Kylin

D-J Users [spoil]-Darkodin Nargacuga -darksephiroth1998 -Dashmier -Daxion -Demerik -Dheo -Dilu -Dizzy -Dmitri -DogberryMessina (duplicate account?) -Dorjan -drake2k -Drakos -Dreadwood -Dres -dwraithrah -ElhazStar -Eli -Elipsa -elixan -Enge_Moui -Evelyn -Eyinde -EyrminDraconis -faligorn -Feryan -Fibril -Fiddler Crab -figi69 -Fiosha -Foh -Frelia -Frink -Frumi -Gargor -GeoNekos -Geruvah (duplicate account) -grandsoul -Gustaff -Gyongyi -hanmiaofeng1234 (bot?) -Hechicera -Heicko -HelaB -herbaltea -Higgs Boson -Hilario -Hyrist -Ianian -ilium -Inhiko Toyo -Interzone -Ishivan -Ishmahrai -Jaime -JamesRae -Jekhar Mok -Jericho3k -Jet -Jeyno -Jhessail -Jiovan -Jones52j -JUGGERNAUT -juice_by_alex -Justice -justmissu Total members: 67[/spoil]

As we prepare for the new site launch slowly but surely and as we prepare for the launch of A Realm Reborn, it'll be high time for a major site cleanup. Due to us transferring the forum database to a NEW database structure, I want to trim down its size now before the transfer. Included in this cleanup involves three things: 1) Removal of inactive site members. 2) Removal of hundreds of posts. 3) Removal of old wiki. The criteria for the above being removed will be as follows: Members: Anyone not active on the forums since 2010 or 2011 who additionally have either zero or a very tiny handful of posts. Those who have posted a profile page, even if that was their only post, will NOT be deleted. Those who have made other posts that are deemed as "contributing to the community" will NOT be deleted. Accounts found to be duplicates will be deleted. Names that other RPC members request to NOT be deleted will be spared. The estimated number of users to be deleted is around 250 right now. Posts: The majority of purged posts will largely come from the admin section of the forums, where previous posts from the last cleanup were archived. Most of these posts have no relevance any longer. Other posts to be purged throughout the forum will only be few and mostly include some old posts from the Welcome Desk, Headlines, Lounge, and possibly the Observatory and Assembly Room. Posts that are deemed significant, even if just for records purposes, will not be removed. Posts attached to users being deleted will also be removed. I am carefully setting conditions so that these posts being removed from threads do not cause any gaps within said threads. The estimated number of posts to be deleted at this time is around only 2,500 out of the almost 20,000 posts we have. Old wiki: The old wiki will be deleted in its entirety. Beforehand, any old profiles not transferred to the new wiki will be archived in a safe place in case the user returns and wishes to access the information. I will gradually release patches of members to be deleted from our database in this thread. Should you see a name you wish NOT to be deleted, please simply post in this thread with a reason and the name will be removed from the list. I suspect about 98% of the listed names will not be recognized by anyone. I am going through this list very carefully. As such, it will take time to post the full list. Below include the users with names starting with A-C, as I have not fully combed through anything beyond that yet. All of these cleanup efforts will occur several days prior to the new site's launch in order for a smoother transition with the database. A-C Users [spoil]-Aamalthea (duplicate account?) -Acedia -Aellynne -Ahlis -Aki Sakata -Alessa -Alicia -alikdoril -Amalia -ANSEM000 -Anubis -Aqua -Aradice -Archimedes -Arelian (duplicate account?) -Aremethius -aristotleami -Arivant -Arnau -Arnoulf -Arthion -Arya -Aryienne -Asakku -AsphyxZero -Atreyu -aylin -azurewolf08 -Baelo -bd10 -Benavei -Byrg (duplicate account) -Caliah -Cankiie (duplicate account) -- The other account, Cankiie123 will be renamed Cankiie -Caradhas -Caydron -Cecelia -Celestienne -Chi Mai -chr0n032 -Cinhil -Cirdan -Cloudstrife2011 -Clyo -Corvusvlos -Cosmas -Crane -Creatis -Cyretaux Total members: 49[/spoil]

Progress is slowly being made. There are some things we need to start considering though. The gallery there is extremely basic. The comment system is simple text format only. Images over the size limit refuse to upload and force the user to resize them first instead of auto-resizing like our present one does. It doesn't have a next/previous image feature, forcing the user to go back to the menu to see the next image. And other little nuances that could get annoying. My question is, would you all want to upgrade to the full version of their gallery? Unfortunately, it cost money to get the full version. Exactly $75 to be exact. That's a big chunk of change for a single feature, though it is a one time fee. This is likely the only feature that would require shelling out money for. Well, almost. There's another I may pay for but that'll come out of my own wallet. So do you guys want to just keep the basic version of the new gallery or upgrade to the advanced version? If so, who would be willing to donate to it?

