Mae

I've been staying with my mother while I've been trying to get back into the work-force and get myself into a situation where I can establish an apartment for myself and my husband (who was in Missouri with a student that was about to test out for his CDL), so I had dinner here with her and my brother, and my grandmother came over as well. And we had: Roast turkey Apple/onion stuffing/dressing Mashed potatoes Butternut squash Corn nibblets roasted in the oven Steamed broccoli Pearled onions Cornbread A few little bowls of random nibble things (cherry tomatoes and baby mozzeralla balls, olives, pickled watermelon rinds, etc) Cranberry sauce For drinks, we had a jug of cider... which my brother drank most of before dinner, so I only got a sip. Dessert, we went to my aunt's house to meet up with the rest of the family. And we had options of: Apple pie (two types, needed one that had gluten-free crust cause Celiac's) Carrot cake ('secret recipe' type) Cherry pie Cheesecake (homemade vanilla bean with gluten-free chocolate cookie crust, with option of chocolate ganache or raspberry sauce topping) Chocolate cream pie Some concoction that my aunt called "poor man's cannoli"... I think it was cannoli cream in sugar cones. And pumpkin flavored. I did not feel safe to try.

I don't recall ever bawling my eyes out, but I have teared up before. Being someone who typically only cries/tears up because I'm so frustrated I can't express myself otherwise, if someone manages to trigger sad or happy tears from me during the course of RP it's a sign of their good writing and storytelling as far as I'm concerned. The only time I've done more than just tear up a bit was a writing a friend did for the both of us as a sort of exit/farewell to the RP community in a game we had lost interest in. We had agreed upon some key points, he went away to write, and the ending just... yeah.

I agree, it would be a stretch. The concepts of Dawn Father/Dusk Mother (taking it as religious for the sake of the current argument) is more of direct opposites: dawn and dusk, male and female, father and mother, white and black. Whereas with the Twelve, there's much more complex, indirect, and intertwined relationships: consort and parent and sibling, companion and rival, the elemental wheel, the months of the year...

I'm feeling too lazy right now to go and pull the exact dialogue, but Doman religion is based on Shinto practices. Orobo talks about how their religion differs from Eorzean in that their multitude of gods live around them in aspects of nature. As for the Au Ra, I think it's a bit more murky. They have the Dawn Father and Dusk Mother as their central figures, we know that much for certain. Because of how close the Domans and Raen seem to be, I RP under the assumption that (some) Raen villages have religions that contain aspects of the Shinto-like practices alongside their worship of the parental deities, while others may only focus on the parental deities. Xaela.... there's just so much diversity in their ranks that beyond acknowledgement of the parental deities there could really be anything else mixed in. From the description of some of the tribes, I wouldn't be surprised in there wasn't some mixing of things like shamanism, ancestral worship, and the like.

My understanding is that that would be fairly on-point. It's similar to how, say, an animal with whiskers seems to sometimes anticipate something bumping into their face before it actually does. Now, of course, most of the time it's because their whiskers intercepted whatever the incoming object was, but sometimes if the air currents change and 'rattle' the whiskers, it'd do that too. So, in regards to Au Ra, they might be able to feel the change in air currents, breezes, and pressure on their horns. Though, it could also mean that they have a form of echolocation thanks to how big their horns are.

