#Dragoon is my actual main job in game

[hazelkjt]

Eyes Up High

Take To The Skies

[topbanana-art]

Finally making an OC info post- by no means is this all of them, just ones that are most active and/or live in my head rent free.

First up- Rhys (DnD 5e - Rime of the Frostmaiden)

20 years Old, Half Orc, Half Elf (sweet baby angel) , He/Him

Fighter- Echo Knight

Absolute Ray of Sunshine; Rhys is from Icewind Dale; more specifically the Nomadic Reghed Tribe of the Elk.

He's unfamiliar with the outside world and even includes settlements in his own country

He's a Himbo basically a big dog.

This campaign lead him to leaving his tribe for the first time after an unfortunate accident which turned him into a small 'painted child' and searching for his missing sister. (both these are sorted now!)

*Rhys found an old oil painting of this child, blacked out and next thing he knew he was that small elf child. Her skin and clothing having the texture of painted canvas, and bleeds paint.

For a good chunk of the campaign he was just a totally normal elf- whose shadow didn't match with the body

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Dhalas (DnD 5e Annalor)

36 Years Old, They/Him, Triton

Drunken Master Monk

Chill surfer dude vibes

Part of a travelling circus, They're a balancing act

Extremely laid back, Dhalas talks like they fight- dancing around, seemingly without rhyme or reason and occasionally clumsy.

---

Foxglove (BG3)

138 Years old (tweaked her age a lil), She/They, Drow

Arcane Trickster Rogue

Guild Artisan Background- Locksmith & Apprentice Finesmith

Chill and sassy, that Tav who talks their way out of shit.

Skews Towards Chaotic Good

Presents Androgynous most of the time

Must lockpick everything- she's not actually super interested what's inside, she just wants to see the workmanship of the locks and trashtalk how bad they are.

Yeah she's smooching the vampire. (and Halsin)

Naturally cares for others, even at the cost of her own wellbeing.

Has a Phobia of anything touching/going near her eyes- so the start of the game is A Time for Fox.

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Arslan Dhoro (FFXIV)

21 Years Old (as of ARR), He/Them

Xaela AuRa

Dragoon - White Mage Main (All healer classes tbh)

Stoic, Resting Angry Face Himbo

He struggles to show emotion but he's just pretty shy and cautious about opening up to others.

From the Azim Steppe, he left in his early teens with his father after the death of his mother, to explore the world beyond the Steppe.

His Father Died in his late teens, attacked in Coerthas thinking he and Arslan were Dravanians.

He's extremely soft and protective for the Scions/his friends

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Shiv (DnD 5e Saltmarsh- campaign completed)

Awful, terrible lesbian

68 years old, She/Her, Halfling

Celestial Warlock - Unicorn Patron w/ a Baby Phoenix familiar, Toby

A piece of shit. Is an absolute asshole and wont let you know she cares.

Lowkey magical girl

Ex-smuggler, who's patron is literally 'I can fix her', 'she can be a better person'. Part of the 'Beyond Skeletons' Pirate crew, she's the medic of the crew.

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Pymmyr Tathnel (DnD 5e)

Pym

85 Years Old, He/They, Drow

Gloomstalker Ranger

Emotional Support Blink Dog, Princess Liquorice

This boy is scared all the time

Doesn't talk much, but speaks in a soft voice

Has disordered 'Sleeping' and Eating :)

His plague mask has tinted lenses to help ease the strain with how bright the surface is

I wont tell too much about them as a lot of their info is spoilers to other players. But this sad Drow just rocks up in my head on the regular.

---

Erebus (Anima Beyond Fantasy)

AKA- My first TTRPG character! circa 2011-2 I think???

Real name Sho Yoshimitsu

22 Years Old, He/Him

Duk'Zarist Nephilim

Assassin

Textbook 'strong silent and intimidating hot man'

But basically a big soft boy if you break past the mile thick ice

Tragic backstory™ , used to using his body for the job

He really enjoys cooking!

Also hopelessly in love with a small soft summoner, Caelum (the one hugging him), They're RedxBlue gays

---

I think I'll leave it there for now!

I may add more later, I hope it was interesting?? and I'm still pretty shy with yelling this much about my characters haha.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far! 💜

[autumnslance]

for the ask game — c'oretta's feelings on urianger!

also not really relevant but i was wondering where your tumblr username originates from? guessing it's related to dark autumn but she's a bard, right? or is she a lancer too?

This is where I remember I actually have a document in my files where I figured out my OCs feelings on the main Scion cast and several world leaders, and vice versa. C'oretta on Urianger, for instance: Urianger is so smart and funny and honestly everyone needed to figure that out much sooner and if anyone ever breaks his heart C'oretta will turn them into a pretzel OK? :D He's a bro! And she appreciates his patience and his eloquent way of speaking.

Urianger finds her energy and intellect endearing, she's always been able to keep up with him and is very helpful at trolling his comrades. She also got the closest to figuring out his scheme in HW, and what his plan was in StB even, which is almost scary. She only didn’t figure out ShB cuz she wasn’t in the First with them.

-

The blog title does have to do with Dark Autumn, but unsurprisingly that simple of a title was long taken when I got around to making this side blog when she was still my only character. Dark actually did begin as a Lancer/Dragoon when I started playing in early Heavensward. It was a part of a challenge to myself to try not only DPS, but melee, as my time in WoW was entirely on tanks and healers, with some ranged DPS I was bad at, but melee was worse (I legit got angry and couldn't play my paladin if I tried to go Retribution spec, I hated it so much). FF14's longer GCD and combat play works much better for me! I took all 2 years of HW to get through ARR cuz it was my side game at the time. I tried Bard in 4.0 after finally catching up to main story and fell in love with it (as it had actually been completely overhauled in StB from turret caster to the current mobile form).

In character lorewise, Dark is a Gridanian Lancer, and studying at the lancer and archery guilds together is how she met Aeryn, as Dark got back into adventuring after a long and necessary break from it (she'd been at Carteneau as part of the foreign levy with her then-free company; all handwaved backstory, I did not play 1.0). Dark and Aeryn also sought out Jehantel together. Aeryn's the one who went on to become a Dragoon, thanks to her then-secret backstory, while Dark excelled at Bardic skills that Aeryn treats as more of a hobby/flavoring to her spellcasting. Dark's "canon" tank job is Warrior, though she knows a smattering of most of the martial jobs; while I've leveled all the jobs, she cannot IC spellcast anything beyond level 10 or so. Just no ability or aptitude for it, nor does that bug her as Aeryn's own difficulties troubled her. And in the end, Dark always falls back on the Gridanian methods of archer and lancer. They're practical.

So it's still my blogname, and it'd break far too many links to change it, it's printed in some fanzines that way now, and it'd just feel weird to try to change it to something else after *checks sideblog's age* Heck, 9 years.

