Eva

Ohhh I've been so busy these past few days and unable to reply but there's been so many wonderful thoughts and I'm glad Oskar came here to share his background because I know I was leaving some details out!! I think this is a wonderful idea and I'm going to mull further over this for awhile. Perhaps the Elder's surname may be something along this vein. I'll probably make some decision one way or the other soon since it's going to become critical in ongoing RP over the next few days. As yet the name just hasn't been dropped to those who would know. But I really like the idea of clan names like this as labels. EDIT TO ADD: I delved into this a bit earlier and translated a number of phrases that would have worked nicely with "Flowstone Falls" - The one I liked best, "stone rain" translates to "pluie en pierre" which I kind of shortened to "Pluienierre", which I shortened even further to "Plunierre" so I was thinking maybe his full name would have been "Elder Roven Plunierre" or "Clan Plunierre" - the word itself probably has nothing at all to do with stone rain after that hackjob but just wanted to notate that here as well and will be injecting this to clan lore. After speaking with Oskar a bit last night and also a couple other friends about what might be too hokey and going over good plot versus forced plot and such, I think it might be a good idea for Eva to play into something like this a bit, given her spiritual presence. Oskar had once suggested long ago that she might have been an oracle if she had been brought up in his clan, and the notion intrigued her, as her clan has nothing of the sort. But she has experienced lucid dreams and other such things which may (or may not!) be something along similar lines as this. This is also something which we're hoping to tie into her surface role as well, as a sort of priestess of the Twelve. Again, whether folks like Wildwoods would have any regard for that is left mostly on them as Eva herself exhibits no actual racist tendencies (even though her father did). But there is something here that may happen in the weeks and months to come that will neatly tie everything together for Eva relating to this spiritual/priestess angle, the Calamity, the Twelve, and her duskwight heritage. But I'm hesitant to give away too much more than I already have so I'll borrow a famous line and simply say, "Please look forward to it." I'll also add that I can foresee Eva being a sort of character acting as an emissary between those on either side of the fence, though again not really belonging fully to either the traditional duskwight, nor the surface dwellers. And I would imagine not everyone would be respectful of her for such collaborations, in both directions, but I also imagine there would be those who would still be interested in hearing her wisdom and speaking with her as a friend. I suppose it all boils down to that racism thing and whether she's perceived as genuine, or a collaborator, or a sell-out, or pushover, or what have you. It's going to be interesting no matter what though, and I'm greatly looking forward to it!! I admit that part of it - for my being - is that Eva is meant to be kind of a character that is very friendly, very kind, and can easily be related to. She's not really all that extraordinary but she is generally pretty likable - or doesn't really give anyone a reason not to like her unless they conjure such a thing up themselves (i.e. racism). In previous RP I've done all right at the stereotypical jerk type character (chip on the shoulder, lone wolf, whatever) and was actually aiming to go with someone more friendly here, broken somewhat out of customs but extremely curious about them, and perhaps somewhat naîve to the ways of the world (much less so two years of RP later). She is very much torn between two worlds. While Eva might think she fits in, and while Isobeau might think she's being mocked, the reality of things may fall somewhere in the middle, or depend upon who exactly is forming opinions and why - and everyone's going to have a different background and a different reason for forming different first impressions. But I do like this assessment, and I'm positive there would be some Wildwoods living in Gridania that are resentful of her and her status - such as the one who refused treatment at Stillglade that time. Then there are others, like her fiancé who overlook these things even though he did not have his parents' approval. Everyone's impression is going to be different - and I cannot express adequately enough how awesome I think that is! I would love to hear more about what you've in mind for your character. This is very much a thread for sharing what we're all going to be doing with our characters and sharing a rainbow of cultural backgrounds, so a few paragraphs about that and some backstory or clan history or such would be interesting and may add to the discussion! Please feel welcome to share! I agree with this 110% as well. While Eva isn't racist and has been confused about racist attitudes towards her (or by her own people towards the Wildwood), it doesn't make it wrong from a compelling storyline perspective. EDIT: Added a bit above (also in red) rather than double-posting. Found a good clan name based on the recommendation provided! Thanks again Kyatai!!