My understanding is that events went, roughly, in the following order: -- Ascians give the Allags the means of capturing and killing Bahamut. -- Allags kill Bahamut. -- Ascians then approach Tiamat and instructed her in how to 'resurrect' Bahamut. -- Tiamat and the dragons of Meracydia 'ressurect' Bahamut... in the form of a Primal. -- Tiamat realizes that Primal-Bahamut is a Bad Idea... as is summoning -any- Primal. -- Ascians give the Allags the means of imprisoning Primal-Bahamut for their use. The Allags also imprison Tiamat. -- Allags eventually die out. Primal-Bahamut is left in Dalamud, Tiamat is still imprisoned. -- 10,000 years or so pass. -- Calamity happens. -- Coil stuff happens. -- MSQ in Azys Lla happens. Tiamat is still imprisoned. She is offered freedom, but declines it as punishment for being the first to summon Primal-Bahamut. So, my assumption is that whatever method the Ascians gave to the Allags to kill Dragon-Bahamut, it was something that he could NOT regenerate from (like Middy sort of does) or potentially bide time until he can body snatch (like Niddy does with Estinein). Which probably means that, at the very least, Dragon-Bahamut's eyes were utterly destroyed. Dragon-Bahamut dies, his essence is released back into the aether/lifestream, which paved the way for Primal-Bahamut to be summoned for the first time. The fact that Tiamat still has her eyes, hints to me that whatever method the Ascians gave the Allags to capture a dragon of Tiamat's caliber is strong enough to so without weakening her (meaning, taking her eyes) first. Which would likely give the Allags ample opportunities to test on Tiamat in horrible ways -- she's got her eyes, the Allags don't have to worry about an experiment killing her. 10,000 years later, she declines the offer of freedom because being bound like that is the worst punishment that can be inflicted on her; even death would be a release. As for why the other dragons didn't hep Dragon-Bahamut... I think that there's the possibility that whatever information and methods the Ascians were sharing with the Allags, was stuff that all dragons were vulnerable to. Maybe after Dragon-Bahamut fell, the rest of the big dragons (minus Tiamat) realized that they couldn't fight. Or maybe Dragon-Bahamut was killed so quickly, thoroughly, and suddenly, the other dragons couldn't react in time to help. ... That's my thoughts, at least. [[QUICK EDIT: While I have done some Coil, it was far from an enjoyable activity for me and I didn't really retain much from what I did in there. So I'm likely missing some information that I'd have gotten from Coil.]]

Been sick for a few days, so kitchen is messier than I like and therefore I'm not taking any pictures. Currently making a large crock-pot full of "Portuguese penicillin". My mum swears by her homemade chicken and barley soup for when she's sick, but I always turn to this. Hers might be more healthy because she makes everything 100% from scratch, I think mine is "safer" because when you're dizzy, achey, and queasy, you really only want to be standing and doing something in the kitchen for 20 minutes tops. In true old-fashioned style, I don't measure when I make this (unless I used a whole package of something). Everything is pretty much eyeballed in relation to how big my pot is. I'll probably be eating nothing but big bowls of this for the next few days, sooo... there's probably quite a few regular sized servings in this. 2lbs chourico sausage, casing removed and cut into bite-sized half-moon pieces -- chourico is sometimes listed as "hot Portuguese sausage", but it really isn't that spicy or hot. If you're still worried about it being too hot/spicy, go with linguica sausage, which is milder. 1 1.5lb bag of "little potatoes", quartered. Any other potato type, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 really large yellow onion, diced (or do what I do, and use 1 package frozen diced onion from the frozen veggie isle) 2 boxes no sodium added or low-sodium chicken stock of any brand but Swanson's. 3 or so large cloves chopped garlic 1 small can petite diced tomatoes in juice (optional... I do it for the acidity) Bay leaves (I used three today) Sweet Hungarian paprika (... a lot...) Salt and black pepper. Handful of dry barley or can of cannellini beans, rinsed (I did barley today cause I don't like beans and I'm the only one eating this batch) Bunch of kale (... maybe a pound? my grocery store sells it by the bunch), chopped and mostly-leafy parts separated from the mostly-stem parts. This may seem like an insane amount, but it'll cook down to next to nothing. Put everything but the kale into the crockpot and set for whatever time you want (I set mine for 6 hours). Check broth every once in a while for flavor and adjust -- depending on my mood I've used up to 1/4 cup of the paprika in the past, and I used Salish salt today for extra smokey flavor. When I'm feeling good and making this soup just because I want it, I'll brown half the chourico and onions in a pan before adding to the crockpot for some extra flavor. One hour before serving (or before turning off the crockpot), you can add roux or cornstarch to thicken slightly. At this point, you can also add the mostly-stem parts of the kale. 20 minutes before serving (or turning off the crockpot), add the leafy parts of the kale. This'll keep the kale from becoming a weird brown-green pondweedy sludge. I like to add a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt to my bowl just before eating. And here is a picture of the internet:

I'm not posting because I'm a brat. I'm posting because I am annoyed by an incident and that annoyance has been further irritated by what seems to be an influx of certain commercials So. Dear Everyone Who Is Not a Licensed Professional Driver: You may not realize it, but your comfy little lives depend on those big 18-wheeler trucks that so many see as a nuisance on the highway and brand as "dangerous". Unless you have literally gathered, built, grown, forged, and crafted every single thing in your life by hand, there is not a single material aspect that has not been affected by the trucking industry. If you are among the mis-informed who sit around whining about the trucks on the highway and how dangerous they are, you would probably be shocked to learn that over 80% of the highway accidents that involve 18-wheeler trucks are caused by four-wheeler drivers. Even if the four-wheeler in question was not in the accident itself, it was initiated -by- a four-wheeler. About 12% is acts of weather, the gods, animals, and situations that could not be predicted and/or anticipated. That leaves less than 8% that is actual the error of the 18-wheeler driver. 8% versus 80%. And you (if you are among the mis-informed) say that the 18-wheelers are the danger. In case you weren't aware, it takes a an 18-wheeler three to six times longer than a four-wheeler to slow down and/or stop. When a four-wheeler fails to merge properly onto the highway (either by not yielding and merging onto the highway before reaching highway speeds OR coming to the end of the merge far ahead of the 18-wheeler, panicking, and then slamming on the brakes), the accident caused is the fault of the four-wheeler regardless if the four-wheeler is the one that was hit. "Brake-checking" (getting in front of another vehicle and braking for no reason) an 18-wheeler to "make sure the driver is awake and aware" is an act of stupidity that has caused countless accidents. Lurking not only in the truck's blind spots but anywhere alongside the truck causes the drivers anxiety because you're blocking their escape routes if there IS a problem ahead (and they will see this problem well before you do), and turning on your headlights as you pass them to "make sure they know you're there" blinds them from seeing the road. The distance between cutting off a truck versus cutting off a car is vastly different. Similar with tailgating a truck -- if you cannot see both mirrors of the truck in front of you, you are tailgating REGARDLESS of how many feet you are away from the ICC bumper. If even half the trucks get shut down (or strike), fuel shortages will begin to crop up within three hours. Within five hours, manufacturing will be affected. Twenty-four hours, hospitals will begin to run out of critical-care items, food shortages would begin, and manufacturing would grind to a halt. Within three days, fuel would be almost impossible to find, banking would be suspended because money could not be transferred and ATM's would be empty, infectious diseases in cities would become a problem because garbage/sanitation services would not be able to operate because of fuel shortages, and emergency services would be crippled. Within a week, hospitals would be out of oxygen and most emergency/critical-care supplies. Two weeks, potable drinking water would become short in supply. Lawyers and... I don't know what to call them, advocates against the trucking industry? often compare 18-wheeler trucks to "unstoppable freight trains". Well, let's go with that and say it's accurate. Freight trains are quite safe to be around.... if you don't be an idiot and fuck around them. Same with the big trucks. And unless you live 100% off-the-grid with 100% hand-manufactured tools, shelter, clothes and 100% hand-gathered and hand-grown food, your life depends on the big trucks. Sincerely, A friend of a trucker who's being sued by the family of a drunk that rammed himself up under the ICC of the truck and killed himself