The rumors are 100% incorrect. All character data from 1.0 is transferring to 2.0. There are some things that aren't transferring (like guild marks, faction points, some quest progress for incomplete quests, and other little things). But level progression will transfer. Gil will be modified as well due to the redenomination process (one digit of gil being removed all across the board, including npc prices). Finally, your inventory (if above the default 100 item limit) will be distributed to a storage npc but can be retrieved at any time up to a certain point. You'll also get a one time makeover chance on your character since graphics are changing and new character creation options are being added. But yes, the rumor is completely baseless, as SE as already confirmed otherwise themselves.

There will no longer be any custom cursor usage. It'll all be default cursors. As much as I personally like that little novelty stuff, it seems there are a lot of people who don't so it'll get the axe. I've already removed the hand hover effect from the navigation menu on the new site layout. For those interested in following development, I posted a (link removed) that will be updated over time. Crossed out items are items that are complete. Other items may still be listed as they crop up. I'm mostly running into issues with the portal/home page/sidebar stuff right now. It's a bit different than phpbb's portal modifications. With help from the forum software programmers, I've managed to finally create a gallery block like the one we have though (and it acts as a slideshow like Enjin instead of the single image we have display now!). Those concerned with the color, worry not. All colors displayed are the default styling colors and haven't been modified at all yet. The white background will eventually be replaced. Other colors/images will still be tweaked as well prior to launch. The actual graphics are low priority right now for me since I have to ensure basic and advanced features all work properly first. I've considered recycling some old images/backgrounds from the old forums (like the stone background) while also utilizing some new images too. But it depends on whether we get volunteers to help design said graphics or not. Also, we'll get to have a notification system similar to Enjin's! It'll be fully customizable, so each user can disable/enable whatever they want/don't want notifications on (PM's, wall posts, etc).

Changing the hover icon should be no problem at all. I was thinking of hopefully putting up a chocobo or moogle icon but we'll see what looks best without coming across as too over-the-top. If worst comes to worst, I'll just use the suggested classic FF hand icon. Just recently completely overhauled the layout of the profile section. Check it out and tell me what you think of it: (link removed) Looks like I'll be able to accomplish everything I wanted so far and beyond. I'll be working on the portal system soon which will display a sidebar on the home page (portal), main forum index, forum list page, and on the topic page (not on other pages though). Do you prefer such a sidebar on the left or right hand side? Colored custom titles looks like it'll be impossible (at least right now) so that's going on the back burner. Custom titles by themselves are still possible. Still testing the reputation/likes system, though it seems like I'll have to do some tweaking to that to make it work properly. Reputation system is now operating as intended (and superior to this one's!). Negative reputation will be disabled of course. The gallery, though more simplistic, seems superior despite that. The calendar looks to be about the same (yet less complex coding-wise) and will finally allow me to sync the homepage current/upcoming events side widget with it properly. All other features look superior so far as well. The biggest challenge at this point will be graphical/color scheme aspects.

After playing around enough with the other forum software, I seem pretty confident that we'll be switching now. If you'd like to give any suggestions for what you'd like to see/not see in the new design, please don't hesitate to speak up. There are some things we need to keep in mind as to what will transfer/not transfer. (The below lists do not necessarily include all items). Will transfer: --Usernames/passwords. --Posts/threads --Calendar feature --Gallery feature (more simplistic version) --Wiki (will not be impacted in the slightest) --URL will remain unchanged --Signatures --Private messages --Attachments Won't transfer: --Current custom titles --Current linkshell as listed in your profile --Advanced posting editor as seen when posting (though a different version may be available) --Bazaar feature --All past events recorded on current calendar --Likes given/received counts (sorry ) --Avatars --Some post formatting (will try to implement as much cross-site compatibility as possible pre-launch) May/may not transfer: --Images in gallery --Chat feature (will be vastly different if transferred...maybe even just a shout box). Additional features: --Sidebar on all pages (forum index only to start) --Latest threads in sidebar --"Lite" version and mobile support --Login via username OR email --Completely revamped systems and database --Completely revamped imagery --Featured articles image slider on the front page

