Nirelithe’s FFXIV Background Story

Early Life

Nirelithe Aenlira, a female Miqo’te from the Keeper of the Moon clan, was born in a small settlement within the Black Shroud. She was born beneath a full moon which her mother considered to be a blessing by the goddess of the moon Menphina.

Her mother was a self-taught healer and herbalist who taught her how to create medicines, the importance of the Elemental spirits that resided throughout the land, and to revere the balance of all things. One of Nirelithe’s fondest and cherished memories is of listening to her mother hum various hymns dedicated to the moon while mixing various salves with her in her lap. She made sure to stop from time to time to explain why she was putting various flora into the mixes and also made Nirelithe promise to never use the knowledge she gained to hurt another.

When she wasn’t learning about healing from her mother, others in community would take her out and instill other important skills. One such skill was the use of the bow and arrow. She was also taught to respect all the living creatures who gave their lives so that her family could eat.

As she was raised in a matriarchal society, she didn’t see much of her father outside of various gatherings. On one such gathering, she received a knife from him that she keeps by her side at all times.

She was quiet and soft-spoken even as a child and often preferred the company of nature, wandering and dancing throughout the woods whenever possible. She developed an early love of the waterfalls that dotted the landscape. She saw them as both powerful and immensely soothing.

She eventually struggled under the expectations of her peers as she often faltered when it came to hunting. Even though she had grown proficient with a bow, out of necessity, she absolutely loathed seeing animals hurt or killed. This caused some to consider her to be weak.

Whenever possible, she preferred to help her mother in gathering herbs, tending to injuries, and doing other odd jobs that needed to be done.

Teenager

As a young teenager, she discovered that she had an innate gift for healing. While she was crying over an injured bird, she suddenly began drawing upon aether from her surroundings. She watched in awe as the bird cupped in her hands was engulfed in a warm glow and its wounds began to quickly mend. It was her first true direct experience with the Elementals and it solidified her determination to pursue the path of a proper healer.

Testing her resolve

When she was fifteen, her newfound resolve was tested when her tribe was alerted to a large group of injured Miqo’te nearly half a day’s travel from their location.

As they neared their destination, muffled cries of pain pierced the air. Telltale signs of a battle dotted the landscape. The Miqo’te, in varying degrees of suffering, sprawled out across the undergrowth. Those lucky enough to escape their affliction, had long since entered the Lifestream and returned to the Aetherial sea.

For over a month, Nirelithe and her mother stayed in their hastily constructed field hospital tending to their needs.

Even after learning that the injured were potentially poachers affiliated with the infamous Pawah Mujuuk, she refused to condemn them to their fate. Her strong belief that all life was sacred kept her from walking away without helping them. Their past deeds, in the scheme of things, did not matter as much as their right to a second chance.

To her dismay and despite her efforts, Nirelithe discovered that some wounds could not be healed. The trauma that had they endured could not be simply erased by healing magic or medicinal salves.

Those that survived were calmed by her constant, calming presence. In-between tending to the injured, she mourned those she could not save and offered up prayers to Menphina to help ease their lost souls into the Lifestream.

The experience further cemented her desire and need to help as many as she could, for as long as Menphina allowed.

Adult

“Compassion and resilience can help shape Eorzea just as surely as your sword or spell.” - Nirelithe

A few years later she traveled to Gridania with her mother’s blessing. The path seemingly lit with the comforting light of the silvery moon all the way to the city. Her goal was to apprentice at Stillglade Fane, the home of the Conjurer’s Guild, and learn as much as she could so she could fully hone her craft.

Her confidence grew with every trial set before her and eventually she earned recognition for her unwavering compassion for the injured regardless of status, overall alignment, or location.

Her wandering spirit led her to travel across Eorzea. She joined various small parties along the way as she attempted to complete a cute little Sightseeing Log that she picked up when the possibility lent itself.

Eventually, she was noticed by the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. They needed a reliable and unassuming person to become a trusted courier for carrying their messages and items to their destinations into potentially hostile locations.

… And that’s where our story is so far.