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Xolius · **08-16-2017, 02:50 AM**

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to RPing on FFXIV but I've been working on my character and trying to stay within lore and such. I have what I consider a pretty fleshed out timeline of events and history for my character, but after getting some feedback from others they have some nitpicking issues that are eating away at me and I'd like some suggestions or feedback that I could possibly alter to accommodate the lore more accurately.

First off, my Raen Au Ra is adopted by Sharlayans that are in Othard on a survey mission in the year 1549 which is under Garlean oppression at this time. So, I'm not sure if they would even be in Othard? What other reasons could bring them there? I'm trying to place my character's adoptive parents within Othard, as I think Raen Auri are only found within this region?

Also, my character is part of one of the few still remaining Raen tribes in Othard. I've placed them living a secluded life in the mountainous areas of the region, is this possible? I know that Raen acclimated to Doman culture, but surely not all Raen tribes forfeit their own culture? Thoughts on this would be appreciated as well.

Finally, I'm wanting to imbue my character with the celestial aether from the Heaven of Water, a love child of Thaliak and Nymeia if possible? I also realize that most Domans I know don't seem to worship the 12, but rather the Kami. So, I was wondering how I could incorporate this, if at all? This gives him an innate ability for astrology and also allows him to sees snippets into the future, or the ability of foresight. I'm not wanting to confuse this with the Echo at all, and I'm not trying to make him OP or anything, I just want to make him feel attuned to the astrologian job more, if that makes sense?

I appreciate any time and effort anyone can offer!
Thank you.

Sounsyy · **08-16-2017, 11:57 PM**

(08-16-2017, 02:50 AM)Xolius Wrote: First off, my Raen Au Ra is adopted by Sharlayans that are in Othard on a survey mission in the year 1549 which is under Garlean oppression at this time. So, I'm not sure if they would even be in Othard? What other reasons could bring them there?

Sharlayans abhor violence. When Ala Mhigo fell 20 years ago, the Sharlayans immediately attempted peace negotiations with the Garlean Empire, but were denied audience. Fearing Eorzea might soon become like the Far East, they abandoned their Sharlayan colony in the Dravanian hinterlands and returned to Sharlayan in the Bloodbrine Sea far to the northwest. While it's unclear if the Sharlayans had a similar, existing colony in Othard prior to the Garlean invasion there, we can infer that Sharlayans have visited the continent in the past.

Fernehalwes Wrote:Theyâ€™re always trying to learn about everything. They went to Eorzea so they could gain knowledge on that place so of course they probably sent parties into Dravania to study up on them and they would have known about the dragons as well. Their whole thing is theyâ€™re a city-state of knowledge and they gather it and use that knowledge. They send people out everywhere around the world and bring it back to their island nation. Sharlayan in Eorzea was basically an outpost.

So during 1549, what would Sharlayans still be doing in Othard twenty-one years after the start of the Garlean invasion? Well, perhaps still trying to broker peace? Doma, the last nation to resist the empire, would not fall for another three years in 1552. As you said you're wishing to have a Raen, all of the known Raen territories are yet free from imperial annexation at this time. Likely most Sharlayans would've left by now in the war, but perhaps there were some who felt there was more that could be done- those of a similar belief set to Louisoix Leveilleur? Or perhaps, they, like many a Sharlayan scholar from the Dravanian colony, remained behind as long as possible to collect as much information on their subject before returning to their homeland. There's no telling what knowledge would be lost once the empire took hold.

- A Timeline of the Garlean Invasion

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(08-16-2017, 02:50 AM)Xolius Wrote: I'm trying to place my character's adoptive parents within Othard, as I think Raen Auri are only found within this region? Also, my character is part of one of the few still remaining Raen tribes in Othard. I've placed them living a secluded life in the mountainous areas of the region, is this possible? I know that Raen acclimated to Doman culture, but surely not all Raen tribes forfeit their own culture? Thoughts on this would be appreciated as well.

Raen Au Ra are (as far as we know) only found in the Far East. 1) In the eastern-most Yanxia region of Othard, 2) the Ruby Sea, and 3) in Hingashi, the island nation to which Kugane is the only open port allowing foreigners.

Raen culture is similar to that of the Hyur- in that they're more adept at assimilating to or adopting the culture of their present residence. This post covers a lot of this lore on the Raen and how they spread across the continent of Othard and beyond. So Raen living in Doma assimilated into Doman culture while Raen living in Hingashi assimilated into Hingan culture. Though there is a place in the Ruby Sea where a group of Raen fled during a time period in Othardian history we believe to be the Age of Strife. The place gets covered in the Stormblood MSQ a bit, so you could say your Raen came from there or go ahead with a headcanoned secluded mountain village.

