#linkshell chatter

[wanderer-of-light]

G'raha for the WoL ask game?

tee hee UwU G'waha,,, <3 <3 <3

Vastha has a very good relationship with G'raha!! Nothing romantic, just very very close friends or QPPs? They love to nap together in weird positions (as cats do) and chat on and on and on with one another about all sorts of things. Anything, really. Vastha loves listening to G'raha talk about his passions and studies (even if he doesn't understand some of it) and likes cooking for him because G'raha always finished his plate lmao.

They became fast friends back in ARR when it really was just the "[spiderman pointing meme] catboy!! catboy!!" And it just went from there. We all know G'raha is a WoL #1 fan, but in Vastha's canon G'raha slowly worked on that and let that aspect of his fascination with Vastha go-- because being only seen as the WoL bothers them a LOT. Vastha HATES being only referred to by titles and things he's done for others-- even worse being called Azem-- so it actually strained their relationship a little upon re-meeting and G'raha only ever talking about them as The Warrior Of Light. The Hero. Title Title Title Deed Deed Deed Glorification Blind Awe Yadda Yadda. It took a bit, since Vastha is pretty good at hiding their emotions and being polite in public and around others as to not make scenes and what not. But, after SHB and time to settle back down, G'Raha started catching on and shifting his language and how he went about interacting with Vastha to make him feel more like a person again.

Vastha is very grateful, obviously! Hence him cooking for G'raha, almost exclusively calling him Raha, sharing a lot more about home and his family, and more personal stuff to really kind of make a point that he is just a person despite all the wild shit he's accomplished through sheer dumb luck and other's believing in him.

A lot of people are always surprised when they say they aren't dating, but then they see Vastha go and headbutt or flop/lean against someone else like he does with Raha and they go "Oh. He's just physically affectionate"; because he is. Thankfully, with how close the two are, there is no pressure to Date Or Not. Vastha respects and does admire G'raha a good bit, but he doesn't have any romantic feelings for him (unfortunately). Just someone they are incredibly comfortable to be around and one of few people they know see's them as more than The Warrior Of Light.

[onwesterlywinds]

PROMPT #6: Ring

"Livvy," said Zero, so quietly that she almost hadn't heard her amid the bustle outside Meghaduta.

"Yeah?"

Zero's face was characteristically hidden by her wide-brimmed hat, but Ahtyn could make out the barest trace of a frown underneath. "I believe my linkpearl may be broken. If you would be willing to assist me, I would be in your debt."

"Pffft." If the maintenance and repair of linkpearls was a matter of debts, the Garlond Ironworks would not be facing nearly as many financial challenges. "Don't worry about it. You can just treat me to some more curry later."

Zero nodded - almost immediately - and dropped her linkpearl into Ahtyn's palm. Almost at once, it gave a chirp and a small vibration.

"It has been activating almost constantly. I have found the command to silence it, but if I were to do so, I would not be informed of messages from you and your companions. Given the urgency of our tasks, that would be unacceptable."

Ahtyn examined the linkpearl from the outside. For all intents and purposes, it was identical to her own: the same make and model as the one Minfilia had given to her nearly ten years ago. "Looks like all the bits are where they should be. You haven't dropped it, or anything?"

"Not that I can recall."

"Gotcha. So from here, the first step that most people will tell you is to turn it off and back on again, but let's be real, we don't have time for that."

Zero tilted her head in confusion. "Is it not worth an attempt?"

"Nah, it's fine." She brought it a little closer to her face. "Mind if I check some of your inbox? I promise I won't look at anything private - I just want to see if there are actually messages coming through every time you get a ping, or if it's alerting you to nothing."

"You may look at whatever you would like."

There was a lesson in there somewhere about friendship and trust, and how there were some friends (like G'raha) to whom she could show her entire search history without any negative repercussions, and some friends (like Urianger) with whom she would sooner never speak again than show a single saved image on her tomestone, but Ahtyn was too distracted to make it into a coherent point. Zero's inbox was in shambles.

"How many people have you given this number to?"

Zero had to ponder this question, which was not a good sign in this context. Ultimately, however, she said, "Only the Scions. And one formidable hunter of elite marks."

"That's it, then. Looks like whoever they are, they've signed you up to a hunt linkshell."

"A hunt linkshell?"

"Not a very good one; there's way more chatter than callouts happening." Ishgardian court drama, complaints about aetheroil prices, dispatches from the Quicksand, and a recurring stream of lines and hashes made to look like fat cats. "I think it's safe to mute this until we're back from the void for good."

"I see."

Ahtyn pressed a few buttons to mute the awful linkshell but did not yet hand it back to Zero, as she could sense that the reaper had more questions. "Linkshells can be handy for meeting people, especially people with shared goals or interests. But they can be a bit too much for me. All it takes is one annoying person to ruin the vibe, you know?"

To her credit, Zero nodded in immediate understanding. But of course - she herself had been something of a leader of her own little community in the void. "You are not in a linkpearl for meeting other women?"

For a moment, Ahtyn's brain went completely empty. "Uh, no," she stammered. "No, I prefer to meet people more… organically."

"Organically?"

"Like, I want to get to know someone in person before I talk to them."

"Strange," said Zero. "I would think that talking to someone is the only way of getting to know them."

"I mean to date! Dating is way different from friendship, and I've always felt most comfortable being friends with someone before I think of them as a possible romantic partner."

"Like Zenos."

The only emotion she could summon was a deep relief that none of the others were around to hear. "…There are lots of reasons why Zenos and I would never have been… romantic partners. But in theory? Yeah. Sort of like that."

Again Zero nodded. She held out her hand for her linkpearl, and Ahtyn returned it. As the reaper walked away, evidently deep in thought, Ahtyn filed away a mental note to make a few long overdue calls.

[redmoonwanderer]

FFXIV Write 2023, Day 6 Prompt: Ring

“Where on earth is he?” Alisaie asks, looking at the door of the Rising Stones almost as if expecting Qhol’a to walk in.

Alphinaud chuckles, looking at her pacing sister from his seat by a table. “He will come, no doubt.”

“And if he won’t? What if some adventure stole him away?”

Thancred, from his place leaning against the counter, hands crossed, speaks up, “While not impossible, Estinien and I made sure that no trouble would catch his attention while he’s in the area.”

Alisae gives him a long look. “So, you’re telling me that the two of you found every missing item, returned every runaway child, partner, parent and worker to where they belong, slayed beasts big and small, without a single complaint?” She shakes her head. “I find that hard to believe.”

Thancred grins. “Did we do it? Yes. Without complaint?” He looks to his left, where Estinien is sitting with a tankard in his hand, back towards the room. Thancred doesn’t continue, but it’s quite clear from the way the dragoon drinks deep that he, at least, hadn’t rejoiced over their work.

Aliesae sits with a huff, and when she leans her head against her hands, her expression can only be described as a pout, not that anyone says it loud. She’s an expert at reading her brother, though, and the, “You look like a child,” is written all over him.

Thancred follows their wordless conversation that follows with amusement, but decides that Alisaie is right: their friend ought to show up any moment now. Straightening up and walking to the side room that had been an infirmary during their time in the First, and brings his hand to his ear. The linkshell rings a couple of times before it connects. “Hello, there. I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

Qhol’a replies with a quiet, “You didn’t,” and Thancred can pick up some background noise. Enough people that he can be quite sure he’s in Revenants Toll.

“If you have the time, would you drop by the Rising Stones? There’s something I’d like to discuss, face to face.” The reply he gets is a hum that he knows means yes. “Great. I’ll be seeing you soon.”

The connection cuts off, and Thancred returns to the rest. Alisaie turns to look at him. “Well?”

“He’ll be here shortly. And no,” he hurries to say when she opens her mouth, “I didn’t say a word about this.” He gestures to the decorated room and the many mouthwatering foods and pastries on the tables.

“Good,” she says, then waits in silence.

When the door opens and Qhol’a steps in, everyone turns to look with smiles (some bigger, some smaller). The miqo’te stops as he smells and sees everyone and everything, and tilts his head.

“It took some recon work, but G’raha was able to tell us that today would be your birthday,” Thancred says as he walks up to Qhol’a.

Qhol’a seems to think a moment, before signing, “So that’s why he was so secretive after talking with my sisters.”

“We did put him up to it,” Thancred says, placing a hand on his shoulder and pushing him further in. “I hope you can forgive us,” he says with a smiling face that says he’s not sorry.

“We’ll see,” Qhol’a signs, his grin a sign no harm had been done, and stops by a table with a cake. The décor was, well, unique, but Qhol’a’s smile warmed in the face of love and time the people had put into this. “Thank you,” he says, this time, voice louder than it was back in the beginning what feels like such a long time ago, but still quiet. The rest have gathered around and hear him.

“Go on,” Alisaie says, patting his back, “the first piece should be yours.”

“I’m sure the taste is better than the visual,” Alphinaud says, prompting some chuckles and laughs.

After Qhol’a cuts the first piece of cake, the room comes to life as the Scions fill the room with easy chatter and joy.

