Dehqon

Playing in the snow wasn't as fun as I had hoped even with the dragoons holding back the dragons. It was a little better to stay inside where it was warm and dry, but only for a few bells. I can't wait to get back to Limsa Lominsa and let my mother know everything is alright and tell her what snow is like. It's something she'd only heard of rarely and never seen for herself. Maybe I could make snow for her to see, somehow, with a little bit of thaumaturgy. How hard can it be to freeze mist so it falls like snow? The carbuncle is losing some weight from running through the snow and chasing balls of snow being thrown. Once I'm sure there won't be any snow storms, I'll take to games of hide and seek with him to keep that nose sharp. Some commands will be practiced too so I don't have to pull him off of people so often. I can't wait to see what the weather will be like tomorrow to start on this.

Having an elite caste is an easy thing to do in a PvE/PvP setting because there are hard numbers that separate the good from the bad. Win/lose ratio, gear score, DPS output, hours played, and so on can all be used by one person to say "This is why I'm better than you" in ways that are hard to deny. What kind of stats are there for a social setting where rules can be made up and points don't matter? Wanting to better yourself to feel more elite is okay and offering to help others improve is good too. There's nothing wrong with hanging out with people you already know and get along with because it happens everywhere. There's even a name for it. Monkey Sphere. (A more clinical description here.) Expecting everybody to come to know and care about every one of the hundreds of people they may cross paths with is simply impossible with the equipment we have. The best we can do is learn to play nice in our shared sand box or at least recognizing when differences are too great to get along and step away before it blows up. The ugly side of elitism comes when one person, or one group, decides that another person or group is bad because and takes it upon themselves to spread their opinions to others in private, knowing how rare it is for anybody to ask for the opposite's point of view. It isn't just happening here in Final Fantasy. It's happened in every community wherever people get together and find things to gossip about even if those very people deny doing it until they turn blue.

~A couple of pages were carefully cut out and there are muddy smudges on the pages before and after. Whatever was written on the missing pages hasn't been copied to cleaner pages which go to other entries.~ Coerthas was every bit as cold as I'd heard and the ground fire shards were the only thing keeping me comfortable in the snow. The first stop was at some kind of night sky study where every part of the tower was dedicated to stars and all kinds of things that the scholars wouldn't talk about. A new friend came along for the walk and seemed to have fun wondering about what was being watched and why with my mentor, but had to leave before long. He was lucky to leave so soon before a blizzard formed and sat over the outpost until neither of us could be sure how late it really was. After some sleep, there was a very real chance of being stuck in with snow against the door. There was much less snow than expected so we can go back to exploring and practicing.

I can't believe this gift. The coat I bought is nothing compared to this one. Not only is it longer, but the many extra things that came with it take several minutes to put on in order. There was just enough time to repack and get comfortable with this new outfit before it was time to leave again and at a faster pace than what may have been needed. The hunting game was still on and any more time in Aleport would make it easier to be found. Not only that, but now somebody else was looking for me. Somebody who I'm not sure can be trusted. Whatever waits ahead could be fun, at least for more adventurous types. I will keep the grimoire in hand as much as possible and stay close to Kaed and the chocobo with our things. Somehow, Brom found us in the fog but ran off before saying why he was there unless what little he did say was it. Honestly, it's nothing new to hear how a mother worries about a child. It's what they do, isn't it? How would it be news when I have a linkpearl and heard her worries many times already? That man is a strange one, and stranger still to think I'm the one who went crazy.

~There's less dust at the start of the entry and is nowhere to be found at the end~ Aleport was a wonderful place to get one last day's rest and a good meal before walking the rest of the distance to wherever this adventure is destined. Kaed and I took both of our favorite carbuncles for a run around the port town to get into shape. With the dangers hidden around Eorzea, knowing when to run is only slightly less important than being able to run in the first place. The play time didn't last very long, but the hope is that this trip will help all of us get into shape for whatever trials lay ahead. My dreams have been strange lately, and not always for good. Some books say that dreams are the mind's way of preparing for terrible situations while others say they may be messages from unknown sources. Whatever the cause, it would be a blessing to have a few nights of peace so this ache in my back could go away. Maybe I should try some strong tea or ask for a back rub. On second thought, maybe hat potion would work just as well.

~The letters are slightly skewed in this entry with tiny grains of dust still embedded in the ink in places~ We're back on the road and making good progress to Aleport where I'll buy the few things I forgot before. Still no sign of head injury, but there may be some stomach pain from eating cave snake meat. Cooking won't make poisonous meat safe to eat without a full kitchen. A cave is not a full kitchen. Ideas to see if the Grand Companies know anything about Primals and what good beast tribes think they do.

