Who is your FFXIV character?

[einschwartz]

Mine is simply a cat with a natural instinct to climb onto tall structures...
Gimme more things to climb!!!
(Curses at multiple of invisible walls)

[Pepsi_Plunge]

Still a little kitten-toddler and too young to remember anything of her former life, my Catgirl was the sole survivor of a maritime disaster near Limsa Lominsa. With no name, clan or family a friendly member of the Mahlstrom (and former pirate) rescued and raised her. Her appetite for treasure and adventure was well developed as she had spend most of her childhood on a ship or countries far away. After her foster father died she came back to study at the Arcanist's Guild. This is why she calls this city her home, joined the grand company and rised up in the ranks of the Mahlstrom herself.

Being born but not raised as Miqo'te she's interested in the culture but doesn't care that much. If anything, with all the travelling in her past, she's cosmopolitan. And while jobs and her look may change over the years, some things never do. She will always be Mahlstrom and being a foster child herself, she wiill always remember to give back. So when she's not too busy she always make sure helping Zhloe in Menphina's Arms as much as she can.

[AmiRose]

I wish I had the creativity to do this but alas, I do not.
Sooo I'll just join the "going with whatever the main story lays out for me" group over there.

[LalafellDown]

Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere

[LLSmoothJ]

Oh, one of those character backstory threads. This should be fun.

Each of my characters has his/her own backstory. A simple history tied to it. Unfortunately I am currently at work so I won't be able to fully participate until I get home. Will be posting at least three, maybe more.

[Berteaux_Braumegain]

My Elezen is a 26-year-old Gridanian with an affinity for magic. While initially part of the Conjurer's Guild, he left the Shroud after the fall of Dalamud in order to escape a rote life under the Elementals by making a fortune in Ul'dah. After venturing to Ul'dah, he picks up Thaumaturgy and then eventually has a brief run in with X'rhun Tia whereupon he becomes a Red Mage, which becomes his go-to Job from then on. Eventually, he takes up learning how to be an Arcanist and Blue Mage as well, obtaining the latter Soul Crystal after hearing of Martyn's sales through one of his retainers. He's also contemplated becoming a Paladin due to its magical capabilities.

He also has a fondness for Ivalician fashion and Triple Triad.

I was toying with the idea of Berteaux possibly attempting to become a minor member of the Scions, ala Hoary Boulder and Co., given that there would exist a connection to Alisaie through X'ruhn Tia, though his interest in the group would be due to the potential for travel around the world and the opportunity to learn more by his journeys abroad.

[Sated]

Ratinel's from an Ishgard family that runs a struggling lumber business, kinda floating between high and lowborn status. Frustrated at his inability to change how bad the political nonsense was in Ishgard he ran off some years ago to go explore warmer climates and interests, and got caught up in saving the world I guess.

Both DRK and Heavensward were super cathartic for him, and having him return to Ishgard now to help build Firmament is fantastic. The fun bit is despite being in Ishgard and missing his family, he still hasn't reunited with them after having run off - he feels bad at having left in the first place so avoiding seeing them is like a bad comedy since avoiding your own family when you're that high profile and working on the same project is not easy. I feel that a lot of Ishgardians knew of him (at least by his family name) when he came back for Heavensward so I imagine Haurchefant and Aymeric giving him grief throughout the campaign for not visiting his family while he's there. He'll definitely have to face them at some point now, since they'll be contributing to rebuilding too so I gotta figure that out.

Combat-wise, he's just a punchy boy - the only job stone he has is the banged up DRK one he found on Fray but greatswords aren't his style. He fights with his fists and his heart, extremely impulsive and protective and as a result is easy to predict and manipulate. He isn't a monk really, he's more of just a strong brawler and relies heavily on the scions and Hydaelyn's favor while suffering from impostor syndrome. He has some limited training in archery and lances (having helped craft them for the family business) but is otherwise fairly mundane for a Chosen One.

When he's not fighting he's kind of a playful, friendly, and considerate goof; he doesn't embarrass easily and he doesn't back down from challenges. Mostly he's a pretty stereotypical Aries.


