy tail and its high-maintenance fur, his once-abysmal now-restrained table manners, anything regarding his ex-girlfriend). Major wife-guy and hopeless romantic, liable to lose his head when it comes to love.

strengths: strong/skilled in battle, financial management skills, steady under pressure, loyal, straightforward, good with animals and plants, strong moral compass, good personal hygiene, articulate writer
weaknesses: unskilled with magic/tech, prone to brooding and self-blaming, literal/gullible with trusted parties, avoidant of interpersonal issues, overly self-sacrificing/compliant, doesn't know how to hold back when sparring or playing, clumsy with cooking/housekeeping, overprotective to his own detriment

tl;dr: 5'8" thick/muscular miqo'te swordsman with small ears, huge fluffy tail, prosthetic arm. generally polite and upstanding dude upfront. himbo on the outside, repressed and self-conscious on the inside.

Story

Backstory

Sury'a Jhvaalha was born to a Keeper of the Moon group of poachers and bandits living in the Black Shroud. He was an unwanted pregnancy to his adventurous mother, and raising the kitten was a challenge with her unpredictable lifestyle. The tribe pressured her to get rid of him, and she had an idea of just how to do so. Having once saved the life of an Ala Mhigan refugee traveling through their turf, she drew upon the life debt that he owed her. She asked the man, Adalfarus, to adopt her kitten. Though trepidatious, he kept his word.Adalfarus renamed him (poorly mimicking the naming format of the Seekers of the Sun he was familiar with) to cut the boy's ties to the poachers, as was his mother's wish. He raised the kitten, now named A'pollo, with an emphasis on etiquette, self-sufficiency, literacy, and financial wit. They had an emotionally strained but functional relationship while A'pollo helped his father in their trade of selling Ala Mhigan rugs and textiles.A'pollo set out to become a gladiator when he was barely of age for two reasons: He believed that independence as soon as possible was his duty, and he harbored a wish to seek out his biological mother. He had a modest record of fights in the Ul'dah Coliseum that kickstarted his career.Urged by curiosity toward his roots and only his name to go by, he befriended an actual member of the local A tribe of miqo'te, A'sali. Together they tried to investigate his past, only to reach a dead end in their inquiries. A'pollo felt a profound emptiness in his heart, which became clear to him when his teen romance with A'sali ended unceremoniously.

tl;dr: Keeper of the Moon kitten given up by bio mother to Ala Mhigan hyur merchant, who then renamed him and raised him in Ul'dah. Briefly had a miqo'te girlfriend. Became a gladiator as soon as possible.

A Realm Reborn

A'pollo became an adventurer for hire in Ul'dah, hoping to gain more connections and a new lead. A'pollo joined a free company led by the lalafell Desiderio Bolton, an avid researcher and A'pollo's close friend. The company helped him grow stronger and more confident until he was able to become a paladin. As he rose to prominence as an adventurer and had more opportunities to travel, he continued his search amongst the miqo'te of the Black Shroud. There, he met communities of poachers and bandits that were his most likely lead. They simply turned him away, telling him the woman he sought was dead.Dejected, A'pollo prepared to relocate once again. Despite Desiderio's attempt to stop him, A'pollo left the free company and threw himself back into adventuring and mercenary work. He lost touch with his friend as his priorities shifted.

tl;dr: Became adventurer and joined free company for privileges like travel in order to investigate more in the Black Shroud. Line of inquiry failed, so he left free company.

Heavensward

When his work took him to Ishgard, A'pollo's burnout caught up with him. He emotionally withdrew and spiraled into pessimism, all the while trying to keep those feelings to himself.He began to spend his nights taking up the art of the Dark Knight. Gradually, that lone vigilante justice effort devolved into a violent outlet for his bitterness; He was out most nights, returning to the inn low on sleep and hiding unexplained injuries. His fellow adventurers received lukewarm, distant treatment at best.A'pollo was reunited with his friend Desiderio in Idyllshire. The unlikely the encounter called him back to his roots and to rethink his purpose.

tl;dr: Travels to Ishgard, gets depressed, and becomes a dark knight vigilante. Runs into old FC friend, tries to chin up and do better.

