What’s Your Story?

[SenorPatty]

I slid out of my mama's womb with axe in hand and start d swinging. Then one day, I met some dude in Ishgard who said I could use BFS so I did and now I too angry and edgy to die.

[Illmaeran]

My guy's the son of a Duskwight woodsman from the North Shroud and a former Dragoon from southern Coerthas who left military service due to an injury. He grew up going between N.S. and Ishgard, ending up doing a couple of tours for Ishgard as a Dragoon well before the events of the Calamity. After his stint in the army he spent time as an adventurer/guard-for-hire who eventually ended up guarding a valuable shipment on a Lominsan ship where he met his to-be wife. After that job they travelled together for a while before settling down with their adopted daughters (myself as the father and mother main/alt and two friends as the daughters). Once the oldest was of age, he and she went back to Ishgard to help his aging grandparents and ended up getting caught up in the events at the end of the Dragonsong War. After that the whole family ended up participating in the Ala Mhigan and Doman revolutions. We hand-wave ShB as never happening. We all ended up helping out the Shroud during the Final Days events which marks the end of his full-time adventuring days. After surviving to middle age he's mostly-retired and is running a restaurant in Foundation now.

[CaptainOblivous]

My character started as a wannabe Archer and felt drawn to the Archer's Guild in Gridania.

Thank you, Carin, for dragging me into this! :P
This is total fan-w**k territory here, and as I'm not as familiar with the FF14 lore as I'd like, it's probably completely impossible and/or dumb. Any criticism would be welcome!

My thinking is that Cat was a seeker Miqo'te Sharlayan gleaner, who happens to be rather older than he looks. Technically.
He was working for Louisoix, Matoya and Papalymo's dad when they were young researchers. They were investigating time manipulation magick when something went badly wrong, shooting Cat many decades into the future (for him).
After Cat's disappearance, Louisoix decided it was to drop the whole investigation into such things. Matoya strongly disagreed.
With that, they buried their research, though Matoya was less than impressed. In fact, it was the first time Louisoix & Matoya truly fell out. They had bickered before, but this was what truly broke their relationship. She was convinced Cat was still out there and could be "saved", while Louisoix didn't want to risk damaging time itself. Cat was listed as "missing, presumed dead".

He only picked up a lance because it happened to be an open job when he first got to "modern" Gridania. He did become proficient with it over time, but he was always happier with a scythe and hatchet in his hand, dealing with bushes rather than dragons. He knows his way around a bow and he knows a bit amount about healing thanks to the range of skills needed to survive as a gleaner. It wasn't long before he scraped together the gil to get some used botany gear.

Meeting Matoya again was a gut punch for him, rivalled only by learning who Papalymo was. Learning the fate of Louisoix also hurt him a lot. It was seeing Louisoix that made him truly comprehend what had happened. He had lost nigh-everyone he knew and he couldn't go back.
He feels just a little bit awkward toward Y'shtola. He didn't know about her relationship with Matoya until reuniting with Matoya in her cave. A little awkward, given how he felt towards Y'shtola before that!

He loves to aggro Fourchenault every time they meet. He has a habit of calling Fourchenault "kid". He often calls those who think themselves powerful "kid" (sometimes affectionately, sometimes not).
He found it odd when he returned to "Old" Sharlayan. His old gear and ways raised some eyebrows there, given how things had moved on since "his day". He couldn't help but feel like a relic walking down weathered alleys & paths that he remembered being freshly laid.
He tried to return to the gleaners, only to find their culture vastly different from his day. He didn't fit, so he had to find his own path.
He was glad when the "Worldly Affairs Official" didn't place him as Sharlayan. It allowed him to keep playing the part of the "odd foreigner" without changing his habits.
Ain't that a kick in the head?

[rainichan]

Thank you, Carin, for dragging me into this! :P
This is total fan-w**k territory here, and as I'm not as familiar with the FF14 lore as I'd like, it's probably completely impossible and/or dumb. Any criticism would be welcome!
...

Hey, whatever works for you! The Sharlayans researched crazier things, so it isn't a stretch for some of those researchers to be doing that. I'm a fan of lore bending to work how I want it to in my favour, and this sounds enough in tune with the lore anyway that it's completely possible!

[Akonyl]

"Sygglona Ahldfarrwyn" means "Victory gatherer, daughter of old bull". That's basically the extent of my char story. I started as a warrior, hence my dad being an old bull, but as far as my character's actual name went, "victory gatherer" to me just means a support role. So when I quit the game as a warrior, and came back as a bard, it all fit for my character name as far as I'm concerned.

[MagicPeanut]

I’ve thought about a backstory a lot, but I’ve never written any of this down before. I’ve taken this a bit too seriously though. It basically turned into a fanfiction so grab your popcorn and enjoy!

My WoL's story starts on a desert island somewhat far south of Eorzea. Her parents were part of a caravan that would make its way around said island to gather resources for trading to a wealthy merchant that would come by the caravan's main resting area every month. The caravan was made up entirely of Lalafell, majority of which were Dunesfolk. (It's a desert island after all!) The males would perform the more dangerous jobs outside the caravan while the females would act as traditional caregivers. Her father, a proud Plainsfolk, would pray every day that his firstborn would be male so he could train him to be a strong man and teach him his trade. Of course, his child ended up being a girl. Not willing to sacrifice the name he picked out; he still chose to call her Eli Nali. Her mother (Dunesfolk), agreed with the name as long as the pronunciation was akin to the more feminine "Ellie." (This would of course change how her last name sounds too, but what can ya do?) The father begrudgingly agreed.