[storytellers-and-co]

Ya boys about to hit Shadowbringers

I got through Stormblood post-game last night and BOY what a ride it was!? I could barely put the game down, even when I was trying to pace myself so I don't leave certain friends too far behind. Adding spoilery stuff below the cut, because I know one of 'em reads this blog (I just need to gush a little while things are still fresh in my mind)

Okay so. All the revelations of Garlemald and how, WHY it was created? I loved that, it so easily explained why a whole ass country has been the default 'evil conquerors' for so long without any real challenge or change until now. Because the real man behind the whole thing is STILL AT IT. Change don't happen if the original reason, the original driving force is still kicking about.

Also I wanna kick Solus. I wanna kick Solus so hard. Props for the animators, writer and Rene Zagger, it's on sight now old man, I'm coming for your kneecaps!

Speaking of voice actors, Luke Allen-Gale! Hot damn did he do a good job as Zenos (and the possessed Zenos)! I have complicated feelings about Zenos, ngl - He's one of those characters that I know cannot be saved, fixed, or redeemed, but I can also see why he's such a popular character? Personally it's the voice and certain lines that did it for me. Got some shivers out of certain line-deliveries.

He's actually a character that makes me kinda sad - it's a reminder that there is some characters that are doomed by the canon, they'll never be good people, and yet you can see a glimmer, a potential of what-ifs, could-have-beens and all that. A road that was there but refused by the character because that's just not who they are.

Also Varis is also on the kick on the face list. Black Rose is bad. Stop it.

AND NOW ON THE LATEST THING that actually got two of my friends laughing: The final fight against Zenos-Zombie! Zenbie? Zomnos? The- the dead body possessed by the Ascian who I keep calling Ildi because names hard. Ildinos.

So the final fight against him. One, I absolutely loved being Hien for a moment, he quickly became one of my faves through the Stormblood (he's such a fun, up-beat character that takes the life by stride while also not being a pushover, and that's such a good quality to have!).

Two.... GOD DAMMIT WHOEVER YOU ARE, COULDN'T YOU HAD PICKED A BETTER TIME FOR YOUR BLOODY HOUSECALL, YOU NEARLY COST ME MY HEAD! If it wasn't for our local stray cat of a dragoon, we would've lost then and there and you would've lost your chance to have the WoL helping out on the count of NOT HAVING A HEAD, pick your times better oui raatmacc raqan! (This is a joke I know he couldn't have known I was locked in a death-match. I hope.)

Now if ya wondering why I am not more outraged about the fact they've effectively kidnapped my friends, I uh. I actually felt a huge surge of sympathy at the start for the character. idk something about the voice painted a picture of someone desperate and... sad? Upset? Distressed? Something like that just got my empathy flaring up. So while I am mad that I keep getting these calls and everyone around me is panicking in fear, I also want to get to the bottom of this because apparently my empathy levels are far too fucking high.

(Yes I am the type of person who wants to help everyone in any of the games I play in. It's my ultimate power fantasy, being able to help and comfort folks without my actual personality coming in the way)

I think that's all for me now folks, I am taking a small break before heading to Shadowbringers - I have few alts that need to catch up to HW at the very least, and a laundry-list of things for my main to go through. Like all the gathering side-quests, Eureka, unlocking all the primal fights and fixing my glamors etc. We're also trying to get a house for Storytellers, so i gotta help gather some extra funds + items.

[morgana96]

What Went Wrong with the Lancer Quests?

(Warning: Lancer Class Quests, Rogue Class Quests, and other Minor ARR Spoilers Under the Cut)

When I first started Final Fantasy XIV, I already knew I’d be maining Dragoon. Estinien is my favorite character and the one who drew me to the game in the first place, so my interest in the job was well cemented before I even picked it up. And while I like to play all the other jobs as well, Dragoon has remained my favorite to this day, and the one I play on the most often.

Which is why it’s quite ironic that I think the Lancer quests are some of the worst in the entire game.

It didn’t really hit me how bad the questline was back when I did it as a sprout, especially since it was my first one. But several years and many job quests later, Lancer stands out as tragically inadequate, even compared to some of the other class quests from A Realm Reborn.

Based on what I've seen from other players, I'm hardly alone in this opinion. But rather than just complain about it, I want to take a close look at the questline. It’s a good opportunity discuss the story’s key issues, as well as suggest new ideas for a potential rewrite.

To prepare for this, I’ve recently replayed the questline so that I can give an accurate and proper review. I doubt anyone who actually writes for this game will ever see this. But I'd still like to put my thoughts out there, especially since it can lead to good discussion about how the game could be improved overall.

Problem #1: The Plot Puts Too Much Focus on the Wrong Things

Writing a good story requires an understanding of balance. Characters, plots, and themes need to work together in order to create a strong narrative, because when even one of these elements is lacking, the entire story gets dragged down. This is exactly the situation I think is plaguing the Lancer quests; instead of a balanced narrative, it throws way too much focus on its attempted theme, neglecting the characters, pacing, and plot and leading to an ineffective story overall.

The main theme the story tries to convey is the idea of courage vs recklessness; in their training, lancers are encouraged to harness their sense of courage in order to face dangerous foes, while not slipping into reckless behavior that could end up getting themselves or others hurt/killed.

Now this in itself isn't a terrible lesson or anything. The problem is that the Lancer quests put way too much of the narrative focus on it. Everything the characters do and say feels like it revolves around this attempted theme, leaving them feeling like broken records instead of engaging and enjoyable characters. The WoL also spends most of the storyline having to complete various “tests of courage”, both those assigned by Ywain and those that Foulques forces them to join him in. It starts to feel repetitive rather quickly, especially when that’s all that’s being offered in terms of “plot”. And because the plot and characters are so underdeveloped, the theme being pushed so desperately just comes off as an annoying hindrance by the end.

The finale only emphasizes the problem, as the truth behind Foulques’ actions is revealed with barely six minutes left in the story. Many years ago, he was a lancer in the guild, and participated in robbing the guild with several friends and compatriots. But when he felt guilty and tried own up to it, the other accomplices framed him as the sole criminal, resulting in Foulques being subjected to anti-Duskwight prejudice and eventually imprisoned, while the others faced no consequences.

This sudden revelation leaves the player with unanswered questions and unresolved issues. Who and where are Foulques' ex-friends and co-conspirators? Are they still out there continuing to profit from their clear corruption/prejudice? Why isn’t there a more significant reaction from the guild to the truth behind this scandal being revealed? Why was such a significant plot point introduced with barely any time left in the story? And why did Foulques spend six quests throwing the Warrior of Light and others into random peril instead of, you know, actually trying to get revenge on those who horribly wronged him?