Show Content

- Raen and Au Ra Race Lore

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(08-16-2017, 02:50 AM)Xolius Wrote: Finally, I'm wanting to imbue my character with the celestial aether from the Heaven of Water, a love child of Thaliak and Nymeia if possible? I also realize that most Domans I know don't seem to worship the 12, but rather the Kami. So, I was wondering how I could incorporate this, if at all? This gives him an innate ability for astrology and also allows him to sees snippets into the future, or the ability of foresight. I'm not wanting to confuse this with the Echo at all, and I'm not trying to make him OP or anything, I just want to make him feel attuned to the astrologian job more, if that makes sense?

The worship of the Twelve is mostly limited to Eorzea, despite suspicious similarities to deities elsewhere. There are, of course, some exceptions such as Sharlayan which worships the Eorzean deity of Thaliak.

Fernehalwes Wrote:As for geographical distribution, worship of the Twelve is, for the most part, limited to Eorzea.

As for the whole "imbuing character with celestial aether and that giving him foresight" concept, it seems counterproductive to your character? She's adopted by Sharlayans and presumably taught Astromancy from them yes? So they would teach her to attune to the six Heavens in any case and it's an astrologian's defining ability to predict the future through their cards:

Jannequinard Wrote:The Dawn Cross uses all six of the major arcana to tell a person's fortune. The cards are shuffled and drawn one at a time. The first card drawn is placed face up in the scrying table's center. This card is also known as the â€œcoreâ€ and represents the subject's present state. The second card is placed immediately to the core's left and represents what, in the past, has exerted influence over the subject. The third card is placed immediately to the right of the core and represents what will most affect the subject in the near future. The fourth card is placed below the core, with the fifth card placed immediately below that one. These cards represent misfortune the subject may face in the foreseeable future and the root of that misfortune respectively. The sixth and final card is placed directly above the core to form the cross, and is representative of the subject's overall fortune... Or at least that is what it said in that tome I copied it from on introductory astrology.

It seems risky, if not counter productive, to make her birth special and blessed by the Fifth Heaven as well as attributing her foresight to this random happening - when as an astrologian, she would have to attune her aether to this constellation anyways and learn how to use the heavens and the cards to outline the future. This is what an astrologian does.

Levava Wrote:There! The Ewer! Focus, Sounsyy! Focus, and let the constellation's aether twine with your own. It is said through the fifth heaven flows a mighty river carrying the water spilled forth from the Scholar's vessel. And in that water is the knowledge of all that have come before and all who will followâ”€the aether spun from Nymeia's loomâ”€the aether from which all magicks are drawn and to which all magicks return.

I think this is where you'll have to decide how big of a role these adopted Sharlayan parents had in the upbringing and nurturing of your character's learning of astromancy. If she grows up with them, they take her back to Sharlayan, etc then it's an easy matter of saying "she knows Twelve worship because of her parents or because she lived in Sharlayan and not the Far East. It'd also help explain how she was able to learn to attune her aether to the constellations - as well as see/understand them as more than just stars in the sky.

Kyokuho Wrote:Jannequinard tells me that you are quite the authority on all things relating the Bole. And Eorzeans believe it is from this tree planted by your gods in the very heavens that all life was born? Fascinating... In the Far East we know of the constellation as something different, but know it all the same. I must admit, however, that seeing it under a different sky than my own fills my heart with a sense of both wonderment... and now confusion knowing what it represents to your people. What I cannot wrap my head around is that you would truly believe a notion so foolish as that the power of earthâ”€a word that by your own definition means â€œsoilâ€â”€would not come from the land itself, but rather from six tiny lights flickering in the night skies.

Because were your character to remain in the Far East, they would be far more likely to pick up on a close relative of Sharlayan astromancy: Far Eastern geomancy. While the two magicks share common ancestry, their methods have deviated greatly and both schools view the other as little more than superstitions and folklore. However, both magicks are popularly employed by seers and fortune-tellers in their respective regions.

- Far Eastern Geomancer Lore

Hope this helps! ^^

Xolius · **08-17-2017, 02:41 AM**

Oh wow, thank you so much! I wasn't expecting such a long detailed response and I greatly appreciate it!

Hmm, So, my character being born in Namai in Yanxia is totally possible then? Perhaps born in Namai, but his biological parents were killed by Garleans and the Sharlayan couple who wanted to stay and collect as much data as possible on the region, witness the murder and adopts my character. They decide to flee from Othard and live out what time is remaining (approx. 8 years) at the Sharlayan colony in Eorzea before the exodus, but instead of going back to the Homeland they stay behind and relocate to the Black Shroud. Yes, I think this could work! Any thoughts on this scenario?

Also, I agree with what you said Sounsyy about astrology, I was only trying to make my character "special" in some way, but instead I will forgo this and instead he has a natural ability for astrology and thanks to intense training from his adopted father he is able to hone his skill.

Yes, I think that will work. Any additional thoughts or comments are welcomed!

Thanks again for a timely response and so detailed!

[Discussion] Raen AST help

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes