No Longer Exists

THM/BLM: Dye their students robes pink. CNJ/WHM: "Plant" their staff or wand outside somewhere they can easily find it, maybe grown some small plants around it. OR Convince the student that elementals communicate through interpretive dance and then watch the student make an ass of himself. Downside: The Sylphs might like it. ROG: Frame the student for some heinous crime, like stealing the Admiral's undergarments. NIN: Randomly suiton the pupil during inopportune moments like social gatherings. MRD: Switch out the student's axe head with one made of stale cake (Requires Culinarian) WAR: Soak the students clothes in Apkallu pheromones, watch the pandemonium. GLD: Send the student out to prove his strength against a foe that doesn't exist (Aka Snipehunting) PLD: Have the student guard a precious Ul'dahn relic that doesn't exist, making them swear an oath to keeping it safe at all times. Wait a day, check on it. Watch the student freak out. ACN/SMN/SCH: Glue their books shut. Nuff said. I'll try to think of more.

I have to agree with Warren, as our characters are born of the same stoic cloth (oddly enough). Doc meets people constantly, even when he stands there with his arms crossed looking dourly into the distance as if contemplating the sheer crushing infinity of the universe.....but at the same time, I see folks run by that I want to go "HEY! NEAT PERSON! SPEAK TO THE GIANT GLOWERING ROE HERE." It's nice though, I use it to add depth to Oak's design. Does he notice senpai? Is he drawn to senpai for whatever reasons? Why? Would he step out of his comfort zone of quiet introspection to say something to them? Usually the answer to that last question is No, but if the opportunity presented itself later....say.....when he found the character injured, then he would step up, do his medical duty, and make a new friend maybe. -Hatter

As Liadan and I share a Free Company and my character, Doc Oak is also a chirurgeon among other medical and alchemical practices geared toward the art of well being; I think it might be wonderful to RP these three (and anyone else interested) having this debate. As far as GS goes, the trouble with selling Healing in RP whether it's holistic or magical is that it takes time away from the GS itself and many players seem disinterested in taking the time to RP being bandaged up and rubbed down in salves. With an event that has a time constraint (not that it's IN the GS to stop at any time, but that it takes hours to complete), it's difficult to really push for RPing out holistic forms of healing without limiting the other players involved. As for conjury, there've been some discussions about its use as a practical balm for minor nuisances. I vaguely remember a reference to some lore about conjury being conditional on the whim of the elementals as to whether it would work on someone or not. Some healers, Oak included, use alternative forms such as Equivalent Exchange as a means to RP bypass that lore quandary. Oak pulls energy from other things, even himself, to heal when he has to use conjury in order to limit the strain of it and in return, he plants flora and fauna or helps rebalance a region's natural resources to make up for the usage. I find it fun to RP that conscientious awareness of the delicate balance of powerful things. Unless an emergency (or the GS), Oak uses medical knowledge and alchemical or herbal remedies to treat injuries. And finally, a shameless plug. Doc Oak is the chief medical officer of the Red Wings FC and I would loooooooove to grow the medical/scientific division more. If anyone's interested in RPing a medical professional or scientific professional character in a militiarized (but not rigidly so) FC; send me a PM. -Hatter

Everyone has very good points either on the lore or on the feelings behind the lore. Kudos to you all for that. That's all I wanted to say, good on ya. -Hatter

Welcome back! As to your post: There's nothing in the lore that specifically states that a Seeker must collect women once they become a nunh. In theory, like in a lion pride, if a cataclysmic event kills all but one male and one female, then they are in essence a singular coupling. I know it's not the best of examples, but it's fair to determine that a nunh could choose his mate and eschew the desire to grow his family further for the time being or even intentionally. Going further into that, as he has fulfilled his tribal duty in mating as a nunh; the tribe can only grumble about it if for some odd reason, they don't like it. However, according to Lore, (if you're a lore-strict sort of person) your male child could challenge for nunh and take over as the "breeding male" and choose to collect moar women (or men) There's some confusion in the Seeker lore about mating and families. There is nothing that states that a nunh must have more than one wife, but it has alluded to the other nunh's determining their own social heirarchy by the size of their families and sometimes by the volume and strength of their womenfolk.