In my opinion, the story needs less repetitive theme pushing and more focus on the past guild robbery and those involved. Instead of random lancers-in-training, Foulques’ main targets should have been his former co-conspirators (perhaps going as far as to kill them one by one), and the WoL would have had to work with Ywain to discover the motive behind the attacks. This would be a much more engaging plot to watch unfold throughout several quests, and it would add some much needed intrigue and character growth in a nearly lifeless narrative.

The theme of “courage vs recklessness” can also still fit into a rewrite. Foulques would probably still judge the entire guild as “cowards” due to the cowardly actions of his former friends. He might also consider his recklessly vengeful actions “true courage”, regardless of whether innocents were caught in the crossfire or not. Meanwhile, Ywain could take the satisfying step of righting the Lancer’s Guild’s past failures; by finally holding the other conspirators accountable - and acknowledging that the guild must do better from now on - it would drive home that having the courage to admit to mistakes is just as important as courage in battle.

Problem #2: Foulques is a Poorly Written Character

I’ve actually seen a lot of players talk about Foulques over the years. For a minor character introduced so early on, he has quite the cult following, and I think it’s safe to say that I’m not alone in thinking this character deserved better.

To be honest, I don’t really like canon Foulques. But the reason I dislike him is mainly because whoever wrote him did a pretty horrendous job. He had potential to be an interesting and complex villain, as his justifiable anger about the wrongs committed against him could have warped and twisted his moral code. But instead, he spends the quests acting like a presumptuous jerk who thinks hazing lancer recruits will prove he’s the pinnacle of “true courage”.

The backstory they created for Foulques is honestly one of the most sympathetic in the game. But again, it isn’t even revealed until the back end of the final level 30 quest. Until that moment, you get ZERO explanation as to why Foulques is doing what he’s doing. No clues, no subtext, no steady and satisfying reveal - only a rushed exposition dump that feels disconnected from the character’s personality up until then.

You can’t just drop a complex and nuanced backstory at the last second and call that good writing. The upbringing and backstory of a character is integral to the character’s overall personality, much like how it is for real people who grow up and experience different circumstances. Yet somehow, Foulques’ backstory feels like an afterthought, dropped at the last second instead of integrated naturally.

Again, the best way to remedy this is to refocus Foulques’ motivations and actions. Adding the other co-conspirators as secondary antagonists would allow them to become the main targets of Foulques’ rage. Meanwhile, the background characters in the lancer’s guild could be collateral caught in the crossfire of his goals.

Furthermore, featuring these false friends as characters would be a good chance to show the consequences of not punishing them. Based on how they treated Foulques, there’s a good chance several - if not all of them - went on to continue their corruption in other ways, especially if they felt confident that they could keep getting away with it. If these further misdeeds were to be revealed, it would further show that the Lancer’s Guild’s actions failed not only Foulques, but the later victims of the co-conspirators.

Problem #3: Ywain is Underutilized

Ywain’s probably not someone brought up often when it comes to people’s favorite NPCs. In fact, I’ve seen certain players actively hate him because they consider him complacent in what happened to Foulques.

But honestly, I think Ywain is as much a victim of the story's bad writing as Foulques is. It’s not like he knew about all of this and was conspiring to hide the truth from the WoL/others or something. He finds out about Foulques' history in the literal final moments of the story, and because that history was thrown in so haphazardly late, his reaction is haphazardly rushed and poorly written in turn.

Overall, I think the biggest problem with Ywain is that he feels like he’s hardly participating in the story at all. Technically, he is the other main character in the WoL’s journey to become a lancer, and should be an important part of the plot. But instead, Ywain is a largely inactive presence; he spends most of the questline standing in a single spot of the guild and telling the WoL to go off on their own somewhere. He’s stationary both physically and in terms of development, which I think was a huge error in judgement on the part of the original writer.

I can’t help but compare this characterization issue with one of my favorite class quests: Rogue. Jacke, V’kebbe, and Perimu don’t have the issue Ywain does. They join you on various Rogue’s Guild missions, fight with you through several instances, and regularly banter with you and each other so you get a good idea of who they each are. Hell, these three even continue to help the WoL long after they graduate from Rogue, becoming allies with the Doman Ninjas and providing them with intel and extra manpower when needed.

The Rogue Quests did a much better job of utilizing their NPCs than what we see here. It’s practically impossible to become invested in a character that feels so removed from the plot itself. It’s no wonder Ywain gets forgotten - and even hated - when the lancer story gives him literally nothing to grow on. Instead of letting him be an actual character, the narrative regulates him to a one-dimensional mouthpiece used to assign the next set of tasks.

My frustration with the in-game writing only grew when I learned Ywain’s backstory from the lore book. Back when he was still a Wood Wailer, he and Landenel (the Wailer Captain at Camp Tranquil who was in Company of Heroes) were very close friends. At some point, a lack of judgement led to Landenel making a serious mistake - one that would have gotten him in a lot of trouble, and would have been exacerbated by the undeserved disdain Landenel often faced as the son of a known criminal. But wanting to protect his friend from unfair treatment, Ywain took the blame for everything and was kicked out of the Wood Wailers, though his name was later cleared and he was given the guildmaster position.

Ywain essentially did for Landenel what the co-conspirators refused to do for Foulques. This could have been an excellent way to give the two a comparable history, and if anyone would be insulted by the betrayal Foulques faced, you’d think it would be Ywain. But once again, this all goes to waste because the Lancer Quests never bring up Ywain’s history. I can’t understand how such relevant information ended up being ignored and left out, especially since it could have helped flesh Ywain out and allowed him to understand Foulques a little bit better.

