#Lalafell and Roegadyn CAN breed

[that1nkyone]

Slow on drawing, so did myself some baby birds as a treat.

Belah'dian Jennets: For the Lalafells! I imagine they're very small. Proportionally they end up no different from most adult chocos. But when they start out, I like to think that much like their designated riders they are about 40 Percent Head. They tend to be very docile so I imagine you can just Hold one in one hand.

Rouncey/Palfrey: The most common breed in Eorzea is Rouncey, and Palfrey's usually the kind that's pulling carriages. I imagine they're the ones typically ridden by Hyur, Au Ra and Miqo'te. Classic Chocobo Chick minion running around! Very energetic! good luck picking one up.

Destrier: the Big Friends. Typically would be the ones ridden by Viera, Elezen, Au Ra, Roegadyn and Hrothgar (though maybe Larger folks rather than just Tall). I imagine they grow pretty quickly and are actually quite clumsy as a result until they stop growing. feet too big for him gottam he.

[pepeangogoan]

Alright, I’ll cool it with the *ahem* intimate stuff after this. The LAST thing I want is to become one of THOSE blogs. But I thought I’d do some expansion on the Terry/Pepeze image from before because I feel like I don’t do enough with Terry. Heck, I haven’t even properly explained that “Terry” is just his nickname! His real name is Wistsunn Loetrilhtsyn!

So yeah, just expanding on the last pic and furthering their reactions to this shocking turn of events. I’m not sure I’ll pull the trigger on making these two a couple or not. On the one hand they’re both characters I regularly play with and am VERY unlikely to delete. Plus, I did say I’d like to experiment with the idea of Pepeze dating a male, and somebody of the larger races for comedic effect. On the other hand I don’t really know how I’d handle this relationship, or how I’d handle Pepean’s reaction to one of his closest allies being involved with his sister. I also previously DID make a potential love interest for Terry, but she’s another one of those characters I rarely use now.

The idea of a Lalafell/Roegadyn relationship, particularly one where the Lala is female and the Roe is male, is one that amuses me because it brings up SO many questions, but again I’m not sure if THIS is the one I want to have as THAT relationship in my character lore. So I may keep it as just one awkward event that the two would never like to speak of again. We’ll see though.

Anyway, last images like this for a while. Promise.

[illegiblewords]

Notes under the cut!

Having made a lady WoL collection, I decided to do a dude one too. As before I have more, but not all are leveled and I have some I’m more attached to than others.

I do want to push for more range honestly--I’m not sure how I wound up with three midlander dudes and a highlander lol. I should really follow through with a male au ra, hrothgar, and lalafell. I did an odd green/brown hair hybrid that I suppose could qualify for brunette, but otherwise my tendencies toward black and blonde hair came through real strong. Mysteriously absent are redheads. I may also want to experiment more with color palettes and cultural influences a bit.

For the guys, there are spots where I played into job expectations and spots where I defied them. I wanted to try designing some characters in ways I hadn’t seen so much in-game, as well as designing characters who would immediately evoke a specific tone! There are also definitely jobs where I deliberately tried to show some traditional masculinity where it’s less expected, which was fun.

Cenric/Black Mage Midlander: People have criticized hyurs before by calling them “too vanilla”, since they’re the human stand-ins. I figure though, they’re hyurs. Hyurs are imaginary and don’t need to follow real world biology. Play with color palettes and features so you get a more definite fantasy look if you want to. With Cenric, I specifically tried to go super dark and de-saturated to evoke a walking silhouette (sort of like drow) and gave him the palest eyes possible with strategic face paint so they’d look like they glow. This was all in the name of making a character who evoked Final Fantasy’s classic black mage, just going in a more adult and extra spooky-goth direction.

Maerec/Dark Knight Midlander: Maerec, I designed specifically to both be a step off of the default midlander from commercials and to embody the Dark Knight questline as best I could. Giving him some edge visually while still feeling reasonably natural was fun to balance! To this end, I knew dark eyes would be important to helping the black hair fit in. Going with a very dark red I figure it almost seems like he could have brown eyes until you look closely. Making him feel very Ishgardian was also fun, with the horned helmet and Fray-esque glamour. I also designed him to both parallel and contrast with Lahabrea given their stories are intertwined. If there’s scattered angel/demon imagery between them that works even more.

Sublime Tiger/Samurai Hellsguard: I know that my natural inclinations go toward bishonens lmao, so figuring out the angle I wanted to work with the SUPER BEEFY male roegadyns was wild! One thing that gave me inspiration at the time was realizing that, with their black noses, Hellsguard roegadyns can 100% evoke big cats--among other animals. I usually prefer designing Sea Wolves for lacking the black noses because my impulse is for it either to be visually unified with the rest of the face/body or go without--so I often feel a bit more limited with what kind of designs I’ll do for Hellsguard. With Sublime Tiger, originally he had both orange and black striped hair (one of the styles available works it) as well as the black face paint evoking tiger stripes. I found the hair more limiting with helms though so made it pure black instead. Deciding what glamour would look good and play well with proportions was also a process--wanted him to feel like he’s from Othard since there is a big Hellsguard population there, so samurai made some sense to me in building that. After experimenting though, I wound up going with a look that took a bit of inspiration from One Thousand And One Nights. I have additional ideas for what I might try going forward though.

J’mor/Red Mage Miqo’te: This was a combination of a lot of ideas! One was wanting to embrace the physicality of red mage as a job, and explore it as a worldly kind of caster who works well with ease of movement and does a lot of darting around the battlefield. Mages in-general are often seen as kind of ivory tower sorts, and by shedding the usual frills I wanted to show that it’s possible to have a caster’s knowledge while being very connected to the world at large. Also give a strong sense of SWASHBUCKLER where the magic kind of slaps you in the face with additional power. I also noticed I hadn’t seen as many black male miqo’te in-general, along with fandom stereotypes about catboys as soft. So I decided to design J’mor with that in mind--playing him as a very shonen kind of hero while the beard brings an extra bit of hardness to his features.

Asah’zi/White Mage Miqo’te: Asah’zi is another case where I wanted to challenge the idea of male miqo’te as soft, and I added to that challenge by making him a white mage when that is often filled by lady characters. I was also interested, lore-wise, in the tension between Keeper of the Moon tribes and Gridania (where white magic has very strong ties). That Keepers of the Moon are also very matriarchal gave added interest for me making a more rough and traditionally masculine-feeling white mage sort, especially since Keepers often build a lot of their lives around hunting through the Twelveswood. I also wanted to bring some sense of druid into white mage as a job, given the nature ties. With Asah’zi, using skydruid skins, claws, a wooden cane, and on all contributed toward the vibe I wanted to build for him. Using emotes that show off his fangs helps bring a bit of cockiness to him too, which is fun. And stealing Thancred’s hair lets him have a bit of a roguish vibe lol.

Amir/Dancer Highlander: Like I said, I tend to go for bishonen-sorts in designs a lot. HOWEVER! I do love this highlander face type specifically a ton, and think guy highlander proportions are well-balanced overall while being beefy. I knew for a while that I had a specific design I liked a lot for male highlander with Amir, and I definitely wanted to do something with him. The choice to make him a dancer specifically came from a conversation I saw just after the job’s release. An IRL male hip hop dancer mentioned feeling a bit bummed out because a lot of the animations felt like they played more to softness/grace and traditional femininity, and he’d been hoping for the option of a little edge with battle dancing because that’s what he does. Some players said he should just play monk, others were kind of mean to him and acted like what he wanted was somehow shitty. I felt for the dude to be honest since he was coming from a place of feeling frustrated by stereotyping, so I decided to look at the animations and see how much they could be integrated into a design that felt more traditionally masculine. I saw a lot of bright greens (especially with the peacock feathers) so I tried to unify that with a green glamour. The mask reminds me of rave aesthetics a bit, and I’ve seen dudes wear shorts similar to the Nezha ones before. I’m a big fan of the idea that fashion can be a way to create what you want tonally, and I tried to explore that in this design.

Navarre/Paladin Midlander: At some point it hit me that I have been avoiding traditional knight-in-shining-armor looks like the plagues in my tanks lol. This made me think a fair bit. What struck me was that if the only thing a glamour has to say for itself is “this is a knight”, that doesn’t feel so interesting to me. If it’s supposed to be a knight in shining armor specifically though, bringing an almost angelic, elemental feeling to the look is something I’m 500% there for. And weirdly, people don’t seem to do this as much. I’m less used to paladins compared to dark knights, warriors, or even gunbreakers--and since paladins are so associated with that holy knight-vibe I figured it made sense to go that direction. While I was looking into glamours, one thing I found was that a lot of them dyed with unchanging patches of black, had edgy red woven in, or otherwise came across as having been designed with dark knight or warrior in-mind. I decided part of what I’d do in this instance was really make a Warrior of Light who immediately screamed “yes I am the Warrior of Light” when you looked at him, and took inspiration from Cecil Harvey from Final Fantasy IV toward that end too. Every piece in this glamour was carefully picked not just for whether it worked as a silhouette, but also how it would dye.

Cesaire/Dragoon Elezen: Cesaire has gone through a lot of design phases. Initially he was a red elezen, because it’s a direction I don’t see used a lot but has a very doable fantasy feel I think is fun. Then he was a champagne/cream color all over as inspired by a particular breed of horses. Now, having put a lot of thought in, he is deep gold with blue eyes. The underlying concept for him was that I wanted to make a golden dragoon who looks like he should be terribly heroic, but then in practice he’s a kind of blood knight WoL who is about as close to Zenos as a Warrior can get without going outright evil. I played into gold and more general adventuring gear for the reason that I think Cesaire has absolutely left Ishgard behind him, and strongly prefers to be someone defined by what they do rather than where they’re from. Given elezens’ wide shoulders I also had to think about what combinations would work for balancing proportions, and I wanted Cesaire to visually hold his own visual niche within my overall Famfrit lineup so a lot was chosen with that in mind.

[of-the-silver-lining]

Prompt #3: Muster

Iris stared in surprise before the assembly of adventurers who stood in two rows by the scholars’ tents at Saint Coinach’s Find. They stood at attention, like soldiers reporting for muster, ranging from the largest stony-faced Roegadyn to the smallest doe-eyed Lalafell. But unlike soldiers, their garb originated from all over Eorzea, and all walks of life. She saw gleaming platemail, rusty chainmail, a colorful archer’s tunic from Gridania, a weathered and modified Yellowjacket’s shirt reinforced with leather, thaumaturge robes and conjurer robes and hats and helms of all sorts. There must have been nearly two dozen of them, and she thought she saw some familiar faces among the group, perhaps adventurers she had seen in passing in Revenant’s Toll.

“Well, what say you of our fine expedition?” said Cid.

She turned to the three of them, Cid, Rammbroes, and G’raha Tia. “We’re to bring all of them?”

“Aye,” said Rammbroes. “We know nothing of what awaits us inside the labyrinth, so it is necessary to be prepared.”

Investigating a several thousand years abandoned and thoroughly sealed off ancient structure was hardly the mission Iris would have felt required a veritable army of adventurers. In truth, she had expected to be the only muscle of the operation, and only for, perhaps, lifting heavy things or carrying ropes over steep precipices. Surely no Allagans were still living inside, were they?

“The technology of the Allagan empire was very advanced,” Cid said, likely noticing her bemused look. “So advanced that some elaborate machines have been found still working today. The tower’s defenses likely consisted of much more than the eight sentinels, and some of its more dangerous guardians may still be operational.”

“And that’s to say nothing of the Allagans’ penchant for cloning and creating genetically-modified creatures for war, some of which were able to breed and others of which could live for centuries,” Rammbroes added. He sighed. “And so we have drained a regrettably large portion of our research budget, but it cannot be helped.”

“Not as much as we would have, if we had tried several moons ago,” G’raha Tia pointed out. “I tell you, it was surprisingly easy to recruit in Mor Dhona these days, and I believe we have you to thank for that. It seems many dream to fight alongside the woman who defeated the Ultima Weapon.”

Iris looked back at the gathering of adventurers. Some were now looking around or looking at each other, but others were looking at her eagerly, or with eyes filled with conviction.

“They’ve all seen their share of combat and made a name for themselves,” Rammbroes said. “What say you? Can you lead them?”

Iris pursed her lips. She’d never led so many people before; in fact, led was the wrong word for any mission she had done with other adventurers or the Scions. She had no idea how a group of this size would function in a fight, much less how to lead them.

“Well...” she mumbled. If she didn’t know how to lead such a large group of people, she would just have to do what she knew. “How many of you are healers?” she asked the group, and a number of conjurers raised their staves.

She thought to assign each healer to a team of three or four, but then, she thought it would be confusing to determine who would come to help if one team’s healer was injured or occupied. Also with so many groups, she would have trouble keeping track. 

In the end, she decided to divide them into three groups, each with two healers and at least one member in heavy armor who could focus on protecting the casters and archers. To avoid confusion and overlap of tasks, they would largely focus on their own groups, aiding others as necessary. Some of the adventurers were already acquainted with each other, with helped make group assignments go smoothly.

“Well done,” said Cid. “I think this will work out nicely.”

When Iris finished her rounds around the groups, listening to everyone’s plans for what they would do, she stood before all of them and asked one final time, “Are there any questions?”

The adventurers looked satisfied. A tall Roegadyn woman with an enormous axe spoke up. “Do you have any words of advice for us?”

“Yes, or words of inspiration?” piped the high voice of a young, brown-haired Miqo’te woman. 

She stood quietly for a moment, wondering what to say. She had no advice for an excursion with such unforeseeable challenges, and rousing speech seemed beyond her capabilities. But then, inspiration was the role of the battle bard, was it not? She pulled out her harp.

She plucked a repeating tune, the notes dancing up and down the scale, and she began to sing. She sang them a song of dark caverns and ancient ruins, deep places in the earth and under the sea where no human had set foot in centuries, the unexplored wilds, and adventurers who braved them, defending the realm from monsters and magicks unknown, and unearthing history to be remembered.

When she finished her song, the adventurers stood looking at her in surprise. They must have not been expecting a song. “Excellent!” cried someone, and a few people clapped, but mostly they began talking among themselves, looking bright-eyed and eager. Pleased that her work seemed to pay off, she turned back to Cid and the others.

“I knew you were the right woman for the job.” Cid had his arms crossed, a smile on his white-bearded face. G’raha Tia was smiling at her too, his eyes bright as any of the adventurers, as they all started off toward the glimmering spire of the Crystal Tower.

[gegenji]

Going Going Kugane, Part 16

A Condemned Love - When a Man Loves an Ijin...

[19:19](Chachanji Gegenji) > It has been an emotional trip, this journey to Doma proper. One might have made gotten over that which they have lost when it is distant, but seeing it here - an empty city filled with monsters, a former smithy burnt to the ground, a tattered journal highlighting a time - and a relationship - that can never be returned to again. It was all too much for little Chachanji. And another surprise awaited him in a box locked behind a flower of regret and forgiveness. The very first Gegenji -- [19:19](Chachanji Gegenji) Genji himself - was a Roegadyn.

[19:27](Jancis Milburga) Jancis squeezed her fingers together. Looking at the ruins. At Chachanji's earring. Trying to piece together what was going on and be actively helpful. She had walked away from the box, not being able to read any of it anyway. She started digging around the plants that were growing, finding tubers and roots that looked good. In some of the ashes and useful parts of the forge she'd use to make a steady fire and roast them. Every so often walking back over to look at where Chachanji sat. [19:29](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara kept her arms wrapped around Chachan from behind him. At this point she was mostly focused on comforting and supporting Chachan. She'd eye the box with the documents and thought about trying to read it but wasn't sure she was going to be as lucky as she was with Gogon's journal. She sighed and gave Chachan's head a little pat as she continued to sit there quietly with him. [19:31](Denz De'bayle) *Denz simply stood there, watching a man struggle with sitting upon the ashes of his previous home. He couldn't say anything, console in any way, that would begin to help the sitation. And he couldn't read Doman to decipher the scrolls they had just unlocked.* [19:34](Virara Wakuwa) Virara shifts uneasily in place, uncertain of what to say to Chachanji. She glances curiously at Denz and the scroll he's carrying. If nothing else she seems tremendously calm despite everything else. [19:34](Chachanji Gegenji) It took Chachanji quite a bit of time to recompose himself, still clutching the tattered diary to him as if it were made of gold. "'m-m sorry... I-I thought I'd... I'd made peace wit all this but..." [19:35](Jancis Milburga) The roots were small and set up to roast in the smoldering wood bits and things Jancis picked up, she went to join the others by Chachanji, watching his face as much as listening. [19:36](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara shook her head. "No.. you're fine. This is a lot to go through." she'd give him a quick kiss on the cheek before looking over at Denz. "Hey... you mind giving me that box? I'm going to attempt to read those papers... see what I can get out of it." [19:37](Denz De'bayle) *Denz looked to the miqo'te, nodding slowly as he held out the box to her quietly. He turned around, eyes scanning the horizon for rogue garleans... or tigers.* [19:37](Virara Wakuwa) Virara tilts her head, pigtail draping lazily across one of her shoulders. "After what you've seen, do you feel the same way? About the Empire. About the Garleans?" [19:38](Jancis Milburga) "Chachanji. I am not sure, but I think you are doing quite well at making peace with it. How you feel is not wrong." She scoots forward a moment, trying to look at the tattered book in his hands. "May I see this?" [19:39](Denz De'bayle) *The elezen raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking at Virara over his shoulder. What could she possibly hope to gain by asking such a question?* [19:40](Chachanji Gegenji) He seems hesitant but, with a slow nod and a sniffle, he oh-so-carefully hands the remnants of the book to her. Some of the pages lay about him and what ones remain certainly seem like they could just as easily join them. He looks over to Virara, rubbing at his eye. "W-whaddya mean?" [19:42](Virara Wakuwa) Virara levels at him a tranquil stare. "Does it not anger you? You don't wish to punish them?" [19:42](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled weakly as she got the documents from Denz. "Thank you." she'd begin looking over the papers, trying to decipher what she could from the Doman language. She'd look over at Jancis for a moment. "It's a good story Jancis. From what I read it's about the hero Chachanji and how he goes on adventures to fight dragons and other monsters to save the people. I think Gogon missed his calling in life, he would've been a great author." [19:44](Chachanji Gegenji) "I-it makes me sad tha' this all had ta happen but... I-I know some good Garlean peoples too, y'know?" Zhara had managed to look at a few of the more complete pages of the journal. Most of them were torn, smudged, burnt, and otherwise damaged. Whatever the full story might've been was long lost to time, with only these fragmented tales remaining. [19:46](Virara Wakuwa) Virara averts her eye, glancing downward towards the charred earth. "I see." She doesn't question him further, but her hands tighten at her side. [19:46](Jancis Milburga) Jancis flattens out her lap, carefully balancing the book and any loose pages on her legs and 'reads' it. Looking at the handwriting mostly, the little additions, "It shows a lot of care. It must be a wonderful story. Some of it must be close to the truth, too." She continues to turn page by page, even looking at some loose pages to see if she can match where they're suppose to go. "Quite lucky to find a treasure. It helps to bring back everything we still have inside. Just hiding from view." [19:48](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled. "Yeah... it's kind of a bummer that most of the story was probably lost in the destruction but at least we have that little bit." Zhara continued flipping through the documents. So far she was able to make out that there was a man named Genji and that he was a roegadyn, but not much else. [19:48](Chachanji Gegenji) > As for the notes in the box, Zhara's somewhat limited Doman was still enough to verify that she had read right. The first of the line - Genji - had apparently been a Roegadyn, and had wed an ijin Lalafell all those years ago. The paperwork in the box was the proof of their bonding, apparently done by a simple priest-for-hire, done within the smithy itself. [19:49](Chachanji Gegenji) > And, along with them, several other letters that were written in a sharp and angry hand from the looks of it. [19:50](Jancis Milburga) "The most important part of the story is right here." Jancis closed up the book and gave it back to Chachanji, giving him a meaningful look before standing. "I had better check the tubers." [19:50](Virara Wakuwa) Virara peers into the box curiously. "What are these?" [19:51](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled and looked up at Virara. "Oh it's the story of the first Gegenji." she chuckled a little bit. "... This might come across as surprising but Gegenji wasn't a lalafell... he was a roegadyn named Genji." [19:52](Virara Wakuwa) Virara nods, tilting her head forward as if tired. "I can see, but what of the letters?" [19:52](Chachanji Gegenji) "I-I know I prolly should be angry at 'em... b-but... tha' won't solve anythin', right? It won't bring our home back..." he murmured as he took the book with a thankful nod to Jancis. "'s-sides... me whole family got out akay... a-all we lost was a buildin'. E-ev'n if'n it was our home..." [19:53](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara noticed the angry looking letters. "... I don't know." she'd hold the letters up to Virara. "What do they say?" [19:53](Denz De'bayle) *Denz blinked, broken from his thoughts as he looked at Y'zhara.* "What?" [19:54](Virara Wakuwa) Virara squints to read the messy handwriting. [19:54](Y'zhara Zekial) "... There's apparently letters in here with these documents." [19:54](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara said to Denz. [19:54](Denz De'bayle) "No no, not the documents. What's this about a Roegadyn?" [19:55](Chachanji Gegenji) > The letters seemed to be from an irate lady suitor. Apparently one of station given the seals. Demanding why Genji was rebuking her advances, and warning him that ill tidings would come if he continued to pursue the ijin's hand. [19:55](Y'zhara Zekial) "Oh.. Chachan's part roegadyn. The first Gegenji smith was a roegadyn. Crazy right?" [19:55](Denz De'bayle) *Denz's eyes blink down to the supposedly part-roegadyn, before looking back to the miqo'te.* "You're not... reading that wrong, are you?" [19:56](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan blinks, as if finally hearing that bit himself. "... Wait, what?" He too looks at Zhara. [19:57](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled. "Yeah honey... the first Gegenji smith was a roegadyn. That's probably why you're so buff, because you're not fully lalafell. You're a mixed breed." [19:58](Chachanji Gegenji) "I... but... w-what?" he repeated again, as if he was suddenly hard of hearing. "... I-I coulda sworn th' whole family back as far as I can 'member have been Lalafell 'n only Lalafell..." [19:58](Chachanji Gegenji) "Th-tha's why Papa was so 'gainst us datin', 'member...?" [20:00](Y'zhara Zekial) "I remember but..." Zhara blinked in realization. "But he was wrong... if your family isn't purely lalafell, then he shouldn't have a thing against us right?" Zhara smiled. "We could finally get his acceptance." [20:00](Virara Wakuwa) Virara scrutinizes the letters, but she hardly can understand the content. It is clearly the brushwork of someone tremendously angry. Why seems to escape her. "These letters. Someone was displeased by this marriage." [20:01](Chachanji Gegenji) "W-well... I-I mean... i-if'n yer right, I-I 'spose it might..." He moves to look at the wedding certificate himself, should Zhara let him take it. [20:01](Virara Wakuwa) "It isn't surprising that they would be. But they have a calligrapher's hand. A woman of good breeding wrote them." [20:01](Virara Wakuwa) Virara levels a curious gaze at Zhara, but says nothing further. [20:02](Jancis Milburga) Jancis came back, sticks and some kind of metal plate had little roasted items on it, ashes on part. They were mostly bland save for some fresh pinched flowers that cut the edge, but they were warm and soft under the crisped skin. "That is the box that was in the forge? He did not build this place?" [20:02](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara hands the wedding certificate over to Chachan before looking up at Virara. "That's very interesting... was this another suitor of Genji? Maybe she was angry because he was interested in this lalafellin woman." [20:02](Y'zhara Zekial) "And not her." [20:03](Chachanji Gegenji) > At the bottom of the box is one last letter, not written by priest or by scorned suitor. Given the date, though, it seemed to have taken place after the bonding. [20:03](Virara Wakuwa) "There's more." Virara picks the last letter out of the box and opens it rather hastily. [20:03](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara looked up at Virara as she began reading the last letter. "What does it say?" [20:04](Chachanji Gegenji) > To Virara's eye, it was quickly obvious what this last letter was. A letter from a lord, banishing Genji from Doma. [20:04](Denz De'bayle) "Sounds reasonable. Those who love outside their races are oft seen with a scowling face." *He tilts his head.* "Not that you two need to be told that. " *He moves closer to Jancis, placing a hand on her shoulder carefully.* "Maybe I should look into the De'bayles heritage. I could be half-dragon." [20:04]Denz De'bayle grins tauntingly at Jancis Milburga. [20:05](Chachanji Gegenji) "Y-ya certainly dun look it..." Chachan managed with an awkward smile, still obviously trying to recover from his little breakdown earlier and this revelation about his own history. [20:05]Jancis Milburga's eyes grow wide with awe upon seeing Denz De'bayle. [20:05]Denz De'bayle laughs at you. [20:05](Virara Wakuwa) "Banished?" [20:06](Virara Wakuwa) Virara curls a finger beneath her chin curiously. [20:06](Chachanji Gegenji) That got Chachan's attention back right quickly. "W-wait, what?" he repeated. "Who was banished?" [20:06](Jancis Milburga) Denz's words weren't lost on Jancis, "People scowl at-" His words caught her before the grin, a smile growing on her face. "If not before. You are now." [20:07](Denz De'bayle) "And nor you roegadyn." *He winks at the man, before easing closer to the ground.* "Those documents were hidden and locked, my friend. They must be important enough that no one would find them." [20:07](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara looked up at Denz and grinned. "Hey yeah! Maybe you are part dragon!" [20:07](Jancis Milburga) "Banished from here? Or moving here for being banished?" Jancis clearly lost track of the story, looking apologetic. [20:08](Virara Wakuwa) Virara hands Chachanji the letter for him to read himself. "..." [20:09](Chachanji Gegenji) > Closer look at the letter - and comparing it against the others - would help piece things together. The original Genji had been banished by some lord of standing. A lord that just so happened to share the last name as the slighted suitor... [20:10](Denz De'bayle) *Denz furrowed his eyebrows.* "So you've papers of ancestry, a certification of marriage, and... a letter of exile?" [20:10](Jancis Milburga) Lehsohmarrn, the small silver dragonet, crawled from Jancis' satchel, climbing onto Denz's shoulder, his quiet rumbles clearly agreeing with Zhara's sentiment on dragon heritage. At least in some form. The soft muzzle looked over with mild curiosity at the paperwork as if he could read it but kept quiet. [20:11](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara peeked over Chachan's head to glance at the letter herself. "Hm... looks like quite a few people were mad with Genji's choice of wife... which I guess is understandable if want a person to marry someone else." [20:11](Virara Wakuwa) "Mn. His choice led to his banishment." [20:12](Y'zhara Zekial) "To this wonderful area here!" she'd gesture to the place. [20:12](Y'zhara Zekial) "But I'm sure it was hard." [20:13](Chachanji Gegenji) "Th-tha's what this looks like... a weddin' 'tween me honored ancestor Genji 'n a Lalafell ijin... a buncha angry letters from some other girl who liked 'im too... 'n then th' letter sayin' 'e wasn't allowed in Doma no more..." [20:14](Jancis Milburga) Jancis looks about at the gesture, "Able to live here without needing trade and the mountain looking near impossible to climb. Making this place a sanctuary from exile? Did your Papa Gegenji ever speak about who lived here before? His father?" [20:14](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara nodded. "Yeah..." she'd then form a small smile. "Well.. if the first Gegenji could marry whoever he wanted, then you should too, right?" Zhara smiled as she tightened her hold around him into a squeeze. [20:16](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan returns the hug from his awkward position before looking to Jancis. "W-well, yeah. Grandpapa was a Lalafell too. So was Grandmama. Papa always said we were a proud line'a Lalafellin smiths..." [20:16](Denz De'bayle) *Denz bows his head.* "Much and more couldn't been done for such actions. But if nothing else, yes, this validates your claims to one another." *He furrows his eyebrows in thought.* "Do you think your parents do not know about this?" [20:16](Jancis Milburga) "Pray how old is this document, then, that no one recalls a very large grandfather?" [20:19](Virara Wakuwa) "It could be far in the past. As old as the reign of that tyrant..." [20:19](Virara Wakuwa) "Such a deed would easily go unnoticed then." [20:19](Chachanji Gegenji) "I-I 'spose not... I-I figger Mama, at least, woulda said somethin' 'bout this if'n she'd known..." He looks over the dates. It was certainly generations back, Genji would have been long since dead even during the time of Chachanji's 'Grandpapa.' [20:19](Y'zhara Zekial) "Yeah I don't know how many generations it's gone back... but it's probably been awhile since the family now seems mostly lalafell." [20:21](Denz De'bayle) "How long would it have taken for the blood to dilute...?" *Denz shakes his head.* "Are you certain that there were children between Genji and this wife?" [20:22](Virara Wakuwa) "It could be the idea of such heritage displeased your father." Virara mused, largely to herself, in thought. [20:23](Chachanji Gegenji) "W-well... I-I mean... if'n 'e really is th' head of our family... th-then he had ta have had at least one..." [20:23](Y'zhara Zekial) "Well, we should probably bring this information back to your parents to have them look it over. They probably should know that the family being completely lalafell isn't entirely true." [20:23](Chachanji Gegenji) "'n... I-I 'spose tha'd be true..." the Lalafell nodded to the taller of the two of them. "W-we'd hafta ask 'im." [20:24](Y'zhara Zekial) "Why would his own heritage displease him though? It's his own heritage." [20:24](Y'zhara Zekial) "That'd be like hating a part of your self." [20:25](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan fidgets a bit awkwardly at that. [20:25](Virara Wakuwa) Virara looks up to Zhara, wordlessly implying exactly that. [20:25](Jancis Milburga) "Or mayhaps your father was told that mistruth by someone who wished to have it lost. With the walls intact, we would have not found this box." She looked back at the forge. "It still stands. Keeper's Grace, it is is far older than I imagined. The forge, I mean." [20:26](Denz De'bayle) "'Tis not uncommon to hate the blood you have been given." [20:26](Denz De'bayle) "If not it's kind, then where it had taken them in life." [20:26](Chachanji Gegenji) "W-well, Papa said th' forge was built by th' first Gegenji so..." [20:28](Jancis Milburga) "That is such a peculiar term. Blood." [20:30](Jancis Milburga) "I do not want people to lose blood. And I give people blood. You would think it is a good thing." [20:31](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara scratched her head. "But why would you hate your heritage so much that you would hide it? Because of the taboo of mixed race couples and families?" [20:31](Chachanji Gegenji) "W-well... it's normal in Doman culture ta honor yer ancestors... s-so ya'd figger if'n Papa knew our first was a Roegadyn, he woulda made mention'a it..." [20:32](Denz De'bayle) *Denz shrugs.* "It depends on who you ask? If this is true, and there -was- a child of a Roegadyn and lalafell... Imagine that person's life?" [20:33](Denz De'bayle) "You are forever the reminder of this near-illegitimate, exiled bonding. It takes a lot to move past that." [20:34](Chachanji Gegenji) "M-mebbe tha's why th' family has been Lalafell ev'r since...?" [20:34](Virara Wakuwa) "Perhaps." [20:34](Chachanji Gegenji) "I thin' Zhara said once tha' th' kids of'a mixed relationship take mostly after th' Mama, so..." [20:35](Jancis Milburga) "Only if someone lies about it being important." Jancis sighes. [20:36](Chachanji Gegenji) "But we still took our honored first ancestor's name... as a way ta honor 'im. Tha's why we're th' Gegenji..." [20:37](Denz De'bayle) *Denz shrugs his arms.* "The De'bayles have been plagued with all sorts of criminals, yet the name lives on. [20:38](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan seemed to be taking... some degree of solace in that? He gets back to his feet and rubs away what remnants of his tears remain. "So... he's still bein' 'membered... in a way." [20:39](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled and stood up. "Well... I say we show these papers to Papa Gegenji and see what he thinks. We don't know if he knows or not." [20:40](Virara Wakuwa) "Are you certain that is wise?" [20:40](Jancis Milburga) "Ever so subtle as it may be." Jancis looked thoughtful at that. "And now that is not lost. And tell him where you found it in Genji's Forge." [20:41](Chachanji Gegenji) "I mean... if'n nothin' else, we could show it ta Mama. She might be able ta help break th' news ta Papa if'n she thinks 'e'd take it bad." [20:41]You gaze upon Virara Wakuwa in deep reflection. [20:42](Y'zhara Zekial) "Sure, it might be easier to get your mom out to the smithy than dad, since I know he has a lot of orders and work that he doesn't want to leave behind." [20:43](Denz De'bayle) "The smithy? Bring them all the way here?" [20:43](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan blinks at Denz's question and giggles a little. "I think she means our smithy. In th' Goblet." [20:44](Y'zhara Zekial) "Oh yeah! I meant our home in the Goblet." [20:44](Denz De'bayle) "Ah... b-better idea. 'Tis a long journey here." [20:44]Denz De'bayle tries to comfort you. [20:44](Virara Wakuwa) "Are you certain that is wise? Bringing that information to him?" [20:44](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan cants his head thoughtfully. "Act'lly, I dun think either of ya have been ta it yet... have ya? I know Virara has..." [20:45](Y'zhara Zekial) "We're thinking of giving this information to Chachan's mom first, to see what she thinks." [20:45](Y'zhara Zekial) "His mom seems to do well at talking with his dad, so we think that might be the most cautious thing to do." [20:45](Denz De'bayle) "I have not, no." *His eyes downcast to Virara, setting his lips for a moment.* "They deserve to know." [20:45](Virara Wakuwa) "Is heritage such an important thing?" [20:45](Jancis Milburga) "Still do not see why it is so important to justify how you feel. But if it gives you more piece of mind, it is still a boon to know something of someone from so long ago. And see their bravery. It is worth sharing." [20:46](Chachanji Gegenji) "It is always good ta respect 'n honor yer ancestors... I... I 'unno if'n we might be dishonorin' th' first Gegenji by not rememberin' 'im correctly." [20:47](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara scratched her head. "Maybe I'm being a little selfish, but it's honestly worth it to me. If Chachan's ancestor is a roegadyn then that means his family isn't completely lalafell and it might be my chance to be able to marry Chachan." [20:47](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan flusters a little at that, scratching at his cheek. [20:48](Denz De'bayle) *Denz nods.* "To those who revere it. Such as the Domans and Ishgardians, aye." [20:48](Y'zhara Zekial) "If not marry... then at least have acceptance from his dad." [20:48](Denz De'bayle) "People find pride in sharing blood and the goals of their parents." [20:49](Denz De'bayle) "Is there not something you can attribute to your parents?" *Denz slowly begins to feel like he shouldn't have asked that question.* [20:49]Denz De'bayle fails to understand Virara Wakuwa. [20:49](Jancis Milburga) "Then it is all the more important, especially to remember that your ancestor was not blinded by such trivial things and saw within. To be his own person despite pressures and persuasion." [20:49](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara nodded. "Yes, exactly Jancis." [20:49](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan nods. "'e was true ta 'is heart." He taps at his own. "'n tha's worth 'memberin' 'n honorin'." [20:50](Virara Wakuwa) Virara doesn't seem to understand, giving her frowning, unmoved countenance. "I wouldn't know such things." [20:50](Virara Wakuwa) "I do not know where I came from. And it hardly matters." [20:51](Jancis Milburga) Jancis smiles lightly and inner fond, copying the gesture and tapping at her heart. [20:51](Denz De'bayle) *Denz sets his lips in a scrunched 'o' for a moment, before clearing his throat.* "Ah. You've never given it thought?" [20:51](Chachanji Gegenji) "Well... ya kinda do, Virara," Chachan suggested, rubbing at his neck. "Ya honor yer Master, right? 'n she's kinda like family." [20:52](Virara Wakuwa) Virara glances over her shoulder, up through her eyelashes at Denz. "Such questions are irrelevant. Master raised me. Anything else does not matter." [20:53](Virara Wakuwa) "She is not my family. I need nothing like that." [20:53](Denz De'bayle) "To you, that is." *Denz chooses not to contest the point further, though.* [20:53](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan sighs, rubbing at his neck some more. He seemed to be roughly back to normal spirits, all things considered. So at least that was a plus. [20:54](Y'zhara Zekial) "Sometimes family matters more to other people. Other times family is kind of an irrelevant thing." [20:55](Y'zhara Zekial) "I'll admit that I do have identity issues from time to time... being adopted and such but that's not my whole life, and I have a family with people I picked - my friends." [20:56](Chachanji Gegenji) "Ms. Hat was like a sister ta me early when I first came ta Eorzea too! ... 'n didn't we kinda bring Virara inta tha' 'family' too?" [20:56](Chachanji Gegenji) He taps at his chin. [20:56](Virara Wakuwa) "I don't know what you're talking about." [20:56](Denz De'bayle) "She treats you like a younger brother." [20:56](Jancis Milburga) "I dare not think that is the proper use of family." Jancis' smile faded. "Virara is right. Honoring should not mean detrimenting yourself. These people of the past were people and made mistakes and all the same errs as we. And generations past us we will be the same in kind. Would not want them to limit themselves." [20:56]Denz De'bayle nods to you. [20:56](Virara Wakuwa) Virara states pointedly. Obviously she didn't agree. [20:57](Jancis Milburga) Jancis regards Virara, "You both have been through a lot side by side." [20:57](Virara Wakuwa) "It does not follow that I see him as a brother." [20:57](Virara Wakuwa) Virara notes plainly to Jancis, in a calm tone. [20:57](Denz De'bayle) "To you, that is." [20:57](Chachanji Gegenji) "W-well, I def'nitely see 'er as one'a me best friends!" [20:57]Denz De'bayle fails to understand Virara Wakuwa. [20:58](Virara Wakuwa) "Hm." [20:59](Chachanji Gegenji) "A-anyroad! Um... u-unless we wanna look 'round 'ere some more... should we go back ta Mr. Fisherman 'n start headin' back ta Kugane?" [20:59](Jancis Milburga) "It still matters, regardless what term you would give it." [21:01](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara chewed on one of the leftover plants Jancis had cooked up. "Yeah, I guess we should head back." [21:02](Denz De'bayle) "If there's nothing else you wish to see or check, my friend, then I shall follow your lead back." [21:02](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara began packing the documents neatly into the box before closing it up. [21:02](Jancis Milburga) "Agreed." Jancis went to collect her things, leaving the semi-sorted piles of broken stuff as they were. [21:02](Y'zhara Zekial) "Anyone want to help me carry this samurai sword that Jancis found?" [21:03](Y'zhara Zekial) "I'll hold onto the box." [21:03](Jancis Milburga) "Denz might have a place on his belt for it?" [21:03](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan tucks the damaged journal gently away in one of his pouches. He pauses briefly as he does so, looking at something else in the back and shifting its contents about before tucking the thing in. He then looks up at Zhara. "... Samurai sword?" [21:04](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara nodded and picked up a sword that was still neatly tucked into it's sheath. "Yeah... this sword." she'd show it to Chachan. [21:07](Chachanji Gegenji) The little Lalafell took the blade from her, slidling it out a bit to examine it with that suddenly intense look he always had when dealing with weapons and armor. Even to the layman, however, it stood out that the weapon seemed to have remained in quite pristine condition considering where it had lay for at least a couple years. [21:09](Jancis Milburga) The hyur's face looked on more so at Chachanji's face, calmed and looking relieved at his expression, than at however pristine the weapon was. [21:11](Denz De'bayle) *Denz rolled his shoulders, losing the tension that had been there since they had made it up the mountain. He took a single step forward, before letting out a short "Hnngh!" in his throat. They would need to now climb -down- this mountain.* [21:11](Chachanji Gegenji) "... I thin' this mighta been one'a th' weapons Mama was gonna take down ta Doma ta help th' resistance..." He mused thoughtfully. "'s obviously'a Papa's make..." Even as he looked at it, he made his way down to the edge of the shallow lake that encircled the remains of the smithy. [21:14](Chachanji Gegenji) Kneeling by it, he gathered up some loose leaves and cast them out into the water before setting the blade down into it, the edge pointed towards the leaves as they started moving in the current. He was surprisingly focused on this task, watching closely at the movements. [21:16](Jancis Milburga) Jancis went back to Denz, raising an eyebrow at his discomfort, then offered him her hand. "You are already annoyed at the prospect of seeing him? We have not even gotten off the mountain yet." [21:16](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara looked down curiously, wondering what Chachan was doing with the sword and leaves in the water. [21:17](Denz De'bayle) "Seeing hi- Oh! No, not him. 'Tis... a long way down." [21:17](Denz De'bayle) "And I've no griffin to catch me, this time." [21:18](Virara Wakuwa) "Oh? LIke the folk tale, then?" Virara observes, watching Chachanji's behaviour curiously. There is an odd trembling in her shoulders, but it passes. [21:18](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan continued to watch as the leaves floated gently around the edge of the blade. Nodding, he took the katana from the water and, flicking it deftly to remove the clinging droplets of lake water, slid it back into its sheath before bringing it over to Denz and offering it to him. "Ya needed a katana made, right?" He looks to Virara and nods. "Had ta see th' intent of th' blade." [21:18](Jancis Milburga) Jancis' eyes widened at Denz, gripping his hand fiercely. "I will catch you. One way or another." Her eyes went down to the curious shimmer in the water, then. "Folk tale?" [21:18](Denz De'bayle) *Denz breaks away from his converstaion to observe what Chachanji was doing.* [21:19]Denz De'bayle looks at you in shock! [21:20](Chachanji Gegenji) "This one never got ta see its purpose fulfilled... so mebbe it could do?" [21:20](Denz De'bayle) "Wh- I cannot accept such an item from you! It belongs with a member of your family! [21:20]Denz De'bayle disagrees with you. [21:20](Y'zhara Zekial) "How do you test the intent of the blade? If the leaves rest along the edge of it, it's good?" [21:21](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled. "It's okay Denz, you want to practice fighting like a samurai right? This is a really good sword for that." [21:21](Chachanji Gegenji) He shakes his head. "It was -made- by a member of me family. Ta be used in th' resistance. Doma is free now, so it can no longer do tha'. But I thin' ya 'n yers could make good use'a it." [21:22](Denz De'bayle) *Denz cleared his throat, looking to Y'zhara.* "The blade is meant for mine cousin, Adelise. B-besides, she wanted one lacking a hilt, and I wouldn't dare ask you remove it on my account." *He looked back down at Chachanji and the outstretched blade, staring at it in contemplation.* [21:23](Chachanji Gegenji) "... She wants jus' th' blade part?" Chachan raises a brow. "How'd she hold it?" [21:24](Denz De'bayle) "Ah, forgive me. The crossguard..." *He eyes the katana.* "Or... circular guard, in this case." [21:25](Jancis Milburga) Jancis frowns a bit. "Is no cousin. Byregot's Mercy, so complicated. Is a gift. The blade should remain unchanged it was made with purpose." [21:26](Chachanji Gegenji) "Oh. Tha's easy enough ta remove..." Chachan stated cheerfully. "I know I said I wasn't comfortable makin' 'er a sword... but I can fix up this one instead if'n tha'd work." [21:26](Denz De'bayle) "Which is why I won't give -this- one to her, then." [21:26](Denz De'bayle) "A-are you sure, Chachanji?" [21:28](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled and looked down at Chachan. "He looks pretty sure." [21:29](Chachanji Gegenji) "I wouldn'ta offered if'n I didn't mean it," Chachan stated with a small pout, still holding up the sword. [21:30](Jancis Milburga) Jancis let her agrument slip away seeing Chachanji so. [21:30](Virara Wakuwa) "But this is a weapon. She will use it against others?" [21:30](Denz De'bayle) *With a small sigh, he takes the sword carefully and loops it under his arm, bowing his head humbly.* "Thank you my friend." [21:30](Virara Wakuwa) Virara raised an eyebrow. [21:30](Virara Wakuwa) "Aren't you... particular about that?" [21:30](Denz De'bayle) "Arguable. Adelise is more akin to using the lance. I believe she wanted it to honor her own master, who wielded a similar katana." [21:31](Chachanji Gegenji) "I... dun like makin' weapons tha'd hurt others, no. But this one's already made 'n... a good blade too. I'd rather it go ta someone I can trust ta have it rather'n leave it 'ere ta be forgotten." [21:32](Chachanji Gegenji) He then looks back to Denz. "... I should introduce ya ta th' concept of'a naginata sometime." [21:33](Y'zhara Zekial) "Yeah just come over with your sister to Chachan's smithy and he can fix it right up." [21:33](Y'zhara Zekial) "Cousin I mean!" [21:34](Virara Wakuwa) "Hm. If you say so." [21:34](Denz De'bayle) "A large and confusing family, is it not?" [21:34]Denz De'bayle grins tauntingly at Y'zhara Zekial. [21:34](Denz De'bayle) *The knight tilts his head back to Chachanji.* "A what?" [21:35](Jancis Milburga) "Now another says it." Jancis takes a slow breath. "It would be another reason to go to the smithy." [21:35](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan turns his head back to watch those leaves he had used earlier drift away. He's quiet a moment before turning back to Denz. "A naginata. 's a type of Doman-style polearm. Um... think, like... a katana on a stick." [21:36](Jancis Milburga) "Naginata." Jancis likes repeating things. [21:36](Chachanji Gegenji) "Naginata!" [21:36](Y'zhara Zekial) "Didn't you repair a Naginata for an Ishgardian at one point Chachan?" [21:37](Chachanji Gegenji) "I did! One'a Ms. Aya's friends." [21:37](Denz De'bayle) "Naginata." *He nods, before properly securing the katana to his body.* "Right, we've... one hell of a climb down ahead of us. After you." [21:37](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled. "That's pretty ccool." [21:37]Denz De'bayle nods to you. [21:37](Y'zhara Zekial) "Yep... this will be a long trip back." she'd secure the box in her hands before walking onto the first stepping stone to walk across the shallow lake. [21:38](Virara Wakuwa) Virara hops across the stones like a wandering rabbit, alighting on the other side, looking almost weightless. She glances back towards the ruined house and her expression grows murky once more. [21:39](Jancis Milburga) "Should I go before you Denz? I will catch you." [21:39](Denz De'bayle) "I-if you want." [21:39](Chachanji Gegenji) "Well, um... if'n it helps, Virara 'r I can tell ya 'bout what I was doin' there at th' water's edge..." the little Lalafell offers as he hops across the stones with practiced ease and makes his way to the tunnel mouth. [21:40](Y'zhara Zekial) "What were you doing at the water's edge? I'm sort of curious about that too." [21:40](Jancis Milburga) "As I have, how they say, fallen for you. It does not makes sense. Not really fallen. I read it in a book. If someone was so clumsy they would fall for nearly everyone about them." [21:44](Denz De'bayle) *Denz lets out a small chuckle, bumping Jancis with his hip as he walked up alongside her.