Qhol’a feels that while all this might’ve been for him, this was, more than anything, a reason to get everyone together for something lighter than war and apocalypses.

And the cake, he decides, is the best he’s ever had.

[theimperialnuisance]

FFXIV Write 2022 //ffxivwrite info//prompt list//character info//master post//

Prompt nineteen: Turn a Blind Eye | idiom: to intentionally not give someone or something attention | Word count: 1446 Characters: Kien Eilath and N’noah Wiloh Cw: None Notes: Little short one-shot of how Kien and N’noah met! This is around the early ARR timeline so Kien is about 18/19 here and N'noah is 18. Still actively writing this so please enjoy the first half and I’ll reblog it as soon as it’s finished :3

----

The Sapphire Avenue Exchange was busier than he thought it would be. When Blaise had told him about the market, he was expecting it to be similar to the Gridania markets–crowded but not overly so. This was much livelier than expected. The long avenue was aligned with stalls on both sides with merchants yelling out their goods above the chattering crowd while some others were off to the side with papers of their event or tavern, trying to win the attention of shoppers as they passed by. Kien kept close to Blaise and Tokki as they made their way through the crowd but the minute the Keeper spotted an empty bench to the side, he made a beeline for it, telling his two companions he needed a bit of breather.

As fascinating as it was to be a new place, Kien admittedly felt overwhelmed and was glad to be apart from the crowd, even if it wasn’t too far off. He let out a heavy sigh as he plopped back onto the bench, feeling physically drained. Just as he closed his eyes to catch a bit of a doze, his ears flickered on alert as an angry shout wormed its way through the crowd. “Oy! That infuriating girl! Where in the hell did she go!” 

Kien stood back up, his instincts kicking in as he scanned the crowd for the cause of commotion, instantly spotting two brute looking storm their way through the crowd. He watched wearily as they passed, noticing that he seemed to be the only one paying them any attention as the majority of people just parted the way and went about their business as if something like this occurred often. Once the two men disappeared out of sight, Kien sat back down again with a sigh, attempting to just focus on his own relaxation like everyone else. 

“Thank the Twelve, he didn’t see me.” 

Kien jolted at the voice. Hidden behind the potted plant to his left was a rather petite red-haired Miqo’te woman dressed in a blue Thavnairian Bustier. Had she been there the whole time? Kien hadn’t noticed her before so her sudden appearance caused his heart to leap to his throat. He tried to play it off but the Miqo’te’s violet eyes flickered over to him in curiosity and she grinned in amusement.

“Oh, my apologies,” she giggled. “Didn’t mean to startle you!” She stood up and dusted herself off, glancing around for any sign of the two men returning before clapping her hands together in satisfaction. “Well then, I’ll be off!” She threw a smile at Kien and dashed off in the opposite direction of where the Hyur men went, leaving Kien to ponder what he had just witnessed. His linkshell began to go off and he reached up to answer it in a bit of daze. 

“Tokki and I finished our shopping!” Blaise’s cheerful voice said. “If you’re feeling better, come to the Quicksand and we can grab some lunch before going back to the Waking Sands.” 

“Sure, I’ll be there soon,” Kien replied and cut the connection. He inhaled a breath in preparation to submerge himself in the crowd again but just as he made it to the first stall, the Miqo’te girl was running straight for him, desperation in her eyes. 

She reached out to grab his shoulders, giving herself leverage to swing herself behind his back. “Pray, ley me hide behind you!” She whispered. Unable to bring himself to say no, Kien nodded and squared his shoulders, carefully backing up against the brick wall so the woman could crouch down in the shadows. A moment later, a rather furious looking Roegadyn stormed through, stopping short to suspiciously scan the small crowd of onlookers, his eyes landing on Kien’s and he made for him.

“You, have you seen a miqo’te girl, about this tall?” 

“I’m fairly certain I saw her go by that way,” Kien replied, pointing toward the bustling market. “Might want to get going though, she was running by pretty quickly.” 

The Roegandyn scowled at him before turning on his heel and pushing his way through the crowd and deeper into the market place. The Miqo’te waited a few more seconds before glancing behind him, a sigh escaping him. I have no idea what I am getting myself into. Kien shrugged off his coat and handed it to the woman behind him. “Here, wear this. It might help you blend in a little better until you get yourself to a safe place.” 

“Wow,” the woman giggled as she straightened back up and slipped the coat on. “I sure picked the right guy to hide behind!” She emerged from her hiding spot, pulling the hood up to cover her ears and circled around to face Kien. “It’s not everyday you meet someone who won’t turn a blind eye to a potential criminal making their daring escape after stealing from the syndicate!” She playfully clasped her hands behind her back and grinned up at him.

Kien paled, his heart sinking a bit. He hadn’t thought about that. What if that is exactly what he had done? That wouldn’t look good next t his newly acquired reputation as the Warrior of Light–Gods, I’d never hear the end of it from Tokki! The woman’s sudden burst into laughter interrupted his thoughts and he looked up. 

“I jest, I jest!” She put her hands up in a small surrender as she continued to laugh. “Oh, you should see the look on your face!” After a few more minutes, she began to gather herself and reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes. “Apologies, I didn’t mean to laugh at you. I’m not a wanted criminal and I didn’t steal anything from the syndicate, so you can relax.” Kien let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and she sprung forward with her hand outstretched. “N’noah Wiloh! Nice to meet ya!”

“Kien Eilath,” the Keeper replied in a bit of a daze as he shook her hand. “Do I dare ask why those men were after you?” 

A sheepish grin crossed N’noah’s face as she rubbed the back of her neck. “Ah well, long story short, I was running away from that Roegadyn you saw earlier. I uh, sort of punched him, and stole something of his, figuratively speaking.” 

“So a lover’s quarrel?” Kien hadn’t realized he asked that aloud until N’noah let out a snort of laughter, shaking her head. “Ah, apologies for assuming.” Now it was Kien’s turn to rub his hand sheepishly on the back of his neck.

“Ah no, no,” N’noah waved her hands in front of her. “It’s…a bit more complicated than that but regardless, you potientially just saved me from some serious repercussions if I had been caught and now I can finally be free of that man and his crew.” She stretched her arms up to the sky in relish before smiling again at Kien. “Thank you for your help.” 

“My pleasure,” Kien smiled, curious as to what she meant by all she had just said but knew better to ask–it didn’t feel right to pry into her business when he just met her. “Will you be alright on your own? I’ve got to meet up with my friends at the Quicksand but you’re welcomed to tag along if you’d like.” 

N’noah smiled. “I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll be alright on my own now. I’ve got a friend who said they could offer me shelter until this whole thing blows over.” She shrugged off the coat and handed it back to him but Kien shook his head.

“You can keep that just in case.” N’noah blinked at him and he smiled.” I’m sure our paths will cross again and you can return it to me then.”

“Alright, and as a thank you, I'll tell you the full story." She turned on her heel and headed toward the city gates, glancing back to wave. “Well then, Kien, see ya around!” 

Kien waved and watched her go before turning on his heel to head to the Quicksand to meet with his friends and soon after they all returned to the Waking Sands, Kien mildly surprised to see N'noah sitting at one of the tables with Arenvald and his friends. She looked up, her expression mirroring Kien's before a smile broke out. "So that's why I could trust you!"

"You two know each other?" Arenvald asked and they nodded. "We met by chance today! He helped me escape here actually." She gestured to the empty seats at the table. "If you've got the time, I owe you a story!"

[little-purple-thundercloud]

Small pages, 13s, 1 AM

I wonder sometimes what other Wizards and Dear Friends think of the chatter on our linkshell. This eve, the Monk, the Priestess, and I took a moment to discuss some of the more traditional foods we eat -- eyes, brains, sweetbreads, liver, and the like. For me, these are remembrances of the better parts of my childhood, the feasts, the closing of the year, the opening of the seasons, and so on. These celebrations of my tribe were some of the few times I felt truly part of that grand family, and so the delicacies served then are a tie to those times. The Monk comes from poverty of a different sort -- while we had little gil to speak of, food was never lacking as Llymlaen provided -- and so he came to appreciate such foods. The Priestess has ties to the xaela and the Steppes, and I suspect her feelings are similar to mine. But others? I wonder if some took out their linkpearls the moment I described the pop of an eye when one bites down upon it. , Y.

[yentotajaan]

Repercussions II: Wasp’s Nest

Yen’to wandered up to the library with a sense of foreboding. The reason for the meeting was unclear, but with Khan anything was possible. As he entered the library proper, he spied Strega and Khan already present. Damn... thought I would have some moments of peace to prepare for the drunken rambling that is sure to ensue. They engaged in a bit of small talk as they waited, much to Yen’to’s annoyance, but it was not long before the others who saw the posting started filtering in. Annoyance shifted rapidly to surprise at the steadily increasing number of attendees: Alyona, Alaric, Kouronne, Silf, Luka, Ghost, Lalatua, and Ramius. A mixture of new and old employees.... but Alaric does not even work for Lady Faye, does he? How did Khan rope him in? 