And an edit to add Lito'li:
Li is my alt or secondary main; a moon miqo who left the Shroud for the big city of Ul'dah and never went back. I originally just made Li to sate my appetite for unrequited pining and eye candy but then he developed a personality and now he's a major part of my storybuilding... while also being those first two things.

Being a normal citizen of Eorzea a lot of his development revolves around my WoL (Rat's) story and actions anyway. Li kind of forced himself into Rat's life by crashing at his place and taking advantage of his hospitality. He didn't learn Rat was The WoL until Rat actually left for the First, leaving Li alone at the house and having to figure out where he went, looking for contacts who might know and learning more about him.

Li isn't combat-trained (yet) but is extremely agile and does dance. When he eventually does decide to join the cause and help the scions (probably after the Shadowbringers campaign is wrapped up and Rat's officially done on the First) Li will specialize in thrown weapons and blades. He's already 80DNC but I'm trying to find a way to make NIN work too.

He hates dirt (and the Shroud), is a pescatarian, a fashionista who is learning weaving, is very picky and commanding, is very short, and has made Rat his mission. Also quite Saggitarius.

[Gemina]

Oh, I have a big ol backstory about Gemina that I blogged on me loadstone. I won't go all crazy here.

In short, she's just your well rounded do-gooder from the lands of Dravania. She admires her father a great deal and tries to live by his example. He taught her various disciplines of melee combat, but encourages her to harness her innate ability to use magic that comes from her being a Lunarian. She sure does love her swords though, and can hold her own in close quarters.

She relates mostly to the DRK questlines and has serious PTSD from her encounters as the Wol.

[MrKusakabe]

I am a Lalafell that likes to be independent. This has also something to do with my age
- my once pitch-black hair turns more and more grey - and with my attitude. I am from time to time a bit grumpy, but in general, I wish accompany with like-minded people, too. After I defeated the Garlean invasion a couple of years ago, I thought I'd stop. I've been a Bard, Black Mage and Scholar. Four years in my vacation however, I feeled the need of the thrill of the battle. And, lucky circumstances, I met X'rhun Tia... The rest is history.

Now I am a massive Red Mage freak, almost hardcore. Every morning I polish my crimson red job crystal. It's not even a "job", it's a profession. I am not the best, but I am really addicted and can't imagine going back. Everytime I open my armoire and slip into my Red Mage's Duellist attire, slowly and piece by piece, my heartbeat raises. When I am fully geared - after fluffing up the feathers on my chapeau - I feel how much I love this profession. Might it be the crystal floating over my left, or the sword in my right hand, the choice of combat is diverse. AoE or single-target? Finishing off an enemy and Dualcast a Vercure after that, posing as killer and healer at the same time. In face-to-face combat or over range.



As I am pretty old (10 years older than X'rhun. He described himself as "aging", haha!)- yet still fit enough - I think I have the proper mindset for this. I've seen much and learned a lot in life. Kneejerk reactions are for the young, but not for me.


We Red Mages are not testosterone-filled berserks. We are firstly diplomats. But if you mess with us, we will fight. Good luck then...


---

This stuff is copied from my Lodestone profile (i used up every character I was allowed to type, sometimes I had to cut sentences down to keep in length):


"No, I did not plan to have an "adventure". I am a mere 92cm in size, and in my late 30s. What would I do? Probably dying from the next bear or being trampled by a wild Chocobo. Never settled for family or relationships and being a maverick. That was also the reason why ultimatively lost my job - and thus my home - as my employer, a grumpy old fart, fired me on the spot when I came too late to work in his little, murky general store. As I threw my uniform into his face and, ahem, flipped him off, I felt the urge to break out of my life, breathing fresh air so to speak. I left basically all - or nothing as I had no own possessions- and headed to Gridania.