I think timing is often more important than the twist itself. A plot twist that seems really mundane/overused/trope-y/whatever on paper can be turned into something really interesting and dramatic if you can time it well. Which.. typically means you need to be really tuned-in to the moods and pacing of those who you're RPing with. Those who have been playing with me for a long time know that I like to play a long game when it comes to a lot of my twists. I'll drop something cryptic for foreshadowing, and then... do nothing about it for about a year. And I won't discuss it plainly OOCly, and just sit back and smile as people speculate, draw the wrong conclusions, and just respond to all predictions with a "We'll see". For example, I have "Mirror" and "Farseer", who are characters in another game, and they are probably my biggest plot-twist devices ever. Even their names are meant to be foreshadowing. I introduced them... right around four years ago, at this point. They've had a few minor twists (the first came, like, nine months after Mirror was introduced and Farseer's came after two and a half years), but their big one that I've been dropping occasional hints about still isn't even on the horizon.

Kara would probably hand out dipped seed-cakes or popcorn balls... right up until she found out a neighbour was handing out candy/caramel apples. And once someone manages to convince her to refrain from just going and stealing them all, she'd come up with as many costumes as possible so she could keep hitting up the same house over and over.

Portion control can be a bit of a hassle, yeah. I totally get that. For the most part, if you're without a way to properly measure, what is considered a portion/serving these days can pretty much be eyeballed in comparison to one's hand -- meat, grains, and beans, it's the size of the palm of the hand. Veggies, fruits, and actual nuts, it's a full handful. Cheese and peanut-butter, your whole thumb. Mayo and other condiments, the top half of your thumb. One serving of red meat/poultry is four ounces, raw. If you're looking at packages, that's about a quarter of a pound. A serving of veggies is about one cup, raw. Ounces-wise, this is around 4.5oz, so just slightly less than a third of a pound. A serving of potato is one medium potato, which is about what fits inside the hand of the average person. Beans, the serving size is about a quarter cup dry or 1/2 cup re-hydrated/soft. Same thing with barley, rice, quinoa, and the like. Both pico de gallo and salsa, a serving is between 1/4 and 1/2 cup, depending on contents. So... for three meals of stew (dinner tonight and lunch and dinner tomorrow, plus a little left over if you're extra hungry or that you can freeze) based off of what you typically make, you'd need a pound of raw beef, up to a pound and a half of carrots and celery, two medium potatoes/up to four regular-sized red potatoes, a cup of dry beans, and probably no more than a half cup each of pico de gallo and salsa. You probably only need one box (totally serious here, spring for the box over the cans, because you can refrigerate the boxes easily if you don't need it all) of low-sodium or no-sodium added beef broth/stock, and do NOT use Swanson unless it's literally your only option; their 'low sodium' stuff still has more sodium than 90% of the regular-sodium broths by other companies. Kitchen Basics or (gasp) Rachel Ray brands are in most stores and Walmarts, so look for theirs. Worst to worst, use the low-sodium for the store/generic brand. Just avoid Swanson as best you can. And after you're done cooking (and before you eat), portion it all out into the ziploc bags. Or tupperware containers, or mason jars, or whatever you have handy.