The lingering questions were soon cleared up -  Ramius indicated that he was the one that called the meeting rather than Khan. Oh good... maybe this time the briefing will actually be coherent. A strange screen popped out of a device on Ramius’ back, some sort of video feed from one of his drones that apparently captured sight of a suspicious person frequently loitering in the hills around the Shroudrose. Ramius wanted everyone to go out and attempt to find, capture, and interrogate the suspicious target. There were transmissions that potentially linked him to Garleans. I would say this sounds easy enough, but every time I have said that the complete opposite was true. Nothing involving Khan is every that simple.

As they began leaving the Shroudrose grounds, it was not long before Ramius spotted someone suspicious on a path up a nearby hill, leaning against a tree. At his suggestion, they split up to approach from different directions and hopefully catch the person in a pincer. Yen’to took about half of the group while Ramius took the remainder, and upon his signal they approached a visibly panicking miqo’te. He could not be more suspicious even if he was trying...

The unlucky miqo’te was sweating and fidgety, and cracked under pressure almost immediately. As he was not so gently prodded for answers, some in the group began remarking that they smelled smoke. That is odd... did something spark out in the forest? It is not storming, though. The sounds of bells clanging and shouts from Wood Wailers began filtering in from the south, where smoke was streaming into the sky. What in the... that looks like houses are on fire! Before anyone could figure out exactly what was happening, the twang of bows being drawn nearby forced everyone to take cover. Arrows loosed found their target easily - the poor panicking miqo’te spy. Strega and Alyona attempted to keep him alive while Yen’to and Kouronne returned fire with their gun and bow.  Their targets were dressed like Wood Wailers, complete with wooden masks. Oh no... saboteurs?!

The two saboteurs went down quickly, a bit too dead to question. Ramius began picking up strands of chatter from the wounded spy’s linkshell, prompting him to scan for aether currents with his goggles. I swear, that man has a gadget for every occasion. The linkshell chatter made it clear that they were dealing with Garlean infiltrators. Yen’to barely had time to absorb this information before Ramius pointed them north. The band cautiously made their way forward before pausing at a bend in the path.

Half a dozen arrows whizzed by, forcing everyone to press up against the hill just before the bend in the path. Yen’to, Ramius, and Kourunne ran out to fire back at the archers, easily cutting the ambush short. Or so they thought. A shout came from the bushes nearby to “cut down the savages”, and more ‘wood wailers’ leapt out, flanking the party and trapping them in the middle of the path - lancers in the rear and more archers in the front. Damn it -- with the actual guards distracted by those fires we are on our own!

The fighting was brief but brutal. Yen’to yelped as an arrow embedded itself into his leg above the knee, avoiding the armored greaves he hoped would have protected him. Buckling down, he managed to level his rifle and return fire, felling his attacker. Most of the others managed far better, and the Garleans soon came to realize that underestimating tea house employees was a surprisingly bad idea. Lalatua used both fire and ice magic to great and terrifying effect, while Luka ended up burning and melting one of the wooden masks into a hapless soldier’s face. 

The other Garleans fell one by one, but they managed to also injure Alyona before being defeated. Most of the ambushers were dead, but a few laid wounded and moaning. As with the spy, Alyona called Khan over the linkshell to gather the wounded Garleans. Hmph, I say let them bleed out... but the dead do not give up secrets. Once again, Ramius utilized his goggles to pick up the trail and the group rushed in the direction of the ferry docks. Or all but Yen’to rushed, who could only do a hurried limp at this point.

As they approached the docks, they could see the Garleans’ sloop shrinking in the distance as it sped away. There was only one remaining boat at the docks,  with a goblin skipper drinking away the day nearby. He seemed wary at first of the anxious group, but a bag full of gil changed his tune. He promptly called over his own linkpearl to Khan that he was taking a break and that Khan could go fook himself. Oh gods -- this is Khan’s ship?!

The little sloop had seen better days, and seemed to be held together by little more than rusty nails, rotting boards, and pure hope. ... Do I also smell liqour? It had a black flag emblazoned with red glasses, reminiscent of the pair worn by Khan. A kobold on deck gave them a happy little wave and nonchalantly returned to swabbing the deck.  This... both makes complete sense and is utterly stupid. At the urging of Lalauta and Strega, Yen’to sat down to take the weight of his injured leg. Strega once again took the opportunity to stab him with a magitek medical device, despite their previous discussion about advance warnings. At the direction of Ramius, the others grabbed what they could to use as oars and employed aero magic in an attempt to catch up with their targets.

‘Their’ ship came within a few dozen yalms of the Garleans before a shout came from behind some rocks in the river, and another boat slipped out and sped in their direction. Seven hells, how many ambushes are we going to stumble into?! The party braced for impact, and the two boats soon collided and locked into place. Belting out war cries, the Garlean boarding party swarmed onto Khan’s floating coffin.

Yen’to had managed to stand by this point, and upon seeing a saber swinging his way he managed to block it with his armored gauntlet, then returned the favor by slamming the butt of his rifle into the man’s head like a club. Alaric had ripped off one of the boards from the deck to use as a makeshift weapon; a vhan below deck looked up through the hole and simply returned to whatever it was doing.  Uh... I hope that bit was not important. Ramius finished off the remaining Garleans with his quick-firing pistol, and managed to free the boats by cutting entangled ropes. 

Upon arriving at shore, they were met with a scene of carnage. Dockworkers and a few Wood Wailers were crumbled on the ground, seriously wounded but not yet dead.  A jumble of tracks led deeper into the woods. Alyona once again used the linkshell to inform Khan that there were wounded that needed tending, but his response was a complaint that it would take a while because someone had stolen his boat. ... Oops? Well, that is what he gets for being sloppy! One of the injured workers confirmed where the Garleans fled, and the group was soon hot on their heels.

The party caught up to the remaining Garleans soon enough, who were busy at work doing something near a patch of trees. They did not have long to observe the enemy before being spotted, and a Garlean officer called for his troops to form up. They did so with alarming speed and precision, and soon let loose a fusillade of bullets from their gunblades. Thankfully, their aim was not as precise as their formation but a few in Ramius’ group were still hit. Damn it... if I die here I am killing Khan!

The gloves were off now, and no mercy was to be given. Yen’to finally activated his machinist aetherotransformer and spewed a gout of flame from the end of his rifle towards an unfortunate clump of Garleans. The others did not hold back either, letting loose with their fiercest techniques to utterly obliterate their targets in a storm of explosions and fire. I almost feel sorry for the bastards.... almost. As the smoke cleared, it was made apparent what the Garleans had been concerned with - a secret door leading underground. 

Cautiously, the group made their way into the underground store room. It was unlit and barely any light made its way inside. Yen’to’s moon-keeper eyes quickly adjsuted to the darkness, but few of the others were so lucky. Lalatua used some aether to light up her staff, and what it revealed gave everyone pause.

There were numerous desks and cabinets filled with papers, and posters and flyers covered the walls alongside maps. Almost in a stupor, they fanned out to dig through the papers to figure out exactly what they were dealing with. It was worse than suspected. On the largest desk, there was a stack of flyers with names and brief descriptions, many from previous missions with Khan:

Faye Covington, Silf Silverwood, Mocking Bird, Yen’to Tajaan, Elyn Merielle, Mako, Strega, Deccan, Ramius Raske, Khuron Khan.

By the Twelve.... these are signed by tribunus Lucian. He knows so much! How?! Aside from Lucian’s signature, there were directives commenting on multiple phases and local assets. Some of the other posters had vaguely familiar sketches, but were lacking descriptions. Sensing time was of the essence, everyone gathered whatever they could carry and made haste back to the Shroudrose to disseminate the information later and lick their wounds.

All this from one little information gathering mission that went sideways almost a moon ago. If the Garleans do not kill us, Lady Faye just might.

https://yentotajaan.tumblr.com/post/635629242574602240/repercussions

@tough-bit-of-fluff​

@ramius-xiv​

@fair-fae​

@eorzeanharmony​

[whitherliliesbloom]

all that glitters

[ ffxivwrite2021 ] ★ [ masterlist ] ★ [ prompt #26 (free) - heartfelt ]

[ alphinaud/illya ] ★ [ 2,105 words ]  ★ [ genshin impact au ]

one of several genshin impact aus i have where the scions of the seventh dawn are an international organization that recruits members from all around teyvat. mentions some canon genshin impact characters.

heartfelt - strongly felt sentiment and sincerity

on the first full moon of the lunar new year, liya has only a single selfish wish as she gazes up into the sea of lights.

Fontaine has ever been like a second home to Alphinaud - aside from the isle of Old Sharlayan and the nation of wisdom that was the endless fields of grassland in Sumeru. Whenever he looked out into the distant horizon where the vast blue of the ocean met the deep unknown that was the sky above and took a deep breath in to smell the salty undertones of the sea breeze intermingle with fresh silk and irises, he took comforting in knowing that he isn’t too far away from home - from the place where he grew up and spent his childhood in.

