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Weiss · **09-03-2017, 09:25 AM**

Hello!Â
Although I already have a general idea of what I want to do with my character, Iâ€™m still facing some problems. There are just tiny details that Iâ€™m not able to grasp or to conclude in my own mind.
Iâ€™m new to RPing into a MMORPG and even knowing a lot (or at least much) of FFXIV lore, there are yet things that Iâ€™m not yet familiar with. That said, my question is not lore related but can be indirectly connected to it. Before I jump into it I have to say sorry in advance, both for my poor English skills and for a general lack of knowing how to put my thoughts into words without sounding confusing (I tend to over explain and complicate things up).

This is just some â€œbackgroundâ€ events and you donâ€™t need to read it if you donâ€™t want to, Iâ€™m just putting this here to help me follow a line of thinking...
My character is an Au Ra but that wasnâ€™t always the case. When I started 2.0 I started as an Elezen character and even though I wanted to make my name lore friendly, I wasnâ€™t too much familiar with the lore itself. Sure I played 1.0, but thanks to my pc being a potato back then I couldnâ€™t play much of it, let alone enjoy the lore and the world for what it was. I spent literally an hour trying to find a name that would fit my own character but I committed an error: I used German for one of the names, hence ended up with â€œWeiss Loireâ€, Weiss because I wanted to be an Arcanist back then and they use Grimoires and I was into NieR RepliCant back then and there is a character named Grimoire Weiss, and Loire because of Laguna Loire from Final Fantasy VIII is one if my favorite characters in the series and video games in general and just keeping his Surname didnâ€™t seem to me, and still doesnâ€™t, something wrong. I ended up going with that name, even if it wasnâ€™t 100% right.
Then 3.0 arrived and with it came the new race, the Au Ra, and I immediately fell in love with it and used my 1st-month Fantasy to change into it. I read the lore we got at the start for it, spent a ton of time reading name conventions both for Raen and Xaela, decided to go as a Raen and after deciding a name I wanted to have, I couldnâ€™t do it; I was too attached to Weiss Loire, and still am, even though itâ€™s not conventional both because of the race and the continent where it came from.

With that explanation out of the way, Iâ€™m going to leave some key points about what I already though doing with my character. Iâ€™m also putting a very quick resume of his background till now, leaving out some details, people etc.
- Â Â HeÂ´s adopted by two Elezen (in order to explain why he doesnâ€™t have an Auri kind of name).
- Â Â He haves a twin brother who happens to be a Xaela (while Weiss is a Raen)
- Â Â Twin brother name is Schwarz Weiss (I know, until know itâ€™s just clichÃ©s)
- Â Â The names are obviously linked to the color of the horns, and for Weiss hair being white and Schwarz being black, but I also thought that the â€œwarzâ€ part in Schwarz sounds like â€œwarâ€ which is a trait in the Xaelas who are â€œalwaysâ€ fighting.Â
- Â Â Both twins have odd eyes of the same color but on opposite sides: while Weissâ€™s right eye is Yellow and his left eye is Blue, Schwarz is the complete opposite having yellow in his left eye and blue on his right eye.
- Â Â The colors of the eyes are a representation of Azim and Nhaama. Itâ€™s merely symbolic.
- Â Â Both know they are adopted and, as expected, have opposite personalities (I didnâ€™t think much more of Schwarz background so Iâ€™m going to leave him on the side for now).
- Â Â Weiss lived in Limsa Lominsa and started as an Arcanist because of his parentâ€™s influences, but what he always wanted was to be someone capable of defending others. He ran from home, after facing the opposition of his father, and headed to Ulâ€™dah with all his savings ending up joining the gladiator guild, learning the ways of the sword and eventually becoming paladin later on, a job he still loves to this day. When he wasnâ€™t able to learn anything more of it, and filling there was much more he could learn, he moved back to Limsa (without telling to his parents) in order to learn the way of the marauders. Not only did he do it but he also enlisted in The Maelstrom, something that his parents eventually found out. After a long conversation they eventually made up and they confessed a secret they have been keeping away from both twins, the secret of their adoptions, something that was well known by the brothers since the Au Ras and Elezen arenâ€™t slightly similar. His marauder career made him follow the path of the warrior, where Weiss learned to control his Inner Beast.
- Â Â He will travel later to Hingashi after learning of the samurai and their way of the sword and their discipline, hoping to learn about it.