You basically want to adjust your raw ingredients to mirror how many meals you want. Rule of thumb is that a serving of beef is 4oz uncooked, one medium potato is one serving, and a serving of veggies is one cup raw. The potato won't change much while cooking, but the meat and veggies will reduce to about half their original size by the time you're done cooking. My veggie mix for stew is carrots, parsnips (when they're in season), regular ol' yellow onion, mushrooms (fresh shiitake, cremimi (baby portabella), or dehydrated porcini or morels), and sometimes turnips. I have family members that like to add sauteed/roasted red/yellow/orange bell peppers, and/or cabbage. So there's a lot of options depending on tastes. Also, things like peas, summer squash, zuchini, and leafy stuff is best added in towards the end of cooking. Any sort of "white/yellow" potato will work. I personally like the little baby potatoes with the skins on, since they just need to be quartered and tossed in at the start. If you like sweet potato or yam, I suggest roasting those in the oven first and add them closer to the end so they don't dissolve (though they'd do well to thicken the broth that way). Cut up the meat and brown the outsides in a pan with a bit of oil, salt, and pepper. Remove and put in crockpot. Deglaze pan with a bit of liquid (broth/stock, beer, or wine) if you want and add that to the crockpot. I caramelize half my onions prior to adding them to the crockpot. I'll also broil/roast, or saute if I'm running short on time or the oven is otherwise occupied, half my root veggies (carrots, parsnips, turnips) and mushrooms before adding them. Once you get all that put in the crockpot (plus an optional one small can petite diced tomatoes), add enough liquid (broth/stock, beer, wine, re-hydration liquid from mushrooms) to almost cover. Seasonings tend to be personal taste, but I like: -- Garlic (most people would probably be good with one clove a serving, I love garlic so I do two to three depending on my mood) -- Salt and pepper (adjust accordingly throughout cooking process) -- Bay leaves (probably just need one for a small batch) -- Sweet Hungarian paprika (I use a LOT of this. Like, a larger batch of stew, I need measuring cups. For small batch, start with a full teaspoon and adjust upwards) -- Worcestershire sauce (just a sprinkle per serving) -- Fish sauce (just a few drops total.. it sounds weird, but it works) -- Sprig of rosemary Set the pot for whatever time you want. Typically by the time the potatoes are nice and tender, everything else is done as well. Veggies like peas and thick leafy greens (kale, chard) should be added in the last twenty minutes of active cooking time so they don't get too mushy/turn into pond scum. Chopped spinach should be added just before serving, so keep that separate. If you use raw flour or cornstarch to thicken the stew, you want to add that about halfway through cooking so that you cook out the raw flavor. I like to use cooked roux (equal parts flour and butter cooked on medium heat and continuously stirred until it's the colour of peanut butter), and that can go in even as late as the last five/ten minutes of active cooking. Once everything is reasonably cooled, you can pour the stew into freezer-grade ziploc-style bags and either toss in the fridge or freeze. If you freeze it, make sure the bags lay as flat as possible while it's freezing, you press out as much air as possible, and be aware that after you thaw and reheat the potatoes may take on a slightly odd texture.

Yes, look at all those Ishgardians being flung of Witchdrop how much they had a trail by combat! I really think you only get a trail by combat if you have the status for it, rest will just be flung off witchdrop or executed otherwise. As I said, those suspected of being Heretics and those suspected of Heretic Sympathizing are likely treated differently. Tataru Taru has no status anywhere. She's a secretary. You could consider it a diplomatic triviality, but if you return to Dragonhead, those Witchdrop executions were performed by a vile and corrupt individual whose entire goal was death. You can't compare that to actual Ishgardian Law I believe (I could be wrong) it was mentioned either during those MSQ events or in side-quests that popped up around that time that accused heretics being tossed off the cliff at Witchdrop was a "tradition" prior to Guillaume -- who was relatively new in Dragonhead and Whitebrim -- using it.

Eeeevery time I'm in Praetorium, I start waiting for OLGA-Flow to start crawling down the wall...