The same could not be said for his partner, who has opted to spend their rare free time during the evening sitting by the window sill of their inn room, head turned skyward as her eyes are fixed upon the sea of glittering lights and the full moon above, partially obscured by overhead clouds but not enough to hide it’s radiance. 

And as the anemo breeze blew in through the open window and carried her silken white hair into the air like a fluttering veil, the iridescent moon rays catching upon her head like an angelic halo, Alphinaud could only frown at the aura of melancholy and longing that practically oozed out of the girl’s beautiful, yet lonely visage as she sat counting stars in silence.

In her hands she held a single glaze lily, the glistening blue petals swaying lightly in the breeze as if in a tranquil dance. And though Illya has never been one to enjoy opening up her innermost feelings to the people around her, it doesn’t take the archons to know that the girl was thinking of home.

Alphinaud admittedly knows very little about Liyue’s customs and traditions - or, to his own shame, about the girl he’s often partnered together with as a travel companion who hailed from said harbor of stone and fortune. He’s tried multiple times in the past to educate himself, but in between being held up with errands after errands in the headquarters of the Scions in Mondstadt and taking lengthy, time-consuming and exhausting trips to the other nations of Teyvat for intelligence collection has left him with little to no free time as it is.

There was never much of a need for frequent visits to Liyue anyway, aside from it being the most convenient port to use to travel to and from other nation states... and of course, Fatui activity that frequently needed monitoring - but really what nation wasn’t being plagued by the Fatui? 

Liyue was self-governing, independent, the crown jewel of wealth and prosperity in all of Teyvat. There was very little that needed solving in Liyue, in comparison to the still ongoing, harsh Doctrine of the Vision Hunt decree still ongoing in Inazuma or the endlessly burning mountainous plains of fire that was Natlan.

And so he’s only ever had a handful of extended stays in the city of contracts, had little to no time at all to get to know the inhabitants of the nation, let alone befriend the people who were supposedly close with Illya - such as the little zombie girl who worked at Bubu pharmacy or the daughter of the Wanmin Restaurant owner, Xiangling. 

Save for one, however, an unlikely visitor who saw the two of them off only a week ago as they boarded a ship from Liyue’s port to Fontaine - a man of golden eyes and a sturdy built that perfectly encompasses the strength and resilience of geo and stone. 

The scions know him to be the geo archon, rex lapis or morax... but to the rest of the world, he is but a humble civilian named Zhongli. 

He’d bid the pair safe travels, and asked the girl in particular if she would return home in time for the Lantern Rite festival, which is only met by a saddened frown and a lengthy silence from her in return, which prompted the man to quickly apologize before turning to leave. 

Had it not been for Zhongli’s offhanded, innocent question, Alphinaud perhaps would have gone the entire trip not knowing what was causing Illya to feel so particularly moody - or worse, be completely ignorant to her state of mind in the first place.

He has heard of the Lantern Rite Festival and the brief summary of what it meant to Liyue and it’s inhabitants, but he knows not what it meant to Illya as a person or just how deeply the festival was sentimental to her - only that she refuses to speak of it and she’s rarely had the chance to participate ever since she became a member of the Scions. 

But he’s determined this time - if not to get the young woman who has closed off her heart for so long to open but, then to at least fill the void within her even just a little. If he could not bring her home to see the sea of lights and wishes, then he will bring just a tiny sliver of the stars here in Fontaine to her instead.

After days of procuring information from an array of sources that he needed - from linkshell calls back to Tataru pleading her to gather intelligence within Liyue, to secret trips past bedtime to consult tomes within libraries, he’s finally gathered all that he needed within a single big paper bag that he pulls out from the security of the inn cabinet, and carefully moves over to the window sill and lets out a soft hum so as to not startle the young woman.

“Illya..?” He calls her name, and when she fails to hear and respond, he opts to be bolder. 

“Liya.” He calls her by her Liyuen name, her birth name. A name that he knows reminds her of family and home, and the response is immediate.

Her shoulders stiffen, and she turns her head back to look up at the boy with widened, lavender violet eyes that twinkle as the stars do in the night, sheepishly tucking stray strands of her hair and her braid behind her short pointed ears.

“O-Oh... I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.” she apologizes, bowing her head frantically until Alphinaud shakes his head and grabs the bedside chair over, dragging it next to the window sill and sitting himself beside her.

“It’s alright. You were quite lost in thought.” the boy reassures, and the girl visibly relaxes, tucking the glaze lily in her hand closer to her chest.

“D-did... did you need something from me?”

The smile upon his face is gentle, apologetic as he opens the paper bag on his lap, and pulls out a set of paper meshes, wooden sticks and wicks that instantly sends Illya’s eyelids flying upwards in surprise and knowing. 

“I know we’re not in Liyue... and by the time we return, the festival would be over but... I hoped to give you some way to participate even if you are not home. I’m aware that the materials aren’t exactly the same as the ones used in traditional xiao lanterns... and I could not even get my hands on a single plaustrite shard since we’re in Fontaine.. but-”

He jolts when he feels a warmth brush against his hand, looking down to see Illya’s hands gently clasping over his own, before taking a piece of wick and holding it up, inspecting it with an unreadable, troubled expression.

And yet her eyes glisten, she blinks back moisture from falling, quickly shaking her head to stop him from saying anymore before forcing a touched, sincere smile upon her face.

“Alphinaud... thank you.. That means a lot to me.”

A smile of relief graces his features, his navy blue eyes softening as he sets the emptied paper bag down beside him on the ground.

“Could you show me how to make a Xiao lantern? I’ve done my research on the basics, but I’m afraid it won’t compare to first hand experience.”

The night trickles by, minutes to hours passing them by slowly as they took their time and focused on the craft between their fingers, allowing the silence to fade into soft, idle chatter that soon broke out into melodic giggling from the girl as she recounts tales of home. 

She spoke of folklore, she spoke of cuisine, she spoke of even the very geography of the land she called home - her love for that place dripping palpably from ever word she spoke, and every light brush upon the petals of the glaze lily that rested upon her lap. 

And by the time they’ve finished their pair of lanterns, Alphinaud could only frown lightly at the result, the shoddy, basic materials that he had gathered not allowing for the intricate, detailed craftsmanship that was standard of real xiao lantern. Illya herself confirmed that a xiao lantern from Liyue was about ten times more beautiful.. and yet she gazed down at the ones in their hands with nothing but pure adoration swirling in her gentle eyes that would have nearly stolen Alphinaud’s breath away.

“We have to write our wishes on it now.” Illya states, as she is quick to uncap the marker in her hand before handing it to Alphinaud. “After we do that, the lantern will be complete and then we can release it into the sky.”

“That’s quite a unique tradition.” The boy states with a blink, taking the marker and staring blankly down at his lantern. “Is there a reason for that?”

“They say when you release your wishes written on a xiao lantern into the sky, the adepti will hear it and will make it come true.” Her response is soft, barely louder than a whisper as her gaze is stolen back by the starry night sky bathed in an unfamiliar blue hue that is a far cry from the warm golden glow of a sea of lights drifting into the wind... but not an unwelcomed sight, especially not with Alphinaud beside her. “It’s also a good way to honor the fallen - to remember the heroes who came before us and fought to make our dreams come true.”

Alphinaud knows not what the first full moon of the Lunar new year means to Illya on a personal level - only that it was near and dear to the very depths of her deep, painfully large and giving heart... and that more than anything else, he wished that she of all people would have all of her wishes come true. She deserves it more than anyone else in the world.

He knows what he wants to write on his lantern now, and quickly scribbles the words down upon the paper mesh before handing the marker over to Illya, who equally without hesitation writes down her wish onto her lantern.

“On the count of three, we’ll release it together, okay?” The girl turns to look at him, her hands gently clasped under her lantern as he does the same with his own, nodding in response with a gentle smile.

“Three... two... one.” 

In an endlessly dark sky with endlessly bright stars that shined like glitters above their heads, two flickering lanterns begin to drift through the wind and into the sky, carrying the heartfelt wishes of two likeminded souls into the air. They glow like gold, warm and radiant against the blue backdrop, and Illya pictures the sound of fireworks bursting in her ear. 

She can almost hear and smell it - smell the gunpowder, the freshly cooked Chopsuey and hear voices of her people echoing their awe into the night. And in her imagination, a large Mingxiao lantern gallops into the air, wild, pure and free as it led the sea of stars further and further towards Celestia. 

But even with the silence and the scent of Iris and seawater permeating through the air, the atmosphere is nothing short of sweet and beautiful - just like it always is at home with her family. 

“When we’re this far from Liyue.. I wonder if the adepti will hear our wishes.” Illya asks offhandedly, and she feels the warmth of Alphinaud’s hand fall gently upon her shoulders that she leans into.

“I’m certain they will.”

They spend the next several long moments just staring into the distant sky as their lanterns begin to drift out of sight, their respective wishes carved deep into their hearts and into the heavens long after the full moon has set and a new dawn arrives.