* "As I have fallen for you, my love." *He glances over at Chachanji to hear his explaination.* [21:45](Jancis Milburga) Jancis sways with far more dramatic action than the bump really gave, smiling. "Not too clumsy." [21:47](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled at Jancis and Denz as she stretched her arms a little. [21:47](Chachanji Gegenji) "Well..." Chachan began since Virara's focus seemed elsewhere for the moment, hopping his way down the divots carved by the Reapers of years ago. "As I said, I was testin' th' intent of th' blade. A bloodthirsty blade cuts ev'rythin' in its path, and is a danger ta have - for ya risk havin' the weapon use you rather than you use th' weapon." [21:49](Virara Wakuwa) Virara seems to be busy climbing her way across the divots, much faster than before, since she has passed them once. She is a quick learner. [21:51](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara listened as she climbed down the divots, being careful not to make one wrong move and slip or fall down. [21:53](Jancis Milburga) The height wasn't bothering Jancis. She actually seemed to like looking down at it when she had the chance, but then continued along to not get in Denz's way as he made progress. [21:53](Denz De'bayle) *Denz lets out grunts and disagreeable noises, doing his best to -not- -look- -down-.* [21:56](Chachanji Gegenji) "So we place th' blade in the lake and see how it reacts ta th' leaves," Chachan continues, making his way out the other end of the tunnel. He pauses at the bottom, looking up at the slower of the group as he continued his explanation. "A bloodthirsty sword cuts through ev'rythin'. So it'll draw in 'n slice th' leaves as they float on th' water. But a sword of proper temp'rment will split th' water such tha' th' leaves go 'round th' blade's edge." [21:58](Virara Wakuwa) Virara's descent is becoming dizzyingly fast. She doesn't seem to ever lose her footing or feel anxious at the possibility of a crumbling ledge. She even slides down between ledges with a firm grip at times, clawing the cliffside dirt with thick, gloved fingers. [21:58](Y'zhara Zekial) "Huh... that's very neat." she'd climb down the last the slope before finally making it to the other end of the cave at the bottom. [21:58](Virara Wakuwa) She seems to intimately know the land she passed after feeling the ascent for herself, like her body remembers before her conscious mind. [21:59](Jancis Milburga) "Not seeking to engage." Jancis repeated the words of leaves. "That would work on all blades?" [22:01](Chachanji Gegenji) "Well, sure," Chachan responded with a smile, waiting for Jancis and Denz to finish their climb down before heading out on the narrow mountain path down to Prism Lake. "Tha' blade had been left 'n fergotten fer a while. I had ta make sure it didn't have any resentment'r malice... hence th' test. If'n it had any, we would have needed ta either purify it or destroy it." [22:03](Jancis Milburga) Jancis' eyes lit up with realization. "Like the kami of the restaurant." She waited for Denz, her hand extended where he could finally let go of the cliffside and walk without too much hardship. [22:03](Y'zhara Zekial) "Oh yeah... that does kind of sound like that." [22:04](Denz De'bayle) *Slowly and carefully following behind the group, Denz did he best to listen as he struggled against the cliffside, before they finally made it back to managable ground, gratefully taking the hyur's hand.* [22:07](Chachanji Gegenji) "Kinda like tha', yeah!" Chachan chirped as they descended from the treacherous, hidden mountain path and began their trek through the multihued waters of Prism Lake. "Fort'nately, I think tha' one was waitin' patiently fer someone ta come find it so it could find its purpose. So I wanted ta help it find one." [22:09](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara smiled. "Well that's good. Now this sword will have a new purpose to hopefully do good in aiding Denz's cousin." [22:09](Jancis Milburga) "Thaliak." [22:10](Jancis Milburga) "I would have to agree, though I am immensely biased. Denz is certainly a patient man." [22:11](Y'zhara Zekial) "Yeah what's Denz's cousin like? Is she a good fighter? Is she nice?" [22:12](Denz De'bayle) *Denz tilts his head, trying to process everything between the blood rushing to his ears.* "She's..." *He looks to Jancis for help.* [22:12](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan seems thoughtful as they make their way through Prism Lake. "Hm. Mebbe tha' might be a good name fer it..." [22:14](Jancis Milburga) Jancis took a slow breath, "She grew up quite fast. So young and too old. It is complicated, takes after Denz that way. She wants to protect her family and goes to great lengths to do so. Tries not to burden them. Quietly yearns. She really is quite sweet if she allows someone to see it. And gets scared." [22:17](Denz De'bayle) *Denz nods in agreement to her assessment.* "Indeed. Fierce, has the soul of a leader, befitting her heritage. But that makes her no less impervious to the pains of this world." [22:18](Chachanji Gegenji) "Well, hopefully Matsumono there'll help 'er protect yer family," Chachan suggests as they transition from the lakes to the grasslands that lead back to Doma proper. [22:18](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara nodded thoughtfully. "Ah.. okay... I can sort of understand that." Zhara nodded. "I think eventually she will be able to heal though. Pain makes you stronger." Zhara smiled. "Like Chachan for example, he's been through so much yet he's able to keep such a positive and optimistic demeanor toward almost everything." [22:19](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan flusters quietly at the compliment. "W-well... I try. I want folks ta be happy, y'know? So I gotta try 'n help wit tha' where I can. 'n sometimes jus' bein' happy meself makes 'em wanna be happy." [22:20](Denz De'bayle) *He tilts his head in agreement.* "Matsumono." [22:20](Chachanji Gegenji) "Oh, um. Yeah. Sorry, a name fer tha' blade jus' kinda came ta me." [22:21](Chachanji Gegenji) "Matsumono. One Who Waits." [22:21](Y'zhara Zekial) "I like it." Zhara sighed in relief as the ground got flater and easier to traverse on. [22:22](Denz De'bayle) *He lets out a humoured laugh.* "I do not think patience in one her strong suits." [22:22](Denz De'bayle) "Pray this may help with that." [22:22](Jancis Milburga) Jancis smiles to herself, repeating the name silently. "All the more fitting a gift then." [22:22](Chachanji Gegenji) "Mebbe it will inspire her ta be!" he adds with a small chuckle. [22:22](Virara Wakuwa) Virara sways in and out of the tall grasses, obviously searching for any potential threats as they go. Every once in a while they can catch a glimpse of her eye glancing back at them from amidst the reeds, watching their conversation with muted interest. [22:27](Chachanji Gegenji) > Their return trip to Doma proper is thankfully uneventful, given the many things that have already happened on the trip up to the smithy. The remains of the defeated automatons still lay where they had fallen, testament to the trials the group had undertaken. [22:28](Jancis Milburga) Jancis had stayed quiet after the sword naming, looking about and trying to recall everything about her, including the people she was walking with. [22:29](Virara Wakuwa) Virara is utterly silent on the way back except when addressed, speaking only when necessary. Nothing seems out of the ordinary there, but she appears to be on edge in this land more than normal. [22:30](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara was pretty quiet as well, looking over the ruins and the mountains one last time. She wasn't quite sure when she was going to see it again so she felt it was good to take in the sighs before heading out. [22:32](Denz De'bayle) *Denz, naturally, fell quiet as they continued down the paths of Yanxia, reflecting on their journey thus far and what was ahead of them as they began turning their eyes back towards home.* [22:33](Chachanji Gegenji) Chachan looked over the ruins of Doma as they skirted around it again. There was still a wistful sadness to his expression, but there was also that determination and hope of his. They had chased out the Garleans, they would rebuild. Perhaps his family would want to return and help that, even after finding out the truth of their history and the family's banishment from the city all those generations ago... [22:37](Jancis Milburga) Jancis tried to focus on the kami, her hand reaching out to brush at the broken walls and tiles with quiet words that things were going to get better, "Should I see you again, it will be so different and a welcome reunion." [22:40](Chachanji Gegenji) > For perhaps the briefest of moments, Jancis might feel... something. A vague sense of loss and dismay, lightened if only a little bit. Whatever it was, her attentions were likely stolen away by none other than Tairyo. Rather than being down at the boat, he was at the top of the ramp, staring out over the ruined city himself. He seemed adamant on not using Denz's gift for its intended purpose, leaning against it like it was a walking stick. A look of... almost surprised relief quickly segued-- [22:40](Chachanji Gegenji) --into bored disdain. "Well, took you all long enough. I had begun to hope the beasts here had gotten you. Well, ONE of you, at least." [22:44](Jancis Milburga) Jancis' eyes gave Tairyo new regard, catching that brief expression. Her hand left the wall and waved lightly to him. "Only begun. It was quite the journey. The pools beyond are a rainbow of colors, like the sky laid it down." [22:44](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara nodded. "Yep, we're back. I guess it's time to figure out our trip back to Kugane." [22:44](Y'zhara Zekial) "And home.." [22:45](Denz De'bayle) *Denz's reflective face was broken down into a flat, unimpressed look. A mirror of Virara's, if nothing else. He sucked in a breath, choosing to ignore the man as he walked past him.* [22:46](Chachanji Gegenji) > "Well, you can figure all THAT out in the boat. This place is giving me the creeps," the fisherman stated gruffly, turning as Denz apparently had a similar idea - as much as Tairyo seemed loathe to admit it. "I AM curious how you plan to get back to Kugane considering I'm not allowed on those waters anymore. For some mysterious reason." He leaned towards Denz for that last sentence for extra childish emphasis. [22:46](Virara Wakuwa) Virara glances over the man warily, unsure of his actions. Whatever he was observing was no business of hers, but there is some glimmer of curiosity there. [22:49](Denz De'bayle) "Something Jancis and I shall discuss in private." *Denz says tersely, making his way down the ramp in front of everyone else.* [22:50](Jancis Milburga) Jancis followed behind, looking thoughtful before hearing Denz's answer. She kept Tairyo in sight now that they were back together as a group. [22:50](Chachanji Gegenji) > "Well that just fills me with SO much confidence," the fisherman quipped, continuing to use the spear as a walking stick down the path. [22:51](Y'zhara Zekial) Zhara followed behind Jancis as they began to load up in the boat.

