Gegenji

"But... but what if the bees rise up against us?" the Lalafell questioned in an overly dramatic tone, thinking aloud to himself with a seriousness that bordered on self-derogation. "Knowing where to chop 'em would be good then, yeah?" He didn't even wait for a response before continuing. "Still, you mentioned easier ways to learn how to swing a sword," he added, seriousness fading into thoughtfulness. "Ms. Artemis merely explained some of the basics, then took me out here to put it to practice. So I just did that again... minus her... and yeah..." His gaze drooped to the ground as he spoke. Now that he thought about it, it was a pretty terrible idea. He knew that he was without a safety net without Ms. Artemis there to back him up, but he just wanted to get better with a sword so badly. So that he could protect people with a blade, rather than just sell it to them. Was he wrong? No. "I... wanna learn how." He stood firmly and resolutely in a childish sort of way, staring boldly up at the much taller Highlander. "How ta use a sword. So that... if someone needs help... needs ta be saved from somethin' dangerous, I can. I dun wanna be th' sort that runs 'n hides when the goin' gets tough, I wanna stand tall. 'N be there for those who can't protect 'emselves." He turned towards Xavarian, his little face screwed into a look of determination. "Me name's Chachanji Gegenji, 'n I wanna be a hero."

"Oh, I know how shields are 'sposta to work; Papa always hammered into me to keep the 'purpose o' the piece' in mind when crafting." Chacha paused briefly to giggle at using the world "hammered" in that context. "It's just... usin' 'em - both shield 'n blade - and knowin' what ta do when the baddy's bearin' down on ya... that's where I'm havin' trouble." He folded his arms over his chest again, staring down thoughtfully at the ground. Xavarian's words washed over him and directed his inner thoughts some. Little Chachanji tried to do all sorts of heroic things - Momodi herself could attest to all the odds and ends he had done around Ul'dah as an adventurer. Carried groceries, checked on purchases, kept watch over stalls in the market so the seller could get a bite to eat. He just liked helping people out! It was just... heroes are supposed to have strength of arm, too, weren't they? Fighting off mighty beasts and protecting those that can't protect themselves. That's what Chachanji wanted to do - forging arms and armor the Gegenji way and then using them to help others, rather than just sell them like his parents seemed so content to do. Just thinking back to that initial argument with his father was getting the little Lalafell a bit grumpy, but that evaporated when Xavarian questioned his approach to the battle. "Oh, uh, y'mean with that mean ol' bug?" he questioned, looking up at the sitting Duskwight and inwardly grateful the guy was closer to his eye level now. "I just kinda charged right in, sword swingin'." Again his arm stood in for the blade sheathed at his hip. "That's how the heroes do it, right?" He looked up at Warren, curious for his input.

Chachanji glanced back and forth between the two taller gentlemen, feeling a bit of a crick in his neck doing so. He absorbed the questions from the both of them, taking on a thoughtful expression as he figured out how to answer. Ultimately, though, he figured being truthful to be the best choice and echoed that with a bit of an overly dramatic sigh. "I s'pose ya have the right of it," he responded, folding his arms over his tiny chest and tilting his head to one side. "Thanks ta Papa's teachin's, I could tell ya all about how ta temper yerself a blade, but by the Builder could I not tell someone how ta swing one." The Lalafell let out a little frustrated harrumph, looking out onto the savannah. "It all sounds so simple, too! Just woosh-woosh!" He emphasized his onomatopoeia with a couple sharp motions of his hand. "But once the baddy's bearin' down on me... I just lose all me wits, y'know?" The hand that had just stood in as a prop for a sword now swirled about idly, elbow resting neatly in the cupped form of Chacha's other hand. It quickly dropped back down again to rest over the other arm, and Chachanji's naturally dour-looking face darkened a bit more. "But I wanna be a hero!" he exclaimed with a little upset stomp of his foot, kicking up a small cloud of loose dirt and debris. "I wanna protect people! How am I 'sposta do that if I can't even take on a stupid ol' bug?" Gran, on the other hand, was a lot less involved in musings on the future. Instead, he was dealing with the fact that Victory's sudden nudge had almost toppled the puny purple porker over. He danced sideways a couple steps before regaining his balance and turning to face the much larger chocobo. His tail whipped about wildly as he gave an upset little snort - as if daring the bird to try that again.