Many years later, the preteen Eli grew curious as to the dangers the male Lalafell who went to hunt would face outside the caravan. The adults all told her that the desert sands were filled with beasts that would gobble her up at the chance and that she should stay put in the caravan where it was safe. Her curiosity would betray their warnings however, on the day she noticed a strange dark void floating amidst the dunes. Approaching it, a creature she would later learn is called a “Voidsent,” lunged forth from the tear. The creature managed to lay a blow on her before the male Lalafells arrived to defeat it and carry her back to safety. Miraculously, the only damage she sustained was to her right eye, which changed into a red color. It was as if the Gods smiled on her that day and not only saved her but gave her the drive to learn about what attacked her.

As a teen, she secretly traded with the visiting merchant to obtain a book that detailed all sorts of information about a realm known as “Eorzea.” It discussed things she’d never seen before, such as the ocean, green plains, mountains and the like. (Although aware she’s on an island, it’s quite large and the caravan never cycles close to its beaches). She then learns from the book about a relatively new trade known as adventuring and the “Adventurers” who take it up. From there, she secretly trades with the merchant a few more times to purchase a wand and a spell book. From it, she learns some basic offensive spells, but desires to learn even more. The Eorzea book speaks of the Thaumaturge’s Guild in Ul’dah which could teach her more, but she knows her parents would never allow it. Frustrated, she lives out her days cooking meals and sewing up the clothes of the hunters while dreaming of what the outside world has to offer.

By the time she’s an adult, she’s learned to cast spells relatively quickly by fighting random beasts in the desert. She believed she could be trusted with hunting for resources with the male hunters. After asking for this however, her father becomes enraged. He explains that he’s found her “heathen teachings” and her “window dressing” books, but was convinced by her mother to ignore it, since Eli wasn’t acting on it. But now she’s gone too far. “You are a woman of this caravan. You need to act like one! Whatever this “adventuring” nonsense is, it needs to end!” Suddenly, shouts could be heard from outside their tent. After rushing out, the family finds the caravan was being attacked by a giant Sandworm! The hunters were scrambling to take it down while evacuating the vulnerable. Eli rushed to get her wand and, before her father’s shouted objections could be registered in her mind, had shot forth ice which took the worm down in only a few hits. Everyone was stunned for a moment before relief washed over them and their cheers rang out.

A while later after the caravan was calm and gratitude’s had been communicated, Eli’s father reluctantly apologizes to her. Eli, realizing that she’s severely stressed her parents out, apologizes as well for being selfish. Her mother explains that they were worried after she had been attacked by the Voidsent years ago and didn’t want to encourage her “brutish” behavior in fear that she wouldn’t survive getting attacked by another beast. “Evidently however, our fears may have been unwarranted” her mother says. Her father agrees to allow her to hunt, citing that even if he wanted to object, several hunters already came by to request her presence on hunts. Eli suddenly hugs him, and the family is at peace.

Only a year more goes by before Eli announces her plans to travel to Ul’dah, a place with a similar climate to her island and which is home to the Thaumaturge’s Guild, to begin her adventures in Eorzea and see all the world has to offer. Her parents, knowing the day was coming, had already set Gil aside for her boat ticket purchase. Her mother had also prepared some traditional Lalafellin wear, since Ul’dah is a majority Lalafell population, and Eli should make a good first impression. Eli is proud to have such thoughtful, loving parents. After bidding goodbye to the other travelers of the caravan, Eli and her father joins the merchant back to the island docks who will ferry her to another island where a boat is set to go straight to Eorzea. After getting her stuff put on the ferry and ensuring she has her wand, Eli turns to hug her father once more before it’s time to set sail. He tells her to make good on her promise to “See all the world has to offer,” before coming home. She doubles down on her promise and ensures that she will. She hops on the ferry and bids him a final farewell, knowing in her heart it will be a long time before she ever returns. After buying her ticket and watching as her island disappeared along the horizon, Eli turns forward, weathered wand in hand, and knows that this is something she must do.

On the course of her future adventures, she will come to find another family whom she will cherish and fight throughout time and space to protect. And it’s through this resonant bond that she will gain strength even in the darkest of times to forge ahead to the future. For if she ever loses her way, although her weapon of choice is now the chakrams, she can look upon her weathered wand she still keeps, to recall her promise and the warmth it brings. Through the bonds of familial love, she will find hope to continue on her never ending adventure once more.

I hope you enjoyed my dramatic and very long headcanon! :P I’m sleepy so forgive me if I misspelled stuff or forgot some lore. I specifically took into account the Lalafell’s origins in lore when coming up with all this over the years. Hope I got it right. Going to sleep now, good night. o/

[NekoMataMata]

I just exist for the sake of existing.

[NegativeS]

Negative Space revels in the idea of becoming a messiah-esque figure for the denizens of Eorzea. Since learning that he was basically a superhero, he stopped caring for much outside of becoming the strongest being in the entire world, and eventually all the reflections when it was clear he already surpassed that (considering) he smacked down the old goddess of his world without breaking much of a sweat).

Before learning about the true nature of the world, the past, the gods, the Ascians, and himself, however, he originally travelled humbly to Gridania to try and develop hairspray so potent it would keep his pompadour from folding down into his eyes whenever wind blew in his face.

Still working on that.

[Gullis]

He likes Nodding

[Renalt]

Negative Space revels in the idea of becoming a messiah-esque figure for the denizens of Eorzea. Since learning that he was basically a superhero, he stopped caring for much outside of becoming the strongest being in the entire world, and eventually all the reflections when it was clear he already surpassed that (considering) he smacked down the old goddess of his world without breaking much of a sweat).

Before learning about the true nature of the world, the past, the gods, the Ascians, and himself, however, he originally travelled humbly to Gridania to try and develop hairspray so potent it would keep his pompadour from folding down into his eyes whenever wind blew in his face.

Still working on that.

So basically Kazuma Kuwabara. He is a god among men.