[ I wish Alphinaud eternal happiness ] [ I wish Illya eternal happiness ]

[vexredain]

Gasp

Prompt 6: Extra-Credit/Make-Up Day

In the air like a bird with a broken wing, falling, failing, an Aurora-class airship erupted into flame. The metal vessel streamed death, ceruleum, and smoke as it began its final flight, careening into an awaiting grave. For as powerful as the Garleans may be, Eorzea stood defiant. Though at the brink, their lines stretched, their forces wearing thin, each moment that passed without Garlean victory was a victory to Eorzea all to its own. And with those passing moments, the overeager Captain of the Blackjackets relished the chance of glory, no shortage to be found here, at Ghimlyt Dark. 

Once again, the cannons fired. Massive engines of war devised in some deep, secret Resistance base, no doubt each shot was filled with the spite of the conquered, the spirit of liberty tearing each warmachina into a storm of blood, metal, and dead ambition. Alliance personnel milled around the cannons like ants, bringing forth ammunition for the next thunderous barrage, Lominsan and Mhigan gunnery sergeants bellowing orders. It was not so one-sided, however. Every so often, Garlean troops would cross the nearby rise, subjecting the crews to withering fire from both their own arms, and those of the supporting Reapers. 

The cannons fired. None of the ships, low in the air due to the ferocious aetheric storms, fell from their air on this occasion. Though a flight of Griffins bore down too close to the Garleans, a hail of flak spewed from zealous magitek towers. Losses were severe, if the incessant chatter over the command linkshells were an indication, their predicament grew dire - the Legatus-Prince had taken the field.

Yet more Imperials crested the ridge, and that, was what the privateers of the Black Sails were here for. Efficient shock troops in their own right, for now held in reserve on the orders of Alliance Command; a weapon to be wielded at the right moment, at the turn of the tide. Her own crew intermingled with that of the other ships in their division. Lominsan riflemen, each clad in red armor akin to the carapace their captain wore over her ever-present coat, traded gunfire with yet another stray Garlean squad, taking refuge in the bones of one of their once-great vessels. Conscripts were easy targets. They took too long to aim, too long to fire, and broke without their Pureblood handlers, their loyalty as dubious as the training rendered unto them by their masters. They gathered, mustering their number, pushing forward toward the battery. Barking an order, cutlass swung around her head, the pirates followed the lead of their captain. The first rank raking the ill-prepared Garleans with shot, the next rank followed suit. Within a few rounds of the Eorzean action, their enemy never made it close. Here, at the back of the line, they could at least promise the Alliance time, precious, precious time. 

The cannons fired. Thunder, smoke, and ruin heralded by the tell-tale crumpling crash of yet another airship. The first laboured gasp of a dying Empire was taken here, without it yet to realise. 

[placesyoucallhome]

I need some linkshells I think, rp mostly, crafting and housing too though, I just need chatter.

Though, if I do put in my two weeks, (and it looks likely, even murdercatte and their mom are going ‘please quit’), then I might actually double down on getting the fc in a working and actively recruiting state.

[sootcloak]

Here’s a Health to the Company

January Prompt 2021 - Tea

~1800 words of set dressing, friendly bickering, and light conversation. Good intentions and good fortune abound, for once. Features Lyse heavily, and Raubahn to a lesser extent. Spoilers for Stormblood’s post-patch cycle.

@seaswolchallenge

“It’s been ages. You have to swing by!” Lyse’s voice carries through the camp. She rests her hips on the map table, a Resistance officer behind her trying to work around the fine, lacey tassels of her dress. On hand is glued to her ear, the linkshell in it abuzz with occasional, painful bursts of static.

    “Kzzch - both busy. Besides, what would we do. Gossip about lovers?” Vavara’s voice, blending with the static and buzz, rings over the shell. It emerges from the interference like the shadow of a shark breaking the surface with it’s fin. The sarcasm is palpable despite the humming static.

    “Oh come on - there’s this tea I’ve been making that I was dying to share with you.” Her voice gets quieter as one of her officers shoots her a glare. She takes a deep sigh as she tries to listen through the buzz.

    “I haven’t had a drink like that in a long time - can’t taste it anymore. Thought you knew that?” It isn’t an accusatory question, just confused.

    “I do, I do - but trust me; This one’s worth having, especially for you.” Lyse says. 

    “I don’t know - my mark is-” There’s a dogged tone in her voice, tired and worn down.

    “You said it yourself a few days ago, he’s gone to ground, right?” She leans on the last word, stretching it a few moments longer.

    “Yes, he has. But that doesn’t mean I can traipse off to take a vacation.” Vavara’s voice reluctantly returns, slow and deliberate.

    “Just leave someone else to keep an eye out, and have them ring you if he moves. It isn’t hard, Vara. Just delegate some. You’re not the only one with keen eyes and sharp ears, you know.” She keeps her tone peppy while maintaining a low volume.

    “...” The other end isn’t totally silent, a quiet grumble barely cutting over the white noise. Lyse’d heard breezes with more bluster.

    “Oh, come on. You never take time for yourself!” She exclaims.

    “I read.” Vavara says halfheartedly.

    “What, instruction and repair manuals?” Lyse jests.

    “I… Well, it’s…” Vavara’s voice, stammering and stunned, betrays a kind of shock and surprise. 

    “Wait - no, seriously? Your response to being told you need to relax is to look at all the technical manuals you’ve sifted through? No, we’re taking some time. That’s final.” She says. She crosses her free arm across her chest.

    “Just you and I? Not in public?”

    “Ah, yeah my place. Raubahn might step in for a moment, but probably not long. That a problem?”

    “No, no. It’s fine. Send me the details, I’ll show.”

    “Wonderful!”

--

    Lyse’s nose wrinkles at the stench of the pot in front of her. She nods sullenly to herself, then closes the lid. Carrying it as one would an explosive, she brings it to a small table besides the hearth in her small, streetside home. The bustle of Ala Mhigo’s streets is audible outdoors.

    The dusty light streaking into the building from the windows casts an orange-red glow throughout the sandstone rooms. Rugs are cast across the sparse floor - overlapping in many places. Hanging over the hearth is an old turban and mask, a pair of heavy metal knuckles flanking the cloth and brass.

    The first knock on the door is soft and subtle. A soft tapping which could be confused for the building settling. 

    The second, which follows almost immediately afterwards, is a pair of heavy bangs akin to the buckling of shields and splintering of wood. She can hear the metal of her hinges strain.

    “Jeez - yeah, yeah! I heard you!” She sets the pot down alongside the cups and saucers. When she reaches the door and swings it wide, the grinning face of Raubahn looms overhead. In his shadow below by his knees is a scowling woman of deathly pale skin and hair the color of gravel and sand. She glances up over her shoulder at Raubahn. As her gaze flits back to Lyze, she speaks.

    “Ran into each other on the way. I asked him to be quiet, lest I draw unwanted attention. Ex-Imperials aren’t historically wanted here.” Her voice in person is always a little jarring. There’s a metallic bent to it, like she was still speaking through a linkshell. And it’s soft - quiet as a breeze but with none of the gentleness.

    “It’s been a long time. You look well.” She continues. One of Raubahn’s hands drops to her shoulder giving her a strong shake.

    “Nevermind that - you haven’t been in the city since we got it out of the Empire’s hands. Things have cooled off since then.” He glances up from her, “May we come in?” His voice is loud, but not {a word for obtrusive & rude}

    “Oh! Yes, sorry.” Lyse stands aside, and the duo quickly cross the threshold. Vavara moves to close the door. Raubahn reaches over and throws it shut. “Food’s almost done, go ahead and sit down.”

    As she darts back over to the kitchen, Vavara puts a few feet between herself and the General. She shoots him a side-eyed glare.

    “Did you have to make a scene?” She says, voice a quiet hiss.

    “Better than making others believe we’ve something to hide.” He moves to the table, pulling a chair out and taking his seat with a relieved groan.

    “Don’t we?”

    “Maybe in your eyes. But any doubt which could have been shed on you has long been proven false. At least in my eyes. Shouldn’t have to hide in the city in which you grew up.”

    “It is not that simple.” Vavara stalks over to the window, drawing the curtains closed.

    “I know. Forgive my bluster and noise, then. I had hoped it would reassure, not invoke anxiety.”

    “Forget it.” She steps lightly to her chair, hopping up onto it and slinging her spear and rifle onto it’s back in one fluid motion.

    Lyse emerges with a small basket of steaming bread, sliding it onto the table before pouring a cup in front of each seat. Her face beams. A smile like sunlight in the dim room.

    “How’s Tahve’ir?” Lyse says as she plops down into her seat. Vavara’s eyes snap to hers, a look of surprise on her face.

    “He’s working. He’s struggling to keep up, too much to do and too little time to properly rest. It takes a long time to adjust. I remember that.”

    “Good lad. Registered with the Flames, ‘fore I left. Never pegged him as the sort to run out of energy on the job, though.”

    “Yeah, last I saw him at the Stones he was practically buzzing with energy. Thought he’d be able to keep up.”

    “He did. Still is, despite his exhaustion. But he needs to sleep. I don’t. He’s learning the tricks to keeping himself standing, though.” She takes measure of the expressions of the other two, then continues, “Before you ask - he’s currently fine. An old colleague is watching after him, she’ll keep him safe and give him time to recuperate when necessary.”

