+- Hydaelyn Role-Players (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18)
+-- Forum: Community (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=8)
+--- Forum: RP Discussion (https://ffxiv-roleplayers.com/mybb18/forumdisplay.php?fid=13)
+--- Thread: Character History and Lore Help (/showthread.php?tid=3278)
Character History and Lore Help - rynsan - 08-04-2013
I've been reading over the RP handbook and rethinking my chara cter background and I have come to a point I worry about either my character background breaking Lore (retconning got me worried, LOL) or not fitting in with Lore.
Where as I read and understand that there is an acceptable amount of Lore than can be manipulated, I guess I'm worried about "how much is too much". Someone once offered me a soundboard to bounce ideas off. I guess I'm asking for that now.
When I first created my character, Seto, I made a story line that didn't really fit into Lore in some areas, I was so excited about roleplaying I just wanted to make a character. But as I read more and more, I see what I have broken some rules so I have started to rewrite his history and character details. My boyfriend was going to roleplay as his brother but he has thrown a spanner into the works after I showed him an "attractive" Highlander Hyur model.
Seto's story ties in with his brother's storyline. And his brother's storyline is where I feel Lore is fuzzy (unless it's something I haven't found yet). The story was that his brother Hikaru (not his birthname) and mother were banished from one tribe (either Hipparion or Gigantoad, to be decided) after he brought shame to them. He had began to challenge the teachings of his tribe/race but made no mention to what he was told or what he based his challenges on. Due to the upraor he caused and his challenges of imperfection in the religious beliefs, him and his mother were banished from the tribe. They are later picked
Even though word had got around of Hikaru's lack of faith, the nunh of a small newly-formed branch of the Vulture tribe took pity on them and allowed him and his mother to become part of their tribe on the promise that Hikaru would work hard and earn his position. During the first few years, Hikaru kept quiet about his past rantings in not to shame is mother. Many members of the tribe didn't trust him so he spent a lot of time on his own away from them.
I am unsure if such a thing would happen. I hoped Callipygian amazingly detailed look into the mating strategies may have answered the questions but again unless I have missed it scouring through the posts I am unaware if this topic has been discussed.
I guess, this is really my first major roleplay game. I did it on FFXI but it was very small and nowhere on the grand scale to being on an RP-set server. I want to make the character interesting and exciting without being wildly out of sync with the lore and story.
EDIT: I should also add that Seto has seperated from his tribe, most likely due to personal choice or could be an important event, hence his last name not being Tia any more. Again, would this be possible or would it seem out of context?
Any advice, discussion, helpful suggestion, anything is appeciated. :3
(Sorry for any mis-spelling. The heat here in the UK tonight is unbarable. ;_
RE: Character History and Lore Help - Eva - 08-04-2013
I think what you've posted so far is reasonable and Seto sounds like an interesting character with a complex - but still realistically plausible - backstory.
I would not worry too much about having to possibly retcon something very early on in the character's history. Â These sort of changes often happen very early on as a character sort of develops and little retcons while a character is still forming don't usually hurt anything and are generally accepted (RPer growing pains, of a sort).
I also wouldn't worry to much about the breaking of rules/conventions. Â Not to say rules are made to be broken exactly (as there are some which probably should not), but there is a lot of wiggle room with regard to how they may be interpreted. Â What you've described so far in your post seems perfectly acceptable to me and serves as a backstory that I feel makes Seto an interesting character. Â While no one can really say this sort of thing happens in miqo'te culture, I'm not sure there's anything that can say that it also can't happen.
I, for one, am looking forward to hearing more and hope to one day meet this character~
RE: Character History and Lore Help - FreelanceWizard - 08-04-2013
Your backstory sounds completely reasonable to me. I can definitely see a miqo'te tribe that's very into its religion banishing those who speak out against it. I can also see a tribe that wants to adopt someone insisting that they prove themselves, especially with what I see as the miqo'te's constant drive for personal superiority. It's also reasonable for a Seeker male who's no longer part of a tribe to change his name; it's not like names are permanently fixed, after all.
You may want consider why he'd change his name -- is he opposed to tribal culture? Feels he doesn't deserve the name because he was forced out or left on his own because he felt unworthy? Decided he was something more or better than what the name "tia" represented? There's an interesting spot to add to your backstory and personality there.
All in all, I'd say you're in a fine spot. You have an explanation for why your name doesn't meet naming conventions, and everything else fits within lore, IMO.
