Bani'ti Dhlaman

^♪♪♪
Stay
Until the morning light
reveals my ruin
_♪♪♪

Bard, always.
Scoundrel, sometimes.
Hunter, as the need arises.
At all times, however, a friendly smile over the rim of a pint. A warm look from mossy hues like the breaking of daylight through canopy leaves. A heart breaking, and every crack a note in the ballad that is his boundless love for the world and the people in it.
Including you, believe it or not.
That's the kind of fool he is.
The kind that loves for its own sake.

About

^♪♪♪
We both know it's true
My dog days aren't through
But I'd rather be a stray dog with you
With you
_♪♪♪

⬩ Summary

Bani'ti is a bard before all else.He has an insatiable appetite and boundless love for stories and the people they're about. Whether tagging along with an adventurer on a job or making his own excursions to discover lost histories, Bani'ti goes where there's stories to be told, learned, uncovered, and witnessed. Thereafter, he adds them to his repertoire and recounts them to whoever will listen.

While he can most often be found busking on streets and in bars, playing the part of the roguish entertainer, he also recognizes the oft-overlooked value of his art in the form of rare and desirable histories and stories hidden away in the songs and verses he collects.Though these stories can be preserved with ink and membrane, it is with the power of the voice that they live.Thus, he places great import on the role of song and verse in history, viewing himself as both a studious scholar and lovable bard, and sees no reason why the two should be mutually exclusive identities.When he's not playing, he's writing more songs to play. When he's not writing, he's socializing. When he's not socializing, he's exploring. All the while, he tries to be a source of joy for others.

⬩ Basic Info

⬩ Physical Info

⬩ Status Info

Hooks

^♪♪♪
He's a tramp, he's a scoundrel
He's a rounder, he's a cad
He's a tramp but I love him
Yes, and even I have got it pretty bad
_♪♪♪

⬩ The Bard ⬩

Bani'ti is a musician and storyteller first, before all, and prefers to perform on the street or in bars, pubs, and lounges. Essentially, anywhere that he can meet new and interesting people!Perhaps you happen upon him playing in one of these places? Maybe you know each other as fellow bards and meet to discuss the art and play together?

⬩ The Hunter ⬩

Growing up raised by his many brothers in the depths of the Black Shroud, Bani'ti quickly learned how to hunt in and navigate that most perilous wilderness.Need you someone to catch a bit of game, or to guide you through the wood? Maybe you need a protector while gathering herbs or other resources? Or maybe you two bump into each other while traveling the Twelveswood?

⬩ The Heartbreaker ⬩

Bani'ti had many lovers before he settled into his current relationship. While he was always forthright, earnest, and committed, his heart ever seemed restless, causing him to drift through a series of relationships varying in their circumstance.Perhaps your character is from a past fling or relationship? An old flame, or a messy ex?I don't expect this is something folks will often need, but it's a big part of his backstory, so I figured I'd throw it out there.

⬩ The Chronicler ⬩

Ever on the search for the next story to be told, Bani'ti will sniff out rumors of adventure and intrigue and chase them down relentlessly.Whether this means delving into a ruin to uncover old tomes or following along an adventurer on a journey, Bani'ti wants to be there.Does your character's upcoming escapade or adventure need an extroverted bard to chronicle the tale into his latest piece?

⬩ Bani'ti's Role ⬩

Bani'ti's purpose as a character in your story is to be the Jaskier to your Geralt. The Sam to your Frodo.He is there to be the emotional foil and endless source of heart in a Roleplay, ever-ready to support, lend an ear, or otherwise be leaned upon, offering a smile and a kindly word (or two).Yet, not without a healthy dose of wit. He's always more than happy to exchange a playful barb here and there.

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⬩ Bani'ti's Story ⬩

For those who wish to plunge a little deeper, beyond the jovial veneer that the bard casts himself in, they'll find a man tangled in a constant struggle against the damage that familial trauma has done to him. Bani'ti is a hurting person, who hides his hurt behind a postured confidence that is so well-practiced that he's even convinced himself of it.From where does he conjure this seemingly-incorrigible optimism and nigh-boundless love for the world and the people in it? Wherefore does he seem so determined to cling to that optimism, that love?Do you want to find out?

OOC

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⬩ Contact Information

⬩ Roleplay Information

ZERO TOLERANCE NOTE

I'm making it known now that I will not tolerate any OOC racism, ableism, transphobia, homophobia, or general discrimination against marginalized groups. I understand that IC =/= OOC, but even ICly, there are topics and behaviors that I will not trust just anybody to try to portray nor explore. I can - and will - end/exit and/or retroactively void any roleplays that delve into these areas that make me uncomfortable.

Canon

In my book, friendship is all that matters.
Well, friendship and love. And art. Oh, and wine…Oh! and-

⬩ Childhood

Bani'ti was born the thirteenth son to Uval'li and Bani Dhlaman. They were a pair of Keeper Miqo'te who lived deep in the furthest reaches of the Black Shroud, as part of a small community of three other families. His parents tried for many, many years to have a daughter to further solidify their standing within the community, but only son after son came. This was taken as an ill omen by nearly all who knew them.After their eldest sons grew old enough to be independent, Bani began to saddle them and Uval'li with the task of raising her future sons the moment they were weaned. She was determined to have her daughter, and though she led a strong family (producing many sons to wander and guard the community homestead and region was not unremarkable), a bitterness began to grow within her toward what she viewed as a curse.By the time Bani'ti was born, she had scarce love to offer him. She handed him off to Bani'ra before he was old enough to be able to recall her voice. He grew up in the care of his brothers, who wandered independently for the most part. They would take turns raising him and teaching him how to get along in the wild and take care of himself.He and his brothers would visit their mother and home intermittently, usually to deliver game, help with homestead repairs, and other chores.They were mostly loveless visits, and though Bani'ti ever craved an affectionate word or touch from the person he was told was his mother, he received none. These, he learned, were all reserved for his sole younger sister, who was born after him.