    “Always best to have someone watch your back.” Raubahn nods.

    “Yeah, Papalymo was that for me - reminding me to take time for myself. Rest. Eat. Sleep. All that.” She speaks with a melancholic nostalgia, then perks up for a moment, “Oh, right! The tea. One of his old favorites. It tastes awful, but the texture was always really pleasant and I remember that you can still feel temperatures.” She takes the cup in front of her in one hand and sips quickly. Her face wrinkles and she grimaces.

    “Yeah, yeah that’s awful.” She confirms.

    “Can’t be that bad.” Raubahn’s eyes widen as he takes a hearty draught. He has to fight to not spit the dark tea out. After a forceful gulp he chokes out a question, “Seven hells, what is that?!”

    “Some old Sharlayan tea he used to keep his Aether refreshed.” Lyse explains. “Papalymo always brewed it when he woke up.”

    Vavara holds the cup in both hands. The clay is hot, a pleasant stinging in her right hand seeping through the leather of her gauntlets. Emerald eyes regard it for a moment, and then with a gentle, cautious motion she takes a drink.

    It’s thick, almost syrupy. The heat is stinging. Her senses of taste and scent are mostly ruined, but there’s a bitterness to it that even she can feel. But the warmth is pleasant. Glowing. She pauses, and then takes another small sip.

    “Thought it would suit you.” Lyse says, a hint of pride in her voice. “I found it in some of his old notes, and I knew I just had to try it. It was awful!” She sets her own cup back down in its saucer. Makes a tiny clink.

    “Then why-” Raubahn coughs into a handkerchief. “Why put us through that, if you already knew?!” He clears his throat, and reaches for one of the pieces of fresh-baked bread.

    “Like I said - it suits her.” She jerks a thumb at Vavara, “Papalymo actually liked the flavor, but mostly drank it because it helped stabilize his aether for spellcasting. Vara’s not going to be slinging spells like that around, but it’s still-”

    “I like it.” She interrupts Lyse. Eyes on the slowly draining cup between her hands. The ghost of bitter roots lingers in her mouth. Her words are barely audible. There’s a profound emotion at the edge of her mind - something akin to longing. A memory given the faintest of forms.

    She can almost, almost, taste it.

    Lyse’s smile is like a sunbeam. She grabs her own cup in a firm grip and hoists it towards the rafters.

    “Then to your health!” She throws the cup back and downs the whole thing in one, awful, sloppy gulp. The hot tea dribbles down her neck, and as she comes away from the cup she smears at it with her free arm. “Ugggghhhh, I hate it!” She shivers with her whole body. Raubahn’s laughter feels like it shakes the stones beneath them. Both glance over to Vavara, who’s not broken her gaze on her own cup, as though unsure if it would be taken out from under her if she looked away. She takes small, long sips. Her eyes eventually, with painstaking slowness, close. An expression of uncertain contentment falls over her in settling shades.

    Lyse shoots a genuine smile over at Raubahn, and the two fill the room with chatter. White noise and pleasant conversation. An atmosphere of warmth. For her part, Vavara is satisfied to just sit there and soak in the small sensations - the phantom of warmth in the room, the ghost of bitterness in the drink, the way her aether hums and simmers rather than roaring aloud and boiling within her breast.

    In the way that for once, she feels both at ease and alive.

[spotofmummery]

Do random messages out of the blue upset you at all?

I don’t get upset by messages, but I do have preferences. 

I’m not much of a real-time chatter, so I tend to keep things like DMs turned off on social media sites. I also get a bit overwhelmed in Discord channels, linkshells and anywhere there’s scrolling text (big RP events). I’ve tried, but failed at these communication methods - sorry. :( 

When it comes to Tumblr, I much prefer Asks, and am usually delighted to get one! 

Also, if you catch me in game, I don’t mind messages there. Just know sometimes I’m AFK and might not get back to you for a bit! 

-Send an Anxious Munday Ask!-

[wanderer-of-light]

For the ask game: G'raha, Unei, and/or Doga?

G'raha Tia: A very good friend!!! When Vastha first met Raha, they kind of became friends rather fast. It actually started out as a joke with some of my friends that Vastha and G'raha were nap buddies, but I ended up making that canon because I thought they would both totally do that together; particularly when waiting for answers during the Crystal Tower quest chain. They still do now, when they are around one another! Vastha will nap on just about anyone, but I think one of his favorite people would be G'raha.

Unei and Doga: Vastha was much less cautious about people then (not that he's very paranoid or anything now) and didn't even think to question them in the slightest about all their stuff and why they were there even though it was PRETTY SUSPICIOUS. He does feel a little sad about how things turned out, even if he couldn't have done anything or think of any other way things could have panned out and accomplished the same results.

[hellsbovnd-archive]

LF RP — Rosemund Blackthorne

Rosemund Blackthorne, born Rosemund de Valieroix, is an Ishgardian Elezen of 34 summers. The head of a house regarded as low nobility, Rosemund quickly plunged his house into debt. Rumors circulated about the family after Rosemund's father was tried for heresy by being thrown from Witchdrop, and in an effort to maintain the House Valieroix's outward social status, he tried to appeal to his peers with lavish gifts, which of course they accepted without giving him what he sought in return. 

While the House's good name was cleared along with his father's post-mortem, Rosemund's faith in the church never recovered. Resolving that he could not stand by and watch a broken system prosper, Rosemund took up the sword of the Dark Knight in secret. Since then, he's wielded it to defend those who have no means to defend themselves—namely once-accused heretics and those of low social status, who despite Ishgard's various reforms, still face no shortage of discrimination from above.

IN CHARACTER

Profession(s): Lesser Noble—As Rosemund is a lesser noble, head of House Valieroix (an honestly, quite pathetically small house that pledges its allegiance to the Haillenarte), he doesn’t really need to work. But he might be able to find a job for you, even if money is tight right now. Dark Knight—Fashioning himself a defender of the persecuted, he pays special attention to those accused of heresy. Now that the truth behind the Dragonsong War has been revealed, he does not believe that heretics deserve to suffer any more than they already have within Ishgard’s walls.   

Alignment: Chaotic Good. Loyal to the Eorzean Alliance. Dubiously loyal to the Holy See.

Professional Talents: Nobility—Rosemund’s upbringing afforded him many luxuries that others may not have been able to afford, such as schooling via a tutor. He also was trained in swordplay (including fencing) and chocobo-riding. But now, he uses a Zweihander exclusively. 

Current Residence: Private manor in The Pillars.

Likely Haunts: Ishgard and Coerthas—The Pillars, especially the Jeweled Crozier. Avoids the cathedral. Tailfeather—A man of surprisingly simple pleasures, Rosemund occasionally retreats to Tailfeather for “time to think” and has considered packing up and moving out there more than once. Eorzea at large—He doesn’t have many obligations and the continuing failure of the Blackthorne house after his father’s untimely death is something he can only barely bare to face. Have Zweihander and some okayish wine, will travel.

Hobbies: Wine sommelier, or so he claims. He’ll drink anything, but has a deep appreciation for fine wines, especially Ishgardian vintages. Botany—He honestly kind of has a black thumb and can barely take care of house plants, but he likes to keep them around and occasionally presses leaves and flowers to affix in journals later. 

MORE INFORMATION: Full Bio WIP | Tag

OUT OF CHARACTER

Hi there! I’m Crow/Mid and I use they/them pronouns! I’m generally most active during NA Evenings and Late Nights. I play on Balmung, but I’m open to RP connections from across the Crystal datacenter.

You can find detailed information about my hopes and expectations for RP on my dossier, here. The quick and dirty version:

OOC Communication > All

I am a med/heavy lore-strict RPer. I prefer medium-to-low power levels in RP and character- and plot-driven scenes. I won’t RP with any player under the age of 18 but as long as you’re not making it weird/creepy, I don’t have a problem with underage characters.

I run an FC and an LS, so I can be pretty busy OOC because I have to run a lot of stuff related to that.

I do not RP on Discord, but I have always been smitten with Tumblr RP as a longform format, so if in-game RP is impossible for some reason, I’m happy to write starters.

In terms of things I’m looking for:

Casual acquaintances and friends!

Enemies, especially Temple Knights (since being a Dark Knight is probably not the most law-abiding profession...)

Ishgardians!! I love me a good political story, and the ins and outs of high society in Ishgard is <chef’s kiss>

Long-term plot-focused RP connections!

Recommendations for events to attend? (And company to drag me along since I hate flying solo.)

Discord and Linkshell communities!

DETAILED RP HOOKS UNDER THE CUT!