Chachanji blanched at Warren's insinuation that more hornets might be on the way. "You... you really don't think so," he asked worriedly, looking turning slightly to gaze back in the direction he assumed the hornet had fled. He flitted his gaze back to the armored Hyur before adding: "... Do you?" The little Lalafell caught himself around that point, shaking his head vigorously before patting at his cheeks to try and regain his composure. No no no! That's no way for a hero to behave! He should be ready and able to take on a hornet or three! That's why he was out here doing this! He attentions turned to the Elezen as he spoke and - at first - he felt a little put off being in conversation with not one, but two very tall folk! His own distinctive lack of height had him wondering if there was something around he could stand on so he could at least be on eye-level with the Highlander, at least. It was only after all that ran through his mind that he actually noticed what the Duskwight had actually said. "Oh! I'm all right, yes!" He thumped his little breastplate soundly for emphasis. "'Your will may falter, but your Gegenji gear never will!' That's what my Papa says!" He paused for a beat, poking his index fingers together bashfully. "Y'know... when I can remember that," he muttered softly. "Stupid bug." Gran, on the other hand, had happily trotted up to Victory and was giving the armored steed a good sniff.

But... but... I hafta be stylish when I'm tanking the dungeons! :cry: ... :lol: And good eye, Steel! That was totally what I was going for - Slayers reference and all. Man I haven't seen that show in a while. Gonna end up hunting it down online and marathoning it because of that, I'm sure. Ray Wiiiing~

I like you already. Welcome to Balmung! Haha, thanks! Even on my "main" server, I've been spending way too much time messing with glamours. I recently decided that I liked the look of the Poetic Healer's gloves and boots enough to dump some money on a dye-able Scholar's "war jacket." Dyed it white and now I'm just trying to get the poetics to buy the other pieces. :lol: I actually think the lack of glamours is what's bothering me most on my new little guy on Balmung. Been working around it by keeping the gear as straight up separate sets from my actual combat gear. It's a lot of flitting around from set to set, but it definitely adds to the immersion, I think.

Chachanji tensed at the voice, letting out a tiny "meep" that echoed a bit too loudly in his ears given the small space he had wedged himself into. As the urgency and panic slowly drained away with the fading buzz of the hornet's wings, he ventured a wary glance over the edge of his little bronze shield. The pair of violet eyes were still wide and wet with the remnants of terrified tears. As such, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust - even with his natural Dunesfolk gloss - and take in the visage of his savior. Savior... Even the word caused his ears to burn a bit in embarrassment. He was supposed to be a hero! He was supposed to be the one doing the saving, not the other way around! He knew his armor and sword were totally up to the task, so it both upset and confused him that he would crack so readily once under pressure. All those worries and concerns melted away, however, once he got a look at the gentleman who had chased off the hornet. With all the awe and wonder Chachanji had for the Sultansworn, the young Lalafell was quick to identify the garb - differently hued as it was. His surprise was marred a little by the fact that, when he straightened in surprise, he neatly clonked his head against the "roof" of his little hidey-hole. He then deemed it a rather good idea to crawl out before continuing any sort of conversation. "Ow..." he moaned weakly as he clambered to a full standing position - which was not much, given his wee stature - and rubbed the afflicted area of his head. A couple brief rubs and he quickly turned his violet-hued attentions to the armored man before him, flashing a sheepish smile. "Oh! Um... many thanks, ser!" He was at a loss for words on how to continue, though. What would he say? That he was out swinging a sword at the wildlife like a loon in an attempt to shore up the skills needed to be a hero? That, despite having some decently crafted arms and armor, that he had turned tail without even testing their merits against his foe? Gran decided around that point to rejoin his master, bumping him neatly in the behind and sending the little Lalafell stumbling forward a step. Chacha looked over his shoulder to discern the cause of the sudden impact, and his worry was quickly replaced with a childish anger. Forgetting the rather tall and fully armored gentleman for the moment, he whirled to face the baby behemoth. "Gran!" he childed, waggling a chubby finger the behemoth's way. "Where were you? You were supposed to have my back!" Gran snuffled in response. "Don't give me that look! I know you don't know howta throw rocks yet but you coulda done something!" It was quite the sight to see, a wee Lalafell verbally dressing down what looked more or less like a purple, horned piglet.