Now for the questions about his creation x.x
- Â Â My character learned how to draw since he was very little and I was hoping to somehow mention Alphinaud in it, if possible. I would need to examine all the possibilities before reaching a conclusion and Alphi might not even end up being mentioned at all, but in terms of RP how plausible would be to mention him.
- Â Â For that matter how much of a stretch would it be to mention any of the Scions? Was it even something normally done in an RP? Iâ€™m confused with this since in the game the main story makes us the MC of it, being the warrior of light and someone everyone starts to look up for guidance, but I imagine RP making us someone who look at the Warrior of Light, right? Or is it normal for people to RP as ONE of the Warrior of Light? Sorry about this question, but Iâ€™m a bit confused with it and the place my character should have in the story; it doesnâ€™t make sense to me self-proclaiming me the Warrior of Light if there is only one. Or maybe Iâ€™m just overthinking it...
- Â Â How is the MSQ usually seen at the RP community? How do people react to those events, how do they place themselves, etc?
- Â Â How normal is for people having the Echo in RP? Is it always the same type of Echo manifestation? (I know krileâ€™s is different from ours in the main game, but I donâ€™t know all the manifestations of the echo, for instance x.x)
- Â Â The reason for my character to travel to Hingashi would be something like: â€œAfter his training in art of the warrior, he traveled the land to help adventurers and people in need, and to also broaden his horizons, eventually arriving in Ishgard. He spent some time there and one day he found a strange soul stone in his bag. Although he doesnâ€™t know it, itâ€™s a DRK soul stone.â€ I donâ€™t know how farfetched is it for one to pop up in the middle of his bags, and I donâ€™t know how normally that soul stone is given. And even if it was plausible for one to appear just in his bag, I wouldnâ€™t know how to explain how he would know that soul stone belong to the Dark Knights (I know soul stones have the memories of past users in them, but I donâ€™t know how much is given to the new ones). I wanted his moving to Hingashi be because he felt part of himself starting to be lost to the soul stone. This trip to his homeland would be as a reconnect to his past since both Xaela and Raen clan are from Hingashi originally.

Sorry for a long post and if something seemed confused...

Virella · **09-03-2017, 03:14 PM**

All the advice I can offer you off is perhaps to make your character a lot less complicated? It is not so much their background what makes them interesting, but more so the roleplay!

I feel you might be stabbing yourself really badly in the foot by wanting to be so many things at the same time? Especially because this is your first roleplay character on FFXIV!

Maybe something like... "Hey, he's a Xaela dude from the Steppes, he is a Warrior (they got their own version of the Inner Beast, the Warrior questline touches upon that) and he likes to travel, learn and explore" is a lot easier to work with?

Once more, your character, but perhaps giving him a lot easier concept/background might be wiser until you're more familiar with roleplay in MMOs/FFXIV?

Mana Lily · **09-03-2017, 04:00 PM**

I am in agreement with Virella. Sometimes less is more when creating characters and especially starting out, it's sometimes a good idea to start small and then build as you get a feel for your character and they grow. For example, if you're giving him an unconventional name, you could simply say he changed it himself to better fit into Eorzean culture. It doesn't have to be a defining characteristic such as adoption. However, if you like the adoption idea then I really suggest trimming down some of the backstory with his twin brother. Â

Also, I get the idea that the twins could have different colored horns due to having a Xaela and Raen coupling. That's fine, but I -do- think the mirroring eye concept is a little much. You are running into the risk of coming across a bit trope-like with your characters, which I'm sure is not what you want! I would suggest simply making them the same race and giving them the strange eyes OR giving them different races but leaving out the eye tidbit. Â Again, sometimes too many defining characteristics/unique traits can overload a character. Not only does it make it harder for other RPers in some regards to RP with yours, but it also can weigh you down if in the future you want to give them something else to grow off of.Â

As for the WoL, I believe most RPers do not touch upon that with their own characters. They also tend to avoid involving their character in the specifics of the MSQ or the named NPCs. You can obviously involve your character in some of the conflicts! Such as the battle for Ala Mhigo or delving into the new territories of Kugane! Â But again, I think you'll find the more special tidbits you throw onto your character or their backstory, the harder it will be to connect with other RPers. Â It would be a bit much if everyone said they were the WoL or that they all had a hand in slaying primals, right? Â

Anyway, sorry for the rambling! Again, I concur with what Virella said. I would start small. If you want to play a warrior Xaela, then start there and branch him out. Give him a simple backstory (or leave it up in the air until you figure it out- your character will likely not be running around spouting off his whole life story to others!) Â You can always add more later once you get a feel for FFXIV RP and how other RPers handle their own characters! Â But it's awesome you're asking for advice now!