As robots found in ruins are my favorite sort of characters from many a JRPG, I fully approve of this concept and would love to see how it progresses over time! r-66Y! -Hatter

[align=center]*Snooze bubble pops*[/align] So, I take it no one has ever seen a wuxia film before or watched an action adventure movie? The grandiose behaviors discussed in the previous pages are all things taken directly from the "Action Hero Playbook" right down to staring death (or at least a vicious walloping) in the face while clad in little but your knickers and a very stylish hat..... I should probably get dressed. Anywho! While I have no desire to stand up for the rights of Joe McHugeMuscles, savior of the dumbkoft nebula or Danny Hotpants, able to stand up to burly battlers in plate mail at all your social functions; I am inclined to point everyone's attention to Berrod's post (and to a lesser extent, anyone else who said the same thing) specifically in respect to that we're all telling stories even when we're in someone else's story. Without character perspectives, it'd just be one person writing fanfiction to themselves in an empty wasteland of an MMO. Which is to say: Choose your own adventure. That's not what MMO RP is. So yes, that person was being a prat and not respecting the event coordinator's RP. So was the OP in disregarding that player's right to RP the way they want to RP when they want to RP because REASONS (I still don't fully understand the "right to RP" platform, frankly. But that's not the point). While I disagree with Berrod's point of using discretion diametrically opposed to a character's personality, I do believe that one should think before one acts and prepare for a storm of stinky brown stuff if whizzing in the punch bowl wins the internal debate of proper social etiquette. However, if my character decided to do that.....he would do it. He probably wouldn't care what anyone thought of it IC or how those characters felt about it IC. OOC, It wouldn't change my outlook on anyone, myself included, save to maybe consider seeking treatment for my disassociative disorder. Maybe. There's a subconscious need in us to exert control over things that we know we cannot, which is where these problems stem from. Let it go. LET IT GO. CAN'T HOLD IT BACK ANYMOOOOOOO-AGHK Koff Wheeze.... My apologies. Still, relax. It's only a game. - Hatter

*Breathes out heavily* I think I'm going to close out my account with the RPC. I had planned on scheduling events here, but the current attitude of users that think things like "I'll make a thread that pushes the envelope and throws it right in the moderators collective faces....on purpose." and call it "straight talk" is the last straw for me. So here's my final cents on the RPC. Certain people really should get over themselves or grow up. Each is equally applicable regardless of the individual issue he or she wants to twist their underroos over. The mods have been nothing but helpful, open, honest to the best of their ability, and responsive to the concerns and issues that arise here. It's many of the subscribers that make this place suck recently. I blame you, not them. Lastly, I hope you realize that in being so obnoxiously pushy/whiny/passive-aggressive/etc, it is you who are destroying the very thing you want so badly to be a part of. The RP. Doomsday cometh, my children and when it comes, Oh Lord Have Mercy.....there will be a reckoning. Those of you who want to find me may do so at your own peril via Skype @ Blackhattery and in game, obviously. That's where I'll be, RPing. And the best part about that? I'll be having fun. Cheers *Leaves the hat on the floor*

I'm randomly on Gilgamesh, so I'll keep an eye out for you!

*Peeks out from under his hat* It is human nature to want to be recognized. We all do it in our own way, personalized by specific learned behaviors. We may not want to be famous (though, there is strong evidence that a large chunk of the populace secretly does) but, we do want to be recognized in some way. It is perfectly natural and normal. That being said, the internet allows the less self-assured to find that recognition anonymously which leads to these behaviors we're speaking of. There's another important factor here as well, humans learn from each other. In olden times, this was evidenced by how towns developed dialects and communal moralities. The internet has effectively connected the entire world together and now everyone learns behaviors from everyone else. In that sort of massive environment, especially so in the context that the internet is still a frontier with very lax supervision, terribad behaviors will grow like weeds. As long as someone is doing it, someone else will assume that it's okay. Monkey see, Monkey do. However..... On this particular subject, it concerns me greatly that we can make such statements as "If you do X (X being something we don't like) then you don't belong here. Exclusion is in no way a means of positive change, it's simply avoiding the issue. I'd like to think that we want to be better than that, it's the impression I've gotten from discussions about the recent negativity and RPing. There was a phrase going round the net a while back and I'm sure it's still in use today in some respect, but it exemplifies what I'm talking about here. "Go die in a fire" Widely used as a means of expressing hate for another human being, this always made me sad to see because I cannot believe that we, an enlightened people, could condone actually saying to someone "I hope you die violently and painfully." over things like differences of opinion, political affiliation, and worse yet, recreational hobbies (See: Gaming).