In an improved version of the Lancer Quests, Ywain needs the narrative room to develop. He needs to be more involved in the plot and the tasks set for the WoL, so that the player can actually get to know him instead of just going to him briefly for their next assignment. He and the WoL should learn about Foulques history at an earlier point in the questline, and given his history with Landenel, it would make sense for him to be sympathetic. Ywain doesn’t necessarily need to agree with Foulques’ methods or means of revenge. But creating a common ground between them would greatly improve the nuance of both characters.

~~~

Thank you so much for taking the time to read! I plan to post my rewrite ideas sometime in the near future, but until then, I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts about this questline and its storytelling.

If you enjoyed my writing, please consider sharing and leaving feedback!

[irisopranta]

Top 5 Jobs

Blue Mage - I don't like how most mages are in game right now but I do like the silliness of blue mage

2. Machinist - I actually have come to appreciate Machinist mostly because of my ship and playing as Lucille

3. Gunbreaker - It's a fun tank

4. Dragoon - Run this in raids now a days but it's my go to for a dps role. I find it plays nicely.

5.Astrologian - my main that I've always wanted to be when I started this game. It does not disappoints me

Thanks for the ask @thefreelanceangel

[woltourney]

ROUND 2 / SIBE B / POLL 8

Vastha Mhakaracca (@incense-and-iron) v. Amor Valentine (@chocobotism)

Vastha Mhakaracca:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Vastha Mhakaracca [He/They]

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Miqote - Keeper of the Moon

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. Main classes: Dragoon, Dark Knight, Monk, Reaper, Dancer

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. N/A

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. I'm a happy guy! Like to entertain my friends and put a smile on other people's faces. I ended up becoming a hero after following (partly) in my mother's footsteps-- she was a lancer and gave me her old lance when I wanted to leave home to adventure. It kind of broke ages ago… but I still have it! So she shouldn't be too mad about it. Hopefully, heh. Uh, anyway, I enjoy dancing and have tons of experience in managing and entertaining people since my family runs a small inn on the side of some nameless road. As for liking being a hero… it's complicated; as much as I really wish it wasn't that way. It use to be so easy and fun. Simple, even. There was still danger of course, but… I dunno. Fighting five giant ladybugs doesn't really match up in danger levels as the types of things I've been up too as of late [[<-- post EW content]]. Not to mention all the worst parts of having so much on your shoulders, things I really don't want to get into for such a fun event. B-But, don't take it as if I don't want to be a hero!! I can do it, so I want to do it. And it's not a 'If I don't do it, no one will', either. I think there are people who definitely could and would. People who have pulled way more weight through all this than I have. Even so, with all the pain and trouble I've been though, it's worth it at the end of the day. Knowing that I've helped so many people, that I have the power to keep the worst at bay, that I can make a change in the world and have that change try and be something good and positive and kind: that's what makes me like such a dangerous and oftentimes thankless job. Free time? Well, there's: dancing, cooking [[Culinarian is at level 90]], tending to my new island hangout, I've been doing LOTS of sightseeing-- Oh! I LOVE taking pictures and doing photography. Mostly of landscapes, they're just easier for me to work with than people; not to say I don't snap pictures of my friends now and again. What else… Oh! I've been taking up other crafting jobs as well since I have the spare time. It gives me something to keep my hands busy and lets me go out and collect more plants and rocks. I always liked going out to collect random stuff, but some of my older sisters, who I ended up bullied into hiring on as retainers so they could keep tabs on me away from home, got tired of me dumping popotos and iron ingots onto them to figure out how to sell en mass every week. I saw nothing wrong with it, but it really just must be me. Hmm… A lot more stuff about me is kind of personal. While I'm a rather open guy and like to chat, there's even some stuff I don't like talking about too casually or with strangers, sorry! Maybe we can be friends? I'm always open to new friends! Let's talk more sometime, okay?

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. Why should I win? Oh man, I just think it'd be neat! "Vastha Mhakaracca, winner of the…" uh, what was this called again? Oh, right! "winner of the WoLTourney 2023!" Could even put that on my little adventure card thingy just for fun.

q. Anything else you wanna add? a. Some other facts about Vastha he didn't get to cover himself: Transmasc [he/they] and gay (despite all the handsome bachelors in game, he hasn't fallen for more past a short lived crush or two.) He has 4 older sisters, making him the youngest in the family He use to be more meek and shy, which turned to 'all talk no bite', which turned out to now where he's more mellow and friendly but will not hesitate to throw hands if someone starts something He actually likes to do fetch quests because it lets him explore local areas to take more pictures Vastha comes off as a bit of a dunce and a ~stoopid widdle catboi~ to people because he likes to have fun and goof around like he use too (before all the horrors (tm) of being an adventurer). He notices, but doesn't comment on it. He'd rather people keep thinking it and underestimate him so he can prove them wrong through action. And with so much life experience now, he really doesn't care what others think of him anymore; he knows himself and that's all he can control in life. Despite being so giddy and friendly, the man does have some things he dislikes a normal degree, and other things (and people) he hates with the rage of a thousand suns-- which upon mention of will immediately switch his mood to more sour and serious. It's rare to stumble across such topics, thankfully.

Amor Valentine:

q. What is your WoL name and pronouns? a. Amor Valentine (they/them)

q. What is your WoL's species? a. Au Ra (Xaela)

q. What is your WoL's class? Or classes? a. ARR: Lancer/Dragoon; HW-present: DRK main, MCH for yeehaw

q. What data centre/server are you on, if you want people to find you? a. N/A

q. Tell us a bit about your WoL! a. Amor is just a guy carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders despite it all. They care deeply for their friends and family, have a special interest in chocobos, and are full of love for the world they protect. Though a force to be reckoned with in the heat of battle, in day-to-day life they can be quite timid. A traumatic childhood event left them an orphan with no memory of their past, but they were found and raised by a Duskwight woman in Dravania, near Tailfeather. Amor was considered a strange child by most Tailfeather residents (#UndiagnosedAutism), but they ignored it as best they could while focusing their attention on the chocobos their mother would catch and train. On their 20th nameday, they left home to explore the world and hopefully learn about their past, and oops! Hydaelyn's chosen! They then proceed to become the Champion of Eorzea and save the world a bunch of times, with varying levels of enthusiasm. Though always willing to do whatever is needed to protect the realm, they are prone to becoming weary of it all. At best, they'll grin and bear it. At worst, they can become resentful and bitter towards their position in life (see: DRK). Thankfully, spending time with loved ones helps mitigate this negativity. They are taking a well earned rest after the events of Endwalker, but are prepared to dive back into the fray should the world need them. They are fond of foraging when they have the opportunity, and their special interest in chocobos lends itself well to breeding and competing at the Gold Saucer. Sometimes, they give in to the irresistible urge to run around open landscapes before rolling around on the ground.