There's been a lot of feedback through various outlets regarding the RPC's future design. My original plan was to merely update the graphics and leave the base code and whatnot as is. The background, forum borders, and logo/banner, and colors were the only things that I had planned to alter. You can take a quick gander at the direction I /was/ heading here if you so desire (you may have to refresh the page for it to show properly--also note that it is/was nowhere near completion): http://www.ffxiv-roleplayers.com/testforum There have been numerous suggestions up until now that we should just overhaul everything in its entirety as well. Recently, I've actually begun to look into this and it may very well happen now. I'm actually planning to move /away/ from phpbb now to a new forum software entirely which seems to be pretty good so far. Don't get me wrong. I still stand by my view that phpbb is a very powerful forum software where sky is the limit. But I won't deny that the programmers behind it have a very...archaic view of things and are quickly losing their competitive edge as a result. The coding for things can be viewed by some as spaghetti code that's hard to decipher. Adding mods, while very possible, requires more effort than it should. So after much deliberation, I'm now leaning toward a complete overhaul and have even started doing so already. Fear not though! It will be 100% possible to retain all posts/user information and so on within the new forum software. There may be some lost information (like custom titles, current listed linkshell, etc), but for the most part nothing of value will be lost. Also note that this will not impact the wiki in the slightest, as it is a standalone section of the site that merely draws on this forum's user database for logins. Now, assuming we go through with said overhaul...there are some things to keep in mind. First, I would greatly appreciate help in the graphic design area. While Sienna was awesome enough to create a new banner that you can see in the link above, it would no longer work in the potential new site design that I'm about to reveal. A new background image would also need to be tailored to fit the new forum. Other various smaller scaled images may also be required. Second, I may take this opportunity to "cleanup" our database some more by deleting long-time inactive users or old posts from 2010. Suggestions on how much to purge (up to what date, etc) would be welcome. The new forum software I plan to potentially switch to seems far more progressive...but also simplistic in some regards. For instance, the gallery is a stripped down version that doesn't allow users to create personal albums, though I think people wouldn't have a huge issue with this so long as the pre-made gallery categories are well laid out. I have also not verified that all current features we have now would be immediately available/compatible by the site's launch. The bazaar in particular may see the axe, though it's not used ever anyway it seems. I do plan to install as many of the present features as possible before the site would be launched though for a seamless transition. So without further delay, let me show you the new potential layout of the site. Please note that it is NOT FINISHED AT ALL. It does not yet have any of the RPC branding/FFXIV imagery. Not all features are yet implemented. And not everything is organized 100% as it will be. Also please refrain from hostile feedback. There's a difference between being constructive and insulting in such things and some people seem to have problems differentiating between the two. The main thing to look at is the layout and overall basic design for right now: {site link removed to keep some of the redesign under wraps from here on out ) The new software actually has a lot of features pre-made into its code, unlike the phpbb software that forced me to code in just about everything. It seems pretty powerful, sleek, and not nearly as "dated/archaic" as these forums. It is however extremely different and may take some getting used to navigation-wise. Feel free to create a test account on the link to play around for a better feel if you want. So my question is: Do you want me to continue work on the first link I posted and keep the current type of design? Or begin pouring energy into the second design? Or something else entirely (be very specific please...). Regardless of what people want, I want this all done and launched ASAP so we can begin re-advertising ourselves once more. Alpha is almost over after all and beta will be starting up before we know it. EDIT: I'm fully aware of "Zaloguj" currently showing up instead of "Login" by the way. Zaloguj sounds better, just admit it

