RP Philosophy & Rules

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About

  THE BASICS:   Born and raised in the Brume, August Mercer (known to the world as just Mercer) has clawed his way out of the gutters and fled the home he once hated only to recently return and set up shop. Known as an extremely talented engineer (and Skysteel trained Machinist), he has opened up A.M. Steelworks with the aim of creating and maintaining magitek prosthetics for the citizens of Ishgard (or any who are willing to travel). Will his reputation as the son of an executed heretic impact his work? How about his unusual ties to the House of Vairemont? Or the other strange company he keeps?  AS A CHILD:   Mercer's childhood was not at all unlike others born to the Brume. His parents both struggled to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. When they both passed he was left in the care of his elder sister April, who was still a child herself. She did her best with what she had, seeking out what work she could manage and stealing when there was no work to be found. Her eventual involvement with the Machinist's guild drove Mercer's own interest in tinkering and magitek. Their shared struggles greatly informed Mercer's world view and fueled his long-time dislike of Ishgard and those in power.  FLEEING ISHGARD:   After the end of the Dragonsong War, Mercer packed up his things and fled Ishgard without so much as a warning. The reasoning behind this decision is only clear to those closest to him, but it's easy enough to deduce that there was far too much pain associated with his home for him to continue calling it that. His travels began in Gridania and eventually lead him through both Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa. He soon set up a shop in Limsa Lominsa offering his services as a gunsmith. He made a decent living, but what he made he squandered in games of dice only to make it back in games of cards and then squander it again.  HINGASHI:   With gambling debts breathing down his neck, Mercer fled again. This time he found himself in Kugane and in the company of an eccentric collective of mages. It was here that he met his Husband, X'khal'a Moui, and his teacher/mother figure Sasari Sari among many other long-time friends. The group often found themselves in the cross-hairs of various groups and enemies. Including but not limited to disgruntled mages, The Garlean Empire, and one particularly nasty Hingan Merchant. It was in the wake of the untimely death of said merchant that Mercer and his new-found family relocated to The Mists.  IFRIT:   Just before settling into his new home in The Mists, Mercer found himself facing down Ifrit in the sands of Thanalan. While he was not a member of the Immortal Flames and, at the time, had very little in way of ties to them, his teacher, Sasari Sari, had taken to the field with the intent of testing a device that would allow him to summon egi without having to be exposed to their aether. Mercer was uncomfortable allowing her to take this risk on his behalf and so he followed her into the fray. The battle was long and hard, and at the end of it, Mercer had lost his left leg and discovered that he did, in fact possess the echo.  HOUSE VAIREMONT:  
His time in The Mists was proving fairly uneventful until the arrival of Sebastian de Vairemont. The nobleman came with sufficient enough proof of his claims that Mercer could not in any way deny that he was, in fact, his younger brother. The idea that his father had had an affair was not entirely shocking to Mercer, but the idea that he had a child with his liege lord's wife, a noblewoman known to cold and detached, was difficult to swallow. While Mercer had not asked for a brother, his time without any blood family had left him truly longing for such a connection. And so the two embarked on an admittedly awkward relationship that is still slightly strained to this day.  THE FINAL DAYS:   No one escaped the Final Days unscathed. With his Free Company rendering aid in both Garlemald and Thavnair, the fire in the sky and the smoke that lead to blasphemies is burned into his brain. The loss of a family member was followed quickly by the destruction of his workshop during an altercation, turned battle with a blasphemy. These losses were the final nudge he needed to push him back to Ishgard. He found himself truly homesick. And so, he and Sebastian set out on a joint venture to open AM Steelworks, a workshop in the Empyreum that specializes in the creation, fitting, and repair of magitek prosthetics.  CURRENTLY:   Mercer can be found splitting his time between his workshop in Ishgard and his personal home in The Mists. He seems to have taken a break from adventuring to tinker in his shop and take care of his family. While he is a common sight in various dive bars in the Brume, he can be found most often around The Rusty Mug, a bar owned by a viera he seems to be extremely fond of.  OTHER NOTES:  
Thanks to the character growth and plot development that has happened over six years of playing Mercer, he is no longer what most would consider a low powered character. While I am happy to tone him down to suit the scene or simply exclude certain things from RP to make people comfortable, I do want to make sure that people are aware of a few things before interacting with him, as there are some things that are inherent and cannot be completely avoided. Below are a few atypical things about the character that I like to warn people about in advance so they can choose whether or not they wish to interact.• Mercer has   THE ECHO  . It is a non-standard presentation and I am happy to explain it to anyone who would like more information. This is also easy to avoid in RP. I am happy for it to never come up. (But, I also enjoy exploring his Echo and how it interacts with other OCs. So, if you are interested please let me know.)• Mercer has a   MAGITEK PROSTHETIC  . This injury was sustained during the above mentioned battle with Ifrit. The prosthetic was designed by Mercer himself and is maintained by him. This cannot be avoided in RP. It will be referenced, even if just in passing.• Mercer is an atypical   SUMMONER  . While he was once capable of summoning both Bahamut-egi and Ifrit-egi using his grimoire, his grimoire was destroyed and he has pivoted towards a completely different style of combat that involves having the geometries for the summonings inked into his skin. He is currently capable of summoning Ifrit using the full sleeve tattoo on his left arm. The tattoo will be visible and referenced in most RP scenes Mercer is in, but unless combat is likely or questions are asked, the use of it need never come up.• Mercer is a   WEREWOLF  . This is a relatively new development for the character and while being rooted in certain aspects of the lore, this is often seen as lore bending. If you are opposed to this kind of lore bending, Mercer may not be the best character for you to interact with. While he can and will aim to hide his true nature from others, this is something that is important to his identity and is likely to come up with many long-term RP partners. It is easily avoided in casual social situations, however. There is no danger of your character discovering this secret having just met him at a bar.

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