Thanks for reading! If you’re interested in playing with me then please feel free to send me a message or make a note of it in the tags or comments on this post. My Discord is available for OOC arrangements and chatter upon request! If I’m slow please bear with me; I have a habit of getting absolutely swamped with stuff at more or less complete random, and my energy levels vary wildly from day to day and week to week.

tagging for visibility: @balmungrp @mooglemeet @ffxiv-crystal-rp @crystalxivrp @ffxiv-balmung-rp

RP HOOKS

1. House Valieroix

Rosemund refuses to use his surname, instead keeping the epithet Blackthorne from while his house was under suspicions of heresy. Many regard this as a symbolic gesture, but others regard it as silly and perhaps even a little immature. It’s difficult for a conversation about Rosemund to happen in any social circle without bringing up this quirk of his, though thus far his peers prefer to watch the rumor mill turn than ask him about it to his face. To be fair, if he were to dispel the mystery, that would probably be a lot less fun.

House Valieroix was never a terribly important house, though it aligned itself with House Haillenarte for political purposes, and generally did not get along well with associates of House Dzemael. Rosemund has speculated for a while that the “zealots” or more conservative members or associates of House Dzemael may have been behind his father’s charges of heresy, but he has no evidence to back up this claim. 

House Valieroix is also in deep debt because of Rosemund’s poor financial skills, and it’s likely that they will be bankrupted soon without intervention.

2. Chocobos

While not the biggest fan of chocobos there ever was, House Valieroix owned a few prized birds that Rosemund loved dearly when he was younger. Unfortunately, in recent years he’s had to sell off a number of the house’s possessions in order to pay down debts and hold onto properties that have been in the family for generations. Including the birds. The decision broke his heart and he misses them dearly.

In general, Rosemund is also a fan of chocobos. He just thinks they’re neat. And before the eternal winter fell over Coerthas, he’d occasionally play polo with his cousins and family friends in the Coerthan lowlands.

3. The Road to Hell

As a Dark Knight, Rosemund takes it upon himself to protect those who lack the means to protect themselves—including accused heretics. While the end of the Dragonsong War and the revelation of the truth behind it effectively decriminalized heresy, that didn’t stop those accused from suffering social consequences, or from the powerful coming up with new reasons to persecute the accused...

In general, despite decidedly lacking the funds to do so, Rosemund is at his core a charitable soul, and occasionally takes in those who have no place to spend the night, especially during the winter moons. Those who have stayed the night generally leave with shining reviews of his hospitality and willingness to accommodate, though also note that many of the less-often rooms in the manor are caked with a visible layer of dust and remark that the food “needs work.”

[ebonguard]

EBONGUARD IS NOW RECRUITING!

They have changed banners and names ceaselessly over the years, each as inevitably fleeting as the last. No name is or was particularly memorable and what name was used to refer to the network as a whole, in the times of the Old Guard, was an easy way to tell what faction someone belonged to. Divided, united, the network once burgeoned and and thrived in the various sects of the Eorzean underworld. With no central authority and no one willing to step in to claim the mantle of ‘leader’—perhaps simply because more people liked having no central authority or rules that they had to obey—it allowed room for all sorts of people to gain access to the network.

Mob bosses. Murderers. And thieves.

EBONGUARD is a lore-compliant hybrid IC/OOC criminal network linkshell on Balmung. While oriented primarily toward morally-ambiguous lawbreakers, the linkshell is open for any interested parties to join—after all, picking up the telltale black linkpearls is a simple enough task in and of itself…

In addition to members, we are also seeking like-minded individuals and groups to collaborate with on the Crystal datacenter!

More in-depth information can be found below! If you have questions, please contact us via Tumblr here or any of the officers listed on our rules page!

⸺ Linkshell Lore | OOC Rules ⸺ Application | Contact Us An invitation to the Ebonguard Discord server is available upon request regardless of membership status! Collaborators are especially welcome. Please contact us for more information.

Please note that Ebonguard and associated ventures is not associated and does not condone real-life criminal activities. Activities engaged in or discussed by members of Ebonguard or associated ventures are strictly fictional and for entertainment purposes only.

tagging for visibility: @balmungrp @mooglemeet @ffxiv-balmung-rp @ffxiv-crystal-rp

WHAT DO YOU MEAN HYBRID LINKSHELL?

Ebonguard being a hybrid IC/OOC linkshell means basically: the linkshell is meant as an in-character means of communication and exists on an in-character level (as does the network itself), but OOC chatter is not only allowed but encouraged! 

While the linkshell has a Discord that all members are required to join in order to maintain membership in the in-game linkshell (as our Discord is where major announcements and the like are posted). having an OOC channel in-game is important for organizing and communicating with each other.

However, RP over the LS takes precedence over OOC chatter, so members are expected to be polite and respectful if there is a shift toward IC happenings in the channel.

WHAT IS EBONGUARD LOOKING FOR?

Ebonguard is a criminal network LS, but it’s open for characters of all persuasions and alignments to join due to the fact that, well, it’s an actual linkpearl from an in-character standpoint. As a result, there’s no real restrictions on the sorts of characters we’ll accept.

This doesn’t mean that every applicant will be accepted into the linkshell, though, since the linkshell itself tends more toward grounded characters with fantastical elements in the background, as opposed to characters who spend every night trying to take over the world or signing a new Void pact.

Due to the nature of the network, there’s no IC power structure, and so characters who fulfill any sort of role or archetype are welcome, from information brokers to honest thieves to sellswords and beyond. Good-aligned characters and vigilantes are also welcome!

WHAT KINDS OF EVENTS DOES THE LINKSHELL RUN?

Ebonguard has run story-driven events, criminal shenanigans such as heists and cons, and social events geared toward letting members of the network get to know each other. These events are typically restricted to linkshell members, but outside players are welcome along on a case-by-case basis, and we accept plot hooks from outside the linkshell!

The Cloak & Dagger is run by the leader of the linkshell and is intended to provide a hub for the linkshell members to use as they wish. It is located at The Goblet Ward 11 Plot 55 and is run on volunteer staff on a roughly-monthly basis on Sundays (as schedules allow). The venue is open for public use at all times regardless of membership status.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY COLLABORATION?

Ebonguard is open to working with any group (Free Company or linkshell) or individual so long as they have a similar tone and adherence to lore, regardless of theme! Ebonguard, being a criminal network, isn’t super organized IC, but that leads to interesting plot hooks and opportunities in and of itself. In particular, we’d be willing to play antagonists for groups looking to stop crime (with proper OOC communication of course), and we’d welcome with open arms any group that would like to be stolen from, etc!

Outside of antagonistic relationships, shadier criminal ventures such as trading companies with interests in the black market, morally gray mercenaries, and the like probably work best, but if you have an idea then we’re more than open to hearing it!

On an individual level, we also welcome clients looking for illegal goods or services.

The only restriction here is that you must be on a Crystal datacenter world: Balmung, Mateus, Coeurl, Diabolos, Brynhildr, Malboro, or Zalera.

If you would like to collaborate with Ebonguard, please contact @ebonguardls via our ask box (since this blog cannot receive Tumblr IMs) or @corvvii.

[accendieredsteele]

FFXIV RP Tip: Adjusting your chatboxes to make RP easier

I was RPing at the huge Prom event @crescent-ffxiv put on and one of my friends was having a bit of a problem keeping up. Mentioned it to them how I had my chat windows setup and they mentioned how they needed to try it out. That gave me the idea to make a short tutorial on how to get started tweeking your chat for easier RPz.

--Further Instructions Under The Cut--

The first thing you’re going to need to do is make sure you have all 4 of your chat windows created. Click the + next to the gear icon pictured above until it grays out. Next open the “Log Window Settings” by either clicking the gear icon next to your chatbox (see image above) or going into Character Configuration and clicking the bottom menu button.

From here you’ll see each of your tabs under the “Log Filters” area. I have mine setup for “General” to basically catch all chat for when I’m not RPing. “Battle” is the battle events. “Event” tab is where I have my linkshells, party, FC and yells (will explain later), then “Local” is strictly local chatter of Say, Emotes, Yells and dice rolls (VERY IMPORTANT!)

You don’t have to have yours setup exactly like this so feel free to just use this as a template to customize to your liking.

First up is the Event tab.

The only thing I have going into this tab are things like my Linkshells, tells, shouts, etc (see image above). Not pictured is that I do NOT have emotes going into this tab. This is MOSTLY an OOC tab but it’s important for RP (more later).

I have Yells in this tab (as well as why I name this ‘events’ instead of ‘chatter’) to make it easier to see what event hosts are announcing. Too often the Yells get pushed off the screen by Text Spam and this helps keep it easy to spot.

Next let’s go over the important one: Local!

The above two images show you what I have for the Local channel. If it’s not shown it’s turned off. The big one is to make sure you go into Announcements and turn on the random number messages since a lot of people use those for games, fighting, random stuff. I do NOT put shout on as it’s mostly OOC junk.

Now that the tabs are sorted let’s tweek the transparency settings for the tabs themselves.

I think Transparency (or lack thereof) is often overlooked but it can be a HUGE help in keeping up with text spam. Here are the settings I use for my two tabs. By having them somewhat transparent I can have the boxes bigger and still -sorta- see what’s going on behind it. The Event tab I keep relatively small and mostly don’t pay much attention to which is why it has a higher transparency.