[thecrucibleffxiv]

LOCAL CHILD RUNS A BUSINESS ALL ON HIS OWN: THE INSPIRATIONAL TALE

Think back to when you were too young to have any concerns besides homework and avoiding being kidnapped and held for ransom. Odds are you spent those days lazing about, not doing much, or perhaps helping your parents with their business like a good Ul’dahn citizen. One local child of whom we should all be proud took his fate into his own hands. I write, of course, of an individual identified solely as “Scott Patot.”

Scott Patot, a Roegadyn born with a tragic birth defect that leaves him with the size and appearance of a lalafell, is a young boy with a vision. Some expect wealth to come to them effortlessly, some lie about waiting for others to pay them, but this local hero has much more ambition than that. Not one to settle for coasting, Scott instead has begun an adorable business that we can all be proud of him for running: a puppy mill.

Upon buying a breeding pair of purebred bullpups, Scott immediately set about multiplying their numbers. Despite having to keep them in extremely tight quarters and eating on a minimal budget so as to force the creatures to stay cute and tiny forever, Scott has been able to sell the much sought-after offspring for millions of gil! He’s making more than twenty times his initial investment, and if that’s not smart business I have no idea what is.

The Crucible would like to officially extend our congratulations to the hero Scott Patot, and thank him for inspiring his fellow Ul’dahn citizens to be the very best they can be. Remember, it’s our duty to make sure every other city in the world recognizes how pathetic and comical they are next to us.

Minaji Maji would extend an offer to adopt Scott if only he were  a lalafell.

@sultana-dreaming

Twitter || Facebook || Patreon || Twitch

[koko-works]

Physical Attraction Levels

💔 Non-existent 💛💛 No Preference 💝💝💝 Date-worthy 💘💘💘💘 Fancied 💗💗💗💗💗 Preferred

Roegadyn

♂ Sea Wolf Men : 💛💛 ♀ Sea Wolf Women :   💛💛 ♂ Hellsguard Men :   💛💛 ♀ Hellsguard Women :   💛💛

"There have been a few of their men I have found to my liking, but generally I do not prefer them. As for their women, They are admirable and beautiful, but I do not find myself wishing one in my bed.”

Hyur

♂ Highlander Men :   💝💝💝 ♀ Highlander Women : 💝💝💝 ♂ Midlander Men :   💗💗💗💗💗 ♀ Midlander Women :   💘💘💘💘

"Highlander men and women are staunch warriors, and both their pride and physique should be admired by any who count themselves a warrior. As a midlander myself, I am sure it comes as no surprised I find others of my race attractive.

Elezen

♂ Wildwood Men :   💘💘💘💘 ♀ Wildwood Women :   💛💛 ♂ Duskwight Men :     💘💘💘💘 ♀ Duskwight Women : 💛💛

"I have not been to the snowy north of Ishgard, but have heard its men and women are refined creatures of nobility and status. I have met many of their race in Gridania though, and do particularly enjoy their interesting height and long ears. Beautiful indeed.”

Miqo'te

♂ Seeker Men :   💘💘💘💘 ♀ Seeker Women :   💝💝💝 ♂ Keeper Men :   💗💗💗💗💗 ♀ Keeper Women :   💝💝💝

"While some in my land may find the Miqo’te to be a bothersome and...’invasive’ race, I find them quite interesting. And some downright enchanting. The seeker tribes I find to be less desirable, their focus on breeding and entitlement to such things is...distasteful, but the keeper tribes, I enjoy their emphasis on family and reverence for their heritage.”

Lalafell

♂ Plainsfolk Men :     💛💛 ♀ Plainsfolk Women :   💛💛 ♂ Dunesfolk Men :   💛💛 ♀ Dunesfolk Women :   💛💛

"Ah yes, I have had some dealings with them in my visit to Ul’dah. An interesting race, and more deadly with tongue and pen than most with sword, but I do not find myself eager or interested in bedding one. Their forms are too small for me to find myself desiring them.

