AltoSanctus122

This is normal. Balmung is the most populated server and is full 99.9% of the time. Some people are lucky enough to sneak into the server in the few seconds immediately before or after a maintenance, but the only certain way to get on is to use a paid transfer ($18, flat rate for up to 8 characters) from another server. In regards to 1), I was already aware of that fact. I was not saying Hoelun Qerel (yes, I have decided on a name now) is a dragon. I was actually just making a few personality connections. In regards to 2), I think I'll take your advice, saying she was of a different group. Maybe she ended up wandering Eorzea while Ishgard was going postal. Again, she is not going to be part of the official order, though I am increasingly thinking of having her be trained by someone who might have been part of the order. In regards to Balmung CC issues, that sucketh rocks. I don't really have a way to get that 18$ right now.

So, I have her appearance and everything ready... set her up nicely for the most part. Aaaaand Balmung is full (NA Legacy Balmung that is. There's no other Balmung, right?) Is that normal for the server?

I already know she's going to be a knight errant, making it her personal mission to try and make the world better, little by little. Maybe she's seen too much suffering in the dark, unseen corners of the world, and in alleyways, and it's touched her heart, convinced her to take up a cause. Perhaps she was a sheltered girl, "protected" from reality's harsh truths, but after hearing how poor-off the world was, she leapt in without really thinking about it, and exposed herself, unprepared, to the darker side of the world. And rather than simply give up and crumble under pressure, it reaffirmed her belief that something needed to be done. I can see both having potential to develop into showing aspects of the "Knight in Sour Armor" trope (which I'd probably play for comic relief). As for why I picked an Au Ra, that actually aligns with tropes as well. Particularly about dragons. Dragons are often portrayed as sagely, if jaded, entities, older than most mortals, even when they're merely "juvenile" among their own kind. With them comes a sense of detachment, as if you're staring at the closest mortal creature to godhood. And yet, they are just as slave to emotion as any mortal man. They feel fury, they feel desire, and they feel weakness, just as any sapient creature does. Black dragons tend to be more aggressive, violent, and passionate, embracing their desires with great fervor. This embrace of emotion would also be reflected in my character. She doesn't have any filter. Sure, she might shy away from instantly admitting she finds someone attractive, but she trusts her heart to lead her true. Her passions may not be as intense as the true black dragons, but I intend to make the connection notable. Some other dragons tend to be great scholars, thinkers, learners. They do not delude themselves into thinking they are omniscient, but they are far from ignorant. If friendly, they tend to be mentors, and are relatively humble. Otherwise, they are haughty and arrogant at minimum, and downright greedy and spiteful at worst. My dark knight would show this same love of learning and life. Again, not to the same extreme as true dragons, but enough so that the connection is visible. As for why she's intended to be a Dark Knight, there are two reasons... One, I have always enjoyed taking a "negative" concept and introducing it to a "positive" character. Dark Knights, mechanically, show quite a bit of self-sacrifice in their abilities, as last I checked, many of their skills incurred an HP cost. This may have changed, I may have been flawed in my research, or I may be right. But it would be nice to show that self-sacrifice attribute in a character, having them be a living example of both "Dark is not Evil," and a variant of "Bad Powers, Good Person." She is also an example of "Good is not Soft," or at least, I hope to make her one. She might give sapient foes a chance to change their ways, and prove they are capable of good things. But she only gives them one chance to do that. As for a more solid, and quite likely far more attainable goal, she does want to live to see the Garleans driven back away from the homes of Eorzeans. She'd be okay with the Garleans still being an empire. So long as they stayed on their end of the world. As for how her race influences her interactions, she tries to ensure it doesn't. At times it does anyway (horns make for an interesting conversation piece after all), but generally, she as a character tries to keep race separate from her interactions with others. Her beliefs, her philosophies, are how she copes with the world. When she sees the world through a lens of wisdom, both formed from her own experiences, and borrowed from old friends and family, it seems less alien to her. Generally she's not exactly a simple character. While her goals are very morally-grounded, the experiences that shaped those goals are a long tale indeed.