Tiny feet thundering through the grass, panic and worry at the forefront of his mind, little Chachanji was acting solely on primal instinct. The armored chocobo that appeared before him registered as little more than a new, sudden obstacle to be avoided. As if to compound the situation, the Lalafell's subconscious helpfully decided to recall the marmots from last time as a comparison - adding even more panic to the poor boy's already fear-addled mind. His eyes caught a glimpse of another rocky outcropping to his right, configured such that there was a small gap betwixt the boulders and other loose stones. To some, it might've just been an interesting talking piece. To the panicked Lalafell, however, it was a tiny bastion from which to defend himself. Chachanji turned sharply, skittering on the loose dirt and pebbles before falling onto his hands and knees. The twangs of pain from the impact, plus the abrasiveness of the ground, only registered briefly in his mind. With the insect still making a literal bee-line for him, he scampered wildly on all fours for the gap. Diving in, he twisted around just enough to put his shield up and cower behind it, praying to the Twelve that the hornet's vicious stinger couldn't find purchase.

A fresh wind tumbled its way across the low grasses and dusty trails of the Central Thanalan savannah. With it came the slightly damp smell of a rain just recently past, its presence marked by the dampness that still clung to brush and blades of grass. It was the former that caused the most discomfort for one young Chachanji Gegenji, who had decided to mirror the ways of his brief mentor by using a nearby shrub as cover to pick out his prey. He quickly noted that it was rather hard to get a good stalk on when droplets of rainwater kept slipping betwixt the gaps in his self-made armor and tickling his small form with their chilling touch. The young Lalafell wondered if he'd be better off out in the open like Gran, who was snuffling at the various flora and nibbling on bits of them. Chacha's mark for this hunt? Same as during his lesson with Ms. Artemis; the unsuspecting hornet buzzing about seemingly without a care. The green-haired youth reached slowly for his blade, his hand hesitating briefly mere finger-widths from the grip. His body too easily recalled the pains of the last venture, the stings of the irate hornet complemented by a bevvy of bites all too happily provided by a pair of marmots he stumbled over during his egress. The fact he was here without a watchful pair of eyes was also troubling; there would be no bending of the elements to dissuade his opponents with blasts of expertly manipulated aether. And yet, Chachanji assured himself as his indigo-hued blade hissed its way out of its sheath, what kind of hero would he be if he couldn't even overcome the local wildlife? He was certain he was destined for great things, and such lofty goals couldn't be stymied by a mere insect - even if it was nearly as big as he was. Not to mention he'd been working on getting Gran to obey an attack command and the baby behemoth had kinda-sorta looked at what he had pointed at in their last attempt. The young Lalafell was certain that the baby behemoth just needed the thrill of battle to really understand the urgency, was all. Besides, he was wielding both arms and armor he had crafted himself under the strict tutelage of his father back in Doma. And if he couldn't trust in finely-crafted (if a bit misshapen) Gegenji gear, what could he? His shield - he firmly reminded himself - should easily be able to turn aside that painful stinger, provided he had the wherewithal to present it between his person and his opponent. Chacha nodded firmly to himself, his family-borne dour-looking face taking a determined expression quite readily. It was time. "Raaaagh!" came his proud war-cry as young Chachanji charged out of the brush in an explosion of small twigs and dew-covered leaves, his blade held high. He could feel the rush of the wind and the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he ran, the blur of the terrain neatly avoided by the fact he was doing so with his eyes squeezed shut in masterful concentration. A few more steps and he swung his blade with a powerful downward force that was sure to strike the beast down in one fell blow! ... If it hadn't whiffed completely, instead only unleashing its undoubtedly vicious bite into the soft prairie ground. The scene was quiet beyond the monotonous buzz of the hornet's mighty wings. Since he hadn't heard the sickening crunch of metal on carapace, young Chachanji warily opened one violet eye. That eye met the multifaceted ones of the insect looming in front of him, looking rather unimpressed with his actions. The little Lalafell smiled sheepishly and gave a nervous chuckle. "Um... heh heh... hi?" ~*~ "Waaaaah!" Chachanji cried as he beat feet across the savannah, irate hornet close behind. "Gran, do something!" Stalwart Gran looked up from the grasses he was taste-testing, snorted once, and returned to his dining. "I meant something helpful!" the Lalafell clarified with a whine, stumbling around a rocky outcropping. "Ms. Artemis! Somebody! HAAAALP!"