Domination About a week later... Kylin awoke to a loud knock upon his inn door. Several beams of light shone brightly through the bedroom window, further intensifying the hyur's massive hangover from the previous night. The knocking continued until Kylin finally rose from his bed covers and slipped on a pair of pants nearest to him. Foregoing a shirt, the young man climbed his way over the messy bedroom floor and headed for the door out in the small and equally messy living room. He ran a single hand through his unkempt hair before swinging the door open in clear annoyance, his eyes then widening at the sight on the other side. "...Elza?" Elza flashed a warm smile at Kylin, her casual cotton white tabard and slops a sharp contrast to what she was often seen wearing, further throwing Kylin. "Hello little brother. It's been such a long time." The woman wasted no time in throwing her arms around the baffled sibling, hugging him tightly as he returned the embrace. "You're okay! How did you...what..." Kylin struggled to figure out which question to ask his sister first. Her disappearance following House Mavanix's fall over a full cycle ago had worried him for some time. And now she had somehow showed up right at his doorstep out of the blue. "Use coherent sentences, Kylin." Elza smiled sweetly at her brother before she brushed past him and into his room as if she owned the place. The indigo haired beauty couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she gazed upon the messy chambers. Clothes were scattered just about everywhere. Leftover food from gods know how far back still sat upon the center table. The smell of booze filled the room and empty bottles were scattered about the entire area. Elza sighed softly to herself as she crossed her arms and turned her gaze back to her still surprised brother. "I'm glad you're okay," Kylin said with a faint smile. "I was worried about you after that whole Dalamud thing. But...how did you find me?" "Father told me you were here," Elza stated without flinching. "And it's a pity he waited so long to tell me about your...situation. You look worse than I imagined, no offense." "You're speaking with our father again?" Kylin stared in shock. "After everything he did? You were enraged with him, and rightfully so. I can't believe you'd so easily let him back into your life after all that." "Well, anger comes and goes. But we only have one father. And -you- were very quick to forgive him when you found out about his plot against House Mavanix if I recall." Kylin sighed as he reached for the nearby sofa and picked off a shirt from it, pulling it over himself. "I was a fool then. I should have done what you did and gotten the hell out of there when I found out. But why your change of heart toward him?" Elza smirked and sat on the ledge of the sofa, crossing one leg over the other comfortably. "I assure you that I'm still angry with him. But family is far too important for one to allow anger to shatter it, don't you think? You should consider letting go of that anger as well...for your own sake. After all, who but us do you have when all is said and done?" "I'm not going back to father," Kylin said matter-of-factly. "Everyone has always said how much of a poisonous influence he was on my life and I finally see it myself." Elza smiled faintly as she rose from her seat and walked over to Kylin. She gently placed a single hand on her brother's face lovingly. "Poison can only be fatal if you lack the antidote, Kylin. Fortunately, you and I both have the antidote to father's toxic influence. There's no need to turn your back on him and your family. Look at what that's done to you so far. I've only seen you for mere moments and I can tell how miserable you really are. Sure, you look a bit different. You've buffed up and I'm sure your Felstar charm on top of that is making men and women both swoon. But you're still clearly unhappy. And I hate seeing my baby brother in such a state." Kylin let out another soft sigh as Elza brushed past him for the door. Before he could say anything else, she spoke up once again. "Hurry and clean yourself up. I heard of a new little restaurant nearby with an amazing menu. Let your big sis treat you to brunch so we can catch up. I can't wait to hear all about this Merik guy you supposedly fell so hard for." Kylin grinned faintly, fondly remembering when he first met Gerik and made the same mistake with his name. "It's Gerik." Elza shrugged as she exited the room, turning around to glance at Kylin. "Whatever. I'll meet you in the lobby. Don't keep me waiting. We have so much to catch up on, after all." Elza shut the door behind her, taking out a single linkpearl after the fact. "Father, it's going to take a bit more work than I thought to get him back in the family. But I assure you that all is on course so far. You may want to start working on your next move." Cartius set his linkpearl down following Elza's update, smiling faintly to himself as he sat in his large office desk chair and gazed carefully at the chess board in front of him. After a long moment of examining the game's pieces in front of him, the Felstar patriarch shifted his gaze to another object on the desk -- a small framed portrait of Kylin. Next to that portrait was one of Elza. The man smiled to himself and gently reached out to each picture, lovingly tracing his fingers around the rim of each picture. He then reached into his desk drawer and removed another small portrait, placing it next to the other two before speaking softly to himself. "My darling Seraphine...it is time for us all to be a true family at long last."

Take a peek at the newly released alpha video detailing quests and combat. Please note the following: * The battles in this video involve low level enemies. Targeting and actions are demonstrated with the mouse instead of keyboard for greater clarity. * Level progression is primarily quest-based. * The battle system is currently undergoing significant revision, including changes to all damage algorithms and the claim system.

Just a quick update: the forum update is finally underway! I finally have a vision and have slowly started working on it. So I wouldn't imagine the wait to be too much longer now. Please note that the update will be graphical in nature only. Features and whatnot will not be affected or added to in the slightest. The entire banner area is being overhauled (excluding the navigation bar where the buttons are). The green scattered throughout the forums will be replaced with a more subtle color. The background parchment will be changed if all goes well with my current plan. And the overall background image (with the paladin and sylph) will be changed, though I still need a volunteer to design something for that (I have no real requirements aside from something FFXIVish, unique, and impressive looking). I actually was thinking of finding a way to incorporate our artists into making something but wasn't sure how feasible that would be given numerous factors. It may not seem like much, but it'll give a nice refreshing look for A Realm Reborn.

