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Drunkengoat · **02-19-2017, 04:35 PM**

I have an elaborate back story and part of it involves attaining extreme longevity as I want my character to be far older than he could be naturally.

Â I currently have it in my mind that he died once and during his death accidentally made a deal with a necromance to see his love again. By now she'd be long since dead with how old I need him to be for that.Â

Just curious if that would be lore breaking in the extreme? And what other paths are there to an extended life expectancy?

EliBallard · **02-19-2017, 08:34 PM**

I mean, the fact that Nybeth exists in the world means sure, necromancers exist.. but he is probably the most experienced at his craft in the world and even he could only essentially reanimate people as mindless husks or dolls.

I'm not aware of any other ways to make your character as old as you're likely thinking, at least not without bending or breaking the lore. I personally would avoid something like this if you didn't have a dedicated group of people to RP with who were okay with the idea, but you do you, just don't be surprised if people don't play along.

Kazukata · **02-19-2017, 08:46 PM**

The best I can think of is Emperor Xande in Syrcus Tower, but I'm afraid I don't know the details of his longevity/resurrection. It's been a long time sine I did the quest, but iirc, he's an Allagan emperor resurrected in the Crystal Tower, so -somebody- has the ability to do it. That said, you'd be intertwining your backstory with godlike characters, which comes with its own hazards. You might be able to produce something interesting, though.

Gegenji · **02-19-2017, 08:50 PM**

Would you be willing to disclose why your character needs to be so old? Perhaps that can help give an idea of how they managed it? For example, if they didn't need to be around for that whole time... maybe they were in some sort of arcane stasis?

Drunkengoat · **02-19-2017, 08:52 PM**

(02-19-2017, 08:46 PM)Kazukata Wrote: The best I can think of is Emperor Xande in Syrcus Tower, but I'm afraid I don't know the details of his longevity/resurrection. It's been a long time sine I did the quest, but iirc, he's an Allagan emperor resurrected in the Crystal Tower, so -somebody- has the ability to do it. That said, you'd be intertwining your backstory with godlike characters, which comes with its own hazards. You might be able to produce something interesting, though.

I'll just avoid it, don't want any accusations of Godmoding to deal with if those and The white mage reincarnation are the only known sources of unnaturally long life.

Drunkengoat · **02-19-2017, 09:03 PM**

(02-19-2017, 08:50 PM)Gegenji Wrote: Would you be willing to disclose why your character needs to be so old? Perhaps that can help give an idea of how they managed it? For example, if they didn't need to be around for that whole time... maybe they were in some sort of arcane stasis?

Was working with he didn't want to live so long, but I'm just going to scrap the whole idea. Thanks for the responses though.

Uther · **02-19-2017, 10:13 PM**

(02-19-2017, 04:35 PM)Drunkengoat Wrote: Just curious if that would be lore breaking in the extreme?

Maybe not technically, but if you do really plan to RP this and talk about it IC, you should prepare for a fair amount of eye-rolling. Even if it's not exactly lore breaking, some people might take issue with it. That's not to say you shouldn't do it if you really want to, but just be aware of possible social consequences from the more strict end of the RP crowd.

Honestly, to the point where I'd make sure you have a set group of people who are willing to back this up and accept it in RP before trying to do walk-ups with "I've been alive for 10,000 years" or whatever, so you look a little less crazy (and not in a good, interesting way) and it's easier for people around you to play along with it.

I'm not going to tell you not to do it if that's how you want to play the game, but I've seen a lot of people on this forum and others have an idea that isn't 100% impossible in the lore, but is very far-fetched, and everyone says "No, technically it's not lore-breaking." so they RP it and then no one will RP with them because it's too extreme. While something may not be impossible in the game's lore, sometimes there's a certain social faux pas that comes with it.

Play what you want, of course, but I always feel I need to write up a disclaimer every time I see one of these types of threads. I hope it works out and I hope you find a solid group to explore the character with, but be prepared to rework it if it doesn't get the results you're looking for.

Valence · **02-20-2017, 05:11 AM**

About Xande... He was "resurrected" in the sense his body was cloned and his persona was duplicated inside. Technically speaking it's not his soul that got brought back to the world of the living.

As far as I know (or what the Scions seem to say) there is a hard limit where the soul, constituted of aether, returns to the aetherial plane. My understanding regarding necromancy is that it is the art of binding back a soul to a deceased body, before that souls gets out of reach (meaning, in the other realm). Souls can linger and roam aimlessly, as they can often turn into ashkin (bhoots, etc).

By doing so, the necromancer also gets total control over the soul in question, as seen for example in the Wiping City of Mhach when you explore further into Yafaem and finds Forgall playing puppets with the dead crew of your rival, or with Obdilord doing the same with Eda. Those resurrected are entering in the category of "undead".

Askier · **02-20-2017, 10:39 AM**

Personally, if you want a centuries old fellow and are interested in exploring the way that a person might become jaded or warped mentally by the passing of nations, friends, and time, I think you should. It's a deep concept and one that would be interesting to explore.

Do they value life any more?

Are friends something they even try to make?

But, I wouldn't make it a primary talking or even role-playing point. Why would they bring that up to anyone other than a close person after all? Just walking around talking that way seems like a real easy way to end up in a crazy house or burned at a stake ic'ly. So maybe they never talk about it.

Ultimately it's your character and if you want to do it and you don't shove it in people's face or bring it up in character very often cause it would be potentially dangerous, I think you have some real opportunity for some very thought provoking character development and exploration.

Nodem · **02-20-2017, 11:42 PM**

(02-19-2017, 04:35 PM)Drunkengoat Wrote: Just curious if that would be lore breaking in the extreme? And what other paths are there to an extended life expectancy?

There is a way to extend your life, and it's 100% lore compliant!
*le gasp*
*le shock*
*LE HORROR*

If you do the alchemist storyline from 50-60 you learn that it's possible to, not only create a clone of yourself, but to also transfer your soul/mind to the next body. It's the entire plot of the 50-60 ALCH quest line as a matter of fact. The alchemist in question keeps making 'clones' of himself and then transfers his mind/soul to the next body to inhabit.

The difference between this and dying and being rezzed, is that he's living when he transfers, and not dead on the ground. I HIGHLY suggest doing the alchemist 50-60 questline if you choose this route of study.

Sylentmana · **02-21-2017, 03:15 PM**

If you want to go the pact route, you look into him making a pact with a powerful voidsent. You could form a story arc about him fulfilling his patron's agenda or defying it in some way, among other things.

Sources of Longevity

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