(Warning, this post is ridiculously long and convoluted as heck)
Okay, so after revising the back-story of my character to a ridiculous degree to allow for the multiclass system/Echo/Only One White Mage According to Lore/you know what I mean, this is what I ended up with (a Teal Deer, basically):
Once upon a time, there was an Elemental worshiping fishing village in Meracydia (previous incarnations of this back-story had Garlean Empire, but due to certain things that is apparent in the back-story, that didn't work out), but they had the unlucky misfortune of being in the way of the Scourge of Meracydia's journey north, and, of course, all the wyverns increasing activity in the area. Several of the fishers died saving the rock, tree and spring water in which their elementals resided as they fled into the sea, but they were decimated and terrified, and didn't dare to return, so they drifted until they came upon an isle made entirely of rock except an almost withered tree on its tallest point where the saltwater yet hadn't reached.
The tree was home to an old elemental that explained that the isle is gradually sinking and that all other elementals had either died or left. Â It advises them to do the same, but the fishers doesn't dare to leave, lest more wyverns would come.Â
The elementals they had saved felt gratitude and also grief that their people would slowly starve to death in fear on some rock in the middle of the sea, so they consulted with the ancient elemental and together, all four of them used their powers to restore the isle into a habitable stage.
Oh, most of the fishers didn't survive (as the first harvest was small), but the second generation didn't have the same fear and started trading with the mainland, and thus other classes made their way to the isle. But being blessed with elementals and with a small population meant that the isle was an apparent paradise, and of course, a couple of outsiders hoped to exploit that, and so, by the third generation, the islanders isolated themselves and became more of a folktale on the mainland.
Then, at the fifth generation, mainlanders found and tried to conquer the island, only thwarted by the natural protection of cliffs and reefs hiding around the isle and aged ranged disciples. It became clear to the islanders that once the aged disciples of war and magic had died, they had little protection, and so sought the guidance of the ancient elemental (who, by that point, held some improper-for-an-elemental affection towards them).
A system was set up: Children with talent in magic would be separated from the rest of the village and taught in seclusion (to prevent them from being corrupted by usual human weaknesses) by their seniors. Others would be taught in the village. If the magicians remained pure of heart, and the warriors (as in DoW) survived their rigorous training, they would be pulled into the aether (via an aetheryte) by the ancient elemental and meet souls of departed job-holders corresponding to their classes and had to pass their trial (two outcomes if you didn't pass: dumped back in the real world with amnesia pertaining to the profession, or lost in the aether forever, if you really screwed up). This system, flawed as it was, worked somewhat.
And, by the tenth generation, had become completely twisted. Children were locked by fate (basically "it is your fate to be a fisherman and it is selfish to refuse!" said to three-year-olds by their parents), and if a child had no or multiple talents, they were expected to master them all. Which is where my character (henceforth; Chara) comes in.
Lazy, bored, and with average skill in all the skills, she was separated and trained as a magician, and when she got those souls, was trained as a warrior and got those, but thought it all a hassle. She had the echo since birth, but did not know, as all it did on the island was give her strange dreams of wonderful, faraway places. Her grandparents were both on the Council of Elders, so not only was she familiar with the masters of disciples, but related to the islanders' leaders, and her disdain for it all made her unpopular with her peers.
In short, she felt trapped. Both by having to practice all her jobs every day, not being able to leave the isle or make other friends.
Then the Calamity happened and the surge of aether from Dalamud killed the elementals of the isle.
Yeah, isle started to sink quickly and the islanders used the aetheryte to jump into the aether in the hopes of exiting somewhere safe (it had happened occasionally that an islander on a trial ended up on the mainland early on when the elementals weren't used to guiding people through the aether). Chara, by virtue of having the echo, was sent into the heartland of Eorzea.
Which is where her internal conflict begins, basically:
She believes that she wants to find the other islanders and restore their culture, because that is what she's supposed to want. It is the proper thing to do. She's also supposed to keep being a master-of-all-trades.
What she really wants is to be an adventurer, preferably faaaar away from the isle and islanders, so while she goes through the motions, she lets herself be distracted away from any lead (this is how she ended up with the Scions; "you want someone to get this letter to Limsa when there's rumors of my people in Ishgard? Well it is an important letter and the rumors might be nothing so I'll do it!"). She is also letting her practice of certain jobs she finds less appealing lapse (she can still do them, just, not as good as the ones she actually likes).
What she doesn't know, is if anyone else is alive, so she doesn't like to talk about the isle and islanders at all (and doesn't press the issue when she guiltily asks of any rumours).
Humorously, the Twelveswood elementals don't like her because apparently the ancient elemental of the isle is disliked there (it was a bit of a rebel in its youth, I believe, and liked agitating more refined and delicate elementals). They tolerate her presence, but if she takes one wrong step they'll send everything they have against her.
I've gotten the suggestion to maybe make her a Padjal for the WHM thing, which would mean Midlander as well. But since both Hyur and Miqo'te are immigrant to Eorzea, both of them might work (though from the history of the Miqo'te, it almost sounds like they came from the north instead).
Anyway, I need help to decide what to do with this (and if the back-story is too complicated).