The Black Queen, Part II Elza stared daggers at her father, her entire body tensing up almost immediately. "How did you find me? And what have you done to my men?" "It's been a full cycle now and not even a hello for your father?" Cartius tilted his head ever so slightly with a faint frown. When Elza responded with nothing but silence and her deathly stare, the Felstar patriarch spoke again. "Your men are fine. Vertigo has merely knocked them all unconscious so that we wouldn't be interrupted. As to how I found you...this -is- my ship, darling. Do you really think I don't have an artifact stored on it to allow the Scarlet Siren to easily be traced?" Elza scowled at the older man, her fists tightening in anger. "Why are you here?" A look of utter disappointment crossed the man's face. "Because our family is in tatters, Elly. If something doesn't change soon, it'll meet a cruel fate. Who better to help rebuild than my ever-so-talented daughter?" Elza smirked before she crossed her arms, turning and walking toward the chamber window. "So it's all hands on deck then? Even the vagabond elder sister? Despite the fact that said vagabond was used as a pawn to bring down an entire noble family, a family that you had massacred and ripped asunder regardless of their supposed familial ties to all of us Felstars?" "Everything I did was for my family," Cartius stated matter-of-factly. "The Mavanixs had your brother's mother killed, and nearly Kylin himself as a result. You saw how rabid they were when you were matriarch. Nina and Kalara wished nothing more than to devour you whole. Decretum Umbra wished nothing more than to kill all of House Mavanix and take it all for themselves. The entire house would have destroyed my darling children if they had the chance." "So you decided to beat them to the punch?" Elza spun around as she spoke to meet her father's gaze, noticing the sadness engulfing his eyes. Part of her couldn't help but be moved by the man's determination to protect his family. Her anger began to slowly subside. "Elly, I know what I've done is unforgivable and I know nothing I say can make you see things the way I did. I am not here to seek forgiveness or to persuade you of my intentions. I am here to seek your help in uniting our family. If not for me, then for your brother. Kylin has become increasingly self-destructive lately and I fear deeply for him. He needs his sister more than ever before." Elza couldn't help but flinch as Cartius mentioned the supposed plight of her brother. Keeping her arms crossed, she turned back to the window and stared out in complete silence. Cartius, likely sensing near victory, continued his barrage. "You can't say this wouldn't be good for you as well, Elza. You have felt lonely for so long now, have you not? Sanctum alone cannot fulfill all of your needs. You need Kylin as much as he needs you. You both need family. At the end of it all, who but us do you have? You know in your heart that I am right. Listen to the voice in the back of your head that is telling you so." The hyur woman bit her lower lip as she gazed out the window at the soft waves. She shook her head gently, mostly to herself. "And what of my extracurricular activities? I'm sure if you've been keeping tabs on me like I think you have been, you're well aware of what I do in my free time. Do you really want your ne'er do well daughter to ruin House Felstar's image?" "You did not ruin House Mavanix's image," Cartius stated softly. "In fact, I dare say you gained respect by numerous mercenaries despite the house's fall into disarray. This is your chance to help rebuild House Felstar in your image just as much as mine, my dear. If House Mavanix was defined by its past, House Felstar shall be defined by the actions we take today. As the whole of Eorzea continues to rebuild from Dalamud, this is just as much our chance to rebuild. While I personally do not agree with your...extracurricular activities with Sanctum, I will not try to deter you from your vision. I hope that you will one day be dissuaded from it, but ultimately your happiness is more important than anything else to me. To add icing to the cake, what better way to achieve all of your goals than under the guise of a noble house? There is nothing to lose and everything to gain." "You're playing all of the cards today, aren't you?" Elza couldn't help but smirk as she continued to stare out the window. The patriarch certainly seemed sincere and he was definitely right about her being lonely for so long now. Her guilt for Kylin was growing as well, assuming he was as self-destructive as Cartius made it sound. And now the cunning strategist added a perk on top of his request for Elza to rejoin the family: a secret sanctuary for Sanctum. That alone was nearly too good to pass up. "To fix my family, I will do anything." Cartius sighed softly. "I hope you believe me, Elly." "I sense the sincerity in your voice and I've seen it in your eyes," Elza stated quietly with her back still to the patriarch. "Family is indeed of utmost importance to you, that I will not debate." A seemingly long silence overcame the room before Cartius broke it again. "Well?" Elza sighed, still looking out the window. "I'm listening to the little voice in the back of my mind, as per your suggestion." "And what is it saying?" Cartius tilted his head, trying desperately to see his daughter's facial expression in the window's reflection. A long pause ensued before Elza finally spun around to meet her father's gaze. "That you win! As always!" A broad smile appeared on Cartius's face as he clapped his hands together victoriously. "Wonderful news, my daughter! You will not regret this, I promise you. I will have Reeve prepare your room at the mansion immediately." "Oh, I'll regret it later I'm sure," Elza said in a defeated tone. "But I'll deal with it. And a room won't be necessary. I'm not going to any mansion, at least not yet. I'll return to my cabin in Gridania, assuming it's still standing. Baby steps, father. Now tell me where to find Kylin."

Done~

Is that still an undecided thing or do you want me to actually do it?

Just came to my attention that if your forum username uses an underscore (like_this), you'll be unable to login to the wiki. This is likely because underscores are utilized as an important coding aspect of the wiki and usernames using them may confuse the wiki. So if you have a username that has an underscore, lemme know what you want to change it to. Underscores really aren't necessary on these forums anyway since you can use spaces between names (like Kylin Felstar instead of Kylin_Felstar). Or if you don't have an underscore in your name and still want to change it, lemme know here as well.