q. Why should YOU win? (Answer IC!) a. Umm… a vote for me is a vote for the eorzean autism alliance :)

[aotopmha]

I'm done with the Final Fantasy 14 MSQ for now.

It's so strange to see that "To be continued..." on the MSQ quest label.

And whenever I aim to talk about MSQ in a general sense, I face choice paralysis because there is so much to it.

It's partially why I said almost nothing about Heavensward before moving on to Stormblood.

I just wanted to keep playing AND there was a lot to talk about.

I think I would like to bring these posts full circle, though.

I started actually playing the game back in November of last year, but I stumbled upon and got invested in the story I think around six months prior to Endwalker release, somewhere in the WoW exodus window (around July of 2021, I think, by seeing a few playthroughs of A Realm Reborn).

I think it's the Coils of Bahamut raid series and then the patch content finale of A Realm Reborn that got me truly invested to be exact – I think I initially skipped through a lot of ARR, watching a condensed playthrough, but those parts I sat through in full.

Both had some really smart, consistent writing in them despite relying on quite commonly used tropes, which also shone through the awkward voice acting and tedious redundant questing.

And this continued and got better as time went on.

Heavensward and Stormblood further added character and thematic complexity and Shadowbringers and Endwalker in turn built upon that while much improving narrative pacing, leading to one of my favourite fantasy stories ever.

While Stormblood and Shadowbringers in particular much improved the game in terms of gameplay, as well.

This game remains one of the hardest games for me to recommend because of the redundant questing for much of the first three expansions, particularly in the base games.

Particularly Stormblood really is kind of just the same storyline with a different faction for six different zones and not even Shadowbringers and Endwalker are truly free of redundancy with sections like Il Mheg, the leadup to Mt Gulg, Bestways Burrow and Labyrinthos.

A Realm Reborn, Heavensward and Stormblood are now all free and can be played without playtime restrictions, so I can at least encourage just taking your time and not rushing through because meeting the game halfway, on its own terms lead to the most enjoyment on my part, but if you are really looking for a story/game that "never wastes your time", Final Fantasy 14 is not it.

It cares about even the smallest worldbuilding details to a ridiculous degree and at times does send you several layers deep into a quest to the point of the initial goal of it getting buried. I think it's the most frustrating with A Realm Reborn where it really gets in the way of pacing and no matter how neat the high points are, this can take the satisfaction out of any of the payoff you have because it took you so long to get there.

Almost everything you do will eventually matter, but to varying degrees, but it's still *almost* everything and sometimes it matters in relatively small ways.

When all is said and done, we have a complete web of a story with many characters and worlds, touching on many themes, which is in my opinion brought together and concluded in an incredibly satisfying way.

And I kind of see the same journey for the gameplay. By 90 all of the jobs I have unlocked and used feel complete and distinct, some simpler, some more complex, but complete and distinct, and most importantly fun.

So if I'm in the mood for chilling I play Bard, Sage or Dark Knight (the last of which I enjoy to the point of maining right now), but if I want more brain work and super satisfying rotation completion, I play Red Mage or Dragoon.

And Bard, Red Mage and Dragoon, for example, are very different from each other as well.

I've seen a bunch of talk about homogeneity between jobs now, but to me as a casual, the roles at least feel very different from each other.

Bard's DoT management and movement freedom is very different from Dragoon's constantly rolling GCD/OGCD management, which in turn is very different from Red Mage's dualcast and cast time management, which in turn is very different from Sage's shielding/healing (also healing via attacks), which in turn is very different from Dark Knight's mitigation/damage management and pulling/boss positioning role.

And to me the biggest proof of that is getting lost when I take a break from a specific job for a longer period of time. If they truly were all of the same, this would not be an issue.

I guess, as I said in one of the posts at the start of my journey, I found the one MMO I like in terms of gameplay.

The animations for the jobs feel satisfying, getting new buttons for the jobs feels satisfying.

People keep insisting Dragoon plays bad early on, but I still had fun as early as just getting my jump and base combo and before that (and after) I just had my hands full learning how the game works and feels in general. I had some brain work/fun happening since level 1.

And part of that feeling are the encounters themselves, I think.

They essentially just made single player game encounters within multiplayer context and I feel in general MMO-like games are beholden to a specific idea of what fight encounters look like, which just does not gel with me.

A huge part of me not really wanting to check out World of Warcraft aside from the story structure feeling off/strange, what the toxic elements of the community look like or the main selling point being the endgame hardcore raiding, which you need to basically dedicate massive amounts of time for to keep up with, is the encounter design and how that looks to me.

I'm told it definitely has better netcode than FF14, and I believe it, but it unfortunately doesn't look as satisfying to execute to me. On a casual level bosses also literally seem to die with a couple of attacks.

You never know before you play, but based on all of the research I've done on WoW, it just does not click with me.

And that's the reason Runescape combat doesn't do much for me, either. The encounters don't feel satisfying on the most basic level.

Runescape is the perfect grindy MMO; super great second monitor game, imo, but its combat is basically you just standing there. You click on an enemy and watch it die.

There is a skill to managing your stuff and it is quite complex in a high level setting from what I've researched, but it just doesn't do anything for me personally.

There is something about the simple visual language and indicators that feels good to me, even if you sometimes get blown away by an attack 3 seconds after it should hit.

So many MMOs are basically grindfests that involve you watching hundreds of mobs who do nothing die.

And so many feel like directionless sandboxes, which might be fun to be in for a bit, but don't get you invested, be it in terms of gameplay or story.

So FF14 is, in fact, the first MMO I like in terms of combat gameplay and encounter design because it has them to begin with.

But again, if you want jobs and combat to immediately feel complete and super complex, Final Fantasy 14 is probably not for you.

A more critical, negative perspective will say it starts off slow and pretty shallow, a positive perspective will call it a slow burn that will reward you.

I'm of the latter opinion.

The game does have an option to buy a skip to endgame, though and as much as I love the story and think the leveling process does teach you to play, I think skipping the story if it doesn't do anything for you is also an option if you just want to try playing.

It is always possible go back via New Game+ and even free trial accounts can make 8 different characters in total, so you can just restart with a new character.

In fact, I think clicking through and skipping cutscenes to skip the story is an option, too, to save that skip money if you don't mind spending a little more time.

But this game has so much different content aside from the story, your simple dungeons and raiding. Before Stormblood was free, some subbed just for mahjong in the Gold Saucer.

There are fishing/crafting mains, housing mains, glamour and RP mains, Deep Dungeon mains (which are big dungeons with 200 levels for the first one and 100 for the other two), Gold Saucer has many mini games in fact.