Weiss · **09-03-2017, 08:59 PM**

To tell the truth, I never thought about the possibility of coming from Hingashi, settle in Eorzea and choose a name that would fit Eorzean culture. Most of the backstory just happened because I panicked with his non-convencional name and decided to fill every single gap to justify it... Thank you for showing me the other solution that is far more simple then what I have come with. The reason I mention learning Paladin, Warrior, etc, etc, was also me rushing thing to feel the gaps and to try to make the adoption thing less forced, now I can tone down everything about it and make it having just 2 jobs (one hingashi and one eorzean) or simply just one.
I feel a lot free to dwell in his background now and think of something unique, thanks to you two!

About the twins thing, Schwarz would never been a character that someone would be able to normally interact with, he's more of a background character (although I did create it in-game some months ago to see how much I could mimic my character but in Xaela (mostly because the skin color pallet is different between both clans)), but I see what you mean. I'll have to spend sometime around that to make it less clichÃ© as possible (although i did fancy the eye and horn things x) ).
I would also need to research about how a mixed Au Ra race would be seen by both sides (I'm seeing Raens accepting it more easily then Xaela, the only exception being if both twins could prove that they are capable fighters). I can simply do it on the side and think about it as the RP goes, like both of you advised (not with this in specific but about doing something simple to start with and develop it as the story goes)

About the WoL, that's what I had thought, I was just curious about how was it looked at since if everyone went with it, it would end up being a re-tell of a story but with different characters. The same goes for the event of MSQ, since I wasn't sure if they are usually treated as cannon (what I mean with this is if they are normally mentioned, if people usually say they took part of it in any way, etc). The only thing I had in mind is some kind of connection with Alphinaud, but now that I found another way to make the background for Weiss, he might not even be mentioned (which makes me more relieved in some way since it feels to me a great responsibility using a key NPC).Â

Thanks for all the advises and sorry if I seem to over complicate things... I tend to do it a lot, more then what I would like to do, since I usually overthink everything when it comes to character building and end up with... well, the mess it was the first post.

Mana Lily · **09-03-2017, 09:40 PM**

Oh, no need to apologize! Sometimes we get so caught up in creating a fully fleshed-out character that we get tangled up in all the details. I think it's fantastic that you're open to advice and other ideas while you try to come up with a character and story that fits you. Â And of course, if you're really set on something (such as the horns and eyes) then go for it! Â In the grand scheme of things, it's a minor detail and if it was something that made you excited or you particularly liked, then go with what your gut tells you. Â After all, we create characters and RP to have fun!

Also perhaps random, but if you're thinking of how your character's parents could have met or such, you could consider the Malaguld tribe. They're a Xaela tribe that accepts Raen into their ranks!

Valence · **09-04-2017, 05:27 AM**

Background is of course important, but I think one of the main defining concepts for a character will always be the archetype/trope you will create for them (not speaking about overdone or over the top clichÃ©s, just generic tropes), and a few keywords that can define said character.Â

Now that you have a better idea for your background, I think one of the main things you want to tackle is precisely that. A background is only secondary when it comes to what defines a character. It will sure be what shaped the character in the past and brought them here, but it doesn't really say how that character behaves, what personality they have, etc. Most sucessful characters in stories or roleplay often leave an impression and people can remember them because of specific traits or tropes that make them stand out. The trap is of course not to fall into the usual edgy clichÃ©s.Â

While a background can offer a few RP hooks for others to catch, those are inevitably centered around yourself. What a personality and character concept/trope can offer however, is the other way around: roleplay support for other players. One common mistake when starting RP is in my opinion to focus too much on convoluted backgrounds and not enough on what makes a character stand out. You will not bring your background at every opportunity in most roleplay sessions (don't do that though!). What you will bring is your character and how they feel and act and what are their manners and how they react to things. This is what always needs most of the work. Roleplaying without a background is not unfeasible. Roleplaying without a personality is. A bland/blank character will never work.