The Black Queen, Part I About 8 moons later... Cartius sat quietly at his office desk, gazing over the chess board in front of him. A single window allowed more than sufficient lighting in the room thanks to the bright and sunny weather outdoors. He sighed quietly just as Vertigo entered the chamber, his gaze quickly meeting hers as he stood up. "Well?" Vertigo shook her head at Cartius. "Still no luck. Kylin will not even listen to me. He insists on staying in his inn room. He's still as much of a mess as he was last time I saw him. When he's not drinking or partying somewhere, he's bedding either some random floozy or some gullible man. His facial tattoo is gone though, surprisingly. I suspect that must have been quite a painful procedure for him." Cartius returned to his chair and continued staring at his chess board, a soft sigh overcoming him. "My family is in tatters. It's difficult for me to even focus on business matters these days. My children want nothing to do with me. My father is getting more ill by the day. The house is barely standing financially as of late. I don't know how much longer I can keep House Felstar afloat. Islude is probably regretting granting me full control over the house affairs by now." "You know full well your brother does not think that," a new woman's voice resounded through the chamber. Vertigo and Cartius both turned to see a faintly smiling Nefron in the doorway. Her black hair flowed behind her in slight curls, an elegant sight to behold along with her white priestly robes. "As for Kylin, love...you need to be the one to reach out to him. You can't keep sending Vertigo and Reeve for everything, with all due respect to them. /You/ are his father. And there is no greater bond than family. He needs you just like the air he breathes." Cartius smiled weakly at Nefron as she elegantly glided into the room. Vertigo quickly stepped aside to allow the woman passage to her husband. "Nefron, I wish I could be as optimistic as you. But Kylin will not listen to me. He won't even listen to Vertigo or Reeve. Who else is left to talk sense into him these days?" Nefron sat on the patriarch's desk, glancing down at the chess board in front of her husband. She then reached out and picked up a single chess piece, handing it to Cartius with a faint smile. Cartius gently took the piece from the priestess, gazing at the black queen in deep thought as Nefron spoke again. "As I said before, love...there is no greater bond than family. You already know what your next move should be, but you're too afraid to make it. The Cartius I know and love would never allow such fear to control him at the risk of losing family." A small smile crossed Cartius's lips and then turned into a wide grin as he stood up and walked around the desk to embrace his wife. "You are right as always, my darling. I know exactly what I must do to make this family whole again and I can no longer afford to hesitate in doing it. Vertigo, ready a ship immediately." Elza finished tying her hair up in a ponytail and adjusted her indigo bangs in the mirror. The hyur then walked over to her cabin window, gazing out at the sea outside. She had never imagined living on a ship as long as she has, but at least the Scarlet Siren allowed for a very lavish lifestyle at sea. The woman quickly bolted her head to the nearby table as a voice came over the linkpearl sitting there. "What the hell?! Someone take her out already! There's only one of her!" Elza wasted no time dashing to the table and picking up the pearl. "What's going on up there?!" The sound of blades crashing together could be heard over the pearl. Had the ship come under attack from pirates? No, Elza thought. That's impossible. They would have seen the pirate ship long before it reached them. And Sanctum's members were hardly slouches in combat, though the hyur woman remained fearful over the panicked tone in the voice. "Bloody hells!" The voice continued over the pearl as Elza listened intently. "Where did she learn to fight like that?! Damned masked miqo'te!" Elza flinched at the mention of a masked miqo'te just as a thud became audible over the pearl before it went silent. The masked miqo'te couldn't be...no. Elza dismissed the thought and quickly ran to the wall opposite of her chamber doors where an elm bow was propped up. As she reached for the weapon, she would stop suddenly at the male voice coming from behind her. "I sincerely hope you won't be needing that." The woman froze in her tracks, her eyes widening at the easily recognized voice. Taking her hand off the bow, she slowly turned around to meet the newcomer's gaze. He wore a regal looking scarlet colored robe with white trim. His short white colored hair was neatly groomed and the man looked to be in his late forties to mid fifties. A single ruby ring rested on his right index finger. The man took a couple of slow steps forward, smiling at Elza as he did so. "Hello, Elly," Cartius stated in a soft but powerful voice. "It's so good to see my beautiful, beautiful daughter again."

Just noticed it was your birthday too (unless the forums be lyin'). So happy birthday and hope the day went nicely for you~ I have no fancy drawings for you like I did Gerik sadly. I sorry >.>

It's a tiny bit early (only by a few hours here at the time of this post), but didn't want to forget to post this due to my hectic work schedule lately! Happy Birthday Gerik! May all your birthday wishes come true~. You've been an amazing asset to the community and an absolute pleasure to interact with (IC and OOC)! Behold my uber art skills I slaved over for you! [spoil][/spoil]

Welcome to the RPC! Sadly, there's presently no way for you to get the game (or get onto it) as the servers are "down." I use down very loosely since they kept the servers up for the current players but nobody gets on since data isn't being saved for A Realm Reborn now. Not sure how much you know about the game, but it basically had a terrible launch with horrendous reviews and backlash back in 2010. So they brought in a new director and team to fix as much as possible these past two years while also recreating a "new Final Fantasy XIV" from the ground up (A Realm Reborn). They did this through the "7th Umbral Era storyline" over the course of many patches and whatnot leading up to the recent grand finale. So now, it's mostly a waiting game for the game's relaunch. There's plenty of info and pretty videos coming out though and alpha testing is approaching its final stage before going into beta. Considering how well the new team did in fixing the original game up, A Realm Reborn is bound to be a really good MMO ^^ Take the opportunity to watch the finale scene as it sets up the story for A Realm Reborn. You can find the final scene/trailer here: http://lodestone.finalfantasyxiv.com/pl ... index.html Edit: You may want to consider changing your forum name when you figure out a character name seeing as that's what most of us do around here. It helps to avoid confusion so people know who's actually posting. No rush or anything since the game isn't out yet. But just send me a message when you've got a new username/character name and I'll change it for you ^^