Oak's smile turned on Sam and he briefly expounded upon the more private discussion by simply saying: "Please make an appointment at your earliest convenience with my office in Sable Hall." Then he took a drink from the mug of ale while John retook the floor. The question of aether sensing prompted the Doctor to lift an eyebrow curiously, even when Warren added his own information to the conversation. "I am afraid you will have to explain it to me, John." He said as he set the mug down and leaned forward to rest one elbow on the tabletop between them. Perhaps the Roe was playing dumb or maybe he was genuine, it was a simple social trick he'd picked up. In order to not make assumptions, ask simple questions from your patients and let them explain.

"Sergeant Zealous Oak, 88th Regiment. Chief Medical Officer of the Red Wings." He said to Sam as he pulled up a chair and sat down. The stack of reports was placed down lightly so he could drink John's ale. It was improper to deny a gift, after all. "You know, if John's right then we could fix the leg properly. If you have time, I would be glad to use my medical equipment to determine its possible success." Oak said to Sam, head tilted slightly. "Unless you prefer your current physiological state." While Sam sorted out his feelings on the subject of his limb, Doc turned his attention back toward John who seemed truly distraught. "Is aught alright, John? You seem melancholy." With the question hanging in the air, Oak took a long swig from the tankard of ale.

I'll ask you to kindly stop misrepresenting what I'm saying. I never said anything of the sort. I simply asked for the same respect that Nako'li gave in one of his posts. Instead of outright crossing a player off your list because they choose to play something, I'm suggesting that you give plausibility a try. I hope neither of these lines refers to me. I never lost my temper, nor did I ever make any outright demands. If this is the case, then yes. There's nothing wrong with asking someone to give something a chance. The concern spawns from one's refusal to accept the word "No". No means No.

Eye contact with Warren achieved and to Oak's mind, a message had passed between the two men briefly which prompted the doctor to approach the three and he was truly glad that he did. For as he drew nearer, he clearly heard John's voice questioning something. Oak was not privy to the conversation at hand, but he had a sense that there was great weight to the three who were talking and with that in mind, coupled with the documents in hand, he chose to greet the three men. And why not? He knew two of them. "This appears to be the popular gathering place for good drink and better companions." He began by way of announcing himself, though instead of glancing at Warren or the unknown; he settled his eyes on John and asked HIM the question. "Mind if I join you? It seems to be the right time for a drink, but not the time for the Quicksand's noise." As if to explain why, he held up the stack of parchment in his large hand and smiled somberly. "Casualty reports."

Doctor Oak lived in his own little world most of the time, it was a world full of reading. Sometimes, in his brief free moments, he considered just how much a curse it was to be literate. The stalwart physician in his white and red robe, Red Wings patches on the shoulders, traipsed along the exchange with a stack of parchments that could have been a book if they'd been bound together. His reading glasses, yellow framed, sat on his nose and contrasted brilliantly with his dark complexion and darker, verdant hair. Occasionally, he was greeted by commonfolk in passing and generally smiled their way, but was otherwise distracted. As he walked, peripherally aware of his surroundings, his eyes scanned document after document until one wide, booted foot tripped over another. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the streets of Ul'dah, Oak stood still and stared down at the casualty list in his thick fingered hand. Wasn't that....John's regiment? Great big lungs blew a great big sigh, he hadn't realized how hard they'd been hit and John had tried to hide it from him just like he tried to play off the wound he'd suffered. Doc was no stranger to death and loss, like anyone else who'd dedicated themselves to a cause, military or personally or companywide. He quietly resolved to have a conversation with the Private one day, feeling grief for what he knew the young miqo'te felt. What happened was kismet though, a strange coincidence that the big Roe would only attribute to the mysterious workings of the Twelve when he realized it. While he wandered his way into the lift to the airship landing, reading through more and more field reports of injuries and casualties in the ever growing conflicts; Oak noticed discrepancies and his brows furrowed. Flamesmen stationed in Ul'dah with recent war wounds? How odd. All this was lost though when he stepped out of the lift and glanced up from the pile to see an unfamiliar man, the back of Warren Castille (For who wouldn't recognize him?), and a robed individual, all heading for the portside eatery. Warren was exactly whom the Doctor could ally with in regards to seeking out John and checking on him, so he followed the three quietly in hopes of having a moment to spare with the Arbiter.