Bringing on the table a well fleshed out character with its strong trope - you will never play a politician like you play a scoundrel, or a knight, or whatever you fancy - will always go a great way to interact with others and create the RP shenanigans you are after.

Weiss · **09-04-2017, 06:49 AM**

I didn't know about the Malaguld tribe, thank you! (there were so many Xaela tribes back then when i checked them some time ago that I might have missed or even forgotten some of them x.x).

I know it's weird but I can better picture my character if I develop his background first; when i made quick campaigns in both D&D and WoD I was always presented in the character sheet with the background of the character I would be playing with (alongside other info), and even on RP forums (the ones I Â played at) one of the things that would need to be created before my character could be accepted was the background, so that kinda stuck on me and it's one of the things I always try to do first n.n" This in turn also gives me a better grasp about the personality, traits, reasons for him to do what he does and the way he does, etc u.u

Akeno Asukai · **09-04-2017, 03:39 PM**

Good afternoon. ^^;Â

So I have given a lot of thought to your conundrum here regarding character creation, backstory and general RP questions in the terms of Main Story Quests, the Echo and our positions as Warrior of Light. I'll be honest and start off by saying I've only skimmed the responses that other people have given.Â

Let me first start by saying I don't think you needÂ to change anything about your character or what you'd like for their background. It's very possible to include the majority of what you want for them: such as the adoption, the "unique" naming conventions, the two separate Clan avatars, etc. That being said, I'll address your concerns regarding the Main Story Quest, the Scions, the Echo and the Warrior of Light further down.Â

Let us begin with your background.Â

We have learned that there is at least oneÂ tribe of Xaela whom settled in Eorzea. They came, they saw and they made some homes here -- although we do not see them often. We also know of a tribe, from the original Xaela Clan list, whom built ships and traveled across the Eastern ocean; while we cannot be certain what is meant by the "Eastern Ocean", it's unlikely someone will dispute them ending up on Eorzean soils. While the lore itself (which we were given) states that they returned with tales, that does not mean there were some who "got lost" or "left behind".Â

Â Â Â Â Â Now, with that in mind you've a very realÂ possibility of simply making your character Xaela in it's lineage, but born with pale scales. Genetically speaking, this is likely a very rareÂ occurrenceÂ and is very likely to be seen a bad omen or "curse" by members of the tribe, depending. This however, does lead into the realm of being adopted by Eorzean parents and given "new names".Â

As for other tribes whom interacted with Raen, there are a couple options.

You do have the option of the KhaÂ tribe, whom often incorporateÂ Raen/Doman cultures into there own. It would not be unheard of for a member of this tribe to "fall in love" with a woman born of Raen/Doman descent (or vice versa) and produce children. This would be very similar to the MalaguldÂ tribe -- with the Raen/Doman outcast having been brought into the tribe; however, these two tribes have a slimmer chance (slimmer, not impossible) of winding up on Eorzean soils during a key point in time in your characters history.Â

Â Â Â Â Â That being said, there is no reason that something "tragic" could have happened to send the boys away from their tribes orÂ the boys could have more recently become familiar with Eorzeans and their cultures, taking a shine to them as it were and leading to a more recent "adoption" with people who may have made them feel more at home. There is nothing that says a person born to a Xaela tribe or a Raen Clan has to feel "at home" with their people; everyone is different at the end of the day.Â

Now, all of that being said, we'll move on to the main chunk of your inquiries. ^^;Â