Okay, so after revising the back-story of my character to a ridiculous degree to allow for the multiclass system/Echo/Only One White Mage According to Lore/you know what I mean, this is what I ended up with (a Teal Deer, basically):
Once upon a time, there was an Elemental worshiping fishing village in Meracydia (previous incarnations of this back-story had Garlean Empire, but due to certain things that is apparent in the back-story, that didn't work out), but they had the unlucky misfortune of being in the way of the Scourge of Meracydia's journey north, and, of course, all the wyverns increasing activity in the area. Several of the fishers died saving the rock, tree and spring water in which their elementals resided as they fled into the sea, but they were decimated and terrified, and didn't dare to return, so they drifted until they came upon an isle made entirely of rock except an almost withered tree on its tallest point where the saltwater yet hadn't reached.
The tree was home to an old elemental that explained that the isle is gradually sinking and that all other elementals had either died or left. Â It advises them to do the same, but the fishers doesn't dare to leave, lest more wyverns would come.Â
The elementals they had saved felt gratitude and also grief that their people would slowly starve to death in fear on some rock in the middle of the sea, so they consulted with the ancient elemental and together, all four of them used their powers to restore the isle into a habitable stage.
Oh, most of the fishers didn't survive (as the first harvest was small), but the second generation didn't have the same fear and started trading with the mainland, and thus other classes made their way to the isle. But being blessed with elementals and with a small population meant that the isle was an apparent paradise, and of course, a couple of outsiders hoped to exploit that, and so, by the third generation, the islanders isolated themselves and became more of a folktale on the mainland.
Then, at the fifth generation, mainlanders found and tried to conquer the island, only thwarted by the natural protection of cliffs and reefs hiding around the isle and aged ranged disciples. It became clear to the islanders that once the aged disciples of war and magic had died, they had little protection, and so sought the guidance of the ancient elemental (who, by that point, held some improper-for-an-elemental affection towards them).
A system was set up: Children with talent in magic would be separated from the rest of the village and taught in seclusion (to prevent them from being corrupted by usual human weaknesses) by their seniors. Others would be taught in the village. If the magicians remained pure of heart, and the warriors (as in DoW) survived their rigorous training, they would be pulled into the aether (via an aetheryte) by the ancient elemental and meet souls of departed job-holders corresponding to their classes and had to pass their trial (two outcomes if you didn't pass: dumped back in the real world with amnesia pertaining to the profession, or lost in the aether forever, if you really screwed up). This system, flawed as it was, worked somewhat.
And, by the tenth generation, had become completely twisted. Children were locked by fate (basically "it is your fate to be a fisherman and it is selfish to refuse!" said to three-year-olds by their parents), and if a child had no or multiple talents, they were expected to master them all. Which is where my character (henceforth; Chara) comes in.
Lazy, bored, and with average skill in all the skills, she was separated and trained as a magician, and when she got those souls, was trained as a warrior and got those, but thought it all a hassle. She had the echo since birth, but did not know, as all it did on the island was give her strange dreams of wonderful, faraway places. Her grandparents were both on the Council of Elders, so not only was she familiar with the masters of disciples, but related to the islanders' leaders, and her disdain for it all made her unpopular with her peers.
In short, she felt trapped. Both by having to practice all her jobs every day, not being able to leave the isle or make other friends.
Then the Calamity happened and the surge of aether from Dalamud killed the elementals of the isle.
Yeah, isle started to sink quickly and the islanders used the aetheryte to jump into the aether in the hopes of exiting somewhere safe (it had happened occasionally that an islander on a trial ended up on the mainland early on when the elementals weren't used to guiding people through the aether). Chara, by virtue of having the echo, was sent into the heartland of Eorzea.
Which is where her internal conflict begins, basically:
She believes that she wants to find the other islanders and restore their culture, because that is what she's supposed to want. It is the proper thing to do. She's also supposed to keep being a master-of-all-trades.
What she really wants is to be an adventurer, preferably faaaar away from the isle and islanders, so while she goes through the motions, she lets herself be distracted away from any lead (this is how she ended up with the Scions; "you want someone to get this letter to Limsa when there's rumors of my people in Ishgard? Well it is an important letter and the rumors might be nothing so I'll do it!"). She is also letting her practice of certain jobs she finds less appealing lapse (she can still do them, just, not as good as the ones she actually likes).
What she doesn't know, is if anyone else is alive, so she doesn't like to talk about the isle and islanders at all (and doesn't press the issue when she guiltily asks of any rumours).
Humorously, the Twelveswood elementals don't like her because apparently the ancient elemental of the isle is disliked there (it was a bit of a rebel in its youth, I believe, and liked agitating more refined and delicate elementals). They tolerate her presence, but if she takes one wrong step they'll send everything they have against her.
I've gotten the suggestion to maybe make her a Padjal for the WHM thing, which would mean Midlander as well. But since both Hyur and Miqo'te are immigrant to Eorzea, both of them might work (though from the history of the Miqo'te, it almost sounds like they came from the north instead).
Anyway, I need help to decide what to do with this (and if the back-story is too complicated).