Suicide is always unfortunate... my best to your friend and guildmates. Going to link these... Adventures in Depression Depression, Part Two Yes, these are written/drawn by the same woman who gave us the "Do all the things!" meme, but it's still a fairly accurate retelling of what depression and those moments of contemplating suicide is like for a lot of people. If you know someone who's depressed, read it because it gives some good insights into a depressed person's mind. Maybe have the person who's depressed read it too, cause the ending sentiments can be pretty strong to someone who's struggling to find hope in all the "hopeless bullshit". Something else I'd like to bring up is... a misconception that a lot of us are told, even from some doctors/psychiatrists, that suicide is the result of approaching or hitting the absolute bottom of depression. But for a lot of people (I've heard that it could possibly be up to half the cases), it's not. Absolute bottom for many with depression is the phase where nothing matters. On the trip down, they still have a bit of hope and coping skills buried somewhere in them, letting them consider that things will maybe still get better and maybe they're not as badly depressed as they think they are, but their time at the bottom leeches that out completely. It leeches all feeling out, a lot of the time. Down there, things like living and dying doesn't matter. Everything is the same, and they don't care anymore to put the -effort- into considering (nevermind attempting) suicide. So, when they finally start climbing back up, they eventually hit a point where they feel and care again, and they're suddenly EXCRUCIATINGLY aware of how miserable they had been, and now the rest of the climb just looks utterly hopeless*. They lack the coping skills they once had, so everything is just so overwhelming and they're suddenly very painfully aware that they've lost control of their lives. Is it selfish that they contemplate, attempt, or commit suicide at this point? Maybe some are, but I think for most of them it's not selfish. They're scared, terrified, and in pain. A lot of them probably aren't reading the situations around them properly. Their fight or flight reflex has kicked in, and they're not processing things rationally. They honestly believe that fighting for their life, for control of their life, is utterly futile and impossible (and perhaps, like in some cases of domestic abuse and severe/prolonged bullying, attempts to fight back only caused more fear, terror, and pain). So they choose flight. They choose to run from life... and perhaps for some of them, it's a case where their death is the one thing they felt they could still control. And it's unfortunate. Because that fear and pain was a sign that they were getting better. Depression is -sneaky- like that. When they start to get used to the numbness and disinterest, it's not uncommon for them to convince themselves that it's better this way. They're not crying and sad all the time. Sure, people look at them a bit weird sometimes, but at least it's not with pity. Maybe it's a sign that they're getting better, and this numbness is just reasonable exhaustion. So when they DO start to get better, not only are they unprepared for the upwards swing and the sudden realization of how depressed they really were, they misinterpret it. The hotlines are wonderful, but sometimes you do need to call a few times before you get someone who you really feels "understands you" and can really help. Some people benefit from the "lets find something worth living for" angle. Some people need a "I'm here. If you want to talk about it, I'll listen. Or we can just talk together for a bit about whatever until you don't feel so alone" approach. I worked with a lady who volunteered for a hotline, and she had a couple 'regular callers', and we could always tell when one of them didn't call because the next day she'd be twitchy and anxious. So for anyone who is or is trying to urge someone to call a hotline... the people on the other end DO care. Working the hotlines is not something they entrust to people who are assigned to community service or needs a credit for a class, the person on the other end is someone who genuinely cares. Also, one last thing... while the sentiment of "drag them out of the darkness" is well-meaning, I would like to suggest that it's not always the best idea. For people who have already lost control of their lives, "dragging" them is very likely to reinforce that feeling, and they might slide back as soon as you let go of them. As someone who's been there, I have to say that those who "came to sit with me in the darkness and waited until I felt comfortable enough to ask them to turn on the flashlight they brought" got through to me a million times better than those who "tried to drag me out into the bright light". *Ever wonder why anti-depressant medications warn/list suicidal thoughts as a side-effect? This is why.

Estinien successfully eats the mouldy bread, and all of Ishgard rejoices over his defeat of the heretical baked good. However, he has sorely underestimated his opponent. While chewing, spores traveled up the back of Estinien's throat and into his sinus', allowing the mouldy bread to strike back when he least expects it and eats his face. It is a tie. HOWEVER, the Holy See of Ishgard decides to conceal this truth from the people. And since Estinien's helm covers his face already and he never takes the stupid thing off, the truth is never revealed.

I want the ability to 'assign' some of the other mounts as companions, even if it's just technically a skin/glamour type thing. Basically anything that has a normal-mob equivalent already roaming the world would, I think, not be too difficult since they already have battle/ability animations. I want to fight alongside my Direwolf instead of the stupid Dumpling-brain >_>

Kara is nineteen. Luc'a is undefined, but meant to be early twenties. Kiku is also undefined, but meant to be mid twenties. is forty-five. Whisper is forty-nine. Gardener is undefined, but over fifty.

