Gerel Kha

I can't really answer the first two prompts, since I try to keep myself from getting too embroiled in any sort of drama/politics, but the third is something I can help with! For Balmung? Pearl Lane in Ul'dah's Steps of Thal has become a prominent random RP spot for walk-ups and the like. You could also try looking at the party finder for any social events/gatherings, as well as FC recruitment ads. There is also the Fellowship addition which can lead you to specified groups and communities that fit your criteria.

Anyway, that aside, welcome to the community! If you haven't already, taking a trip to either Balmung or Mateus can give you a greater chance at walk-up RP. I can't speak for Mateus, but Balmung's scene tends to gravitate towards Pearl Lane in Ul'dah these days--but you can definitely still find the occasional thing going on elsewhere! Another way is popping in on events that're being advertised in the party finder. Plenty of bars/restaurants/clubs being hosted for those looking to find a more relaxed environment for making connections. Finally, I'll throw my hat into the ring as well! I'm Gerel Kha on Balmung; feel free to shoot me a message if you ever see me around! Always happy to do a bit of walk-up RP (if I'm able) or discuss this or that about the community/lore/etc.

I mean, ultimately, it boils down to the same thing: player discretion. The thing about injuries is that they're inherently limiting. You can't go out on big adventures if you're nursing a wound every other day because of this or that. It tends to be why the actual thing gets downplayed or easy-fixed in a few days time. At the same time, though, people still like playing off said injuries for dynamism or drama. Really, it's gonna come down to who you're RPing with, what you're looking for, and the kind of character you're playing. Mine's no stranger to war and death and injury-- but that's precisely why they're fairly good at avoiding it. They've done the song and dance enough times to know that getting injured all the time isn't exactly wise or productive, so they do their absolute best to mitigate it as much as possible. But it's all contextual, as you said. Some people are gonna look at the OOC aspect of content and apply it IC, yeah, but there's also still a good chance they'll play it the same way: stuff happens, oh well, not hurt. And that could then translate into how they handle conflict and consequence. This kind of topic is always going to cycle back to communication and trust.

So, as Faye mentioned, it's gonna differ between everybody. My character is a battle-hardened veteran who does do the aforementioned and kits herself out to be the best she can possibly be in a fight--from enchanted and highly conductive weaponry/armor to having a passing-to-expert knowledge of various magical disciplines. This does tend to make her fairly hearty. At the same time? She's been injured by something as simple as getting beaned by a bean bag. Her guard's not up all the time, after all. But there are plenty of characters who prefer to tread the more grounded and everyday aspects. The average adventurer who's still learning the ropes, the grizzled veteran who's a little past their prime, the flower-selling merchant who wanders about... lot of them are likely not to be in a position where they can suffer grievous blows and make it out unscathed. And that's fine. It does add a touch of drama to a general scene and contributes to a more vibrant atmosphere. But in either situation, you're gonna find people who just aren't "with that." And that's fine, too. The most important thing to do is to communicate with your RP partners of the time and find some common ground. When it comes to injuries and healing? Something I'll often do with my character's attempts at mending others is put on a stipulation of "yeah, no, she's not great at it and her method of healing doesn't work as well for those aren't Monks--it hurts." Along with that? There's still a recovery period I try and put out there (which can be ignored, of course) to give those who're still seeking an injury arc without it being incredibly lengthy. When it comes to anything that's really dire, though, I tend to leave it up to the player in question. Always a good chance there's something they're trying to do story-wise.

It's a hand wave, mostly. They also say that they'll meet you in Kugane, at one point, since they know you can just teleport there and they can't. They still end up meeting you almost immediately after. You often just have to assume that "indeterminate amount of time has passed" in such situations.

Would likely depend on their aether reserves, honestly. Some RP as having the bare minimum, and so they're unable to functionally use the Aetheryte System past cities. They'll often hoof it, sail the seas, book an airship, or rely on friends with vaster pools of energy to help speed things along. So for them? It may be far more likely they're running a caravan-style setup for whenever they're on prolonged adventures. But for a lot of veteran adventurers? Using the Aetherytes tends to mitigate the actual need for that. Why prep three different chocobos when you can just hop over, do the deed, and pop back to the city for a cold drink in the span of a day? Granted! They may still opt for a caravan if they're going into uncharted territory/on a lengthy quest/off to gather materials. There's a lot of leeway for how someone wishes to approach this, with a bit of circumstance coloring the details.