Ahh, that makes a lot more sense. I am not certain what the ToS has to do with it, but how exactly could they force you to leave? I am not denying that you were being harassed, I'm only wondering out loud over specific details. There is no difference in walking away and wanting you to leave, however. Taking out your personal feelings from the situation, those are the two of three viable options for ending the situation. The third being blacklist and ignore. He expressed an opinion that your character shouldn't be there, he didn't kick you off the game or forcibly remove you in any way. His opinion and actions made you uncomfortable, yes. However, you had the power to remove that discomfort yourself and chose not to?

Doctor Oak Not so much -hearing- as things that are unspoken and frustrating. "No, I'm fine. I'm just bleeding from this gaping wound here that I haven't bothered having looked at in days. Don't mind the sweat, that's just a reaction to the infection currently spreading through me..." "Let me stumble away from the fight, dragging my busted leg across the dirt just so I can be proud and indignant." Things that are actually said: "So you're the doctor." "You're tall." "Hey Doc, can I ride my bike in here?" Oak's Reaction

*The little snoozey bubble protruding from the hat pops* *Blink Blink* *Yawn* Did anyone notice the curious factors of this current part of the conversation? Lore debates, what constitutes law and what doesn't, who is whom, etc? I hope that, by now, tempers have ebbed some because I saw some alarming leans from certain people. Leans that skirted dangerously close to socio-political "classist" statements. More intriguing (to me) is that these were NOT being instigated by the obvious parties. Thus far, with the exception of the derailed train there, the topic has remained on point and postings are on task, which is wonderful. Keep up the good work. I'd like to caution you readers and writers though, that having the "Lore Debate" here is further segregating an already torn group of people. With the exception of an outright demand made on one poster, which is by and large not appropriate for the community OR the forum itself, you've all let cooler heads prevail. We all understand and agree that the "Lore Debate" is hot button AND relevant to the OP topic, but it is NOT the OP topic and I urge you to remember that. I suggest dropping the "Lore Debate" here, with the exception of mild (<---keyword) reference. Otherwise, have at it. There are good things coming from the topic discussion, even if there is no clear resolution. Cheers. In regards to Blue, Dealing in absolutes, even absolutes of decency, is against the very ethical platform of inclusive behavior. While funny and sometimes appropriate, statements like "Don't be a dick" or "Don't be -that guy-" are uniformly stereotyping and should have no place in these social ethics discussions. They are just as damaging as a "lrn 2 rp, gtfo" tell, because you are imposing an imperative. We can only SUGGEST changes to behaviors and adapt individually based on how pertinent and relevant such suggestions are to our personal code. Or don't, because it doesn't affect us. While I agree that you being berated in tells was wholly inappropriate (See: my personal opinion), it is not inherently wrong for two reasons. 1> The individual expressed their opinion and concerns with you and 2> did so privately (This is based on how your post is worded, I do not know details). These are two things we've been advocating (as a group). The format used to express those opinions and concerns may or may not be considered inappropriate to others you tell that story based on their outlook on language. Whether or not it was OOC leakage is irrelevant in my opinion, the individual decided (as is their right) that they no longer wanted to RP with you and took steps accordingly albeit (again, my opinion) rudely so. I feel that we cannot fault him or her for that. So it really boils down to the language used in the specific instance.

Doc Oak (Bet you didn't expect this one, but this is how I hear him when he speaks) nfxoX_VzEl8 Methodical, but oddly musical and since he rarely raises his voice even when being direct or confrontational, it fits. Sidenote: If Oak ever went bugf**k batshit, he would be one scary mofo, methinks. Imagine being strapped to a surgical table and listening to that voice..... *Shudders*

I remember that! The cold stares in Pocket D and the pants-off dance-offs, scathing personal attacks and outright cruelty on both sides. Really annoying/amusing stuff but beneath that was some deep, dark animosity. It made a lot of people, even some heavy RPers back off and go hide in their SG bases which really drove a dagger into the heart of the community. It didn't "kill" anything per se, but I know it strained a lot of people I played with. I, personally, am not one for being lore-strict, despite my inherent desire to see a unified field theory for RP. Much of that is due to seeing what Freelancer described right here and how damaging it was. /rerail

