Background
Long before Kuu Auris was born into nobility, he was something far more ephemeral; a wandering spirit that drifted through the vast deserts and ancient ruins of Dalmasca. He was a being of curiosity and song, a whisper on the wind that carried the echoes of forgotten tales. He roamed the dunes where lost civilizations lay buried beneath the sands, lingered in the sacred temples where prayers had long since faded, and listened to the laughter of merchants and travelers passing through the grand city of Rabanastre.Though unseen, he was not without presence. Some said his melodies could be heard in the gentle hum of the desert breeze, while others believed his essence resided in the shimmering mirages that danced on the horizon. He was drawn to stories, to the music of life itself, and in his quiet solitude, he longed to experience the world not as a mere observer, but as one who could truly feel, love, and create.And so, fate granted him a new form.Reincarnated into the noble Auris family of Rabanastre, Kuu was given a life of luxury and prestige, yet the echoes of his past remained. Unlike many of his peers, he was never fully bound by the expectations of nobility. He was restless, yearning for something he could not quite name. While he dutifully studied courtly etiquette, music, and literature, he often found himself slipping away from the grand halls of his estate, drawn to the vibrant streets below.Rabanastre was a city of contrasts; the gilded towers of the elite stood in stark opposition to the lively yet struggling lower quarters. Kuu would often don a simple cloak and wander the markets, where merchants hawked their wares and street performers filled the air with song. He found solace in the company of poets, artisans, and travelers who wove tales of lands beyond the horizon. Though he was a noble, he never viewed himself as separate from the people. To him, every soul had a story worth hearing, and he wished to learn them all.Many whispered that he was a strange noble, too entranced by the lives of commoners, too free-spirited to be bound by the rigid structures of his lineage. Some admired him for his kindness and gentle nature, while others saw him as a wayward soul, unfocused and detached from the responsibilities expected of him. Still, Kuu remained true to himself, finding joy in the music of the city and the untamed spirit of the people who called it home.Then the Garlean invasion came, and everything changed.The empire’s war machines thundered across the desert, their airships blotting out the sun as they descended upon Dalmasca. Rabanastre, once a beacon of culture and history, became a battleground. The noble districts were the first to fall, their grand estates reduced to rubble as Garlean forces sought to crush any semblance of resistance. The lower city fared no better; streets that once bustled with life became filled with the cries of the wounded and the flames of destruction.Kuu’s world was torn apart in a single night. His family estate was set ablaze, the Auris name all but erased from history. He ran through the streets, desperately seeking safety, only to find the city he loved turned into a nightmare. Amidst the chaos, he tried to help those he could, guiding lost children, tending to the wounded, but there was little he could do against the might of the Garlean empire.As he fled through the crumbling ruins of his home, a shockwave from an explosion sent him tumbling beneath the wreckage of a fallen building. The impact knocked him unconscious, and when he awoke, the world as he knew it was gone. His memories were shattered, his identity lost. He no longer remembered the name Auris, nor the life he once lived. All that remained was a sense of longing, an unshakable pull toward music and the stories of others.Yet, despite his amnesia, something within him remained unchanged. He still wandered, his soul drawn to melodies, to the voices of people from all walks of life. He became a bard, a traveler who roamed from city to city, never staying in one place for too long. Even without his memories, he continued to follow the same path he always had, seeking stories, sharing songs, and finding beauty in the fleeting moments of life.Despite his lost past, Kuu’s music carried an air of sorrow, as if his heart knew what his mind had forgotten. His ballads spoke of forgotten cities, of kingdoms turned to dust, of people searching for something just out of reach.