Good post. The tattoo on Eva's face (originally done in blue ink) is a symbol traditionally taken by her clan to indicate one is 'taken' - or no longer available for marriage. She (and her fiancé at the time) each got 'marked'. This was after they got engaged. He later died before they could get married. Her tattoo will be done over in black ink - something that's a little unclear as described in her clan but her [somewhat incorrect] interpretation of it is that she it symbolizes she is a widow who has let go. There is more to this than that, but it gets pretty long-winded and spoilerish and she may never fully understand it anyway as things have been set up now. But that's really it. The face tattoos in her clan (and from what I understand some other clans also) serve to indicate that one has found her soul mate. She has no scars whatsoever (despite having been wounded significantly on a couple of occasions). She also bears the "Legacy" mark on her back in more recent days, but is unsure what this means or how it came to be.

Cute. :lol: I've never really known many RPers that wouldn't just "roll with it" like that, but I guess they're out there too. Kudos for sharing! I'm a fan of when RP just sort of happens sporadically like that and things take unpredictable and wonderful detours!!

I don't know how much this supports the lore pertaining to duskwight hearing and sense of sight, but Eva is prone to headaches around shrill noises and lots of clamour (like a busy marketplace was mentioned). She prefers quiet and silence to the almost "sensory overload" of something like the bustle of commerce at its busiest hour. Eva's father before he passed away suffered (among other things) a disease that left his eyes extremely sensitive to light. He wore shaded eyeglasses most of the time (much moreso in his twilight years), even indoors. And the shades to his house were kept drawn closed all the time, even on overcast days. I'm not sure either condition is something that all duskwight would exhibit, but it certainly seems like something that they might be more prone to than other race/clans.

Thank you so much Torn. :love: This is so lovely!! :love: And... and... *squees!!!* :love:

Kari that's beautiful!! I'd honestly never thought to giving a label to Eva's ancestral homelands clan ('clan' just seemed appropriate, but I suppose tribe, lineage, or whatever other communal noun might make sense could as easily be substituted). Her family's surname - Zelorius - would only encompass one branch of a greater tree. The signature landmark of that place was the Flowstone Falls I'd mentioned in an earlier post, so perhaps they could all be lumped as "The Flowstone Clan" or somesuch - though from all I've seen of elezen arrogance it would probably make more sense for a name to be used. Even though the lands are destroyed they may still be regarded historically by other duskwight who may have traded, bartered, or whatever. I'll give this further thought, or perhaps I'll finally figure out a surname for the clan's Elder (a man we've only referred to as Elder Roven so far). I can only speak to my own character here, but to kind of reacquaint herself with people similar to her own after her original homeland was wiped out would bring her some comfort, I think. She now has no remaining family except for one very distant cousin, and that - to her - would make preserving those traditions she was brought up to follow even more important. A place to duskwights to call for help when they feel no one else would answer? A place to rally duskwights together to celebrate cultural things like festivals and such, if such things are a part of one's clan's culture. I am probably overlooking some other great possibilities here as well. What if there was some overlap in traditions between the clans? Perhaps some sort of annual ceremony that's celebrated by many/most of the groups. Or perhaps representatives from each of the clans assembled on regular schedules to discuss things like truces, sharing of resources, and whatever else. I'm reaching a bit maybe, but just trying to brainstorm. Also as kind of an afterthought, when I have RPed Eva's descent to that place, her linkpearls ceased working. While we know for a fact that linkpearls do continue to work underground in places like Mun-Tuy Cellars, Nanawa Mines, etc. I've left the reasons for this obscure intentionally. Perhaps it's just so deep underground that they stop working. Perhaps the "Living Stone" interferes with the signal. I don't give any specific reason, but it's always been important to me that the trek down there leave her isolated from the surface. I just thought that was an interesting point I'd add. I love this thread~ :lol:

Oooh, awesome idea!!! You might know Eva from (all of these would be at and before 1572, five years ago): 1570-1572: Regularly working the looms at Sunsilks Tapestries during weekdays 1571-1572: Regularly volunteering as a nurse at Stillglade Fane (generally on weekends) 1571-1572: As an officer of the Everwatch mercenary organization in Gridania 1559-1570: As a store clerk at a little old book shop in Gridania off the beaten path (she would have been rather portly and without her face tattoo during the majority of the earlier years during this time as well) She will still frequent Sunsilks and Stillglade in ARR once she figures things out a little better too, but not just quite yet. :blush:

I went back and edited that post accordingly to include snippets from the wiki about each of the elezen clans. As a duskwight I have not ever demanded to know what people nearby may be whispering about. I think it's an interesting angle but it's not something I'm personally comfortable encroaching upon private RP about. I know others who have and I don't think there's anything wrong with perhaps invoking that sense of hearing in the form of a request, but when it's made as a demand I think it's just kind of rude. To elaborate just a little bit, in RP scouting events and such I have factored these racial/clan attributes into particular things. For instance, as a group got close to a band of poachers who had a campfire, it might make sense for the miqo'te in the group to be able to smell the fire if we were downwind, or perhaps the wildwood in the group might see the flickering of the flames before any of the others. It's little things like this that make the RP a bit more interesting, I think. EDIT: Also added the tidbit about miqo'te sense of smell as well, since I already had the wiki open still ;-)

The elezen clans are both divided a bit. Duskwight elezen are said to have a very strong sense of hearing. Wildwood elezen are said to have a very keen sense of sight. Just to clarify. From the duskwight wiki page: From the wildwood wiki page: Also about the miqo'te... From the miqo'te wiki page:

Oh yes, I probably should have specified such, but this will be Balmung. But it would be swell if a group gathered on Gilgamesh at some point to hold a similar sort of storytelling event, assuming folks playing on that server were so inclined. Also since there seem to be a number of RPers who are interested in attending but not actively participating, that's normally fine. I think most of these events have been good for usually about 7-10 stories before folks started getting tired and going off their own way. The problems arise when there's only one or two who have stories planned, but in the past what we've done in such instances was have a "Story-Go-Round" where everyone forms a circle and someone leads off with a sentence or two and then the next person picks it up with a sentence or two, etc, etc, and it goes full circle once or twice (or three times or more if it's a good story). It's usually good silly fun and everyone gets to be a part of it (except for the one or two who are inevitably AFK lol). But generally speaking, I prefer it when there are a handful of people who have some sort of story prepared, or who are able to tell a story off the cuff. I'm looking forward to this too now, though! :bouncy: EDIT TO ADD: I also really like the idea of keeping it seasonal and changing around the location each time. Maybe Ul'dah/Thanalan in winter, Gridania/Shroud in spring, LimsaLominsa/LaNoscea in summer, and Owl's Nest in autumn. Or something like that. Good thinking! :thumbsup:

This is really great Armi!! I want to see moooooore!!!

Ha!! Great piece!! I know I sound like a broken record, but you know I think you're awesome!!!! :thumbsup:

I'm glad to see all the enthusiasm! Once Phase 4 scheduling is announced I'll definitely see about scheduling something - perhaps the weekend before or weekend after the gala, depending on the duration of the beta window. ;-) There might be some merit to having it in a location where new folk are completing quests. I've personally always preferred out-of-the-way places because they're less inclined to attract griefers that disrupt the flow of the event and contribute towards wrecking a sense of immersion. Conversely, I've known a handful of folk that didn't really know what RP was but loved the idea and wound up joining, and that's certainly a boon to the whole community when that happens! So it's a risk. But the baddies can be blacklisted (or usually go away once they realize they're not being acknowledged... usually). So I'd be willing to consider the new amphitheatre, or perhaps even some other location that is along a lowbie quest route but still somewhat off the beaten path. I'll scout around a bit when we're up and running again and see if I can find anything good, or if anyone has some good ideas I'm all ears - feel free to PM me!