I bet having one would be a... hoot? :cactuar: I'm pretty sure I have a collection of cutepics on one of my externals, but it's tucked away somewheres. I'll just leave these two things here, though: Find the puppy, win a prize! You wants play game? And, something both cute and obnoxiously catchy: HK0l2tqFDvM

/wave ! I actually played a Wild Elf Barbarian in a DnD game once who actually spoke a lot of broken Common ("He not use weapon, I not use weapon. Make fair." - quote when he got into a duel with a Monk), so it was fun watching your character converse. :thumbsup: Speaking of using the set lore (and feeling accomplished for doing so), I was amazed how much things clicked when I decided to have Chacha get a pet to keep him company. I was looking through the (obviously small) Minion list I had for him and came upon the baby behemoth. Sold in Ul'dah, questionable heritage, Chacha's naivity and capability to be fleeced, it all just... came together. So now Chacha has a loyal (?) partner in his journey to be a great hero, his stalwart (?) companion Gran! :moogle: Seriously, though, I was amazed with how much it fit both with the presented minion lore and with Chacha's character. ( And he makes for a nice crutch/gimmick to use for the RPs, when needed. )

I think another thing this thread got me to do was slow down and actually look at the scenery around me more. I was trying to "catch up" on my main character most of the time, so I saw the sights... but never actually stopped to look at them, if that makes any sense. Also, Chacha got himself a frand! "We're gonna do great things, Gran. Great things!" (Gran proved to be a very stubborn model and would not sit where I wanted him most of the time to get this shot. :< )