Stormblood

A'pollo took up a series of rambunctious, thrill-seeking adventures in hopes of rekindling something in himself.A'pollo met X'rhun Tia by sheer chance and was fascinated by the red mage's fencing style. Inspired by X'rhun's tales of the Ala Mhigan resistance, A'pollo gathered his saved gil to travel east himself. Ala Mhigo was A'pollo's father's homeland, and he was eager to fight for the cause, all the while wrestling with his lingering sense of disconnect. In his effort to turn his regrets to action, A'pollo gained a new ferociousness to his attitude. He had a noticeable gusto that he'd never had before.A'pollo experiences a deep depression without his arm. Without swordsmanship, he feels he has no purpose, no path. He withdraws to cope. Eventually, he learns of aetheromechanical prostheses, and after finally obtaining one, he undergoes rehabilitation. As he spends time at home recovering and navigating his emotions, he takes up gardening as a pastime.After moons of rehabilitation and training with his new arm, A'pollo finds joy in returning to his roots as simply an "adventurer." A'pollo drops the marker in his name, which was only a mimicry of miqo'te names. He embraces the name that his father had given him, "Apollo." No longer does he chase an identity that is anything other than himself.

tl;dr: Meets X'rhun Tia in Ul'dah and picks up red mage fencing. Joins Ala Mhigan resistance to connect with his father's culture. Loses an arm in the revolution. More depression, then rehab and prosthetic arm. Renames himself "Apollo" (non-miqo'te styling) and accepts his identity without parental lineage.

Endwalker and beyond

Now a seasoned and well-traveled swordsman, Apollo roams the world seeking out new sword art forms to master.

Gallery

ARTWORK BY ME

SCREENSHOTS

ARTWORK BY OTHERS

Contact

• Carrd
• Toyhouse
• Ko-fi

send a tell in game to A'pollo Dhalitso
message me on discord
Contact info on my hub carrd.

Format
Read on my OC hub carrd.

Lore
This carrd is adapted so that Apollo is NOT the Warrior of Light.In his canon WoL universe, Apollo is one of two Warriors of Light, following the main scenario quests. He can be headcanoned as a non-WoL Scion/adventurer, for compatibility purposes. I'm not too strict about it and I'm happy with having semi-AUs or having our characters just cameo in each other's worlds.

Hooks & ConnectionsBloodsands Pantheon: True fans will know that Apollo started his career at age 17 as a gladiator with the ring name the Undercat--a somewhat condescending title given to the skinny young contender. Through his growing success (and growing muscles), the name became somewhat ironic. He would only obtain his new title, Rhalgr's Redeemer, after returning from the Ala Mhigan resistance front and winning the Ul Cup at age 26. Any frequent coliseum-goer is sure to know of him.Chocobo Caregiver: Apollo is a passionate chocobo dad. He loves chocobos like one might love puppies, yet he has the high care standards fit for any professional racing or war chocobo. If your chocobo is well-loved, he will be glad to greet it and shower it with adoration (and perhaps an appropriate treat). If your chocobo is not well taken care of, he may have some stern words for its owner... Naturally, he would be delighted to introduce you to his battle-ready steed and most beloved partner, Corvus, a raven black chocobo.Hired Sword: At its core, Apollo's true profession is adventuring. Like other adventurers, he takes all manner of jobs, big and small, alone or with others. Plenty of fellow adventurers have had the pleasure of working with this polite swordsman, and you could be the next. Alternatively, if you have a job that needs doing, you may be surprised to see a somewhat renowned knight take up the task--especially if it involves travelling, slaying, or heavy lifting. He lives well within his means. Helping who he can, when he can, is the life he's accustomed to.Sword Nerd: Swordsmanship is his passion and life's work. Apollo has a collection of different swords, and several forms of sword arts from around the world under his belt. He loves to learn, teach (he is an intense instructor), and practice. Friends, colleagues, & rivals welcome.Odd Hobbyist: Apollo is a gardener, reader, foodie. He is happy to enjoy these with friends, especially knowledgeable ones. He does these in phases as he can't keep them all up when traveling.

Chocobo Caregiver: Apollo can’t stand mishandling of chocobos!

Shipping
I am open to ships; it may involve a bit of rewriting (which I am happy to do if I see character chemistry) because romantic relationships are integral to much of his development due to the type of person he is.
Friendship and working relationships are easily doable and I love having little connections even if they're not super detailed!
(Apollo has a husband in his canon WoL storyline.)

Important note: Please bear in mind that I am not my characters. Sometimes I use my characters and art to express myself, but at the end of the day, they are fictional. Anything your character does, I will also consider fictional. So please consider our feelings and actions as completely separate. If you have something to say to me, please don't cross the line of fiction to do so.