There is an entire solo class (and we are getting another one in Dawntrail), which is its own challange in Blue Mage (Beastmaster is set to be the new one).

Even having finished MSQ, there is so much I haven't tried yet.

So something might click even if the story or dungeons/raiding don't.

It is the first subscription for a game that has felt worth my money every month I've paid and played so far.

And an entry level one is just fine. There is a cash shop, but you don't ever have to interact with it nor is it shoved in your face all of the time.

I will say, the Mogstation/Square Enix site is awful. Everything worked out relatively painlessly initially for me to pay, but everything I've done there after that has been a headache.

In terms of buying the game, if you aren't invested already, currently I'd actually wait for the Dawntrail complete edition to get Shadowbringers, Endwalker and Dawntrail for the same price and I absolutely 100% recommend the free trial as the start despite some of the limitations.

It'll save a bunch of money.

All of that said, I absolutely do recommend the game. It's been an absolutely wonderful 6ish months for me, during which I've had a massive blast and generally really positive vibes, the asterix here is simply to expect a game or story that is more of a slow burn.

The flaws are pretty obvious and if they annoy you too much from the start, this game probably isn't for you, if they don't, I think you'll grow to like it or will have a great time to begin with because a lot of people, including myself, really do still like A Realm Reborn.

[desertleviathan]

All right FFXIV Tumblr, I need a little help.

Warning, Dragon-related spoilers spread across the MSQ for pretty much the entire game and all expansions!

My character's main job is Dragoon and I'm decorating my house with a theme surrounding that job, including a lot of Dragon-related stuff. In fact, the location is called "NIDHOPPS", Ishgard's first and only Craft Brewery/Dragonsong War Museum, with such memorabilia as I can find for all the First Brood.

I'm working on the Orchestrion choices. I have 8 slots, and here are my thoughts on how to use them.

1.) "Primogenitor" - The boss music for Midgardsrormr in Keeper of the Lake and in Alphascape 2.0. And now that I take the time to check, also apparently for the first time we fight Nidghogg in the Aery, and the fight with Hraesvelgr in Sohr Khai! Although the rest of these are chronological in terms of in-game appearance, I put this one before the next one to reflect Midgardsormr's place in the family.

2.) "Answers" - The music for the End of an Era cutscene where Bahamut was revealed. There are a few Bahamut-related choices, but this is the most dramatic.

3.) "Roar of the Wyrm" - The theme from the Aery, where we first face Nidhogg directly. This isn't actually what plays during the boss fight though, so its place on the list is most tentative.

4.) "Apologies" - The theme from Sohr Kai, where Hraesvelgr tests our mettle before we face Nidhogg again. Like Roar of the Wyrm, the actual boss fight music is actually Primogenitor though.

5.) "Revenge of the Horde" - From the Final Steps of Faith, Part 1, where we vanquish Nidhogg. This being an Ishgardian residence, I feel like the antagonist of the Dragonsong War deserves extra prominence.

6.) "Freefall" - From the Final Steps of Faith, Part 2.

7.) "Seven Flames" - From Paglth'an, where we fought along Tiamat's side to reach and slay Lunar Bahamut.

8.) "As The Sky Burns" - From Vanaspati. I'm hesitant because I'd rather enshrine Vrtra in glory than grief, but no moment in the game highlights his nature better than when he's begging you to show mercy to the Blasphemies because they're still Children of Thavnair.

Missing - Azdaja and Ratatoskr don't have tracks on this list. The former because all the music that plays around her is more about her circumstances and her captor than about her personally, and the latter because she's a conspicuous absence in the story, and Nidhogg's rage is the primary memento we have of her.

I also thought about putting Shinryu on this list, because I love "The Worm's Tail" and "The Worm's Head" from the Royal Menagerie trial. But I wouldn't have put one on the list unless I had room for both, and as a weird sort of footnote to the First Brood I didn't think Shinryu deserved multiple slots like Nidhogg does.

Anyway, does this sound about right, or does anyone have suggestions of tracks that would fit better, or would make sense for the two missing First Brood? As important as Nidhogg is, 8 tracks for 8 Dragons seems like it's meant to be, you know?

[loregoddess]

2, 3, 8, and 19 for the fandom game, for any fandom(s) you feel like talking about :)

(for 3, fic and/or meta posts, can't actually remember if you've posted straight up fic before haha)

2. My favorite fic from the fandom that I’ve read

I haven't read a ton of fic sadly (although I haven't read a lot in general the last few years due to college making me read So Many academic papers and books that I got burnt out and haven't quite recovered my love of reading. Yet). Although, my friend @lookerdewitt has written literally some of the best fic I have ever read, so I would probably say one of their fics.

3. My favorite fic from the fandom that I’ve written myself

I have actually sort of written fanfic (both legit fanfic, and also a few "thinly veiled technically fanfic if you changed the names" for a fiction writing class that I had to write several stories for and wanted to see if I could get away with it), but I haven't actually. Shared those fics with anyone? Partly bc I have historically almost never finished any fiction writing project that I have started, ever, and partly bc I'm just shy about sharing my writing in general.

I have been working on a LoZ fancomic idea for the past uhhhh four or five years (technically last decade since I first came up with the idea in late high school and then had it sit in the back of my head for several years bc all I had was a setting and a handful of characters), and I have never in my life stuck with a project this long, so I guess that would be my favorite from my personal works bc it's apparently something I care about enough to not abandon entirely. I've actually made a decent amount of progress on my "detailed outline" recently, so here's hoping I can stick it out and actually get to the script and then to drawing pages one day.

For meta posts I think my favorite is actually my analysis of the Octopath 1 cast and how the major antagonists in each of their stories acts as a mirror and foil to each character. I really enjoy analyzing stories in general, but I so rarely write it out, so I was happy to actually do so for once. Gave me a lot of confidence for all the other meta and headcanon posts that I wrote afterwards.

There's also a Legend of Dragoon meta post sitting partly-finished in my drafts where I analyze themes surrounding each dragoon spirit and its wielders, which I haven't finished bc I only remember to work on it when I'm doing my yearly replay of LoD, and also bc it started looking like it might need to be a series of posts due to uh....length. Like I make a lot of lengthy posts, but each dragoon spirit's analysis was about a short essay's worth of words, and there are eight spirits soooo....hopefully I'll finish that one day, bc it's an analysis I've spent years thinking about.

8. Is there anything I wish people would write more about in fics? (A dynamic, an exploration of an arc, just a character that doesn’t get much screentime, etc)

I'm always a sucker for post-canon healing/recovery/rebuilding arcs. Can't get enough of them honestly (when I have the motivation to read). There's something so fascinating about looking at a character who Went Through Some Stuff, but the main narrative didn't look at the effects of that, and so a dedicated writer took up the challenge of trying to explore what comes after.

Most of my favorite characters are weird side characters who don't get a lot of love from the writers of canon or fans, so I'm always glad to see stuff for them as well.

19. Favorite headcanon

Oh hmmm, there's a lot and it depends on which media we're talking about, so if you're curious about a specific game let me know. Off the top of my head though hmm...