For those who may not have been there, throughout 1.0 I often hosted "storytelling circle" events that were originally done within the first couple of LS's to which I belonged, but then later I made them into kind of a seasonal event for the RP public. These have had widely varying results in terms of attendance and participation but for the most part I've considered them to be somewhat successful. I kind of just wanted to solicit feedback from the community. For starters, this has been done - and will continue to be done - independent of any LS association. This was never an Everwatch thing, and it won't be a Crystalline thing. If you want to call it an 'Eva thing', that's fine I suppose. But it's been open to all and not sponsored by any one group or any such thing. That part was always important to me, as I've belonged to three or four LS's throughout the time these have happened, and generally they have been a lot of fun and open up avenues for additional RP. There is some expectation that people be willing to share a story though, and there was one of these held some time back that actually had a good turnout but nobody had really prepared any sort of story and very few were willing to kind of share one off the cuff. So that was a little awkward. What generally happens, I think, is that a dozen or two RPers come out and form little groups and talk IC in their parties quietly as people one by one volunteer to tell a story - it could be about themself or family, or poetry, or something completely made up. And the /say channel is usually kept pretty quiet out of respect. In the past these were held at the Amphitheatre in Gridania since it was situated out of the way, but I think we're going to have to find a new location - not that there's any lack of options~ I guess I'm wondering a few things: 1. Is this something I should keep up with in ARR? I'd like to, but only if there is an interest for it. 2. Is seasonal good enough? If it's too often I could change it to happen twice a year - possibly in the springtime and autumn. 3. Is it something that a lot of folks would also be willing to participate in (i.e. telling a story if called upon if no one volunteers)? Mostly I'm trying to get a feel for this as I'd really like to arrange one for the very near future. Thanks you in advance for any and all feedback!! :thumbsup:

On earlier points pertaining to Oskar's duskwight backstory and warlike clan, I should perhaps be clearer. I don't want to speak to what exactly he was doing since he could probably better explain it. I also don't know if his particular ancestors turned against each other. It's possible that their lands were shallower caves closer to the surface and those that they fought with were of the other races. I honestly don't know. I just know they were described as much more Spartan in nature and couldn't see well enough to read and write so passed their history down by way of hymns and such. Oskar used to regard other duskwights as 'Brother' and 'Sister' even when they belonged to different clans, so this leads me to believe his particular group wasn't so isolated that they held so little regard for duskwights who were outsiders to that group. I recently spoke with him and made him aware of the existence of this discussion so perhaps he may post in reply for himself to elaborate further for us, however I'm not sure he has any plans of playing FFXIV any longer so I won't make that assumption and hope that what I have said about it so far is accurate. For myself I agree with what you've said and felt it made a lot more sense to have Eva's ancestors segment themselves but remain peaceful towards each other. Eva only went back to visit her ancestral homeland on three separate occasions (all within the last six months or so of 1.0), and on the second occasion she brought with her another duskwight who was welcomed into their lands as one of their own. I think it makes a lot of sense that they sort of cling to one another when they happen to find each other. This has actually happened in RP that I have been involved with. To Eva it might be some comfort to find those who are familiar with rituals and traditions with which she was brought up, but which seem odd or foreign to most of the non-duskwights with whom she associates. To someone less-integrated or not as assimilated into surface culture (i.e. the melting pot), it would certainly make sense to seek out another of their kind. While it may go against more modern OOC mainstream beliefs that people should be diverse and all-encompassing, in-game adherence to the lore suggests that it would make a lot of sense for there to be this almost sort of magnetism between duskwights when surrounded by outsiders. Have I mentioned enough yet that I'm really looking forward to this Duskwight LS that Kari's working on??