Welcome back~ Hope you're finding what you need through all that old stuff I sent ya

Welcome back~ A lot of us are pumped for ARR, even more so now that the game servers are "down." (I use quotes because they're still technically up but a complete ghost town since data isn't being saved.) Looking forward to meeting you in game hopefully!

Behold the 3rd video in Square Enix's video series, a glance at the new Black Shroud!

Aftermath, Part II Kylin dashed into Elza's cabin, nearly out of breath. The destruction he had witnessed, presumptuously from Dalamud, on his way to Gridania was beyond disturbing and only heightened his fears. He gazed about the interior of the cabin before running into each and every room. "Gerik?! Gerik!" Vertigo entered the cabin, a frown on her face as she watched Kylin run through the cabin in a near frenzy. "Kylin, it is not safe here. We need to return to the island immediately." The young hyur gazed around the parlor, panic and despair visible on his face. Without hesitation, he dashed out the cabin front door. Vertigo sighed quietly before she followed after him. Kylin rushed into the nearly devastated Owl's Nest just as Vertigo slashed the neck of a hippogryph in pursuit. Shimmersong's headquarters appeared empty, though it didn't stop Kylin from shouting. "Gerik! Gerik, are you here?!" Another dizzy spell came over the young man but he held his ground. Vertigo frowned yet again. "Kylin, you still need more rest. Your mana poisoning is not yet fully under control after your last ordeal. This friend you are seeking...I'm sorry, but it's likely he's either dead or impossible to find right now." Kylin shook his head in denial as he dashed off yet again to head to the next location. Vertigo watched him with sadness in her eyes before she followed after him. The gala site was still an utter mess, even more so following Dalamud's impact. It was nigh impossible to navigate through the area, though it didn't slow Kylin down much. He wasted no time climbing over the debris, shouting for Gerik the entire time. Vertigo remained close behind, unable to say anything to the hyur's determination to find his friend. Despair flooded the hyur's eyes as he remained unable to find any trace of Gerik, or anyone else he knew for that matter. Kylin's vision began to blur slowly as dizziness suddenly overcame him. His mana poisoning was still in full force it seemed and the young hyur cursed the bad timing. The last thing he heard was Vertigo shouting his name before everything went black. Groggily, Kylin's eyes slowly opened. The wooden ceiling above him seemed partly familiar and the hyur quickly deduced that he was on a ship as he felt the gentle rocking of his bed and could faintly hear waves outside. He tried to muster enough strength to get back up but was unable to do so. It was evident to him that Vertigo was returning to the Felstar island with him and he could do nothing to do stop it in his present state. Cursing to himself again, the hyur passed out once more. Opening his eyes once more, Kylin slowly rose up in his bed. He was back in his room at the Felstar island retreat. He glanced to his bedside, where Cartius stood hovering over him with Nefron directly behind him. Near the doorway stood both Vertigo and the ever loyal butler, Reeve. Kylin climbed out of his bed and glared daggers at his father. "Gerik could have found me if you hadn't whisked me away to this damned island," Kylin said with a calm but angry tone. "And now I'll possibly never see him again." Cartius frowned as he reached a single hand out lovingly toward his son's shoulder, retracting it when Kylin abruptly flinched away from it. "My son, I knew nothing of this individual you were seeing. And I hardly had time to consider anything due to the grisly circumstances that threatened Eorzea." "Don't lie to me!" Kylin walked toward the center of the room before he spun around and glared again at his father. "You're Cartius Felstar! You know everything about everyone in your family, remember? You knew about Gerik but didn't give a damn about my happiness with him so took the chance to tear us apart by taking me way out here! Now he's probably dead somewhere, or thinks I'm dead and will move on without me!" "All I wish is to protect my family, Kylin." Cartius gazed sadly at his son as he spoke. "You were nearly killed at that attack on the gala. And Eorzea's plight was worsening. I had to get you and the rest of our family to safety. Even had I known about this man you speak of, it would have changed nothing. I needed to protect you from the Garlean attacks." Kylin's rage instantly heightened as he reached over and flipped a nearby table in the center of the room, causing the myriad of objects on it to fly to the floor. A vase shattered as it fell to the ground. Both Reeve and Vertigo flinched, turning their heads to avoid watching the sudden outburst. Nefron gasped faintly in surprise as sadness overtook her eyes, the priestess bringing one of her hands up to her chest as if to clasp her breaking heart. Cartius stared with a seemingly impassive face, though a hint of sadness could be seen for those who would be observant enough. "You needed to protect me?! I don't /need/ your damn protection! Don't tell me what I need! I needed HIM! He made me feel alive again!" Tears began to stream down Kylin's face as he fell to his knees, whispering softly now. "I needed him..." Silence overtook the room as the family gazed sadly upon Kylin's emotional despair. The only sounds audible in the room were those of the raindrops falling outside and the quiet sobbing of the younger hyur.