Okay I have this headcanon that Milo TriStrat snorts when she laughs genuinely. Like sure she's got the ladylike proper, cute laugh that's part of her spy job and totally fake, but when she is being fully honest and laughing for real, she snorts.

[ainyan]

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I'm Ainyan, and below you'll find some of the characters that I may be posting about. I primarily post about the excellent MMORPGs Final Fantasy XIV and Star Wars: The Old Republic - but I also play a lot of other games like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Persona, Destiny, and others, and am happy to talk about them as well!

I maintain two Carrds (FFXIV and SWTOR) as well as an active if infrequently updated Archive of our Own account.

I welcome asks (anon and named) and maintain an ever-growing list of prompts and ask memes that can be found here. I am a member of the LGBTQ+ and poly communities and am heavily pro-trans (and pro-human) rights. If you are a bigot or TERF, feel free to walk yourself right out of here - you'll find no succor and no discourse here.

Without further ado, my characters:

Name: Kal'istae Miurani (Kali)

Race: Au Ra (Xaela)

Canon Jobs: White Mage, Dancer, Gunbreaker, Sage, Dragoon, Summoner

Relationships: Thancred (Partner)

Status: Main RP Character (Marilith)

Link to her Carrd. || Link to her #tag.

(Note: Although Kal'istae is a real character, all of her achievements/deeds/experiences for actual in-game content are based off of Ciprys, who has done almost everything.)

Name: Ciprys Dreamweaver (Cip)

Race: Au Ra (Raen)

Canon Jobs: Summoner, Dancer, White Mage, Paladin, Ninja

Relationships: Cirdan Dreamreaver (Husband)

Status: Main Play Character (Famfrit)

Link to her Carrd. || Link to her Lodestone.

Name: Kyszarin Asyret (Kys)

Race: Viera (Rava)

Canon Jobs: Summoner, Sage, Reaper, Warrior, Dancer

Relationships: Raine Inarin (Lover/Partner)

Status: Alternate Play Character (Famfrit)

Link to his Carrd. || Link to his #tag.

Name: Szah'li Khiyanto

Race: Miqo'te (Keeper of the Moon)

Canon Jobs: White Mage, Dark Knight, Dancer, Dragoon, Summoner

Relationships: Alisaie (Partner); Kabniel (Meta)

Status: Alternate RP Character (Marilith)

Link to his Carrd. || Link to his #tag.

Name: Miurani'kal'istae (Nikali, Kali)

Race: Chiss

Class: Imperial Agent (Operative)

Relationships: Theron Shan (Husband); Saganu (Consort)

Affiliations: Empire (Saboteur), Republic (Double Agent), Eternal Alliance, Chiss Ascendancy

Status: Main Play/RP Character (Satele Shan)

Link to her Carrd. || Link to her #tag.

Name: Cip'rys

Race: Chiss

Class: Smuggler (Scoundrel)

Relationships: Theron Shan (Husband)

Affiliations: Republic (Loyalist), Eternal Alliance

Status: Alternate Play/RP Character (Satele Shan)

Link to her Carrd. || Link to her #tag.

[theclaravita]

ANOTHER HYPERSPECIFIC POLL

I do all of these things! - My FFXIV main has been Scholar since Coil first came out. - I started maining Trinity way back when they first reworked the mods system. - I had a psychotic breakdown back in 2016 that resulted in me seriously injuring myself and destroying my PC irreparably. It was caused by FFXIV Frontlines. I haven't played PvP since. - In both BotW and TotK I mainly use the Stealth Suit. Even when I'm playing Trinity in Warframe, I try to be stealthy. In FFXIV I always try to avoid combat in general except when required. In Destiny I like using Void Invisibility to skip entire encounters in various activities. - I got every tower in TotK immediately. I explored, got some awesome loot, but have done exactly zero main story quests. - My cast of Warframe OCs are all platonic friends. None of them have any interest in romance whatsoever. Same with my Destiny OCs. - Adri-8 in Destiny, Nero from my TTRPG days, and Clara the Drifter in Warframe all are explorations of gender identity. It was actually Nero who spurred me to come out; they originally were just a way for me to understand non-binary as an identity. - I've rebuilt the entire FFXII stat and license systems in D&D 4E, multiple versions of FFXIV's Dragoon job in 5E, and dabbled a bit with other games' systems like Golden Sun and Zelda. I also tried to translate the Crisis Core leveling system into pen/paper gaming, but it really didn't work at all. lol

[pangolinheart]

So when did you decide to make Rhiki a dark knight? Since you can't start the game as it she had to have started as something else. Did you pick up drk as soon as you could? Or was it a while after playing HW?

Thank you for the question! <3 I never actually intended to make Rhiki a dark knight and it wasn't really high on my list of classes to try. When I originally created the character I envisioned her as more of a cheery and spritely magic user - she really doesn't have the look or the type of personality I associated with a classical tank. FFXIV was the first MMO I had ever played, though, so I wanted to start with a class that was easy to learn. A friend who already played recommended Dragoon so that was Rhiki's original class. I still really like the Dragoon quests and I feel like they give you a little bit of context for the things going on in Heavensward. I ended up sticking with it rather than switching to a class with a more mischievous and magical vibe. Around the time I finished the main story quest for hw-proper, though, I had maxed out drg (before the level cap was raised for ENW) and I didn't want to waste msq exp by continuing to do the main story as dragoon. I had played around with a few other dps classes but wasn't really sold on any particular one, so I asked the same friend that had recommended drg what she thought I should try next. I had been kind of live-messaging her my thoughts about Rhiki's mindset and feelings from the end of arr through hw. She said "I think the dark knight story would really appeal to you." I was kind of apprehensive about tanking (it seemed like a lot more pressure than dps and a lot of people said it was the hardest role) but she offered to help me practice!

So I gave it a try and story-wise it fit absolutely perfectly into where Rhiki was as a character at that point; I hadn't known anything about the drk quests prior to doing them but it was so closely aligned with all of the specific hang-ups and emotions that I had always attributed to Rhiki that it felt almost custom-made. Honestly, if it hadn't been for a lot of the emotional catharsis that goes on in the drk job quests there was a small possibility that Rhiki would have given up on being the Warrior of Light and I would have made a different character, because it was kind of hard to imagine her bouncing back as quickly as the msq kind of expects you to.

And honestly I ended up really liking tanking. It's definitely my favorite role to play (though admittedly I've never tried healing because it scares me.) Drk and gnb are also kind of dps-tanks so it wasn't too different from drg. The only problems are 1) 90% of tank armor is ugly and bulky and 2) rhiki has to be goth now, legally (it's in the contract i don't make the rules.)

I haven't quite maxed out drk levels yet so I'm not sure what I'll do when it happens. I do still like dragoon, and it's what I usually main in savage/ex content (at least until I max a tank class.)

[lighteffexor]

Final Fantasy V update:

I think I finished... what I guess is Act 1 (spoilers after the cut, duh)?

I got a little lost when I got access to the black chocobo, but I ended up figuring out "talk to Cid" is the answer to most things at this point in the game.

As far as story developments, basically anything that happened after the fire crystal I was not expecting.

Also, someone working on FF14 must REALLY love 5, since there's a whole lot of references to 5 sprinkled all throughout 14, it's insane. The boss from the Library of the Ancients, the RONKANS (that one really shocked me), I think a town or two has names that show up in 14, as well?

Faris being Lenna's sister is something that was foreshadowed, but I'm glad to see be brought up sooner rather than be teased throughout this (seemingly pretty lengthy) game. Bartz's backstory you get from his hometown. Galuf and Krile being FROM ANOTHER WORLD? Sure, okay, why not?

