How do you justify being here & not there?

[Max]

Hello! I'd like to pose a question for those with characters that are oft away from their stations.

 

Why is your Ishgardian Knight mingling in Ul'dah?

 

What is your Wood Wailer doing outside the Twelveswood?

 

So on and so forth.

 

IC and OOC perspectives are welcome!

[Ignacius]

Well, during the short time Orleans HAD a long-term position IC, he charged by the hour.  So he was often sent "home" until he was needed.

[Winters Knight]

The most common reasons I have used in other games:

 

1. Investigating a lead.

2. Charged on duty day with being a messenger.

3. Scout.

4. R & R.

[Aduu Avagnar]

being on leave

[Nebbs]

Nebula is a Chosen of Nymeia, the Spinner. As such her nose twitches and leads her to places where fate is in the balance. That way she can be just about any place.

 

 

Also her Carbuncle is known to run off and dig things up.

[Melkire]

Immortal Flame roleplayer, here.

 

Leaves of absence.

Military operations, exercises, and/or business.

 

That's it, really.

[Kurt S.]

Seeing as Kurt is now part of the Red Wings, which means he's based in Ul'dah, he shouldn't really be in the other places that much.

 

And yet you could find him in Coerthas, in La Noscea, in the Shroud. That's mainly because he's everyone's retainer and is usually sent out on ventures if he's not cooking for all of them. 

 

"'Explore Coerthas' it said. What am I supposed to find here? Snow white dye? I guess that's something."

[cuideag]

Business, and... business mostly. One is an Ul'dahn merchant who lives in Limsa but still makes regular trips back and forth for trade. Now and again she'll deviate and make the trek up to the Sanctum of the Twelve because she's a good and pious little popoto, but it's mostly due to business.

 

The other is an informant who goes where ever the rumors and the gil goes. People pay her to be places so she makes it her business to be in those places. Hasn't gone back to Ala Mhigo due to Problems Being Made Her Problems, and a very foreboding feeling that she wouldn't have anything to really go home to anyways. Being practically homeless helps with staying mobile.

[Manari]

This is something I sort of struggle with myself. Manari has no IC affiliation with any Gridanian authority at all. She isn't ICly a Twin Adder, she isn't ICly a member of the Wood Wailers or the archer's guild. However, of her own personal doing, she is a self appointed defender and avenger of the Twelveswood. I've written her in such a way that she is always doing her best to uphold her own code of the forest and she loves it so much she hates to leave the woods.

 

So much so, that when ever I'm RPing anywhere that isn't in the Black Shroud, it really eats at me the entire time, because I know it would be eating at Manari to be hanging out in the awful salty air of La Noscea when she should be in her forest. As such, I always struggle to come up with any kind of reason why she would be in a place like Ul'dah. Anyone who knows Manari really well would think it extremely odd to find her in any place besides the Black Shroud. I don't really consider it being a case of "writing myself into a corner" because I love the way she is. But it does make casual random RP harder.

[Khadan]

Kayllen is the second son/3rd child of a small noble house which is a vassal house to Dzemael. Through various things involving "story" he was presumed dead and fled Ishgard after some betrayal related business where he lived in Thanalan for several years. Recently, also through "story" he's been recognized as 'still alive', had to answer for charges of heresy and betrayal, and plans to retake his house from the forces that currently control it. His ultimate goals aren't known by really anyone yet but for now, his reasons for not being IN Ishgard are likely that it would mean he'd be assassinated.

[Desu Nee]

Quki is the kinda Lalafel licks her finger, feels where the wind is blowing, and goes to that direction. She wants to learn absolutely everything she can.

[Lady Rivienne]

Adder:

* Her Commander sends her out to investigate or on a mission. She is often put on assignment elsewhere.

* She attends to private business, usually in Coerthas.

* To spend time away with her husband without worrying about work.

[Aya]

Aya likes to take short day-trip like vacations to Vylbrand (Limsa Lominsa and Costa primarily!) usually for just one or two nights, traveling via air ship

[OttoVann]

I don't justify shit to anyone anymore. My RP has blossomed harder for it. I render no apologies.

 

Free your mind OP.

[Max]

I don't justify shit to anyone anymore. My RP has blossomed harder for it. I render no apologies.

 

Free your mind OP.

Heya Otto. I think you mistook the intent of my thread(?)