Server: Balmung Primary Linkshell: Crystalline Characters: Eva Ianeira Style of Roleplay: Immersive and serious, I tend to favor a realistic balance between tragedy and encouragement through my characters' back-stories and interactions with other characters. Strongest Skills: Healing, Religion pertaining to the Twelve, Duskwight Culture, Storytelling gatherings, putting together smaller gatherings (often tea parties) or one-on-one meetings, developing a dynamic character gradually and realistically over time, and emphasis on one character (instead of several alts)

More really good points, and there's not much more I can add here. I'm still in love with the idea of a Duskwight LS, even though Eva might never wholly feel a sense of belonging to such a group. I wanted to talk a little more about backgrounds and heritage, since I've found I've had to take a lot of artistic license with this for Eva's own backstory. I confess I've intentionally kept her at a distance from her ancestral homeland and the people there, since it's entirely unofficial and only my own interpretation of one possible way a duskwight community might exist. This has been left to speculation, so I did just that. I've known other RPers who have taken similar liberties with regard to their own duskwight backstories, just as I would imagine some miqo'te, hyur, and others have had to draw certain conclusions for themselves. Much of this also plays off what another RPer I interacted with at the time had done with his own upbringing - specifically Oskar Helvig, for those who may have known him. I don't want to discuss too extensively what he had done, but it's impossible to talk about Eva's original homeland without giving some nod to him, since he effectively gave me a launchpad from which to create something similar, but also a little different. To keep things as brief as possible since Oskar's player may come here and explain things more fully than I could possibly hope to do, Oskar came from a cavernous place "somewhere north" where there were multiple clans who feuded with one another for survival and his people were very cognizent of that, celebrated a sort of ancestor worship, sung hymns, had certain women who were regarded like shamans sort of, and were generally very warlike - as they had to be. It makes sense that the duskwight may have split apart into different factions and spread across Eorzea, just as all the other races are generally distributed across the world. I know another RPer whose duskwight people lived in caves in Thanalan. I see nothing wrong with this, though I can see where some might argue that most duskwight settlements be located in woodland areas - I think someone earlier suggested the Black Shroud and Coerthas only. I don't know that I see a Thanalan settlement as ignoring the lore so much as having a slightly different interpretation of it. Eva's clan was sort of a moot point early on since I had little intention of actually RPing her backstory to that depth, but it became an issue in RP and it became clear that I had to come up with something. So what follows is a kind of an analysis of Eva's culture, which aims to explain some of the more 'odd' traditions which she upholds. She had to go back to that place when her father died in order to enscribe his name upon a cavern wall. That will make more sense later in this post I suppose. The clan to which Eva's family belongs (or 'belonged' depending on your interpretation, though they themselves were very welcoming of her in the few occasions where she returned) are situated very deep beneath the mountains of Coerthas. Getting there has been described as a difficult descent that takes several hours. Getting back up is even more taxing. I try to keep things as vague, but I also try to keep them extremely displaced from everything else. There are few other clans that deep down, and runoff from one of the rivers of Coerthas provides a sort of underground waterfall (dubbed by those people as Flowstone Falls) which brings with it food in the form of fish, and also a variety of edible mushrooms that grow nearby. Life is relatively pastoral, peaceful, and probably relatively boring by most peoples' standards. The people have established a harmony with the caves. There are occasional skirmishes, and they have warrior-protectors, but it is not the central way of their life. Written word in this particular offshoot of duskwight culture has been regarded as something sacred. Literacy is important and children of this clan are taught it at an early age. One usually needs to be able to see in order to write, or read, and light is another important element as a result of the first. Candles are sacred items and those who are able to procure beeswax to make them are well-regarded, though this generally requires travel closer to the surface in order to facilitate. There have been a few interesting traditions as a result of this. First, the family has kept a collective journal that goes back generations. Eva's great-grandfather did not start it, however they are the oldest journals she owns. His earliest tome reveals that the earlier books were lost in a fire, and he endeavors in the first few volumes to recap what he remembers of the earlier family history - which is probably muddled a bit from the actual truth of much older events as a result. Eva keeps a few dozen volumes of these journals in a safe place though, and continues recording her own experiences and adventures in journals of her own. As mentioned before, candles are an important symbol in her culture. While young men when they came of age would choose a single mate for life, it was the women who would "offer a candle" as a showing that she was interested in being chosen for a mate. One might argue that the women held a lot of influence here, as a result, since a man could not take a mate who had not first offered him a candle. This has been described as a very old tradition, and even more recently in the clan-lands men have given candles to young women as a similar gesture. There has been at least one time in RP where someone offered Eva a candle with no understanding whatsoever of this practice and she blushed and felt awkward over the whole thing, even though she realized he had no idea what the meaning was. There is also in her clan-lands a wall made of what is called "The Living Stone" (credit again goes to Oskar for originally coming up with this concept and allowing me to play around with it). Apart from being a sort of special sort of rock from which jewelry may be fashioned and such, the only significance as I've RPed it is that there is a sort of abstract tie-in with thaumaturgy in general, and under certain [unknown] conditions, blood causes the stone to glow faintly. "Enscribing" is a ritual Eva's ancestors have been practicing for generations where they bleed themselves, then use that blood to write the name of a fallen family member upon this wall. Imagine a large chamber deep underground with names of hundreds or thousands of duskwights written upon it in blood that sometimes glows. I don't know - I just thought it was pretty cool. There is no lore around to completely substantiate it, but it's also not entirely impossible. It's just one of those licenses we've taken. Now that I've shared all of this, most of it is almost a moot point as the ancestral clan-lands were completely destroyed by seismic activity when Dalamud came about. Eva wasn't down there at the time, but two people were above the surface, and only one actually survived. So I guess this pushes Eva a bit farther away from her heritage in a sense, but it was a plot twist we felt was necessary and we really also wanted to drive home the destruction caused by Dalamud/Bahamut. "Everything trickles down," was a common expression of those people. Indeed it did. I'm curious now if anyone else has taken liberties with the lore and such things in similar ways. I know Isobeau's story mentions "Nymeia's apron-strings" as something which would make a great deal of sense in that sort of a culture. And I think Kari mentioned how her clan has a sort of special regard for its women. Are there any other rituals, customs, traditions, or anything else that you've concocted for your duskwight character along the way?