*Peeks out from under his hat* So....when did we break the 4th wall? It has been my understanding since the dawn of online roleplaying that what was once called "metagaming" was a societal no-no. Metagaming In laymen's terms, the use of information outside of the parameters of the game to affect the game itself. The reverse being the use of in game information to affect the world outside of the game. This is something that every RPer should be made aware of and generally is. I did a quick google search for "Roleplaying, mixing IC and OOC" and was immediately gifted with rprepository.com and its statement about the distinction between being in character and out of character. The following statement may sound harsh and I apologize for all the hurt feels it may cause: You are not your character, this is a game. If you are feeling real, legitimate, emotional anguish over the events and activities surrounding your character in this game; I suggest you seek counselling. Why did I say that? Because I am afraid that if you are feeling these things about a programmer generated sequence of code and pixel, then you have "moved into the castle in the sky". We all have a certain level of attachment to our characters, we built them, we nurtured them, we watch them grow. However, most of us also know to how to separate. Some do not. If people want to hear more about this from me, please let me know in PM and I'll ramble about it in another thread. For the moment, allow me to return to the topic at hand. In my not-so-humble opinion (and some may already be aware of this facet of my personality for better or worse), if I don't like your story, your details, or even the way you misspell every other word? I excuse myself and never come back. Plain and simple. "But Hatter? Why would you do that?" Simple, it's my time and I'll use it the way I want to. "But Hatter! That's rude!" I agree. It is rude. It is unfair. Equally, it is unfair to me to sit on a game and stare at a chat box full of things I do not care about nor have any interest in for hours. Hours I could spend doing something I enjoy. And that's the point. Frankly, there's never been an obligation involved in any MMO community or otherwise that dictates getting along. It is a conscious choice and as a choice, it has the capacity to go the other direction. Each individual must remain aware of that conscious choice that each other individual makes to put up with your particular brand of fantasy and be grateful/respectful of it. That is the crux of socialization. No one is required to associate with anyone. I've said this before and I will say it again: Appreciate the attention that you get. As for this, that, and the other thing: See previous message. It all applies. Being polite, unfortunately, is in the eye of the beholder. You can't dictate how someone will take your behavior, ever. You can only hope for the best. I'm Black Hat......and I apologize. Cheers.

SO. Doctor Oak doesn't have a relationship, nor is he particularly aware of such things on a daily basis. He's rather kuudere in that regard, being a scientist/physician.....HOWEVER......At Mynhier's bachelor party, there were two moments that allowed for Oak to express his reaction to the prospects of intimacy and I am forever grateful to the players for them. First, Oak got his ass slapped. It was wonderfully random and resulted in this look right here: Second, and also just as random was when he excused himself to go prep for the Grindstone and was cheered on for it by one of the entertainers. Praise from a stranger in scantily clad garments resulted in: Most flirtations aimed at Doc result in: Or: Not exactly a "status", so if I had to quantify Oak's relationship status then it would be.... Oblivious.

*Peeks out from under his hat* The concept of the dark knight (and subsequently, the black knight) is present throughout literature, fantasy or otherwise. Historically, there are a few legendary tales of accounted soldiers, commanders, etc, bearing such a moniker simply for wearing black and being (to paraphrase) badass. Case in point, Polish knight Zawisza Czarny the Black of Garbow, who wore black armor and kicked incredible amounts of knightly butt in tournaments then went on to become a war hero. In "the death of Arthur", the black knight is a representation of death and mystery, an interioris hominid (means "hidden man", loosely) who for lack of a broader explanation, is an assassin. And for all my fellow literary nerds, the Nazgul of Middle Earth's mythos were extreme cases of dark knighthood. A band of magical wraiths bearing two handed swords who roamed the countryside effecting slaughter in the name of a cause. Ishgardian "Dark Knights" seem to take this general theme and point it in the same extremist direction as much of the Ishgardian culture does and it makes a certain sense when put in proper perspective. Ishgardian temple knights and dragoons (not the jumpy ones, the actual dragoons) are the protectorate, household soldiers and militarized citizenry trained and dedicated to the safety and continued livelihood of Ishgard's people. These are their knights and knight-errants, but even they must bend the knee to the Holy See and the nobility. Their dark knights appear (from the text) to be the answer to corruption, a veritable collection of fighters with the mentality of "Who watches the watchmen? I do." This makes them that very "interioris hominid" I discussed early, a representation of death and mystery. "Be true, young lord, in all your dealings lest the dark knight find your door...." or something to that effect. I haven't seen any info saying that the DK are sanctioned by anyone at all, which leaves the possibility of operating "outside the law", in Batman fashion, a legitimate RP avenue. Cheers! -Black Hat

Clive - Grease Monkey Captain Seishuku - Birthday party entertainer Doctor Oak - Duh.

I was sad that I couldn't make it to the event as planned, some RL got in the way and when the dust settled there, it was nearly 10pm which is this ole Hat's bedtime currently. Sounds like it went well though!