Oh, and now Exdeath is running around, except he fucked off back to his home world that Galuf, Krile, and I'm guessing that werewolf from earlier and even Lenna's and Faris' dad is from?

Planet hopping adventure, why not? We already did an assault on a floating fortress.

Complete with an undead hydra that has auto-reflect and you either can't run from it or I was just getting really unlucky. I got Level 4 Graviga from it, though, I guess?

Also got Flamethrower which feels nice, Missile which is whatever, Frog Chorus(?) which is a cheaper Toad spell? But I also got White Wind, woo!

Also surprise Titan. Game's just like "here, have Earthen Fury for free (well, mandatory fight, anyway)".

And I'm assuming there's no more jobs to get, so the game's just given me the entire toolbox and said "go have fun". Different than how 3 gave you the last set of jobs, like, right before the endgame.

So I guess for now, I'll probably get Equip Shields from Knight for Bartz, maybe have him give Chemist a whirl afterwards, work on Samurai for Lenna, hammer away at that 999 AP ask for dualcast for Galuf, and get this next monk level for Faris before swapping to Dragoon.

This game's fucking wild, and I'm loving it.

Love the fact that the main cast is, like, talking amongst themselves and having their own interpersonal relationships with one another. Even the NPCs are involved. 5 really seems like the game where Square finally started to understand how to write characters, as opposed to just people (if that makes sense).

As far as how long it's taken me to get to Galuf's World, I've taken 13.5 hours, though about one of those hours was me being lost and checking out that one cave that has the Skull Gnawers or whatever the grey Nutkins are called (they're scary, okay?). For comparison, I beat FF4 in about 18 hours, and that was including getting all the optional summons. 4's... really not all that long, actually. Even then, I ended at about level 60, and I'm only about half that so far in 5. I'm wondering what level I'll finish at and how far along my job levels will be?

[neolunanocte]

Thinking about my Wols (and in Rowan's case, in relation to the oc of mine he's based on) and with the primary two where they differ.

Under a read more cause I be rambling.

Rowan is a sunshine boy despite the bullshit life has thrown at him even before the start. That cat that tries helping and refuses to leave. Very physically affectionate. He loves giving gifts and hugs. Yet, is a total blood knight and loathes himself for it. If questioned on enjoying the thrill of battle; will actively deny it.

Though accepts that, while he dislikes it, that sometimes that sneaky gambits are nesscary. In others words, is less likely to be angry about certain characters pulling this and instead be disappointed and concerned they thought they had to do it alone.There are limits to this however.

Is actively trying to mind his temper. Though there have been moments it's got the better of him. Notably, following a certain event in HW and later when arriving on shore of Yanxia.

Rowan is from a cross-generational, blended family and is not originally from Eorzea. The traditional Keeper society baffles him.

Rowan is 19-early twenties in age. His birthday/nameday is the 12th Sun of the Fifth Umbral Moon (October 12th).

He favors the colors green and pink.

I do associate him with chrysanthemums and lilies. Though I dont currently have access to either in game.

He is a max height Keeper Miqo’te. (around 173cm; 5'8. Technically taller then the oc he's based on).

He follows Rhalgr and started in Gridania. Rowan joined the Twin Adders. Canonly, Rowan is a dragoon. Other notable jobs are WHM and MCH (the second and third jobs I got to 70).

Mila, while she is the character played the most after Rowan, I will note I'm not out of ARR yet.

That said, she is more motherly with a weary disposition. Mila has had her fair share of experience and trauma. Unlike Rowan, she is from Eozera. She is also adopted, but when she headed out to Limsa adopted a false surname (Miku) as a part of trying to anew. This is why her name doesn't follow the typical pattern of lalafell names. Mila is adopted having been taken in by her adoptive mother (Catalina "Lina" Nolan) as a babe. Said mother was among the dead 5 years prior.

She speaks with a slight accent. Her speech is clear, but execpt the occasional bene or blighter. Mila is not shy about drinking either. However unwise it is, she prefers to drink alone.

While she tends to slip into wanting to look after others, she is more tentative about showing physical affection.

Far more likely to be pissed by people doing the sneaky gambit thing and keeping secrets. Despite her claims of pragmatism and being a realist, she is actually more the idealist than Rowan. Favoring an honest, open approach.

She is better at keeping her emotions in check under stress.

As mentioned, she started in Limsa Lominsa and would go on to join the Maelstrom. While she loves the sea and sailing, her chosen guardian is Azeyma.

Mila is in her 30s and birthday/nameday (or in her case the day her adoptive mother found her) is the 12th Sun of the Second Umbral Moon (April 11th).

She favors the colors blue and white.

Mila, I also do associate with flowers. Namely, peach blossoms.

She is a min height Plainsfolk Lalafell. (roughly 87cm; 2'10).

She is canonly a Scholar. Other notable jobs are SUM (due to how ACH works), WAR, and DRG (the latter two being the first I got the job stones for after the main... Admittedly I wasn't really trying with LNC/DRG. My inner DRG-ing is too strong lol).

That said, both lean more feminine in style. Both are bi. They care deeply for others and will gladly throw themselves into harms way to protect them. Both can be stubborn and take their crafts seriously.

[irisopranta]

Happy birthday! Here's a question for you - I see you main ast/drg, why those two classes? And when you play other games (if you do) do you find yourself gravitating towards similar types of classes?

Thank you!

So when I was first starting to play FF14 back in 4.5 I believe (It was a few months out before Shadow Bringers was released) I was looking up what job I should play before making my character.At the time I was starting to move away from Overwatch as the game I was mainly playing which was a Mercy main in that and the first time I was a healer. I ended up liking being the healer so my thought process at the time was I wanted to be healer but I also like the idea of being able to apply buffs to people. Luckily, for me there was a job that did exactly that which was ast. Unfortunely, I couldn't be an ast right away I ended up taking white mage up as my job in ARR so I could learn how to heal in an MMO.

As for drg, I actually didn't pick it up until I caught up with the MSQ in 5.4 where I started to level everything. At the time, I had the plan to have Samurai as my dps class so I could flex if needed. The reason why I was planning on Samurai was because I played a little bit of it while I was going through the ARR Patches (which was before they did the story trim) where I use sam to clean up any MSQ outside of dungeons and queue any dungeons or trial as a whm.

I would have returned to sam after finishing but I also wanted to level everything. So I told myself "I should get everything to level 50 before picking up samurai again". So I picked up Dragoon and I found myself having fun with it so I ended up getting it to 80 before switching to another job and it became the job I dps on.

Now I run as a drg when I run extremes and savages with the group I normally play with since 6.0. The reason was we needed a melee dps for the extra damage and charge on LB. Also I found that if I ran as an ast my cohealer, who is a whm, our healing overlapped too much and we would have needed to coordinated a bit better so we didn't waste our bigger spells.

As far as finding myself gravitating towards jobs, it depends on the game. For example, I usually fight with lances in the Rune Factory games. I did run a Demonologist and an Abolisher in Archeage way back in 2015. Demonologist being more like a black mage and Abolisher is more like a Paladin. I played a bit of Blade & Soul which I was a kung fu master which would be more like a monk. I also played Aion way back in the 2010, which I was a sorcerer, which was a mage class.

Thanks for the ask @sasslett