This is really great stuff Armi!! I've been kind of doodling around a bit again myself and trying to get back into it. One of these days maybe I'll work up the nerve to post something but I'm just not quite there yet. But you're really good at this and should definitely keep it up!! Thank you again for drawing Eva! I agree with Xenedra, that is a great concept and I'm looking forward to seeing more! :thumbsup:

I think it's impossible not to RP something that someone will perceive as being cliché for one reason or another. Most things have been done somewhere along the lines, in some capacity or another, and there is very little that is truly, truly original. Even if that is the RPers intent, there is probably some story, novel, video game, TV show, movie, or whatever else that has taken a look at the very same concepts but using different characters, settings, etc. I know that's kind of a cynical approach to this to start, but please don't write me off yet. I think the most convincing RPers are the ones who make use of a few of these potentially cliché elements to weave together an interesting story. And I think the Mary Sue types are the ones who grab pretty much everything they've ever seen that they think is interesting and mush it all together into their character. I think a truly interesting character is one who has depth, offers interesting conversation (or some compelling reason why he's not a conversationalist), comes with some sort of backstory to explain how he came to be the way he is today, and reacts appropriately (for the character) and realistically to RP situations. These reactions should also be consistent or if they're not, there should be some specific reason why. This realistic character should also come with varying strengths and weaknesses, and even if a proverbial "jack of all trades" - should have at least a few things that he's simply never experienced before, though doesn't necessarily need to admit to that if it's not in his nature. There is beauty in imperfection and I like that a lot of RPers I've met in this community are able to recognize that. :thumbsup:

Great discussions so far! I think it's interesting that we're looking at as being comparable to racism in the USA - something which has changed with time. While it's all somewhat speculatory, perhaps it is a similar dynamic. This actually makes a great deal of sense. Apart from looking a bit like a Wildwood and being fairly mild-mannered and friendly, and her father being something of a recluse when he was alive, it's possible that her heritage was somewhat overlooked because she sort of became assimilated (perhaps unintentionally) by Gridanian cultural standards. She might have just been seen by some as "that chubby elezen girl that worked at the book shop" - and she lived in Gridania for over 20 years so it makes sense that its denizens would have seen her milling about and such. Perhaps by most of them she wasn't looked upon as a Duskwight, having integrated and been assimilated by that culture. I could also see where some more traditional Wildwoods (perhaps largely the more elderly) would still harbor resentments in spite of that. There's a plethora of good excuses for that being overlooked by many - though not all Gridanians (something for which I'm thankful). This could be something one Duskwight might palm to another secretly in passing...support from the shadows, if you need us, call, and we'll be there 8-) This is also highly relevent to my interests and I would love to join something like this - but could never be involved with the leadership or management of such a thing for all the IC reasons mentioned here so far. Eva has spent most of her lifetime being extremely curious about her heritage and origins and she would love to be a part of something like this. I could also see where she might not integrate with it as fully as some other duskwights, possibly even being ill-regarded by some for not upholding more traditional views, or "fraternizing" with Wildwoods as much as she has. It's kind of an interesting stance, not fully being able to truly live up to either cultural standard's expectations. The dynamic reminds me a little of the plight of Worf from the Star Trek franchise in a way, for those who may be familiar with that. But I am extremely interested in this LS concept and can't wait to hear more about it!

I voted D as my least favorite for this same reason. While miqo'te are certainly abundant I don't know many characters in general who have done much with regard to Nald'Thal. I think it was one of the least popular choices during the "which deity?" poll that Kylin had conducted awhile back, and I admit I actually like how the split face marking resonates well with that dynamic.

Not going to drop all of Eva's family's duskwight ancestry/backstory just yet because there are some good discussion points here! I agree with this, but only to an extent. Not every Wildwood is going to harbor the animosity the lore describes. Most might be relatively neutral or perhaps more open-minded about the matter. As Eorzea has become this melting pot it makes sense that most people would become more tolerant if not more respectful of other races/clans. I agree that some RPers may either be somewhat oblivious to the lore, or otherwise not want to exhibit any sort of racist tendencies for all the reasons that have been mentioned so far, but one must also account for those who are reasonable, tolerant, and open-minded characters. Eva as a character herself works against that stereotype as well and it probably doesn't help perpetuate that overall stigma as well. There were so few duskwights in 1.0 and she as a benevolent sort would probably have been seen as a larger minority than should actually be represented. That said, I would expect some characters exhibit a sort of aversion to Eva simply for being a duskwight and would RP this accordingly were it ever to happen. As has been said before, I want people to remain true to their characters, and if a character would express something akin to, "You filthy Grey," or somesuch, than I think that would just be swell to react to that accordingly. As yet in my experiences, it has only happened with made-up background characters I've created myself. I really love this analysis!! I sometimes envision it that way too. To expand a little bit on the living arrangements there, since it was brought up that Duskwights are essentially shunned from Gridania - I don't know if that's necessarily exactly true. I don't recall seeing many from 1.0 and it's possible there's no NPC's at all - I haven't noticed and admittedly sometimes it's difficult to be able to tell from appearance, particularly with elezens who display fairer skin tones. I've used this "closeness of appearance" in the past to help explain to myself why Eva might not be as shunned as much others, along with a few other possibilities as mentioned in my previous post (but I accept that some of it may stem from RPer unwillingness to RP a prejudice like that as well, as has also been posited). Eva's father actually became a very wealthy man who initially took up residence in Gridania when she was still a little girl. They lived in modesty in a shanty at the end of a cul-de-sac despite the wealth, and he was largely invisible for the sake of not tainting the image of his business. She went to school but had to deal with being different - this didn't help her stress level and she coped by overeating. Despite the accumulated wealth, these living arrangements remained consistent. There have been a lot of Wildwood Elezen characters in her backstory (both RPers and background characters whom we have developed) who have overlooked or ignored this stigma. And there have been a few who have adhered to it (such as her old boyfriend's parents and some of her classmates). I think I'd written a journal entry some time back where Eva was acting as a healer at Stillglade Fane and tending to a Wildwood patient who snapped at her and refused treatment from her and demanded another nurse. I have tried to keep this somewhat balanced throughout her history. We should be mindful that, though the lore indicates that there is a stereotype and aversion to this particular race/clan, not everyone is going to exhibit that. Adventurers in particular will probably tend to be a more open-minded lot than most, as well.