I. Basic Info Characters: Chachanji Gegenji, Gogonji Gegenji, Judge Jredthys Primary character: Chachanji Gegenji Linkshells: Friends of Momodi, Sultanswarm, Coral, and a personal hangout linkshell Primary RP linkshell: Coral, Sultanswarm II. RP Style Amount of RP (light, medium, heavy): After having participated in a few RPs, I have to place myself around the medium-to-heavy RP range. I can't say heavy since I like to goof off OOCly when appropriate (showing off new outfits to folks in my LS, light OOC banter and such), but I do like to be RPing when I'm not off running dungeons or something! As such, please feel free to approach me or shoot me a tell/PM/moogle/whatever! I'm always up for RP! Views on RP combat and injuries: I have no qualms with combat, either using rolls (though my luck with those sorts of things tend to be terrible) or just freeforming it. Chachan is a defender/pacifist type, though, so he's likely to shield someone or disable than attack. Not to say that he can't hold his own if needed - it'd just be in a different way than one might think... Judge is aged and experienced at combat, and Gogon is a tactician by trade and nature. So both of them could be interesting individuals to come to blows with. Both aren't actively looking for fights, though, so don't expect just coming up and challenging them to a fight to bear fruit. Views on IC romance: Nothing against IC romance either - though it is something I'd probably want to communicate OOCly with the other person with beforehand to determine expectations and how it'd play out. It's something that I'd want both sides to enjoy, and something I'd like to build organically through interaction. Gogon took over six months to end up in his relationship, just to give an example. I'm more for a slow burn than having a bonding ceremony within a month of meeting. Doesn't mean the dates and other interactions can't be fun, though, nor that something might happen faster! However, with Judge being actively non-sexual and both Gegenjis currently in relationships, I'm not really looking for any more romantic RP. Unless I get it into my head that I need to play yet another character. :lol: Views on non-romantic RP (family ties, etc): My bread and butter, I think. Whether it's talking shop about arms and armor, playing with Gran, or hanging out with friends, it's all still that same fleshing out of the world that makes it and its people seem all that much more alive, which is something I have come to love about MMO RP. I'd have to be mad to say no to any of that! Of course, communication is always first and foremost. If you want to RP, lemme know! I'm trying to work on being able to roll with the punches on various ideas, but it's still a work in progress. As such, if you want to do something that you think might be a little outlandish, just let me know first! Right now, I'm looking to get into some more lengthy plots on Chachan. Likely as a sort of support type, providing tools or generally being a helpful little dork like he usually is. I don't mind him being a bit closer to the spotlight, but he's a bit of a dumb so he may flounder if he's put front and center. :lol: Views on lore: I try to stick relatively close to the lore, but I'm not afraid to flex and bend it for the sake of fun and entertainment. I won't out and out break lore, of course - at least, not wittingly - but I AM playing a family of famous Lalafellan smiths from Doma and a Final Fantasy Tactics Advance-style Judge. So, I'm willing to roll with a lot of things as long as the "how" can be explained. And if it's fun a lot of it can be hand-waved, I think. Views on chat functions (/say, /linkshell, etc): I usually mark OOC stuff with (()), unless the whole conversation being had is completely out of character in party chat or the like, in which I'll usually forgo it. Usually, though, you can figure the following chart is true if there's no parentheses: /say - IC /em - IC /yell - IC /shout - OOC /party - Usually OOC (unless formed for RP purposes!) /ls - IC for IC shells, OOC for OOC shells III. Other Info Country: United States Timezone: US EST (GMT -5); My new job has a bit of transit time, so I get home later and have to be up earlier. As such, my weekday availability is going to be around 7-11pm for in-game RP. Forum RP is still good to go, with the delay in my response depending on both work and whatever writer's block I may be tussling with. Contact info: Feel free to approach/shoot me a tell in-game or send me a PM on the forums! I also have a Skype if folks want to RP over that, but I'm usually not on it unless asked.

I just want to clarify a point - I'm more curious about how much people are willing to bend the lore than try to say one is better than the other. After all, there's horrible extremes existent in both directions. Complete disregard to the set lore serves as counterpoint those who cannot roleplay their character without knowing precisely from the lore how many tongs an Ul'dahnian salad fork has. Conversely, some willingness to bend the lore can allow for just as much creativity as using what limited lore resources are available to create a lore-appropriate character! It was merely the situation of "a Lalafell from Doma" that had questions raised and brought the topic of discussion to my mind. And had me a bit worried about where the folks I might be RPing with would stand on such an issue. After all, this is a group effort and I want to make to make the experience as comfortable as possible for those I RP with. :blush:

All great information indeed! Hopefully it'll be useful for others just as much as it has been for me. I was scrambling trying to make my story fit better and driving myself a little nutty, haha. I do like some of the clarifications that came from it (What happened to the Gegenjis after the razing, something I had put off to decide on until later), but it's nice to know that I wasn't causing the major roleplay faux pas I thought I was. :blush:

That's basically how it is in my head-canon. The Gegenjis went to Doma to profit off their exotic wares and stuck around. And that whole "flying under the radar" thing actually is what caused the incident that lead to this thread, haha. Someone asked if he was a local and he responded "Doman" without thinking. Led to a bit of a confrontation, haha.

Man, I'd like to check that out, but it's still an iffy prospect trying to level a Rogue right now... Would be nice if true, though! I'll have to keep an eye on it once I get to that point - either on Chacha or his older brother.

Thanks for the prompt responses! I'm all new and stuff, so I want to avoid stepping on as many toes as possible while I get used to everything. :blush: That's good to hear! I'm might have to look them up. I'm still FC-less as I get little Chacha some levels and RP experience under his belt. I think it's less "immigration" as "ran away from home" with Chacha and his brother, if that makes any difference. Gogo left to pursue knowledge and military strategy and the like, Chacha left to be a "hero"/adventurer. Man... am I actually playing two illegal immigrants!? :surprise: Oh, no worries about that! I just took a goofy picture of Chacha making a face at you and then went back to leveling. It's actually in the screenshot thread, if you haven't seen it yet!

