Gone.

What about changing an alt into an Au Ra? Well, technically she already is an Au Ra, just hiding behind a full body glamour. Was the whole reason I made her in the first place. *nods*

Huhu, that thread title~ Vetiver can often be spotted in the North Shroud, particularly that first bridge to Fallgourd:

So this is a bit of a project between SessionZero and myself. Our characters Tomoe and Vetiver are currently traveling together around Eorzea doing a bit of mutual soul-searching. While a good bit of development happens between these two on their own, we'd still like to bump into some other PCs on the road that may need a bit of help. They're a pretty self-sufficient team, capable of most any selfless task at hand; Tomoe is gifted with a sword and lance, Vetiver with a bow and cane. The duo prefers a non-violent, holistic approach when possible. Villainous sorts need not apply. If you happen to have something to throw our way, just contact either of us in-game or on the RPC and we'll try to set something up. <3 Hope to see you all soon!

Will definitely try and be there. Gridanian pride. <3

I've been on this quest for months now. My characters rarely leave the Twelveswood, occasionally stopping through La Noscea with very rare walks through the Thanalan outskirts. They just really have no reason to be in the desert 99% of the time. I usually don't have trouble bringing people to my preferred spots, either, but I wouldn't mind seeing a few more here and there. Who wouldn't?

What's terrifying is the sudden influx of total homogeneity as no less than half the existing player base fantasias to the new race. I mean, what did you expect? People already complain about Miqo'te being too common as it is... I didn't expect anything else. It's the new race coming in Heavensward. Of course people are excited for it. Once the novelty wears off, however, things will balance back out and I sincerely doubt dragon people are going to have a longterm popularity over cat people. Like, I get it. You don't like Au Ra. Linking to a poll with a limited sample scope really wasn't necessary. All it does is add more fuel to the flame.

What's terrifying about people playing as what they want?

Could character customization be improved? Sure. I definitely miss the dye system from Guild Wars 2 and some more parts and options to play with in the creator would certainly be welcome. Should it be changed, especially right now? Not really. Square Enix has given the player base enough control so that each character stands out from the one next to it. That's more than most games will ever allow. I'd also like to point out that some of the requests I've seen in the community are quite frankly unrealistic; take body sliders, for instance. The amount of work required to implement a feature like that post-release is insane. You're talking a complete rework of the player models, equipment models, the netcode that transmits this information to each player, adjustments to the creation UI, etc. Budget, time and resource constraints just don't allow for this sort of thing. Even then, games that happen to provide this are often riddled with problems. Take a look at Saints Row; there's plenty of clothing that doesn't weight properly to the player's body. Take that camisole they added in IV with the broken bust. It looks awful. A complete waste of a clothing slot. Honestly I'd rather just have one well-modeled body that doesn't come with clipping and weight issues than to have a plethora of options that will ruin the look of whatever it has equipped. There comes a point where too much customization is a bad thing and this is where it resides.

Vetiver's limited experience with the Au Ri people have been positive; beautiful and mysterious, appreciative of their unique qualities. Not surprising from the Keeper that was bullied as a child for her seemingly odd appearance and cultural background. Foxglove? Ambivalent being a Raen herself. Nice to know she's not exactly alone, but that's about it.

I think a short, youthful Hyur Midlander would still be a (slightly) better fit with a bit of imagination, but hey, I say go for it if you want. Either way, I want to RP with any Au Ra that adorable.

Foxglove's final form: If I wanted her to be Au Ra before, I definitely want her to now. Also the improved textures, DX11 lighting, HBAO+ and tessellation... Heavensward can't come sooner. <3

Some form of strange Goblin magic I'd assume.

Vetiver is also a Keeper going through a pretty rough time with a handful of mutual interests. Will try and send you a /tell, I think.

My mind is a bit burnt on ideas as of late, but if you don't mind brainstorming with me, I'd love to throw Vetiver at this. Been looking for a good opportunity to RP with the legendary Alothia, anyway. :3

Never really thought about this before, but I'd say both Vetiver and Foxglove are close in paleness to myself IRL, though Vetiver is a bit more peachy and Foxy more creamy. Not sure if it's subconscious or just a coincidence. Could be both? Who knows.

Tried looking for you the other day with no luck. Will try again next time I'm on!

What your neighborhood friendly Vetiver looks like on a good day:

Not at all! There's just nothing else I can think of to add to it other than a +1. And neither do I, but I can't really think of a better term off-hand... cross-culture, maybe? *shrug*

I can't exactly say as the only biracial characters I know of are between clans and not races, but the 'why' is probably because it's the easiest to pull off with the current character creation system. I've had people mistake Vetiver for half-Hyur before, for instance, even though she's full-blooded Keeper.

*raises hand* Witchy Twelveswood white mage and aspiring astrologian here. Would love to help in any way I can.

Love this idea. If only my characters found themselves in Ul'dah more often...

Well now that you're on my friends list I can't think of a reason why not. Hope you won't mind Vetiver's flirtatiousness, though, she can't resist a lady as cute as Eleni!

Racial selection in a roleplaying game ultimately boils down to aesthetic choice, rather it's the appearance, lore or a mixture of both. If the game allows for a race/class pairing, you can guarantee someone out there is going to roll with it because the option exists. It should exist. That's a huge draw to RPGs, that ability to create just about anything you want within a game's setting. Roleplaying itself? It's a form of escapism. Deny it all you want, but it's the truth. We live in a world where racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. somehow still manages to thrive. That people want to distance themselves from that, especially in a game that quite frankly shatters stereotypes left and right (see: minorities in power throughout the entirety of Eorzea) shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, much less roleplayers of all people. Then there's how exceptions exist, both in-game or otherwise. Sounsyy earlier pointed out just how diverse Ala Mhigan heritage actually was despite the Highlander Hyur stereotype. While a Miqo'te in Ishgard might be uncommon, it is just that: uncommon and set for a struggle. No society as a modern as the ones pictured in this game is that racially exclusive. It's not believable, fantasy world or no. The moment our community realizes all of the above is the day we can move on from this petty, hurtful and unnecessary glorified flame-baiting.

Character Name: Vetiver Chastain Character Type: Gentle. Verbose. Open-minded. Unconditional. Availability Day(s) of the Week: Most any. Rarely gone for more than a day or two. Time(s) of the Day: Evenings and nights until the wee morning hours, CST. Occasionally afternoons. Frequent Locations: The Twelveswood in general. Specifically North, South, Central and both sides of Gridania.

Foxglove is pretty lonely when it comes to fellow Au Ra so you can count me in. Minor details about her are of course subject to change as we learn more, but all the important things are set in stone so she's open for RP any day. :3