You are not trying to one up yourself. You are SUCCEEDING!! I continue to be amazed at the strides made in the quality of your work - and I loved the early ones so you can guess what I think of these latest pieces!! (also random, but I hate painting noses so much) Keep up the excellent work!! :thumbsup:

Really interesting feedback so far!!! To give a little of the background that we've gone with for Eva, we skirted a lot of the issues early on by deciding that she was not a "First Generation Eorzean" - so to speak. Her branch of the family tree moved up from what we call 'the clan lands' when her father was 5 years old. They lived in Coerthas. She was born in Ishgard. So Eva never had any direct exposure to her duskwight heritage until much later in life when she went back down to visit distant relatives. That said, there were certain traditions that her father passed down to her that are held in high regard. Moreover she has observed and is aware that others may exhibit prejudiced behavior in dealing with her based upon her race. This became much more apparent after she moved to Gridania where there were many more Wildwoods roaming about and (combined with the issue of her weight during her teenage years) she grew up being extremely self-conscious. The character herself does work in opposition to the stereotype though. She is not one to pass judgement over others, so it concerns her when someone looks down upon her for that. She is kind, and generous, and friendly, and obliging. I would no longer say that she is a pushover, but a couple years ago she probably was. But she is a far cry from the way I imagine the stereotypical duskwight is portrayed. Most others I've interacted with have been more wary, more guarded, more cautious - and appropriately so. They probably give a better nod to the lore than I have but with the lack of information - especially at that time - it made more sense to have her somewhat displaced from that culture so that she could still be RPed the way we wanted her to be. To muddy the waters a little further, her first and longest relationship was with a Wildwood boy throughout most of her 20's. Her father disapproved of Wildwoods and the boy's parents disapproved of Duskwights (though interestingly his siblings were a little more open-minded and receptive to their 'forbidden romance'). It did have kind of a Capulets-n-Montegues feel to it. So while she understands that some folks may make snap judgements based on her race, she generally does not harbor those same prejudices. Her best friend (before she passed away) was a Wildwood elezen. She's worked in tandem with Wildwoods on a number of things, in various guilds. And has endeavored to make herself seen as "an elezen" rather than "one of them Greys" in their eyes. In RP whether this is successful or not is only half up to her. There have not been many instances in her experiences in 1.0 and beta thus far where her clan was an issue. This could be attributed to open-mindedness, or the fact that she is fair-complexioned and looks a bit like a pale Wildwood in some ways (apart from the tattoo), or because she is somewhat striking/beautiful it may be overlooked, or because she gives off a motherly/nurturing vibe maybe and genuinely cares. I don't know exactly, but we're generally happy to roll with whatever another character might say/express in the moment. This post is starting to get lengthier than I would like so I'm going to bring it to a close for now. But I can write paragraphs more about her ancestral homeland and some of the traditions with we've sort of taken certain liberties. Perhaps tomorrow. I'm curious to know what what others think and how they RP their duskwights and their characters back-stories and such.