 

I'm not demanding an explanation or apology from anyone. I'm curious as to why X character is away from Y through a story perspective. Backstories are the foreground of our characters, so I don't believe it's out of line to ask. We all have reasons. If you choose not to share them with others that's OK.

 

(Normally I wouldn't respond to these types of things but the last line of your post came off as a jab. If not I apologize for taking it that way)

[OttoVann]

I don't justify shit to anyone anymore. My RP has blossomed harder for it. I render no apologies.

 

Free your mind OP.

Heya Otto. I think you mistook the intent of my thread(?)

 

I'm not demanding an explanation or apology from anyone. I'm curious as to why X character is away from Y through a story perspective. Backstories are the foreground of our characters, so I don't believe it's out of line to ask. We all have reasons. If you choose not to share them with others that's OK.

 

(Normally I wouldn't respond to these types of things but the last line of your post came off as a jab. If not I apologize for taking it that way)

 

Oh, I'm not trying to jab at your or anything. I think were talking about two different things. I thought we were like, trying to justify how our character can or can't do things or something. No bigs.

[D'aito Kuji]

D'aito is arguably employed by the Maelstrom so she can be anywhere in the realm on official or not-so-official business.  But because she's a bounty hunter and an adventurer-for-hire, she's necessarily going to do a lot of traveling.

[Gegenji]

I like to try and make sure my characters have enough leeway to be basically anywhere they're needed. Chachan is a Free Paladin, so he could conceivably be found anywhere under that pretense or just visiting friends and whatnot. He does frequent Ul'dah and Limsa more than Gridania, though, mostly due to the former being his former home (and semi-base of operations for his errand-running) and the latter being his current one.

 

Judge, likewise, goes wherever his services are needed.

 

That said, I'll still somehow find ways to limit myself from going to places. I missed out on a little beach party because I couldn't rationalize suddenly being out at Costa on Chachan. And his current arc more or less has him sticking around Mor Dhona, though I manage to justify his attendance at events as him still wanting to help out regardless of his situation.

 

Someone else offered "fast forwarding" and the like as well. Basically, remove the linearity of the events and have whatever thing you're attending (random RP or event or whatever) be before or after whatever would keep your character from being there. Which, I suppose could work for some people?

[Flickering Ember]

Hello! I'd like to pose a question for those with characters that are oft away from their stations.

 

Why is your Ishgardian Knight mingling in Ul'dah?

 

What is your Wood Wailer doing outside the Twelveswood?

 

So on and so forth.

 

IC and OOC perspectives are welcome!

I guess I get around it by NOT RPing those types of characters. I make my characters flexible so they can be in a variety of areas. Ember is technically a citizen of Thanalan but lives off the land. She goes to Shroud frequently for herbs and a greater abundance of food but also visits La Noscea because she loves beaches. Coerthas she doesn't go to but there isn't a lot of RP there anyway.

[Aaron]

Simple.

 

Aaron is a grown as man with two working legs. He can go wherever the hell he wants.

[Hammersmith]

Hammer runs caravaneering investments.  Sometimes he's hands off, sometimes he's forcefully hands on with his work.

 

Which means he's often wherever he needs to be at a given time, or en route and purposefully unavailable to the public at large.

[Random Encounter]

Phae'ra is a mercenary type, there is no real "shouldn't be there" zone thanks to that. Only thing that can affect where he is to be found RP wise is work and his mate.

 

Seda'ir is a pirate, so Las Noscea does tend to be the go to for him. But really, anywhere money is to be made is a good enough reason for him to wander there.

 

Xh'rizen tends to be my more stationary character, but research does drag him around a good bit too.

[Zelmanov]

Orrin originally had leave to explore the outside world under the mission of finding means of aiding Ishgard. He got sidetracked by an Ul'dahn plot involving Dragons and what not. Once that was concluded I've restricted Orrin to Coerthas, he has no reason to be anywhere else, not with ol Niddy awake.

[Chris Ganale]

I don't have justifications for my characters who are locked to specific areas. Consequently, I don't get to RP on them very often.

[Grott]

Uther was disillusioned by Ishgard after the death of his wife and unborn child. Became a lancing instructor in Gridania for a while. Got carried away by the war with the Garleans. Now he kind of wanders around fighting big bads for money and pride like it ain't no thang.