~The penmanship is suffering for this entry and one area is smudged by a small paw print, but not enough to warrant a duplicate entry~ All seems to be well after the accident, but careful attention will be needed to make sure there isn't a delayed reaction. As comfortable as the beds are, I can't afford to stay when someone is supposed to be tracking me down. Even though I never told anybody where I was going because I didn't know at the time, I can't help but think they're already here and waiting to strike. There's a chance that this fear comes from not enough sleep. The chocobos won't likely go too far, but at least my pack will be off the saddle in case anything does happen. It's hard to decide which of the Twelve to ask for peaceful sleep, but at least the carbuncles and chocobos will keep me somewhat safe.

The big test was put off by a storm that raged for the entire day. It was enough to send me back to Ul'dah to endure a storm of sand which is much quieter against walls and roofs. After some time ensuring important people knew I'd be away, I returned to Limsa Lominsa to begin. Chocobos were obtained and taken to Red Rooster Stead where we will be resting the last of the day away now that the chocobo keeper has finished lecturing about proper chocobo handling. They didn't seem nearly as injured as I felt, bu there are many more adventurers than chocobos, so I can't fault her for being protective of her wards. At least it didn't take so long that we missed dinner of dodo and some greens. An unexpected call came in on the linkpearl from a friend who said he'd like me to join his group to help other Eorzeans out. I won't be able to make the first meeting, but this only means I should work that much harder to learn new things before returning.

~The script is a little jittery for this entry~ I was picked up earlier and the weeks of hard work to feel more comfortable around people were for naught. I was set down in the middle of the road within sight of Ul'dah and must have looked the complete fool for it. If only there were some faster means of gaining courage. Staying here for a while with the carbuncle and grimoires.

While Inja may fall into the "Too cute/silly/dramatic" thing, I have no problem using an alt to get in on this kind of realistic and thought-provoking RP.

There was a Gala planned and I was most fortunate to have had some fancy clothes set aside and a new mask from the goldsmiths in Ul'dah. It was perfect for what sounded like a fancy event and it was a good thing mother bought it, much as it irritated me at first to see hard earned gil spent on something like a wooden plate with holes. Now I'm glad she bought it since it hid the fear on my face even though everything else was shaking. There were so many people who showed up. Even now, my hands shake just thinking of the press and stink of too many people and perfumes. The building chosen for the gala was far too small and I have strong doubts that this has been done before. Any historical examples, even of other events, should have shown what happens when only one dozen people are responsible for moving one hundred about. From what I heard, the dancing competition was hardly a competition at all and more of people stepping around as if sharp rocks were in their shoes. The show of weapons was much the same with people talking more than actually showing what a weapon could do. Then again, the only thing I could see were the backs of people crushed together wherever there was room. If there was anything else to see or do, it never was announced. The small group that Kaed and I were placed with were very nice. They tried to make me feel braver than I actually felt, and that may have actually helped. I wrote their names down for letters or linkpearl communication later once everybody has recovered.

Thank the Twelve I don't remember what it took to get the wound cleaned or even how long it took. For the sake of healing and being able to eat anything later, I won't even try to peek. These books can keep my mind busy so I'm less likely to wander and make matters worse, but none of it will matter if my mother were to find out. Nothing, not even airship restrictions, can stop a mother from lecturing a careless child. Likewise, nothing will stop a careless child from trying to hide their mistake from a mother they know will worry. Or I could tell her now and avoid more trouble later. One thing to remember is that fishing with an empty stomach is a bad idea.

Welcome to the mad house! There may not be much in the way of lore that matches up, but there's an abundance of people who can and will help you make stuff up to go with what's been made official. You never have to feel like you're stuck in just one class as it's possible to sign up with every guild in the game, so it's only a matter of asking WHY a character would travel all across Eorzea to learn different fighting styles. They could be doing it to show that they can or wanting to combine the best of different childhood heroes. Maybe they encountered a situation where one style just wasn't enough, so they're learning more to cover those weaknesses.

Kitties? Chickens? Tarantulas? Whatever that thing is crawling up behind you?

The only thing I've heard was about Wednesday. That may be when the servers are expanded enough so fewer people get the World Full: 1017 error, but that may not mean that new characters will be allowed just yet. SE is doing whatever is possible to make up for all the unexpected players without taking the servers down every day, so hold out and hug a puppy until then.