Au Ra

♂ Xaela Men : 💘💘💘💘 ♀ Xaela Women :   💝💝💝 ♂ Raen Men :   💗💗💗💗💗 ♀ Raen Women :   💝💝💝

"The Xaela, some would call them savage, but while their practices, from tribe to tribe, can seem foreign and cruel, they are ultimately a race of warriors, and that strength and pride, can be incredibly attractive. On the other half, Raen are elegant, beautiful creatures that are quite well received in my homeland, and I find myself fortunate to have known those that have given me their time.”

I was tagged by @allagandodo and took a little time responding, but promised I would ♥

Tagging: @khonabetwanhe @vitalanikha @lonekakapo @opo-opos (For any of your 90 characters)

[rprofiles]

♪ Name: Qiqisu Sumeragi ♪ Nickname(s): Qissy, Qiqi, Qisu, Qi ♪ Nameday: 11th moon of the 2nd Umbral Moon || Age: 18 Springs (?) ♪ Astological Watcher: Llymlaen, the Navigator ♪ Race: Lalafell (Dunesfolk/Plainsfolk); Roegadyn (Sea Wolf) ♪ Sex: Female; Gender Identy: Female ♪ Orientation: Bisexual ♪ Server: Balmung ♪ Eyes: Iridescent Wisteria; Wears Glasses ♪ Hair: Seafoam Green with Icy Blue Streaks; Braided  ♪ Build: Stout; H:2′11″ W: 50 lbs ♪ Distinctive Features: Slight green tint to skin, visible mainly on lips and scars; Scars on face; Downward floppy ears ♪ Equipment:   Glasses ♦ Profession:    ♦Elementalist: Has been able to hear the elements for as long as she can remember. When she was finally able to speak she was able to invoke their power. Closest with Water.    ♦Dancer: After viewing a troupe performing in Kugane with her grandparents, Qissy fell in love with the art. Combining weapons with her dances made for better control of her Aether Sickness as well as convincing her Grandparents she was ready to be out on her own, like her siblings! Can also incorporate manipulating the elements into her dances for entertainment purposes.  ♣ Hobbies:    ♣Alchemist/Brewer; Has an affinity for making some interesting and benificial drinks. Be careful, when she tries a new recipe she tends to ask for guinea pigs taste testers.   ♣Pet/Chocobo Raising/Breeding; Has always had a knack of attracting new animals/yokai to her side. When two of her pets had a fling and produced a litter, she found the adorable slightly different coats were very popular with others.    ♣Languages; She enjoys conversing with all beings, so has taken it upon herself to learn each language she encounters.   ♥ Sickness Aether Excretion/Pooling: The process of the body expelling/holding aether A rare combination of two conditions that are, for the most part, separate ailments. If Qissy does not use magic often enough, or for an extended period of time, it will build in her body causing aether poisoning. On the opposite side, any time she uses magic, she expels too much aether and is left depleted. Both are very dangerous and can lead to serious health problems and even death if left untreated.  ~ Treatment for Aether Excretion: Most of the time, the inflicted avoids spending any aether at all. In Qissy’s case, and others who enjoy spell casting to sword weilding, while difficult, she can learn to control how much aether is used when casting a spell. It makes magic much more difficult for the inflicted, but it can be done.    ~ Treatment for Aether Pooling: Plain and simple, cast magic. Cast magic from the time you wake til the time you sleep. The regeneration rate varies from person to person, but so long as you keep it within the safe limits of natural aether that is within all life, this is the best course of action. Aether Allergy: An allergy to aether. Not as rare as one may think, but definitely not something one hears about every day. Qissy’s allergy is more akin to mild skin irritation, occasional sneezing/nausea and vomiting when there is too much in one place. Often paired with Aether Pooling diagnosis as the excess aether begins to fight with our physiology.  ~ Treatment for Aether Allergy: Sadly, because aether can be found in almost every living thing, not much more than ointments and allergy potions can help with this diagnosis.

Relations [ ♪ = Known; ♠ = Accepted; ★ = Friends; ♣ = Like; ♥ = Love; ♦ = Disliked; × = Enemy; * = Family ]

*★♥ Rei Sumeragi || Brother; Hyur *★♥ Rin Sumeragi || Sister; Hyur *★♥ Ren Sumeragi || Brother; Hyur         -Found by the biological siblings while floating, almost dead, in the Ruby Sea     -Grandparents and siblings nursed her back to health. After realizing they’d have a lot of trouble finding her family they took her in and raised her.

Pets/Mounts ♥ Bisqotti; Red Panda; Nickname: Bisqit   -Has a talent for knowing when her Aether is too high or too low.   -Is rather protective of Qissy.   -Has a habit of becoming protective of others if Qissy seems protective of them at the time.    -Gift from Sister Rin ♥ Zelthromanus; Chocobo [Red]; Nickname: Zelthro

[pepeangogoan]

Now, I know what you’re thinking: Why am I posting images from Little Witch Academia on a Final Fantasy XIV blog? Well hear me out. For those of you who haven’t seen this series, first of all START watching it, it’s one of the most hilarious and clever anime I’ve seen in a long time, second, this is an episode wherein one of the supporting characters, Lotte, brings her friends to visit her parents. The large fellow is obviously her dad and the dark haired lady is her mother.

Now, notice the height and weight difference between the two. He’s at least three times her size. Yet somehow they managed to successfully conceive a child. Why is this relevant to Final Fantasy XIV? Because it FINALLY answers my question that Yoshida’s been avoiding! It proves once and for all: Lalafell and Roegadyn CAN breed together! I mean come on! If THESE two can produce offspring then Lalafell and Roegadyn can too! SIZE MATTERS NOT!

... Yes... the obvious counter-argument is that these two are both human but... MY POINT STILL STANDS DAMMIT! LOTTE IS A ROEGAFELL AND I WON’T BE TOLD OTHERWISE!

[pepeangogoan]

So I started the Ananta Beast Tribe Quests finally. So... these two are a lesbian Miqo’te/Ananta relationship right? Well it’s far from being the strangest thing I’ve seen in this game. Hey, it’s 2018, I’m all for a cat-person/sea-snake-mermaid relationship. It may not be “conventional” but dammit I support it!

Hey I’m the guy who’s curious whether Lalafell and Roegadyn can breed, I ain’t judgin’ anybody!

[pepeangogoan]

Well I thought it was time to finally do it. To finally have Pepean pop the big question to Eliza. Time to create a Ceremony of Eternal Bonding that will never actually happen because I can’t make two characters on the same account get married, but hey I wanted to advance the lore of my characters. The Ceremony will be IMPLIED once its happened! XD

I was worried that Patch 3.5 would give me a reason to have Pepean call off doing this again, and while there was some tragedy... I don’t think it’s anything that he’d let discourage him. If anything he’d use it as a reason to go forward with it, as he needs some happiness in his life right now.

I haven’t done as much with Pepean and Eliza on this blog as I would have liked, but I feel I’ve done plenty so that anybody who frequents this place knows that in my character lore they’re a couple... If not then this post should certainly make it obvious. When designing a character to make Pepean’s love interest I knew that the very last thing I wanted was to make her a Lalafell. I wanted it to be an inter-racial relationship. I feel that TOO many players in this game (at least from my own personal experiences) have this hang up that you HAVE to marry somebody within your own race. I wanted Pepean to have a relationship that goes against that. The game has the option for characters of two different races getting married for a reason. While I think it might not be completely friendly to the game’s lore, maybe these two are just oddities. Maybe they want to break away from tradition. Heck, the existence of The Mongrel is proof that inter-racial relationships DO happen in the lore, however rare. She’s half-Hyur, half-Elezen, in case anybody forgot (I know plenty of people in my FC did). I know it was due to an adulterous affair and all, but my point remains. Eliza doesn’t care that Pepean’s only 3-feet tall, she can see that his heart is ten times the size of that.

The big question for most is to whether they’ll be able to have children or not. Well I have proven in the past, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Lalafell and Roegadyn can have children, so it’s not that far-fetched to assume that Lalafell and Hyur can as well. Oooh, being able to make mixed-race characters... MAKE that happen Yoshida! You’ve shown it’s possible! I’ve mentioned before that Pepean and Eliza DO have an intimate relationship... just don’t ask about the mechanics of it... they can just do it okay! But hey if it comes out that the races can’t breed, then they’ll just adopt. Simple fix.

Anyway, once I’ve got through Stormblood I’ll officially be changing Eliza’s name to Eliza Gogoan. A name she’ll proudly wear.

[pepeangogoan]

Final Fantasy XIV Europe Fan Fest Sunday Photos - Part 1 / 4

Time to kick off the Sunday photos with the stage stuff. The Q&A and Letter from the Producer Live were incredible and fun, though I am still miffed that they didn’t answer my question as to whether Lalafell and Roegadyn can breed together.

But what was the biggest honour for me was that I was there in the audience when Final Fantasy XIV got awarded not one, but THREE Guinness World Records! I was there for this part of history! I am SO honoured I can’t even tell you!

The final image is just a better look at the stage itself, as they were setting up for the Primals concert that happened at the end of the night.