I'm still really groggy from having just woke up, but I'll try to post a few replies to expand upon my character, thanks to your help. I'm going to pick up on this and rather than feed you suggested answers I offer instead some questions that may help change your view? What do you like in other characters you RP with and what do you think they like in what characters you RP? From this maybe you can find some areas that you could change or enhance in your character to make it more engaging RP wise. Powerful, intelligent, self-discipline are all virtues. If you forgot about those and came up with more flawed characteristics what could those be and how would that change your character? There is a lot of RP in the struggle of a ordinary character in extraordinary situations. For me the win for RP is those ongoing struggles and not the IC winning. If they had not been drawn to a Dark Knight, what would have become of them? That part of them is probably still alive and is a rich font of reflection, regret or even relief. It could add extra dimension to your character than just Dark Knight. If your character as a child could meet your character as the adult, what advice would they each give the other? I hope that helps get you some different views on possibilities for your character. In WoW, I didn't do a lot of "adventuring" in my RPs, and I'd like to change that. I liked players that were pretty mature and level-headed, the ones who didn't just instantaneously leap to judgement, and instead asked themselves, "what could have made them what they are now, and why are they so interested in me?" The ones who actually gave thought to what was going on. So basically, players much more patient and calm than me. Players who did like me in RP (I sadly tended to raise a stink about more nonsensical guilds, like the ones who murdered in the streets because "oh, cleanse the unclean powers," and the ones formed from organizations that have basically been ripped to shreds) appreciated the energy I infused into an RP, and in some cases, looked favorably on my interesting spins on preexisting concepts. One of my characters was a warlock. In stark contrast to the stereotype however, he was completely infatuated with Azeroth, and was totally opposed to its aggressors. Suffice it to say, he was a very generous person (too generous for his health, many characters noted). Which leads me to a few flaws my character could be given. She could follow in that warlock's footstep, and place the safety of others far above her own, being "entirely too giving." I already figured to make her a bit timid, and unaccustomed to working in groups. Additionally, I could make it so that there's a berserker rage she has to fight off when things get too tense. That last one is a bit trickier, because it actually has a personal implication, which tends to terrify me whenever it comes up. As for the Dark Knight thing, this is where some controversy might be stirred. She's not part of the official order. I haven't decided on whether or not she's self-taught, or someone trained her without forcing her to make tight ties to the Dark Knight order. But if she were part of the Dark Knight order, she would not be allowed to be the knight errant she is. Or at least, that is what I'm gathering from this thread. Surprise surprise, I haven't actually got a character high enough to preview the job questline. Don't worry about spoiling the questline for me, though. In such cases as this, research is a blessed thing to perform. Next, I'll try and address Rhodes. After letting my brain adjust to wakefulness.

I am utterly new to FFXIV roleplaying standards because I had been stranded on non-RP servers, without any knowledge of where to go. And now I've found it, and I have no clue what to do. Still, as a writer, I have my pride. And part of that pride is in knowing my limits. I have a basis for race and class down, Au Ra (Xaela) Dark Knight. And while I won't describe her appearance, that's only because I usually save that for "on-site" modification, going with what feels and looks right. I figured she'd be a rather kind person, despite her imposing appearance, often impulsively stepping in to protect others, regardless of whether or not she understands the situation. She would not be someone who enjoys the light, preferring the serenity of night. This part I have done a little refinement in, as it's because she views the morning as "the time of masks." In contrast, the night is "the time of truths," where the proverbial masks of the day are discarded, and people feel more relaxed. And yes, she does take philosophical views on many things. She is very impulsive, tending to think with her heart much of the time. However, she is not a fool, and does have a good head on her shoulders, even if she rarely looks before she leaps. As a hero, she would be the "moonlight" to that of the average hero's "sunlight." When she's not deep in the throes of passion, she's surprisingly calm, and while still bright, she is soft and soothing, rather than blindingly brilliant. The jury's still out on whether or not I'll actually make her a hero. I tend to follow a pattern of characters being very powerful, but requiring plenty of experience and self-discipline to prevent that power from just lashing out at everything. I'm probably going to try and break that pattern here. There are just a couple things I'd like to brainstorm with these forums. And yes, I am asking for opinions. Number one, her backstory. This one I'd had surprising trouble with, as usually backstories are my speciality. I'd like to hear a few ideas about how someone like this might end up wandering Eorzea, see if anything sparks my interest so I can build from it. Number two, how would you improve upon/add to what I've already devised. Again, I'd really like to see some ideas. I know how barebones this character concept must seem, and I'd really love to improve. Finally, number three, how would such a Dark Knight be received?