Gerik is so naughty :lol: Green underwear? Really? Really?!

[spoil]((The following consists of numerous story posts that occur following Dalamud's impact and extend over the 5 year span between versions 1.0 and 2.0. The stories relate to the rise of House Felstar and its members. I do not yet know how many posts this will entail, but it will likely be at -least- 8 or so. The thread title, Transposition, is a chess term that refers to shifting the game to a different opening track from which it originally started.))[/spoil] Aftermath, Part I Approximately two weeks following Dalamud's descent... Kylin slowly opened his eyes, his focus blurry for a long moment before the ceiling above became clearer. It was painted an immaculate white, feint circular designs created by the dried paint. Still groggy from his long slumber, the midlander slowly turned his head to take in the rest of the surroundings as his focus gradually improved. He was in a bed, a large one not too dissimilar from the one he slept in at his old mansion. He was shirtless, though he seemed to still be wearing pants from what he could tell. The room itself was a large and elaborate bedroom, though still slightly smaller than he was used to. A golden banner hung near the open window where a gentle breeze entered in unison with the sun's luminous rays. On the banner was the etched image of a five-pointed star draped in upside down angel wings and wrapped in an elegantly designed circular pattern, the crest for House Felstar. Various types of bedroom styled furniture appeared perfectly positioned within the chamber. This wasn't his home, yet it had all the markings of his family. Kylin quietly pondered where he was and how he got here. His mind instantly returned to the Full Cold Moon gala, the hyur's eyes bolting open as he shot straight up in his bed upon finally remembering the vivid details. He recalled the horrid screams and flying bodies, the falling meteors, the frenzied beasts, and the aether opening up and taking him. Then he remembered Gerik. Without hesitation, Kylin quickly climbed out of bed. A dizzy spell came over him as he grabbed the nearby dresser for balance, waiting for the spell to pass before he opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a cotton shirt. As he slipped the shirt on and began to put on his shoes, Cartius walked in. "Kylin! You're awake! Thank the gods!" The Felstar patriarch, wearing an elegant dark blue half robe with a ruby gem brooch near his neckline along with expensive looking slacks, rushed toward his son and embraced him tightly. "I was so worried, even after the medics assured me that you'd make a full recovery!" A middle-aged dark-haired woman entered as well, her hair wrapped around her left shoulder. She wore the white robes of a priestess, smiling and sighing in relief upon seeing Kylin fully recovered. Kylin reluctantly returned his father's embrace before taking a step back. "Father, where are we? How long was I out?" "We are safe, my son. We're on a small island retreat that my brother owns, far from the madness unfolding in Eorzea. You've been out for nearly a full moon now. You suffered quite a blow from that aetherial explosion." Kylin's eyes widened in complete disbelief. "No! I have to go back!" With that, Kylin rushed past Cartius and the dark-haired woman in the doorway. Cartius quickly went after him as the woman gently grabbed his arm. "He's going to go regardless of what you say, love. Just let him see with his own eyes." Cartius frowned heavily. "Are you mad, Nefron?! It could still be dangerous out there. And he still needs his rest!" Nefron shook her head and smiled warmly at Cartius. "We both know the danger seems to have mostly passed. Besides, Kylin is old enough to make his own decisions. Any objections will surely only fuel him further. So let him see with his own eyes what has happened to our home. I'm sure Vertigo can accompany him for extra safety." The Felstar patriarch stared down the empty hallway outside the bedroom, sighing in defeat as his wife lovingly wrapped her arm around him with a weak smile. "He's his father's son. Why are you so surprised?" After nearly getting lost outside the island manor, Kylin finally found the dock where a couple of expensive looking ships were stationed. A leather clad miqo'te with long white hair turned to meet him, her eyes widening upon her bluish hued face. "Kylin! You're finally awake!" "Vertigo, take me back to Eorzea." The hyur wasted no time as he started to board the nearest boat, paying no heed to Vertigo's surprised expression. "Kylin, you know I can't do that. Your father has strictly--" "Either you take me or I'll get there myself," the young noble stated abruptly. "Your choice." Vertigo let out a deep sigh, reluctantly boarding the ship and preparing to disembark with a faintly audible mumble. Kylin stared up at the sky, as if to seek something that's been there forever. Seeing nothing, he bit his lower lip nervously and quietly murmured to himself. "I'm coming, Gerik..."