As a side note -- and bearing in mind that I'm not calling anyone out or saying they're wrong -- as interesting as those threads on mating strategies and dominance challenges are, they're speculative "fanon" and, while they can explain some of the lore, are not themselves lore, nor do they represent any form of community "consensus" (nor would or should any such consensus have any authority over you). You can feel free to use all, none, or some of what Callipygian and others wrote in those threads based on whether it works for your character. As I said on another thread, just because some Seeker players agree with the arguments presented in those threads doesn't mean you have to; no one has a monopoly on truth except for the devs.
EDIT: Right, what Ildur said. *points below* I missed that on my first read of your post. "Very few nunh ever become leaders." (dev post, Miqo'te Naming Conventions)
RE: Character History and Lore Help - Ildur - 08-04-2013
The reason the mating strategies thread didn't answer those questions is because they are cultural and historical in nature, while that thread only concerns itself with Miqo'te society on a purely biological point of view: an study of Miqo'te as animals, really.
Now, back on topic: I don't see anything lore-breaking in your backstory. The only thing I would point out is that, in Miqo'te tribal societies, the nunh are not traditionally the leaders. They are just the guys that get to have children. So it wouldn't be a nunh who allows Seto and his mother to join the Vulture tribe, but whatever Miqo'te was their chief (or chiefs, if its a council of sorts).
I'd change it to say that the nunh was who vouched for them instead, and the chief(s) agreed with him.
RE: Character History and Lore Help - rynsan - 08-04-2013
(08-04-2013, 05:56 PM)Eva Wrote: I think what you've posted so far is reasonable and Seto sounds like an interesting character with a complex - but still realistically plausible - backstory.
Thank you! It's really comforting to have a second opinion on the back story and I really appreciate your comments. I didn't want to make his background too complex but I am glad it is still able to be followed well. Whereas I like the character to be interesting, I didn't want it to be too over the top.
I understand what you mean about the Retcon. Yes there will be minor edits to fit in with a few things. I've been considering either in join in the Hipparion which has been forming on this forum or wither he still leaves but either his (or his brother's) is somehow entwined in their history, even if it's a minor part.
I hope to interact with your character someday and you can get to meet my wee fella someday in the game and experience his inquisitive nature.
(08-04-2013, 06:21 PM)FreelanceWizard Wrote: You may want consider why he'd change his name -- is he opposed to tribal culture? Feels he doesn't deserve the name because he was forced out or left on his own because he felt unworthy? Decided he was something more or better than what the name "tia" represented? There's an interesting spot to add to your backstory and personality there.
Thanks for the feedback. I have actually been discussing this tonight with my friends. What we had come up with is that Seto, when leaving the tribe (should this still happen) had been watching the other races, especially the Hyur. He doesn't understand the naming convention but notices they all have individual last names. I believe he changes it to be more individual and accessible to the other races.
I thought about being opposed to tribal culture as that's what his brother attempted to teach him, but I also didn’t want him to have the same feelings as Hikaru so I decided to rule that out. I think once I figure out in the upcoming days to his current history I'll be able to make a final decision on that. But you have given me some ideas. I really like the last one about his last name representing individuality instead of the use of Tia.
And in regards to Callipygian's thread, I didn't mean to make it sound like I would follow it as Lore, but it gave me food for thought. When I meant answer my questions, I meant that maybe someone suggested this type of thing and then there was a discussion if users felt such a subject was feasible. I understand these are not Lore setters and just theories, but those same theories, like the ones in this thread, help us to find someone that could be realistic to a user base, even if it's not everyone.
(08-04-2013, 06:30 PM)Ildur Wrote: Now, back on topic: I don't see anything lore-breaking in your backstory. The only thing I would point out is that, in Miqo'te tribal societies, the nunh are not traditionally the leaders. They are just the guys that get to have children. So it wouldn't be a nunh who allows Seto and his mother to join the Vulture tribe, but whatever Miqo'te was their chief (or chiefs, if its a council of sorts).
I had not remembered this on my first reading! Thanks for pointing it out. I remember reading the nunhs are not leaders but I didn’t realize I had made that mistaken, evne when reading my back-story. I been reworking the history any way so in Seto's events, I have not mentioned this in the history section. As I am unaware if my boyfriend will still play Hikaru or if he will end up as a NPC or fade away in nothing, that's for my boyfriend and I to figure out. But once Seto's history is corrected, I will make the necessary adjustments to reflect this in Hikaru's. Thank you again for pointing it out.
Thank you guys for your feedback, I really appreciate all the help. :3