Thanks to the nice people and a slip from the Quiver's Hold, I had access to a surprisingly nifty inn room - for free. But now my planless moves became clear: I am not a killer! It was just a hobby to fire some arrows into trees and such, I never killed someone, or something, before. Aiming at a living, sentient creature made me shake; I never released the arrow.. I trusted myself to Athelyna, who directed me over to Luciane Corne. First real contact an Elezen but she didn't mind so much as she kneeled down to instruct me the use of the bow. Over and over. Her patience is baffling, and eventually, I can even hit the mark. In order to gain money, she took me to some smaller jobs and it was that day where I killed my first enemy. It felt..rather thrilling, and my skills developed over the next years...

Something inside me changed though. The gain in self-confidence kindled a blood lust. Downing foes became my hobby, but arrows have a physical limit of damage - especially the small arrows I shoot. What is not bound to body size? The power of mind. MAGIC!

The first steps of becoming a Thaumaturge were tough, but swinging a wand was easier for me than wielding bow and arrow. Manipulating the Aether to roast, freeze and shock enemies is an exhilarating feel, but to a cost. My soul changed, my once blonde hair turned black and a tribal mark appeared the more I got sucked into the art of Black Magic. But still, for some reason, it felt incomplete, despite me being a Scholar healer at the same time.

One fateful morning, I woke up with a ridiculous idea. A view in the mirror: Me, a middle-aged male Lalafell in his 40s, growing some white hair already. I have not unlimited time...

"Now or never!" I said to myself as I stepped up to this tall, old Miqo'te who sat in this filthy drinking hole. He was easy to identify: A noble Red Mage.. With me having a mage background and asking too much questions, he accepted me as his student. Oof!

As I put on my apprentice Red Mage attire and wielding magic in form of a crystal in one, and a sharp, silver blade in the other hand, finally combining not only black and white magic, but also ranged magic and melee physical fighting abilities I knew:

I found my real, final professions: Red Mage and Scholar"



Sincerely,

[Deviru]

I haven't fully thought this one out, but...

I used to play a female character, as I myself am female. Problem was, I was never able to really get attached to them, for whatever reason. I would fantasia between miqote and au'ra and then xaela and raen every so often, never quite being satisfied. When I changed to the male miqote I am now, something switched, and I'm not quite sure what it is, but I'd never change my character now. I'd spent so much time admiring the male miqote model and yet never allowing myself to fantasia into one, so maybe it was just a feeling of "finally" lmao

But while playing the male miqo and tracking down a little bit of the lore about them, here's the short and skinny of it: I imagine Amerin was a little boy who saw his fellow brothers competing fiercely and stabbing one another in the back for the chance to become nunh, and he hated it and wanted no part of it. Another part of him knew--or at least thought--he would never be good enough to land the position. After expressing this to his father, he was told, in a more or less uncaring way, that this life wasn't meant for him and to leave their tribe. He leaves the wilderness of Uldah, and somehow makes it to the forests of Gridania in one piece; after all, he's heard that the keepers of the moon don't have such a cut and dry nunh-system, so perhaps they would accept him as one of their own.

Luckily, I imagine an elderly Grindanian woman finding this rejected little miqote boy and inviting him into her cabin and letting him live with her for a while. During the time he's growing up, he watches the adventurers that come through the black shroud and looks at them with wonder, and as the elderly woman is nearing the end of her life with a strange illness, and Amerin has grown into a man, she encourages him to leave her behind and set out on a journey to become an adventurer. Amerin promises to return with money from his adventures to purchase medicine and help her overcome the illness, but once he returns, he discovers that she passed away days after he departed.

Fun little facts about him:

*I imagine him as being very nervous around members of his own race due to all the rejection he experienced from them. Female miqotes in specific make him anxious. It took him a long time to warm up to Y'shtola, but now he cracks jokes with her no problem.
*Alphinaud and Alisaie, in particular, feel like his little siblings. In general, he's very attached to the scions, as they're like the family he never truly had.
*He's also highly protective of F'lhaminn, as she's a miqote woman he trusts and gives him vibes that remind him of the woman who took him in for all those years.
*He went from being a bit of a cowardly and insecure mess into a strong, energetic and confident little cat boy. The glow up is real.
*He's really short, but don't mention it to him. He has a list of reasons why he's not actually short and other people are just too tall.