I'll start with the first point you bring in: drawing and the possibility of Alphinaud playing some role. This will go hand-in-hand with the question regarding the Scions and your inquiry regarding the Main Story Quest.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â What I have learned over the years of RPing is this "golden rule": You are not the Warrior of LightÂ and the Main Story Quest is a mechanic. What this means is generally speaking people whom Role-Play on MMO's do not "openly" RP what they experience in the game when it comes to Main Stories or "being the main hero". There is always the exception of people who get together groups to support such, but the vast majority of people have a tendency to turn their nose up at someone walking around in-game as the Warrior of Light. I have seen this first-hand, where someone was RPing that they'd accomplished everything they did in the Main Story Quest and the people they interacted with were vastly opposed and it led to some ridicule. I am not saying this is the fate for people who go that route, but it does seem the majority of people go with the generic mercenary/adventurer route. As I use to put in World of Warcraft: we are the nameless, faceless adventurer who are never given credit.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â What this means is that, while you could have done great deeds, it's unlikely anybody would recognize you outside of a few key items -- which I will get into now. Grand Company StandingsÂ are a thing and many people RP their appropriate ranks to a degree. I have encountered a large number of people who role-play their connections to the Immortal Flames, the MaelstromÂ and the Twin Adders. Generally, the people I have encountered role-play positions such as officerÂ or lieutenant; they are recognized as "official" members, but do walk a very thin line with some of the community as playing a person of power can sometimes go to one's head and cause quite the back-lash from people who feel the lore is being "abused".Â

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with role-playing your accomplishments in game. If you spend hours at the Hunt Board, there is nothing wrong (in my opinion) with role-playing that you've accomplished some of these hunts. While they won't garner you a lot of attention, it is possible that NPC's would recognize you as one of the Hunters who frequents those boards. It also has the potential to lead to very interest and very immersive role-play.Â

Now, with that out of the way. The Scions are similar to celebrities in modern day with a few changes. It's very possible that your character could have seen them in passing -- as there are a number of times during the Main Story Quest that you speak with them in populated areas. This being said, it's very possible to role-play having seen not only the Scions, but having seen the Warrior of Light as well.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Your character's love of art could have led them to sketch out having seen Alphinaud as they might idolize them. So while you've never actually interacted with them, they are still a part of your history and a detail that can easily be used to strike up role-play: "I saw them once, the Scions. Thancred is shorter than I would've expected."

I know not everyone will always agree with the choices you make, but it is very possible to remain within the realm of lore and still produce a character who fits everything you want.Â

Lets talk about The EchoÂ and all the fun there.Â

The Echo doesn't always manifest in the same way. There are different forms/types of the Echo. We see this within the Main Story Quest, when Minfilia basically tells you that as the Warrior of Light, the manifestation of your Echo is the "rarest" of all forms -- and that is essentially what makes you the Warrior of Light.Â

Â Â Â Â Â I have seen several people who've allowed themselves to possess the Echo in-character, in various ways. The majority of them often go with a "weaker" manifestation than those seen in the Main Story Quests and with the Scions themselves. The chances of having a very rare manifestation of the Echo alongside everything else you've designed for your character is infinitely small, if I am to be direct. Balance is key when creating and engaging people in role-play. Too many unique qualities and the balance becomes unstable.Â

Alright, with all of that being said... we come to the final note you've inquired about: the Dark Knight Soul-stone. As I understand it (and mind you, I had to ask a few friends who've done the story-quest as I have not) through the Dark Knight quest-lineÂ you acquired your soul-stone from a deceased Dark Knight.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â In the realm of possibilities (alongside the realm of in-game lore), Dark Knights are not a common feature of Ishgard (labeled as Heretics to the Holy See and sentenced to execution upon sight -- or so I've been told) and their rarity seems to be quite high. That being said, regardless of rarity I cannot truly debate the possibility of finding the soul-stone of a deceased Dark Knight in the world: likely near one of the more fabled marks (from a mechanic standpoint: World Bosses). Sometimes, even the most experienced man (or woman) can become a little too big for their britches.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â As for not knowing what the soul-stone is precisely, this is a thin line. Hallucinations are the biggest "problem" of them and could potentially lead to your character believing this stone to be cursed -- now whether that draws them to it or sends them fleeing is entirely your choice. If it draws your character in, there's nothing that says going home could be a means of trying not to lose themselves to the hallucinations while also hoping the homeland might provide information about the stone?