Honestly, there are a ton of ways to get involved. One of the more common? Walk-up RP! Type /roleplaying whenever you're ready to begin, hit the walk button, and go searching for anything that really piques your interest. Popular scene at the moment for Balmung is Ul'dah's Pearl Lane. Another way is to keep tabs of various RP events that're going on. If you take a look at the party finder on any given night, you'll likely find a number of RP get-togethers being advertised. They're often bars/taverns and restaurants, but it you'll sometimes find more niche gatherings being advertised across the entirety of the data center. You could also throw up an advertisement on this very site for any potential plots/ideas you'd like to explore with like-minded and interested souls. Really, main way of finding RP is persistence and communication with your fellow RPers. Keeping a friendly and open mind will do wonders to help you find your place in things as you experiment and find what, exactly, works for you in MMO RP.

Afraid I can't think of any off the top of my head. Following Stormblood's initial release, the Steppe RP scene sort of died down due to the requisite of needing to level that high through the MSQ for the chance. Turned away a lot of people with newly-made Xaela characters.

Chiming in as someone who plays a Healer-specialized Arcanist on an alt! Yeah, it's totally fine to branch out and start developing your own spells. It's part of how anything grows and evolves to encompass more than the base field--something Arcanima excels at, actually. It's meant to be a fairly adaptable and strategic form of magick. It may lack the raw force and power of other schools that mirror it, but that's because it can theoretically be far more dynamic. So long as you put in the effort, the work, and the research? Your idea sounds very plausible.Just make sure you do avoid the "I have the cure-all!" factor when you're approaching healing. Communicate with your patient OOCly, get the specifics, all that. Don't wanna step on any toes and take away any tension the writer is trying to draw from the injury/sickness, after all!

It's a pretty staple thing in Japenese comedy/drama, but I believe you're right!

Think I know which one you're talking about, and it was more about a guy being attracted to an actor who he at first thought was a woman--but was revealed to be a man who regularly played women. Basically a small homage to the onnagata of Kabuki theater. He did still end up finding the man and his performance incredibly attractive, though, and felt that it didn't matter in the long road--the depth of his passion was enough.

I'd say so, yeah. You're gonna get people who'll disagree, but you'll find that even for people who do RP concepts that're considered "more canon" than others. At the end of the day? Just RP and have fun. You'll find people who'll join in soon enough.

Much as Valence said, there really isn't a lore precedent I can think of that really touches upon anything of that nature. Fantasias are the only thing I can recall that are even remotely similar--and as you said, it's not entirely considered "canon" by some. Otherwise? The only transgender characters I've seen in the setting are other RPers exploring it.

Welcome to the community! Hope you continue to have a great time!

It's from a Kotaku article that went up today. Last question. https://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-xiv-director-talks-class-changes-music-1838148771

Yes and no. Do they grant enhanced strength? In some instances, yes, they do empower artifacts or relics associated with the crystal in question. Do they impart techniques that're likely to use aether? Very much so. Effectively all jobs, including melee, utilize aether to push themselves past normal limitation. It's why magitek became such a threat: it allowed them to match the devastating capabilities of rival nations in a fraction of the time without the need for years and years of training. There's also the stipulation that you have to "match" the nature of the memories within a Soul Crystal, else they generally just act as a pretty stone. And that does mean matching the basic "start point" of many of the former bearers--hence the often-needed aetheric requirement. That's why I question somewhat the ability of a Garlean to even tap into the crystal's knowledge to begin with. Though you may be right on the idea of some more eccentric researchers finding and using them for experimentation. And since memories, themselves, are apparently aetherical to a degree? That clouds things even further on whether or not they could adequately create and use them from the get-go due to the Garleans' inability for magick--something to do with the "weakness" of their aetherical flow. But I'd say it's feasible.

I'd say the reason to question whether or not Garleans employ soul crystals is due to the reason they're used in the first place: to bypass the learning process inherent to aetheric techniques or mitigate the damage associated with them. Both of which aren't exactly a thing for true-blooded Garleans to worry about, considering. While Garlemald owes much of its success and progress to reverse engineering pre-existing Allagan technology, Allag was still incredibly dedicated to aetheric arts and practices for much of its history--a component that is lacking in the Empire of today. Could they use soul crystals with their more loyal conscripts? Maybe. But I doubt it'd be all that common to begin with.

