Hydaelyn Role-Players

Hello all,

I'm looking for thoughts/input on a concept I've been toying with over the last few weeks.

Brynhilde is an ex-Ala Mhigan Resistance fighter who committed terrible atrocities during her years spent fighting the Empire's occupation. For almost two decades now she's been dealing with shame and guilt over the things she did for her homeland. Since ARR launched, I've been working toward the point in Bryn's story where she hits rock bottom before finally beginning to heal.

I always thought that she'd do this through becoming a more religious character. While I could go the standard 'holy paladin' route with this, the MSQ gave me the idea of making Bryn an Ala Mhigan Shaman. We encounter 'Mhigan Shamans both in the Little Ala Mhigo portion of the MSQ and in the Monk quest line.

Becoming a Shaman seems a more appropriate development for Bryn. I made her an older character (she's 40) so that she could not only play an active part in the turmoil surrounding AM's fall to the Empire, but also because I wanted AM's history and customs to inform her personality. Bryn is fiercely proud of her heritage, and despite the trauma she suffers as a result of her days in the Resistance, she looks forward to the day when she will see Ala Mhigo liberated. As an older 'Mhigan, Bryn watches with sorrow as many of the youngest 'Mhigan refugees shun 'The Old Ways' and don't even see themselves as Ala Mhigan at all.

So Bryn would become a Shaman not only for her own healing, but for her peoples' healing, too. She would seek to preserve the traditions of the Ala Mhigan people, and give homage to the Twelve according to the customs of her homeland. Until we get more content featuring Ala Mhigo (next expansion plz SE), I'll be drawing inspiration from the culture and religious practices of the Germanic tribes as a reference for 'Mhigan customs.

RP-wise, Bryn would seek to act as a guide for Ala Mhigan characters, particularly young ones. She could offer guidance on paying respect to the Gods (particularly Rhalgr) and mediate disputes as per 'Mhigan tradition, perform rites, recite ancient 'Mhigan tales, etc.

All input is welcome. It'd be good to know if this idea only sounds good in my own head.

TL;DR

• I'm thinking of making my character an Ala Mhigan Shaman. Yay/nay?
  
• This character would worship the Twelve with a distinctly Ala Mhigan lean.
  
• With the dearth of lore regarding 'Mhigan culture, I'll be drawing loosely from Germanic history
  
• Thoughts? Lore contributions? How i mine 4 fish??
  

I don't know anywhere near enough about Ala Mhigo to comment on shamanism!  But I do think that we don't have enough of an Ala Mhigan presence in the RP community (we have plenty of Ala Mhigans, Aya included, but most seem quite well adapted to just living out their lives as Eorzeans, all too comfortable in the diaspora!)  There is so much room for a movement that grips firmly to the old ways, and offers the promise of a return to the homeland.

No idea if it follows lore well, but that idea is freakin' sweet.

I give this concept a huge yay, Bryn! And I would love to have Sounsyy meet her sometime! (She's another old resistance Ala Mhigan who despairs at her people's loss of pride and identity.)

As for lore backing - the quests found in Little Ala Mhigo (which I believe you referred to in your post) lend to this idea of shamanism very well. The Ala Mhigans refuse Ul'dahn alchemies and healers, and will only suffer to be healed by their own ways, their own people, and medicines. The NPC who's on a quest to provide some aid to the dying refugees consults one of the elders in the settlement to learn more about Ala Mhigan medicinal practices. Also the idea behind the religious Order of the Fists of Rhalgr. By training and honing physical body and spiritual mind - one might achieve greatness in the eyes of Rhalgr.

So I say definitely go for it.

As for lore... most of what we know is about how Ala Mhigo fell and of the Autumn War 100 years before. The Ala Mhigans are a proud, highly spiritual people. We know many of them shave off their eyebrows to appear more intimidating on the field of battle. They were once the greatest military force in the known world, single-handedly repelling the entire Eorzean Alliance during the Autumn War and then later repelling Garlemald's entire XIVth Legion prior to Gaius van Baelsar sewing civil unrest and political turmoil into the city first.

The last 5 years before Ala Mhigo's fall, all of its citizens were forced under penalty of death or exile to worship Nymeia. Rhalgr was forbidden, despite it being the city-state's patron deity for god knows how many years before that.

That's all kinda general though. If you have any questions Bryn lemme know and I'll see what more I can find out for you! ^^

Absolutely love the idea. Really wish there was more Ala Mhigan lore to work with but I guess it being pretty dang vague and open makes for AWESOME IDEAS LIKE THIS. DO IT. If I can walk around calling Delial a witch, I am more than certain Bryn can pull of a hella rad shaman.

I guess the only question I could ask is why wouldn't you? You've clearly put a lot of thought and research into it, it's at least partially supported by extant lore, it believable, it's unique, and it's really interesting. Perhaps a bullet point here or there might need to be retconned as the developers release more official lore about Ala Mhigo, but I don't foresee anything invalidating your character's development in this direction. I like it a lot. Freakin' do it.

This is a really cool idea, and I can definitely see it as a logical progression for Brynhilde, who has spent so much of her life in the service of Ala Mhigo and her people in one way, now transitioning to serve in another way.

I'm reminded of an old saying. "The highest he could raise himself to was to die gloriously for something; now he rises to something greater: to live humbly for something."

Hmm, the points about bringing in a proper Ala Mhigan presence resonate with myself. Raubahn legitimizes being both Ul'dahn and Ala Mhigan with an old 1.0 quote of his "Son of Ala Mhigo, proud man of Ul'dah". Moreover, Ul'dah has more of an investment in Ala Mhigo than the other city-states, with Flames in charge of the protection of Little Ala Mhigo (alongside the Ala Mhigan Resistance soldiers who are overt about their presence), the Immortal Flames Ala Mhigan Brigade, and recently in 2.55...


Kale is not an Ala Mhigan refugee, but his mother is an immigrant from Ala Mhigo and had Kale in Ul'dah. I'm not sure about the details, haven't really thought about it, maybe religiously persecuted by those Fists of Rhlagr. In any case! As a Highlander player, I'll be happy to help get some Ala Mhigan Resistance stuff going, from a Flame sympathizer.

Go for it, just "skin" the magic system with your own shamen twist. That's what I do for witchery.

Thank you so much for the input and encouragement, everyone. It means a lot and I really appreciate it.

Now to plot how to get Bryn there.

I demand we take each other up on the RP we owe the other in the near future as this happens, too.

My 100% support here!

Definitely count Shas in for support of this idea.

Sounds really cool, Bryn!

Looking forward to seeing how it plays out!

(especially if you need some ex-Resistance members to back you up...)

This sounds amazing, I'd love to see how this all pans out!