The other thing in this setting page is your FONT SIZE! Your first instinct might be to lower the font size to get more text on the page at a time, but I’ve often found it works exactly opposite. A higher font size makes it easier for your brain to process the words scrolling past almost subconsciously. This may or maynot work for you, but give it a try. To counter balance this I actually have my local window MUCH BIGGER than usual (well for non-rpers at least).

NOTE: If you leave your local in the main window with the text entry bar you’ll want to adjust the “General” tab settings. The individual tab transparency settings only work when pulled out of the main window.

Now that your tabs are setup what’s left to do? A trick you might already know about but might not. It’s called “Friend Groups”!

Open up your friends list and right click on a friend. At the bottom of the command window you’ll see “Assign Friend Group”. 

From there pick a symbol you want to appear in front of that friend’s name. This can be a HUGE help when trying to pick out what your friends are saying in a crowded room. Sadly this does NOT work in emotes! Maybe one day Square will change this. 

So now let’s go into your chat box layout. Each person can do it how they want but I got used to the two box system back when City of Heroes first came out and I’ve been tweeking my games to the same thing ever since.

This gives you an idea of how you can setup your chat boxes for RP. In the last photo also note that i’m using a different UI layout to hide my normal action bars and show only stuff I might actually use in RP (Well i really need to clear up the clutter in the lower right corner but... moving along...). I really wish the UI layouts preserved the chatbox layout as well, but that’s easy to adjust on the fly.

In any case that’s it for this tutorial!

If you found this helpful leave a note or reblog! I might make some more tutorials like this, especially for RP helpful macros.

[korporxie]

Prompt #3: Adytum

Laelia found herself reminiscing of the times she wore high heels and a pressed doctor’s coat that was eternally pristine and white as she trudged through the mud up the hill leading to her destination. It was Doma’s rainy season, though at that point in time, it seemed as though it always was. The doctor was soaked to the bone, teeth chattering. She’d been separated from the group and, with the communications blocked, had no way to contact them. Her best bet was the crumbling temple she’d spotted perched atop a hill, so she could at least take shelter until the storm passed. 

 “Will the kami burn me up if I step inside?” she mumbled, only half joking as she ascended the broken stairs, taking care not to disrupt any loose rocks and go tumbling back down to the base of the hill. Towering orange and black arches stood overhead, ropes with papers attached to them wrapped around them.

 The closer she got, the more the wind seemed to whistle through the trees at either side of the path. Perhaps it was nerves at being stranded in an unfamiliar place, but Laelia swore she could hear voices lingering in the forest, calling out to her. An uncomfortable shiver shot up her spine and she picked up the pace, practically jogging until she had reached the courtyard of the temple. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she slowed until she came to a complete standstill. 

 What she had assumed to be ruins was a temple that was mostly still standing. There were a few things in disrepair, especially the stones that had once made the floor outside, but all in all... It was standing, prayers and wishes written on wooden plates and hung upon an ema. Some of them didn’t even look very old, the ink still dark and rich. Slowly, she got her legs to move again, turning her attention to the shrine dead ahead of her. There were no dead leaves cluttering the walkways even in the middle of autumn, the wood firm and strong still. Laelia bit her bottom lip and fell back a step, wondering if she really ought to tread here. This was a holy place, and one she didn’t feel particularly welcome to, at that. She wondered what the trough was for, outside, with its wooden ladles. 

 “Hello?” she called out uncertainly as she approached the doorway. “Hello? Is anyone here? Hello!”

 No answer. Slowly, she inhaled, willing her breath not to shake as she stepped inside. Her boots, soaked and muddy, were left by the door, and she tiptoed in her socks into the shrine. The architecture was grand and beautiful, there was no denying that. Inside, the floors shined, waxed and polished within an inch of their life. More ropes hung overhead with the papers dangling from them, and Laelia exhaled, noting that she hadn’t yet been set aflame. There were open doors directly ahead of her.

 The woman hesitated. She could see a big drum inside, and six small tables in rows of three on either side of the room. Lush, green plants hung from the ceiling, and big paper windows lined the perimeter of the room. She could hear the rain pat, pat, patting against them. A red mat was laid out in front of what she could only describe as stairs, where a great big mirror hung above. Six little boxes lined the top step, torches on either side of the staircase. 

 Laelia’s footsteps into the inner part of the temple were gradual and careful, and when she did enter, she huddled into a corner with her legs drawn up to her chest. Taking sanctuary was permissible, wasn’t it? The whole room held an aura that wasn’t familiar with, even something she had been encouraged to keep away from in her childhood; holy and sacred, a place of reverence. 

 “The only thing or person deserving of our reverence is the Emperor. He is the holy and sacred thing.” Remus tol Caelius’ voice boomed in Laelia’s head, and she closed her eyes against the sound of her father.

 “I’m sorry,” she spoke aloud, resting her cheek against her knee with her eyes still closed. “If there’s... something, someone... listening, I’m sorry if I did anything wrong on my way in. Or if I’m doing something wrong now. I needed a spot out of the rain and this looked... well. I won’t say it looked welcoming. But it looked safe, and dry.” 

 With her eyes shut, she could see the events from earlier in the day replaying vividly. Legionary after legionary had been dragged into her tent, bleeding and crying out in pain. The ones that had been hale and healthy enough bragged about their victory over the savage rebels, and Laelia felt a pang deep in her heart that stretched down to her stomach and turned it into knots. What was she doing here, in the temple of her enemy? How many wide-eyed, lifeless Domans had she encountered during her time with the invading legion? How many had she desperately, futilely tried to save, begged to run from their homeland because what else could they do? How many legionaries had she patched up just so they could assault those innocent people again?

 Before she knew it, all of the stress she’d carried for months was pressing down on her shoulders. Is a holy place meant to make one so vulnerable? Fingers dug into her trousers at the calves, and she put her head between her knees as great, heaving sobs wracked through her body, tears flowing hotter and faster than she could possibly ever manage. What was she doing here? What was she doing? What could she possibly be doing? 

 “I’m sorry,” she wept, leaning against the wall to steady herself. “I’m so sorry. I don’t dare ask for forgiveness... But please... I am so sorry. What do I do? I’m so tired... If I run... If I desert them... what will become of me? Of my family? If there is anyone listening in this whole rotten world, tell me what to do!”

 A sudden crack of thunder made her gasp and lift her head, hurriedly wiping at her cheeks. Though she knew she was alone in the room, the lanterns by the boxes and mirror had lit. Laelia clapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out and, slowly, pushed herself up to her feet using the wall for support. Stumbling footsteps brought her to the mirror, where she saw herself. Damp white hair stuck to her cheeks and forehead, lips red from the cold, eyes red from weeping. 

 “Save her.”

 The voice hissed through the room, layered, neither male nor female but a mix of both. Laelia fell back a step, eyes wide as she watched the reflection in the mirror flicker from her face to that of one she didn’t know; an Eastern-born woman with dark eyes and pitch black hair, wearing a pale pink kimono. A serene smile graced her lips. Just as quickly as it had come, it was gone again, leaving Laelia staring back at herself.

 “W-What--”

 “Save her... and you, too, will be saved.” 

 The voices hissed through again, though there was no malice in their tone. It sounded like a plea moreso than a threat or demand. The reflection flickered again, this time showing that of a Raen girl with sharp jade green eyes and dark brown hair, blood dripping from a busted lip. She was just as beautiful as the Hyur in the kimono, but angrier, looking around herself like she was surrounded. 

 “To the fates entwined, follow the red threat of fate. Find the ends, and you will find your freedom. Slaves, all of you, to one thing or another -- but free people you shall be. Save her. Help the other. They are our beloveds, the chosen of our hearts... And now you, too, are tied to them, child of the north. Now-- go, and remember us.” 

 All at once, with another great clap of thunder, the lanterns went out and left the room pitch black for but a moment. Outside, the rain had suddenly stopped, and sunlight was pouring into the room from the paper windows. Laelia was frozen in place, staring at her wide-eyed reflection in the mirror. She was paler than she had been before she started hearing voices and, numbly, she lifted a hand to check her own pulse to ensure she was actually still alive. 

 “...What the hell?” she whispered, jumping as she heard her linkshell chiming merrily in her ear. “H-Hello?”

 “Laelia lux Caelius!” Another heart attack. It was Lucius rem Sylla’s voice at the other end of the line. “Good. My men were telling me they couldn’t get in contact with you. Are you alright? Are you safe?”

 “...Y-Yes, sir. I got separated in the rain and I ducked into some shelter. I’m... I’m on my way back now.” 

 “Hm. Are you sure you’re alright? You sound like you heard a ghost.”

 “Ha. Haha. What? No. No ghosts. No... no, sir. I’m quite well!” What a liar. “Yes. I’ll be back to the camp... yes, if you could have someone meet me halfway. Where am I? Oh. Just some old ruins...”

 Laelia glanced over her shoulder as she hurried out of the inner room of the shrine and shimmied her feet into her boots while refusing to stop moving. She nearly toppled over herself to leave the temple grounds, going in a jog down the stairs with the wind gently at her back. 

 “...Save her.”