⬩ Adolescence

Growing up as one of so many siblings, Bani'ti found himself struggling to find a sense of belonging or identity. It especially didn't help that he shared half a name with twelve brothers. This, along with craving parental attention that he never received, caused him to seek whatever ways would get him attention of any kind at all and set him apart from his brothers.Cracking jokes, causing trouble, acting rambunctious, and generally making himself as hard to ignore as possible was how he carved out his identity in the community and among his brothers. Whether his peers laughed at his antics or grew frustrated, it was all the same to him.Bani'ti's behavior served as a salve to sooth the yearning pain in his heart, but unfortunately also began to sour the already shaky relationship between he and his mother. Bani never heard the end of it from the other families about Bani'ti's troublemaking, and during one visit it all came to a head in an incident that left Bani'ti fleeing from the homestead at the age of seventeen.

⬩ Adulthood

After fleeing his community, Bani'ti roamed the Black Shroud for a time, coming to terms with the consequences of his decision. He had no plan at the time, and while he was fully capable of living in the wild of the Shroud and taking care of himself, at that point he was utterly sick of the life. It reminded him too much of his home, and so he sought the most radical departure from his home that he could find at the time: Gridania.Shirking life in the Shroud, Bani'ti made his way to the city in hopes of finding a new life. What he got when he finally arrived was a new aspiration.Upon entering the city, one of the first sights that the stunned Miqo'te was greeted with was a busker playing to a gathered crowd at a street corner. Bani'ti was in awe, for everyone seemed to adore the musician and know who they were, recognizing their talent and laughing at their jokes and wit. Inspired, Bani'ti saw within the musician what he could potentially achieve; what he wanted to achieve.He sought apprenticeship from a musician, taking on work as a hunter in order to eke out a meager living and save up enough for lessons and an instrument of his own. When finally he did, he purchased a humble lute for himself that he immediately began to learn songs and busk with.Playing and socializing and finding his stride, Bani'ti immediately fell in love with the life of a musician. He found it an effective way to meet new people and make new friendships. Over time, he grew more confident and sought out deeper connections with those he met. Chasing the high of recognition, validation, and affection that he never had, Bani'ti found himself cultivating a circle of various friends and a string of lovers that, while he treated well and honestly, he could never commit himself to for long.Bani'ti lived in this way for a time, always moving, always meeting new people, always chasing the recognition he yearned for. He was a musician, to be sure, but he wasn't a bard just yet...

⬩ Current Day

I
⬩ Finding Purpose ⬩

Bani'ti spent much of his time eking out a modest living as a musician, supplemented by steady work he begrudgingly performed as a hunter. His life changed, however, when he met Tobimaru Hakujo.Their meeting was a chance one, but one which set the young Miqo'te's life on a new course. Bani'ti met the mercenary in a bar that he was playing in, and it was at that point that the musician had began to grow bored with his work, feeling that his music was becoming stale. He sought inspiration, but had no idea where to look for it. That is, until he laid his eyes upon Tobimaru.Though the Au Ra was keeping to himself quite deliberately, Bani'ti immediately had a sense of wonder looking upon him, for he felt - to him - like he was chock full of exactly the kind of inspiration he needed. He sensed adventure, danger, and destiny off of the man, and he would stop at nothing to work it out of him.It nearly earned him a punch in the face. At first, at least.Bani'ti was persistent and insisted on coming along with Tobimaru to see him work. He assured Tobi - which was the nickname he chose for him - that he could take care of himself, and that he only wished to see what kind of work he got into, and to hear his story if possible.Despite Tobi's initially distant disposition, they became good friends over time, and it was through the composition of Bani'ti's first original work - inspired by Tobimaru and his story - that he knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to be a bard: to create, but not just any song and verse. He wanted to travel with the adventurers like those one heard in such songs and verses, and bear witness himself to the deeds they performed and to hear their stories, so that he can immortalize them in his work.Filled with inspiration and motivation, Bani'ti committed himself to this cause and set himself upon it with renewed conviction.

II
⬩ Finding Love ⬩

It was through Tobi that Bani'ti met Azura Cordelian, a Miqo'te Seeker that he immediately took interest in. She was very different from her current disposition, quiet and meek, which only intrigued Bani'ti more at the time. He befriended her, and went out of his way to help her come out of her shell and gain her own self confidence the way he had to years before.Over time, the more she opened up to him and he learned about her, the more he found himself falling head over heels in love with her. He was reserved at first, and masked the feelings as he attempted to reconcile with them, not used to having such an earnest and genuine desire to commit to someone.He was afraid of hurting her, if he later discovered his feelings were to remain as fickle and fleeting as they had been in the past. However, Azura had a way of eroding away the pretenses he hid behind, and find behind them the all-too-nervous and self-doubting young man he still was. Despite this, she remained by him, and it didn't take long for Bani'ti to break past his inhibitions and confess to her.Despite Bani'ti's previous love life, he found it easy to commit to Azura wholeheartedly when they became partners, and they went on to support each other as they continued their individual work.Azura, when she opened up and found her own confidence, behaved with such unabridged earnesty that it gave Bani'ti precisely the kind of security in overwhelmingly candid affection and love that he needed. He, in turn, offered her the support and unconditional love that she needed to begin working through her own reservations and problems.

Gallery

All the things we never know we need
Looks like we get them in the end

[WORK IN PROGRESS]