Alright... now that I'm awake and not on my phone... Was it studied how many of these people actually responded when someone walked up and initiated RP with them? "Walk-ups welcome" sort of indicates, to me at least, that someone is open to RP if you go up and specifically engage them. If you don't actually walk up to them, they're content to sitting there and (likely) continue doing whatever else they were doing on the side -- maybe chatting with a FC/LS buddy, reading, watching a movie, working on a paper or whatever. Going into the Quicksand and just tossing out an /em enters, looks around, and then goes to sit at the table/bar isn't engaging anyone specifically.

This. Now... I don't hang in the Quicksand often. On the rare occasions that I do (and typically on an alt), I'm shamelessly one of the wallflowers. Because for my characters, the Quicksand is to them how Facebook is to me -- I just go there to watch drama, listen to gossip, and I don't post anything.

"Hooman, I has better strategy for {Besieged}. Step one, attack skelly. Step two, take legbone. Step three, gnaw on it. Win."

Xaela lore makes sense in the right situations. Unfortunately, those situations didn't happen. According to the census SE has done since Heavensward was released, only 4% of the character population on NA servers is Au Ra. If we're going to be generous, only 2% of the population is Xaela. And then, to be fair, divide that 2% by the fifty-one recognized tribes (while ignoring the lore-allowed PC unique/original tribes and non-lore-compliant names), and you start to see that we're facing very small populations of any one tribe. If we only had, say, ten recognized tribes instead of the fifty-one, numbers would be a bit better. There is little environment in the game that would foster Xaela-styled tribal lifestyles to continue. The Core-game zones are all claimed by existing NPC-populations, and the HW ones are 1) gated and 2) also claimed by NPC populations (some of which, there is evidence that a significant part of the NPC population would/could be hostile). Instead, there is a sort of undercurrent of "We are Eorzeans. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile". ... And let's not get into the (depending on how one interprets parts of the lore and if you consider MSQ events to be canon to your character) paradox that occurs if you level up a brand-new Au Ra through MSQ and you hit 2.2... Anyways. Everything SE gave us to base Xaela lore around would have worked out just fine if the player population had actually boomed in that direction (much like how when WoW released Burning Crusade, Blood Elves very quickly became one of the most popular races) and/or if we had gone to a war-razed Othard instead of Ishgard. Neither happened, so a lot of the lore becomes... kind of irrelevant, leading towards the trend of "Hyur with scales and horns" that some people notice. I'd like to think that if SE gives us an expansion that sends us to Othard/Doma, that we'll see Xaela populations rise, but... *shrugs* I'd suggest trying to cultivate a group of Xaela players that can be semi-closed so you could... maybe use a pre-existing settlement and just RP that the NPCs there are also Xaela, and that there's a bit of a rule in the settlement that previous tribal loyalties aren't to be made an issue of since everyone there is trying to preserve the core of Xaela culture? I know the semi-closed part might be a turn-off, but with all the balls SE dropped (at least in my opinion) with the new race, it's going to take some work to get what you're looking for.

Spoiler-ish? Maybe... I haven't finished the new NIN quests.

My original character, I ended up burning out on her in just a couple months -- I had made something so far from my normal character type, she was just... mentally exhausting to RP for more than twenty minutes every few days. Great concept, she was just too dumb for me to wrap my head around. Kara was the result of me saying "Okay... if I don't come up with something new, I'm quitting the game", because by that time I hated my original (Silke) and just wasn't feeling it with my other existing alts. I spent a little while in character creation, just making something I liked the look of while actively not thinking about any RP stuff. I randomized names until I got a last name I didn't mind, grabbed a random name off of my project name list for a first name, and ran with it. After that, I played until I got my airship license, then grabbed a friend to RP with. I had no backstory, no idea on personality... so we just ran with whatever popped in my head. The whole session was non-canon, and maybe only a third of the stuff that happened in that actually made it into Kara's ultimate concept.