There's always going to be someone who's a little irked by that sort of thing, but honestly? I'd say a healthy deal of people in the community play a character who doesn't match their gender. I'm a guy who plays a fairly motherly woman, as an example, and I've never really had any issue regarding it. Just play what you like. If someone's got an issue with it OOC and they can't be reasoned with/don't like the idea/are unable to compromise? That's fine. Their prerogative. You can decide to part ways in a polite and respectful manner and find people who don't mind, in kind. The community's a pretty big place. If you find a person or group who doesn't accept what you're doing? You'll still have plenty of options available to you. What's important is being happy with what you're doing and finding compromises with those you enjoy spending your time with in both an OOC and IC fashion, because communication is one of the most valuable skills an RPer has.

Not a waste at all. S'what the workshop is all about. Good luck with your plot! I hope it's a fun time!

I think some points to keep in mind are whether or not a Pureblood would refuse the knowledge of a conscript if it did, in fact, benefit them and the Empire. They wouldn't have to ask--they could simply demand. The nature of power and all that, yeah? It's also important to note that the Echo isn't necessarily a genetic thing, but a soul-related thing. It's completely random. As for Emperor Solus being involved? I feel as if it'd invalidate his entire reasoning for the Garlean Empire to create a Garlean who's capable of wielding aether (which does get into some really lore heavy stuff I won't spoil here). Finally, living to serve the Empire and push forth its "admirable" and "noble" goals by utilizing their abilities would've been drilled into their heads as something worthy of praise, I think. Would they be seen as odd? Perhaps. But if they're still of Pureblood descent while serving the best interests of the Empire, I couldn't hep but think they'd be fast tracked into various positions of power. Which would, of course, afford them more chances to explore the world. Keep in mind that the Empire may have dissension in the ranks, but they've ultimately got one of the world's strongest propaganda machines going. At the end of the day, it may be important to ask yourself why it's so important to play a Pureblooded Garlean with the ability to use aether. Because at the end of the day? That does strip them of an incredibly unique trait within the world. Which isn't bad, and it does present new opportunities--but what are they?

Being a Highlander's equal in terms of physicality is pretty good, and would allow for some fairly high-performance feats. We also have to take in "rule of cool" whenever it comes to the "underdog" trait (no aether use) and the fact that magitek is a varied and adaptable technology that's more than arms and armor. Just look at Thancred. Man's essentially a Garlean, now, and he's still pulling some impressive acts off.

Garleans are noted to be strong of body--no surprise given their homeland--but that's largely it. They may equal, say, a Highlander on a good day. But as Valence pointed out? The only race who's been stated to have above-normal levels of physical strength are the Xaela, where "their physical strength, hardened by generations of war and conflict, far outstrips that of other races."

There is actually one other, in Heavensward: the case of Hilda. While it's complimented by the "noble and commoner" duality, she's also looked down upon due to her being of mixed heritage. While it isn't always necessarily explored? Race is a big component of why people may disregard one another in Eorzea. You can also look entirely to the Beastman/Spoken divide that was created entirely by Ul'dah elite to exploit racial tension and expand profits.

That stigma does tend to be pretty prevalent still, yeah, for both of the reasons you mentioned since they were (and still are) the most popular Xaela tribe in RP. As for the situations described? Yeah. If people are just randomly coming up to you and insulting your characters because they're Dotharl? You'll have to make a judgement call based off your own feelings on the matter. Can you keep it IC and maybe get away from it? Cool, do that. Is it too stressful/that person isn't respecting your OOC wishes even after communication? Then it's totally fine to back out and do what you need to so long as you keep it civil. As for other areas in Ul'dah you could try out if you feel like you need a break from the flow? Around the fountain in Steps of Thal's always a good choice. Or there's the airship landing. Less "open" when compared to Pearl Lane, but still see some traffic.

Personally? I've routinely experienced the opposite: people who are actually fairly inviting and receptive of Xaela despite the apparent distrust that a lot of Othard natives would likely have of them. Most times I've ever seen overt racism would be when there's a heated dispute going on and so the obvious points of interest become the targets of insult, or there's legitimate bad blood from past encounters. If anything, I see more Xaela who're on the giving side of this. The proud and arrogant sort who think all Eorzeans are weak, that their way of life is dumb, etc. As for managing it? Hm. That's difficult. First thing I'd ask about is the "who." Does it seem like it's a pointed endeavor by an individual/group? Or is it always a unique event?