This is something that came to my mind after my second RP session. I'm playing a Lalafell from Doma, and it raised an eyebrow or two. As such, I felt it necessary to update my character's background to mention that his family immigrated to Doma instead of being pure natives. On top of that, I completely blanked on the bar on Domans in Ul'dah - where little Chachanji is staying! - and again found myself fumbling for an answer. I ended up weakly settling on Momodi covering for him, since he traveled to the city as an adventurer before the razing of Doma. Is this a common thing I'll need to worry about? Or do some people cling to lore-synergy less... strictly, I suppose is the term I would use? I know I can't please everyone, but I'd like to make as few snafus as possible. :blush:

I'm still a bit new, but I was listening to this when Chacha was dorking around in the Quicksand, and it definitely seems to fit him: b1z4JfxFb6c As for "fitan" music... he knows far more about how to make a sword than to swing one. His idea of fighting probably consists of him charging in wildly and doing blind slashes (or swings not unlike Young Ryu in Breath of Fire 3, if you're familiar with that. As such, I don't expect his battle music to be anything dramatic. Probably something like... I dunno, this: 7A6UZvMRvSE Also, have a Joke Answer: ZHReqKRvonE

But he's so... enticing... Had a hectic meeting in the Quicksand! Chacha was a little loose-lipped about his heritage, and it sparked a bit of conflict between two factions! Tensions were high! Fortunately, the little firebrand of a lady Lalafel was talked down by a third party and things cooled down. Or heated up, with regard to a particular pair of Miqo'te up on the railing... Chacha actually brought up his older brother Gogonji a couple times during the conversations. And just what was he doing during all this? "Of course I need this Opo-opo for my research! ... Shut up."

I want to take a moment and thank this thread in general for a wonderful mix of beautiful and silly pictures. I just joined Balmung to try my hand at some MMO roleplay, and a good portion of what finally got me to take the dive was this thread. Everyone just seems to be having so much fun. As a way of giving back, I've taken some screens myself I'd like to share. Hopefully they're not too terrible.

I remember someone else on my "main" server mentioning that, so that might be what I do. Throw in some accuracy or piety and then... have fun gathering "glow." :frustrated: On more Balmung-ish matters, I (hopefully) have everything set to try some of that thar MMO RPing tonight once I get home from work (workin' that 9 ta 5). I'm GMT-5, so hopefully I'll come across someone willing to help ease me into it. That or I'll keep leveling the little dude for some more costume options (and ultimately get to glamourin'), and just poke my head into the Quicksand every now and again. Maybe get some more screenshots taken so I can go embarrass myself on the screenshots thread, which has soundly caught my interest. And forced me to suppress laughter at work thanks to all the creep shots. I'm a sucker for creep shots. I don't know why. 1337ness obtained, huh? Next goal marker: Lucky 7s for constant 7777 hits while posting.

That's the excuse I'm using on myself, Jancis. And you're not kidding about the gil sink, Kage. I'm on Savage Aim IIIs and Savage Might IVs for the melds. I only have a mil and a half gil to my name! I can't afford all these! :dazed: (No, gil farmers, that's not an excuse to keep pestering me with your tells, go away.) Thanks for your warm welcomes, by the by! I think I got my little wiki all written up, so please feel free to look it over and let me know if there's any major snafus that need fixin' (either mechanically or lore...ly). I'll be adding a picture once I'm actually home and have access to my screenies.

I think I spent most of my time in the Quicksand just toddling around and doing motion emotes every now and again to avoid interrupting anything. Poor little Chacha wants to be a helper but he was rather in over his head! :lol: As for the wiki, I'll take a look at it! Having some more knowledge might help take an edge off the whole "out of my depth" feeling I was getting (and echoing in Chacha's motions). And, while I haven't made a wiki page before, it might be fun to get all the thoughts I have for him down on "paper," as it were.