There are many routes to travel when it comes to squeezing something unique into the game's lore and I've come to learn that there are a lot of very tolerable people in the role-play community (at least on Balmung where I am stationed), especially when it comes to something being well written and well thought out. Research is the number one thing you can do when wanting to squeeze in unique facts/details about your character.Â

Â Â Â Â Â Â I will offer you this last warning, because it hits very close to home for me personally. There is very little Hingashi lore available.Â

Weiss · **09-04-2017, 05:36 PM**

I've been rethinking a lot of the background for my character and I've decided to leave behind a lot of the stuff I wrote at first. I was thinking at first about adding a low power of the Echo to easily understand other languages but decided to not go through with it since I think it can give me more space for some fun RP (the character coming from other country and all (and my own english skills aren't good)). I also quit the Alphinaud idea; maybe in the future they can ''meet'' (not directly, but weiss seeing him but nothing more then that) but I won't let it be something that was pre-established by past events that are only written.Â
But every single of the info is always good to know and I thank you for all the information provided, it will be of great help in the future!
I decided to make the starting point in Othard/Hingashi but I avoided to mention anything that wasn't already revealed in 4.0 (or at least I really tried >_<").

That said, I made a new summary list about the background. I think that there is still some clichÃ©s on it but not as much as before, and things are more balanced then before (or not.. i can be mistaken.. u,u)

Show Content

Spoiler

Quote:
0 - 15 Years Old Wrote:-Born in Azim Steppe.
-Raen child from a Raen Mother and a Xaela Father of the Himaa tribe (exiled), both now under the protection of the Malaguld tribe.
-Has a Xaela twin brother.
----Scales are of opposite colors
----Odd eyes that are mirrored.
-Fighting wasnâ€™t something strange for him since he lived in the Steppe.
-Had the hobby of fishing since he was a child, but never spent time enough practicing it so heâ€™s not proficient at it. Amateur level.

16 - 22 years old Wrote:-Around the age of seventeen decided to adventure the world and during his travelers eventually met a wandering warrior without a master who trained him.
23 - 24 years old Wrote:-The duo went to Kugane around six years later when the boy had already twenty three summers.
-Started practicing the art of drawing in order to raise his focus and to train a skill that wasnâ€™t used for fighting.
-Shortly after his masters starts to teach him Eorzean language in the promises it will be good for his future.
-Around a month later his master pays a trip to Eorzea in order for the boy to broaden his horizons and in an attempt for the boy to grow as a person in the middle of a land unfamiliar to him, knowing only the basics of the language.
-Has troubles to fit in after reaching Eorzean shores but decides to abide by his training. Keeps drawing in order to distract him from this problem.Â
-Keeps in touch with both his master and his family while staying overseas through letters.
-Spent some months in Limsa Lominsa in order to improve his social skills with Eorzean people and to learn more about them and the language, eventually ending up training his fishing skills in order to gain some easy money and food out of his catches.
-The oversea experience eventually helps him improve his cooking skills. (Both cooking and fishing is something that is evolving little by little, he is far from being a chef or a master fisherman by this time. Heâ€™s just starting to get the hang of it). He also changes his name to Weiss Loire in order to better fit in Eorzean culture.
25 years old Wrote:-Roughly two have passed since his arrival at Limsa port and got curious, after gossip, about the Palladin order from Ulâ€™dah (actual point on the history.)

I was planing in making him learn an Eorzean art of war, namely the art of being a Paladin. But I don't know if I can jump straight to it without going through Gladiator or if that was even plausible in terms of RP. If I remember it correctly, the lvl30 Job Quest for Paladin stated that they were willing to share their arts to anyone interested and with a bit of commitment to it, without the need to quit adventuring, becoming a free Paladin instead. He wouldn't become an adept user from the start and would need to spend a lot of time practicing it.
His age in there might not be final and I might change it, so pay no mind to it >_< (edit2.0: it now is)

edit1: i read some threads and some lore tumblrs linked in those threads, and fro what I could understand jobs and classes aren't connected, meaning if there is a plausible reason for my character to learn paladin without going through gladiator, it's not only normal but also possible and coherent : D

And I think this is it.

edit2.1: I posted everything about his story in spoiler.

Weiss · **09-09-2017, 08:25 AM**

Sorry for the double post (I dunno how bump/post update is seen since I didn't saw it in the rules x,x) but I finally came up with everything for my character. As I far as I know I didn't do anything against the lore, didn't mention anything that wasn't already confirmed neither did lore assumption, and I think it came out a balanced character. I've added everything to the wiki. If there is anything that isn't on the lore, I'll change it right away.

Thank you to all of the people who posted in here and for all the advice that was given as well as lore info provided :3

Some confusing things

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